Posted by: Jay

Twas the night before Halloween & not a beat could be heard, except for our most recent pod-blast from the past, WORD! Enjoy this vintage set of spooky trance & house from back in the day, guaranteed to scare all those ghosts & goblins away. Happy Halloween!

Posted by: Cor

Mwahahahaha! Halloween is finally upon us, and to celebrate we present you with the second in our series of spooky retro mixes: a super-rare versus set Jay and I recorded for a Halloween party way back in… damn, when was this? Judging from the tracks I’d say this was in 2000, but it’s hard to know for sure; I barely remember recording this one. Big thanks to Dustin for getting this to me, as he had what appears to be the only copy of this long-forgotten CD. Even Jay and I haven’t heard this in years.

Listening back now, Jay’s set definitely sounds a lot more Halloween-y than mine, I love the dramatic cello-driven trance tracks and the Psycho theme in there. His set has better flow and mixing as well… You know, on second thought, don’t listen to my set. Maybe I forgot this CD on purpose. Ah hell, it’s too late now, it’s out there, for better or worse. Trick or treat, you decide.

Paradox - Bump in the Night

DJ Cor - Bump in the Night

Posted by: Jay

Editors note: Fore those of you who might be just tuning in, this is the most recent in a series of posts counting down our favorite dance music producers of the decade.  Full details on the series and a list of all the posts can be found here.  These post are long, plan your day accordingly ; )

I really like Steve Porter.  I mean, of course I like his music, or he wouldn’t be on this list.  No, what I mean is I like Steve Porter as I person.  I met him once about four or five years ago at Anu, a little club in San Francisco, and I just got the best vibe from him.  Now of course you can’t know much about anyone from talking to them for two minutes with blasting beats as a backdrop, but I donno, every interview I’ve seen and all the stuff he writes on his website just seem to kinda confirm it.  Steve Porter is a cool dude.

Now what does this have to do with music?  Well we’re getting there. The full case for Steve Porter after the jump!

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: Cor

This weekend my very favorite downtempo artist, Simon Green, better known as Bonobo, performed at my local dance music appreciation establishment. While I didn’t have the opportunity to go, it reminded me that this blog has been in existence for over half a year now and I still haven’t given Bonobo his due props. If Jay and I were including chill electronic artists in our ‘So You Think You Can Bump’ competition, you can bet he’d be at the top of my list… although I sometimes hesitate to call this “electronic” music, since there’s nary a synth or drum machine in most Bonobo tracks. Here’s a few highlights from his first three albums…

This is the first song of Bonobo’s I ever heard, off his first album, Animal Magic. The Billie Holiday sample grabbed me, and I dig the moody, sexy vibe of the track. The production’s definitely less polished than his later albums, but Simon Green’s just cutting his teeth at this point.

Sugar Rhyme

Below is one of the best tracks you will ever hear, from Bonobo’s second album, Dial M for Monkey. If this song doesn’t put a smile on your face, I humbly suggest that you have no soul.

Flutter

The last three samples here are from Days to Come, the most recent Bonobo album. Listen for how his sound has become even more organic, like you’re listening to a band rather than a collection of samples, which in many cases, you are. He now tours with a live band, and the next time I have the opportunity to go hear him him actually play (rather than DJ) I won’t miss it for the world.

Love the time signature shift at the beginning of this one…

Recurring

… the bass that drops in the middle of this one…

Between the Lines

… and the acoustic guitar at the end of this one. It finishes the track perfectly. If you ask me, this should have been the final song on the album.

Nightlite

PLAY ALL

If you like these tracks as much as do, you need to get these albums. They are all brilliant, but I’d recommend buying them in reverse order…

Days To Come ($11.99 at Amazon)

Dial M for Monkey ($8.91 at Amazon)

Animal Magic ($9.49 at Amazon)

Posted by: Cor

Just in time for Halloween, we have a classic concept mix from the Beatery archives. This one runs the gambit from trance to breaks to house, all tied together by the powerful 1938 radio drama that, for a brief while, terrified the nation. Happy Halloween!