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Kontakt is a household name in the world of software instruments. The legendary sampler is known for its massive range of immaculately curated instruments, immense flexibility, and diverse range of applications for producers and beatmakers. But the world of Kontakt is vast, and if you’re uninitiated, it might be intimidating to enter. This article will serve as a crash course in Kontakt to equip you with everything you need to know about our flagship software instrument. Discover Kontakt What is a software sampler? A software sampler is a digital instrument that plays back pre-recorded audio files – or what we call “samples” – which can be triggered from a keyboard, MIDI controller, or DAW. Unlike a synthesizer that generates sound...

This week on @RoadPodcast, the crew chops it up with Kansas City’s @djnickdavis. They reflect on meeting Nick early in his journey and stress how crucial it was to travel and experience other DJ scenes at a young age (00:55). The conversation shifts to the Midwest nightlife explosion, with cities like Wichita and Salt Lake City hosting incredible parties (06:50), and Nick breaks down how he’s built his out-of-town bookings through word-of-mouth and collaborations with Salt Lake City’s finest @bangarangthedj (10:04). He shares the origin story of his party Goodies and how it became a way to bring major DJs to KC who otherwise wouldn’t have come. Nick also reveals how he approaches travel gigs, opens up about wild KC “bottle wars,” and...

Groundbreaking social music platform PLAYY. Music has just launched a game-changing competition for independent artists all over the world. The recently launched platform is offering a $25,000 record deal that includes full recording costs, studio production, and a comprehensive international PR and marketing campaign for an entire year. This opportunity is open to all artists who sign up and upload music to PLAYY. Music before 20 February 2026. The winner will receive professional recording and production support, as well as a full-scale global press and radio campaign. This includes blogs, webzines, broadsheets, national and regional radio and press, YouTube channels, and Spotify playlisting across 10 countries: United States...

It’s often said that nothing is more intimidating than a blank project when you’re starting a new song. That’s only true if you approach it expecting the one idea in this one blank project could, will, become your next big hit. In reality, the blank project can be one of the most exciting parts of the process when you treat it like a sketchpad for fast experimentation. This article explores how to get ideas out of your head and into your DAW as quickly as possible, and how the tools inside the new NKS Kontakt library, Dopamine, help make that happen. We’ll walk through five practical ways to use Dopamine to capture, refine, and expand ideas rapidly so you can produce more music and improve the quality of what you release. Jump to...

RE\MIND’s latest single with JK is built around a rare Os Tincoãs sample, but the track doesn’t rely on nostalgia to carry its weight. “Choro” is textured and contemporary, balancing stripped-down groove with just the right amount of emotion. As the second release on JK’s new imprint Titanic’s End, it captures a community-driven energy that’s both local and global, shaped by the legacy of Black Rock City and a desire to create timeless music with intention. What makes the track unique is how RE\MIND weaves in cinematic tools like Pharlight and Noire without pulling focus from the source material. The Os Tincoãs sample remains embedded in the soul of the production, but everything around it is sculpted to add subtle emotional weight...

A common, shared music library across different DJ apps has been a dream of many DJs for a long time. Today, we come one step closer to that with the launch of One Library, a collaboration between AlphaTheta, Native Instruments and Algoriddim. It means that tracks in their three DJ apps – Rekordbox, Traktor and djay, all now share the same format for cues, loops and beatgrids, and that data can be easily transferred between them. Mojaxx takes a first look at this industry-changing story on the new episode of Beatsource Tech. Check out Mojaxx’s rundown of OneLibrary on DJcity TV. Sign up to DJcity for free. New users: Unlock full download access for just $10. The post OneLibrary Will Change The DJ Tech Industry – For Good! appeared...

London-based DJ/producer Skepsis is celebrating a decade in the scene with the announcement of his most personal tour to date: 10 Years of Skepsis. The tour offers fans a chance to experience a special extended set that dives into the decorated producer’s bassline roots – all while previewing the drum & bass direction shaping his next chapter. As you’ll see below, phase 1 kicks off this fall with ten intimate dates across North America, hitting notable cities such as Las Vegas, Vancouver, Denver, Toronto, New York, Montreal, and more. Since breaking out with “Goes Like” in 2017, Skepsis has cemented his place as a major voice in UK dance music. With releases on EMI, Warner, Universal, Spinnin’ Records, and now signed to Ministry of...

Dubai-based duo Jenn Getz & Alfie are kicking off a new chapter with “All I Really Want,” a slick and soulful house heater built for late nights and sunrise dance floors alike. Rooted in a classic Mary J. Blige vocal and infused with infectious UKG and house influences, the new record strikes that rare balance between nostalgic and forward-thinking. As you’ll hear below, it’s the kind of tune that hits just as hard in a sweaty club as it does on a festival mainstage – and we’re loving every second of it. Since breaking onto the Dubai scene in 2020, Jenn Getz & Alfie have been steadily building global momentum. Their unique, high-energy sets and consistent run of releases on labels like Arielle Free’s Free Your Mind, Sam Divine’s DVINE...

Los Angeles-based artist and sound designer James Laurent is kicking off the rollout for his debut album Degen Z with the euphoric new single “Midnight Speeding.” Produced by DutchRevz, the captivating track is a cinematic late-night anthem built on Laurent’s signature layered vocals and sharp melodic instincts. Written, recorded, and mixed in a single 3 a.m. session, the song captures a raw creative spark that still pulses through the final cut. The rising artist also hand-crafted the single’s artwork, spending over 200 hours building cel-shaded 3D visuals from scratch. Set to arrive December 12th, Degen Z features collaborations with Moxas, Global Dan, and Dusty, and marks the arrival of an artist thriving at the intersection of...

After more than ten years, Modestep has officially returned with his highly anticipated sophomore album Give Up The Ghost. The project marks a new chapter for frontman Josh Friend, who now leads the Modestep project solo and brings with him a sound that is darker, more experimental, and more urgent than ever. Give Up The Ghost is a bass heavy concept album that confronts a not so distant future where AI and automation begin to eclipse human creativity. Across 12 tracks, the record blends aggressive drum and bass, cinematic dubstep, and haunting electronic rock with moments of emotional intensity and post apocalyptic vision. Whether it is the dystopian breakdowns of “Bugatti,” the distorted energy of “Feed,” or the introspective tension...

With her fearless vision and genre-blurring sound, Shitty Princess has never been one to follow convention. On her latest single “Same Stars,” the enigmatic DJ and producer channels the euphoric, sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs energy of dance pop’s 2015 golden age while pushing the sound forward with heavy bass, shimmering synths, and festival-ready hooks. As you’ll hear below, the new record also sets the stage for her forthcoming EP, arriving October 3rd: the same day Taylor Swift’s new album drops. “I don’t need her spotlight, I just need the algorithm glow,” Shitty Princess explains. “If she’s the headline, I’m the afterparty.” It’s a fitting statement from an artist reviving the spirit of EDM’s peak era while carving out a lane...

Naya Rockers, in association with Floki Studios, have just unleashed Higher Education, an 11-track benefit LP uniting reggae, ska, dub, and New Orleans R&B heavyweights to support Kingston’s historic Alpha School of Music. Recorded across 15 studios in five countries, the project features Grammy-winning artists, engineers, and musicians, anchored by the 10-piece Naya Rockers band with legends like Earl “Chinna” Smith, members of The Skatalites, John Brown’s Body, and Slightly Stoopid. From Clinton Fearon’s opener “Come With Us” to Mad Professor’s closing dub, as you’ll hear below Higher Education delivers a global journey through roots and rhythm. Standouts include Ivan Neville’s title track, Sister Nancy’s “Teach The Youths,” Stephen...

Acclaimed producer and live performer John Hayes has unveiled his new single “Closer,” out now via Nettwerk. Serving as the lead track from his upcoming full-length album, “Closer” signals a bold new chapter for Hayes, one that trades his recent piano-driven explorations for a fuller, more immersive electronic sound. Built on pulsing rhythms, layered atmospherics, and cinematic production, “Closer” reflects Hayes at his most vulnerable. “This song represents the truest reflection of where I am right now as an artist,” he shares. “It’s a more accurate and vulnerable direction than anything I’ve released before, and I want fans to know this is what they can expect from me moving forward.” The Minneapolis-born, Denver-based artist has...

North Coast Music Festival is set to take place this weekend in Chicago for its anticipated 15-year anniversary, and we couldn’t be more excited to cover the event once again. True to form, NCMF went all out this year: unveiling major stage upgrades (Stadium: Evolved, Shipyard 360, and Mega Vega), rolling out a packed slate of afterparties, and locking in one of their most loaded lineups to date including heavyweights such as RL Grime, Excision, Chris Lake, Zeds Dead, and many more. In honor of the upcoming festivities, 2025 North Coast act and RTT-favorite YOOKiE took the time to curate a special bass playlist ahead of their set this weekend. The duo share: “Last year we were in the crowd for North Coast so super hype to back and...

Grammy-nominated Australian duo Bag Raiders are back better than ever, this time dropping their first-ever release on The Cross Records. The new single, “Hold Me,” is nothing short of a groovy, joyful slice of house music heaven, which is already garnering strong club and festival support from heavyweights like Dom Dolla, Duke Dumont, A-Trak, and Barry Can’t Swim. As you’ll hear below, the record effortlessly blends modern house production with classic disco flourishes and an irresistible vocal hook. “The lyrics speak to the heart, while the rhythm is made for the dance floor,” the duo share. “We love songs that sit between sadness and joy… it’s been a highlight in our live shows for months.” Best known for their global hit “Shooting...

Kato On The Track, the producer behind hits for artists like Tyga, Joyner Lucas, and Snoop Dogg, is on the hunt for the next wave of hot music creators live, every week, with help from Audius. Now halfway through the “Kato’s Hot Takes!” tournament, Kato is reviewing Audius-submitted tracks in real time on his weekly livestream, giving honest feedback, sharing his platform, and handpicking a Sweet 16 of finalists to compete for a piece of the $15,000 prize pool. Kato commented: “I’ve discovered more talent in the last 7 weeks of the Hot Takes Tournament than I have in the last decade of my career. Audius have been great partners helping to facilitate the discovery process and giving these indie Artists more exposure, which is what this...

Five years into running Human By Default, Bedouin are marking the milestone with a release that reflects the same patience and purpose they’ve built the label on. Their new single, “Heavy On My Mind,” features London-based producer Robin M and the unmistakable voice of Morcheeba’s SKYE, a track that began as a summer 2024 session and grew naturally into something intimate and affecting. It’s out now as they close off their Saga residency at Club Chinois, one of three residencies they’ve held this summer alongside Scorpios Mykonos and Casa Amour. In the middle of all this touring, the duo’s creative workflow stays anchored by Maschine. It has been central to the label’s earliest releases and the tracks that make it into their live...

Notable tracks that were added to DJcity this week. View them all here. Download the tracks below. (* indicates DJcity Exclusive) MOLIY & Tyla – Body Go Tiga – Bugatti – CID Remix Ty Dolla $ign – DON’T KILL THE PARTY Daddy Yankee – EL TOQUE Cardi B – Bodega Baddie – MarkCutz Hip Hop Intro * Corona – Rhythm Of The Night – Colin Jay Remix * Sean Paul – Get Busy – AANSE Remix Bruno Mars – Treasure – DJIT Remix Rihanna – Only Girl (In The World) – Playboi Pocky & HUGO. Remix Lady Gaga – Poker Face – CHALANT Remix DJcity’s weekly picks are selected by Sir Marcus. To receive them via email, click here Sign up to preview the tracks for free. New users: Unlock full download access for just $10. The post This Week’s Picks From MOLIY...

Rhythm and movement are essential when it comes to creating compelling narratives. These are delivered handily by the brand new Odes Kontakt instrument – another inspiring partnership between Native Instruments and Evolution Series. Complementing the multi-dimensional textures of Fables and the evolving tones of Lores, Odes uses the series’ familiar interface to bring layered, cinematic rhythm to the fore. With Odes, you can create tempo-synced loops that bring your scores to life with a unique combination of regional folk music and synthesized elements, making it an essential addition to this collection of film, TV, and game scoring tools. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to craft a compelling rhythmic score using Odes in your...

Flavor of the Month is your plug for the hottest new DJ edits, remixes, and bootlegs – handpicked by the ROAD Podcast crew. These DJcity exclusives are guaranteed to turn heads and level up your set. This month’s picks are all Halloween-themed edits perfect for spooky season sets. Sign up to preview the tracks for free. New users: Unlock full download access for just $10. October 2025’s spooky scary #FOTM picks include: Richastic – The Addams Family – Halloween Remix Daddy Yankee – Gasolina – Gael Borrego Halloween Edit (English) John Carpenter – Halloween Theme – AJAY Remix Drake – NOKIA – MarkCutz Halloween Ringtone Edit Follow the R.O.A.D. Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. The post 🍦R.O.A.D. Podcast –...