Editor’s Note: As this is my first post on the FRISKYblog, I just wanted to make a quick introduction. I was first introduced to electronic music in 2000, starting with the Global Underground series and Oakenfold Essential Mixes, which blew my mind and changed my life. Soon after diving into the music, I went to school for Recording Arts, to learn the production and engineering side of the industry (and later, for Music Business). 10 years later and the music still drives my life, something that I am continually grateful for. Thank you frisky, for the chance to get involved in a new way! - -Lauren Krieger (Solefield)

CABIN PRESSURE
Hosted by Martin Garcia
Launch Date: January 24 2013 @ 2PM EST / 04PM BsAs / 08PM CET

Martin Garcia has made several guest appearances on FRISKY, dating as far back as 2005. Martin also made his United States live debut when he played alongside Pole Folder and 16 Bit Lolitas at getFrisky! Miami in 2006. And now, Martin joins FRISKY with an exclusive quarterly show: Cabin Pressure!

As an up & coming DJ, Martin Garcia has already accumulated an impressive resume of shows, including gigs with Sasha, Nick Warren, John Digweed, Danny Howells, and many more. His Saturday nights at the Clubland booth at Pacha, Buenos Aires, have allowed him to experience close ties with his audience while also allowing him the opportunity for large International parties, including headlining at Creamfields Buenos Aires. His smooth mixing and details of sound selections have earned him the respect of Progressive House fans all across Argentina and Latin America, and his variety of electro, progressive, breaks, and house will please music fans around the world. He has seen much success on the production side as well, producing individually or as a duet with Hernan Cattaneo, with tracks released on labels such as Perfecto, Shinichi, and Bedrock. With an exceptional level and depth in both production and mixing, Martin Garcia is definitely one to watch out for this year, and Cabin Pressure is a show you won’t want to miss.

Check out some of Martin’s past appearances on FRISKY at the subscriptions area.

So, Dec 21 2012 came and the world didn’t end. That means we now have to plan for the future…damn you MAYANS!!! Luckily we were prepared in the 0.00004% chance that the Mayans were wrong in their prediction and had put some things in motion to prepare for such a Zombie-free utopian future that we’re all going to enjoy in 2013.

But first, lets take a look back at 2012. 2012 was even bigger than 2011. We increased our TTSL (Total Time Spent Listening, which is an industry standard for measuring online radio) to 9 million hours. Our website, which admittedly is lacking in content, still managed to see an increase of 2 million new unique visits than the previous year. We went mobile with the launch of an official FRISKY iOS app, and it got featured by Apple and became the most downloaded music app for that week! We launched a new channel featuring content from our popular Chillout Sundays programming. We added new shows from artists that we feel are pushing boundaries and are on the top of their game, producing the best electronic music anywhere!

Now, on to 2013. We’ve been busy developing a number of products that we’ll release this year. Starting with a website redesign, which is currently in private beta at beta.friskyradio.com. We are slowly letting more users in so if you’d like to check it out, sign up to get in the queue to gain access. Due to the response we’ve already got, it might take a while before we can let more people in, so please be patient.

The website redesign is just one small part of what we are calling the #theNewFRISKY. Its not simply a redesign, but a platform on top of which new features and products will be built. Coming soon: the FRISKY web-app with features like smart playlists, recommendations based on what artists and shows you like, social radio features and more discovery. We plan to update our popular iOS app, and yes Android users we heard you loud and clear - FRISKY for Android is coming soon!

For our artists: better ways to connect with their audience, showcase their body of work, ability to sell their latest releases as well as benefit directly from their dj sets is also in the works. We’re pretty excited about all the upcoming features and have a few surprises up our sleeves and we cant wait to show them to you!

On the content side we’ll continue with our belief that quality trumps quantity. We think curation is the key to our growth - which translates to more exposure for our artists and their work. Our audience comes to FRISKY because they expect quality and exclusive electronic music. We plan to double down on this core philosophy and feature the best electronic dance music from the world’s top and most upcoming DJs. So look out for announcements of new shows in the coming days.

FRISKY has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 2001. We are heard in over 204 regions across the world. In addition to the web and mobile, FRISKY is available in more devices than ever before. We’re honored that BMW chose FRISKY as one of its Featured Stations in all its model 2012+ BMW cars with the web radio option - so now you can finally get frisky at 100 MPH (eyes on the road please!). In addition to cars, FRISKY is available on Samsung, Pioneer and Panasonic connected TVs, SONY PSP game console, set-top media boxes like Roku, Sonos, WD Live and much more! As the world moves “beyond the desktop and mobile” and into connected hardware products, FRISKY is poised to solidify its position as the leader in electronic dance music.

In closing, I’d like to thank our fans for spending their time with us every day; our artists for their patience as we build the next-generation of FRISKY products that will directly benefit them in more ways than ever before; and our partners and sponsors for their loyal support. I’ll try to be as transparent as possible during the dev cycle and provide updates as I can.

Until next time… Stay FRISKY!

From all of us here at FRISKY HQ to you… Merry FRISKMAS!!!! Have a safe and happy FRISKMAS!!!

Stay tuned for some exciting announcements coming up in the new year…

Our second Artist of the Week Spotlight features a true legend: Nick Muir. Unless you’ve been living under a rock in the past 15+ years, the name Nick Muir isnt unfamiliar. Not only is Nick Muir one-half of bedrock (the other one being a fellow that goes by the name of John Digweed, perhaps you’ve heard of him), Nick is responsible for such movie score classics such as Trainspotting and Stark Raving Mad, to name just a few.

FRISKY: How did you get into djing?
Nick Muir: I always thought of myself as more of a musician/producer than a DJ. I was a professional session keyboard player for years and the idea of playing a set behind decks didn’t appeal - to be honest I was having such a great time going to parties and listening to other DJs that
I stuck to doing that! However when the technology improved and Ableton software came out, the opportunity to play some tunes and
twist them up was too great and I started playing some sets.

I did used to do a live thing which involved taking more or less the whole studio out and setting it up at a club. Then one
day a couple of years ago I did a gig with Charlie May (of Spooky/Sasha fame) and while I was struggling with a truckload of equipment
he took his laptop and controller out of a backpack and was ready to play in 5 minutes! The penny dropped…

FRISKY: You did a lot of scores for movies and tvshows. Anything big or interesting coming up soon the fans should know about?
Nick: As i write John and I have a project ready to go which is different to anything we’ve done before; and that, I’m afraid, is all I can tell you! I risk death at the hands of Diggers if I reveal any more - sorry.

Anytime we’ve contributed soundtrack we’ve enjoyed it and it’s worked out well - obviously if the right project came up we’d consider it but it’s
becoming a little bit of a cliche that people in our position are looking to make soundtracks. Everyone seems to be angling for it, so we’re not
holding our breath. Of course because we’re known for dance music then any offers seem to be slightly biased towards that area but it would
be great to step outside the genre. I work with a small production company that requires soundtrack from time to time which can be anything
from world music to full blown orchestral - it’s great work to do, challenging and I enjoy coming up with something just when they think they’ve got
me stumped!

FRISKY: Do you approach the production of a movie/tv score differently than any other ‘club’ track?
Nick: There are similarities; coming up with a successful musical arrangement is key to both disciplines, getting the energy flow right is important too, you have
to make it sound natural, even when you’re working with totally electronic sources.

The big difference is that you rarely work to a steady unchanging pulse when you’re writing to a scene (although that can be made to work well)
and the pulse is what club tracks are all about of course. But within a club mix its common to get the intensity to rise and fall which you also do with soundtrack, but the level of subtlety you sometimes employ with a score you will rarely hear in a club mix. Not in mine anyway, they’re a right racket normally!

FRISKY: You are one half of the legendary Bedrock duo with John Digweed, how did you guys meet, why the name bedrock and who came up with that name?
Nick: We met through a mutual friend of ours, the saxophone player Simeon Jones. Simeon and I were in a touring band together and knowing I was into the dance music scene,
he introduced me to John who he’d met in the Austrian alps during the ski-ing season; Simmy was in the resident band and John was DJ-ing there. We made contact, next thing I knew John turned up at the studio and we were writing a track!

‘For What You Dream Of’

After we wrote ‘For What You Dream Of’ we were looking for a name (I remember ‘Oddjob’ was one of the names that came up, haha) but John was already running a night called Bedrock, I believe he borrowed the name from a Chicago nightclub, which, legend has it, had a volcano that they somehow rigged up in the club which actually used to erupt! I thought it was a pretty cool name which also meant something to people who had seen John play.

FRISKY: What is the craziest place you partied?
Nick: I remember these guys who used to hold raves in unlikely venues and one time they managed to get into a shipbreakers yard and set up in the rusting hull of an old ship! it was a very cool place - but it sounded like shit.

FRISKY: What can we expect from Nick Muir and or Bedrock in the future?
Nick: There’s lots of things I’d like to do, whether or not I’ll get the chance is another matter. I’m interested in sound systems and would like to experiment with how music is relayed in a space. We’re on good terms with the guys at Funktion One and I’m hoping we may do some work with them at some point.

I would like to make more albums, not something we’ve done a lot of over the years, as the compilation is more the medium in which DJs tend to work - also the internet is still in its infancy and is going to continue to evolve. Its going to be massive and all encompassing - I think traditional broadcast radio has had its golden era and stations like Frisky are the future. People are going to make great things for the web. It’s going to be awesome. It already is.

FRISKY: If Simon Cowell asked you to be a judge in his rumored DJ-Idol competition, what would you say to him?”
Nick: Look I’m sure Simon Cowell is actually an OK guy but of course the very idea of DJ-idol strikes terror into the heart of any true lover of club music. If he asked me to be a judge, firstly I’d pick myself up off the floor, then I would accept on the basis he paid me an obscenely large amount of money with which I could throw some proper parties and help a few people that really need it with anything left over.

FRISKY: What do you think of the current debate thats going on about the the alleged over-commercialisation of dance music? Good or bad? Whats your take on it?
Nick: I’ve been working in dance music for a long time now and the debate has been going on as long as I can remember. If you’ve got a scene a bunch of people like then someone’s going to try and exploit it, which I haven’t necessarily got a problem with. If you’re going to make money then there will always have to be a bit of that.

Also, while the focus of attention is on the latest cheesy dance spectacular it gives the underground dance scene a chance to breathe a bit and to re-position itself exactly where it should be - underground.

FRISKY: If you were to play your last gig ever: Where would it be and what track would you play to close it out?
Nick: Ah well, there’s a question. As far as I’m concerned Space in Ibiza is just about the best club in the world (although if you could re-open Twilo that might nick it) so maybe there - I might play Born Slippy/Underworld - so many memories, its a whole lifetime in one track - plus the opening riff is my wifes ringtone!

Underworld - Born Slippy

Nick Muir - Official website.

Nick Muir - FRISKY Artist of the Week airs Tuesday July 31 at 11AM Los Angeles / 02PM New York / 08PM CET on friskyRadio.com

Presenting our biggest FRISKY Loves… yet:

The UK is having quite a year: the Queen celebrated her diamond jubilee, English cricket team is back in form, later in the summer the Olympics come to London…. But all that pals in comparison to what we’re celebrating this Saturday: the electronic dance music legends of UK! Featuring massive DJs young and experienced, the 20+ hour show features a select list of DJs that we have come to love from the small country.

Dont miss the show this Saturday, June 30 2012, starting at 01PM London time (convert time here). FRISKY does indeed LOVE the UK!

Now if only they can get their football in order….

This morning the FRISKY team woke up to some amazing news. Just 3 days after its launch, the FRISKY iOS app has been selected as a Featured App by Apple.

Its not everyday that you get featured by Apple and if you haven’t yet downloaded the FREE app, what are you waiting for? Download it now and take FRISKY with you everywhere!

Thanks to everyone for the amazing feedback on the app! We’re working hard here in the FRISKY HQ on loads of other new projects so stay tuned for exciting things to come!

Listening to your favourite FRISKY DJ just got easier! Announcing the FREE FRISKY iOS App!

FRISKY - the best in electronic music since 2001 is now available on your iOS device!

Now you can get FRISKY from anywhere using your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad device with the FRISKY iOS app - all for free! Whats more, the app has something special: a brand new channel! ChilloutSundays - the popular Sunday ambient session is getting its own channel: FRISKY CHILL! Everyday is a Sunday with FRISKY CHILL - playing the best in ambient, lounge and movie-scores! FRISKY CHILL is only available on the app for now, and will be available on the website at a later date.

FEATURES:
+ Choose from two channels depending on your mood: FRISKY for the best in electronic dance music and CHILL for ambient, chillout and lounge music.

+ Exclusive shows from the world’s top DJs, including Nick Warren, Jody Wisternoff, HYBRID, Miss Nine & more.

+ Stream on your home stereo via AirPlay.

+ Tell your friends that you’re feelin’ frisky: Share what youre listening to with your friends via email, Facebook, or Twitter.

+ Select from high or low bandwidth, based on your network connection.

+ Built for the latest in iOS5 support: stream in background, control music and volume from lock screen & more.

Download the free app now by searching for ‘frisky radio’ on the App Store or by pointing your web browser to friskyradio.com/iphone

It doesnt matter if you don’t do it first - you just have to do it *right*. That’s why we resisted the urge to release an iOS app just for the sake of having one. So after careful planning and figuring out what exactly is important in a mobile app - we’re launching our first mobile app within the next few weeks.

So after waiting years for a mobile app… er, you just have to wait a tiny bit more as the app will out in the App Store in a few weeks. And this is only the beginning. We have a pretty busy roadmap for the app and FRISKY in general for the rest of 2012 and we can’t wait to show you all the things we’ve been planning for the last year. In fact, we’ve already begun working on version 1.2 of the iOS app! After all, its kinda hard to slack off when we have the beats of FRISKY in the speakers 24/7… So keep checking the blog, and stay frisky!

For now - make sure you sign up on the app launch page to get notified when the app goes live in the Apple App Store. Whats more, by signing up and entering your email, you will be entered into a prize drawing for FRISKY t-shirts, stickers and more swag! So sign up now –> friskyradio.com/mobile

We welcome a new upstart music label from India to the FRISKY show roster this week: Juicebox w/ label head honcho and previous Artist of the Week Praveen Achary. .

A bit about Juicebox:

With a keen ear for quality music and forward thinking ideas, Praveen Achary set up his brainchild music-outfit - Juicebox Music. Established with the idea of delivering high quality ‘fresh’ music through a brand new record label, as well as an exclusive radio show on friskyRadio, Juicebox Music is set to become an instant favorite to a wide variety of enthusiasts in & around house music. The label will feature releases from established international & national artists as well as nurture inspiring & upcoming talents, while the radio show named “Juicebox” will promote the label sound through the seamless & progressive sets that Praveen Achary has become known for.

Follow Juicebox Music on Facebook || Twitter || Soundcloud

The show launches Tuesday, 01 May at 03PM CET / 1830 INDIA only on FRISKY.

Bring out the Grappa! Open up a bottle of the best Chianti cuz we’re bringing out the beats! Its time to celebrate Italy! Featuring the best in Italian DJs this all-day event is a celebration of EDM in Italy!

Saturday 28 April at 09AM New York / 03PM Rome / [click here for times in your timezone]

ALZATE IL VOLUME A PALLA !!!