Back on Apple Music
After a bit of delay, Riding Solo is back on Apple Music
It is also on Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, and other streaming services.
Fun fact: this track was originally released in 2022 and has a Country twang to the vocals. So grab your cowboy hats and boots if you so desire!
Artwork via my geeky side at JR Design Studio
Apple Music
Youtube
Amazon Music
New Again
I have gotten back to publishing again.
Riding Solo is my first track to be re-released after changes in my distribution journey started in fall 2023.
Through Distrokid, I was able to get back on most of the digital platforms that I wanted to get on. However, there are some drawbacks too.
As currently configured, distribution to DJ facing resources is restricted to one, Beatport. The bigger issue there is that proper label attribution can not be done on Distrokid. Boo!
So going forward, I’m likely to use this distribution channel when I want to go experiment with a sound. A vehicle where my music and the other producer/DJs I work with published on mGrooves Music is still to come.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy being able to play Riding Solo again. Other digital streaming services this track will be available on added daily.
Artwork via my geeky side at JR Design Studio
Youtube
Amazon Music
The Producer vs The DJ
Every year or two in the DJ and dance music world, this irritating debate raises its head concerning whether this or that DJ is talented based on whether they are also a producer or not.
The debate is tiring?
Confusing the Radio DJ with the Performance DJ
In my opinion, it seems to arise from confusing the work of most radio DJs with those that are performance DJs. The radio DJ plays music, talks about the music, in the old days before radio consolidation into a handful of corporations had much more programing power–that is, deciding what to play and what to ignore, take requests, an on-air personality. Your typical request DJ, bar DJ, and wedding DJ is a reflection of the radio DJ.
The performance DJ comes from a different place. Born out of Hip-hop (NYC) in the 70s, House Music (from Chicago) in the 80s, and Techno (from Detroit) also in the 80s, the performance DJ took devices that were tools in the studio, from the radio DJ, from also the producer and sound engineer, and turned them into instruments. Devices like the turntable, the 808 and 909 drum machine, the 303 bass player, the mixer, which were designed for stand-ins for studio musicians, through experimentation, were now front and center in production and in performance.
A Producer From The Beginning
The performance DJ was a producer from the beginning. That Hip-Hop DJ was playing the ‘get-down’ part of the song, while rewinding it on the other deck. That is re-arranging the song and therefore a production task being used as a performance feature. That House and Techno DJ was also back spinning records to repeat a certain part of the song, while lining it up with a beat laid down on an 808 or 909. The 303, the mixer knobs, and sliders were now being used live and in innovative ways. These devices were all being used outside of their intended designs. These are production skills being used as performance features.
Those DJs were also building beats or loops at home and test driving them at the club. They would see how it would work, go home to tweak it, and bring it back out again at the club. They may even use it across several different records, thus creating several iterations of the beat or loop. This gave way to the beat or loop being built enough to stand on its own; the feature, not the backdrop. Afterall, the inspiration in the culture of dance music is just that, dance, for hours and hours.
In today’s environment, these roles of producer and DJ are not mutually exclusive or binary. Rather depending on the person, where and how they learned their craft, they may embody many of the elements of either of these roles. The equipment–digital turntables with features that used to take racks of very expensive hardware, digital audio workstations (DAWs) which likewise would require very expensive hardware and virtually limitless instruments, even karaoke machines–further blends the boundaries of DJ and producer or engineer.
To put down a few studio producers who happened to be average performance DJs to elevate oneself as different is a bad look
If you are in the camp of proclaiming you are not a producer and yet you have done scratching, used an equalizer, looped a track, chopped a track, use a host of effects (FX) like echo, flanger, ring, even cross-fading and up-fading, you are actually producing on the fly. These skills are a part of the toolbox of what a producer does. The only difference for the producer, it’s happening in a studio rather than happening live on stage.
To put down a few studio producers who happened to be average performance DJs to elevate oneself as different is a bad look. We are just using most of the same skill sets in different environments, some live, and others back at home in our bedrooms. The converse is true as well. If you are a DJ more invested in producing, putting down DJs who don’t is also lame.
The Pop/EDM world in an effort to make something marketable often develops shortcuts that end up hiding the full story, thus the culture. Sometimes this is by accident; sometimes it’s not.
Like Hip-hop, House, Techno… It’s in my DNA
Me? I was born in Hip-hop, House, and Techno culture. Producing and experimentation is as much part of my style as what most refer to as the DJing part. I endeavor to always try my hand at producing and remixing for it was part of what excited me about this music since I was introduced to it in the late 70s and early 80s. Like Hip-hop, House, Techno, and most of the foundations of all the music generally referred to as EDM, it’s in my DNA.
Blazing Eyes (Old School Revisited Remix) [Voetry Version]
Anyone Else Video
So, I have this new track in the works. It’s supposed to be a summer anthem like jam.
Think about a rooftop party, or a sea-side party. The sun is setting in the background. You are dancing to the setting sun with your friends, with your family, with your friends that are like family, with your significant other…
That’s right, you wouldn’t want to be with anyone else!
Preview Anyone Else
That’s the feel of this track. And at my upcoming sunset DJ set at Waverly Brewing, I will be capturing video clips to be used as a music video.
You know you want to be there with me, arms in the air, dancing!
In addition to this news, I am collaborating with Jenny Wohl in which she will be creating a multi-panel Anyone Else inspired set of paintings. These panels will be able to configured in multiple ways to create a set of art for the cover.
I’m really excited about this release and the accompanying cover art. To preview the track and to keep up with news about this release click that preview link above!
See you at Wavery Brewing for our Hopped Tropic Sunset Dance Party!
Songkick
It’s finally here! My events will now be announced on Songkick.
This also allows my events to sync with my Spotify artist page. Another level of synergy is accomplished. And now you don’t have to miss another announcement if you follow me on Spotify and didn’t know where else I post my shows.
No worries. I will still be posting my events on BandsInTown, on my record label website mGrooves.com, and here.
Top Spotify Tracks
My music is on other streaming and download platforms. Check out these titles on Amazon Prime Music, Youtube Music, Pandora, and many others.
If you don’t find these titles on your favorite streaming or download site, let me know. I’d be happy to get them to you those digital services.
The 3rd most popular track of mine on Spotify is NER 808 (Extended Mix).
Did you know that NER is an acronym for North East Regional and 808 as in 8:08 train. The track was inspired by a number of ride share clients I picked up on that train at Penn Station in Baltimore.
My 2nd most popular track on Spotify this month is Soul Unltd.
This track is a part of a 3 track EP with Ed Ridgley. This was my solo production on that EP. The way this track came together is forever gratifying. Starting with only the vocals, I came up with that funky bass line. After that, the drums and keys seemed to just fall into place.
Currently, my most popular track on Spotify is one of my older tracks.
This track also came together rather quickly. Trust me this is not always the case.
Experience all of these tracks along with other music from other genres besides dance music in my LiftConfidential playlist. Press play on shuffle play to really have an adventurous listening experience.
Juneteenth + Black Music Month Commemorative Mix
I have launched the first of a series of exclusive mixes on Mixcloud Select.
These mixes will be specialized, themed–in the mixtape type of way, and will eventually offer access to rewards at my mGrooves Music record label web site.
In this first mix, I commemorate Juneteenth and Black Music Month by highlighting some of the originators of Techno and House Music as well as some of the current Black creators in this space. It is also a very short list of some of my favorites and doesn’t come close to illuminating all that deserve to have light shine on them.
I thank you in advance for coming along on this Select journey with me.
Riding Solo
I’m very excited to announce this release on my record label on mGrooves Music. It is a 5 track compilation with 2 tunes from Ed Ridgley, a remix by Tracey Cooper, 2 tunes by Afropino, and my contribution–Riding Solo.
I have wanted to have this type of release for quite a while!
Check out the entire compilation So So Fresh 1.0 on your favorite platform