Artwork by Refuge

DOWNLOAD:

http://soundcloud.com/refuge/the-blacklight-special-eyes-of-desire

001 – Jimpster – Square Up – John Tejada Remix

002 – Ernie – Hotrod – Original Mix

003 – Soul Minority – 100% Missing You – Original Mix

004 – Rising Sun – Untitled B1 – Original Mix

005 – Chymera – Saphiron – Original Mix

006 – Milton Jackson – Never Be Wrong – Original Mix

007 – Jussi Pekka – Basic Needs – Original Mix

008 – Delano Smith – Trans – Original Mix

009 – The Nova Dream Sequence – Dream 10 – Original Mix

010 – John Digweed – Gridlock – Digweed & Muir’s Stripped Down Mix

011 – Rocco – Roots 4 Acid – Original Mix

012 – Trackleton – When My Sequencer Gently Weeps – Original Mix

Been listening to this for a few days now and just can get enough of it… Brandon Sek of Curbcrawlers mixes alot of the tracks that I’m into on this one… Very experimental, dubby tribally house music… And I just love his explanations for the selecta, check it, via Discobelle Blog:

Tracklist (with explanation.)

1. Tom Flynn – San Fran Shuffle
Some brand new unsigned music from Tom Flynn. I love the way it slowly builds up with horn stabs, tense strings and eardrum rattling 808’s. It sets the tone for the rest of the mixtape perfectly.

2. Kenton Slash Demon – Singla
Tartelet’s 007 release has been without a doubt one of my favorite EP’s of he year. The KSD guys really break the mold here with some chunky subs and off-time percussion that result in some serious head nod sh*t. Only recently did i discover that KSD are both members of When Saints Go Machine whom have been on regular CCHQ rotation for years.

3. Renaissance Man – Aloha (Dub Mix)
Chest crushing bass weight from team Renaissance Man on one of 2009 most forward thinking labels Sound Peligrino. Similar to KSD’s Singla, the Dub Mix of Aloha experiments with some really dope rhythmic patterns that keep things particularly interesting

4. John Tejada – Torque
Some “classic” Tejada thrown in here. I’ve been a big fan of his music ever since he released a dnb single on Klute’s Commercial Suicide label some years ago. I quite enjoy the sinister “mars attacks” feeling in this one. Dark without being overly noisy.

5. Claude Vonstroke & Bootsy Collins – The Greasy Beat (Funk Bomb Mix)
Love this one to bits. Forthcoming on Dirtybird CVS teams up with Funk legend Boosty Collins for some low riding booty slap business.

6. LOTP – Bathroom Gurgle (Duke Dumont Remix)
I don’t think this tune’s left my favorites list since it dropped late last year. Big boy 808’s reminiscent of Aux88 on a Detroit Electro Techno tip from Dumont that’s stood the test of time.

7. Carola Pisaturo – Et Voila (Cinelli 2009 Remix)
Picked this one up while checking out Barem’s beatport top ten chart. I absolutely love Barem’s deep house and although this remix wasn’t done by him, I think it does a bang up job and highlighting a trend in techhouse/deephouse pushing ultra low dnb-like rolling subs under the kick. Rib shattering basslines here.

8. Audion – Jukebox Hero
Brand new Audion on Spectral here. Audion’s most recent works show him carving out a really unique sound that I’m all over right now. Like Stimming, this sloppy broken funk laden house suits Audion and I hope he keeps running with it.

9. Dubbel Dutch – Trollsta (Round Table Knights Remix)
Forthcoming on Palms Out Sounds Records, My good friend and guest Curb Crawlers blogger Dubbel Dutch gets the remix treatment from Round Table Knights.

10. Kenton Slash Demon – Khattabi
Tartelet 007 here again. Without a doubt this is 2009’s 12″ of the year.

11. Poligono – Let Me Down Easy
Fresh out Mexico. Poligono’s been getting a good number of people talking lately and we’ve only heard the tip of the iceberg from him so far. Love the old Soul edits in this one. Currently unreleased, forthcoming on a fine label shortly no doubt.

12. J Phlip – Rumble Rumble
A Dirtybird favorite from 2008. Still does damage on in the dance like clockwork.

13. Matthew Dear & Seth Troxler – Hurt
Decided to ride Seth’s vocals of this mix for a short bit to spice it up.

14. Brooks – IWANCHU
Taken from the AUS music All Night Long LP which is an absolutely banging Album! Crossing the best in Dubstep, Funky and Deep House it’s defiantly something to pick up if you haven’t already.

Click Link Below to Download VIA Discobelle:
Brandon Sek – Mixin It Up for Discobelle

Mini K is a South African fidget producer who only started out in january this year. I found his latest single over at Kid City Blog (‘Jack Off Jill’) which is now one of my favourite wobbly tunes at the moment. Slick producing with a tasty bass rhythm and melody, and an infectious beat using great drum sounds. I had to check out his other stuff, which thankfully came under the same bracket of quality fidget. Check out his myspace and be sure to purchase some of his releases.

MINI K – JACK OFF JILL

MINI K – PUMP UP THE VOLUME

MINI K – ROCK DA HOUSE

JOHN TEJADA – THE END OF IT ALL (MINI K REMIX)

MINI K MYSPACE

Kid City Blog posted another track with a similar sound of manic wobble ryhthms. Ultra-Bonus!

TRYPTA – ACID BEAT

Op Phthalo Records brengt John Tejada op 11 augustus een bijzondere cd uit met daarop oud materiaal. De cd gaat ‘Recovered Data 95′ heten en de tracks zijn gemaakt onder zijn pseudoniem Lucid Dream. Sommige van die producties reiken terug naar 1995, wat direct de naam van de cd verklaard. Recovered Data 95 komt uit op 11 augustus.

Tracklist
01. Grip
02. Droeth
03. Cavatina
04. Terzetto
05. Chortle
06. Trek
07. Phobia
08. Lightning Scattered Around
09. Imbroglio
10. Lonesome Opus

We stayed back late in the Raw Material office on Fri to have  little preview of the new mixes of the first single from Way Out West’s fourth album ‘We Love Machine’

Mixes of ‘Only Love’ are courtesy of Jerome Isma-Ae, John Tejada, Glimpse and WOW themselves.

Get in touch to request a review copy of the single: firgas@raw-material.co.uk

John Tejada – Switch

Mirror

Looks like this chart business is harder to keep up with than I first anticipated. Here is what’s getting maximum rotation on the Energy Flash decks this month.

Ican – Make It Hot (Ican Productions)
This is one of the tracks off the El Quinto EP that seems to have gone under the radar, despite its raw energy and broad appeal potential. “Make It Hot” is fueled by a swirling organ pattern and tight bassline that create a hypnotic flow, but it’s how they break that flow with a quick pause and syncopation beatdown that makes this track’s groove so compelling. “Make It Hot” is bolstered by vocal samples from Midway’s “Set It Out,” with pleas to “really make it hot” and “don’t you ever stop” that give this track a sense of urgency and referential history. Oh, and did I mention the funk keyboard solo about 4 1/2 minutes in? What more can I say, this track lives up to its name.

The Florian Muller Project – The Fire Under The Ice (Logos)
Taken from upcoming album Blessing, this track is one of several that stand out. This unknown French artist takes his cue from jazz and funk imparting his music with grand melodic gestures and this track is no exception. Grounded with a protracted 3 note bassline the strings start to build, the pads layer over growing keyboard lines before the sky opens up with an epic synth progression that rises with every chord turn. Techno to get lost in.

Orlando Voorn – Power of Beauty-Tribute to mix (Divine Karma)
What turns out to be the planned first release on Voorn’s new label is also a perfect piece of deep house that he admits is an homage to the masters of the sound (Larry Heard, Frankie Knuckles, etc.) and is calling “soulfulmindmusic.” I’m not sure what style of music OV hasn’t tried his hand at and not hit out of the ballpark. Looks like the classic “Love Break,” his collaboration with Blake Baxter will also share pressing space on the A side with a few remixes.

The Moderator – Bump! (Eevonext)
I’m really not that familiar with The Moderator’s work even though judging by the fact he’s had releases on Eevolute and DJax from back in 96-97 and an EP or two on DownLow I really should be. So it took me awhile, but here I find myself falling for the gorgeously funky update of the Eindhoeven techno sound.

Marvin Belton – Feelin Good – SF Dub (Ferrispark)
Scott Ferguson has been kind enough to get some repress action going on with his Ferrispark label. The Bleed To Be Free EP from 2002 features Marvin Belton’s strong soulful pleads, channeling Marvin Gaye on the title track, but it’s Ferguson’s own dub of “Feelin Good” that gets me in the mood. Coming on like a Ron and Chez KMS joint, this is house music that is both deep without losing the dance floor direction. Look for the Dump Days EP repress as well.

John Carpenter – The President Is Gone (BBE)
One helluva slice of tension setting mood music, Carpenter’s short piece taken from his 1981 film Escape From New York, features on Ame, Henrick Schwarz, Ame and Dixon’s Grandfather Paradox compilation as well. I can remember being 9 years old and seeing this in the theater and just being mesmerized by the concept of NYC turned into a maximum security prison, Isaac Hayes as the Duke of NY driving a caddy with chandliers, and mines on the Brooklyn bridge. Plus Snake Plissken kicked ass. 

John Tejada – Better Days (Palette)
Good to see Tejada coming at music with the same stance that endeared him to me back when I first heard the Ebonics EP. Melodically rich, funky stabs and chunky bass, and ever advancing sound design. You can’t keep a good artist down.

Sheharzad - Yalla Yalla -Panoptikum Remix (Fine Art)
This remix takes the original, an acoustic middle-eastern song, ditches the vocals, infuses arpeggio bass and digital trills while hanging on tightly to the multiple string harmonies. Reminiscent of Kelley Polar’s string laden neo-disco-isms.

Cobblestone Jazz – Traffic Jam (Wagon Repair/K7)
Coming on less restrained and subtle than some of this trio’s previous work and with a more straight-on groove locked in, this track’s strength is in the group’s renowned rhythm swing with a thick layering of mutating bass curls driving it in a direction that seems like anything but rush hour traffic. But they still manage to interject their jazz chops with a sporadic keyboard riff that cements this tune’s place in many a set to come.

Dug up this old remix of the Postal Service, by John Tejada. Enjoy.

The Postal Service – Such Great Heights (John Tejada remix)

Waar Great Stuff onlangs nog haar vijfjarig jubileum vierde, is Poker Flat Recordings van eigenaar Steve Bug inmiddels toe aan het dubbele. Een decennium aan minimal maakt je automatisch een van de grondleggers van het genre dat tegenwoordig zeer breed gedragen wordt. Veel materiaal voor een jublieum cd dus.

Op de eerste cd staan tracks die exclusief op het label zijn verschenen, onder andere van Guido Schneider, John Tejada, Burnski en uiteraard Bug zelf. Daarna volgen recente tracks en tot slot een selectie van de grootste klappers van Poker Flat Recordings uit het verleden. Leuk om terug te horen, maar de echt oude tracks klinken uiteraard achterhaald. Je moet daarmee dan ook wel een band hebben, wil je het nu kunnen waarderen. Er staan voor de afwisseling ook nieuwere klassiekers op, zoals de fantastische electronica track Always Something Better van Trentemoller waarmee de drie cd’s tot een einde komen. Alle tracks zijn los en zijn daarmee ideaal voor de dj of verzamelaar.

Als luisteraar had ik graag een mix van Steve Bug gezien met een thema, zoals bijvoorbeeld een evolutiemix van minimal of zijn persoonlijke favorieten tracks. Daarvoor heeft Bug tevens een compilatie gemaakt, genaamd “Time Flies 1998-2008″.

Hoogtepunten op All In! 10 Years of Poker Flat komen vooral uit de hoek waarvan je ze verwacht, maar ook van artiesten als Clé, D.H.S. (House of God is mijn persoonlijke favoriet van de cd’s), Ryo Murakami en Dan Berkson & James What. De rest is misschien wat vlak om als losse nummer te luisteren. Echter, op drie cd’s staat waarschijnlijk voor ieder wat wils. 3/5

Tracklisting:

		The Exclusive Tracks
CD1-01	Steve Bug	My Chihuahua Bites
CD1-02	Märtini Brös*	A Beautiful Place
CD1-03	David Durango	Dancing To The Dark
CD1-04	Patrick Chardronnet	Float
CD1-05	Burnski	Species
CD1-06	Clé	Moon 15
CD1-07	Gamal Kabar*	The Highlander
CD1-08	Sycophant Slags	Telling
CD1-09	Guido Schneider & Florian Schirmacher	Nadel Und Zwirn
CD1-10	John Tejada & Arian Leviste	M Track 5
		The Current Tracks
CD2-01	David Durango	Move With Me
CD2-02	Ryo Murakami	Down The Sky
CD2-03	DJ T	After Dark
CD2-04	Vincenzo	The Phantom Image
CD2-05	D.H.S.*	House Of God (Phonique Remix)
		Remix – Phonique
CD2-06	Raudive	Christmas Tree
CD2-07	Argy & Sydenham*	In The Mist
CD2-08	Clé	Nomads (M. Tanzmann Remix)
		Remix – M. Tanzmann*
CD2-09	Simon Flower	Phosphenes
CD2-10	Donnacha Costello	Hello, I Must Be Going
		The Classic Tracks
CD3-01	Håkan Lidbo	Kiki De Montparnasse
CD3-02	Jackmate	Recall
CD3-03	ADJD	Believe
CD3-04	Steve Bug	A Night Like This
CD3-05	Detroit Grand Pubahs	Big Onion (Joakim Slap On It Remix)
		Remix – Joakim
CD3-06	Dan Berkson & James What	The Dig
CD3-07	Martin Buttrich	Cloudy Bay
CD3-08	Martin Landsky	I Can’t Get Up
CD3-09	Guido Schneider Meets Jens Bond	Oh My Buffer
CD3-10	Trentemøller

Always Something Better (Vocal Version)

kid sundance – indagine su un cittadino al di sopra di ogni sospetto (aka ennio morricone compostremix)

cinthie – zucchini massacre

pilocka krach – gitarre spielen wie bob dylan

paul kalkbrenner – sky and sand

paul perry (minimalgefluester) – tel aviv meets electronic

nero’s day at disneyland – civilizing people

otis redding – sitting on the dock of the bay (tony remix)

kleerup feat. robyn – with every heartbeat

the prodigy – colours

cavid guetta vs the egg – love don’t let me go

fever ray – triangle walks

miss kittin & the hacker – frank sinatra

bratze – hightower herz

brockdorff klang labor – mary tear the sun

gnarls barkley – blind mary

kornreiniger – girls just wanna have fun

mash gordon – germanboy feat electric evelyn

tolcha – fokus

john tejada – the end of it all

anthony rother – little computer people

One of the few tracks you’ll hear on Dave Pearce’s dance anthems and then a day later in a Dominik Eulberg set. Cool stuff, and user friendly.

John Tejada – Sweat

Ben Watt & Varoslav @ Buzzin Fly Show

Ben Watt:
The Sunburst Band / Man Of War / Henrik Schwarz Dub / Z Records >> 
L Kubic / Voyager / Chris Woodward Remix / Buzzin’ Fly CDR >> 
Sven Weisemann / Ojui / United >> Stefan Goldmann / Art Of Sorrow / CDR >> 
Isolee / October / Diynamic >> 
Pete Rock / Take Your Time / Loud

Latest Show Playlist / Part 2
Buzzin’ Fly Mix from Varoslav
Werner N / Talkin Back / Supplement Facts >> 
Mathias Mesteno / Full Throatie / Upon You >> 
Seuil / I’m Not There / Unknown >> 
Varoslav & Yakine / Joy / CDR >> 
AC / Trapped In The Dub / CDR >> Unknown

Tracklist for second part of Varoslav’s mix:
Lemon Popsicle / Awake / Don Melon Peanut in La Rmx / Rebirth >>>
Boris Horel / Close To Me / Eklo / >>
Unknown >>
10 Guy Gerber / Ahoovati / Supplement Facts >>
Fabio Gianelli / Growing / Supplement Facts >>
Alex Celler / La Palma / Remote Area >>
Varoslav / Don’t Miss Your Chance / CDR >>
Unknown >>
Lee Curtis / Soul Shower / CDR

Ben: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=W0F9E3JK
Varoslav: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HU4RS4MN
69min varoslav’s mix

Ben Watt & Afrilounge @ Buzzin Fly Show

Ben: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WKY4264D
Afrilounge: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=RS0B9RQX

Click “Read more…” to expand menu with the tracklist.
Latest Show Playlist / Part 1
Edited and presented by Ben Watt
DJ Wady / Mozambu / Best Of Both Worlds Mix / Grouper >> 
El Prevost / Do You Remember? / Tom Taylor Vocal Mix / Elevation >> 
Alex Santos and Elton Cuena / Freak It / Playground Digital >> 
Will Saul and Mike Monday / Zippo / Buzzin’ Fly >> 
Royksopp / Happy Up Here / Breakbot Mix / Wall Of Sound >> 
The Descent / Spice Market / Coconut Sticky Rice Mix / Railyard

Latest Show Playlist / Part 2
Buzzin’ Fly Mix from Afrilounge
Intro >> Chris Lattner / Definition Of Me / Einmaleins 41 >> 
Agnes / Who Cares / Eklo >> Bearweasel / Risk / Bloop >> 
Mountain People / Mountain People 002 >> 
Butch & Virginia / From Above / Area Remote >> 
Martinez / Retrospective EP / CDR >> 
Craig Alexander / Soul Revival / CDR

Charles Webster Mix for Buzzin’ Fly (January 2009)

Sascha Dive / Deepest America / Moodyman Mix >> 
Mr V ? Breakers Theme / CDR >> 
Fish Go Deep / Cure and the Cause / Cw Unreleased Mix >> 
Earth Wind and Fire / System of Survival / Still Remix >> 
Version / The Brighter Side / Unreleased Atjazz Mix >> 
Rogiers / Home / Opolopo Mix >> / CDR >> 
Minilogue / Hitchhikers Choise / CDR >>
Ane Brun / Laid on Earth / Boddhi Satva Mic >> 
Benjamin Brunn / Untitles / Workshop 05

Tom Middleton – Transitions on Kiss100 Guest Mix (08-Feb-2009)
share-now.net mirror

01 Jon Hopkins (feat .coldplay) – Light Through The Veins (Tom Middleton Escapist Vox Mix) [Domino]
02 Cunnie Williams – Saturday Night (Rulers Of The Deep Remix) [Unsigned]
03 Palm Skin Productions – Done [Unsigned]
04 Martin Solveig – One 2.3 Four (Popof Remix) [Unsigned]
05 Henrik Schwarz, Amampondo – I Exist Because Of You (Dixon’s Stripped Down Version) [Innervisions]
06 Andre Crom – Jazz Thang [Unsigned]
07 Lovebirds – The Night [Winding Road]
08 Jay Leblone – We’re All On The Journey (Scope Remix) [Urban Torque]
09 Milton Jackson – Never Be Wrong [Dark Energy]

Halo – CityDeep Radio Show #17 (14-Jan-2009)

1. Liquid Deep – Love Your Life “Lars Behrenroth remix” – Promo
2. Wagon Cookin – Desejo “Atjazz Dub” – Appetizers Records
3. Demarkus Lewis & Poussez feat Hannah Khemoh – Passin Thru “Atjazz Remix” – Tone Control
4. Bjork – UNDO – Abicahsoul remix – promo
5. Kemistry – Land Of July – Shack Music
6. Shahrokh Sound Of K – See The Light “Franck Roger Earthmental Mix” – Compost
7. Blackcoffee feat Bucie – Turn Me On “Raw Artistic Soul Vocal Dub”- GOGO Music
8. Dj Rico – Eternal Memories – “Fusion Afro Mix Drum ” Halo extended mix – POJI
9. Thievery Corporation – Vampires ” Louie Vega Dub” – ESL Music
10. Culoe De Song – Dwellers Of The Jungle – Promo
12. Manoo – Redzone – Deeply Rooted House
13. Marvin Belton – Any Day Now – Ferrispark Records

John Tejada – The Bunker Podcast

http://rapidshare.com/files/199920098/the_bunker_podcast_-_2009-02-18_-_john_tejada.mp3

zum genießen am sonntag abend

zweimal john tejada

Surfeando por la web nos topamos con el LiveJournal del usuario tebe_interesno, un talentoso artista ruso de la ciudad de Moscú, famoso por sus creativas foto manipulaciones. Todo un crack.

Bonus: Haz click en cada imagen y encuentra un dj set para descargar!!!

Visto en Toxel.com

John Tejada: Fabric 44

Bei dem Blogtitel…sollte man auch mal ein paar Worte über Musik verlieren. Das hier ist allerdings alles andere als eine Pflichtübung.

Bei der Mix-CD Serie das Londoner Fabric Clubs war ja schon die ein oder andere Perle dabei. Mein Highlight der letzten Zeit Fabric Nr. 43 von Darshan Jesrani und Morgan Geist – auch bekannt als Metro Area. Zwei sensationelle post Disco Produzenten aus New York und beileibe keine unbeschriebenen Blätter, daher spare ich mir weitere Ausführungen zu den beiden.

Ihr Mix für Fabric begleitet mich jedenfalls seit ein paar Wochen, alles in allem eine wunderbar euphorische Eskapade durch die discoiden Gefilde von House. Kann ich nur empfehlen, als kleiner Euphorie-Push in diesen kalten Tagen. Allein das Intro hat mir schon große Freude bereitet.

Naja, um mal zum Punkt zu kommen: John Tejada schätze ich als Produzent mindestens ebenso sehr wie die zwei Jungs aus NY, insofern bin ich SEHR gespannt auf seinen Mix. Ich kenne kaum einen Produzenten, der Sounds so auf den Punkt bringen und kristallklar herausarbeiten kann. Ein famoser DJ ist er noch dazu, weiß ich aus eigener Erfahrung. Und das ist beileibe keine Selbstverständlichkeit – der Automatismus “1A Produzent = 1A DJ” und umgekehrt wird mir manchmal einen Ticken zu oft strapaziert. Nunja, kein Wunder, bei elektronischer Musik wird die Kohle ja mittlerweile mit Gigs eingefahren, während der musikalische Output zum Promotool und zur Marktwertsteigerung dient. Ist natürlich stark überspitzt, Gegenbeispiele gibt’s natürlich zur Genüge und die Wahrheit liegt wie immer irgendwo dazwischen.

Aber zurück zum Thema: John Tejadas Mix (Review bei Resident Advisor hier) weckt bei mir hohe Erwartungen, mal sehen, ob die Euphorie anhält, nachdem ich das Ding gehört habe.

Titlul parcă e în contradicţie cu linia melodică, dar asta nu face din melodie să fie mai puţin frumoasă. Dave Dresden (de la Gabriel&Dresden) a folosit acest negativ şi vocalul melodiei “Nothing” a lui James Holden, şi a creat un mash-up atât de reuşit, încât dacă nu ar scrie între paranteze că e un remix, ai crede că e melodia originală

The Decibel Festival is hosting a two-night end-of-year blowout at Neumo’s in Seattle. Night one, on Tuesday, December 30th, is “Best of Bass,” with variants of house, in the persons of Jesse Rose and Kilowatts, at the top of the bill. Night two, the 31st, is “Dirty Dancing: NYE” and focuses on techno, with live performances from John Tejada, Alex Smoke [pictured above], and more. I saw Alex Smoke in late 2007, and he was phenomenal – definitely one of the best performances that I saw that year.

Full details on udB can be found at the Decibel Festival Myspace page, and a Stranger article is here.

Image: Alex Smoke by Flickr user couchetard, reposted here with permission.

Been busy as of late (PS. Thanks for listening to the Basement Mix, it’s the most hits this blog has had so far so I just want to say thanks for popping by and downloading) but not for much longer as I have about the next month off from work. Sweet deal. Other than that you can expect me to start exploiting my brand new MircoKorg and Audo Kontrol 1! Yay!

I’m pretty excited as this really puts together the last bits that I needed in order to have a functioning recording setup. Today was the first day I’ve had the time to sit down and play with everything and get the MIDI flowing from Ableton and I can really see why people love playing with these synths. Sure their not nearly as cheap as a decent Softsynth but by fuck their just fun to play with.

I’ve already used the synth to make the majority of a new track I’ll be putting out later. Good times.

Well thats really it for right now. I’m busy gearing up to see Alex Smoke & John Tejada on New Years! Woot!

Here’s a video for John Tejada’s The End Of It All. Tell me this wouldn’t be perfect when the clock strikes midnight.

DECIBEL returns for a couple of nights so that we might once again dip our toes in the magic music wonderland that is OUR festival and celebrate the New Year community-style. Neumos on Capitol Hill once again plays host for two evenings chocked full of talent from previous Decibel Festivals, once again lighting Seattle in a frenzied blaze of electronic euphoria, and you are invited. 

On New Year’s Eve we will greet the fresh start with laughter and open eyes as we celebrate, dance, and have some nasty, dirty fun together as a community. An evening of Dirty Dancing will showcase the fun and funky side of deep house, tech house and techno, creating a dance floor that is playful and party-ripe. Starting with the street-filthy beats of Decibel Festival Director Nordic Soul and co-producer Michael Manahan, you don’t even have to wipe your shoes before you step onto the dance floor and give yourself away to the beats- you know you want to anyway. Local soon-to-be legend Dave Pezzner then delivers funky grooves, tracks of dance riots that are also highly emotive and sensual. With nary a moment to wipe the sweat dripping from your elbows, it just gets better with an amazing live set from John Tejada and his minimal, musical techno. Alex Smoke completes the lineup perfectly, his deep and dark style a reminder that techno is indeed all about sex. Be ready for some filthy fun as you party with your friends on the dance floor during this amazing night of talented artists at the forefront of the electronic music community; you WILL get down and dirty and dance.

DIRTY DANCING :

NEW YEARS EVE

Part II of “Micro dB”: a two evening event happening December 30th and 31st at Neumos, featuring some of Decibel’s favorite techno / tech house bookings from over the past 5 years, including…

ALEX SMOKE
Live :: Glasgow: Soma / Vakant Records
http://www. myspace. com/alexsmoke1

Decibel is bringing back a previous performing artist who enjoyed one of the biggest crowd responses ever- Alex Smoke, whose dark and funky techno will be the climax to the two-night New Year’s party. Based in Glasgow, UK, this classically trained musician represents a submerged European minimalism, rich with intelligent rhythms and fibers of emotion. Smoke produces deeply atmospheric experiments of sound, both random and created at the same time, helping to push forward the edge of electronic music. His most recent release from Soma Records, Paradolia, is infused with dark grooves and influenced by everything from grime to electro, even using some of his own vocals to support his beats. Smoke has once again proved that his talent for expertly merging sinister flavors with dance-friendly beats results in great success. His sound is dirty fun, a little bad and a whole lot good- and we all love to dance to the apparent incongruencies which flow together flawlessly, a sensual connection of the body, soul, and techno.

JOHN TEJADA
Live :: Los Angeles: Poker Flat / Palette
http://www. myspace. com/johntejadasounds

John Tejada is one of the most thrilling electronic acts to experience live; this epic minimal master creates art with the dance floor in mind, his sound ranging across many genres and tempos but always hitting the mark. Born to a pair of classically trained musicians, John played his first gig at age 12, was producing in high school, and later turned down his acceptance into art school like any great artist should. This most-productive of producers now resides in LA between world tours and bears the torch of the So Cal techno community, although the diverse artist has produced many genres from drum and bass to house. You can expect this owner of record label Palette Recordings to tear up the floor of Neumos with his musical techno, leaving mouths open and feet sore. A fantastic billing alone, Tejada packs a destructive punch and adds a ripped flavor to the bill of Decibel’s “Dirty Dancing” New Year’s Eve party.

PEZZNER
Live :: Seattle: Om/ Freerange Records
http://www. jacoblondon. com

Dave Pezzner is a beloved local superstar as well as an internationally respected producer and composer, and is getting so hot that it is only a matter of moments before he explodes like the bombs he drops. As half of the popular Seattle duo Jacob London, Pezzner was part of the wildly successful Decibel in the Park showcase at this year’s festival and also regularly engulfs dance floors around the city with a signature groovy, funky tech-house feel. Fourteen years of world tours and live performances, fifteen releases on vinyl and at least thirty remixes put Pezzner at the top of his game, with his most recent release on Freerange Records touching on a more sensual and organic house sound. With heart-quickening mixes and deeply emotional music, Pezzner brings his characteristically impassioned and sexy sound once more to hungry listeners and further imbeds his role in the developing Seattle scene and the electronic community around the world.

MICHAEL MANAHAN vs.
NORDIC SOUL
2 x 4 DJ Set :: Seattle: Starborne / Decibel
http://www. michaelmanahan. com
http://www. myspace. com/nordicsoul..

Michael Manahan is an essential and vital element of the Left Coast electronic music community; he nourishes the underground not only with his deep and phat-funky tribal house sets but also with his immense contributions to the exploration of consciousness and spiritual evolution through art and music. This DJ, performer, producer, and space cowboy is also the co-founder of the Oracle Gatherings, the co-producer of the Decibel Festival, as well as the co-producer of the electronic music stage at Hempfest, the world’s largest reform protest. Also the owner of Starborne Productions, Manahan is an innovator and a leader of the Seattle dance community and tribal culture; a mainstay in the scene whose presence always ups the love whether he is spinning dubby house, hard techno, glitch-ridden breaks, spacey downtempo, or just hanging out being himself.

Nordic Soul has long been enamored with artistic expression, the creation of music, and the technology that fuses it all together, much to the benefit and evolution of the world of electronica and the underground culture that surrounds it. His healthy obsession began at the age of eleven in Detroit with the gift of his first guitar, got a kick in the ass with the purchase of a keyboard and drum machine during his teenage years, and continues to the present as the king of Seattle techno exists as the founder and director of the Decibel Festival. Known to his friends as Sean Horton, this DJ, producer, performer, and programmer brought a distinct and dirty Detroit flavor with him to Seattle in the mid-90’s and the musical zeitgeist of the city has been forever transformed by his presence. Nordic Soul has deeply impacted the electronic community not only through his work for the annual Decibel Festival but also by slaying Seattle dance floors year-round. His emotionally charged sets are infused with live instrumentation and ripe with the mélange of organic and synthesized tones, all riding on top of heavy bass lines. The resulting music is a living, hybrid creature with a rich sense of soul that delights in its own existence. A lover of many musical styles, Nordic Soul’s interest and roots in hip hop, IDM, industrial, and dub contribute to his current musical palette that straight drips techno into the mouths of the waiting audience, thirsty for the unrelenting madness and unabated aural penetration that is electronic music.

The 2008 Decibel Festival of Electronic Music, Visual Arts and New Media was a beautiful celebration of creation, four crystalline autumn days at the end of September when thousands of artists and music lovers converged together to dance and party, their joyous shouts of ecstasy forever affecting the course and future of the electronic arts. It was a booming bass note that reverberated through the international community surrounding this deliciously modern version of human creative endeavors. From around the world, the Pacific Northwest, and the Emerald City we all came together in a gritty little neighborhood in Seattle to dance like wild animals and be inspired, energy bouncing off of each other like popping firecrackers. Artists walked off of each other’s dance floors invigorated by their fellow creators with fresh motivation to take their own arts in new and different directions. Crowds hung their mouths wide open in amazement after discovering a new DJ, a new genre, a new love. Locals came out in full force and had their minds blown by their very own city and the culture that sizzles here despite the rain. From headliners like Carl Craig and Deadmau5 to local superstars like m.0 and Dave Pezzner, the Decibel artists straight laid it down, giving all they had and then some. A city festival by the people and for the people, Decibel left us sweaty and smiling, with new music in our ears, new friends in our hearts, and a new way of experiencing the world, because that is what great art does. 

Now, a few months later, as Decibel passes hang off rear-view mirrors and key chains around the city as talismans of precious memories, the festival returns for a couple of nights so that we might once again dip our toes in the magic music wonderland that is OUR Decibel Festival and celebrate the New Year community-style. Neumos on Capitol Hill once again plays host for two evenings chocked full of talent from previous Decibel Festivals, once again lighting Seattle in a frenzied blaze of electronic euphoria, and you are invited. 

Night one is appropriately labeled Best of Bass as live electronic musicians speak to the deepest echoes in our souls with their unrelenting, lead-heavy bass beats that pull your heart and feet towards the speakers. Be warned though- your mind may not have a choice in the matter, and as the BPMs increase throughout the night, so will your lack of composure. Local dubby trip-hop artist seed eases you into the time warp from the jungle and just in time because next novaTRON will be bringing you beats unlike any you have ever heard from his mindplanet via the TronBox, and as you grind down into the dance floor in the furious motions of a maniac, try to remember that he was once a human too. Deru then delivers his energetic and sensual sounds, getting you ready forKiloWatts who continues your bass beatdown old-school style and turns the velocity up one notch to visceral. Keep up with this master mind-breaker and you will find yourself alive and sweaty and ready for Jesse Rose , whose techno will do no less than blow the very roof off of your head, leaving you spinning and kicking and bouncing out of control- we call it dancing. 

On New Year’s Eve we will greet the fresh start with laughter and open eyes as we celebrate, dance, and have some nasty, dirty fun together as a community. An evening of Dirty Dancing will showcase the fun and funky side of deep house, tech house and techno, creating a dance floor that is playful and party-ripe. Starting with the street-filthy beats of Decibel Festival Director Nordic Soul and co-producer Michael Manahan, you don’t even have to wipe your shoes before you step onto the dance floor and give yourself away to the beats- you know you want to anyway. Local soon-to-be legend Dave Pezzner then delivers funky grooves, tracks of dance riots that are also highly emotive and sensual. With nary a moment to wipe the sweat dripping from your elbows, it just gets better with an amazing live set from John Tejada and his minimal, musical techno. Alex Smoke completes the lineup perfectly, his deep and dark style a reminder that techno is indeed all about sex. Be ready for some filthy fun as you party with your friends on the dance floor during this amazing night of talented artists at the forefront of the electronic music community; you WILL get down and dirty and dance.

I’m in the midst of doing a profile piece on the prolific California-based producer and DJ John Tejada, whose upcoming installment in Fabric’s ongoing mix series drops in February ‘09. I’ve had the mix on rotation pretty much all day at this point, and it’s a real burner! Taking in everything from Orbital to Substance and fleshing it all out with a healthy smattering of Tejada’s own tracks, the mix flits between hard-boiled rhythmic workouts and flashes of softly flickering melodic Techno but never lets up for its duration. All I’m saying is that it’s going to be an early highlight for a year that’s already beginning to shape up nicely.

The article should be going up around the middle of next week, so keep an eye on BigShotMag.com. If you haven’t yet, do yourself a favor and check out ‘Mirror,’ the third album from I’m Not A Gun, Tejada’s collaborative venture with multi-instrumentalist Takeshi Nishimoto. It’s their best work yet, as well as one of 2008’s strongest albums.