Sizzled Chicago

WNUR’s 2nd Annual Chicago Jack Summit | 5.5 Hours of Live Online DJ Sets!

Posted on 23. Feb, 2009 by Karl.

WNUR’s 2nd Annual Jack Summit happens Monday night. This is a phoneathon drive for this wonderful underground, commercial-free station that has been doing their thing for years and years. Expect lots of good music … and lots of nonsense too, as they let us get on the mics (oh no!).

2nd Annual Chicago Jack Summit - Featuring DJ Sets From (in set time order):

Karl Almaria
Chris Grant
Frankie J (of The Sound Republic)
Santiago (of Santiago & Bushido)
Justin Long
Midway Strangers
Bryan Jones

89.3 FM (Chicago Radio)
Monday, February 23rd
9pm-2:30am (CST)
Also streaming online: www.wnur.org.

WNUR STREETBEAT RADIO
Since our inception in the late 80s, our foremost goal has been to play the most forward-thinking, cutting-edge, underground dance and hip-hop cuts the world has to offer. We have programming on the station six nights a week covering material from industrial to progressive, hip-hop to tech house.

From the beginnings of house music in Chicago, WNUR has brought to the airwaves a side of dance music that doesn’t get exposure elsewhere on the dial, in the clubs, or even in the party scene. While WBMX’s Hotmix 5 were playing the latest local cuts during house music’s big explosion, WNUR’s role was playing the imports. Such legendary DJs as Derrick Carter and Mark Farina held shows on WNUR in the late 80s/early 90s. In the mid 90s, DJ Snuggles’ Strictly Jungle show gained national recognition for being the first weekly drum ‘n bass show in the country. Our present mission is to provide Chicago and the world with a source of consistently good underground electronic/dance music in all its variety, both new and old, whether local or imported.

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[Weekly Column] Diggin’ in the Crates: Special Topic: Remedy’s Top Ten House Tunes Diggin’ in the Crates Volume # 7

Posted on 22. Feb, 2009 by remedy.

What’s good my House Fam?!

John Miles (aka the DJ Remedy) here reporting once again. Welcome to lucky installment number ’seven’ of my weekly column Diggin’ in the Crates. For those of you who have not yet visited the Sizzled Chicago site or read my previous columns, here’s the deal: Every week I pull a record from my collection that I think is dope, record some clips for you to hear, and then explain what it means to me so that hopefully you go and snag it so it will mean something to you. Other than just talking about the actual music, I will also spend some quality time touching on the artists, who they are, and information that will help you support them and the wonderful art they create.

This week I will present a different topic:  “Remedy’s Top Ten House Tunes”. I have always wanted to do this list but have never finalized it so I felt that for lucky #7 of ‘Crates’ it would be an appropriate topic.  I will provide release information and a quick blurb or two about the track and why it’s dope enough to be in my top ten.  Some of the tunes have already been featured in past installments but I wanted you to see how they stack up in the top ten list.  So enough talk, let’s peep the tracks I value most.. .

Remedy’s Top Ten House Tunes:

_______________________

1)   Solar House - “Freedom” [Large Records 068]

Solar House - Freedom

This was the featured record on ‘Crates’ Installment Six from last week.  Calum Walker created a timeless Deep House classic.  Peep the one record that has meant more to my musical career than any other.  “What is House music?  It’s a unique form of music that gives complete freedom of expression.. .You can grab this wax HERE

2)   Ron Trent/Joshua/Abacus/Chez Damier - “Foot Therapy” [Prescription 108]

Foot Therapy

“Let Your Spirit Dance, let your spirit dance”.  This immaculate EP was created by 4 of Deep House’s ambassadors.  The record was dedicated to David Cole.  The record is seriously one of the best slabs of deep wax ever created and I feel honored to own a copy.  As the record states, “I can always feel the faith that sits awaiting.  God is guiding.  Some people know this feeling that keeps them wanting more.   You better hope this feeling comes soon over you.” Grab this gem HERE

3)   Atjazz - “Looking Glass” [Reincarnation 003]

Atjazz - Looking Glass

Featured on ‘Crates’ Installment #2, the one that is Atjazz takes you on a journey into space with this amazing musical composition.  The song truly tells a story and anyone who appreciates the art that is music will appreciate this record.  You can grab this record HERE

4)   Ear Lotion - “The Fiasco Rubdown” [Select Recordings 002]

The Fiasco Rubdown

Featured on ‘Crates’ Installment #3, Johnny Fiasco churns out my favorite remix of his.  Working with an upbeat original and taking it deeper and deeper, Juan Lopez showcases talent that touts him as the House Godfather.  With the track’s vocals meaning a lot to various moments of my life, it will always be near the top of my list.  You can grab this record HERE

5)   E-Tones - “Day Lite” [Aphrodisio 008]

E-Tones - Day Lite

This was one of my first vinyl purchases back in 2004.  Having seen E-Tones rock many parties in Minneapolis, his sets are legendary.  This knowledge of working a crowd has the one that is E-Tones taking you on a deep voyage with this disco remake.  Enjoy!  You can grab this record HERE

6)   Eric Gadd - “The Right Way (Mood II Swing Dub Mix)” [Hevi Floe 04]

The Right Way

Mood II Swing remixs this original bumpin’ vocal tune into a simple and timeless deep groove.  Rolling bassline, perfectly chopped vocal samples, and addicting synth stabs make this baby chug right along.  Having first heard it on Mark Farina’s Live @ The Gathering 97′ mix, I snagged this baby HERE and has managed to damag dance floors all around!

7)  Pound Boys - “Way Back When” [Look At You 003]

Pound Boys - Way Back When

One of the first records released by the dynamic duo, the Pound Boys, they are def one of my favorite groups. Releasing classic after classic record, these guys unleash an 11 minute deep bomb of synths and organs with ‘Way Back When’.  The layering is impeccable.  Hands in the air peeps!  You can grab this wax HERE

8)  Johnny Fiasco - “Passageway” [Large-025]

Johnny Fiasco - Passageway

One of Johnny’s first releases that pretty much set him atop of many Chicago Producers of the late 90’s this track comes off of the scorching 4 tracker entitled “Subliminal Passage”.  This deep trippy arrangement sets the mood instantly and showcases Johnny’s many different Production styles.  One of my favorite Large releases, you can grab it HERE

9)  Kids In the Streets - “Keep On Turning (Motorcitysoul Original Dub)” [STIR15]

Keep On Turning

The record states:  “The biggest leap we make in personal growth is when we move from the belief that “life is happening to me” to knowing life is happening by - and through me.  Two ways to ask “why me?”.  We can ask why me? from a place of self-pity…we can ask “why me?” from a place of self-discovery … remember, we teach others how to treat u, how to practice responsibility, stop making excuses…stop blaming others or circumstances ..work on changing yourself, not others…find your part in it (you do have a part, whether you admit it or not).  when we’re in victim mode, we don’t see our part and don’t see how we are “advertising” for it.  We don’t see in us what allows the condition to remain.   thanks for hearing, Chez”

Enough said!  You can grab it HERE

10)  Sounds of Life - “Get Into the Vibe” [ProgCity 0009]

Get Into the Vibe

Sounds of Life have a way to inject soul into records.  This record has that soul and it gets me every time.  It sounds amazing loud and the goosebumps rise every time I play it.  Prog City has a history of releasing bombs and this one is no exception.  You are guaranteed to work the floor with this baby.   You can grab it HERE

So there is the list my friends.  By no means is it definite or ‘your’ list but I hope you can feel these records like I do.  Musical expression is what I seek in records and these ten are perfect examples of that.

My new promo “Pieces & Expressions” will be done soon. This will be a mix that will celebrate a decade of artists and tunes who promote this “freedom of expression” that I champion as a DJ & musician.  Please look out for that in the coming weeks to download and put in your car, play on your iPod, or use to take a trip to the deep techy side of things.

I will be taking next week off to work on this mix so enjoy these 10 records for the next 2 weeks.

As always, please  email me with any comments, questions, or opinions on my column and/or the record.  I am always open to feedback and want to know your thoughts on what I’m trying to do here and how I might be able to improve.

One,

-John Miles (DJ Remedy)

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[Weekly Column] Diggin’ in the Crates: Featured Record: Solar House Power of Sound E.P. (Large Records)

Posted on 17. Feb, 2009 by remedy.

Hola peeps?!

John Miles (aka the DJ Remedy) here reporting once again. Welcome to installment number six of my weekly column Diggin’ in the Crates. For those of you who have not yet visited the Sizzled Chicago site or read my previous columns, here’s the deal: Every week I pull a record from my collection that I think is dope, record some clips for you to hear, and then explain what it means to me so that hopefully you go and snag it so it will mean something to you. Other than just talking about the actual music, I will also spend some quality time touching on the artists, who they are, and information that will help you support them and the wonderful art they create.  Alright, now that business is settled, let’s peep another dope record!

This week’s featured record:

Solar House - “Power of Sound E.P.” [Large Records]

A  Power of Sound

B1  Freedom

B2  Higher Power

Drum roll please……….behold, the Holy Grail of records! Yes my friends, this is the one.  This dope record created by the one that is Solar House aka Calum Walker released in 01′ on Large Records contains my favorite house tune, “Freedom”.  No joke.  There is no slab of wax that has meant more for my musical career than this one.  I started seriously listening to house mix tapes around 2003 when my brother let me dig into his collection of electronic gems.  Before that I didn’t know there was much of a difference between house genres like “Deep” and “Jackin”, but I knew that I liked more of the “Deep” sound from all of my OM Records purchases.  Always having an interest in the sounds of Chicago, I picked up the Afterhours Chicago mix at Best Buy in Madison, WI cleverly placed in the Electronica/Dance Music area of the store.  Let it be known that this CD would introduce me to some of the foundations of Chicago House Music:  Guidance Records and Large Records.

Large Records began in the early 90’s as the brainchild of Founder & Owner Jeff Craven.  Jeff has one run one hell of a business over the last 16 years releasing nothing but straight fire with almost every release.  You can’t think of a house release by Large that isn’t ‘classic’ in the sense that us house heads always refer to.  For this reason, I am pretty sure it was fitting for Kinkysweet Records and the ‘Afterdark’ series would choose a Chicago mix to made from only Large releases.  The first time I popped in this Afterdark mix into my Ford Ranger’s CD player and pressed ‘Play’, I was taken over by the mixing styles of Jask.  Jack Merideth aka Jask is one of the most respected jocks in this biz we call house and has over 2 decades of experience behind the decks.  What a way to get introduced to Large Records and Jask I tell ya, something that was meant to be people!

In anticipation to finishing college at UW-Madison and moving away to begin a professional career, I must admit that hearing releases like the “Power of Sound” and the “Afterdark” mix swayed my decision to move to Chicago a ton.  I always wanted to live in a big city where I could work & play and I always wanted to be in an environment where music played a large part in the culture.  What a choice it was to move to a city that expresses itself authentically through it’s House music, Chicago (pats self on back..haha)! In all seriousness though, my decision to move here was made final upon driving along Lake Shore Drive here in Chi as the sun went down blasting “Freedom” with my windows rolled down.  It was if time stopped and the city was calling.

“What is House Music?  It is a unique form of music that gives complete freedom of expression.. .”

This saying is what I base almost all of my musical endeavors on.  The sample used in B1  Freedom is perfectly placed as I believe it is the perfect definition of what purpose House music is trying to serve.  Let me attempt to explain my thoughts for a moment:  The freedom house brings can be defined as an expression of thought, talent, passion, creativity, and soul released through a complex intricate musical art. This art’s creation is intended for dancing and this dancing is a result of this musical art.  The dance floor and the dj complete a never ending cycle of energy which is rooted with music made by the artist’s freedom of expression.  This energy is addicting and wonderful and is what we seek when we make music, play music, and dance to music.  This pursuit of this energy which brings happiness and satisfaction in turn driving us all to find it over and over again…

Seeking this energy while in Chicago in Spring of 05′ rolling along Lake Shore Drive, I was playing Track 11 on the Afterdark series, B1  Freedom when it all happened.  The track begins with driving percussion including some bright hi-hats, snares, and a thundering kick.  Then the deepness is injected in with some lush pads and strings that grow and grow over time.  I refer to them as ‘moody’ chords because as soon as I hear them, I get goosebumps and I know I’m gonna hear something deep and serious.  Next, a dope vocoded guitar riff is brought in taking more control of us as we listen.  The breakdown comes in next which involves the ‘freedom of expression’ sample from above setting the mood for more.  Then BAM! the dopest of the dope Rhodes piano melody comes in as well as a second bassline gradually completing the track.  The way Calum starts to bleed in the Rhodes is a thing of beauty.  The success of the track really has to do with how the track is layed out in general as you don’t hear the best part until you’ve already been dancing for ~3 1/2 minutes.   This melody repeats til the end of the track with the vocals coming in and out complimenting them.   Speaking from experience with being on the dance floor wanting more and more from a track as I ‘m dancing, this track definitely delivers!

If you were going to speak of “Feel Good” House or “Happy House” , then Calum Walker brings this to you with B2  Higher Power.  The Rhodes melody on this track will literally put a perma grin on your face and make you “feel good” from your head to your toes.  Another ‘goosebumps on the neck’ groove, Higher Power was indeed made for you to put your hands on the air and reach for that higher power.  I think it would be acceptable being belted out of a church on the south side of Chicago on Sunday morning.  I will probably start going to church once again if they ever play start playing music like this.   Some soulful and nicely placed vocals by the one like “Angela Reid” fit right in to that infectious groove.  Now as a dancer myself, I can say that nothing warms up a house track’s mood and  “makes ya feel good” more than a lady’s vocals belting out over some wicked house beats.  You should all thank Angela for doing this repeatedly on various Solar House Large releases over the years (round of applause…).  Sit back and smile as Angie sings..

“Where is this coming from..?  This is where I belong!  And I feel so free. This is where I should be.  I know, I know myself, better than anyone else.  Where is this coming from?  I like to feeeel things.  I don’t want to let this go….!  do do dooo do doooooo..da dooo da dooo da doooo..” (Now that’s some soul peeps!)

There is indeed a “power” within sound and I have tried my best over the last few weeks to define this power through these records I love.  How fitting than to have my favorite record called the A  Power of Sound.  This title track is a deep & spacey house journey and I think if there was a genre it would indeed be “Solar House”.  This was made with every intention to take you into the clouds and it sure does.  Some live african percussion, saxophone, Rhodes, steel drums stabs, deep pads & chords and various other elements make this track come alive.  I picture myself sitting in Machu Picccu staring up into the sky as the music surrounds me.  Wicked title tune here my friends.  Get deeeeep!

So I hope you enjoyed my journey into the power of sound and some life experiences I’ve had based on my favorite record.  This can be purchased at discogs HERE and to make this wax even more exclusive, this is one of the few Large releases which is Vinyl Only and cannot be found on any of the digital download sites.  My guess is the “Freedom” samples didn’t get digital clearance so it will remain a Wax gem that we here at Diggin’ love.   I snagged my copy at Gramaphone Records here in Chicago but I am sure you can grab yours at your local wax retailer (if you are lucky enough to still have one ).

B1  Freedom will be on my upcoming Promo Mix CD, “Pieces & Expressions”, a mix that will celebrate a decade of artists and tunes who promote this “freedom of expression” that I champion as a DJ & musician.  Please look out for that in the coming weeks to download and put in your car, play on your iPod, or use to take a trip to the deep techy side of things.

As always, please  email me with any comments, questions, or opinions on my column and/or the record.  I am always open to feedback and want to know your thoughts on what I’m trying to do here and how I might be able to improve.

****Next week you will be treated to a Remedy’s Top Ten  Tunes Chart for Diggin’ in the Crates Lucky Number 7****

Til lucky number 7,

-John Miles (DJ Remedy)

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[New monthly column] Mixtape Chronicles 001: Star Trax

Posted on 10. Feb, 2009 by baiee.

Ah yes… the mix tape! Those outdated, scratched-up, unstable pieces of plastic that most folks have banished to a forgotten shoe box in their mother’s basement…

If you’re anything like me (or are driving a car that still has a tape deck), then maybe you’ve held on to a couple (dozen) of the cassettes that meant something to you. If you’re like the vast majority of people my age (that spent their high school years chasing down rave parties), you have long since lost that old box of tapes, or maybe wish you still had a copy of that one special tape that melted in the backseat of your car.  It’s also entirely conceivable that you’re young enough to have missed cassette culture entirely — in which case this monthly series will hopefully open your eyes to a whole series of mixes (and the culture that went along with them) that hail from a Time Before Digitalia. 

Whatever the case may be, if you were part of that culture, then you almost certainly had a favorite mixtape. As an example, some of the tapes of my youth contain elements that continue to inspire me as a DJ 13 years later. The intent of this article — coming at you once a month — is to happily recognize, explore, and expose new (and old) listeners to some of the tapes that have had the biggest impact in my life as a house music enthusiast that grew up in Chicago in the 1990’s. 

The Mixtape Chronicles will aim to dig up the best sets of yore, and although there are many established and well-known mixtapes to acknowledge out there (most of which are readily available on archival sites), I’ll be attempting to showcase more obscure, harder-to-find tapes from my own collection that might have otherwise slipped through the cracks. These are the mixes that I’ve proclaimed as my own personal classics! So without further ado, here’s the first.

As I was trying to decide what to kick this series off with, I bounced between a number of strong contenders. When it came down to it though, my first choice ended up being Star Trax, a personal favorite of mine that will hopefully encompass the essence of what this column is all about. My original copy was handed down to me in 1996 from a friend, and has since been in and out of my hands at least three times. I was finally just recently able to recover a copy after years of trying to track another one down, and to my delight it was just as good all these years later as it was back then.

This tape brings back memories of hot & sweaty house parties, long car rides to random check-point raves, and grindin-ass fools makin’ shit twerk in south side barrios all over Chicagoland. This tape is a straight-up ghetto house banger, a sound that was especially huge in the Midwest (and is probably responsible for Daft Punk’s entire career) but is in no way tacky. Seminal Chicago ghetto house labels DanceMania and Relief Records make a dtrong showing all over this mix, along with early tunes from legendary producers Fast Eddie, Green Velvet, Paul Johnson and DJ Funk.

The (still) unknown DJ who laid this mix down could have been plucked straight out of any house party at the time, and the mix contains tons of edits and reworks that I’m still trying to track down! The packaging (and side A) positively scream commercial studio mix, but I’m still pretty sure this was mixed live. The jock behind the decks is not at all afraid to abruptly cut tracks in (or quickly slap them out), and the tape captures a lot of the attitude and style I still hope to see from DJ’s when I’m out and about.

This mix remains a true mystery tape to me and my friends (we still have no idea who was responsible for it), but it was definitely professionally duplicated (printed in white across the side of a clear cassette case with nothing but a telephone number).

I always had fun hypothesizing what DJ was behind this (anybody out there with inside information, please pass it on)! What’s especially curious about this tape is that the first song on side A is “Cotton Eyed Joe”…. um, yeah we won’t go there (nor present that side to you here) but trust me, Side B to this day is where it’s at!

Thanks again to Brian S. from Wisconsin for taking the time to digitize his copy of this classic tape for me. This has given me the opportunity to share one of my favorite tapes of all time, Star Trax, with a whole new audience.

Of course ripped tapes aren’t going to be of the best audio quality, but after years of research and easy listening on the deephousepage archive, I’ve learned that inspiring content doesn’t always require perfect sound quality!

So, without any further hold-up, I present to you the infamous, ghetto-fabulous, yin to DJ Funk’s yang, inspirational, and (in my opinion) classic music mix that is Star Trax!

Grab the mix on the Sizzled servers at: 
http://sizzledchicago.com/guestmixes/MixTapeChronicles-StarTraxx.mp3

Or from Underground Existence dot info at:
http://www.undergroundexistence.info/StarTraxx.mp3

Until next month,

Bryan (BAI-EE) Balli

http://smoothagentrecords.com

http://myspace.com/truefamilyunit

http://undergroundexistence.info

 

 TMTC001 "Star Trax" [30:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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[Weekly Column] Diggin’ in the Crates: Featured Record: Kerri Chandler After The Other Thing For Linda E.P. (Downtown 161 Records)

Posted on 08. Feb, 2009 by remedy.

Halllooooo?!

John Miles (aka the DJ Remedy) back at ya once again. Welcome to installment number five of my weekly column Diggin’ in the Crates. For those of you who have not yet visited the Sizzled Chicago site or read my previous columns, here’s the deal: Every week I pull a record from my collection that I think is dope, record some clips for you to hear, and then explain why I love it and why you should own it. Other than just talking about the actual music, I will also spend some quality time touching on the artists, who they are, and information that will help you support them and the wonderful art they create.  Alright, now that I’ve settled the score, on to another dope record!

This week’s featured record:

Kerri Chandler - “After The Other Thing For Linda E.P.” [Downtown 161 www002]

A  Out To The Boonies (The Zone Mix)

B1  I’ll Send It (I Promise) Bear Paw Mix

B2  Downtown (Dark Mix)

If there was an artist I’d feel comfortable labeling as genius in the electronic music world, Kerri Chandler may just well be it. One of the founders (and continued champions) of the so called “deep” house sound, Kerri’s rhythms and production have set standards for all who toil in that genre.  As his Biography states, he grew up in New Jersey in a family of jazz musicians and was raised amongst soul, disco, and the New York Garage sound, which helped him hone his incredible taste and talent.  This diverse upbringing has led Kerri to lead one of the most impressive and iconic musical careers in this realm we call house music.  Check his Discography for concrete, sheer numbers-based proof of this.

As we here at Sizzled got to appreciate and witness the musical legacy of the father/son DJ team of Marshall and Bill Beecher this past weekend, I can’t help but make comparisons to how Kerri followed in similar footsteps. He grew up attending gigs with his own father, a respected DJ himself, who turned Kerri on to the craft at the tender age of thirteen.  A lot of folks who call themselves DJ’s didn’t find the calling until much later, and Kerri’s life of music is a very interesting (and very impressive) story.  Not many of us have had (or will have) the opportunity to push and define sound the way he has, and for this I am happy that Mr. Chandler has maximized his opportunity and stayed true to his roots and convictions throughout his own journey.  

Here at Diggin’ in the Crates I often try to document the deep connection I have with a particular record in my own collection, and describing the spiritual approach Kerri takes to making his records fits right into that mentality.  A very spiritual and religious individual, Kerri prays before making each record and as his website states, he attempts to “inject his free spirit into the groove” each time he works on a project.  As one of Kerri’s biggest fans and an appreciator of the so called “freedom of expression” that house music gives us as artists, let me say that Chandler certainly injected spirit effectively into this week’s featured record.

A  Out To The Boonies (The Zone Mix) is a true definition of what his fans have described as a “legendary” groove.  Kerri starts the track off with some very solid percussion (that he records and writes from scratch — he has released sample collections and FX packs for producers to incorporate in their own work, spreading his message even deeper and further that way), and allows the tune to  ”enter the deep” with a genre-defining analog bassline sound that sets the tone of the track and builds the backbone and foundation of the groove. Along with the bassline, a string section builds as the track progresses, creating  even more ambiance.  Once the meat of the track is laid out, a very nice harmonica solo builds and builds throughout the track (changing octaves, but remaining in key), and this carries on for 4 minutes or so – building a nice sustained groove without rushing things. The track is accompanied by some bright piano stabs echo harmonica solo’s tones. The track is closes out with this spoken bit:

“I want you to imagine a journey that’s very far from where you are right now. We are going to call that place The Boonies.  It will help you figure out where you are going only because the physical journey is a lot tougher than the mental one.  Remember, nothing is possible cause you’ve already made the trip, to the boonies….”.  Now that my friends is deep! [Ed.: haha, it suuuuure is, John! -jm]

B1  I’ll Send It (I Promise) Bear Paw Mix is the most fun of the 3 tracks on the EP.  An infectious synth chord progression with the perfect touch of delay and reverb define this playful tune.  The Thing for Linda theme that Kerri made for Downtown 161 (the distribution company’s record label)  is another joint in his serious of pieces dedicated to Linda Perrone of the same company (peep: “The Thing for Linda”, “The Other Thing for Linda”, “After the Other Thing for Linda”, “The 4th Thing for Linda”, you get the point).  A very interesting play on words, “I’ll Send It (I Promise)” probably has to do with Kerri most likely delivering the tune a bit late (although I don’t know the full story on this, but if I hear anything else about it, I’ll be sure to report back!).  Regardless of the play on words or when he turned it in, the tune does justice to itself and chugs along nicely as the reverb-and-delay-soaked synths are gradually accompanied by KC’s signature pads and strings that echo the main riff.  Definitely a good tune to play as the night is progressing and the dance floor is just beginning to fill up (or directly after peak hour when everyone is still on that high and don’t need to be convinced anymore!).

B2  Downtown (Dark Mix) is by far my favorite Kerri Chandler track of all time.  It has all of the elements of what I consider to be a true deep house track.  Booming dark kicks, a deep subby bassline, ‘verbed-out synth stabs, lush chords and strings, and spacy vocal samples.  All of these elements rolled into one really help to define the way I define deep house.  This track never disappoints.  It is a true definition of KC’s deep + driving sound, and I can only imagine the passion that was put into the production of this lush piece of music. If the goal of “Downtown” was to create that space “where we can go, like we used to do“, then it was a successful creation indeed, as this tune completes a timeless EP that indeed takes us places… that takes me downtown. Have a listen yourself (preferably on a dark dancefloor with a hundred or two of your closest friends), and see where it takes you, I’m sure you will find it!

“Yeah baby, I know a place where we can go.  It’s called downtown, you know what I’m sayin? down…yeah…you know…where we used to go.  You know, like we used to do….down….you know what I’m sayin baby?  We are going to go down, that’s where the action is baby, we are going to dowwwn…”

This genre defying deep house release (“After the Other Thing for Linda E.P.”) can be snagged at discogs HERE and as it is definitely a vinyl-only label (which makes sense considering Downtown 161 is pretty much the only U.S.-based house vinyl distributer left — I don’t see them going digital any time soon!), and it can probably be picked up by your local record retailer as well (if you are lucky enough to still have one).   B2  Downtown (Dark Mix) made it on to my July 2008 Mix Friday Groove which can be found on my Podcast for your downloading pleasure. Peep the layering I do with Joshua’s “Echo Chamber” on that mix as the two tracks fit nicely on top of one another!

I hope this review has been beneficial to you, and that you can grab hold to a bit of the inspiration I have received from Kerri Chandler’s production (if you already haven’t!) on this record as well as his overall spiritual approach to a music career.  Remember that house music is indeed a feeling and however you intend to achieve that feeling is up to you: artist, partygoer, dancer, or otherwise! All any of us can do is just be true to whatever it that we do, and Kerri is a shining example of that.

As always, please feel free to email me with any comments, questions, or opinions on my column.  I am always open to feedback and want to know your thoughts on what I’m trying to do here and how I might be able to improve.

Keepin’ it deep and signing off til the next installment,

-John Miles (DJ Remedy)

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[Weekly Column] Nerd Words: Roland’s GI-20 MIDI Guitar Interface

Posted on 29. Jan, 2009 by John.

Hey there, my fellow dweebs! I know I’m a little late this week, but here we go with the second installment of the Nerd Words column, a little weekly discussion between you, me, and our pocket protectors about the intricate subtleties of predicate calculus. Wait, wrong website. Really though, it’s basically just an outlet for me to discuss some of the more technical issues related to this wacky music that we know and love, usually as it pertains to studio gear and the actual making of… stuff. 

Right. This week I’m going to talk about one of the coolest (and up until recently, one of the most wildly underused) pieces of equipment in my studio’s arsenal: the Roland GI-20 Guitar/MIDI interface (along with the essential GK-3 MIDI Pickup — **NOTE! Be advised that neither piece of equipment works without the other — you need both — so don’t be like me and bring home the pickup, expecting to plug it right in to a piece of MIDI gear and have it work. It won’t. You need the interface).

So without being too technical (if you want the full shakedown on the technology, peep it here), the deal with Roland’s GK/GI stuff is pretty simple: attach the pickup to any guitar (preferably one that isn’t too expensive, as the actual sound of it doesn’t matter at all… it’s just a way of delivering data, like any blank MIDI keyboard) or grab yourself a guitar that’s made specifically to work with the Roland interface (like the Brian Moore iGuitar, for example), jack in to the GI-20 interface, and BLAM! you’ve turned your guitar in to a MIDI controller. So now you can play any synth, soft-synth, drum machine, and anything else that can be controlled via MIDI with your guitar. Rad? Rad.

But it must not work properly, right? There’s gotta be something wrong with it. As far as I can tell, the answer is a big fat wrong to both. In fact, it’s surprisingly accurate, even in translating complex stuff like string bends and note slides. So if you’re like Frankie and I were when we finally got to making dance music, you maybe had been in a band or two and still play guitar or bass at a competent level (oh yea, there’s a bass module, too). It just seems to me that folks of our generation are so much more likely to play guitar than keys, so I’m stoked that there is finally a way for those of us who aren’t Stevie Wonder to start adding some more advanced MIDI programming in to our tunes. This is definitely the key to doing that. 

As I said before, I went out and bought the pickup first (without fully reading up on things), and was incredibly pissed off when I got home and realized I needed the interface for it to work. So I waited a while and eventually went out and bought the interface. I waited even longer to actually hook it up (what can I say, I’m lazy), but when I did I was pleasantly surprised. Now is also a good time to reiterate the fact that neither the interface nor the pickup generate anything but MIDI data. No sounds. Roland makes a “guitar synthesizer” that functions as a dual interface/sound engine, but I tend to think that anything Roland made after the 80’s usually has somewhat-cheesey sound to it, but that’s just one man’s opinion. Check it out for yourself and draw your own conclusions… it’s also mostly based on my intense hatred for the MC-303/505 (the 505 was my first “synth”), but that’s another article altogether.

So yeah: no sounds. You’ll be controlling whatever software- or hardware- based synthesizers you own (again, anything capable of being slaved via MIDI) with your guitar now. So rather than trying to plonk out your leads on a keyboard or draw them in with the mouse, you can now actually play them on your guitar. Awesome, no? I attached mine to my not-so-great sounding Gibson Melody Maker (a sort of crappy single-coil Les Paul knockoff), and it took a relatively useless studio instrument and made it one of the most versatile tools I have at my disposal. So yea, if you play guitar (even a little bit) and are interested in adding a new level of expression to the MIDI parts in your tunes, give the Roland GK/GI combo a whirl. It’s surprisingly great.

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New Mixes for download/stream/podcast!!! DJ Mes, Lee Mortimer, and Natalie Williams!

Posted on 28. Jan, 2009 by Karl.

Well, after several trial-and-error episodes, the Sizzled Chicago Podcast is fully functional! You can subscribe to the Podcast HERE.  Also, you can view our separate mixes-only blog feed at podcasts.sizzledchicago.com. Or, just keep your eyes on our homepage, as any new mix additions will be posted here as well.

To kick things off the right way, we have added mixes from DJ Mes [Guesthouse Music], Lee Mortimer [.dotbleep | Wearhouse], and Natalie Williams. This is a real nice variety pack of ear candy: jackin’, techy, and deeper-ish flavors of house are all represented here. All mixes can be downloaded and streamed above. Enjoy these sets … there are plenty more on the way!

*Special thanks to LA’s Hawt Music  for providing the Mes mixes! Do yourself a favor and subscribe to their podcast here.

 

 DJ Mes | Live At Jack Frost (Dec 08) | Part 1 [59:22m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 DJ Mes | Live At Jack Frost (Dec 08) | Part 2 [54:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Lee Mortimer | January 2009 Mix [72:38m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Natalie Williams | January 2009 Mix [41:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Sean Smith of Smooth Agent Records Monthly Chart (January ‘09)

Posted on 27. Jan, 2009 by seansmith.

Sean Smith’s January ‘09 Chart (Real House Music Sundays)

1. Sean Smith Feat. JL from BSTC “Cloud 9” [Smooth Agent]
2. Doug Willis “Nu Dimension” [Z Records]
3. EOL feat. Cindy Mizel & Lisa Fischer “You Brought The Sunshine” [Vega]
4. Peven Everret “Heat Up” [CDR]
5. Gullaume and the Coutu Dumonts “I Was On My Way to Hell” [Circus Company]
6. Mary J Blige “PMS” (Quentin Harris RX) [CDR]
7. Donnie “If you Need a Friend” (Reel Soul Rx) [White]
8. Monique Bingham “Run” [CDR]
9. Doc Link vs. Billy Ocean “Feel like Getting Down” [White]
10. Bernard Badie Feat. Dajae “Truth Hurts” (Andre Harris Innate Soul RX) [Smooth Agent]

*Real House Music Sundays takes place weekly @ 1600 W. Grand Ave. Chicago, IL featuring a spectrum of guest artists along with resident (and Smooth Agent Records Label Head) Sean Smith.

Complete event info at SmoothAgentRecords.com

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[Weekly Column] Diggin’ in the Crates: Featured Record: Didier Sinclair + Chris Pi Groove 2 Me/Devotion/Smoky Night (Serial Records)

Posted on 25. Jan, 2009 by remedy.

What’s good fam?!

John Miles aka DJ Remedy here representin’ once more. Welcome to the fourth installment of my weekly column Diggin’ in the Crates. For those of you who have not yet visited the Sizzled Chicago site or read my previous columns, let me break it down for you. Every week I pull a record from my collection that I think is dope, record some clips for you to hear, and then encourage you to run to your local record store (or wherever you shop for your wax) to go grab it. Other than just talking about the actual music, I will also spend some quality time touching on the artists, who they are, and why I think you should support them in the wonderful art they create.  Alright, now that we have that business settled, let’s listen to some music!

This week’s featured record:

Didier Sinclair & Chris Pi - “Groove 2 Me/Devotion/Smoky Night” [Serial Records 018]
Released: 4/1/1999

A   Groove 2 Me

B1  Devotion

B2  Smoky Night

First off, Didier Sinclair sadly passed away on October 30, 2008 due to lung cancer.  As his website states:

“..Although Didier’s journey was short, it was a first class one.  His life wasn’t a matter of luck, he built it step by step.  Through music he was expressing his feelings.  He chose to be under the light ad not to remain in the shade.  He always lived by his passion and shared it with us.  He may have left but its energy remains in us.”

Rest in Peace, sir. IN memory of the man, let’s take a look at one of my favorite records he ever made. Serial 018 has significant meaning to me not only because I learned Didier recently passed away, but also because it was one of the first house records that really touched me on a deep level. Even the way I found it seemed to be an act of fate.  Back in 2003, I was in Minneapolis, MN shopping for records in the one and only Cheapo Records in downtown Minneapolis.  This store is one of the many vinyl treasure chests buried in the cities and towns of the U.S. (and the world) — there are literally millions of old records floating around out there just waiting to be discovered, and while every town might not have an up-do-date house shop, they nearly all have a great used vinyl store worth combing through. Definitely check Cheapo out if you are ever in the Twin Cities and be prepared to have 5 hours and  at least $100 to spare once you step through the door.  I was visiting my brother Arturo Miles (Hip Hop Dancer/Curator/Chroreographer of Minneapolis’ Collective Dance Co.) for one of our many Thanksgivings where we play records, buy records, watch vintage movies from Village Video, and go to the sweet Mystic Lake Casino to stuff our faces with their $30 Thanksgiving Buffet delight (what a trip it is..haha).  This was my second trip to Cheapo records since I started playing records and we had just gotten done watching Scratch and were completely inspired by the likes of DJ Shadow and his belief in finding records by sheer fate.  So we basically were on a crate-digging mission from God at Cheapo.

One of the coolest things about Cheapo is that they only have the old world record players and plastic Sony headphones for you to listen on, so you get a true old school analog experience from start to finish.  So I am pulling records from the “used” section and I am having a ball finding all kinds of jams from Bob Sinclair’s “The Ghetto (Uptown)”  to Kenny Dixon Jr.’s “Midnight”.  I’m already getting that “meant to be” feeling that Shadow talked about in the movie. I proceeded to pull this cool looking record out that ended up being Didier Sinclair & Chris Pi’s “Groove 2 Me/Devotion/Smoky Night” EP.  To be honest with you, I had no idea who either of these artists were but I did know that the record looked cool, and that was enough to make me listen to it.  It turned out be to one of the best $4.20 music purchases I’ve ever made.

A   Groove 2 Me starts off with some amazing percussion that grabs your ear as soon as the needle hits the record.  Some nice bongos and congas liven up the mix, as well as some shakers and congas to get the hips moving even more.  Next up a tripped out synth melody that makes you feel like you are flying around in the movie Tron drops in to the mix.  Some smooth Rhodes chords with a filtered guitar sample compliment the original synth melody gorgeously. Only 2 minutes in, the track is already living up to its name, and is building a solid and running, well, “Groove”.  Once all the disparate elements are in together, they just seem to fit.  To top off the vibe, what better than some filtered vox that sound like the computer from “Logan’s Run“.  I heard E-Tones play this record in Minneapolis at the VIP Room a few years after I bought it in Minneapolis and I was doing just what the record is named: “groovin.”  

Now to touch on my original statement about crate digging having meaning, B1  Devotion is a true representation of this and is the main reason this record was a “Must Have” in my bag.

“Devotion”

–noun

“Devotion” is literally the perfect title for a tune of this caliber.  If I was going to say that Didier “expressed his feelings through music,” then this tune is the prime example. The track starts off with a booming kick and some lush chords that instantly tell that this tune was made with profound deepness in mind.  To get the kind of chills I get from the first 20 seconds of this track is special to say the least.  Again, I bring up a valid point that some people seek to express certain things through an art form and Didier did exactly this with music, and especially with this track. I literally feel the chords talking to me (very cool feeling), and this is something I always look for when listening to music — a deeper connection that I can’t properly explain with words. 

After a minute or so, the percussion picks up with some bright hats and a clean snare. The growling bassline comes in to move the track along perfectly.  As soon as the percussion is fully charged, a filtered Violin melody comes in gradually to take the deepness of the track to new levels.  Not only does the melody build more and more volume as the track progresses, chords are layered on top of the pads and they growl and come alive over time as well.  At about 3:30, this tune just blows me away.  The introduction of a female “devotion” vocal rounds out the tune in a way that again, really just touches me deeply..  All of the elements seem to just come together and you feel as a listener that the track is placing you on a cloud and whooshing you into deep  space.  I must admit, this 6:45 journey into “Devotion” is a journey that you will want to take over and over. One of my favorites of all time… can you tell?

“Hey mon, come down to the beeeeeach..” is exactly what I’m hearing when I play B2  Smoky Night.  I see this track being written on a late night in a smoke-filled studio while enjoying a fat spliff and trying to create a Jamaican vibe.  The track has some nice Marley sounding vocal samples as well as drums straight out of a “circle.”  The track could definitely be played later in the evening and could be worked in to multiple styles of sets. A very diverse addition to an already solid EP.

You can grab this record on Discogs HERE and it can also be found on most Digital Music retailers (such as Beatport) who sell Serial Records releases.  Also check your local record stores to see if they have it in stock or can snag a copy for you somewhere.  B1  Devotion made it on to my July 2008 Mix Friday Groove which can be found on my Podcast for your downloading pleasure.  

I hope you enjoy this wonderful record I found through my triumphant session of crate-digging, and I encourage you to go on a mission to your own local record store to do a little mining of your own.   

Feel free to email me with any comments, questions, or opinions on my column.  I am open to feedback and want to know your thoughts on what I’m trying to do here and how I might be able to improve.

Signing off til next week’s wax,

-John Miles (DJ Remedy)

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[Weekly Column] Diggin’ in the Crates: Featured Record: Ear Lotion - ‘EP’ (Select Recordings)

Posted on 18. Jan, 2009 by remedy.

Hello once again my house familia!

John Miles aka DJ Remedy here reporting once more for ya. Welcome to the Third Installment of my weekly column Diggin’ in the Crates. For those of you who have not yet visited the Sizzled Chicago site or read my previous columns, let me provide some background. Every week I pull a record from my collection that I think is great, make some clips for you to hear, and then encourage you to run to your local record store or wherever you shop for your wax to go grab it. Other than just talking about the actual music, I will also spend some quality time touching on the artists, who they are, and why I think you should support them in the wonderful art they create.  Alright, so hopefully I now have you on board, let’s talk about the record.. .

This week’s featured record:

Ear Lotion - “E.P.” [Select Recordings 002]
released: 2003

A1  Untitled (The Fiasco Rubdown)

A2  Untitled (Ryan’s Original Formula)

B  Untitled (Paradise Treatment)

First off — how cool is the name Ear Lotion?  Just the thought of it sounds nice (and a little weird).  I am clearly speaking of my windburnt (and hopefully not frostbitten) ears from walking around here in the blizzard that is Chicago, IL.  Ahhhh, some ear lotion…

Anyway, I bought this record at MC Audio in Madison, WI as I went to school there and this store was one of two electronic outlets in the city for myself who is an electronic nerd.  Big thanks to Mike Carlson, Nice Nice, and that whole Madtown crew for opening a haven for record nerds like me in the middle of Wisconsin. Not only would they help you out, promote gigs and mixes, but they would also suggest records that they thought you might like (buy).  As most people in the store were either Seasoned Madison Ravers, DJ’s, or other enthusiastic novices like myself. They did a good job of making me and everyone else feel at home — no snobbery or superiority complexes there.

I bought this record circa 2003, was first getting in to House Music and was experimenting with various other sounds such as downtempo and trip hop and I had a wide range of records in my collection. With regards to house I guess you could say I started off playing and buying deeper records, but also was starting to get interested in more Jackin and Chicago style house records, as I dug that upbeat sound as well.  I was pretty much trying out whatever Nick , Mike, or Wyatt Agard would have in their “Picks” section of the store and that particular day I grabbed the Ear Lotion E.P. to give it a whirl and see what it was all about.  It was filed under Nick Nice’s picks, who was a record guru and could get any tune you wanted to the store within 24 hours. If you’re ever in Madison, check out Mike Carlson and Nick Nice DJing at the Cardinal Bar on Saturday nights.  Über fun times I tell ya. Ok, now for the record details.

Select Recordings is a Dallas, TX based label run by Paul Paredes (of Lavish Habits fame) and was a label that began as an offshoot of the weekly Select parties — which featured some of House Music’s finest jocks, including Derrick, Heather, Diz, and the rest of the usual suspects.  The label released some rather dope and well known artists as well as newcomers, which is always inspiring to new artists looking to get their work signed.  I’m not sure if they are still releasing material but they are Vinyl Only from all sites I have looked on (and I am a nerd, so I’ve looked at a lot).  I also find it rather cool that their second release boasted three completely different styles of house on one record.

A1 The Fiasco Rubdown is by far one of the best tracks I own.  I know I probably say that a lot with records I’ve talked about (and I actually have a top ten list I’m compiling so I have proof of this claim), but this track is close to being a “perfect” track.  Entitled “The Fiasco Rubdown”, the title actually speaks to another reason I bought the record.  Remixed by the one and only Johnny Fiasco (whom I still claim to not be human). He was sent to this planet to make some of the dopest deep, acid, or jackin’ records to date, and also just be an all around cool dude who’s passionate about his music.  EVERYTHING, I repeat, EVERYTHING Mr. Juan Lopez makes is pretty damned amazing, and I seem to connect with the tracks on a variety of levels.  As a classically trained drummer of 12 years, I can honestly say his drum programming is practically perfect in all of his work with regards to swing, layering, and dynamics.

The track starts out with a strong backbone of percussion and adds some nice samples that sound something like water droplets. Next, he introduces some chords that gradually bend up with each stab…  I’ve noticed that Fiasco has mastered this way of synth bending (just check “Take 5″ to hear another sick sick chord bend near the middle of the track after the first breakdown) over the years, similar to what Zapp & Roger did in the eighties.  He also takes the original vocals and chops them up to add a deep and soulful element to the track which makes the track.  The cool thing about those is that the original vocals are made for a more upbeat track, but Fiasco makes them fit just right by adding a more soulful element.  Next he proceeds to throw in the main synth melody that’s a few octaves higher than the other which compliments the original chord bend extremely well once it comes in.  Just when you think the drums are full and complete, you realize NOPE! here comes the a nice bright open high hat to complete the drum arrangement, and makes the track chug right along.

You know that feeling you get when something hits you and you get goosebumps all over from it? That’s what I get every time I hear the breakdown of this tune.  This deep sort-of connection is why I love these records, and why I love this music so much. 

A2 Ryan’s Original Formula is a track that caters towards the more jackin’ house crowd due to its upbeat drum programming and wicked bassline.  Ryan Tapia & Mystic Bill wrote a dancefloor killer with a bassline that flows nicely with its melody. It really pumps on a good system. I dropped it multiple times in Madison and it definitely got the booties shakin’. You hear the original vocal “You gotta change” and “we gotta change” weaving throughout the arrangement with a nice delayed effect on it, and the full vocal of “Every time you do this to me, I just don’t know what to believe in..” drops in with some killer effects, adding even more spaciness to the track.  I’m a huge fan of strings and pads, so the addition and chord progression of the strings in this track are nicely placed, and speak directly to my musical sensibility.  I can also see this tune being played with a nice hip-hop accapella layered over the top… so DJ’s be creative!  It is definitely a track to pick up the floor, as the beats definitely make ya bob your head.

Lastly, I’ve probably played Paradise Treatment to almost every type of house crowd you can think of. It works for deep, jackin, funky, or loungy audiences due to the wide variety of elements in this song.  Orly Angelo & Paul Paredes made a straight-up bomb here!  If you love vinyl records like I do, and you like records with one LOUD track per side (and even the look of the grooves — like HERE), then the side of the record was pressed for you! It not only sounds good, but look cool too. The first 2 minutes and the last 2 minutes of the track are wicked jackin’ beats and have a similar rolling analog bassline to the original and are long enough to function as incredible DJ tools.  However, after the first breakdown is when the track really steps up and blows you away.  As a listener, you have no idea what’s coming after the break… the tune dies down and the tension starts to build.  Then as you’re waiting for it and then BOOM!, dope driving Rhodes chords explode out of the gate.  These deep chords will basically bring the dancefloor to its knees (hand in the air type shit right here).  The full arrangement flows and continues to build, and the addition of a reverbe and delay saturated “change is devotion” vocal also adds to the deepness of the track.  As I’ve played the track to different crowds like I mentioned before, on some occasions I’ve played the middle part of the track, sometimes I’ve platyed just the intro beats, and sometimes the entire thing.  I’ve also layered an accapella over it too.  I guarantee you can’t go wrong playing this record, so if it’s hiding in your collection, definitely consider putting this in your bag for your next show (and if it’s not in your collection, you might want to track it down)!

So whatever flavor of house music yanks your crank, the Ear Lotion EP will definitely work for you.  As Select is a “vinyl only” label, you can go to Discogs for more info, and pick up your own copy of the wax HERE.  You can probably also shop any vinyl retailer online or in your town and see if they can pick up a copy for ya too.

So I hope my detailed explanation of this awesome record will motivate you to support the artists and labels involved with any of their work.  Also, feel free to email me with any comments, questions, or opinions on my column.  I am open to feedback and want to know your thoughts on what I’m trying to do here and how I might be able to improve.

Until next week fam, one love!

-John Miles (DJ Remedy)

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[New weekly column] Nerd Words: Hey there! ALSO: Rad Japanese Do-It-Yourself Synth Kit + Actually Rad Pocket Theremin

Posted on 18. Jan, 2009 by John.

Avast, mateys! After all this please-contribute-to-our-website talk I’ve been spewing, I realized that it would probably be a good idea for me to start posting some kind of regular column myself. What I would talk about here wasn’t too hard for me to come up with (partly because I rarely have a problem talking about anything, and also because geeking out on things that most “regular” people aren’t interested in comes quite naturally to me), but I did spend an entire afternoon trying to come up with a title for this damned thing. What you see above is the result of way more time and effort than I should have spent branding a column that no one is going to read anyway, but what can I say? I’m a nerd. So there you go.

Anyhoo, the gist of this column isn’t groundbreaking or anything like that, but I am hoping that it ends up being helpful, informative, interesting, or at the very least a good at-work timewaster for all of you Cubicle Warriors out there (my heart goes out to you, it really does). But yeah, once a week I will spend some time writing about the stuff I like. Anything from vintage (and no-so-vintage) synths and studio gear, to my own very personal and very stilted methods of music-making, to anything computer-related that is even kind of relevant to music or art, and anything else I think is worth talking about. So there it is.

I don’t know how many of you spent time reading The Sound Republic blog before we kicked this one off, but if you did, you’re probably aware of my weakness for bizarre and (relatively) inexpensive musical instruments. As a point of reference, I own an effin’ Kazooka, a Thingamagoop, more than a couple not-very-awesome drum machines (including a TR-606 and a KPR-77), many shitty Casio products, and a couple of full-size synths that I really should use more than I do. The point to all of this is that I have woken up on more than one headachey morning with an Inbox full of drunken eBay bids from the night before on everything from a guitar made entirely of cocaine (jokes!) to some random synth I couldn’t live without (at 4AM). Luckily, I usually end up losing those auctions, but that is exactly how I ended up with my half-broken Korg drum machine, and it’s completely the reason that I own a Kazooka (which in case you were unclear on this, is a fucking electric kazoo). Right. 

The reason I’m telling you all of this is because I just recently did It again, this time because those fuckwads at Turntable Lab sent out a promotional email the other day aimed squarely at people like me (read: dorks with a small amount of disposable income) pushing these two rad synthtoys from the Japanese company Gakken. The first one (the $62 SX-150) is (I guess) aimed at the supergeek synthbuilding set (or in Japan, a normal 8-year-old girl), and is honestly well outside my level of dorkitude. It’s basically a sort-of Fisher-Price I Built My First Synth! Kit, and when you’re finished it leaves you with a simple waveform generator not unlike the one in the Thingamagoop, except you get to build this one before you can use it! Yay! 

What did suck me in was the totally rad, totally portable, totally battery-powered $154 Premium Mini Theremin. In case you’re a normal person or play sports and don’t know what a  theremin is, Wikipedia will explain it, and you can watch a video of a thereminist (that’s seriously what they call themselves) here. So of course I couldn’t resist the temptation (it’s a sickness), and my mini-theremin is now being sped to my apartment via UPS, where it will begin gathering dust just as soon as it moves in to my studio. (Although the portability of it kicks the potential friend-annoying factor up like 6 notches.)

Foreal tho, all of these fellas are long overdue to make their way in to a track or two. I’m going through a pretty inspired music-making phase right now, and I think the world is in serious need of some Theremin House. So you’ve been warned… I’m practicing my kazoo solo right now.

Toodles! —jm

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[Weekly Column] Diggin’ in the Crates: Featured Record: Atjazz Looking Glass (Reincarnation Records)

Posted on 11. Jan, 2009 by remedy.

Hola my house music aficionados!

John Miles aka DJ Remedy here once again. Welcome to the Second Installment of my weekly column Diggin’ in the Crates. For those of you who couldn’t guess from the title, every week I pull a sweet record from my collection, make some clips for you to hear, and then encourage you to run to your local record store and start digging. Pretty simple eh?  I’m also spending a bit more time touching in on the artists, who they are, and maybe a little bit on the path that led them to making these records I find so seminal. Got it? Good, and now for the record…

This week’s featured record:

Atjazz - Looking Glass [Reincarnation 003]
released: December, 2007

A Looking Glass

B Looking Glass (Astro Dub)

Music \ˈmyü-zik\ -noun An art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color.

When Derby-based producer  Atjazz (Martin Iverson) makes music, he is attempting to “make you hear what he sees everyday.” And while that sounds simple enough, anyone who calls themselves a musician knows that meeting that goal is far from simple. Atjazz is the true definition of doing what you love for a living [And the fact that he's actually making a living at it is pretty rad too. — JM]. As his Biography states, Atjazz quit his job as an In-House musician for the game company that made the Tomb Raider series back in the early 90’s to begin Mantis Recordings and pursue his career of creating some of the most amazing music I’ve ever heard, period. I can’t say that even one of his wide range of productions (be it in the vein of house, downtempo, breaks, funk, hip hop, or whatever other tags you want to slap on it) isn’t pure, blissful quality. I can honestly say I own almost his entire discography in some form or other, and there is always at least one Atjazz record in my bag.

If we use the definition of music up there as a starting point, Atjazz absolutely uses sound to express (his) ideas and emotions, and it can be heard from his diverse, groundbreaking, and genre-defying rhythms and melodies.  As one of the top 5 records I own, the Looking Glass EP on Reincarnation Records is a true example of just damned excellent music, house or otherwise.

Seriously, if I was going to put a record into a time capsule and launch it into space for beings of the future to hear beautiful music, then this would be the record to do it with. As I sit back and listen to this, I can’t help but picture an old Star Trek episode: the Enterprise flying triumphantly away from an epic battle, with shit blowing up all over the place and Captain Kirk cupping the left breast of some Romulan chick he picked up on Degobas-48-B.  So yea, this track truly tells a story to the listener. OK, on to the tracks.

On the A-side, Looking Glass begins with a really nice filtered synth melody that growls and builds in intensity with wiggling analog effects.  Starting a track out dark and deep is signature Atjazz, and this tune is no exception.  As the track progresses, he beefs up the drums with some shuffled rhythm bits, adding a little more flavor to the mix. Atjazz loves to work Afro-Cuban elements in to his tracks. Live bongos, claves, tambourines, shakers, you name it.  As I explained to a friend recently, whatever he uses for percussion always seems to sound alive, crisp, and fantastic. The sheer recording quality of those and all the other instrumental elements of his music is one of the big things that sets him apart from his peers… as far as house music go, the level of professionalism is pretty unparalleled. His keen ability to layer multiple instruments and build energy throughout the track are rivaled only by a few, and again suggests a mind that would be equally at home composing jazz tunes or classical concertos (we’re talking serious business here, folks!). After the buildup, he drops a beautiful verbed-out xylophone/vibes melody, bringing us right in to the epic battle part of the track. He changes things up a bit halfway through and finishes with the a new synth melody that reminds me of the old Mozart symphonies I used to hear on NPR (representing the retreat from the battle).  If you’re playing late night, the people are… um… feeling the vibe… this is serious dancefloor ammunition!

Flip the record over for the Astro Dub, which pulls what might be an actual African percussion ensemble in to the studio, and lays that organic element in contrast beside a mean-sounding dubby Moog Bassline that punches and fills ot the low end.  Subs are required to appreciate the full scope of Moogy goodness. The gorgeous xylophone melody from the original is back in this mix, and he stretches, bends, and delays the hell out of all the synth melodies from the original, making them sound “dubby” in the true Lee Perry sense of the word. This mix is definitely true to its name, and does indeed take you to outer space — so prepare yourself! 

The original mix of Looking Glass made its way on to my latest mix, Pieces & Expressions, that I will be releasing later this month on CD and of course in downloadable nerd-friendly form on both my podcast and the Sizzled Chicago Podcast as well. Keep an eye out for that and go out and support this amazing artist!

Until next week, keep your tables turnin’ and feel free to drop a comment with your opinions on this and any other records YOU might like down below! PEACE!

-John Miles (DJ Remedy)

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New monthly column! After Eight: Flame-broiled cologne for the King in all of us

Posted on 05. Jan, 2009 by Jenn.

Music sounds better with . . . meat?

While Sizzled Chicago has added free bacon to its monthly holdings at Lava, Burger King has been orchestrating its own grade of meat-induced drama for the past month. The No. 2 burger giant of the world has its paws all over a new viral marketing campaign at www.firemeetsdesire.com, where protein junkies can get their fix-o-beef through the spray of a nozzle. The site is the sales hub for Flame, a new men’s cologne that captures the essence of Whopper-love, according to the website. “Behold the scent of seduction, with a hint of flame broiled meat,” the tag line reads.

For just $3.99, hardcore meat addicts can get their smoky fill of burger in a 5 ml bottle. Word is that the cologne itself doesn’t actually smell like burger, but instead variations of cinnamon, musk, aftershave, a truck stop bathroom air freshener or—my personal favorite message board post—Lincoln Logs (a weird combination of pine and tar). Currently, the scent is only available through the website and New York-based retailer, Ricky’s.

In late December, www.gothamist.com reported that all original shipments of the eau de toile-beef had sold out within a matter of days, so I have yet to get my hands on the scent. Having a brother who helmed the fryer at Burger King for five years of his teenage life, I am no stranger to such meat ‘n grease. Remains of the fryers carried an olfactory life of their own—tinny smells that I swore literally crawled off of those maroon polyester pants and into our living room. Come to think of it, it may have even resembled the rancidness Axe Body Spray—so I’m certainly not surprised by Burger King’s far reaching marketing ploys. I have to think this campaign is done entirely tongue and cheek—then again BK does use fake smoke flavoring to “scent” its burgers. Sandwiches . . . People. . . what’s the difference, right?

The only thing I’m left asking (as a fanatic of the chicken wing-rib combo)—where’s the love for those ladies who want to smell like beef too?

 And so the skewer turns . . . 

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SizzledChicago.com is hiring!

Posted on 03. Jan, 2009 by John.

Well, sort of. If by “hiring” you mean “looking for dedicated heads with opinions to contribute to the site for fun/free”, then you’ve hit the nail on the head. When we started this site, the original concept was to have it be a sort of one-stop shop for info on the night, a place to download mixes, and for people to read some of our ramblings. But we’re thinking a little bigger now, and one of the things I’ve always appreciated about the underground/DIY aesthetic of this music is that it’s totally fooking inclusionary. So rather than talking at everyone with this resource, I thought it would be cool to give people who have something to say a forum in which to say it. 

That being said, we will be adding a Music Reviews + Charts section, as well as different themes and topics of conversation to weigh in on. And obviously, the real point of bringing in additional contributers is to let folks discuss, observe, and express their opinions freely. Of course there’s a screening process with all of this, and there are standards involved. Clearly if you are interested in contributing to the site, you should be a mostly-literate house music person whose main goal is being heard, making insightful and interesting observations, and ultimately putting something back in to this tiny + fragile  music that we all know and love. What we do not want is the same-old same-old pissing, moaning, bitching, hating, cockblocking internet ugliness that can permeate house music message boards (and frankly, message boards in general). This is NOT a messageboard… think of it as a magazine for all of us. 

So! We want to hear what you have to say, what you think, and why you’d like to be a contributer to this fledgling thing we’re building here. We’re looking forward to hearing from folks on this. Drop a line at contribute@sizzledchicago.com and we’ll get right back with you! It’s a brand new year, so let’s get busy having fun! 

— Team Sizzled

Get in touch with us CONTRIBUTE@SIZZLEDCHICAGO.COM!

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