Have you ever been to Burning Man?  If so have you ever tired to describe it someone?  It’s really, really tough.  Instead of wasting pages trying I’m gonna take a different approach this year.  2010 was probably my best Burn ever, and a lot of that had to do with the music.  There was this great diversity that you seldom here on the playa.  Electro over here, breaks over there, jungle (yes, I said jungle!  We saw Aphrodite), trance, dub-step, and even Hip Hop!  I heard more Hip Hop this year than I did in all my previous years combined.  This is a good thing.

For my podcast this week I’m gonna take you on an aural tour of Burning Man 2010.  Every song on this set I either heard in Black Rock City, played in Black Rock City, or was inspired by, yeah, you got it, my most recent trip to Black Rock City.  After the jump I’ll have the full track list and where I heard/played the songs.

If you were at Burning Man this year what did you think?  Did you enjoy the music?  Any sets particularly stand out for you?  I hope that this set might bring you back there, if just for an hour.  If it’s not working on it’s own feel free to cover yourself in dust, sit under a heat lamp, pee in a jug, do lots of drugs and set something on fire.  Always does the trick for me (^-^)v

DJ Jay - White Out (right click and “Save as…” to download)

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Tracklist, Backstories and Photos:

1. Fedde Le Grand - “Back And Forth” - Full Vocal Mix

Backstory: I played three times at The Duck Pond, a kick ass bar/DJ camp a few blocks away from Pancake Playhouse, the camp I helped found and home on the Playa for all seven of my years.  Playing a the Pond was an absolute blast, this track I played during my second set (photo 33)

2. Interactive - “Who Is Elvis 2010″ - David Amo & Julio Navas Remix

Backstory: The first set I played over at The duck Pond, Sunday night before Burning Man even started, was honestly one of the best sets of my life.  There was that perfect coming together of amazing people, great sound, and incredible vibe.  It was like riding a wave the best energy imaginable.  I played this track near the begining of that set.

3. Bass Kleph & Anthony Paul - “Helium” - Wolfgang Gartner Remix

Backstory: Longtime fav of mine, I’m glad to finally have it in a set.  I played this that incredible first night too.

4. Deadmau5 feat. Wolfgang Gartner - “Animal Rights”

Backstory: This track actually came out while I was on the playa.  I heard these great DJs (I think it was Santiago & Bushido from Chi) playing hard, bouncy electro just like this at Root Society (how about Root Society NOT just playing terrible dubstep all week!?  They had three sound stages and all kinds of different styles.   I was very impressed. Photo 9)

5.  The Loops Of Fury - “Flick A Switch” - DJ Dan & Mike Balance Mix

Backstory: I played this track that epic Sunday, but really I put this on here in honor of DJ Dan’s brilliant set at Root Society’s “Tower of Babel” stage burn night.  Hands down the best set I’ve ever hear from DJ Dan has to be in the top three all time Burning Man sets.  Straight hard hitting electro house goodness.  Anyone else there for that?? (photo 10)

6. Deadmau5 - “Ghosts n Stuff” - Elite Force Re-Fix

Backstory: So both “Elite Force” & “Zodiac Cartel” where playing on the playa this year, funny ‘casue roomer has it they’re the same dude.  I saw Elite at Distrikt (huge day time party) and Zodiac at Root Society (I’m telling you they had a wicked line-up) and yeah, same guy.  He was great under each name (more breaks as Elite Force, more hard electro/techno as Zodiac Cartel) and played this re-mix both times so I had to throw it on.

7. Justice - “We Are Your Friends” - Disco Villains Remix

Backstory: Another all time fav of mine that never found it’s way home on a podcast.  Part of the epic Sunday night at the Duck Pond.

8. Dr. Dre - “California Love” - Deadmau5 Edit

Backstory: In honor of all the great Hip Hop I heard on the playa this year.  Finally!  And I played this at Duck Pond too.

9. Daft Punk - “Harder Better Faster Stronger” - Blazerflame’s Beat Remix

Backstory: We have some serious Daft Punk fans in the camp so I’m throwing this hot remix on for them (photo 35).  It defies genera.  UPDATE: Brilliant Reader Phoenix was asking about it so here’s the full unmixed version via Soundcloud.  Enjoy!

Daft punk -harder better faster stronger(Blazerflame’s Beat This 2010 Remix! Remix) by D. Bokle

10. Major Lazer - “Never Good Enough” - The Killabits Remix

Backstory: So we also have some serious dubstep h8rs in our camp too.  Look, I’m not gonna defend all dubstep, I really do think 85% of it being played is crap (being generous here due to space considerations), BUT there is great dubstep.  I thew this song on here in honor of David Starfire who played the best 30 minutes of dubstep I’ve ever heard Thursday night at Root Society’s Tower of Babel.

11. The Pixies - “Where Is My Mind” - Bassnectar Remix

Backstory: So this is really funny:  Good friend, long time camp-mate and EDM aficionado Danger Cakes is an un-abashed dupstep hater.  We’re all hangin out in our big GP tent at like 2 am Thursday night when she busts in talking about how she just heard a dubstep bastardization of a Pixies song.  She’s going on but due to limiting factors I couldn’t quite place it, and then it hits me “Where Is My Mind”!  “Wait”, I say, “that would be a sick dub-setp remix!!!”.  I do believe I still have the holes she burned into my head with her glare.

I looked it up when I got home and it turns out that the one and only Playa Super Star, and all around Dubstep Hero, Bassnectar did the remix.  You really can’t have an “inspired by Burning Man” set and NOT include Bassnectar, and in this humble DJs opinion the remix is fucking sick.

12. La Roux - “Bulletproof” -  Tepr mix Krafty Kuts Re-Rub

Backstory: From my second set at the Pond.

13.  Deadmau5 - “Some Chords and some More Notes” - Original + Fixd Remix

Backstory: This is another good one.  So we had gone to “Temple of Breaks” Wednesday night, an outdoor party at the Temple where a bunch of sound system art cars chain up their rigs and bump the night away under the stars. Unfortunately it was all really, really, REALLY shitty dubstep, the kind you have to flee ASAP.  The next night, Thursday, we completely randomly ran across the “Anti-Temple of Breaks” party.

It was out at The Dancer, that gigantic statue of a dancing woman that graces the cover of this mix, and a rival faction of sound system art cars had the nerve to play progressive house and trance!  I was BEYOND EXCITED.  At the foot of this stunning piece of art, on of my favorites of all time, dance to prog trance at Burning Man??  And then, just when things couldn’t get any better, the DJ drops those distinctive chords from “Some Chords” causing my head to spontaneously explode (photo 25; the party, not my head exploding)

I’m curious, was anyone else there?  I’ll never forget that moment.

14. Deadmau5 - “Brazil”

Backstory: Well, we had a very special group of Cakers camping with us this year.  I’ve grown accustomed to my friends… how to put this… not making seeing me spin on the top of their priority lists.  And I don’t hold it against them, I’ve been playing for 13 years now, people have so much going on, especially at Burning Man, etc.  But this group was different.  Friday night I was supposed to have a final set at the Duck Pond but for some reason it didn’t happen.  Instead of scattering to the winds my camp-mates made me come back to our camp and play on our decks, just because they really wanted to hear me DJ again.

I can’t even express how happy that made me!  It was just like 15 of us but I almost had as much fun that night as the epic Duck Pond night.  I want to say thank you so much to all of you who were there and dancing.  I played this track that night, and I dedicate it to you now.  I don’t know if you realize how much we as DJs and friends appreciate your support.

My Forty Favorite Photos from BM 2010 (view with “PicLens” for an uninterrupted music stream)

[View with PicLens]

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