As I may have mentioned on here a few times, I am very fond of Poland. I have been to play out there twice now and have people I consider friends for life. One of the best things about the place is the passion and knowledge the people have for music and partying, often putting my own knowledge – and partying ability - to shame.

Last time I was out there when we had finished our night about 3 a.m. – we went to another club with as few local DJ’s playing hip hop, funk, boogie…you get the picture. One of the DJ’s was a guy called DJ Boogie (yes, a great name)…and I dont think I have danced as much without the aid of *cough* consumables, since I was about 18. Thats quite a while ago.

I dont think I need give any more reason as to why I got in touch with him when I got back and asked for a guest mix. If your a DJ who knows how to make people dance, then you deserve all the mix time you can get. Thank you, DJ Boogie.

Tracklisting

Chime Disco / Keep It Up
Webster Lewis / Are You My Life
Nccu / Super Trick
Cameo / Your Love Takes Me Out
Locksmith / Unlock the Funk
T-Connection / Midnight Train
Teddy Pendergrass / Only You
Crown Heights Affair / You Gave Me Love (Boogie edit)
Donald Byrd / Caricatures
Idris Muhammad / Turn This Mutha Out
Midnight Starr / Two in Love
Instant Funk / Slap, Slap Lickedy Lap
Roy Ayers / Can’t You See Me
Dynasty / I’ve Just Began To Love You
New Bird / Up Against The Wall

The chances are that if you are reading this from somewhere that is not Liverpool or Birmingham, you wont have ever heard of Chris Barker. This is a real shame because he’s not only a thoroughly decent individual, he is also (as you will soon hear) a very talented DJ and producer.

His skills are about to be unleashed on the world with the signing of many of the records from his Deep Space Orchestra project with Si “jazzchops” Murray, and the continuing success of the Altiplano night in Liverpool that he is resident at along side Kelvin Andrews.

I have been asking him for a guest mix for some time, as every time I hear him play, it usually ends with me drunkenly shouting at him that he is the best DJ in Liverpool. He finally passed me one a few weeks back, and now I pass it on to you.

Its things like this that make me pleased to chip in on a site were I can put up mixes from people I want to hear (and want others to hear) – without any high profile name stigma.

Full Tracklisting

Weather Report / Cucumber Slumber
Renergie / Stone Groove
Hudson Mohawke / Fruit Touch
Santana / When I look into your eyes (outro)
Atmosfear / Outer Space
Jimi Tenor & Kabu Kabu / Mystery Spot
Tommy Stewart / Fulton County Line
Soulphiction / A short history of…
Ron Trent / Morning Fever
Super Value / Super Value Special Edits 5
Danny Mekanik / Osmondosis
Million Dollar Edits / Magic Lady
George Duke / Carnival (interlude)
A Hundred Birds / Black Water
Roy Ayers / Fast Money
Pamela Joy / Think Fast
Christian Gaubert / Sweet Maryline
Break SL / My love is for you
Darondo / Sure know how to love me

Its friday, and the volcano is causing havoc across the airports of europe, meaning that many of the international superstar dj’s due to be flying into the UK have had to cancel. Fear not though, because here is a guest mix from an International DJ that I think is probably the best mix ive had up on the site this year so far.

When I started Cosmic Boogie, I did it to break away the shackles of what was a pretty restrictive genre id been djing for many years. I wanted to be able to play different genres and BPM’s side by side. I wanted to be able to do exactly what this mix does. I cant really articulate it better than that.

You might know Frantic as one of the leading figures at the excellent Sleazy Beats Recordings – who have so far had tracks out from Eddie C and LTJ Experience, and if you dont know him from that, then now you know him from this. A truly superb mix of records, many that I didn’t know. Surely the best kind.

Full Tracklisting

Tal M Klein / Plastic Starfish
The New Mastersounds / Hole In The Bag
The Fantastics! / Soul Child
Parliament / Flash Light
Ave Blaste & Lopez / Drakefield Soul
Talbot / Amo El Funk
Touche / Wrap It Up
Pete Herbert / Don’t Let Go (edit)
Steal Blue / Spun (edit)
Tal M Klein / Emmylou’s Underwater Petting Zou (Neighbour remix)
Greg Wilson / I Was A Teenage DJ (edit)
The Glimmers / Tape
Prince / Head (Yam Who? re-work)
Sharon Redd / Love How You Feel
Popular People’s Front / Any Way Ya Wanna
Raph Dumas & Pascal Comelade / Le Chanson Douce
Jacques Renault / Sweet Rollin’ On
Mystic Slot / No Way Back
Mr. Confuse / Low Life

JOY ORBISON
ANDY MAC
COSMIC BOOGIE

9pm-2am
£7 adv / more on the door…

@ LEAF TEA SHOP AND BAR
25 PARLIAMENT STREET, LIVERPOOL

Skiddle: http://www.skiddle.com/events/11357510/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=308335059129

ARCHIVE is here with an almighty spring in its step this March, pulling out the stops to keep the momentum of Liverpool’s most eclectic and innovative music night rolling. Leaf Tea Shop and Bar are proud to present Joy Orbison, one of the hottest acts to hit the UK dance scene in 2010.

Joy Orbison, aka Peter O’Grady, is a groundbreaking producer mixing up some of the most fascinating beats and tunes to hit the House, Disco and dubstep scenes. Pioneered by the likes of Mary Anne Hobbs (Radio 1), The Guardian, BBC Online; Joy Orbison has appeared on a multitude of hot tips for 2010 lists and has enjoyed rave reviews for his gifted combination of grime, dance hall and drum and bass, which are amongst some of the genres he effortlessly produces tracks that rhythmically transcend the previously unchartered territory between dubstep, garage and House. Incorporating the sounds of acts like My Bloody Valentine, Josef K and The Beach Boys he creates emotional electro music for the dance floor.

“Lovingly crafted late night evolution of house and UK garage with soft bass, hypnotic home-made percussion and distant chopped up vocals” – BBC Online

Prepare yourself as this is one gig worth getting there early for to catch this rising star in an intimate and unique setting before the rest of the world jumps on the Joy Orbison band wagon!

Joy Orbison will be supported as ever by the Archive residents, Andy Mac and Cosmic Boogie.

I have included below for your listening pleasure a mix I found on the web from Joy Orbison, and its absolutely brilliant ( with the fact that it has one of my favorite ever tracks in Alicia Myers – I Want To Thank You). I dont know were it came from or who it was originally for but I give them all the credit necessary…

Full Tracklisting

Thriller – Genie
Floating Points – Love Me Like This
C.O.M.B.I. – It A Late
Eddie C – Make It Better
The Revenge – Night Flight
B.W.H. – Stop
James Pants – We’re Through
Alicia Meyers – I Want To Thank You
Fudge Fingas – DinsDins4Dada
Bumblebee Unlimited – Lovebug (DK Edit)
Arthur Russell – Hop On Down
Nite Jewel – Weak For Me
The Samps – Traincummings…..
C.B. Funk – Subway To Cologne
Kate Bush – Cloudbusting

So at last I am finally fulfilling the promise of new content and new mixes. Here is the second of three mixes I have to go up (and in fact just got sent another this morning – joy), and this one is from Brighton resident Local Zero. I first became aware of Local Zero after a few people I know favorited mixes on the soundcloud account, and then had a listen myself (whilst beavering away making the millions of pounds I earn each day grafting). I met the man himself when I was down spinning in Brighton, and asked him for a mix. This is the product of that ask.

Im sure you agree, any mix that ends with the Eddie Kendrick’s Date With The Rain has a place right here on CB.

Full Tracklisting

Coffee / Casanova (Redsoul Edit)
Disco Very / Get It On (Todd Terje Re-Edit)
6th Borough Project / Planets (The Revenge Lost Groove)
Gwen McRae / Keep The Fire Burning (The Revenge Rework)
Trus’Me / Narda
Linkwood / Chicago (part two)
A.N.D.Y. & Vincenzo / Skin Flick Funk
Jackie Moore / This Time Baby (Redsoul Edit)
Eddie Kendricks / Goin’ Up In Smoke (Super Value Edit)
Sound Stream / Soul Train
KZA / On&On&On
Trus’Me / In The Red
League Unlimited Orchestra / Things That Dreams Are Made Of
Eddie Kendricks / Rain (Special Disco Version)

I promised you three new mixes, and three new mixes you will have. The first one on the list is this from Emma – an hour long journey though deep house with jacking disco strands. Emma came to play at Archive for us a month or so ago and didn’t get anything like long enough, so hopefully this makes up for it somewhat. She will be playing again for us in the future as long as she remembers her way back to the North West, after the soon arriving exodus to the bright lights…

Full Tracklisting

pal joey – here it is / loop d’loop
nebraska – a weekend on my own / rush hour
dj sprinkles – house music is controllable desire you can own / mule musiq
philip lauer – handcuffs / separe recordings
rick wilhite – what do you see / rush hour
motor city drum ensemble – got it / prime numbers
wbeeza – candle groove / third ear
the revenge – forever in their debt / home taping is killing music
shimmy sham sham #002 – track 1
gene farris – the spirit / farris wheel recordings

THE REVENGE
EMMA
ANDY MAC
COSMIC BOOGIE

9pm-4am
£5 adv / more on the door…

@ LEAF TEA SHOP AND BAR
25 PARLIAMENT STREET, LIVERPOOL

Skiddle: http://www.skiddle.com/events/11352247/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#/event.php?eid=242181796703

Archive welcome THE REVENGE and EMMA to Liverpool for what is the first of a great line of parties in 2010.

The Revenge began producing in his early teenage years, making a skewed blend of electronic music using a couple of his dad’s old drum machines and a sampler. Influenced by his parents collection of rock, soul and funk aswell as eighties daytime radio and the burgeoning rave scene, he began the process of dissecting and re-imagining the music.

Productions for his own labels Instruments Of Rapture, Five20East and his DJ edits for L.E.S.S. Productions have had across-the-board support from scene heavyweights including Danny Krivit, Jimpster, Radio Slave, Prins Thomas, Fabrice Lig, Todd Terje, The Unabombers, Karizma, SWAG, Dan Ghenacia, Gilles Peterson, Ashley Beedle, Domu, Kissy Sellout, Joe Claussell, Stuart Patterson, Atjazz, Bill Brewster, Phil Asher, Tim Sweeney and more.

Emma has shared booths with some of her heroes, such as Green Velvet, Andrew Weatherall, Etienne De Crecy, Justin Robertson, Stacey Pullen, Cassius and The Idjut Boys. She has played across the UK and beyond, including Fabric, The End, Lowlife & The Warehouse Project. Several trips to New York took in sets at Manhattan hotspot APT and the Music Gallery. Russia and Croatia followed, with peak-time slots at both the Garden Festival and the Electric Elephant last year, returning in 2010.

Her vinyl-only sets traverse the sublime across the deeper end of the house, disco and techno spectrums, always crafted around a solid 4/4 heartbeat.

Supporting The Revenge and Emma will be the Archive residents, Andy Mac and Cosmic Boogie. The Revenge, being the nice chap that he is, took some time out to answer questions for us ahead of his trip to Liverpool…

2009 – the year of The Revenge? Or have you got more up your sleeve for this year…

“I’ve got a very long sleeve so there’s more to come.”

What was the biggest part of last year for you?

“The whole year was a bit of a blur to be honest – it’s been a rollercoaster so far.”

Do you think the disco remergance and the deep house scene are starting to knit together?

“Disco is the foundation of House + Techno so all have featured in my sets over the years. I’ve never really made a distinction – good music is good music.”

And who are the people to watch, house or disco, in 2010?

“I’ll put my money on Deep Space Orchestra this year + my mate Ali who does the OOFT stuff with me – he’s been knocking out some heavy jams.”

6th Borough Project has arguably been as big as the solo production of the revenge in the last 12 months – you plan to keep the two different projects rolling?

“6th Borough Project is a collab with Craig Smith and we’ve worked together for 10 years so there’s no plans to stop. It’s too much fun!”

And will we ever see a 6th Boro live show maybe?

“No live show planned – we’re gonna do a few one-off DJ appearances together this year doing longer sets (4/5 hours).”

Edits, reworks, re-versions eh? Not needed, overbloated scene, and all that. Discuss.

“Edits have been around for longer than I’ve been alive and will always be part of this scene. My view has always been that It’s a way for DJs to re-interpret tracks they love and fit them into their sets – not a way to make money.”

Why does scotland have such strong ties with disco and great house music? The list is endless…

“We’ve got hidden heroes like Harri, Craig Smith, Funky Transport, Barry Reeves, Mash up here who have been the foundation of scenes in different cities and who have nurtured upcoming talent. We’ve also got internationally recognised clubs and shops like the Sub Club, Pressure, Rub-A-Dub records who all have a strong connection with Chicago + Detroit.”

Finally, with digital djing systems all the rage at the moment, what are your favourite crisps?

“Has to be spring onion Tudor … think they stopped making them in the 1980′s though so I’d avoid opening a bag if you see them.”

So there you go – The Revenge – great producer, fantastic DJ, absolutely rubbish taste in crisps. If that’s not all good enough for you, then here are 4 latest mixes from everyone involved. Enjoy…

This is the best mix I have heard on Soundcloud so far – and there are, as you know, lots of mixes on Soundcloud. Jess sent me a message over to check some of her stuff out, and as you can see from the rather ace tracklisting its a skillful mix of funk, soul and northern with a touch of Jazz. Its the kind of thing most of us love, but don’t have the records (or the ability) to put together. These are all from original 7″, and for that, all I can do is doff my cap and ask that if you only download one mix from this site, let it be this one. Truly inspiring.

You can catch Jess playing around Liverpool from time to time at The Magnet, and you can hear this and other things up on her Soundcloud page.

Full Tracklisting

L.J.Waiters & The Electrifiers / If you ain’t gettin’ your thing Part 1
Junior Wells / Up in Heah
Maggie Thrett / Soupy
The Quickest Way Out / Tick Tock Baby
Paul Nero / This is Soul
Al Hudson with Vitamin C / I want you to know
The Broken Keys / Slingshot Part 1
Life Force / The Freeze
James Brown / In the middle Part 2
Les Baxter / Hot Wind
Margo Thunder / Expressway to your heart
Billy Hawks / O’ baby (I believe I’m losing you)
Little Ann / Lean Lanky Daddy
Ike Noble / That’s what I get
Rufus Thomas / Do the funky penguin Part 2
Shootout on the plantation
ZZ Hill / One way love affair
The Ivor Raymonde Orchestra / The Real Thing
Gangsters of Love / Never is too soon
Sir Stan / The nitty gritty’s in town
Slim Harpo / Te-ni-nee-ni-nu
The Dennis Coffey and The Detroit Guitar Band / Scorpio
Brand New / Earthquake Part 2
Bunny Wailer / Back to School
Jo Ann Garret / We can learn together
General Crook / What time it is Part 1
Little Richard / Green Power
Los Angeles Negros / Como quisiera decirte
Jack Hendrix’ Tchick-Bams / Turnaround
Jean Wells / Keep on Doin’ it

(ha – what a tracklisting that is…)

Strictly Buine$$ are J-son and Funkoff, a collective of Polish Dj’s who came together to (in their own words) “to awaken from stupor the Warsaw club scene, which, to this day was dominated by shallow sounds reproduced from suspicious devices.” A great reason to get up and do something, if you ask me. Here are the guys themselves with a few words about the guest mix they sent through to me:

“We decided to treat the issue literally and prepared a 100% boogie mix containing records only from 1981-85. We wanted it to sound rather funny and being something very enjoyable while listening then serious electronic music set (some of these records sound a bit cheesy nowadays and we are aware of that). The whole mix was prepared from original records, no bootlegs, re-edits etc. 100% vinyl. Also, the mix cover refers to ‘Star Wars fever’ from early 80s when everything had to look cosmic, even LP covers…”

This mix concentrates on a sound that’s not often covered on these pages – the more break-dance orientated boogie, and also contains loads of tracks I had never heard before (which is great). Nothing cheesy about it, just a different vibe to your deeper sets, but too much deepness can get a little boring.

There are plenty ways you can hear more from the Strictly Busine$$ lads – Myspace and Soundcloud being two of them, but for now, sit back and listen to them right here…

Full Tracklisting

Electro Rock Introduction
Captain Jack / Jack It Up
B.T. Express / Uptown Express (Club Version)
Pure Energy / One Hot Night
Charles Earland / (It’s A) Doggie Boogie Baby
Canute / Amazing Mind
Voices In The Dark / Keep It Warm (Extended Mix)
Toni Smith (Ooh!) I Like The Way It Feels
Darlene Davis / I Found Love (Remix)
Clockwork / I’m Your Candy Girl
Friday Night Interlude
Reggie Griffin / Move (Jellybean Remix)
Kyrstyna Pronko / Byłeś, Jesteś, Będziesz Mój
Bobby Nunn / Don’t Knock It (Until You Try It)
Margie Joesph / Knockout
Endgames / Ecstasy (Instrumental)
Seven Dollars Epilogue

(The lads also included some rather nifty downloadable covers for the mix as well. Great stuff).

Simon Busby, a splendid chap from London whom I have recently been conversing with more and more often, sent this mix to me a month or so ago. Its a great mix of progressive disco, funky italo, super cool deepness and some extra added party. The only reason I haven’t uploaded it sooner for everyone is that sometimes, I really need to get my act together a bit quicker.

You can find Simon playing at his Glitterball parties in London (the next one of which is September the 19th), listen to some of his stuff on the Glitterball Soundcloud, and shout him via the exciting medium of email: simon@tigerknee.com. I really enjoyed this mix, its one Ive listened to alot over the past few weeks and its pretty much flawless. God bless you, Ron.

Full Tracklisting

Intro
Do It To The Max / 6th Borough Project
The Love (Heavy Club Affair) / Linus Loves
Williams Blood (Yam Who? Cosmic Jam Remix) / Grace Jones
How High / Leo Elstob
Make It Better / Eddie C
Hang On / 6th Borough Project
Timerider / Casinoboy
Last Night / Glossy03
Unfinished Edits Are Out Of My Hands / The Revenge
My Baby Stays Out At Night / The Popular People’s Front
Start Something (40 Thieves Remix) / Morten Sorenson
I Feel Your Love Comin On /  Chic
Untitled / Soft Rocks

Good things happen through music. Its a fact. A few weeks back (in fact a month ago now) I played at the rather amazing Beat Herder festival in darkest Lancashire. It didn’t rain the whole day until about 20 minutes before my set, and then it absolutely bollocked down. Whilst trying to take refuge on the stage, Id been listening to the three DJ’s who were on before me play a weird and wonderful mix of absolutely everything, including, as it happens, a good helping of disco.

One quick conversation later, and then an exchange of emails, and I got this great mix from Tim Forrester. Tim, like me, seems to have found disco through every other form of electronic music, and still has his fingers in many pies. You can hear more from Tim on his mixuplod profile (including many tasty drum & bass mixes). So, to nicely resurrect the guest mix section properly, I’d best hand it over…

Full Tracklisting

Tameka Starr / Going In Circles
6th Borough Project / Do It To The Max
Imagination / Illusion (Lindstrom Dub)
Kurtis Blow / The Breaks (Dublex Inc Remix)
Deborah Washington / Rock It
Dicky Trisco / Come To Me (Dicky Trisco Re-Edit)
Soul Clap Edits / Love Light
Manuel Tur / Will Be Mine
Lee Douglas / Midnight (Lee Douglas Edit)
Force of Nature / I-Ight
Loose Joints / Is It All Over My Face (MAW Re-edit)
Bitshit / Girls & Boys
Ashford & Simpson / Stay Free (DIM’s Club Mix)
Dusty Springfield / That’s The Kind Of Love I’ve Got For You

As part of the new Altiplano night that recently came to Liverpool, Kelvin Andrews sent this mix over – Shaved Guevera! Its a brilliant eclectic mix, and rightly gives an insight into the wide range of music that is played. Indeed – if you were to try and pidgeon hole this mix, what would it be…hmm…electro-latin-balearic-indian-disco-percussive-funk-mental-calmness. Its really like nothing you hear very often…

Altiplano is, as I wrote about the last one, something new for Liverpool, and something welcomed with open arms. The next night (as you might see from the rather splendid flyer above) is August the 15th and will headline with Balearic Mike from Manchester. WIth Kelvin also on the decks, along with the very talented Chris Barker, its another step in the right direction. The night will be recorded and the sets from it will be hosted here in the future – as will all the Altiplano mixes. But, for now, please enjoy the shaved one…

(I have no tracklisting at the moment, but if I ever do, it will be added)

Disco Deviance is a label synonymous with the party atmosphere currently sweeping the land. Now on its 9th release, and going strong, its a label that’s gaining a worldwide fanbase. Dicky Trisco, DD head honcho, kindly supplied a really good underground disco mix for the site, along with answering a number of extremely taxing questions. You can find the mix ready to be played (or downloaded) at the very bottom of this post (along with tracklisting), and you can find the interview…directly below.

Thanks for your time, DT…

Q. Disco Deviance is on its 9th release now and going strong – how did Disco Deviance originally come about?

Yes things are going well with Disco Deviance. The response has been amazing. And hopefully the series has taken this disco sound to a whole new younger audience, as well as giving the discoheads some hot new versions to play.

The label came about for a number of reasons really. Mainly it happened because about 5 years ago, I had grown tired of the direction house music was headed in, and I got right back into the disco and electrofunk sound I had loved as a kid. That was what I wanted to DJ and it inspired the music we were producing at the time, especially the Boogie Corporation stuff I was doing with my mate Calum. Things had come full circle really because it was that disco and electrofunk sound had inspired me to get into dance music in the first place and then the whole Acid House thing took off.

I was also frustrated with DJ sets that sounded the same all the way through and with dance music getting stuck in more and more specialised sub-genres. So I just wanted to play music because it was good again, whatever style it may be, which is kind of where the disco scene with pioneers like Larry Levan, David Mancuso, Tee Scott and Nicky Siano set out from in the first place.

Then I met Greg Wilson. The timing couldn’t have been better. Even though I had been playing at an eclectic disco night in Glasgow for a year or so anyway leading up to that, it was still a revelation for me. When I heard him play it was just like wow now that is DJing and that is the way I want to play music from now on. And to see such a positive reaction from the crowd was well just amazing. So he was a big influence on me and from then on and that vibe spread from the DJing into wanting to do edits and start an imprint to release that kind of sound.

Q. Are you riding high on the current disco resurgence?

Well the disco scene isn’t a massive scene really, that’s what I like about it. Ideally I like 300 people in a nice basement club who are really into the music and want to dance. But disco is certainly popular at the moment. You can see that from looking at the bestsellers charts on websites like Juno these days where people like Greg and Todd Terje, and labels like Disco Deviance and Mindless Boogie are outselling house, techno and minimal.

With the Disco Deviance releases we try very hard to keep up the standards and aren’t interested in just knocking stuff out. With each release we try to make it as difficult as possible for DJs to choose which side they want to play first. It’s all about the music and the sound of our records. And as long as we continue to find tracks we think we can release worthwhile new versions of and the response and feedback is as good as it has been, then we are happy to continue doing just that.

Q. Do you have a particular vibe that you try to stick with on the label, or is it anything goes disco?

We like the music to be good. Irresistably good. We want DJs to be desperate to play the new releases and for the records to sound amazing when played off the vinyl so that you can actually feel a reaction instantly on the dance floor. That’s the vibe we are after. So as long as release or a track has that feeling in our opinion then we will go with it.

The first release on Disco Deviance by Greg really set the standard for what was to come. One side was an amazing edit of DC La Rue which was just pure disco boogie, and then on the flip was an incredible edit of Psychokiller which just blew everyone away. Discoheads like Ashley Beedle, Prins Thomas and Pete Herbert were playing the A side and DJs like Andrew Weatherall and Optimo were all over the flip. Perfect combination. And since then that eclectic vibe has continued. Some call it a ‘Balearic’ anything goes approach, and I am happy to go with that definition, but that’s probably because I am desperate for a bloody holiday in the sun!!!

Q. What artists are part of the Disco Deviance stable?

At the moment on the label we are developing a healthy blend of more established editors like Greg Wilson, Ashley Beedle, Pete Herbert, BC etc mixed up with plenty of new faces to the disco scene like Out in the Sticks and Situation who are producing some amazing material that is getting a lot of attention.

Q. And future releases?

Well we are coming up to our 10th release so we have decided to mark the occasion by going back to our roots. So Greg Wilson has put together two wonderful new edits which we will be releasing in September. After that we have releases coming up by Reverso 68, Social Disco Club, Situation, Andrew Allsgood and a certain Cosmic Boogie which are all wicked. We are very lucky with the quality of the stuff we get sent and the people we work with.

Q. Do you run club nights as Disco Deviance, or is it strictly the label imprint?

We started out as a club night, with Greg and I playing the kind of sound we loved on a one-off kind of basis. And I suppose the imprint developed out of that. I still play with Greg at our Autodisco night which has become my main focus on the club front now. But I am about to head out to Australia in the Autumn for a Disco Deviance tour which I’m really looking forward to. And there are also plans in the pipeline for a tour of Canada and the US as well. So we are getting plenty of opportunities to spread the Disco Deviance sound. And of course Greg does a top job for the scene as a whole and seems to be a on a constant world tour at the moment spreading the disco love.

Q. What about the scene in general – opinion is split on the whole edit thing – what are your thoughts?

Yes you are right. There is a lot of anti-edit vibes kicking about, which is understandable. I think in my experience that happens when any scene grows and gets more successful. More people get into it, more releases get put out every week, more nights appear and some of the quality control drops and people start getting sick of it. Human nature really. But the good thing is that in the meantime a lot of people are coming into contact with some wonderful music. Many of them will just pass through and move on, but for some it will have a big effect upon them. I get emails all the time from people saying they have had near religious-like experiences hearing this or that DJ playing this ‘disco’ sound one night and that it just switched them onto the music and now they want more.

But on the negative side of things, I suppose the focus on edits is probably having some negative impact on the production of new dance music. People can’t keep looking backwards and just keep on reworking things. But then again it is also producing some great new producers like The Revenge who do original stuff as well and imprints like Bear Funk, Tirk and DC who are responding to the wider interest in disco influenced sounds and are making great original music.

So in the end I think people should approach it with well if it’s good then it’s good, and if it’s bad then just don’t buy it. But DJs have always made their own versions of tracks for playing out and that work on the dance floor. And that is a tradition I am fascinated by and happy to be part of.

Q. And is this vibe going to keep growing?

Good music will never die and people will keep on re-inventing things to keep things they love alive. And especially now as the technology is there to make it even easier to do just that. But quality is the thing people have to keep in the back of their minds. Just because something can be done doesn’t mean it is worth doing…

Q. About this mix – its fantastic, a real good mix of disco and old school vibes, yet feels super fresh…

Well the idea behind the mix is the same idea that is behind everything we do with Disco Deviance. Play it if it is good, try and get it all to sit together nicely and then go with it. I love DJs like Greg and the Optimo guys who take tracks you think you know and then put them in new Situations that make them seem fresh and exciting again. That idea has had a big influence on how I approach what I play. In terms of some of the tracks I play now as well I think the whole ‘dance music’ scene has now come of age which in many ways has not been a pleasant experience as it has to struggle with not being the latest fad etc But the good thing about it is that now we can start revisiting some of the trax that were massive for us during that time and they can stand or fall as ‘music’ and as ‘classic trax’ on their own. So for example in this mix The Orb track or the Blue Boy track sit alongside tracks by Stevie Wonder, Orange Juice, Rufus & Chaka Khan and the Happy Mondays…it’s a level playing field and it’s all just music now.

In fact when we were playing for Rizla recently at Rockness there was a sound engineer who was brilliant and he was getting right into our set and during it he tapped me on the shoulder and said ‘So what do you call this kind of sound?’. And I said we called it ‘disco’ and he looked confused. And I know what he meant. It’s much more than that..which is why the term ‘Balearic’ gets used cause it is more about an approach to playing than about any particular sound. In fact there was a comment on DJ History lately that summed it all up perfectly. I think it was by Bill Brewster who responded to someone who said that there wasn’t enough ‘disco’ at one of their nights by saying they were not a ‘disco night’ they were a ‘music night’. I think that is a great way to put it.

Full Tracklisting

(nb: the mix is a 320 mp3 as its been mastered, and I didnt want the quality to be lost too much. Its a longer download, or heavier stream, but worth it)

Rappers Delight (Harri Edit)
Pushin On (Situation Edit) / Disco Deviance
Gotta Keep Workin’ It (GW Mash) / Reactivate
Rip It Dub (Dicky Trisco Edit) / Disco Deviance
6th Borough Project / Do It 2 The Max
Stevie Wonder / Superstition ( Todd Terje Edit)
Give Me The Sunshine (Social Disco Club Edit)
Rufus & Chaka Khan / Ain’t Nobody (Frankie Knuckles Hallucinogenic Dub)
Sonic Assassins / Fumble In The Bungle
We Love Leon / Tribute
Disco Easy (Situation Edit)
We Love Mondays / Tribute
BBG / Snappiness
Blue Boy / Remember Me
The Orb / Little Fluffy Clouds (Pal Joey’s Cumulo Nimbus  Mix)

The Altiplano night brought something new to Liverpool with the Idjut Boys, Kelvin Andrews and Chris Barker all weaving together to create a different soundtrack for the city. I went along and was really impressed with the vibe and general feeling of what they are trying to create, and of course, the excellent music. I admit I didn’t fully understand the sub-text at first – “the age of the club is dead, the age of the party is here”, but on walking into the room in the Novas centre, it soon became clear that this was not really a club night at all, at least, certainly not in the traditional sense. It worked perfectly. I would give a more in depth review but due to other commitments I couldn’t stay all night. I will be staying all night next time.

Because of the great music and what with it being in Liverpool, I asked Altiplano if I could host the mixes each month on this blog, and they kindly agreed. Sometimes you cannot record certain dj’s who play on the night and this rings true of the Idjut Boys, and as Kelvin played with them – the only mix available from the first one is the opening mix from Chris Barker. Its brilliant though, and more than shows the true eclectic vibe…

Big thanks to Paula, Kelvin, Chris, Phil and all others connected with the night, and I hope the next one on August 15th with Balearic Mike is as good as this one. Ill post more details about that nearer the time.

The final day before the launch of the Cosmic Boogie vinyl (which has now surely been plugged enough) and I bring a good friend with impeccable music taste to the table. Paul runs the “where would Liverpool be without it” dance listing website Outlar, and is also semi resident at virtually every night in the city including Pigeon Hole Disco, Chibuku and anything else with a sound music policy. This is a brilliant mix, including a track from excellent upcoming Liverpool based producer Andy Ash, and the fabulously entitled “Big Hands for a Lady”. Indeed.

Full Tracklisting

I:Cube / Gtnup
Atlantic Conveyor / We Are
Mock & Toof / Big Hands for a Lady
Kelley Polar / Entropy Reigns (Pearson & Usher’s Dub)
Morgan Geist/Erlend Oye / Lullaby/A Place In My Heart
6th borough Project / Just A Memory
Popular People’s Front / I’ll Make Your Day
Soundstream / Rainmaker
Shirley Lites / Heat You Up (Melt You Down)
Bobby Womack / Inherit the Wind (Revenge rework)
Eddie C / Let Your Mind Be Free
Andy Ash / Whitefly Powder
Grace Jones / Williams Blood (Yam Who? Electric Dub)
Studio / Life’s a Beach (Todd Terje)
Curtis Mayfield / No Thing On Me

Another day, and another great disco mix as part of the series celebrating the launch of the first Cosmic Boogie vinyl. This one cant really be categorized in genre which is really what I want when listening to a mix. This is from Gavin Kendrick who was originally part of the Cosmic Boogie blog when it all started up a few years ago. Enjoy this real eclectic mix of disco, funk, soul and all the shades between.

Full Tracklisting

Don Blackman / Since You Been Away So Long
Madlib / For My Mans
DJ Cam presents In Love / For Minnie Riperton (Vocal)
Jay Dee / Strugglin’ (Cosmic Boogie’s Consumption Dub)
100% Pure Poison / Windy C (Kon Re-Edit)
James Brown / Mind Power (Alternative Take)
Smoove & Turrell / You Don’t Know (Original)
Mr Supreme / Love Shots
Sunsetsoul presents Da Wiesel / Boogaloo Stomp (Tal M. Klein Remix)
Brass Construction / Changin’ (Full Length Version)
Electric Souls Orchestra / Love Rockin’
Pharrell featuring Jay-Z / Frontin’ (Yam Who? Rework)
Mos Def / Umi Says (Full Length Version)

The second in the series of Liverpool DJ disco mixes this week (celebrating the first ever Cosmic Boogie vinyl) comes from Jasbof promoter and Chibuku resident Rich Furness. Rich is, by all accounts, a music lover – everything from 80′s pop to the darkest dubstep and techno. After a few stints playing disco with me in a bar around Liverpool, he came up with this unique twist on Disco with many classics, and some really not so obvious surprises…

Full Tracklisting

Jimmy Bo Horne / Spank
Controller 7 / Genius
Gwen Guthrie / Aint Nothin Goin On But The Rent
Unlimited Touch / I Hear Music In The Street
Gary & The Gang / Do It At The Disco
The Jacksons / Can You Feel It
Sparque / Take Some Time
Janet Jackson / What Have You Done For Me Lately?
Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony / The Hustle
Charanga 76 / No Nos Pararan (Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now)
Carl Carlton / Shes A Bad Mamma Jamma
Curses Feat Nancy / The Deep End
Aeroplane Feat Kathy Diamond / Whispers
Ladyhawke / Back Of The Van (Mock And Toof Remix)
Men Without Hats / Safety Dance
Burial / Raver
Burial / Forgive

This week sees the launch of the first ever Cosmic Boogie edit 12″, of which I am of course really excited about. I thought I would try and do something different for the launch other than just bang a post up here with all the blurb about the track and links to buy it, so I asked 4 friends in Liverpool to construct a mix for me based around disco in some way. The results are all great, and each day this week I will be putting one of the mixes up, culminating on a mix from myself on Friday to officially announce the launch.

I kick off with the first mix recieved a good few weeks back from Gareth Cheshire, Circus resident and perpetrator of the splendid Downstairs Mixup Podcast and a number of his own edits. A really nice modern take on the nu-disco italo influenced sound, with a few classic tweaks thrown in for good measure.

Full Tracklisting

Oblio – Principles Of Discovery
Mudd & Pollard – Scaffold (Coyote Remix)
Andrew Allsgood / (Disco) Pigs In Outer Space (Steve Yanko 7 Steps To Insanity Remix)
Soft Rocks / Dialulac
Boozoo Bajou / Same Sun (Prins Thomas Discomix Loops)
Beppe Loda Presents Egotrya / Volcanoe (The Revolving Eyes 10,000 Lightyears Disco Mix)
Sneak Thief / Zmaj (Mr Pauli Disco Remix)
Dirtyhaze / Lazer Sex (Original Mix)
Elitechnique / Munich Emotions
Talking Heads / I ZIMBRA (Gareth Cheshire)

If you haven’t already heard the excellent Out In The Sticks edits, then you really should. Most people would question what you could do to a track like Forget Me Not (apart from Will Smith clearly), but listen – and you shall see. I’m a big fan, Greg is a big fan, in fact everyone who has heard them is a fan. The other stuff I have heard that they are sitting on is also dancefloor killer. Out In The Sticks might be out of town, but they certainly aren’t out of touch (ooph!).

I got in contact with them a few weeks back, through the splendid Disco Deviance chaps, and have for your entertainment been sent back the answers to some questions, and a mix so unbelievably good it actually sounds like an hour and a half edit. Spot the joins if you can. Download or stream it with the links right after the interview. I’d like to thank the lads for taking the time out from going to the beach, sitting around playing pool, and looking at dangerous wildlife in their back gardens.

Out In The Sticks Interview

Q. Your name “out in the sticks” is reference to you being out in Australia. Are you from Australia originally?

“Out in the Sticks” is one of the many names we go under….  it refers to our location in Australia.  It is a bit of a private joke between friends for our proximity to the big smoke!   There are two main members of OITS but we like to keep quite about our identities a secret!

Q. Did you have any background with music before you got there, or has this just been a hobby?

Yeah we have all been huge music fans from early ages, playing various instruments and experimenting with pieces of studio equipment etc…  One of us is a DJ and has been for fifteen years overseas and in Australia.

Q. What kind of disco scene do you have out there?

The music scene is Australia is very good.  We have a lot of very talented producers that are doing really well now overseas and have some great parties playing everything you can hear in the UK.

Q. Did this scene push you down the path you find  yourself on now?

The scene is great here.  The only thing that frustrates us is getting an international DJ over here takes a lot of organising.  In UK you can have a heap of awesome talent on the one bill where as here it is a bit more sporadic.

Q. Did you expect your edits to be picked up and released or was it something just for you?

Initially they were just DJ tools for myself to DJ and they started to get good reactions.  I put some up on the internet and got some amazing feedback from a whole list of people we look up to.  It really blew us away!

Q. I know Greg absolutely loves the track – how much did you know  about Greg before he picked up on it?

We knew Greg from his legacy but for him to pick up on the edits and give them the support he did – we can’t thank him enough!

Q. What do you use to edit the tracks?

We use Ableton and then Logic and a bit of TLC.

Q. And the music…how much does it mean to repaint these classic  tracks?

We love the originals and just wanted to give them a little touch up and hair cut to make them more effective on todays dancefloors.

Q. Whats next? Are we expecting an Out in the Sticks party out there…?

Yeah that would be nice hey?!!  Well, I think a record of our own would be an idea we would like to see come to light, lots more tracks and remixes and definitely some sort of ‘live” show – if we ever make it in to the big smoke!  Hopefully some more DJ gigs.

Q. Finally, who will win the Premiership this season?

In an ideal world – Leeds United!

DD08 / Out In The Sticks Edits

Disco Deviance has uncovered yet another amazing unknown talent for number eight in the series. Out in the Sticks (as the name suggests) have come from out of nowhere to deliver two absolute disco gems of the highest quality on this their debut release. With their dubbed out disco sound and trademark heavy space echo delays, these are two seriously good dance floor cuts. First up is ‘Forget Me Vox’ which is a killer reworking of Patrice Rushen’s ‘Forget Me Nots’. This cut has featured heavily in Greg Wilson’s sets for over a year now and it teases out a top quality new version of this absolute classic track by working the break sections and finally letting loose on the vocal for pure Disco Heaven. On the flip side, a lesser known disco gem by Game is recycled into yet another heavy dance floor groove with absolutely maximum impact. Re-mastered and cut loud onto the vinyl for peak time pleasure, Out in the Sticks announce their arrival on the edits scene with some style.

Enjoy the music!

DJ Play: Greg Wilson, Laurent Garnier, Ashley Beedle, Optimo, The Revenge, Gerd Janson, Faze Action, Pete Herbert, Harri, Marius Vaareid, Dicky Trisco, Ilija Rudman, Ladydriver, Social Disco Club, Cosmic Boogie.

Out In The Sticks Mix

Really, I should call this a megamix. You could spend hours playing spot the track just like I did the first few times I listened to it, or, you can just peruse the tracklist below and see if you can fill in any gaps. A superb infusion of all the elements of disco…

Tracklisting

Intro
OITS / Bangkok Detroit Experience
Mike Grant Accapella
OITS / In the Dark
Touch Sensitive / Body Stop
OITS / Untitled edit
Move D loop
Rene and Angela / Who’s Fooling Who?
Swag / Music Box (remix)
Carol Williams / No One Can Do It Like You Do (Shep Pettibone remix) (OITS edit)
Lil Louis Accapella
Annie / Greatest Hits
Natural Rhythm / Jive (Attaboy remix)
Illija Rudman / Dance Disorder (Faze Action remix)
D-Train / You’re the one (OITS Edit)
Scoper and Bubba / Untitled
6th Borough -/ Hang On
Mach / On and On
Popular Peoples Front / My Baby Stays Out All Night
Master Jay and Michael Dee / TSOB
Situation / Pushing On
Kid Sublime / FX
Master Jay and Michael Dee / TSOB
Chic / Good Times (OITS Edit)
Tuxedo Rapping
OITS / My Super Lady (Beats)
OITS / Untitled Edit
OITS / My Super Lady
OITS / Forget M’edit
The Sermon accapella
Modern Romance / Can You Move
OITS / Do It
Lace / Can’t Play Around
Don Ray loop
Konk beats
K-9 Corp / Dog Talk
“Get Down Tonight” (OITS edit)
Jamie Principle / Baby Wants to Ride
Joe Claussell / Je Ka Jo
Unknown Beats
Raven Maize / Forever Together NYC edit
Todd Terry / The Feeling
Runaway / Just Got Paid
Dj Pierre
Situation / Get On Up

I had a very good Christmas on the whole. Everything went smoothly, none more so than the night we put on with Trus’me on boxing night. The place was busy and a good time was had by all. Numerous good things came out of the night, and one of them is this very guest mix slot. Andrew Ingham is part of the crew that run the splendid looking Slabs of the Tabernacle night up in Scotland. At some random time in the morning, after I had finally twigged as to who he was – we had a conversation that stated we would make a mix for each others websites / nights, and that we would try to make it so that there was nothing obvious on it. I am., at the moment, still constructing mine (I have until the end of January to come up with the goods).Andy, however, is on the ball and has sent me this mix, which I therefore pass on to you.

I listened to it no less than 4 times yesterday. Its exactly what Cosmic Boogie is about – a melting pot of different genres of dance music, all with a certain angle. If you want to see more from the Slabs crew, check out the Slabs of the Tabernacle website. We will have Andy down for a night in Liverpool (and vice versa) at a future date.

Full Tracklisting

Mark Du Mosch / Inner Vision
Buckingham Palace / Give Me Your Name [Extended Version]
Matzo & Pauli / Drama
Tako / My Kind Of Woman
Giorgio Farina / Tawawa’s
Philly Cream / No Time Like Now
Pacific Blue / You Gotta Dance
Mr. Pauli / Der Alte
Klein & M.B.O. / Wonderful
Phuture Scope / Hands Of Time
Blake Baxter / When We Used To Play
Spank Spank / Jam Session
Underground Resistance / The Theory
Brain Machine / Capricorn Rising
People’s Choice / People’s Re-edit
Sylvester / I Need Somebody To Love Tonight