it’s really october 2012 / ian carey

and i continue to be a prolific blogger, haha.  whyyyyyyyyy can’t i get this together.

as i’m sure you can imagine, a lot has happened since i last wrote.  a ton of shows were seen, shows that include EDC (such a fantastic festival), Steve Angello at XS in Vegas (twice), two Wonderlands (Nocturnal, and the Bay Area version of Beyond), and Cosmic Gate at Ruby Skye (excellent set and light show!).   my running list of concerts and festivals attended is growing exponentially, and fortunately so has my crew. folk from college, co-workers, roommates, and friends of friends, connected over the electronic music love, have ventured to a number of these festivals and shows together. it is so nice to FINALLY have people – great friends and new faces – to go to these shows with! so much better than having to roll up to a club by my lonesome, which i refused to do when i was 19 and simply had to do after i graduated.

anyway, i don’t know what i’ll do with this blog still, especially since i can’t seem to update it regularly.  i really should force blogging into a habit.  maybe i can challenge myself and find some scrap discipline to attack it. something like whatever i can write in 30 minutes before bed, I publish.  or maybe i make it one of those morning habits i recently read about (apparently people who have their own personal rituals in the morning tend to be more successful than others in the workplace). i’ll work on that, but for now, i am posting this throwback song here:

this morning, some entity on facebook posted a live set from steve angello and sebastian ingrosso from 2005.  it definitely caught my attention, as a lot of the house from 2004-2005 is what originally appealed to me and subsequently prompted me to discover more music within the genre. anyway, the very first song on the mixcloud stream was very familiar upon first listen. as the song unfolded, i remembered it being one i discovered via imeem waaaay back in college, and upon looking at the setlist (praise mixcloud for that!), i realized it was a dub remix by ian carey.  i love ian carey for his remixes and his roots – he’s a Maryland boy! – and the above was one of the first remixes of his that i’d ever heard.  the following is a remix i happened upon about a month ago on spotify, and it features the amazing vocalist amanda wilson:

http://soundcloud.com/iancarey/chizzo-maxim-ft-amanda-wilson

that reminds me, i need to continue the series of divas/divos posts, the one i was trying to start with the nadia ali posts.  right now though, it’s time to go clean my room or find some energy-spending activity that will send me to bed.  on that note, i leave you with a bonus ian carey remix, another one that i looooved and somehow haven’t listened to in ages.

til next time.

a lot going on, and a lot has happened

it’s really such a shame that i can’t seem to get myself to post more consistently, because there have been some major musical events and discoveries in my life since february.  here’s a quick recap:

– Miami Music Week and Ultra Music Festival!!!

– Met some great musicians, podcasters and other sound makers at the SoundCloud Hero Summit

– Returned to Ruby Skye after months to see Alesso

– Our Lady Peace FINALLY came to San Francisco and have a fantastic show

all of these events deserve their own entries, so I guess it’s better late than never.  additionally, both SoundCloud and Spotify have been introducing me to good artists over the past few months: Milkman, Viceroy, Alabama Shakes. They have also been giving me easy access to new songs from my loves Tiesto and R3HAb, stand out originals from artists such as Alex Sayz and Starkillers, amazing remixes form Tommy Trash and Arty, and new pop from J.Lo and Madonna.

at some point i will/should elaborate on event #2 and talk about being a SoundCloud Hero.  right now though, it’s Cinco de Mayo, and I need to run out to find a cold blended margarita, preferably spicy as well.  i’ll leave you with a song i’ve been obsessing over since March, a song that became a highlight of my first trip ever to Miami during MMW and Ultra.

it’s just so so so good.  i can easily imagine the ideal light show that would accompany this song…it is nearly seizure-inducing and just straight epic.  i’m so grateful for whatever Tommy Trash did to come up with this remix.  Steve Aoki’s original is also really good, so it’s nice to have two great playlist options for this song.  it’s one of those tunes that will pop up on a flash drive (or in the cloud, since we’re headed that way) years later and will still spark the same amount of excitement in me.   i love finding songs like this, and i’m so glad it was a part of my first MMW/Ultra experience.

and with that, off to get that marg and enjoy the remaining sunlight.

wake and make

that phrase was part of the latest facebook post from MIA.  i actually saw this post as a reblog on tumblr (sorry, wordpress…you’re still my favorite!).  I like it.  “Wake and Make”…that should be the goal, the basic premise of everyone’s daily routine.  unfortunately a lot of us often forgo the “make” part, or alternatively we’re stuck making only money…and usually for someone else.  if you’re me, when you come to this realization, that’s the point when you make a blog 😉

anyway, i digress.  not only did i appreciate this new slogan, but i also was reminded of MIA’s new song ‘Bad Girls’ and the music video for it.  the song is a jam, and the video badass.  it’s nice to have an MIA song out that i enjoy; that hasn’t been the case since 2008 for me.

to be clear, i am absolutely a fan of MIA, and credit is due to her earlier music and performances. i definitely own and love ‘Arular’ and ‘Kala’, and i ventured out to a place an hour outside of Boston to see one of her rare New England appearances back in 2007.  my friends and i waited patiently for years for her to go on that tour, and we sure did force ourselves to the front of the venue via the “omg so sorry, we’re being pushed from behind” excuse in order to get close-up pictures like this one:

that was an excellent and memorable show. but her latest album ‘Maya’ wasn’t one that i sat and listened to, mostly because ‘XXXO’ was lackluster and i felt that she hastily pushed out an album in order to stay relevant.  (yes, there was a three year gap between ‘Kala’ and ‘Maya’, but I use the word ‘hasty’ because she had disappeared for a while until she seemed to realize that she’d lost momentum in the realm of alternative pop music.) the new single is promising however, and i’m hoping for a full-blown return of the MIA of the last decade.  she’s similar to the MIA who throws a middle-finger to the camera during the Super Bowl, but not the MIA who collaborates with Madonna on a cheesy pop track.  we’ll just have to wait and see what happens come this spring when the new album is released in full.  for now though, i am feeling good about the MIA of the future.

more nadia, because she’s that great

just in time for the weekend, i just found this song earlier today. a fairly new track from EDX and Nadia Ali.  the “Queen of Clubs” on another club mix for the new year.

This Is Your Life /// EDX + Nadia Ali

(and just in case that version disappears, here’s the Beatport link)

amazing progressive house track.  her exclamation of “giiiiirl!” makes the song.  seriously, it’s an appreciated bonus. i’m really looking forward to her upcoming album!

believe it / favorite vocals pt. 1

recently, even before Whitney’s death, i’ve been thinking about who my favorite vocalists are within the context of electronic dance music.  i want to think even more in depth about it, but i have a pretty solid grasp on the female vocalists.  Nadia Ali, Julie McKnight and Haley are at the top of that list.

Nadia Ali came to town a couple of months ago to perform live at one of my favorite and most frequented clubs. i can’t remember the last time she went on tour like that, so i’m bummed i had to miss it.  she has such a great and recognizable voice, perfect for trance, house and lounge music. i thought this even when i was a teenager, when “Is It Love” by iiO (iiO = the house/lounge duo was she was half of) was released.  the slow version showcases her vocal talent well.

recently the track “Pressure” with Starkillers, Alex Kenji + Nadia Ali has been blowing up; it is a jam hands down (especially the Alesso remix), and her vocals make it all the better.  following that release came another fantastic brand new song featuring Nadia Ali:

“Believe It” by Spencer & Hill + Nadia Ali is a club banger, and i’m glad i stumbled upon it tonight.

my favorite Nadia Ali track might be another one worked on by Spencer & Hill. It’s a nice mix of trance airiness and danceable club beats:

Sultan & Ned Shepard feat. Nadia Ali — Call My Name (Spencer & Hill Remix)

i’m happy that the “Queen of Clubs” is quite active in the scene these days.  how could you not be when you have a voice like hers? i look forward to having her appear on more songs in the future.

for the rainy days

i’m delirious after a red-eye flight back to the East Coast.  somehow i made it into the local office after getting roughly an hour of sleep on the plane and landing at 7:40am ET. the time was actually 4:40am PT according to my internal clock, and i am by no means an early riser on the West Coast, so it’s a struggle for me right now.

music is helping me make it through a day that will not end until way after hours since i’ll be working on Pacific Time. late hours in the office after a sleepless flight are exactly what i want and need on my schedule right now. but it’s cool for today…i’m just happy to be home!

i was greeted by overcast skies and drizzle upon arrival at the airport, so it’s fitting that this song re-emerged in my life today:

Calvin Harris – The Rain

i saw this song pop up in the friend feed within my Spotify.  i broke my Mariah Carey listening binge to revisit the tune; it’s one of my favorites off of Harris’ “Ready For The Weekend”.  this album title is also fitting today…i’m so ready. and i’m so tired. but in no time, i’ll be ready to dance.

this rain-themed Kaskade song is also the business:

Kaskade – Raining (Dance.Love Edit)

a year and some change after its release, this song from the “dance.love” album still has one of the highest playcounts in my iTunes library. there are so many gems off of this compilation album, and this song, the first track on the album, sets the standard.

both songs above are great on rainy or sunny days, and they will probably be on repeat as i walk to the Metro in the downpour outside.

i’m back / whitney’s gone

this is like attempt #12 on this blog. can I please get it together in the new year? about a month and half into it, and i’m trying to make a comeback once again. my best friend asked me to, but the untimely death of Whitney Houston prompted me to actually make it happen tonight.

Whitney, who had one of the greatest voices ever at one point, died having drowned in a bathtub this past Saturday.  she was 48.  she is the star of my all-time favorite movie (it’s ‘The Bodyguard‘…no shame), and I’ve loved quite a few of her songs from various decades, but she wasn’t an artist whose albums I frequently returned to in recent years. fortunately she left us with a great catalog of songs, videos, and even movies to revisit for the rest of our lives. it’s just sad that it took her death to cue me to do that.

the last Whitney song i remember having on repeat is this mashup of two great throwback jams.  well, one technically isn’t a “jam”, but Sega Genesis/Sonic the Hedgehog nerds can appreciate the use of the ‘Chrome Gadget Zone’ theme from Sonic 3.  the only problem with this mashup comes at the pitch change, when the vocals and the track fall out of sync. I’ve managed to correct this in my head, only because i like the combination of these tunes that much…but oh how I wish it could just be fixed and re-uploaded!  check it out:

one of my favorite Whitney songs spawned a number of electro remixes that i feel equally as strong about.  here are two:

Whitney Houston – It’s Not Right But It’s Okay – Thunderpuss Mix/Remastered: 2000  – this remix screams early 00s late morning radio show.  i loved this in high school, and the love was renewed when the old house music station in the Bay (Energy 92.7!) decided to play it regularly in back in 2008.  it’s been on repeat since the news.

Whitney Houston – Its Not Right But Its Ok (Pristine Blusters D.E.E.P. Remix) – also greatness. there are beats for days in this one, as is fitting for the last 00s/early 10s.  (<— is that what’s we’re calling this decade?!)

This past Saturday, when I saw Chuckie (Mr. Dirty Dutch) live, he played an amazing exclusive remix of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” that he created in Whitney’s honor.  i wish he would share it on Twitter so I could revisit that as well, but it was a great EDM ode to her in the moment.

anyway, i hope Whitney has finally achieved the peace that she was never really able to find despite phenomenal talent, beauty, and network of support. it’s a shame that she wasn’t in a secure enough place to be able to overcome her demons, even with all of the aforementioned positives, but so it goes. i hope no one in my life suffers the same.

christmas time is here

slacking again, but maybe i can pick up my game since i’m on vacation. still busy spending time with the family, catching up with friends in the area and planning the New Year’s Eve activities, but now i’m watching football.  i can multitask, i think… (NOTE: i wrote this about 5 or 6 days ago, so clearly i could not do any of this successfully.)

this time around, the flight home was not nearly as enjoyable musically.  i loved the plane size – one of those 2-5-2 seat arrangements, i feel more comfortable on those huge ass planes – but there was no Sirius XM.   for whatever reason, i didn’t bother to break out the iPod either.  weird!  but i’ll blame being sick, and consequently being passed out, for my lack of interest at the time.

anyway, since landing, there has been plenty of Christmas music in my life.  following our annual tradition, Mom and i went to see the renowned Washington DC chorus perform their Christmas program on Weds.  the music director and conductor Julian Wachner has created gorgeous orchestral and choral arrangements of many classics and some obscure Christmas songs, and i love going with the Mother to see them performed annually. the below is a crowd favorite, and mine as well.  no idea when or where composer Glenn Rudolph created ‘The Dream Isaiah Saw’, but it is simply a beautiful song.  the brief moment where the building percussion and the wind instruments pause towards the end – the one that reveals the power of the chorus standing on its own – is one that i look forward to every year.

The Dream Isaiah Saw /// The Washington Chorus

since that concert, I’ve heard a lot of Christmas soul classics playing around the house – festive songs by Aretha Franklin, Jackson 5, Luther Vandross, Jeffrey Osbourne, Anita Baker, James Brown and so on.  and as I type, there is the calypso version of ‘Joy To The World’ playing on the radio, so I can safely say that everyone is getting into the spirit through whatever preferred musical genres.  after browsing Beatport yesterday however, the music i’m now excited about comes from the exclusive ‘DJ Charts’ section of the store.

Boys Noize XMas Jam DJ Chart (10 Songs!)

clearly nothing, not even the choral performance, says Christmas like tech-heavy electro from Boys Noize. this playlist is not at all holiday-themed, but it makes a lovely Christmas gift for myself.  new music is needed for the new year anyway!

Nicole

PS – i know i need to get myself together and stick with a theme, such as the one I JUST mentioned a few posts back. but until then, I’m going to keep writing about whatever. “i do what i want.”

leaving on a jet(blue)plane

that’s what i was up to last night/this morning.  hopped over to the other coast for a second in order to see the family for Thanksgiving.

in light of the holiday, i want to thank the XM Sirius station BPM (http://www.siriusxm.com/bpm) for keeping me company on the red-eye flight.  that, and a bottle of unisom…

listening to that station as i dozed reminded me of how good satellite radio was to me for the brief time that i had it.  this was back in college; it was a christmas gift, but the subscription was not included in that present.  poor-college-kid me couldn’t handle it financially for too long, but the quality and variety of stations did not disappoint.  perhaps i should invest in it again now that i have an income (though i of course use no less than 50 music-streaming/playing applications already).

anyway, the music that BPM was playing in the wee hours of the morning proved to be fantastic flying music.  i can’t remember all of the songs that I enjoyed when i happened to snap back into consciousness, but i do remember hearing the following song by Jes, remixed by Ron Reeser and Dan Saenz:

i really enjoy the vocals that Jes contributes to songs, especially some tiesto/allure tunes (“Everything”, “Show Me The Way”).  this remix of ‘Awaken‘ is another one to add to that list.

also, i’m pretty sure that the following song, aptly titled ‘In The Air‘, was playing as we were taking off:

Morgan Page is one of many djs whose existence i am well aware of, and who is often in SF, but i have not given his music a solid chance.  i’m glad that i happened to be introduced to this pleasant progressive track though. and interestingly enough, he will be here for NYE…

 

and that’s that. time to force myself to get used to the time zone change.

ciao!

i should actively publicize this blog

because why not?  especially now that i think i have a theme, thanks to my last post.

i’m going to start showcasing global, national and local talent.  two or three posts a week, one artist or group from each region.  still debating whether all posts should focus on electronic dance, or mostly on electronic dance with some other genres in there to.  i listen to a lot of music, many genres…

at least i’m getting closer to something more coherent 😀 AND it would push me to be more consistent!

and even if this is blog just for myself, i’m going to make it happen.