DJ

Rerun.

I’m already in a weekend mood, so I think it’s time for a club bunny dance track.

This song originally hit the clubs in 1990 and tried to crack the American Top 40 in 1993 (when I was a baby radio DJ). It’s definitely a club track and anyone with an ear for dance music of the era can probably tell who the track was originally written for1.

I had a a clear 12-inch single of this track that I spun the hell out both in Jamestown and in Utica, as well as other gigs I was doing at the time. In fact, I still play it in my early set when I’m out and about doing the DJ thing.

Here’s Lonnie Gordon with “Happenin’ All Over Again”.

1 This track was originally written for Donna Summer and her the follow-up album to “Another Place and Time”. Donna is superstitious of recording tracks that talk about a love ending, so she passed on it. It’s produced by Stock, Aiken and Waterman who produced Donna’s aforementioned album, as well as Rick Astley, Kylie Minogue, Boy Krazy, Dead or Alive and many other tracks of the era.

30 April 2009 by DJ 0

Get Up, Stand Up

I thought I’d share one of my favourite tracks to kick off the weekend. 

Here’s the Stellar Project with “Get Up, Stand Up” from 2005. This track sounds best with the windows down and the sunroof open.

stay with me forever
call my name and I’ll be there
follow me wherever i will fly

17 April 2009 by DJ 0

Lulu.

As I sit in the midst of an on-call weekend, I find myself looking up old songs I used to play as a DJ.

From 1994, here’s Lulu with “Independence”. Yes, it’s the same Lulu from the 60s with “To Sir With Love”. A couple notes about this song: on an episode of Absolutely Fabulous Edina refers to this song whilst talking to Lulu, who is the only client of her PR firm. Eddy sings the little “independence” back up vocal while she’s trying to schmooz Lulu. I also really like this track because of the real sounding instrumentation, it’s actually melodic and sounds like it could be played live with real instruments. The piano instrumentation is beautiful. I also like the lack of over-processing on the vocals.

And I’m certainly enthralled with the half-naked men rolling around in cages.

11 January 2009 by DJ 0

Hit List.

Back during my radio days I was asked every year as to what my favourite song of the year was. The song would usually be a dance oriented track; one year it was “I’m Gonna Luv U” by the Summer Junkies. Only a handful of people remember that song.

Since I’m not in radio anymore no one has asked me this year but because this is my blog I’m going to share what my favourite song of this year is.

Presenting “Move For Me” by Kaskade featuring Deadmau5

I hear a good dose of sexual energy in this track. Listening to it always brings my mood to a part of myself I rarely talk about on this blog: adventurous, uninhibited and intense. Those that know me in that space know what I’m talking about. Perhaps someday I will share that side of me on here.

23 December 2008 by DJ 1

iCreate.

I think I’m happiest when I am in a creative space. I passed an on-call night tonight by working the music studio. It has been too long since I’ve put together a mix in the studio. It felt good to listen to the finished product.

I put a little more time than I have in the past in the post-mixing phase of the production. I think you can hear my roots in radio in some of the production elements in this mix.

If you’re interested, you can download it here or you can subscribe to the podcast version here here.

Enjoy!

16 November 2008 by DJ 0

Weekend Kick Off.

It’s going to be a fully geek weekend for me as I am on-call until Monday morning. I have various projects to keep me busy so I won’t be bored or anything like that. I’ll probably write in the blog quite a bit. I tend to get chatty when I’m not as distracted by the work week.

Back in 1986 I was just discovering the gay bar during my freshman year of college. It was around this time that I first stepped into “Doc’s” in Jamestown, New York. Located in the basement of a pediatrician’s office, I never drank or anything but rather just enjoyed the vibe and the music. I was introduced to the experience by a college senior and fellow music major named Steve. He resembled Herbie (“I want to be a dentist”) from Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and was an AMAZING pianist. He probably still is. Last I knew he lived in Schenectady.

One of the things I liked about Doc’s was that the DJ played the British dance stuff that was popular in the mid 1980s. One of the tracks that he played was by a duo called “Pepsi and Shirlie”. Their most popular song was “Heartache”. It’s very 80s sounding.

Bonus points to those that can name the group we first saw Pepsi and Shirlie with.

[MEDIA=72]
31 October 2008 by DJ Gayish. 0

Priorities.

I am looking into updating my DJ gear. As I have mentioned before, all my DJ equipment is Mac based as I use my MacBook Pro to maintain my music library and edit tracks and I use my older PowerBook G4 to spin using a MIDI controller/sound card combo designed for what I do. It’s a setup that has worked well for a number of years. However, the capabilities of my DJ software is limited when compared to what is available on the market today and the PowerBook won’t support anything much faster. I am striving to build a larger presence in the gay community as a DJ. I have dreams of cranking up the crowd in a larger club and making myself known. By spinning at charity events and such, I’m confident that I can make a positive contribution to the community.

Hence, I search for a new solution.

I am really thinking of going in a different direction with all this. I found a new software program and DJ interface that I really like. It cost a little more than what I use today. I’m thinking of buying a Dell (Product) RED XPS laptop to support it.

Shocking, I know!

There are a couple of reasons that I’m looking at the Dell (Product) Red laptop. First of all, tricked out to the specs I need it still costs only about half of what I have invested in the MacBook Pro and that includes a (Product) Red version of Windows Vista Ultimate. I know other Mac fans will proclaim “but it’s Vista!” but with the economy the way it is, I need to be reasonable with my budget. Plus, the more I use and support Vista for work, the more I actually like it.

Secondly, I feel that Microsoft is doing more than Apple in the philanthropic arena these days. It could be that Apple isn’t as vocal about their efforts as Microsoft (and related entities) is. However, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation does a lot of wonderful things for a lot of people. And I can’t help but admire that. In addition, both the Dell laptop and the version of Windows Vista that I would run are (Product) Red1. Even if I were to not buy the (Product) Red version of the hardware and software, I would still save half the money that would be spent on a new Mac setup and that money could probably be better used with a local AIDS/HIV charity. Too many people that I know and love are HIV positive and it angers me that the necessary medication is so damn expensive. Plus, more money means more research which hopefully brings us closer to a cure for this disease. There are more important things than having the shiniest computer at Panera and if I can use that money for a better means then that is what I’m going to do.

So now I consider all my options and try to decide what to do. I would really like to hear anyone’s thoughts or experience with the (Product) Red Project or anything else I’ve mentioned in this blog entry.

1 proceeds from (Product) Red support AIDS relief in Africa.

6 October 2008 by DJ Ponderings and Musings Why. 0

Underlying Feeling.

I mixed together a new DJ SuperCub mix last night, focusing a little more on progressive house and trance music. (It’s available here). I’m finding myself liking the simplicity of some of the tracks I chose last night.

A little search on YouTube turned up the video to the first track in last night’s mix, “Underlying Feeling” by Sylvia Tosun. Her breathy vocals accompanied by sparse instrumentation really presses some of my aural buttons. The video compliments the sensual sound of the track perfectly.

Here it is for your enjoyment.

1 October 2008 by DJ 0

Tracking Treasure Down.

I discovered this track on a DJ Feel mix1 I was listening to on the Thruway today. It’s two years old but I have to say I’m liking it a lot. This is definitely having an influence on the sound of my gigs lately.

This is Gabriel and Dresden, “Tracking Treasure Down”.

1 Thanks dave!

6 September 2008 by DJ 0

About J.P.

Just a guy with a husband. We’ve been together 28 years and he still makes me see fireworks on a daily basis. Hiker. Storm Chaser. Private Pilot. Tech Guy. Hackerish.

Weird? Eccentric!

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