News

Blonde Maze’s new album Second Sight leans into emotional detail through careful sound design. Released on Enhanced Chill, the project builds around subtle production choices that carry personal weight, with many of its core ideas formed through Kontakt libraries like Ashlight, Arkhis, and The Gentleman. Amanda Steckler, the producer behind Blonde Maze, has always written from lived emotional states, often starting songs from a specific relationship or moment. With this record, she relied more heavily on textural instruments to help those feelings translate. Jump to these sections: Balancing sound design with emotional presence How Arkhis and Ashlight shaped the album’s tone Kontakt libraries that anchored full tracks Organizing...

PLAYY. Music has officially launched! The world’s first ever social music platform, crafted specifically for independent artists and organisations. The revolutionary platform has been in the making for nearly two decades, and offers a sustainable alternative to other platforms which more often than not are highly exploitative. PLAYY. Music is not another streaming platform, instead it’s a practical, ethical and forward thinking solution that puts the power in the hands of those who create the music. In one unified hub, artists can manage all aspects of their career, from bookings, to live gigs, engaging with fans, streaming, sample sharing, sales, fundraising as well as licensing. It’s never been this simple and convenient for artists...

Kokiri has been a steady presence in electronic music for over two decades, but he’s never been the kind of producer to stay in one lane. Whether under his main alias or his hardcore-influenced side project nicedah, he’s pushed his sound through a wide spectrum of styles, releasing on labels like Toolroom, Ministry of Sound, Armada, and even putting out remixes for names like Wilkinson and Kelly Clarkson. Now, with the launch of his own imprints Kokidex and Hypersound, he’s finally built a home for his ideas to take shape without having to conform to outside expectations. We caught up to talk about the freedom of working in a purpose-built garden studio, the benefits of staying lean with your plugin setup, and why Raum and Kontakt...

Halloween season is here, and we’ve got a fresh batch of exclusive edits, remixes, and bootlegs to help you set the perfect vibe for your October gigs. The 2025 DJcity Halloween Playlist blends the biggest tracks of the year with reimagined Halloween classics – all flipped into DJ-friendly edits built for the dance floor. Whether you’re playing a costume party, club night, or haunted pop-up, these versions are designed to hit harder, mix smoother, and keep the crowd moving deep into the night. Each track has been handcrafted by DJcity’s global team of producers to give you something you won’t find anywhere else. These tools are made for DJs who want to stand out this Halloween. Here’s a short preview of the playlist. Click through...

Companies who make bags and cases for DJs have to constantly refresh their lineups in order to accommodate new gear releases, and industry trends. On the new episode of Beatsource Tech, Mojaxx takes a look at the latest additions to the Magma Bags range, which includes a new travel case for larger controllers, a crossbody bag, a bag to organise all your cables and small items, and a reissue of a beloved – if rather niche – 45 trolley. Check out Mojaxx’s review of Magma’s Fall lineup on DJcity TV. Sign up to preview the tracks for free. New users: Unlock full download access for just $10. The post What’s Your Bag? Reviewing Magma’s Fall Lineup appeared first on DJcity News - Music and news for DJs and producers.

The Pattern Player is an innovative tool introduced in Traktor Pro 4 that allows DJs to integrate rhythmic patterns into their sets seamlessly. This groundbreaking effects unit delivers an extensive library of drum kits and rhythmic sequences, drawing inspiration from legendary drum machines and the signature drums of leading electronic producers. The Pattern Player empowers DJs to layer intricate percussive elements directly onto their tracks and craft dramatic build-ups, explosive breakdowns, and transitions that go beyond conventional beat matching. When the Pattern Player is assigned to a deck, DJs can manipulate volume, pitch, and decay parameters, and add Traktor Pro 4’s effects for a truly unique sound. In this blog, we’ll...

Notable tracks that were added to DJcity this week. View them all here. Download the tracks below. (* indicates DJcity Exclusive) Taylor Swift – Opalite Diplo, Major Lazer, Busy Signal – GANGSTA – Bontan Remix Ñejo & Feid – Princessa Fred again.. & Amyl And The Sniffers – you’re a star Eve – Who’s That Girl? – Richastic Remix * Drake (ft. Rihanna) – Take Care – Dave Nunes, Marco Pedro & Cabu Pasilda Edit Haddaway – What Is Love – BVRNOUT Remix Fantomel & KATE LINN – Dame Un Grrr – Da Phonk, Ridge & Miroo Remix * Dr. Dre (ft. Snoop Dogg) – The Next Episode – Plastik Funk, Esox & Salvatore Mancuso Remix Justin Bieber – YUKON – UpsideDown Remix DJcity’s weekly picks are selected by Sir Marcus. To receive them via email, click here...

As the industry’s leading instrument-building tool, Kontakt is your gateway to the widest collection of sampled instruments available anywhere. But more than a sampler, this shapeshifting platform has powered two decades of blockbuster film scores and chart-topping hits, plus thousands of incredible instruments. And with hundreds of officially licensed instruments available from Native Instruments and other leading manufacturers – alongside thousands more from boutique developers, sound designers, and composers – you’ll never run short of inspiration. Whether you’re a producer looking for free Kontakt libraries for pop music, a composer searching for cinematic free Kontakt instruments, or simply someone looking for the new free...

This week on @RoadPodcast, the crew sits down with @DjMeloD, @DJDStyles, and @DJ4Real24 to talk about their careers, @theBeatJunkies, and their Cali pizza spot @MadeFromSkratchPizza. They kick things off with Melo-D gives flowers to @DJAngieVee’s “Yer Not Down,” and D-Styles celebrates the iconic “Low End Theory” party that helped launch artists like @FlyingLotus, @Tokimonsta, and @Daedelus (03:55). The crew also reflects on how today’s DJ competitions differ from the Beat Junkies era (18:45). Jaime introduces the Beat Junkies Institute of Sound as “the Avengers teaching you how to be superheroes,” while the fellas joke about bad DJ habits, online instruction, and even a ROAD discount code. D-Styles on “Phantasmagoria” (20:01) and...

Staring at an empty DAW is intimidating. Often, the very first notes are the hardest part of making a track. The new Tools in Kontakt 8 have been developed to skip past that initial phase and get straight into the thick of making a track. Features like Leap and the updated Kontakt Factory Tools make it act like a creative partner. It can spark ideas, shape melodies, and help you bounce ideas faster than ever before. Let’s walk through the process of making a track from scratch using Kontakt 8. We’ll cover how to use Leap for inspiration, as well as look into the Kontakt’s Factory Tools. By the end of this article, you’ll know how to use Kontakt to speed up and enhance your music production workflow. These tools are also available in...

At Native Instruments, we’re inspired every day by the music being made with our tools. The creativity of this community is what keeps these platforms alive. It’s always exciting to see how artists take Maschine, Komplete, Kontakt, and Traktor products in unique directions and with the summer months of July and August in the rearview mirror, it’s time to start hunkering down and finding new creative fuel for the colder months of the year. Because September was no exception, with producers, performers, and sound designers all contributing ideas that stretch across genres and styles, from thoughtful reinterpretations and emotional performances to inventive preset design and ambitious live setups, the range of what’s being shared right...

These are DJcity’s most downloaded tracks of September 2025. Our monthly charts feature top downloads from around the world, plus regional charts for Latin, UK, Germany, Asia, and South Asia. Daddy Yankee – Gasolina – MFresh Jet2 Holiday Troll Edit Kool & The Gang – Celebration – Rogerson Remix Ciara & Tyga – Dance With Me Daft Punk – One More Time – Valmer Remix Chief Keef & Mustard – Shake Dat – MarkCutz Hype Edit Major Lazer, Diplo, Busy Signal & Kybba – GANGSTA Rihanna (ft. Drake) – Work – Trayze Shake It To The Max (Fly) Remix Chief Keef & Mustard – Shake Dat Jaden Bojsen & Sami Brielle – LET’S GO – Rob DVS Classic House Intro Sabrina Carpenter – Tears View the full list here. The post 🏆 September Spotlight – Tracks DJs...

Dam Swindle has spent the past decade refining a production style that blends live instrumentation with groove-heavy house music, built on patience, character, and subtlety. With their new album Open out on Heist Recordings, the duo sat down with us to reflect on how they use tools like the VC 2A and VC 76 compressors not just for control, but for musical shape and feel. So, if they’re dialing in warmth for vintage synths or tightening their drum bus for club impact, their compression workflow is rooted more in their taste than in any template or formulaic step-by-step process that a tutorial teaches. Jump to these sections: Why VC 76 helps Dam Swindle balance instruments without crushing transients How compression changes...

String arrangements can transform a pop track, adding depth, emotion, and movement to the music. But for many producers, traditional orchestration can feel overwhelming – especially if you don’t have a classical background. London Contemporary Orchestra Producer Strings changes that. Designed with producers in mind, this Kontakt instrument strips away the complexity, offering raw, evocative string textures and punchy articulations that fit seamlessly into modern tracks. In this tutorial, we’ll walk through five practical steps for creating modern strings that enhance your pop production or electronic track. From finding your sound to smart note selection and beyond, we’ll cover the fundamentals of modern string arrangement and examine...

Why do synthesizers feel so inextricably linked to electronic music? And could you even imagine a lo-fi hip hop without those hazy, low-passed drums? Genres are often shaped, and sometimes even defined outright, by the instruments they feature. The instruments and textures you choose for your music production are an essential component of genre exploration. They’re really what make a track recognizable in a certain style. That means that trying out new sounds can be one of the fastest ways to step into a new genre. With the NI 360 subscription, you get access to a range of creative tools that make it easy to write across countless styles. In this article, we’ll explore exactly how to do that through three genres: lo-fi hip hop, dance...

Notable tracks that were added to DJcity this week. View them all here. Download the tracks below. (* indicates DJcity Exclusive) Baddie Baddie – Ice Spice one2three – Chris Lake, Disclosure, & Leven Kali RU MOR – Feid SMILE BODY PRETTY FACE – Ty Dolla $ign Me & U – Sir Marcus & Kareem Remix * – Cassie Move Ya Body – BlissFX Remix * – Nina Sky No Diggity – Solardo Remix – Blackstreet Breakin’ Dishes – Colin Jay Remix * – Rihanna Got Your Money – Rob DVS Hype Edit * – Fedde Le Grand Safe – Kwest XO TOUR LliF3 Edit * – Cardi B 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 🎶 Hot Drops...

Berlin-based producer A.D.H.S. has been on a quiet rise over the past few years, building his name through calculated releases and raw, no-nonsense productions. His music has appeared on Drumcode twice, with tracks on their A-Sides Vol. 11 and 12 compilations. But one of his latest releases, a standalone single titled Can’t Hear You made in collaboration with Bart Skils, marks a clear step forward. It’s his first solo credit on Drumcode, and it also happens to be Skils’ favorite closing track in his current sets. We caught up with A.D.H.S. ahead of this release to dig into his production process, how Komplete Kontrol speeds up his workflow, and how switching from hip-hop to techno eventually landed him on some of Europe’s biggest...

Aaron Suiss has been pushing his own corner of melodic techno for years, but 2024 and 2025 have marked a particularly strong run. Between collaborations with Einmusik, Gai Barone, and Citizen Kain, as well as steady support from names like Hernan Cattaneo, Miss Monique, and Nora En Pure, his sound has landed on festival stages from EDC Mexico to Universo Paralello. Now based in Koh Phangan, Thailand, Suiss balances label work at Echoes Of Time with a packed release schedule, including Hypno Therapy, his latest collaboration with Barak White. Built on hypnotic grooves and an emotive core, the track’s low end design is a reminder that Suiss treats bass as more than an afterthought. In this interview, he breaks down exactly how he uses...

Tobias Bergson, the fast-climbing producer and DJ, unleashes his remix of Nativalien‘s ‘‘On & On’‘ featuring Pinwheel Valley today, September 26, 2025, through Hot Soap Records. This comes after the original dropped in July, picking up nods from outlets like YourEDM and This Song Is Sick, plus a spot on La Belle Musique. Tobias has racked up 180 million streams across platforms, earning coverage in Electronic Groove, House Music With Love, YourEDM, Mixmag Germany and Netherlands, When We Dip, DJ Mag, and 1001 Tracklists. He’s put out tracks on big labels like Armada and Universal Music Austria, with backing from heavy hitters such as Don Diablo, Lost Frequencies, and Steve Aoki. Drawing from Deadmau5, Ben Böhmer, Rampa, and Chris...

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. Sign up to preview the tracks for free. New users: Unlock full download access for just $10. September 2025’s #FOTM picks include: Justin Bieber – Yukon – DJ Hunny Bee Up! Edit Flo Rida (ft. T-Pain) – Low – Everlake Remix Kehlani – Folded – Esentrik Remix Chief Keef & Mustard – Shake Dat – Markcutz Hype Edit Drake – Nokia – FS Green Tiburón Edit Follow the R.O.A.D. Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. The post 🍦R.O.A.D. Podcast – Flavor Of The Month (September 2025) appeared first on DJcity News - Music and news...