Yep, I have moved Stay House (again). Hopefully, this will be the last time for as long as we are being affected by this pandemic, the reason I started so much live streaming in the first place.
Mixcloud provided a nice home. It will remain my home for pre-recorded mixes as it is still the best place on the net where the copyright licensing is proper. Take downs were happening on Facebook and Instagram in the middle of live streams. Thus the move to Mixcloud for those performances.
But after some changes that happened on the primarily gaming platform of Twitch permitting DJs range without less take-downs, I decided again to move again. After a test broadcast, it seems we are in for some serious plusses.
The video part of the stream was much more stable and the audio quality was also impressively better. The first was expected. The second was not.
I know. I’ve been too quiet. For those who are interested, it’s a short-long story to be discussed another time.
However, some of it has been productive. North East Regional has been set for release on Jan 4th, 2021.
Associated with the release is a line of graphic t-shirts that I designed. These are available to members of the So So Freshclub at my mGrooves Musiclabel website and social media channels.
There are 4 tracks on the North East Regional EP. I went down the rabbit hole into Tech House and Techno styles in this set of tunes.
For the design of the graphic for the gear, I altered a map of Amtrak’s north east regional route map with the name of the first track I was inspired to make super-imposed over top.
Take a look at the designs. Give the tunes a spin. Join So So Fresh at the level most comfortable for you! We are going to kick off 2021 with purpose!
I haven’t said anything since the pandemic reached the United States, but I will say it now. I miss deejaying in front of people.
I have tried to be a good sport about it. In all honesty, playing in a studio or room is just a flashback to a deejay’s beginnings. Also in all honesty, it’s old–and boring.
Stylo, Jenny, and Jeffrey at Butter March 30 2019.
How I long for a return to those last Saturdays of the month of the last few years; the excitement, the anticipation, the nervousness. Yes, even after many years of being a DJ and the honor of doing some large stages like the gallery opening for Art Whino in their 1st space in Old Town Alexandria or Future Classic shows as a part of the Winter Music Conference in Miami Beach, I still get nervous before every show.
Every show I am consumed with the emotion of wanting to putting the best forward. I know you want to have a good time. I want you to have a good time too. I want to revel in the afterglow, watching all of you file out of the space laughing and smiling.
This is especially sweet when the show is before a group of people who don’t quite know what to expect, like the crowd at the patio bar Mezcalero in Long Beach, or the way a random group of graduate students mixed with Metal or Punk Rock heads pour upstairs at Ottobar for Butter. The transformation from trepidation to celebration is nothing but sublime.
Don’t get me wrong! I love the regulars too. It’s just a different type of love! They roll in and help get the party started with no prompting. They are also very gracious in explaining how they were looking forward to the night all week. I still blush in gratitude every time this happens.
So yeah, this pandemic is old. Boring. And it’s a huge steaming turd.
Yet, I will persevere. I am hoping you will too. Butter, or something like it will return. I will return to the decks in a live capacity when we all can do so in optimum safety.
How to get this exclusive remix and get access to other goodies…
It took me a while to get this done. I wanted to get it right and when the request was initially asked of me, I just couldn’t get it to come together in any significant way.
Yet, here it is!
I was asked back in June to do a Rhythm Nation remix for a Juneteenth event. I struggled with it.
To improve our way of life Join voices in protest To social injustice A generation full of courage
Janet Jackson — Rhythm Nation
To be honest, it’s been difficult to frame the complex emotions I have regarding our current events that really have long roots and became mature way before todays crazy happenings. On top of all that, or rather underneath all of that, I am still smarting from my mom dying of a re-occurrence of cancer in 2016, followed in 2017 by my one-time finance Lauren passing away from health issues related to her on-again-off-again battle with alcohol.
My creativity has been operating in fits of starts and stops. I’m ready for that types of outcomes to cease.
For others who are classic INTJs like I am, this may seem counter-intuitive, but it’s time for me to put it all out there and just let it be. I am laughing because I’m sure this is cringe-worthy for other intuitive-introverts.
In my somewhat older age–older than what most think that I am–I am already past the point of trying to compare my life (and life/goal posts) to some linear or singular time line of what most think it should ‘look like‘. All of that stuff made up BS anyway, designed–borrowing a quote from the movie Fight Club–to have us “chasing…shit we don’t need“.
Yes, I would like to find a life partner to build together. So what my time line may not fit the classic one or the ones that follow like a predictable shallow movie plot. This doesn’t mean it’s too late, and it doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
Much like most of my life thus far, it just means that I won’t be forced to fit into anyone’s box.
A recent weekend was the second time this summer I had the honor of preparing a mix for The Audio Infusion show.
This late night (over night) show has been one of my favorite local music institutions. In a previous non-pandemic year, I have been actually in the studio for some on-air conversations. In some years, I have actually played live for the show.
Unlike the mix prepared for Audio Infusion earlier this summer, I decided to delve into some of my older tracks instead of recent releases.
Thank you Patrick Scientific for having me on again. It was a pleasure.
Throwback Tracks In That Mix
The 12 track mix submitted for broadcast included 3 of my own released on my imprint mGrooves Music and 1 underground unreleased remix of mine. Here is a listen to the 3 released on my record label.
