WestBam thank you ma'am!

As much music I hear and I read about it's so awesome that I learn something new about something old. I've heard the name WestBam before but don't think I knew any of his tracks until recently. The guy has only been a staple in the German party scene since '83. Including throwing some huge raves and playing at the very first Love Parade. He released a new album with some pretty head turning collaborators. Guys like Bernard Sumner of New Order, Richard Butler of The Psychedelic Furs, Lil' Wayne, and Kanye West. Clearly this man holds some friggin' clout. Here are a few snippits off his Double album(disc 2 is all instrumental dubs of disc 1) titled Götterstrasse, or God's Street.  Its a pretty awesome album going from New Wave to more Orchestral bangin' choons with some pretty creative vocal performances... Here is my favourite

WestBam - You Need The Drugs Feat. Richard Butler (Original Mix) 

This might sound a bit foolish but is everyone in Germany a music producer? Ok maybe all of Germany is a bit much, maybe producer is even a stretch. but surely all Berliners are DJs? I can think of no other way to explain the constant flow of music that I love that comes out of that one place and the fact that there are so goddamn many different producers! Someday Berlin... someday I'm coming for you. But I fear I might not ever leave once I do.

Cascandy - Goodbye Darling (Original Mix)

Love's Labour's Not Lost

Man oh, man! I don't know what's up but Friday and Saturday nights have been absolutely spectacular in my ears. Friday a small bunch of us got treated to the PROPER techno sounds of Dave the D.R.U.M.M.E.R who was over from London to play with Deko-ze.... and it was a mighty good stomp. Hard to go wrong with great friends, beer and techno... oh and tequila. Then last night Deko-ze ripped out some beauties at Fly... DEFINITELY saving the best for last.

While doing some research on the house scene in Germany I came across this guy. Tonnes of great productions and some really cool sets on his soundcloud.  Henry, aka Dave the Drummer dropped a different mix of this one on Friday. This one is about an airport in Germany... where he actually ended up doing a gig to support this release. cool shit.

Alle Farben - Templehof (Jaochim Pastor Remix)

And somehow Umami is here again! Well that shouldn't really be a surprise... they're pretty friggin awesome. This is a co-production remix with Alle Farben. It makes it ok for me to pretend to be a sassy black woman.. and really reminds me of Groove Armada. Thats never a bad thing.

La Rochelle Band - Burning In My Soul (Alle Farben & Umami Remix)

This guy is being hailed all over Beatport as the man to watch.  He's been producing for years as a more behind the scenes kinda guy for some pretty big labels and acts and is now releasing his own stuff. Weiss(Uk) is the real deal.  The few tracks I've heard are all stellar and in different ways.  I always like it when I feel like I hear people's styles and influences and where they're coming from in their work. Anyone who is a fan of Solid Groove/Switch, Maetrik and Carlo Lio... hold onto your hats...cuz this is like the best of all three of those guys rolled into one....killer. I can't wait to hear his next stuff!

Weiss - Silk Slut (Original Mix)


Oh... and my weekend of awesome music continues very shortly with Depeche Mode, and tomorrow with Tale of Us, Chaim, Joy Orbison and Joel Mull :) yahoo!!!

Play NiCE7.

Apparently this blog gets a lot of hits from Russia. Whats funny about that is that I have, for as long as I can remember been fascinated with Russia. Whats even funnier is that I'm a gay man living in Canada and that Russian politics are really upsetting me right now, due to the recent legislations on non-traditional relationship propaganda and such. I'd like to think that the Russian folk that are tuning into the blog are open minded, loving people, as has been the case with the bulk of the people I've met associated with dance music.

Ok I don't want this to get all heavy just... make things right. In your corner of the world, wherever that might be, stop turning a blind eye to ignorance and all this hateful "propaganda" that is being bantered about. So If you're Russian, Syrian or Egyptian or from one of the calmer places on the planet right now.... please? Play nice.

Jose Gonzales - Killing For Love (Beatfanatic Remix)

Now thenhow about something a little more fun?

OK!

Jon Cutler feat E-Man - It's Yours (NiCE7 Remix)

make my absence known

I just spent the afternoon returning some shitty headphones I bought a few days ago and trying out new ones... all with this lil beauty pumping through them.  For the record, I settled on the Sony MDR-ZX300s. Nothing too wild, decent sound, iPhone controls if I ever want to use them on the trot and $50. Satisfied. :)

Riva Starr feat. Rssl - Absence (Adam Port Remix)

Gentlemen prefer BLOND(:ISH)ES

Getting ready for Electric Island here in Toronto, with Green Velvet, Hot Since '82 and Soul Clap.  Its a new (this summer season) party that the good people of Footwork and Embrace put on every long weekend in the summer.  It took Toronto a little while to figure things out but my god is this ever a great idea,  partying away on Toronto Island with the city in the background.

The lovely ladies of BLOND:ISH have introduced me to these two tracks, one of which is their own production. And its also telling me one thing: I was an absolute idiot for not going on the boat cruise they did. Loving the dark, progressive and rather haunting nature of this one... its almost cinematic.

BLOND:ISH - No Place Like Gnome (Original Mix)

I wish I could play this every time I'm out somewhere and someone has to bail for work related reasons.... usually its me to be honest! So luckily I will now have this on my phone and I'll just play it for myself as a reminder to shut up about it: Hi Me. Its Me. Don't tell me that we have to work on Monday, Ok?

Kotelett & Zadak - Sunday (MOLLONO.BASS Remix)

British Invasion

There has been a distinct lack of funk in my life for a while.   So when I came across this Chicago House bit of boogie it was on repeat for a little bit. As I've said before you really can't ever go wrong with Candi Staton... well here she is, reinterpreted again into a funky house tune, courtesy of Pete Le Freq from the UK.  You probably wouldn't think that funky house is much of a UK thing.. and.. well I don't think you'd be too far off base with that... but there funk scene is superb.... so I guess it stands to reason that now the kids are getting into it and turning some of those great samples into stuff like this:

Pete Le Freq - Room Of Strangers


I also happened upon a new album by Luke Solomon called Timelines.  Its 18 tracks long.. a few of which are hand picked remixes by the likes of Mark E and Ewan Pearson to name a few.  Rather than a DJ set it really is structured like an album and there are a lot of different soundscapes and musical styles.. Its a pretty fun record really. Somewhere between Matthew Herbert and Jackin' House lives a fun (British again!) boy named Luke Solomon.Also a point thats really worth mentioning if you didn't know he is the other half of The Classic Music Company with none other than Derrick Carter. cred.

Luke Solomon - Lonely Dancer (Dance the pain away)[feat. Jon Marsh] (Ewan Pearson Into The Night Remix)

goddamn. that's a lot of brackets.

the longest weekend of your life

Here in Toronto this weekend if you happen to be a gay guy (or girl I suppose) who loves good dance music, this is going to be the longest weekend of your life.  Firstly, its Gay Pride here in TO, which hosts one of the biggest Pride festivals in the World. Theres so many musicians & DJs involved in that alone that its almost an embarrassment of riches musically.  But when you add in the Digital Dreams Festival (i HATE the name..) with the likes of Richie Hawtin, Dubfire, Luciano, Tiesto, Kaskade etc etc the list really does go on and on and on Monday seems like something that you hope never comes. Oh, except for this weekend, because it also happens to be our fantastic little Country's birthday on Monday!  So naturally theres a party on Centre Island with Sasha, Audiofly & Guy Gerber plus all the after-after Pride parties.  There will be a lot of bleary eyed boys & girls by the time Tuesday rolls around.  Normally I'd be at the front of the pack, this weekend however I decided to give myself the gift of strep throat.  Fingers crossed it gets out of my way by tomorrow!!

So with all of the bang bang pots and pans circuit music coming my way in the next little while I thought what better way to ease into the weekend than with a little Israeli deep house via Berlin :)

Chaim - Orion Skies (Original Mix)


Henry Saiz - All The Evils Of This World (Chaim Remix)

Output > Input

On a recent journey to visit friends and celebrate my nuptial anniversary in New York City, the Maestro himself, Danny Tenaglia happened to be playing in his 'hood of Brooklyn.  Never one to miss out on a chance to see Danny, I obviously jumped at the chance!  So over the bridge Cam and I went to meet with some more friends who were already inside. The club was pretty much perfect (except for the drink prices) but BIG, crystal clear sound, a small room box space with a balcony that surrounded the dancefloor that was packed with a knowledgeable and appreciative crowd made up for that.  OutPut in Brooklyn should somewhere to add to the long list of things to do and see in NY.

Danny took us on a trip like he always does, going from disco (I Feel Love was the first track I heard once we got inside) to deep house, tribal & techno.  None of the usual Danny antics with flashlights and goofing around or dancefloor visits.  He was seemingly having a blast too.  Below I'll leave a couple of the tracks he played.. though sadly not the one I really want to have to share with you.  The one he came on the mic and introduced as "just a little something I've been working on in the studio. Its not really ready yet..".  From the opening haunting cello, everyone on the floor recognized it. Danny was playing Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles.  A mix that will surely never ever see the light of day as a release because of who the original artist is, but let me just say that with Ableton and Logic, you too, can remix the Beatles. One of those dancefloor moments I won't ever forget, and I've had that damn song stuck in there for a week now.

We all know how great Maceo Plex is so its no shocker when I'm out and I hear something I'm diggin', that when I shazam it there is a good chance it will come up as Maceo Plex.  The guy is prolifically releasing great tracks at an alarming rate.

Maceo Plex - Stimulation (Original Mix)

It felt like he was playing this song for about 15 minutes. which he probably was... its a 10 minute long track anyway, and theres a certain bit that begins a bit after 6 mins that he was looping. I turned to Cam and said... this sound suspiciously like Heartbreak (Make me a dancer)  by the Freemasons.  If you have ever been within 20 feet of me in a club when that song has come on I apologize for likely striking you with exuberance.  Anyhoo, this sounded familiar.  It doesn't actually sound ANYTHING like heartbreak, for the record. But around the 6 minute mark something about that beat even now sober listening to it does remind me of Heartbreak a lil bit. Its a very old song which is likely why it sounded familiar..

Shiloh - Cafe Del Mariachi (Nick Warren Remix)

oh, How Sweet It Is indeed!

So as a young house music addict, Mark Farina was definitely one of my go to sources for funky beats.  Back before shazaam and all that I'd literally have pages in notebooks with song lyrics written down so I could spend hours scouring the interwebs looking for the songs and trying to hear the stuff I had heard out in the comfort of my shoebox sized, first apartment.  Well here I go strolling through my iTunes and I find a set from a festival in 1998 called How Sweet It Is, with an over one hour mix from Mr. Farina.  This set has been on literally EVERY computer I have owned in the past 15 years... thats a lot of hard drives. Anyhoo, near the end this song comes on.... and I have a realization. I should harness the power of my smart phone and find out what this track is that has been bugging me for 15 years. I knew the artist, and the name... but I had never been able to find a remix of it. That is until now.

An oldie but a goodie..

Smoke City - Mr. Gorgeous (and Miss Curvaceous) (Mood II Swing Vocal Mix)

Guestation

Guest post!
Josh here, a good friend of Rob's, especially in the musical arena. As he's mentioned in past posts, we've had a music swappage ritual that's been going on for quite some time. In fact, shortly after Rob and I barely started hanging out (it must be 10 years ago now) we headed out to a party weekend at a friend's spot a couple hours north of Toronto and he presented me with a mix he'd put together for me based on what bits he'd gleaned from my taste in choons.  Pretty spot on with the added bonus of many new sounds I hadn't yet been introduced to.  So I returned the favour...and so it began. It's moved from CDs and memory sticks to Dropbox and Rob's music blog...the medium for sharing keeps changing but in this instance the medium isn't the message, the music is.

So clearly I'm a fan of Rob's blog and happy he can share the gems he finds with anyone else who arrives at this corner of the net.  But since this has become his de facto method of continuing to share music with me I can get a little impatient when it's not regularly updated.  And so was the case a couple months ago upon which I sent him a friendly reminder that it was due time to post some something new.  He's a busy bee and doesn't always have the time to organize his plentiful new music and words into a post.  I get it - but it pissed me off and it prompted me to tell him 'if you don't, I'll post it for you dammit'.  Well, Roberto thought this sounded superb and so the idea of a moonboots guest post was born.

It's taken a while for this idea to turn into a post...a while to make the time and let a few tracks and ideas gestate into Moonboots' first guest post, but here it is.


Secret Places - El Mundo & Satori
This track makes me realize how closely tied together music and memories are...very similar to smell.  Songs and albums can transport us to a very specific time in our lives and reference an emotion.  Secret Places reminds me of not one, but three distinct moments...the first being my initial listen in the middle of an Audiofly podcast while I was out on a cross-city walk with my camera. It's deep, pitched-down march-like rhythm paired with an echoed layer of brass (trombone, I say) was pretty unique... it was the soundtrack to my urban exploration that day.  Second: playing it for Rob while driving down St. Clair Avenue with Rob a few days later to a similar reaction.  And third: at a party hosted by our friend Cameron a couple years later when we were searching for a good early morning track and all Rob could muster was "oh, I know, the track you played...from a set...with some horns...you know how it goes: bah, bah, bah..." Funny enough, I immediately knew exactly which one he meant but neither Sahzam nor Soundhound were able to find the name of it. So that morning I tried to figure out what set it was in the middle of in the depth of my iTunes and finally, proudly, found it.  I stumbled upon that same set a couple weeks ago and Shazam was finally able to tag it. I was happy.
Movin' On - Mario Basanov feat. Monica Liu
I've been a fan of Mario Basanov's ever since I stumbled his double album 'Changed' over a year ago produced with regular collaborator Vidis.  This Lithuanian duo have since been putting out some of the best in electronic music.  They have a knack for maintaining a strong electronic sensibility in the backing track and choosing a great melody and vocalist that often pulls the whole product a different direction which makes it more interesting and song-like.  They also collaborate with a huge variety of amazing guest vocalists, all of which have their own very distinct style.  I love that I never know what to expect from these releases... like Movin' On's nice stripped down base of sounds with Monica Liu's sharp vocal.

Graveyard Tan (Version Two) - Konrad Black, Art Department
I first heard this track on the dancefloor at Stereol this past spring.  It's a dark and twisted stomper that Tiga also played at Footwork a few weeks back as well.  It's a good bridge track, able to move a party from one vibe to another.  I was nice to hear it on both occasions.

Restless

Things happen when you get older.... like you throw your back out so bad you can't really move for three days doing really nothing at all.  The upside of which means I get to clear out my gmail inbox from the past 5 days, and get on the hunt for some new tunes since the only thing that feels normal is sitting in my computer chair.

I'm always a sucker for a good sample from a classic oldie and two of these have just that. and the other is from a fun new Stereo Productions sampler via DJ Chus called Ibiza Syrup - 100% Balearic Jam.  

A nice sunny day jam with a lil Simon & Garfunkel to keep things honest

Samu.l - Restless Dreams (Original Mix)

The excellent Umami return to the blog..

Umami - Sunny (Original Mix)

Stereo Productions chief selecta' DJ Chus has a new label comp and this one jumped out at me.

Marcelo Castelli - Check Out Guitar George (Original Mix)

love me like a clown

Thank you Annie Mac, for introducing me to this lil beauty from the adorable Ben Pearce. Ya apparently he's also pretty darn cute on top of being a great producer... BONUS! This is an edit of an old Quincy Jones track "Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me", only renamed with a much more entertaining title. It should help warm things up on this absolutely CHILLY Monday in Toronto... I thought things were supposed to be getting hotter on this planet, seems like they're just getting weirder!

Ben Pearce - Patticakes(edit)

and why not keep it English today?  We all know how I feel (and you should too) about Matthew Dear.. well I came across this remix of one of the tracks off his last album by Birmingham's own, the fantastic Mark E.

Matthew Dear - Little People (Black City) (Mark E Remix)

joker to thief.

Today feels officially like summer in Toronto. Thank fuck for that cuz If I get one more chilly rainy breezy day I'm going to freak out.
This song has ALWAYS been a favourite of mine... and its been covered about a thousand times. None of those came anywhere close to the original Jimi Hendrix song. That was until I came across this lil ditty this morning. She's on repeat!

Barbara Keith - All Along The Watch Tower (Rayko Edit)

Its been a while since I mentioned some of the stuff I get on the mixes my buddy Josh does for me... well this one came on a birthday mix a few months back.  Jamie Jones, Ali Love and whoever else makes up Hot Natured  really can DO NO WRONG. See?

Hot Natured feat. Ali Love - Benediction

dropping the boom

I heard this song... and I had no idea how to categorize it other than awesome. Its got a little bit of an old school house vibe with this super funky hard bass line. So I did a little diggin'. Turns out the fella that churned this puppy out used to be into all manner of Hard Dance stuff, then UK Garage, and now (for the past 10 years) House. Its pretty fun tracing someones musical lineage and then actually really hearing it in their productions... or maybe I'm a geek. 

Hope you hear what I hear!

Huxley - Bellywedge

Get Lost

Stumbled upon this pretty eclectic album selected by Acid Pauli called Get Lost V. The whole thing is pretty cool and really really long.. theres 40 some tracks, including a continuous Dj mix by Pauli.  I should really get on with checking out I through IV too I guess.... 

I'm a sucker for interesting reinterpretations of a song you know so well, that when you hear it done differently you aren't even exactly sure what it is but you're there singing along. These are both those kinda songs.

Sitting on the streetcar on my way to a hockey game this song comes on and I'm going through the lyrics in my head but for some reason can't place what it is until I pull my phone out of my pocket to see.. D'UH! Radiohead's Idioteque.

Calico Horse - Idioteque

And then this one. I was thinking it was Genesis, or Phil Collins... well close enough... Mike & The Mechanics.  If you weren't around when this song was the first time.. or want to see a weird ass 80s video: go check this out . Alternatively, you could boogie to the one I was listening to... I recommend BOTH!

Amirali - Hear Me

Now go get those Easter eggs!

these boots were made for postin'

Maybe its the beautiful Spring day outside. Maybe its the Kombucha I just drank. Maybe even its the poking from a few select friends about not posting anything. I'm just going to skip the mumbo jumbo and get to some choons.

The Players Union are a collective of guys in Manchester that I seriously recommend checking out! They have all kinds of cool productions and a fantastic mix on their soundcloud titled "Gold". Pretty damn appropriate, too. Cuz its a deep soulful disco set that is pretty much Solid Gold. Here's what introduced me to them.  You really can't go wrong paying respect to Bill Withers.  And what better way to do so than in song.

The Players Union - Respect To Bill (Vocal Mix)

You know those tracks where theres just an endless lists of the who's who being listed as inspirations. Daft Punk and ummm some other French act who skips my mind are the most notable ones I can think of. Anyway it happens in this track, so if that bugs you I appologize. Usually it bothers me but I just love the crackling of the vinyl at the beginning of this track and the fun jazzy riffs through the whole thing. Reminds me of the old days in Halifax, with some Mark Farina playin' on the Hi-Fi on South Park St...

 Jacob Korn & Kelli Hand - Dance Away (Original Mix)

On a recent musical pilgrimage on the old tinternet I found a bunch of artists I didn't know about.  And these guys are my favourite "new to me" find. They're fantastic! I love the sound, the energy and everything I've heard from them so far.  This track likely being my favourite, asks some very good questions that I'm sure we all know the answer to (and choose to ignore most of the time, thankfully). Umami in Space or Umami for short are a duo from Germany that've been producing together for a couple years. I highly recommend checking out their 2 Year Anniversary mix on soundcloud where they feature a selection of their original productions and remixes they've done over that time into one pretty dope set.

Umami - Not To (Original Mix)

Go Back To The Zoo

Its a beautiful snowy day here in Toronto. Like super snowy. I've just been given the day off work.  I guess there are worse things one could get up to on a snow day.. like shoveling. But I'll skip that in-lieu of a blog post of some sweet tunes to warm things up a bit.


Not sure if others operate like this, and I'm sure I mentioned it before in a post about reggae & dub, but I can generally only tolerate music that reminds me of hot climates when its totally shitty out. This first post is a perfect example of snow-day music for me.  It comes courtesy the DEATHPROOF sound track. As always Tarantino curates this soundtrack perfectly.  If that film thing doesn't work out he should start DJing at indie clubs. or in my livingroom. So, hot damn! I'll put a couple up off that soundtrack.

The Coasters - Down In Mexico

T Rex - Jeepster

And just in case T Rex didn't get you to boogie, which it really should've.  Sander Kleinenberg is here to save the day.

Go Back To The Zoo - Fire In The Streets (Sander Kleinenberg Remix)

The Earth is Blue... and round.

I managed to take full advantage of a day off in the middle of the week today. I don't get those very often anymore, and after having spent all of last weekend in bed with the flu, I was itching for some activity.  So I ventured up the street with my friend Ed to this awesome new outdoor arena the City of Toronto has built in Cedarvale Park, beside Phil White arena.  This, I feel is a pretty defining characteristic.   You know the whole "there are two types of people n this world.. those that ___ and those that ___", well in my mind you could pencil in "will play hockey outside in minus whatever degree you throw at them, and those that won't".  Just as I would when I was a kid it take a lot to get me off a rink.  After a couple hours, I called 'er quits but does it ever feel good to get sweaty in that fresh cold air.

Then a lovely afternoon of listening to some new tunes! Which is what brings me here. Diynamic was definitely one of my favourite labels of last year, and to start off 2013 a nice sampler from the label called Neon Nights. Heres my favourite:

Hunter/Game - Blue Earth (Original Mix)