AirdriftSignals Music Magazine

A guy made an album when he was 30. 50 years later, he remakes that same album, but now he’s 80. The albums are The Dark Side of The Moon and The Dark Side of The Moon Redux and the guy is Roger Waters. This is my review of his new album.

Roger Waters, former frontman of Pink Floyd, releases his own version of the classic album, The Dark Side of The Moon Redux, for better or worse Roger Waters - The Dark Side of The Moon Redux Comparison and Review

Our review of Roger Waters - The Dark Side of The Moon Redux is now live! It’s sometimes refreshing, but often dull. That’s too bad given the original is one of the GOAT.

Roger Waters, former frontman of Pink Floyd, releases his own version of the classic album, The Dark Side of The Moon Redux, for better or worse Roger Waters - The Dark Side of The Moon Redux Comparison and Review

Check out my 50th Anniversary Analysis and Review of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of The Moon! It’s basically the beginning of a soft relaunch of my online music magazine AirdriftSignals with many more album deep-dives coming in the future. Enjoy!

https://www.airdriftsignals.com/2023/09/pink-floyd-dark-side-of-the-moon-50th-analysis-and-review.html

Not technically a new release, debut s/t EP released in 2015 finally on streaming, but I thought this was pretty nice. You can read all about it here 👇🏼 https://www.stefanwalczak.us/2023/08/dj-dark-flow-ep.html

“Hot Lava Man”

“Dopesmoker Sleep Guardians of the Desert Moss Planet Sitting Atop Their W**d Pyramid”

The Bitcoin Bull by digital painter and NFT artist Chalana, is the king of all crypto! This collectible bull is limited to only 100 and will be listed at some point later today! Favorite it and keep your eye out for when the Bitcoin Bull goes live!
Coin by Chalana collection
https://opensea.io/assets/0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e/107323566486787781663945932916671811216620175031282922155664294987248225484900

Created a few new NFTs today! Most are animated because, why not??! Check this one out that I call Flower of Life, and my animated River logo for my music alias. All contained within my collection Dark Flow Designs which you can navigate from this link... two of them are listed for auction with a FREE (0ETH) opening bid. Check em out. 🤍🔥🤘🏼🎧🙏🏼

https://opensea.io/assets/0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e/107323566486787781663945932916671811216620175031282922155664294891590713868289

Dark Flow Designs - Flower of Life - Dark Flow Designs | OpenSea Edition #1 of 1. Created by Dark Flow Designs.

How to successfully downsize your vinyl player setup without sacrificing audio quality

Being a part of a few vinyl social circles, I have seen a number of posts of newcomer’s setups, which usually include a suitcase record player, and this motivated me to share my own downsized setup and my story of how it came to be. It is awesome to see so many new record lovers’ humble beginnings! Loving and collecting records is really a special thing. When the album artwork (especially if it’s cool art) is that much larger to behold its beauty in your hands while listening to a nice set of speakers or headphones, it makes the music listening experience so much more immersive.

My setup is an amalgam of luck and being forced to downsize my space. When my wife and I moved to a smaller but cozier apartment, I was forced to store up my full sized player, stereo receiver, and giant speakers. I had no player for a while. My wife and her sister went in on the best Christmas gift I ever got, this 1 by One all-in-one player. Vinyl, CDs, cassettes, radio, aux, Bluetooth, and USB drives with the ability to play music files but also record from vinyl to the drive in lossless format. This was a great little box! It was only the first step though, as built-in speakers for these box players aren’t optimal.

Some years prior while helping a guy build his house we needed to take a trip to Waterbury to the Home Depot for some supplies. On our trip back along the main road was a set of furniture and an old sound system on the curb of someone's property. I asked my friend to stop so I could take it and put it behind our seats in his pickup truck. I found out later from my brother-in-law, who is also an audiophile, that these were Bang and Olefsen speakers that were manufactured in the late '70s and were discontinued around '79. They were kept in VG+ condition and he kept confirming with me that I picked them up off the side of the road. He was in disbelief about that. I guess the lesson here is to never gloss over a free sound system on the side of the road. You never know what people are giving away for free.

The final step to my downsized but upgraded setup was an amplifier. My box has the regular red and white speaker outputs in the back but my B&O speakers only had copper wiring. My brother-in-law recommended a nice amp on Amazon that could connect these parts. I went with the Lepy Super Bass power amplifier. At 39 dollars with tax it was just 40 bucks on Amazon. This amplifier allowed me to connect the red and white cables to it and then the copper wiring of my B&Os to it. I can adjust the treble and bass to my liking and maximize the sound output better than the built-in speaker could previously.

Now with the built-in speakers on at a lower volume to help fill out the middle of the space, my setup became complete. It only cost me 40 bucks out of pocket. My dad who got me into music and record collecting at a young age has asked me to never get rid of my B&Os because to his ear he never heard such clarity from speakers that are made nowadays.

I’d like to also share a couple of recent record purchases and preorders. I am also committed to keeping my own collection very curated and small, so I only want to hold on to absolute gems and essentials that I wouldn’t want to live without. This aspect of record collecting could prove a tough habit to keep in check, as new records can always tempt a fan to purchase and grow their collection. The cabinet my dad also gave me when he was cleaning out our family home. I bought the Crosley crate for my favorites.


I hope this inspires some newcomer vinyl lovers to continue to upgrade their setups with amplifiers, speakers, and understand that it is possible to have a downsized vinyl setup that doesn't sacrifice audio quality. Never forget to also to be aware of any curb alerts in your neighborhoods, as you never know the quality of sound systems that people might be putting on the road for free. Peace and have a great day.

How to successfully downsize your vinyl player setup without sacrificing audio quality Advice on how to successfully downsize your vinyl player setup without sacrificing audio quality

How to successfully downsize your vinyl player setup without sacrificing audio quality

Being a part of a few vinyl social circles, I have seen a number of posts of newcomer’s setups, which usually include a suitcase record player, and this motivated me to share my own downsized setup and my story of how it came to be. It is awesome to see so many new record lovers’ humble beginnings! Loving and collecting records is really a special thing. When the album artwork (especially if it’s cool art) is that much larger to behold its beauty in your hands while listening to a nice set of speakers or headphones, it makes the music listening experience so much more immersive.

My setup is an amalgam of luck and being forced to downsize my space. When my wife and I moved to a smaller but cozier apartment, I was forced to store up my full sized player, stereo receiver, and giant speakers. I had no player for a while. My wife and her sister went in on the best Christmas gift I ever got, this 1 by One all-in-one player. Vinyl, CDs, cassettes, radio, aux, Bluetooth, and USB drives with the ability to play music files but also record from vinyl to the drive in lossless format. This was a great little box! It was only the first step though, as built-in speakers for these box players aren’t optimal.

Some years prior while helping a guy build his house we needed to take a trip to Waterbury to the Home Depot for some supplies. On our trip back along the main road was a set of furniture and an old sound system on the curb of someone's property. I asked my friend to stop so I could take it and put it behind our seats in his pickup truck. I found out later from my brother-in-law, who is also an audiophile, that these were Bang and Olefsen speakers that were manufactured in the late '70s and were discontinued around '79. They were kept in VG+ condition and he kept confirming with me that I picked them up off the side of the road. He was in disbelief about that. I guess the lesson here is to never gloss over a free sound system on the side of the road. You never know what people are giving away for free.

The final step to my downsized but upgraded setup was an amplifier. My box has the regular red and white speaker outputs in the back but my B&O speakers only had copper wiring. My brother-in-law recommended a nice amp on Amazon that could connect these parts. I went with the Lepy Super Bass power amplifier. At 39 dollars with tax it was just 40 bucks on Amazon. This amplifier allowed me to connect the red and white cables to it and then the copper wiring of my B&Os to it. I can adjust the treble and bass to my liking and maximize the sound output better than the built-in speaker could previously.

Now with the built-in speakers on at a lower volume to help fill out the middle of the space, my setup became complete. It only cost me 40 bucks out of pocket. My dad who got me into music and record collecting at a young age has asked me to never get rid of my B&Os because to his ear he never heard such clarity from speakers that are made nowadays.

I’d like to also share a couple of recent record purchases and preorders. I am also committed to keeping my own collection very curated and small, so I only want to hold on to absolute gems and essentials that I wouldn’t want to live without. This aspect of record collecting could prove a tough habit to keep in check, as new records can always tempt a fan to purchase and grow their collection. The cabinet my dad also gave me when he was cleaning out our family home. I bought the Crosley crate for my favorites.


I hope this inspires some newcomer vinyl lovers to continue to upgrade their setups with amplifiers, speakers, and understand that it is possible to have a downsized vinyl setup that doesn't sacrifice audio quality. Never forget to also to be aware of any curb alerts in your neighborhoods, as you never know the quality of sound systems that people might be putting on the road for free. Peace and have a great day.

http://www.airdriftsignals.com/2021/05/downsizing-vinyl-setup.html

My very first minted NFT item has officially been LISTED for auction! Ending in 5 days, check out Cubed - Zenith, part of a limited series! For all of you NFT collectors and entreupenurs out there!

Cubed - Zenith - Dark Flow Designs | OpenSea The Cubed Series Zenith animation. A digital product of Dark Flow Designs. Limited series #1 of 5.

As a audiophile with more than a decade of experience in journalism, broadcasting, mixing, and production, I was invited to be a part of a growing collective of music professionals and tastemakers called Share To Pros. Submissions are already rolling in, but come be a part, submit your music to AirdriftSignals Music Magazine, and receive quality feedback as a result of being heard. It’s our newest and most affordable service we offer now! Follow the link 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼🔥🔥🔥🤟🏼🤟🏼🎧🎧
https://www.sharetopros.com/go.php?id=972

Share PRO - Submit Your Music & Be Discovered Share Pro is a marketplace for music creators and music industry professionals to meet, discover, and network. We specialize in connecting music makers with the biggest names in music and entertainment, finally breaking the barrier between independent artists and the music industry's most powerful t...

Dark Flow Designs Etsy Shop - Visually Stunning Kaleidoscopic Art

I am unveiling the launch of my brand new Etsy shop, Dark Flow Designs! Over the past few years, I have enjoyed creating various abstract artwork. Two years ago, I used this artwork that I have created for my DJ Dark Flow music releases, namely my Cracking the Code and Backwords Thoughts singles and my Crystallize album cover.

Now, I am pleased to announce that many of these unreleased abstract pieces will be available for purchase as wall art decorations to enhance any living space or creativity. Take a look at the shop by following this link, and stay tuned for newly released artwork from my visual branch of creativity, Dark Flow Designs! Stay creative and stay safe.

Dark Flow Designs Etsy Shop - Visually Stunning Kaleidoscopic Art Dark Flow Designs Etsy Shop - Visually Stunning Kaleidoscopic Art

Dark Flow Designs Etsy Shop - Visually Stunning Kaleidoscopic Art

I am unveiling the launch of my brand new Etsy shop, Dark Flow Designs! Over the past few years, I have enjoyed creating various abstract artwork. Two years ago, I used this artwork that I have created for my DJ Dark Flow music releases, namely my Cracking the Code and Backwords Thoughts singles and my Crystallize album cover.

Now, I am pleased to announce that many of these unreleased abstract pieces will be available for purchase as wall art decorations to enhance any living space or creativity. Take a look at the shop by following this link, and stay tuned for newly released artwork from my visual branch of creativity, Dark Flow Designs! Stay creative and stay safe.

http://www.airdriftsignals.com/2021/04/DarkFlowDesigns.html

These prints will be going up for sale soon at my Etsy store. Dark Flow Designs @ https://etsy.me/3sTFenZ

Please show your support if you like geometric or psychedelic artwork!

Transatlantic duo Configa and Hastyle unleash The ConfigHas Crates, setting hip-hop ablaze!

Hip-hop has been through many trends over the years. As the founding hip-hop genre has inevitably morphed into subgenres such as east and west coast hip-hop, underground, gangsta rap, conscious rap, crunk, southern rap, trap, mumble rap, etc., the prevailing sound has always been real hip-hop. Old heads remind the younger generations of aspiring artists and avid fans, while newer players help by keeping the style alive. The ConfigHas Crates is no different, as transatlantic duo Configa (beats) and Hastyle (rhymes) prove that no "body" can keep these two talented artists apart for this compilation, exhumed, electrified, and brought back to life.

The album opens with the medium tempo'd upbeat loops of Something I Said and Hastyle wastes no time calling out those who have ghosted him in the past. "Now you waving farewell, never return my messages on the cell, son I know you got my voicemail, text messages and email, what the hell? How could you do me like? Is it jealousy, envy, why are you screwing me, black, I'm Hastyle fam." The beat is bountiful with soulful vocals and licks while Hastyle uses his storytelling powers to deliver a message that many people can relate to when falling out of touch or when there's no telling why a person drops someone for seemingly no reason. Was it something he said? He doesn't take long to wonder and moves to focus on what is happening for him "Now". Now features rapper Nine on the second verse who brings a hardened and gritty swagger to this head-bobbing and sultry cut. The nearly buried coos of soul singers and flirtatious horns brings to the forefront the tasteful productions that Configa's become known for, and Hastyle bookends the verses with his smooth-as-butter flow, commenting on the struggle that still affects his life and complementing the call and response of a sampled singers call for what's going on "Now."

Enemies Closer almost flows seamlessly from Now as it shares the previous sample as it picks up the pace into a militaristic and Wu-inspired beat. The sampled vocals in the mix remind the listener and Hastyle to "keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." Hastyle riffs off this reminder and recounts the times that friends and family has not come through for him, but why he still prefers to keep tabs on his enemies. Sadat X pulls up for a couple verses and questions the true motives of so-called friends, while Hastyle drops more jewels of knowledge, "true friends sometimes are there, and then abra-cadabra, like Houdini they wanna disappear, that's why I rather have enemies as supporters, keep your best friends close, enemies even closer." The haunting choir-like beat is reminiscent of cuts from militant minded emcees such as Jedi Mind Tricks or Immortal Technique, but for Configa it's just another flavor of his multi-colored repertoire of beats. Water Colors is yet another example of how many colors and styles The ConfigHas Crates is willing to draw from. It opens with a bright and flirtatious piano skit of Hastyle scoping a beautiful lady he's determined to win. The following beat sounds Eastern-inspired, with a chorus of cello and fluttering violins that give this track a really down to Earth vibe. Hastyle turns artful as he tries to woo a pretty lady with his steady wit and conversation and takes a leap of faith.

Alpha Bits gives up another wild beat for Hastyle to test his speed on. The reverberating bass-y and melodic music starts to run alongside Hastyle and the pair never take a misstep in this seriously funky and jazzy number. It's almost hard to imagine that an energy like this is still rising, but suffice it to say it's just about to plateau with the follow-up song, Sticky. "It's a sticky situation, got me feeling sensations, like I'm on medication, taking the pain away, I love her but I gotta leave her, I'm addicted gotta be with her, I'm stuck in the game, it's just me and Mary Jane," Hastyle takes the chorus and likens the herb to a love-addicted romance. The beat fizzles and whistles in such a way that it begs the question if MJ would truly enhance this listening experience. Rah Digga blesses this track with her unmistakable charm and raps about the writers block that can come and go with the "sticky, the snowy, the smelly, the hairy" and drowning in the liquor. "I'm lying to myself, I can't write without it, I'm lightin' up another, my vision's still clouded, I said 'oh well', I put the pen down, swimming in these strange clouds, let a bitch drown." Despite feeling lost in this cloud of bliss, Hastyle, Configa, and Rah Digga resign themselves to just enjoy the moment, and what a moment it really is.

Lik a Shot, featuring Wordsworth and Rashan, settles into a smoother groove and Hastyle muses over his lyrical weaponry while he takes some shots with his guests. Wordsworth and Rashan add a nonstop flow that gives this posse a special slice in the ConfigHas canon. The subject matter then drops into a more realized and pointed track in Mind Control. Hastyle questions the powers-that-be by calling out the multiple conspiracy theories without disproving any in particular. He focuses instead on the government and media's culpability to control the minds of those who are unaware. El Da Sensei drops in on the funky seventies-television-style beat and pulls up bars concerning police brutality, mass killings, gang violence, unemployment, and the systemic failures that lead to violence in communities. World War Rap featuring Prince Po feels like the next logical progression from Mind Control. Hastyle raps in the chorus, "the World War started, now the world's cold-hearted, and everything on the radio is garbage, all you rapper's on the market, you don't want to be our next target." Prince Po speaks of a revolution and resolutely spits disses aimed at the fake emcees who spit dumbed down rhymes. He reminds the cotton candy rappers that him and Hastyle are hungry and the wack emcees are about to be devoured. Soldiers March opens with a faux newscast that is reporting on genocidal crimes against humanity that is tongue-in-cheek while not entirely downplaying the problem. Hastyle opens this cut with a verse about the brainwashed boots on the ground, who are trained to follow the orders of their government masters. Chino XL cuts in in the assault-rifle-laden-produced beat and murders the mic with his unstoppable flow. Outro is a witty final take as Configa and Hastyle's Midas touch blesses the beat with a review of all their previous songs from the album. It's short, sweet, and gives listeners a necessary lesson in real hip-hop. Configa's funky melodic lines of the final cut complement Hastyle's overall confidence and swagger that he has exuded throughout, and it's undeniable that this pairing is peanut butter and jelly.

The ConfigHas Crates is a compilation spanning the years between '13-'15, and it's no question that the material presented here is meant to grace the ears of real hip-hop heads today. As the saying goes, better late than never. With this album, both producer and emcee show off their endless versatility and prove that there's no style or rhyme that's safe from them as they move into the future. Until that time comes though, we've got something really special to behold, that we can treasure "Now."

Configa and Hatyle's album can be purchased on their Bandcamp page. The ConfigHas Crates is available on all music streaming platforms and Configa can be followed on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook .

Recommended Tracks: Now, Sticky, Lik A Shot

Transatlantic duo Configa and Hastyle unleash The ConfigHas Crates, setting hip-hop ablaze! Transatlantic duo Configa and Hastyle unleash The ConfigHas Crates, setting hip-hop ablaze!

Transatlantic duo Configa and Hastyle unleash The ConfigHas Crates, setting hip-hop ablaze!

Hip-hop has been through many trends over the years. As the founding hip-hop genre has inevitably morphed into subgenres such as east and west coast hip-hop, underground, gangsta rap, conscious rap, crunk, southern rap, trap, mumble rap, etc., the prevailing sound has always been real hip-hop. Old heads remind the younger generations of aspiring artists and avid fans, while newer players help by keeping the style alive. The ConfigHas Crates is no different, as transatlantic duo Configa (beats) and Hastyle (rhymes) prove that no "body" can keep these two talented artists apart for this compilation, exhumed, electrified, and brought back to life.

The album opens with the medium tempo'd upbeat loops of Something I Said and Hastyle wastes no time calling out those who have ghosted him in the past. "Now you waving farewell, never return my messages on the cell, son I know you got my voicemail, text messages and email, what the hell? How could you do me like? Is it jealousy, envy, why are you screwing me, black, I'm Hastyle fam." The beat is bountiful with soulful vocals and licks while Hastyle uses his storytelling powers to deliver a message that many people can relate to when falling out of touch or when there's no telling why a person drops someone for seemingly no reason. Was it something he said? He doesn't take long to wonder and moves to focus on what is happening for him "Now". Now features rapper Nine on the second verse who brings a hardened and gritty swagger to this head-bobbing and sultry cut. The nearly buried coos of soul singers and flirtatious horns brings to the forefront the tasteful productions that Configa's become known for, and Hastyle bookends the verses with his smooth-as-butter flow, commenting on the struggle that still affects his life and complementing the call and response of a sampled singers call for what's going on "Now."

Enemies Closer almost flows seamlessly from Now as it shares the previous sample as it picks up the pace into a militaristic and Wu-inspired beat. The sampled vocals in the mix remind the listener and Hastyle to "keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." Hastyle riffs off this reminder and recounts the times that friends and family has not come through for him, but why he still prefers to keep tabs on his enemies. Sadat X pulls up for a couple verses and questions the true motives of so-called friends, while Hastyle drops more jewels of knowledge, "true friends sometimes are there, and then abra-cadabra, like Houdini they wanna disappear, that's why I rather have enemies as supporters, keep your best friends close, enemies even closer." The haunting choir-like beat is reminiscent of cuts from militant minded emcees such as Jedi Mind Tricks or Immortal Technique, but for Configa it's just another flavor of his multi-colored repertoire of beats. Water Colors is yet another example of how many colors and styles The ConfigHas Crates is willing to draw from. It opens with a bright and flirtatious piano skit of Hastyle scoping a beautiful lady he's determined to win. The following beat sounds Eastern-inspired, with a chorus of cello and fluttering violins that give this track a really down to Earth vibe. Hastyle turns artful as he tries to woo a pretty lady with his steady wit and conversation and takes a leap of faith.

Alpha Bits gives up another wild beat for Hastyle to test his speed on. The reverberating bass-y and melodic music starts to run alongside Hastyle and the pair never take a misstep in this seriously funky and jazzy number. It's almost hard to imagine that an energy like this is still rising, but suffice it to say it's just about to plateau with the follow-up song, Sticky. "It's a sticky situation, got me feeling sensations, like I'm on medication, taking the pain away, I love her but I gotta leave her, I'm addicted gotta be with her, I'm stuck in the game, it's just me and Mary Jane," Hastyle takes the chorus and likens the herb to a love-addicted romance. The beat fizzles and whistles in such a way that it begs the question if MJ would truly enhance this listening experience. Rah Digga blesses this track with her unmistakable charm and raps about the writers block that can come and go with the "sticky, the snowy, the smelly, the hairy" and drowning in the liquor. "I'm lying to myself, I can't write without it, I'm lightin' up another, my vision's still clouded, I said 'oh well', I put the pen down, swimming in these strange clouds, let a bitch drown." Despite feeling lost in this cloud of bliss, Hastyle, Configa, and Rah Digga resign themselves to just enjoy the moment, and what a moment it really is.

Lik a Shot, featuring Wordsworth and Rashan, settles into a smoother groove and Hastyle muses over his lyrical weaponry while he takes some shots with his guests. Wordsworth and Rashan add a nonstop flow that gives this posse a special slice in the ConfigHas canon. The subject matter then drops into a more realized and pointed track in Mind Control. Hastyle questions the powers-that-be by calling out the multiple conspiracy theories without disproving any in particular. He focuses instead on the government and media's culpability to control the minds of those who are unaware. El Da Sensei drops in on the funky seventies-television-style beat and pulls up bars concerning police brutality, mass killings, gang violence, unemployment, and the systemic failures that lead to violence in communities. World War Rap featuring Prince Po feels like the next logical progression from Mind Control. Hastyle raps in the chorus, "the World War started, now the world's cold-hearted, and everything on the radio is garbage, all you rapper's on the market, you don't want to be our next target." Prince Po speaks of a revolution and resolutely spits disses aimed at the fake emcees who spit dumbed down rhymes. He reminds the cotton candy rappers that him and Hastyle are hungry and the wack emcees are about to be devoured. Soldiers March opens with a faux newscast that is reporting on genocidal crimes against humanity that is tongue-in-cheek while not entirely downplaying the problem. Hastyle opens this cut with a verse about the brainwashed boots on the ground, who are trained to follow the orders of their government masters. Chino XL cuts in in the assault-rifle-laden-produced beat and murders the mic with his unstoppable flow. Outro is a witty final take as Configa and Hastyle's Midas touch blesses the beat with a review of all their previous songs from the album. It's short, sweet, and gives listeners a necessary lesson in real hip-hop. Configa's funky melodic lines of the final cut complement Hastyle's overall confidence and swagger that he has exuded throughout, and it's undeniable that this pairing is peanut butter and jelly.

The ConfigHas Crates is a compilation spanning the years between '13-'15, and it's no question that the material presented here is meant to grace the ears of real hip-hop heads today. As the saying goes, better late than never. With this album, both producer and emcee show off their endless versatility and prove that there's no style or rhyme that's safe from them as they move into the future. Until that time comes though, we've got something really special to behold, that we can treasure "Now."

Configa and Hatyle's album can be purchased on their Bandcamp page. The ConfigHas Crates is available on all music streaming platforms and Configa can be followed on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook .

Recommended Tracks: Now, Sticky, Lik A Shot

http://www.airdriftsignals.com/2021/02/configa-presents-confighas-crates.html