Saturday 3/28 – Westheimer block party!
I’ll be playing some PARTY JAMS from 4-5 PM on the Party Fone stage at La Strada. Hope I see you there!
Stuff I liked last year
So another year has passed (and, cripes, almost another month since), and like any good dee jay/blogger, I suppose I should post my favorite stuff from 2008. It was an eventful year, and for me, definitely the year of the warehouse party. As with any other year, my tastes have been all over the map, from rocket-ship techno to funky house, although there’s been a definite move toward more groove-oriented music (to steal a phrase) at the end of the year.
This has been a tough list to compile and organize. 2008 was a brilliant year of music—dare I say the best for me so far?—and I’ve never been very good at narrowing stuff down.
Singles
10. Alex Picone – Furby [Cadenza]
9. D’Julz – Just So U Know (2000 and One Remix) [Ovum]
8. Morgan Geist – Detroit (C2rmx1) [Environ]
7. Andomat 3000 – BND2 [Four:Twenty]
6. Ane Brun – Headphone Silence (Henrik Schwarz remix / Dixon edit) [Objektivity]
5. Joey Negro and The Sunburst Band – Journey to the Sun (Dennis Ferrer remix/dub) [Z Records]
4. Tomoki Tamura & Nono – Voices [Four:Twenty]
3. Inner City – Good Love (Luciano’s Good Love remix) [KMS]
Kevin Saunderson’s History Elevate series has been an interesting ride, if a bit less than fulfilling musically. Not so with this one: Luciano has breathed new life into a Detroit classic with his remix of “Good Love”. Starting out with over two minutes of percussion, sighs, moaning, a staggered pattern consisting of one note, and absolutely no kick drum, it brings with it a different sort of slow-moving energy, but plenty of it. I am not usually a very big fan of Luciano’s tracks, although as a DJ he just exudes “cool” and “love” in equal amounts. Like almost any DJ set of his, I feel like this track is set somewhere outside, on a beach perhaps, in the sun (as it rises).
2. Marek Hemmann – Rashomon [Freude Am Tanzen]
Marek Hemmann hadn’t been on my radar much before this, but in late 2008 I was browsing some labels I hadn’t checked in on for a while, and found myself suddenly very moved in the middle of an otherwise so-so night of minimal techno clips. Rashomon, from the Junoka EP released on Freude Am Tanzen in August, pairs the usual clever minimal techno rhythm and bass work with a selection of string instruments that I’m afraid I’m not smart enough to name, yielding a beautiful and emotional piece. To quote a good friend of mine, “it gives me special feelings.” Well put.
1. Johnny D – Orbitalife [Oslo]
This track may not be the most awe-inspiring piece of music ever, but it is a brilliant and effective piece of house music (read: it always gets a dance floor moving). With a simple groove and some very fine-tuned percussion, Orbitallife reveals itself slowly, keeping surprises up its sleeve throughout the almost-twelve-minute ride: subtle filter work, a slowly developing, lovely vocal loop, and… a sample from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?? It’s sure to land a spot among the continuum of classic house tunes, and I don’t expect it to go anywhere soon.
DJ SETS/LIVE SETS
Tolga Fidan – Live from Cocoon
This was a live set released by Ibiza Voice, recorded at the Frankfurt night club Cocoon, which becomes evident toward the end as Sven Vath makes a cameo appearance on the microphone. What can I say about this mix? Going by another recording I’ve heard, it is perhaps well-rehearsed, but there is so much “right” in this mix. Tolga guides a dance floor up, down, and around through this psychedelic space without a hint of turbulence. I do wish he would release some of these pieces as tracks.
Seth Troxler – Bunker Podcast
Tolga Fidan brought my favorite trippy techno mix this year, so next up is Seth Troxler’s Bunker mix, chock full of a blend tripped-out house and deep techno grooves. I have been enjoying his music over the past few years (starting with his track Love Bezerker on Beretta Grey). Having been to a Bunker party before, I can’t help but put myself on that dance floor in my mind when I hear this. Sure would love to have him in Houston sometime!
Lee Curtiss – Bunker Podcast
Lee Curtiss is a pro. This mix has been pretty much in my CD changer since it showed up on the Bunker feed. It’s dead sexy. It isn’t quite as twisted as Seth’s, but I’ve just been FEELING it, and that’s why I love it. We had Lee come to Houston for a Crossroads party at Club 1415 (the last time I was ever there before it closed), and it was one of the most lively I’ve seen the joint. I don’t remember a whole lot about the DJ set he played after his live set—I was too blown away, to say the least—but I’ll say he kept the energy flowing.
DJ Mix: A Blissful Descent into Madness
One Friday evening in December I got a call from my good friend John K to come play records with him at KTRU, last minute. Due to some unforeseen technical difficulties I didn’t get to play a lot of the new stuff that I was hoping to break out, but I don’t get out that much so what I did play can’t be THAT old.
Asif recorded the night’s festivities, so for your listening pleasure, I present to you my first DJ mix in about a year and a half. Now, without further adieu, the music:
- DBX – Losing Control [Peacefrog]
- Alejandro Mosso – BCN [Lomidhigh Organic]
- Noze – Danse Avec Moi (Sascha Funke remix) [Get Physical]
- Radio Slave – Screaming Hands [Rekids]
w/ Jon Cutler ft. E-Man – It’s Yours (acca) - Claude VonStroke – Chimps [Get Physical]
- Martinez – Chi-town 60661 [Lomidhigh Organic]
- Andomat 3000 – BND2 [Four:Twenty]
- The Potion – Dumbwaya (Cevin Fisher remix) [Nervous]
- Matthew Styles – We Said Nothing [Diamonds & Pearls]
- X-Press 2/Afrika Bambaata – Fire [Skint]
- Karizma – Groove A ‘K’ordingly [R2]
- Zed Bias – Bare Knuckle [Sick Trumpet]
- DJ Oji – The Afronauts (Spen’s Afro Orbit mix) [Code Red]
- Dennis Ferrer – P 2 da J (Tiger Stripes remix) [King Street]
Stream or download the mix, courtesy of the MKULTRA show!