10 hours. 4 MP3's. 1 Mix.
January 12, 2007
December 30, 2006
Day 96, Track 100 - BT "Good Morning Kaia"
This last one was never, ever in doubt. Lord knows that I, along with every other progressive house DJ and producer around, have long worshiped Mr. Transeau, but his latest album, well.. it just leaves you at a loss for words.
G an I were lucky enough to see the premier of this film over at Kendall Square a few months back. I'm not exaggerating to say that it was both an honor and a privilege to watch the film in that setting: a big screen, an amazing 5.1 surround system, Brian himself, and most importantly, Brian's mentors from his days as a student at Berklee School of Music. The entire thing was amazing, but the last track... this track... well...
Go buy the DVD. Turn on the Dolby 5.1 system. And find out.
So its the end of the mix... Good Morning Kaia... Good night Ableton....
I'll be back with more after New Year's, including info on how you can download the entire mix. Until then...
Day 96, Track 99 - Craig Armstrong "Glasgow"
What is there to say about Craig Armstrong that hasn't already been said? The man writes some of the most beautiful ambient around, more soundtrack than soundscape. God... can you imagine the movie that would go with this album? If only...
Day 96, Track 98 - Paul Jackson "The Push (Electric Bathtub Treatment)"
You've probably heard the original... and if you've heard me at Avalon or Five, maybe the Wally Lopez remix, too. But you've probably never heard The Push like this. This is some serious bottom-of-the-ocean, periscopes up nonesense.
T-2 and counting.....
Day 96, Track 97 - Banco de Gaia "White Paint"
More loops, more breaks, more dub. Ever since I first hear Sheesha on one of those ancient Ambeint Dub compilations, I've always loved Banco. He's gone a bit too far off hte deep end for me recently, so I went back a few years to take a cut off of Lhasa.
December 29, 2006
Day 95, Track 96 - Gaelle "Moonsglow"
Lots of edits to make this one work, but eventualyl it did. I initially thought I was going to have to edit out all of the vocal, but I eventualyl found a way to make it work. I knew if I didn't it would torment me every time I listened to the finished mix, so....
December 28, 2006
Day 94, Track 95 - The Roots "Don't Say Nuthin'"
Those technical problems I had with my Mac early on set me back a few days, so I've decided to cram the last few bits into the last two days. I already have some idea of where I want to go with this, so there's really no reason not to. Plus, I'd like to give out an early version of this atAvalon on Friday night as a New Year's gift to the punters.
So yeah, The Roots... The break fit perfectly with the loops I had built last time around, so I decided to drop this one in here. Not sure if I'm going to keep the whole thing, r if I'm going loopy with his as well, but either way, here it is....
Raise your hand if you expected me to go from Skydive to The Roots in less than 10 tracks.
Yeah. Me neither.
Day 94, Track 94 - Kayne West vs Disposible Heroes of Hiphoprisy
Hip hop was the last style of music I was hoping would find its way into this mix, and for just the second time so far, its The Disposible Heroes doing the work. Thing is, there really wasn't a full track that worked here, so I took loops from "Language of Violence" off of "Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury" and combined them with loops from Kayne's "Jesus Walks."
Weird, but it worked. Now the question is where this will take me next....
December 27, 2006
Day 93, Track 93 - Lo Step "Burma (Stoned Immaculate Mix)"
Yet another amazing release from the Boxed Boys....
December 26, 2006
Day 92, Track 92 - Mojave 3 "Bluebird of Happiness (Ulrichs Schanuss Rmx)"
Yet another brilliant Ulrich Schnauss remix. Tracks like this make me long for the days of being a chill room DJ. Ah.... Memories....
December 25, 2006
Day 91, Track 91 - 16B "Colours"
Taken from his brilliant full length on the soon to be reborn Hooj Choons, this one clocks in at roughly 60 BPM. It's the home stretch, time to bring it on down...
December 24, 2006
Day 90, Track 90 - White Label "Fused?"
I got this one via a friend 4 or 5 years back, and although I have no problem singing along to it, I have no idea what its called. Sorry....
December 23, 2006
Day 89, Track 89 - Lifelike "Discopolis (Chris Lake Rmx)"
Chris Lake does analogue progressive house like no one else. In fact, he's largely to blame for my turn in that direction this past year. What better way to say goodbye to 2006 than with one of his best this yeear...
December 22, 2006
Day 88, Track 88 - Jaytech "Monkey Music"
12 tracks to go... Time to start heading back down the BPM's... Which means, yes.... more breakbeats...... Jaytech has been on fire lately, and this track is no exception. Expect to hear this during my first of two sets on NYE!
December 21, 2006
Day 87, Track 87 - Skydive "Freefall"
From BT and Jan Johnston to Anthony Pappa and Jan Johnston. Speaking of which... its amazing what one big record could do for a career once up a time, no?
December 20, 2006
Day 86, Track 86 - BT "Mercury & Solace"
Always... Always... ALWAYS leave them smiling.
December 19, 2006
Day 85, Track 85 - Lamb "Gorecki (Bill Hamel Rmx)"
An absolutely phenomenal remix of an absolutely phenomenal tune.
Funny story about this one... Bill sent it to Deep Dish back when they were working on their first GU CD. Neither of them seemed to recognize the original, so they decided to pass on it... and pass it on to me! For months I was one of the only people who had it, and I swear to you, every time I dropped it the room would go bonkers. It was my secret weapon for months on end.
Silly Deep Dish.
December 18, 2006
Day 84, Track 84 - Faithless "Miss U Less (Pete Heller Rmx)"
I've been looking for a clean copy of this for months, and wouldn't you know it... Pete himself comes to Axis and has it with him. The obsession with Faithless continues...
December 17, 2006
Day 83, Track 83 - Trent Cantrelle + Freddy B "You Dont Have To Cry"
This one is really just designed to set up the track I want to go into next, so I don't expect to use more than 2-3 minutes of it. But nevertheless, here it is....
December 16, 2006
Day 82, Track 82 - Solar Stone "Seven Cities (Coastal Mix)"
One of the greatest progressive trance records of all time, but in this incarnation as a chill breaks record. God... to hear this one more time on a big system.... Methinks.....
December 15, 2006
Day 81, Track 81 - Space Manoeuvres "Stage One (Total Separation)"
Things were just getting way WAY too deep there for a minute. From under the ocean to over the moon, I suppose!
December 14, 2006
Day 80, Track 80 - Stephan Bodzin "Papillion"
More weird bassline driven tech house. Plus twinkely bits!
December 13, 2006
Day 79, Track 79 - Me "Rej"
I heard someone drop this on Proton Radio a month or so ago, and its totally not my usual style, but... I had to pick it up anyway. And no, I wouldn't normally think it would fit with the gospel track that I'm coming out of. I mean... wired tech house and gospel house together?
But I promise you.... somehow it works. Surprises like this are the best part of DJing.
December 12, 2006
Day 78, Track 78 - Copyright "He Is (Ferrer Sydenham Inc Vox Mix)"
I realize that this one seems like it won't go here... and I'm not entirely sure what made me even reach for it.... But damn if it doesn't fit perfectly. Let's see if I can find something else totally odd to get out of it with...
December 11, 2006
Day 77, Track 77 - Prydz v. Floyd "Proper Education (S. Ingrosso Rmx)"
King Unqiue dropped this one at Axis last month, and it made me realize I had been a dumbass for not playing it out sooner. Ah well...
December 10, 2006
Day 76, Track 76 - DJ Dan "Rock to the Rhythm (Starkiller Rmx)"
Stuck in a world of breakbeat and looking for a way out? Grab a DJ Dan record!
This one is him at his best. Another record that is an essential NYE choon!!!!
December 9, 2006
Day 75, Track 75 - Hybrid "Just ForToday"
I had to do some serious editing in Ableton to get this one to work. I really don't think I'll ever get tired of Hybrid. I really don't.
December 8, 2006
Day 74, Track 74 - UNKLE "Glow (Hybrid Rmx)"
UNKLE remixes? Amazing. UNKLE originals? I really want to like them, I swear. But they just don't do it for me.
Hey Mr Lavelle.... More remixes please!
December 7, 2006
Day 73, Track 73 - Sunscreem "Love You More (S. Anion Rmx)"
I don't know if this one is a bootleg or if it is an offical release, but no matter... Its sick. I don't know what it is about the original that has given it such an amazing shelf life, but seriously... this one just never gets old.
And yes, for the record... this one is still breaks! Back to 4to4 soon, but not yet....
December 6, 2006
Day 72, Track 72 - Trafik "Your Light (Luke Chable Vox Breaks)"
Undoubtedly one of the records of 2005. I'd even put it in my top ten of the decade. It's that good. Why people don't believe me when I tell them these things I will never know...
December 5, 2006
Day 71, Track 71 - Rowan Blades + Naughty G "Control Freak"
I always expected this record to be bigger than it was. Honestly, I think Rowan sat on it for too long. Dunno why, really. Kid always underestimted his own production, I suppose. Weird, considering that whole "Twilo Thunder" thing, ya know?
December 4, 2006
Day 70, Track 70 - DJ Hyper "We Control (Future Funk Squad Rmx)"
What the hell happened to acid breaks anyway? Or even acid in general? I think some of the explanation for the collapse of the dance music scene here in N America during the early '00s can be linked to the failure of producers to include more acid lines in their tracks.
December 3, 2006
Day 69, Track 69 - Robbie Rivera "Bizarre Love Triangle (Santos Rmx)"
If you know, you know. And if you don't, I really feel sorry for you.
And yes... This one is DEFINITELY getting dropped on NYE.
December 2, 2006
Day 68, Track 68 - Introspective "Devil Theory"
Another massive nu skool breaks record. Sure thing... these aren't new. But that's really beside the point, now isn't it?
December 1, 2006
Day 67, Track 67 - Slyde "Vibrate to This (Touble Soup! Rmx)"
Whoo boy! Breaks it is. I just got a hold of a ton of new nu skool and proggy breakbeats, and the next bit of the mix is most definitely going to showcase them. Hmm.... These would sound damn good on a big system. Wonder if I have any serious gigs coming up at the end of the month? ;)
November 30, 2006
Day 66, Track 66 - Medway "The Bassline Track (Jiva Rmx)
Praise jesus. Hooj Choons is back. There is hope. No, really.... There really is hope.
I cannot even begin to tell you what Hooj Choons once meant to all us proggy kids. From strength to strength to strength to strength to strength to strenght... these guys just never ever missed. Where we would sell other releases by the fives and tens, when we saw Hooj on the list we knew we could order them by the dozens. And even then our shop just couldn't keep them in stock.
But then.... their run at long last came to an end. And I'll be honest - the demise of Hooj was really a sign that the entire industry was on its was down. So to see the little stick man climbing out of his coffin... It really is beyond words.
There is a God. Hooj is back.
November 29, 2006
Day 65, Track 65 - Jiva "Strance Dimensions"
This really is turning into a massive breakbeat set, isn't it? Weird. I knew that working on this mix was going to change my perspective on my music, but I never would have expected this. Huh. Maybe now I understand why the early Northern Exposure CDs ended up being at least 50% breaks.
November 28, 2006
Day 64, Track 64 - Chicane "From Blue To Green"
I really have no idea what it is about Chicane, but every time I play one of their records I end up playng two. In a row. Once upon a time I would have called that cheating. Now I know it just sounds damn good.
November 27, 2006
Day 63, Track 63 - EBTG "Before Today (Chicane Rmx)"
Chicane got me headed towards Drum n Bass, and now he's going to bring me right back out. From 175 BPM to 150 PMB in just 3 tracks.
Hmmm... Where do I go from here?
November 26, 2006
Day 62, Track 62 - Everything But The Girl "Walking Wounded (Omni Trio Rmx)"
The first of what I suspect will be two EBTG remixes. Another example of two tracks that I've always wanted an excuse to play out, and sadly, of two tracks for which that excuse has never come. Until now!
November 25, 2006
Day 61, Track 61 - Erykah Badu vs. The Roots vs. Blu Mar Ten
You see? I do too like drum n bass made by more than just two or three producers. See?!?
November 24, 2006
Day 60, Track 60 - John B "Broken Language"
Yes yes... Another day, another John B Track.
No doubt I keep playing tunes by the same three guys. I know what I like, and I like what I know.
My mix, my rules!
This one definitely represents the turning point back towards home. I pledged from teh start to go allt he way to D+B and back... And if I'm going to go there, I need to go all the way there, John Deere and all.
This is the one. Consider it my tribute to John Tester, the Senator elect from teh great state of Montana.
Now time to head home....
November 23, 2006
Day 59, Track 59 - John B "Mercury Skies"
What does this one have to do with Thanksgiving?
Nothing!
Trance 'n' bass, man.... Trance 'n' bass!
November 22, 2006
Day 58, Track 58 - John B "Forever"
Time to start heading off in yet another different direction. In fact, since I'm closing in on track number 60, it's probably time to start thinking about heading back down through the BPM count.
But first... a few of my favorite John B tracks....
November 21, 2006
Day 57, Track 57 - London Elektricity "Wishing Well (Danny Byrd Rmx)"
But they are all remixes of LE tracks by other people, so really, its OK.....
November 20, 2006
Day 56, Track 56 - London Elektricity "Round the Corner (Origin Unknown Vox)"
OK, even I'll admit it now... This LE worship is getting a bit ridiculous. Don't blame me. Blame the records! They speak, and I listen!
November 19, 2006
Day 55, Track 55 - London Elektricity " The Strangest Secret In The World"
Really... Seriously... I'm not kidding abou this album.
November 18, 2006
Day 54, Track 54 - Logistics "Falling For You"
Another track from the same album by the same producer. Look... I said I was going to break the rules with this project, and I meant it!
November 17, 2006
Day 53, Track 53 - Logistics "Everything Is Illuminated"
Hospital goes from strength to strength. For the first time in years... no... for