Philadelphia vagina rockers stab the American airwaves in the balls with their shit hot music

So tomorrow is yet another public holiday and I hope everyone enjoys as much sunshine as possible before the cold properly starts settling in.

The top rankin' crew at Mad Decent just might have the perfect soundtrack for you too - a whole remix album by Toy Selectah that Bersa Discos and them are giving away for FREE!



Now, if you don't know anything about Mad Decent, they represent in more ways than one, bringing you various releases from the likes of Boy 8-bit, Diplo, Crookers, DJ Blaqstarr and even some remixes of Of Montreal; and more recently, the sooper surf-riffing reggaeton vibes of Major Lazer's (Diplo & Switch) "Hold The Line" featuring Santigold and Mr. Lexx!



Major Lazer - Hold The Line feat. Santigold and Mr. Lexx (DJ edit - Dirty) (right click save as)

Major Lazer - Hold The Line feat. Santigold and Mr. Lexx (Instrumental) (right click save as)

Major Lazer - Hold The Line feat. Santigold and Mr. Lexx (Accapella) (right click save as)

Major Lazer - Hold The Line feat. Santigold and Mr. Lexx (An-Ten-Nae's Lazers On Stun Remix) (zSHARE)

I'll be sure to drop at least one of these tracks in my set at the second !DIRTY!DIRTY! party (check out the first one dropping in 2 weeks hosted by b'day boi Spoek and co. here)

Toy Selectah has put something together that could easily have been conceived by Spoek if he got together with Manu Chao or (more likely) El Guincho and took a tropical Yacht Rock nu-rave coast to coast (from Rio to Madrid via Afrika, docking for two last dates in Miami and California).

Here on MexMore, besides the Justice and Boys Noize remixes, we have Devendra Banhart getting primed for the discoteca, Chromeo strutting their fancy footwork at parties in Cuba and Brazil; Argentinians Illya Kuriaki are suddenly dubbed an old-school disco Panico-esque Juan Maclean; while Air's "Sexy Boy" and Kissy Sell Out's Human League mash-up gets kuduro inspired dance-punk/rave-up treatments. Toy Selectah doesn't stop there though, giving Santigold a not too Shaggy cumbia reggaeton remix... and there's even some really smooth music with his production of The Outfield!

So make the tackiest tiki-bar setup you can muster, break out some Piña coladas, line this baby up - and remember to keep the fire:

Toy Selectah - MexMore LP (right click save as)

Let's set sail!



"Get your dick out of your heart (do you even know what the kids on the street are listening to? Disco, motherfucker!") and download the complete Yacht Rock series here! It will fit nicely on your iPod and make it infinitely more smooothe.

Cosmic Disco Hero Makes Some Noize

Boredoms are a Japanes noise /avant-garde rock band who've been around since around 1986. They've collaborated with everyone from John Zorn to members of Sonic Youth and have influenced pretty much everyone from Oneida to Deerhoof, even South African  noizemakers The Sticky Antlers.

Their latest, Super Roots Volume 10, is comprised of 6 new tracks, 4 of which are remixes of “Ant 10”. The vinyl has been long sold out now and it's proven rather difficult to find...



Lindstrøm's version is a cosmic workout that sounds something like if Stevie Wonder was pulled into a guest appearance against his shrooming will at a disco in Nigeria in the 70ies and "Superstition" turned into an epic jam with some added Moogs to his disposal.

(I've had this for a while now, since its release in fact, but after I found that gif out of a scene from an Asian movie I'm busy tracking down, it somehow reminded me and I couldn't resist doing this post.)

Boredoms - Ant 10 (Lindstrøm remix) (Mediafire)

And in case you missed out, Lindstrøm's album Where You Go I Go Too is a mammoth of a disco masterpiece and one of my favourite releases of last year! I highly recommend tracking it down.

Bonus:

He also has a more recent album out - II - another collaboration with psychedelic partner and friend Prins Thomas (also a favourite producer of mine).

Balearic beach bliss, lost in translation...

Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas - Note I Love You + 100 (Mediafire) [for Leeny]

Belushi's Beloved - 009

If Phoenix, Vampire Weekend and French Kicks had a 12 way gay love in, it would be disgusting, but through some divine miracle had a baby. It would be the sound of Two Door Cinema Club and a thing of beauty.

Here's a sample off the debut vinyl single, off Kitsune.

Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work (320Kbps MediaFire)

Buy the debut vinyl single at Rough Trade here. 

Myspace link.

You lucky, lucky people...

What? You're in Cape Town? Tonight? Ok... well, answer this question smart-ass... Why the fuck are you not going to Killer Robot presents: Claudia Lovisa? Were I in your dancin' shoes, that's where I'd be going. Not that my longing for a quality club night should convince you to do the same, no, you need something more. Claudia recently hit us up with a couple of mixes and so, for the sake your party future, I urge you to listen to this...

Amelie Promo February 2009

This precision dose of "smooth" is the work of Claudia Lovisa & Sophie Oliver. Performing together as Amelie, the team regularly turns the heat up on the dance floor for Audiofly who have recently signed the talented pair to their label, Supernature.

The mix itself sparkles! Beautifully selected and elegantly mixed, there is something about this kind of deep and sexy House flavoured Techno that daydream-teleports me to a intimate dance floor. A dance floor full of pretty people. Smooth dudes and sexy girls with shiny, happy faces not giving a shit about what tomorrow might bring... or something like that. It doesn't hurt that Luciano & Richie Hawtin's "I want to fuck" rears it's head around 16:49 either.

Claudia has been kind enough to agree to an interview so we'll be catching up with her when she's back in London for a look back on the party that was or in my case, the party that wasn't.

The Headphone Junkie T-shirts are now available

We absolutely ADORE what the HRUKI clothing label is doing.

Those kids are doing something truly special and we are oh so happy we can be a part of their fantasticalness!

They started approaching various bands last year to do designs for them, with each t-shirt getting packaged with a free CD containing a couple of songs that serves as an introduction to each band.


Hruki are the siblings Hampton, with illustrations and designs spilling out of the wonderful imagination of sister Mary-Anne and brother Daniel taking care of business.


Our t-shirts come in olive green (guys and girls cuts) and grey (guys and girls cuts). The cut and fabric are as good as American Apparel's - if not better!

The ever expanding range that currently include designs for kidofdoom, Fire Through The Window, Dear Reader, Johnny Neon, Atilla and the Honeys and more, are now available from the following outlets country wide:

Look and Listen
Big Blue

In Durban:

Idols and Mamba

In Cape Town:

Bassline Studio

Overseas / Online:

Hruki.com

You might also have been lucky enough to get one of our little mixes we gave away to promote the blog... If not, lucky for you, they are now included for free with our t-shirts when you buy one. Nice huh!

The fully licensed pretty pretty 7-track mix CD is something more of a chilled indie pop & psychedelia affair, intended for an especially sunny or otherwise lovely day...

Here's the tracklisting for the aptly named "Yippy":

01. PRINTS - Yippy
02. BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW - Neon Syrup For The Cemetery Sisters
03. A FAULTY CHROMOSONE - Them Pleasures Of The Flesh
04. AIR FRANCE - No Excuses
05. JOIEJOIEJOIE - Pilmipilpi
06. VINCENT - So, I Must Be Lucky
07. BANJO OR FREAKOUT - Archangel (Burial cover)

Things-a-Foot: Man and Mshini

Thursday sees Joao Orrechia, Meat the Veggies (i hate jokes.) and Data Takashi at House of Ntsako. Today was Election Day. Fuck. On Saturday Data Takashi played a dubstep set like old jeans heavy with dirty brown river water. Like, the Mississipi if all the fish lost their fins in The Struggle and had to have titanium replacements fitted. And then, on Friday, some boys with fringes made the air shake and it sounded pretty damn good.

TechnoMusicIsReallyNice.
So, lately, there hasn't been much reason for me to bother with boxes covered in strings and bowls with lids you can hit with sticks. That fateful Friday (at back2basix, eurgh) two of the most socially awkward Young Men to ever climb onto the corner of a stage changed all that. After forming a few years back and taking the Scene (as it was) by storm for a few months, Us Kids Know (now renamed Sad Swamps) disappeared. The next thing I heard was a full, ringing, epiphanic something charging the air around WSOA at night as I earned my first year bitch credits. It spoke to (I like that joke.) fear and irrelevance and people believing that an SMS is a person. What was prophecised, and what I saw on the far right of the pukey-orange, Quervo-bannered stage, was human beings making music bigger than themselves.

Gary Thomas is a cowboy.

Sad Swamps is a less good name for a more good Us Kids Know.

Photo by Ndaxola Nkalashe. White people are allowed to call him "Dux".

On the usual note, here's something that will make your junk thunk:

Biscope - Ol Dirty (Shimmy Shimmy Ya Dubstep Remix) (Mediafire)

When I first heard Biscope, I have to say I wasn't much impressed. It came almost two years after Kode9 + the Spaceape ate my personality, and wasn't heavy enough, wobbly enough, pyschedelic enough or fat enough. Not nearly, nearly fat enough. Especially coming from the brothers Rum[mmmmm]ney, it felt a bit halfass. However, I was wonderfully wrong.

Dubstep and an ODB sample can't lie too flat, I guess, but this itchy-scratchy wobbly-filthy piece of multi-layered hot yum is pretty exceptional. The real appeal of dubstep, in Colleensville, is the combination of the invasive, physical bass and the delicate, tricksy little Noises in the treble and your mind. In this track, Biscope (I like that joke too.) get the duality, and add their own particular funky, uncomfortable, catchy, friendly bite. Nice. Real nice.

And the moral of the folklore is:
People are important, and so are machines.

In Praise of Long-ass Mixes

A friend of mine (If you said it, leave a note because I can't remember) recently said to me that long mixes have brought back the kind of listening pleasure that music on tape used to deliver. That's true in so many ways it's a little creepy. Single tracks are great and stuff, I spend the better part of day hunting them down and listening to them but when you get an hour or so of sharp, smart mixing the clarity of each track's intent becomes almost blinding.

A while back I found myself bored shitless with what I was playing. I didn't know what I needed at the time but I knew I wanted music that felt criminal, clinical, mechanised but undeniably primal. Music that spoke directly to the body. What I wanted was Techno. Jesus, just looking at the word prints a sneer on my face.

My answer came in the form of a lone podcast. On the UK based RK2 podcast you will find a staggering selection of mixes from niche DJs, hand picked from around the world by RK2's administrator and regular contributor, Korruptor. All the mixes are quality but for my money, the regular who stands out the most is Germany's Herbert Pryne. He has a whole mess of mostly dark Techno mixes posted on RK2 but the two I've linked to changed my perspective and gave me direction.

This Saturday is my last set at Bliss. There will be moments of corruption that would make Tricky Dick himself proud and fear that will leave you rabbit-eyed and shaking in the corner. Tempted? If you're in town, come.

148 Xinyi Road, Sec 4 (台北信義路四段148號)

Belushi's Bonzer - 008

Before all you show ponies hit the tinnys, roo snacks and turps this weekend and have a technicolour yawn, lend an ear to this corker. You'll laugh your trackie daks off.

And Lapse, don't be as cross as a frog in a sock because it's 2 Diplo posts in a line, cause we all know you got roos loose in the top paddock.

Diplo - Smash a Kangaroo (VBR MediaFire)

Heaps Decent Diplo Workshops and proof that Diplo is a top bloke link.

Shot boet, sharp, sharp

New mix by me. All South African wobbly glitch-hop dubstep mix. It includes the titan of a track, possibly my favourite local track of the year, "Tantrum" by Mix n Blend feat. Sfr and Ej Von Lyrik. Boom Monk Ben, who is championing local beats, played "Tantrum" on Friday at Go-Go Bar during the final stages of his mammoth set. Absolutely loved it.

Incidentally Boom Monk Ben was the bizness, and in relation to a previous rather controversial post it would seem, apparently Cape Town was more off the hook than Joburg. But I had such a jol anyway which I suppose is the most important thing in the end. Here's the mix:

1.Richard the Third – Hydrogen and Helium
2.Sibot – 12345
3.Considerate Builder’s Scheme – Back Space
4.Felix La Band – Turn the Clock
5.Tone Def Junkies – Spaetzi
6.Dank – Analogue Freq
7.Fletcher – The Tape Worm’s Told Me To
8.P.H.fat – Prime Ape (Biscope Remix)
9.Biscope – Unto Dust
10.Moleke Mbembe – War On Words
11.Richard the Third – Kyk Waar Jy Loop
12.DJ Mujava – Township Funk (TRG Remix)
13.Mix n Blend feat. Sfr and Ej Von Lyrik – Tantrum
14.340ml – Sorry For the Delay (Richard the Third Quick Teaser Remix)
15.340ml - Sorry For the Delay

Here's the link: Shot Sharp Mixtape

Have you met Magda?

Well I hadn't. Not until last night. I couldn't sleep for the fourth night in a row. The blame is on jet lag this time and not my amorous housemate, he's away this weekend.

Phil the housemate. Love Machine

I was scouring the nether regions of the Internet looking for God knows what and I stumbled across Magda. Well, her top 10 anyway, but it was enough information to make me want to dig a little deeper. There is a lot of information about her and she's been around for a while so I'll just stick to the facts.

No Words

Her full name is Magdalena Chojnacka. She's Polish but grew up in the states. In 1996 she started DJing the shit out of the underground party scene under the guidance of Dan Bell and Claude Young and quickly became a Detroit favourite. Around 1999 her selections became decidedly more minimal. She then caught the attention of Detroit's second wave pioneer, the legendary Richie Hawtin. She's his protege now and no 1 choice for opening act whenever he plays. When Richie fucking Hawtin says "Hey Magda. Come to my house. I'll show you how I do what I do and while we're at it, you can copy all my music" you know everything is going to be ok. Check out her top 10, download the mix, pay attention to her selection and flawless technique. She's producing now and that is a very, very good thing.

Magda @ Electronic Beats Radio Oktober 2008 (Mediafire)

Oh hey, while you're at it, download this sleazy piece of late night joy

Luciano ft. Richie Hawtin - I want to fuck (Mediafire)

Parties: Playdoe / Lapse / Grave Danger & Liver

Wicked line-up!

Dance like its the second coming of Jesus.

Line-up:

Playdoe (live)
Grave Danger
Liver
Lapse

__________________________________________________

(Tonight) Thursday, April 9. The Assembly (CPT)
For more info on this event, check it out on Facebook HERE.

__________________________________________________

And then let your dancing spill over to the next dancefloor the following night for a holy head -to-head:

"Lapse & Belushi" @ Kink.
For more info visit the Facebook event HERE

Belushi's Beloved - 007

I remember seeing Diplo play Jhb year before last. I also remember seeing all the people that paid good/dirty money that came leave just before he played, cause once the crowd had seen The Real Estate agents for the 5th time. They must have thought it's midnight and if I leave now I can catch the last 15mins of dry humping on E-Tv.

It was easily one of the most fun evenings I had in Jhb (in the 4 years i spent there), I danced to the entire set stopping twice, once to call a mate and let him know he was in for a blast in Dbn, where Diplo was going to play the next night and another to stop and pose for a picture that Diplo took of myself with my beautiful girlfriend, which I'm sure I have since been cropped out of.

Even though it was one of the greatest nights i spent in Jhb I remember it also as the night it dawned on me that the city bitch slapped a true artist and gentleman. Since then Diplo has delivered M.I.A, Santogold to your doorstep and opened doors for BLK JKS that only he could.

All I can say is, don't take these artists for granted because when another artist asks Diplo "Hey Wes I've been invited to play Johannesburg, you've played there what's it like?" he might reply "Fuck it play Durban", because in Durban he killed.

I do realise Diplo's productions can be an acquired taste for some, but when his selection is as eclectic with the likes of The Cure, Rage Against the Machine, Nirvana getting dropped alongside Soulja Boy, LA Priest and Joakim, you cannot help but be entertained. His creativity in in his Dj sets inspired me to start djing again after a 3 year hiatus.

Sorry for a rather somber post, but I wouldn't want repetition, nepotism or the over reliance of the familiar to get in the the way of creative individuals, something new and potentially the greatest night you could ever have in Jhb.

UPDATE: I tracked an old post on the Mad Decent blog and found a quote from Diplo that would fit in with this post, "anyway that was day one in africa.. then i played in Joburg and durban (one of the craziest parties ive done) and its going down right no over here. and ill have more later.. basically its a complicated place"

The Pixies - Hey (Diplo's Devil Remix) (320kbps MediFire)

ShuffleShame, shame as it ever was.

"ShuffleShame, pictured without scuba gear"

ShuffleShame, as far as I know and i could be wrong, is when your dad says he's got a surprise for you and he gets you all amped for this big surprise and then asks you to put on a blindfold in order to keep it a surprise and then..... wait I think i got it wrong let me start over.

ShuffleShame is when you sleeping on the couch and you like lying there sleeping and you wake up with a fright and you feel like a warm thing in your mouth and you open your eyes and it's all dark because someone put a blindfold on your face and so you take it off and then you see your dad like doing up his zip and your whole family is in your house and they are all laughing cause it's like christmas day, and then like next christmas your dad tells you it was only a vienna heated a bit in the microwave. 

I think then you do the ShuffleShame, cause you only had vienna's for christmas food and there is no turkey for food cause your dad told you they are extinct cause all the Mauritians killed them. Yeah i think thats the Shuffle of Shame........?

One second I'm just going to urban dictionary quickly......

Oh, my bad. lol.

Ok, last go. ShuffleShame is when you are playing "Belushi's Quickmix 1"

(cop it, it kills like Dolph Lundgren or wait for Quickmix 2, it kills more, like JCVD) at a braai on the beach on your iPod boombox adapter, and people are drinking and having a rad time, strangers are driving past shouting out the windows of their cars "FUCK YEAH!!! BELUSHI FUCKING KILLS", Celebrity's like De Niro are trying to worm their way into your braai/party area, and all the revelers are like "piss off taxi boy, you ain't been good since Rocky and Bullwinkle!". 

And then the Belushi Quickmix ends and everybody goes "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH",

and then either of the following bands comes on the iPod boombox adapter's speakers really loud, Bullet For My Valentine, Snow Patrol, Panic At The Disco, Zebra And Giraffe or Dirty Skirts.

Thats the fucking Shuffle Shame!

And now all attention is on you and people are livid and all WTF!?! DJ Lapse knifes you in the kidney, your girlfriend kicks you in the balls, a life guard pops your kneecap off with a sai, Magnum Hi-Fi beats you on the bottom of your feet with a rolled up phonebook, Nixon slams your skull into a rock exploding your teeth and De Niro starts peeing in your open wounds while giggling like the hyenas in the Lion King 2: Simba's Pride.

But something rushes out the ocean in full scuba gear, sprinting in fucking flippers and pushes next track to skip one of those aforementioned bands songs, and the "ShuffleShame Car Chases to Drive-Bys" mix comes on and the beach braai/party is all crystalline perfection once again, your wounds heal as if through the sheer healing power of the music, the karmic balance of mother nature is re-aligned on your beach braai/party and  De Niro says sorry.

And you have only ShuffleShame to thank, cause they were the ones in the scuba gear, and they saved the beach braai/party and your life and the environment.

ShuffleShame - Car Chases to Drive-Bys (192kbps MediaFire)

Cop it kills like Schwarzenegger in Red Heat. Tracklisting here.

Also check out their blog:

 

http://fatchineseboi.blogspot.com/

It kills like Dudikoff in American Ninja 3.

Next time they should have the party IN the butchery...

I was back in town for a week recently and had the good fortune to go to (((SHAKE))). We've mentioned this event already but (((SHAKE))) deserves a little further exploration.

The venue, "the Bushveld Pub & Diner", was surreal. Located on Jan Smuts under a Luvland smut shop and next to a butchery - this combination of porn, raw meat and the bar's indoor thatch work meshed to create the perfect lowbrow backdrop to the sophisticated beats being laid down and stomped on. "Fucking great!" I thought and meant it. I think the crowd agreed. Why wouldn't they? Late 20's to mid 30's, up for anything, mostly attractive and all raunchy - this is the crowd I hope to see out every time I leave the house.

The dance floor was consistently full, the dancing ranged from sexy to crazy and the music was a varied yet ultra danceable selection that carried a delicious badness, the kind that makes you feel like you're up to no good even if you aren't. Now, I've been away a while and perhaps I'm starved for a good time but I don't think I am. I think I've found something I'm not trying to enjoy. I hope there are more of these. I think you do too.

At the end of it all, a night out like this should only end in a handful of ways: Another party, furious mating, unrestrained drug binging or at the very least, going somewhere with your friends to talk about what a rad time you had.

Parties: Boom Monk Ben (Scotland) Live in SA - Interview

Bio / Press Release:

Armed with Serato, two quick hands and the most diverse crate of dance floor fillers you’ve heard, the Boom Monk has developed a sound and style that is undoubtedly his own. Having cemented his position as one of Glasgow’s most popular DJs, his Mixed Bizness club nights attract crowds of 800 people to the Glasgow Art School every week and continues to lead the way in one of the most vibrant and productive club scenes on the planet. As well as rocking his native Glasgow on the regular, Ben has caught the attention of clubs nationwide and further with appearances at the best clubs in Cape Town, Paris, Moscow, Gothenburg, London, Vigo, Ljubjlana, Liverpool, Belfast, Bristol, Edinburgh as well as the best festivals on the calendar including Rockness, The Big Chill, Bestival, Hydro-Connect, Copenhagen’s Public Service Festival and the VIP opening of The Middlesbrough Institute Of Modern Art. Boom Monk Ben continues to be booked for some of the biggest and best electronic music events around and as his reputation grows the list of suitors keeps expanding.

A frenzied fanatic of all things bass, the Boom Monk leaves no stone unturned and no sound unheard in his quest for dancefloor devastation. From hip hop, dancehall, funk and break beats to house, electro, dubstep and drum and bass, as long as it makes him, us and you move on the floor, then it will get put the through the blender in his imitable style.

The mighty Ninja Tune have been impressed enough to approach Ben to provide a series of "Boom Monk Zen" mixes for their world famous Solid Steel radio show, which is broadcast in 30 countries world wide. Met with universal support, Ben beat off competition from Mr Scruff, Kid Koala, Cut Chemist, DJ Format, MANDY, James Holden and many, many more to finish runner up in the Best Of 2006′ Solid Steel guest mix competition. He then went on to finish in 3rd place in 2007. As part of Ninja Tune’s 20th Anniversary the label and their Solid Steel DJ crew approached Ben to join their official ranks alongside Coldcut, DJ Food, DK, Kentaro and other new recruits Cheeba and DJ Moneyshot.

__________________________________________________

Solid Steel and Ninja Tune favourite Boom Monk Ben returns to our side of the world this weekend. Though this time round, a date for Jozi has been included, while Capetonians will be welcoming him back with open arms. He has played with such international acclaimed dance music luminaries as DJ Food & DK, Fake Blood, Sinden, Greenskeepers, Krafty Kuts, Kid Koala, Mary Anne Hobbs, Bass Clef, Xxxchange, & Chromeo. Expect some oozing basslines that will wobble your gut and a selection eclectic enough to keep your fancy footwork down on some solid beats to match!

__________________________________________________

We caught up with Boom Monk Ben's, erm... Ben, in anticipation of his 2 sets in South Africa this weekend and asked him a couple of questions. What a nice fellow we found!

How did you get into deejaying? What inspired you?

Ben: I first got into DJing through a potent blend of boredom and gaining access to my first student loans when I attended university. I was not having a great time, but had come into some money so needed something to occupy myself. I then heard Cut Chemist & DJ Shadow's "Brainfreeze" followed by DJ Food & DK's "Now, Listen" mix CD and I thought to myself "I don't know how they are doing that, but I want to have a go myself!"

You seem to be doing your own thing, and having a whole lot of fun at the same time. You don't only constantly DJ, but you have a couple of residencies running along with your own independent Music Promotion and Artist Agency. How has the learning process been with everything and how do you find the time to do it all?

Ben: It has been a steady, but sometimes harsh learning curve, but over the 5 years I have been working at it all; it has become easier to manage. All the work I do is inter-linked so each element feeds off the others so in some ways its not as hard as you might think. I am a one man band though, so it can be difficult to keep up with it all, but I am still as excited about my work as I was when I started out. That enthusiasm sees me through when it gets a little overwhelming. I will never tire of the work I do as long as people keep releasing exciting music to keep me hooked.

Are there any significant differences between your Mixed Bizness and How’s Your Party? nights?

Ben: Well both are committed to bringing fresh and exciting sounds to the people on the dance floors, but the main differences are the profile of acts that play the nights. The Mixed Bizness nights are mainly a platform for myself and the extended Mixed Bizness family to showcase our styles in all their myriad forms. Whether it be at our weekly bash at the Glasgow School of Art, or the guest spots we do at various venues around UK; the likes of myself, Cheeba, Jackmaster, Mungo's Hi Fi, Kazey, Hint et al have a dedicated crowd that are open minded and show plenty love for us and our styles. The How's Your Party? events are different in that they concentrate on bringing the higher profile and more famous names that inspire us and make the records we love to play to kids on the floor. DJs such as Sinden, A Trak, Fake Blood, Rusko and all the big names we have invited to rock our party are at home in Sub Club and having these two nights gives us a chance to do our thing, as well as bringing in the big guns to do theirs.

Which do you prefer, touring around for guestspots or residencies?

Ben: I like both in equal measures, but for different reasons. The residencies I do are amazing as they are the warm bosom of familiarity where I know what the kids on the dance floor want and they know what they are in for when they roll up to the club that night. It's great to have a presence in my home town and to be recognised for pushing exciting music to a receptive crowd. There's a family atmosphere that runs through our Mixed Bizness events in Scotland and I can't speak highly enough of our dedicated following that has built up over the years.

Guest spots are brilliant as well as I get to travel the world for free, playing my favourite records to pretty girls. Who would not like that?! Getting to meet like minded people who are in this business for the love of music and parties can never get boring and I count myself as being very lucky to have seen so many fantastic places and met so many brilliant people. At the same time it can be very tiring and frustrating to only see the inside of airports, clubs and hotels, but sometimes I get the chance to visit for more than a few hours and get a real feel for the places I get to visit. When I played in Cape Town last October I really enjoyed it, as I was there for 4 days and fell in love with the city and it's music scene.

Talk about sitting on the fence, eh?

You are based in Glasgow and we're very curious about the scenes over there. Glasgow has some heavyweights in various genres, from dance pioneers  Optimo, to great post-rock coming from the likes of Mogwai, through to chiptune artists like Firebrand Boy and stadium pop-prog rock 'n rollers Biffy Clyro. Could you please tell us a little more about the local dance scene over there?

Ben: The electronic music scene in Glasgow is incredible. We have such a tight knit community of DJs, promoters and producers and everyone inspires each other to push themselves and be as diverse and creative as we can. Established and world renowned club nights such as Optimo Espacio, Pressure, Test and Subculture, put the city on the map and recently the likes of Numbers, Mungos Hi Fi and dare I say Mixed Bizness have really set the pace for a fresh generation of club kids to get excited about. Its funny, but no coincidence, that the majority of these nights take place at Sub Club which is our party mecca and will be there long after we all are. The band scene in Glasgow has always been well known and respected but recently there have been a plethora of electronic producers that are at the top of their game and making big moves across the international scene. Hudson Mohawke, Rustie, Mungos Hi Fi, Optimo, The Revenge and Drums Of Death have all released big records and are really worth checking for at every opportunity.

So do you find people mingle between the different scenes going on or are people less open minded than that?

Ben: Definitely. Of course some people are blinkered in their tastes and stick to what they know or like, but on the whole the Glasgow scene is blessed with a crowd that are hungry for fresh and exciting sounds and will stop at nothing to feed their appetite. That's why genre defying nights like Mixed Bizness, Optimo Espacio and Numbers have become so popular. We are very lucky as Glasgow is not that big a city, but it has a rich heritage in going out and partying hard. It's no surprise that many of the world's biggest and best DJs consider it their favourite place to play.

Who are your favourite producers at the moment?

Ben: My favourite acts at the moment change with every day that dawns and my tastes are so broad that it's a really difficult question to answer. However today I'll say the ghetto bass of Schlachthofbronx, the electro booty hop of Thunderheist, the acid dancehall and searing techno of Modeselektor, the digital bashment of Toddla T and the subsonic wobbles of Benga rarely leave my record box. Special mention must also go to South African acts Mix N Blend, Liver, SFR and Playdoe who have been making some of the very best music to come from anywhere in recent months. I love their styles and always look forward to hearing their new music. You lot are really lucky to have them on your doorstep and should not take them for granted.

And live acts?

Ben: It depends really, but the guys I mentioned above are up there as the best on stage as well as behind the desk.

The crew at Solid Steel are doing great things for dance scenes all over the world. How did it feel to become an official Solid Steel and Ninja Tune DJ?

Ben: It was amazing and made me feel very proud. Ninja Tune and in particular Solid Steel DJs DJ Food & DK were a massive influence on me when I first started DJing. So when they first showed an interest in what I was doing it was really exciting and gave me lots of confidence in what I do. Their "Now Listen" and "Now Listen... Again" mix CDs set the bar for free flowing diverse DJ mixes and really inspired me when I first heard them. When they asked me to join their DJ team it was like a dream come true as I had went from being a big fan of theirs, to being considered an equal in their eyes.

Excluding the obvious reasons of not having to lug around heavy vinyls all over the place, what else have you found positive about the move from deejaying on vinyl to deejaying digitally?

Ben: I love vinyl as a format, but having moved over to Serato I could never go back. It opens so many doors creatively and removes many of the restrictions that are in place with using vinyl. The looping and live re-editing of tracks is the main creative avenue I like to go down when DJing and Serato makes that very easy. In terms of the music you can play it is limitless. A friend of mine can make a track that day and send it to me and I can play it that night. Also, as a DJ, I am not restricted by my abilities as a collector. There is something to be said for spending hours crate digging and hunting out those must have tracks for your set, but there is even more to be said for having access to almost every piece of music you could want and being able to play the set you want to play; rather than the set you are able to play depending on what records you are able to track down. Also, simple things like your records never skipping or being scratched are a nice extra. You're right though, not having to cart 25kg of records from city to city is a pleasure and one I am not willing to give up.

We found your "and we all know that’s cheating" blurb about using Ableton quite funny, but why Serato and not another program like Traktor?

Ben: It was the programme that looked like the one for me. To be honest I have never used Traktor so I can't say whether it's better or worse, but I have always been a big fan of Rane equipment and find it very user friendly and intuitive to the way I DJ and Serato is no exception. I wrote that blurb a couple of years ago and have actually softened my stance since then. As long as the music is good and the way it is played is creative I don't think it matters too much. Still, you can't beat a skilled DJ on the turntables that not only has the moves, but the beat to match.

Your tastes are varied and super eclectic, was this a conscious move or was it a natural progression? Do you try and cater for everyone; or do you like playing a little bit of everything 'cause you enjoy a lot of different music?

Ben: Simply, I just like lots of different kinds of music and am keen to explore them all in my DJ sets. I don't try to cater for everyone as that is impossible. I play bassy club music for the kids that take in hip hop, house, drum & bass, dubstep, digital dancehall, electro, breaks and loads more. It might seem that I will cater for all, but you have to be careful as you can just as easily alienate members of your audience as you can cater to them. I try to make sure there is a coherent thread running through my sets and I strive to create a natural progression through the styles and tempos. It can be hard, as sometimes it requires a leap of faith, but when you nail it, it can be really exciting for all. The fact I have a short attention span is a factor as well, I'm sure....

And what do you think is more important: reading a crowd or selection? Or do you consider they go hand in hand?

Ben: They both go hand in hand. A DJ will always be judged on their selection and how they put those tracks together. For big names it's easier as the crowd knows what they do and are there to get a taste of that particular sound. When Skream plays he does not have to read the crowd that much as it's a safe bet that everyone in the room wants to hear dubstep. For someone like myself who is nowhere near as well known, but lucky enough to get to play to lots of different crowds I need to be on my toes and try to cater accordingly as most people in the club may not be that familiar with what I do. Being part of Solid Steel means that most people know to expect something different and diverse, which is a good thing when it comes to my sets!

What was the best mix you've ever done; or what was the best one you've ever heard and wished you did?

Ben: I don't know which is the best mix I have ever done to be honest. I like them all as they are my favourite tracks compiled in an order I like, but I am also painfully aware of all the ways they can be improved. DJ Food & DK's 'Now Listen...Again' is incredible and is a real mosaic of modern music put together with skill and sensitivity and I can't recommend it enough. Also, you just can't beat EDMX's "Boogaloo" mix. If you don't know it then get to know it. It's lots of fun and makes everyone in the room instantly happy. My lovely girlfriend Rowan introduced me to it and now I can't get enough of it!

What do you enjoy listening to at home?

Ben: At home I listen to as broad selection as when I DJ, but usually a bit more chilled. Authentic New Orleans funk like Allen Toussaint, modern quirky folk stuff like Tunng and Beta Band, deep dubstep like Martyn and Kode 9, Studio One roots reggae, early 90s New York hip hop such as Organized Konfusion and Showbiz & AG...the list goes on. Anyone that knows me also knows that I have a bit of an obsession with Beck and Björk. Those two are untouchable. In fact the whole Mixed Bizness operation is named after a Beck song of the same name.

And your Top 5 Pity I Can't Play This Out songs at the moment?

Ben: Well, I am lucky enough to regularly play at least 4 hour sets at my Mixed Bizness nights, meaning I have the chance to play some weird and wonderful music at the start of the night when people are first arriving. I don't consider anything out of bounds as long as it's played at the right time and in the right context. How about a 'I Can't Believe He'd Play That Song Out, But He Does' list?

You prefer playing an extensive 3 - 4 hour set rather than an hour and a half one. What kind of rollercoaster ride can South Africans expect from your sets this weekend?

Ben: Well, the last time I played Cape Town the crowd loved the bass and I intend to give them plenty more of that. I like to DJ with energy and build sets from hip hop, dancehall, funk and break beats up through house, electro, disco, Baltimore club, dubstep, kuduro, kwaito and drum and bass before giving a gentle reprieve to send them on their way. It will be fun and asses will shake, of that we can be sure!

If there is anything you are extremely excited about at the moment that you would like to punt to our readers?

Ben: Check out the booty shaking electro hip hop of Montreal's Thunderheist and the wobbly tectonic beats of Munich's Schlachthofbronx. They are both brilliant and are set for big things in 2009.

Any advice for anyone wanting to become a DJ?

Ben: Keep your ears to the streets and keep searching for fresh music to keep you keen. Stay in school, kids!

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Catch Boom Monk Ben, live in South Africa this Friday, April 10, at Go-Go Bar in Newtown, Johannesburg (more info HERE); and Saturday, April 11 at Fiction in Cape Town (more info HERE).

Here's his most recent mix and a taste of what to expect:

Boom Monk Ben - Here's Ben, Ain't He Swell...? (Direct Link)

Tracklisting:

01. Mooquee - Polar Crunk (Good Groove)
02. Leisure Allstars - How We Roll feat The Good People (Substatic Remix)[Leisure]
03. South Rakkas Crew - Mad Again [Mad Decent]
04. Santogold - Say A-Ha (Tepr Remix)[Atlantic]
05. Heatwave - Things Change feat Warrior Queen (DJ C Remix)[Soul Jazz]
06. Jokers Of The Scene - Juggle It [Fools Gold]
07. CLP - Party Hardy feat Yo! Majesty [Shitkatapult]
08. A-Skillz & Krafty Kuts - Happiness [Finger Lickin]
09. Jon Ohms - King Of The Boots [Unreleased]
10. James Brown - Give It Up Or Turn It Loose (DJ Ayers Remix)[Unreleased]
11. DJ TaMeiL - Bump Like This [Unruly]
12. Boy 8 Bit - The Cricket Scores
     Midfield General - Disco Sirens (Acapella) [Skint]
13. Tittsworth - Broke Ass N*gga (DJ Assault Remix)[Plant Music]
14. Rob 3 - The Chase [Mad Decent]
15. Thunderheist - Jerk It [Big Dada]
16. The Qemists - Dem Na Like Me (Subscape Dub)[Ninja Tune]
17. Mix n Blend - Tantrum feat Sfr & Ej Von Lyrik [Unreleased]
18. Magnetic Man - The Cyberman [Unreleased]
19. SFR - Kwaito Mandla [Unreleased]
20. Schlachthofbronx - Good To Go [Unreleased]
21. 6Blocc - Never Scared [Unreleased]

__________________________________________________

Parties: (((SHAKE))) it!

(((SHAKE)))

03-04-2009

Line-up:

DJ 8 to 9
Ice Cream vs Microphone
DJ Murderface
easytiger
Disco Yoquei
Data Takashi


Last night's "Shake" party was one of the nicest gigs I have played in a while! Props to all involved and especially Andrew (The DJ) for putting it together. Here's hoping there are many more on the way - or at least, every now and then!

Toddla T and Herve - Shake It!

Belushi's Beloved - 006

What a piece of shit, 

how you supposed to do a superman air on that thing?

If I played house I would start every set with this track, and I'm not saying i don't play house but i prefer to believe i don't.

That might be considered delusional, but there are people who dj electro, thinking they are beat matching punk? So a little delusion is not all that bad if it helps me sleep better.

I don't know what sub-genre-echelon the track falls into. So can't help you categorize the bastard.

(Although at the back of my mind the sub-genre is probably called "Funky House", christ what a horrible description fuck the 40 year old Israeli trance tranny who came up with that name.)

It's one of those tracks to warm up the brain and is pure unadulterated fun, that i promise.

Gregor Salto, a foreign name to me when i discovered this track, but after reading his site imaginatively titled www.gregorsalto.com, I read about his musical history.

Gregor Salto has been playing classical piano since he was +-4, producing electronic music since the Triassic period on his dad's Commodore Amiga and released his first record in 1994. 

Now no doubt this track is good, but if you've been programming electronic music since the time of Commodore Amiga, by now you should be some kind of electronic music wizard programming the OST for the second coming of christ and have deities lined around the block in order to colab with.

Or he started programming on a Commodore Amiga in '93 because his dad is a stingy dick hoarding nazi gold for his retirement fund. Come on pappy you could have sprung for a 286, huh?

I have to say i have heard the original and it's ok/utter shit and the reason i won't admit to myself that I play house, but the reworking by Funkin Matt deserves all the credit, so i could have ripped yarn about him but I refuse to Google the word funkin.

Gregor Salto - Mexer (Funkin Matt's 5am Remix)  (320kbps MediaFire)