arbiter_blog

MIGRATED

Sun, 23 Dec 2012 14:38:45 -0600

This blog is no longer updated, as of the time of this post.

I am migrating to arbiterblog.tumblr.com, for more of a well-rounded blog experience.

peace and love

josh

Updates

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 10:57:00 -0500

On a positive note, some things have been happening for me lately, both personally and in the realm of DJing, and I’m actually excited for the first time in a while to share some of the news:

Dan Juhl, Aaron Tang, and myself are the new guys behind Mixology at Gabe’s in Iowa City.

The three of us have been dabbling with events here and there for Gabe’s and Yacht Club for the better part of a year, and just recently we were offered to take over Gabe’s Thursday weekly EDM event Mixology from Keith (KAGE) Garnant, who is devoting his efforts to the weekly Free Bass parties at Blue Moose. While the decision to switch control of the night from Keith to us came from Gabe’s management (not Keith), I’m thrilled to say that the changes made have been agreeable to all and I couldn’t have asked for more positive circumstances under which to inherit this awesome weekly event.

Keith will still be doing his thing at Blue Moose and we’ll be doing our thing at Gabe’s, supporting each other’s parties along the way - the switch up was 100% amicable. If you ask me, this is some of the best news the admittedly tiring Iowa City dance scene has had in a while.

As for what’s going to be changing with Mixology, it actually won’t be a whole lot. The wheel has already been invented — we’re just replacing the tire, so to speak. Among the changes: intelligent lighting every week (big ups to Mr. Eric Baker), a wider variety of DJs, specifically themed nights (we had an excellent moombahton night last Thursday with Luis Eduardo and Dat Cheat), and a cohesive image/branding scheme that will make Mixology as robust and defined as it was when it first started. There’s a ‘mixoloblog’ coming soon and we’re already scouting new people to book for October and beyond (send us an email if you wanna get involved). Really can’t express how excited I am to not only be working on this, but to be doing so with the Electrocity guys? Icing on the cake.

I have very quietly ended my run on The IC Essential Mix and KRUI 89.7 FM.

The IC Essential Mix was first started by DJ Avant Garde (Andrew Tait) way back in 2007. I started listening to the show in the months before coming to University of Iowa and was a frequent guest on the show until Andrew ended it in May of 2010. With Andrew’s blessing, I revived the show in August of 2011 and ran it until last week, in its original time slot from 6-8pm on KRUI.

When I asked Andrew if I could revive the show, he specified that he would not have given his blessing to anyone else but me. While he and I have done our own things in life lately and haven’t stayed in very close contact, I still respect his word and what he’s done for me (after all, if it weren’t for this guy’s teaching, there would not be an Arbiter to speak of). I have one extra semester to finish, a professional life that I really ought to be planning, and a heap of other odds and ends. Combine this with the fact that I’ve really squeezed the most out of my time at the station, and it’s the right time to call it a day.

KRUI has opened more doors for me than anything else at this university, and my decision to phase out my involvement with them and other student orgs has been really bittersweet, but when is the end of a great thing anything but? I’m so thankful I got to play music for people literally around the world by way of this station, but I’m even more grateful to the dedicated group of weekly listeners who made being alone in a room with a mixer and a microphone a surprisingly exhilarating experience.

I’m actually still in university until December.

A year abroad and finicky transfer rules will do that to you. ‘Finishing college in four and a half years’ is the new ‘finishing college in four years.’

I’ve got some really cool shows coming up, too.

8/23 — Mixology, with Kill OG. Gabe’s, Iowa City. $1 entry for 21+/$5 entry for 19+

8/24 — Pornstar’s Ball XVI, with Mike ‘All-Night’ Long, Christian Bruna, and Matt Rissi. Woody’s, Cedar Rapids. $20 entry, 18+, 21+ BYOB.

8/31 — TBA at Gabe’s (just added!!)

9/13 — Mixology - Adventure Camp Pre-Party, as Arbocity (Arbiter vs. Electrocity) and DvsD (Defender vs. DarkGrey). Gabe’s, Iowa City. $1 entry for 21+/$5 for 19+

9/14-15 — Adventure Camp Music Festival, multiple sets. Decorah, IA. $30 weekend passes (includes campsite and free keg beer for 21+).

9/20 — Mixology, with DJ Scarecro. Gabe’s, Iowa City. $1 entry for 21+/$5 entry for 19+

Summer Sun #3

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 15:39:39 -0500

I’ve done a Summer Sun mix now for three of the last four years, and while they vary in sound, they’re identical in the inspiration behind them: bright, hot, beautiful summer days.

This is also a foray into house and techno, genres that I’ve under-represented in my music of late. I also brought back one or two choice tracks from previous SS installments — two years is plenty long enough of a window to allow for that, yeah? Add a kiss of garage and tasteful dubstep, and I’m left pretty happy that I whipped up this mix. Enjoy!

- - -

summer sun # 3

Download here (87 MB, 38 minutes. Via zippyshare)

Colonise - SBTRKT

Heater - Samim

Blender - Kieran Bradley and Calvertron

Una Peña - Stimming

Coma Cat (Treasure Fingers Remix) - Tensnake

Burnin’ - Daft Punk

Doin’ Ya Thang - Oliver $

Beat That Bird - Justin Martin + Claude Vonstroke

GO! (Filthy Disco Remix) - Diplo + Oliver Twizt

Hold On - SBTRKT

I'M BACK.

Fri, 11 May 2012 18:49:24 -0500

It’s been a long school year. I missed doing this. Glad to be back. If you’re interested, I have news for Iowa City fam:

-Skeets + Feetz at Gabe’s tonight, with Matt Rissi and BTsunami supporting. $7 for 19+/$5 for 21+. One of the best acts from last week’s Interfuse Festival along with two of the best techno dons in Iowa — do not miss this.

-LiMBS, HALF NaKED, Sean Tripp, & Kage at Blue Moose. $3, 19+. LiMBS is easily the best thing to happen to the Iowa City music scene in years, encompassing diverse musical styles that unite fans from all genres. Toss in a Kage DJ set and other tasty tunes and you’ve got yourself a spot to hit up before/after Gabe’s.

-Free Bass, as always, tomorrow night at Blue Moose. KAGE, Robot Dentist, and Luis Eduardo ring in Summer properly.

-Shameless Plug: my next show is Saturday, May 19th, for Free Bass with Kage and Adam M. Expect big things.

-DJS AND PRODUCERS SHOULD SEND ME THINGS.

Video: Jack Trash on mainstage. People to the horizon. In the...

Sat, 13 Aug 2011 19:54:00 -0500

Video: Jack Trash on mainstage. People to the horizon. In the middle of a thunderstorm, 30 seconds before security shut down the festival for safety concerns.

515 Alive was fucking bonkers.

Despite the rain shortening the actual festival (but not the afterparty), this year’s 515 Alive was on par with, though different in sound from, last year’s festival — a very enjoyable crowd, but a bit more geared to the rave side this year.

I must say, you won’t find me complaining about that — I absolutely love the rave crowd and a ton of you have given me gobs of encouragement lately. I’m truly thankful to once again be a part of the EDM scene in Iowa.

Album art by MrCatbr3ad/Dan Juhl

To make matters crazier, Crowd Control (real name Jason Hoth) has released his first moombahton EP, comprising three original tracks and two remixes. Put simply: this is the EP that ought to get this guy noticed. The Kreayshawn remix is nothing short of stupifying, with elements of Thom Yorke, Diplo, and Aphex Twin influence shining through. Likewise, “Dar” has a slow-rolling rhythm that feels like gangsta rap, trance, and a Jack Beats drop all rolled into one. Sleeping on this next-level EP from Mr. Hoth is simply not an option. Free download links located on each song’s page.

Also, I’ve whipped up a shit load of edits in recent weeks for my sets, two of them I feel are good enough to share around a bit.

First one is a simple edit of Munchi’s remix of the Brazzer’s Theme, by Dillon Francis. Just sped it back up to Dutch House tempo, then threw in a cheeky B-More break :)

Secondly, a HEAVY funky house rework of Devil’s Town, the new tune from Baskerville, as remixed by Bart B More. If your booty doesn’t move to this one, it’s dead.

515 Alive — TODAY

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 11:24:03 -0500

It’s a party at the end of the world. No, seriously. We’re gonna end this bitch, because there won’t be a damn thing left to do after this party.

515 Alive is the annual Christmas in August of all things DJ — it is the only Urban and Electronic Music Festival in Iowa, and as such, it’s a chance for ravers, DJs, and noobies alike to gather at one spot. Each year I’ve been (as a spectator), it’s been an absolute blast, and I’m excited as ever to earn a spot in this year’s lineup.

Since the list of DJs is SO huge, I’ll rattle off a few of my personal recommendations for each stage, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid any of the acts I don’t list — you don’t get into the 515 line-up by being a shoddy DJ.

All times are (obviously) PM, unless otherwise stated.

The Big Show Stage

4:30-5:15 — Mike ‘All Night’ Long (An OG of house music in Iowa… Unmissable.)

6:00-6:45 — DJ Uplift (Another top-notch house and techno guru from Cedar Rapids.)

7:30-8:15 — Matt Rissi (The hardest-working DJ and promoter working in Iowa right now, hands down.)

9:45-11:00 — Brad Goldman (The man who runs 515 Alive. Sheer energy in music.)

The Lime Lounge Stage

7:00-7:45 — Beat Resonance (Iowa’s kings of crunk. You will bounce to them.)

7:45-8:30 — DJ Avant Garde (Iowa City’s prodigal son returns.)

8:30-9:15 — Kinky Kyro (This dude is weird, but so, SO good.)

The Bass Camp Stage

6:15 - 7:00 — DJ Arbiter (‘sup.)

7:00 - 7:45 — KAGE (Rumors are that he’s got a whole new set ready to unleash.)

10:00 - 10:45 — HooDTeK (Glitch music at it’s finest. He’s out there, but in a good way.)

10:45 - 12:15am — Dirty Talk (Girl power from Minnesota in the form of heavy electro and dubstep.)

The House That Jack Built Stage

10:45 - 12:15am — Vinyl Bitchie and Jen HA! (Girls that play house music better than most guys. ‘Nuff said.)

————-

Probably got some original DLC coming for y’all in the next week or so too… See you at 515 :)

Vacations are for being lazy.

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 18:53:43 -0500

Exit Swag v1, enter vacation to Key West.

Exit Key West, enter return to (a pretty fucking great) reality, with a stop in Des Moines first.

I know it’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted an update, but there’s a big week ahead for readers and ravers in Iowa, along with some mixes/tunes/news you ought to be aware of, no matter where the hell you are.

Shows:

Tuesday - $PENCELOVE, Konsept, and Arbiter — Flight School @ Yacht Club — $3

I’m playing with two pretty legit dudes from Omaha at one of my favorite places on earth for my second appearance there this month… There’s just something about summer dance parties at Yacht Club that make them so much more special. Pretty good primer for two slightly larger parties…

Friday - 12th Planet, Jesse Jamz, and KAGE — Blue Moose (Iowa City) — $15/17

If you’re paying any attention at all to the direction of American dubstep, 12th Planet has most assuredly popped up on your radar multiple times. He’s done collabs with Datsik and Skrillex, he’s remixed for MIA and Le Castle Vania, he’s without a doubt someone with oodles of talent. 12th Planet is yet another artist to ride the ever-growing rave wave in Iowa, and with two other blog favorites on the line-up, you’ve got Friday plans sorted (until the insanely early hour of 12am — who throws a dubstep show that ends at 12?)

Saturday - Dillon FUCKING Francis, Arbiter, Ill + Natti, Basstoven, Hector, Wildcard, and HooDTeK — Gabe’s IC — $10

Here’s a better bang for your buck… while 12th Planet is fun and all, NO musician out there (and I do include every artist that comes to mind presently) can combine sexy, danceable, and aggressive sounds like Dillon Francis can. I cannot underscore how big this show is for EDM in Iowa — it is going to be the best show of the year, without any debate. Better yet, this one goes until 2am, there are gobs of great supporting acts (myself humbly included), and rumor has it that Dillon wants to rage with everyone for afties. This is worth a commute and several times the ticket price — don’t be stupid, be here.

Music and stuff (aka the real reason anyone comes here)

New mix from Nemo is fire as usual. Dubstep flavours.

I sat by and offered opinions as KAGE did the dirty work on this low tempo mash-up. The Jabba laugh at the beginning was my meager contribution.

T.E.E.D. — Blood Pressure. Late to the party on this one, but I’ve had it on repeat all week.

-There are two very big shows coming to Gabe’s IC during the first week of the UIowa school year… I’m cannot say more just yet, but I advise you to keep your ears to the ground, as these are two more massive EDM events for everyone to enjoy.

-It’d appear that a full-length Deadmau5/Cypress Hill album is coming soon. Asked by DJ Chuckie about it on twitter, Deadmau5 responded that we’d hear more “all in good time” — hardly an affirmation, but definitely an indication that a collaboration exists.

SWAG v1 is TONIGHT.

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 15:59:52 -0500

There was a time where I was not sure I wanted to take a gig so close to coming home.

That was a really DUMB time.

SWAG v1 takes place tonight in Iowa City and will be featuring the absolute best in the midwest, including blog faves KAGE, Colossus, Audiomatic and Ricco Suave (as Blackman and Robbin), Crowd Control and Beat Resonance.

—-EVENT INFO—-

SWAG v1

Gabe’s Iowa City (330 East Washington Street, Iowa City, IA)

19+ entry/21+ to drink

$8 tickets (avail. on the door)

Set times

Upstairs

10:15 - Zeaphy

10:30 - Colossus

11:30 - Arbiter

12:30 - Beat Resonance

Downstairs

10:00 - Kage

11:00 - Blackman and Robbin’

01:00 - HoodTeK

[MIXTAPE RELEASE] Sarcasmix Vol. 1 — UK Bass

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 10:12:55 -0500

It’s over. 10 months, countless nights out, countless hours spent DJing, countless incredible times I had with amazing friends… oh and I suppose I went to university in the UK too. It’s incredibly strange in a wonderful way to be able to say that I lived in England for a year (note the past tense).

It’s a superbly bittersweet feeling— on the one hand, I’m very happy to return home and get started on the next big thing, but on the other, I know that a part of me is left behind in England and that said part of me will never be reclaimed until I go back.

To mark that, I reflected a bit on my musical style and how it’s changed as a result of where I was. This mix features predominantly UK artists (along with a French guy and a Canadian or two thrown in there) showing off a patently UK sound— deep, dark basslines and broken beats, combined with euphoric tempo and lightning-quick pace. Each Sarcasmix volume will have a different sound to it, but all of them will carry the level of intensity that the UK could instill in me where the US could not (no offense to my American friends).

Crack open a cold one, it’s America day— only proper to celebrate it with Chinese-imported fireworks and tunes from the country we defeated for independence.

—————

Sarcasmix Vol. 1 — UK Bass

1. Pianorama (Dephas8 Remix) — Habstrakt

2. Roof Back — Minnesota

3. Guilt — Nero

4. Boomer — Jakwob

5. United Kingdom — Benga

6. Left The Room — Skream feat. P-Money

7. CTO (Croydon Takeover) — Skream

8. Next Hype (Ashburner Remix) — Tempa T

9. Everyday — Rusko

10. Louder (Doctor P & Flux Pavillion Remix) — DJ Fresh

11. Louder (Drumsound & Bassline Smith Remix) — DJ Fresh

12. Shoreless — Camo & Krooked

13. I Remember (J Majik & Wickaman Remix) — Deadmau5 & Kaskade

14. War Machine (Arbiter Rage Edit) — Reso

15. Lassitude — DJ Fresh & Sigma

16. Tonight — Danny Byrd & Netsky

17. Where’s My Money? — TC

18. Mr. Muscle — Rusko

19. Smack Your Bitch Up — Benga

20. Days Go By (Mimosa Remix) — Dirty Vegas

21. Flying Into Tokyo (Azedia Remix) — Magnetic Man

Special thanks to Emily Duffy for coining the name for this forthcoming series of mixes.

This mix is dedicated to all of the many incredibly wonderful individuals who went to extraordinary lengths to make me feel at home during my stay in the United Kingdom for nearly 11 months. I feel blessed beyond words to have had this opportunity and I will be grateful for this time forever and always.

If you enjoyed the music that you heard in this mix, PLEASE support the artists by seeing them live or buying their merchandise. This mix is exclusively for promotional purposes and is not intended to infringe copyrights nor is it to be sold at any price.

Everywhere and (almost) back.

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 10:17:35 -0500

Holy canole, I blink for one moment, and by the time I open my eyes again, I’ve done 4 shows in as many nights, gone to London (and back) for a music festival, took off to Dublin for five days, got a cold, went back to London, and now I’m just 11 short days from moving out of the UK. Time needs to stop going so damn fast.

Updates to the blog, naturally, have decreased as the hectic nature of my travel schedule has increased, but two blips have popped up on my radar that I wanted to pass on to you all:

[New Mix] June Mix - Luka

I had a listen to this on my way into London this morning, and I have to say that Luka’s found his fire again (if it even went away in the first place). A bit harder fare from the Midlands-based DJ than what you might initially expect, but it’s territory well-explored on his part. There’s even a good bit of moombahton/core in there, if you’re so sexily inclined. Download this if you need some pre-drinking tunes that will turn your small party of friends into a goddamned riotous gathering.

JUNE MIX by lukalukaluka

[Big Show Alert - Iowa City, USA] Crowd Control and Electrocity at YACHT CLUB

Crowd Control (aka Jason Hoth, aka the moombahton don of midwest) is making his DJ debut tonight at Yacht Club. Rumor has it he’s got a slew of new stuff, including originals, hidden up his sleeve. Closing for him are the always wonderful Electrocity. Cheap drinks and big beats — this is an essential summer dance party tonight, one worth rearranging some plans and driving to town for.

Figure - Aliens Moombah Too (Crowd Control remix) by Crowd.Control

Dada Life - Unleash The Fucking Moombah! (Crowd Control remix) [D/L INSIDE] by Crowd.Control

Skrillex - Reptile (Crowd Control remix) [D/L INSIDE] by Crowd.Control

Good Riddance (The Time of Your Life)

Tue, 31 May 2011 12:18:00 -0500

For those of you in Iowa City who may not be aware, Mikko Rodney Kuusisto-Wolf, the guy behind the Yacht Club Tuesday dance parties, is up and moving to Chicago at the end of the week. The final dance party that he’s personally over-seeing is tonight, with Beat Resonance and DJ Paradigm.

Most people would take this opportunity to say something nice and meaningful about Mikko, but I’m tempted to say otherwise.

Temptation wants me to say something along the lines of:

‘Fuck you Mikko Wolf.

You’re an asshole. You will not be missed. Iowa City will be better without you. You like terrible music, you book terrible music, you ARE terrible.

Your humor is so deadpan that I’m shocked you even have a pulse. It’s clearly an indicator of your cold, hollow shell of what those who do not know you would call your soul.

Mikko is the type of person whose idea of promotion is creating a facebook event page four hours before the actual event. These pages typically consist of gibberish, mass repetition of meaningless words, and boasting about DJs that no one has ever heard of.

Working with Mikko Wolf is like working with a stable Gary Busey: all of the drug-fueled craze and furious ramblings about nothing with none of the fun antics.

Mikko is a hipster of the worst kind: a hipster that hates other hipsters and previous incarnations of his own hipsterdom. He is the neo-proto-archetypical hipster. If he were funny, I’d half suspect him of being Carles from Hipster Runoff, but he’s not. He’s just an asshole who thinks he is.

Fuck you, Mikko. I’m glad you’re leaving and I hope Chicago burns to the ground in another great fire upon your arrival and that it’s your fault.’

However, I usually try to resist temptations when possible, so I won’t launch into a diatribe about his countless negative qualities.

In total and complete seriousness, Mikko really is a stand-up guy and a wonderful person to work with. I’m am quite saddened that I will not have a chance to collaborate with him in the foreseeable future.

While he’d probably be among the first to downplay his role in the massive resurgence of dance music scene in Eastern Iowa, he is single-handedly responsible for turning a sparsely attended night in a dive bar into a destination for international dance acts.

He went from iPods plugged into a soundboard to mash-up guys on laptops to DJs from labels like Trouble & Bass and Fool’s Gold demanding chances to play at Yacht Club. Furthermore, he did this on fucking TUESDAYS, with people turning out regardless of the horrendous weather or finals they may have had the following day.

Beyond the dance parties, Mikko has proven himself as a promoter who knows his shit better than anyone else I’ve yet worked with, all without displaying hubris. You would never guess from a simple conversation with the guy that he’s bro-noodled with Chuck Inglish (of The Cool Kids), Database, The Hood Internet, Deathface, Flosstradamus, and probably more people I don’t even know about.

Mikko’s commitment to bringing quality acts to Iowa City, regardless of his personal taste, is something I greatly respect and aim to emulate in my own scouting endeavours.

Plain and simple, anyone who has had the immense pleasure of working with Mikko in any capacity should feel incredibly lucky. His bizarre sense of humor, brutal honesty, and commitment to always pushing the envelope one step further has left an indelible mark on several music scenes in our college town and I can only imagine him leaving the same mark on Chicago in a few years time.

The dance parties will be continuing without Mikko’s personal presence (he’s still organizing them through the web and with help from fellow IC promoters), but they will never be quite the same. If you’re out in Iowa City tonight, go buy that man a drink.

So, Mr. Kuusisto-Wolf, farewell.

As Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day once said (probably while applying eye-liner and thinking of ways to further sell out his no longer relevant 90s pop-punk band), “I hope you have the time of your life.”

Nemo welcomes you to Summer.

Sun, 29 May 2011 14:28:12 -0500

Seems like every time there’s a bank holiday in the UK, I end up listening to drum and bass for the most of it. Combine this bank holiday with the fact that I just turned 21 and that tomorrow is also Memorial Day in the US, and you’ve got a great beginning to what looks to be an amazing summer all over the world.

With impeccable timing once again, the tireless DJ Nemo (aka Scott Neal) has put out a duo of bass-heavy mixes to get you ready for some proper hot-as-hell rage fests.

Bassbin Murdura (Dubstep)

Despite the violent title, this mix does a pretty great job of blending some sunny vibes in with the bass bombs, making it ideal for sunny day listening or late-night post-lash durrrt. Heads who like their dubstep mild need not apply.

Summer Mix 2011 (Drum and Bass) Download HERE via MediaFire

Probably my favorite Nemo mix of the year so far, specifically because it’s what he does best: drum and bass. I kid you not, Scott knows this genre better than most English ‘heads’ and as a DJ whose spent time in both the US and UK, I can’t think of a guy more deserving of a few sets in the UK than this dude. This mix is pure ear sex.

IF YOU’RE IN IOWA, you can catch Nemo and Dan ‘Dub D’ Dillard (performing as Beat Resonance) this Tuesday at Yacht Club IC with DJ Paradigm. It’s the last dance party that will actually be personally overseen by that dick Mikko Wolf… but more on that later.

[MIXTAPE RELEASE] Knockout

Fri, 20 May 2011 10:24:59 -0500

It’s about damn time. I’ve been trying to get a mix ~~as good as~~ better than Overture turned out since, like, February or some long-ass time ago. I’m happy to say that I think I’ve done it, and just in time for Summer.

I would like to especially thank fellow KDPS alum Kat Perdock for putting together the amazing artwork you see above. She busted her ass on a strict timeline while balancing this with work and illness, and made a cover that’s cool beyond words. I’m really indebted to her.

Enjoy the mix and thank you for the love you guys give me every day :)

josh

—————————

Knockout by DJ_Arbiter

Tracklist

1. Magic Fountain (Kissy Sell Out Remix) — Art vs. Scienc

2. Bust ‘Em Up — Crookers & Savage Skulls

3. Beat Down (Dillon Francis Remix) — TAI

4. Show Me Love (Morrison’s Moombahton Remix) — Robin S.

5. Get Ur Freak On (Alvaro & Punish Moombahton Remix) — Missy Elliot

6. Producto de Boogie Down — Freqnik

7. Take It Back (Dillon Francis Remix) — Toddla T

8. Reptile’s Theme — Skrillex

9. Da Funk — Daft Punk

10. We Are Your Friends — Justice vs. S.I.M.I.A.N.

11. Renegades of Babylon/Babylon — KAGE & Congorock

12. The Joker — Felix Cartal

13. WTF (Deekline & Tim Healey Remix) — Tittsworth feat. Kid Sister and Pase Rock

14. Turbulence — Laidback Luke, Steve Aoki, and Lil Jon

15. Bass Cannon (Getter Remix) — Flux Pavillion

16. A Milli (Instrumental) — Lil Wayne and Bangladesh

17. Bigger Than Hip Hop — WTF & Dead Prez

18. One Kid (Diplo Mashup) — Nicki Minaj vs. Sleigh Bells vs. Swedish House Mafia

19. Where Is My Mind? (Bassnectar Remix) — The Pixies

20. Dat Ass (Crizzly Remix) — Logun

21. No Problem — Chase and Status

22. Gold Dust (KAGE K-Theory Edit) — DJ Fresh

23. Gold Dust (Mike Allison Refix) — DJ Fresh

24. All Night — Jack Beats

25. Stickin’ (Kissy Sell Out Remix) — SonicC

26. To Protect and Entertain (Crookers Remix) — Busy P and MURS

27. Autonomy (Lucky Date Remix) — Zedd

28. Lyposuct — D.I.M. & TAI

29. The Bottle Song — R3hab

30. Senses And The Mind — Sidney Blu

31. Phat Planet (Mark Knight and Funkagenda Remix) — Leftfield

32. Arguru System (JonB Bootleg) — Deadmau5 vs. Mark Knight & D. Ramirez

33. Gold — Mumbai Science

34. Back 2 The Ghetto (Krafty Kuts Remix) — Tim Healey & Calvertron

35. 4th Of July (Rusko Remix) — Kelis

36. Whip My Hair (Crizzly Remix) — Willow Smith

37. Everyday (Netsky Remix) — Rusko

38. Sweet Harmony — Danny Byrd

39. Such Great Heights — The Postal Service

40. Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangster — The Geto Boys

41. End Credits — Chase and Status feat. Plan B

42. I <3 U So (Skream Remix) — Cassius

This mix was recorded and arranged in May of 2011 in Birmingham, UK.

This mix is dedicated jointly to Tim Harper, Oscar Byrne, and Livy Timson — all of whom made me feel at home in a foreign country for the past nine months of my life and all of whom I am eternally grateful to have met. It’s also worth noting that each of their musical tastes has rubbed off on me a fair amount.

If you enjoyed the music in this mix, please SUPPORT THE ARTISTS by buying their merchandise/music and/or paying to see them live. Requests for free copies of the individual tracks will not be honored. This mix is for non-profit distribution ONLY and is not intended to infringe upon any copyright. All tracks are the intellectual property of their respective producers and remixers.

B4rringt0n B4ng0rz

Wed, 18 May 2011 15:53:00 -0500

There’s gotta be something in the water in Barrington, Illinois, or at least that’s what Kage would probably tell you. Two producers hailing from said town (currently residing in Iowa City) have been popping up once again on my radar and I’d be remiss not to keep you posted on their high-quality recent works.

Kage

Long-time readers of the blog should be entirely familiar with this name by now. It should come as no surprise that the young producer/DJ who seems to always be a step ahead of the crowd has now set his sights on moombahton. Kage has put out a number of lower-tempo jams lately that combine the sexy latin-inspired sound of moombahton with a darker, UK garage feel about them. In short, they’re inspired works that expand upon Kage’s already well-established signature style. Also included are two new Kage remixes, one of which isn’t really moombahton, but both still bear his decisive creative stylings.

Kage - Twilight Sonata by [KAGE] (Dark Moombahton)

Kage - Realm Of Earth VIP by [KAGE] (Dark Moombahton)

Chemical Bros - Devil In The Beats (Kage Remix) by [KAGE] (Sexy Slow House)

Sublime - April 26 1992 (Kage Remix) by [KAGE] (Let’s start a riot, yeah?)

Crowd Control

Crowd Control (real name Jason Hoth) has been quietly producing for a while now, but only recently has he had a substantial online presence — and it’s long overdue. You won’t find Hoth DJing around Iowa City, but his productions rival many of the sounds I’ve been hearing from many other “established” producers of late. His works bear a polished and gutsy nature to them, securely fitting in with while pushing the boundaries of the genres into which they fit.

Even his sole mixtape on Soundcloud — a 23-minute epic mashup of the works of UK band The XX — possesses an attention to detail that is lost on the vast majority of DJs working today. Mind you, this is only the very beginning for Crowd Control, and you can be sure I’ll be singing more of his praises in the near future.

The XX - miXXed (by Crowd Control) by Crowd.Control (Mixtape; Essential listening)

Megaman II - Bubbleman (Crowd Control Dubstep remix) by Crowd.Control (Uplifting Dubstep)

Crowd Control - Invader by Crowd.Control (Ragestep)

Afrojack - Replica (Crowd Control Moombahton Remix) [D/L INSIDE] by Crowd.Control (Moombahton; Download here via ZippyShare)

Bits + Bobs + HOLY SHIT FWD>>RINSE TONIGHT!

Sat, 07 May 2011 06:41:00 -0500

A week and a half and five 2,000 word essays later (no joke), and I’m still predominantly in a single piece. Summer is essentially here and I’m chomping at the bit to get back into some music related things, and I’ve got a lot of news on those fronts as a result…

1) My new hour-long mix KNOCKOUT is coming very soon… like before the end of the month soon. For real this time. I promise.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to make this mix before getting unhappy or frustrated or otherwise not satisfied with the result (even against the assurances of others that what I’d made was quality). As such, the most recent restart of it has been the charm, and I’ve been steadily chugging along on it. Expect similar fare to Overture, lots of tempo-changes, but with a bit happier, sunnier feel to it (come on, it’s summer!).

2) I’ve just passed 55,000 listens on my Soundcloud, thanks in massive part to the continued success of FUCKSTEP!!

It’s such a huge number that I can’t even really process it… I submitted the mix to StumbleUpon about a month ago, and since then, it went viral. I’m over-joyed that a little 30 minute mix I threw together in a day has found such an audience. Another shorter dubstep mix is probably in order soon too, I think :)

3) Two mixes were responsible for keeping me sane last week amidst a black hole of essays I did NOT want to write.

Darrin ‘DJ Durden’ Miller has just released a great mixtape called ‘2AM Friends’ which evoked countless memories of after-parties and being an ~~irresponsible individual~~ freshman and sophomore in Iowa City. It’s a mix of predominantly commercial dance and electro that is perfect for playing at parties if you’ve got ~~twats that hang around with you~~ friends of the “but i don’t like techno” variety — this will prove them effing wrong, while entertaining yourself as well.

Additionally, friend/protege/wizard Liz Alonzi has been modestly distributing a re-recording of her set from Gabe’s IC from April 21, and it’s well worth your time if you’re a fan of the fidget and deep house varieties. There’s even a dab of moombahton in there, if you’re so inclined. Very tight mix that will make you wanna run hot-laps around your block. Direct DOWNLOAD here via MediaFire.

4) I’m DJing at FWD»RINSE with Skream, Artwork (of Magnetic Man), Plastician, P-Money, Jamie George, and Brackles tonight!

Don’t even ask how I managed to land this show, because I couldn’t answer that myself. All I know is that I’m super excited to play some dubstep on big-ass subs, as always. There are still plenty of tickets available for £15. Send me a personal message or put your info in my ‘ask’ box if you want some and I’ll hook you up.

Seedy Sonics Summer Party. RSVP + Tix here.

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:19:00 -0500

Seedy Sonics Summer Party. RSVP + Tix here.:

It’s official: Seedy Sonics 4 is a go.

Dubbed the Seedy Sonics Summer Party, it’s the last event of the 2010-2011 season for the Seedies and likely my last show in the UK. This one is going to be MA-HOO-SIVE. The lineup reads like a music festival:

—————

SCREENDEATH / SCOTT BLEEPZ & ELLIOT CROFT / PADDY LO PASKI

Iggy Tech / Olee / Mr Morrí / Mali

LFM / Brown Bear / Arbiter / Slite / Balj / Kronic / Marc Hau / Yaxley

Freaky Deaky / Truculent / GRG STTN / Vinto Tinto / Disc Junkies / Uluru

Freq Accident / Andy Cannell

—————

Oh. My. Gosh.

Clear your schedules: 10 June 2011. £5 earlybird tickets. 11pm-6am @ Rainbow Garden and Warehouse.

This is going to be 2011: A Rave Odyssey.

Planes, Trains, Automobiles: London, Zürich, Dornbirn, and München

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 16:20:00 -0500

HEYYY ERRBODAY. It’s been definitely one of the crazier weeks I’ve had in a long while. My dad, step-brother, and step-mom came over to visit me last week, and as a result, we took a trip that spanned from London, into Switzerland, over into Austria, up to the Bavarian region of Germany and then back into Switzerland. We saw some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, drank some of the most delicious beer, and experienced some obscenely nice inn-keepers (if Germany and Austria do anything right, it’s hospitality).

This also meant a lot of time on the road; we were lucky enough to get upgraded to a decent mid-sized rental car (read: Mercedes) with a broken GPS, but there was an abundance of time during which we needed to keep ourselves occupied. What better way to enjoy the rapidly changing urban/rural/mountainous landscapes around us than with some banging new tunes and mixes? So, without further ado, here’s my Switzerland/Austria/Germany soundtrack:

Beautiful Sunny Day Train Ride to London Soundtrack: Party Elbow by DJ Diverse (Commercial Dance/Electro/Dubstep)

While I’m fond of the badass public transit systems of the UK, crowded commuter trains aren’t much my thing, but my pain was alleviated quite nicely by Diverse’s latest effort. There are two things you really should never forget about: 1) Dre 2) Dustin Iverson’s ability to take even the most finicky crowds and make them RAGE to great music. It’s not hard to guess that I’m not the biggest fan of commercial dance tunes, but Diverse weaves them so well together with productions sure to please even the most finicky electro purists.

In summation: it’s hard to find any fault with this mix, from the mixing to the track selection (the dubstep finish is mint). Essential sunny day listening, Party Elbow is without any question one of my top selections for the summer or perhaps all of 2011.

Meandering Through The Alps Because The Broken GPS System Doesn’t Know Where It’s Going Marathon Mix: BBC Essential Mix Live at Rockness 2010 - with Club 75, Boys Noize, BURNS, and Gary Beck (Electro/Dubstep/Techno/House)

Download here via Hotfile (192kbps mp3 / 329.5 MB / 4 hours)

The mountainous region of the Swiss Alps is absolutely breathtaking, both in view and sheer elevation. We traveled over one mile up to get some amazing pictures of the Eiger and other mountains. It’s something straight out of a Bond film (or that part from Inception where they’re at the remote arctic compound) to go so far up into the mountains and is definitely worth your time and effort if you are ever in the area. On the flipside, the broken-ass Sat. Nav. system in the car didn’t know where to tell us to go 90% of the time, so we were faced with a lot of aimless searching for main roads.

Luckily, I had a 4 hour BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix on my iPod to drown out my father’s angry rants at the car, and I couldn’t have had a better marathon mix on my side. Recorded at last summer’s Rockness Music Festival in Inverness, Scotland, the mix features blistering 1 hour cuts from Club 75 (aka Busy P, Cassius, Xavier from Justice, and DJ Mehdi), Boys Noize, BURNS and Gary Beck. The mix starts with hard electro and dubstep a la the Ed Banger Crew and BN for the first two hours before ending with some straight-up sexy techno and house beats in the latter half. It’s one of the best collections of live DJ sets I’ve heard in years and the best promotion a smaller music festival like Rockness could ask for. This mix is hard to come by, so get it here.

Additional Goodies!

Dubstep that specifically pisses off my dad — Hard In The Paint (Bellizio Remix, Crizzly Edit) - Waka Flocka

Drinking four litres of beer at the Hofbräuhaus riddim — Cinema (Skrillex Remix) - Benny Benassi feat. Gary Go

180km/h On The Motherfucking Autobahn Jam — Phat Planet (Mark Knight and Funkagenda Remix) - Leftfield

And lastly, some fantastic news: I’m incredibly overjoyed to announce that I’ll be DJing in support of SKREAM, ARTWORK, PLASTICIAN, P MONEY and more at FWD»RINSE (a legendary club night) this 7th of May at HMV Institute Birmingham. Tickets are available here and you can RSVP to the facebook event here. Hope to see you all there :)

officialbeastieboys: Make Some NoiseThis wasn’t really part of...

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:30:45 -0500

officialbeastieboys:

Make Some Noise

This wasn’t really part of the plan, but since this track is out there we wanted to let you hear it here first, or maybe second. Enjoy

Mike

I don’t normally re-blog things, but I’m WAY, WAY, WAY excited for Beastie Boys to be back in fighting form. Even though they’re hip hop (and I’m decidedly not), these guys are a massive inspiration to me and make some of the best-quality music around right now. Cheers.

Rich Rok is my DJ.

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 15:33:00 -0500

So I learn last night that Richie Layton, aka DJ Rich Rok, is leaving Iowa City for Nagoya, Japan, and is playing his last set at Yacht Club tonight. Needless to say, I’m pretty shocked. Not devastated or crushed (sounds like Richie’s got some sweet opportunities ahead for him), but definitely shocked.

I shit you not, there has not been a single time that I’ve been to Yacht Club and have NOT seen Richie there. He’s either behind the bar (lovingly crafting drinks), behind the decks (lovingly mixing beats), or at the door (lovingly laughing at your horrible fake ID).

I don’t know Richie all that well, but I’ve had the good fortune of having a few conversations with him and I can definitely say that he is a genuinely cool guy who helps make Yacht Club dance parties what they are. As a DJ, Rich Rok has amazing skill, rocking vinyls/Serato with precision and flow that few recognize in this day and age. He’s one of the youngest legends in IC, and you owe it to yourself to see his last set if you’re in the area tonight.

Booty Mix by Rich Rok (Next-level club tracks)

Japan (A Tribute) by Rich Rok (Hip hop tunes from all-Japanese producers. Sublime all-vinyl mix)

None of The Weekend EVER Dies.

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:45:00 -0500

It’s the last week of term here at University of Birmingham and spring is officially upon us. Seriously, It’s hard to remember when it was last so nice here in the UK (I think I arrived late enough in Fall that I might’ve missed the nice weather for 2010 outright). With the end of term come the obligatory parties, and there are some banging ones coming up this week:

Monday (Tonight) — KISSY SELL OUT with Iggy Tech + Olee, Yaxley, Reddex, and Mr Morrí + Mali @ REHAB Bambu.

Kissy Sell Out has been one of my favorite DJs for a long time and has been a massive influence on my song selection and stylings as of late. To say I’m excited to see him tonight is a bit of an understatement, especially at a venue the size of Bambu, which is big enough to allow for a ton of people, but small enough to still be intimate. Combine him with some of the best 1210 DJs, and we’re in for a hell of a night.

Pre-Drink Tunes: Giant Pussy Records Launch Mix — Tim Healey and Deekline (via ZippyShare)

A solid jump-up electro mix from a label that typifies the sort of tunes Kissy associates himself with. GPR has done an excellent job of blending the wobbly sound of Cheap Thrills Records with the electro/dancehall stylings of Mad Decent, despite a lack of many major releases since their 2009 launch. Perfect spring-time listening.

Tuesday — Seedy Sonics BVES Charity Party with Myself + Slite, Brownbear + Marcus Hau, Malevolent Mystic, Others @ Cellar Door.

This marks the last of a string of amazingly successful Seedy Sonics nights before Summer, and this time it’s supporting a very cool cause. BVES is a charity from the Congo that focuses on the rescue and rehabilitation of child soldiers. So far, the charity has saved over 4,000 children from the horrors of forced warfare, but is still a relatively unknown and under-funded cause. Tickets to the event are £3 OTD, with all of the proceeds going directly to BVES. I can really think of no better way to spend a Tuesday night than at a Seedy party, doubly so if the money we raise is going towards helping those in desperate need.

Pre-Drink Tunes: Mr Morrí + Olee @ Seedy Sonics III (via SendSpace)

I know I posted this link last week, but I’m posting it again because I seriously doubt enough of you have heard this set (American readers, I’m looking at you). While Dave and Olee have been all humble when I’ve talked to them about it, they need not be: it’s a fucking great electro set that’ll have you raving wherever you are.

Wednesday — FULL MOON DUBSTEP/DnB/ELECTRO ROOM with Yaxley, Slite, and Myself @ HMV Institute

I’m going to tell you right now, if you don’t have tickets to this event yet, you are cutting it mighty close. Full Moon is without question one of the best student nights in Birmingham, and being that it’s end of term, I’d bet good money that this will sell out entirely. This also marks the first of hopefully several nights that myself and Tim (Slite) Harper will be running the Full Moon dubstep/electro/BASS room. Get your tickets now and get involved with what will surely be a great party.

Pre-Drink Tunes: BBC Radio 1xtra 1500 Seconds of Fame Mix - Yaxley

We’re delighted to be joined by a very special guest on Wednesday, the West Midlands’ own Yaxley. When he sent me this mix last week, I was well impressed: this guy knows how to combine heavy bass tunes in a graceful and fluid way that very few DJs of this variety can pull off. I’m very much looking forward to hearing him twice this week and you should be too.