The podcast mixes are in full throttle this year; I received two just this past weekend which are total bangers! I will post the second later in the week, but would like to start out with a tech house jam session local DJ Owen Williams sent me. Over the past few years I’ve heard critics declare the art of the journey DJ set as “dead”. Good thing nobody told Owen this. While all those flavor-of-the-week mixes get outmoded as soon as the songs they comprise are released, I’ll still be jamming to Owen’s navigation around the many styles of tech house five years from now. It’s a terrific merger of the old school style of DJ-ing (where each track speaks for itself without any far-fetched mixing gimmicks) and the utilization of the latest technology (Mixxx) to do so. 

Mixxx is a relatively new, FREE, open-source program designed for digital DJ-ing. Owen works for the company as a developer. Not only can you customize the app however you desire, but it also lets you use MIDI controllers, or a CD/turntable with Serato/Traktor control discs. You don’t even need the Serato/Traktor hardware! This is quite an interesting development, and later this year I plan on writing a piece about Mixx once I test it out for myself.

Oh yeah, the mix itself. Owen’s “journey” starts out a tad on the deep side, albeit with plenty of booming kicks and shuffling hi-hats. The first 20 minutes build in energy smoothly while managing to not take too much soul out the equation. I especially like the garage-house throwback of Franck Roger’s “After All”, which I literally had to look up on Discogs to disprove my theory that it came out in 1995, not 2012! It peaks with Kaiserdisco’s “Callao”, after which the energy (and conga drums) recede to the background to wind things down properly. I love the piano on Soukie & Windish’s “Tango Zebra”, a classic example of no-frills house that just puts people in a good mood.

I had a chance to toss a couple questions in Owen’s direction, which he was happy to answer. Both about the mix and, well, Mixxx ;)

Nick: Cool mix- very fluid the way each song fit together! How did you compile this compilation? Was it an off-the-cuff session, or did you carefully plan out which tracks you were going to play? Which style of DJ-ing (pre-planning vs. ad-libbed) do you prefer?

Owen: Almost all of my mixes are off-the-cuff, this one included. The few times I’ve tried to really plan out a tracklist I feel like it hasn’t had the energy I wanted, or as I’m making it I just feel dissatisfied. The only reason I can be fluid is because I cheat. I use the comment field of the library to add keywords like intensity level, style, and even instrumentation-I can just search for the type of track I want and narrow the list down quickly. I still go through two or three options before I pick the next one, though.

Nick: Which producers are you really keeping your eye on at the moment? Any up-and-comers that tech house fans should be on the lookout for?

Owen: My first love is deep techno, so doing an all tech-house set was a stretch for me. These tracks represent a lot of digging through DJ Charts, podcasts, etc. The producers I really watch are in the Berghain or UK techno orbits: Cio D’or, Tin Man, The Black Dog, Raime, and everyone on the CLR label.

There are two local acts that I want to give a shout-out to: B-Tracks and Dark & Stormy; their stuff fits into my sets very easily. A couple more EPs like these guys have put out and Boston may finally become more than the place Soul Clap moved out of.

Nick: I noticed you were a developer for Mixxx. Describe what Mixxx is, and what its benefits are compared to Serato/Traktor. Will it work with any Mac/PC laptop, or MIDI controller? How much do you use Mixxx in your own DJ work?

Owen: Mixxx is a full-featured free & open source DJ application for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It has a built-in mixer, supports looping and samples, and works with midi controllers and digital vinyl control. For anyone already using Traktor or Serato there’s probably not a compelling reason to switch to Mixxx exclusively. But it travels very well, working in places where you can’t have a full laptop/mixer/turntable setup. You could even install it on a USB stick, take it to a house party, commandeer the itunes party laptop, and mix just using the keyboard.

I started using Mixxx because I was cheap (free is good!), but it works so well I see no reason to trade up. It sounds great and doesn’t crash. Now that I hack on it, it includes several features that I wrote myself (vinyl control chief among them). So in a very real way it works exactly how I want it to.  

Mixxx is the only DJ software I’ve used, actually.

On The Boogiedownload 023 :: Owen Williams (Tech House)

Craig Hamilton - Bounce 
&ME - Glaced (Original Mix) 
Maertz - Vilares (Miguel Lobo & Andre Butano Remix) 
Franck Roger, Mandel Turner - After All (Original Mix) 
NTFO & Optick - From The Tower (Nikola Gala Remix) 
Kaiserdisco - Callao (Original Mix) 
Alessio Mereu - 2 Points After You (Original Mix) 
Pig & Dan - Got Me Down (Original Mix) 
Freak Seven Feat. Aniff - Nano Kids (Vocal) 
Bjorn Storig - Jazz Thang (Original Mix) 
Soukie & Windish - Tango Zebra (Original Mix) 
Soukie & Windish - Whats The Cure (Original Mix) 
Kassem Mosse - Untitled 2 - Original Mix

Enjoy the mix guys. And by the way, some good news on the podcast tip: I **FINALLY** submitted the RSS feed to the iTunes store, and just got approved today. So from now on, you can subscribe to the series right through the app itself! Really not sure why I never sorted this out two years ago, but better late than never, eh? Cover art has also been freshened up a tad.

A new year, a new podcast. It’s simply how we roll. Steve “Lylax” Almada sent me a freshly mixed batch of dubstep tunes late last week, and I knew I had to get him on the series because it’s been over a year since we last hosted a dubstep DJ for it. Steve hails from just outside Boston but I’ve known him for several years; he’s always shown face at dubstep parties around town (particularly Bassic). He was also involved with the Bass Embassy nights in Worcester for quite some time as well.

As we all know, dubstep is an entirely different breed than it was five or six years ago. The sound has changed dramatically. Derivative forms have been created, some based on musical influences, others based more on geographic location or even age. Being able to tell the full story would normally require at least a couple hours, but Lylax does a decent job in just under a half hour.

Within that time period, Lylax pretty much covers the entire gamut. Berlin-influenced techno hybrids, the dark sounds that dissipated from the Big Apple studios circa 2005, the face-melting wobbles those American youngins love to “rage hard” to in 2012, and of course, some smoke filled forays into dancehall territory. For someone like me who can only stand to listen to any single form of the genre for only a few tracks at a time, it’s a #WINNING formula that works well here. So nice work, Steve.

Lylax and I also exchanged a quick Q&A session over email. Check this out below, followed by a link to the mix and the tracklist!

Nick: Nice mix dude. Describe this mix in one sentence.

Steve: Body rockin’!

Nick: I noticed you were taking advantage of some of Traktor’s features in this mix, including loop triggering and stuttering. What are your thoughts on where DVS platforms like Traktor and Serato are headed? Are there any specific reasons you chose Traktor over Serato?

Steve: I use Traktor’s built-in effects and cue points MIDI’d to my mixer. This lets me use these effects in combinations where I can make quick buildups or jump through tracks to give the mix more impact while still maintaining a solid flow.

I use Traktor’s vinyl control with standard turntables; having the feel of vinyl is the only way for me. Vinyl keeps all options open, but using Traktor’s features in my opinion blows Serato out of the water. Serato is a great program, and is used by some of the best in the game. But at the end of the day, comes down to what you’re comfortable using. For me, it’s Traktor.

Nick: What I like most about this mix is it manages to showcase many different styles of dubstep in just 30 minutes. Is this representative of how you normally DJ or produce?

Steve: I try to mix all styles of dubstep because there is so much out there. I also try to step outside the genre and mix different kinds of music. I host my own radio show from 3-5 PM every Saturday on www.filth.fm. I suggest taking a listen and enjoying some good tunes with me.

Nick: What are 3 of your biggest musical influences outside electronic music? 

Steve:  Vildhjarta (a metal band from Sweden), Cave-In (anything from Cave-in is AWESOME), and Jazzanova (this is a group of musicians who play live but still make music that falls under the umbrella of “electronic”).

On The Boogiedownload 022 :: Lylax (Dubstep)

Tracklist:

Synkro - Relapse
DJ Madd - Pitfall (Phaeleh rmx)
Silkie - Wonder
Joker - Let me Breathe
Nero - Innocence
Cutline - Runnin VIP
Dodge and Fuski - Aerophobia
Breakage - Open Up
501 - Escaping Mondays
Adora - Suicide Pill
F - Forever
Pretty Lights - I know the Truth
Xilent - Skyward II
Nero - Reaching Out

Allright guys, new podcast mix up. This installment is by a dude I’ve known for some time now: Jay Redfield, aka Countermasure. I’ve known Jay since back in my rave days around New England like 5 or 6 years ago. You know, that time when I was too old to wear my one pair of neon red Caffeine cargos (that I still secretly have stashed somewhere in my closet) but still young enough to somehow find myself nodding my head at the hardstyle and gabber I would hear at those parties circa 4am in some dingy basement in god knows where. 

Well anyways, first time I met this kid, he ROAR’d me at the door of one of those parties. Not like he was the official security guard or anything, but I understood the humor straightaway. I learned soon afterwards that he played drum and bass music around the area…and it turns out that to this day, he’s still down for the life in the fast lane (180 bpm business, not the Eagles song, in case you were actually wondering).

For the podcast mix he decided to call it “Last Junglist Standing”. Fitting title; it seems like so long ago when everyone, their mother, hell even the MC’s, were spinning drum and bass. Over the past three years it’s been sort of sad seeing people just walk away from it in droves, selling all their records and venturing into other musical territories. You can’t argue with evolution because change is constant, but it’s always great to see some “soldiers” out there holding true to the sounds they were raised on. Especially considering the quality of drum and bass music has gotten better these past few years!

On The Boogiedownload 021 :: Countermeasure (Drum & Bass)

What I like about this mix is not only are all the tracks anonymous, but I actually didn’t even recognize any of them. Much of it is current day stuff, released within the last 2 or 3 years. No major anthems; lesser known and slightly obscure tunage takes precedence. Countermeasure weaves in everything from the minimal sound to neurofunk, distorted-808-horrorcore-step (well, once), and closes out the last ten minutes with some liquid rollers.

Countermeasure actually entered this mix in a demo contest a few weeks ago, which he ended up winning a booking out off. It happens to be at a large scale event thrown by Beatdown Productions TONIGHT (12.9.11) in Holyoke, MA. Along with him, DJ Dara, Hive, D.Star, Hardware, Down Jones, Fig, Mike D, and Mizeyesis are all steering the ship, amongst MANY others. 3 rooms! (Facebook Event Invite) So if you are itching to find out the names of any of the tracks in this mix and are afraid to ask Jay, you can always ask Dara, the dude is still the world’s most renowned encyclopedia when it comes to this drum and bass stuff ;) And if he ROAR’s you at the door, tell him you listened to the podcast. He’ll let you off easy.

Wait, did I actually admit somewhere in here that I own a pair of Caffeines?

What’s up Disco music. Long time no talk, homie. You’ve been doing your thing for quite some time now. You’re older than me, and even though you’ve had a hard time surpassing the fame you garnered as a child, you still manage to attract a dedicated fanbase of people worldwide. I bet that Justin Bieber kid won’t be able to pull the same thing off thirty-plus years past HIS prime. What’s cool about you now Disco is that you’re all about subtlety; nowadays you opt to collab with House, Electro, and other younger sounds, schooling them with your uncanny wisdom and taste. Drum and bass even let you collab with him around the turn of the century! (Peshay even named a song after you, dude.)

I just wanted to point out that this cat from Boston, Ben Adams (aka GMGN), is repping you HARD right now. He just cracked out this stellar mix for my blog that puts you front and center all the way through. Not only are many of your recent collaborations with House highlighted, but some of your old stuff from decades ago shows up in the flesh too. Many would argue your sound is so timeless that an average listener wouldn’t even realize some of these songs have an age gap of over 30 years. For example, Chaka Khan and Tom Trago come from two completely different generations, but with one mixed on top of the other, you would almost think they were playing in the same room together!

On The Boogiedownload: Mix 020 by GMGN (Nu Disco/House) by gmgndjs

On The Boogiedownload 020 :: GMGN (Nu Disco/House)

You came from a much simpler time, Disco, when people cared about music, not the hype surrounding it. But in these rapidly changing times, your string section, upright bass guitar, and syncopated rhythms are still widely appealing to many. You haven’t been forgotten about, pal.

Chill Winston EP by gmgndjs 

Oh yeah, hey Disco….I’m not sure if you collab’d with Ben in the studio, but he’s cranking out some work of his own right now that would make me assume so. Or, if not you, then your brother or cousin or something. His new “Chill Winston” EP dishes your style out in spades. I’m especially a fan of the title track….did you fly all the way down to Trinidad to jack those steelpans? Can you steal me a set next time you go there? I’ll return the favor right now by embedding a Soundcloud link so listeners can check out these tracks, plus a link to download the high quality versions from iTunes. If Ben’s nice, maybe he’ll kick you over a couple bucks ;)

And before I forget…the mix tracklist:

Singe Linge- Lisco Disco (Drop Out Orchestra and Martin Brodin Edit)
Nightriders - A Loving Feeling
Poka - 99 Style
Rogerseventytwo - You Take Me Higher (Geisha Twins Late For Work Edit)
Van She - So High (Alexandre Louvré Remix)
Voltra Bureau - Alley Cat
J Paul Getto - Just For You
Daft Punk - Da Funk
Breakbot ft. Ruckazoid - Fantasy (Jacques Renault Remix)
Jean Jacques Smoothie - 2 People (2011 Rework) (Louis La Roche Remix)
Chaka Khan - Fate
Tom Trago - Use Me Again
Tiger & Woods - Deflowered
Deux Feat. Sheilah Cuffy - Diskout (Nu Disco Mix)

Another week, another podcast mix. Due to a busy week at the office, and a subsequent lack of being able to add much content the past few days, Ian “Pressplay” Moss totally came through in the clutch putting this together. For the first time in the series, I’m able to showcase the DJ work of a fellow blogger; Pressplay being one of the guys behind UnheardUV. Responsible for local events such as Funktion, Pressplay makes time to spin both drum and bass and dubstep while going to school, working part time, and keeping the content on UnheardUV fresh.

If you’re not very familiar with drum and bass, or haven’t been listening at all in the last five years, then this half hour session provides a good road map on the sounds that are currently hot within the genre. Current popular artists such as Camo & Krooked, Wilkinson, Fresh, Sub Focus, and Chase & Status have a very “maximal” approach to their sound. This is when a lot of synths and samples are layered on top of one another to create a dense wall of sound. But none of these sounds overpower one another, they fit very well with eachother. Just like in a real wall, every brick has its space, balancing the whole structure out. Oh yeah, the wall looks good too, and metaphorically this translates back into the song being catchy and dancefloor-friendly. Pressplay includes all of the artists above in this mix.

At 33 minutes it’s an abbreviated rap sheet, but given the fact Ian Pressplay turned this around within like an hour after I invited him to record it (a new record, by the way), it’s all that is necessary to get his point across.

On The Boogiedownload (Mix 019) :: Pressplay

Did I mention Pressplay is playing Elements (Phoenix Landing, 512 Mass Ave, Cambridge) this Thursday? Well, I just did. Check him out, he played a great set there several months ago, and I’m sure he will do the same again Thursday. Support your local scene kiddos!

Longtime DJ/producer Eric Sharp is no longer a green jersey-wearing, pub-crawling Beantown resident. But considering he lives in San Francisco, essentially Boston’s sister city on the left coast, I figured he still qualifies for a podcast mix on the blog here. And considering it’s been several months since we’ve had a mix in the series, a new installment is LONG overdue!

Eric first got in touch with me over email two weeks ago to alert me to the fact he was playing RISE, alongside DJ Dan, the following weekend. Juggling a hectic schedule that week, I dropped the ball with the “post stuff on Beantown Boogiedown” sticker on it, so I never got around to posting the flyer. Eric and I emailed back and forth though; and his work on Soundcloud showed a great deal of promise on first listen.

Sharp’s original work, along with the mix he recorded after I reached out to him, is the perfect representation of the walls being removed between the different genres in 2011. At first glance the mix is an old, faithful tree which is deeply rooted in house; however there are a variety of branches that represent derivative sounds embodying all things electronic beyond just house. And the thing that ties everything together are the vocals on each track: easily accessable to the average listener. Like each branch of the tree, each style is covered in leaves…and professional writers, feel free to hit me with a stick for that whole analogy; I know it ain’t my best.

Either way, if you didn’t get a chance to check Sharp out at RISE last weekend, this mix is pretty accurate to what he probably played. Imagine a party where the 808, the 909, the piercing super-saw lead, the amen break, the “EPIC” breakdown, a bunch of bongos, some Rob Papen sub bass, the early 90s rave piano lead all showed up just raved together in the same room. It sounds awkward at first, but everyone somehow just gets along and it just works out in the end. As a DJ, manipulating songs that range from house to progressive, to electro, to baltimore club, to bass, ain’t easy, but Eric can probably do it in his sleep. 

This is evidenced by the fact he turned this mix over within 48 hours of me asking him to put it together!

I also had a chance to do a quick Q & A with Eric Sharp over email. Below is a bit about what he’s been up to, and some words on his recent trip to play in Boston.

Enjoy the mix! Check out more of Eric’s mixes (as well as original production) on his Soundcloud.

On The Boogiedownload Vol. 18 :: Eric Sharp

Nick: In one sentence, how would you describe your DJ/production style, without specifically mentioning any genres (i.e. house, techno, etc)?

Eric: A major statement I hope to communicate as a DJ, Producer, and label owner is to herald diversity and the freedom to express a variety of emotions and mood through my work, regardless of the incessant genre boundaries that are rampant in electronic dance music.

Nick: Some of your recent releases have been on labels like Brooklyn Fire (Tommie Sunshine’s label). Any upcoming releases or collabs we should know about on BF or other imprints?

Eric: Definitely. I am about to release my first solo artist EP on my label Rock It Science Labs. It has three original tracks, an edit by Roy Davis Jr and a remix by White Girl Lust. This will be out in a month. My next release on Brooklyn Fire is a banger of a collaboration with DJ Fame called “Rave In The Key Of C.” My good friend Sick Boy from Amsterdam & I made a track together called “Sharp As A Knife” that I am very excited about. I also just dropped 2 remixes, one of a track called “La Fiesta” for 9G Records, and one of “Still Got Love” on Bounce House. 

I have a number of other projects and collaborations in the works, as I try to stay as busy in the studio as possible and keep a steady stream of releases moving. 

Nick: You recently visited Boston and played as one of the headliners at RISE. How was your visit, and how was the set? Any bars or restaurants from Boston you miss now that you’re in SF?

Eric: Visiting Boston is always fun, as I grew up there. It was quick though, I got into the city Friday evening and ate dinner at Life Alive in Cambridge before linking up with a good friend whom I know from SF and heading to the club. The set was a voyage, and I like the sound system and the staff at Rise a lot. DJ Dan was hanging out during my set, which was a trip. I used to breakdance to his music at New England raves in the 90’s. 

In terms of the cityscape, it’s tough to compare Boston to SF. I think SF wins on food for me, as I am freakish about health (been a vegan for 12 years and this year gave up sugar and gluten.) SF is a very health-conscious town and caters to people like me. I miss the Landsdowne St. legacy in Boston, but the scene always changes. Some of my earliest exposure to dance music was listening to live broadcasts from Axis on Saturday nights on WFNX as a kid. SF has way more relaxed laws and you can dance all weekend if you want here as multiple venues have after hours permits. What I do miss from Boston is the weather - particularly warm summer nights, fall foliage, thunder storms, and snowflakes. I also miss how direct people are, and the work ethic people have.

Nick: What’s your number-one DAW/audio production program right now? 

Eric: Hands down Ableton Live 8.

Nick: Patriots or 49ers?

Eric: Ha! Pats are my roots, and I love that they seem to always win based on their heart as a team rather than having a group of big star players. 

Funky house is a style of music I honestly think will never go out of vogue. The ebb and flow of new styles and sounds can sometimes get out of control; as the timbres and tempos change, it becomes easy for the casual listener to become overwhelmed. Quality house has surpassed every fad dance music has witnessed in the last 25 years, and if you’re looking for my textbook definition of what constitutes “quality house”, allow me to get you affiliated with a mix by Boston DJ John Randall.

If you don’t know John and you live in Boston, I’m willing to bet you are somewhat familiar with what he has accomplsihed on the promotion end of things. As one part of Aural Pleasures, he’s worked alongside Jordan Jaser Kane for several years throwing parties downtown at hotspots like Goodlife and Felt. If you witnessed the last sets Onionz or Simply Jeff laid down in Boston, these guys were behind making them possible.

After a single listen to Randall’s mix I give it my seal of approval for our podcast series with zero hesitation. The funk is very heavy across the 60 minutes this session occupies. To the point that if Derrick Carter were in the room mid-set, I wouldn’t doubt he would take a sneak peak at Randall’s laptop in trainspotting desperation. It happens to the best of us, trust me. Throughout the first half we hear a bit of disco house and strings to go with the bottom-shaking bass. 

The second half is more vocal-oriented than the first, and includes a number of well-engineered remixes of well-known pop standards from the past few decades. Examples being 4-on-the-floor renditions of the Beatles’ “Come Together”, Steely Dan’s “Peg”, and Afrika Bambaata’s “Planet Rock”. Bootlegs can be very hit-or-miss, but these three that Randall plays in succession actually work very well and easily hold my interest during the final stretches of this session.

If you’re looking for quality house events in Boston, keep on the lookout for future events from Aural Pleasures. Jordan regularly keeps me in the loop with what they have going on downtown, and try to post as many of the flyers as I can to keep our readers in the loop.

On The Boogiedownload 017 :: John Randall 

Giom: Morning
Jam Funk: Whorehouse Music
Scrubfish: Home To You
Sonny Fedora: Flamboyant
Wattie Green: Knock John Booker
Muthafunkaz: Gotta Hold On Me (Skatt Thing)
Jangatha Jeff: Guesthouse Music
Service: Been Told
Garrett & Ojelay: What Am I Gonna Do (Dr. Kucho Remix)
Guess Who: Over Me
Emil Lanne: Rock It, Don’t Stop It
Corduroy Mavericks: Biscuit Love (4 Peace Remix)
JR From Dallas: Big House
Rubix: Tobacco Man

It’s 1983, and you’ve got your gameplan set for the night as you step outside your flat in Milan after a glass (or four) of chianti. The goal is to head over to the misty local nightclub and soak in some beats on the diligently-crafted soundsystem they’re touting there. It’s a warm spring night, the month of April to be precise. The Italo disco sound is all the rage right now; the latter of these two words happens to be the genre’s distinct predecessor, imported directly from America. 

With disco 12” singles from the U.S. costing beyond an arm and a leg, the Italians have opted to create their own interpretation of the genre. For most DJ’s and producers, live musicians are not in the budget, nor is a lofty recording studio with hardwood floors and Studer reel-to-reels. Instead, it’s all about drum machines, down-and-dirty synths, blood, sweat, tears, and some money to press up some copies of your hard work on vinyl to sell to the kids. Italo disco’s D.I.Y. ethos is almost similar to punk rock, regardless of the drastic musical differences. With the original sounds of disco crashing-and-burning in the U.S. several years earlier, comes a renaissance, and what better place for it to happen than on DaVinci’s own court.

Of course, then you wake up from the surreal dream you just had, only to realize it’s not 1983, but 2011, and you’re not in Italy at all. Don’t panic. Just put on your yellow-tinted sunglasses and cue up Marc Grooves’ April Cosmic Shower Mix. As part of our podcast mix series, this is a mix featuring 50 minutes of sun-drenched deep house that personifies a HEAVY slant towards the Italo disco sound from the early 80s. Simple, four-to-the-floor beats laid down by no-nonsense drum machines form the foundation; rosy pads are the icing. The biggest plus is the vocals layered on the beats here are better than the gibberish that most vintage Italo tracks were notorous for in its heyday…thank god most 12” singles had dub/instrumental versions on the B-sides!

Marc is one of the minds behind the locally-run Headtunes record label. Headtunes has been around for a little while now; they launched back in 2005 and currently have over 15 releases in their back catalogue. Most of which have seen vinyl releases too, which should leave little question as to how serious this Cambridge-based company takes their imprint. Look out for track number 2: Do It Proper’s “The Ride” is about as real as deep house can get these days, making no compromises for all the other forms of music that are popular. Sleazy McQueen, another alumni with releases on Headtunes, is also heard in the opening remix.

I’m getting spring fever listening to this mix. Now pardon me while I head over to the North End for some gelato. 

On The Boogiedownload 016 :: Marc Grooves (Headtunes Recordings)

Giovanni Damico - Can Be Other (Sleazy McQueen Remix) - Home Audio
Do It Proper - The Ride - Headtunes
Illija Rudman - Call Me Tonight (The Revenge 1800-MIX) - Red Music
Toomy Disco - Age Of The Jaguar - So Sound
James Curd - A Friend (Instrumental Mix) - Lost My Dog
Cosmic Boogie - Talk To Me (Cosmic Boogie Edit) - Bedmo Disco
Crazy Pen!s - Drop Your Weapong (Faze Action Edit) - Paper
Clockwork - It’s You Again (Lee Foss Meets Robert James In The Art Department Remix) - Hot Creations
Mile Grozdanovski - Deep Meep - Deep Edition

Now here’s a quartet you need to keep your eyes and ears on if you live in the New England area. Known collectively as “Reset From Start”, the four members that comprise this group include an MC, two DJ’s, and one veteran producer. These cats are respectively known as Josiah Scribes, Ryan “Basek” Conte, Bane, and Epillectech. If you’ve been to any breakbeat-oriented nights around town recently, I’m willing to bet you’ve already met some of them! Flourishing about a half-century of experience in the game as a unit, Reset From Start not only possess a broad knowledge of the history of drum and bass music, but they currently have a central focus: minimal dnb.

Now let’s switch up the topic at hand for a minute to talk painting.

Giorgio Morandi was an early-twentieth century painter who heralded from Italy. In his formative years, he studied and emulated many of the more popular and established styles of brushwork. Once Morandi learned the rules, he was already breaking them at the tender age of 30: focusing just on rendering still objects, yet blatantly making them as abstract as possible, so only the most recognizable features could be calculated. This style was given the label “minimalism” through fans and critics alike. By subtracting certain elements, the overall composition was allowed greater breathing room. Morandi still made liberal use of color but desired to engage the viewer by forcing them to put the pieces of the puzzle together on their own. 

The whole minimalist style of painting mirrors this rapidly growing style of drum and bass music quite precisely. In the latter, the familiar elements are still present: the sub bass, the grooving percussion, the buzzing pads. However the producer intentionally leaves space to allow the listener to think and analyze what is going on within the aural canvas. Minimal drum and bass is deep and thought-provoking, yet still funky and danceable.

On The Boogiedownload 015 :: Reset From Start

Although many others play a similar style to Reset From Start, there is plenty these guys do to create a unique experience to the listener. “I never play the same set from one gig to the next”, explains Bane. “I actually get down and severely dirty with the equipment. You can do a lot more with a mixer than just slide the faders from side to side, and up and down. I explore what I have in front of me and use it to its fullest potential.” Basek also added that their “willingness to straw away from straight dancefloor vibes during live performances” sets them apart from the pack.

I was able to pencil Reset From Start in for a couple of additional interview questions as well:

Nick: What artists were some of your earliest influences within drum and bass, and what was the first 12” single you ever bought? 

Bane: God damn, where do I start, so many! I guess I’ll just break it down into labels like Metalheadz with Goldie, Dillinja and Lemon D (the lot of ‘em), Rob Playford and those original bad boys from Moving Shadow, V Recordings with JJ Frost, Bryan G and Roni with all the rest, Trouble On Vinyl, Renegade Hardware, mostly all the Tech Step gurus of the early era, and just a bunch more. I was hooked from day one. My first 12” wasn’t really by itself, I had bought a ton of wax all at once to get myself started. One of my oldest is V Recordings #02 that was released in ‘92. I know its a Roni Size release, but don’t make me look for the name of it, please!

Epilleptech: My influences include Klute, Bad Company, Moving Shadows’ label, Commix, Spectrasoul, Logistics, Dara, Kubics and Lomax, Alix Perez, Amit, and Black Sun Empire. As far as my first 12”, I can’t remember…I have the worst memory. I can’t even remember what tunes I bought last week.

Basek: Bad Company, Ed Rush & Optical, Trace, Calibre, and Tech Itch were my earliest influences. My first 12” was actually a birthday present from my brother (Furious Styles)- the Total Science “Make Me Feel” EP.

Nick: Name one track you would kill to get your hands on, but never had luck finding (released or unreleased). 

Bane: Way to many to name, but one off the top of my head I would say is S.P.Y & KIAT’s close encounters VIP version. It’s an absolute killer, more so than the original!  

Epilleptech: Funny you ask, i just got my hands on a mp3 formatted tune ive been searching for for over 5 years. D-Star: If. I now have the three tunes that made me want to get into this scene. Two others would be Concord Dawn: Take Me Away and Amit: Roots.

Basek: There are so many I can’t even count!!

Nick: I know you’ve been producing quite a bit as of recent. Can we expect to see any releases coming up soon?

Bane: Yes, the guys have been working real hard in the studio as of lately, and I’m very happy with the results. A few labels have peaked interest I’m told with some of our work. I just cant wait to get back in there with the guys, they’ve come along way since RFS’s inception. My absence can be attributed to me going back to college, but I’m very eager to get back in there with them to offer my input once the summer rolls around and I’m not grinding away at the textbooks.

Epilleptech: Definitely! RFS is got some wicked ideas in the pipeline! Be on the lookout for both DnB and Dubstep scenes to be playing our tunes!

Basek: Absolutely! Adding Epilleptech to the fold has really jumpstarted the production work and I think there will be some really good things coming in the near future!

Nick: Any upcoming gigs for Reset From Start?

Bane: Just some solo work out here in the western part of the state, I have to keep things local because of school. But this summer we will all be back together and our availability will sky-rocket. Got a solo opener coming up for a headliner (unknown at the moment) in April that should be killer, can’t wait!

Epilleptech: A little birdie told me there might be a RFS dubstep sighting soon…

Basek: Not at the moment but we are focusing more on the production aspect of the group anyway. 

Josiah: facebook.com/josiahscribeslovesmaltliquor will tell you everything you need to know about the spots that pay me to get drunk and rock mics… 

Want to check out Reset From Start? They are playing Elements at the Phoenix Landing (512 Mass Ave, Cambridge) on Thursday, March 10th. (Facebook event invite) Stop by if you want to hear some music that not only gives your feet a workout, but also your thinking caps!

Over the past several weeks I’ve been in touch with Frank Heiss, who is a very versatile and talented composer, musician, and DJ. Heiss sports a variety of medals from his work, which include his performances as a timpanist in the New England Conservatory’s Youth Philharmonic Orchestra as a kid, years of teaching music to both kids and adults and writing articles for Keyboard Magazine. In fact, it’s rather difficult to list everything he has done without writing out one big drawn out run-on sentence!

But aside from his classical training, electronic heads should note that Heiss had several releases on Soul Slinger’s legendary Liquid Sky imprint in the mid-1990s, under the alias “Tube”. He’s released no less than five full length albums, with one of them (“Bending Spoons”) getting major label support from Harvest/EMI. Although the majority of his work stems from the late 1990s, he is still active in the local music scene and enjoys performing and DJ-ing to this day.

And one thing that should be noted about Heiss is his “anything goes” approach to making and playing music. He’s never been one to box himself into a single genre or sound. He has had a hand in manufacturing everything from drum and bass, to downtempo, hip hop, breakcore, and deep house. He is known for using a variety of aliases to support each of these umbrellas, which I sort of like because it just lets the music do the talking without the need for any sort of unified brand recognition. It’s quite a different and unique marketing approach.

I am proud to present Heiss’s latest mix, under his “Donut Boy” alias, as the newest installment of the Beantown Boogiedown podcast series. It is one half hour of awesome tech house, augmented in spots by a couple of deep numbers as well. Hope you enjoy!

On The Boogiedownload 014 :: Donut Boy