Proceeds from all three gifts support NextAid’s work to create sustainable solutions for African children orphaned by AIDS. For more information on NextAid, please visit http://www.nextaid.org.For Immediate Release: December 1, 2009

Los Angeles Humanitarian Organization NextAid
Offers Three Green, Philanthropic Holiday Gift Giving Options
Benefitting African Children in Need

Funk Aid for Africa CD • MUD Cares Eye Shadow • “Send a Child to School”

LOS ANGELES, CA – Los Angeles-based humanitarian organization NextAid offers three “green” holiday giving options that benefit African children in need. All three philanthropic gifts are perfect for those who want their holiday giving to mean a bit more:
1.) Funk Aid for Africa, a critically acclaimed CD mix of funky goodness released by Dubspot
2.) MUD Cares Palette of Eye Colors – earthy eye shadows by Make-Up Designory (MUD)
3.) NextAid’s “Send a Child to School” program

Proceeds from all three gifts support NextAid’s work to create sustainable solutions for African children orphaned by AIDS. For more information on NextAid, please visit http://www.nextaid.org.

Details on NextAid’s three philanthropic/green gift giving options …

Funk Aid For Africa CD:
Funk Aid for Africa is a compilation created to raise funds for African children affected by AIDS by harnessing the positive power of music. It’s a funky soul vitamin for your body, mind and spirit – seamlessly blended into a super tight and tasty collage of dubbed out dancehall, reggae, funk, and afro-beat by DJ OBaH. All those involved, from DJ OBaH to the artists (like J Boogie and The Pimps of Joytown) who wrote the tracks, and Dubspot Records who generously produced/released the CD, have donated their time, skill and compositions. All proceeds from the sale of this compilation are going towards the construction of a “green” sports facility at NextAid’s environmental community center in Dennilton, South Africa. The complex serves as a beacon of hope in a community devastated by AIDS and poverty. The CD is priced between $10 – 12 (depending on site purchased from.)
http://www.funkaid.com/ (info/buy)
http://www.dancetracksdigital.com/search/release.php?x=release_info&release_id=46108 (preview/buy)
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=312426116&s=143441 (buy)
http://www.amazon.com/Funk-Aid-For-Africa/dp/B002BLA9PW (buy)

MUD Cares Palette Eye Shadow:
MUD Cares Palette ($25.00) is a quad of eye shadows developed and created by Make-Up Designory (MUD). Shades included are Spanish Gold, Cashmere, Dulce de Leche, and Moss. 100% of the proceeds go towards building homes for children in Africa who have been orphaned by AIDS. Each color is soft and finely milled with just a touch of sheen and the palette works for most skin tones and complexions. The sales of this specially-commissioned eye shadow will fund the final construction and initial operations of two children’s homes in a poverty-stricken town located 25 miles southeast of Nairobi. Each of these eco-friendly homes will provide long-term shelter, food and medical needs for 16 local orphans. The project also funds the children’s educational pursuits, from elementary school through secondary and university or trade school.
http://shop.mudshop.com/mud-cares-palette (info/buy)
http://www.mudblog.net/blog/make-up_designory_nextaid_building_a_foundation_for_a_better_tomorrow

NextAid’s “Send a Child to School” with goGogetters campaign:
A $75 donation to NextAid will assist in sending a child to school for a year. NextAid is working with a well-respected South African organization, loveLife, to be the beneficiary of NextAid’s “Send a Child to School” (aka goGogetters) campaign. goGogetters is a loveLife program that supports the many grandmothers (gogos) who have been dedicating their senior years to the wellbeing of orphans and vulnerable children. NextAid is raising funds for the schooling needs of some of the most vulnerable children who participate in the goGogetters program. All it takes is $75 to enable one child’s education for a year. This donation will ensure that a child is equipped with a school uniform, shoes and school supplies – all critical to a child’s education, especially as many children drop out of school due to embarrassment when they do not have these items. We all know that education is the ticket to a better future and this program presents an affordable and tangible way to make a difference.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=328589150284 (details)
http://www.nextaid.org/donation.htm (donate)

About NextAid -
NextAid’s mission is to improve the lives of youth in Africa by implementing and advancing sustainable solutions. Through music events and public education initiatives, this Los Angeles-based humanitarian organization raises awareness for and partners with community-based projects and grassroots organizations in Africa. NextAid adheres to a holistic and integrated approach in addressing the spectrum of challenges associated with establishing lasting change. http://www.nextaid.org

NextAid images from the field: http://www.nextaid.org/photogallery.htm

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For more information, photos, or to arrange interviews, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Hasty at 213-840-1201 or lynn (at) greengalactic.com.

Dubspot

Dubspot and Ableton Present the LA Stop of Their
“Live 8 U.S. Sessions Tour”
Workshops & Panel Discussions Featuring World-Class Artists
At King King in Hollywood
Saturday, Nov. 7 and Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009 (daytime)

LOS ANGELES – Dubspot, New York’s premier DJ and electronic music production institute, announces the Los Angeles stop of their Ableton “Live 8 U.S. Sessions Tour.” This unique series of interactive workshops, Q&As and panel discussions features a diverse pool of world-class artists as well as Dubspot’s top-notch instructors sharing methods for the studio and the stage, centered around the powerful music software Ableton Live 8. Special guest workshop presenters for the Los Angeles weekend include Scientist, Daedelus, Kid Beyond, Justin Boreta, Christopher Willits, Thavius Beck, and Peter Kirn, along with the Dubspot crew. The LA session will be held at King King in Hollywood (6553 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028; 323-960-5765) on Saturday November 7 (11:00am – 7:00pm) and Sunday November 8 (noon – 8:00pm), 2009. A weekend pass costs $195; a Saturday or Sunday day-pass costs $110. For details and registration please visit www.live8tour.com.

This truly unique educational experience is intended to help both aspiring as well as established artists. Each day is organized into five “sessions” designed to develop a diverse range of production and performance skills, while enhancing creative abilities. Saturday sessions focus on production. Sunday sessions focus on performance. Tour workshops showcase how far-reaching the capabilities of Ableton Live 8 are by covering a wide variety of compositional, programming, mixing, and mastering issues. Topics include drum-programming, instrument and effect rack management, sequencing, automation, creating melody, harmonic awareness, mixing and mastering principles, sound stage management, synth programming, PA/DJ hybrid setups, controllers, live instruments in Ableton, efficient set management, looping, routing, licensing, and much more.

The tour involves pioneers of electronic music, along with new blood, to provide a more complete experience and perspective of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. In addition to the special guests lined up in each city, expert Dubspot instructors will present personally developed production and performance strategies in a dynamic interactive workshop environment.

Los Angeles Live 8 Workshop Sessions –
Instructors & Special Guest Speakers (Affiliations) – Workshop Titles:

• Scientist (legendary remix pioneer) – Producer’s Panel Discussion
• Daedelus (Ninja Tune, Dublab.com) – Programming Strategies & Max Applications
• Kid Beyond (beatboxer/Live looper) – Live Looping & Performance Techniques
• Justin Boreta (Glitch Mob) – Dynamic Beat Creation & Set Manipulation
• Christopher Willits (Ghostly International, Overlap.org) and more TBD – Producer’s Panel Discussion
• Thavius Beck (Big Dada, Mush Records) – Beats & Grooves – Creation & Manipulation
• Irwin (IrwinMusic.com)
• Steve Nalepa (1320 Records, Chapman University Conservatory of Music)
• Peter Kirn (Create Digital Music) – Controlling Live – Performance Controllers
• Jon Margulies (Heatercore, Hobotech) – Automation Techniques – Sound Development
• Daniel Wyatt (Sonica Media Group, Atlantic) – The Art of Mastering – Crisp, Clean Sound
• DJ Kiva (Audios Babylon) – Live PA/DJ Hybrid Sets – Integration & Control
• Barry Cole (Spot Music, Blue Mountain Music Publishing) – My Tracks Are Banging, Now What?

About the special guests in Los Angeles:

Hopeton Brown, aka Scientist, is a Dub legend from Kingston, Jamaica who along with King Tubby developed many studio techniques that are still widely used today. His pioneering collaboration with Tubby and his own remix work has been highly influential in the electronic music field. His name originated from a joke between Tubby and Bunny Lee. Having noticed Brown’s forward thinking ideas and technical aspirations, Tubby remarked, “Damn, this little boy must be a scientist.”

Daedelus (Ninja Tune) is a pioneering experimental music producer and live performer. He is a part of the groups Adventure Time and The Long Lost. He is also a founding DJ at the internet radio station Dublab.com.

Kid Beyond, a singer, beatboxer, songwriter, and Live looper, is a one-man vocal band. He loops and multitracks his voice onstage to create his own live backing tracks – layering his impassioned lyrics over his own beatboxing and vocal instrumentation.

Justin Boreta, of Slidecamp and Glitch Mob fame, is well-known for producing some of the most interesting remixes being done today. Boreta, a self-professed technology geek, has extensive audio production experience with Ableton Live.

Christopher Willits (Ghostly International) has been instrumental in redefining the guitar in the digital age, successfully incorporating custom-built software. Willits engages in solo work, a range of music collaborations, sound installations, and film/video projects. He founded and directs the emerging culture hub Overlap.org.

Thavius Beck (Big Dada, Mush Records) is an electronic musician, producer, MC, and saxophone/bass guitar player. His live hip-hop beat construction has earned him recognition among the electronic music community, eventually leading to a sponsorship relationship with Ableton. Beck’s relationship with Live has grown to the point that he frequently books Ableton Live instructional workshops in many cities while on tour.

Peter Kirn, a composer, musician, media artist, and technology writer, publishes and edits the sites Create Digital Music and Create Digital Motion. He also writes for MAKE, Macworld, Keyboard, and Computer Music (UK), and is the author of Real World Digital Audio, a book on making music with computers.

And the Dubspot team:

Jon Margulies (Heatercore, Hobotech) is a producer, guitarist and leading Ableton Live expert. He is the author of Ableton Live 7 Power! and Ableton Live 8 Power!

Daniel Wyatt (Sonica Media Group, Atlantic) is a Grammy and Emmy-nominated producer/engineer. He has worked with Wax Poetic featuring Norah Jones, Curtis Mayfield, Thievery Corp., the Roots, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Mos Def, Ziggy Marley, and many others.

Artist/producer DJ Kiva is the founder of Adios Babylon Studios and record label. He has released numerous albums and remixed for many soul, broken beat, reggae, and dance music artists.

Barry Cole, a Grammy-nominated soundtrack album producer and music supervisor, and his company Spot Music, have a proven track record in soundtrack A&R, musical score, and music clearance. Cole manages the North America publishing catalogs of such luminaries as Bob Marley, Black Uhuru, Justice, and Grace Jones for Blue Mountain Music Publishing.

Dubspot is a world-class electronic music production and DJ training institute in New York City. As one of the first Ableton Certified Training Centers in the world, Dubspot has become the premier music school for both aspiring and experienced producers and DJs. The Los Angeles event is the third stop in a series of Ableton workshops that Dubspot is presenting in 8 U.S. cities. Next up on the tour is Austin at The Parish Room (214 E. 6th St, Austin, TX – www.theparishroom.com) happening on Nov. 14 – 15. Presenters and performers at the Austin event include Francis Preve (Different Pieces, Fap 7), Christopher Willits (Ghostly International, Overlap.org), Daniel Wyatt (Sonica Media Group, Atlantic), Jon Margulies (Heatercore, Hobotech), Barry Cole (Spot Music & Blue Mountain Music Publishing), and Michael Hatsis (Track Team Audio). For more information on Dubspot, please see: www.dubspot.com

The Live 8 U.S. Sessions Tour represents what Dubspot aspires to bring the public: unique and exciting ways for uniting the electronic music scene and educating the people within it. On each tour stop, a select group of world-class DJs, composers and producers (who have ranged from Richie Hawtin to Scientist) join top-notch Dubspot instructors to present production and performance strategies in a dynamic workshop environment. All is centered around Ableton Live 8, the most powerful music software on the planet. This one-of-a-kind series of events represents everything that is revolutionary about the Dubspot experience and the future of music education.

In Los Angeles, additional evening events are also being planned with various artists from the daytime workshops and panels. Get a taste of everything the tour is, watch the NYC video at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b4B-NG6WD0

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For more information, images, and interviews please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Hasty at 213-840-1201 or lynn (at) greengalactic.com.