The fight for diverse and conscious voices

I've gone through the Best of Bootie 2014 mixes and have four to talk about. If you just want to stream or download the whole thing you can get it at that link. Fair warning: the Bootie links are MP3s that will probably start playing on click.

http://bootiemashup.com/bestofbootie2014/Best%20of%20Bootie%202014%20(Unmixed)/DJs%20From%20Mars%20vs.%20DJ%20Surda%20-%20Jammin%20Good.mp3
http://bootiemashup.com/bestofbootie2014/Best%20of%20Bootie%202014%20(Unmixed)/DJs%20From%20Mars%20-%20We%20Will%20Breate%20In%20The%20Name%20of%20Bangarang.mp3

DJs from Mars make several appearances in the Bootie list and I think I like the first in this pair best because the source material is James Brown and Bob Marley. Kind of hard to go wrong with that, and this mix doesn't disappoint, mixing soul and reggae and the DJ's signature stomp beats.

The second track is pure fan service, putting together Queen's beloved "We Will Rock You" with Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name". That itself is well done, but then the DJs reach again into the popular closet and come up with some Prodigy and some Skrillex to give everything a racing fast harder edge. It's still a love anthem to rock, and when it kicks into high gear around 2:35 it's a hard rock on meth mix.

http://bootiemashup.com/bestofbootie2014/Best%20of%20Bootie%202014%20(Unmixed)/Loo%20&%20Placido%20-%20All%20Night%20(Don't%20Stop).mp3
Loo & Placido have two entries in the set and this one is the better of the two for my money. It's a high-energy bounce-and-rock opening that has some real surprise change-ups in it. The transition from piano to piano-and-vocals caught me by surprise and actually made me laugh out loud at its cleverness. This is the sort of track I'd open a club set with - enough energy to get people moving and enough variety to catch attention.

http://bootiemashup.com/bestofbootie2014/Best%20of%20Bootie%202014%20(Unmixed)/Lobsterdust%20-%20Anaconda%20Action.mp3
Lobsterdust makes an appearance with an eight-way juggernaut of a mix. This one is clearly done for the humor value, as there are both lyrical and musical juxtapositions that are done just to say "isn't that funny". I suspect if you don't like the humor you won't like this mash, but I don't recall Lobsterdust ever doing a humorous mix before so I flagged this one. His other entry is a standard A|B pairing that's fine but unexceptional.

https://soundcloud.com/eskimorecordings/eelke-kleijn-lovely-sweet
I can't remember the sequence that landed me on Eelke Kleijn (http://www.eelkekleijn.nl/) but his compositions are an interesting atmospheric palate cleanser. They're mostly instrumental, or use voice-as-instrument, and his work has started appearing in media such as TV/movie trailers. His style, as here, is often ethereal and I like it as background while I'm working on other things.

http://thissongissick.com/blog/2014/dzeko-torres-2014-in-10-minutes/
You know there are going to be any number of end-of-year mashes and I'll probably blog the ones I find interesting, but I wanted to pull this one first as it's something I've not seen before. Dzeko and Torres have put together not a single mash track, but ten full minutes showcasing EDM tracks - 62 to be precise - of 2014. There are some big names in here (Tiesto, Hardwell) but the majority are lesser-known producers doing interesting things. At 600 seconds to cover 62 tunes you're rarely getting more than a tiny snip of anything before the track moves on, but there's a listing you can use to track things down (if you're crazy like me).

Work has kept me super-busy, so I've done less listening and much has slipped by. Here are a few things I've had time to tag - 80s nostalgists in particular rejoice. More links to come, but I've no more time today.

https://soundcloud.com/djschmolli/dj-schmolli-final-record-spin
DJ Schmolli does a nice job combining the 80s hit "You Spin Me Round" - another track I have a lot of sentimentality for - with some more modern MGMT. I particularly like that he's pulling from both the original "Kids" and a remix. That remix (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb1jBn0uEOc) by Soulwax is worth a listen on its own. It's a high-pitched electronica piece that is way more experimental than you'd expect.

https://soundcloud.com/tronikyouth/health-safety
Our next installment in the 80s nostalgia train is a mostly instrumental nu disco piece by Tronik Youth that riffs on "Safety Dance". I think you really need to have loved the original to appreciate this the way I do. The remix isn't all that novel, but it's just a fun song to riff on.

http://audioporncentral.com/2013/07/heartsrevolution-kill-your-radio.html
Here's a new voice with a retro sound I'm liking. HEARTSREVOLUTION (apparently it's all caps, one word - http://heartsrevolutionrideordie.tumblr.com/) are putting out their first EP and this single, "Kill Your Radio", sounds like electronic, punk-influenced, rockabilly, if that even makes sense. You probably want to listen and judge for yourself.

http://audioporncentral.com/2013/07/riva-starr-ft-carmen-consoli-no-mans-land-riva-starr-santos-rmx.html
Riva Starr, who I mentioned last month turns in a gorgeous deep house track in collaboration with Carmen Consoli, another new name for me. Consoli (http://www.carmenconsoli.it/ - warning, site loops music on entry) is an Italian singer-songwriter whose traditional style is much closer to opera house than club house but she can also turn in some gentle nightclub-style vocals that Starr uses to great effect.

https://soundcloud.com/lobsterdust/get-blurred-blurred-lines-x/
Lobsterdust is not known for traditional A|B mashups, but he turns in one here that totally kills it. He's mashing "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke/Pharrell Williams (http://www.vevo.com/watch/robin-thicke/blurred-lines-unrated-version/USUV71300526?syndicationid=bb8a16ab-1279-4f17-969b-1dba5eb60eda&shortlink=W0OCcA&country=US for the unrated official video - features boobs) and Depeche Mode's "Just Can't Get Enough" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6FBfAQ-NDE). Both are modern pop confections so the joy is in hearing how Lobsterdust weaves them with side notes and grace samples.

http://audioporncentral.com/2013/07/budo-hollis-open-rhye-cover.html
Budo and Hollis turn in a brilliant and beautiful cover of "Open" by Rhye. The original (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sng_CdAAw8M&feature=youtube_gdata) is a gentle love track in which the singer pleads for her partner to "stay open." The cover is more of a duet and as APC says, it's very "XXXish" and I like the treatment. I find myself singing along more with the cover than I ever did with the original.

Browser has many tabs open. Let's see what I can close out here. Thursday was busy so I didn't get to it. Today I'm waiting around for people to be done with other meetings so they can meet with me. Allow me to carry on...

http://www.bootiemashup.com/top10/02-2012/Bogoss_Bootlegs--Sexy_Boys_And_Girls_Know_It.mp3
http://www.bootiemashup.com/top10/02-2012/lobsterdust--Changed%20The%20Way%20You%20Relax%20(Frankie%20Goes%20To%20Hollywood%20vs.%20Example).mp3
http://www.bootiemashup.com/top10/02-2012/MMM_MadMixMustang--New_Years_Eve_Party_Anthem.mp3
Bootie's February top list is up and I've picked three for your listening pleasure, two from familiar names and one new artist. I really like the first two in part because they're built on long-loved tunes.

"Sexy Boys and Girls Know It" is by a French bootlegger called Bogoss (http://djgrenouillebogoss.free.fr/Bootlegs.htm) mashing LMFAO with Blur's "Girls & Boys" which remains far and away my favorite tune by them ever, despite its popularity.

"Changed The Way You Relax" is Lobsterdust's set-opener these days and I can see why. It's a slow-build very danceable mix of Example's "Changed the Way You Kissed Me" with the awesome classic "Relax" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Frankie doesn't get remixed much these days, which is really a shame if you ask me.

Finally there's a "New Years Eve Party Anthem" by MadMixMustang. This is a mega-mash of at least seven artists - modern (Pink, LMFAO) with some great classics (Queen, James Brown, Rick James). This mash is brilliant. The LMFAO/Pink combo alone would be worthwhile but then about 1:30 in the whole thing shifts into a higher gear and keeps pushing up. Putting James Brown into something almost always makes it better and this one has some really funny transitions to keep you from getting complacent.

http://audioporncentral.com/2012/02/deep88-la-beija.html
Deep88 (http://www.deep88.com/) is an Italo-disco DJ with a lot of interesting roots: jazz, salsa, and funk in addition to disco. He makes interesting blends that aren't what you expect. This one, for example, is kind of deep-house mellow, but with definite nu disco influences.

http://audioporncentral.com/2012/02/le-castle-vania-the-light.html
Also on the nu disco tip is "The Light" by Le Castle Vania which, despite the non-English sounding name is a US producer (http://lecastlevania.com/). APC calls this song a "flirt" which is quite appropriate. It's flirty and fun with just a tinge of sexy.

http://audioporncentral.com/2012/02/destro-everywhereanywhere.html
Now turn that flirt up to 1000 and you've got hot and sexy. This is sensual silky Destro whose beautiful form is on full show in the video, as well as her luscious voice. *fans self* There are lots of little details here that make it fun, too. I've not seen Destro before and her hair style caught me by surprise; it's non-traditional in a very hot way (long except for one side being shaved). Also, the song is about hands and face, which makes it easy to read as a queer love song, as long as you are OK with conventionally beautiful female bodies in queer relationships.

Old joke I guess. Does anyone even know what a music deck is anymore? Anyway, here are three new sounds and some nice remixes from old favorites.

http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/CREEP/track/You_Planningtorock_Remix
Creep (http://www.myspace.com/wearecreep) are a Brooklyn duo that live musically someplace between punk and electronica. They call themselves trip hop but this stuff is much darker than what I usually associate with that kind of sound. The two remixes here have a minor-key electronic buzz that took me a couple of listens to get into, but is definitely growing on me.

http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/chucha_santamaria_y_usted/track/fiebre_tropical
Also outside my usual, Chucha Santamaria y Usted is sort of punk and sort of electronic and definitely Hispanic. But with church-choral overtones mixed under the typical Latin rhythms it comes across as an odd sort of inside-out music that is also pretty solidly electronic dance-pop. Go figure that one out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMHHHAi5Oqk
http://soundcloud.com/zagarmusic/sets/prophet-is-a-fool-remixes/
Zagar (http://www.zagarmusic.com/index_en.php) have a number of remixes out for this, their "Prophet Is A Fool" track. You can find all of them at the Soundcloud link. This one, Eriq Johnson's take, is neatly experimental and pulls in things from New York style R&B rhythms to Australian digeridoo influences, to vocal trance choral bits. Zagar themselves are Hungarian indie rockers who pull from all over - particularly jazz and trance-dance.

http://www.mashup-industries.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=384&Itemid=36
Dan Mei does a "return to a classic" mix here, using Katrina And The Waves' well-known "Walking On Sunshine" underneath Eric Hassle's "Hurtful" and speeding both up to a seriously kicking BPM. Say it with me - heavy horns make everything sound better.

http://www.mashup-industries.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=383&Itemid=36
Speaking of Dan Mei and making everything sound better, apparently it is possible to take a seriously mediocre and over-autotuned cover of Patti Smith's "Because The Night", mash that with a little Britney Spears drivel, an overplayed Bon Jovi tune, a heavy dollop of t.A.T.u and come up with something wholly awesome. I have no idea how, but it works. I blame it on t.A.T.u. whose hauntingly pained "Can you see me now?" echoes so strongly over the second half of the mix.

http://audioporncentral.com/2011/06/illegal-sunday-production-unit-intro-again.html
Production Unit (http://dave.marciablaine.com/) takes two nice tracks - Alliyah's "Try Again" and The XX's spare and haunting "Intro" - to create a smooth beautiful mix with her vocals floating above the bass and beats. I've had this one on repeat for several days and it doesn't get old.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VBtI_sUuL58
And finally lobsterdust, who seemingly can do very little wrong these days. Here he takes the sacred psychedelia of Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody To Love" and puts it up with the big dance sounds of Fatboy Slim's "Praise You." I linked to the video rather than the MP3 in part because watching it - and the very young Grace Slick - brought back memories. I believe the last time I saw her (and them) live was 1983 in a small theater just outside PA. From the sixth row I almost felt like I could touch her and when they sang this song she leaned way out over the audience and sang her heart out.

A weird assortment of music tabs left over from various things.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF4LkCx5wpw
Yoshida Brothers was a discovery from Pandora, via MizA. The brothers are a pair of shamisen-playing Japanese musicians. You can find many of their pieces up on YouTube. I'm fond of the shamisen played in traditional styles, and I am even more fond of how these guys mix the traditional instrument with modern (Western) beats and synth pieces.

http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Dennis_Coffey/track/Ubiquitous_Steinski_Mix
Once upon a time there was this thing called rock&roll and a feature staple of rock&roll was the electric guitar. Over the years many masters and lots more lesser players made their mark using the electric guitar. When I was growing up one of the staples of a Top 40 rock&roll song was the guitar solo. Often with the drummer along to keep something like regular time, guitarists would use these solos to show off their style. Some of the better ones would bounce melodies back and forth with other band members like the bassist or guitar player. Others would just rip or shred or whatever verb was used to describe their style and it was fire and it was, some said, the essence of rock and roll. These days you don't get a lot of that, at least not in the music I usually listen to. Dennis Coffey is a throwback to those days and that style. He's good, and this instrumental track lets him show off what he can do with a few backing instruments.

http://audioporncentral.com/2011/04/depeche-mode-puppets-royksopp-remix.html
Also back in the dark ages (but not quite as dark as all that) there was this phenomenon called Depeche Mode. Here, Royksopp gives a very modern electro-disco update to one of the old D.M. tunes. APC claims this track is 30 years old, which just doesn't seem right, somehow. 'Scuse me while I shuffle off in search of my Geritol.

http://audioporncentral.com/2011/04/lobsterdust-policy-of-dance.html
Speaking of D.M., lobsterdust (who remains too cool to have DJ in front of his name) takes another of their popular singles (this one a mere two decades old) and weaves it together with Gaga's "Just Dance" pop hit. Like Gaga, D.M. were generally not known for the depth of their lyrics. What makes this mix interesting is that lobsterdust is good - really good. Listen to the middle bit, particularly starting around 2:35 where he's weaving the sounds in and out and using different layers from each song.

http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Jessica_6/track/Prisoner_Of_Love_feat_Antony_
Jessica 6 is a modern disco-lounge trio with a silky sound. Nomi Ruiz, nominally the front woman for the trio, takes a back seat on this track to some darker male vocal. I love the slinky feel and if you let their stream play you'll get treated to some more house-kick tracks as well.

http://djsteveboy.com/luciddrumming.html
http://www.shopliftwindchimes.com/poems.html
http://www.myspace.com/vimrecords/music/songs/julson-ni-ba-ya-saba-jamie-d-remix-mp3-78756149
DJ Steveboy put out another mix he calls "Lucid Drumming." Nominally it's a tribal/drumming mix but what makes this one unusual is that he is mixing in spoken word pieces. The mix opens very strong with a nicely re-synched version of Hauswerks - Savanna (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5XkZL5V26A to hear the original) with some black vocal over it. I also wanted to point at the mid-mix track called "Gorgeous" by Rives. The Rives in question is a poet/spoken word artist. It's worth pausing the mix to go to Rives' site and listen to the original of "Gorgeous". If you also take the time to listen to the Julson remix you can get a sense of just how much work Steveboy is putting into these mixes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtnVduIY75Y
I'm pretty sure this one is Purple Terror's fault. I was at a party and this came on the sound track and I did one of those classic head-snaps. "Hey! That's... Glitch Mob!" and went to find him to confirm. That it is. It's not particularly new, but I love it in part because it builds from such simple components. You start with a simple pattern of notes, add a melody track, then build a beat complex around it with staccato and, yes, heavy wub. Get over it.