Death by (Feb) Mixtape

Image: artandwit.lifeofpoet.com

Warning: This blog is quickly becoming a monthly event and not much else.

So I haven't really been blogging on here lately, bar to update with the latest mixtape I've compiled. Part of it is laziness, part of it is using other outlets for my sociability (Facebook being a big one), and the other part of it is also laziness.
But I haven't given up on the monthly mixion, so there's still cause to update.

I got overloaded with good tunes over the last month or so, so had a big problem finding the right selection for this mix. Lots of dubstep and drumnbass coming through the door, but I still prioritise the old electro (I'm not a very good dub compiler).
One artist who features heavily this month is Drop The Lime - Luca from the west coast in the states has a handful of absolute bangers out, and really making a name for himself. I've been a fan since his remix of Curses What I Need a while back. Since then his tracks have got a lot more dancefloor savvy, and he's really turning into hot property. I've been trying to get him over to Japan, which hasn't been easy due to his busy schedule, but we'll get there. For now enjoy the 3 offerings of his up in the mix.

Danger's track 04h18 is the first track I've used in two consecutive mixes (not including the 09 collection last December), and this is because I didn't think I did it justice in Jan. Absolute classic that I hope to hear lots of club-time on.

The last transition (Dada Life into Major Lazer) is very bootleg, but I had fun with it.

Anyway, check out the Feb mix on Soundcloud:
Big Ted's Feb Electro by BigTed
(or on mediafire (Permanent Link)

Tracklist
1. Danger - 04h18 (w/ Transmission acapella)
2. Boys Noize - Transmission (DJ Djedjotronic Remix)
3. Ocelot - Our Time (Bird Peterson Remix)
4. No1else - Up Ravers
5. Dan The Automator - Rapper's Delight (TEPR Remix)
6. French Fries - Predador
7. Rye Rye - Bang (Addeboy vs. Cliff Remix)
8. Mustard Pimp - Cherry (feat. Kali)
9. Martin Solvieg feat. Dragonette - Boys & Girls (Laidback Luke Remix)
10. Boy 8-Bit - Baltic Pine (Run Hide Survive Remix)
11. Drop The Lime - Devil's Eyes (Diplo's B-Live Mix)
12. Major Lazer - When You Hear The Bassline (Tony Senghore Remix)
13. M.A.N.D.Y. & Booka Shade - Donut (Boy 8-Bit Remix)
14. So Shifty - Wine
15. Kid Cola - Kappa Kappa (Last Japan Remix)
16. Buraka Som Sistema - Kalemba (Wegue Wegue) [Reso's Aguardente Remix]
17. Blatta & Inesha - Bite Your Lip (Deathface Remix)
18. Drop The Lime - Doomsday Device
19. Drop The Lime - Set Me Free
20. Dada Life - Let's Get Bleeped Tonight (Mustard Pimp Remix)
21. Major Lazer - Keep It Going Louder (Diplo Remix)

It's over!

New Beginnings

Warning: This mix may not be suitable for those who suffer from a lack of diverse musical taste.

So 2010 has rolled around, and between heading home for Xmas/NYE and a spell in China cracking the whip (not literally, I'm all about worker and human rights), suddenly the end of January has too. Spending time in China makes me so out of touch with the rest of the world that I feel like a chunk of my life is missing when I get back - I'm struggling to figure out how February is only a week away.

Meanwhile however, I managed to put together a mix of stuff that I have had kicking around for the past two months (December's mix not bringing much to the table in new music). It's all quality stuff that I am really into, but it's not really a club mix. Well, the first 40 mins or so aren't. By the time Noisia's remix of Hooligans rolls around, there's bangers aplenty and it's all quite overwhelming. In comparison, the first half is all about great vocals and remixing over them - it's not often I sing along to electro, but this is mix brings out my lipsynching on the subway like nothing else.

If anything is to be said about it, the mix isn't tremendously "fresh", as a lot of the tracks have been around for some months. I promise we'll get back to flavours of the month in Feb (and there is quite a few juicy releases planning then, believe me), but for now it's all about savouring some slightly aged quality.

Big Ted's Jan '10 Mix (Mediafire here)

Favourite transition: Hooligans (Noisia) into Let's Get Bleeped Tonight (Don Rimini Remix) - 43m18s in. The latter has a fantastic drop that just blows the whole thing wide open.

Tracklist:
Mario Basanov - Do You Remember Arithmatix?
Munk - No Milk (Mercury Remix)
Hail Social - No Paradise (Diamond Cut Rebuff)
Djedjotronic - Dirty & Hard (Boy's Noise "Jump If You're An Idiot" Remix)
Memory Tapes - Easy Pert Mom
Delphic - Doubt (Riton Re-Rub)
Boys Noize - Jeffer (Para One Remix)
Tommy Sparks - Miracle (Grum Remix)
We Are The World - Claystones (Turbotito Remix)
Modeselektor - Cash
Golden Bug - Assasin (sic)
Don Diablo & Example - Hooligans (Noisia Remix)
Dada Life - Let's Get Bleeped Tonight (Don Rimini Still Skill Kill Remix)
Kick-Oh - Black Celebration (SonicC Remix)
Kid Sister - Right Hand Hi (Riton Vocal Re-Rub)
What Kind Of Bleeze Do You Blow? - The Probe
Myagi & Utah Saints - Rock One (Utah Saints vs. Zero B Remix)
Danger - 4h30 (killer new track from the French DJ)
Boys Noize & Erol Alkan - Waves (Chilly Gonzales Piano Remake

Enjoy!

DECAmix

Warning: This mix has so many drops you may think it's raining electro.

So 2009 is rounding up, and I haven't had the time to do the usual "best of" section. With a trip back home on the cards as of tomorrow it's doubtful I'll get around to it, but I've been biding my time putting together something else: a compilation of the biggest tunes of this year - electronically speaking.

The result is 41 tracks smashed into 42 mins of chop & change music - which despite my finest efforts often sounds a lot like an album teaser. However I do dare say it's worth a listen at least once; for those not in the know it's a lesson in what you missed out on, and for you more savvy individuals, it's a little nostalgia from the club scene o' the '09.

There's still a buttload of tracks I could've put in here (see: most of The Prodigy's Invaders Must Die, Yuksek's Away From The Sea, or Royksopp's Junior), and some of the remixes I chose aren't necessarily as good as the original - but hey, that's what worked when I put it in. Having said that, comments on what you thought Track of The Year was are most welcome.

Without further adieu, and it being December, I present the Big Ted DECAmix for 2009. Merry Bass-mas.
Big Ted Deca-mix by BigTed

Permanent Link here (Mediafire)

Tracklist will be up later - for now, play DIY Track ID amongst yourselves

Movember Mix

Warning: None of this electro mix is remotely hairy.

I have a Movember post abrewin', but for now here's the latest instalment in the Big Ted Mixion, and in bassthumping 320kpbs to boot:
Big Ted's Movember Mix (320kpbs)

Edit: I've also put it up on Soundcloud, though this will only be around for about a month - ie. till I put the next one up.
Big Ted's Movember Mix by BigTed

Electro with the fashionable dubstep aside here and there, though a bit more dancehall-y than of late. Probably my tightest effort at track collab thusfar, even if I haven't been particularly ambitious with the effects between tracks (loop fade, anyone?)
Tracklist
Boris Dlugosh - Bangkok
Strip Steve - Breakin'
The Big Pink - Dominoes (Switch Remix)
Huoratron - Corporate Occult (Passion's Splatter House Remix)
Alex Metric - It Starts (Evil Nine Remix)
The Prodigy - Thunder (Bang Gang Remix)
Florence and The Machine - Drumming Song (Jack Beats Remix)
DJ DLG - Paramount (Rogerseventytwo Remix)
SonicC - Stickin' (Kissy Sell Out VIP Edit)
Eve & Benga - Me & My
Reso - Smash Yer Face In
Mexican Institute of Sound - Cumbia (Deathface Remix)
Tom Stephan - Turn That Shit Up (Diplo Remix)
Mixhell - Highly Explicit (Brodinski Remix)
Passion Pit - Little Secrets (Jack Beats Remix)
Fenech Soler - Lies (Alex Metric Remix)
Ellie Goulding - Under The Sheets (Jakwob Remix)
Subwave - Stars Get Down

So yes, the now-traditional Prodigy track remixed, and yet another remix by Jakwob - this time with a beautiful if mildly uneventful remix of Ellie Goulding's debut single. What can I say - quality breeds quality.

Comments always welcome.

It's Getting Dark

Warning: This mix contains basslines that wobble more than your dad's jellyrolls.

The lack of dubstep on the last mix I made left a hole in me that I needed to fill, so I overcompensated and put together a dubstep mix last night.

Dubstep is a misunderstood genre - kinda like science fiction. Many people will lump anything with a wobbly bassline into the "dubstep" category, and though this is the defining feature (that and a speed of around 140bpm), its a bit like saying any book/movie set in outer space is a science fiction book. Not only does being a fan give you a bit of a rep, the bad habit that arises from this is that when you say you like dubstep people instantly assume you mean everything from the dark, hard stylings of Goth Trad, past the "clownstep" business that Jack Beats and Rusko love, out to the pop/electro dubstep remixes that have been making waves since Skream put out that La Roux remix.

I tend to prefer my dubstep without cheese nor minimal essence - and mostly without rap. MC Dynamite completely ruined Caspa's Rat-A-Tat Tat. My choices from the assorted menu tend to be dark bangers and those with emotional, melodic samples.
While I tried to keep any of the original, dated hits (which I still love) like Chase & Status's Saxon and Caspa's Remix of TC's Where's My Money?, I think this is a fairly good control sample of what I personally think makes dubstep worth listening to.

Enjoy! (mediafire)

Tracklisting
GTRONIC - Destroyer
Udachi - Jellyroll
Last Japan - Jungle Warrior (TEDD's "Eseya Huo" Remix)
Hostage - Badman Sound
DZ - Down
The Prodigy - Breathe (Numbernin6 Remix)
Datsik - Gizmo
Tek-One - Pressure
Mikey B. feat. Ill Bill Bachelor - Still Dre (Dubstep Fix)
Wachs Lyrical - Dark Entity VIP
Pitbull - I Know You Want Me (Evol Intent Remix)
Mistabishi - Printer Jam (Barbarix Remix)
Reso - Beasts In The Basement
Emalkay - When I Look At You (Sduk Remix)
Reso - Onslaught
Deadmau5 - I Remember (Caspa Remix)
Teasers - Sooner Or Later (Jakwob Remix)
BONUS - Flight of The Conchords - The Most Beautiful Girl In The World (Kissy Klub DNB Version)

Mixed Bag

Warning: Though it may be "Rock-tober", this mix only includes guitar in a sampled, heavy distorted format.

The 3rd instalment of my monthly "mixion" (a bad attempt at combining "mix" and "mission") contains a sole Fake Blood track and NO Boy 8-bit, and only one dubstep track. Madness, I know.

It's still quite stompy, but the midpart gets quite minimal, with lots of stuff from Sweden's Style Of Eye. This guy does minimal like I like it - not really very minimal, and fairly loopy (check out his track "The Big Kazoo" if you can hunt it down on youtube). The other major hat-tips this month are to Dexpistols, the up-and-coming banger-meisters of Japanese electro, and the new mix from Plump DJs on Global Underground.
With 80kidz and Lowbrows (and their Tokyo following) getting distinctly more pop lately, it's up to Osawa and Dexpistols to toe the line between success and good DJing with great care, which as yet I feel they have.
Meanwhile, Plump DJs are showing they're at their best in the mix (with Headthrash being a bit of an average album) on their newest release, chock-full of the bigbeat ish you just wish was dropped more often these days.

Anyway, track here (mediafire).

Tracklist
Mille - Ghost Dancer
Kid Sister - Get Fresh (Zombie Nation Remix)
Alex Metric - Shirley You Can't Be Serious?
Huoatron - $$ Troopers
Sharam Jey - In My Blood (Mom & Dad's Remix)
Style of Eye - Grounded
Fake Blood - Mars (Style of Eye Remix)
Drummatic Twins - Crazy Love (Peo De Pitte Remix)
Royksopp - This Must Be It (Rex The Dog K-DART Remix)
Lily Allen - It's Not Fair (Style of Eye Remix)
Boys Noize - Jeffer (Dexpistols)
Beat Assassins - Boom Style (Dub)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix)
Heartsrevolution - Dance Til Dawn (Dexpistols Remix Deux)
Atlantic Connection - Rocksteady (LA Riot's 'Shake it All Night' Mix)
Chase & Status - Saxon (Oh Snap!! Edit Stylee)
The Prodigy - Omen (Kilmar Remix)

Feedback? Dare I ask?