the dabbl blog

We're putting the lab coats and goggles back on

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:03:00 +0100

dabbl is Absolute Radio’s experimental radio station platform, dreamt up by the One Golden Square Labs boffins. Its aim is to let a radio station’s playlist be powered by its community. The more often you voted for a song, the more often dabbl would play it.
Across this year our most voted for songs have included a live version of Muse’s Uprising recorded in Madrid, Brandon Flowers’ Crossfire and Gorillaz’s On Melancholy Hill.

The Labs team have a lot more ideas for dabbl, so for now the radio station bit is taking a break whilst we can experiment with how dabbl can continue to democratise the playlist.

You will be kept up to date with any news via dabbl’s blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts.

From all of us at dabbl - thank you for the support.

Most voted for tracks: 16 Aug to 22 Aug 2010

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Crossfire - Brandon Flowers
God & Satan - Biffy Clyro
Let’s Go Surfing - The Drums
The Catalyst - Linkin Park
We Used To Wait - Arcade Fire
Tokyo - The Wombats
Islands - The XX
Bang Bang Bang - Mark Ronson And The Business Intl.
Echoes - Klaxons
(it’s Not War) Just The End Of Love - Manic Street Preachers
Roll Away Your Stone - Mumford and Sons
Say You Don’t Want It - One Night Only
Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll - The Killers
All These Things That I’ve Done (London 2009) - The Killers
Fast Car/Slow Traffic - Paul Weller
She Needs Me - Fyfe Dangerfield
Everything You Wanted - Kele
Mr Brightside (London 2009) - The Killers
White Sky - Vampire Weekend
Believer - Goldfrapp

Most voted for tracks: 09 Aug to 15 Aug 2010

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Crossfire - Brandon Flowers
Let’s Go Surfing - The Drums
White Sky - Vampire Weekend
Islands - The XX
The Catalyst - Linkin Park
God & Satan - Biffy Clyro
Bang Bang Bang - Mark Ronson And The Business Intl.
We Used To Wait - Arcade Fire
Oh No - Marina And The Diamonds
Say You Don’t Want It - One Night Only
She needs me - Fyfe Dangerfield
Roll Away Your Stone - Mumford and Sons
Wonderful Life - Hurts
Closer To The Edge - 30 Seconds To Mars
Everything You Wanted - Kele
Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll - The Killers
Tokyo - The Wombats
Echoes - Klaxons
O My Heart - Mother Mother
(it’s Not War) Just The End Of Love - Manic Street Preachers

Most voted for tracks: 02 Aug to 08 Aug 2010

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The Killers

Crossfire - Brandon Flowers
Let’s Go Surfing - The Drums
White Sky - Vampire Weekend
God & Satan - Biffy Clyro
Oh No - Marina And The Diamonds
We Used To Wait - Arcade Fire
Factory - Band Of Horses
Closer To The Edge - 30 Seconds To Mars
Say You Don’t Want It - One Night Only
Everything You Wanted - Kele
Roll Away Your Stone - Mumford and Sons
All These Things That I’ve Done (London 2009) - The Killers
Ivy And Gold - Bombay Bicycle Club
She Needs Me - Fyfe Dangerfield
(it’s Not War) Just The End Of Love - Manic Street Preachers
Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll - The Killers
Islands - The XX
Somebody Told Me (London 2009) - The Killers
Darkness Descends - Laura Marling
The Catalyst - Linkin Park

New additions: Arcade Fire

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 10:38:27 +0100

We’ve just added some more Arcade Fire tracks to the library.

You can now vote for Ready To Start, Rococo, City With No Children, Empty Room and Modern Man to be played on Dabbl.

Most voted for tracks: 26 Jul to 01 Aug 2010

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0100

One Night Only

Crossfire - Brandon Flowers
Let’s Go Surfing - The Drums
On Melancholy Hill - Gorillaz
Closer To The Edge - 30 Seconds To Mars
Witchcraft - Pendulum
God & Satan - Biffy Clyro
Oh No - Marina And The Diamonds
We Used To Wait - Arcade Fire
White Sky - Vampire Weekend
Wonderful Life - Hurts
Islands - The XX
Factory - Band Of Horses
Roll Away Your Stone - Mumford and Sons
Carnal Love - Ash
Everything You Wanted - Kele
Love Is Ending - The Charlatans
(it’s Not War) Just The End Of Love - Manic Street Preachers
Renegades - Feeder
Say You Don’t Want It - One Night Only
Born Again - United Nations of Sound

Most voted for tracks: 19 Jul to 25 Jul 2010

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Gorillaz

Crossfire - Brandon Flowers
On Melancholy Hill - Gorillaz
Witchcraft - Pendulum
Let’s Go Surfing - The Drums
Closer To The Edge - 30 Seconds To Mars
Oh No - Marina And The Diamonds
Born Again - United Nations of Sound
Factory - Band Of Horses
White Sky - Vampire Weekend
Islands - The XX
O My Heart - Mother Mother
Everything You Wanted - Kele
We Used To Wait - Arcade Fire
Carnal Love - Ash
Echoes - Klaxons
God & Satan - Biffy Clyro
Renegades - Feeder
Ivy And Gold - Bombay Bicycle Club
Jackson’s Last Stand - Ou Est Le Swimming Pool
Roll Away Your Stone - Mumford and Sons

Most voted for tracks: 12 Jul to 18 Jul 2010

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Klaxons

Crossfire - Brandon Flowers
Oh No - Marina And The Diamonds
On Melancholy Hill - Gorillaz
Witchcraft - Pendulum
Let’s Go Surfing - The Drums
We Used To Wait - Arcade Fire
Born Again - United Nations of Sound
1000 Years - The Coral
White sky - Vampire Weekend
O My Heart - Mother Mother
Carnal Love - Ash
Islands - The XX
Roll Away Your Stone - Mumford and Sons
Come Back Home - Two Door Cinema Club
Factory - Band Of Horses
Closer To The Edge - 30 Seconds To Mars
Dead American Writers - Tired Pony
Wonderful Life - Hurts
Careful - Paramore
Echoes - Klaxons

Most voted for tracks: 05 Jul to 11 Jul 2010

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Mark Ronson And The Business Intl.

Crossfire - Brandon Flowers
Oh No - Marina And The Diamonds
Cosmic Love - Florence and the Machine
Witchcraft - Pendulum
On Melancholy Hill - Gorillaz
Islands - The XX
We Used To Wait - Arcade Fire
Born Again - United Nations of Sound
Careful - Paramore
Let’s Go Surfing - The Drums
Bang Bang Bang - Mark Ronson And The Business Intl.
1000 Years - The Coral
Eet - Regina Spektor
White sky - Vampire Weekend
Call Out - Feeder
Come Back Home - Two Door Cinema Club
Miami - Foals
All These Things That I’ve Done (London 2009) - The Killers
Closer To The Edge - 30 Seconds To Mars
A Dustland Fairytale (London 2009) - The Killers

Most voted for tracks: 28 Jun to 04 Jul 2010

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Mumford and Sons

Crossfire - Brandon Flowers
Oh No - Marina And The Diamonds
Tenderoni - Kele Okereke
Cosmic Love - Florence and the Machine
On Melancholy Hill - Gorillaz
Let’s Go Surfing - The Drums
Born Again - United Nations of Sound
Witchcraft - Pendulum
Jonathan Low - Vampire Weekend
Bang Bang Bang - Mark Ronson And The Business Intl.
Careful - Paramore
Islands - The XX
Call Out - Feeder
Roll Away Your Stone - Mumford and Sons
Spaceman (London 2009) - The Killers
The Boxer - The Gaslight Anthem
Neutron Star Collision - Muse
We Used To Wait - Arcade Fire
Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll - The Killers
Mr Brightside (London 2009) - The Killers

Most voted for tracks: 21 Jun to 27 Jun 2010

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100

30 Seconds To Mars

Crossfire - Brandon Flowers
Neutron Star Collision - Muse
Oh No - Marina And The Diamonds
Tenderoni - Kele Okereke
On Melancholy Hill - Gorillaz
Witchcraft - Pendulum
Cosmic Love - Florence and the Machine
Born Again - United Nations of Sound
What’s in it for? - Avi Buffalo
Saint Simon - The Shins
Real Love - Regina Spektor
Careful - Paramore
Northern skies - I Am Kloot
The Boxer - The Gaslight Anthem
Call Out - Feeder
We Used To Wait - Arcade Fire
Closer To The Edge - 30 Seconds To Mars
Undercover Lover - Kids In Glass Houses
Flux - Bloc Party
Jonathan Low - Vampire Weekend

Most voted for tracks: 14 Jun to 20 Jun 2010

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The Coral

Neutron Star Collision - Muse
Tenderoni - Kele Okereke
On Melancholy Hill - Gorillaz
Crossfire - Brandon Flowers
Witchcraft - Pendulum
Unsung - Delays
Flux - Bloc Party
Cosmic Love - Florence and the Machine
Saint Simon - The Shins
Last Of The American Girls - Green Day
What’s in it for? - Avi Buffalo
The Boxer - The Gaslight Anthem
Roll Away Your Stone - Mumford and Sons
1000 Years - The Coral
Real Love - Regina Spektor
Born Again - United Nations of Sound
Closer To The Edge - 30 Seconds To Mars
Far Away - Wolfmother
Northern skies - I Am Kloot
Call Out - Feeder

Most voted for tracks: 07 Jun to 13 Jun 2010

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Wolfmother

Neutron Star Collision - Muse
Cosmic Love - Florence and the Machine
Holiday - Vampire Weekend
Prayin’ - Plan B
Counterpoint - Delphic
Tenderoni - Kele Okereke
Zorbing - Stornoway
Witchcraft - Pendulum
Forever And Ever Amen - The Drums
Lullaby (Paris 1992) - The Cure
New York City Cops (Iceland 2002) - The Strokes
Heads Will Roll - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
I Know What I Am - Band Of Skulls
Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want - The Smiths
Reptilia - The Strokes
Wires - Athlete
Far Away - Wolfmother
Monster Hospital - Metric
Saint Simon - The Shins
She’s Got You High - Mumm-ra

Most voted for tracks: 31 May to 06 Jun 2010

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Muse

Neutron star collision (love is forever) - Muse
Holiday - Vampire Weekend
Watercolour - Pendulum
Cosmic Love - Florence and the Machine
Tenderoni - Kele Okereke
Call Out - Feeder
Roll Away Your Stone - Mumford and Sons
Zorbing - Stornoway
Counterpoint - Delphic
Guns And Horses - Ellie Goulding
Swoon - The Chemical Brothers
Better Than Love - Hurts
What’s in it for? - Avi Buffalo
Love Lost - The Temper Trap
Miami - Foals
It’s Working - MGMT
Last Of The American Girls - Green Day
Month Of May - Arcade Fire
Nice Guys - We are Scientists
Anyone’s Ghost - The National

Most voted for tracks: 24 May to 30 May 2010

Sun, 30 May 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The Temper Trap

Neutron star collision (love is forever) - Muse
I Am Not A Robot - Marina And The Diamonds
Guns And Horses - Ellie Goulding
Roll Away Your Stone - Mumford and Sons
Watercolour - Pendulum
Tenderoni - Kele Okereke
Holiday - Vampire Weekend
Superfast Jellyfish - Gorillaz
Bubbles - Biffy Clyro
Love Lost - The Temper Trap
Uprising (Madrid 2009) - Muse
Faster than the seting sun - Fyfe Dangerfield
Swoon - The Chemical Brothers
Zorbing - Stornoway
Call Out - Feeder
Binary - Ash
Counterpoint - Delphic
Last Of The American Girls - Green Day
Fool’s day - Blur
Supermassive Black Hole (Wembley 2007) - Muse

dabbl's First Upgrade

Fri, 28 May 2010 09:28:00 +0100

Ever since dabbl first broadcast on October 1st last year we’ve been looking forward to developing it into an even more exciting station to listen to. dabbl’s output depends on the votes that are cast each hour, so we wanted to introduce features on the website which would reflect this and give a true sense that your input really does matter, so Simon in our Interactive Research & Development team has been working hard on implementing the elements that make up what we’re calling dabbl’s first ‘upgrade’.

One significant change we made was to give each track its own page and short URL, which is much friendlier to use on social networks such as Twitter. The individual song pages themselves feature sparklines that illustrate the popularity of the songs by votes and the frequency of plays the track has had over the last 30 days.

Since community is at dabbl’s core, an important addition we made was to properly integrate Twitter into it. Now dabbl gives you the ability to link your Twitter account and share the songs you’ve voted for with your friends much more easily. We’re hoping this feature will also encourage dabbl’s users to ‘recruit’ others to vote on tracks.

Additionally we’ve plugged Twitter into the ‘Now Playing’ information at the top of each page, so now you can hit the ‘Tweet this’ link under the track and artist name and let your followers know which song you’re currently enjoying listening to on dabbl.

The most common type of feedback we get from dabbl’s listeners is requests for a particular artist or song, which prompted us to make a contact form specifically for this. Now if there’s something you think the station should be playing you can send your suggestions directly to the folks who add tracks to dabbl’s library via the link in the footer.

We’re always thinking of ways to improve dabbl. Soon we’ll be introducing an email notification system which lets voters know that their track is coming up and to keep tuned in.

If you’d like to keep up to date with all the changes and tweaks we’re making, you can follow us here on the dabbl blog which will also update you with the top 20 most voted for songs of the week.

Everyone who has worked on dabbl is very proud of what it has already achieved. Earlier this year it gained a nomination in the ‘Community Engagement’ category at the MediaGuardian Innovation Awards and more recently was nominated under the ‘Technical Innovation of the Year’ in this year’s Arqiva Awards which take place next month, so we’ll all be keeping our fingers crossed for the Arqivas and hoping you will make dabbl’s new features a success.

Most voted for tracks: 17 May to 23 May 2010

Sun, 23 May 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Green Day

Neutron star collision (love is forever) - Muse
Fool’s day - Blur
I Am Not A Robot - Marina And The Diamonds
Bubbles - Biffy Clyro
Holiday - Vampire Weekend
Watercolour - Pendulum
Uprising (Madrid 2009) - Muse
Binary - Ash
Superfast Jellyfish - Gorillaz
Counterpoint - Delphic
Roll Away Your Stone - Mumford and Sons
Call Out - Feeder
Guns And Horses - Ellie Goulding
Blood Buzz Ohio - The National
Tenderoni - Kele Okereke
Last Of The American Girls - Green Day
Forever And Ever Amen - The Drums
This Orient - Foals
Faster than the seting sun - Fyfe Dangerfield
Swoon - The Chemical Brothers

Most voted for tracks: 10 May to 16 May 2010

Sun, 16 May 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Vampire Weekend

Uprising (Madrid 2009) - Muse
I Am Not A Robot - Marina And The Diamonds
Fool’s day - Blur
Bubbles - Biffy Clyro
Dog Days Are Over - Florence and the Machine
Holiday - Vampire Weekend
Binary - Ash
Crystalised - The XX
Superfast Jellyfish - Gorillaz
Watercolour - Pendulum
Call Out - Feeder
Roll Away Your Stone - Mumford and Sons
Something Good Can Work - Two Door Cinema Club
Stray Cat - Kassidy
Last Of The American Girls - Green Day
Heartbeat Song - The Futureheads
Better Than Love - Hurts
Counterpoint - Delphic
Guns And Horses - Ellie Goulding
This Orient - Foals

Most voted for tracks: 18 January to 24 January 2010

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:53:00 +0000

Many Of Horror (When We Collide) - Biffy Clyro
Resistance - Muse
Hurricane - Florence and the Machine
Cousins - Vampire Weekend
Bright Lights - Placebo
Vlad The Impaler - Kasabian
Kings And Queens - 30 Seconds To Mars
She Needs Me - Fyfe Dangerfield
Stay Too Long - Plan B
Space Shot - Ash
You Overdid It Doll - The Courteeners
The Cave - Mumford and Sons
You Don’t Know Love - Editors
Without You - Empire Of The Sun
Doubt - Delphic
1901 - Phoenix
Are You Ready? - United Nations of Sound
Two By Two - Animal Kingdom
One Life Stand - Hot Chip
Silvia - Miike Snow

Most voted for tracks: 11 January to 17 January 2010

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:42:00 +0000

Kings And Queens - 30 Seconds To Mars
Bright Lights - Placebo
Vlad The Impaler - Kasabian
Cousins - Vampire Weekend
Many Of Horror (When We Collide) - Biffy Clyro
Winter Wind - Mumford and Sons
Resistance - Muse
Fader - The Temper Trap
You Don’t Know Love - Editors
Hurricane - Florence and the Machine
Percussion Gun - White Rabbits
One Life Stand - Hot Chip
Space Shot - Ash
1901 - Phoenix
You Overdid It Doll - The Courteeners
Stay Too Long - Plan B
VCR - The XX
Doubt - Delphic
I Felt Stupid - The Drums
Without You - Empire Of The Sun