Free Track from Urban Torque

September 21st sees the release of the the Diogenes Club’s debut EP on Urban Torque, titled ‘Do You Know How To Feel It?’.

Following a string of wonderfully idiosyncratic and freshly skewed instrumental EPs and remixes, the Diogenes Club have now been bolstered by the addition of song-writing vocalist Paul Giles. The combination of the Club’s quirky take on ‘80s funk and synth-laden melodies and Paul’s sweetly melancholic vocals make a resounding match. The startling effect has not gone unnoticed; and Pete Tong has already made ‘Do You Know How To Feel It?’ one of his ‘Calm before the storm’ tracks on his Radio 1 show. This EP pioneers the way ahead for the reinvigorated Diogenes Club, trailblazing along a path of emotionally-charged melody-driven electronic song.

1. Come Back To Us
2. Do You Know How To Feel It?
3. The Ageless
4. Early May

The Inflatable House has been given one of the tracks - ‘The Ageless’ - as a free download, just follow the link below and enter your email address and the password to access the track.

Download Link: www.urbantorque.com/promo/
Password: free

It’s a superb EP and definitely worth tracking down - it really does have something for everyone. It will be available at all good download stores on the 21st of September.

iTunes Improvement Suggestions

I just wrote a little note to the people at Apple and iTunes with two suggestions on how to improve it’s music download store, I thought I’d share it with you.

Hello,

I have one simple request idea (I hope it’s simple anyway), and one more complicated suggestion.

First, can we please have the ability to search by record label - I am a DJ and I follow a lot of record labels, finding and buying specific tracks because they’re released on a particular label. I’d really like the ability to search for a record label, so that I can view all their releases.

Additionally, it would be great for record labels to have their own pages - like the artist pages, this is only an add on point to my suggestion - but it would be very welcome. It would help give the smaller labels that I buy music from the ability to build on their brand from within itunes - and show off their entire back catalog. Record labels are very important, especially within dance music.

Next up, the 30 second samples - these are fine for a 3 minute pop song, but for 7 / 8 minute dance music tracks, the 30 seconds that are usually provided are of no help - the majority of the time it seems to be the first 30 seconds, which is normally just beats. Now, you could say that it isn’t your fault, but this is how dance music (especially house) is structure. A 30 second sample from the middle of the track would be so much better. I don’t know if taking the preview is cropped automatically, but if it could be changed to the middle of the track, we would get a much better idea of what the track sounded like before purchasing.

Additionally, it would be great for a longer sample - Juno Download has 1 minute, Beatport has 2 minutes and DJ Download has a needle drop preview so you can listen to any part of the track in 30 second chunks, this is so helpful for DJ’s when previewing the long tracks that we usually buy. I know that there are probably some legal issues attached to the 30 second previews, but if there isn’t a restriction, then it would be so helpful to extend the previews. How about a 60 second sample for tracks over 5 minutes?

itunes is great, it’s easy to use, the price of 79p per track is very competitive when comparing it to other download sites -especially dance music focused stores like Juno Download, DJ Download and Beatport. And now that you have iTunes Plus, which gives us much better quality - iTunes my preferred download store. I just think these 2 points will help attract a lot more DJ’s to your store.

Many thanks for taking the time to read my suggestions.

So, what do you think? If you agree, then contact iTunes yourself with a similar suggestion.

Shur-I-Kan Podcast

I’ve been a fan of Shur-I-Kan’s productions for quite a while now, so it was a great to find out that he has his own podcast.

Featuring an hour of deep house mixed and introduced by Shur-I-Kan, t’s a monthly mix, usually released within the first few days of the month. He manages to squeeze in a lot of tracks into the hour, giving you previews of future releases by himself, or from his record label Dark Energy, run in conjunction with Milton Jackson, as well as the best Deep House records currently doing the rounds.

It’s well worth subscribing to, the consistency and regularity makes this podcast a rare treat from such a high profile DJ / producer. Others should definitely take note.

Shur-I-Kan podcast info and subscription details

Manuel Tur - 0201

Over the last couple of years Manuel Tur has become one of my favourite producers, his remixes and original productions always find a home in my DJ box. So, when I found out an album was in the works - I was very excited indeed.

Now, I must admit - I didn’t actually get around to buying the album until a month or so after it’s release. I know - I should probably be locked up, as this really is something very special.

Unlike many albums, this is not a collection of previous productions grouped together and forced into an album, this is 13 tracks original productions put together for release. The result is one of the best albums I’ve heard in quite some time.

The album starts off slowly, the quiet, low end strings, piano and splashes of “Patchworks” which then builds into the beats of ‘Stay’ - the album’s first of 3 vocal tracks, the vocal performed by Larissa Kapp who’s voice is very similar to Lisa Stansfield. Next up is the dubby, string laden and rather leftfield “Rubicond”, it provides the set up for one of my favourite tracks on the album “Golden Complexion” - another vocal track and with no beats it completely holds your complete attention. The middle section of the album is like a deep house set, building from dub and leftfield to more progressive cuts taking you towards the final vocal track of the album and the lead single “Will Be Mine”. This signals the end of the middle chapter, the start of the end of the album is two very downtempo tracks “A40″ and “On The Road”. They are the calm before the storm - although the storm is the uplifting and almost acid house vibe of ‘Radial’ a gorgeous summer of love record perfect for day time festivals, it’s sunshine captured in 6 minutes of blissful house music. The album ends with another beatless production “Final Later”, and a reminder of Manuel Tur’s German upbringing - sounding like kraftwork, electronic strings build and collapse, weaving themselves amongst faint noises and samples. It rounds the album off brilliantly, the whole collection made me want to press repeat and start the whole journey again.

This is a very mature debut from a producer who could still be considered to be learning his trade - at only 22, he’s managed to produce a near perfect collection of tracks that many of considerable more experience would struggle to create. It’s an album that has it’s dancefloor moments, but similar to Sasha’s “Airdrawndagger” it has been built for the home - it knows it’s place.

No More Warm Up DJ’s?

A topic that has been cropping up more and more recently on forums, and was sparked into life by Nic Fancuilli on twitter (@nicfanciulli) who out of the blue came out and asked;

“Ok this is not a rant but has the concept of the warm up dj been lost?”

It’s a very valid question, and I have to say ‘yes’. Here are my thoughts on the subject.

DJ’ing has become to many - not all, more about the performance than the actual music itself. DJ’s want to be in the spotlight, they want to have everyone on the dancefloor from the moment they put the needle on the first track, they want to play the biggest tracks at their disposal to get that reaction, I don’t think they want to hide away the music that’s going to get a positive reaction, even if it could be too early to play those particular tracks.

Learning to DJ was based around a love affair with the music, but the rise of the superstar and the international clubbing scene has created a new reason to start DJ’ing - the lifestyle, money and fame. DJ’s aren’t happy with doing a job for the night, slotting in where needed - they want to be noticed, so they can move up the chain.

I personally love DJ’ing early on in the night, getting to the bar or club when it’s empty, building up the crowd slowly. Usually I’m my own warm up DJ, as I’m playing the entire night, so I break the night into chunks of time, being the warm up DJ, as well as the one who plays throughout, and finishes.

So, is the warm up DJ a thing of the past - do DJ’s just play the music they want, without considering the DJ who is going to follow them? Maybe we could get all sociological and say that the real problem is a lack of consideration of people within our culture, people are selfish… or, are DJ’s just selfish? No longer wanting to play for the love of music and for the crowd in front of them, but for themselves and what they can gain out of it.

I believe Nic Fanciulli started as a warm up DJ in Kent, and along with former warm up DJ’s such as James Zabiella and Danny Howells, has become a headline act. So, it’s definitely possible to move up the DJ food chain, to be noticed and to become the main event. I hope this continues as DJ’s do need to start somewhere, and the good ones should shine and get the opportunity to progress - I just hope there is someone to follow in their footsteps and provide the warm up for them.

It’s a very valid point, and this is just my take on Nic’s tweet, I’d love you to disagree and list a huge list of warm up DJ’s at clubs up and down the country and around the world that are happy being the warm up act, that know their place within the musical set up and perform their job without an ego.

Martin Lucas September Chart

Some really nice deep house that I’ve been playing out, as well as a lot of tech landing in my record box from the likes of Corrugated Tunnel.

01. Jimpster - Sleeper
02. Ferdy & Edwin Mulder & Sebastian Davidson - Night Shift
03. Tiefschwarz - Music (Peet The Guitarist Bootie Mix)
04. Rene Breitbarth - Drama String
05. Gui Boratto - No Turning Back (Nomad in the Dark Remix)
06. GIOM - I Know You Were Right
07. Corrugated Tunnel - Green Keys
08. Bernard Jones - Don’t You Wish (Harold Heath Re-Rub)
09. A:Xus - Suite Disappointment (Edwin James Deep Remix)
10. Psycation - Deeper Shades of Black (Corrugated Tunnel Remix)

Deep Down Inside by Martin Lucas

A 65 minute mix born from that feeling hidden Deep Down Inside. Featuring deep, dubby, tech house tracks and remixes by Milton Jackson, Pezzner, Patrick Turner, Charles Webster, H.O.S.H. and Palm Skin Productions.

01. Misstress Barbara - Dance Me To The End Of Love (H.O.S.H. Remix) [Inturnem]
02. Fish Go Deep - Final Tide (Charles Webster Remix) [Go Deep]
03. Sasse - Wrapper (Penner + Muder Remix) [Mood Music]
04. Franck Roger - I’m Waiting [FR]
05. Pezzner - Too Many Of Your [Urbantorque]
06. Patrick Turner - Dream Is Real [SOWAT]
07. Palm Skin Productions - Magnetic North [Freerange]
08. Taho - Energy Fields (Shed’s Ride Disturbance Mix) [Delsin]
09. Roy Davis Jr. - Let It Ride [Nice & Smooth]
10. Matt Masters - Deep Or What (Milton Jackson Remix) [Pack Up & Dance]
11. Home & Garden Featuring Derrick Carter - Domesticated (Pezzner Remix) [Om]
12. Angel Alanis - The Question (Ciselant Remix) [Ruttelplatten]

BBQ’d Grooves by Hu_Kares

Hu_Kares pulls his finger out and presents 95 minutes of summer tinged house music loveliness.

Prodigy - Intro (Gordons Stranges reeeee-eeeeeedit)
The Very Best featuring Ezra Koenig - Warm Heart of Africa (Metronomy Remix)
Darren Emerson presents H2O - Bouncer
2020 Soundsystem - Sliding Away (Johnny D Remix)
D’Julz - Acid Flavor
John Tejada - Sweat (On the Walls) (Gordon Strange’s long loop edit)
FC Kahuna - Machine Say Yes (Josh Wink’s Acid Dub Interpretation)
D’Julz - Acid Tricks
Style Of Eye - Grounded
Pryda - Animal
Delirium - Silence (Gordon’s filter-a-pella)
Daniele Papini - Church of Nonsense
Michael Jackson - Billy Jean (Minilogue Remix)
Christian Fischer - Kolibri (Alex Young Dub Remix)
Octave One - Blackwater (Full Strings Vocal Mix)
Laurent Garnier - Gnanmankoudji (Horny Monster Mix)
Markus Homm, Mihai Popoviciu, Jay Bliss - Bis Co
Thomas Schumacher - Sunset

Samples
War of the Worlds (Morgan Freeman)
Bruce Lee (Various)
John F Kennedy (Cuban Crisis)

And remember, don’t spit in the mayo!

The Art of the Mix Tape

Well, it used to be a tape, a c90 cassette recorded straight out of the mixer - and the only plus point was that you’d get to take a pause after 45 minutes when the tape would have to be turned over.

Then came the mini disc, and the CD recorder - both using the same technique as the trusty cassette - recorded straight from what was being played through the mixer. Live. No going back if you fluffed up a mix, the whole thing would have to be recorded again from the start - talk about pressure!

Then came the laptops, Serato, Traktor and Ableton - mixes that could be laid down, tweaked and adjusted, re-arranged and edited until you’re 100% happy with it. Suddenly everyone was able to make a mix that was technically flawless, everything mixed perfectly, all the tracks at the same levels and sounding just like they would on a Renaissance, Ministry or Global Underground release… except for one detail. One minor point that hasn’t changed since the original cassette mix recordings - the mix still contains a series of individual tracks sequenced in a particular order. Mess that part up and it doesn’t really matter how technically fantastic the mix is.

So, are there any rules to sequencing the perfect mix? Yes, there are some, but please note many of the following are personal ones that I try to stick to, and in places are ones that suite the deep / techy house music that I play.

A start, middle and end. Consider your mix to be a story, a journey - don’t just start off and continue the mix on the same tempo and energy, build your mix a little bit with each track - the next track should progress and gain, build on the previous track - this is also effective when putting a mix together of different styles.

Throw in a lost classic. Who says that your promotional mixes have to be full of brand new releases, and even yet to be released track. Digging up an old track that may of been long forgotten, and one that fits into the style of the rest of tracks will give your mix a sense of credibility - you’ve been into this music for a while and you know and appreciate it’s history.

End strong. It’s going to be the track that people remember on your mix - and could reflect on the whole mix, if it ends with a bit of a flop then who ever is listening will more than likely forget the whole mix pretty quickly. The same is almost true of the first track - start strong and get the listeners attention quickly.

Cramming. If you play a range of styles - a 75 minute mix CD may not be the best place to show them all. If you’re trying to fit everything in that you do, it could turn into a mess. Try and stick to a smaller portion and pick out the best tracks. I play deep, soulful and techy house - but for each mix I do I only focus on one or at the most two of those styles.

Listening Environment. Remember, this mix is likely to be listened to at home, in the car, at work - not at a nightclub where you might be intending it to. Pitching you mix down a couple of BPM’s to suite the users surroundings can definitely make it more listen-able.

So, there’s a couple of suggestions from me - do you have any?

Poem…..

As we are quite an ‘arty’ bunch here at the inflatable house, I thought I’d further compound this by posting a little poem I happened across. I wont go into too much detail, but those that know the subject matter will get it. If not then just appreciate it for it’s fluidity and prose.

House is a feeling….