Andrej's Management Christmas Party

The first holiday party of the season for me this year was a gig held at the Novotel Hotel near Vaughan Mills. A group of 100 people or so gathered for the annual Andrej's Management Christmas party. A good friend of my sisters, Josie, who works at the company was nice enough to suggest me for the job!

Dinner was buffet style and the food selection was amazing. The Concord room, the larger of the three meeting rooms, was cozy but opened up into a large reception area with it's ceiling sharing that of the lobby one floor up with a huge open staircase connecting the two. Kind of an interesting set-up since with the doors open I was probably entertaining not only the parties guests but the people checking in or having a drink at the bar above!

Great crowd!

There were lots and lots of prizes raffled off as well as spot prizes for the people on the dance floor. Thankfully the people running the show were smart enough to hand out all the raffle prizes b4 dancing started. Nothing is worse for a DJ than to stop the music every 20 minutes or so to do another draw!



Myself with Josie...

November was a slow month this year so it was a great opportunity to try out some new tracks that I picked up since the last party! Loving some of these new top 40 tracks...

Avicci - "Levels"

Flo Rida - "Good Feeling"

Benny Benassi ft Gary Go - "Cinema"

Pumped Up Kicks - "Foster the People"

Anyhow as always... met some great people and had a great time as usual! 

Longrun Fundraiser

Once again I teamed up with Hollywood Heaven this time for an event at Woodbine Racetrack. Every year the "Longrun Thourobread Retirement Society" hosts a fundraiser to help find homes for horses that are no longer fit for the raceway. Check them out at http://longrunretirement.com/

This year's gala spared no expense when it came to the entertainment line-up! Hollywood Heaven supplied some of the best look-a-likes the company has on offer with Shania Twain, Tina Turner, Young Elvis, Michael Jackson (with full band backup and dancers) and Lady Gaga all performing throughout the night.

Here are some pics from the event...

 

Shania starts off the night!

With horses comes country music and what better way to start up a night with Canada's favorite Shania Twain singing some upbeat tunes such as "Up" and "Party for Two!"

 

 

Tina!

I have worked with this Tina Turner impersonator on several occasions.  She's got a powerfull voice...can dance...and oh and definitely has the legs...

 

Gino as "Young Elvis" has entered the building...

I met Gino for the first time.  He is an Elvis perfectionist...you have to be especially if it is your full time job.  If you are looking for an Elvis impersonator that is as authentic as they can be...look no further.

 

 

 

The MJ Experience with full band and dancers!

 

Bishop Soul and his dancers performing "Beat It"

What can be said about the Michael Jackson experience.  This group of performers has it down packed singing favorites such as Rock With You, PYT, Shake Your Body, Billie Jean, Beat it and Thriller.  You can find them regularily performing at Stage West and who just recently performed at the Woodbine Casino.  This act has travelled the country keeping the legacy of Michael alive!

 

Lady Gaga

 

Lady Gaga track list included all the hits...Bad Romance, Born This Way, Paparazzi amongst her other favorites. 

 

This night was all about live performaces and my part was to play the backing tracks to all of them  apart from MJ.  After Gaga, I took over the dance floor to finish the night off DJing.  It was a great night!

 

For more information check out www.hollywoodheaven.ca for some of the best look-a-like entertainment available!

MK - Burning Remixed!

"my body's burning for you wanting and waiting for more...give me...all that you can give me...I'm wanting more...you make me beg for more...caress me...your touch is sending me bring me down to reality...."

For those that frequented the night clubs back in the early 90s would no doubt remember this lyric from one of my favourite classic house tracks...



MK - Burning (1991)

Fitting that the other night while checking out ZipDJ - a DJ pool I use to get all my latest tunes from - that at the top of the main window where it shows all the latest releases was the song "Burning" by MK. 

 

Here is what the Defected label had to say about it:

 

"Burning is the quintessential MK tune. Nearly 20 years old yet sounding as fresh as the day it first surfaced, it still inspires clubbers and producers alike to this day and is one of those tracks that pretty much any producer worth their salt would love to get their hands on"

The deep bass line, the chords and the sweet vocal is never tiresome. The release on ZIP Dj contained the original "Vibe Mix" along with two new mixes one by James Talk & Ridney & the other by Round Table Nights. Now, I am usually not the biggest fan of remixes of the classics...I mean why mess with a good thing? However, I have to give full props to Round Table Nights for their rendition of this classic.

A slight twist on the chord arrangement and a nice deep tech house feel makes for a nice refreshment of the original which will undoubtedly be included in a future soundspin mix.

Check it out a preview of it here on youtube:

 

 

It is also available now on iTunes.  Buy it!

Tweet Tweet...

I have had a twitter account for a while but never bothered using it for some reason.  Well I've decided to see what the hub bub is all about.  You can follow me @sound_spin or click on the follow me link on the right!

See you in twitter land...

Finding Gems thru iTunes

I remember the days of Napster.  It was officially released in 1999 over 11 years ago!  I am not going to get into the legalities of peer to peer music sharing however back then it was the best way to find old tunes that were hard to come by at the local HMV.  I remember searching hours for songs from my earlier years...a lot of it recorded from vinyl to mp3 format...oh the quality....

Fast forward to 2003 and Apple launches it's "Itunes Music Store."  I never really payed much attention to itunes until I got my first iphone 3 years ago.  I started using iTunes at home cause of it's cool interface and apple remote app on my iphone...that just rocks.  

However one area where I find the itunes music store is awesome is finding music...the stuff you have forgotten about...and when you hear it you say..."I remember that....I LOVE THAT SONG!!!"

I have been collecting music for quite some time now however my mp3 collection is no where near the size of the 14 million or so downloadable tracks at itunes!  

Here's how to find those forgotten about gems:

1. Install Itunes if you don't already have it.

2. Visit the itunes store via the program.

3. Search for a song...maybe something you remember from your highschool days.

4. You will most likely find 10-20 references of that track from different albums.  Check the albums the song is found on and it will most likely be on some compilation.

5. Click on the compilation album...and voila....

For example...the search for the track "Friends" by Whodini results in a bunch of results:

Search "Friends" by Whodini

If you click on "Old School Hip Hop Greats" under album this is what you get:

Wooot!  "Roxanne's Revenge" by Roxanne Shante!!  Sweet track!

Doing this will find tracks that are common in genre or were hits that year and so on.  If you find another hidden gem then search for it and continue the process.  You will be suprised what you find and how easy!  There are tonnes of compilation albums online!

 
Give it a try and happy hunting...

That Girl is Posion!

When Bell Biv Devoe released the track "Poison" back in 1990 I was the square root of sixteen, times sixty-four, divided by thirty two plus eight....  It was a massive song reaching #1 Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop chart.

Bell Biv Devoe - "Poison" (1990)

Fast forward to 2011 and one of my favorite DJs Steve Lawler released a mix compilation called Lights Out - Decades.  On disc one you will find a track called "Poison" (Anton Pieete & Bart Skils Remix) by Lauhaus.  If I were (a lot younger) and in a club (ie the Guvernment) I could listen to this over and over and over and over again.  It makes me want to scrunch my face...picture Billy Idol with his lip curled....and bounce my head to the beat.  This btw is the definition, in my oppinion, of a dirty house track.   I absolutely love this remix!  You can check it out here on youtube:

I like it so much that I am going to feature it on Soundspin Vol 2.  It will be surrounded by some heavy techno and tech house tracks.  It will be hard...and it will be dirty....

Since I am on the 90s theme I found a nice remix of Arman Van Helden's "Witch Doktor."  That may find it's way into the mix too!

So stay tuned.

Saverio & Alison's Wedding

Having a wedding in late September can sometimes result in very unpredictable and unwanted weather. The days leading up to the wedding was cold and dreary with most probably thinking summer was gone for good. Not this wedding day though! The clouds cleared, the sun came out and the temperature rose to result in a picture perfect day which is what you want especially when hosting your wedding at a golf course.

Saverio and Alison were wed at the at the Wyndance Golf Club in Uxbridge with roughly 120 guests witnessing the event. Alison is the sister of a friend of mine, Ryan another fellow hockey referee in Markham. Both Ryan and Saverio work for the Toronto Police Service which is why Alison, unbeknownst to Saverio, was escorted to the ceremony in a 1957 Chevy Toronto Police Crusier with the old school siren blaring making the golfers on the 18th probably nervous. It was a nice touch and definetly made for some good picture taking after the ceremony.

Alison's ride - '57 Chevy Toronto Police Cruiser!

The ceremony and cocktail hour was held outdoors before the guests filed into the dining room which was nicely decorated and intimate since the room was designed for smaller groups and we were definetly close to capacity. The wedding party was introduced by myself with Alison providing me with a little background info on each person (another nice touch) and of course appropriate entrance music including "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang, "Let's Get It Started" Black Eyed Peas, "Save A Horse Ride A Cowboy" Big and Rich, "Shook Me All Night Long" AC/DC and "The Way You Make Me Feel" by Michael Jackson.

Room and Set-Up

Myself along side fellow reffing buddy Ryan...brother of the bride

"Save a Horse Ride A Cowboy?" In the past I rarely received requests for country music. I knew nothing of it, so usually shied away from it claiming I didn't have any when asked except perhaps "Achy Breaky Heart." But ever since I agreed to DJ an all country affair last year I had to get up to speed and found myself appreciating this genre of music. "New Country" is a whole lot of fun and being a mobile DJ you need to be versatile so I can now line dance with the best of them...well not so much.....

Probably the most memorable point of the evening for me was the father of the bride's speech when he handed Saverio a cigar that he had saved from when she was born!  I had never seen that before and with him being a very loving family man...brought the room to tears.  (luckily my daughter is only 3...got some time...)

With the speeches over and the bride and groom making rounds after dinner the dancing got going late, roughly 10pm and with the party ending at midnight I only had 2 hours to work the dance floor. With a smaller crowd and varying musical tastes it was a lot of work to keep everyone moving and the dance floor full. In the end though the night was a great success. With a beautiful ceremony, awesome food, lovely guests and a super easy going Bride and Groom you can't go wrong....oh plus no one got arrested ;)

Here is the track-list for the night:

1 - She's Everything - Brad Paisley (First Dance)
2 - Don't Know Why - Norah Jones
3 - The Time (Dirty Bit) - Black Eyed Peas
4 - Party Rock Anthem (Main) - LMFAO
5 - I Got That Feeling (Radio) - Black Eyed Peas
6 - Don't Stop Till You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
7 - Village People - Y.M.C.A
8 - Fire (Album Mix) - Raghav
9 - September - Earth Wind & Fire
10 - Thank God I'm A Country Boy  - John Denver
11 - Boot Scootin Boogie - Brooks and Dunn
12 - Friends in Low Places - Garth Brooks
13 - Fire Burning  - Sean Kingston
14 - Give Me Everything  - Pitbull
15 - Do You Remember - Jay Sean
16 - Firework (Radio) - Katy Perry
17 - Club Can't Handle Me - Flo Rida
18 - Hot N Cold (Single) - Katy Perry
19 - A Little Respect - Erasure
20 - Home For A Rest - Spirit Of The West
21 - All Summer Long (Radio Edit) - Kid Rock
22 - Stuck In The Middle With You - Stealers Wheel
23 - Single Ladies - Beyonce (Garter Toss)
24 - Dancing Queen - Abba
25 - Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
26 - Night Fever - Bee Gees
27 - All Night Long - Lionel Richie
28 - We're Here For A Good Time - Trooper
29 - Spirit In The Sky - Doctor & The Medics
30 - Only Girl - Rihanna
31 - Co-Pilot  - Kristina Maria
32 - We No Speak Americano  - Yolanda Be Cool
33 - Dynamite - Taio Cruz
34 - DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love - Usher ft. Pitbull
35 - Mr. Saxobeat - Alexandra Stan
36 - One Love  - David Guetta
37 - Hello  - Martin Solveig ft. Dragonette
38 - I Know You Want Me (CalleOcho) - Pitbull
39 - Sexy Chick - David Guetta ft1. Akon
40 - Dirty Talks (Single) - Wynter Gordon
41 - Tonight (I'm Loving You) - Enrique Iglesias
42 - If We Ever Meet Again - Timbaland
43 - Party Rock Anthem (Main) - LMFAO
44 - Save A Horse Ride A Cowboy - Big & Rich
45 - Honkey Tonk Stomp - Brooks & Dunn
46 - Toes - Zac Brown Band
47 - American Honey - Lady Antebellum
48 - Someone Like You (Single) - Adele

An Evening with Patrick Chan

Whenever I watch Team Canada Hockey...Olympics...Worlds...I don't have enough finger nails to chew on.  My heart races, I'm on the edge of my seat and can barely watch.  If Canada scores I jump off my seat so fast that my cat hits the ceiling nails dug in upside down.  Kids cry from being so startled and my wife yells at me...

Then there is figure skating.  Months of practice...pressures at an all time high resting on the shoulders of one individual who has to spin multiple times in the air and land on a blade 4mm wide...oh and by the way lets combo that with another insane aerial acrobat...and heaven forbid you don't land smoothly let alone fall! I can barely watch...in fact most of the times choose not to.  Can't handle it!

This past Friday night I had the pleasure of providing audio for an "Evening with Patrick Chan" a fundraiser to help support the current 2011 World Figure Skating Champion. Not only did the Ottawa born figure skater win the world championship in Moscow he did it by smashing three world records in the process!

The event was held in Richmond Hill at the Premier Banquet Center.  Roughly 500 guests showed up at the $130 per plate event in support of Patrick, including coach, Christine Krall, mayor of Richmond Hill, Dave Barrow and Donald Jackson 1962 World Champion (first to land a triple lutz in competition).  PJ Kwong and Scott Russel both commentators for the CBC were there MCing the event. The night included a silent and live auction which had an autographed Wayne Gretzky Edmonton Jersey (that sold for $1700), latin dance performances and what seemed to be a never ending multiple course meal of Chinese dishes.

Premier Banquet Hall In Richmond Hill

My gear along side Bernard of WPI Events

I worked along side Bernard of WPI events who ran two video screens used to show videos of Patrick's past performances and a training video blog put together by Patrick's best friend.  Coupled with my normal set-up a whole bunch of other equipment was added to fill the cavern that was the Premier Banquet Hall.  Here is what I used:

• 2x Yorkville NX75P - 750watt mains on the dance floor.
• 2x Yorkville NX55P - 550watt mains mid room.
• 2x Yorkville NX25P - 250watt mains at back of room to cancel out echo.
• 2x Yorkville NX720P - Subwoofers on the dance floor.
• 2x Line 6 XV-70 Wireless Mics.
• Shure SM 58 Hard Mic.
• Mackie DFX-6 Mixer (for Mics and DJ mixer input).
• 2x Denons DNS3500 CDTT with Ecler Nuo 4 Mixer.
• Laptop with Traktor Scratch Pro and Traktor Kontrol X1 midi controller.

Meeting Patrick was a treat.  He is very small in stature...almost seems fragile....that's what I was thinking anyway when we shook hands.  But the power needed to do what he does on a pair of skates tells you what he really is...a super athlete.  He may be small but he probably has the biggest smile ever.  He must have posed for litterally 500 pictures that night and in every one his smile got larger.  During his speech he talked about his performance in the Vancouver Winter Games and the lessons learned.  He claimed his perspective had changed since and he was enjoying the skating a lot more leading up to Moscow.  If that directly coorelates to the size of his smile I am sure it helped win the judges over...that and landing a few quads in the meantime.  He was super humble and showed his appreciation for everything that went on that evening and from what I can tell it was a great success!

Patrick asked for a picture...I said sure! :)

CBC's Scott Russel & PJ Kwong along side Patrick Chan

With all the nights festivities going late - there wasn't much time for me to get the dance floor going.  It was all about Patrick.  For those that were left what was more important was some last minute autographs, pictures and some personal time speaking to him.

At the end of the night I joked with him as we talked about online gaming I found out to be one of his passions.  He is a young man after all.  He mentioned "Left for Dead".  I haven't played that game personally.  I then spoke to him about the wonderful World of Warcraft, a highly addictive, super time wasting game he has yet to try.  I urged him not to....but if he does and his career takes a sudden down turn in the near future it's not my fault!

Ohhh...and I also spoke briefly to the mayor's wife.  Unfortunately she couldn't do much to help reduce the amount of traffic in Richmond Hill on my way to work.  She said she couldn't help me cause I lived on the "other side of Bathurst"...aka Maple... :)

In case you missed it here is his long program performance!

A special thanks goes out to Carmen James of the Richmond Training Center for recommending me for this gig.  I met some wonderfull people that night!

Ginos, Ginas, Freestyle and the Z28

The other day I came accross this reference on Wikipedia for Freestyle Music in Canada...

Freestyle had a large following in the late 80's and early 90's throughout the Greater Toronto Area catering originally to the Italian and Greek population, although ultimately accepted by large from the city's vast multi-cultural base. Freestyle was prominent in all ages venues and various Toronto nightclubs that would also showcase House Music. Canadians also invented their own term for the music called 'gino beats'. The fans of this music in Toronto were often referred to as 'ginos' (males) and 'ginas' (females). They often grew up in the 905 region. The term was not used in a derogatory sense such as 'guido' in America, but more a description of a Toronto male or female with a certain style (interest in fashion) and taste in music (Freestyle & House), and the behavior of blasting House music or Freestyle music while driving with the windows down, to try and attract the attention of females. By the mid nineties this market had moved almost completely to House music as their club music of choice. Lil Suzy released several 12" singles at the time, that became immensely popular amongst the youth population in Toronto. She ultimately performed live on Electric Circus, a popular Canadian live dance music television program.

I love it!  I'll be the first to admit it.  I am a Gino.  I loved freestyle back in the day and wish I still had my 12" copies of Stevie B, Trinere, Debbie Deb & Shannon.   All I wore in highschool was tracksuits (I still have my prized Kappa tracksuit folded in my closet).  I play soccer.  I played "gits" in school...and love house music....I think I still have an accent lol.

They need to be more specific though in this article.  By "905" they mean Woodbridge...and they need to add "while driving their Z28 with the windows down and seat reclined 75 degrees." Woodbridge is a special place.  Not to long ago I visited a LCBO and saw a convertible Ferrari parked on a "45" in a handicap spot.  I saw to "Ginos" come out and get in there car.  Both didn't look handicapped but they were definitely special...

Well unfortunately I was still too young to drive around with the windows down when Stevie B released his first album.  Fortunately though he was still popular by the time I was able to drive around in my parents Caprice Classic and head up to Wasaga beach a very popular destination for the "905"

Stevie B - Spring Love

Anyhow.  Here is my top 10 selection of must have "Gino beats..."

1. Spring Love - Stevie B
2. When I Hear Music - Debbie Deb
3. Diamond Girl - Nice and Wild
4. Lookout Weekend - Debbie Deb
5. Take Me In Your Arms - Lil' Suzy
6. I'm Hooked On You - Sweet Sensation
7. Let The Music Play - Shannon
8. I'll Be All You'll even Need - Trinere
9. Party Your Body - Stevie B
10. Summertime Summertime - Nocera

Well ok...one more:

11. Silent Morning - Noel

I am gonna go and see if I can find some old footage from Electric Circus...that show was the best!

Wiik Wiik Whaaaa!

I am not a scratch DJ by any means. Was never my thing. Back in the day I was the guy playing house and dance tracks with long smooth mixes and my DJ partner Marlon would play all the hip hop. So naturally he was the guy doing all the scratching...and quite good at it too! You can find him on facebook. Just look for Marlon Magictricks Tanner.  You can also here him regularily with The Drill Squad on 89.5.

For those that don't know the World DMC DJ championships is coming to an end. Finals for Canada are in Hamilton in the next week. Check here for the event listing. This is an interesting year for the DMC championships since it is the first time they will allow DVS (digital vinyl system) in the finals albeit without additional controllers. It is also the first year of the DMC online DJ competition in which voters vote online! They are now down to the online top 10 finalists with the winner being invited to the DMC championships wich are being held in London England in October.

For those not in the know here is an explanation of what DVS is from wikipedia...

Vinyl Emulation software allows the user to physically manipulate the playback of digital audio files on a computer using the turntables as an interface, thus preserving the hands-on 'feel' of deejaying with vinyl while allowing playback of audio recordings not available in

phonograph form. This allows DJs to scratch, beatmatch, and perform other turntablism that would be impossible with a conventional keyboard-and-mouse computer interface. The technology is also referred to as DVS for either Digital Vinyl System or Digital Vinyl Software.

It's basically a specially made record that sends a signal to the software that the software then applies to a digital media file playing. Quite cool really. Traktor (what I use) and Serato are the more popular systems...

Now why is it interesting? Well what these guys can do with a 2 turntables and a mixer is unbelievable! However the shift to DVS and external controllers opens up a whole new avenue of creativity...mind boggling actually. For example check out these two videos of DJ Craze (5 time DMC champion) and DJ Dummy performing on Traktor software...

Seriously how awesome is that?

Gonna be interesting to see how DMC changes in the coming years and to see the shift from the traditional to the digital. Pureists will probably resist the change. It was not to long ago that Technic 1200 turntables and a mixer were the norm. But with technolgy moving ever so fast there is no arguing that change is coming. It just allows for so much more creativity which at the end of the day is what is all about and the traditional set-up is just limiting. But at the end of the day...software does not scratch for you...well not well yet anyways.

I guess I should go dig up "Le Freak" by Chic and start practicing...

Wiik wiik whaaa...wiik wiik...Wahhhhhhhh.....freak out!

Soundspin01

Yes!  I am finally posting a mix for your listening pleasure.

I know...I know...you probably don't believe it since it has been what?  3 years?  Well coincidentally that is how old my daughter is so perhaps it is related somehow.

But it's true.  So here it is... Soundspin01 - Mixed By JMo

1. Want You In My Soul (Original Mix) - Lovebirds ft Stee Downes
2. Crowded House (Original Mix) - Karol XVII & Mb Valence
3. Shamba (Sidebum & Redondo Remix) - Wally Lopez & Richard Dinsdale
4. My Baby (Original Mix) - Oliver Klein & Peter Juergens
5. Music (Original Mix) - Claudio Cava
6. Did You Know (Karol XVII & Mb Valence Loco Remix) - BK Dukes & Yves Murasco
7. Vibrate 2011 (Zoltan Kontes & Jerome Robins Mix) - Big Black Boot
8. Back! (Coqui Selection Remix) - Nacho Penades
9. Ocean Drive (Vocal Mix) - David Penn ft Monia Amore
10. Pasilda (Muzzaik Remix) - Mike Polo
11. Wekesa - Alex Kenji
12. Back to the House (David Herrero Remix) - Paco Maroto

Stream it here:

Soundspin01 (Aug 2011) by Soundspin on Mixcloud

Or you can download it here: Soundspin01 (Aug 2011)

This is a housey affair that starts off with a great vocal track in "Want You In My Soul".  Later on "Pasilda" enters the mix.   I've had this remix for a while and love the vocal you should recognize it.  "Back!" is probably the most repetitive song you have ever heard.  But it is sure to get your feet moving! 

One of my favs though is Big Black Boot's "Vibrate" originally released in 2003 which has made a wicked comeback.  It has been co-remixed by Toronto's Jerome Robins.  Listen for the classic vocal "Girl I'll house you...You're in my hut now!" that was added to the track... sweet....

Since I have launched this new website and company logo I am re-naming the mix. Sunday Sessions is no longer. Mainly because I don't record mixes on Sundays like I used to back in the day but more so to keep the name "soundspin" engrained in your brain ;)

So enjoy.  Feedback is welcome.  My next release will be coming soon...no not in 3 years....hopefully.  But my son Mattias is only 8 months...so him turning 3 years old is a long way away... :)

Enjoy the Silence!

Depeche Mode's "Enjoy The Silence" is a BIG TUNE.  I have heard countless remixes of this track and I don't think there has been anyone remixed more then Depeche Mode except maybe for Everthing But The Girl (side note...I love EBTG...)

Meet Ian Golden of djtechtools.com.  This guy is a genius!  In this video he is using a brand new Traktor Kontrol S2 which is a midi controller that interfaces with Traktor DJ control software.  Check him out remixing his version of Enjoy the Silence:

Here are notes from his blog:

In the left deck is a dubstep instrumental I worked up for the song.

In the right deck I triggered the acapella using cue points.

each of the 2 jog wheels are sampling and effecting the instrumental and accapella to create fills.

In each loop deck is a different loop that I drop over various sections and effect individually.

I use the same software!   I would need to divorce Tasha and say goodbye to my children in order to spend the rest of my life dedicated to practicing these skills to even come close to the skillset of this guy.

Who says you need two Technic 1200s to be a wicked DJ?  All you need is a laptop and one of these new bad boys and you are good to go...oh and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of practice...

Patio, food, wine and the Bee Gees?

So my wife and I went out for dinner...together...sans kids...and under no pressure to return home...or emergency phone calls...

It was Tasha's birthday and she wanted to go to the Boiler House in the Distillery District in downtown Toronto.  Now we don't normally go out for fancy dinners we usually opt for cheap Vietnamese...mmm spicy Pho at Xelua... and other ethnic restaraunts, the Real Jerk being one of Tasha's favourites.  But it has been a long time for the two of us since having kids.  We were lucky to secure a patio spot on a beautiful Friday night evening! 

The Boiler House in the Distillery District

Anyhow...dinner was fabulous.  Dessert even better.  The restaurant had a jazz trio playing soft music all night...mostly toned down jazzy remakes of new and old tunes.  It set a perfect ambience for the evening.

The singer at one point made an announcement.  It was someone elses birthday (damn why didn't i think of dedicating a song??) and instead of singing happy birthday along with staff members...I guess they don't do that at fancy restarants... he opted to sing "More then a Woman" by the Bee Gees. 

Now I am not the biggest Bee Gees fan...not my era.  But I do love "Night Fever" a track I try to play at any event I do.  I love that song.  If requested I will play "Staying Alive" though it usually doesn't make the rotation...too cheesy I guess.  But we all secretely want to point our fingers in the air and walk like Travolta does in Saturday Night Fever. He can shake it with the best of them.

John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever

But "More then a Woman" is a classic!  Check out this youtube video from the movie... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZCtgFmQvjQ  Where did night clubs like this go? Do they even play slow songs anymore?

Anyhow it was a great night out with my wife with some great food, wine and music.  In case you were wondering Tasha is more then a woman too!  But I will blog about that another time... ;)

Silence is Golden...sometimes

Silence is golden or so the saying goes.  But not this morning....

I am on vacation up at my cottage.  So what better opportunity then to  spend some time in front of my dj software and put a mix together.  After years of downloads, two kids and some lost hair since my last mix I decided to hit the record button.

After 67 minutes of recording I thought...perfect...all done...my friends are going to love this mix!

This morning I went to splice two of the wav recordings together since I had to pause last night to feed my son at midnight.  I am sure all superstar Djs have to deal with kids too?!

Cue up wav file one...silence.  Cue up wav file two...silence...

Crap...wrong output settings in the software...

 I guess a few more days won't kill anyone.  Good things come to those that wait.  Right?

Breakdancing...Love, Props and the T.Dot!

I started DJing when I was 13.  A cheap radio shack mixer placed between 2 different all-in-one turntable/radio/cassette stereos with no pitch control was all I had to "mix" the records my partner and I used to scrounge to buy from the local record store.

Years before that though in the early 80s my favorite past time was taking a piece of cardboard from the garage, flattening it, drawing graffitti all over it and with a ghetto blaster blasting... breakdancing!  I can remember a few songs from back then that I loved to street dance to... "Roxanne Roxanne" UTFO,  "Beat Box" Art of Noise, "Jam On It" Nukleus and a few gems by Grandmaster Flash come to mind.  My signature move was the windmill.  I could do it at least 10 different ways...hold the knees, the crotch, arms in, arms out...  Me and my cousins would perform at every wedding we attended as a family and with my cousin living in the Jane / Finch area we would enter competitions at the local community center.  I barely can remember that far back but I think being involved in breakdancing and early hip hop music is probably why I started getting into DJing in the first place.  Plus being the dude playing music at the roller skating rink seemed really cool!

Last night a friend of mine Stevie Whiteshoes posted a link to a documentary on my facebook page called "Love, Props & The T.Dot."  It is a documentary celebrating 25 years of the Toronto Hip Hop scene which talked about the difficulties of local rap artists back in the day had breaking into the hip hop scene in.  It also talked about how these early artists paved the way for some of the world reknown Canadian Hip Hop superstars we have today.

I truely enjoyed watching this documentary.  It brought back so many memories of my early teens and reminded me of so much music that I had totally forgotten about.  In conjunction with the documentary, the CBC also had a concert series called the "Hip Hop Summit" in which they brought all these Canadian Hip Hop artists, old and new, together for a fantastic show.  The documentary included footage from this concert as well as old video footage and interviews with all the major players in the Canadian Hip Hop scene.  Michee Mee, Maestro Fresh Wes, The Dream Warriors, Ghetto Concept, K-Os, Kardinall Offishall, Drake and much more all made an appearance.

Here are the links to the documentary and a page with video links from the concert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52_M2SNI5sI or http://www.cbc.ca/toronto/community/hiphop.html
http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/cod/concerts/20110329hiphop

I only wish I had my old records from back in the day.  I would frame them and hang them all on the wall.  I now live in a digital world and will definitely need to go back and do some track searches to find some of this music! 

Oh and if you see me at a party and I look a little tipsy ask me to do a windmill. I have been known in the recent past to give it a spin...

Lincoln Lawyer Soundtrack

If I were to be driven around by a chauffer I think hip hop music would definitely need to be playing on the stereo.  Since I am pretty disconnected from new rap these days save for the really commercial
tunes on the radio I would have to opt for my special collection of late 80s hip hop...you know Boogie Down Productions, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie and some early LL. Such is the case in the movie Lincoln Lawyer.

Lincoln Lawyer Soundtrack

I watched this movie the other day and every scene with Matthew McConaughey (I just googled how to spell that) in the back seat of his Lincoln there is some pretty cool music being played. "Don't Sweat the Technique" Erik B and Rakim, "Music" Erik Sermon, Ain't No Love In The Heart of the City" Bobby Blue Band...awesome! How sweet tunes are totally forgotten about...

Most movies that have a scene in some night club have some crappy Techno tune in the background that was probably made by some sound tekkie during editing just for the movie so no royalties needed to be paid. But not in this movie. Instead "I Remember" by Deadmau5 makes an appearance. How cool is that? I love this track, probably one of my favs from Deadmau5 along with Ghosts 'n Stuff. Plus I am totally jealous of the successfulness of some skinny white kid from Toronto taking the EDM scene around the world by storm. I guess my dorm room back when I went to Ryerson wasn't messy enough to find a dead mouse in my Pentium 90 computer with 16Mb of ram and a 20Gb hard drive.

Anyhow the next day I had to give the soundtrack a listen. Here is the track list:

1. Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City - Bobby 'Blue' Bland
2. Lincoln Lawyer (feat. Big Hollis) - Marcus "Seige" White
3. Music (feat. Marvin Gaye) - Erick Sermon
4. Don't Sweat The Technique (feat. Marvin Gaye) - Erik B. & Rakim
5. Nightcall Kavinsky & Lovefoxxx
6. Bobblehead Girl - Danny Chaimson & The 11th Hour
7. Now - Ari Hest
8. 107 Degrees - Citizen Cope
9. The Wilderness - Colin Smith
10. Hot Lazy Porch - Swing Cinema Guitar Works
11. Suspect - Setty & The Miracle
12. I Remember - Deadmau5 & Kaskade
13.Moment Of Truth - Gang Starr
14. California Soul (feat. Ya Boy) (Lincoln Lawyer Remix) - Marlena Shaw

If you haven't seen the movie check it out. It's a fast paced court room drama with a quick talking lawyer making his living defending the scum of the earth. It stars Matthew McConaughey and Ryan Phillipe...so for the ladies that should be reason enough since these two are sooooo dreamy. But if court room dramas with really cool music aren't your thing then watch it anyways it also stars George Costanza's dream girl, the ever beautiful Marisa Tomei :)

Decks and Lego!

I have to say I love Lego!  Just ask my wife.  Few years back I bought this.  It was over 5000 pcs and don't ask how much it cost :)

But I love DJing just as much...well really a lot more.  But what better way then to marriage the two with this in your home!

Lego and DJ Gear...Heaven!

You can see more pictures of it here.  The instructions are in German and I am already getting in translated.

After my kids move out in 20 years I am going to make it to add to my sweet lounge area in my basement that will never get finished :(

Lady Gaga and Rihanna!

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of being in both Lady Gaga's and Rihanna's band!

No...not the real Lady Gaga or Rihanna...and no...not really in the band.  But I did provide backing music to two unbelievable look-a-likes!  Hollywood Heaven (check them out at http://www.hollywoodheaven.ca/) is an elite entertainment company providing some of the best look-a-like talent in not only the GTA but probably Canada! Some of the great acts include Shania Twain, Marilyn Monroe and of course the aforementioned two female superstars.  Hollywood Heaven can accommodate the smallest of parties all the way up to huge arena shows with stage set-ups and full bands to back up some of their best performers. 

This particular event was the birthday of two twin girls who both loved Lady Gaga and Rihanna.  Having the actual performers I bet would be pretty expensive and of course you would have to coordinate the birth date of these girls with busy tour schedules...so therefore two fabulous look-a-likes would have to do! 

Both performers were backed up by four super talented dancers with some great choreography just making the shows that extra special.  Although Lady Gaga lip-syncs her "extreme" wardrobe (there were multiple outfit changes throughout) and her uncanny resemblance more then made up for her inability to hit the high notes of Gaga herself.  Rihanna on the other hand used her voice and at times I had to take my headphones off and blink a few times....was that the real Rihanna??? 

Well what was I doing there?  Providing the PA equipment for the backing music.  The setup was in a backyard and 2 Yorkville NX55p and 1 Elite Yorkville LS700p subwoofer was enough oomph to allow the neighbors to watch and hear the concert unfold.  My Mackie DFX-6 was used to mix the audio CD (using a Denon DNS3500) and the wireless mics used for the show.  One Yamaha stage monitor was used to help with the performers placed behind the speakers.  Here is the set list:

Lady Gaga:

1. Intro / Love Game

2. Paprazzi

3. Pokerface

4. Bad Romance

5. Just Dance

6. Monster

7. Born This Way

Rihanna:

1. Intro

2. Please Don't Stop the Music

3. Umbrella

4. Disturbia

5. Only Girl (in the World)

I missed taking some pics of the Lady Gaga act but was able to capture some of Rihanna during the show.  Check 'em out:

Hollywood Heaven's Rihanna Look-a-Like & Dancers

Hollywood Heaven's Rihanna Look-a-Like & Dancers

If you are looking for entertainment for your next event be sure to call Hollywood Heaven...trust me you won't be disappointed.  Just tell Zahava that John made the recommendation ;)

Andrew & Michelle's Wedding

This past Friday some friends of mine Andrew and Michelle decided to tie the knot.  I've known Andrew now for almost 10 years, both of us meeting for the first time while refereeing minor hockey in Markham.  The wedding was held at the beautiful Eagle's Nest Golf Club in Maple Ontario which just happens to be minutes from home.  It was a picture perfect day with ceremony held out side under blue skies and the sun shining bright.

Michelle & Andrew just married!

After cocktail hour and some wonderful h'ors we moved the party into the 'Great Hall'.  The wedding party was introduced to the 150 or so guests with a pre-recorded voice over from Michelle's uncle, the official voice of the NFL whom has appeared in multiple Coor's light commercials! The intros were paired up with some great music energizing the room.  Andrew and Michelle entered to "When Love Takes Over" by David Guetta feat Kelly Roland, joining the rest of the wedding party for a pre-emptive dance party while the room cheered them on...it was going to be a fun night!

Me and the better half Tasha on the patio

My full rig was used for the evening:

2 Yorkville NX550 mains with 2 Yorkville Elite LS700p subwoofers
Ecler Nuo 4 Mixer with 2 Denons S3500 TT
PC Laptop using Traktor Scratch Pro II with a Kontrol X1 controller.
Line 6 Handheld cordless Mic
2 American DJ Spot 250s with an American DJ  Revo III

Set-Up

Set-Up

The Dance party started a little later then usual allowing guests to watch a fantastic fireworks display courtesy of Canada's Wonderland viewable from the deck surrounding the main room which overlooked the golf course.  During this time I played some great warm up music.

With the dancing beginning late at 10:30 the room was definetly ready to go!  I got them started with some disco tracks... 'September' by Earth Wind and Fire followed by 'Celebration' Kool and the Gang, 'YMCA' The Village People and Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough'.  The party was briefly interupted for the garter and bouquest toss however with Michelle's song selection of 'Where Dem Girls At" by David Guetta feat Nicki Minaj and Flo Rida the dance floor packed up once again leading into a good run of top 40 high energy dance tracks.  The party really hit it off though when I dropped "Home for a Rest" by Spirit of the West.  I cut out the music during all the chorus' and the crowd happily filled in the lyrics by singing at the top of their lungs...

Hands in the air seemed to be Michelle's signature move!

With it being Canada day I had to make tribute to some Canadian artists.  "Summer of 69" by Bryan Adams, "Informer" by Snow and "Let Your Backbone Slide" by Maestro Fresh Wes were all added to the playlist!

In all it was a pretty memorable evening.  When the lights came on at 1:50am the dance floor was still full and wanting more!  "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson and "Brown Girl In The Rain"  by Boney M rounded out the night with the crowd showing their appreciation towards myself and my choice of music.  Of course having a successfull party can always be helped by a crowd who wants to party and dance the night away!

Myself with the Groom Andrew

Here is the set-list...

1 - Nothin On You (DJ Intro Clean Mix) - B.O.B. ft. Bruno Mars
2 - Billionaire - Travie McCoy ft. Bruno Mars
3 - Grenade (Radio) - Bruno Mars
4 - Hold My Hand - Sean Paul ft. Keri Hilson
5 - I Don't Want To Miss a Thing – Aerosmith (First Dance)
6 - Bright Lights Bigger City - CeeLo Green
7 - Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5
8 - Sunday Morning - K-os
9 - Every Morning - Sugar Ray
10 - No Rain - Blind Melon
11 - Dani California - Red Hot Chili Peppers
12 - Electric (Radio Single) - Shawn Desman
13 - Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys
14 - Ever On (Father/Bride, Mother/Groom dance)
15 - I Hope You Dance - Lee Ann Womack
16 - September - Earth Wind & Fire
17 - Celebration - Kool & The Gang
18 - Village People - Y.M.C.A
19 - Don't Stop Till You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
20 - The Final Countdown – Europe (Garter Toss)
21 - Where Dem Girls At (Clean) - David Guetta (Bouquet Toss)
22 - I Got That Feeling (Radio) - Black Eyed Peas
23 - Firework (Radio) - Katy Perry
24 - Do You Remember - Jay Sean
25 - Give Me Everything - Pitbull ft. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer
26 - Party Rock Anthem (Main) - LMFAO
27 - One Love (When Love Takes Over) - David Guetta
28 - Hello (Club Edit) - Martin Solveig ft. Dragonette
29 - Rise Up (Club Mix) - Yves Larock
30 - Stereo Love (Extended Mix)- Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina
31 - Club Can't Handle Me - Flo Rida
32 - DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love - Usher ft. Pitbull
33 - Born This Way (Radio) - Lady Gaga
34 - Only Girl (In The World) - Rihanna
35 - Home For A Rest - Spirit Of The West
36 - 500 Miles - Proclaimers
37 - Summer of '69 - Byran Adams
38 - Rasputin - Boney M
39 - Life (Is What You Make It) - Colonel Lite and Frighty
40 - Murder She Wrote - Chaka Demus
41 - Twice My Age - Shabba Ranks
42 - Who Am I - Beenie Man
43 - Punkie - Sean Paul
44 - Long Time - Tanto Metro & Devonte
45 - Pass the Dutchie - Musical Youth
46 - Home Alone - R. Kelly
47 - Yeah - Usher
48 - Moment 4 Life - Nicki Minaj ft. Drake
49 - Night Fever - Bee Gees
50 - All Night Long - Lionel Richie
51 - Good Times - Chic
52 - Super Bass (Clean) - Nicki Minaj
53 - Sexy Chick - David Guetta ft1. Akon
54 - Memories - David Guetta ft. Kid Cudi
55 - Ghosts N Stuff (Extended Vocal Mix) - Deadmau5
56 - Call on Me - Eric Prydz
57 - One More Time - Daft Punk
58 - It Takes Two - Rob Base & Dj E-Z Rock
59 - Informer - Snow
60 - Let Your Backbone Slide - Maestro Fresh Wes
61 - We Like to Party - Vengaboys
62 - Up & Down - Vengaboys
63 - I Know You Want - Pitbull
64 - Calabria 2008 (MIMS Remix) - Enur feat. Natasja
65 - Dynamite - Taio Cruz
66 - Like A G6 - Far East Movement
67 - We No Speak Americano (Original Mix) - Yolanda Be Cool
68 - Bon, Bon - Pitbull
69 - Hotel Room Service - Pitbull
70 - Oh My Gosh - Usher
71 - If We Ever Meet Again (Digital Dog Full Remix) - Timbaland
72 - 2012 It Aint the End - Jay Sean ft. Nicki Minaj
73 - Tonight (I'm Loving You) - Enrique Iglesias ft. Ludacris
74 - Hold It Against Me (Single) - Britney Spears
75 - One Life Stand - Ian Longo and Jay Wainwright
76 - More (Red One DJ Intro DJ Outro Clean Mix) - Usher
77 - Day N nite (remix) - Kid Cudi vs The Crookers
78 - S & M Remix (Main) - Rihanna Featuring Britney Spears
79 - Dirty Talks (Single) - Wynter Gordon
80 - Right Round (Remix) - Flo Rida
81 - Getting Over You - David Guetta & Chris Willis
82 - Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
83 - Brown Girl In The Rain - Boney M