Hi people in and from the internet!
I have missed you so! Life has been going smooth, I think. If you want to talk weather to me, Southern Ontario is hitting the negative double digits this week but I am getting by my fifth(!) winter in Canada. When you actively rid the word “cold” out of your verbiage, you no longer feel it! What a healthy way to cope.
I have been putting extra time over January just doing some housekeeping and rethinking about music, dance, people, relationships — and how do I pull together with some new focus. And also, my Rekordbox library is totally fucked and has been taunting me with unnamed, untagged, uncategorized tracks that I was only able to produce mixes for tracks that I have been newly listening to, and not digging into the initial finds.
I keep thinking about how our predecessors listen to music differently from our Spotify generation — how our generation approaches music and listening differently when our digital life has become the primary and much of our music “choices” has been somewhat predetermined by the algorithm. Are there any tech people out here that can shed some light on this?
Whatever artistic practice and expressions someone pursues, I think we are facing a technological question and the subsequent culture (and problem) of infinite scrolling. Ron Trent in the “What’s in My Bag?” video, recalls personal stories behind selected records, the people that he collaborated with, his methodology — someone who, outside of their status in Chicago House and Deep House, has cultivated a certain methodology of his practice as a DJ, producer, and selector. I am thinking about rarity and deepness — how do we accept the digital excessive present while enforcing some fashion of rarity?
I am slowly stepping away from Spotify whenever I can. I have been finding sources like NTS radio and LOT radio resources (and support your local radio shows too) finding global and local talents and digging into the comments section. Commenters would eagerly ask for “track IDs” or simply just give a supportive shout-out at certain sections of the mix. Devoted fans of certain DJs will recognize the tracks and archive the setlists at Mixesdb for other “house-heads” or “tech-heads” to follow. Little cookie crumbs to follow. Following DJs on their social media (choose a handful that you feel really rooted with their work and you feel best represented of your “sound”) and check on their labels. Buy songs from Bandcamp if you can, even if you are listening to them on streaming platforms. Go support their gigs if they are in a city near you. Be at the venue early to support the opening DJ. Start the dance floor. Be weird and get deep. Wake up next day in a Youtube rabbithole and Ron Trent starts to tell you all the stories about his production.
Start everything all over again.
I taught a DJ workshop to my colleagues after work which was super fun. It’s not always about dance music with house and techno but more so showing DJing as a listening and sharing practice. Choosing with intention, play the damn tracks, no flashy special effects (well maybe sometimes), and tight selection will draw in the people who are listening and LISTENING. Living in Southern Ontario which is not Toronto, I am for creating your own opportunities and venues! I am hoping to start something and maybe a monthly radio station! All genres are welcome of course. I will see you in a bit hopefully at the club!
SoundCloud: New Mix
I recorded a new set with some deep house selections. Give it a listen! Featuring tracks from Stefan Ringer, Angora, Ron Trent, Bittersuite, Jon Dixon, Priori, Johnny Fiasco, Jim Hopkins, Derwin Hall, Ciel, and so forth.
Track I am Playing On Repeat Lately
In the track “Find Your Way Home,” DJ and producer Octo Octa (Maya Bouldry-Morrison) grabs your hand as she introduces you to the different windows of her musical world that is so unabashedly expansive yet intimate. There is no stopping and shying away. The track meanders through a genre-fuckery of house beat, techno, breakbeat, and trance. Queer and Trans Radical Joy!
“how do we accept the digital excessive present while enforcing some fashion of rarity?” great sentence, I miss dancing with u