Winter's End Mix

Here is a new mix. Long time no do. Here is the first 2021 mix composed of some good oldies, newbies and in betweens.  Enjoy! 

At Rock Bottom

Here is a new one from Pet Shop Boys. This is a B side from their latest release single "Monkey Business".  I'm loving them back again! Oh I think the song it's about a major icon hitting rock bottom and leaving this plane.  Could it be about George Michael? Perhaps?

Enjoy

The Tina Turner Chants

Illustration by Jack Rivas

I have been thinking about Buddhist chanting lately and how it's able to transcend language evoke  and sound. I outtakes from a Tina Turner's interview with Larry King on the subject within the context of sound, language and rhythm.  Three mixes here for your full pleasure.  A couple of them using a slowed down edit of Charangit Singh's "Raga Biaragi" with some added harps and  the other one using Deep'a & Biri's "Hine Gama" mixed with Pet Shop Boys "London". Enjoy

To Everyone

Here is another from my beloved Pet Shop Boys. "Love Comes Quickly" to everyone, everyone.... Always an inspiration and so excited for their upcoming release of Hotspot in 2020. So far it sounds like they are returning to form with new fresh ideas and complex lyrics which have always added to their appeal when they no longer are trying to satisfy their "lasers and overtly produced post electro sound base" which is not necessarily bad but nice to know they are tapping complexity and simplicity at the same time. Neal never sounded better and clear! So here is me remixing their classic "Love Comes Quickly" yet again! This one is more suggested and streamlined with some insane harps and string for added drama! Love Comes Quickly "To Everyone" Enjoy

Domino Dancing

In the spirit of remixing Pet Shop Boys most iconic songs. This one goes out to all the PetHeads. You know who you are! There is the suite version, playing around with the guitar and trumpet riffs over a steady house loop. The shorter Introspective Version it's shorter and a bit edited. The first time I heard Domino Dancing was at gay bar in Baton Rouge, LA called Opinions along with the video on a big screen sometimes around 1988.  Baton Rouge was and still is a conservative town unlike New Orleans and this was the time when I was coming into my own as a gay man living under Jimmy Swaggart's hey day. His throngs of religious fanatics used to plant themselves under a tent across the street from the club with one of them on a megaphone preaching you were going to hell and to repent now! This was pre "love the sinner hate the sin" ridiculousness. I would be lying if I say this type of oppression and hate still exist.  I do have to admit this it added to the excitement of going there. Anyhow, this song and the whole LP changed my life period! Enjoy!

PSBPetShopBoysHouseIntrospectiveDominoDancingpurehousebestsynthduoever

Dreamland: It Always Comes As A Surprise

\So Excited about my favorite synth pop duo's new release of "Dreamland" feat. Years & Years' Olly Alexander. The song has all the essentials of a Pet Shop Boys hit. Perfect timing and back in true form!They have announced a new record in 2020. Can't wait! It the midsts of such excitement I decided to rework "It Always Comes As A Surprise" a "B" side from their underrated mid '90s LP Bilingual. Enjoy!

Save Me The Ceremony From The Miracle

Photo and styling: Jack Rivas.  Model: Christian Sam

Here is a remix where I took some parts of Aretha Franklin's "Save Me" over Rebolledo's  "Canivalon" and added Pet Shop Boys "Ceremony" from The Miracle section of "The Most Incredible Thing" n score they did for a ballet in 2011.  The end result has a very haunting vibe and I'm pretty pleased with the results.  Enjoy!

In Memory of my dear friend Barry

This post is in memoriam 

of an old sweet friend of mine Barry Lavigne whom I just recently found out passed away in 2007.  Barry was  from Louisisiana. I met him when I was beginning my senior year at Hammond High School. I first met him when I was a Senior in high school, a few years older than me yet we connected immediately during a night out at this straight club called Juniors in Hammond, Louisiana.  It was on the dance floor dancing to Shriekback "Nemesis" where you would become a statue at some point during the song following by a chain reaction using improv movements.  He was already a very successful hairdresser and in high demand in the south. He was like my older gay brother/guide and loved my thick hair giving me the most amazing haircuts and even bleached my hair once giving me a beautiful silver blond color with he called "Sylvia".  You see, he  always said the funniest hybrid names for things and places and coming up with the funniest catchphrases such as  Ponchatula "Zsazsashula" for his hometown of Ponchatula. Other funny catch phrases were "how you durin" and "cute" when something was on point.  Full of love, wit, laughter and so much talent, he was actually meant to be an opera tenor but never got a round pursuing such rigorous career path and he love his menthol cigarets. We shared the same love of the same music, Siouxie Sue and the Banshees, B-52s, Book of Love, Kraftwerk,  New Order, Erasure, Pet Shop Boys, Yazz, Tina Turner, Ten City, Tracy Chapman, Culture Club, Bronski Beat, Depeche Mode, Human League and so much more.   He was also very stylish and a sharp dresser by always being on point with a "look" every time we would get together.  He pretty much introduced me to the New Orleans gay scene during the late '80s as he would drive his white Land Rover  directly to the Bourbon Pub, Cafe Lafitte's, Good Friends, Rawhide, the Mint, Oz, Phoenix and Chaps.  Our evening goals where to be as chic with a cigarette and a cocktail. We were totally posers! He took me once to the Kingfish in Lafayette, an after hours place in the middle of the swamp with there would some fabulous raves.   He then moved to San Francisco and went to visit him which is where this photo was taken at his apartments we were on our way to see the Pet Shop Boys at the Warfield theater in 1990.  We were "never being boring and he was the party animal I would phone when I was left to my own devices". He came to visit me once when I lived in Spanish Harlem and had a blast bar hoping in the East Village.  Soon after that trip we drifted apart for no reason and moved on with our lives and careers. I would think of him on and off and when the Internet and social media came around,  I tried to find him to no avail. I suspected something might have happened to him but was never sure until recently during a friend's gathering his name came up we found a memorial page on Facebook. I was stunned with the news and began to process this closure while realizing how much part of my life he was growing up gay and immigrant in the south.  He will always be in my heart. These two songs I dedicate to him are remixes using "The Swan" by Julee Cruise with "In My Eyes" by Stevie B. Rest in Power sweet Barry! Enjoy

Can You Forgive Here for being Mighty Real?

by David Wojnarowicz

Mixing up Sylvester with Pet Shop Boys couldn't get more "Mighty Real" here and gay for that matter.  Cover art by one of my favorite '80s artist David Wojnarowicz. Enjoy!

Flowers

Here is a longish but nice exploration of mid 90's Bilingual phase Pet Shop Boys B-Side " How I Learned to Hate Rock'nRoll which btw they don't hate it. Neil Tennant was in character when he wrote it so get a grip.  It's some wild surprises such as James Brown and of course Arnamd Van Helden's late early 2000s party anthem "Flowers".  Enjoy!

Why Don't We Live Together

.....Baby why don't we live together.... I just been re-discovering Pet Shop Boys on vinyl and it has re-energized some great parts that I failed to hear on their other plethora of different format releases. Not to mentioned that Neil Tennant's book recent release of 100 Lyrics and a Poem has brought forth his amazing lyric writing and put these songs into a different orbit.  This synth pop crooner This one is a total ironic ode to Madonna's "Into The Groove and as matter of fact was actually written with her in mind.  So here "Why Don't We Live Together" gets the Disco Monk treatment with two versions a dramatic  and twisted string version and another more sync piano focused.  Enjoy!

Devotion On My Mind

Photo taken this past February at Poneloya beach in Nicaragua

"Devotion" as in I want to give you devotion. Here I'm serving you a couple of different versions of this gorgeous classic falsetto from Byron Stingily during his Ten City reign with one of my all time favorite house breaks taken from the flawless outro from Pet Shop Boys "Always on my Mind" from their house infused classic "Introspective" which by the way, I just happened to get he newly pressed vinyl release and  I must say it sounds incredible. Then I did some pretty decent string orchestration along with some synth riffs.  I was actually so impressed with them that I ended up doing another version totally stripped of beats adding some Indian tabla and making a totally ambient meditative version.  Enjoy!

On My Mind:

Rent

I think at this point I will probably end up remixing the entire Pet Shop Boys catalogue considering how extensive it is probably not but they always uplift with their unique and smart pop sensibility. they always bring me home.  I was a total Pet Head last night so here are two gems. Their sublime "Rent" and their B side classic "It Must Be Obvious". Enjoy

Miserablism

I've always loved this B-Side ode to teen negativity and cynicism by Pet Shop Boys! It was revamped nicely by Moby in 2003 with his electro mix and featured on their Pop Art Greatest Hits. This one gets the Pacific Coliseum treatment which is a nice new chill techno sound I'm liking. Also this mix features some spoken word the the great Ghandi and some Vedic chanting by Ravi Shankar and George Harrison. Yes, a lot going on here. Btw, play it loud, for some reason I can't get the sound to go up. Enjoy!

Psychological Conquest

Here is a very cinematic take on Pet Shop Boys underrated "Psychological" from their 2006 release of Fundamental using dialogue from the late Greta Garbo and Charles Boyer from the movie Conquest. Enjoy!

And here is the less cinematic version without them making it a straight forward remix. Enjoy!
 

March Winter 18 Mix

Playa Hermosa, Nicaragua taken February 24th, 2018

It has been quite some time since last mix. I finally took a long due vacation a couple of weeks ago. Visited my beautiful birth country of Nicaragua.  It has been almost 10 years since last I visited, needles to say, I had an amazing time embracing the country's gorgeous nature, people, food and loved ones.  It was hard coming back to the city grind and Winter gray weather.  So what's better for coping than with music. So, here is the latest of the Winter series combining a strange mix of songs that I have been absorbing for the past 3-4 months.  It's also a bit more experimental compare to other mixes I've done. Hope you enjoy!
 

Suburbia In the Night

Here is another remix from the Pet Shop Boys series. I could easily put a whole album of remixes at this point.  Enjoy!~

Lef To My Own Devices

Here is a long take on one of my favorite dance songs of all times and a favorite from Pet Shop Boys. The anthemic "Left To My Own Devices" getting a the glamjack treatment for the second time around!  I left some parts alone because they were too brilliant and perfect to mess with. Enjoy!

Love: This Happens To Everyone

Love comes quickly in whatever you do, you can't stop falling. This happens to everyone, to everyone....this has  been one the many beloved songs by British sync-dance duo Pet Shop Boys. Here is remixed with some of Troye Sivan's great synth pop hit "My My My" which upon a first listen had PSB all over.  Enjoy

I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Anymore

 Here is a long (very long take) on a very pivotal song in my life. This was released in 1999 from their underrated Nightlife album. I was going through a very hard break up with someone I love dearly. Pet Shop Boys just released a newly mastered version of this song with some other great extra tracks added. This was one of my favorites and had to pay homage to this song that helped me get through a very hard time. Enjoy!