Sizzled Chicago

Fired! If it don’t make bucks, who gives a phuck?

Posted on 21. May, 2009 by John.

Well, well, well. Howdy everyone!

Sorry for the considerable inexcusably long delay in posting this, not to mention the long pause in content addition to the site whatsoever, but I’ve been pinned down with a whole bunch of personal responsibilities that have kept me far away from any computer terminal… I’ve been dealing with the always-sucky business of moving (and the subsequent unpacking), I’m preparing to jump I have jumped in to the world of the nuptial bliss (I’m on my honeymoon as I type), and finally I’ve been processing/licking my wounds about the whole business of us getting fired by our friends at Lava in such an abrupt manner (although I completely understand their reasoning). The cash just wasn’t flowing like it once was.

[To hammer in the busy point, I am actually posting this from a third-world internet cafe in Belize. There are literally (I am not joking) both a goat and a chicken within spitting distance of this computer.]

We were a bit blindsided by that, so it naturally took a little while to fully process everything. In other words, some regrouping needed to happen before I hit you all with this… and now I’m regrouped. In terms of everyone else’s silence, I imagine that pretty much everyone involved with the Sizzled project has been confused in their own right seeing that this is a site originally formed around a party - a party that is no longer happening. So where does that leave things? Well, let me take a crack at that.

1. First off, just to recap, Sizzled Chicago (at Lava) has been cancelled. It wasn’t our choice or our call, but I do admit that much of the original awesomeness that made the early/middle days of Grizzled such a success was pretty much lost even in the last few episodes of that event. Sizzled was an attempt to get back to some of the stuff we felt had made Grizzled such a success in the first place, but it’s pretty clear to me now that it’s tough to replicate something as special as that party was. And if we’re being honest here, folks clearly weren’t as excited about things as they once were. So the bottom line is we weren’t helping Lava’s bottom line. And even though we’re incredibly sad to go, I agree with management that now is probably the best time for them to try something else, and for us to as well. Lava is still my favorite club in Chicago, and you should still go there all the time!
2. The Site is here to stay, although it may experience some cosmetic changes to go with the change. I think that pretty much explains that. Depending on the level of contribution coming in, I may end up merging everything under the umbrella of John Mork Music, which is where almost all of my creative energy is focused now (on the music, not the website).

So that’s it. I’m going to go see if I can find a cockfight somewhere down here. See you all stateside, if I decide to come back! haha

jm

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Friday 3.27 | Forget WMC @ Uptown Lounge Chicago | DJs: KARL ALMARIA, JOLBY, DON CLARK, JEFF BLOOM, + more | Free!

Posted on 27. Mar, 2009 by Karl.

“Forget WMC” - Friday 03.27.09

Tonight for Chicago people not in South Beach for Winter Music Conference …

DJs: KARL ALMARIA, JOLBY, DON CLARK, JEFF BLOOM, + more.

@ Uptown Lounge
1136 W Lawrence
Chicago, IL 60647
10P-4A
FREE

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[Podcast Update] Five (5) All-New mixes from Deron Delgado & Aaron Dae

Posted on 26. Mar, 2009 by John.

Hey folks! Just added three awesome new mixes from Stompy.com + GoodFamily Recordings owner Deron Delgado and two from Dae Recordings’  Aaron Dae. If you’re a podcast subscriber, they should be in your iTunes player already! If not, or if you prefer to download them yourself, you can snag them below! If you haven’t subscribed to the Sizzled Chicago Podcast, you can do so by clicking the image above, or the link below. Enjoy ‘em! 

Subscribe to the Sizzled Podcast (Requires iTunes)!

 

 Deron Delgado - (Birthday Set) Live At Stompy SF (08.31.08) [99:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Deron Delgado - Live At Stompy Pink SF (11.07.08) [58:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Deron Delgado - (New Years Set) - Live At Stompy SF (01.01.09): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Aaron Dae - 5 Magazine Monday Mix [70:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Aaron Dae - February 2009 Promo Mix [74:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Tonight 3.22 | Real House Music Sundays with SEAN SMITH and KARL ALMARIA at Betty’s Blue Star Lounge, Chicago!

Posted on 22. Mar, 2009 by Karl.

Hey Chicago!  Just a quick heads up that I will be droppin’ some tunes at Real House Music Sundays tonight with resident and Smooth Agents Records bossman, Sean Smith. My set is from 12:30 - 2:00. Party goes ’til 4am. There is an open bar from 10-11. Guys free before midnight, $5 after. Ladies free all night. Hope to see some of you out!

REAL HOUSE MUSIC SUNDAYS
@ Betty’s Blue Star Lounge
1600 W Grand Ave - Chicago, IL

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Tonight 3.20 | John Mork TSR & Jeff Bloom at Uptown Lounge, Chicago!

Posted on 20. Mar, 2009 by John.

Hey all! Join me tonight at Uptown Lounge here in Chicago (1136 West Lawrence Avenue, Chicago, IL 60640 - 773.878.1136 - half a block from the Lawrence Red Line station on the corner of Lawrence and Broadway) for Jeff Bloom’s (.dotbleep. Gallery, Guesthouse) always-awesome Friday night party! I’ll be playing the late slot (Uptown Lounge is a 4am bar, so by late I mean late!), and Jeff and co. will be rocking things out as always earlier in the evening. The party is totally free all night,  and every time I’ve ever been out to this event it’s been a total blast! I don’t expect tonight to be any different. I’ve got a few special treats to drop on yous tonight, so I hope to see the hometown homies out and about! 

FRIDAY, MARCH 20th @ UPTOWN LOUNGE
John Mork TSR & Jeff Bloom
1136 West Lawrence Avenue, Chicago, IL 60640
NO COVER! 

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I ♥ Typography!

Posted on 07. Mar, 2009 by John.

¡Hola vatos! First off, I know we’ve been a little super light postwise this week, but chalk it up to both remix and design deadlines for me, Karl’s remix deadlines & general “having a life” (how dare he?!), Rem being on vacation, and Jenn banging out press releases like the Chinese Ministry of Health, but fear not! New installments of most of our columns are all being typed up as we speak, so hold tight! In the meantime, enjoy the lovely piece of food-type above, and what I consider to be one of the best (and my favorite) blogs about type/design of all time: I Love Typography — check it out! Even if you aren’t a graphical designer type, I think you may be able to appreciate it… or maybe I’m diluted! Anyway, plenty of house music talk (andcoming your way later this weekend! Hold tight!

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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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Sizzled 003 Mixes - 02.06.09 | The Beechers: MARSHALL + BILL SR, JOLBY, and KARL ALMARIA!

Posted on 20. Feb, 2009 by Karl.

Another night of great beats, fun peeps, liquor treats, and tasty bacon! Sizzled 003 was a family affair served up by the Beechers: Bill Sr (father) and Marshall (son). Special thanks to Jolby of Midway Strangers for filling in last minute for John Mork.

Bill Sr dropped a nice eclectic set covering disco, house classics, Stevie Wonder, and lots more in a little over an hour! Marshall (one of Chicago’s best kept secrets IMO) played a House set heavy in the sound of years past that we can’t just get enough of! Jolby of Midway Strangers (another highly underrated DJ) played a nice set of upfront House business. Also, check out Karl Almaria’s opening Downtempo set featuring Digable Planets, Tom Tom Club, and some familiar house vocals toward the end. As usual, you can get your download/stream on using the links above.

Wanna get these mixes automatically in the future? Sign up for our Podcast HERE. Also, you can view our separate mixes-only blog feed at podcasts.sizzledchicago.com.

 

 Marshall | Live At Sizzled | 02.06.09 [87:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Bill Sr | Live At Sizzled | 02.06.09 [72:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Jolby | Live At Sizzled | 02.06.09 [61:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Karl Almaria | Live At Sizzled | 02.06.09 [57:03m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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New Guest Mixes: BRETT JOHNSON and JEFF BLOOM + MY BOY ELROY!

Posted on 19. Feb, 2009 by Karl.

Greetings! If you are subscribed to our podcast, this may be a bit of old news, as we added these mixes a couple weeks ago. And if you aren’t, we have got a grip of new mixes for your download/streaming pleasure. Either way, we think you will be pleased with this round of guest mixes!

Brett Johnson [Aesoteric, Classic, Freerange] hit us with three mixes to share: “Live In La Casa”, “Live in Leipzig, Germany”, and “Rock Wit You”.

Also, we have a tag-team set from fellow Chicago residents (and all around great guys), Jeff Bloom a.k.a. Po!ntfive [Guesthouse, OM, .dotbleep, Movim, Gallery] and My Boy Elroy [of Liquid Soul]: “Live at .5 Studios”.

As a reminder, you can subscribe to the Podcast HERE. Also, you can view our separate mixes-only blog feed at podcasts.sizzledchicago.com.

 

 Brett Johnson | Live in La Casa | 12.08 [41:41m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Brett Johnson | Live in Leipzig, Germany | 01.05.05 [52:06m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Brett Johnson | Rock Wit U | 11.08.08 [69:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

  Jeff Bloom + My Boy Elroy | Live at .5 Studios | 01.08.09 [79:48m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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John Mork’s Stompy.com Top 10 for January! (+ Iron Chef Milwaukee Video!)

Posted on 28. Jan, 2009 by John.

Hey dudes! I (in the nick of time) posted a quick January Top 10 for the always-awesome Stompy.com as well. Check that out here! And of course if you like the tunes, I would encourage you to support the labels and pick up some tracks!

*(Big thanks to Mr. Greg Yuen for getting my chart up quickly with his lightning-fast internetting skills!)

Oh and one other thing! Last weekend, I drove up to Milwaukee to help my buddy Ryan “Mr.” Timms compete in Lukewarm’s home Iron Chef Battle (which ended up being Battle Mushroom). I honestly had no idea what to expect when I got up there, but I’ve got to say that they handled things with a level of seriousness and professionalism that was downright impressive! So props guys, I had a blast! Unfortunately, Timms lost (by one little point), but it was so close that I see a rematch in our future. Like I said, they were NOT screwing around up there. They filmed the whole damned thing and cut it together reality-TV style. It turned out to be quite an entertaining little program, and you can check it out here if you so desire! Big up to Luke and co. for hosting such a great event, and for the record, I had a blast (and hate mushrooms haha)!

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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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Reminder! Sizzled at Lava (with Mr. Timms) is this Friday… TONIGHT! FREE BACON!

Posted on 08. Jan, 2009 by John.

Hey hey hey! Just a friendly reminder to let you all know Sizzled at Lava Chicago (1270 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL) is this Friday, January 9th! Remember that the party is FREE ALL NIGHT (NO COVER) and starting this month we will be rolling out the insanely awesome baskets of free bacon! Special guest MR. TIMMS from Milwaukee + production duo kingSIZE will be hitting us with a killer early-evening downtempo set as well as a dope night-closing house music set, in-between duties will be handled by residents John Mork of The Sound Republic + Karl Almaria. Timms is one of our favorite all-time jocks in Milwaukee (or anywhere, for that matter) — I promise you this will be a night not to be missed! Check the original post for full details, or hit lavachicago.com for more of the nitty gritty! 

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Real Time Hand Motion (RTHM), Chris Grant, The Sound Republic, & Karl Almaria - Live at Grizzled Sets (12.01.07) available for download now!

Posted on 06. Jan, 2009 by Karl.

Yeah, no typo here … these are from over a year ago. Again, we will be releasing all of the Grizzled recorded set archives as the year goes on - so keep checking back for more!

Another night of Grizzled good times at Lava! This night featured a remarkable live P.A./DJ hybrid set from Nashville’s Real Time Hand Motion … or, as they are known in some parts: Prime Time Man Lotion (true story - haha!). This night also saw the the long-overdue Grizzled debut DJ set of Chris Grant, who effectively put the caps-lock-and-exclamation point on FUN! for the evening. Also, peep the opening sets from The Sound Republic and Karl Almaria. Get your download on now!

To download:
PC - Right click on link, choose “Save Target As…”
Mac - Hold down Option key, click on link. Or Control-Click and choose “Save As…

 

 Real Time Hand Motion | Live At Grizzled | 12.01.07 [82:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Chris Grant | Live At Grizzled | 12.01.07 [58:39m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 The Sound Republic | Live At Grizzled | 12.01.07 [61:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Karl Almaria | Live At Grizzled | 12.01.07 [67:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Smartbar rocked! (More this weekend!)

Posted on 05. Jan, 2009 by John.

Holy crap. What can I say? Big the heck up to everyone who came out to Smartbar on Saturday night. Killer sets from brothers-in-the-struggle Pat Nice, Chris Grant, CRS, and cool Ableton set from newcomers Blu Sol Revival all kept the floor hype! As far as my set went, I had some of the most fun DJing I have had in quite a while, and big up to everyone for the incredible dancefloor reaction and supportive feedback for the set. I’ve been exploring a slightly reworked sound behind the decks lately (and in the studio on my forthcoming solo projects), and it was cool to see folks responding so positively to the deeper/dubbier/techier fare this weekend! Anyway, killer party all around and big love to James Amato and Ori Kawa for keeping things running smoothly as usual, and to all of the crew for coming out and showing love! It was great to see everyone out again. 

This weekend will be another action-packed funtime, starting on Friday January 9th with our party, SizzledChicago at Lava (1270 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL) featuring an early downtempo + late house set from one of Milwaukee’s finest jocks, our buddy Mr. Timms (with opening duties handled by Karl Almaria + John Mork of The Sound Republic), and is completely free all night long!

Saturday, January 10th, we’ll all be back hanging out at Smartbar (3730 N. Clark St.), catching a set from two of our favorite jocks of all time, the one and only Iz and Diz! Sizzled badass and musical decknician Karl Almaria will be handling the opening bits, and you can expect nothing but fantastic tunes all night! 

So the moral of the story is: we’re having fun in Chicago again, and you’re invited!

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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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Saturday, January 3rd @ Smartbar! Pat Nice, John Mork (of The Sound Republic), and more!

Posted on 02. Jan, 2009 by John.

Saturday, January 3rd

$5 Make You Holla!
PAT NICE
JOHN MORK of THE SOUND REPUBLIC
BLU SOL REVIVAL
CHRIS GRANT
CRS

Tickets: $5 ALL NIGHT!
21 & over 
Doors: 10pm / Show: 10pm

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House Music Logos for Designers

Posted on 29. Dec, 2008 by John.

Are you a designer?

Know someone making a flyer that needs one of the logos of these folks?

Below you can grab a host of house music logos in Unlimited Resolution Illustrator Vector (.eps) files, High Resolution Raster TIFF Files (.tif), and Low Resolution Raster Web Files (.gif). All logos are the property of their respective owners, so use them responsibly. That means if a SpatulaCity artist (for example) isn’t playing at your party, then there should be no reason for that particular logo to be on your flyer. You liking a label is not a legitimate reason for putting it on your flyer (unless they tell you otherwise). So right - be adults with this resource, dudes. I have no doubt that you will, so don’t let me down!

There is also a permanent page for this on the site that you can access under the Downloads Section. 

DOWNLOAD Aroma Recordings 10-Year Logo (EPS) (TIFF) (GIF)

DOWNLOAD Bunchlox Music Logo (EPS) (TIFF) (GIF)

DOWNLOAD Control Recordings Logo (EPS) (TIFF) (GIF)

DOWNLOAD .dotbleep Logo (EPS) (TIFF) (GIF)

DOWNLOAD Guesthouse Music Logo (EPS) (TIFF) (GIF)

DOWNLOAD HouseGuest Music Logo (EPS) (TIFF) (GIF)

DOWNLOAD [I Hate] DJ Chris Grant Logo (EPS) (TIFF) (GIF)

DOWNLOAD Lava Chicago Logo (EPS) (TIFF) (GIF)

DOWNLOAD Lust4House Logo (EPS) (TIFF) (GIF)

DOWNLOAD Sizzled Chicago Logo 1 (EPS) (TIFF) (GIF)

DOWNLOAD Sizzled Chicago Logo 2 (EPS) (TIFF) (GIF)

DOWNLOAD SpatulaCity “As Always On Vinyl” Logo (EPS) (TIFF) (GIF)

DOWNLOAD SpatulaCity Main Logo (EPS) (TIFF) (GIF)

DOWNLOAD Synesthesesia NYC Logo (EPS) (TIFF) (GIF)

DOWNLOAD The Sound Republic Logotype (EPS) (TIFF) (GIF)

DOWNLOAD The Sound Republic Logo (EPS) (TIFF) (GIF)

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Sizzled002: January 9th, 2009 w/Mr. Timms

Posted on 18. Dec, 2008 by John.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 9th: SIZZLED with special guest MR. TIMMS

MR. TIMMS (Milwaukee, WI • KINGsize • 12” Players)
For ages now, we’ve been telling anyone who will listen that Ryan “Mister” Timms is (in our opinion) one of the illest jocks we’ve ever heard, and certainly one of the best (and our favorite) in Milwaukee. But he’s no big fish in a small pond. Timms has the skills to pay the bills, and he’s as equally tight doing the Farina-style Mushroom Jazz-ish downbeat sets as he is rocking a set of the deep, funky, tasty house music we all know and love. Now that we are focusing a little more on variety with Sizzled, we are stoked to finally be able to get Ryan out to show us what’s what with an early downtempo performance followed by a night-closing house music set. Both are sure to please even the most discerning booty, and we can assure you that once the Mister Timms is finished with you, he’ll be one of your favorites too!

alongside residents 
KARL ALMARIA (Bunchlox Music) & JOHN MORK of THE SOUND REPUBLIC (SpatulaCity Records)

—–

Sizzled!
Every Second Friday of the Month
at Lava Chicago
1270 N Milwaukee Ave
(between Paulina St and Ashland Ave)
Bucktown/Wicker Park, Chicago
CTA Blue Line: Division St.
7PM-2AM | 21+ w/ID | NO COVER | 773-342-5282

Map:

Hit lavachicago dot com for more info!

You can also email us with any questions, comments, or theories on quantum mechanics at info at sizzledchicago dot com.

—–

The Sizzled Concept
A Chicago Underground House Music Night held every SECOND FRIDAY of the month at Lava Chicago (1270 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL) and hosted by John Mork of The Sound Republic + SpatulaCity Records and Karl Almaria of Bunchlox Music. The night is the logical evolution from Grizzled’s “new-school/jackin house-only” musical format to a more eclectic, uncompromising, inclusive, and exciting “anything-goes-as-long-as-it’s-good” format that seeks to focus on the extremely wide range of sounds and possibilities that all fall under House Music’s wide umbrella. In an effort to remind ourselves and everyone else that this music and these parties are at the core ALL ABOUT FUN, we think now is the perfect time to get back to focusing on WHAT is getting played, not necessarily who’s playing it. And of course, it’s FREE (NO COVER) ALL NIGHT, just as Grizzled was in its inception. So there it is… let’s get Sizzled!

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