Monday 30 March 2009

A Mix of What I'm Liking Right Now

Had a few problems with Blogger deleting posts randomly, so here's my first post again.  In order to stay under the radar, I'm trying something a bit different for mp3 and buying links: You'll have to paste the links into your browser, sorry for the inconvenience.

To kick off my first post for Squeaky Bleeps, I thought I’d say a bit about myself – I’m an 18 year old DJ and producer from London, I’ve been DJing for about 2 years, and producing for about 4.

 

My first two official releases are out in the next 6 months - a remix of Dance with me by La Toya Lynn coming out on Eurostars Music, and a remix of Amelia by Niyi.

 

Over the past two years I’ve played with acts like Foals, Tapedeck, Adventure Playground, Klaxons, Count & Sinden, Dizzee Rascal, Urban Nerds DJs, FLWNKZ, N-Type, Zombie Nation, Para One, Mujava, Little Boots, Niyi, Frankmusik, Partyshank, A1 Bassline, Chef, DJ CLipz, Warboy, Buster Bennett, K-Tron, Does It Offend You Yeah, T2, DJ Q, H Two O, Artful Dodger, DJ Luck & MC Neat, Platnum, Supra1, Shy FX, Tittsworth.

 

I’ve played at clubs like Matter, Punk, Sin, Neighbourhood, The Russian, Fridge, Ghetto, Aquarium, Old Blue Last, Gramaphone. Festivals like Glastonbury 2009, Underage Festival 2008. Nights like, Mist, This is Not London, Heart, Calling All Tribes, and a Universal Records night.

 

To get more information, see where I’m next playing, or hear more mixes or productions, head over to www.myspace.com/benwhitedj.

 

For my first post, I thought I’d put together a mix which shows what I’m listening to and loving at the moment – I’ve split it down into 6 different genres, which are the main ones I listen to, and will write about on here.  For each genre I put my 5 favorite songs at the moment from each genre in. 


Ben White Squeaky Bleeps Mix MP3

 

The first one genre is Disco. Disco saw a resurgence in 2008, with disco nights springing up all over the country, and labels like Italians Do It Better, DFA and Phantasy championing the new disco sound. Artists like Joakim, the Emperor Machine, Fan Death, Hercules and Love Affair, Riton, Aeroplane, In Flagranti and Juan Maclean were the most popular. In a horrible parody of nu rave, some took to calling this new trend nu disco… For an hour long guide to the new (note the spelling…) disco trend, Erol Alkan’s podcast Disco 3000, serves as a perfect introduction. 

 

I kicked off this bit of the mix with:

 

1.   I Feel Electric (Tiedye Remix) – Rubies feat Feist (Italians Do It Better)

 

This lovely italo disco track actually featured on the Disco 3000 podcast, and I was drawn to it pretty much immediately – it takes a while to get going, but those lovely guitar parts at the beginning keep you interested, and when Feist’s voice kicks in, it only gets better. 

 

http://www.mediafire.com/?ninnogftwb2

 

2.   Clown - Ssion (Sleazetone Records)

 

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=77159

 

3.   The Plot (Discodeine Remix) – WhoMadeWho (Gomma Records)

 

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?f3wzhtmyzty

 

 

4.   Farewell To The Fairground (Rory Phillips Mix) - White Lies (Fiction)

 

This remix is pretty much an ideal marriage as far as I’m concerned – I’ve been a massive White Lies fan since the beginning, saw them at their first ever gig at Hoxton Bar and Grill last year. Here Rory Phillips, resident at Durr, and at the now defunct Trash night, brings the song to life – he keeps the bassline from the original song, but those disco drums give it a whole new energy.  As much as I hate to use the word groovy, this is definitely groovy.

 

http://www.mediafire.com/?ymjmy0ttmoa

 

 

5.   What Is Natural - Shadow Dancer (Boys Noize Records) 

 

This Mancunian duo’s debut album (Golden Traxe) just came out on BNR, having been handpicked by BN himself after they sent him a myspace message.  Golden Traxe has got to be one of my favourite electronic albums so far for 2009  - Shadow Dancer use a rich tapestry of samples to make absolutely killer tracks for the dancefloor – Poke and Soap were two massive songs last year, and the album shows Shadow Dancer have more than just floor killers to them – this song was given out as a preview, and absolutely rocks.  It combines a disco vibe, with a beat that will still kill.

 

http://www.noiseporn.com/audio/Shadow%20Dancer%20-%20What%20Is%20Natural.mp3

 

 

Next up I put in some Ghettotech/Bmore/Hip Hop. This whole style of American music kills it for me – the sample breaks from old funk songs, the funny vocal samples from kids cartoons in bmore.  The lewd lyrics in ghettotech combined with the no nonsense hip hop horns and chunky beats make for a simple but effective mixture.  That’s the beauty with ghettotech and bmore – the music is so simple, which is what makes it so good.

 

6.   Click Clack – Bobby LaBeat (Gold Whistle)

 

http://palmsout.net/music/joee/CobraKrames-GunsUpAnthem.mp3

 

7.   The Chase – DJ Rob 3 (Ol’ Head Records)

 

This track, that featured on the latest Brick Bandits EP (a crew made up of a whole load of American Bmore heavy hitters – Sega, Rob 3, Tameil, Tim Dolla) makes killer use of a sample from Outlander – The Vamp, one of my favourite songs from that old school era of hardcore classics – that combination of the distinctive rising piano riff, and "3-2-1 zero" sample does it for me every time.  Rob 3 keeps those two going, and adds rave stabs, old school breaks, sirens and a basic drum pattern, just making it more simple and even more of a banger.

 

http://discodust.com/files/DJ%20Rob%203%20-%20The%20Chase.mp3

 

8.   Paris (Aeroplane Remix Urchins Bmore Edit) – Friendly Fires (White Label) 

 

Urchins take one of the nicest remixes of this year, speed it up, and add a distinctive clattering bmore break to it, keeping the distinctive Au Revoir Simone vocals and 80’s pop synths that made the Aeroplane mix so popular, and just making it a bit more dancefloor friendly.

 

9.   Wassup Wassup (DJ Sega Remix) – Diplo feat Rye Rye (Mad Decent) 

 

 

http://maddecent.com/blog/

 

10.  Sound of The Police – Cobra Krames (Cobra Kai)

 

http://www.turntablelab.com/digital/423/1738/58718.html

 

Back in September last year, thanks to Marcus Nasty and Mak10’s mix for Rinse FM, I was introduced to UK Funky House. “UK funky is a style of modern electronic dance music related to UK garage that is influenced by latin music. It mixes traditional UKG beats, bass loops and synths with latin percussion and contemporary R&B-style vocals.” This new movement was based on a combination of many genres – grime, funky, tribal house, bassline, garage. The primary exponents of funky are Geneeus, Mak 10, Supa D, Crazy Cousins and Marcus Nasty. Listening to funky prompted me to dig out some of my old bassline records, and I’ve definitely got back into that recently as well, especially that Delinquent mix from 2007.

 

11.  Gabryelle (D-Malice Refix) DJ Technic (Defected Records)

 

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=151209

 

12.  Inflation - Crazy Cousinz   (Crazy Cousinz Records)

 

This is the flip to the very popular Funky Anthem came out earlier in 2009. The xylophone arpeggios and bongos absolutely kill.  Its easy to see why CC are becoming so popular – between this and Do You Mind, arguably the biggest Funky hit so far, they can’t seem to put a foot wrong.

 

http://www.htfr.com/more-info/MR290014

 

13.  United Groove – L-Vis 1990 (White Label)

 

Some of you may know this track from L-Vis’ recent Dubplates mix, which showcased   L-Vis’s newest material including his soon to be released “Unified Groove” which is to drop on a yet undisclosed label – the rolling, staggering drum beat and a mesmerising wobbly bassline make this 2am banger a sure fire hit.

 

http://maddecent.com/blog/2009/02/28/weekend-exclusive-l-vis-1990-dubplates-mix-09/

 

14.  Rhubarb & Disgusted - Nay Nay & Wittyboy (White Label)

 

 

15.  2 Bad – Kode 9 vs. LD (Hyperdub)

 

 

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/145217/bad_2_bad

 

Whether its fidget house, jacking house, electro house or just plain house, I’ve always been a massive house fan, and producers like Hostage and A1 Bassline who bring elements of garage, bassline and breaks into house are becoming fast favourites of mine.

 

16.  Murder Rocket – Hostage (White Label)

 

Spot the unusual sample… Hostage pulls another banger out of the bag, putting a breaksy beat behind Bowie, creating an absolute floor killer.

 

http://www.zshare.net/audio/57087867cfb650ab/

 

17.  The Deep End (Bart Bmore Remix) – Curses!  (Institubes)

 

The Holy Ghost version has been more popular, but the Bart Bmore remix brings the bass, and Nancy Whang’s vocals plus  a good helping of wonky bass make this one a must listen.

 

http://www.junodownload.com/products/1395585-02.htm

 

 

18.  We Getting Crunk (A1 Bassline Remix) – Heavyfeet

 

 

http://www.mediafire.com/?4gxjgicgqod

 

 

 

19.  Up Middle Finger (Supra1 Remix) - Blackfinger  (Trouble & Bass)

 

 

http://www.mediafire.com/?xmmn5g4kkzd

 

 

 

 

20.  Eurovision - Zombie Disco Squad (Institubes)

 

http://www.amazon.com/Esperanto-Eurovision-EP/dp/B001U2B4RA/ref=sr_f3_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1237396806&sr=103-1

 

Another sound I really got into last year was a more techey/minimal one - with DJs like Brodinski and Erol Alkan introducing me to this, and producers like Popof, Noob and Style of Eye really doing it for me.

 

21.  Una Pena – Stimming (Diynamic)

 

 

http://www.djdownload.com/mp3-detail/Stimming/Una+Pena/DIYNAMIC/480593

 

22.  Starship (Darling Farah Remix) – Robot Koch (Idiot House Records)

 

This talented techno/minimal producer from the United Arab Emirates (who knew techno had spread to UEA??) gives insanely unique German Hip-Hop/Dubstep/Electro(?) producer Robot Koch’s tune a minimal 4x4 work out.

 

www.myspace.com/ddarlingfarah  

 

23.  Clown – Style of Eye (Pickadoll Records)

 

If Jewish people made techno, it would sound something like this – lovely bleepy synth lines that sound like Fiddler on the Roof via Detroit, with a rolling beat.

 

http://djmannes.com/Penned/MP3/Mark/soeclown.mp3

 

24.  Highly Explicit (Brodinski Remix) – Mixhell (Boys Noize Records)

 

http://www.mediafire.com/?elj20mqtnvm

 

25.  Oblivion (Noob Remix) - Brodinski

 

http://www.zshare.net/audio/54708577ad2c5e4e/

 

 

 

 

Dubstep, which was once largely a united front, seems now to have split into many different groups and styles. Skream, Benga, Coki and Caspa’s wobbly ‘thugstep’, a more techey sound – with producers like Shackleton, Appleblim and the whole Skull Disco crowd making dubstep with a more minimaley/techey feel. Another new direction for dubstep was labeled by many critics as ‘wonky’. Made up of producers like Ikonika, Zombie, Joker, Rustie, Starkey, and championed by Kode 9’s Hyperdub label, some of the most exciting dubstep releases of 2008 came from this group – Zombie’s 'Strange Fruit', Joker’s 'Gully Brook Lane', Ikonika’s 'Please'.

 

26.  Girder – Appleblim (Skull Disco)

 

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=37242

 

27.  You Don’t Know What Love Is – 200F & J Kamata (Hyperdub)

 

This soulful slice of dubstep came out in March 2009 on the flip side to the new Zomby 12” – which was a pretty much instant purchase for me, on the strength of Zomby’s past stuff.  Suprisingly enough, I’ve ended up playing this more than the flip side (Digidesign).  Its that mix of the dubstep beats, those square wave synths and that heavily vocoded voice – it sounds something like how I imagine Prince doing dubstep would. 

 

http://www.7digital.com/artists/joker-2000f-j-kamata/digidesign-you-dont-know-what-love-is/

 

28.  Spliff Dub (Rustie Remix) – Zomby (Hyperdub)

 

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=74398

 

29.  Sunday – Widdler (White Label)

 

http://www.zshare.net/audio/54103949f11f10c1/

 

30.  If You Can’t Beat Em – Reso (Civil Music)

 

This has pretty much ruled the beatport dubstep charts since it came out – and with reason, its properly heavy, just how banging dubstep should be. 

 

http://civilmusic.com/buy/if-ya-cant-beat-em/


Word.

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