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F.A.Q.

The World Wide Web has made it so much easier to find out about new releases. Lucky for us because there are now more new releases than ever. It takes considerable time just to winnow through the releases. The Web helps with that too by offering many avenues to listen to samples of the releases.

Back in 1994, when this site was established, the options for finding out about new releases were more limited, mostly via print magazine, direct word-of-mouth with the labels and promotional copies received via DJ record pools. The New Releases mailing list service, a tabulation of recent and upcoming audio recording releases, was put together by Myra Wong and Ken Bibb to help matters. This list was discontinued in June 1996. Archives of the list have been deleted from the DJ Rhythms Website since the information is outdated. A special thanks to Myra Wong and Ken Bibb for the hard work they put into the New Releases list for such a long time.

So now how do we find information on new releases? Here are my suggestions:

   The DJ Rhythms Charts section offers a selection of charts and playlists generously provided by DJ's, stores and record pools. The DJ Rhythms Chart Database offers a searchable interface to the tracks listed in selected charts.

   Major music distributors offer searchable catalogs of releases.
Watts Music, Inc., one of the major wholesale distributors of domestic and imported underground dance music in the United States offers a new releases section on its web site. An advanced search page allows for searching the large database. Most of the progressive / underground dance retail stores in the United States purchase from Watts. It should be no problem to find a retail store to order the items you find in the catalog. If you can't find a store to work with, Watts will put you in contact with one.

   Major record and CD retailer sites offer new releases lists and mailing lists. My favorites for dance music are:

• CD Now - USA/UK.
• Massive Records - UK.
• Perfect Beat - USA.
• PlanetX Records - USA.
• Satellite Records -USA.
• Tower Records - USA/UK.
• Tune Inn Records - UK.
• Urbandwax - USA.
• Vinyl Addiction - UK.

   Print magazines often have accompanying websites with new release information and reviews. E.g.:

• Billboard Online New Releases page.
• Ice Magazine On-Line - CD Release Dates page.

   The Dance Music Resource Pages are updated weekly. They contain a complete listing of new UK dance releases and imports, singles and albums, news of future releases, dance radio programme listings, and a big WWW links section. All new release can be perused or they can be viewed in the following categories: dance (general), house/garage, techno & trance, drum & bass, hardcore, or downtempo/leftfield. This site is the Internet edition of Dance Index, a weekly newsletter for dance fans, DJs and the music industry.

   Dixie Sound Works of Alpharetta Georiga, USA, well organized new releases page (mostly USA releases). (This is a framed section of the Dance Kings Connections pages.)