The Rub was commissioned to do a mix for the Canadian based women’s clothing retail chain Aritzia, to be used in all of their stores across North America. For my installment, it gave me an opportunity to play some music that I normally wouldn’t throw in some of my live sets, and to try and paint a picture of this “casual love affair.” Basically, I wanted to take a very sexy direction for the sound of this mix but it also hits on all sorts influences from French music, African, some Brit pop, disco boogie, Moohmbahton and other grooves. I start out pretty mid-tempo but with just amount of groove to it so that it’s dance worthy. Then towards the middle and end the pace and energy picks up. And then at the very end I break it down with a very smooth finish. I hope you enjoy it.
The power of Twitter. I’ve met some amazing people though it, and had some pretty great experiences and opportunities because of my shit talking. Case in point, a few months ago me and my homeboy – the legendary DJ Rob Swift – were popping off on it when my man Andre from The Drake in Toronto simply replied to our conversation “When are you guys going to do a show together?” Within 30 minutes a plan and a date was set, and we ended up collaborating on a show for Canadian Music Week. Great stuff, and ayo technology.
Rob is a legend and one of the greatest DJs of all time. So you can probably understand how honored and humbled I was when he asked me be a guest on his radio show. Of course I said yes. Tune in to hear my set, as well as the rest of the funky shit on Rob’s Dope On Plastic, brought to you streaming by the good folks at Scion A/V. Click here to check it out.
Okay, no need to go into a whole spiel about this month’s top ten list. But you know how it goes… a whole bunch of shit that I’m feeling, including some new music and exclusives. A lot of great dance music, songs from friends of mine, and an appearance from the one and only Nate Dogg (RIP.) And as always, download it, share it, rock out to it. Thanks a million, and I hope you enjoy listening these mixes as much as I enjoy making them!
1: TV On The Radio “Will Do” (XXXChange Remix)
2: Nate Dogg “Can’t Nobody feat. Kurrupt”
3: Hang Glider “The Landings”
4: Sheen Bros “It’s So Hot feat. Greg Nice” (Whiskey Barons Remix)
5: Josie Stingray “Josie feat. 1-O.A.K.”
6: Beg To Differ “Be Africa” (Beg To Differ Dub”
7: Alexis “Lonely Sea” (Emotion 2 Emotion Mix)
8: Drop Out Orchestra “International Track”
9: Will Eastman & Micah Vellian “No Sleep feat. T.T. The Artist” (Treasure Fingers Fr33ky Mix)
10: Florence & The Machine “Rabbit Heart” (Leo Zero Remix / Greg Wilson Edit)
BAKER’S DOZEN BONUS
11: G. Brown “L.O.V.I.N.”
12: Win Win “The Nature Of Transcendent Force feat. Douglas Armour”
13: James Blake “Limit To Your Love”
Back up in this motherfucker with another one, it’s the brand new Top Ten Mix for March. Again, here’s a selection of records that really moved me this month, from all across the board. Now let me shout out my dude Mikey Palms who for the longest time was trying to get me to do a mix series called “Baker’s Dozen.” There were so many great songs that I came across this month that I decided to extend the bonus round out with 3, so we have a true Baker’s Dozen with 13 songs in total. So let me rap a little about these tunes. I once told a friend that I was resolved to “say less with more” but to hell with it, I’m a verbose motherfucker so let’s go…
The first song is a remix of Kanye West “Monster” featuring Nicki Minaj who, honestly is the only person I want to hear on that track. The song was adventurously re imagined by a new group Teachers that you will be hearing a lot more about very soon. Next up is the new Holy Ghost! record that sounds like they’ve been listening to a lot of Jan Hammer. I’m not mad at that. Third is Pools, which is the brainchild of my dear friends Thee Mike B & DJ Morse Code. Last year I spent a lot of time in LA, and a good amount of that time was spent at pools. This pretty much sounds exactly what it was like. Fourth is the new Steve Arrington produced by Dam Funk. Nuff said. After that is the brand new Beth Ditto off her self titled solo EP. This is new territory for her, and it fits like a glove in my opinion. I had to give a nod to the Moombahton movement and include my homie DJ Apt One with “Bells And Whistles” which is based around a very healthy Sergio Mendes sample.
If you know me, you know I LOVE brass band music. The seventh song on the mix is from the UK’s Hackney Collier Band. They do it really right with their version of the Toto classic. Following that is a remix of Headman by Finland’s own Hannulelauri. Such a groovy tune, I first heard it on a mix by The Magician AKA Stephen Fasano, formerly of Aeroplane. The ninth song is a little older but I just got hip to it. Simian Mobile Disco as envisioned by one of my favorites, Maurice Fulton. Rounding out the ten is one of my favorite songs right now, Adele “Rolling In The Deep” – with a dancefloor workout by Brooklyn’s own Cousin Cole.
The Baker’s Dozen bonus starts with a unique take on the Sex Pistols “Pretty Vacant” by Drop Out Orchestra, propelling this punk anthem into a groovy downtown disco dancer. The last two records come straight out of Los Angeles. We’ll start with the groovy dance number by my friends Posso, who absolutely kill it live as well (as I witnessed in New York several weeks ago.) Finally, finally, finally… OFWGKTA. You all heard the name, you all know the steez. But out of the camp comes Frank Ocean, with one of the best releases I’ve heard in a long time. This is 21st Century soul music at it’s finest. So I hope you all enjoy this mix. Download it, share it, rock out to it. Thanks a million, as always.
1: Kanye West “Monster feat. Nicki Minaj” (Teachers Exclusive Nicki Minaj Monster Remix)
2: Holy Ghost! “Do It Again”
3: Pools “The End Of Summer”
4: Steve Arrington “I Be Trippin’ feat. Dam Funk”
5: Beth Ditto “Do You Need Someone” (Original Mix)
6: DJ Apt One “Bells And Whistles”
7: The Hackney Colliery Band “Africa”
8: Headman “Voices” (Hannulelauri Dub)
9: Simian Mobile Disco “Cruel Intentions” (Maurice Fulton Remix)
10: Adele “Rolling In The Deep” (Cousin Cole Remix)
BAKER’S DOZEN BONUS
11: Sex Pistols “Pretty Vacant” (Drop Out Orchestra Rework)
12: Posso “Your Life – Don’t Konk Out” (Edit)
13: Frank Ocean “Swim Good”
Friday February 21 – Disco Verite – Brooklyn, NY 
