Test Press
Test Press teamed up with the Get Connected Music Summit for a unique event. The result was a massive turnout and a fantastic session for everyone involved. Two top notch San Francisco DJs graced the decks . DJ Icon (Sister SF, Temple) churned out a hot and sweaty electro house set to get things rolling and DJ Qzen (SisterSF) played a more laidback set on the break.
The featured panelists were Tomas Palermo (Freelance writer XLR8R, URB), Mike Bee (Amoeba, Friday Night Session) and Eric Gordon (Dance Music Programmer/IndieFeed Networks). The three gentleman brought their own unique backgrounds and experiences to the table to shed light on a wide variety of songs submitted by over 20 producers. After giving constructive criticism and feedback for each song, they scored the track from 1-5. Crowd response was also scored as "the fourth judge." Most styles of electronic music were present including house, downtempo, trance, breaks and drum & bass as well as some Trip Hop and Reggae influences. The winner for the evening was "The Closure" by Lukeino and Ax!om - an uptempo jungle track that had the whole crowd nodding their heads.
Everyone who submitted a track was given a free tee shirt and mousepad courtesy of Ableton Live. All of the panelists, winners and djs were each given a software package from IK Multimedia. Test Press would also like to thank their beverage sponsors Heineken and Red Bull.
October 2nd Finalists:
1.) "The Closure" by Lukeino & Ax!om MC --- 18.5
2.) "Can of Worms" by Divasonic w/ Atiim Chenzira --- 17.7
3.) "Bells of San Francisco" by Ambulence --- 15.6
4.) "Feenin" by Gypsy --- 15.5
5.) "Clubs & Knives" by Bartelby --- 15.1
Started in 2005 by the electronic and dance music committee of the San Francisco Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Test Press was created by a handful of industry insiders with a grass roots mentality to bring DJs, musicians, vocalists and producers together in a networking mixer and to present new music to the community.
The events give both artists and producers an opportunity to get their music heard and critiqued by respected industry leaders and for the fans and attendees to vote on their favorites. The 2006 events received over 200 song entries and resulted in 15 tracks on the Test Press SF 2007 compilation CD/DVD release sponsored by Ableton (makers of Ableton Live) and Pyramind.
The song review panels have resumed in 2008 on a quarterly basis and are scheduled for Pyramind’s new facilities at 832 Folsom St. Check out TestPress at Epiphyterecords.com
