6 Nov

Density Volume 004, mixed by stu short

density004_blog






Seems to me that, much how like modern trance grew stale because it was hijacked and turned corporate by a group of twats, techno currently appears to be in danger of becoming similarly homogenised. That noir-ish style masquerading as deep, dark or brooding techno was wonderful when it was fresh, but, dare I say it, is starting to become a tad too popular; the very antithesis of what techno is about and what my contrarian nature feels compelled to rebel against. Its a trend that tech-house and progressive house has felt the need to dip into as well.

That, and I’ve been listening to a bit of millennial Dave Clarke recently.

You’d think then that the void created by such dark leanings would have been filled by a return to the rolling, 3AM, off-your-tits techno style of the nineties and noughties, punctuated by minimal, synthetically immature melodies and the raw bite of sawtoothed bass and razored hi-hat.

Apparently not. So here’s Density Volume 004.

Tracklisting:

Hertz – Phonk
Hertz – Granit
Industrialyser – Kosmos
Industrialyser – Maximal
C-System – Central (James Hammer Remix)
Der Dritte Raum – Hale Bopp (Der Dritte Raum Ison 38)
C-System – Just Hating
Brad Lee – Struggle Between
Max Walder and Manu Kenton – Adrenaline
Christian Fischer & DJ Murphy – Fucking Hard (A.Paul & Industrialyser Remix)
Dima E – Slow Fucking
Pratap & Petter B – Tribe Canini
Mr Rog – Fever (Esteban Arroyo Remix)
Jamal DJs – Danse Macabre
David Moleon – Monotension
Spiros Kaloumenos – Aftertouch
Deckmonsters – Girls Girls
Ian Void – Destroy The Boss
Raul Mezcolanza & Bob D – Monchu
Hertz & Elton D – Linus (Ignition Technition Remix
Paul Mac – From Below

1 Oct

Luminance Volume 002, mixed by stu short

When I approach putting together a progressive set like the Luminance series, I always find that I get sidetracked from the original goal I had in mind. This could well be why I don’t produce as many of them as I’d like. I know the kind of feeling I want to evoke and the direction I want the journey to go in, so I start rummaging through the collection and building up tracklists and then find that a seemingly unrelated track, or one that I’d prefer to play at a later time in the mix, goes really well with a track I’d prefer to play at the opposite end. Such serendipity is too good an opportunity to miss I think and so the mix often goes askew. I can’t decide whether its a blessing or a hindrance; the right side of the brain battling with the left.

Similar ’problems’ beset L002.

Also serendipitous is the inherent danger that lurks of uncovering a track you’d long forgotten about, and it sounds so new and fresh by virtue of its age that it gives you goosebumps. You have no option but to include it in your set and suddenly the view opens up to a whole new vista. I love moments like that and it forces that one side of your brain to cave in to the other. You find yourself a passenger on your own journey, you’re in the mosh pit with your audience.

This is Luminance 002:

Tracklisting:

Rone – Flesh (Sasha Remix)

16 Bit Lolitas – Beat Organ

Agoria – Panta Rei (Max Cooper Remix)

Alex Rize – Nebula

Kabalo – Waiting For You (Rise And Fall Remix)

Blister 13.0 – Sin Ojos (Oliver Prime Remix in Blue)

Dark Soul Project – Pegasus

Terranova – Tell Me Why ft. Stereo MCs (Danny Daze Mix)

Dale Anderson – Bugs (Cid Inc. Remix)

Miika Kuisma – Singularity

Lenoir and Meriton – Nuclear Body

Danny Dynamic – Swaggel

Pincode – Equilibrium

16 Bit Lolitas – Alien Fraud

Edu Imbernon & Los Suruba – Cederron

Lab Insect – Grand Voyage Part 1

Mononoid – Heat Flux

Lab Insect – Grand Voyage Part 2

Adam Dived – Into Sea

Djuma Soundsystem – Blizzard (Hardfloor Remix)

Airwave – Triangle (Solar Fields Remix)

Manu Riga – Everything Comes To An End (Solar Fields Remix)

11 Sep

A Blast From The Past – Mixes For Fixes Volume 18

Rooting through a backup drive the other day, I came across my earliest volume of mixes – the Mixes For Fixes series which I did some 6 or 7 years ago. Mostly these were high energy trance mixes that followed a template which I still use to this day and this mix is still probably one of my best examples of how to construct a trance set. Given that I’ve long since removed myself from the trance genre, listening to this felt strangely refreshing and I grinned like an idiot all the way through.

11 Sep

SonicTonic Opening Night @ The Bounty

So a couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of opening SonicTonic – a brand new night up in Hinckley run by DJs and good friends of mine, Mono and Laura May. Aimed at re-energising an area that was once a hub of underground dance back in the 90s, SonicTonic is certainly an ambitious effort, especially in the face of current adversity and a shining light amidst the steady, progressive fall of bigger clubs.

Hosted at The Bounty in the centre of Hinckley, the once iconic club’s somewhat misleading exterior hides a gem of a refurbished venue inside and certainly has the potential to attract clubbers new and old once ’Tonic gets a foothold and gains traction. Given Mono and May’s passion and experience (they’ve DJ’d the circuit for a while but this is their first clubnight) this shouldn’t be a problem. Indeed, the steady demise of midlands clubbing in recent years could certainly help the underground migrate in this new direction as dedicated clubbers are again forced to look for equally dedicated venues. SonicTonic is it!

Mono and May’s intention is refreshingly old school, harking back to that era when music told stories and the dancefloor remained consistently energised throughout the night, building through layers and shifting through gears. There are no hour-long, quick-fix sets here. No DJs plying their pre-fabbed mixtapes. Sonic Tonic is a musical journey. It’s a night for those that want to be on the dancefloor from the start and not leave until the lights go up.

That vibe and atmosphere was certainly evident from the dedicated crowd who knew their music and remained throughout. Smiling faces. Friendly banter. New friends made. That feeling of a private party or reunion between long standing friends despite never having met any of these people before. Its a vibe unique to the clubbing fraternity and it was in abundance here. For me, the pleasure was in warming up with the kind of progressive music that got me into this scene in the first place, and though its always great to get good feedback, it was more exciting to know that there is a demand for that kind of progression and not your quick fix EDM bollocks!

To top it all off, Mono and May’s effort and professionalism was exemplary. From their application in putting the night together to looking after all us DJs, I can only hope to play for them again. Regardless, I’ll be front and centre anyway; nights like this are too few and far between!


Photos courtesy of Kimmi’s Photography