Volume 2, Issue #26

DJ Jaspa

Once Jason Hogg got his hands on a few records and a turntable, DJ Jaspa was born. Over the past few years the UK native has become one of the hottest underground names in the Canadian progressive and house music scene. His debut effort "A Long Time Coming" has created a serious buzz throughout Canada as well as the United States. Jaspa’s original blend of electronica that fuses high-energy and rhythmic beats with hip-hop has resulted in extended airplay on a number of University and college radio stations across the country as well as live gigs on Canadian television. Currently, he’s working with Tracy Moar, who provided vocals on his debut, on another record that he hopes will be finished by the end of the summer.

Five Questions for DJ Jaspa

1)Your style is quite unique. Describe your sound for someone who is unfamiliar with it.
"A mixbag of electronica that takes you on a journey. My music is very personal. I put a lot of though into my lyrics in hopes that it will inspire people."

2) What’s the electronica scene like in Canada right now?
"As a whole it’s really good again after a dry spell. It bounced back. There are a bunch of artists about to break out. There’s a handful of DJ’s (Max Graham, Ritchie Hawtin and Max Oliver) that are creating a serious buzz for themselves in the club scene."

3)Creating your first album brought out some emotions, huh?
"I put the whole thing together by myself and it took me about a year and a half. But it was worth it. Once I completed it I remember listening to to in its entirety and started sobbing. It was a relief that I finished it, but I was sad that I didn’t have it to work on anymore."

4) Prior to becoming a DJ you were in a hip hop group. What experiences did you gain from that?
"I learned about the business aspect of the entertainment industry. We made a couple of demos and were performing at all these clubs — we thought we were gonna be superstars. But we found ourselves dreaming and relying on bad management.”

5) How on earth did you get involved with X-Box?
"I was just surfing the web and ended up on some site that had an electronica forum. I responded to some questions and by that afternoon X-Box manufacturer WXP3D wanted to use some of my songs for their game Greg Hastings Tournament Paintball. I was so surprised and excited."


----Joseph Barracato

Brooke Valentine

Five years ago, Brooke Valentine decided to take a stroll through a local Texas mall with a few friends to kill some time. What she didn’t know is that her music career would begin that day she met Deja, a local producer who happened to be the CEO of Subliminal Entertainment, an independent label and production company. After dazzling him with an on-the-spot audition, Valentine found herself teamed up two other girls to comprise the band Best Kept Secret. The group eventually fizzled out once they graduated high school, but that turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Valentine. The 19-year old turned into a solo act and was given a chance to showcase her talents in front of a Virgin Records executive after Deja had bridged the gap with her demo. She was immediately signed and began work on her debut album "Chain Letter." The record, which dropped Tuesday, can be best described as the diary of a young women’s trials and tribulations.

Five Questions for Brooke Valentine

1) We heard that you got into some scraps in grammar school. Is that accurate?
"The public school I went to in Texas had some girls who didn’t know that I was a little crazy. But they found out that I was. There were certain times when the drama got to be too much and I had to take care of it by fighting."

2) Usually teenage girls are pushovers when it comes to guys. Were you?
"No [laughing]. I was pretty mean. I would yell at them on the phone all the time. I was the dude in the relationship. I always got what I wanted.”

3) In the past, you and your mother didn’t see eye to eye. What happened?
"She wasn’t happy with me spending so much time in the studio and I eventually moved out. But we’re very close now. It was just something we went through."

4) You collaborated with three extremely talented artists in on your debut record. How much did you learn from them?
"A lot. Lil’ Jon showed me what it’s like to be a professional. To make sure I get all my work done before I can go out and party. Big Boi and Dirt McGirt are geniuses. I feel blessed to have worked with them."

5) Who are your musical influences?
"I would say Sade, Janet Jackson and Alanis Morissette. And as far as longevity is concerned I would have to go with 2pac and Biggie Smalls."

----Joseph Barracato

ROCK MUSIC SCORES ANOTHER HAT TRICK

They always say that things come in three’s. Well even if you’re not superstitious, one must agree rock fans were certainly blessed three times last year with the summer release of The Killers debut album which was followed in the fall by by the latest U2 and Green Day records. The trio basically dominated the rock scene with six incredibly productive singles spanning the past nine months. And just when the buzz of the intoxicating high they provided is beginning to wear off, three more acts are planning releases that will further prove the aforementioned theory true.

The Dave Matthews Band are set to drop "Stand Up" on May 10. Their first single "American Baby," recently premiered on AOL’s Music's First Listen initiative. The album is the follow-up to 2002's "Busted Stuff" which has sold 1.9 million copies in the U.S. to date. The record promises not only to be a bit more upbeat than the former but overall quality should be enhanced after a number of the band members admitted to having several breakout sessions in the studio.

UK rockers Coldplay just unveiled five brand new songs from its highly anticipated third album, "X&Y" this past week in Los Angeles at a surprise gig at the Troubadour club. The group also treated its West Coast fans to a few fresh cuts as part of a benefit for radio station KCRW. The band decided on "Speed of Sound" as their lead single, but could’ve easily chosen "White Shadows" or "What If" for that honor. The record is scheduled for a late May release.

After completing another semester at Harvard, frontman Rivers Cuomo and Weezer are about to wrap up production on their fifth studio album entitled " Make Believe." The follow up to 2002’s "Maladroit" will feature the single "Beverly Hills." The video for the song was filmed at the Playboy Mansion — the last place on earth you would expect to see that foursome hanging out. The band has predicted a late May/early June release for the album.


----Joseph Barracato

Q: What is Your Big Break and why should I participate?

-- Cee Bank, Dred Lok

Approximately once every three months, The Industry Resource sponsors a contest that provides members of our artist community with an incredible opportunity to jump start their careers. Hence, the title "Your Big Break."

Our first contest, "You Are On The Air" (see http://.theindustryresource.com/big_break.php) has been designed to identify the very best in undiscovered musical talent regardless of genre. The list of prizes include worldwide distribution, licensing, CD manufacturing, professional photo session & a NY showcase.

We are accepting and reviewing music from all genres. Submissions can be original material or covers. The contests judging panel includes respected industry professionals from MTV, NY Post, Big Much Productions, Sanctuary Management, Pacific Time Entertainment, The RPM Group and Wrongroom Films.


--- Francis Giolatta

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