VARJANTA

Gramatik – Street Bangerz vol.2 (2009)

Luka K. — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:57:57 +0000

So after a painful waiting period we’ve finally received news that the highly anticipated Street Bangerz Vol. 2 is dropping December 3d, 2009 on Cold Busted Records, US. Gramatik sent us preview made exclusively for varjanta.com! Listen to it, enjoy and just hope 3 months pass in a second so you can get this masterpiece asap!

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Dont foget to visit Gramatik @ Myspace & buy some Gramatik’s music @ Beatport

Gramatik will be touring USA in the fall, here are some dates:

Nov 11 2009 @ La Zona Rosa – Austin, Texas
Nov 12 2009 @ George’s Majestic Lounge – Fayetteville, Arkansas
Nov 13 2009 @ Newby’s – Memphis, Tennessee
Nov 14 2009 @ The Masquerade - Atlanta, Georgia
Nov 17 2009 @ Cat’s Cradle - Carrboro, North Carolina
Nov 18 2009 @ 9:30 Club - DC, Washington DC
Nov 19 2009 @ Fillmore (Irving Plaza) – New York, New York
Nov 20 2009 @ The Note – West Chester, Pennsylvania
Nov 21 2009 @ Paradise Rock – Club Boston, Massachusetts

Dixon – Temporary Secretary (2009)

Luka K. — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:46:50 +0000

Dixon – along with partner Âme – is the man behind the critically acclaimed Berlin-based label Innervisions. His last foray into the world of mix CDs came via 2007’s Body Language Vol. 4 on Get Physical. But a lot’s changed since then and the simple fact is that there has never been easier to access music than the present – especially if you are not willing to ever pay for it. Combine this with the ability to find just about every released and unreleased 12-inch, podcast and mixtape of almost any aspiring, successful or legendary DJ/Producer. On top of that, instead of slowing down, the majority of labels and producers keep on turning the wheel fast and faster. The urban myth and techno folklore of the record that is outdated after two weeks, turned into harsh reality. So why bother at all? Speaking for the other side, why spend hard-earned money on a product that is accessible free of charge on every Internet-DJ-page and just an easy mouse click away via the usual p2p sources? These thoughts and a reaction are the basis for Dixon’s brand new CD and the first in a series – Temporary Secretary.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Temporary Secretary is a conscious snapshot. Neither obliged to be a strict club set that has to work for any given dance floor or act as an addendum to Body Language Vol. 4 nor designed to follow a certain concept like Grandfather Paradox (with Henrik Schwarz and Âme) did within the annals of minimal music, Temporary Secretary is the third gender. The fact is, none of the versions offered here have been available anywhere else. Dixon slices and cuts the elements and fragments of the songs and tracks, pasting them together somewhere else and in a way that would not be possible in a club with turntables or CDJs alone and certainly not on the fly. He distils the essence of the very nature of what a DJ argues to do with music: to leave a distinct mark on it.

What has been once elevated to an art form by ancestors like Shep Pettibone or the Latin Rascals with the means of tape, razor blades and reel to reels for their New York radio shows, is brought up to the next level by Dixon. Equipped with a matrix that is usually only handed out to specific remixers, enables the chairman of the Innervisions-board to use this ad libitum. Just like a self-fulfillment tour for disillusioned disc jockeys. Dixon treats, blends, mixes and changes the tempo of the material in a way and shape that makes it even hard for the self-proclaimed connoisseur to find the start or the end point of some of his moves.

What has its spring in the calm and Balearic “Ongou” develops throughout its course with Tokyo Black Star, Âme, The Machine, Henrik Schwarz and the Junior Boys into an extraordinary hypnotic and hyper-individual maelstrom. Unsurprisingly, some of these mash-ups only have one ID-tag. Precious System melts into something new with Ben Klock, Jazzanova and Daniel Paul are fused with several unreleased Henrik Schwarz remix parts to create something entirely new. If you know the tunes, new perspectives will amaze you and if you don’t, you will have a hard time picture any other versions. This is the very mood and attitude that brings a DJ set close to perfection: the feeling that this music cannot be consumed in any other way. And this feeling has never been available on every street corner.

Temporary Secretary is release October 26 on Innervisions.

TRACK LISTING:

Icasol – “Ongou”

Fever Ray – “If I Had A Heart”

Roland Bocquet – “Exotique” with Ame – “Tube Beat”

Jazzanova – “Let Me Show Ya (Henrik Schwarz Remix)” with Daniel Paul – “Something About You (Instrumental)”

Precious System – “The Voice From Planet Love” / Ben Klock – “In A While”

Junior Boys – “Hazel (Ewan Pearson’s House Mix)”

Butane – “Inferno Jack (Kalabrese Remix)”

Peter Kruder – “Law Of Return”

Kiki – “Good Voodoo (Visionquest Remix)”

Code 718 – “Equinox (Henrik Schwarz Mix)”

The Machine – “Fuse”

Cortney Tidwell – “Watusii (Daphni remix)”

Ame – “Setsa”

Tokyo Black Star – “Sepiaphone”

D.Ramirez celebrates his North American tour with an FREE DJ MIX

Luka K. — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:32:01 +0000

D. Ramirez (AKA Dean Marriot) is almost done with his summertime jaunt through the USA and Canada, but back in the UK Dean’s been picking up some major heat for his new track “Satur8,” his co-production with Matt Tolfrey “Bounce To Me” and his massive new collaboration D.Ramirez & Mark Knight vs Underworld entitled “Downpipe.” This one was just named Pete Tong’s Essential New Tune and one to do some serious damage in the coming months. You can check out these three D. Ramirez productions along with some other fine tunes in the “August 2009 Mix” we are providing you on the house!

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

While in the USA Dean’s gone all “roving reporter” on us and created a tour diary to share his fondest memories of the tour. Rather than only document his gigs, Dean has provided a much broader look at what life is like in the USA and Canada for a visiting UK DJ. Albeit, most will not get the opportunity to stay at Adam Freeland’s LA-area house during the week, but there are a lot of tips for the long distance traveler. For example, the silver one touches on tips on “other side of the street” driving, walking in LA, Houston’s summertime furnace, a Nanimal in NYC and manning an airplane’s emergency exit while sauced with a hardcore hangover. Keep in mind that Chicago, Montreal and Toronto are still to come! Yikes!

The full tour diary will be posted in www.dramirez.co.uk in the coming months but here’s a little tease for your eyes. Stay tuned for more

D.RAMIREZ 1 HOUR MIX AUGUST 09

1- D.Ramirez – ‘Satur8′ (Jamie Stevens Tech Dub)

2- Julian Chaptal – ‘Mamdaye’

3 - Cozzy D – ‘Longtime’

4 - Ramirez and Tolfrey – ‘Bounce To Me’

5 - Twotrups – ‘That Cello Track’ (Namito Cello Kebab Remix)

6 - Max Linen – ‘The Soulshaker’ (D.Ramirez 2009 Remix)

7 - Reset Robot – ‘Do The Slot’

8 - Dave Seaman – ‘Attack Of The Abalones’

9 - Freakx Brothers – ‘Ghettoblaster’ (Tony Gomez Dubblaster Mix)

10 – D.Ramirez, Mark Knight & Underworld – Downpipe

11 – D.Ramirez vs. Joy Division – ‘Control’

12 – D.Ramirez – ‘Satur8′ (Original Mix)

NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES

August 27 – Montreal – Club Parking

August 28 – Toronto – This Is London

August 29 – Chicago – Crobar

Frankie Knuckles and Danny Krivit to drop brand new CDs this fall!

Luka K. — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 17:00:07 +0000

There was a time when house music meant something. Back in the day, it wasn’t just a fun night out dancing or hitting a place just to be seen. No, the house music that Chicago’s Frankie Knuckles and New York City’s Danny Krivit ushered into the world was about something more. Perhaps there was more heart and soul in the music or maybe it was something even deeper back then. The house music these two legends purveyed united people under one roof in a way that had never been done before. Black, Latino, White, straight, gay – all enjoying the diverse sounds together. This is where inspiration is made. This is the kind of scene that ignites other scenes abroad. And so here we are in 2009…computers replaced tape and turntables…music is missing that depth. Nervous Records feels that need and called on these house music pioneers to bring it one more time. This September 22 marks the Nervous Records release of Danny Krivit 718 Sessions while Frankie Knuckles Motivation Too drops on October 20. It’s the latest and greatest battle between The Big Apple and The Second City!

First out of the gate is Danny Krivit 718 Sessions. A true New York legend, Krivit burst on to the scene in the early 1970’s and become a major part of the thriving club music community.. His connection to famed clubs The Loft and Paradise Garage and friendships with DJs including David Mancuso and Larry Levan provided the ultimate inspiration for his own career. In his 38 years in the business, the man has played every key NYC-club imaginable and has Producer/Editor/Mixer credits included on well over 200 records. Hell, the man’s even been a VJ since the early 80’s and has a collection of well over 5,000 rare soul performances on video from the 60s, 70s, 80’s, & 90’s. His vinyl record collection is now well over 80,000. 718 Sessions marks the first ever release celebrating Krivit’s long-running party of the same name and it’s an authentic journey through some of house music’s finer tracks. The first single culled from the album is Kim English “Nothing’s Impossible” – produced by Maurice Joshua and mixed by ATFC

Chicago-via-NYC product Frankie Knuckles is up next with his own mix CD, Motivation Too. Like Krivit, Knuckles is a NYC-born DJ who was enamoured with The Loft and befriended the great Larry Levan. However, it was in Chicago where Knuckles made his mark as a DJ at the famed Warehouse. In fact, the term “House Music” was first used in describing the sounds Knuckles played at the Warehouse. His impact is so great that in 2004 Chicago Mayor Richard Daley proclaimed August 26 “Frankie Knuckles Day.” Beyond the DJ sets at world class venues, Knuckles also aligned with Def Mix Productions and became one of the most in-demand producers and remixers in the world. Motivation Too is designed as a way to give back and the first edition in the series was created as a reaction to the devastation brought on Frankie’s hometown of New York City on September 11, 2001. The main goal of the compilation was to inspire and uplift even at a time when the desire to be creative and artistic might be lost. Knuckles noted that some of the greatest musicians, songwriters and producers he knows have absorbed the comp and used it to get their day started. MOTIVATION TOO is the sequel. It’s real quality house music.

So here we are – two great names in the history of dance music. The music you’ll hear on these compilations comes from pure ears and from a time when music was created the good old fashioned way. It’s so rare these days to find a compilation that takes you back to a meaningful time and a place – here you have two. There’s no hipster buzz or flashy imagery here – this is honest to goodness house music – full of soul and from the heart.

Danny Krivit 718 Sessions is released September 22, 2009 and Frankie Knuckles Motivation Too is released on October 20, 2009 – both on Nervous Records

Danny Krivit
718 Sessions

Tracklisting

1) Chyna with Perfect World – “U Know That I Love U”
2) Shake The Dog feat Monique Bingham – “Run (Phil Asher Remix)”
3) The Freddy Turner Project Featuring The Three Kings – “Spread Love (DK Edit)”
4) Steal Vibe feat Alexis Simmons – “Selene (The Goddess Of The Moon)”
5) Teddy Douglas feat Margaret Grace – “God Created Woman (Alt Mix)”
6) Jazzy Jeff – “House of Tribe”
7) Kings of Tomorrow – “Another Day”
Roy Ayers – “Brand New Feeling (Sting International Conroversy Mix)”
9) Earth People – “Dance (Beats)”
10) Joaquin Joe Claussell Presents:The Lower East Side Pipes – “Disorganized Corruption”
11) BT Express – “Peace Pipe”
12) Kim English – “Nothing’s Impossible”
13) Louie Vega feat Sara Devine – “That’s What Love Is”
14) UBQ Project – “We Can Make It”

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Frankie Knuckles
Motivation Too

Tracklisting

1) Dr. Gary Gray – “Faith”
2)Big Brooklyn Red – “He Moves”
3) Michelle Weeks – “A Purpose”
4) Deep Swing featuring Toney Jones – “Across The Land (Spread Love)
5) Scott Wozniak featuring Dirty Turk – “My Light”
6) G Club featuring Haze – “Faith (The Shapeshifters Little More Faith Remix)
7) Jon Cutler featuring Jocelyn Brown – “One (Morten Trust Dub)”
Deep Swing featuring Xavior – “Shelter”
9) Timmy Vegas featuring Twinkie Clark – “Timmy’s Choir”
10) Vernessa Mitchell – “Took My Life (Turn It All Around)”
11) Grand High Priest feat Dajae – “Mary Mary”
12) DJ Pope – “Happy Being Me”

Stacey Pullen – 2020 Vision (2009)

Luka K. — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:44:22 +0000

Stacey Pullen is the latest DJ to contribute to 2020Vision’s eponymously titled compilation series.

The Detroit DJ will follow in the footsteps of 2020 owner Ralph Lawson and edit king Greg Wilson, compiling his personal favourites from the label onto a single mixed CD. Pullen actually goes back quite far with the label, who are celebrating fifteen years on the scene this year. As Ralph Lawson explains, “Stacey was one of the first DJs to send us a fax to say he liked one of our tracks (”Raptures of the Deep”). When you are starting out, to receive praise from someone of his standing really
motivates you – it was a big moment for us. We got in touch with Stacey and asked him to remix the track which he did, and to have him on the label really cemented our reputation.”

Pullen’s mix looks to both the old and new from the imprint, kicking off with early material from Lawson, Carl Finlow and Paul Huggett’s Wulf’n'Bear project before fast forwarding to recent cuts from label regulars Mark Broom, Art Of Tones and Moodymanc as well as Johnny D’s now ubiquitous remix of 2020Soundsystem’s “Sliding Away.” There’s even one exclusive track included in the form of Dutchman Julien Chaptal’s tracky house remix of Simon Baker’s “Out Of My Head.”

2020Vision will release Stacey Pullen’s 2020Vision on July 27th, 2009.

Tracklist
01. Wulf & Bear – Needsy’s Run
02. Inland Knights – After Me
03. Wulf n Bear – Body Music
04. Simon Baker – Out Of My Head (Julien Chaptal Remix)
05. 2020Soundsystem – Sliding Away (Johnny D Remix)
06. Mark Broom – Take Me Home (Mihalis Safras Remix)
07. Art Of Tones – Terres Conquises
08. Random Factor – Outlaw (John Tejada Remix)
09. Random Factor – Beaten (Art Of Tones Remix)
10. Crazy P – Stop, Space, Return (Roberto Rodriguez Remix)
11. Moodymanc – V8
12. 2020Soundsystem – Psycho
13. Mark Broom – Riddim
14. Volga Select – Les Annees Des Plomb (Joshua Mix)

Luke Vibert – We Hear You (2009)

Luka K. — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:27:24 +0000

Luke Vibert will continue his prolific ways in August with a new album under his own name, entitled We Hear You.

The full-length reportedly will once again be a genre-defying record that combines his “idiosyncratic samples, sweetly strange melody, big bass and sloppy drums.” And while we haven’t heard the results yet, we can’t help think that we probably know exactly what Vibert connecting “the dots between Terry Riley, dubstep bass and hip-hop” sounds like. Either way, we’ll all be able to judge the results come August when the CD version of the album is released on Planet Mu. (It will be Vibert’s third album on the label.)

Planet Mu will release Luke Vibert’s We Hear You on August 10, 2009.

Tracklisting
01. Belief File
02. We Hear You
03. De-Pimp Act
04. Hot Sick
05. Square Footage
06. Batting For England
07. Pretty Old Acid Music
08. Dive And Lie Wrecked
09. Computer Complex
10. Porn Shirtwee
11. House Stabs
12. Marvellous Music Machine
13. Arrogance