Vovox Releases Sonorus XL Cables
Vovox has announced the Sonorous XL series of cables, which they describe as a “top-of-the-line cable series is designed for both musicians and studios.” The Swiss cable company explains their new line is set apart from their Sonorous line by a crystalline structure of the large, solid-core copper conductors. “As a consequence of their exceptional construction, the ‘sonorus XL’ cables...
Walrus Audio Announces Luminary Octave Generator V2 Pedal
Walrus Audio has revamped their Luminary Quad Octave Generator for 2018. The pedal, which offers four blendable octaves with filters, has been tweaked while retaining the same platform. “With several tasteful updates, the brains of the Luminary V2 are still built on the Sharc DSP platform for crystal clear tracking and high-resolution A/D and D/A conversion,” Walrus writes. Those updates...
Janek Gwizdala Releases “The Bass Player’s Ultimate Chop Builder”
Janek Gwizdala has expanded his line of educational bass books to beef up your technique. The Bass Player’s Ultimate Chop Builder is split into two books: one for major and one for minor. “Having chops is about being able to play anything you hear and seamlessly communicate that with your audience,” Gwizdala states. “The Ultimate Chop Builder series goes deep...
Darkglass Electronics Unveils Limited Edition Microtubes 900 Bass Amp
Darkglass Electronics is continuing their tradition of limited edition models with a decked out version of the Microtubes 900 bass amp. The amp has a new black chassis with artwork on its top. “We have collaborated with Christopher Lovell, a true social media sensation as of late with some of the most epic, dark artwork we have seen in the...
Sly & Robbie Team with Norwegian Trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer For “Nordub”
The legendary reggae rhythm section of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare (aka Sly & Robbie) have teamed up with Norwegian jazz trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer to release Nordub, an album that blends “the colorful atmospheres of Norwegian Jazz and the energetic grooves of Jamaica.” The band, which is rounded out with Eivind Aarset on guitar and Vladislav Delay on electronics,...
Bass of the Week: Novacorda Barbaros
Novacorda’s Barbaros bass is a design that’s nearly five hundred years old. Well, at least that’s where the inspiration came from. “The bass guitar was named after Barbaros Hayreddin Pa?a who was an Ottoman admiral of Sultan Süleyman‘s fleet,” the Novacorda website explains. “The design of the bass is based on the cross-section of one of his 16th-century warships of...
Napalm Death Releases “Coded Smears and More Uncommon Slurs”
Grindcore masters Napalm Death have compiled 31 songs for an album called Coded Smears and More Uncommon Slurs. Taken from tracks recorded between 2004 and 2016, the compilation brings together rarities and exclusive songs for over 90 minutes of music. Bassist Shane Embury spoke on the album earlier this year. “We can’t believe how much we have achieved in support...
System Of A Down Announces 2018 Tour Dates
After teasing the news on Facebook, System of a Down has announced they will be returning to the stage in 2018. The band, anchored by Shavo Odadjian, will be playing at least five shows this October including a headlining spot on the Aftershock Festival. Three of the other dates include support from At The Drive In and Skeleton Witch, while...
Hiwatt Unveils DR401 400w Bass Head at MusikMesse
Hiwatt was on hand at this year’s Musikmesse to unveil the DR401, which they declare as the “most powerful all-tube bass amp in the world.” The tube head features three ECC83’s and one ECC81 in the preamp with a whopping eight KT88’s in the power section to produce 580 watts RMS before clipping. Custom made in England, the amp has...
Joanna Dudkowska: Bach Cello Suite No. 1, I. Prelude
We’ve seen plenty of bassists tackle Bach’s Prelude to the first Cello Suite, but never quite like this. Polish bassist Joanna Dudkowska produced this video performing the iconic piece in her many personas. “The film presents four of my various music personalities,” she shares. “I work as a session musician in Poland. I wanted to show the work of session...
Peter Erskine and the Dr. Um Band Release “On Call”
Peter Erskine and his Dr. Um band are back at it, and this time they’re “On Call”. The new double album features a CD of studio recordings plus a CD of a live performance in Ochiobello, Italy on July 30, 2017. The former Weather Report drummer’s band once again includes pianist John Beasley, saxophonist Bob Sheppard, and bassist Benjamin Shepherd....
Leland Sklar Joins Judith Owen for Spring Tour
Singer-songwriter Judith Owen has announced a new spring tour in support of her upcoming album redisCOVERed, which will feature reworked songs ranging from Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” to Drake’s “Hotline Bling”. The trek will once again be anchored by Owen’s friend and bass legend, Leland Sklar. “Of course I’ll be touring from here on out with my ‘main...