Music-wise, the new studio is pretty much set-up and functional. It will take awhile getting used to the acoustics of a giant room surrounded by concrete walls, but the fact that I even have my gear down here and can make it work is amazing. I really look forward to digging back into production in the next few weeks.

On the DJ front, the scene here is very vibrant, with great things happening both during the day and at night. Lots of good music, DJs and venues to be found - in Playa and the surrounding areas such as Tulum. Being in a new city and country I’m very excited to have a fresh start. I’ve always loved sharing my music, whether with close friends or through my radio show, so to be able to get it out there to new people and new venues will be a fun journey.

With a few great connections with people here already made, I look forward to the first gig here, no matter where, when or what it is. I’ve taken the first few weeks to simply observe and get familiar with how things are done here - such as the fact that a lot of guys DJ for a living down here and will play a whole night from 11pm to 6am - which I would of course love to do!

My radio show will continue as always each month, and I’ve thrown my name in the hat for doing an exclusive mix for Digitally Imported’s 15th anniversary of their progressive station. They’ve always been very good to me and my radio show, and I had the honour of doing a mix for their 10th anniversary show, so I look forward to putting together something special for them this time.

More to be posted soon!

By the time the dust settles in the next couple of days, our new home will be Playa del Carmen, Mexico. After seemingly endless days of build up to it, filled with many emotional good-byes, going-aways, dinners and parties, the time is finally here. 

Although Calgary has been great to us in so many ways, I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunities that lay ahead for both Sarah and I in Mexico. For me as a DJ, I’ve been lucky to have a lot of great gigs here and be involved deeply within the growing local music scene. It’s been awesome to be a part of and so many great memories have been made. In Mexico, I hope to continue along that path, bringing my experience and energy to a whole new scene.

So that’s all for now. Just a short note before we embark on the epic travel day ahead, with suitcases and cats in tow. When we’re finally unloaded, unpacked and back online in Mexico, the new chapter will in the new book will be written.

Thank you to all of you here in Calgary who’ve made our lives what they are. We love you, we will miss you, and hopefully we’ll see you on the beach soon.

A lot has changed in our “default world” since those first two times. When we first went, I barely used a cell phone to call people, let alone send text messages. There was no Facebook, Twitter or other social media channels beyond a few message boards, and you couldn’t instantly beam up photos and video to the sky to be blasted around the world. So needless to say, to return to a place that had created so many memories and life-changing experiences eight years later - when the world outside of it has truly changed - was an experience all onto its own.

There’s a ton of stuff I could ramble on about for days, and dozens of photos will inevitably be posted that provide glimpses of the adventure, but instead I’d like to share only the things that meant the most and that are still with me days later…

SPECIAL MOMENTS

Celebration of Love. Standing out on the playa staring into my beautiful wife’s eyes surrounded by our closest friends, with a beautiful speech from Steve to celebrate ten years of being married has to top all special moments experiences. Words really can’t describe that moment, you just had to be there. I love you Sarah, and can’t wait to see where the next ten years go.

Kids at Play. Getting to watch our four virgin burners with us roll around in the dust with joy upon entering the festival, then continuing to observe them experience everything throughout the week - physically, mentally and emotionally - with very wide open eyes was awesome.

DJ’ing from a Perch in the Sky. I had the absolute honour of playing not one, but two sets on Carl Cox’s Playground Experience Stage, where the dj booth happened to be set up on scaffolding almost 30 feet above the ground. To even just get up there involved climbing one of the support structures, then of course being on a small wind-blown platform that bounced like a trampoline when the Huggernaut aka Eric decided to stomp around, with no rails to keep you from falling of the side was a whole other story. But it all became worth it when I had the chance to look up across the entire playa from above, have my wife beside me, and see more friends dancing below to a set of music I had spent hours working on leading up to the event. What a night! I’ll be re-recording that set in the next couple of weeks and posting here for download for those who weren’t there.

The Power of the Temple. The Temple at Burningman has always been a symbol of something more. Through the messages and gifts left behind by others, an aura of raw and powerful emotion is created all around it. I walked into this year’s Temple of Grace, where emotions, feelings and tears all flowed out freely for an extended period of time, then was overcome with a sense of peaceful calm as we stepped out. I’m still not sure what I let go by being there, but it was definitely something. Then on the final Sunday, when the Temple lit up with fire and burned so incredibly peacefully to the ground, that same feeling of calm came over me as shared embraces with friends brought it all together.

Since being back I’ve realized that finding that calm space in everyday life is my biggest challenge. Too many times I’ve lived with unnecessary anxiousness, frustration, stress and negativity - with my wife and friends bearing the outward brunt of it. That calm space is one of true happiness, and I need to try and find it on a daily basis.

A FAMILY OF FRIENDS

What became so apparent throughout the week was our own little group’s family dynamic, as pointed out a number of times by our Canmore and Nelson counterparts. Already the closest of friends, our group of six really became a family. From the drive down to the burn to the drive home, it was all there - whether it was our awesome nightly dinners together courtesy of Eric, the sound of genuine laughter (despite dealing with horrible pain) of Marshall, the comical indecisions of T-Squared (Travis and Tanya), or the clinical organization of all matters camp related by Sarah. We were truly a family on this trip.

CONNECTING AND RECONNECTING

Connections are everywhere at Burningman, whether it’s friends new or old. Our camp was joined together with a whole crew of awesome people from Canmore and Nelson - great to meet you all! And on the dance floor, Sarah usually knew about three quarters of the people there by the end of the night, connecting with everyone!!

As far as reconnections go, we got the chance to meet up with Matt, an old friend who was responsible for bringing me down to DJ Phoenix on a few occasions. There was also Millie from Calgary who has been a long-time burner and supporter of my music. And last but not least there was Emma from the Montana crew. I had met Emma years ago at an Area709 party, but we hadn’t really talked since then other than a few short messages leading up to Burningman. So needless to say it was a pretty cool moment to be dancing around at a stage and see the person I had shared some awesome laughs and conversations with years ago dancing right in front of me, and be able to reconnect. Of course, her camp could not be found for caesars the next day, argh!!

ONE FOR THE EARS

The first two times at Burningman were more about the art and daytime life than anything. Wow has that changed. With an influx of well known and lesser known DJs, the music part of things has really grown. For me, the legends that have been huge influences on me as a DJ and producer were all there. Nick Warren, Hernan Cattenao, Dave Seaman, Above and Beyond, Carl Cox, Perfect Stranger, Markus Schulz and many more were all playing. But the best part about Burningman, is that Burningman doesn’t really care who they are, they’re just regular people like anyone else that are sharing in the same experience. I got the chance to talk music with Dave Seaman (who’s new label Selador is worth checking out), catch up with Markus once again, and like a kid in a candy store, stand in the dj booth right beside Carl Cox and watch the master at work - bringing back memories of 2002 when I had my face planted against the plexiglass at Fabric in London, witnessing the same wizardry. And of course, he’s an awesome, down to earth guy on top of it all as expected.

Music-wise, I missed out on a ton of stuff going all over the place (there’s just so much) but out of the sets I caught, three stand out for me. First on the list was Perfect Stranger’s mind-melting psytrance at Ooligan Alley, it was insanity all in a good way. The only thing missing from this set was being able to also share it with the one best friend who wasn’t at Burningman, Rusty. And not to be outdone, the sunrise set Markus played at White Ocean was one of the best I’ve heard from him in a long, long time. Three hours of pounding tech trance, which sounded great in the desert. And lastly to the day time experience at Distrikt, DJ Dan ringing in the sunset to an absolute madhouse of burners.

TOLERANCE AND PATIENCE

If there are two things Burningman can teach anyone, it’s tolerance and patience.

Tolerance. You’ll see and hear everything on the playa - the beautiful and the ugly. From true outward expression to plain and simple expressive masturbation, it’s all there, and it’s all part of the experience. With the growth of the festival to almost 70,000 people accompanied by the social media build up, the veneer of mystery, kindness and love has been scuffed ever so slightly. But with any event like this, the shitbag quotient is always there - whether it be those who judge or those that decide the ten principles of Burningman don’t apply to them - so having a little bit of tolerance for everything at Burningman goes a long way to making the experience truly awesome.

Patience. Everything at Burningman is drawn out process that always takes longer, whether it’s simply trying to deal with the ever present dust or trying to navigate your way through an RV of six people just to find something. If you can be patient at Burningman, you can be patient at home - another key reminder for myself to employ on a daily basis.

IN THE END 

Being back at Burningman was a pretty awesome experience. Even though I didn’t come close to doing all the things I intended to do (one never does), I got to see, hear, do and feel many amazing things. The bond with my wife grew stronger, and the family of friends I hold so dear to my heart grew even closer. I’m more aware of myself and what I need to pay close attention to and work on daily.

There are many fleeting memories from the playa - some now just a fading blur, and some I carry home with me to hold onto forever. I don’t know if we’ll ever be back, I’ll leave that decision up to the stars above.

Of course, lots has happened in-between the last post and now, so let’s get to it.

MOTION NOTION

I couldn’t have asked for a better and bigger way to end off the last few months here before we leave. First up I got slotted in at the annual Motion Notion festival in Golden, BC, with the opportunity to open up the main stage for someone I’ve respected and looked up to for a long time, John 00 Fleming, who also runs the record label JOOF which I’ve been lucky to have a few tracks and remixes released on.

For the deep trance sounds I love, the time-slot was perfect as the sun dipped below the mountains shining one last time on the faces of friends and followers alike (download available on my Soundcloud). And being able to finally meet John and hand things off to him was a true honour. From there I got observe a true master working at his craft for the next couple of hours, then as bonus, spend the better part of a couple of hours talking music, Mexico and more with him far away from all the action.

It’s rare when you get an opportunity to spend time and listen to the stories of someone who’s been at it for almost 30 years, travelling the globe and playing every city possible. That conversation made me feel like a wide-eyed kid again. And another rarity is for someone of that calibre to be so humble and so down to earth. For as much as John has done as a dj / producer, he’s really just an average guy who absolutely loves his work.

Ending that conversation I headed straight back for the main stage where I would be the “special guest” for Darvin’s Sons of Aurora set. We banged it out in the early morning hours and it turned out surprisely well for not planning or knowing what we were going to do!

BURNINGMAN

Up next is the return trip down south to Burningman, an adventure we’ve been looking forward to for a long, long time. We embark on the journey early tomorrow morning with four virgins, then are joining up with another camp once we get there. Personally, there’s a lot of special meaning behind this trip. It marks the tenth year Sarah and I have been married, so I’m excited to share this with her. It’s also with 3 out my 4 best guy friends, who I’m going to miss a lot once we move away. These guys hold special places in my heart and mean a lot to me.

On the DJ front at Burningman, luck has found me in a very serendipitous way. After having one set fall through, out of nowhere I was approached by a group out of the UK, the group that happens to be the one running Carl Cox’s stage there this year. It turns out on of their crew heard a guest mix of mine I did for Darin Epsilon’s perspectives show three years ago. He’s been following my radio show ever since and when he found out way back in March I would be headed to Burningman, he threw my name in the mix for their Playground Experience stage! I’ll be playing Thursday Night, August 28th from 8-10pm, and it’ll be another sundown set of deep and weird stuff is on the menu!!

I was little caught off guard by the email that came through, trying to figure out who / what / when / where, but since the story has all come together, I’ve been walking around with a big smile on my face ever since! For all DJs and producers out there, stories like this prove time and time again that even though you might get down or disinterested about what you’re doing, if you’re willing to invest the time do create something that’s worthwhile, there is ALWAYS someone out there listening to it even if it’s not apparent. So keep doing what you’re all doing!!

LA ULTIMA NOCHE FEAT. DARIN EPSILON 

And finally, on Friday, September 26th, we’ll be doing one last night before moving away at Habitat in Calgary, which over the years as been a second home for me within the music scene here. To bring it all together we’re flying up Darin from LA to round out an all progressive line up that also has the very talented Joey Grochmal on the line-up, who I’ll be jamming together with for awhile during the same night.

With it already half sold out, to friends old and new, this promises to be a big, emotional night (click here to get tickets). To say good-bye through music, the only way I really know how to do it, is pretty incredible, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to do that. Someone better bring a few boxes of Kleenex dammit!

PRODUCTION WORK 

With the move, the studio has been fairly quiet. I did have a couple of tracks in the works after returning from Mexico in June, however after struggling with these efforts (as proven by the guys at JOOF who picked up on that right away), I’ve shelved a few things for now. As we get packed up here, the studio gear will be accompanying us down to Mexico, with the priority being to get set up quickly and start working on new projects again.

Two tracks that did find their way out though were my remix of Airwave’s “The Moment of Truth” on JOOF as well as my remix Lonya & Alley Cat’s “Bedtime Stories” on Sound Avenue. Both of these tracks have received decent reviews from the DJ world and overall I’m very happy as to how they turned out.

THE FUTURE

As with any big move, it’s tough to say what the future will hold, especially in the music world. Playa del Carmen has such a bustling music scene right now and I’m looking forward to slowly into it - armed with all of the knowledge and experience that I’ve gained while being involved in the scene here for the past fifteen years.

Whether I end up playing some big shows down there, or have a very relaxed and simple weekly gig at a beach club or coffee shop, it really doesn’t matter, because at the end of the day when you take everything else away, it’s just about the love of the music and what you’re doing with it - something which I’ve been able to experience in my own home (aka Club Straub) on more than a few occasions over the past couple of months.

TO FINISH…

It’s been a great ride in Calgary, full of ups and downs, adventures and everything else possible. I’ve had awesome opportunities as a DJ here over the years and have had amazing support from both the underground and club communities. I’m extremely grateful for the things that have been given to me and the risks others have taken to make those things happen. I really look forward to stepping back and watching the Calgary music scene grow from afar, while catching a glimpse up close during the rare times Sarah and I need to venture back here. There’s some awesome stuff happening here, there really is.

So that’s it for now. I’m sure it won’t be the last time I say good-bye (the ‘official’ one will come in October). To everyone that’s supported me over the years here, thank you. I will carry every bit of that support with me as Sarah and I start a new life together.

On the production / remix front, a couple of new remixes are due out soon on JOOF and Sound Avenue respectively, and of course, a few new goodies are in the making working along-side my really good friend and awesome singer, Robyn Raymond.

More and more soon!

MISS THAT MELODY

The first is one I worked on a few years back that finally found a new label to call home, for the talented Miss Brown and Helmut Kraft out of France and Germany respectively. Titled "Miss That Melody" it's a throwback to the old trance days with pounding percussion, ripping synth lines and a warm overtone to it. It will be out very soon on Sacred Music.

BEDTIME

Next up is a slow and brooding remix for Toronto, Canada's Andrew McDonnell, taking a darker stab at his "Bedtime" track. Coming out on Sound Avenue, I'm super happy the way this one turned as it's pretty minimal compared to some of the work I usually do.

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

Lastly is a remix I just finished for the legendary Airwave. Titled "The Moment of Truth" signed a label I've already had success with - none other than JOOF Recordings - this one was a project that came together very quickly. As soon as the offer was there I jumped on it and managed to put something out that I can be very proud of in a matter of two weeks.

All tracks will be out on the world's top online distributors in the coming months, more details and links to be posted when they do.

GETTING CRANK'D

I've also been digging into a special project for my other passion as a spin instructor. With the outdoor season coming, I'll be doing a few two hour classes where I've both mixed all the music for and have edited video to. It's a huge undertaking, but considering the effort everyone puts in each week, doing this work is only a small thank you to what everyone has given me.

As well, for those hard-working riders, on my own website I've created a special area where all music from my classes can be downloaded for free. A small thank you once again.

SUMMER ADVENTURES

Lastly, it's off to Motion Notion and Burningman this summer, then a very special show in the fall, then... well?

Dedicated to the more underground sounds within the techno, tech house and house genres, the line-up of djs and producers for BPM was massive - jam-packed with a mix of veterans such as Sasha & Digweed, Richie Hawtin and Lee Burridge, along with rapidly rising stars like Hot Since 82, Dixon and more. Over 240 acts were spread over a handful of venues, for both day and night events.

From the time we arrived all the way through to the last party we attended, there were many exceptional moments that will be remembered for a long time to come, and for me personally, some very important things to take away.

THE REDISCOVERY OF PROGRESSIVE SOUNDS

Over the years, as I've continually to explore deeper, more interesting progressive sounds and struggled at times to find them. I rediscovered those sounds at BPM, in a such a way that it felt like the innocence of being exposed to good electronic music for the first time. And although on the outside this festival isn't classified as a progressive offering, it was more progressive than I could have ever imagined.

Talent I had never heard of, such as South London Ordnance at Richie Hawtin's Enter daytime party, or Skream at the night-time event hosted by Eats Everything played amazing sets of deep, throbbing bass lines layered with subtle atmospheres and synths. Even more techno-focused sets from the queen of techno herself, Nicole Moudaber, were laced with the nostalgic warmth of proper progressive from an era gone by.

Amazing surprises were to be found everywhere, such as the tripped out minimal techno overlaid with beautiful vocals courtesy of Dixon in the early morning hours as waves crashed on the beach beside the stage, or the glowing warmth of the melodic sounds of Lee Burridge at his last All Day I Dream party.

Top Sets of the Festival (in no particular order):

• Jan 3 - Skream at Lost (night-time)
• Jan 4 - Dubfire at Blue Parrot (Sci-Tec) night-time)
• Jan 5 - London South Ordnance at Fusion (Enter.Fusion day-time)
• Jan 7 - Hot Since 82 at Kool Beach (It's All Gone Pete Tong day-time)
• Jan 9 - Tom Peters at Lost (In The Mood night-time)
• Jan 9 - Nicole Moudaber at Lost (In the Mood night-time)
• Jan 10 - Ame at Blue Venado (Innervisions night-time)
• Jan 10 - Dixon at Blue Venado (Innervisions night-time)
• Jan 11 - Lee Burridgeat Mamitas Beach (All Day I Dream day party)
• Jan 11 - Bob Moses (All Day I Dream day party)

Special Mention: Richie Hawtin and Dubfire playing at a taco restaurant street-side. Tacos and Techno

Surprisingly Average: Sasha, Pete Tong

DJS DJ'ING

Another refreshing takeaway from BPM was just seeing DJs being DJs - and actually DJ'ing. With the explosion of "EDM" festivals across the planet and the rise of the rock star DJ that's more focused on serenading crowds than mixing music, the art of playing a thoughtful, complex set of music has almost been lost.

This was not the case at BPM. Every show attended and every act witnessed was there to play the role of the DJ first. There were no Jesus poses, hand hearts or cakes thrown, there were simply talented artists delivering their craft in the best way they knew to be possible.

And in one word, this was just awesome. The music became the primary focus and one didn't have to be sucked into the "DJ is God" mentality to enjoy what was being delivered. More often than not our group found home in spots on the dance floor that were further back not even in view of who was playing, but spots that also came with more dancing real estate and loads of new friends.

It was also refreshing to see DJs of all respects getting into things as fans as well. From joining in the crowds supporting the events to interacting casually with everyone around, it reminded me that these guys are just normal people, that just truly enjoy what they do. We had the chance to chat with the likes of Richie Hawtin and Mr. C, take candid photos with Nicole Moudaber and watch Dubfire go relatively unnoticed as he headed for the middle of the dance floor. Even Bossi from Cosmic Gate, who was not playing the festival was out at many events just enjoying things.

THE RETURN OF THE PROPER SET LENGTH

Another lost component in the "EDM" world today is the extended set. At the larger festivals, especially in North America, top acts play for an hour at most, which gives them little time to do anything creative or interesting.

Once again, BPM was different. The shortest set we heard was 90 minutes and most days every DJ was on for 2-3 hours, which allowed for some pretty epic journeys through many types of sounds to organically happen. Case in point was the Hot Since 82 set as the sun descended upon Kool Beach. On for over two hours, his music travelled across the genres of deep house, tech house, vocal house and when it got dark, heavy and thudding progressive house took over.

Sets like these brought back the nostalgia when progressive was in it's prime, and guys like Sasha would take you on a trip for hours and hours. So refreshing! Will the longer set find its way back? Tough to say, but at least there's hope.

VENUES - DAY AND NIGHT

The venues at BPM, for the most part, worked well for all the events that took place, with the day-time parties ruling over the night-time. Set right on the beach next to the water, all rigged up with proper sound systems, Mamitas Beach, Kool Beach and Fusion were incredible for the day events. Lots of room, not over-crowded, and very friendly crowds made for some really magical moments over the course of the ten days.

The night-time venues ranged from very good to over-crowded and a little disjointed. Lost Avenue was the clear winner here. A medium-sized club with a proper layout and dance floor, our best night experiences could be found here. Blue Venado, set on the beaches just outside of Playa del Carmen was the ultimate natural venue that one could easily stay at from sundown to sunrise. On the not-so-good side, The Blue Parrot, although it hosted some of the biggest names and parties, was over-crowded and messy, with muffled sound and not a comfortable place to call "home" no matter where we were. And when it rained, the words "Party Soup" were defined in ways you'd like to forget.

In general, no matter what the venue, there were a few interesting sites to be seen that were common to all, ripe with a bit of unpolished Mexican flair. Bottle service areas were scattered in odd locations, with different companies from both inside and outside the club managing them, and no standard for what costs what. The mens bathroom was a free-flowing Mexican drug market, with the local authorities nowhere to be seen (hmmm, wonder if the drug cartels have any influence within the Mexican club scene...). And of course, cigarette smoke. In Canada we've gotten so used to the clean air of smoke-free venues that having to deal with second hand smoke again was almost suffocating.

WRAPPING UP

Overall, BPM exceeded all our expectations in so many ways. It was what I picture Ibiza to have been years ago - little in the way of rules or commercial over-taking and lots in the way of fantastic, intimate parties with great people. We enjoyed every single event we went to, met tons of awesome new friends from around the planet, and have returned home with more memories than 700 pictures can ever capture.

Onto next year!

> DJ Mag Canada Artist Profile

Now this one is a bit long, but for other budding producers out there who are considering entering contests such as these, I feel it's important to share the whole experience - positives and negatives - so that you can judge for yourself if going to the work of entering one is worth it.

It all started way back in July, while on vacation in Mexico. After coming across a random tweet about the contest, I was initially against the idea. The track, "Romper" by New World Punx (the duo of Markus Schulz and Ferry Corsten), was an over the top trance banger, so far off from the deep trance sounds that I'm into that I really had no interest in it whatsoever. Enter Sarah, and her kick in the ass to get me to do it. If was going to enter any contest it should be this one, considering the grand prize was labeled as getting the chance to open for New World Punx for a date on their tour, which tied directly into the history I've had opening shows for Markus in Calgary. So, upon waking up at 4am, I set the laptop to download all the parts before we got on the plane back home from vacation.

Most nights over the next three weeks were spent in the studio working on the remix, which came together fairly quickly. With the first version ready, once again, entered Sarah. Her feedback forced me to do more and work a bit harder at putting more punch into the track, which resulted in the final entry.

With less than a week to go, I had done all I could with it and off to mastering it went, although things didn't turn out as expected unfortunately. I did have a few issues with distortion coming out of the bass line and the mastering job not only didn't correct those issues, but amplified them. So with only a couple of days to go, armed with only a Waves MultiMaximizer for mastering plug-ins, I spent another five hours bouncing the final track, playing it in the studio and the car, then tweaking again. Over and over and over till the bass issue was finally worked out.

Final version uploaded, and submission made to TalentHouse (the company putting the contest on). The first stage of the contest as a vote open to the general public, which pretty much meant whoring myself out to every friend and contact possible through Facebook, Twitter and any other channels deemed relevant. Personally, this was the part about the contest that I was not excited about upon entering. Competitions like these usually are nothing more than popularity contests more focused on generating Likes and Shares than the quality of the music itself. Thankfully, once the voting stage was over, the winner would be hand-picked by Markus and Ferry themselves.

Voting started off big and I was in the top five right out of the gates, with my goal to finish in the top three in voting. Over the week, I got the votes I needed to finish second, and the judging commenced (special mention to my business partner and online marketing expert Brendon Turner for helping the remix get a ton of exposure).
A few weeks went by before out of nowhere, I received an email from TalentHouse during a quiet afternoon in the office. I had to read it about three times before realizing I had actually won, then the standard "holy shit" jump out of the chair reaction followed.

I had won, and with the prizes promised to me - including an interview with Dancing Astronaut, the release being released on Spotify, and opening up a show for New World Punx in the US - I was pretty excited to say the least. However, that's when things only started to get interesting.

A few weeks passed without hearing anything, until a random Global DJ Broadcast listener messaged me saying that he heard my track on Markus's show and that Markus announced that I would be playing at EchoStage in Washington DC on November 16th. Lucky I had no plans or nothing better to do that weekend, lol.

My Facebook and Twitter blew up instantly, which I guess is what happens when your track gets hundreds of thousands of listeners tuning into it. This would be the first of three times the remix would get played on Markus's show, and the same online craziness occurred every time.

So I would be in DC that weekend, and after a few more weeks wondering if it was actually true, Tim Grube (of Grube and Hovsepian) contacted me and booked the flights and hotel, which was almost $2,000 out their pockets (thanks again gentlemen). Immediately my wife booked her flight as well as a few awesome friends who wanted to come along for the ride.

Fast forward to the week before… After spending a couple of weeks sorting out music, I was all ready to go. Ready for a big set of music to lead into Markus and Ferry, in front of 4,000 people. Ready to kill it…  but still without an itinerary for the weekend's events and no confirmation on what time and how long I'd be playing for.

Finally Tim relayed the details over to me from the promoter.

9-10pm. One hour. When the doors open. Local guy on for two hours after me, then Markus and Ferry.

At first I didn't believe it, then I was a little shocked, then just completely deflated. It amazed me that I'd be flown across the content and put up in an amazing hotel, just to play for an hour, starting with a completely empty room (and maybe having a couple of hundred people there by the time I finished). Sarah, my 'acting manager' did her best to try and persuade the promoter that this was ridiculous, but to no avail. Hell, I wasn't even listed on the line-up for the event until Saturday evening.

I'm not sure where things went sideways, but I'm sure if the powers that be look back upon this opportunity to boost their own brands through a remix contest and the winner who they paid for have play, they'll have two words for it: Epic Fail.

Personally, I simply had to push my own expectations and disappointment away. I got a free trip to Washington DC where I would get to hang out with friends all weekend, and play a little bit of music for them at the same time. Not bad at all when you look at it that way.

So, with all that sorted out, we made our way to DC on the Friday. After a long flight stopping through Chicago, while my wife and friends were on a different route through Toronto, we all met up again and the weekend was on. A fantastic dinner followed by a great day of walking around the city, seeing all the sites in what is a very beautiful city. Later Saturday evening, it was onto Echostage.

Although the room was empty when we walked in, our group was in awe of 4100 person capacity venue, it was seriously state of the art. Big stage and sound at the front, massive square dance floor and VIP tables on the upper level all the way around (which of course in typical Canadian fashion, we snapped one up right away).
I jumped on right at 9pm and played a deep progressive set as party goers filtered in that went over really well. I ended off with my remix of Romper, which tied things together for everyone who was there, answering the question of who's this "Wes Straub" guy playing right now. Shortly after that, Sarah and I were taken out back to where Markus and Ferry were getting ready for their set.

It was good to briefly catch up and really get the ultimate validation on winning the remix contest. Over 1,000 entries were submitted, and they chose mine because according to Ferry it wasn't over the top, had depth and was trying to be the biggest sounding track out there. Pretty proud moment right there.

Midnight quickly came, and they roared on stage with a bang, starting with their original version of Romper (maybe it was a good thing I didn't play right before them), and banging things out from there, including a massive remix of Eric Prydz's classic "Pjanoo".

Admittedly, things got pretty blurry from there and the next thing I knew I was waking up in the hotel room Sunday afternoon. The blame for that can be put squarely on Steve and Spiros!

So, the adventure is now over. I fly home with a range of emotions when it comes to the whole experience.

Having been in the music scene for a long time, I've seen many things come and go, and have had to learn to really put two things into perspective - expectations and hope. As a DJ, it is so easy to get caught up in what could be, only to be crushed by what actually is. With every gig and every event, you always hope for that perfect setting where everything falls into place, and with this remix contest, the expectations created by the contest itself (the prizes, the hype) really gave me a lot of hope for this one.

What was the centre of my world for the past couple of months appeared to be more like an after-thought for everyone else involved in putting on this contest, especially once the weekend got closer. If you're going to all the work of putting on a contest like this, you think you would ensure that the winner - who you can leverage to boost your own name and brand with - isn't invisible. Unfortunately, invisible is what the whole thing ended up being.

At the end of the day, I've been around long enough to not care or be offended personally by any of it. It's just really too bad that the experience wasn't all it could've been. And there are still a couple of items promised from the contest, including an interview and the release of the remix, that I have nothing to report on as of yet.

But to leave things on a positive note, I have nothing but good things to say about the people I was dealing directly with. First off, Tim from Markus's group was fantastic in booking everything and answering the questions he could. Upon arriving in Washington, Mike, Heather and Ben from Echostage were extremely welcoming and great to deal with. Michell from TalentHouse has also been great, and is currently looking into the other parts of the promised prize. Thank you.

So was the experience worth it? Absolutely, if for no other reason than it was a great eye opener and chance to learn. Will I ever enter another remix contest? Let's see here… no.

For all you producers and artist out there, I was given a great piece of advice from Glen, the label manager at JOOF. When I entered the contest he simply said this:

"There's always a romantic vision of success with remix competitions, but I can't think of anyone that's forged a successful career off the back of one. Just keep your head down doing your thing and keep building your fan base."

Without a doubt, words to live by.

The flights and hotel are all booked and everything's set. And, I'm extremely lucky to have my wife, along with a few friends coming down with me. Should be a fantastic weekend.

The show is at Echostage in Washington DC, a state of the art venue that holds 5,000 people. Not sure of the time slot I'll be playing yet - whether if it'll be a long one from when the doors open, or a shorter one right before the heavy hitters get on - no matter what it is, I'm stoked!

> Event Link

More news posted soon! In the meantime it'll be a busy month working on edits and some original material for this once in a lifetime show!

Thanks again to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey!

In doing the remix I tried to stay true to the progressive sounds I love so much, taking a track that was a completely different style and making it my own. Amongst many entries that were of the bigger, harder variety I took a chance by going deeper and slower, which in this age was a definite risk, that in the end paid off.

I'm not sure where things will lead, but at minimum, getting to fly down to somewhere in the US and open up what I'm guessing will be a pretty massive show for Markus Schulz and Ferry Corsten is pretty freakin' awesome.

Looking back at the whole experience, it was definitely an interesting one - from the type of submissions to the insanity of the voting process. As a partner in a couple of companies that specialize in online marketing, it's very easy to see just how crazy and skewed things can get (ie. the DJMag Top100 poll).

In the end though, whether I finished second or seventeenth in voting, I was happy that the winner was judged and hand-picked - validating the quality of the work submitted.

So once again, huge props to everyone who voted and spread the word about the remix, more huge props to my guys at the office who kickstarted the push to get this thing out there, and the hugest of props to my wife Sarah who not only had a hand in deciding the final arrangement of the remix, but put the bug in my head to enter.

...getting out of bed at 3am on the last night of our Mexico vacation, to download audio stems turned out to be a good idea!

More news coming soon on where this all leads!!

The challenge?

Remix New World Punx's (the duo of trance legends Markus Schulz and Ferry Corsten) "Romper"

How's the winner picked?

Sure there's voting to see who'll win the voter's choice prize, but that's not the prize I'm after. In this remix contest, the entries are actually judged by the legends themselves (Markus Schulz and Ferry Corsten), and they pick the winner from there. The votes help get the track noticed though...

And the prize?

Well something I know a thing or two about after opening a bunch shows for Markus here in Calgary back in the day... the winner gets to fly down to the US and join these two for a date or two on their US tour, and open those shows. Pretty cool, and a chance I couldn't pass up.

A little about my remix...

The original version of this track is an off the charts, cheese stomping trance banger - something that doesn't fit into my sets whatsoever. So, therein lied the challenge... how could I take a track I would never play and remix it into something I could call my own?

35 hours of work, 3 different versions, a slowed down BPM and fantastic nudge to the arrangement courtesy of that clever wife of mine, Sarah (and I'm not doing this to score points, she really deserves the credit) - that's how.

The final result is a deeper journey of a track that slowly builds into something quite forceful. The big riff has been re-written with a more nostalgic synth and big snare builds have been replaced by brooding pads. A little bit of the old mixed in with the new...

Have a listen and compare it to the other entries. If you think it's better than the others, give it your support - even if it's not your type of music.

I thank you in advance for hopefully making this a winner!

> CAST YOUR VOTE NOW

First up you'll notice I've uploaded three brand new mixes on the site. While my wife was recently away on a quick trip to New York I proceeded to lock myself in the studio and hammer a few things out including next month's radio show, a 90 minute progressive trance mix for my cycling classes that I teach and the long awaited tenth instalment of my Epic series, which is as the title describes, epic. All mixes are available for download in the Mixes section.

Now to the past couple of months that have swept by quickly as usual...

In April things were left off with the release of my remix of 40 Gun Flagship's "Forever" on Morrison Recordings. With four distinct offerings in the release package - from the original and acoustic rock versions, to Glenn's stadium remix to my offering - the release was very well received by everyone it was sent out to, and managed to climb its way up to #18 on Beatport's Pop/Rock chart. All in all a successful project and Robyn and I are determined to push out more tracks in the near future, and we're actually working together on a new one right now with a vocal session booked for the weekend.

Moving through May and into June saw the first Formula/SocialHouse private joint event take place in the form of London Underground at the amazing Paul Hardy Warehouse, and it was a smashing success to say the least. It was great to join forces with Tomi from SocialHouse and Marie from Belvedere Vodka, along with Nick from Belgo. With a lot of big personalities and perspectives involved an undertaking of this nature can often go sideways, however in this case it was quite the opposite with each team member bringing something unique to the table that complimented the group as a whole - including my tiny role as all powerful ruler of the mailing list.

Overall everything came together seamlessly - from the venue and sound / lights to the bar to all the staff helping out and most importantly the 300 people that showed up… and I only wanted to punch Nathan the usual three times, which can be considered average for a night spent with an opinionated Brit!! (had to get that jab in somewhere, BAH!). What's up next for the collective group? Nothing for the summer, but I'm sure something will be in the works for the fall. The event on June 1st was pretty special so it'll take something seriously crazy to top that one.

I've taken on a somewhat smaller role in the picture when it comes to these events, which has worked out well considering my work schedule and for the first time in being involved in anything dj event related, it's very refreshing to not be in charge of everything and let others dictate where things go. Putting on events is an insane amount of work and time to say the least, so to have guys like Nathan and Tomi take the lead and get things done is awesome. I'm just happy to help out and dj once in a while, even if it's only a handful of events throughout the year.

Beyond all the regular musical endeavours, pushing my music in a different direction, this time as it relates to the spin classes I teach has been a lot of fun. Recently I've had the pleasure of running special event classes which are 90-120 minutes in length, which of course call for special mixes of music along with video to push the experience a whole lot further - and at the core I've been able to dive into the world of trance again because of it, where I originally started. Always had a soft spot for that genre and now I can officially pull my trance-whore hat out of the closet and where it for good reason… 

Thankfully, the response has been incredible with consistently well attended classes every week. I'm probably the only cycling instructor on the planet who from the start has refused to play (and gotten away with it) anything that even resembles top40, rock or eighties. Have to give credit to a certain few people for giving me that leeway, lol…

So what's up for the summer? Besides missing out on Matthew Belleghem's stop in Calgary on his "fly around the world in 30 days" tour, it's going to be a quiet one for once. A 16 day trip to our favourite spot in Mexico, Playa del Carmen is up first on the docket (conveniently bypassing the rigours of Stampede), where we'll be scoping out various pieces to the BPM 2014 puzzle (yes we're going!!) while downing endless amounts of cold ones with Rusty, Ada and their daughter (okay, she's too young). In August, we take a trip up to Darvin's Pure Psyence party, where I'll be playing at least one, if not two sets - and rippers they shall be! Finally, it's one more trip out to the BC Coast for Terry and Katherine's wedding where I have the honour of playing a proper progressive set to celebrate their wedding - very humbled and honoured to be asked to do that!

That should do it for awhile, of course if anything brilliant worth mentioning comes up, you'll find it here.

I'm grateful to Robyn and the band for letting me create my own story with the original song and am really looking forward to working with Robyn in the near future - her vocal and song-writing talents are truly amazing. I'd also like to thank label boss and star in his own right having toured the world many times over and released many tracks - none other than Glenn Morrison - for signing the track as well as the original rock and acoustic versions. Glenn has been awesome to work with all the way through.

All mixes of the track are available at http://www.beatport.com/release/40-gun-flagship-forever/1077985

Forty Gun Flagship - Forever (Wes Straub's Progressive Remix) from wstraub on Vimeo.

Blueprint becomes Formula. After a solid run under the Blueprint banner doing nights at Habitat, Nathan and I decided to rename and rebrand as Formula - thanks to a dandy little cease and desist letter served up from a fine bunch working under the same name out of Vancouver. Apparently you can trademark a word like Blueprint!

We had our first event this past Friday featuring Toolroom's Prok & Fitch from the UK, taking over the upper floor at Belgo. The night was a success on many fronts thanks to the help of friends that made it work, especially considering a change of venue only a few days before. Formula will be doing more events over the coming months, many of which will be invite only, so please join the mailing list at http://www.formulapromotions.com to be the first to find out about what's happening.

Personally, doing Blueprint and now Formula has been a very important learning experience for me. After stepping away from doing regular events for awhile, I was quickly reminded of how much time, energy and resources it takes to properly promote and execute on events - things I simply don't have these days with everything else I'm involved in (burn out anyone?).

So with that realization in mind, I'll be taking less of an active role in doing events and promotion, and more of a behind the scenes position, taking care of the website and design work necessary, and maybe playing the odd one. Nathan of course will continue to head up the front of things, doing a fantastic job as always.

Moving from that to the gig front, I'm extremely excited to be a part of the Millie's "Like Minded People" event coming up on Saturday, May 11. This is a unique event and concept that she's pulling together and a lot of good energy has went into it already. She's put me on the 11:40-1am slot and has requested a proper set of progressive - which of course is right up my alley! Other than my radio show, I haven't thrown down a good progressive ripper in while so I'm really looking forward to this one.

And finally, my long awaited release on Glenn Morrison's label, the remix of Forty Gun Flagship's "Forever" will be out in mid April. Turns out Glenn is doing a remix of it as well, along with my remix and the original rock and acoustic versions. I can't thank Robyn Raymond enough for the beautiful vocals on this track and whenever she decides to put pen to paper again, we'll be doing more work together with her amazing voice. Look for more details on that one soon.

Thanks again for all the support, and we're doing a few tweaks on the Area709 site at the moment to bring things up to date, along with a ton of new content from the many other talents involved. Lots of good stuff up there so if you haven't checked it out in awhile, go to http://www.area709.com

The new year has also had some interesting back and forth when it comes to another promotional organization thus far. After a year of building a nicely followed brand for our bi-monthly night at Habitat titled Blueprint, we're going to have to change the name. Turns out another event company out of Vancouver runs under the same name, and has been doing so for many years.

Unfortunately, not the whole world likes to work together so instead of using it as an opportunity to cross-promote, a nice little letter from their legal organization showed up in our inboxes. After a little research - finding out they actually have trademarked the name across the country - we've decided to step away from any unnecessary legal battles and are going to rename the brand upon the conclusion of the Mark Storie show we have coming up in a couple of weeks.

Not sure what it'll be yet, but considering the amount of giant styrofoam B's we have made, definitely a name that starts with the letter B!

The new name and brand will be in place for our next show, when we bring a fairly well known prog master who's blowing up the world over back to Calgary, Darin Epsilon. April 27th is the date and the venue will be a Belgo. We're taking it over, transforming it and making it special for one night only.

Other than that, some great shows coming up in February. Desert Dwellers and Treavor Moontribe hit Calgary Feb. 22, then progressive spy legend Atmos on March 1st. I'll be sure to bring my vinyl pack of his early releases for an autograph session!

And of course, the biggie Nathan and I are putting on Friday, February 15th with Mark Storie from Toolroom Records flying across the pond for a night of shenanigans at Habitat. Tickets available at http://blueprint.zoobis.com

On the production end, it looks like Glenn Morrison is also now taking a crack on the remix I did of Forty Gun Flagship's "Forever". Looking for that one to be out in the next month or two. In the meantime, working on a very Pryda like track that I plan on investing a few more weeks of time into. We'll see what churns out!

Over the course of the year the divide between the commercial and underground sides of electronic music continued to grow in 2012. For every big new festival and club night there seemed to be an equally disturbing story of a legendary dj being kicked off the decks, or cringe-inducing videos of the likes of Paris Hilton popping up.

For a now, uh-hem, veteran of this scene, watching this evolution continue was a little painful to be honest. Like all good things in this world that become popular to the masses, the purity and essence of what that thing actually is seems to often get lost, and in our music scene, things are no different. Thankfully, the underground contingent continues to push back hard with new innovate concepts, sounds and talent - and one didn't have to go far to find Home again.

Home for me has always been found in the underground local parties I've always been a part of, as well as the club residencies in I've been luckily to be involved with in Calgary. There were plenty chances to come back Home over the course of the year, including the annual Bardo Halloween event, an opening slot for Banel, the FIVE event celebrating 5 years of 709Sessions and my bi-monthly Blueprint residency at Habitat.

When it came to finding that special Home beyond my own involvement and the local Calgary scene, I can look no further than our return to Ibiza in the summer. Although the island is struggling with the allure of commercial dollars and acts coming to other clubs, there was nothing like going to Space and hearing some of those cutting edge sounds from the true legends such as Digweed, Carl Cox and highlighted by techno-god Richie Hawtin - who's Enter night was eventually voted the best on the island at the end of the summer

Another unexpected visit to Home came in the not one, but twice - in the form of Sasha - first at Cafe Mambo sitting at a table about 20 feet away from the dj booth, then under the sunset at the beautiful outdoor club Ushuaia. After all these years, this guy is still number one in my books. Intelligent, forward-thinking and yet still in tune with the original progressive sounds that have set him apart. That was like coming Home with turkey dinner waiting on the table. Brilliant.

Apart from everything on the outside, Home was also found in my physical residence where I got to spend some quality time - although not enough time - in my studio. Over the second half of the year I took on a remix project using a beautiful vocal by Robyn Raymond, from a rock song by Calgary's own Forty Gun Flagship. It took many many nights, but the final track is now up for release in early 2013 on Glenn Morrison's label, so all that hard work at Home paid off in the end. We're all very excited to see where this one goes.

So as the sun sets on 2012 and a new year is ushered in, I think Home is where I'd like to stay for the next while. Home in the music I love, continuing to support labels such as Microcastle, Perspectives Digital, JOOF, Sudbeat, Morrison Recordings and more, as well as producers such as Darin Epsilon, Cid Inc., Luis Junior, Monaque and more. Home in the events I'm a part of and the ones I support in Calgary - both the underground all-nighters and the great small venue dj shows that land at Habitat from time to time. And finally Home in what I do as a dj and producer - always sticking to the progressive sounds I love in both original productions and my radio show.

I encourage all of you in 2013 to simply find or come back to your Home and discover what you're truly passionate about.

Probably ingrained into more than a few of your brains was the two FIVE events (radio and live) that took place celebrating five years of my 709Sessions radio show - I apologize for the barrage of continuous promo across the internet. Both of these events turned out pretty spectacular and will be remembered for a long time (and not just for all the work that went into them!).

The first part of the FIVE celebrations was the 12 hour radio show on Digitally Imported. What a fun day that was to have 12 hours of non stop 709-style progressive playing from a group of incredible djs. It took awhile to bring all the content for the show together, but in the end it went off without a hitch, although being up and posting / responding to feedback for the entire time proved a little difficult. A big thanks to Johan at Digitally Imported for making it happen, and an equally big thanks to Ioan, Darvin, Rob, Henri (Cid Inc.), Rusty, Jason, Matthew, Laura, Jay and Chad for contributing amazing music.

Part two came a few days later in the form of the FIVE all-nighter event here in Calgary featuring an all 709 line-up - including Rusty Ezard - the best friend a guy can have. Even though we were busy driving around, setting up (and having way too many drinks in-between), every moment was great one sharing laughs the whole weekend through.

The event itself manifested everything I wanted it to be, from the decor (including set-up where a couple of new friends were made, you know who you are! to music to the bar, to Sarah's awesome shirt, and of course to the many friends that turned out for it and danced their collective asses off. Of course, there was that on CDJ that failed which meant Rusty's set got bumped until the end (which still rips me to this day!), but he made the best of it and ripped up the closing slot properly, even amongst a fog bath courtesy of Jay!

Thank you so much to everyone who came out, it made all the effort worthwhile. Not sure if and/or when I'll spearhead putting an event like that ever again, time will only tell.

After that big week things continued on with another stellar Blueprint night at Habitat with Nathan Hedley, someone who thankfully takes the charge when it comes to setting up these nights as I really didn't have much left over after the previous weeks for this latest instalment.

Also in that same week, and a little unexpectedly, my "Moments" E.P. on JOOF Recordings finally was released. I'm humbled again to be on such a legendary label and hopefully I can push more stuff their way soon.

So what now?

In the weeks following the FIVE events, I've had some very serious thoughts and contemplations about what to do next as a DJ and producer now that the milestone has passed. The want to produce more music is becoming greater and greater, but unfortunately the amount of time I can dedicate to it has not increased - so trying to finish even a single track (or the remix I've been working on for the past 4 months) has been a challenge.

So, along with cutting back a few other things in my life, I'm seriously considering taking a long break from doing the radio show every month starting in the new year and using that time to do production work.

Five years has been quite a run, and I've always been of the opinion that the right time to stop something is when you've felt you've accomplished all that you can with it - which is where I think I'm at. I'm really enjoying the small moments of time I do get to work on music, while doing the radio show is met decreasing enthusiasm. So, it might be time.

Gig-wise I'll just be focusing on the Blueprint nights and the odd other big show that comes up, all of which more than satisfy my appetite to DJ.

That's what's next. Nothing lasts forever and life is a continuous journey of change. It's time to embrace it and start speaking to people through my own creations versus how I mix those from others.

TUNE IN AND LISTEN:
http://www.di.fm/calendar/event/17401

DOWNLOAD MIXES / GET TRACKLISTS:
https://www.facebook.com/WesStraubMusic

...remember, if you like what you hear, LIKE the page!

After a monstrous trip to Europe in July, August was a little more contained, but still included a weekend getaway to Phoenix, for both a gig and the Identity Festival featuring Eric Prydz and Paul Van Dyk. Phoenix has become a favourite destination for both my wife and I over the past few years, so it was an easy decision to come back down for this weekend.

The gig at the Monarch Theatre as a little under attended, but was still a good time hanging out with the Matt and the gang playing tunes on probably one of the best PK sound systems I've heard yet. Thanks to Thomas from Relentless Beats for bringing me down again, hopefully I'll be back soon as a part of one of their bigger shows.

The next day was the Identity Festival, with Phoenix being the last stop on the festival's tour. Was an interesting day to say the least, a stark contrast from the not so distant memories of Ushuaia in Ibiza. A younger crowd, a smorgasbord of in your face, commercialized music and hot, hot weather. Spending most of the day in the bar area and avoiding the aforementioned nastiness, we saved ourselves for the two guys we looked forward to seeing most - PVD and Prydz - and they didn't disappoint, meeting some new friends and hooking up with some old ones along the way.

Now, something that blew my mind there, and not in a good way. I expected, with the line-up and the crowd that every dj would simply play the biggest and loudest, trying to out-do each other, there's no such thing as an opening dj at these types of events, but I never expected to hear any Pryda tracks from anyone else than Eric Prydz. To my disbelief, at around 5pm, Adrian Lux played not one, but a few, including the biggest one right now, "Allein". For all the young djs out there, out of just pure respect, don't play the headliners tracks or anything on his label. I'm pretty sure if Eric Prydz hasn't physically hurt this guy yet that he's never going to get a gig like this again. You just don't do that.

Enough of the past and onto the present!

Moving on to September, and what a big month this is with the five year anniversary of my 709Sessions radio show. Can't believe it's been that long already! Preparations for both the 12 hour marathon show on Digitally Imported on September 18th, and the live event here in Calgary on the 22nd have been going for weeks now.

For the radio show, we have a killer line-up of guests and 709 regulars in all in place and ready to go. Everyone's put in their best efforts creating unique sets for the show that encompass the past five years of progressive music. It's going to be a great day of music and all mixes will be available for download once the show is over. Broadcasting from 2pm till 2am (MST) so no matter where you are in the world, you'll be able to catch a bit of it.

Following that is the FIVE event here in Calgary on September 22nd. A lot of work going into this one between running a full bar, to the crazy decor ideas and more. Thankfully there's personal budget limitations in place otherwise this event would literally have anything and everything. With three weeks to go, interest is very high and tickets are moving. Shooting to have 300-400 people in attendance. Tickets are available at http://five.zoobis.com as well as at Grassroots in Kensington and from each of the djs playing.

Looking forward to having Rusty out from Toronto for this one (miss ya buddy!), as well as sharing the stage with the original 709 brethren, and of course having bunch of great friends in attendance.

Beyond that, it's back to normal. Another instalment of Blueprint at Habitat lands on Thanksgiving weekend, and the Bardo halloween party is looming in the distance. Production wise my time has been all taken by putting together the FIVE stuff, however some serious studio time will be in order once those events are done, especially with winter on the way.

…and, after some long delays (and don't quote me on this) my "Moments" track should be out in the coming weeks, now that it's been mentioned on the JOOF website!

Thanks again for all the support of the radio show, the music and all our events. I'm really excited this month for what we have in the works for the 709Sessions anniversary events and can't wait to bring it to you.

The month of June featured two highlight gigs for me - the Inshala festival and the second instalment of Nathan Hedley and mine's Blueprint residency at Habitat. At Inshala, I ushered in the sunset on the Saturday night and was lucky enough to actually have the sun shining for most of my set - a luxury considering it was windy and rainy for most of the weekend. I'd like to thank Jay, Kylee and crew for putting on such a good festival and for having me play.

A week later was Blueprint, and what a night this one turned out to be. As a dj, there are just some nights where everything comes together perfectly, and this was definitely one of them. Leading up to the night, Nathan spear-headed getting a whole bunch of unique decor made, which turned Habitat into a completely different room. Combined with a capacity crowd and of course good tunes the whole night through, it was pretty special. I also was lucky to sneak in a peak-time slot of proper progressive bombs which got great response, very reminiscent of the Rhino days of the past, when Matt, Rob and I used to blow up the room every couple of weeks.

All in all it was definitely a night to savour, cherish and grow from into the next one - which happens to be in a couple of weeks time on August 10th. More decor is on order and we have a special guest coming in from New York joining Nathan and I on the decks.

Onto July, where Sarah and I departed for our vacation to Europe, which included stops in Paris, Amsterdam, Ibiza and Rome. The first music-related part of the trip came in Amsterdam, where we attended the Sensation event - with 40,000 other people dressed in white. The night was amazing to say the least. The production quality of these events is beyond spectacular to say the least. The sound, lights, decor, visuals and everything else is so tightly woven together that the experience becomes much more than just a dj playing music. The music was good, but the event as a whole was incredible. And in a stadium with 40,000 people? Still room to move!

After Amsterdam it was straight on to Ibiza, where it was a non-stop barrage of music from djs that don't usually come by Calgary anymore - unfortunately many of my favourites.

Night one was the only trance night of the week, featuring the likes of Armin, Cosmic Gate, Dash Berlin and of course Markus Schulz - whom we got to kick back with over a couple of stiff vodkas backstage… in the prison cell they call an artist room at Privilege, ugh!! But, good to catch up and get some insights on the life of world class dj. Such a different world.

Night two was one I was really looking forward to with John Digweed and Carl Cox playing at Space. Digweed, after all these years, proved again why he's one of the best, especially when it comes to progressive music. The journey he created through his music over the course of two hours was pure magic. Deep and techy stuff for almost forever, but then coming out with a tinge of melodic, pad driven driven stuff that made a lot of people, including myself, simply stand with eyes closed, enjoying every single sound. Not many djs can do that, especially these days. What a gift to receive from one of the long time masters.

Tuesday led right into a great surprise Wednesday, when we turned up at Cafe Mambo for the sunset, and Sasha was set to play there that night (announced that day). Nothing like being able to kick back at a table 30 feet from the dj booth with the sunset on one side and one of the legendary djs of the world on the other side. Awesome.

Thursday - okay, this was intense, with Richie Hawtin's "Enter" night at Space. Sarah and I were really looking forward to this one as you will never see a full on techno night in Calgary of that magnitude. 6 hours of body rattling techno that literally shook the crap right out of us, ending with Mr. Hawtin himself. For Sarah, who discovered German techno her first time in Ibiza, this was heaven.

Finally to Friday, our last night out, saving the best for last - Sasha outdoors at Ushuaia. For those who don't know, Ushuaia is one of Ibiza's newer spots and combines a hotel, pool and stage together as one. A beautiful venue - one which we could never afford to stay at - but hey, you can't have everything.

After the opening djs did an exceptional job prepping the dancefloor, Sasha took over in classic style. Deep and very intelligent progressive music, with layer upon layer of rich bass, warm pads and melody, building up and dropping down at the right moments. Most times you couldn't even pick out individual tracks, it was one smooth soundtrack created off of just 3 CDJs and that new Pioneer effects board. As a dj it was very humbling. What he did in a couple of hours exemplified everything brilliant about the art form - at a level so much higher than most of us could ever achieve. Back to the first grade of dj school!

With that, our Ibiza experience was concluded, leading me to some final thoughts about the island, as I think it will be our last time there.

I really feel that some of the original lustre of the island has been lost. Yes, I'm now 10 years older than my first visit to Ibiza, but things have changed. Gone is a lot of the innocent friendliness and genuine joy on the island, having been infiltrated by a bit of the Jersey Shore Generation mentality. Hugs have been replaced by cold shoulder slaps, many smiles have been replaced by stares, and especially with the younger, more male dominated crowds an appreciation for the music has been lost.

Also more apparent than ever is the fact the economy in Ibiza. has always been based on the half dozen or so giant nightclubs, but it's now at a very commercialized level, with every business and every vendor begging for every penny. I've always had a problem with paying 8 Euros for a water and 12 Euros for a beer - a reality that hasn't changed since the beginning - but throw in every other money grab and it becomes a bit much.

However, despite the growing list of negatives, there are a few glowing positives that still stand out above everything else. Topping the list and most importantly is the music. Most of the acts booked to play Ibiza still treat it as the highlight of their own schedules and they all bring their best. The djs we were looking forward to most delivered beyond what we expected and made the whole week worthwhile. If I never go out to a show again, I wouldn't be missing anything.

Places like Ushuaia, although expensive, are really creating a proper experience and definitely drew the best audience - a place where the smiles and joy were most obvious. More places, such as the non-tourist parts of the island (going towards Santa Eularia) still retain the original island soul. Paying a visit to Bamboo, the man who booked me to play in Ibiza six years ago, we got the chance to dine and lounge in a beautiful setting in the middle of jungle amongst a diverse group of island residents.

And lastly, there still remains the purity of the sunset on the other side of the island. On an island built on sound, I had the chance to be completely at peace for a few precious moments, standing at the edge of the sea on a rock I've made sure to stand on every time I've been to Ibiza since the beginning. Just the sunset, the feeling of the water around my feet and the sound of the waves, nothing more.

Will we be back? Probably not as the hunt for the next Ibiza begins, but the good memories of this island will always remain close.

After ibiza, it was onto Rome for a week of extreme sight-seeing - packing everything possible into a few short days. While in Rome, we had the pleasure of staying at Relais19, owned by Enrica and Massimo. Having met Enrica online a few years ago through my radio show, it was fantastic to travel halfway around the world and meet in person. Enrica - a new USB stick will be coming to you every year from now on!

Great people and a great place to stay. They've been nothing short of helpful, accommodating and wonderful to visit with - highlighted by the incredible dinner we shared with them on one of our last nights.

If you ever visit Rome, I'd strongly recommend staying there (http://www.relais19.com). It's a little bit outside of the city, but transit is close and getting to the sites is not a problem.

So now on our way back home and now looking forward to August and September. The next Blueprint night lands at Habitat on August 10th, I'm sure it will be as big as ever. The following weekend I'll be down in Phoeniz, AZ once again - this time playing at the Monarch Theatre downtown, can't wait for that one.

After that, September ushers in the 5 Year Anniversary of 709Sessions. 12 hours on Digitally Imported, followed by an all-night event in Calgary featuring an all 709 line-up (including Rusty Ezard from Toronto). Lots of work and planning to be done, but the occasion requires celebrating so let's do it!

Other than that, my "Moments" EP should be coming out on JOOF in August, more information on that soon. Also working on a remix of 40 Gun Flagship's "Forever". It's taking awhile, but working with vocals requires special attention - want to make this one perfect.

That's all for now. Thanks again for the continued support and I'll be posting more event info soon.

On the gig front June brings a couple of special ones. First up on June 16th I'll be heading down to Lethbridge for the Inshala festival that fellow 709'er Jay Michael and crew work so hard at to put on each year. Not sure the time slot I'll be pushed into, but whatever it is, I'll be bring the best of my stuff after having a pretty magical experience playing there two years ago.

The following Friday that week (June 22nd) rings in the second instalment of Blueprint with fellow resident Nathan Hedley. This guy is bent on putting everything possible into these nights making being involved a true pleasure. Look for a whole bunch of new decor added to Habitat, from big foamy 'B's and cutouts to flying banners. And if the first one was any indication as to how this night will turn out, you might want to turn up a little early.

Beyond that, it's off to Europe on July 1st for a three week trek across France, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy with my amazing wife Sarah who's put in an absolutely pain-staking amount of time to sort out all the details for every day of the trip; I'm pretty sure the Ibiza Spotlight calendar is burnt into her laptop screen by now.

DJ-wise, that week in Ibiza will be one for the ages, with most of my age old favourites that are rarely seen in these parts making an appearance. Digweed, Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin, Sasha and Nick Warren to name a few. Of course, can't go to Ibiza without having one complete trance-out courtesy of Armin, Markus Schulz, Dash Berlin and Cosmic Gate packed into one night. I may age 10 years in this one week alone, but it will be well worth it.

Finally, but most importantly, the plans are in motion for a massive week to celebrate the five year anniversary of my 709Sessions radio show. On September 18th we'll be doing 12 hours on the progressive channel on DI.fm, featuring favourite guests such as Cid Inc., Jason LeMaitre and more, along with a half dozen 709'ers. Then into the weekend on September 22nd, we'll be doing an all 709 all nighter here in Calgary - a classic 200-300 person party put on like only our crew can. Lots of work to be done, but it will be well worth it.

Other than that, things have been quiet on the production front with a million other parts of life getting in the way. However, my "Moments" release should be out on JOOF sometime in the next millennium, aka hopefully this summer.

Looking forward to the next few months to say the least, and hoping to see many faces out in the month of June.

On the gig front, I'm definitely still coming down from the high of the first Blueprint night at Habitat with fellow elder statesman Nathan Hedley. The premier of a night that will hopefully run monthly in the near future, this was one for the ages. The club was rammed by midnight and absolutely hopping the rest of the way through. It's been awhile since I've been in the midst of a musically mature audience that brought such a great vibe to the room, so playing this night was a treat to say the least. Next Blueprint lands at Habitat on June 22nd, hoping to follow up with even more of the same.

A couple of other notable gigs are on the horizon. Firstly the Inshala festival in June, which I'll be returning to after missing last year. The first time I played it was an incredible experience so I'm really stoked to be at it again. Jay and Kylee put in loads of hard work into this weekend and it's grown bigger every year, so I'm just happy to be a part of it.

In July I'm off to Europe for almost a month, just to enjoy the music (and not get hung up on playing gigs). Sarah and I, along with a few others along the way will be traveling to Paris, Amsterdam, Ibiza and Rome in July and seeing the likes of Richie Hawtin, Carl Cox, Sven Vath and more along the way - including a stop at Sensation in Amsterdam. Counting down the days… Beyond that, there's a great possibility of returning to Phoenix in August. Stay tuned for details on that.

On the production side, inbetween working a billion hours at the job I've managed to put together a new release titled "Moments", which will be released on JOOF Recordings soon. The package has an upbeat version as well as ambient mix which will be on the same release.

Up next is a remix of a beautiful vocal track from Calgary's own 40 Gun Flagship. I've started on it, and am looking to get something rough together in the next few weeks, but definitely want to make this one special so as much time as needed will be thrown into it.

That's all for now, time to enjoy the Spring season!

The past couple of months have had me play a few really good gigs in Calgary. I've had the privilege of dropping in at Habitat again to play an early set of oddities and "easy listening" stuff I've been into. It's always a fun challenge to dip into the part of that collection and rediscover some really amazing music.

Also on the sked was the PixelMash show put on by the hard-working lo.definition crew. This was an interesting show combining massive visual displays and a whole range of music. Slotted in later in the night I had the chance to really dig into some bread and butter progressive and get things going, with fellow 709'er Jay following right after with a big set of techno. Ending of the night was lo.definition's Tunder who closed things down in style.

Lastly, but definitely not least in terms of importance was the Banel show put on by Evolv[d] Productions with a little help from 709 of course. For those who don't know, Banel aka Behind Blue Eyes is a pillar in the underground progressive scene. Based out of Denmark, he is the long-time founder and owner of the legendary Iboga Records, which happens to have a massive catalog of some of the best music you'll ever hear. I had the absolute privilege of manning the stage before Banel with a heavily JOOF influenced set. Tons of fun to play and thanks to Jay, Kylee and crew for their hard work in making this show happen.

On the production front, the last few months have been focused on the creation of another deep trance piece, in the similar vein as my "Sunrise Over Xaman-Ha" track that was released on JOOF in late January - which has received a lot of support worldwide. Only a few more hours to go and I think this one will be ready, however I may get some help from a very accomplished friend on this one, so it will be finished when the time is right!

Other than that, simply as a fan of the music, Sarah, myself and a few great friends are headed off to Europe this summer for both Sensation in Amsterdam - where no matter who plays, this event is something to simply experience - followed by another week long session of madness in Ibiza, where we hope to see the guys we never see here - Eric Prydz, Sven Vath, Sasha, Richie Hawtin and more. With the commercial side of things unfortunately starting to dominate and diminish the quality of dance music these days, we're really looking forward to seeing the guys that still do things properly.

That's all for now. Thanks again for all the support, especially of the new release. Awesome stuff from all of you.

First off, I thank everyone of you for your ongoing support of everything I do (I wish I could do more); amazing as always. All the best in the new year to every one of you!

GIG HIGHLIGHTS

The year started off with two fantastic gigs highlighting the months of January and February, starting with my first time at Trinity nightclub in Seattle, then back in Calgary at Habitat with long-time musical friend, Darin Epsilon. Spring was a bit quiet but summer brought about my return to the Motion Notion festival by Edmonton. I first played this festival in 2003, 04, and 05 but had not played since - and wow have things grown since then. It was a lot of fun to come around full circle and play the main stage again, and I hope to do it again in the coming years.

Moving into fall, three gigs really stood out for me. First off was my weekend stops in both Scottsdale, Arizona and at Trinity in Seattle for a return visit. This was this my wedding anniversary weekend with Sarah, who I was very happy to have come with me of course, and both gigs turned out well with the Seattle show being absolutely over the top. I had the privilege of playing a 2 hour set of my biggest and best stuff to a packed room throughout - the atmosphere in there was absolutely insane. Hopefully I can make Seattle a yearly visit as both my wife and I really love it there.

The third highlight gig of the fall was the annual Bardo halloween party. This one's always special as it pulls together the old crew of guys that originally powered Area709 - and this one was extra special as it brought out another one of those grouchy old men, none other than Rusty Ezard.

As always, the support from the dance community in Calgary was nothing short of amazing and the whole night simply went off as only an underground party in this city could. These parties always bring things up a notch and as a result, it was probably the best set I had put together all year by far (709Sessions Episode051 featured this set)… with the original crew around you, you have to step it up as you will be judged, lol!

RADIO SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

2011 was a great year for the online radio show side of things. My 709Sessions show rolled through it's 4th year, continuing to build a strong following along the way. I was also lucky enough to be featured as Artist of the Week on FriskyRadio as well as jump in for a guest spot on Darin Epsilon's Perspectives show, which draws a massive following.

Look for more of the same in 2012. Luke Porter jumps in on guest duties for my show first thing in January, followed by a host of great guests in the coming months. There may also be a move to a new station in the new year as well, we'll see. So far Digitally Imported, InsomniaFM, ETN and Tribalmixes have been fantastic for me, so I want to continue to build things on those stations.

PRODUCTION WORK

This year saw time for production decrease, however despite that challenge, I managed to produce one of my best tracks to date, "Sunrise Over Xaman-Ha", which was signed to John 00 Fleming's legendary JOOF Recordings label - to be released on January 24th of 2012.

I'm honoured to be on the JOOF label. I've always been a big supporter of the music coming from the label, and having a chance to be in the company of such amazing artists is truly humbling. Hopefully I can continue to build my production work with them in the new year.

OTHER STUFF

A more interesting side-step this year, as it relates to the music aspect, was my venture into teaching cycling classes. Putting together sets for gigs is one thing, but putting together mixes for these classes is a whole other bit of craziness - having to bridge the gap between what people are into without compromising your own personal tastes, meanwhile creating a soundscape for getting the most out of a workout.

The result has been phenomenal and has actually really taken me back to my roots in trance - and has revealed a whole new appreciation for what good trance really is. Needless to say it's a been a lot of fun and I love where things are going.

Still tied to the healthy side of things, I also started doing a few downtempo and off-beat gigs for Lululemon - highlighted by their Salutation Nation yoga event (300 people doing yoga on a soccer field) - which allowed me to get out and play some very interesting stuff for an extremely supportive organization, and of course score some awesome clothing at the same time. More of that will be coming in the new year I hope!


That sums up what's been a really good year and I'm looking forward to what 2012 will bring. Thanks again for all of your support and may the next year be special for each and every one of you.

Since the short weekend tour through Phoenix and Seattle way back in September - which by the way were two pretty awesome gigs, especially playing for a packed house of rowdies at Trinity's Blue Room in Seattle - I've put a lot of my musical endeavors on the back burner for the moment, but only temporarily. With my day-time design and web company taking off through the roof this fall, including building a new office and hiring new people, my time in the studio has been very limited.

However, as mentioned, the hiatus is only temporary and there are still a few things in the works. My track "Sunrise Over Xaman-Ha" has officially been signed by JOOF Recordings. Both the intro and beat dub versions were picked up and I should know a release date soon.

Fall also brought around the infamous Bardo Halloween party for the third year in a row. This party is quickly becoming a highlight of the schedule every year, as it brings together the original crew of 709 DJs (Darvin, Jay, myself) for a night, which almost never happens anymore. This year was even more special as the guys brought out one of my best friends in the world, 709'er Rusty Ezard (aka Cricket) for a set of straight up old school psytrance, like only he can play.

Needless to say the entire night was a blast, with the four of us ripping it up and shariing a bunch of laughs with 300 friends, just like we used to. Awesome stuff.

...and, I managed to record my set (which was an absolute blast to play on the Traktor S4 - 4 decks of pounding progressive and techno going completely mad the whole time). Here's the link:

http://www.wesstraub.com/transfer/bardoIII.mp3

Looking ahead to the holidays and New Years on the horizon, again, keeping a low profile. After playing Habitat for the past couple of years to celebrate NYE, my wife and I have decided that we probably won't be going near a club this year for the occasion, and most likely venturing out to the mountains to have a great weekend with a few close friends - of course bringing the musical gear along the way... to be confirmed.

And, once the endless hours of labour that are going into the new office are complete, I should find myself back in the studio hopefully finishing off a few tasty items that I started over the summer.

Thanks again for checking in and have a great holiday season - coming up ever so soon!

Some of you asked about where to get the music I was playing. Currently I don't have any downtempo or chillout mixes up on the site of my own (working on it!!), but here's a few links to some of my favorite chillout stuff.

Marco Torrance - From Jasmund to Wittow
A mix of classic chillout stuff that's just beautiful to listen to start to finish. One of my favorites.

> DOWNLOAD LINK

Cardamar - Another Day in the Clouds
Another favorite, this one with a few more beats.

> DOWNLOAD LINK

A whole bunch more mixes like those can be downloaded at the following site: http://www.chilloutmixes.com/

For individual chillout and downtempo tracks, my favorite label is Ultimae Records. Every artist on here produces amazing music. You can purchase a whole bunch of stuff here http://www.beatport.com/label/ultimae-records/1889

Gigs and Such

July saw me return to the Motion Notion festival for the first time since 2005. Wow has it ever grown and changed since the last time I was there. Bigger, crazier and more intense! I was slotted in on the main stage for a classic sunrise set Sunday morning at 6:45am, following some heavy-handed psytrance courtesy of Treavor Moontribe. For the seemingly tireless bodies still bouncing around at that time, I gently eased things down into some thoughtful and deep morning trance for the two hours I played - starting off the set with a brand new track of mine that really brought the sun up nicely. Overall things went really well and our whole crew had a great time that weekend. Looking forward to being back in the next few years again.

Fast forwarding to what's coming up and I'm pretty excited to say the least. I've been lucky enough to have been booked to play in Phoenix and Seattle over a weekend in September. I've played in both cities before and absolutely love the people and the vibe they have going there.

In Phoenix (well Scottsdale), I'll be playing at Cream Stereo Lounge on Friday, September 16th. The next day I'll be hopping on a plane to Seattle to play at Trinity, the club where I managed to slide in for a set back in January of this year. It is also my wife and mine's seventh wedding anniversary that weekend, so I'm also happy she's able to come with me on the trip - of course it means we're tagging an extra day onto each end to enjoy it!

Looking forward to seeing the Phoenix crew again, you all know who you are (Yardz - damnit why can't you be there!), and a big thanks to Thomas Turner and his Relentless Beats group for making it happen. And of course of equal anticipation, also looking forward to seeing the gang from Seattle - and another big thanks goes to Jason LeMaitre for bringing me to Trinity. Love that club.

Studio Work

Summer's always a difficult time to want to lock myself into the studio, however I've managed to commit enough time to finish off a new track that I'm in discussions with JOOF (the legendary John 00 Fleming's label) about signing. This track took a long time to finish, spanning four months, but things really came together as they always do while on vacation in Mexico. Titled "Sunrise Over Xaman-Ha", it's a deep morning trance number that was inspired by the unbelievably serene sunrise over the Xaman-Ha Mayan ruins that surround the condo where we stay ever year.

Look for release news on this one soon. Polishing off a few different mixes of it at the moment, including a new vocal mix that features the very talented Andrea Wettstein from here in Calgary.

Mixes / Radio Show

Rumbling along month after month, the 709Sessions radio show continues into it's fifth year now. The love for doing the monthly show hasn't faded and definitely keeps me going, and now, with another 'second job' of teaching indoor cycling classes, I've started to mold my mixes for my radio show into soundtracks that can be used in my classes - with the newest episode of my show getting a good test drive in just this morning. I think I might be onto something…

Also in the fall, there's a possibility that my show might move to the infamous FriskyRadio where all the big progressive guys like to hang out. We'll see.

I've also put together a new Epic mix for the trance-family types out there. Featuring my favourite trance producers such as Temple One, Daniel Kandi and Estiva, it's available for download now in the Mixes section of my site. Next up on as far as mixes go, I'll be diving into the ambient and downtempo side of my collection - that should be interesting.

That's all for now. As always, thanks for the ongoing support, whether it's downloading mixes, leaving comments or sending messages - it's all heart-warming and appreciated. I promise I will be using my mailing list more, so please feel free to join the mailing list by filling out the form on my website.

And now, time to get back at it.

Pick up your copy at Beatport by clicking here.

Some feedback from the promo pools…

"Good remix from Wes! Really into Phunktastike's version too!"
Darin Epsilon (Perspectives Digital / Perfecto)

"Nice release, downloading both remixes for Ad Brown, thanks!"
Ad Brown (Anjunadeep, Hope, Microcastle)

"Downloading for Solarstone."
Solarstone (Solaris)

"Wes version strong and deep! Support!"
E-Spectro (Black Hole, Moon Tribal, Nueva Digital)

"Nice pack. Wes Straub remix worked best for me but enjoyed them all."
Johan Nilsson (Digitally Imported Radio)

"Wes Straub remix is great! full support."
Hyline (Hyline Music, Baroque)

"Liking this."
Andy Moor (AVA Recordings)

"Really nice one, diggin' Wes Straub remix the most, great deep vibes. Nice signing once again! Thanks!"
Progressive House Worldwide

Thanks for all your support.

On the production side the mastered copy of my remix of Matt Oland's "Mad In Love" has been sent off for release on a label close to home, none other than Nueva Digital. Release date will be posted soon. Working on a few good original ideas at the moment as well which will hopefully turn into full tracks in the next month or two.

On the radio front, I've been given the chance to submit a guest mix for Feelin' Frisky on FriskyRadio. The hope here is that it eventually leads to moving my 709Sessions radio show over to their awesome station. The other stations i'm currently on have all been fantastic, however Frisky has always been the home for top notch progressive sounds with all the big guys having shows on there, so we'll see if this all pans out the way I hope it can.

On the gig front, things have been fairly quiet in Calgary, having only played a couple of regular nights at Habitat over the past couple of months. At this point, for myself it's all about playing at a quality venue at a quality night and Habitat delivers that every time. And, I would like to personally thank Habitat for hosting the Ssubi Foundation fund-raiser this past Thursday. All in all it was a great time with a great crowd, and we ended up raising a little bit of cash in the process for a close friend of mine's wonderful foundation. Awesome stuff.

Out of town I've started to work on some possibilities for a few different US cities in the fall, more news on that soon.

That's it for now, more news soon.

Release Date: February 16th, 2011
Available at Beatport

From Release Promo:

Canada's Wes Straub first came to our attention with his 'Seraphims Ghost EP' on Jetlag Digital back in September of 2009 and with his 3 follow-up singles for the label his profile in the industry continues to grow. Wes' 'Aurora' mix is spot on, He's changed the whole dynamic of the record with a tough punchy kick, an abundance of great percussive elements and some amazing escalating atmospheric layers that build to a supremely blissed out breakdown that should see you dancefloor with their hands in the air. Top notch remix from Wes!

Mike Hennessy - The System (Wes Straub Remix)
Indigo Records

Release Date: February 23rd, 2011
Available at Beatport Feb. 23rd

From VIP Ultima Promo Pool Members

"Original and Wes Straub mixes are ace!"
Josh Abrams (S35, Baroque, FriskyRadio)

"Original and Wes Straub for me! Thanks"
Matteo Monero (Indigo, Mistique, Kansak)

"Props to Wes Straub for nailing the dark, deep groove - it's my pick."
Rich Curtis (Replug, Indigo Records)

"Very nice pack, faves here are original & Wes Straub mix!"
Sasha Le Monnier (COU Muzik)

"Downloading, thanks"
Markus Schulz (Coldharbour, Armada)

"Good work by all, my picks are the original and Wes for me :-) thanks."
Vinayak A (Lo Kik, Baroque, Particles)

"Original sounds great, also digging Wes Straub Remix"
Cid Inc. (Replug Records)

"Wes Straub remix we like."
Flash Brothers (Agnosia)

"Original and Wes Straub mixes for me."
Darin Epsilon (Perfecto, Perspectives Digital)

2011 has been an eventful year already with lots going on and lots more to come. The year got started in a big way with the second annual New Year's Eve party at Habitat. It was great once again to be included in the line-up for one of the best year end parties at Calgary's best venue for electronic music.

This year I was lucky enough to play the 11-12 time-slot, with the honour of ushering in the new year.  Along with producing the NYE countdown track for the final 120 seconds, it would also be the first full test playing on the Kontrol S4. Even though a little chaotic at times, with 3 or 4 channels going constantly, the set turned out be pretty decent with the room going bonkers by the time the clock struck twelve. All in all it was definitely one of my most memorable gigs in recent months.

After a couple of weeks recovery from that massive night it was off to Seattle for a weekend of gigs, friends, and lots of good damp fun. Friday night kicked off with a very casual and low key gig at Blush, a lounge just a few minutes walk from the Space Needle. Along with birthday boy Dave Lowe and Joey Snow, we jammed out a bunch of deep, techy and bouncy house stuff for the duration of the night - a sound which I don't get into that often but found quite enjoyable.

Saturday night took us to Trinity Nightclub, where thanks to the slick schedule manoeuvring of  the night's resident and promoter, Jason LeMaitre, I snuck in to play a set of banging progressive from 1 till close to a packed room. Although one of the S4's many functions got the best of me off the start, forcing me to pull out the back-up cd case, everything worked out for the best in the end. Altogether the weekend was a success and I hope to be back in Seattle soon.

Fast-forwarding a couple more weeks to this past Thursday, next up was the Darin Epsilon show at Habitat here in Calgary. Having known Darin for a few years now while also really being into the sounds he was producing and putting out on his new label, Perspectives Digital, this was a show I was really happy to make happen.

With the help of everyone from the club and the other guys playing that night (Ivan, Rob) we managed to pull together something pretty special. For a Thursday night, the turn-out was amazing with the room packed to capacity during the peak hours. And after having experienced somewhat dodgy crowds at some of the other shows in Calgary over the past year, this was one of the best groups to attend a show in a long time.

The vibe was truly awesome the whole night through. Ivan started the night with a great set of dark and tribal progressive, a very unique sound that was really ear-catching. From there Rob and I teamed up to do a versus set, one that we mandated from the start to be straight up, no frills progressive, before ushering in Darin at midnight. After some technical difficulties of the start, Darin jumped on to play an excellent set of smooth tech house and progressive to finish the night.

A big thank you to everyone who came out, you made this show what it was. With one successful progressive show in the books we hope to do something more along the 'non-big-name' but super good theme of shows in the coming months.

On the production front, February is the month of remix releases. First up on February 15th is Shane's 'Aurora EP' on Jetlag Digital which I put together a darker take on an already lush original. A week after that my brooding remix of Mike Hennessy's "The System" comes out on Indigo Records.

As far as new projects in the studio right now, a couple of good ones are on the go, including a remix for Marco Torrance, who's appeared on labels such as Euphonic and as produced beautiful prog trance tracks with vocalists such as Tiff Lacey, as well as a couple of originals that I'll probably be teaming up with Rob Curtis on, as we continue to explore the dj/producer tandem possibilities we have going.

The next few months will be solely focused on production, with the odd gig thrown in here and there until summer, where a return to a couple of major outdoor festivals are is in the works.

Now back to it!

2010 was an interesting year music-wise. While bigger, more in your face sounds dominated the big commercial dj circuit I discovered a really interesting undercurrent of great music spanning a bunch of genres from producers that were simply doing it for the love of doing it.

I owe much of this discovery to John 00 Fleming's Essential Mix show from the beginning of the year. Here was a guy I'd followed from a distance over the years, dating back to his Reactivate series, but never quite got completely into anything he was playing at any given moment. His Essential Mix changed that for me. I couldn't believe the depth of music I was hearing, especially the first hour. Deep and brooding progressive and trance at its absolute best from artists I had never even heard of such as Kay-D, Dark Soul Project and more.

That experience kick-started a year where I found myself pulling what personally impacted me out of every genre, from deep progressive house to big-time trance.

TOP 20 OF 2010 (in no particular order)

John 00 Fleming, The Digital Blonde - Melatron (Deep Mix) - JOOF
Originally heard this one in his Essential Mix from the beginning of the year and waited months for it to come out. Huge prog trance track.

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/247085/Melatron 

Mark Broom - She Don't Like the Collar - Edit Select
Because of this track there's now a "Broomish" descriptor tag in my track library. This track opened the door towards discovering a lot of really deep, bass-heavy minimal stuff.

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/229428/Ploy%20/%20She%20Don%27t%20Like%20The%20Collar 

Cid Inc. - Defrost - Proton Music
Monstrous track from Cid Inc., big peak-time stuff for a few of my gigs.

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/193603/Defrost%20/%20Refrost%20EP

Estiva - The Kingdom - LW Recordings
On of the most beautiful melodic trance tracks of the year.

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/306127/Absolute%20Trance%20Volume%2007 

Federico Epis - The Big Pink Velvet (Federico Epis Bootleg) - unreleased
I was lucky enough to take advantage of the free download Federico sent out with this one. Warm, set ending vocal pro. Great bootleg.

http://soundcloud.com/federicoepis 

Astronivo - King Lighter (Cid Inc. Remix) - Tribal Vision Records
Big and pounding techno infused progressive bomb.

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/272847/Instrumental%20Remixes 

Kay-D - My Dreams (Dark Soul Project) - Mistiquemusic
More for closing your eyes than throwing your hands in the air, a beautiful deep trance track that's just worth listening to.

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/254499/My%20Dreams 

Bart Claessen - Hartseer - Premier
Building deep trance track that really steps up the tempo in any set.

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/251087/Hartseer 

Pryda - The End - Pryda Recordings
When Mr. Prydz is on, he's really on, and this track is no exception. Used this track as an intro to quite a few sets this year, never gets old.

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/256726/M.S.B.O.Y/%20The%20End 

Cirez D - Glow - Mouseville
Another one from the world of Eric Prydz with one of his classic long breakdowns/builds.

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/215984/Glow

Evave - Sweet Nothing (Basil O' Glue Remix) - Mystiquemusic
Discovered this one on Hyline's Advanced Views radio show. Whenever a track makes your skin tingle, you know it's good.

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/237745/Sweet%20Nothing

Pryda - Inspiration - Pryda Recordings
Prydz again? Yup. Deep, deep, deep! Another close your eyes, sit back and listen on repeat track.

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/229753/Inspiration 

A. Mochi - Sandman - Figure
Dirty techno track that my wife Sarah instantly gravitated to. Finally we agree on something musically!

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/293554/Primodial%20Soup%20Part%202

E-Clip - Salvation - Iono Music
My favourite out of the psytrance genre this year without question. Pounding bass-line with a huge driving melody.

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/241865/Dynamic%20Violence%20EP 

Vibrasphere - Purple - Tribal Vision Records
A tight driving progressive track in true Vibrasphere form.

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/247449/Crosslink%202%20%28Tribal%20Vision%20CD%20-%20Compiled%20By%20DJ%20Slater%29 

Vascotia - Verano 2010 (Sean Tyas Remix) - Shah Music Digital
One of those 140bpm trance tracks that requires a change of underwear after hearing it.

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/309380/Euphoric%20Trance%20Essentials%20Volume%201%20%28The%20Extended%20Mixes%29

Daniel Kandi - Symphonica - Streamlined
Melodic, epic trance without compromise. This track was dominant at my Aura night on many occasions.

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/293981/Leon%20Bolier%20Presents%20Streamlined%20Essentials%20Volume%201 

Darin Epsilon, Paronator - Esperanto - Perspectives Digital
Still fresh in my playlist, a great progressive house track from Darin that is nothing but tightly produced quality the whole way through.

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/302672/Esperanto

Solarstone - Touchstone (Estiva Remix) - Solaris Recordings
Could this one be the "Seven Cities" of 2010? The combination of Solarstone with Estiva is nothing but magic with this release. One of the most heart-warming tracks of the year.

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/286471/Touchstone%20Remixes

Cid Inc. - Filaments (Juan Deminicis Remix) - Replug
Once again, Cid Inc. delivers with this release and I was especially taken aback by Juan's interpretation of the track - taking the toughness of the original and putting a deep, morning feeling into it.

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/313618/Filaments

Now for a bunch of other favorites from the past year. I haven't included any of the shows I've attended considering that at my old ass is starting to enjoy nights in the studio versus nights out (of course unless I'm actually playing a gig), but there were a few great ones (mostly at Habitat of course) including Vibrasphere, Nick Warren, Wisternoff as well as the Bardo II party this past fall.

FAVORITE MIXES OF 2010

• Darin Epsilon - Live at Avalon with Hernan Cattaneo
• John 00 Fleming - Essential Mix
• John Digweed - Essential Mix
• Hyline - Advanced Views 004
• Marco Torrance - From Jasmund to Wittow
• Federico Epis - Elements Radio Brazil

BEST PRODUCER OF 2010: Cid Inc.

Everything - and there's been a lot of it - this guy has put out over the past year has been top quality. Whether it's an original or a remix it's really not a question of if it'll be played but when. Awesome stuff every time... and he's pretty good at mastering as well (hopefully he still has time for my stuff when his face is plastered over billboards everywhere).

WORTH MENTIONING: Federico Epis, dPen, Kay-D, Dark Soul Project, Paul Keeley, Estiva, Daniel Kandi

LABELS TO WATCH FOR IN 2011

• Perspectives Digital (Darin Epsilon's Label)
• Temporum (Luke Porter's Label)
• Filter Music (Jay Klos & Nestor Delano's Label out of Vancouver, Canada)
• Nueva Digital (Audi Paul and Scott Rose's Label out of Edmonton, Canada)
• MicroCastle (Toronto-based label)

MISCELLANEOUS

Track that I refuse to play but that my wife absolutely loves:
SHM - One

Most interesting (less self-promo, more personality) big names to follow on Twitter:
Deadmau5, Markus Schulz

Most surreal mix of trance, Texas and clowning in one performance:
Tritonal at Habitat

Most deserving of another show in Calgary:
Roger Shah

Best legacy to be left in 2011:
Vibrasphere

HARDEST WORKING PEOPLE I KNOW OF IN THIS INDUSTRY

Carsten Million (Hyline) - Jetlag Digital / Hyline Music
Between the record labels, his productions and his positive contributions and feedback, I'm not sure this guy sleeps - ever. I had the privilege of many good conversations with him over the year. Answered every email, listened to every track and made sure things were taken care of.

http://soundcloud.com/hylinemusic 

Shane - Jetlag Digital
With the release of an entire album along with managing Jetlag and touring, his guy did so much he literally burnt himself out. I, along with many others, wish him a healthy recovery and look forward to the day he steps back into things in 2011.

http://www.shane.de/ 

Darin Epsilon - Perspectives Digital
Another guy who's constantly throwing everything possible into what he loves to. Besides being a talented dj and producer, this guy has all aspects of the business completely covered - from his new record label Perspectives Digital, to all the ways in which he promotes himself (including one of the most complete email newsletters out there). And on top of that, always can be counted on for constructive feedback and open conversation. I'm stoked to see him rip it up at Habitat in Calgary in February of 2011.

http://www.darinepsilon.com

Cary Chang - Habitat, Calgary
And of course saving the most personal and best for last, Mr. Chang.

Usually interactions with Cary are of the "who can cut eachother down" the most variety, so Chang, you better read what I'm about to say because you'll never hear it from that often!

As part owner of Habitat in Calgary, Cary's one of the guys who everyone simply loves and wants to be associated with. I've known Cary for way too many years now, but have just recently started working closely together with on shows and nights at Habitat and it's been a riot.

Despite rare times that make you want to hang him by one of the club's many mirror balls, this guy truly puts himself on the line to make things happen within the local Calgary scene. Always open, always listening and always accommodating. He's personally had a hand in making more djs who they are today and has invested more into the local music community than most of us combined.

So, thank you Chang. As dirty and greasy as you are, you make this shit happen and always keep shit real. I've enjoyed many many nights in the past year at Habitat both working and carousing with you! (and with that I'm out of compliments for you, lol!).

You can purchase it from Beatport on November 29th by clicking here.

Thanks again for your support.

RELEASES

The Ride E.P. featuring the original and Ben Rama remixes of the title track, as well as the original mix of 'Dusk' on Jetlag Digital will be available worldwide on Beatport on November 29th. Early feedback has been great with the following responses from a few colleagues:

Darin Epsilon
"The Ride" sounds really cool.

Federico Epis
Really liking “The Ride”, I would like it maybe with a different - newer kick and snare sound but track overall is really good; a little trancy but definitely something I could play.

Vibrasphere
I listened to your tracks and I really dig "The Ride". It has a deep driving feeling that I love. Has that one been released yet?

Cid Inc.
Both tracks are good, not 100% what I prefer to play, somewhat trancy in a sense,  good job nevertheless =)

Also on the calendar for release in the next few months are a couple of remixes that have received strong feedback, including my remix of Shane's "Aurora" on Jetlag Digital and my remix of Mike Hennessy's "The System" on Indigo Records. Both of these should be out by the end of the year.

GIGS

I'm in the works of confirming a couple of great gigs here in Calgary, including a show opening for a certain Texas based production duo coming up in November, as well as a booking with good friend Darin Epsilon from LA in the new year. Both shows are slated to happen at Habitat, Calgary's only dj owned and operated club.

Coinciding with those shows is my continuing Aura residency, also at Habitat, which continues to build momentum each and every month. October's edition was the strongest one yet with a huge turnout of very lively trance lovers.

And, to end off the year, we're doing New Year's Eve at Habitat once again after the huge success of last years. Look for the same house party vibe with all your friends with a new twist on the theme.

STUDIO

The construction of my home studio is nearing its end, and it would be an understatement to say that I can't wait! Not many people get the opportunity to build their dream room so I'm very lucky.

The room has been completely insulated and walled with QuietRock and the door leading into it is an over the top theatre-rated slab of technology. Just waiting for carpet and final electrical to go in then it will be ready for all the gear and sound foam to move in.

Once it's up and running, if you can't find me, you can take a pretty good guess at where I'll be at!

With fall kicking into high gear a lot of things have been happening on the production front. First and foremost is construction of my studio, which is happening in the basement at the moment and will be for another month or so. The studio room is turning into quite the fortress, having already been fully insulated and walled with QuietRock, with the theatre-rated sound-proof door to be installed soon. Once complete I'll be putting up proper studio foam as well as hooking up the final pieces of gear to make it the ultimate producer's haven (and just outside of the studio will be a fully stocked beer fridge!). This is something I've always wanted, and as I've progressed in the production world, the timing of it coming into place now couldn't be better.

On the production front, this fall has been all about the remixes, with having just completed a remix of Shane's "Aurora" on Jetlag Digital, and finishing up a remix of Mike Hennessy's "The System" on Indigo Muzik. Look for both tracks to be out in the coming months, as well as my "The Ride" EP on Jetlag. Next up is a collaboration with Rob Curtis, which is sure to be an interesting piece of work as the classic Rob and Wes battle of trance / not-trance push pull works its way in. All in good fun.

On the digital airwaves, October's a pretty special month as it marks the three year anniversary of my 709Sessions radio show (3 years already?). Now getting over 5,000 listeners every month, the show continues to grow in all directions. Look for a bunch of great special guests in the next year, with Darin Epsilon kicking off October's show then Lisa Knoblauch and Gai Barone on guest duties in the following months.

Gig-wise another edition of Aura is on the horizon, slated for October 21st at Habitat. The last one was fantastic, and this one promises to be no different, featuring a new group of opening guests that is sure to set the foundation for a crazy night. The weekend after is Halloween and plays host to the second annual Bardo party. Considering last years shenanigans combined with a sparkling new venue, this years should be nothing short of excellent.

In the works for November is potentially an awesome show coming to Habitat, if we can pull the right pieces together. I've been working at getting this talented dj/producer up here for awhile so to have it finally potentially happening is pretty gratifying. Details on this show will be posted as soon as all things are finalized.

After that it's Christmas! Unfortunately on the down side the usual show that I've had the privilege of playing will not be happening (at least not at it's usual venue), however, it looks like another great New Years Eve party is happening once again, so I have that to look forward to.

That's it for now and hope to see many of you out at the next Aura (Oct. 21st), then Bardo (Oct. 29th), then of course make a big mark on your calendars for November 18th. News on that soon.

The past couple of months were a bit all over the place to say the least with a vacation that included a last minute gig in Mexico and a huge show here in Calgary during Stampede mixed in with the first steps of a software transition and the production of a couple of new tracks.

Starting with the gigs, I managed to score a last minute booking at O Ultralounge in Cancun, Mexico while vacationing with Sarah and friends in Playa del Carmen. Now as with pretty much anything in Mexico, there are always some surprises and this was no exception. From the person I was to meet initially not even showing up to an early after-hours time slot in a pretty empty room to the place shutting down for elections early at 4am, this gig had everything. However, although somewhat disappointing, I still had the enjoyment of playing on a roof top under the Mexican moon with my wife and two good friends there, as well as a few others (including one guy that was loving every moment of it).

It's too bad things didn't work out as planned, however what the hell, it's Mexico! Next time however I will be pressing for a daytime booking at the Me in Cancun; they've really done things properly there in terms of poolside music and atmosphere.

Shortly after arriving back in Calgary was another big show during Stampede with none other than Markus Schulz and this time thrown into the mix, Sander van Doorn. Having been the sixth show in the past couple of years I've done, this one was pretty much par for the course - started off loud and simply got properly out of hand by the time it was done. Can't wait for the next one (details coming in the fall).

Upcoming, the gig schedule is pretty steady with an afternoon appearance for a chill session at Hotel Arts coming up this Sunday, August 8th, another Aura night that promises to be a big one hitting Habitat on August 12th, then a daytime slot at the Bow River Flow Street Festival on August 22nd. The fall has some interesting possibilities, but I always like to keep those under wraps until they're actually in place.

On the technology front, I've started the transition from using Serato over to Traktor. After a few years of happily dj'ing with Serato I've concluded that I've hit the limit of what can be done with the software. Traktor, in combination with a good MIDI controller, opens up a lot more creative possibilities such as using 4 decks along with a myriad of great effects and tricks. With a brand new NI controller on the horizon the timing for slowly switching over is perfect - considering I have to re-tag about 5,000 tracks from scratch in the process (I recently discovered that the NI library converter doesn't work on WAV files. Boo.). But, on the positive side, least I now have plenty of time to really narrow down my music to only the good stuff.

On the production front, two brand new tracks on the big progressive tip, are in the final stages of completion with one of them already getting a re-rub from 709's Ben Rama, whose production work I've always enjoyed, and the other, if I can bribe, coerce and convince him to do so, will hopefully be remixed by none other than Federico Epis. Both tracks will be released once again on the rapidly growing Jetlag Digital label as one big E.P. As a preview to the official release, you'll hear these tracks in my upcoming radio shows and as a part of my live sets over the next few months.

Thanks again for all of your support and kind words as always. For those of you in Calgary on August 12th, definitely come down and check out our Aura night at Habitat. It's shaping up to be a packed house with lots of invites going out and some great energy building around it. If things work out as we hope, the night will soon be permanently stamped into the monthly Thursday rotation (we already have another booked for September 9th if you can't make this one).

NOW AVAILABLE AT BEATPORT.COM! CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

My Growler EP, signed to Jetlag Digital, now available for purchase at Beatport.com features two of my strongest production efforts to date, with the driving progressive work of 'Growler' and the deeper, more introspective 'Drifting Inside'. Both these tracks have already garnered decent attention, with both having entered the top 50 on the Release Promo hype chart. Some feedback below:

"I love these tracks, especially Drifting Inside:) Dark euphoric prog at its finest!"
Suzy Solar

"Drifting inside is epic!!! SUPPORT!!!"
D-Phrag (Friskyradio.com)

"Very eerie! nice!"
Jerome Robins (Bedrock, Perfecto, Sterio)

"Another great one from Jetlag, never lets me down. Will be played! Thanks!"
Pure People Progressive Blog (http://pure-people.blogspot.com)

"Big tune again, massive break and a good drive, love it."
Placid (Giant & Dwarf, World of Sound)

"I like it, great tracks."
Fernando Ferreyra (Frisky Radio, Jetlag, Outside the Box)

"Strong EP, both tracks are great, but can't wait to drop Growler."
Paul Lynch (PlinkPlinkFizz)

"Lovely energy in Growler! Strong track from Wes!"
NSL (Jetlag Digital / Dance Radio Global)

GROWLER ON THE RADIO

Both of these tracks may be heard on my upcoming episode of his 709Sessions radio show (featuring both myself and Area709's Matthew Belleghem) this month at the following times:

FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2010 - 1PM (MST)
ETN.fm (Progressive Channel)
http://www.etn.fm/shows/view/618

TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 2010 - 7AM (MST)
Dance Radio Global (based out of Greece)
http://www.danceradioglobal.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 13, 2010 - 4PM (MST)
Tribalmixes.org (based out of London)
http://www.tribalmixes.org

TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2010 - 2PM (MST)
Digitally Imported (Progressive Channel)
http://www.di.fm

Thank you for all of your support for this EP and look for more music to be released in the coming months!

The month of May is a big one fore me on the production side with the release of my Growler EP featuring 'Growler' and 'Drifting Inside' to the world on May 21st, on Jetlag Digital. This release has been a long time coming and the tracks are some of my best work yet, although I truly believe they're only another stepping stone towards making better music. News on the actual release will be posted soon, and the tracks will also be available for sale through the store on my own site (http://www.wesstraub.com/buy-music/).

Along with that release I've just finished up a remix project for Jetlag, now in the mastering room (hurry up Rob, lol!). This one, titled "Miss That Melody" by DJ Miss Brown & Helmut Kraft is a bit of an old school progressive trance stomper, which surprisingly enough was quite the challenge to create and maintain the energy of the original. After getting much too deep and distant with the first version, (upon the smart advice of Hyline at Jetlag) I ended up stepping back and re-working the entire thing into something much bigger. I'm very happy with it now, although I'm not sure it will fit into some of the gloomy stuff I've been into lately, ha! This one will be out in the coming months as well.

On the gig side, it's been a fairly quiet spring, but not without it's moments. I had the pleasure of playing the closing set at Bloom to a full room at a killer party. No matter how many of these events we do, they always turn out to be top notch in terms of vibe, energy and community - and the motivation to put together a special set never seems to dissipates. This event has really made me look forward to the upcoming Inshala III weekend in June to say the least.

Upcoming in the next few months are a few great bookings. Along with the aformentioned Inshala III, I jump back into Habitat on May 13th for another edition of Aura, Calgary's only local club night dedicated to progressive, intelligent trance. This night has been great every time myself, Chris and Chad (as well as the Lo.Definition guys for one night) have done it; playing the music we love to a usually packed room. In the distance after that is at least one if not more big Stampede shows that I will be a part of as well as a boat party with the rest of the Hubvibes crew, out in Vancouver at the end of July. Details on those coming soon.

On a sadder note, as most of you in Calgary personally know and have been affected by his passing, our dance community lost someone pretty special this spring, Jeff Shewchuk. Both Sarah and I knew Jeff for the past 3 years and had the pleasure of dj'ing along-side him at BLVD, Rhino, Balance and Habitat. He was always super friendly, always giving, loved his music and was simply one of those good guys that did everything in his power to make something or an experience better.

I distinctly remember a night when Jeff came down to the Rhino where I was playing along-side fellow 709'er Matthew Belleghem (now in Australia). Matt, never being one to really compute the dynamics of the CDJ200s, laughingly complained to Jeff, whom he had met for the first time, about his troubles with the players. Immediately after that, Jeff disappeared for about a half an hour, then returned with none other than his own pair of CDJ1000s in tow - and not expecting anything in at all in return for his efforts (of course I had him come down and play a couple of months later). That was simply the type of guy Jeff, and that's just one story from my own experience, let alone the stories of many others who Jeff's kindness has touched.

People like him will always be sorely missed. They can never be replaced or forgotten only remembered. My memories of Jeff are all good ones, so if there's any positive to come out this tragic situation, it's just that. You will be missed, rest in peace.

On the gig-side, last week saw the return of Rickard from Vibrasphere to Habitat in Calgary, and my god, what a show! Rammed to the rafters with a crowd that was very into things from start to finish. Darvin and then Jay had things going nicely when Rickard and I arrived, then wasting no time at all, Rickard proved why the name Vibrasphere is and always will be legendary as he ripped through a set of melodic prog that had smiles shining all over the place. And of course to finish things off, I managed to keep the regulars guessing and interested with a very unexpected set of ripping progressive psytrance - fun to play that stuff for sure.

The next day was spent recovering, watching Rickard trying to figure out my clothes washer, shooting up the Calgary tower, then concluding the day with a mandatory beer before seeing Rickard off to the airport for the next leg of his tour. It was pretty awesome to host someone who has to be one of the most humble, down to earth guys in the business, especially for someone of his stature. Pretty awesome indeed and it's safe to say Calgary looks forward to having him back once again.

On other fronts, with design work picking up, production has become the casualty and has slowed to a stand-still. However, with Rickard here, I had the chance to dive back in again (and better yet, under his watchful eye and critical ear). Working on a new track idea now that's sounding pretty good, and there's even talk of a collaboration with the aformentioned legend in the works...

Other than that, summer is coming which means a few big gigs on the horizon. None of which I can mention at this time, but they're coming. And, rumor has it that Reid, my agent at Hubvibes, is doing some ridiculous work on some massive opportunities for all the Hubvibes roster. Can't wait to see what comes of this.

Now back to work.

The month started off with some great news as both my "Growler" and "Drifting Inside" tracks - ones that have been staples of my sets for the past couple of months - will be released on Jetlag Digital in May/June of next year. This will be my third full release on Jetlag in the past year, and considering the quality of music these guys are putting out these days, I feel extremely grateful to be included on this label.

March sees Rickard from Vibrasphere returning to Calgary once again, almost a year to the day after tearing this city apart in 2009. This time the venue is Habitat, where a cozy room that holds about 100 will get the chance to experience one of the best progressive underground progressive trance acts that's out there both today and for the past couple of decades. Personally, I'm excited to see Rickard again and happy to be the host for this one. After shows together in Calgary and Phoenix last year as well as many online conversations, he's quickly become a good friend and could be considered one of the great humble guys in the scene out there today.

Beyond that, summer arrives with a usual assortment of gigs - from outdoors at Inshala III to another massive club show with you know who, to a boat party adventure in Vancouver courtesy of the Hubvibes crew.

Inbetween those we aim to keep the Aura night at Habitat flying - seems to be a great fit in that venue - as well as diving back into the studio again to produce a few more bombs.

More soon!

InsomniaFM.com (Romania)
7AM MST (9AM EST) - First Friday of Every Month
http://www.insomniafm.com/

ETN.fm (Canada/USA)
1PM MST (3PM EST) - First Friday of Every Month
http://www.etn.fm/

Tribalmixes.org (UK)
3PM MST (5PM EST) - Second Sunday of Every Month
http://www.tribalmixes.org

Dance Radio Global (Greece)
7AM MST (9AM EST) - Second Tuesday of Every Month
http://www.danceradioglobal.com

Digitally Imported (USA)
2PM MST (4PM EST) - Third Tuesday of Every Month
http://www.di.fm

Evolved.fm (USA)
Mixes in rotation at various times monthly
http://www.evolved.fm

Event Highlights

2009 started off carrying in the momentum of 2008, with memorable opening slots for Jody Wisternoff, Vibrasphere and Max Graham, along with the continuation of Pure.Prog at the Rhino. Particularly meaningful was the Vibrasphere show which was put on by our Area709 crew. Being the first Area709 show in almost a year, the proceedings of that night were simply excellent - from the music to the decor to those who attended. That show also introduced me to Rickard from Vibrasphere, one of the most down to earth and humbly talented guys a person can meet, whom I've had the pleasure of being in close contact with since.

As the year moved into spring, two major occurrences took place on both exciting and unfortunate levels. On the exciting side, I was booked to headline/co-headline two shows in the U.S. - one in Raleigh, North Carolina and the other in Phoenix, Arizona sharing the stage with the aformentioned Rickard from Vibrasphere. Both gigs were outstanding and the crews that put them on were absolutely fantastic. I hope to be back in your cities very soon.

On the unfortunate side, as a group we decided to pull our Pure.Prog residency out of the Amsterdam Rhino, after three extremely memorable years playing every couple of weeks there. With high hopes, we moved the night to Balance Lounge, however, in a venue where management just didn't quite grasp the idea of long-term commitment and growth when it comes to a dance music night, it quickly faded to extinction over the next few months.

Taking a last look back at Pure.Prog, that residency was something truly special. Three years is a long time doing anything, and in the dj world, it can be considered a lifetime. Over the course of those three years I had the chance to work with and become very close friends with two awesome guys - those being Rob and Matt - and really watch each other grow as djs. I also had the pleasure of developing solid friendships with many of those who supported our nights every month. Christie, Alicia and everyone else, you know who you are and we love you all!

As summer finally arrived, I had another chance to open for Markus Schulz in Calgary at Stampede. As always, for local gigs, these shows are the big highlight of the year for me. I get to share the stage with someone I've looked up to for years and play in front of a ridiculously energetic crowd every time.

Moving into fall, a new residency possibility - the Aura night dedicated to progressive trance - sprouted up at Habitat, along with another booking in Arizona for November, in which I got to share the bill with my sorely missed brother from another mother, Rusty Ezard. Needless to say without explaining the gory details, that whirlwind weekend out in the desert was another big highlight for me this year.

To end the year (and I know this is starting to sound like a broken record!) I'll be opening up for Markus Schulz one more time at Tantra in Calgary, then playing a late slot at the New Year's Eve party at Habitat, also in Calgary. 2009 is definitely going to close with a very loud, arms in the air bang.

709Sessions Radio Show

A major part of this journey as a dj for the last two years has been my 709Sessions radio show. Now broadcasting monthly on four major stations and soon to be five, it's attracted a decent following worldwide, and has presented me with many opportunities to connect with other djs and producers I follow, by having them on as guests.

Not taking anything away from DanceRadio, ETN, Tribalmixes, or Evolved, but the major highlights in 2009 on the radio were courtesy of DI.fm - having my Epic V mix broadcast on DI.fm's trance station to over 4,200 listeners as well as being part of the 10th Anniversary Weekend on DI.fm's progressive channel.

Production Highlights

In the studio, 2009 was a year of great progress. With "Falling Colder" and "Numb" signed to System Recordings early in the year, the motivation was in place to keep working on new material and produce better and better music.

In May, things really started to pick up as Jetlag Digital signed both mixes of "Seraphim's Ghost". This was a track I've always wanted to write since hearing the original Dead Can Dance track "Host of Seraphim" in the movie Baraka some years ago.

Rolling into summer, I put together another dark progressive number while sitting pool-side on vacation in Mexico, aptly titled "Lost in Humidity", which was just released to the world this past week on Jetlag Digital.

As fall came, with my day job slowing down somewhat, a lot more studio time became available. In that time, I cranked out three more original tracks, which are currently being shopped around to labels, a remix of Jason Klos's "Manyak", which should be out sometime in the new year, as well as another remix of Vibrasphere's "Erosion", which should also be released soon.

Looking forward to the new year, it's the production side of things that really has me excited. Even just listening back over the tracks from the past year, my latest works are miles ahead of the earlier ones. Hopefully that progress can continue even further.

Looking Ahead to 2010

What does the new year hold? Nothing but good opportunities I'm sure. Having recently completed the branding of myself as a dj, with the new brand, website, press-kit, myspace, etc. as well as bringing on the Hubvibes crew to represent me for a bunch of new bookings, there's potential for a lot of interesting things to happen, both in Calgary and across the country. After getting a larger taste of traveling out of town to play in 2009, I definitely have the itch to do it more.

In the studio, the plan is to simply continue to spend every extra minute I can working on music whether it be originals or remixes. With Rob's fantastic Producer Exchange up and running, I'll be sure to get my 'homework' assignments done every month!

Area709-wise, there are a few plans already in the works for shows in 2010. Although these shows tend to require massive amounts of energy and commitment, I always plan on being involved in one or two each year, as it's been proven with every show that there's nothing stronger in Calgary than the underground community that supports our 709 collective.

And finally, on a truly heartfelt note (and why does this seem to happen every year, I think I'll lose my mind!), another close friend of mine who both my wife and I have shared a ton of dj/music experiences and conversations with over the past three years is moving back to Australia - that being none other than Matthew Belleghem. Although I'm almost certain he'll be late for his flight, it's going to be sad to see him go and he will be sorely missed.

I've definitely learned over the past year, with Rusty already having moved away, that the only thing you can fill that now physical void with are the memories you've shared together and the possibility of sharing more in the future - so Matt, once you get settled down there, it's time to make that Australian tour happen, because you know Sarah and I will be the first to visit!

Final Words

And with that, 2009 is about to officially come to a close. I'd like to thank everyone who's supported me throughout the year and I appreciate every one of you and am always flattered to have such a strong following for what I'm trying to do as an artist. There may not be thousands of you (yet.. ha!), but it blows me away how each of you individually are always there, whether at events, listening online, downloading music or even reading some of the silliness that flies out of my brain from time to time.

Have a great holiday season and best wishes new year.

Thank you.

You can purchase the E.P. from Beatport at the following link:

http://bit.ly/8VMbg0

www.wesstraub.com

After going many years without my own site, the inherent need for it had become evident, once my production efforts started to lift off the ground. As you'll see on the new site, there is a heavy emphasis on my production work, with easy to use functions and links for both listening, sharing and purchasing tracks as well as keeping up to date with my latest work.

The new site however does not lessen the importance of my role within the Area709 domain, it actually increases it. With a little of Steve's magic, the new site is built in such a way that it automatically pulls content such as my blog, my mixes, and events from Area709, as well as all of my photo sets from Flickr - which makes it very easy to keep current on all platforms and streamlines a lot of my tasks.

Just another step on the long road to who knows where...

The month started off with a couple of great gigs - the Bardo Halloween event in Calgary, then Harmonic Concordance 3 in the Arizona desert a week later. For both of these events, I aimed to put together sets that were a little darker, techier and more aggressive than my usual cloudy prog, and it worked to great success - considering the feedback from both events.

Overall, the trip to Arizona was especially memorable. Meeting up with one of the all time great friends a guy can have, the one and only Rusty Ezard, we jumped in the rental car and made the three hour dash out from the airport to the desert near Flagstaff just before sundown. We were greeted with the usual over the top hospitality from Yardz, Spyder, Sunny and crew, complete with the largest cooler full of beer (reserved for Rusty and myself) I think I've ever seen.

The night went by quickly, with memorable sets coming from Yardz and Spyder themselves, and some classic Rusty-style psytrance that was a treat to hear (not many guys play like he does!). Squished in there was my set and about 25 beers along the way.

After a snore-fest of a sleep, we journeyed off back to Phoenix to relax (and eat!) before the trip back the next day. All in all it was a short trip but a great one. Can't wait to be back soon.

Upcoming! Some things to look forward to in December include:

• an exclusive mix for DI.fm's 10th Anniversary of their Progressive Station.
• bookings at Bohemia Dec. 12, Aura at Habitat Dec. 17 and another big opening slot for Markus Schulz on Dec. 27.
• my Lost in Humidity track including a remix from Rob Curtis will be released on Jetlag Digital.
• more tracks being finished off and in the works including Drifting Inside (which appears on my 709Sessions Episode027 mix) and a bigger trance track yet to be named

Enjoy the holidays and I hope to see many of you soon!

Studio Happenings...

There has been a storm of activity in the studio over the past couple of months (enough to drive my wife completely bonkers!), having completed two new original tracks as well as two remixes. Of the new tracks, my original mix of 'Lost In Humidity' as well as a tech-house laden remix from Rob Curtis have been picked up once again by Jetlag Digital. Look for that release to come out in the next few months. The second original track, 'Mochaccino' which I've just finished this past week is ready to go, and in sticking with a good thing, it will probably be dropped into the Jetlag pool once again.

On the remix side, my dark banger of remix of former Calgary native Jason Klos's 'Manyak' will be out on Southouse Music in December, and my remix of Vibrasphere's 'Erosion' will most likely be released through the Vibrasphere.com site early in the new year.

All in all, the production side of things is coming together very nicely, with each track improving from the previous one, and getting better and better reviews, including a very humbling bit information that was relayed to me. As you can find in the comments section of my music page, none other than Above & Beyond slotted my 'Seraphim's Ghost' track as one of their recommended tracks on one of their recent radio shows. Somebody pinch me!

...all motivation to work on the next one, which has already been started...

DJ Happenings...

In recent weeks I've been working to expand my reach even further, through radio shows and other organizations. My radio show has just been added to the line-up at ETN.fm, with the next episode to feature someone who's been extremely supportive of my production work - Hyline from Jetlag Digital. I'm now also working closely with Reid Stanway at Hubvibes.com, a Canadian organization that will be representing me as my booking agent for shows outside of Calgary. Very excited to see where that goes. Have to give a thank you to Scott James from Montreal for giving me the lead on that.

As far as gigs go, after an eventful gig opening with Will Devlin for the Adam K show, I have a couple of great shows coming up. First off it's the 'Bardo' Halloween all-nighter where I'll be holding down the midnight-1:30 slot. My sets have taken a turn for the darker lately, so the timing of this event is perfect. Quickly following that event is another trip to Phoenix for Harmonic ConcorDance 3, in which I'll be sharing the stage with my good friends, Rusty Ezard aka Cricket as well as Darvin Knorr aka Nokturnal, along with the entire Phoenix crew. We're definitely all looking forward to a little madness out in the desert.

Beyond that, I'll be hopefully be firing up the long awaited Aura monthly residency at Habitat here in Calgary, as well as once again opening up a certain massive show at Tantra, also here in Calgary, with a certain monstrous DJ around Boxing Day. It's been the highlight to end of my year the last two years so I'm hoping to make this one extra special.

That's the news to report for this month. As always, thank you all for the incredible ongoing support.

http://bit.ly/5a4JK

Thanks for all the great feedback on it and the support!

"Anybody that is old school knows this track is just reminds you of a beautiful place in time great track great vibe thanks for the good memories you made me have while listening." - 5.0 / 5
Orly Aycart (USA)
(Latronik Rec. Miami Vibes Radio, )

"Good work!!" - 4.5 / 5
Liluca (Colombia)
(Baroque,Proton,AnjunaDeeps,EMImusic,Avanguardia;add2basket,Stripped)

"nice melodies in here, a bit trancey for me. nice sounds anyway" - 5.0 / 5
Max Cagliero (Argentina)
(Sick Watona/Proton Radio/Symphonic Records/Up Front Sounds)

"Original mix sounds like a killer, can't wait to play it" - 4.0 / 5
Marcooz (Poland)
(friskyRadio, friskyRecords, L2Music,Mistique Music, PureSubstance)

"Excellent. " - 4.0 / 5
LLavoe (USA)
(WHI Productions, Release Promo)

"Both mixes are strong!" - 5.0 / 5
Liam Shachar (USA)
(Perfecto Records)

"beautiful release" - 4.0 / 5
Seahawk (Belarus)
(Silk Digital, DeepSessions, Mistique Music)

"trippy, yeah!" - 3.5 / 5
s007ii - subRoutine (Canada)
(ProgressiveHouse.com / RK2 Podcast / 1mixRadio(UK) / Underground Radio)

"Uplifting remix doing it for me - smart!!" - 3.5 / 5
Chris Sterio (UK)
(Source of Gravity, Gravitation) 

"Falling Colder" featuring a few touches by good friend Rob Curtis, is a dark but bouncy progressive ride. "Numb" is a more melodic trance number that drives along quite nicely.

To purchase these tracks (thank you in advance!), please visit my page on Beatport: https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/188868/numb_ep

July started off with one of the best club shows in Calgary that I've been a part of for quite some time, the Markus Schulz show at Tantra to open Stampede, which I had the pleasure of opening for once again. Even though it was the fourth time time in two years taking care of the warm up slot for the aformentioned Schultz, gigs like these never get old, they just seem to get better with each and every time.

This one was particularly good. Oddly enough things looked a bit sparse at 10pm, but by 11, the dancefloor was rammed with an extremely energetic crowd. I ripped through my usual large run of deep trance tracks, keeping things a little darker this time considering tracks from Markus's new Dakota album - of which almost every one on the release would fit nicely into one of my sets - would most likely be showcased later. Needless to say, the feedback from the set was absolutely amazing as cheers rang out with almost every drop-out and breakdown, and even the name-chanting that Calgary's made famous broke out at times. Ridiculous, but awesome!

From there, Markus didn't disappoint as usual laying down one of his better sets I've seen him play in Calgary, and he took some time after the show to catch up with a few of us, which is always great. I have to say, in terms of what it means to be a dj, this guy's really grown on me. He shows up unassumingly on his own, no agent or entourage with him to carry his cd book and look important (unlike Ferry Corsten the night before), and no matter how tired or how worn out he is from his intensive touring schedule, he brings the same genuine energy and passion for every show I've seen him play. There are some guys that simply show up to wave their arms in the air. Markus on the other hand, although he does bounce around a lot because he's honestly excited about what he's doing (I definitely see it now), isn't one of them. Pretty refreshing on so many levels.

The rest of July has been a therapeutically quite one (with the exception of one monster birthday party that nearly did us all in), having spent 10 days laying back on the beaches of Playa del Carmen in Mexico with Sarah. I did manage to write a new track while poolside, thanks to Sarah letting me truck my laptop along with me (yeah... I love you!). It's now in Rob's hands for final mastering and should be ready to hit labels in a couple of weeks, with a remix coming from Mr. Curtis as well.

Gig-wise, August is fairly quiet but has a few interesting things to take note of. Pure.Prog keeps going strong at Balance, always a good time. August's version of the night will be the long awaited release party for my Numb EP, which hits stores August 28th. There's also talk of a new monthly Thursday trance night starting up at Habitat, involving AVA Recordings Chris Allen, successful Calgary producer Micah, and of course myself. An interesting combination to say the least courtesy of grandmaster Chang, and if everything works out as planned we'll be firing things up August 6th. It will be, in one word, epic.

On the out-of-town front, I'm anxiously pounding away on a brand new promo initiative as some big opportunities and contacts await state-side. Already in the realm of good possibilities for the fall is a return to Phoenix, a jump across the country to Toronto, and perhaps the slightest chance of a trip to Switzerland if the guys over there can string a couple of shows together. Keep posted.

In the meantime, for those of you not heading to the mountains for the upcoming long weekend, Matthew and myself are manning the fort at Balance this Friday for July's edition of Pure.Prog. Hope to see many of you there as Calgary's longest running progressive nights touches down once again.

The Phoenix crew really knows how to take care of things. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left we were taken care of in epic fashion, which is a bit of a task considering it was five of us (not just a dj traveling alone) all there to let loose. Yardz, Spyder, Sunny, Chris, and Kevin, thank you for the unbelievable hospitality (although I'm not sure what your impression of Canadians is now!).

After spending a good chunk of time sipping drinks and catching up with Rusty and Ada, who we all dearly miss (Rusty, it was more than a treat to kick back like we used to once again, can't wait to do it again!), as well as witnessing an ongoing pool circus show courtesy of my wife, Christie and Ada, it was off to the venue for the big show.

I found out first hand that Phoenix is an interesting place when it comes to electronic music. Not only is the scene very segmented, but there have been many problems in the past with promoters, venues and more; and stiff government crackdowns have tried to eliminate the scene altogether (sounds familiar doesn't it Calgary?). However, with a lot of time, money and energy invested, the crew that brought me down is responsible for the transformation of the Stratus Event Center - the only venue now by law in Phoenix that can have underground parties.

And what a venue it is. Filled with massive amounts of lights and sound, along with upscale bars and areas, it truly is state of the art in every way.

The party itself, due to a bunch of competing events, had lower attendance than anticipated, but the people who did come were very into things all around. My set ran all over the place from prog to trance, dark to epic and ended up turning out to be quite the journey. Rickard from Vibrasphere, who was exhausted having just flown in from the Gaian Mind festival in Philadelphia, was up next and pounded out all of the duo's great tracks from over the years.

From there, after a quick beer and catch up with Rickard, along with a few more at the hotel, it was time for some much needed rest before the flight home on Sunday.

All in all, a great trip and experience, and there's already talk of returning to Phoenix in November for a gathering out in the desert. For those who weren't there or would like to hear it again, I'll be re-recording my two hour set from the show and posting it as my next episode of 709Sessions.

Next up: Opening for Markus Schulz here in Calgary on July 2nd. Another big one...

This June I've been booked for two of the biggest shows I've played in recent memory. First off, next Friday I'll be traveling down to Phoenix for Pulsate, co-headlining a 1,200 person club event along with Rickard from the legendary Vibrasphere duo, accompanied by my extremly supportive wife Sarah, great friend Christie, and long-time mates Rusty and Ada, who I miss very much will be awesome to see once again.

I can't possibly put into words how excited I am for this show, thus I've been working away at one of the most intense sets of deep trance I could possibly put together for awhile - one that will include two of my own tracks, most notably a Baraka influenced bomb that already worked a lot of magic in Raleigh, NC a month ago.

A couple of weeks following the Phoenix show I'll be returning to Tantra's 10 Days of Ibiza series, opening for Markus Schulz once again. This will be the fourth show I've played with Markus in the past two years, and the previous three have all been amazing, so this one should be no different. If you haven't heard Markus's Dakota tracks yet, you're in for a treat. On the verge of releasing an entire artist album under that name, he's created a deeper and darker sound that's really rich and interesting. Taking that into consideration, I might have to tone down my opening set from the usual madness!

Beyond that, there's chatter of a gig in Toronto for the fall. More details on that as they come.

NUMB E.P.

In August, my 'Numb' E.P.' is due out on System Recordings, featuring 'Numb' and 'Falling Colder feat. Rob Curtis', which has seen a lot of play time lately and continues to get great reactions. It seems like forever ago that I produced these tracks, having had them signed back in February, but thus is the reality of the label business - it takes awhile to get things out.

I have some new material in the works, some of which I've been working on with Rob, that should be finished in the next few weeks and pushed out for signing. Following that, I plan to continue to work away steadily over the coming months on more original material, with a little assistance from my Mac Pro super computer, which is making it's way home from the office in a couple of weeks.

Friday was spent flying from Calgary to Toronto, Toronto to Raleigh - with the second leg of the journey seeing myself squished like a pancake against the plane window by a 400+ pound, not overly pleasant smelling, always fidgeting and eating mammoth. Now I have nothing against bigger people; until your girth decides to spill halfway into my seat. Anyway, lucky the flight was only 2 hours.

I arrived in Raleigh after 12 hours of airport and flying time and my mood was instantly revived with the warm humid air, the lush green forests everywhere and the warm welcome from Mike and then Joe with all the crew once I arrived at Volume 11. A quick shower, a bite to eat and it was off to the venue. I arrived to a bouncing dancefloor courtesy of the very smooth pair of djs playing ahead of me.

From there I jumped on at 12:30 and rolled through a two hour set of techno, deep trance and psytrance; the last of which everyone really ate up. Also included in my set was the first big test run for my new track "Seraphim's Ghost." To my surprise and delight it brought a rush of cheers from everyone there. I'm hoping the labels that I'm currently sending it around to get the same energy from it! A few tracks later I pulled out "Falling Colder" (which is coming out sometime this summer on System as far as I know), which got another big reaction. It seems everytime I throw this on, people love it, which is simply awesome. I ended my set shortly after, then wondered into the fray, meeting and making a bunch of connections with the crowd.

Saturday was a great day of relaxing and enjoying the cozy NC atmosphere at Mike's house, where he had guests over and a non-stop barrage of food - which of course I was all game for. Sunday morning it was out of the hotel and back on the plane to Toronto then to Calgary; where the journey ended with a woman having a seizure on the plane in the row beside me. Wow, I shouldn't fly.

All in all, a great weekend. Hope to play down in that area once again soon. From here May is a quite month as we secretly ramp things up for the launch of Pure.Prog at Balance Lounge, on May 23rd and 29th (I'll be on for the 29th). After that of course is the massive event I'll be playing in Phoenix on June 13th, with Vibrasphere. I'm looking forward to sharing the stage with Rickard once again, this time in front of an expected 1,000 people at a very slick venue. But most importantly I'm really looking forward to a) having my wife, as well as Christie, come down with me, and b) seeing Rusty and Ada once again as they're flying down from Toronto to Phoenix just for this show! I've missed these two more than I thought possible since they moved away, so to have them come to this is ridiculously special. Can't wait!

Other than that, I have a few works in progress cooking in the studio, including a track that Rob and I are collaborating on, and a certain night at Tantra opening for a certain familar huge dj has been confirmed once again. Keep posted!

This Saturday night will be our last night in the lower level of the Amsterdam Rhino, where myself and fellow 709'er Jay Michael will be joining me as a special guest.

After an incredible 3 year run of doing our monthly Pure.Prog residency at the Amsterdam Rhino here in Calgary - the longest strictly progressive residency in recent memory in this city - Rob, Matthew and myself have decided to jump on a new opportunity, moving Pure.Prog to Balance Lounge near 17th Ave, starting at the end of May.

We're definitely leaving the Rhino with a boat-load of great memories in hand. Over the course of the three years since starting the night (which is an eternity for dj residencies in Calgary), going all the way from that sobering first night when only handful of people attended, building up to an epic run of huge nights of getting to play the biggest and best progressive tracks we could find, to an unbelievably large supportive audience. We've drank, we've danced, we've blown shelves off the bar - and most importantly have learned what it takes to maintain a successful residency.

For myself personally, some of the best friends both me and my wife Sarah (who has more than willingly been there through many nights from set-up to teardown) have today, I've met through our residency at the Rhino, most notably my two partners in crime, Rob and Matthew whom I've had an absolute blast sharing the decks with, and of course Christie and the whole crew, need I say more!

We'd like to thank the staff of the Rhino for their support and commitment to us, most notably the various bar staff that we've had the pleasure of working with. It's a treat when you just have to walk by the bar and 2 Heinekens magically appear in your hands! Thanks again.

So what does the future hold for Pure.Prog? We have the exciting opportunity of continuing Pure.Prog at a new venue - Balance Lounge. For those who haven't been, it's located on the corner of 14th Street and 16th Ave SW. It's a sweet little room serving great food with a complete dance-floor and proper sound system, along with good-sized patio for the summer.

After this weekend at the Rhino, we'll be doing a low-key casual night at Balance on Friday, April 17th, then we'll be taking a bit of a break. At the end of May, Rob and Matthew will be officially firing up the night, and I will be rejoining the crew in mid-July, as I have other dj and personal commitment to attend to over the next few months.

So until then, if you do anything this Easter, come join us one last time on Saturday as we're going to blow the roof off as only we can with a special night of the most ripping progressive and trance you'll probably hear for awhile. Jay and I won't be holding anything back!

Thanks for all your support,

Wes, Rob, Matthew
Area709's Pure.Prog

VIBRASPHERE

This month featured a wealth of gigs highlighted by our very own 709 show, featuring the legendary Vibrasphere. We hadn't thrown a typical 709 underground all-nighter in nearly a year, so the challenge with this one was to really make it worth the wait and raise the bar higher than ever before; all with an under-manned 709 crew to make it happen with both Rusty moved away and Darvin off on the other side of the planet.

Working closely with Jay, who put an incredible effort into taking care of all the critical details, and Murray's talented environment creation team, we managed to build something pretty special in all aspects.

And what a special night it was! Selling out in pre-sales, the venue was packed from start to finish with many of our very loyal 709 following in attendance alongside a lot of fresh new faces.

Calgary icon Cary Chang started off the night with a deep set of progressive, reminiscent of the days when prog was at it's prime and Cary was the main messenger. I was next up for the 11:30 - 1:30 prime time set. Knowing the audience very well, I didn't waste anytime, digging right into some very big dark and downright nasty melodic techno and trance, along with some touches of progressive psytrance. It turned out to be one of my best sets in a long time, and it was a pleasure to play that big of a set. Everything about it was truly epic, without being 'epic' (that's for Mr. Knorr, ha!!

Rickard from Vibrasphere stepped up after and rolled through a great set of the duo's music from the last three albums, which was simply awesome to experience from 10 feet away on the dancefloor. With richly layered tracks that span across multiple genres, Vibrasphere has defined a sound which will never be duplicated.

As a side note, I had the great pleasure of spending the afternoon that day with Rickard (who happens to be one of the most down to earth, nicest guys around!) talking shop, making fun of Dutch trance dj's, and eating Peter's hamburgers. There simply wasn't enough time in the day to squeeze in everything we were discussing! And almost a week later, I have a folder full of remix parts for three Vibrasphere tracks and an ongoing conversation with Rickard regarding a show in Phoenix that we might be sharing the stage at in June. Awesome to say the least, it's not that often great connections are made like that in such a short time period.

Jay concluded with the last piece of the puzzle that everyone was craving - a ripping prog psy set loaded with beautiful Liquid Soul tracks (our favorite producer at the moment - we jokingly lament that if we ever brought Liquid Soul to Calgary, what the hell would either of us play!).

All in all, probably one of the best 709 parties ever, so good that even Rickard made mention that the show was the highlight of his tour. Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen and to all those attended, you all make these things a success.

AND MORE...

Following up the big show was another night at the Rhino with Rob, and refreshingly was one of our better nights in awhile, which was a nice surprise considering the bags under both our sets of eyes from the night before, and few days later I had the treat of opening up for Max Graham at Tantra, alongside fellow 709'er Matthew Belleghem. The gig was very lightly attended unfortunately (a recession + a thousand shows in March?), but there were a few dedicated faces out that witnessed a killer prog set from Mr. Graham (I don't think I've ever seen Matt bounce around that much!).

UPCOMING...

Things get a little more consistent for April, but May and June might be the biggest months I've ever had as a dj. Having just signed on the dotted line, I'll be flying down to Raleigh, North Carolina to headline a club show. Really looking forward to this one as it's been in the works for sometime. Also in the cards is a possible 4 city tour courtesy of Radar Presenta through Mexico, starting May 22nd in Mexico City. Still working out the details, and given the history of my Mexico possibilities, I won't believe it until I'm on the plane, but this one looks pretty good.

To top things off in June, plans are being put into motion to take the stage at a big desert event in Phoenix, with the outside possibility of sharing that stage with the aformentioned Rickard from Vibrasphere. We'll see if we can make it happen!!

TO CONCLUDE

Needless to say this year (which has already been awesome so far), between bookings and production works, is shaping up to be pretty special and I'm excited to see where it all goes. Now I just have to find a way to clone myself, just so I don't drive my business partners at Guru completely mad! We'll figure something out, ha!

Highlighting this past month was my opening set for none other than Way Out West's Jody Wisternoff at Calgary's newest clubbing hotspot, Habitat. Initially only booked to play the early lounge hours of 8-10pm, I was pleasantly surprised to have the chance to keep going all the way until past 11:30pm, to a packed and very energetic room. Beyond that, club co-owner Cary Chang jumped on for a few tracks, and Jody rocked it the rest of the way until almost 3am, well past the moment the ugly lights went on. Big thanks to Cary and the crew for building such a great spot - I look forward to playing that room again soon!

February also included the usual thudding Pure.Prog nights at the Rhino. Despite the frequent appearance of the infamous odor ghost that haunts the room, various sound system issues and a bar that's so fragile shelves fall at a moment's notice, our little night continues to roll towards the start of its fourth year. Barring the collapse of the whole building, looks like we'll be there for awhile.

Other than that, February was spent putting on the final touches on my Numb EP release that will be out on System Recordings in the summer, as well as work on some exciting booking possibilities for the next few months. Big on the calendar for March is of course our once a year Area709 show, this time hosting the ultimate underground trance act Vibrasphere, where I'm slotted in the 11-1 slot to pave the way in; and March 18th where I'll be opening for Canadian icon Max Graham at Tantra, a very special charity event where a portion of ticket proceeds will be put towards my ride to conquer cancer in June. Beyond that, in the works for summer are possibilities in North Carolina, Arizona, Mexico, and of course a return to the always hectic Stampede week where I'm locking down another show with a familiar face I've shared the stage with three times before.

And just to slide in one shameless plug, tickets for the Vibrasphere show are moving fast. You can easily pick yours up online at http://tickets.area709.com.

Over and out.

1) Sol & Grimm - Pororoca
Over 11 minutes in length, this one's truly an epic prog trancer that includes one of the warmest and most beautiful breakdowns you can hear. I Left off with this one the last show I opened for Markus Schulz just recently, a huge ending to a pretty ripping set.

2) Zoo Brazil - The Age of Love
Re-working a classic is one of the biggest risks a producer can take, but Zoo Brazil does an unbelievable job of bringing this one into 2008 without losing the integrity of the original.

3) Paul van Dyk - Far Away (Mateo Murphy)
Another big driving prog trance gem with featuring a warmly monstrous vocal right in the middle. This one got big response every time I played it.

4) Minimalistix - Struggle for Pleasure
A hidden gem, but a beautiful one. The track is mostly made of two very long breakdowns, pretty much guaranteed to make the eyes water. Great morning track that really fit well into my darker sets at some of the all night underground parties I played at in the first half of the year.

5) Glenn Morrison - Blue Skies feat. Linda
For me, this warm, pad-laden piece was one of the biggest tracks this talented Canadian producer put out this year.

6) Guru Josh Project - Infinity 2008 (Klass)
Probably the most requested track at my Rhino residency since the summer, this one is simply huge and will probably be heard at hockey games twenty years from now.

7) Alex Gold - Energy Bomb / Xtravaganza 2008 (Adam K & Soha)
Big stuff here combining a ripping prog line and vocal sample. This track was the perfect reminder of the summer that was.

8) Oliver Giacomotto - Eat What You Kill (Kiko)
First heard this one in Ibiza courtesy of the Chemical Brothers, and it made incredibly short work of a jam-packed dancefloor with it's twisting race-car like builds throughout. Upon returning, played this track at pretty much every Rhino night since.

9) Eric Prydz - Pjanoo
One of the only house tracks in my chart, if there was ever a piece of work from Mr. Prydz that had a "crowd excitement" guarantee written all over it, this was it. From Tantra to the Rhino, this one blew the roof off every time.

10) Andy Caldwell - Warrior feat. Lisa Shaw (Tiger Stripes)
A big hit in the past couple of months, combining a tough techno rhythm with a uniquely raspy but very sexy female vocal.

11) Mr. Sam - Cygnes feat. clAud9
A big mushy electro-infused stomper that everyone, from Armin to Markus, and including myself just seems to simply love.

12) Andy Duguid - Wasted feat. Leah
No introduction needed here, along with being a great track in a lot of my sets, it was also the biggest for the likes of Tiesto and company; who happened to open with it when we saw one of his massive shows this past summer in Ibiza.

13) Home Video - That You Might (Sasha)
One of two tracks from Sasha's Invol2ver compilation, this one could fit into any set of any genre with it's mix of techy percussion and lush vocals.

14) Engineers - Sometimes I Realise
The second track I've selected from Invol2ver, this one is the perfect culmination and ending to a great set, a great night, and of course a great cd.

15) Andrea Doria - Beauty of Silence (Inpetto)
Another big building progressive track that went off here as well as it did everywhere else in the world.

16) Federico Epis - Tone
A really warm and tightly produced piece of work from one of Uruguay's top talents, and friend Federico Epis.

17) Antix - Circade (RPO)
Dark, dark and darker. Classic Antix production with the depth of RPO sliced in. Huge track in the dark underground hours.

18) Nick Muir - Airtight (D-Nox and Beckers)
A progressive pounder that fit very well into some of my earlier progressive psytrance sets that I put together this year.

19) Oryon - Complicated
Huge, dirty trance track here that really got things going on a few different nights.

20) Rocky Miller - Chamber of Secrets
One from early in the year, this deep trance number was a great 'listening' track for simply letting your eyes close and drifting away.
 

FRIDAY - Pure.Prog at the Rhino, the epic five hour marathon set.

...this should make Rob and Matt squirm a bit, haha boys!

Friday was the Boxing Day edition of Pure.Prog at the Rhino, and as holiday scheduling would have it, I'd have the rare opportunity to play solo all night for over five hours - just like I used to when the night was started way back when. Not taking anything away from the boys Rob and Matt of course, but getting a chance to work with that much time really lets you dig in and put something special together.

After a slow start, the infamous downstairs eventually packed wall to wall (and even emptying the upstairs for a few moments!) with most bodies sticking around until the end, bobbing to an onslaught of some of the darkest and dirtiest prog house and trance I've rolled out in a long time. To sum it up, it was simply awesome and reaffirmed why, despite the Rhino's 'uniqueness',  this residency is still something I look forward to month after month. Thank you so much to everyone who jammed in there and stayed well past the lights coming on, you made it happen!

SUNDAY - Opening for Markus Schulz at Tantra

Friday was great for another reason, it narrowed down to a tee what I would bring to the decks for Sunday, for my opening slot in front of trance master Markus Schulz. Opening for him for the third time in twelve months at Tantra, I've definitely started to get a lot more comfortable when it comes to approaching these big shows, and I really let loose for this one, going through the other 90% of the dance music spectrum that wasn't a part of of the big man's playlist.

With much anticipation surrounding this show, it lived up to all expectations. There was a dancefloor rolling even before I got on at 10, and by 10:30, the entire club was rammed, and Kav actually had the sound system tuned up properly! (well until later as I'll explain). My set of two hours of big room prog house, techno and prog trance sailed by with many memorable moments.

My two new tracks - Numb and Falling Colder - which I was hesitant to play at first got much bigger crowd reactions than I ever expected, and following that was one of those 'time stood still' moments when I quietly mixed in Zoo Brazil's rendition of the classic "The Age of Love". The lighting guy was right on point and shut off all the lights in Tantra as soon as that beautiful breakdown came in; leaving my laptop screen as the only light left in the room and along with a sea of glowing faces. Goose bumps anyone?

Of course, Markus proceeded on at midnight and tore the place completely down with a huge set of prog trance and some ripping tech trance that sounded great mixed into his normal stuff. Of course, the gains on the mixer were left way too high for normal CDs (Serato needs a bigger boost), and the sound system screamed for air when his first track kicked in, but hey, a few deaf ears aren't so bad (although I am still questioning why he ran it red all night though; confirming that all big djs are actually deaf!).

Anyway, all in all, a superior night to finish off the gigs for 2008 and for those who missed it, my next edition of 709Sessions will be a re-recording of the set from last night.

Thanks again to everyone who's made 2008 a fantastic year with all of your support and kindness. I'm extremely excited for what's to come in 2009!

Happy New Year and the best to all of you.

709Sessions will air the third Tuesday of every month at 2PM Mountain Standard Time, starting in January 2009.

The first track, which I started on the way back from Europe this past August, titled "Falling Colder" is a bouncy prog number with a few slick additions from Rob that really make it pop. I've been playing the semi-mastered cut of it the past few gigs and it's sounding great.

The second track, to be titled either "Numb" or "Wookie Cookie" (thanks Chang, my god!) is one I'm really looking forward to getting finished. I've been slaving away at this one for two months now, with about 7 different versions along the way and working in some great feedback by a number of reputable sources. With every version the track's become bigger and more epic, to it's latest installment of ripping progressive trance. If you love it, why not write it?

Anyway, I'm looking forward to pushing these out into the label world and seeing what reaction they get, as these two tracks are a huge step up in terms of sound and complexity from my first Rain Drops release.

Other than that, December includes a huge night at the Rhino on Dec. 13, for Rusty's final final going away. It's sure to be memorable one, a Boxing Day edition of Pure.Prog at the Rhino on Dec. 26th, and then of course the big finale for me of the year, opening a massive show for Markus Schulz on Dec. 28th.

What a way to end off the year (now if someone would just buy my second house!! Makes a great gift!).

Thankfully, my saving grace for this ungodly period in time is, and will always be, music. A lot of great gigs coming up that I'm involved with, including the Nick Warren show in a couple of weeks then Markus Schulz once again after Christmas - now let's just hope I can afford to buy a couple tracks for them! Apart from that, the bi-weekly madness that is the Rhino continues to thrive month after month - a gigs which brings new enjoyment and craziness with it each time.

Also opening up soon is Cary Chang and Mikey da Roza's new club, Habitat. I'm extremely excited for this as I've been in the know and have been helping out on the branding side of things since day one. Cary has been a long time friend, mentor and icon in this city and it's great to see him taking on such a venture. I have no doubt that Habitat will soon be the place in Calgary for the best in house and progressive music. And you might just see me dropping a few bombs in there once in awhile!! (I'll keep you posted...)

On the production side of things, while Rob is working away on mastering a track I put together in September, I'm continuing to slug away at a new one right now. With each track I continue to improve, however, given the supportive but thankfully critical feedback from a number of excellent sources, there's still a ways to go.

Hey, if it were this easy, everyone would be a superstar dj/producer!

Anyway, nonetheless, the end of this year will be a challenging one in many ways, and really, what doesn't kill me or force me take up permanent residence at the Cecil will only make me, and Sarah, stronger.

Bring it on.

In the meantime, hit the Rhino for the best prog you can handle!

Saturday also debuted the rough, unmastered version of a new piece of music I've been working on for awhile. I'm just making some final tweaks on it now and can't wait for this one to come out - it already makes Rain Drops sound disturbingly amateur.

Also in the news, look for a big new addition to the 709 site coming online very soon. None other than Chicago progressive wizard Darin Epsilon will be joining the army. For those who don't know who this guy is, simply look up his name on Beatport and you'll probably end up purchasing a bunch of his stellar production work!! I've been a fan of his music and monthly radio show for awhile now and am very stoked to have him on the site!

Out and about this fall, along with the usual Rhino madness and a resurgence at Seven courtesey of Rob and Matt, some big shows are coming in the next month to Calgary. Armin, PVD, Carl Cox, Andy Moor, and one more show in December that just may have my name in small letters somewhere on it!

Lots worth checking out for sure - just enough to break me out of the post-Ibiza hibernation!

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/131469/rain_drops

Included are the original mix from myself, a pounding techno mix from Moonbeam and a very stellar deep progressive mix from 709's Inanna. I'm excited and curious to see where this will go being my first release.

I've already started working on the next one which I feel is an even more serious step up from Rain Drops! Look for that one soon!

Ibiza

If there is only one word that could describe this past month's travels to Ibiza and Italy, it would be simply 'epic'. This trip was truly an intense string of beautiful, sublime, fired up, relaxed and even stressful moments starting from day one, which saw our initial group step off a delayed plane only to say hi to Armin on the plane bus, then step right through the doors of Amnesia as a part of Markus Schulz's guest list.

From there, in an impressive run of 8 out of 11 nights there were highlights such as:

• Armin playing psytrance in the early hours (what?) at Amnesia.
• Paul van Dyk dropping a new tear-jerking mix of 'Nothing But You' at 6am (probably one of the most beautiful pieces of vinyl I own!!), at Amnesia a couple of days later.
• Chemical Brothers throwing down a 3 hour onslaught of everything electronic accompanied by the best field of laser visuals I've ever been in the middle of, at Space.
• The Tiesto show at Privilege, where he broke all of my previous conceptions of him by 1) concentrating more on being a dj than an icon, and 2) by simply playing straight up pounding prog trance without the cheese.
• Carl Cox at Space, well by simply living up to his own wizard-like reputation accompanied by some ripping melodic techno from Christian Smith, who I've never seen live before.
• The villa and the after-club pool sessions, Salinas beach, the sunsets/sunrises and the mysterious Spanish woman that broke into the villa (although there is still a bit of doubt surrounding her actual existence considering the amount of brain-drain the two witnesses were bearing!!).

And, certainly not forgetting, but saving the best for last, the group of people we had to share this experience with. Old friends and new friends alike, the great moments vastly outweighed the tense moments (with a group this big, there will always be a few for sure). It was a pleasure to share.

Now, just to keep it a little bit real, this Ibiza experience for me was still a bit of a mixed one, for a couple of reasons.

Going in August, it felt like the entire world had decided to land on the island, and near the end of the 11 days, things simply felt congested. This maybe a sign of my age, but I really had a hard time the last few nights with just how packed the clubs were, and how many people were on the island in general. At times, having to throw shoulders and push for space really took away from would-be exceptional nights (like Carl Cox at Space). Note for next time, go in July!

Secondly, although the majority of music I heard was good (especially the trance side of things), some was downright awful, from guys who've been around long enough that you'd think they knew better. The Swedish Hosue Mafia had really good moments, but then the odd plainly horrible track would pop out every half hour or so. David Morales and Danny Rampling were just terrible (but maybe a good thing, because that's the night I made my decision to quit my residency at Seven! Read on...). Apart from those there were also a bunch of other snippets of simply really bad music of the house variety that we continually stumbled upon. A bit disappointing for sure in that regard.

Thirdly, the cost. I knew from previous trips it was expensive, but the prices seem to go up every year. Spending $150/night on water is just plain ridiculous.

Anyway, all in all, the good greatly outweighed the bad. Will we go there again? I'm not so sure anymore. Perhaps after my next 10 tracks that I'm going to produce over the next year top the charts ensuring some good bookings there, ha!!

So that was Ibiza. After that, I got to spend a much more relaxing week with my wife and a few other good friends in the Italian country-side, gaining all my weight back I had lost on the questionable Ibiza diet, with the 6 course meal Italian diet.

Reality Check

Now that it's back to reality in Calgary, a few things to take note of. Yes I've departed from my residency at Seven. After my experience in Ibiza of hearing great prog and trance, and also hearing very bad vocal and retro house, I've decided to focus on the sound of deep trance I've always loved (dj'ing and producing) and give up a gig that while it paid decently, just wasn't something I was completely into - and my trip confirmed that.

On the flip-side, I've been handed another monthly night at the Rhino! Pure.Prog will be taking over the second Saturday of every month, along with the usual 4th Friday. Looking forward to that for sure as the Rhino has always been a good home for me.

September 8th is also the release date for my Rain Drops EP, very excited to see what happens with that - the Moonbeam and Inanna mixes are very stellar.

And, because I had a laptop, a hard-drive and a power source on the 9 hour flight home, I'm well into my next original piece of work; will hopefully finish that one up in the next few weeks.

...with that, I'm out! Hit the Rhino this Friday of course as I'll be returning to join Matthew for a night of the usual Pure.Prog goodness!

Needless to say this one will be epic. We've already accomplished the impossible by convincing a group of 12 people to go on the long journey and join us, all the while emptying them of all their spare change. Now the focus turns to the plethora nights of clubbing bliss that lie ahead, twisting through intimate house nights at the beautiful Pacha to all out stadium trance madness at the likes of Privilege and Amnesia.

I'm really not sure if I'll have much for motor and mental skills after that kind of runaway, but it will be well worth it!

In other news, as Matthew has mentioned, a bit of a re-launch is happening at Seven with new sound and a new focus on, well, us dj types!! It's been a good grind at Seven up until now, and we're excited to see where this next evolution takes us.

In early September my Rain Drops E.P. will be hitting digital retailers everywhere. With a good first original effort and two killer remixes from Moonbeam and 709's Inanna, I think this one will do fairly well as feedback has been good so far. I guess I better start on the next one!!

In the meantime, the usual 709Sessions shows on DanceRadio and TribalMixes will be airing in August, this episode featuring Aqua Audio's Jason Klos, a long-time friend of mine and who I consider one of Calgary's best djs, that I met just as he was jumping on his first set of 1200s. How far things have come since then!

September's 709Sessions will be the 12th episode, wrapping up a successful first year doing the show. To celebrate, I've already put together a set of my top tracks from the past year. Joining me on Episode012 will be none other than Rob Curtis.

And with that, I'm away for the next few weeks then returning to a huge Pure.Prog on August 29th (we've conveniently switched with Rob's Textures night so I wouldn't miss it), and a bunch of weekends at Seven after that.

...that's if I come back!! 

Playing for just over 4 hours from 8am until just after 12am, I got to witness (and help serenade) a room from stone cold empty all the way to shoulder to shoulder packed with an old school atmosphere that only straight up prog can bring.

Now, the task of opening a show like this is definitely not an easy one. On one hand, your job is to get the room going and create a buzz and an atmosphere, priming the crowd for the guy after you. However on the other hand, you don't want to overtake the sound and presence of what the headliner is all about by playing too big. I definitely treaded a fine line between both of those sides, but overall I think it worked considering the awesome feedback I've been getting since.

Anyway, it was a true pleasure as always. Markus - you're definitely the king of prog trance and you absolutely killed it after me. Awesome stuff and I can't wait to see you tear it up at Amnesia in Ibiza when we arrive there on August 5th!!! Now what were the last two digits of that number before I accidentally hit cancel for the fifth time? HA!! Damn Grey Goose!

Other than that, it's actually going to be a refreshingly quite July for gigs - not playing again until the weekend before we leave for the big trip - that'll be the send-off at Seven. Then of course it's onto Ibiza and a full 11 day line-up of shows to hit, and then a wedding in Italy after. Looking forward to what's probably going to be the best and most (well maybe least!) memorable trip of a lifetime with an incredible group of people.

In the meantime, I'll be stirring up the production pot a bit, working together on a new piece with good friend and talented producer, Titus1.

Back to bed now...

Entitled 'Rain Drops' (due to the fact that I've been sitting in the basement making this track all the while the rain has continued to fall over my head for the past couple of months), the track has already received pretty decent feedback, and to have Moonbeam immediately wanting to take up remix duties is a huge honor. For those who don't know, these guys have been pounding out a bunch of originals and remixes, all within the realm of very atmospheric and techy prog. Good stuff every step of the way.

Anyway, this is hopefully the first of many tracks for myself, already working on the next one. Excited to see where it all goes...

Just got confirmation that my monthly 709Sessions radio show will now be aired on the very large DanceRadio.gr based out of Greece. For online radio, this is one of the fastest growing and more prominent stations out there. Their trance stream, in which they first based the station on, includes the likes of Armin van Buuren, Markus Schulz and more. Having huge success with one stream, they've branched into other genres, including progressive - and 709Sessions will be one of the first shows on that stream!

This is a big jump in terms of audience as well. Right now, the show on TribalMixes.org (which I hope I can still keep going) draws an average audience of around 200 listeners - DanceRadio draws up to a couple of thousand!! They also do a lot of other promotions including interviews and articles from the global dance music scene.

Anyway, pretty excited to be a part of this venture for sure. The premier show will be Tuesday, June 3rd featuring myself and guest, fellow 709'er Matthew Belleghem. For those of you in Greece, it will air at 7pm your time. For those of us in Canada, looking at 10am. A good chance to kick off the local radio station and blast some upfront progressive throughout the office!

The New Track 

Yes finally, something that is very close to being finished, and definitely something that I'll be shopping around. After receiving critical and constructive feedback from a few sets of educated ears, I'll be spending a good chunk of the next week finishing things off, including a massage of the track's hook (the hardest part of course!). Once that's complete, I'll be handing over the parts to none other than audio guru Rob Curtis to do the final mastering on it, and perhaps his own remix.

After that, it will be a great experience getting in touch with labels and receiving even more feedback at minimum. And who knows, getting it actually signed may not be so far off. Just focusing on getting it finished for now... 

As part of the action, we recorded the entire night. I've posted my set up in my music section, if you're into my darker more intense sounds, this is jam-packed with them (you'll never hear me play any of this stuff at my Seven residency!!).

Shifting to Seven, things continue to go well as usual. For a guy that's not a house dj, I've sure been collecting a lot of soulful stuff in that genre lately that goes over very well at the lounge. Every night I've played there since starting with Rob and Matt a couple of months ago has been great in its own way. Love the venue, the atmosphere, the staff that treats us so well, and of course the people that come every week! We'll see what summer brings.

On other fronts, still working on lining up something resembling a crazy gig in Ibiza for this August; fingers are crossed. However, if it's only as good as playing pool-side at the Area709 crew's villa near Ibiza town, I'll be more than happy with that! My 709Sessions radio show continues to get great feedback and is going strong, looking to launch the same show on other stations over the coming months.

Upcoming, other than the usual Seven gigs, in June we'll be celebrating the 2 year anniversary of Pure.Prog at the Rhino, I really can't believe it's been that long already and continues to be one of the biggest underground nights in Calgary. In July of course there is the 10 day circus that is Stampede; hoping to lock down at least one if not more bookings then; including another possible opening slot for none other than Markus Schulz!

On the production front, well again, life including too much work, a nasty cold that has had me filling garbage cans with kleenex for the past two weeks and hockey play-off season (GO FLAMES!), have all got in the way of any progress. However I have managed to get a great start on a track that I'm very excited about, and will be looking to pump more time into it over the next few weeks.

And, inbetween I'll that I'll be putting the visual creative forces to work on Mr. Nokturnal's mix compilation artwork, to be released on Zenon Records by the summer! 

Bringing in a bit of extra sound and ramping up the volume and energy across the entire club, tables and chairs merely became props for dancing around, on and inbetween. I've never had the pleasure of creating that kind of dancefloor like that before, even until after the lights came on! A surreal experience to say the least if anything.

Anyway, without going into details about all who were off their heads on this night, it is safe to say that the transformation from just existing as a great chilled out lounge where patrons usually decide to head elsewhere shortly after midnight, to growing into a fully rounded nightlife experience has truly begun.

It's a pleasure to be a part of this experience and I can't wait to see where it goes!!

...and, just because it topped the night off, my favorite conversation of the night goes to none other than Kristian Huselius's wife (for those who don't know, the very gifted Calgary Flames hockey player's wife). Oddly enough, trying to explain who the Swedish mafia is to someone who is actually Swedish proved very difficult! Mind you, she was also hell bent on getting me to play Abba; which I promptly interpreted as Eric Prydz of course.

Upcoming, I'll be back at Seven this coming Friday, then the following weekend, digging into my bread and butter dark and dreamy progressive sounds opening up for the Shadow FX party here in Calgary on the 5th. Going to be a big for sure. 

Upon returning things immediately crank back up again. My monthly radio show hits the web again on Sunday February 10th, although I've already posted up my portion here just because I'm extremely happy with it. On Saturday February 16th I'll be sliding into the upscale BLVD club in Calgary alongside the Aqua Audio gents including my old house-mate Jason Klos. The next weekend is a double-header with Pure.Prog at the Rhino on the Friday night and another stint at Seven on the Saturday night. Following that weekend I'll be guesting in at Rob's new Textures night at the Rhino.

Definitely play a lot lately and am loving every moment of it. Starting to get into some really great deep sounds more on the house side that I'm quite enjoying. Who would've thought?

And to all those at Seven that are loving what we're doing there on Fridays and Saturdays, thank you, your support is awesome. It's great to be in such a top notch but relaxed atmosphere, from the people who come for a few drinks to the beyond excellent staff that work there. We're like kids in a candy store to say the least, this gig is amazing.

And with that I'm getting the hell out of winter and into the sunshine!

Not to be outdone however was Friday's monthly night at the Amsterdam Rhino. Competing with the big Gabriel & Dresden show a couple of blocks down the street and a persistent puddle from a nearby pipe in the basement, we managed to keep a consistently in tune crowd for most of the night, dancing away to everything from deep house to banging progressive trance. Thanks to all that came down and keep making this monthly night a success.

Altogether I'm very happy with the way things are proceeding and am excited to see where they'll go in the coming months. Onwards and upwards with another installment of 709@Seven this upcoming weekend featuring a solo effort from yours truly on Friday and Matt holding down the fort on Saturday.

More cocktails anyone?

Between the three of us, we'll be bringing the best in everything house (deep, tech, prog, even vocal!) EVERY Friday and Saturday night. Being a lounge there isn't an official dancefloor in there, yet. However, going along with the successful dj/lounge concept at Fuel, space to shake it up is always easily accommodated!!

The first night is this Friday (Jan 25th), the three of us will be juggling time at both Seven and at the Rhino. I'll be sticking to the Rhino all night, with Rob and Matt going back and forth between the two venues. Saturday is my debut at Seven alongside Matt.

In other news, I'm quietly awaiting word on potentially hands down the biggest gig of my life. Without getting too excited or saying too much, all I'll reveal is that my printed promo pack is in the hands and being reviewed in the next week by the decision-maker for one of the best clubs in Ibiza. I'm treating this as a long shot at best so I won't be disappointed if it doesn't come through. But if it does...

My online radio presence continues to grow through my monthly 709Sessions show that finds airtime on TribalMixes.org, XTC Radio and Digitally Imported. Looking at the web stats for 709 and my content in particular makes it pretty clear that being played regularly on these stations and coming out with a new mix each month is very beneficial!! Thanks to all of you out there that have given me great feedback and have taken the time to find me here!!

Other than that, off to Mexico in less than 2 weeks for solid week of much needed beach time. Upon returning the schedule is full, full, full!!

I've also put up pics in my photo gallery from this event, and video files up on my Facebook page. 

Thanks for your ongoing support!

This was my first time opening for a world renowned dj who's musical tastes are very similar to those of my own, and in one of Calgary's biggest clubs. Starting things up at an early 8pm before drinks were being served, playing all the way through to a packed house finishing off at 11:30pm for Mr. Schulz; need I say more!!! I really can't, it's hard to put words to it!

Thanks to all of you that came out and supported, especially those who normally don't attend these shows; simply awesome.

Anyway, as far as Calgary club gigs, this is about as big as it gets... needless to say I'm beyond excited about it! A special thanks to Kav and Cary (well thanks Cary for being away, ha!!!) for making this happen.

Look for a bunch of promo and a full interview with Mr. Schulz written by 709's Matt Belleghem soon!

...and don't forget about Dec. 28 (the usual Pure.Prog Rhino night) and Dec 31. (The Super NYE party). That's a busy week!!! 

On my front, lots happening as usual. Tomorrow night is another session at the Rhino, featuring Rob's Ableton set-up. Considering the amount of frustrations from many 709'ers in using various laptop set-ups, I'm very curious to see how this work. I think he has it sorted out though!

Next week brings Laid Back Luke to town for a midweek show at Tantra. This show also features a full table of Redlight Sessions djs, including myself. To make it fair, names were drawn for slots, mine being from 9:45-10:30. Not a long one, but just enough to get some good 'Wes' style tracks in there.

Dec 8 cues up the next 709 Sessions show on tribalmixes.org, featuring myself and fellow 709'er Matt Belleghem. Also on the online radio show front, I've worked my way up to become a featured regular on XTCRadio.com (with a big banner splashed across the page featuring my mug), and also have mixes being finally accepted by none other than Digitally Imported radio (www.digitallyimported.com) to play on their Progressive Station.

And finally on the gig side of things, the Super New Year's Eve party featuring myself, Rob and the Drunken Monkey crew is quickly approaching. Hope to sell it out; tickets are of course up for grabs in the ticket area of the site (http://tickets.area709.com).

A full schedule for December that's for sure. Somewhere in there I have to produce some music and transfer all my music over to my brand new Serato set-up. Hoping this isn't a nightmare like the Traktor one!! Crossing the fingers.

A packed house as usual (even some Calgary Flames acquainted themselves with the Rhino on this night), most jammed tightly onto the dancefloor, bumping to great tunes the whole way through. Mr. Soup didn't disappoint!! The only damper on the night was the three hooligans at the end that decided to cause a bit of trouble, but all in all, good times. And the carry on at Matt's place? Well that's a story for another time!!

Huge thanks to Andrew for taking part in our little night and we look forward to what commotion he'll start as a 709'er back in Australia!! Look for lots to come from this one! 

Onto a busy November with a bunch of events coming up including the Ecliptic all-nighter on the 17th, and the Laid Back Luke show which a bunch of Rhino djs, including yours truly, are participating in.

Anyway, now it's time to kick back and watch the fruits of my labour go to work. In a couple of weeks the press-kit will be sent off to two critical people that couldn't be anymore influential in the future of my career as a dj. Crossing the fingers to the point of breaking on this one; hush-hush until I find out more myself.

Tons of promo for the big 709 Ecliptic event should be hitting the streets this weekend. This promises to be a huge event with a very unique flavor. Fellow ring-leader Darvin has cooked up quite the line-up for this one, should sell out pretty quickly.

On the other side of the street, Matt and I have a big show worked up for our monthly Rhino night next week as Matt's good friend and great dj Andrew Campbell makes his way here from Austraila. That little room is going to be crammed!

Beyond that, I'll be manning one of the warm up slots for a great charity event at Tantra on Nov. 28 featuring rising superstar Laid Back Luke; then on New Years Eve is the decked out super hero party which I'm headlining along with Rob and the Drunken Monkey boys. This one is full-on with $2000 worth of TurboSound and Lighting being called in and decor to get lost in. It's a great deal for sure. More info at http://www.supernye.ca.

So now that all of that is taken care of, I'll be hitting the production studio this weekend to dig into a couple of tracks I've been tinkering with. Looks like I'm going to be teaming up with Calgary's rising star Titus1 to work on some music together with him putting his electro spin on things and me bringing the deep prog of course! Looking forward to that for sure.

In the meantime, have a listen and enjoy the latest two musical tastings I've put up, for those who know me best you'll definitely like the "Deeper" Reflections Disc. And until next time, keep your shirt on... and if you can't do that whip it off, then just buy a new 709 one from our store (shameless, shameless plug there, ha!!!).

Come on come all. 

On the software side I just picked up the new upgrade for Logic Pro, now version 8. Needless to say a few of us were quite surprised at the extreme drop in price for the same software package; and to my surprise the fact that I had to clear almost everything important off my computer to install it!! Version 7 was about 7GB in total. Version 8? Yeah, 45GB. Anyway, after I spend a month installing it and hooking in all of my new NI plugs, I'll be carrying on the momentum of some of the progress I made with my first original track from August.

On that note, I've had some decent reviews for 'Gone', however I'm still not 100% happy with it, especially after hearing it on a club system. Still needs some tweaking and de-muddying (is that a term?). One day I'll open it back up again and see what I can do, but some new ideas are cooking and I want to focus on those.

On the gig front, the Rhino is coming into the fall season, which means even bigger attendance and line-ups. Summer is usually the slow season in Calgary, but this summer was nothing of the sort, meaning the roof is really going to come down this fall. Other big gigs that are being cooked up at the moment include another annual stop in Mexico and the possibility of a massive Ibiza-style party at Tantra next year. Beyond that, I'm already looking forward to the exodus to Ibiza for 10 days next summer, where if the luck has it's way, I'll be playing a gig or two. Who knows.

Apart from that, been busy with the 709 site and designing graphics for the new line of 709 clothes that's about to hit the web in the next week or two. Very excited to launch that and see where it goes, especially with Jamie (Inanna) leading the charge in taking it way further than ever imagined. This next year will be a big one for sure.

In the meantime you'll find me at the Rhino deep in the clothing racks in-store at Holt Renfrew, and doing my usual monthly special gig at Heavens Fitness, this month doing the 150bpm epic trance barrage for my good friend and martial arts instructor Philip Ndugga who has just returned from a summer in Uganda. Good to have you back kicking mine and everyone elses collective asses again!!

Positioned on the other side of the table as a critical listener I found it pretty ironic that I was in a position to judge some of peers' talents within the industry; some who've played longer and more often than I have!! Needless to say, it was almost like a journey through the process of learning the art that is dj'ing. A couple of the competitors were pretty green and it showed clearly; I remember those days!! Then there was a surprise performance from (damnit I forget the name!), filled with breaks, scratching and a whole lot of other goodness. Quite good. From there the showdown between two seasoned veterans; Collin Stone and DJ Kev. It came out to be a tie on my score sheet between these two. While not as flashy as Kev, Collin brought in a mature set of beats that really fit the room and the audience; while Kev tore his entourage a new one with a set of nasty and dirty electro.

Anyway, I still don't know who won in the end, but for me the experience of having to be non-genre biased and completely objective and appreciative to all that is dj'ing was great. I would do it again!

Now onto this Sunday's show with Nick Warren and Rank 1. With a solid crew of almost 20 of us heading down, it's going to be a big night to be remembered for awhile! A follow-up report shall be posted soon!

As far as my music stuff goes, new mixes are on the shelf until the new parts for my mixer come in (my Vestax that I shall never let die will be pretty much brand new after the overhaul it will be getting). Production-wise I'm starting on another new track. Just filled the hard-drive with every Native Instrument plug-in known to man, so it might take awhile.

Shows - as always, Pure.Prog is at the end of September; rumor has it some 709 manpower maybe involved in one of the upcoming Tantra shows; and in November on the psy-side of 709 we'll be unleashing a big show featuring a well known Austrailan headliner. 

After spending an afternoon with creative monster and friend Darren Schweitzer, who imparted the wisdom of organizing my Logic projects properly and enlightening me to such things as buses and the more detailed workings of Stylus RMX, I dedicated the entire following weekend to the simple yet formidable task of creating something good.

After two solid days and nights of working things started to happen. Calling in all troops (well one, mastering magician Rob Curtis, as you'll see more of as we've just added him to the site), we tweaked levels and eqs to really get things sounding up to par. What a difference it makes having a guy sitting there who knows everything there is to know about audio!

Anyway, like the process of creating a painting, there comes a time when you just say "it's done." I think I've reached that point with "Gone" and now enter the exciting world of shopping it around to labels. For me, being that this is the first track I'm happy with I'm more looking forward to critical feedback than anything, not expecting it to be released. However you all know you're going to hear it my sets!!

I look forward to keeping on this path and putting out more and more original material in the months to come!

In other news, another night at the Rhino is upon us on August 24th. We're hoping the new floor will be in there very soon (what a relief it will be to get rid of that stinky-ass carpet!). Also in the coming weeks look for the new Area709 store to be launched. Inanna has completed the first shirt design and it's nothing short of hot! We'll be doing a limited run of these shirts to test the waters and expanding the line of designs as the fall hits.

All is starting to come together very nicely, in perfect preparation for Ibiza next summer (My two networking cohorts, Scott and Kyle are there right now soaking up the VIP treatment and along the way harassing djs, club-owners and whoever else matters for the Canadian invasion next year!!).

With a pounding headache, Matt decided to cut out early, but accidentally grabbed my cd case instead of his. So, being that improvisation seems to be the norm in the dj world at times, I promptly grabbed his cds and finished off the night, pretty much not having a clue what tracks I was playing. It seemed to work out though and was a pretty interesting experience!

All in all a good night. For August, we maybe celebrating the installation of a new floor (and the final death of that nasty carpet!!). Things are shaping up to be a great fall.

AND, a very important note. In great haste trying to put it together, Rob accidentally messed up exporting a couple of tracks on his Wayfarer CD that was handed out Friday night!! If you would like to hear the complete mix, you can download it in the Guest Mix section. If you would like a new fixed copy please email Rob at robcurtis@robcurtis.net. 

A free show featuring Matthew Dekay, Blake Jarrell and Cary Chang, it started off a bit strange with an indifferent crowd that was more into their own little groups than the music itself, however as the night progressed, things got bumpin' in a big way! The might as well have been a superstar version of Pure.Prog; wicked progressive from both headliners.

A few strong drinks, many great conversations with Cary, Kav, Alim, Mr. Jarrell (who showcased his brand iPhone for me, the coolest gadget ever!!) and later on with Bossi from Cosmic Gate who decided to show up, still in town from the previous night's show, and of course some serious ass-shaking has left me so tired today that typing this blog post is a major accomplishment.

Starting to feel old after 3 big nights this week of getting to bed at 3am and waking up before 8am!! But it all has been worth it as great times were had hearing some of the best prog and trance out there.

Sleepy-time!

My intention was to attend half of them and that's exactly what I've done, making getting up for work the next day absolutely dreadful!! Been to some great shows this July which have included Andy Moor, Sander Van Doorn, Markus Schulz, Cosmic Gate and tonight finishing off with Blake Jarrell and Matthew Dekay.

Cosmic Gate was on last night's agenda and wow what a show!! Nothing what expected at all, in a very good way. Considering many of his tracks are nothing short of pounding and epic trance, I walked in expecting exactly that along with the usual suspect crowd that comes with it. To my great surprise, he played a flawless set of rolling progressive trance without pretention or ego (Markus Schulz could learn a lesson or two from him, that's another story...); and a nice guy to chat with on top of it!

Anyway, once this week is over I'll be disappearing once again into hiding. I'll be working on Cary Chang's Discotecha project, designing all of his marketing materials and website, and of course still pushing on with the audio production end of things also, running into creative brick walls with the current track I'm working on it. I've discovered that I'm far too picky.

Upcoming on the dj front is another day-time stop at Holt Renfrew, an outdoor yoga class, and at month's end is the big return of Rob Curtis to Matt and I's Pure.Prog residency at the Amsterdam Rhino.

Until next time!!

One stat that has been alarmingly jumping out is the Searches area. This statistic basically tracks how many times a word or phrase has been googled (well, I guess there are other search engines out there, but does it really matter?). See the image below.

Surprisingly,since the launch of the site, my name has jumped up the rankings everyday. Is it because my music and dj presence are that much larger or better? Absolutely not. Am I just a popular guy? HA, not that popular...

Putting 2 and 2 together, I came to the conclusion that this is all a result of having 4 mixes in rotation on the very popular XTC Radio Station. Everytime a mix of mine is played, my search number increase. A little XTC is good for everyone!

So, if it isn't abundantly clear, internet radio is hugely important, and every effort must be made to ensure that it remains alive and that the proposed US legislation doesn't pass on July 15th. Go to http://www.savenetradio.org for more information. For all of the great radio stations out there and the one that we just started, 709 Radio.

Anyway, thanks to all who came out. It's all of you that make doing these nights worthwhile!!

Next night is on July 27th!! 

From what started out as nothing, pretty much resembling one of those nights that would die an early death, we've managed to build it up alongside the other crew's nights each Friday to be one of the premier residencies in the city.

No small feat!! And the best part? Year two is only going to get better. We've proven ourselves to the club and the club is starting to give back. That cozy sweatbox of a room with the rotting carpet, dripping pipes and shoddy house sound system is going to get a serious face-lift over the next few months including a brand new sound system and a proper floor. Needless to say we're super excited about these plans!!!

So anyway, to celebrate the year that was and the future that awaits, we're going to tear it up as usual on Friday, June 22nd. Look out!!! We invite all of you to join us! 

Ever since the early Global Underground compilations I've had a hankering to see this guy play here. A few years ago, in the era of Benson & Hedges gold club shows he was booked, but never made it into Canada. Alas the wait carried on. So when last night came around I was primed and ready for a big dose of wicked prog from one of the old masters, and he did not disappoint!

Playing to a nicely full room at Tantra, he blew the roof off with everything from techy bleeps to dark and trancy prog, slowly building through a set in Sasha-like form.

Needless to say I could go on for days, but I'll stop. If you ever get a chance to see this guy, do it.

Honorable mention of course goes to Satoshi Tomiie who accomplished near the same last Wednesday!!

Tired today...!!! 

After that it's off to the more intentional side of things with a couple of all nighters in Ecotopia and Bohemia, June 2nd and June 9th respectively. At Ecotopia I'll be warming up the night with a bouncy set of progressive house, then at Bohemia I'll be splitting personalities completely, playing a 2 hour ambient and downtempo set to start things off for the yoga group, then closing the night with one of my usual beautiful deep trance sets.

The weeks after are filled with everything from an outdoor yoga trance excursion, to three gigs in-store at Holt Renfrew with both Rusty and Matt; and of course not to be forgotten, the 1 year Pure.Prog anniversary at the Rhino. I know we'll have some special things in store for that night!

As far as distractions go, some great acts coming into town over the next few weeks including Satoshi Tomiie, Dave Seaman and one other that Matt won't let me mention!! Going to check them all out of course.

On the production front, finally working on a huge track that might actually go some where. Thanks to some new plug-ins, a new hard-drive and a bunch of time spent meddling with the monster that is Logic, I actually am starting to see some progression. Before the year's out, oh yes...

That's about it for now!! More very soon of course! 

The night itself, to an absolute tee, featured killer music on a killer sound system. Everyone from Khan opening to the closing moments completely ripped it up (although Phoenix is now going to be investing in CDJs after having a serious case of skippy record syndrome!! Too bad because her set was wicked otherwise!).

The sounds went from deep chuggy progressive with Khan and Phoenix, twisted it into pounding prog psy with both Jay and Darvin. After that Rusty stepped up and blew the roof off as usual with an extremely tight set of psy. To close the night off I had the pleasure of closing things down with, for everyone who knows me well, my real bread and butter stuff, deep trance.

Closing a party is probably one of the most difficult time slots to play in. You constantly tread on the edge of determining when someone is going to leave as by that time of night, with energy drained and fatigue starting to kick in, one out of place track or one bad mix can push anyone to call it a night.

This time, unable to even think of keeping up with Rusty's pace, I took a fairly large risk, dropping things completely out to nothing starting with ambient and breaks, then building up into some seriously warm sounds from there. It seemed to work and keep most people around until the last beat, so needless to say I was extremely happy with what I brought musically. Personally one of my best sets in awhile... perhaps a CD mix will be on its way!

Until the next time! 

(Just check out the photo gallery I posted in my photos!).

This time it was just me and Matt taking the controls with Rob being away in Europe. As per usual, the room filled up fast with many more in the line outside.

All night we kept the sound very dreamy with a lot of ooomph, staying mostly away from any electro stuff and just focusing completely on the thumping progressive side; and everyone seemed to love it the whole night through, with the majority of the room hitting up the dance floor. Ending the night off as a special unexpected treat, Matt threw down Paul van Dyk's classic "For an Angel" so of course I had to follow up with Solarstone's timeless wonder "Seven Cities". For those who were still hanging around as the lights came on, it went off huge! Never thought we'd ever get away with those types of tracks in that room, but hey, it's proving that anything is possible in there...

Thank you to everyone once again for making it out. There were a lot of new faces and of course a few of the usual suspects that we always try to play great for, you know who you are!!! Looking forward to the next one on May 25th, and as the day gets closer, please email me to get on the guest list (with the line-up last night it was taking 45 minutes to get in!).

In other news, another ludicrous night of Pure.Prog is coming up this Friday. This time Matt and I will be at the helm (while Rob's tromping around Europe). Coming up on one year of doing this monthly night and the momentum continues to grow.

Also started talking lightly with the powers that be at XTC Radio about doing a monthly radio show. Look for that to happen sometime soon.

In the meantime, enjoy the new site, I'm off this Sunday for a week to the joyous wonderland of Wyoming (have to pay the bills somehow)!! Back just in time for Vancouver...