Back again with a bit more tunage for you all.  These are all tracks that are fairly new this time and represent a good cross section of what i'm listening to and playing out these days at the clubs around Calgary.  Chances are if you've seen me play in the past two months you've heard some of these tunes, but for those who haven't I hope that there is a bunch of new stuff in there for ya.  As always your feedback is greatly appreciated and I thank you all for supporting the 'Cast!

Cheers,

RC

Tracklist

01 - Tyrell - LaLaLaLaLaLa (Original Mix)
02 - Moguai - Beatbox (Inpetto Mix)
03 - Afrojack - Radioman (Original Mix)
04 - Sebastian Gnewkow - Monorail (Niklas Gustavsson mix)
05 - Russell G - Every Which Way (Original Mix)
06 - Dousk - Hit The Dance Button (Original Mix)
07 - Cid Inc. - Remaking of a Cyborg (Original Mix)
08 - Mooncat - Hear What Was Said (Anil Chawla Mix)
09 - Giorgos Gatzigristos - Ronin (Juan Sanchez Mix)
10 - Kosmas Epsilon & Evans T - 8 Hours (Cid Inc. & Luke Porter Mix)
11 - Yotopia - Offset (Original Mix)
12 - Passenger 10 - Mikado (Rino Cabrera Mix)
13 - Heather Johnson - Washes Over Me (Rasmus Faber Mix)
14 - Javi Mula - Come On (Original Mix)
15 - Fedde Le Grand - Get This Feeling (Chris Count Mix)
16 - Massimo Santucci - Tarrantella Warriors (Daniel Portman Mix)
17 - Steve Angello & Laidback Luke - Chaa Chaa (EDX Mix)

I had the opportunity to play a very unique show about a month back at Holt Renfrew for a closed event that they had in the store in Downtown Calgary.  I needed to play some laid back tunes that could blend into the background easily and provide a good soundtrack to the event.  After thinking about this for a while I decided to put a playlist together of a number of smooth and deep house tracks that i have been collecting over the past few years but have never really found a good outlet to play.

This mix is a subset of the show that I played that night and makes for a really good chill mix which is something i've not done before.  So grab a book and find your comfiest chair and get some good R&R with this, my first chill out disc.

Peace!

Happy Holidays all!

I know it has been a while since  I last posted a podcast and for those of you who have sent in music for me to publish, fear not! I will be publishing a few new episodes in the weeks to come.  I felt that to close out the year I should bring to you all something that I had put together myself and what better way than as a Just-In-Time Christmas present!

I have been very busy over the past year, DJing has taken up most of my weekends and my day job on top of that has become particularly hectic in the past few months.  Needless to say I have been scrambling to make it all work and hopefully in the new year I will gain some balance that will allow me to keep bringing these podcasts to you all on schedule. 

This particular set is a fantastic meld of some great tech house, deep progressive and even a little of what I call New Trance.  The music coming out these days has finally recaptured my intrigue and I am very much looking forward to what will be coming out in the year to come.  It would appear that there is a resurgence of that deep progressive sound that really caught my ear back in the late nineties and with it a bit of hope for all the hardcore prog heads out there who were never really ready to let it die.  Coming to us with the same deep and percussive elements that were the mainstay of the greats of the prog world a decade ago but with a polished sound and mixing in elements of the new minimal techno and electro house genres, progressive today is a much improved and mondernized version of its former self. 

In the mix I have be able to feature some of the new talent that is hitting the airwaves, EeSma, Sebastian Leger, Guy J, Fine Taste and Envotion just to name a few.  Artists who have made waves in many genres and have helped to re-invent some old ones.  I hope that this mix will help to educate some of you out there who may not know about progressive house in all its flavours.  This mix to me represents all things progressive in nature and while I would not, perhaps, categorize many of the tracks in this compilation as progressive house, I do feel that they all take something from that genre and reuse it to one degree or another.  I will let you all be the judge of that and I look forward to any and all feedback that you have time to post on this. 

Enjoy the final Textures Mix of this year 2008 and I look forward to sharing some new deep progressive beats with you in the new year!

Peace and be well all of you out there.

RobC

Python is a trio based in Rostov-on-Don (Russia). It was formed in 1998. Members are Yura Kolomiytsev,Alexei Samotarev (aka DJ Samotarev) and Eugeniy Litovchenko.  At first, the project worked in house and break beat styles, their tracks appeared on many Russian compilations.Since 2002, the Python project has moved into Tech-House, Progressive, and Electro, and by 2004 they released their first album "DeePressure"

In 2006 they started label called Carica Records. Main aim of this label is to release quality progressive music from different parts of the world. Also Carica has 3 sublabels Revelation Records, Carica Limited and X-pand Audio, focused on trance, electro and techno music.  Python also host some radio shows at different radios, among them Wild Nature show at famous radio Frisky and Confusion co-hosted with Samy Fresh on ETN FM. Also Russian Desert on DI FM (www.di.fm) and Carica radio show on Proton Radio.

Tracklisting:

1. Matt Rowan - This, that and the other (Jeff Bennet Remix) [Proton]
2. Opencloud - Crystal Palace (Opencloud`s Rubba Dub) [Proton Limited]
3. P60 feat. Virag - New Way (The Mulder`s lights on dub) [Pesto]
4. Daneel - Jasper Bort (Original mix) [Balkan Connection]
5. Nicholas Van Orton feat. Tito Della Tortuosa - Western Vibes(Oggi Gee Cash & Dimiz remix) [Balkan Connection]
6. X.S. - Detector [CDR]
7. Python - Monkey Island (Original mix) [Swordtail]
8. Nosmo - Dark Matter [Baroque Digital]
9. Python feat. Ange - In your eyes (Dub mix) [Pure Substance]
10. Promonova - Two Equators (Mango remix) [Pitch Music]

Summer Festival Season

As the summer progresses we of course enter the season of the outdoor party.  In an effort to collect some of the music that I think would sound great in an outdoor setting (and for those of you heading out to Suluk in August you will get to hear how this goes) I have compiled this mix of gritty tech house and dark progressive.  Just imagine it in the mountains at night away from all the city lights and you will have a good idea of where my head was when putting this set together.  I hope you all enjoy!

RobC

As a child, Matthew used to wake/annoy his family every morning by dragging a turntable out into the hallway and playing marching band records at full volume.  As an adult, not much has changed.  Matthew's musical tastes are simple: big basslines, stick-in-your-head melodies, and serious dancefloor sensibility.  As a resident of Area709's pure.prog and 709@Seven club nights alongside Mr. Curtis, Matthew has spent the past two years introducing Calgary to his unique blend of accessible underground music - and turning it up to eleven every chance he can.

This mix has been a long time coming and I am a bit surprised that I haven't had Matt guest on the Podcast until now.  The wait is over however, so sit back crank up the volume and enjoy this offering.


1. Nu Sensation - Go That Deep feat. Shara Nelson (Charles Webster Remix)
2. Lewie Day - Hermion
3. Booka Shade - Numbers (DJ Kicks Club Mix)
4. Andy Duguid feat. Leah - Don't Belong
5. Alexis - Twist in my Sobriety (Ali Payami Remix)
6. Brisker & Magitman vs. Moby - Next to the Brainiac (FIM's PB&C Pass)
7. D Ramirez & Mark Knight - Colombian Soul (Gabriel &  Dresden's Tuscan Soul Reconstruction)
8. Kaskade - 4AM (Adam K & Soha Mix)
9a. Ned Shepard and Sultan and Maher Daniel - Itajai Vibes (16 Bit Lolitas Remix)
9b. Fragma - Toca Me (Inpetto 2008 Remix)
10. Sergej Fresh feat. Koshka Touvan - Lucky Fish
11. Arnej - Rendezvous (Destination Unknown)
12. Sultan & Ned Shepard feat. Kuba - Jeopardy (Ohms Dub Mix)
13. Jaren, Cerf & Mitiska - Me & You
14. Ashley Wallbridge - New Moonlight

My first official guest DJ at the Textures Club night down at Amsterdamn Rhino Josh Miller is up this month with a wickedly progressive set a la Sasha and Diggers back around '99.

Josh's Comments follow:

When Rob asked me to open for his first night at the Amsterdam Rhino I was pretty excited.  Then I realized I hadn't played out in several years and I should probably get my sh*t together...  All that biking, skiing not to mention work have really cut into the DJ'ing time as of late, so it was a great incentive to get back into it!  

Then I got to thinking "you know Josh, you just bought that fancy new Macbook.  Why not buy a midi controller and put that thing to use"  So, I proceeded to get Ableton Live and get to work.  Now for those of you who aren't familiar with Ableton, it's a fantastic program that allows you to play multiple tracks and loops, add lots of effects and generally have as much control over the music as you can dream up.  The upside - the ability to go beyond the track and not having to beatmatch (I hope after nearly 10 years of playing records I don't have to prove to people that I can mix).  The downside - concentration central.   Playing this set took FAR more concentration and work than had I just played CD's, and it wouldn't have come with a bunch of the fun add ons.  The real issue is that I didn't get a chance to drink my beer often enough =)  All in all, it's a pretty fun way to play music.  Not sure I would want to play that way all the time, but I'm definitely going to continue to explore it for a while.

This set is basically the same as what I played at the Rhino to open up for Rob.  It's starts off pretty chill, then I took it techy for a while before getting into more rippin' progressive.  The people that were in the basement that night seemed pretty into it - so I hope you enjoy too!

Josh.
yoshmiller @ gmail . com

Track Listing
1. Powerplant - Overcast (Jay Tripwire remix)
2. Bongo Man - Bites (Tech edit)
3. Lesvicon Soul - The One (Nic Lerner remix)
4. Bongo Man - Guranga
5. Terry Francis and Haris - Smiling and Smiling
6. Mighty Dub Katz - Guaguanco (Tom Middleton Deep Dub)
7. Bongo Man - The Truth
8. Visitor
9. Kenneth Graham
10. The Producers - Influx
11. Prompt - Evolve
12. James Zabiela - Human (JMIL edit)
13. The Producers - Shakin Dub
14. Jamayka
15. The Real Jazz
16. H Foundation - Chic-O-Laa
17. John Acquaviva - No Fear (Trick and Kubic remix)
18. Todd Terry - I'm Feeling It (JMIL edit)
19. Jem Stone and J.C. - Disco Daze
20. Alcatraz - Giv Me Luv (Dean Coleman remix)
21. Jeff Bennett - Trial Problems (Kriece remix)
22. Viscid- Crazy (Tony Tomas remix - JMIL edit)
23. Jay Tripwire + Grant Dell - Purdy Mouth (Stephan Brandt mix)
24. Bongo Man - Swinging It
25. Space Safari - Burning (JMIL edit)
26. Bongo Man - Chaser
27. John Dahlback - Blink (D.O.N.S. & DBN Chainsaw remix)
28. Burufunk - Community Funk (Deadmau5 remix)

Here is a little bonus for you all.  I put this mix together for Wes' radio show and thought "What the hell, I might as well post it to the podcast too!"  So here you go!  Tons of great old tracks in here too as I have been collecting these for a while.  Enjoy.

Tracklisting

01. Pablo Roma - Sad Flowers (Dynamic Illusion Intro Mix)
02. Coldfish - Cycles
03. Claude Von Stroke - Who's Afraid of Detroit (Stanton Warriors Mix)
04. Petter - Six Songs (Tone Diary Mix)
05. Bedrock - Forge
06. Luke Chable - Melburn
07. Beber & Tamra - You Wonder (Starecase Vocal Mix)
08. Ivan Frolov - Cloudy 2007 (Hypnotic Breaks Mix)
09. Pole Folder & CP - Dust (Fretwell Mix)
10. Brahma & Drew Nichols - Submerged (Madoka Alternate Generation Mix)

Wes has been my co-resident at Amsterdam Rhino for over a year now and so it is surprising that I have not gotten him on the podcast until now.  Wes prides himself on weaving together many styles of music even going so far as to play Psy-trance on occasion.  He is also the man behind the success Area709.com website which features a host of DJs and Producers with articles, bios and a ton of mix set to scope out.  What follows is the result of a mix exchange that Wes and I agreed to a while back and finally got around to doing.

Enjoy!

Tracklisting

Happy New Year!

Well so I was supposed to have another live set for you this month, this time from the new years eve show that I was supposed to play.  Unfortunately the show got cancelled last minute which sucked!  Anyways, as a consolation I have put together a mix consisting of many of the tracks that I was taking to the show.  This mix comprises a great selection of old records that I have been meticulously transcribing to digital form.  This has been a really exciting project for me as there are some excellent tracks that I had all but forgotten I had!  So sit back and enjoy this selection of music that I have just rediscovered.

Tracklisting:
01) Joe T Vanelli - Prelude
02) Swayzak - State Of Grace
03) Greed - Strange World (Lemon 8 Mix)
04) Minilogue - Little Sisters
05) Quivver - Dancing In Dark Rooms (Quivver Dub)
06) Big Pig - Breakaway (Chris Fraser Mix)
07) Glen Morrison - Circles
08) Nick Muir - Savin' You
09) Infusion - Legacy (Junkie XL Mix)
10) Snake Sedrick - Mirage (Intro)
11) Quivver - These Are The Days (Vocal Mix)

This set come live from my residency at Amsterdam Rhino and features my very first Ableton Live mix set.  I've spent some time getting to know the software and decided to give it a try at the Rhino last month.  It was a great night with an awesome group there getting down.  The set spans a very wide spectrum of music with some Tech House, Electro and prog as well as some things that were down right Trancy!  I all went over well and I'd like to thank all the folks who came out and gave their support down in the dungeon at the Rhino.  I will post the tracklisting for this mix soon but I need to track down a couple of track names first.  In the mean time enjoy this set and please give me any feedback on what worked (or didn't work) as I am still getting the hang of this Ableton thing.

Cheers and happy holidays!

RobC

Here it is, the new look and feel of the podcast!  I know it has been a long time since any of you got a new episode and well... I've not just been sitting on my arse.  Some traveling, some beer drinking in exotic locales, some hard drive failures and a general rethinking of what I'm doing has brought us here to the new and improved podcast - Textures.  Presented by yours truly and still committed to bringing you all the very best in electronic music of all types.  I have added new graphics care of Area709, a new intro sequence and coming soon some dialog intros to the mixes as they come out.  I hope you all enjoy this more professional looking and sounding show and I look forward to growing our audience in the months to come.  And as always, pass this along to other like minded peeps out there and share the love!

To kick off Textures, I have a mix from a good friend of mine.  He has been DJing forever as far as I can tell.  He has opened for every major DJ you can think of and has retained a sought after spot on the Balance Record pool for years.  He is perhaps the god-father of Progressive in Calgary and just an amazing person in general.  I hope you enjoy this live mix from none other than Cary Chang!

Rob C

From Cary:

I am going to come at this bio thing from another perspective cause generally I find bio's thoroughly un-interesting and self aggrandizing at best. If anyone is at all interested they can check my site - but even that bio is sort of weak. I will however share some stories that are pertinent to this mix!

This mix is a piece of my warm up set for our Sander Kleinenberg show at Tantra nightclub. This was the second time I played with Sander - and my story comes from the first which must have been around 2001, just as his Global Underground mixes started to come out - and in the slump of our local scene. I had been playing to a very very slow warm up crowd - lethargy pervaded and the trainspotters were out in full effect - not a good equation to warming up a dance floor for a dj I couldn't wait to see! The sound of the time was a very boring era of progressive - the dark tribal days and I was in an area I was calling Nu.House - a very open interpretation of what fits together - more clubby then progressive house was known to be, but also more divergent - playing more techno, break beats - really pushing different things into one place. Needless to say - the crowd was not really sure of what to make of me. Sander had been in the club long enough to drop his record bags - and run to get some drinks - probably talk to some girls.. that's what all guest dj's do right? .... well I have all these trainspotters probably tearing me apart in their heads, no dance floor to speak of - and Sander comes running over asking if he can buy the last two records - having owned a shop, the records themselves are no big deal to me.. but in jest I said I couldn't accept his money and that instead I would trade him... He promptly opened his bag - tore through it and handed my back four of five new promos. The trainspotters jaws were on the floor and I felt totally vindicated! To be honest - it has been interactions like this that remind me of the true community of people who just love dance music!

of special note on this mix - due to Sander's tour, we were playing on the new an unreleased Pioneer SVM 1000 mixer - I am rarely intimidated when I get into a club or booth - but this thing made me sit back and look for five minutes before I did anything - a real pleasure and a highlight of the show! check this thing out, it will blow your mind.

Anyways - thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my mix with your listeners - sorry its like three years over due - and I look forward to our mountain biking season in the coming year bro!

So sorry that I seemed to have lost track of May for you all!  It has become increasingly difficult to remember what day it is notwithstanding the amount of time i've spent booking travel to different places.  I am writing you all from beautiful Prague in the Czech Republic where I am shacked up for the moment (Thanks for the help with that Evan!).  By way of apology for missing my last installment of the podcast I have sucked it up and put together an nice long 2 1/2 hour set for you guys.  This set contains a good cross section of some tech and progressive house tracks that you will all enjoy.  I have been hearing many of these tracks played out and about here in Europe and so can put my European stamp of approval on them for you. 

To give you some idea of what i've been up to please visit my Facebook site (search robcurtis@robcurtis.net to find me) and check out the pics of my trip that I have posted up there.  And without further delay enjoy the mix!

Tracklisting

01 - Loafer - Dirtbike (16 Bit Lolitas Mix)
02 - Van Bellen & Greed - City Lights (Chab Mix)
03 - Deep Forest - Sweet Lullaby (Leron & Yves Eaux Mix)
04 - Dousk - Estrange
05 - Cerf Mitiska & Jaren - Light The Skies (NJ Mix)
06 - Slytek - Midnight Static
07 - Tim Davidson - Mortal Coil
08 - Paolo Mojo - 1983 (Eric Prydz Mix)
09 - Danny Tenaglia - Dibiza (Peter Gelderblom & Rene Amesz Mix)
10 - Rob Curtis - Hollowed Out
11 - Chris Micali - Feel For You (Micali Kares Mix)
12 - Fine Taste - Spicy Cooking
13 - James Harcourt - Wired (Mashtronic Mix)
14 - Fine Taste - More Grey Than Blue
15 - Dousk - Acrobatics
16 - Chab Vs Neils Van Gogh, Eniac, Eric Smax & Thomas Gold - Lover's Pulverturm 2.0 (Rob Curtis Mashup)
17 - Girl Nobody - Careful What You Say (Rob Curtis Mix)
18 - Subsky - Caterpillar
19 - Mikrokosmos - Two Places (Absolut & Greed Mix)
20 - Slacker - Psychout (Micah Remix)
21 - Trisco - Podium
22 - Chris Nemmo & Andree Eskay - Affectation (Dousk Dub Electro)

Hello and greetings from London!  I have been out here for a couple of weeks now and am loving every minute.  But of course how can I complain, my days consist of walking around taking photos, having pints at local pubs and trying to decide which country to visit next.  Ah the good life!

I know that this set comes a little later than usual but it is hard to find the time to put together radio shows when you are living out of a backpack.  I am however dedicated to bringing you all more quality music, even if it does take time away from my sightseeing!  This month I have for you all a very interesting mix that I put together for Frisky Radio.  Unfortunately the show aired right around the time that I was heading to Europe (I think I was actually in the air when the show played...) and so I had no time to let you all know about it in advance.  As a concession I am releasing it here for all to download and enjoy.

This mix begins very minimally and progresses into a fairly smooth prog set.  I hope you all like it.  I even spiced it up with a mashup that I put together a little while back.  See if you can spot it!  I look forward to hearing from you all.

RobC

Evan Jones is another rising talent coming from the DJ community of Vancouver.  We met last year at an outdoor party that Evan was playing at the infamous "Mile 36".  Evan is a recent addition to Soundproof, a group of techno and trance DJs that have been throwing underground parties in Vancouver for the last nine years. 

DJing started as a way to pass the time on rainy afternoons over a year ago.  His first opportunities playing out at larger events came this past summer at Karma and Trancemission 9, two outdoor parties held in Squamish, B.C.  Karma saw him playing three hours earlier than intended - and completely unprepared - when the two of the DJs on the lineup for the progressive stage couldn't be found.  Trancemission marked the first time anyone from Soundproof had melted a record in half, midway through a set.  "Both events gave me a pretty good idea of how to deal with the unexpected, and I think that's invaluable."
While still actively exploring several genres of music, he became aware early on that he had inadvertently cast himself into a specific niche.  "Back in February, a friend phoned me from some random house party at 5:30am.  There were decks, and he instantly thought of me as the party reached the daylight hours.  The morning has become my favorite time to play.  Things are a bit less frenetic and I find people a lot more open-minded.  Recognizing you have to bring music for every conceivable emotional state is a bit daunting, but it definitely never gets boring."

1. "Datum" - Silent Brothers (Lokitas rmx)
2. "Ultraviolet" - Luke Fair
3. "Body In Motion" - Rob Curtis
4. "Mare Di Voci" - Drew Nichols (breaks rmx)
5. "Seragaki" - Ryukyu Underground (Quivver rmx)
6. "Passing Lights" - 16 Bit Lolitas w. Jennifer Horne
7. "Manipulator" - Jaytech (Parallel Sound rmx)
8. "Dream On" - Shiloh (Luke Chable rmx)
9. "Engage" - Jaytech
10. "Leave Me Cold" - Stef Vrolijk w. 16 Bit Lolitas
11. "Mispent Years" - Schatrax (Silicone Soul Darkroom Dub)

Body In Motion EP - Special Release Podcast

I have spent a long time collecting the tracks that have gone into this mix set and it is a very good representation of what I would call Electro House, though this set leans towards the progressive side of that genre to be sure.  This sound makes up a big part of what I have been playing at my residence in Calgary and for those of you who have been down to the Red Light Sessions you will probably recognize many of these tracks from my sets there.  Big is one way to describe this music but the ultimate litmus test is how the sound fares in a live setting and so far I can tell you that these tracks "get it!"  I hope that this music does as well on your headphones and home stereos as it has at the club.  Enjoy!

Tracklisting

01 - Furry Nipples - Why (Dumb Dan Remix)
02 - Cicada - The Things You Say (Invasion Remix)
03 - Bastards of Funk - Relentless Feat. Peter Bense (The Crisp Remix)
04 - Sarah McLeod - He Doesn't Love You (Hook N Sling Vocal Mix)
05 - Pryda - Shadows
06 - Rob Curtis - Body In Motion
07 - Shiloh - Vice
08 - Phatjak - Dirty Monday (Bart Van Wissen Mix)
09 - Matt Rowan & Jaytech - Holding On
10 - Common Ground - To Be Given (Max Graham Remix)
11 - Gabriel & Dresden - Tracking Treasure Down
12 - Lifelike & Kris Menace - Discopolis (Chris Lake Remix)

Another good episode for you all.  This time we have a big timer in the form of D:Fuse.  AKA Dustin Fuselier.  I've known Dustin for quite a few years now and am proud to have him on the show as he has been a great influence in the progressive scene over the years.  I will let the bio speak for itself but let me say that what follows is but a taste of what he has been into over the years.  I would also like to point you all to his websites.

www.djdfuse.com

www.myspace.com/dfuse

Born and bred in Texas, D:FUSE always dreamt of being a musician. As a teenager, D:FUSE hated electronic music. "I felt like live musicianship was what real music was, a group of guys all jamming together." But after several years of playing in the live music circuit, D began to feel that the "live" music scene was becoming old, and began to believe that the real art
music wasn't just in playing it, but in creating and writing it; live
instruments seemed to have a lot of limitations. "Electronic music seemed like a vast landscape to me. Limitless. When I picked up Nine Inch Nails" Pretty Hate Machine," I knew electronic music was what I wanted to write," D:FUSE says.

D:FUSE broke onto the Texas club scene ten years ago performing industrial music under the name Culture Industry. Influenced by bands like The Fixx, The Chameleons, U2, Ministry, and Depeche Mode, the young D:FUSE soon turned his energies to full-time DJing, spinning progressive music.

As his DJ reputation grew, D:FUSE began spinning all over the USA, Canada and Mexico. His first mix CD, "Psychotrance 2000,"was released in September 1999, was followed up with "Psychotrance 2001," and then "Progressive Mix Volume One," When D:FUSE's skills came to the attention of Paul Oakenfold, Oakenfold was so impressed that he offered D:FUSE the opening DJ slot on two North American Perfecto tours. This gave D:FUSE the opportunity to expand his horizons and establish his name with huge audiences. According to Oakenfold: "D:FUSE represents what I admire most. He's worked hard for what he's achieved, He's a fantastic DJ and artist, he has a creative mind and he understands the whole vibe."

Happy New Year!  I guess since I started to slack off again at the tail end of last year it is only fitting that I give you a healthier dose this month as sort of a thank you for your understanding.  In that spirit i'm brining you the first part of a 5 hour live set recorded on December 22cd at Amsterdam Rhino.  This was the second night of my new residency here in Calgary and I was very pleased to see how many folks turned out for a bit of boogy right before the Holidays.  Thanks again to Ryan, Erin and Chris who all made it out all the way from Vancouver, it was a pleasure to see you all and a very welcome surprise for me. 

Because this set is 5 hours long i have split it up into 3 pieces which I will publish over the course of the next month and a half or so.  Also as it was recorded live I don't have the complete track listing together yet but hope to have something posted soon. Featured in this recording are mini sets by both myself and Wes Straub, we traded off every half hour or so and so there are 2 sets each in the first piece.  We are a little bit all over the place with our track selection here but not unreasonably so, I guess i'll let you all be the judge.  Enjoy and let me know what you think!

 Wow, I managed to botch this post completely.  First the link to the mp3 was broken then I accidentally erased the whole episode.  So here is the bio and track listing again sorry for the mixup!


Deviant, aka David Christopher, is the label manager of Toes in the Sand Recordings, which has grown into one of the world's most respected progressive labels. Toes started off with a bang, with their first release, "Bound for Ascension" by Michael Lanning, appearing on Anthony Pappa's Balance 006. Since then, the label has been committed to exposing the globe's best underground talent, including Siberian Son, Alican & Soner, DJ Tarkan, Andrew K, Naveen G, The Last Atlant, Storyteller, Rob Curtis, and Pablo Roma.  In 2006, Deviant started up a second label, HeadRush Music, focusing on edgier, harder sounds that didn't quite fit on the more melodic Toes in the Sand.
 
As a DJ, Deviant's late-night sound has been the perfect finish during closing sets for Sean Cusick, Steve Porter, Hybrid, John Howard, Jerry Bonham, Mazi, Randall Jones, Habersham, and Thomas Penton, helping him twice earn the Cleveland Music Award for Best DJ. He has also proven his ability to warm up the dance floor, opening for Sandra Collins, BT, Max Graham, Jondi & Spesh, Tim Skinner, Trendroid, Austin Leeds, Micro, Noel Sanger, Three, Steve Gerrard, John Howard, George Acosta, and Pete Moss. Deviant has also played the headliner role at events in San Francisco, Miami, Orlando, Louisville, Syracuse, and Pittsburgh, and even spun on Cleveland's FOX Morning Show to promote Paul Van Dyk's Rock the Vote event and HeadRush Music's Get Your Vote Out event with Dennis Kucinich.
 
In August 2004, Deviant's contributions to the American dance music scene led to an invitation to join the Balance Record Pool, a hand-picked collective of the top 40 progressive DJs in North America, including Chris Fortier, Jimmy Van M, Sandra Collins, D:Fuse, and Deepsky. In 2006, Deviant was also invited to join the Release Promo Pool.

Tracklisting:

1. Matthew Adams - Orange Leaf [Toes in the Sand]
2. Hernan Paredes - Arabian [HeadRush Music]
3. Rasti TKAC - Sparkling Inspiration (Rasti's Gaia Mix) [Toes in the Sand]
4. Matthew Adams - Red Leaf [Toes in the Sand]
5. Rob Curtis - Hollowed Out [Toes in the Sand]
6. Gropper & Ozaki - Beat Junkie [Toes in the Sand]
7. The Scrubz - That Feeling [Toes in the Sand]
8. The Scrubz - Ready Cat [Toes in the Sand]
9. Moonbeam - Snowfall (Riko's Starfall Mix) [Toes in the Sand]
10. Matthew Adams - Gold Leaf [Toes in the Sand]

This month's guest mix comes from Nemo and is the first guest not of the progressive genre.  The purpose of this show is not just to showcase great prog, but to showcase great music and talent and Nemo has plenty of both.  These sounds dance on the housier side of pure techno and have a rhythm and bounce that are at once thought provoking and groovy.  Enjoy some sweet techno and just see if you can keep still!

Petr Benda (aka nemo) didn't realize that his discovery of electronic
music at a small underground party in early 1997 would be life altering.
After finding the medium of vinyl to be the best source of electronic
music, and listening to it mixed seemed only logical, he learned how to spin.

Wanting to share his music, Petr began to spin at parties, playing mostly
UK hard house and then moving into dark tech trance. After almost 2 years of spinning he fell in love with techno, and has played a variety from hard to tribal for the last 4 years. Now inspired by rich, funky and techy sounds, he exposes listeners to minimal techno/house with influences coming from Detroit and Berlin.

Fluctuations

01 Patrick Chardronnet - Tricky
02 Jason Emsley - Politic
03 Mark-Henning - Ode to ds remix Den
04 Den - Sister 1
05 Jason Emsley - Prefab
06 Bruno Pronsato - The river (Sr. Replicante Sub_Urban mix)
07 and again - Larry's Circus
08 Apoll - The Peace of Arrogance
09 Fenin&Meteo - Fete 1
10 Anha Schneider - Addicted
11 Jona - Moontalka
12 Italoboyz - Birdman
13 Vicknoise - Last Night at Flamingo

A Tribute To Hooj

Few labels can boast the success or proliferation of Hooj Choons and it was a sad day when they closed their doors.  For any of us out there who came of age in the electronic music community listening to Global Underground CDs and wondering "Where can I get tracks like those?", inevitably we were drawn to the stick man sleeve art and interesting remix nomenclature.  Hooj was a powerhouse of all thing house with some of the biggest names in the industry gracing the covers of their LPs.  And so it is with great elation in the DJ community that the announcement of Hooj's triumphant return has come out and in this spirit I have compiled some of my favorite Hooj tracks from my treasured vinyl collection and put together this set of all things Hooj.  I think that many of you who listen to this set will find yourself recognizing a lot of these tracks as classics from various compilations over the years and that was the main basis for doing this mix.  Cheers and welcome to the resurrection!

Tracklisting

01 Medway - Resurrection (Ambient Dub)
02 Flash Bothers - Hazy March
03 Medway - Release (Lexicon Avenue Mix)
04 Pete Lazonby - Sacred Cycles (Quivver Mix)
05 Parks & Wilson - The Dragon (Enter The Dub Mix)
06 Datar - B (Tarrantella & Redanka's NYSC mix)
07 Killahurtz - West On 27th (A Tribe Called Khz Mix)
08 Halo - Future (Three N' One Remix)
09 Tilt - Dark Science EP - The Seduction Of Orpheus (Tilt's Mythology Mix)
10 KC Flightt - Voices (PMT Remix)
11 DJ Rasoul - Oh Baby (Quinn Whalley Mix)
12 Space Manoeuvres - Stage One (Total Separation Mix)

Episode 5 - Part 1: Rob Curtis

Well I'm back this month with a brand new set for you all and I'll tell ya, I think it's my best one to date.  My previous favourite was a show that I did for Existence Records on Proton Radio back in 2004 and was re-aired as the first episode of this podcast, but I think the torch has been passed so to speak.  This month's set just has a very natural flow to it not to mention some really top notch tracks.  It is probably the housiest set I've put together which may be a testament to how Calgary has changed my sound. 

The format of the release of the podcast is new this month as I have, at the suggestion of some diligent listeners, decided to release this episode in two parts to make it easier for you folks to listen to the set you want to hear.  The first part is mixed by yours truly and the second part is the guest DJ of the month.  This month we have Andrew Pacey, a recent addition to the Focus Friday crew in Vancouver, I met Andrew while out that way in August.  After seeing him play out at Summer Break this summer I immediately got him on board to do a set for the show.  I hope you all enjoy this as much as I have.

Rob Curtis Tracklisting

01 - The Djuma Soundsystem - Les Djinns (Trentenmoller Remix)
02 - Yvel & Tristan - Silent Sight
03 - Terry Grant Featuring Jennifer Horn - Be My Guide
04 - Lawrence - Along The Wire (Superpitcher Mix)
05 - Eelke Kleijn & Nick Hogendoorn - Dusk (Baunder Mix)
06 - Hernan Cerbello - Dot Groovy (John E & Bart Cruz Mix)
07 - Bart Van Wissen - Damn Robots Took My Lunch
08 - Sebastian Leger Featuring Gia Mellish - Hypnotized (Chris Lake Vocal Mix)
09 - Red Drop - Music 4 Me (Bart Van Wissen Remix)
10 - Henrik B - Overrun

Episode 5 - Part 2: Andrew Pacey

 

When Andrew started DJing in 2003, he had no plans to become a serious DJ. He was content playing at underground parties he and his friends put on. But, when he broke into the Vancouver's club circuit he quickly made his way into the most sought after clubs, including Believe Saturdays at the Red Room, Gorg-o-mish Afterhours, and the Lotus Sound Lounge. Today, he is a regular at Vancouver's longest running progressive night, Focus Fridays.

He was initially drawn to the deep, dark, progressive sounds from DJ's like Steve Lawler and Hernan Cattaneo. His musical taste eventually branched out into other styles including breaks, electro and tech house. Each set that he plays features a variety of styles which keep the dancefloor fully engaged from start to finish.

1. Hernan Cerbello - Dot Groovy (John-E & Bart Cruz) - Global Scum
2. Lee Pennington - Back How It Was - Bellarine Recordings
3. Gustavo Bravetti - E Worm - South American House
4. Hernan Cerbello - Float Vibe - Bellarine Recordings
5. Jim Rivers - Catch 22 - Nic Fanciulli Re-Edit - Saved
6. Marc Vision - Gotham City - Mauritius
7. Antix  - Tame the Beast (Andre Absolut Remix)  - Flow Vinyl
8. Greed - Promises (D-Nox and Beckers Remix) - Vapourise
9. Emrecan Cakir - Divine - Alican & Soner Mix - Toes in the Sand
10. Notorius MOT - Jojo - Mauritius
11. Sjunkes - In The House of Flies - Istmo Music
12. Mistress Barbara - Azzurri - Bedrock

This month I have a great show for you all.  Due to an extremely busy month (and my own laziness I suppose), I was unable to put together a set of my own in time for the show.  Fortunately I have been able to procure an extra guest DJ at the last minute to fill the gap. 

I have here a very interesting contrast of elements for the show.  My first guest is Tomas Nielsen a veteran DJ who has put together an amazing Ableton set of selected tracks.  This set is entitled "Ignition" and showcases a wide variety of techniques available to the Ableton DJ. 

Next up is a good friend of mine Chris Singer who has only very recently picked up the DJ trade.  In fact the set presented here was his first public performance ever.  Chris has jumped head first into the DJ realm and is making amazing progress.  With a keen ear and wicked track selection he has offered up a great set for the show.

Tomas Nielsen 

Since Tomas Nielsen began playing records in 1998, he has developed a smooth, refined style that takes listeners on a journey.  Spinning deep rolling progressive house, Tomas often adds break beat and electro-tech sounds to his sets.  Listening early in his musical development to Sasha and John Digweed's CD series Northern Exposure, Tomas set the bar high for quality and refinement.  In recent years, influence has come in the form of Satoshi Tomiie, Steve Lawler, Danny Howells and Deep Dish.  Extensive traveling throughout the US and Europe, with a period of living in England, expanded his exposure to talented world-class DJs and further pushed his ambition for perfection.

In the DJ booth, Tomas is known for seamlessly weaving sounds together to blur the lines between tracks.  Often throwing in loops and samples, he creates a textured sound that makes people move.  His sets are equally enjoyed on the sofa as on the dance floor.

Tomas has played in various clubs in Vancouver, Calgary, Victoria, Seattle, and Melbourne, as well as outdoor parties in Squamish.  His most recent set at Safa, thrown by the Beheshto crew, kept people cheering and dancing towards the light of day!

He is currently splitting his time between living in Vancouver and on Denman Island.

Ignition Promo - Track listing

1. The Emissary - Transfigured Night
2. Anisotropic - Firmware
3. Bakony Scamp - Absolutely Mad
4. Dale Anderson, Tim Davison - The More I Know (Paul Rogers Remix)
5. DJ Tarkan - On The Way (V-Sag Mix)
6. Audiofly X - Mind Goes Blank
7. Openair - The Octagon (Mashtronic Remix)
8. Jairus Miller - Earthworks (Virus J Remix)
9. Satoshi Tomiie - Love (3D Dub Remix)
10. Stephane K - Numb
11. Audiofly X - Stolen Goods
12. Substructure - Readers Waves
13. Drama Society - Crying Hero
14. Kosmas Epsilon - Ill Ssa (V-Sag Remix)

Chris Singer

"I want people to feel the music the way I feel it"

For the past 6 years, Chris has been involved in the underground party
scene helping out with various events. Since taking to the decks in
January he has worked hard to build his skills to make his debut set, which
you're about to hear.

Preferring local artists to mainstream DJs, Chris counts veteran
Vancouver spinners John Morgan, Anisotropic and Kristian Littman among
his inspirations.

This set premiered live at Soundproof's Transmission 9 in Squamish -
British Columbia. In creating this set Chris builds his beats
slowly, gently bringing the listener into a mood where they can start to
feel the weight and emotional response of the music.

When he's not spinning, Chris divides his time between payin' the bills
as a firmware engineer and free climbing where ever the rock is good. 

1.  Rob Curtis - Eclectic - Original Mix

2.  Pablo Roma - Shadows - Original Mix

3.  Taylor & Meehan - South of the Border (Dub)

4.   Quintek - One Flew Over (Taylor & Meehan Remix)

5.  Seven Senses - Southern Cross - Original Mix

6.  S.Junkes - If You Stay - 4 to the Floor Unreleased Mix

7.  Group Therapy - Thumbsucker - Original Mix

8.  Nicholas Van Orton - Luckysouth - Original Mix

9. Absolut & Blade - Crash - Original Mix -

10. D-Nox - Seven Hours - Original Mix

11. Absolut & Blade - Pure Edge - Original Mix

12. 16 Bit Lolitas - Sedna - Original Mix

13. D-Nox, Beckers - You're A Star - Original Mix

14. Shiloh, Luke Chable - Oz - Original Mix

This month's show sees the first guest to grace the podcast.  I have known Khan for several years now and when I put this show together I immediately thought of him.  Khan and I have played together a number of times out in BC and more recently he has invited me to play at Safa near Squamish at the end of August.

Using his love of music to inspire and feed the flames of consciousness in the dance community, Khan is on a constant journey of growth and discovery, doing his small part to help as many souls as possible on their journey to higher realms. Inspired by progressive music pioneers John Digweed and James Holden, he has been exploring a range of musical flavours over the past 7 years, ranging from progressive to hard trance and  progressive house. His sets take dancers on a journey through mythic landscapes, richly textured with deep, dark grooves , tribal rhythms, and lush, beautiful progressive tracks. A veteran of the outdoor festival and rave scene, Khan's infectious spirit is sure to give rise to some serious magic on the dancefloor and beyond.


Rob Curtis Tracklisting

Vibrasphere - Infusion (Vibrasphere Remix)
3 Colours - 95th Street
Alex Church - Sound Advice
Pablo Roma & Marcelo Vasemi - Pushing Me Away (Riko Mix)
Bakony Scamp - Get Together
Starecase - Vapourtrails
Ali Ajami & Chris Micali - Strings of Life
Hernan Cerbello - Piano Choice

Khan Tracklisting

Emrecan Cakir - Starfall
Frangellic - Gambling Debts
Drive feat Luci Arundel - Stay (DJ Tarkan and V-Sag remix)
Union Jack - Two Full Moons and a Trout (Luke Chable Remix)
Native ID - Devotion
Pope Of Gegga - Pleasure (Moshic Remix)
Emrecan Cakir - Mesa
Andro and Snake Sedrick - Cinnamon (Clubbervision Remix)

Episode 2 has arrived just in time for the long weekend.  I hope you can all enjoy it in the sun somewhere with a beer in hand.  Happy Canada Day to you all!

Tracklisting

01 - Dousk - Estranged
02 - Dominic Plaza - Welcome To MyWorld
03 - Pablo Roma - Mykonos
04 - Snake Sedrick - Effulgence
05 - 3 Colors - Picture This (Final Edit)
06 - Bakony Scamp - Absolutely Mad
07 - Echomen - Radar (Main Mix)
08 - The Proluctors - Expression
09 - Alex Stealthy - Deploring (DP-6 Mix)
10 - Facundo Mohr - Dark Moon
11 - Kenneth Thomas - The Orange Room (Nick Warren Remix)
12 - Marek - Gentle Touch

Welcome to the first episode of the Rob Curtis Music Podcast.  This show will be featuring some of the best DJs and Producers in the Progressive House music scene.  To kick things off Rob has provided a fantastic set which was first aired on Proton Radio in mid 2005.  In the months to come we will be showcasing great new tracks from around the globe masterfully mixed by some of the top DJs in the world.  So tune in and enjoy one of the few Progressive House shows availble to the podcast world.