Disco Photography

GG's Barnum Room, 1979. Photo: Bill Bernstein

West End Girls

Here is another mix from CD Vaults of the iconic "West End Girls" by Pet Shop Boys. The Pet Head that I am, I have always been fascinated with this song specially for the evolution from the 1984 Bobby Orlando version to the more polished heavy on the base Stephen Hague 1985 version. They are both brilliant versions.  Here is a totally different take while overdoing it with some samples from Deee-Lite and St. Germain and other crazy stuff it totally feels distorted yet with some great moments. It feels all over the place and it shows you that's what I was into it a lot in 2006. Enjoy!

Depecheowie

From the CD vaults I found this crazy mash-up called Depecheowie.  Sprinkling some Bowie instrumentals with some Depeche Mode loops. A very unlikely marriage.  This was the time when I had a Dell computer and  was experimenting using separate sound files  composed of breaks and edits. I would splice them up to create loops and record them on external mic in front of the speakers for the final mix. I bit obsolete by today's standards I mus say but still sounds nice. Enjoy

Editorial Mix

Here is the Spring Mix of '16  titled the Editorial Mix. I was inspired by the idea of reading a magazine and current events. Enjoy!

Moody's Mystery Mix

Today I am featuring this amazing mix by Moody. I was quite flattered to hear that he reached out to me with praise and inspiration for this blog and my featured mixes as well.  So here it is for your enjoyment and I will let you describe it in his own words:

"Here I have created a mix composed of different styles and genres to take the listener on a musical journey. "It can be a challenge to put together a mix that is eclectic with out it being all over the place but here I have tried to keep it together by keeping the rhythm constant. 

I have opted for a slow tempo throughout as I like the feeling of space achieved by this, giving a dubby effect, space can be the musician's greatest asset, this seems to be overlooked by a lot of today's djs/producers as they try and cram in as many sounds and effects as possible into their mixes and tracks, often resulting in a crowded, muddied track/mix, leaving the listener fatigued.

Dance music doesn't have to be electronic, great as this style is, there are so many different genres that get people up and on the floor. Here in this mix, I have included genres diverse such as Blues, Country, Reggae, Disco as well as a smattering of good old House and Techno. What makes people dance has been the same elements within music since time begun,  rhythm. It really is mainly down to the beat, if a tune has a solid beat, then that is what people are going to pick up upon. 

So whilst dipping toes in many styles, the beat remains a solid, constant, this is my musical secret, it is the rhythm that drives this mix, like all music, you can strip away all the fancy effects and loops but it is always and always has been the beat that makes people dance.

As for track choice, I have tried to demonstrate  my versatility as a selector. I could of banged out  90 minutes of House but where would the fun be in that? I like to keep people guessing, to surprise the listener with tunes you would never have thought of being on a mix. It has taken me a good while to piece this effort together as I like to try and be original with my choices. I listen to a lot of music every day, having been a professional DJ for many years, playing bars and clubs as well as promoting nights, I have over time been exposed to many different genres which have broadened my tastes hugely over the years. I also try and include tracks that I have not heard on other DJs mixes, due to the sheer volume of mixes out there, you can imagine this is no easy task.

So here it is, a truly eclectic effort, joining the dots across the board whilst keeping the rhythm flowing.  Sit back and enjoy this somewhat slow-mo, spacey, dubby and cosmic mix. Listen out for tracks from the likes of Howling Wolf, Soft Rocks, Peter Tosh, JJ Cale and many, many more......

With love, 

Moody......

More Than Ever People

Released in 2001, "More Than Ever People" by Levitation from the Cafe Del Mar "chill out" Ibiza compilations. This is from Volumen Cinco and compiled by the great Jose Padilla.  This is such a time capsule already and so hard to believe this is already 15 years old! Enjoy