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Tuesday, 1 November 2005
glowing in the dark...
Now Playing: Monica's show on WFMU (wfmu.org)
Topic: playlists

i had a lot of fun spinning this set, despite a few table bumps and power outages. this marked my first halloween-themed party in about eight years.

glowing in the dark (and hovering six inches above your floor...)
- a halloween weekend dj set @ cryptology, long island city, ny / 10.29.05 - 10:30 p.m.

the pointer sisters*pinball number count*ninja tune (uk)
medeski martin & wood*midnight birds (sa-ra remix)*blue note
mu*let's get sick*tigersushi (france)
dennis coffey*theme from black belt jones*good sounds (uk)
the soul searchers*blow your whistle*harmless (uk)
someone else*goink*microcosm music
akufen*in dog we trust*force inc. (germany)
nightcrawlers*push the feeling on (the dub of doom)*great jones/island
$tinkworx*whut*down low
!!!*me and giuliani down by the schoolyard (a true story)*touch and go
out hud*one life to leave (a requiem)*kranky
mu*paris hilton*output (uk)
matthew dear*dog days*spectral sound
the md x-press*GOD made me phunky*nite stuff (italy)
basement jaxx*fly life*white label
i:cube*disco cubism (daft punk mix)*versatile (france)
switch*a bit patchy*dubsided (uk)
serge gainsbourg*marabout (bob sinclar remix)*mercury (france)
carl craig*tres demented*planet e communications
butler kiev*rewind selecta*planet mu (uk)
gold chains*nada (kid 606's hold onto yr hardcore rmx)*pias

Posted by macedonia at 1:22 PM EST
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Tuesday, 12 July 2005
noncommittal (the in-between period)
Now Playing: john oswald (plunderphonics) - "power"
Topic: playlists

so i figured i'd post my playlist from last friday's gig, even though i really wasn't happy with most of the set. didn't really get into it until the last 30 minutes, where i felt i actually started to loosen up. just felt like i was going through the motions. i must say, though...mocca lounge is a very nice spot to hang - great food and drink. friendly wait staff and all that. plus the place is just nice to look at. good spot to grab a bite to eat before a night out.

noncommittal (the in-between period)
dj set @ mocca lounge - friday, july 8, 2005 / 8-10pm

lcd soundsystem*yr city's a sucker*dfa
808 state*ooops (feat. bjork)*tommy boy
the dust brothers (now chemical bros.)*dope coil*boys own (uk)
the avalanches*since i left you*elektra
plant life*when she smiles she lights the sky*counterflow recordings
the januaries*the girl's insane (thievery corporation mix*foodchain
secret frequency crew*deep blue (eli-73 remix)*counterflow recordings
de la soul*ain't hip to be labeled a hippie*tommy boy
the allenko brotherhood ensemble (tony allen vs. kraked unit)*the man with the drum*comet (france)
gina x*no g.d.m.*tigersushi (france)
serge gainsbourg*no comment (dax riders remix)*mercury (france)
the brecker brothers*sneakin' up behind you*s12 (uk)
stereolab*miss modular (automator mix)*elektra
medeski martin & wood*midnight birds (sa-ra remix)*blue note
spymusic*cloak*2000 black (uk)
johnny copeland orchestra (cloud one)*atmosphere strutt*p&p
titanic*sultana (danny krivit re-edit)*ibadan
blackalicious*make you feel that way*mca
thievery corporation*shadows of ourselves*esl
nina simone*see-line woman (masters at work remix)*verve
curtis mayfield*superfly*curtom
dennis coffey*theme from black belt jones*good sounds (uk)
mu*chair girl*tigersushi (france)
the juan maclean*give me every little thing*dfa
the bloods*button up*soul jazz (uk)
esg*moody*universal sound (uk)
daft punk*harder better faster stronger (the neptunes remix)*virgin (uk)
matthew dear*grut wall*spectral sound
dj vadim*london mindstate*ninja tune (uk)
metro area*orange alert*environ
earth people*dance (bonus beats)*kool groove
dj rels*diggin' in brownswood*stones throw/goya (uk)

Posted by macedonia at 10:59 PM EDT
Updated: Wednesday, 13 July 2005 12:02 PM EDT
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Monday, 23 May 2005
more about others and less of yourself
Now Playing: the list below...
Topic: playlists

- more about others and less of yourself -
a birthday set for zeke and beth
saturday, may 14, 2005 @ the rivington bar, nyc

mouse on mars*diskdusk*thrill jockey
isolee*it's about (new mix)*freudinnen (germany)
medeski martin & wood*midnight birds (sa-ra remix)*blue note
le tone*joli dragon*creation (uk)
matthew dear*huggy's parade*spectral sound
massive attack*special cases (luomo's casing)*virgin (uk)
miskate*daydreaming*microcosm music
the soft pink truth*gender studies*soundslike (uk)
recloose*soul clap 2000*planet e communications
pepe bradock*lara*kif s.a. (france)
matthew dear*grut wall*spectral sound
$tinkworx*raise up*delsin (the netherlands)
ezekiel honig*more human than human (soultek's got too much soul mix)*microcosm music
mouse on mars*send me shivers*thrill jockey
the soft pink truth*acting crazy*soundslike (uk)
capitol k*capitol beat sticky (posh mix)*xl recordings (uk)
bloc party*tulips (club version)*dim mak

Posted by macedonia at 6:10 PM EDT
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Saturday, 14 May 2005
bridging the gap
Now Playing: you know how this goes...check the playlist below...
Topic: playlists

Friday, April 29, 2005

i have to admit...i wasn't excited about the night until i actually got there. and even when i did, i didn't know if the records i brought with me would work. i was scheduled to bring house and i was sandwiched between two hip-hop sets. i had no idea how i was gonna make the transition. Mista Mayday of the ESP Collective (of which my man mikal is a member) got it started with hip-hop classics as well as a few funk and soul joints. the last time we spun together was a couple of years ago at a loft party in Brooklyn. the mixing setup was a little weird for him and he couldn't get as loose as he usually likes to, but he definitely dropped some gems.

the only reason my set turned out decently was the energy of the crowd. lots of friends and acquaintances in the spot, so that helped. figured i better get it started with something familiar, and "hot music" always does the trick. it's one of the few tracks you can please both hip-hop and house heads with. needle started jumping a lot midway through (a lot of bass on some older pressings of that joint), so i cut into an Aretha Franklin rework. basically, my set ranged from midtempo to uptempo tracks - some funk and soul, some hip-hop style breakbeats, and some house. at one point, i threw on an old Nightcrawlers dub ("push the feeling on") and the place just went nuts, heads screaming and stuff. i was not expecting that reaction. at that point, i thought to myself, oh, so that's how you like it? it was on then. i felt right at home and confident that i was able to connect the dots in the way that made sense to the party people. that is such a good feeling.

as cool as all of that was, one aspect totally made my night: my man Jason (a longtime college buddy from SUNY Albany) actually came through to represent. back in the day, my SUNY heads and i used to call him "Shag" because he kinda resembled Shaggy from the Scooby Doo cartoon. seeing him there in the crowd (which continued to swell throughout the night) next to my wife just brought me back to my freshman and sophomore years. i hadn't seen this cat in many moons. once my set was over and i left the booth, i greeted him with a big hug. nothing could get me down at that moment.

CX Kidtronik took over the decks and kept the crowd hyped with a pretty varied set. a lot of hip-hop classics from the Native Tongues family and the Gangstarr Foundation, but he also played some above ground joints, too (DMX's "Up In Here," Gwen Stefani's "Holla Back Girl," etc.) at one point, he threw in a booty joint from a classic 2 Live Crew record and i almost fell over. the real kicker was closing with the Sex Pistols. it was so random and yet it made perfect sense. Jason is an avid punk rock listener and Beth grew up with the Sex Pistols, so it was one of those perfect moments in time that you couldn't possibly recreate. judging from the crowd's reaction, we weren't the only ones who felt that way.

Jason and i spent time catching up during Mike Larosa's set (beautiful house set, very soulful) and reminiscing on all the crazy things we used to do back in the day. (at some point, i ought to share some of those stories - classic "things you'll only see in college" type of stuff.) i remember commenting to him that i had all this energy back then and that i wish there was some way to channel that energy into my life now. had i known then what i know now, i could've put that energy to great use. we all could've. regardless, i still look back on that period with fond memories and Jason feels the same way i do. we know we'll never have friends like the ones we had back then. every last one of them holds a special place in my heart.

the crowd was still going strong by the time Cassien took the reins in the dj booth (around 2:30 a.m.). it was like no one was trying to leave until they all got kicked out. the heads that held out for a ragga jungle set were greatly rewarded - it was all smiles in that spot. prior to leaving, i made sure to tell Cassien that i've been down with what he does in the mix since he used to work at the Throb record shop. i remember him working there years back when the store was first located on East 14th Street. there was one time i was buying some wax and he wouldn't let me leave the store until i listened to a compilation called *Frying The Fat*. he handed it to me and after a lengthy session of needle dropping, i knew it was coming home with me. he turned me on to Rae & Christian that day, as well as the Grand Central label. i had to let him know that. if heads have inspired me in any way, i've been making it my business to let them know. i may never get the chance again to tell them.

so yeah, an amazing night. great music, a crowd that definitely came to party, and a good venue. but "Shag" comin' through the door...that just supersized my whole night right there. Beth and i woke up the next day, still very much in the moment. and for days afterwards, we would ask each other, "was that all a dream? did that really happen?" nights like that come few and far between in the Rotten Apple. it's good to be in the right place at the right time.

BRIDGING THE GAP - dj set @ FRESH
The Delancey, NYC / 11:30pm-12:30a.m.

soho*hot music*kool groove
aretha franklin*rock steady (danny krivit re-edit)*ibadan
ballistic brothers vs. eccentric afros*blacker ('94 EQ)*delancey street (uk)
plant life*luv 4 the world (why they gotta hate?)*counterflow recordings
deee-lite*when you told me you loved me*elektra
medeski martin & wood*midnight birds (sa-ra remix)*blue note
the beginning of the end*funky nassau pt. 1*alston
art konik*mingpark (ming beat)*comet (france)
nightcrawlers*push the feeling on (the dub of doom)*great jones/island
earth people*dance (club mix)*kool groove
onionz*latino dubb*aztlan
dajae*u got me up (cajmere's underground goodies mix)*cajual
tiny bubbles*the hands of a raindrop*eightball
mu*paris hilton*output (uk)

Posted by macedonia at 7:06 PM EDT
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Monday, 9 May 2005
i'm back (now, let's get sick and do the tighten up...)
Now Playing: check the playlist...
Topic: playlists

i feel absurdly late writing this. work has had me exhausted and the demands of the everyday have kept me from blog entries, but whatever.

so Retroactive was a damn good time. very cordial heads that opened up their loft to us all - big fun all night long. seemed like damn near everyone i knew from this electronic bulletin board was there. music was brilliant the whole time. jesse mann killed it on the house and drum and bass ends, black opz was sick as usual, lil' bit i heard of dj fever was impressive, and the rev threw down with that uncompromising techno style. almost didn't wanna leave. wish i could've heard jordan's set as well as my man ben's. oh man, how could i forget campbell?!? he closed out the night, too...and from the looks of his playlist, what a way to go out. (gotta love a man who has such a love for the Moving Shadow label that you'd think he once owned stock in the imprint.) some static broke out as the night came to a peak, but calmer heads prevailed. a circuit blew during rev's set, but they got the music going again. in short, positive vibes won out and that's always a good thing.

as for me, i REALLY need to practice more. i've been without a second turntable for almost a year, and it showed that night. took me a good 30 minutes to really get my bearings, but once i got comfortable and started to enjoy myself, the set started to come together. not bad for an opening set. it was virtually all fam in there, so it was all love, anyway. great night, the kind where you get a weird second wind after it's all over and you can't sleep, so you just replay the best parts of the night in your head.

this cat named dr. suds took a lot of pictures, so click here to check them out. good representation of the people and the energy of the event. my set list appears below. started off just playing a few records to test the sound in the room before i launched into my set proper, so i've listed those tracks as well.

*i'm back (now, let's get sick and do the tighten up...)*
dj set @ Retroactive (Return to the Source)
Asterisk Art Project, Brooklyn, NY / saturday, april 23, 2005

PRE-GAME SHOW:
lee mason & his orchestra*shady blues*jazzman (uk)
harrell & sharron lucky*pease porridge pot/i'll walk on the line*stones throw
young-holt unlimited*young and holtful*brunswick
plant life*the return of jack splash (tracks 1-5)*counterflow recordings

THE MAIN EVENT:
melvin van peebles*break that party & opening/the eight day week/saturday night*stax
lyn collins*think (about it)*people
pd vs. pd*white label
divine styler*ain't saying nothing ('89 remix)*bilawn
the highlighters*the funky sixteen corners*stones throw
west street mob*break dance - electric boogie*sugarhill
public enemy*welcome to the terrordome*def jam
m/a/r/r/s*pump up the volume*4th & b'way
meat beat manifesto*acid again (freddy fresh mix)*play it again sam
the bar kays*son of shaft*volt
dj smash*bassanova*new breed
plant life*luv 4 the world (why they gotta hate?)*counterflow recordings
panda one*take it to the corner of a block*counterflow recordings
tribe*tribe*abc
booker t. & the mg's*melting pot*harmless (uk)
de la soul*a roller skating jam named "saturdays"*tommy boy
young-holt unlimited*light my fire*brunswick
james brown*mother popcorn (part 1)*king
james brown*it's a new day (part 1)*king
herbie hancock*hang up your hang ups*harmless (uk)
cookie crew*born this way*ffrr
hardline inc.*love me (deep moan mix)*renegade
the dust (chemical) brothers*chemical beats*boys own (uk)
klint*diamond (poplar remix)*tvt
pepe deluxe*big muff (capsule mix)*white label
the rapture*killing*dfa
konk*baby dee*soul jazz (uk)
dj vadim*london mindstate*ninja tune (uk)
manu dibango*soul makossa*atlantic
nu yorican soul*the nervous track (ballsy mix)*nervous
afronaught*transcend me*apollo/r&s (belgium)
dj smash*gimmie some*new breed
olli ahvenlahti*grandma's rocking chair - kenny dope remix (percussive explosion live edit)*jazzpuu-love (finland)
archie bell & the drells*tighten up*atlantic
mu*let's get sick*tigersushi (france)
onionz*afro funk*aztlan
ian o'brien*teentown beats (12" mix)*peacefrog (uk)

Posted by macedonia at 11:20 PM EDT
Updated: Saturday, 14 May 2005 1:32 AM EDT
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Monday, 17 January 2005
the first DJ set of the New Year
Now Playing: you know how this goes...check the playlist...
Topic: playlists

so just exactly how did i get talked into spinning at a bar again, even if only for one night? well, Redlox is a good friend and a great DJ, and seeing as how his partner fuddyKnight was on vacation, he needed someone to fill in and hit me up on email. it was a great excuse for us to finally spin together and we figured it really should happen now. come the month of May, he'll be dealing with a whole other challenge - first time fatherhood - so the clock was ticking down on a turntable collab.

i have to be honest...i was a bit grouchy about the whole thing at first. Redlox had shared with me some typical stories about annoying bar patrons and their equally annoying requests, like having someone ask to play hip-hop while hip-hop was actually playing (but since it was some old school stuff - in this case Lords of the Underground's "Chief Rocka" - the requester didn't know it, which raises the question: do you really want to spin for someone that doesn't even know the history of the music they claim to be theirs?). or having someone request a song, having it cued up on the turntable, and the patron getting pissed because it's not playing. outside of shady bar owners, these are the reasons that have kept me out of bars all this time. i just don't have the patience for that type of BS - rash reactions are likely to ensue. anyway, i was requested to bring a "familiar yet diverse" mix of music to the spot, so i started pulling selections well in advance. as i started to do so, i started getting excited, but not too excited. i have a tendency of building the night up in my head only to have it arrive and be thoroughly disappointed.

so on Saturday night, after celebrating my father-in-law's 62nd birthday with my wife and her family, we made our way into the city from Long Island. arrived a little after 11 p.m., Redlox just got there himself. we set up shop and he spun for the first hour. being at Route 85A was a bit of a time warp for Beth and I; friends of ours had thrown numerous events there in the past. my man Drilla had a pretty successful function there with his boy Receptor a few years back, which i did guest spots at a few times. a strange sort of homecoming, i suppose. if i was going to spin out at a bar again, it was good to be back at a familiar stomping ground.

not even three minutes had passed during Redlox's set before the requests started pouring in. the DJ booth had a curtain and i saw myself having to use it during my set (i never did, though). studying the selections that he was playing for the crowd (UK remix of old De La, classic joint from Human League, new stuff from Gwen Stefani, etc.), i saw what he meant by "familiar yet diverse": this was a crowd that you really couldn't dig too deep on. you had to keep it somewhat simple and keep it moving. i heard a woman request Deee-Lite's "Groove Is In The Heart" while he was on. i kept it in mind for my opening cut. guess i got on around 12:30 a.m. and dropped her request. reportedly, she was on her way out the door, but i caught her just in time. she made her way back and danced for at least the next half hour. (i've said it before and i'll say it again: ALWAYS BRING DEEE-LITE.)

i have to say, the night went better than expected. i was able to play some crowd pleasers, chat with some friendly (and clearly inebriated) partygoers, and even champion some selections i'm really passionate about that other heads may not have heard before. plus a number of my friends came out to support, so that was cool. i spun for about an hour, then Redlox and i traded off three songs apiece or so until the end of the night. we wrapped things up around 3:30 a.m., then drove homeboy uptown to his crib. for the first DJ set of the New Year (and the first out at a bar in months), i was pleased with it.

REDMACE: '05 mix @ ROUTE 85A
saturday, january 15, 2005 - 12:30 a.m.

deee-lite*groove is in the heart*elektra
PD vs. PD*white label
average white band*pick up the pieces*atlantic
bobby byrd*hot pants (i'm coming, coming, coming)*brownstone
deee-lite*when you told me you loved me*elektra
liquid liquid*cavern (the cut chemist rocks a rave in a missile silo remix)*mo'wax (uk)
plant life*luv 4 the world (why they gotta hate?)*counterflow recordings
prince*housequake*paisley park
talking heads*once in a lifetime*sire
the juan maclean*give me every little thing*dfa
the rapture*killing*dfa
liquid liquid*optimo*soul jazz (uk)
bjork*triumph of a heart*elektra
manu dibango*soul makossa*atlantic
dj vadim*london mindstate*ninja tune (uk)
nightcrawlers*push the feeling on (the dub of dooom)*great jones/island
earth people*dance*kool groove
nuyorican soul*you can do it (baby) (bar beats)*giant step/blue thumb
mr. scruff*get a move on*ninja tune (uk)

while tagging with Redlox, i contributed the following selections:

breakestra*cramp your style*stones throw
esther williams*last night changed it all*jazzman (uk)
funkadelic*(not just) knee deep*warner bros.

loleatta holloway*hit and run*gold mind
the fatback band*goin' to see my baby*perception
secret frequency crew*deep blue (eli-173 remix)*counterflow recordings
roy ayers*running away*polydor

zap mama*bandy bandy (carl craig remix)*giant step
cry.on.my.console*superlangalang!*MP3
prefuse 73*why i love you*warp (uk)

louise vertigo* ou est le femme?*yellow productions (france)
portishead*sour times (lot more)*ffrr/london
tricky*christiansands*island (uk)
bjork*i miss you (dobie rub part one - sunshine mix)*elektra
kurtis rush*george michael gets his freak on*MP3

Posted by macedonia at 11:36 PM EST
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Monday, 29 November 2004
it's about shaking those evil vibrations loose...
Now Playing: check the list, people...
Topic: playlists

Saturday night, November 20, 2004
Michelle?s Birthday Party, Brooklyn, NY

As I entered Keri?s apartment, the sounds of Madvillian welcomed me in. I took that as a very good sign. The collabs between Madlib and MF Doom had served as a soundtrack for subway transit the past few days. Beyond that, my wife had given me the Stones Throw 101 collection as a belated birthday present, so I had that label?s work on the brain. Eddie (a.k.a. DJ Soma) was still setting up the sound system, so I made myself comfortable and watched a skate video on the TV screen. He would get things started later with a nice hip-hop set. He?s a Stones Throw head, too ? we hit it off right away. Slowly but surely, more friends and acquaintances would enter the spot. Andre (Praying Mantis) followed up Eddie with a wicked jungle set. My man Mikal came through; we shot the breeze regarding various subjects. Good to catch up with Jon [s] also. He spun some drum and bass, too, mixing in his own tracks with other selections.

Let me get this out of the way now: some guy actually asked me for Snoop?s ?Drop It Like It?s Hot.? Of course I didn?t have it and at that point, I didn?t even know what the song sounded like (Life sans MTV and BET is quite the liberating experience). I heard part of the song a few days after the party and I have to say?I?m not impressed. The Neptunes have definitely done better production. Anyway, I still had some heads nodding and a few cats busting moves. I was requested to spin house and funk. I ended up veering more to the funk side of things; heads seemed to really dig it. Lesson learned: Always fulfill a request for Soho?s ?Hot Music.? Some people still go nuts to it after all this time. I always bring it but rarely ever play it, often choosing DJ Smash?s ?What Is Jazz? (sort of a mash-up between the piano sample from the Soho joint with Deee-Lite?s ?What Is Love??). Plus you can still make the guy who asked for Snoop happy because ?Hot Music? is probably one of three house tracks that he?ll actually get with. Hate to generalize, but that tends to be the case.

I always have an idea of what records I?d like to spin prior to an actual set happening, but it?s important for me to leave room for improvisation and gauge reactions from the crowd. That was definitely true of this set; the enthusiasts swayed me into some interesting places and I was able to reach that medium where I?m pleasing the crowd and myself at the same time. I love it when that happens. There were a few joints I played for the first time that seemed to draw a great reaction from people. I tend to joke about my DJ status as of late, referring to it as a semi-retirement, occasionally emerging from it to do a birthday party, bar mitzvah, and maybe even a circumcision if the mood struck me. These days I feel like I?d rather chill at home with the wifey and some DVDs. Sets like these are good for the soul and don?t happen nearly enough. I was so into what I was doing that I completely lost track of time. The set made Michelle happy, a number of partygoers happy, and it made me happy. A win-win?gotta love that?

- it's about shaking those evil vibrations loose
and dancing with mi abuelita on a saturday night -
a dj set for michelle's b-day party / saturday, november 20, 2004
somewhere around one a.m.

melvin van peebles*break that party/the eight day week/saturday night*stax
the pointer sisters*pinball number count (dj food re-edit)*ninja tune (uk)
lyn collins*think (about it)*people
breakestra*cramp your style*stones throw
esther williams*last night changed it all*jazzman (uk)
secret frequency crew*deep blue (eli-173 remix)*counterflow recordings
djinji brown*abuelita's dance*seven heads
dj smash*what is jazz*eightball
soho*hot music*kool groove
dj smash*gettin' dizzy*new breed
bobby byrd*i know you got soul*king
kool & the gang*chocolate buttermilk*de-lite
mighty ryeders*evil vibrations*luv 'n' haight
dennis coffey and the detroit guitar band*scorpio*sussex
connoisseurs*r&b*dis-joint
liquid liquid*cavern (the cut chemist rocks a rave in a missile silo remix)*mo' wax (uk)
deee-lite*when you told me you loved me*elektra
isolee*it's about*freundinnen (germany)
tribe*tribe*abc
manu dibango*soul makossa*atlantic
konk*baby dee*soul jazz (uk)
war*galaxy*mca
nina simone*see-line woman*verve
nuyorican soul feat. george benson*you can do it (baby) - bar beats*giant step/blue thumb
the juan maclean*give me every little thing*dfa
esg*moody*universal sound/soul jazz (uk)
daft punk*harder better faster stronger (the neptunes remix)*virgin (uk)
nightcrawlers*push the feeling on (the dub of doom)*great jones/island
earth people*dance (bonus beats)*kool groove
de la soul*derwin*tommy boy
dj smash*gimmie some*new breed
major force*the return of the original art-form (dj format remix)*mo' wax (uk)
olli ahvenlahti*grandma's rocking chair - kenny dope remix (percussive explosion live edit)*jazzpuu-love (finland)
archie bell & the drells*tighten up*atlantic
the new birth*i can understand it*rca
jimmy edgar*re: city alley*warp (uk)
gold chains*nada*play it again sam

Posted by macedonia at 5:42 PM EST
Updated: Friday, 3 December 2004 4:44 PM EST
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Monday, 18 October 2004
a necessary change of scenery
Now Playing: Yunx - Snake In The Grass EP [Ai]
Topic: playlists

Even though it was raining cats and dogs on Friday afternoon, it was good to get out of the city. Just the ride up to Tarrytown on the Metro-North was relaxing in and of itself. Upon arrival, I was picked up by my man Tom and whisked to the cafe. Tom had invited me to spin alongside him for a few hours and play some chilled out jazzy stuff. Thankfully, our schedules actually allowed for it to happen. I can?t begin to explain how much I needed the change of scenery. Sitting with some tea and a slice of coffee cake, I was able to fully relax for what seemed like the first time in months.

The tag team DJ set kicked off around 7pm. Tom brought with him a lot of Ninja Tune stuff (as is always the case with him, that being his favorite record label), along with some afro-beat and Brazilian flavored uptempo jazz, and some deep house, too. I went with largely old soul, jazz, and funk, with a few fairly new tunes in the disco and house vein. We balanced each other out in terms of selection. It was nice to just spin without stress, to get into a zone and just go with it or feel free to bounce around as the mood strikes. It reminded me of spinning at Halcyon on Sunday evenings with him and Mercy Killah (hopefully they?ll fully reopen in the ?05), just being able to get free with the selection and having the owners and customers be excited about your contribution to the mix and what it brought to the atmosphere.

Beth met up with me at the cafe and hung out. She even got some reading done. She was so happy to get out and stop living the life of a hermit for a few hours. I chatted with a few heads that came in and out about music and gave away a few mix CDs to those in attendance. This marked the first time I had spun out anywhere since March of this year. I?ve been rather on edge lately and this was good for the soul. I hadn?t felt as good as I did on Friday in a while.

a necessary change of scenery ? Friday, October 15, 2004
Coffee Labs Roasters (Tarrytown, NY)
While tag teaming with Tommy Church, I contributed these songs to the mix:

hilton felton*be bop boogie*luv ?n? height
sly & the family stone*you can make it if you try*epic
aretha franklin*rock steady (danny krivit re-edit)*ibadan
yesterday?s new quintet*deja vu*ubiquity

nina simone*see-line woman*verve
stevie wonder*manhattan at six*tamla
jimmy mcgriff*the worm*solid state
curtis mayfield*superfly*curtom

spymusic*cloak*2000 black (uk)
metro area*dance reaction*environ
gil scott-heron and brian jackson*the bottle*rumal-gia/tvt
ronny jordan*on the record*blue note
cloud one*atmosphere strut*p&p

thievery corporation*shadows of ourselves*esl
reuben wilson*inner city blues*harmless (uk)
courtney pine*the in-sense song (raw deal remix)*talkin? loud (uk)
lou donaldson*one cylinder*blue note
jackson sisters*i believe in miracles*tiger lily
sharpshooters*sweet talkin?*conception (uk)
willie hutch*brothers gonna work it out*motown

Posted by macedonia at 12:14 PM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, 26 October 2004 2:27 PM EDT
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Tuesday, 14 September 2004
WMP3 with DJ Shuffle Play
Now Playing: Nickel and Dime Radio w/Small Change (wfmu.org)
Topic: playlists

There was an interesting article in the New York Times a few weeks ago talking about the IPod community and the shuffle function on their beloved MP3 players. Apparently, there are a number of Pod people that strongly believe that their IPod has a brain and that the Shuffle function is not as random as Apple would have them think it is. There were testimonies from Pod owners suggesting that it responds to their mood by playing a certain song at just the right time. Others lamented that their IPod embarrasses them in front of their cool friends by playing that one bubblegum pop tune at exactly the wrong time. Still others swear that the player seems to prefer certain songs and plays them all the time.

Prior to the release of this article, I decided to try a little experiment of my own. While I don?t own a portable MP3 player that holds up to 10,000 songs, I always bring jukebox CDs into work and play them on my computer. For some odd reason, I never used Shuffle Play until last month. Between four different jukebox CDs, each of them holding between six and ten hours of music, I threw on Shuffle Play to see what the result would be.

It?s been an extremely fun ride. I like the idea of not knowing what?s going to come next. And Shuffle Play has a tendency to create segues that I never would?ve thought of (such as switching from legendary hip-hop DJ/producer Marley Marl to the fuzzed-out hard rock of Daisy Chainsaw, a segue so interesting that Shuffle Play did it twice in one week?using the same two songs). I did notice some repetition in the choices and it happened more often than I expected. For instance, the shuffle function on my Real One Player at work seems to really dig Primus. There are only five Primus songs on my jukebox disc containing 137 MP3 files (about 9.5 hours of music). And yet, it kept going back to those Primus songs, all of which happened to be cover tunes featured on the Miscellaneous Debris EP. Shuffle Play also took a liking to Prince and Frank Zappa, which is really weird because they?re two of my favorite artists.

Shuffle Play also enjoyed the comedy stylings of the late Robin Harris. It was almost as if the comedy bits were thrown into the mix to create a break between one genre of music and another. I kept thinking to myself, this CAN?T be random. And I have this one disc where half of it is filled with selections that I downloaded from the 365 Days Project, a site dedicated to ?outsider music? (rare celebrity recordings and novelty productions). That made for a real interesting time on shuffle ? just plain silly.

And being the total and complete geek that I am, I made a list of the top 50 artists in the mix by DJ Shuffle Play over the past month. I?ve indicated particular albums and songs where I could and even put an asterisk (*) next to anything that can be downloaded from 365 Days. No, I don?t have that much time on my hands?I really don?t?yet I still found time to do this. Don?t ask?

  1. Robin Harris ? Special Radio Edits from Be-Be?s Kids
  2. Primus ? Miscellaneous Debris
  3. Frank Zappa ? Sheik Yerbouti
  4. Bel Canto ? ?Unicorn?
  5. Prince (tracks from his Warner Bros. days)
  6. Therapy? ? Teethgrinder EP
  7. Moms Mabley ? Abraham, Martin & John
  8. DJ Hi-Tek & Talib Kweli ? Reflection Eternal
  9. DJ Drilla (unreleased downbeat joints)
  10. Invisible Skratch Piklz
  11. J.J. Johnson ? Man and Boy (soundtrack)
  12. Blackalicious ? ?Swan Lake? b/w ?Lyric Fathom?
  13. Cornelius - Point
  14. Marley Marl - Re-Entry
  15. Louis Farrakhan ? ?Is She Is, Or Is She Ain?t??*
  16. Freelance Hellraiser (bastard pop mashups)
  17. Ezekiel Honig (Microcosm Music/Anticipate Recordings)
  18. Nasenbluten (hardcore techno)
  19. Charles Bernstein ? Gator (soundtrack)
  20. Jerry Goldstein ? Sebastian (soundtrack)
  21. The Ken Nordine Group ? ?Six Commercials in Search of a Client?*
  22. Atrium (Astrakt Reality Records)
  23. People By Us ? ?Swinglargo?
  24. Discorobics ? ?Hokey Pokey Disco?*
  25. Shorty Petterstein ? The Wide, Wide World of Shorty Petterstein
  26. Star Ads (medley)*
  27. Opus III ? Mind Fruit
  28. Daisy Chainsaw ? ?Pink Flower?
  29. The Pixies ? ?Gigantic?
  30. Yo La Tengo ? ?Today Is The Day?
  31. Ween ? Pure Guava
  32. Techno Animal
  33. The High & Mighty ? Home Field Advantage
  34. Stark Reality ? Now
  35. The Sugarcubes ? ?Cindy?
  36. DJ Empirical ? ?Good to Be a Maneater?
  37. V/VM ? ?Simply?
  38. James Cotton ? ?Beat Ya!?
  39. John Oswald (Plunderphonics) ? ?Worse?
  40. Mudhoney ? ?Fix Me?
  41. Malcolm McLaren & The Bootzilla Orchestra ? Waltz Darling
  42. Sean Thomas (Esho Recordings)
  43. Fabulous Souls ? ?Take Me?
  44. Zion I ? ?We Got It?
  45. Dondero High School Symphony Band & Chorus ? ?Fox On The Run? / ?Sunshine Of Your Love?*
  46. Dick Clark ? ?Open Letter To The Older Generation?*
  47. Bob Chance ? ?The Van Man?*
  48. Morvizion (tracks on hiptingle.com)
  49. The Space Lady ? ?Major Tom?*
  50. Marilyn Sokol ? ?I Want A Monster To Be My Friend?*

Posted by macedonia at 3:54 PM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, 14 September 2004 4:04 PM EDT
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Tuesday, 24 August 2004
back to the party
Now Playing: check the list, man...
Topic: playlists

This is it. The new mix is finally done. Almost 79 minutes in length, starring my good friends disco, house, techno, soul, and funk. After wrestling with this for several months (when I could sneak in the time), I have to say that I?m happy with it. As I?ve stated before on this blog, I?ve been calling it a ?lo-fi booty shake session,? so this one?s for the rump shakers out there. I?ve done the introspective, contemplative mix thing already and I needed to let loose for once?long overdue. Funny thing is it still feels like victory to me, or a soundtrack to overcoming obstacles in a way. That?s probably only because this thing is finally done. But before I overanalyze something that I never designed to be brainy in the first place, let me recap the playlist and step away from the keyboard.

Oh yeah, click here to listen. And enjoy. I hope?

-prelude to a celebration-
mouse on mars*diskdusk*thrill jockey
metro area*dance reaction*environ
the nick straker band*a little bit of jazz*prelude
cookie monster & the girls*c is for cookie (sweet version)*ninja tune (uk)
roy ayers*running away*polydor
cosmic rocker vs. zeb*hashish*codek
djinji brown*chango?s house*seven heads
aardvarck*non spoken (track b1)*delsin (the netherlands)
claro intelecto*tria*ai (uk)
the soft pink truth*soft pink missy*soundslike (uk)
the rapture*killing*dfa
liquid liquid*optimo*soul jazz (uk)
the soul searchers*blow your whistle*harmless (uk)
the joe cuba sextet*bang! bang!*tico
$tinkworx*whut*down low
ezekiel honig*cape cod getaway (john tejada remix)*microcosm music
matthew dear*in unbending*spectral sound
akufen*in dog we trust*force inc. (germany)
!!!*intensifieder ? sunracapellectrohshitmix ?03*touch & go
serge gainsbourg*marabout (bob sinclar remix)*mercury (france)
underworld*rez*wax trax!/tvt
carl craig*tres demented*planet e communications
-the comedown-

Posted by macedonia at 11:15 AM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, 24 August 2004 11:21 AM EDT
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