DJ Olmec

Swervin [Mix]

2010-08-15T09:25:00.001-07:00

Hey guys. Here's your summer special, most of it composed on the Metro North commuting home from city to town after a long 9-5. It's a collage, weaving between unlikely tracks, never pausing to take stock, in constant zen-like motion. Things usually oscillate between southern rap and dubstep, but some wild cards are squeezed in there too. I experimented with a bunch of ambient effects and sample chops in the background; Listen closely and see what you spot. Oh and Vassar peeps stay tuned for big news soon coming.

Radiohead / Lucky
Freddie Gibbs / How I Feel
Joker / Psychedelic Runway
Burial / South London Boroughs
Sully / Phonebox
PRGz / Rollin (Flosstradamus Remix)
Drake / Houstatlantavegas
Big K.R.I.T. / Hometown Hero
Mt. Eden Dubstep / Sierra Leone
Jinder / Youth Blood (12th Planet & Flinch Remix)
Emalkay / When I Look At You
DLX / Matter of Facts (Breakage Remix)
Nero / Bad Trip (Rob Sparx Remix)
Miike Snow / Silva (Emalkay Remix)
Aardvark / 02
DJ Shadow / What Does Your Soul Look Like
DJ Shadow / Midnight In A Perfect World
David Axelrod / The Human Abstract
Gayngs / The Beatdown
Hudson Mohawke / FUSE
The Dream / Abyss
Drake / Karaoke
Major Lazer / Hold The Line (Nacey Remix)
Shawty Lo / Dey Say Where U Been
Kashii / Tru Sa City

Live At Shiva Rave '10 [Mix]

2010-02-05T07:31:00.000-08:00

Here's the long overdue live recording from last last Saturday's Shiva Rave. Sounds like it took me about ten minutes to get really my head straight and settle into a groove; the beginning is a little frantic. But once that Nada track dropped it was on. I rode the techy/tribal tip for a little bit, danced between discohouse and wobbly bassline in the middle, and closed things out with that heavy dub zound. This was really an incredible night. I felt relaxed in the booth and was able to mix with confidence. Can't wait to come back in 6 months and blow it all up again.

Drake - Money to Blow (Vodka & Milk Remix)
Try Brown Acid - Try Humanity (Zomby Remix)
Yo Majesty - Club Action (Bag Raiders Remix)
Jack Beats - What
DJ Dee Square - Ice Box
Fake Blood - I Think I Like It
Dave Nade - Inner Midget (Nadastrom Remix)
Oliver$ - Gypsy Carnival
The Count & Sinden - Mega
Armand Van Helden - Hear My Name (Solid Groove Remix)
Gregor Salto - Unite (Sidney Samson Remix)
Riva Starr - Dance Me (Oliver$ Remix)
Malente - I Like It (Riva Starr Remix)
Olav Basoksi - Play With It (Gigi Barocco Remix)
Fake Blood - Fix Your Accent
Passion Pit - To Kingdom Come (Jack Beats Remix)
Drake - Best I Ever Had (Nadastrom Remix)
Riverside (Peo De Pittle Remix) - Sidney Samson
Kid Sister - Right Hand Hi (Kingdom Remix)
Major Lazer - Pon De Floor (Cold Blank Remix)
Jeremih - Birthday Sex (Gavin Holland Remix)
La Roux - Bulletproof (Alexander Technique Remix)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix)
Phoenix - Fences (Nujax Remix)
Man Like Me - London Town (Foamo Remix)
La Roux - I'm Not Your Toy (Jack Beats Remix)
Riton & Seiji - Computer Juice
Emynd - Armed/Temperature
Pryda - Rakfunk
Laidback Luke & Lee Mortimer - Blau! (LA Riots Remix)
Simian Mobile Disco - Cruel Intentions (Joker Remix)
Little Boots - Meddle (Treasure Fingers Remix)
Kid Cudi - Day N' Nite
Huey - Pop Lock N' Drop It

State of the 'Underground' // Jay Electronica

2010-01-13T18:21:00.000-08:00

So in my last post I threw out something like 'backpack rap without pretension'. I'd like to riff on that idea for a second, partly to flesh out the thought itself but also as a way of approaching the enigmatic Jay Electronica.

Backpack rap, a catch-all term I use for socially conscious, lyrically minded hip hop outside the mainstream, recently kicked the bucket. The indie renaissance of '00-05 (think Cannibal Ox, Company Flow, Slug, Doom, Aes Rock, El-P, Cage) is...well, dead. As long as we're eulogizing, let's not forget how widely it broadened the rap horizon. These artists embraced eclecticism; cue up The New Danger, Float or Funcrusher Plus to hear grungy Creole blues, live jazz improv and gloomy electro-ambiance in turn. They held activism over self-aggrandizement, brains over dookie chains.
By around '06, the act was stale. Individuality gave way to mere novelty, sincerity to posturing, and it all became a bit silly―an amateur circus of slam poets with nasal voices and English B.A.s. While some critics seized this as an opportunity to scorn the entire genre with sensationalism and hyperbole, I see it as part of the natural ebb and flow.

The latter half of the decade saw Cam'Ron, Jeezy, Clipse, Rick Ross, Game, Maino and Fabolous welcomed by underground. Flashy, charismatic, semi-nihilistic coke rappers. Lyrics? Not much to speak of. Beats? Definitely bumpin, but innovation ain't a priority. The rubber band snapped back to rap about, well, you know, having fun.
Will it last long? Apparently not―2k9 was dominated by indie mixtapes from the likes of Elzhi, Skyzoo, Fashawn, J. Cole and Cyne. The cerebral storyteller came back with style. I'd side with A-Trak, who credits 808's & Heartbreak with much of the new creative energy. Things are more self-conscious this time around; DJ Furious Styles writes in the liner notes Jay Electronica's recent Victory, "Let’s welcome back the lyricists to Hip-Hop." These artists understand their place in hip hop history; there's something very authentic about it.

Few represent this rebirth more fully than Jay Electronica. Until recently the man's been a tornado of hype, best known for dating Erykah Badu and recieving two inexplicable endorsements from Nas and Mos Def. For me, the Just Blaze-produced "Exhibit" trilogy changed all that. He's the real deal. Listen and let me know if you hear the spark I do. Can you see him as part of this 'underground' revival? Where does he sit in relation to Aesop Rock, Cam'ron or Kanye?

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

A Pipe Dream and A Promise [Review]

2010-01-10T18:39:00.000-08:00

So the other day I'm listening to Gucci Mane and find myself smack-dab in the middle of one of those sublime moments of 'hip-hop is dead' aporia. Sure, Weezy gets me off when the syrrupy flow's right, Pitbul can spit fire 'cross a good latin riddim and there's no sub for Killa Cam in your subs. But where's that real, intelligent songwriting that got me into all this? Where the artists at? I'll spare you the rest―you've heard it all before anyway. The difference is that I'm not trynna be cynical. I know the good stuff's there, we just gotta look:

Finale
A Pipe Dream and A Promise

Detroit by way of Atlanta. Just let that soak in; think about what that fusion might sound like. Eminem, Black Milk, Dilla. Outkast, Luda, Jeezy. Finale straddles both these monumental legacies, melding soulful samples, forward-looking production and fierce lyricism. And yet he manages to stand outside them. He's a self-conscious MC, bringing a new brand of hip hop to the world.

An all-star cast of beat-makers bless the album, most providing a gritty blend of street riffs and synth leads. Finale's alternately smooth and gravely vocals cut through the mix, and holy isht can this dude flow. First, technique. Finale has conversations with his beats. Lively staccato pops to the kick on 'Jumper Cables' while elegantly drawn out phrases grace 'Pay Attention.' The 'Heat' sample is muddled in vinyl static so Finale raps in a hoarse, throaty style, heavily stressing those 'ahhh' and 'haaah' sounds. The gently swooning synth lines on 'Issues' inspire Finale to spew liquid flow, swimming through gently rounded syllables and loose loopy vowels.

The man is a wordsmith―a true engineer with the pen. It's clear each line has been painstakingly whittled down to a state of technical perfection. You'll find no awkward gaps between syllables, no lazy or drawn-out phrasing, no forced rhymes or rhythms. Like Lauryn Hill or Q-Tip before him, Finale extends the jazz tradition with vocal 'solos' that engage with instruments around him.

If you want radio rap without its nihilism; If want backpack rap without pretension; Street rap without ignorance; hipster rap without hipsters; Well then, you need A Pipe Dream and A Promise. It's unlikely we'll see more from Finale soon, this having been a 5-year labor of love. But who cares? This can easily last me another 5.

A Pipe Dream and A Promise was released in 2009 on Interdependent Media.

Wintery Mix

2010-01-09T18:07:00.000-08:00

Olmec here, back with a new mix for your listening pleasure. This one moves from trippy dubstep into velvety electronic before sliding into tribal dance. Smooth mixing was a major focus; I looked to introduce each new track with a cohesive, harmonically sound transition. The end result is a proper collage―songs bleed together and are impossible to pry apart at the seams. Enjoy and please drop me some feedback, here or at my new facebook page.

Pill / Lookin (Chris Devoe Rmx)
Michna / Levitation
Flying Lotus / Parisian Goldfish (Take Rmx)
Phaseone / Alladat
Four Tet / Hands
Dirty Projectors / Temecula Sunrise
Prefuse 73 / Martinique
Skyrider / No Good (Odd Nosdam Rmx)
Pretty Lights / Fill Your Eyes
The XX / Shelter
DJ Quik / Let's Get Down
Dam Funk / Hood Pass Intact
Maxwell / Phoenix Rise
Northend / Tee's Happy
Mungolian Jet Set / Creepy
Lindstrøm / Baby Can't Stop (Aeroplane Rmx)
Daniel Steinberg / Bailando
DJ Sun / Para
Crookers / Hands On Me (Solo Rmx)
Mowgli / London To Paris
Sinden / Me Mobile (Duckbeats Rmx)
Major Lazer / Hold The Line (Edu K Rmx)
Amanda Blank / Shame On Me (TKO Rmx)
Jack Beats / Rainstick (Herve Rmx)
Mowgli / Tatanka
South Rakkas Crew / Mad Again (Boy 8-Bit Rmx)
Joy Orbison / Brkln Clln
Joker / Play Doe
Birdman / Money To Blow

Wax(ing)

2010-01-07T10:22:00.000-08:00

Between Spooky's Sound Unbound, Kode9's Sonic Warfare, and both Wax Poetics anthologies, the last few weeks have seen me reading more pseudo-intellectual garbage on the topic of post-modern music than I think healthy. But, as an aspiring psuedo-intellectual myself, I can't help but bring you my thoughts on DJ Shadow's recent essay concerning the post-everything musical landscape of 2010.

To recap: Shadow thinks financial success, the oft-ignored dynamo of all artistic production, is near-impossible in a world where the public has supplanted the record label with itself, via the internet.

Paradoxically, the rise of MTV and the major labels in the 1990s obscured the basic fact that something concrete, be it fame, fortune or fucking, must always motivate production. Sony, UMG and others took the idea of patronage to the extreme, repulsing those who sought music for the very intangible pleasure of listening. We forgot that money and art go hand-in-hand.

Inspired by lofty ideals like 'liberation' and anti-consumerism (and let's not forget the ever-present impulse to get something for nothing), we recklessly moved to free music from the 'evil' shackles of commodification. We shifted seat of power from corporate label to internet jury. Lemme hear you say / fight the power.

But in doing so, society has critically damaged the very foundation of the arts. Shadow calls the internet age "passionless, listless, hollowed-out," alluding to a Bradburian world where art reduces to vapid shock-value. There's no money, nothing concrete, at the base of this new pyramid. It's all just mastication. The labels, with all their interesting characters, cutthroat politics and, yes, glaring flaws, were infinitely more capable of fueling artistry than the bland 'internet community.' Sure, they may been self-interested and malintentioned, but at least they were invested.

Olmec's Best of Oh Nine

2010-01-01T13:11:00.000-08:00

Alright, here we go:

Album // Major Lazer .. Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do
Diplo and Switch at their finest. Deep undulating bass-lines, weirdo vocal cuts and eclectic drum patterns combine in a tsunami of dance, putting the last nail in mashup/blog-lectro's coffin.

Song // jj .. Ecstasy
On Ecstasy, Secretly Yours enigmas jj meld the ethereal euphoria of label-mates Air France and Tough Alliance with the codeine bathed swag of Gucci and Wayne. Also features the most gratuitous use of reverb in the last twelve months.

Remix // TC .. Where's My Money (Caspa remix/Jack Beats edit)
In 2007, Bristol drum n' bass head TC released Where's My Money, a frenetic jungle romp shredding strong at 180 bpm. 2008 rolls around and Caspa, one of the scene's most influential, flips it to dubstep. Sawblade synths, slippery LFOs, the whole she-bang. Now, in 2009, maniacal masterminds Jack Beats come through and find the perfect balance. Waves of cyber-bass billow and burst in the rear while fierce little snare triplets tear up the foreground. Not only is this track incredibly powerful, it's symbolic of the electronic music's maturation in 2009. It steps outside the walls of both drum n' bass and dubstep into new, uncharted territory.

Mixtape // Chromeo .. DJ Kicks
Sure, the mixing ain't much to speak of (though to his credit, Dave1 can beatmatch), but here it's all about song selection, song selection, song selection. Chromeo's mix delves headfirst into glitzy 80s disco house, melding it effortlessly with modern electro hits from the likes of Shazam and Lifelike.

Producer // Memory Tapes
For existing completely outside the scene and, perhaps because of that isolation, consistently pumping out this year's most moving productions. Glo-fi that isn't pretentious, chillwave that isn't vapid, dreambeat that stays grounded. Standout productions include a stellar LP, Seek Magic, and remixes for Fool's Gold, Dem Getaway Boyz and Yeasayer. Check his blog for much more.

Rapper // J. Cole
Nevermind his endlessly versatile flow and deft production, J. Cole is just a great songwriter. You've got deep soul-searching on Lights Please, an enlightened perspective on I Get Up and even the obligatory self-glorification (with sharp wit, sure) on Reflection Eternal's Just Begun...and that's just the warm up.

DJ // A-Trak
The man's unstoppable. This year saw decade-making remixes of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Tellier in addition to two huge mixtapes, a remarkably well-kept blog game, and 3 or 4 world tours. Spend a couple minutes trolling youtube to fully appreciate his genius.

Blog // TTLab
Not only my favorite spot on the LES, but also one of the best places for party updates, new releases, interviews, and misc. culture/soccer highlights.

Gig // A-Trak + Mehdi @ Studio B
Maybe the best night of my life.

NYC Venue // Music Hall of Williamsburg
All hipster cliches aside, at MHoW a massive soundsystem, effortless layout and relaxed staff (just don't try to spark one) combine to make it one of the best NY venues (and 18+ to boot).

Raverality

2009-09-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

So Saturday marked my rawkus return to the Vassar 'scene.' We threw down hard at the Shiva Rave: Over 500 bodies spilling out the side doors, candy-ravers soaked and screaming, fog and lazers in full effect. This was also my first official Traktor outing. I learned (a) sweat and vinyl don't play and (b) turntables are really heavy. Here are some ill pics (credit: Madeline Little) and a pre-party hype mix:

Michna / Redline Flights
LCD Soundsystem / Disco Infiltrator (FK Dub)
Christian Fischer / Advance Panorama
Juan Maclean / Happy House (Lee Douglas Rmx)
Daniele Papini / Church of Nonsense
Gui Boratto / Take My Breath Away
Aeroplane / Pacific Air Race
Frankie Knuckles / Your Love
Animal Collective / My Girls (Dave Wrangler Rmx)
Sebastian Tellier / Kilometer (A-Trak Rmx)
Zero 7 / Everything Up (Mock n Toof Rmx)
Talking Heads / Once In a Lifetime
Mr. Scruff / Kalimba
Hundred In The Hands / Undressed In Dresden (Jacques Renault Rmx)
Jacques Renault / Tuxedo Dance
Duck Sauce / aNYway

NYC 6/20 w/ The Maccabees, Miike Snow, Hatcham Social

2009-06-10T07:42:00.000-07:00

You live in this city for a minute and just can't help but find yourself bombarded by influences. Not just bombarded but lured and pulled. You start drifting off some new direction and when you finally snap out of it (I haven't) you won't know how you got there. Here's what's guiding me, come down to Music Hall of Williamsburg 6/20 to see what it do:

Diplo

Dam Funk
Deastro

Poirier

Thunderheist Set [Live]

2009-03-07T19:07:00.000-08:00

Friendly Fires - Paris (Aeroplane Remix)
Ladyhawke - Paris is Burning (Cut Copy Remix)
PNAU - Embrace
Anoraak - Fantasy Park (Moulinex Remix)
La Roux - In for the Kill (Twelves Remix)
Sebastian Tellier - Kilometer (A-Trak Remix)
Cut Copy - Nobody Lost, Nobody Found
Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream (Sam La More Remix)
Bomb The Bass - Old John
Royksopp - Poor Leno
Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction (Wideboys Reix)
The Presets - Talk Like That (CFCF Remix)
Kings of Leon - Use Somebody (Tenzin Remix)
Lykke Li - Breaking it Up (Punks Jump Up)
Chromeo - 100% (Nacho Lovers Remix)
Radiohead - Reckoner (Twelves Remix)

I got my baby back. This Macbook pro is making all the difference right now. 200% more battery life, 200% more productivity, 200% more procrastination, and 100% more DJing as of late. The Palmer Gallery exhibit was a solid success, I got a lot of good feedback despite my submission being straight silly. I spun at the Loeb art gallery as well for a late night viewing. Lots of fun, a chance to play more experimental tracks and meet some spacey art heads from the hudson valley. Smuggled out my share of wine and cheese before calling it a night, too. Then we had the Thunderheist gig on Friday, another big night for me. Their performance was...questionable...but all in all they were a good time and friendly people. Their DJ made a point of thanking me specifically for my opening set. I played some aussie house, making sure not to kill the crowd before they went on. The art of the warmup is something I've definitely gotta train, but that was a good start. It's all about not fully climaxing at the peaks; keeping things just at the brink of that crescendo in a very prog-house sort of way. I'll definitely be cookin up a new mix over break, until then you can grab the live recording (a bit sloppy, but that just makes it more reeeaal) from Friday up top.

General William Booth Enters into Heaven (Olmec Remix)

2009-02-05T13:45:00.000-08:00

Strange happenings in Poughkeepsie, NY. Been without laptop for about a month now, following that tragic spill. I've gotta say, after that first-week-hump it's pretty smooth sailing. I've been working more in the library's media lab, bringing myself around Logic/Reason way more than usual. Here's what's come out of it. This is a production for a gallery show coming up highlighting student sound art at Vassar. The idea is to remix a poem, a concept I stole from DJ Spooky after reading the "Sound Unbound" anthology he edited. So I found this reading by Ginsberg (written by Vachel Lindsay) and time-stretched it into oblivion before slapping it on top of a simple little dubstep riff. Nothing special from a sonic point of view but his creepy acid-head voice definitely adds some sort of spice. Clearly, I'm not about to quit my day job or anything. But still, it was good to get my hands dirty in some real production.

Soundscapes

2009-01-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

Acoustic space: the space we hear rather than see. Multidimensional, resonant, tactile, immersive and emphasizing temporal structure over the linearity of vision. Unlike a painting, photograph, opera, ballet or film, acoustic space is something to be plumbed physically. You can't see it through a glass wall. You can't be the passive audience member. Your very skin vibrates with each passing wave, redirecting it to create something entirely new. You become the vibration itself. The audience doesn't just bring a filter, it becomes the very composition.

...alright enough bullshit. Listen to this little soundscape I mashed up in Audacity and see if you can't step inside that grungy Caribbean shanty town:

Master of the Universe

2009-01-03T13:52:00.000-08:00

This mix might be my first to really expresses something. I can't put my finger on what, but the movement and rhythm here definitely speak to an emotion. I feel like I'm getting past that hollow electro crap...weird
I was a little iffy on adding the rapping but in the end I'm glad I used them to balance out the artsy side of things. This mix also has a lot going on under the hood. Tons of glitch effects on the vocals, strange parametrizing on the tracks, and lots of VSTs I barely understand. Let me know how it all sits :

Yo Majesty - Don't Let Go
Booka Shade - Body Language (Tocadisco Remix)
Digitalism - Echoes (Suriusmo Remix)
Spank Rock - Put That Pussy on Me (Acapella)
The Field - The Little Heart Beats So Fast
Basic Soul Unit - Tunnels (Sebo K & Metro Remix)
Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek
LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends (Amigaman Remix)
!!! - Pardon My Freedom
Fatboy Slim - Jin Go Lo Ba (Jon Carter Remix)
In Flagranti - Business Acumen (Arveene Remix)
Underworld - Beautiful Burnout (Mark Knight Remix)
Busta Rhymes - Don't Touch Me (Acapella
DJ Mujava - Township Funk (Ashley Beedle Remix)
LCD Soundsystem - Beat Connection (Disco Dub Version)
Goldfrapp - A&E (Gui Boratto Remix)
Michel de Hey - Jetchi (John Digweed Edit)
Booka Shade - Karma Car (Club Mix)
John Digweed - Every Feelin'
Juan Maclean - Give Me Every Little Thing
Panthers - Goblin City (Holy Ghost! Disco Dub)
Outro

The Shallow End

2009-01-02T11:12:00.001-08:00

Dipping my toes ever so slightly into the production pool here.

Olmec's Top 10 (Remixes) of '08

2009-01-02T01:22:00.000-08:00

1) Mariah Carey - I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time (Designer Drugs Remix)
2) MGMT - Kids (Soulwax Remix)
3) Chemical Brothers - Hey Boy, Hey Girl (Soulwax Remix)
4) Hercules & Love Affair - Blind (Frankie Knuckles Vocal)
5) Sigur ros - Saeglópur (Crash Overdrive Remix)
6) Justice - Waters of Nazareth (Erol alkan’s Durrr Durrr Durrrrrr Re-Edit)
7) Kanye West - Love Lockdown (Chew Fu Small Room Fix)
8) Lil’ Wayne - A Milli (Flying Lotus Remix)
9) Leona Lewis - Every Bleeding Breath (Divide & Kreate Mash)
10) Sia - Buttons (CSS Remix)

Musings

2008-12-31T19:53:00.000-08:00

_____The last few weeks I've had the chance to listen to more electronic music than ever before. The downside of this bargain is that I've been cursed with the ability to critique it. What does this mean for Olmec, who once knew not Tellier from Granier—Busy P from So Me—Digweed from Dorfmeister? Ignorance is bliss, and so it was for my first few forays into the DJ game. Songs were judged on the criterion of fun alone. Compression ratios, granual synthesis, and reverberative overcompensation were words as far from my lexicon as could be. Sets had neither trajectory nor purpose, but they sure were fun. Uninhibited, they wove together hip hop and electro in an effective, if not obvious, way.
_____Now, this can not stand. I just can't help but obsess over the musical merits of it all—the social and musical philosophy of the whole process. Liberal-artsy as it might sound, I know that unless you understand each and every presumption upon which your views rest, you can't hold them at all. In the next few posts, I'll probe the foundations of my understanding of DJing as an art, profession and skill set. If nothing else, it should at least help me resolve some things I've been turning over in mind. For one, the musical merits of the DJ in all of his forms. What is his role as 1) party starter 2) energy arbiter 3) musical taste-maker. How do these roles change on the internet, where highly tweaked compositions reign, as opposed to live/in the mix. Is the DJ inherently a musician and, if not, how can he become one? How does Hypemachine fuck everything up?
_____The original concept behind Olmec was HoodInternet but for electronica. Simply stated, this has not played out. My tastes are getting more snoody, pushing more towards well-developed sounds, seeking that height of sonic fidelity rather than whatever these mortals call "fun." Is this a problem? Listen and find out - new mix droppin' in short time...

In Japan

2008-10-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

Comin' down the pipe:

King Creosote - You've No Clue Do You (Atlantic Conveyor Mix)

Midlake - Roscoe (Jody Den Broeder Remix)

DJ Medhi - Chocolate Trance (w/ Missy Eliot - Cop That Shit Acapella)

Dmitri In Paris - Track 18

Underworld - Beautiful Burnout

Shit Robot - Chasm (w/ Mike Jones - Badd Acapella)

Bloc Party - Banquet

Simian Mobile Disco - It's the Beat

Daft Punk - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Diplo Mix)

Head Automatica - Brooklyn is Burning

Ludachrist - Sea-Bast-I-Am

Prodigy - Girls (Rogue Element Remix)

Hood Internet - Wouldn't Grip Far

D.I.M - Is You (Brodinski Remix)

Six Feet Under - Main Theme (Photek Remix)

Underworld - Born Slippy (w/ Ludacris - Satisfaction Acapella)

Air - Mer Du Japon (Kris Menace Remix)

Big Shit Poppin'

2008-10-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

9/9 Olmec Night @ The Mug

9/23 HH101 Party @ Socos

9/30 @ ???

10/5 DayGlo @ N.College Center

Summer Sampler

2008-07-16T07:52:00.000-07:00

Chemical Brothers - Hey Boy, Hey Girl
Acapellas - Rihanna "Please Don't Stop The Music," Suzanne Vega "At the Diner"
Hood Internet - Shorty get Looks
Usher - Love In This Club (MSTRKRFT Remix)
Dizzy Rascal - Sirens (Acid Girls Remix)
Jape - Floating (D.I.M Remix) Vs. Boys Noise - Oh! (A-Track Remix)
Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out Of My Head (Greg Kurstin Remix)
Stanton Warriors - Who's Afraid of Detroit?
Acapella - Gorillaz "Feel Good Inc."
Partial Arts - Cruising
Acapella - Spank Rock "What It Look Like"
Stanton Warriors - Make em' Shake It
Hercules & Love Affair - Blind (Frankie Nuckles Remix)
Radiohead - Everything In Its Right Place (Okenfold Remix)

What a Summer. Not yet in a position to give a full retrospective, but let's just say I haven't had nearly as much time for this DJ shit as I predicted. For some reason sitting down at my computer is never an attractive option when you're lodged in the heart of Tokyo. I've officially fallen in love with this city; coming back is no longer an 'if' but 'when.' The first half of this mix was stitched together before my flight, the rest is my Summer. That deep house you hear - a little nod to the increduble Japanese scene. 'Blind' has been my summer jam so far; can't wait to spin this vinyl. Rounding things out we've got Radiohead, who I'm seeing in about 3 weeks. at APW Oh and did I mention I'm going to Fuji Rock? MBV, Kasabian, Bloc Party, Grand Master Flash? Beeyawh!

まだまだ

2008-05-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

Anarchy - Switch Sides
ComaーChi - 放浪
Kemui - Right
Bronk - 渓流にひる便
Kan & Dj Krush - Mosa
MackaーChin - Inori
Kan Freestyle

Not really a demonstration of any mixing skill but here's a little Japanese hip hop produced for the さくらまつりfestivities here at Vassar. A little awkward to play on stage for my teachers and peers, but the project was a blast to make. Since Apple only lets you buy from your national store, I had to order a itunes.jp gift certificate straight from the islands then get the back barcode scanned/emailed over to me. Well worth it, I found some great stuff. Definitely a bit disorienting stepping into an entirely new music scene but I was able to pick out Kan and Anarchy as two aces in there. DJ Krush as well but that goes without saying. Look forward to more in the Jap style over the next weeks, I'll be there through all of June and July. Already overwhelmed and I haven't even left...

From the Dead...

2008-04-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

Freshman Mini-Mix

Justice - Stress (Auto Remix) w/ Luda - Stand Up
Madonna - 4 Minutes (Bob Sinclar Space Funk Mix)
Estelle - American Boy (Stockholm Syndrome Mix)
Justice - DANCE (mstrkrft mix)
A-track - Stronger
Mia vs. Ocelot - Our Boyz

Mini-mixes are the shit. New tip named Paper Route Gangstaz from Diplo and Benzi just dropped - Excellent. It definitely takes a unique talent to condense songs into such a short composition. For this one, I tried to keep everything 1:30, including transitions. A little disappointed that I could only fit 6 tracks in, but realistically that was the ceiling. El Presidente requested this mix to provide a bit of ambiance prior to an event he's throwing. I'm not really sure if this is what Joey had in mind but I think it's pretty aight. All the remixes are from this year so it's got that little theme going for it as well. Headbang to this shet. Reflective meta-post up soon....

Soulfire

2008-03-23T22:59:00.000-07:00

Coldcut - Colors of The Soul Vs. Lil' Wayne - Fireman

Welcome Mads readers! Today I'm serving up a track I'm especially fond of. Instrumentals courtesy of a fine English trip hop duo you may not have heard of, Coldcut. And of course, that's none other than lil weezy himself on the vox. It's hard not to respect Lil' Wayne, despite him fitting the "self-obsessed hip-hop twerp" stereotype quite perfectly. Nevertheless, he's probably the post prolific rapper out there, spitting out quality mixtapes left and right. I'm working with Back on My Grizzy, another Weezy track, for my next set and it's another mindbender. Just listen to this beat and tell me you don't wanna break something.

Take it easy people, and check out my back-catalog if you haven't already!

Throw Some Funk on Dat Bitch

2008-03-22T19:20:00.000-07:00

Daft Punk - Da Funk (Casino Inc) Vs. T.I. - Throw Some D's

I've had these two tracks matched up in my set for a while and finally decided to render them out together. This Da Funk remix is one of the best I've heard - walks the house/disco line with precision. Match that up with TIs drawly flow and you've got a hit. TI isn't your typical pop rapper...or maybe he is; I don't really listen to a lot of TI. One thing's for sure though - Top Back and Throw Some D's are both legit bangers. His choppy flow in the middle of this a capella fits well over the breakdown in the instrumental. It's a shame he insists on keeping his songs locked below 80bpm, but I guess that's a matter of taste. Go go gadget Ableton!

2 Million Wamps

2008-03-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Cmos - 2 Million Ways Vs. Clipse - Wamp Wamp

So here's your classic disco house track, spiced up with a dash of the hottest rapper out of VA since....ever. Clipse blows my mind. I definitely want to start working with their vocals more, maybe trill or keys open doors. DJ Benzi has an entire mixtape out devoted to them but I haven't been able to snag it yet. If anyone out there has this, hit me up! This is an example of a track I don't really see a need to pre-render. I keep the a capella and instrumental separate in Ableton and sync them in real time - easy enough. The payoff of this risk is being able to manipulate or isolate each as I go. Definitely a crowd pleasing move.

wamp wamp, bitches.

March Demo

2008-03-20T12:03:00.001-07:00

Chaka Kahn - I Know You, I Live You
Mylo - Doctor Pressure (Dirty Radio Edit)
Chromeo - Tenderoni
Le Castlevania - Trouble in Daylight
Daft Punk - Robot Rock (Radio Edit)
Death From Above 1979 - Sexy Results
Cmos - 2 Million Ways (Axewell Remix)
Annie - Heartbeats (Krazy Fiesta Remix)
Atom - Doomed Thriller
VNDLSM - Every Woman
Ying Yang Twins - Salt Shaker (KillPhil Remix)
Nelly Furtado - Promiscuous (Unreal Mix)
ABX - I Rhymed Slow in 1991
Daft Punk - Aerodynamic (Daft Punk Mix)
Kayne West - Stronger (A-Track Remix)
Moby - Natural Bitch (Re-Edit)
Justice - DANCE (MSTRKRFT Remix)
Justice - Phantom pt. II
Timbaland - The Way I Are (Better Off Alone Mix)
Adam K - Twilight
Feist - 1234 (Van She Tech Remix)
Destiny's Child/Calvin Harris - Nasty Girls Are Accepted
Fergie - Glamorous (Treasure Fingers Remix)
MSTRKRFT - Street Justice
Bee Gees - Stayin Alive (Teddy Bears Remix)
Daft Punk - DaFunk (Casino Inc Remix)
Rihanna - Umbrella (VNDLSM Remix)
ACDC - Thunderstruck (Tittsworth Remix)
Chicken Lips - He Not In (Vandalism Remix)
A-Track - Wampercycle
Cassie - Me and U (Eli Banger Mix)
Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing (Mercurius FM Remix)
Spank Rock - Orange Alert (DFA Remix)
Twista - Freestyle
Laidback Luke - Excerpt from Essential Mix
Will Smith - Miami (Laidback Luke Bootleg)
Kayne West - Flashing Lights (Diplo Remix)
Justice - DVNO (Surkin Remix)
Public Enemy - Bring the Noise (Ferry Corsten Radio Edit)
Buddy Akai - Cut Me Up (Villains Remix)
Bloc Party - Hunting for Witches (Villains Remix)
Digitalism - Idealistic
Pokemon - Theme Song (Abrahammer Mix

African Atlions

2008-03-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

Toto - Africa Vs. Outkast - Atliens

Simple mashup again. This song by Toto is damn classy, definitely deserving of Andre's vocals. If you don't recognize the tune, listen for when the chorus comes crashing back in towards the end. This is a total 80's TV Compilation track. Oh and peep this: (Hilarious)

Later, people

Lil' Phantom

2008-03-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

Justice - Phantom Pt. 2 (Boys Noize / Soulwax) Vs. Lil' John - Get Low

Ah the always venerable remix-of-a-remix. I've had this phantom piece sitting in my set for a while now. It's a true Justice banger, no doubt about that, but it is definitely a little bit off putting to the untrained ear. Solution: Pop-rap. Lil' John's grungy vocals complement that sidechain-crushed bassline nicely. I may return to this track to add a little more than one verse, but I don't usually like to play this song for too long anyway so this may be the perfect dose.

Shazam

Ghostbusta'

2008-03-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters Vs. Busta Rhymes - Dangerous

So walking back from Girl Talk, I was abducted. Russell, Winston and I, far too drunk to refuse, were led into Davidson, single file, by a similarly intoxicated junior whose name I may never remember. Some illegal shit went down, and then she put on this ghostbusters mashup that rocked my skull. The seed was planted. Last week I finally got around to doing something about it with this Busta Rhymes track. Diddn't involve a lot of effort, but it got the basic job done. I feel like I may need to revisit this in a few weeks to give that extra dash of Live spice, but for now I feel good putting it up.

Hope you like

In Da' Woman

2008-03-20T07:53:00.000-07:00

Whitney Houston - I'm Every Woman (VNDLSM) Vs. 50 Cent - In Da' Club

I like this blend. Made this one a while ago but it's been a consistent top dog in my set. VNDLSM keeps pumping out these sidechained bangers and 50's staccato flow works well right on top. Nothing too fancy here. I did test the waters a little bit with a brief vocal chop, but I tend to stray away from those things. I definitely had "Ain't nothin' changed hos down Gs up, I see Xzibit in the club and nigga roll dem trees up" stuck in my head for weeks, had to do something with that line.

Peak party material here.

Nineteen Galangs

2008-03-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

RJD2 - 1976 Vs. MIA - Galang

This track more or less marks the beginning of my experimentation with glitch hop. It's difficult to work in this style on a Mac, given the lack of some key plugins. Oooh, if I could just get my paws on a little DbBlue..... In lieu of that, I have something called excessive production. It's not practical, not easy, and impossible to do live, but it comes out sounding pretty straight. This tracks is not so much a mash as a seamless blend. It crosses the line between tracks and then slithers back to finish things off. Got this idea from an obscure RJD2 mix album I came across recently and ripped it right off.

77Nations

2008-03-20T07:36:00.001-07:00

White Stripes - 7 Nation Army (Techno Rmx) Vs. Nostalgia 77 - 7 Nation Army (Cover)

This is what you might call a secret weapon. The party's thumping, going at maximum speed. Heavy bass lines dropping left and right, disco sirens blaring, lasers blips flipping through the beat. Then this thumper comes on with a french-compressed sawblade and it looks like its gonna keep on rocking things. It's a familiar one to boot, who doesn't know the white stripes at this point? Then Olmec hits the brakes; whiplash all up in your cervical shit. The vocals in Nostalgia's cover are absolutely killer, and help ease the transition between these two antitheses.

This isn't a song to be dropped lightly, all about the strategic positioning here.

It Would Be Ideal if You Were Gone

2008-03-19T22:15:00.000-07:00

Digitalism - Idealistic Vs. Kelly Clarkson - Since You Been Gone

Nice key matching here. Absolutly hilarious as well. I'll play this one soon, been keeping it in my sidebar arsenal for a while, waiting for the right time... Props again to Noah for introducing me to Digitalism, good electro coming out of them. This may or may not be the A-Track remix of this song. If you haven't heard of A-Track, he's another one of those idol things.

Dude's dedicated.

Gyrowhit

2008-03-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody Vs. Stanton Warriors - Gyromancer

Alright this one's a mess. Forget what I said earlier, this was my first Live experiment. Whitney shows off her pipes on this track, one of the first acapellas in my library. At this point I was still learning to use effects, just barely experimenting with pingpong delay and EQ3. I put a ton of time into this, it's just too bad that it was doomed to be off key and muddled from the beginning. Definitely and educational venture though...

Learn by doing.

Seductive Hustle

2008-03-19T22:06:00.001-07:00

Rick Ross - Hustlin Vs. Snoop Dog - Sensual Seduction

Jumping on the Rick Ross bandwagon, I made this simple little track. Sensual Seduction is a little weak on its own, not quite dance material. So with that in mind I tried to add some sweet rap loops on top to bring it to the party level. Rick Ross' verse is fucking awful, but his voice has a cool sound and it's worth it for that one now-classic loop. Still not quite a dance tune, but I could see myself spinning this at a small party and not feeling like a top 40 whore.

Mission Accomplished.

Hysterical Dog

2008-03-19T21:45:00.000-07:00

DMX - Gonna Give it to Ya Vs. Muse - Hysteria

この歌は、うるさいですね。
It also sounds pretty cool. I'd been wanting to put the opening riff of Hysteria behind something for a while, and was chopping it up when I found this DMX vocal. Put it together quickly in a semi-conscious haze that I have little actual recollection of. I do remember like 20 kids stopping by asking if I was really using DMX, though. What's so bad with a little X in yo' life kids? Dude has one of my favorite album covers of all time:

Enjoy it.

Poor Snoopy

2008-03-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

Royksopp - Poor Leno Vs. Snoop Dog - Next Episode

I wanna say this was my second track, that sounds about right. My boy Noah is a huge psytrance head and introduced me to Royksopp pretty early this year, when we auditioned for a radio show. We didn't get it, but I got to keep the sweet mix he put together for our audition. Snoop's flow, slippery as ever, glides nicely down the track, lining up on some of the more stressed beats and crashes. This one's been a solid set closer - winds things down while still bringing heat with a strong bass groove.

Enjoy

L.S.F.

2008-03-19T21:36:00.000-07:00

Kasabian - LSF Vs. Mark Ronson - LSF

Nothing more than a quick splice here. I matched Mark Ronson's excellent cover of LSF with Kasabian's original. In my set, this pulled things out of a rock vibe and into a more funky mood. It works because the songs are the same, no crazy transitions necessary. I think it sounds pretty sweet, and Ronson is a god to me. Went to Vassar too....I should try and meet up with him after a show or something...

hmm...

Independent Monster Day

2008-03-19T21:31:00.000-07:00

Bill Pullman Vs. Metric - Monster Hospital (MSTRKRFT)

Ah the song that popped by translucent white DJ hymen. This was my first experiment with producing anything in Live and it turned out to be pretty sweet. Great way to introduce my set with a bang. The sample was taken from a Cut Copy album that has multiple monologues between songs. Matching them together was something of a light bulb moment, the war theme plays out nicely.

Bump this one.

Hit Me Once More So I Fly Aerodynamically

2008-03-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

Daft Punk - One More Time / Britney Spears - Hit Me Baby One More Time Vs. Daft Punk - Aerodynamic / Three Six Mafia - Stay Fly

This one was an attempt to re-do my original Daft Punk medley, after realizing that it was getting stale. Corny? Yes. Alcohol fueled? Also yes. After making this, I realized that one more time really isn't that great of a song. No worries though, I'm sure I'll find a place for it eventually. If nothing else it'll give me 6 minutes to go pee.

Tell me how you love it

Naznoize

2008-03-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

Refused - New Noise Vs. Justice - Waters of Nazareth W/ Lil' John, Pase Rock

This track holds a special place in my heart. First, lets get everything out on the table. This shit is heavily inspired by Steve Aoki's Pillowface intro. I've spliced my own Nazareth mashup into the mix, but the bread of this sandwich essentially mirrors the first two tracks of his mix. Alright so the first (and last) time I played this it absolutely bombed. I saw kids who honestly did not know how to react. Given how drunk they all were, this level of indecisiveness is really unprecedented. I love the flow of this track, and love mixing in the unexpected. But, after I was told that the song sucks dick by a flamboyant party goer, I decided to put this one aside. So, here it is, extra rare and only heard by the public once before.

All yours!

Whatchu Know About The Rain (Meteorologist Mix)

2008-03-19T20:41:00.000-07:00

Fat Joe - Make it Rain vs. T.I. - What You Know About Dat

I'm a sucker for King Carter, and this acapella just slid into place on top of the mix. Still waiting to test this one on a crowd. I haven't really gotten a chance to play hiphop, given the type of gigs I've been getting. I'd planned on working with a west coast island-hop vibe for one dinner event I worked, but my Co-Dj convinced me to pander to the 80's crowd. I'd kind of been fantasizing about finding a right hand man to work with, but that definitely shook me. As soon as you don't have total control, it's very obvious. Shit sucks, but this song doesn't.

enjoy.

Friendly Fire

2008-03-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

Souljia Boy - Crank Dat vs. Simian Mobile Disco - Never Be Alone

This is a fun little mashup that took me about an hour to splice up. The little vocal chop verse took the longest to compose, but that stuffs fun once you get in a little creative groove. I like the original Justice vs. Simian track but thought it might be a little too repetitive electro to fit in a set. What better way to fix this than to put an even more repetitive pop song on top? Only gotten up the nerve to play this once, but it definitely seemed to work.

Got a few laughs, at the very least.

Faster 'Round

2008-03-19T20:31:00.000-07:00

Daft Punk: Around the World (Olmec Rmx) vs. Daft Punk: Harder Better Faster Stronger (Alive 2007 Mix)

This was my first "pre-rendered" transition. I really hate to use these in sets but this one came out too perfect not to utilize. This track's probably on its last legs in my set now, I've just about played it out. Also, I kind of cringe when the bass drops after that massive build up for HBFS. The track seems so empty after that chaotic climax.

Anyway, enjoy!

February Demo

2008-03-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

Jackson 5 - I Want You Back (Rogerseventytwo Remix)
Villains - Thrilla
Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song (Streetlab Remix)
Feist - My Moon My Man (Hydroz Remix)
Feist - 1234 (Van She Tech Remix)
AC/DC - Thunderstruck (Tittsworth Remix)
Chicken Lips - He Not In
Daft Punk - Around the World
Daft Punk - Harder Better Faster Stronger (Live Mix)
Digitalism - Pogo (Mano Remix)
Villians - Rock It
Gorillaz - Dare (Junior Sanchez Remix)
Romantics - Talking In Your Sleep (Spank Rock Remix)
Avalanches - Radio
Royksopp - Poor Leno
Sigur Ros - Overnight Star (Tittsworth)

January Demo

2008-03-17T19:19:00.000-07:00

(Missing a couple songs until I get around to repairing it)

If You Must - Del the Funkee Homosapien
Press Rewind - Del the Funkee Homosapien
Roc Knife - Mashup w/ Jayz and Grizzly Bear
Knife (Remix) - Girl Talk
Get Em' High (Remix) - A-Track (Kanye)
Shaggy Fat Boy - Mashup w/ Shaggy and Fatboy Slim
Fix Up Look Sharp - Dizzee Rascal
Keep Movin - Krafty Kuts w/Bespoke
Just - Mark Ronson
Tambourine Reckoning - Mashup w/ Radiohead and Lil Kim
Flashing Lights (Mano Remix) - Kanye West
Technologic (Remix) - Spank Rock
Stand Up (DJ Nicky T Electro Mashup) - Ludacris
Cash Money - Mashup w/ Wutang and The OJs
Going Back to Dani - Mashup w/ Biggy and Chili Peppers
Can I Kick It Like That - Pharell
Storm - Cut Chemist w/ Edan + Lif
Feel Good Inc (Stanton Warriors Remix) - Gorillaz
Young Folks - Kanye West
I'm A Flirt - Mashup w/ R. Kelly and Broken Social Scene
Hustler - Simian Mobile Disco
Drop The Pressure - Spank Rock version
Staring At The Sun - TV on the Radio w/ Afrika Bambaataa verse
What it Look Like - Spank Rock
Drink and My 2 Step (Cousin Cole Remix) - T-pain
Fireman - Mashup w/ Lil Wayne and Modest Mouse
Sweet Home Country Grammar - Mashup w/ Nelly and Lynyrd Skynyrd
Smash Your Head - Girl Talk
Yoshimi Battles Snoop Dog - Mashup w/ Snoop and Flaming Lips