ENVELOPE FILTER
Aug 1, 2005 12:00 PM
LETTER OF THE MONTH
UNFORGETTABLE
Your magazine totally sucks! So, yeah, I read it every month, cover to cover. I can't believe you don't have a review of my “about-to-make-it-huge-just-like-everyone-else” band in your rag. I mean, c'mon — I don't have the time to actually send you a CD for you to listen to, and if I did, you'd probably just forget about it. All my friends tell me it's the greatest, so you should like it, too! You should go to my Website and download stuff and tell me it rules. I'll have my friends bombard you with e-mails asking you to review my CD. Then, upon your reaction, I will be available for a cover shoot sometime in late June, if you are willing to meet all the items on my rider. I have been making music for almost six months now, and I have some gear and some mics and some keyboards. But your magazine blows, so I probably won't ever hear from you.
Shane Etter
Denver
For sending in not only the most hilarious letter this month but also the most inventive (he included four alternate versions of his letter), Shane Etter wins an E-mu Proteus X desktop sound module. If you send in the most inspired correspondence next month — or simply the one we like the best — you will win a Samson C01U ($234.99) USB studio condenser microphone. All that you have to do is send an e-mail to remixeditorial@primediabusiness.com. Please include your mailing address.
GOOD TRIP
I'm an upcoming DJ/producer and three-year-long subscriber to Remix. I just wanted to say thank you for covering DJ Z-Trip (“Frequencies,” June 2005). Since I first saw him on the 2002 Scratch tour, I've done everything possible to catch his Bay Area shows. I got to meet him last year in S.F., and I told him that he is the DJ I aspire to be someday. His mash-up style is truly inspirational, mostly because he performs it live (seamlessly) with just two turntables and an effects processor.
Z-Trip is genuine hip-hop! He effortlessly brings together elements of rap, pop, old-school and rock. It's all the music we've loved and grown up with. For anyone who doesn't know his work, just try to imagine a sold-out crowd of b-boys singing along to the likes of Jane's Addiction, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, The Eurythmics and Metallica all remixed with the best hip-hop songs, old and new. I'd been waiting to see if you would cover him. Before I could write you to suggest it, you beat me to the punch. Z-Trip embodies all the elements of a brilliant DJ, and he pushes the envelope while rockin' the party.
Joel Garcia
San Francisco
AWESOME AND NO PROBLEM
I just finished reading Scott Rubin's column in this month's Remix (“Band Aid,” June 2005), and I wanted to say wow and thanks. Wow because I have never seen music publishing described and explained as clearly and concisely, and I own several books on the topic. I know he glossed over some of the finer points, but I think he selected the topics to discuss well. And thanks because I am reasonably certain it took more than a few minutes to distill such a complicated topic down to a single page, and I appreciate the effort. My third thought, after reading the article, was that I should contact his company, but, alas, my music would not fit into its roster. Oh, well, I am certain there are other publishing concerns with the same knowledge and integrity, and when the time comes, I'll find one!
Bill Thompson
via e-mail
HEADPHONE HEADACHE
I am writing this letter because I think that it is about time that someone addressed the quality of many top name-brand DJ headphones that are currently on the market.
About four years ago, I purchased a well-known brand of headphones made specifically for DJ use. They were praised everywhere by DJs and the media for their exceptional sound quality; features like rotating ear cups; comfort; and, of course, durability. And with a price tag of $149, they ought to deliver what they promised. I used them under normal use for about one year until I noticed that they were starting to crack and break along the swivel joints, which keep the ear cups joined to the headband. Well, over the next two weeks, the swivel joints completely cracked, making these headphones virtually unusable.
So I started to do my own research, and what I soon discovered was that most of these well-known top-name manufacturers were all making headphones that lacked quality in the same area: durability! A pair of headphones should be an investment that should last many years (at least more than one!), and for the money spent, these products plainly don't deliver.
I am not knocking all the headphone brands out there, because if you do some deep digging, you will find some of excellent quality. But are these top-name companies really looking to our needs and taking our feedback into consideration in their product development? I am starting to believe that these companies are more motivated to create products that have good looks and sell quickly instead of concentrating on complete, overall quality and performance.
J. Hanson
Wheaton, Ill.
IT NEVER HURTS TO ASK
I'm not sure if someone has suggested this before, but how about an up-and-coming producers section in your magazine? I'm a 14-year-old up-and-coming producer who has worked with some mid-major artists like Krumbz, Rocky and Yung Ro. Hopefully, I will get a big break soon, but I respect your magazine, and I'm always looking for some exposure, like every other producer in America.
Garrett Brown
via e-mail
Garrett — Thanks for the suggestion! It's always good to hear ideas from readers. We'll see what we can do. — The Editors
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