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!

Hi all,

I know you are all wondering "What the hell happened?".  It has been damn near 6 months since a new episode was posted.  I know, I know!  I have been rethinking how I want to do the podcast and fear not.  I am not abandoning you all and giving up or anything crazy like that!  No far from it. I am in the process of spicing things up a notch, giving the 'Cast a shot from my spice weasel *BAM!*

I will be posting new material soon and the 'Cast will be getting a major overhaul.  New name, new logo, a nice intro bit and even a bit of actual dialogue from yours truly.  So i'm going for a more professional slant on this one and hopefully you all enjoy the new look and sound of "Textures" brought to you by Rob Curtis!

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]