The Vunders Ov Vilnius

 I've been developing a slight fascination with Lithuania. Specifically the city of Vilnius. Stumbling on a couple radio shows out of Vilnius and some sets by DJs from there it immediately caught my attention with left of the middle, dark, melodic beats. Sometimes a borderline "world music" element appearing in the sets... its combining everything from dark industrial noise, hip hop, deep house, melodic techno, reggae and downtempo electronica  into this slurry of wonder. I was on a steady diet of radio shows from Vilnius or by people associated with Tomas Von Party's Multi Culti label for about 6 weeks before i was ready to resume my regular listening habits. If you don't know Tomas Von Party, i highly recommend getting acquainted. For one he's Tiga's brother... good reason to pay attention. Secondly, he was the head of A&R at Turbo Records since its inception until he decided to start his own label Multi Culti Records, which sounds exactly like you'd expect: bird sounds, drum machines, chanting, acid bass lines. Its a rabbit hole i got lost in and if you are into a more underground element of dance music... this was a VERY refreshing rabbit hole.

Here is a sampling of some stuff I've been listening to lately

Anchorsong - Butterflies

Kelli Hand - Roots

The Oddness - Get It Together

Miss Represented - Crack That Habit (Johnny Aux Remix)

youANDme - Jungle Book

Some Happy, Toe-Tappy

Welp, I just had a look at the way I began my last blogpost, in January of 2019:

"2019 eh? Life has certainly changed..."

Think I might have jumped too soon on that one, because HELLO 2020, YOU TOTAL FUCKING MESS.

So now that the obvious is acknowledged, let's get to the good shit. And 2020 has certainly brought me lots of that, I think I've only been to one club this year...so most of what I have been discovering is via the beautiful souls that have been putting up Live Streams for us since March, via friends sharing their new discoveries or via the ever so amazing Spotify algorithm. As I look back through the tracks I intend to post I realized its all VERY vocal house, thats never a bad thing, and I guess with all thats going on in the world, some happy, toe-tappy is just what we need.

So in the meantime, before Charles has this years No Pots and Pans ready to tide us all over for the next however much longer we have no where to go hear good music outside of our house for, theres this.

Hope it helps.

Get Your Groove On

Aretha Franklin - Rock Steady (Correlate Club Ready Edit)


Richard Burton - Bad Luck (DJ Spen Bootleg Remix)


Rahaan - Disco Fantasy (Chicago Service Edit)


FunkSkool - Get Together Now (Funky Disco Edit)


Felix Da Housecat feat Agata - Energy (Extended Mix)


TERR - Tale Of Devotion (Original Mix)


HiFi Sean & Shalvoy - Jumpy (Original mix)


Kelly G - Feels Good (Yeah!) (Kelly G. Little Louie Party Mix)


Brutha Basil & Brutha Louie - Freedom Of Dance (It's The Beat)  (Louie Vega's Ritual mix)


The Clark Sisters & 3 Winans Brothers - Dance (Mike Dunn's Gospel Re-touch)


DJ Spen & The Muthafunkaz feat. Sharon Adams and Lisa Mack - Changed My Life (Code Red Vocal mix)

In The Beginning Was A Beat

2019 eh? Life has certainly changed. I don't digest music in quite the same way and I don't have quite as much free time to make blog posts as I used to, which sucks because I love chronicling the things i consume musically.
I decided to do things a bit differently for this one and just put up a bunch of what have been my fave tracks in the past little while-- and a stomper of a bonus at the end.

Easing in with some disco and happy-clappin then on to some slightly more serious business.

enjoy.

Patti Labelle - Music Is My Way of Life (Joey Negro Funk In The Music Mix)

Sophie Lloyd feat. Dames Brown - Calling Out Your Name (12" mix)

400 Blows - Movin (Special Extended Club Remix)

The Juan MacLean - Happy House (Original Mix)

Lee Rodriguez - Making A Living

David Shaw and The Beat & Jennifer Cardini - Sentiment Acide (Jennifer Cardini Remix)

TJ Kong & Nuno Dos Santos (feat. Robert Owens) - Where Were You

Llewellyn - San Junipero

Rodriguez Jr - Ocean Drive

And for some reason, this track popped into my head today. It was on the first John Acquaviva CD I ever bought, possibly my first house music cd(??) called Transmissions Volume 1, but being a MIXED cd... i never got to hear how the track really started because the mix wasn't quite perfect and John actually kinda abrasively mixes it in and cuts off a little bit of the opening vocals. Weird for John Acquaviva, still to this day one of my ALL TIME fave DJs.

Anyhoo.. this song is 24 fucking years old, a proper Detroit Classic. Suck on that kids.

Tralopscinor - Always Did, Always Will

Its physical. Only logical.

Oh Tina. So fly. So badass. I've seen a couple videos of her live lately and man... THAT would've been a party! But i digress... Tina remixed into some down right sexy progressive deepness will certainly do in a pinch!
The first time i heard the sample sneaking in my jaw was on the floor and its safe to say every time I listen to this track (A LOT lately), it gives me the feels all over again


Robjamweb - Ce Que Est L'amour

Nanna At The Club

My good friend Liesel shared this beauty of a video online yesterday and it gives me so much joy i thought I'd share it here. This woman and her smile and moves and age and demeanour and awesome kicks and friends. They all give me joy.

Timmy Regisford - At The Club

Deelicious

Given the current 3-4 day snowstorm we're in the midst of here in Toronto... This one gives me a little hope. I can't wait to be sweating while sitting still on a patio with an ice cold beer in my hand enjoying this. Though I struggle with the fact its called a club mix. Just because its long as hell doesn't mean its a club mix.

Greg Wilson feat. The Reynolds - Summer Came My Way (Luxxury Club Mix)


I used to read Details magazine in the '90s. It was decent for a time and I would skim through most of it but i loved their album reviews. One day while on the 80 bus from Lower Sackville to Halifax, Nova Scotia I read the album review for Beth Orton's Central Reservation, and as my bus pulled up in front of HMV on Spring Garden Rd, I hopped off and ran into the store to buy it without a second thought about listening to it first. The review had sold me that hard, and one of only two times I can remember being that impressed by a review that i just bought it. The other being Basement Jaxx Remedy.  Central Reservation became something that I still listen to today, and for several years I gobbled up everything I could from Beth Orton and even got to see her at Glastonbury in I think it was '03. Then yesterday while digging around through some older releases from the Cube Guys i found this way-more-chilled-than-I'm-used-to-from-them beauty of a track, and its been on repeat ever since. I'll also add that The Cube Guys are fucking fantastic live. Rarely have I heard Producers that I like deliver live but I've seen them a few times and always rock the place.

The Cube Guys -  Central Reservation (Face Off Magik Remix)

Learned about this producer this week, and let me tell you... if you like soul and disco samples his entire catalogue is great. I wasn't totally sure which one to pick for this post but i  went with the one that introduced me to him, a Bill Withers track. Go check out his soundcloud/spotify or some are available on iTunes/Beatport.

Deelicious - Lonely Town Lonely Street (Original Mix)

Different from the Rest

two of these three have been on such heavy rotation for the past month that I'm actually pretty shocked I haven't gotten board of them yet.

My friend Charles has been bopping this one at the office lately, turns out it was posted in a facebook post of a group I'm in for the weekly Music Mondays where =everyone posts what moves them. THANK YOU FARHAN! Helluva track. And if you're slightly nerdy about things you'll probably enjoy this little Q&R with the man that made it about him and how he made it that I stumbled on while trying to find the damn thing...

Interstate feat Biroll - Karl Lowe St. Groove


I'm pretty sure I owe this one to a ride back from a rugby match back in the Autumn with my friend Nick. I have to say, my friends have really good taste in tunes, lucky me! basically one giant disco build with some sassy piano. my favourite!

Marquis Hawkes - The Basement Is Burning


Lastly, during my fairly epic (appropriate use of the word) 3 day drive home for Christmas through more different kinds of storms than I can really remember This came on about half-way into the first 7 hour drive, and I swear we played it at least 3 times in a row. Its one of those things where you discover some other funny little sound or oddball lyric with each new listen.  I've heard (and LOVED) a few In Flagranti songs over the years, they seem to do some more guitar heavy stuff as well but when they do a housey/indie dance track... watch out. Best enjoyed with headphones so you can hear every little nugget, unless of course you have a fabulous home stereo set up. Its actually likely still better on headphones.

In Flagranti - Different from the Rest


Don't forget we're on SPOTIFY if you want some Moonbooties on the go

The Power & The Blessing

Back in March, Dropbox (where all this music is stored) changed the way it operated which resulted in all my old links being invalid. So basically everything i posted from 2011- March 2017, had dead links. I'm going through and reposting all of the back catalogue starting from the beginning, and adding them, as I go, to the Spotify playlist too... its going to take a while.

As well as all of THAT, there is a new post.

Try to not bop to this, I dare you. It takes about 2 minutes to get going but once it does its some classic funky house loveliness, which seems to be making a bit of a resurgence... not that it ever really went anywhere, but I am hearing a lot more of the funky stuff lately.

Folamour - The Power & The Blessing Of Unity

I love the relentless beat of this jam. I heard it yesterday and was hooked. The opening Marvin Gaye(i think..?) vocals don't fully match up with whats being played which at first had me looking to see if I had two things playing at once, but once i realized i didnt, I restarted it and for whatever reason I enjoy its slightly disjointed nature, and again this one shifts into another gear after about 2.5 mins.

RAAR - Leave Me In My Broken Dreams

Because It's There

Current vibes for whatever reason have brought me into some way more spacey/chill/progressive tunes. Strange that this is the post I opt for after hearing Mr Tenaglia this past weekend... but what can I say, I'm a sucker for some quality beeps n' boops and its been a long time since i posted something other than proper stompers...

so go for a walk or a nice autumn drive, and enjoy. Tunes also updated on Spotify!

Chloé - Because It's There


Black 8 - Before The Rising Dawn (Dmitry Molosh Remix)


Phonique (feat Lazarusman) - Vincent Price (Douglas Greed Remix)

Purple is not just a delicious fruit, it's also a Disco Machine

Purple the fruit. Purple the flavour.  Purple the colour. But not to be outdone in da club.... Purple, always reinventing herself, is now back as Purple Disco Machine. And not surprisingly I like this one possibly even more than all her other incarnations and I realized today that I've been listening to a lot lately, which is usually a good sign that I should share with the class.

As a quick sidebar, the new Jamiroquai album is absolutely stellar... like start to finish.

Jamiroquai - Cloud 9 (Purple Disco Machine Remix)

Purple Disco Machine (feat. Joe Killington & Duane Harden) - Devil in Me [Fatboy Slim Remix]

Purple Disco Machine - Body Funk


Follow the MoonBoots&Mudholes Spotify Playlist here

for Darren

Summer is in full swing. Pride has come and gone. The borderline torturous Salsa on St Clair festival has ended. And Charles has released his always anticipated No Pots And Pans collection (NPAP for short). I'm about to dive into that which will surely occupy most of my musical listening for at least a couple of weeks... its A LOT of music! But before I do, here are a few things that have been moving me lately.  Maybe its the sunshine, maybe its the rosé... Who can say? All I know is I'm digging these disco and NuDisco vibes a lot lately. Just add a lil piano to a dance track and I'm hooked. Add a whole lot and I might not stop smiling. Enjoy!

This is dedicated to my good friend Darren, who we'll be memorializing this weekend.  I know he's bouncing around to some super dope tunes in the freshest sneakers imaginable, wherever he is.


Rick Wade - The League (Original Mix)

The Black Madonna - Alright This Morning (Original Mix)

Mood II Swing - Can't Get Away From You (Original Mix)

Tensnake - Freundchen (Original Mix)

Reminder you can check out these tunes on the go on the Spotify Playlist too

the struggle is real

This is a public service announcement. If you ever have the opportunity, GO SEE DENNIS FERRER  
His set at Coda earlier this month quite literally had a bit of everything and it was all solid gold. Moving on, I just noticed that all of these track titles sound like a total buzz kill, but rest assured... they still damn fine.

This first track came on as I was walking to work on a beauty of a sunny day a little while a go and it put a little extra spring in my step first thing in the morning. I'm generally a pretty big fan of springing steps:

Justin Jay (feat. Benny Bridges & Josh Taylor) - Let Go

I wasn't sure if I was going to bother posting this one because I've posted the track before, just not this version. I absolutely love the original and this Vinyl version that I stumbled upon (again on SPOTIFY of all places) is actually even better than the Original mix that I already adore.

Steffi - Sadness (vinyl version)

This is an unreleased bootleg Tinush had up a while ago. Aretha Franklin really is a National treasure... you can feel the hurt. ugh.

Tinush feat. Aretha Franklin - Struggle

Also, if you have Spotify you can follow along with the blog on there. Most of the recent posts from the past couple years are up there. Just click THE LINK RIGHT HERE and you've got Moonboots on the go :)

I can't get any higher

Out for a damn chilly walk about a week ago with my pooch and stumbled upon this rather old one from French House legend Alex Gopher. Beauty! I'm VERY happy warmer weather is upon us... longer walks leads to more awesome musical discoveries!

Alex Gopher - Use Me

And this new single from New Order is A W E S O M E!!! Totally killer remixes as well from Claptone, Late Nite Tuff Guy, some others and this one by Richard X which was my favourite of the bunch.

New Order - People On The Highline (Richard X radio edit)

enjoy!

I'll Make It Up To You

This first one reminds me of 3 different songs and all within about 25 seconds. Theres Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand, Miss You by the Rolling Stones and a yet to be identified 3rd song that I just can't put me finger on...

Monika - Secret In The Dark (Juan MacLean Remix)


This has been on repeat all week. Well at least the first 3ish minutes or so, the final 45 seconds kinda get on my nerves but that deep sloggy bassline from the opening kills me. Disciples of MURK mayhaps?

Tirzah - Make It Up

Do You Wanna Gängbang?

Don't everyone see the title of the post and put your hands up at once. If you use Spotify, actually even if you don't (start) it is an absolutely amazing resource for finding music that you are practically guaranteed to like. I dont know all the technology or how the metrics of it all work, so I won't pretend to, but the options are awesome. The "Discover Weekly" feature presents you with a curated playlist just for you every week, based on what you've been listening to lately, and its pretty spot on. I listen to some very different stuff from day-to-day. Sometimes its Dolly Parton or Patsy Cline, sometimes its Radiohead, and sometimes its ear popping techno, but their selections are always pretty interesting. The other option, which I find even more useful, is the track radio. Find a song you like, click the little dots and scroll down to "Go To Radio" and they'll play stuff related to the song you like. For dance music its been quite eye opening.
Both of the selections here I discovered using Spotify.

Enjoy.

Todd Terje & The Olsens - Baby Do You Wanna Bump

Macchina Nera feat. Annette Party - Gängbang (Original Mix)

let me count the ways...

I've found myself out in clubs less and less over the past year and thats meant a significant drop in the amount of new choons I actually get exposed to.  That was until I discovered how to use Spotify. The radio feature is quite incredible! Find a song or an artist you like the sound of or who will set a mood for you, click on the little dots and go to play that song/artist's radio, its been pretty spot on for me so far and has exposed me to some quality gems.  I highly recommend checking it out. I mean it helps that my phone provider gave me 2 years of free Spotify. I think at this point I would keep it, so wise move.

Anyhoo, peep these puppies. Its whats got me smiling on my way to work this past week:

Infinity Ink (feat Yasmin) - How Do I Love You (Original Mix)

Maxxi Soundsystem (feat. Name One) - Medecine (Original Mix)

FCL - It's You (Mousse T.'s Discotronic Mix)

Its been a while but here you go! get those feet moving!

Taranto to Toronto: What Kind of VooDoo do You Do?

Once upon a time (2007 in fact) a set got recorded at a club in Taranto, Italy named Clorophilia. The DJ that night, Mr. Danny Tenaglia is a firm believer that his live sets are for the pleasure of those that are there in attendance and not to be rebroadcast and when he found out someone on the club's audio team had snuck in recording gear he was livid, and launched quite a public tirade against them. Somewhere in that set, which I have,  is this track. A track, that for the past 8.5 years or so was just that track we couldn't find. That is until Miss Honey Dijon, the Queen herself of condiment inspired house music dropped it in front of my very ears at CODA in Toronto, Canada last Friday night. I almost couldn't believe it was showing up in my SoundHound app.

And how lucky am I? The man who crafted this very track is coming to Toronto on April 8th. BooYa! She takes a little bit to get going, but i love it so deal with it.

Mr. G - Kick Back

this one reminds me of England for some reason, and it has nothing to do with its title. That deep wobbly bass line reminds me of something that could've been cooked up in Fila Brazilia's studio so maybe thats it. 

Astronomar & Bot - Sea Breeze

Wednesday Night in The Ghetto

I love when I'm browsing around the internet looking for some new music and I come across something I should have had in my collection 10-15 years ago but it evaded me. I recognized the track from having heard it somewhere over the years but most likely before Shazam so just one of those ones that slipped away never to be heard from again. And how fortuitous it should be rediscovered on of all things, a Wednesday Night.

Dubtribe Sound System - Wednesday Night (Original mix)

If you've seen The Hunger Games this will ring some big bells. Steve Lawler dropped this a few weeks back on my birthday to many surprised cheeky grins across the dance floor.

James Newton Howard Feat. Jennifer Lawrence - The Hanging Tree (Eelke Kleijn Bootleg)

I just stumbled upon this producer last week. If you, like me, love some chilled jazz-funk-soul with a little extra kick behind it... check him out! Akshin is from Azerbaijan and has a pretty dope repertoire of all kinds of funky things. I adore Marlena Shaw so this stood out to me right away. My other favourite I've found so far was Southern Man (available on iTunes). 

Marlena Shaw - Woman of The Ghetto (Akshin Alizadeh Remix)

Slow Porn

It took me a month of patiently waiting for what I thought was the "Soldier" release date, only to find out the track ID I had from Shazam was wrong and I could've had it sooner... CURSES! I've been playing this puppy on repeat for quite a while. The cinematic sounds remind me of something that you could've heard in "Drive" or "The Knick" (interestingly enough both of which were scored by possibly my favourite modern film score composer, Cliff Martinez). That slow-burning, haunting 90s synth and the dark hypnotic vocals.  It sounds like it could also have come off a Matthew Dear album, so thats some pretty high praise from me, hope y'all enjoy it too. I highly recommend jacking your bass up for this...)

Yosoy - Soldier (Slow Porn Version)

This second post is a classic thats been covered and then touched up by Betoko. Props to my Uber driver last week for playing this on my ride downtown.

Betoko vs Gemma Hayes - Wicked Game

Derpin Grammar

Doing anything on this godforsaken computer takes for fucking ever. I seriously hope to have a shiny new beast to do blogposts on in a speedy fashion sooner rather than later.


Bambook - The Storm

London Grammar - Sights (Dennis Ferrer Remix)

Johnny Mikes feat. Michael B. - Darkness Everyday
Jazz and Soul updates are among my favourite things, especially if they involve Bill Withers. Every song hasn't been written (not by a long shot!) but I'm a sucker for a classic.