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Monday, February 23, 2015

The Sound & Connection of Black Stax

Our sound is one where we take all forms of 'Black music' and do our best to 'stack (stax)' them together to create the most Quality material. While paying homage and acknowledging those who have laid the path for us to build on.

Our connection to music is Genuine. We come from the admiration of the artists we have listened to growing up and those that inspire us as our peers. And, see the Future in our youth. Our connection is to the Community we come from, the Struggles that have been fought, the experiences we've had , the responsibility to continue the Culture and the Humbleness to be able to create. We believe we have to be Purposeful in our messages in our music, while having the ability to capture the audience (newborn-80) with the Soul and Spirit that resonates inside our US.

Always being Thankful for our God given Talents! And, speaking for those that are not always listened to or Represented.

@blackstax (on twitter)
black_stax (on instagram)

'Black Stax at Madaraka Festival'- http://youtu.be/iZKFe5dMW4c

'Black Stax VOL 2:Staxin Continues' (promo video)- http://youtu.be/iZKFe5dMW4c


'STAR' Black Stax ft Naomi WamBoe (Kenyan vocalist)- https://soundcloud.com/blackstax/star Produced by DJ Shingi, Visual created by Lady Flava

Thank You!

Black Stax

Monday, February 16, 2015

Antonio Fresco's Love for DJing & EDM....

As person who has always been involved with music since a young age, and coming from a family who is ingrained in music in some sort of facet, it was only inevitable that, I would take my place in the family legacy and continue the tradition. From playing the Alto Saxophone at the age of six, then switching to drums during my middle school years, and then finally picking up the turntables in my late teenage years, my love for music was quite evident. 

Growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, during a time when the "Baltimore Club Music" sound was so prevalent and dominated the club scene, dance music was a very popular thing. This sound, was my first real taste of dance music, which caused me to dig further deeper into uptempo music. Along side my love for DJing, and music as a whole, my love for music expanded even further as I got into the radio industry as a DJ. 

Working for a college radio station, I got to experience a lot of music that was underground and not as popular as the mainstream sound. This sowed early seeds for me to later become a music producer, as my radio career led me to Dallas, Texas to become a dj on one of the biggest radio stations in all of Texas. Today, producing and DJing is not only my passion, but my career as well. 

Focusing on dance music as my main inspiration for creating, I also try to make sure I consume as much music from other genre's as well to help keep my thinking/creativity "Outside The Box", and keeps my perspective fresh. 

So for me, a love for all music drives me as a DJ, and my love for creating music drives me to become the best EDM Producer and Artist that I can be. 

Until we meet again, continue to Love each other...

-Antonio Fresco


Monday, February 9, 2015

Show Days by Andrea Godin

Show days are my favorite part of being an artist. There is so much preparation and behind the scenes work that goes into each show, and it all pays off when you get to perform and show the audience what you’ve been working on.
The day of a show, myself and my team usually have a very busy day ahead of us, so of course stocking up on coffee is a must before hitting the road! After days and hours of long rehearsals to get my show just right, this is when I really start to get excited and thankful for another opportunity to get on stage. The road trip to the show is always fun because our team is like a 2nd family and I have so many fun and happy memories with them throughout the past 2 years.
Once we arrive, it’s time for hair and makeup! This is when I relax, go through the show in my head, and have tea & honey for my voice. Once the dancers and I are glammed up, I start my warm ups and we begin going through the show together, even if it means rehearsing in our hotel room. I like to be very prepared because giving the audience a memorable show is so important to me.
Sometime in the midst of all this I get to do my sound check. The sound is different in every venue so a sound check makes me a lot more comfortable with the stage and vibe of the venue.
I still get pretty nervous before I go on stage. I always have and I think I always will because, like I said, every show is important to me. But the excitement always outweighs the nervousness. Right before it’s time to go on stage is when I’m the most nervous, but as soon as I start performing the nerves usually disappear. Being on stage is what I work so hard for and to see an audience get so into my show makes me want to work even harder so that I can continue to travel and go on hundreds of more stages in my life.  
After I get off stage, I love meeting and getting pictures with everyone. Nothing makes me happier than someone saying how much they loved the performance or a certain song that I performed. To me, that’s the whole point of making music!
This year I know there is going to be so many more amazing memories and I cannot wait to see what they may be! To anyone reading this who I have met at a show and has shown your support ever since (you know who you are!) thank you so much. Some of the goals I’ve had and will have haven’t been easy, but it makes it that much better knowing you guys are there showing your huge amount of support. Looking forward to more shows, meeting more amazing people, and making more memories with the awesome people that I’ve met.


Andrea Godin is no stranger when it comes to the music industry. Born and raised in St. George, Ontario, this beautiful Pop/Dance/R&B recording artist knew at a young age she wanted to be a singer. After her first performance at 11 years old, Andrea was ready to get her career started.  More information available on her website
Follow her on Twitter

Monday, February 2, 2015

Album Review: "We Are All We Need" by Above & Beyond

Yes, there might be a trend of album reviews of DJ/Artists in the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) scene these days. You must remember that the purpose is to highlight music & musicians for the talent they possess.   That being said, upon finding out that a member of the A Capella group Straight No Chaser is also an EDM junkie, he suggested to check out Above & Beyond's new album "We Are All We Need".

Instead of worrying if there is enough money in the budget for albums, there is the wonderful invention called streaming. Thus, it was easy to get right on this task. As explained in previous posts of EDM album reviews, the vibe to enjoy yourself and the music continues. The concept of this album is explained by it's title.

The first track "Quieter is Louder" is brilliant, as it is what you might call a quiet ambient track, yet it speaks volumes as you listen. Well, that's the interpretation thus far, take a listen for yourself. The next track is the title track "We Are All We Need" featuring the vocals of Zoe Johnson, and it fully delivers on its promise to bring to life Above & Beyond's musical talent adapted to the electronic sound. "Blue Sky Action" featuring Alex Vargus continues the trend.

Let's just say, the break down of each track could continue. However, in this review, not only is the introduction to the album a goal, but deeper understanding of Above & Beyond is warranted. In fact, let this acoustic set the tone.

The adaptation of acoustic to electronic and back again needs to acknowledged. Have you added "We Are All We Need" to your collection yet?