BROADCASTS.com

b'

Almost Spring...but not quite! (12C in Melbourne today)

\\xa0

Indeed, Downunder where I am, it is almost Spring, yet we are absolutely freezing our proverbial t#itts off!

With this in mind, here is an unpretentious little disco/funky/beach number blending new takes on old favourites and current funky releases.

Since I suffered a total meltdown of my music database, I am in full rebuilding mode and will for a few weeks(I Hope) only access my most recent purchases, the rest being buried deep in the back-ups I thankfully did.

After a few very satisfactory and well received progressive sets, I am going back to soulful for a few uploads. To a certain extent a \\u201ccleansing\\u201d move, though the current offering in soulful still leaves me wanting.

I had very few choices having to deal with the corrupted library and still learning to tame the new Traktor S2. Got lazy in some transitions and took a minute and a half to beat match a recalcitrant downbeat in the last track hence the fact that you get the loop for that long. \\xa0I could have cut and edited it but to keep the live feel I chose not to and anyhow this was not an upload I wanted perfect.

Put this on and catch the first glimpses of the Australian Spring.

\\xa0

Playlist:

\\xa0

\\n

1. 2013 Come On (Original Mix). Satin Jackets
\\n

2. 2012 Riders on The Storm (Pete Oaks Moonshine Edit). The Doors ( Soundcloud Remix) \\xa0 \\xa0 \\xa0
\\n

3. 2013 Give me the Night (DJ Meme DUB & Deep in the Night Long Remix)).George Benson
\\n

4. 2013 So Tight (Original Mix) [Xtian The Phuture Edit feat Akabu]. DJ Fudge & Kiko Navarro
\\n

5. 2012 Far Away (The Layabouts Vocal Mix). MdCL feat. Lady Alma
\\n

6. 2013 Hang On to Your Love (Funky Judge Club Mix) [Xtian Next Level Edit feat Roland Clark]. Funky Judge feat Fassy
\\n

7. 2013 Turn Around (Brighter Days). Scott Diaz, Matt Jam Lamont & Brian Keys Tharme \\xa0 \\xa0 \\xa0 \\xa0
\\n

8. 2012 Set Fire On the Rain (OtherSoul Bootleg). Layabouts feat. Adele
\\n

9. 2013 The Sun Has Come (Joey Negro Sundown Mix). Ayala \\xa0
\\n

10. 2013 Cada Vez (Michael Gray Mix).The Cube Guys feat. Alexandra Prince \\xa0 \\xa0\\xa0
\\n

11. 2012 SuperStar (OtherSoul Remix Master). Jamelia \\xa0 \\xa0\\xa0
\\n

12. 2003 Forever More (Christian F Tribal Edit into Francois K Vocal Mix). Moloko
\\n
\\n

\\xa0

Highlights:

In as much as I did not have much choice with the selection with my corrupted library, I believe I manage to at least dig out good tunes.Here we go:

"Come On" by Satin Jackets, perfect example of great production centered around a classic piano riff, 5 chords in progression, a thumping bass and one vocal hook sample.. yet \\xa0a perfect tune, which would set the mood for any pro DJ out there.. Love it!

"Riders on The Storms" got to love a classic.. I knew I had chosen right when my wife first whinged hearing the intro and then told me .. " wow that\'s a cool remix".. To top it a yound Catalan to whom I had given a take to listen to asked me for the track.. Cleverly done, again great massive bassline and just two chords recalling the melody throughout the track.. I do not know Peter Oaks ( got it from Soundcloud) but he is one talented man.

"Give Me the Night" DJ Meme\'s take on the George Benson classic.. Me like ;).. Ever since I heard Meme given a lesson to Dimitri on how to play to/with the crownd in melbourne a few years ago, I have the outmost respect. His trademark funky/happy rich production is there. The original is enhanced, revisited but not lost..

"So Tight" from\\xa0DJ Fudge & Kiko Navarro, the very same comments than the ones for the frist track "Come On" apply.. Somehow even a more simple production, a piano lick, a voice sample, a clever bassline, a filter here and there and here we go, we have a a great tune.. A lesson in simple but effective production.. from Fudge and Navarro.. Young talent listen and learn ;).. Oh.. I almost forgot, Xtian had to edit it with the Phuture Akabu\'s sample.. He just had to..

"Far Away" from\\xa0MdCL feat. Lady Alma. A freebie from the Layabouts soundcloud page.. The epitomous beachy tune for me.. The right key, the right percussions, a great vocalist and a great melody.. Add to that the Layabouts treatment and we are in Beach House bliss..

"Hang On to Your Love" from Funky Judge feat Fassy.\\xa0I may have used this remix before.. It just felt right. Suffice to say i love the tune but really the beats matched and I was by that time well under way and starting to feel the mix.. Dropped the sample on top of it, sample, which I later tamed for I am not sure anyone but but wants to hear "house made it good house made it right", but was fun to use the new Traktor remix deck and be able to filter the crap out of some part! It (sort of) works, I am too lazy to edit it post mix.. Before I forget, whoever this Fassie is, great vocalist.

"Turn Around (Brighter Days)" Scott Diaz\'s freebie from his soundcould page.. Apparently they had a blue with the vocalist who is not credited and they ended up releasing it for free.. A pity, she is great and whatever disagreement she might have had, this magnificient piece of soulful, beach inspirted tune would have been great for her profile.. Anyhow great job from Mr Diaz..

\\xa0"Set Fire On the Rain (OtherSoul Bootleg).. With the last track of the mix, definitively the absolute stand-out of the set. Again a freebie from Soundcloud, which I think I got alerted to by Hayden.. Not sure who OtherSoul is but please check their soundcloud page, they are immensely talented and their ptreatment of the Layabouts\' an original take on Adele forces the outmost respect.

"The Sun Has Come" Joey Negro\'s take on Ayala\'s tune.. \\xa0Had to drop this one in a beachy/funky set and it fitted perfectly. As expected from Joey it is just perfectly produced.. Really with Grant Nelson, Joey Negro is my favourite UK house music producers hands-down..\\xa0

"Cada Vez" from The Cube Guys feat. Alexandra Prince of So Many Times Fame.. This one is one of my favourite happy house tunes and a Freakazoid standard for those who can remember.. Michael Gray is doing justice to this house anthem and I am sure that some of house will shed a nostalgic tear..

"SuperStar" another freebie from the OtherSol soundcloud page... the only "weak" tune of the lot, not that OtherSoul\'s remix is bad, just that maybe the tune was over promoted a few years ago.. But I remember listening to the tune when our first born was a toddler, my own moment of nostalgia..

Now for the piece de resistance...

"Forever More" the Moloko absolute anthem. Somehow I had either forgotten or totally missed the Francois K Vocal Mix which I heard on the Defected podcast.. I actually bought the DDD compilation just for this track.. I twisted it just enough for it to have a proper intro and fit into the down beat.. But please JUST LISTEN to this track, Francois Kerkovian showing why he is one of the top 10 "godfather" of House.. This track has EVERYTHING, the melody, the production, it is soulful, sexy, tech. deep. Again simplicity rules..

Considering the paucity of what I had in front of me, corrupted library/database and a certain tired of soulful feeling, I believe I did "ok"..

Next one is a little challenge I have given myself (but with the same library limitations).. A male voices only set.. after being asked by someone why I rarely use soulful tunes with male voices, I thought I would dig deep and put something half decent together..

Hope you will enjoying Almost Spring ... but not quite..

A tr\\xe9s bient\\xf4t

Xtian