DJ Derivative

Derive This: Cloudcycle

2010-04-01T18:33:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled today to discover Cloudcycle, a site hosting a collaboration between three of my fave artist: Greg Hunter (a legend involved in some of the most influential electronic artist and recordings such as The Orb, Juno Reactor, Killing Joke, and now operating as Dubsahara), Mauxuam (a newcomer to me but has a winning release on Interchill Records and some great collaborations), and Master Margherita (who's bag of tricks spans from traditional reggae to psy-trance and who's output includes some of my most essential favorites).

Being familiar with the three electronic dub specialists' other work, I anticipated some really interesting results. I'm still exploring the expansive, deep tracks and have yet to be disappointed.

There are a few things in addition to the artists and music that make this an exceptional site. First they actually have high quality options. After years of being grumpy that MP3 was the only option for purchasing music downloads, I'm glad to see the momentum for lossless and high resolution formats finally taking off. Second, they have a great pricing model. You can download high bit-rate MP3 for free, CD quality FLAC for a no-minimum donation, and high rez uncompressed files for those with more discriminating ears and equipment for a minimum donation. What an intelligent way to promote, distribute, and sell. Finally, they offer samples to download, brew your own remix, then load back up to share. The project seems open-ended, organic, and under constant evolution.

Go check out Cloudcycle.

Diva's Coffee Gig With Thayne Whiting

2009-03-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

Arrangements have been finalized for another collaboration with visual artist Thayne Whiting in the greenhouse at Diva's Coffee. We will start around 7:30 pm and finish at 10, Friday, March 27 at 1560 East, 3300 South. Expect a set of lush, dubby, global tracks.

Controller Shopping (Part 3)

2009-03-02T14:59:00.000-08:00

Until now I have not really considered a pair of tabletop turntable style controllers because many include expensive motor driven platters, and two units plus a mixer are required.

($500 x2) I just finished reading the manual for the Denon DN-S1200. I noticed one of these at a shop but didn't really check the feel or quality, but now I'm seriously considering a pair. This compact (9" square) tabletop unit operates as a stand alone CD or USB player, or as a software controller, and has integrated a decent, 24 bit, ASIO sound interface. So with a pair of these and a traditional mixer I can spin in software, or I can leave the computer home and just pack a USB drive with a few hundred .WAV files. (That's really all I wanted in the first place.) Denon has three other players on the market now, but all include motor driven platters.

($300 x2 refrub) Numark has the similar iCDX which can be purchases direct for $300 for a refurb unit. I can only assume they meet Numark's standard of low quality and function. No mention of sound interface specs online or in the manual.

:-P

($700 x2) Pioneer's entry, the CDj-400 is amusingly expensive for a device that has no sound interface and can play no formats besides CD and MP3. (Not even WAV which is basically CD audio format? Seriously?) Pioneer enjoys being revered as the best player manufacturer. I gushed over the CDJ-1000 when it was initially launched. Their adoption of new technology has been glacial though.

($350+$700) Back at the 'software only' controller camp, this set of units is now a serious contender: Allen & Heath's XONE 1D and XONE 2D. The 1D is an elegant controller with MIDI and USB connections only. It could be used directly with a computer or chained through MIDI to an XONE 2D. The 2D combines the same controls as the 1D, a crossfader control, and some impressive sound hardware. The ASIO sound interface operates up to 24 bit 96 kHz (can input 192 kHz), and has enough input output channels for a seriously equipped DJ. After reading the Allen & Heath manuals, and knowing their mixers have a great rep for club installations, this combo has risen to a top spot on my list.

Controller Shopping (Part 2)

2009-03-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

The research continues and my options are starting to expand.

($600) The M-Audio Torq Xponent is an attractive controller and sound interface. It gets some great reviews and seems to have many supporters. It has a touch pad the doubles as a pointer for your computer and a X/Y controller for effects. I was nearly ready to order, but discovered two things: The internal sound hardware is pretty wimpy and only deals in 16 bit 48 kHz. Also, one of the reviews that had sold me on the Xponent had a follow up about hardware problems leading to its return. Several reports of manufacturing defects have since made me hesitant.

($400-$150) Hercules has several controller with sound interface products that are suspiciously cheap. Most look like toys. Their nicer units do have metal cases, but I can find no specs for their sound interfaces. I had my hands on one of these DJ Console Rmx units and quickly dismissed it for the low quality sliders and knobs.

($500-$850) A leading contender for me now is the Vestax VCI-100. This unit has no built in sound interface, so fussy people like me may/must purchase one separately. It looks like a best selling controller for some major online retailers and has developed a faithful following. There are some interesting mods available for it which to me is another good sign that it is a durable, quality, functional component. (Vestax also makes the VCI-300. It does have built in sound and higher resolution jogs and pitch slides, but is designed fairly specifically for use with the bundled Serato Itch software and is not as adaptable to other apps.)

($600-$950) I don't recall what led me to Livid Instruments ohm controller, but I was stunned by how attractive it is. Designed to be a live VJ and video production controller, it has a huge array of buttons available for assignment, and is available in custom wood or rack mount versions. With a serious discount sale on now the ohm is incredibly tempting. My brain is contorting itself with possible solutions for cuing tracks without a jog wheel and justifying purchasing the green wood model.

DJ Controller Shopping (Part 1)

2009-02-24T15:19:00.000-08:00

It started innocently enough. I noticed that Numark was unloading refurb DMC2 controllers for dirt-cheap. For $170 I may as well grab one and start exploring software computer based DJing. Right? Hmm. We'll see.

This will be a shift in DJ hardware ideology for me. I like a minimal rig: Dual CD deck, mixer, powered speakers. I'd prefer to simplify my system further by replacing the CD player with a dual media player component. The industry has only produced a few such players which I generally find too over priced or under featured to justify replacing my CD deck.

The industry has instead fixated on integrating or emulating traditional turntables. Tell me if this sounds efficient to you: Special 'time code' records on two turntables send signals to USB devices that convert signals to a stream that controls the speed of software player on a computer that then sends the music to an sound interface then to a traditional mixer (or using a USB mixer controller). This introduces latency and/or contention at every device in the chain. All the elegance of vinyl is lost in this clusterfuck.

Computers themselves are such complex devices they bring overhead and excess to a DJ rig, even if you use a more streamlined controller with a mixer control and sound interface built in. Because of this I'm very resistant to using software at all, but controller/computer solutions are becoming the most accessible option to eliminate CDs.

So I'm thinking about it. I'm going to think aloud here on the blog maybe clear my head and save someone else a bit of brain time who faces the same dilemma.

As mentioned my first consideration was the Numark DMC2. I demoed the bundled 'Cue' software which is a version of Virtual DJ. I liked the software well enough. The DMC2 is actually a modified version of the control panel from the CD player I use, the Numark CDN-90. I haven't had my hands on a DMC2 and don't fully trust that this early effort from Numark will be quite right, but for under $200, it's very tempting. No conclusion yet.

I did stop by Performance Audio and talked to their resident DJ gear-head. He had unboxed a Numark HDMIX to play with. In theory this should be the perfect unit for me: A mass storage media player combined with a mixer. This unit was suspiciously inexpensive though. It was near impossible to set precise cue points and the BPM sensor struggled with simple 4/4 track I tested. I didn't find a way to store cue points per file. It had only one loop per player... I wasted to much time on this toy. Not only have I dismissed it, but now there is now way I'll consider any other Numark device I can't physically test to verify all the features I need function well. (The DDS80 looks like the same player minus the mixer.)

We then broke out the Omni Control and just twiddled the knobs. It's a controller and sound interface. (The Stealth Control is the same component minus the sound interface.) Next week I'll stop by and play with it in conjunction with a computer. Again, I'm suspicious. The case is sturdy metal construction but all the knobs and sliders are Fisher-price quality, though I haven't yet read complaints about them falling apart. Information on the sound interface is sparse at best: 16 bit, 48 kHz. No info on D/A hardware, latency, bit-rate processing. If a company isn't bragging about that stuff it must suck. I'll see what I think about it after I actually use it.

Overall Numark products are looking pretty disappointing. I've loved my CD player, found it's features very useful and innovative, and wondered why Numark get abused so much in some of the forums I participate in. It's becoming evident to me that they are not serious about building quality hardware.

(Stay tuned for my thoughts on the Pioneer, Denon, M-Audio, and Vestax options.)

Music Recommendations, Cheap And Easy: Sounds From The Ground

2009-01-07T18:18:00.000-08:00

I just received the latest CD from Sounds From The Ground, 'Brightwhitelight'. For their sixth full length release they closely follow their winning formula: Spaced-out atmospheric dub, clever rhythms, and carefully crafted sounds. (And as I usually prefer, no vocal tracks on this one.) I absolutely love and recommend it, as I do any SFTG CD. (My least favorite are 'Natural Selection' and 'Footprints', but even they are quite good. For $10 you can get it direct from the label, Waveform Records, or most music retailers.

In the Works: Diva's Cupcakes & Coffee

2009-01-05T19:21:00.000-08:00

I feel that it's near enough fruition to mention another collaboration with visual artist Thayne Whiting is in the works at an intriguing location: The greenhouse dome at Diva's Cupcakes & Coffee. Gordon Wilkins has converted the kooky building on 33rd a few blocks above Highland Dr into an inviting cafe with fantastic drinks and gourmet desserts. The dome is a lush, relaxing oasis on these crisp winter days, and the patio promises to be a favorite once warmer weather arrives. On top of all this, those of us who live in the Canyon Rim area now have good, local coffee shop option with reasonable evening and weekend hours. Expect a audio visual gig near the start of February.

2009 Sundance Film Festival, 100 Club Party

2009-01-05T19:08:00.000-08:00

January 22, I will be presenting a selection of music for the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, 100 Club party. This event is not open to the public and I will only be presenting a pre-recorded set. Nonetheless, I'm thrill to be involved.

Thayne Whiting's Project Pared no. 1

2008-12-03T23:55:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited to be providing music for Thayne Whiting's visual art presentation, "Project Pared no. 1" this Friday, December 5 from 6 to 9 pm. This will be an outdoor projection event on the plaza at 160 East, 300 South, in conjunction with the December Salt Lake Gallery Stroll. Cold but clear weather is forecast. Dress warm and stop by as you visit the neighboring galleries on Broadway.

Music Recommendations, Cheap And Easy: The Beloved

2008-06-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

I listened to an old favorite this morning: 'X' by The Beloved.

I generally don't care for house music. 'X' however, I find very appealing.

Even though the structure is mostly typical pop (except Crystal Wave, an instrumental DJ journey), I find the sound very original and distinct. The lyrics are sentimental but somehow not sappy or annoying. Instead there is a sense of sincerity I credit to Jon's mellow, unforced vocal style. 'X' is a notch darker than other Beloved albums.

The atmospheric backdrop contributes immensely to each song. It makes me wish Jon Marsh would release an ambient album. Production quality is tops. It is enjoyable on any system, but the listening experience played loud through quality speakers justifies a substantial hi-fi budget.

After more than a decade, I find 'X' a durable favorite, enjoyable from start to finish.

'X' is not too hard to locate for under $15. I also recommend the previous two Beloved albums 'Happiness' and 'Conscience', which are even easier and less expensive to locate.

Correction: Blue Star Gig Time

2008-06-10T22:58:00.000-07:00

The two June gigs at Blue Star Cafe will 7:30 to 9:30 PM, Friday 13, and Friday 27.

Blue Star Cafe June Gigs

2008-06-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to announce two June gigs at Blue Star Cafe. 8-10 PM, Friday 13, and Friday 27. These will be outside on the back patio. More details to follow.

May 8 Gig Cancelled

2008-04-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

I'll be traveling to California to race the 24 Hours Of Lemons next week, so Thursday the 8th I won't be playing. Stop by on the 22nd instead.

Tonight's Playlist

2008-04-24T21:50:00.000-07:00

Another fun set. This week was a bit more up-beat. Here's the playlist:

Low Density

2008-04-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed tonight's set immensely and hope the recording was good enough to post. Here's the playlist:

I consider bold releases essential, which today is all but one. Even the Yello is essential to me but is probably a bit old and kooky for many listeners.

The Art Of Noise, Brian Eno, Yello, and Eurythmics tracks are all from classic 80's albums. They should be cheap and easy to find used except the AON which has not been remastered yet. Eno's Apollo from 1983 is an ambient milestone that everyone should own.

The Shpongle and Jairamji tracks are taken from Floatation and Arcana, compilations on Interchill Records. Floataion and some other older Interchill releases can be difficult to get but most are worth the effort. If you can't find Floatation, you may want to try this Alchemy comp which has a nearly the full version of Shpongle's "Saudade 2". It appears as "Flute Fruit" on their wonderful album Tales Of The Inexpressable, but tragically edited down to two minutes.

The best place I know for Bhakta (as mentioned in my review) and Ma Faiza is CD Baby.

The Woob, Gods Of Luxury, and Budd/Brazillia releases will be very hard to find.

The only place I know for ESX Trio CDs is Stephane Blok's page. A bit expensive, but I have successfully ordered from him.

Makyo's 'Suzhou River', which you may have noticed appears often in my sets, is available direct from his site. It's a bit spendy for single 20 minute track, but easily worth it.

The remainder are all easy to find through typical channels.

While The City Sleeps

2008-04-10T00:02:00.000-07:00

I just finished pulling a stash of excessively relaxed tracks for tomorrow night's ... um, tonight's set. Very mellow. Look forward to a full 2 hour set combining 20 years of ambient, global, and dub.

Trading Or Selling Copies

2008-03-31T07:59:00.000-07:00

This is bound to sound self-righteous, and I'm sorry for that. I don't think I'm better than anyone else just because I have a few rare CDs that people want to get a copy of. There was a time I didn't think copying music was a big deal, but after thinking about it and talking to many artists over the years I've developed some scruples.

If you want good music you need to support good artists. You do that by buying their music from them. If you contact me about trading or buying CD-R copies this is the response you will get:

I collect original CDs, not CD-R copies.
I NEVER sell copies of anything I have.
I may trade or sell an original CD for a fair market value if I don't plan to listen to it again. Items I have for sale are listed here and here.

I will RARELY trade copies under the following circumstances:

After extensive research and watching online resources, neither of us have been able to locate the CD we wish to trade for an affordable price.
We will both continue trying to obtain an original of the CDs we trade.
The trade is for equally rare or valuable items.
Traded material is a direct copy or in a lossless format such as FLAC. Source material was never an MP3 or other lossy format.
You have a current list of your CD collection I can browse that is not littered with MP3s.

Many great CDs are difficult to locate. I try to mention resources in my reviews to make it easier for my readers and listeners to find the stuff I'm recommending. Here are some other general suggestions for locating obscure music:

Check the artist's and label's web sites for a direct purchase option.
Contact the artist directly for a purchase. I've had some great success obtaining old stock, used copies, and CD-R copies of out-of-print CDs this way.
Be sure your eBay searches have the 'worldwide' location enabled. Don't forget to check Half.com.
Check the other regional Amazon.com sites such as Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, and Amazon.ca.
On the side bar I link to all my favorite resources for hard to find stuff, as well as links to stuff I'm currently selling.

It's miraculous that any good music ever reaches our ears through the glut of crap that big companies shovel into all popular media outlets. You'll notice that most of the artists I discuss here don't have a giant corporation with giant marketing budgets and giant distribution networks. They don't fly home on their private jet every few days during their stadium tour. Many have families and day jobs. Many are under extreme pressure to compromise their creative vision to appeal to a broad market of music imbeciles. Many run their own labels, web sites, and participate directly in their discussion forums and mail lists. Many drop out of the industry for more lucrative work or sell their creative souls for increased sales.

Music is a passion I hope to share with as many people as I can, but pissing out copies to anyone who asks is no way to make the world a better place musically.

Area Under A Curve (1)

2008-03-25T22:20:00.000-07:00

Download it.

This is a live recording of one of my cafe sets from March 2008.

Contact Me

2008-03-25T18:18:00.001-07:00

Regular Gig

2008-03-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

It's official that I now have a regular gig at Sugarhouse Coffee. I'll be playing every second and fourth Thursday of each month. So my next three gigs will be:

Thursday, March 27.
Thursday, April 10.
Thursday, April 24.

I usually show up with some demos to give away, so say hi and take a CD. Hope to see you there.

Tonight's Playlist

2008-03-13T22:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks to those at Sugarhouse Coffee tonight for listening . Here's what I played:

(Sound check) Elvis Costello: Watching The Detectives

As usual, I suggest the bold releases are essential.

The Elvis Costello track I have on 'Greatest Hits, The First Ten Years' which is not in the Discogs database yet. The track was found on his 1977 (!) release 'My Aim Is True' and is on several greatest hits compilations. I'm not crazy about Elvis, but this 30 year old dub track is brilliant.

Orient Expressions 'Divan' is still not in Discogs.

'Snow' by Sounds From The Ground is better served as an instrumental as on the harder to find 'Mosaic' CD, rather than the vocal found on 'Footprints'.

The set was a bit short, just under an hour, but I really like the way it came together. I recorded it and will try to post it for download.

2008-03-12T15:43:00.000-07:00

Another Gig tomorrow, Thursday 13th at Sugarhouse Coffee. I'm planning a set of global-dub.

It's looking like Stroud is going to hand me the reigns for the recurring Sugarhouse Coffee gigs and I'll probably try to arrange to play every first and third Thursday of each month. I'll confirm details as they develop.

Tonight's Playlist

2008-02-21T20:56:00.000-08:00

Thanks to those who came out to hear tonight's set. Here's what I played:

This mix was a little more eclectic and had a few tracks in common with my previous set. Again I highly recommend these albums. They range from very good to essential.

You can get Makyo and Jairamji direct from Makyo's label, Dakini Records. All of the Dakini releases are fantastic.

The Gods Of Luxury CD is impossibly rare and expensive. I lucked out some years ago and got it for $36 on ebay. Now it goes for $200. It's so good though it's not a bad investment.

The best deal I know for Palyrria is at CD Baby.

I'll be out of town for the next few weeks so my next gig will be mid-late March.

Change To Gig Schedule

2008-02-19T15:47:00.000-08:00

I've had to drop the gig scheduled for the 28th. I'm still playing this Thursday, the 21st at Sugarhouse Coffee.

More Sugarhouse Coffee Gigs (Corrected)

2008-02-18T10:56:00.001-08:00

I'm playing at Sugarhouse Coffee again this Thursday (Feb 21) from 7 to 9.

The following week [canceled] (Feb 28) I'm playing from 8 to 9 [canceled]. An acquaintance who is a musician with some very interesting ideas about music will be playing the 7 to 8 set. I'm interested to hear his set.

Earthday 2007 Set

2008-02-08T15:23:00.000-08:00

Download it.

Last Spring Stroud gave me a 1 hour slot on the DJ stage at Earth Jam, the Salt Lake Earth Day festival. The weather was miserable and the turn out was small, but I had a ball playing the following set:

Timeshard: Cosmic Carrot (Parts 1 And 2, Live) *
Eat Static: Ufo Over Trenchtown *
Transglobal Underground: Templehead (Youth Ambient Meditations Mix) *
Test Dept: Critical Dub
Meat Beat Manifesto: Memory Unavailable
Flexitones: Roaring Lion
Morcheeba: Tape Loop (Diabolical Brothers Remix) *
Banco De Gaia: Sakarya
Ott: Billy The Kid Strikes Back *
Dzihan & Kamien: Smile (Aromabar Remix)
Underworld: 8 Ball *

(* Recommended as essential CD's)

Tonight's Playlist

2008-02-07T21:42:00.000-08:00

Thanks to those who came out to listen tonight. I thoroughly enjoyed playing and the response I got. Also thanks again to Stroud for inviting me. I had only planned to play for one hour but the second DJ was a no-show. I had brought a stack of extra music so I got to spin for two hours.

I'll re-record the set and post it for download sometime. Here's the playlist.

Palyrria: Askia
Dead Can Dance: Bird
Peaking Goddess Collective: Purple
Gods Of Luxury: Empirical Measures
Art Of Noise: Camilla (The Old Old Story)
Shpongle: Saudade (Part 2)
Orient Expressions: Istanbul 1:26 AM
Doof: Star Over Parvati (Orchestral World Groove Mix, Gaudi)
Ensemble Bash: Mopti Street (Banco De Gaia Mix)
Continuo: Weather Girl
DJ Food: The Crow
Gaudi: Chaine A Chaine (Backroom Beats Version)
Pop Will Eat Itself: Intense
Sounds From The Ground: Where The Wild Things Were
Hallucinogen: Solstice (Warwick Bassmonkey Mix By Ott)
Pitch Black: Harmonia
Cell: Explicit Rotative Movement
Orient Expressions: Ehmedo
Woob: On Earth

I've linked each track to the respective source album on Discogs. I highly recommend most of these source CDs , though some are extremely rare. The compilations are less consistent and may include a dud or two, among some worthwhile tracks. The two Orient Expressions tracks are not yet linked to they source album, 'Divan'.

Time for a change.

2008-02-06T20:11:00.000-08:00

Before I bitch bitch bitch about it, the positive side is that Salt Lake is ripe for change. Enough people are ready for different music that it is bound to happen. Look forward to something good.

Looking back, I used to love dancing. Out with friends, a pleasant sociable buzz, hopping around to song after song... There has been a gradual change. Now whenever there is momentum among friends for an evening out it must be accompanied by preparation for disappointment. Most Salt Lake dance clubs are predictably mundane and even the best ones are only sporadicly acceptable.

I was out the other night with a friend. As expected the music was awful. Some patrons were drunk enough that the music was of no consequence. Some sincerely liked the music since it was basically the same as what they had liked for the last ten years. Some of us grew bored and left, or wisely didn't bother to come in the first place. On the way to the car my friend asked, "when are you going to get some DJ work?"

My response: "Hah. My technical skills suck. That guy could mix ten times better than I can. I'd get laughed out of this place if I tried to get a gig here."

"You do pretty good, but the main thing is I'm sick of nights like this. I want good music when I go dancing. You should find some place to play."

She was right. I may as well give it a try. I already spend so much time on my music hobby I may as well find some outlets to share it. I don't think my dog and cat are ever going to thank me for the enlightening musical experiences they are subjected to in my basement.

So here is my plan: I will pursue DJ'ing for one year. I will pursue some regular gigs at galleries, parties, and clubs. At the end of that year I want to play a big holiday gig: New Year's 2009. At that gig I want people to hear what they're missing and see what's happening. I want them to demand more from their clubs and DJ's.

I want to make one point: The world is full of incredible music and we can move beyond the same shit that's been plugging our ears for the last 20 years.

If 2008 goes well then maybe I'll continue. Hopefully somebody more capable will step up and we can all have a good time when we feel like a night of dancing.

djderivative.com on the way

2008-02-06T12:52:00.000-08:00

I registered djderivative.com and the website should be online soon. This blog will be my primary webpage, but I'll link to djderivative.com for file downloads like DJ sets.

Music Recommendations, Cheap And Easy: Bhakta

2008-02-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

Bhakta:

Open Transmission
<$5 @ Amazon, Ebay, Half

Snow On Venus
$15 @ CD Baby, artists homepage

Today's recommendations are inexpensive, obscure, and essential.

I stumbled across 2 tracks from Bhakta's 'Open Transmission' while doing some "research" on Usenet. They immediately sparked my interest and I ordered the CD. It is a hybrid of modern electronics and traditional Eastern rhythms, instruments, and vocals. As many of my recommendations this is not interesting in itself, but the execution is so skillful and organic that it never becomes repetitive or monotonous. It has the dynamic passion of performance rather than the cut/paste feel of short samples. A broad spectrum of styles are deployed: Some danceable global-trance, dub, chill, drum and bass... Very fun.

'Snow On Venus' was my next Bhakta purchase. It was a bit expensive at the major online outlets, but my search eventually unearthed one of my now favorite independent online shops, CD Baby. 'Snow On Venus' was a surprising contrast to 'Open Transmission'. It is completely ambient and electronics play a subdued role. Most tracks are solos, primarily using Eastern instruments, accompanied by subtle electronic atmospheres. What this album captures and recreates is the sound of magic quietly occurring. It has the feel of looking down on the city from a rooftop at 3am. Traffic lights cycle patiently over abandon streets. Machines are quiet. The mutual oblivion of those that sleep creates a calm energy only a few of the conscious feel.

I like Bhakta's other releases as well, but they will have to grow on me a bit more before I can recommend them as essential. YMMV.

Set Time Change

2008-02-05T09:18:00.000-08:00

Please note that my set this Thursday has been moved to 7pm.

Stroud was told he was too loud last week so I'm going to have some very mellow and ambient selections ready.

There is much I want to have ready for Thursday. I've been preparing possible selections for the set, getting familiar with Stroud's Pioneer rig, and scrambling to record some demos to hand out. Besides that I'm catching a cold, but plan to play no matter my health.

I'm looking forward to the set even though it will be mellow and low profile. I don't want the set to intrude as people go about their business, but if one or two people enjoy the listening experience I'll be glad. I hope to discuss music with a few people and hand out some demos.

Music Recommendations, Cheap And Easy: Banco De Gaia

2008-02-01T08:00:00.002-08:00

Toby Marks performs and produces as Banco De Gaia. He has a very distinct sound and style which primarily combines eastern rhythms and dubby bass lines into electronic dance tracks with extended ambient transitions. On most albums you will also find a soulful track or two that would be comfortable on a Pink Floyd album. None of this is unique in concept, but the complex, unhurried progression, organic performance sound, and disrespect of typical pop-music structures create a rare listening experience. Though often meditative, Banco albums are generally optimistic and celebratory.

Most Banco De Gaia CDs can be had used for $5 or less on Amazon, Half, or Ebay. Don't hesitate to grab Big Men Cry, Igizeh, Maya, The Magical Sounds Of Banco De Gaia, You Are Here, and Ten Years (a mixed hits compilation). Also recommended is Last Train To Lhasa, a double priced $12 and less used. Farwell Ferengistan is the only CD I find weak and suggest skipping initially. If you want to really support the artist, buy directly at Banco.co.uk.

Music Recommendations, Essential And Obscure: Orient Expressions

2008-02-01T07:58:00.000-08:00

I was listening to the Buddha-Bar 8 compilation, not a bad double CD to have, and one particular track really grabbed my attention. 'Istanbul 1:26 a.m." by Orient Expressions is a dramatic contrast of chilled dub and raging, Middle-East percussion. The rhythms are live, complex, and varied. I was intrigued.

Orient Expressions are not well documented in Discogs.com, so I fell back on Google and Amazon and eventually came up with their Turkish label, Doublemoon. While many artists and labels are satisfied to sample and loop global sounds into manufactured music that has no basis in art or tradition, I was fascinated and impressed with Doublemoon's apparent dedication to tradition and evolution. I found a Turkish seller on Ebay who had most of the Doublemoon catalog for fair prices and shipping rates and tonight there were six Turkish CD's in my mailbox; Three by Orient Expressions.

I'm listening to 'Divan' as I write this, and it's consistent with my initial expectations and impressions from 'Istanbul 1:26 a.m.'. Electronics provide subtle atmosphere and foundation for a very organic performance on a variety traditional string and percussion instruments. The one misfit track is a jazzy English vocal track at the end of the CD. It's not entirely inconsistent or unwelcome, but surprising. Overall I love the CD and am glad to have made the effort to track it down.

The other discs in this purchase are:
Orient Expressions, 'Hirsiz Polis'
Orient Expressions and Sabahat Akkiraz, 'Kulliyat'
Baba Zula, 'Duble Oryantal' (Sexiest cover ever!)
Mercan Dede, 'Seyahatname'
Various, 'East 2 West, Crossing Continents'

Probably no write-up for these, but 'Kulliyat' and 'Duble Oryantal' are shaping up well.

Music Recommendations, Essential And Obscure: Ott

2008-02-01T07:39:00.000-08:00

This guy Ott, I'd never heard of until a couple years ago, is incredible. He's involved in three of my all time favorite CDs. They are European imports, and hard to find used because nobody would want to get rid of them. All three are essential and easily worth the cost and effort of digging them up.

The first one I was introduced to was the incredible 'Are You Shpongled?' by Shpongle. Shpongle is a collaboration between Simon Posford, a trance producer and electronic musician, and Raja Ram, a flutist and electronic hippy. Ott was not part of the act but did edit and arrange the album. Doesn't seem like a big role until you hear how much better it is than the other Shpongle releases where Ott was not involved. (I generally love and recommend Shpongle and Posford's other projects, but 'Are You Shpongled' is a stand-out.) 'Are You Shpongled' is dynamic and lively, drawing on Eastern, Latin, dub, ambient, and psychedelic styles. Great care is taken to craft detailed sonic landscapes, and complex, evolving, organic music, that takes you on a mind bending ride.

This lead me to another Simon Posford project: 'Hallucinogen In Dub'. Hallucinogen is the name Posford used to do 4/4 trance music, but Ott applied his signature tripped-out dubby remix signature to a bunch of these tracks, adding subtlety and complexity, resulting in another incredible musical trip.

Finally Ott's own 'Blumenkraft' release was a collection of tracks he had created over years and finally compiled into a release. There is a track or two weaker than the rest but it's still a CD I wouldn't be without.

There is much anticipation for his new album, Skylon, which will be his first solo work that was created to be a cohesive album. I speculate that this will be consistent with his other work and an essential listening experience.

To find these CDs, you may get lucky and find a deal on Ebay, Half, or Amazon. Psyshop and Amazon UK are pretty reasonable sources.

Coffee Shop Gig (Updated)

2008-01-31T14:59:00.000-08:00

I have a 1 hour set at 7 PM, Thursday February 7, 2008, at Sugarhouse Coffee. I'll be playing a gallery set of ambient dub, lounge, and other chilled selections. Many thanks to DJ Birdman for offering me the time slot. I'm not sure what other DJ's he has lined up but I'm guessing some fresh local talent will play some innovative sets.

(Sugarhouse Coffee has moved about a block west and across the street from their old location. The new location was formerly Millcreek Coffee.)

Mission Statement And Manifesto

2008-01-23T11:48:00.000-08:00

It is the intention of the Disgruntled DJ Collective to support and create local music opportunities beyond the typical.

Music should be:

Celebration
Meditation
Dynamic
Moving at instinctive and intellectual levels

We reject:

Songs, clubs, and DJ's that all sound the same
Pigeon-holing music and listeners
Dance clubs advertising like strip clubs
Prerequisite intoxication

We respect:

Creativity
Complexity
Originality
Global Influence
Open minds

Contribute your momentum.

Music Recommendations, Cheap And Easy: 80's

2008-01-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

My roommate Jennie hooked me up with a DJ gig for the Utah Cyclocross awards party in January. It was an 80's theme party so I got to dredge up a bunch of great tunes from my youth. To celebrate the event I'm recommending a list of great selections from from the 80's that are all fun, fantastic listening experiences, some of which may be iconic. I won't offer many comments, but will suggest that they are all well worth owning for the few bucks they will cost.

Police: 'Synchronicity'
Just get the whole collection with 'Message In A Box' (4xCD).

Men Without Hats: 'Pop Goes The World'
PGTW may be their best, but doesn't include their iconic 'Safety Dance', which is tricky to locate.

Men At Work: 'Business As Usual'

Eurythmics: 'Sweet Dreams', 'Touch'

Tears For Fears: 'The Hurting'

Alphaville: 'Forever Young', 'Afternoons In Utopia'

Peter Gabriel: 'So'

Yaz (or Yazoo in Europe): 'Upstairs At Eric's', 'You And Me Both'

Yes: '90125'

The The: 'Soul Mining'

Wang Chung: 'Live And Die In L.A.'

Devo: 'Oh No! It's Devo', "Freedom Of Choice'...
Many good releases but some suck. My fave Devo comp is 'Pioneers Who Got Scalped'.

Propaganda: 'Secret Wish' and/or 'Wishful Thinking'

Human League: 'Reproduction'

OMD: 'Junk Culture'...
Many great releases but everything after 'Pacific Age' blows.

Howard Jones: 'Human's Lib'

Talking Heads: 'Stop Making Sense'
Available on CD, but get the DVD.

Flock Of Seagulls: 'Flock Of Seagulls'.

Oingo Boingo: 'Dead Man's Party', 'Boi-Ngo'...
All of their 80's releases are great. I guess 20 years is long enough that many don't realize Boingo is where film score composer Danny Elfman started his brilliant career. Don't forget his 'So-Lo' release.

The Cars: 'Greatest Hits'

Thomas Dolby: 'Golden Age Of Wireless'

Duran Duran: 'Duran Duran', 'Rio'

Depeche Mode: 'Black Celebration'

The Cure: 'Staring At The Sea'

Yello: 'You Gotta Say Yes', 'Stella', 'One Second', 'Flag', 'New Mix In One Go'
Watch for a dedicated entry regarding this favorite band.

Pet Shop Boys: 'Actually', 'Disco'

The Fixx: 'Shuttered Room', 'Reach The Beach', 'Phantoms', 'Walkabout'

Art Of Noise: 'Who's Afraid', 'In No Sense, Nonsense'
The best is 'In Visible Silence' (seek versions with the instrumental, non Max Headroom version of 'Paraniomia') which seems to be out of print these days. I expect a reissue.

English Beat: 'What Is Beat'

B-52's: 'Wild Planet'
Other super-silly-fun tracks scattered around their releases. Avoid anything after '86.

Music Recommendations For Nobody.

2008-01-01T13:25:00.000-08:00

Nobody is looking for a new listening experience. Nobody is sick of radio, MTV, and XM. Poeple just want to hear more of the same stuff they already like. I tuned out popular radio ages ago and now my ears bleed if I'm forced to listen. I'm qualified to make music recommendations to nobody. I'll continue two series of recommendations. One series will be on obscure, possibly expensive, but essential music. The other series will be on music that is probably still obscure to most, but a great value; Stuff so good and easy to afford you'd be an idiot not to buy it.