Category: DJ

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DJ Music Remixes Writing

Thoreau – Bronze Whale x Popeska – Imagine Ft. Tom Aspaul (Thoreau Remix)

This song reminds me of being about 19 or 20 years old and partying at the Rockstar mansion in Los Angeles. My days of clubbing and partying like that are way over, unless of course someone invites me on a special Vegas trip or something similar then I might just have to say YES!  I like to live a life of YES but I think as you grow up a world of saying YES to everything can get pretty complicated.  So now a days I like to “imagine” what it might be like to say yes to everything, do everything sexy smile that comes my way, to every party invite, every adventure.  Wouldn’t that be nice?!

I have to actually remind myself that I need to spend less time imagining and more time doing, doing all of the things my little heart desires.  I don’t believe that there should be anything in this world that holds you back but I think sometimes we all get stuck in the moments of our “priorities.”  I put the word priorities in quotes because sometimes we really just need to rearrange about every few weeks or so before we get so stuck in a routine that our imaginations get lost in the consistencies of life, and that’s no fun!

I am going to put this one on repeat and start living in my imaginations and making them reality, enjoy!

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Categories
DJ Music Remixes Writing

Broken Bells – Holing On For Life (Zed’s Dead Remix)

When I came to we were clearly in a post Apocalyptic place. It was a weird sensation because I kept looking at my cloths and I could tell this wasn’t all real because they weren’t mine. I was in a ’70 style stripe top and jeans and looked like I just walked through a dust storm. I was with P which made feel calmer. He always makes me feel calmer. I had never been here before but we started to walk around like we knew where we were going. The town all seemed to be covered in this reddish, chalky dust. I was walking a step behind him down a narrow allow way which was just tall, old grey brick walls and little European style facades.

As we emerged from the alley to the main strip on our way to a cafe, we stopped by the kids putting up fresh graffiti. It was in another language, almost alien looking and we never saw their faces. They just kept going. One of them had a speaker in his pocket where you could hear the muffled sound of NWA’s “Gangster Gangster“. I thought quickly about my friend E. We sang that song in high school when we got stoned in the car. We heard someone coming so P and I started running for the downhill cobble street leading to the cafe. It was only then I realised the sky was orange. All over orange.

Even though I was fully aware this wasn’t real at this point, I kept worrying about work I needed to do. I was thinking about work in a place like this. In a shirt that I don’t own. On a planet with an orange sky. But yes, I was thinking about how to format an excel comparing something unimportant. Here, it didn’t exist. I kept reaching for P’s hand grasping it and slipping out. Holding for life.

We got to the cafe, and the food was all neon blue, which apparently was the norm. People sought refuge here. The world or maybe just this town had recently gone through something recently, making this a place where you saw people with everything they owned. Which was no more than two or three knapsacks full of their wordily goods. Clothes and some framed pictures. A couple books. It is weird. Even here you see what people grab when they can only take what they feel that cannot live without. Which in the end, is still little.

I ordered a black coffee and the waitress who also didn’t have a face, or one that I could see gave off the impression she was confused by my order. She brought me a cup of red coffee a few minutes later. I reached out for P’s hand as my stomach turned a bit, like when you miss a step. And took a sip of the red coffee. He started to say something and I strained to hear it as I was getting distracted by his dimples.

And then I woke up. I hope it wasn’t important.

_

Oddly, this dream made me think of the music video for this song. The original by Broken Bells, which is the combined awesomeness of James Mercer and Brian Burton, or the lead singer of The Shins and Danger Mouse. I find his voice haunting and comforting and the music is always whimsical and something dark, sexy. This remix from Zed’s Dead also packs on an extra layer of electronic edge. The beat changes under the chorus, “holding on for life” and it is nearly the pace of a racing heart. Pounding through the vocals and your chest.

Broken Bells – Holding On For Life (Zed’s Dead Remix)

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DJ

Sam Smith – Stay With Me (Black Space Remix)

This song feels like a gospel. And this is the time for a gospel. A saving grace in music. Some reassurance that the music industry is not just filled with foxes who sound ‘really great’ when auto-tuned or spewing words that resemble more of what we wrote to our crushes in passed notes from our training bras and back seats.

You half expect this song to come with a choir in the back singing behind him smoothly, resonating emotion and hope and praise. Dawning hair which is reminiscent of  doo-wop singers, the singer’s English upbringing clearly oozes from his dapper and polished attire and presence. I appreciate this though. Bring back the days of the Rat Pack and tailored suits.

Sam Smith, a somewhat newer face in the past year, was been awarded top honours this past year for being the bright rising star in the UK. He has been breaking hearts with his music and moving us to dance and to breath in his sweet voice with each release of a new track or mix. His debut album will be released at the end of this month titled, “In the Lonely Hour” and can only promise to deliver more.

This edit is nothing to look over from Black Space, a 19-year old producer from Geneva, Switzerland. Influences for this young lad stem from the musical styles of Kygo (clearly heard in this mix). What gives me chills in this song is when you hear the flutes come through with the consistent piano. The tone feels almost like that of an Arcade Fire track simply filed with a sound which I can only describe as “hopeful”.

Praise.

Sam Smith – Stay With Me (Black Space Edit)

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DJ Music Remixes

Wet – Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl (Branchez Remix)

This song has been on repeat for three days. I keep having the same conversation over and over with different people. You are not unhappy. You don’t want to be alone. You don’t to be with them. What happened? Did something change? If you have ever been on the giving end of this conversation, you know your brain turns flaccid and your thoughts lose credibility and clarity before leaving your lips.

Another person talked to me about hot wax. Everyone is a little masochistic. You watch a calm candle flicker and we all dip our fingers in the wax surrounding it. Letting the heat burn your fingers. A simple reminder that you can still feel at all as the thoughts that tumble in your mind leave you feeling vacant. Hot wax acts as a reminder of reality. The song cuts back in and you hear the almost upbeat, downer breakup tune pulling you back like hot wax.

More than anything, I feel that we have seen so many shifts in what is normal and what is not. Our parents grew up thinking the person they dated in college was inevitably the one. Or if you move around too much, then you will never be able to grow. We now pride ourselves as a generation of lovers who no longer need to be monogamous with our darlings or our jobs or our zip codes or our zippers. We move around to stay present in the current.

Over a beer in a pub with a stranger I have known for ten years, he asked when is the time to settle down. He was thumbing the keys to the house he recently purchased and I could see wanderlust was already causing him to constantly itch his feet in his loafers that were cemented there in The Angel.

A listen to the angelic voice of this three-piece from Brooklyn and you will feel the longing for heartbreak. For the hot wax. The lead singer put it best when describing their debut album as “break-up songs, well atleast superficially.” Wet is currently travelling around the UK and will follow-up with a tour with CHVRCHES later this summer.

Branchez, however, brought this song to a level of hot wax. It was a beautiful, airy tune to get your head into, and then he brings his signature New Yorker bass and makes you dance and break hearts. A perfect Spring / Summer, love / break-up mix.

Wet – Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl (Branchez Remix)

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DJ Music

Kidnap Kid – Like You Used To

Friday! Finally! I hope you have a fun weekend planned ahead of you. Maybe as you’re driving/biking/walking home this afternoon, you can leave with a smile listening to this track by Kidnap Kid…

If you’ve ever put needle to vinyl, you’ll recognize the first sounds emitting from Kidnap Kid’s “Like You Used To.” It begins with a soft crackle, followed by a soft electric guitar and raspy female vocals. If you don’t typically like “electronic” or “dance” music, you might want to open your ears up to this track and take a listen. Subtlety is key.

This song is definitely something you’ll be singing along to after a few plays; or at least tapping your toes to. Maybe it’s the harmonies that have me hooked. Perhaps her soothing voice or the mellow piano, all interspersed with atypical house beats.

If you focus on her voice you’ll hear her anguish. Is she alright? I can’t help but feel that the singer isn’t ok, but faking it. She’s obviously hurt and yearning for her ex-lover, yet her words say the opposite. Whatever her true feelings, you’ll likely enjoy the way she’s expressing herself.

Kidnap Kid is an English electronic dance music DJ and producer. “Like You Used To” was featured on his single, “Stronger” released this year. A lot of his other work features more electronic, quintessential electronic sounds, but I have an affinity for this track because of the soulful vocals; everything blends together really well.

Kidnap Kid – Like You Used To

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Classics DJ Music

.WAVs Boat Party – August 2013

WAVsAug2Version_550w

A Friday night in New York City presents itself with endless opportunities from week to week when it’s not summer, so you can imagine my excitement when I was told about this party happening on Friday, that will bring together all of the best things of summer and music. An outdoor range of music performances from multiple talented and party-worthy DJs, spanning the hours of 9pm to whenever the party decides to end sometime in the morning. Performances start at 9pm and then things start getting a little more wild, a little less tame, and a little more sexy at midnight when the ship (yes, there’s a cruise) departs. So of course I’ll be there. And if you like dancing and meeting strangers in strange situations, this might be the perfect way to finish out the end of the summer.

The event takes place on Friday, August 23rd. In writing that, I’ve only just realized that it is almost the end of August which is baffling. Where the hell did this summer go…? Here’s what I have to say about that: if there’s anything you should have done, haven’t done, want to do, do it. Because I look at the summer time the same way I look at a new year — as a time for opportunities, a time to expand on your pre-existing ambitions. Broaden those horizons and take some risks! It’s almost over and if you walk away without having done anything for yourself that is noteworthy, well, the fading tan come Fall won’t be your only disappointment. So go out there and find the one you love and tell ’em. Apply for that new job. Move to that new apartment that you thought you couldn’t get your hands on. If you want it hard enough, you’ll get it. I have only one goal, and that is to buy a decent enough mixer, go to parties, and make people dance.

That said, here’s a fantastic classic that will also make an appearance at .WAVs. I’m in a nostalgic mood and this song reminds me of the days where I learned how to scratch. Enjoy!

Afrika Bambaataa – Planet Rock

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DJ Music

Rene Amesz – Spinnerei

Some would say 2012 was the year of deep, I would say we’re just getting started. As with all things in life movements and energies never just hit once, they tend to come back full circle, never quite the same but if you look closely you’ll always find the similarities or pattens. These days you’ll find the deep parties in BK, LA warehouses and of course Vegas continues to be at the forefront of EDM. However, the genre is seeing some incredible innovations in sound that the will propel not only the genre itself but music in general once it influences the mainstream.

Remember what Hip Hop did for low-end in music? Well if you don’t, before Hip Hop all those wonderful subs and big kick sounds we can’t get enough of didn’t exist, not consistently and on purpose at least. In many ways the genre expanded the spectrum and focused attention on otherwise overlooked frequencies. It was a total experiment in sound but it worked wonderfully. Deep is doing the same expect going even lower than Hip Hop by taking advantage of the innovations in speakers and processing to capture low-end movement most people haven’t learned to love or appreciate yet. Go to a club with a FunKtion One system and see someone like Claptone or Kaskade and watch your whole body become transparent in the face of the most massive bass you’ve ever heard, you will literally be overtaken by sound. Oh yeah when you go don’t stand in the back like a fu*&ing poser, get right in the middle with all the girls tripping balls and zoning out, get right in the belly of the beast and feel the bass, it’s mind-blowing, no fib.

One of the best parts about growing up in NYC during the golden age was how alive music was. Anyone who was serious about their music basically had the equivalent of a small club sound system in their car. Whenever a new record dropped there was a 98% chance the first time you heard was when someone drove by blasting it in their car, it was amazing for music to be so alive like that. It allowed Hip Hop to shine because not only was there a lot of money being spent to make the music by the labels and artist but there was also a lot of money being put into listening to the music by the fans.

What I’m saying is that to listen to some of these records you gotta get the fr*$k out there. You won’t get it listening to tracks on your shitty ass Macbook speakers or ear buds, as a matter of fact if that’s your only source of sound you need to re-evaluate your whole existence and step it up. Go to Cielo in New York, Smart Bar in Chicago, Avalon in LA, U Street in DC, follow obsessive club owners like David Grutman of Liv who care and stay on the cutting edge of sound, go see the DJ’s who know their shit, look for FunKtion One systems, ride around with the friend that spent an extra 4 grand to upgrade the system in his/her car, be around people who take sound serious, respect the game and experience music as it should be heard. Buy some speakers and brag about that shit, this is music we’re talking about folk!

All day sipping sipping Chandon, girls around me on Don Juan…”

That’s how you wanna feel on a Friday boy. This track is massive, I need to hear this on blast very soon. All the Brooklyn DJs playing this weekend, bump this. Enjoy.

Rene Amesz – Spinnerei

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DJ Music Remixes

Say Lou Lou – Julian (The Chainsmokers Remix)

JULIAN (THE CHAINSMOKERS REMIX) COVER ART

 

Winding down from what has been an interesting birthday week I must say I was pleased to find this gem in my inbox Monday morning.  I recently saw Alex and Drew at for a brunch party @ The Highline Ballroom in the Meatpacking district and they made me eat a tequila worm….Ok ok, they didn’t make me, I of course being a fun crazy little vixen did it willingly, but man I forgot how much of a riot being around them and their energy is.  I love seeing people after you haven’t seen them in a year or two, and nothing has changed, still beautiful fun loving people.  There are always people in our lives who are going to judge us, make us feel like we can’t be ourselves, give you a hard time.  And then there are the people that will lift you up, show you loyalty and allow you to be exactly who you want to be at all times, happy, sad, it don’t matter!

“A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.” -William Shakespeare 

It’s important to remember that we are all crazy, lovely, unique human beings all bound up in our own special packages.  Summer is here and you can definitely feel it in the air.  Summer is not the time to take judgement on people, especially your friends, you should never live in fear to be yourself around the people you work with and play with and I am certainly not.  This remix gave me that feeling and a happy energy that I so badly needed, so with further ado here is a word from my crazy dudes:

So, we would like to take a moment to explain why we think this is our best song to date, but the answer is fairly simple…. We always preach about trying to make music that is a beautiful blend of Pop, Indie and Progressive, which isn’t always possible, but we feel like this time, we did it…. So we wrote up a little math equation to make sense of what we did…
 
 Say Lou Lou(Julian) x The Chainsmokers                 Happiness
——————————————————————–         x    ———————-   = This Song
(Indie + Dance) x (Pop Music + Summer Time)             Sadness
 
**(IF YOU READ THIS EQUATION ON YOUR PHONE IT WILL MAKE 0 SENSE)
 
So Play it at a nice level, cause it’ll make you feel like doing something, maybe not dancing, but something special… In our eyes not to sound cheesy, it doesnt matter if you like Mumford, or W&W this song creates a feeling that hopefully in some way connects everyone and summer is here, and this drop is that summer feelings…”
Your feeling that great fun energy now aren’t you?  Well just wait till you press play, enjoy!

Say Lou Lou – Julian (The Chainsmokers Remix)

Free Download @ Soundcloud

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DJ Music Remixes Video

EMPT Presents: BrunchBounce Volume 1 – @TheEspinalien

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Hey Hey!  We have a little something special for you all.  Summer is approaching rapidly and that means beautiful weather, sexy bodies, music and mixes to die for, and yup the brunch crowds in full bloom.  Jose knows what this is all about and I don’t have to explain a lot because he did it flawlessly, but what I will say is that panties are going to drop and your weekends and Summer is never going to be the same.  So without further ado I would like to have the pleasure of announcing the Brunch Bounce Radio!

Welcome to our first ever #BrunchBounceRadio monthly mix!! If you heard about the #Brunchbounce or had the pleasure of attending one, you know that the music is eclectic, energetic, and not to mention, AWESOME! Considering that we’re DJ’s ourselves, we take pride in our selections and ability to keep the party going, without playing stuff you hear on the radio. At the end of the day, it’s all about the music.

So without further ado, we present you the first monthly mix by Jose Espinal aka @theEspinalien. He’s one half of the #BrunchBounce creative team, one half of @Spieshouse, and the bald guy with the “Hat”. Enjoy this feel-good summertime mix, guaranteed to make dance in your seat at work, blast it out it the sunroof of your car, or just plain rock out whenever, where ever.

“We’re just here to make you dance.”

1.) Cloud Life – Treasure Fingers
2.)The Wall – Louis LaRoche (J Paul Getto Remix)
3.)OMG – Aniki (J paul Getto Remix)
4.)Blowin’ Up – Treasure Fingers
5.)Solitaire – You got the love (treasure fingers remix edit)
6.)Micheal -Daft Punk
7.)Get Lucky – Daft Punk (Ice hunt remix)
8.)Cross the Dancefloor – Treasure Fingers (chromeo remix)
9.)Take my Hand – Treasure Fingers
10.)Ready, Aim Fire, – Codes (JWLS remix)
11.)One More Time – Daft Punk (DJ AYers remix)
12.)Look Up – Carli
13.)Dance -Rebecca & Fiona (Loops of Fury Remix)
14.)Pay attention to the Drums – Alvaro
15.)Us – Leon Bolier
16.)We are your Friends- Leewise, Dj Exodus
17.)Hit it! – GTA

Before you hit play a little announcement from Jose for your future brunch extravaganzas and a little history lesson on it’s birth:

The BrunchBounce was first conceived by Irvin Benitez @twitaworldpeace on twitterbecause there wasn’t a place for him and his friends to enjoy good music on Saturday afternoon in Washington Heights, NYC.

The first BrunchBounce was launched Memorial Day weekend 2012, and he hired one of his good friends and DJ, Jose Espinal to play @theespinalien on twitter.

After the success of the first party and the response to Jose’s eclectic music selection, Irvin and Jose partnered up to produce the monthly Brunchbounce events. Above all, they strive to maintain a positive, fun atmosphere, playing the most progressive and high energy dance music around. The success of the BrunchBounce and it’s rabid following is attritbuted to it’s fun-loving, unpretentious approach to having a good time. At a BrunchBounce It’s not rare to see gaggles of gorgeous women expressing themselves, crowdsurfing, and raging along their male counterparts. It’s far removed from the bottle-oriented, poser filled environment that has permeated NYC partying in recent years.

The next and biggest BrunchBounce yet will be at La Marina Beach on Memorial Day Saturday, May 25th 2013.

Categories
DJ Music Remixes

Little Daylight – Overdose (The Chainsmokers Remix)

Overdose (The Chainsmokers Remix)

 

I have definitely been getting an OVERDOSE thrown at me of irrational opinions and perspectives, but it’s definitely been giving me some good material to write about musically, so cheers to that, pour me a double while you’re at it!  Speaking of overdosing, guess who popped back into our lives rather quickly?  The Chainsmokers, those sneaky devils, and no I am not complaining at all, throwing my shirt in the air and thinking about running down the street topless is more like it, HA!  I was really excited to open up my personal inbox yesterday only to find yet another wonderful remix from my dudes!  We get so much love here at EMPT and that’s because we like to give it back like it ain’t no thang, you feel me?!!  I watched an interview recently with Chase Jarvis and Ryan Holiday, talking about Ryan’s new book coming out in July called “Trust Me I’m Lying, Confessions of a Media Manipulator”.  So long story short they were talking about his success at such a young age and among the many wise comments that were made throughout this interview (watch it!), here is the one that stuck with me; “You need to meet people where they are.” Wise, so wise, makes so much sense because that’s really what it’s all about in accomplishing anything, don’t expect anything from anyone, show people what you can give them.  I am getting too excited about too many things right now, so before I go off on a tangent, Alex and Drew, two guys that seem to know the meaning of “meeting people where they are”, have something special for you and some words of their own:

‘Overdose came about cause we heard Little Daylight’s song at a party & we looked them up and shot them an email & were thrilled when they were into the idea as they were looking for someone to do a more up-tempo remix. So we thought about it & wanted to make the song very warm and with uplifting chords and chop the vocal up a bit and we’ve been really into this indie progressive mesh of sound that drops but is more animated. Then we thought instead of the usual house structure we would do something a bit funkier and keep the song evolving as it unfolds, so it starts out a bit simple with the vocals bleeding in over some warm drums but then end in this entirely different place’

Little Backstory:

The Chainsmokers who are coming off their Official Two Door Cinema Club Remix – Sleep Alone which reached #2 on HypeM are releasing their 3rd remix this year for Little Daylight.  The duo are spinning at Electro Beach Festival this Saturday 3/16/13 in Puerto Vallarta AND They would also like to point out they have an unhealthy rivalry and are very competitive. For example, Drew tried to poison Alex once after losing a game of Call of Duty, no joke #TeamDrew.”

Once you press play don’t be afraid to let the excitement completely take over your body and let the little red devil on your shoulder tell you what to do!  Thanks again guys for another ballin’ remix…Enjoy!

Little Daylight – Overdose (The Chainsmokers Remix)

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