podcast 004: dance baby dance, a 90 min live-mixed set by nathan lee

People Downtown Podcast 004, Dance Baby Dance.
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Dance Baby Dance recorded Feb 1, 2010. Booty shaking good vibes.

Download: Dance Baby Dance by Nathan Lee

Tracklist:
01 Abonné - Voodoo Child (Art Bleeks Sunny Redub) 2008
02 Sade - By Your Side (Ben Watt Lazy Dog Remix) 2001
03 Manuel De La Mare - Born Slippy (MDLM Mix) 2008
04 Deep Dish - Dreams featuring Stevie Nicks (Extended Club Mix) 2006
05 Oxia - Whole Life (Part 1) 2009
06 Kaiserdisco - Chordalia 2010
07 Oxia - Whole Life (Part 2) 2009
08 Jay Bliss - Diffuse 2009
09 Ray Okpara - Brainows featuring Nikki 2010
10 Trentemøller - Charge 2005
11 Kasper Bjørke - Alcatraz (Kenton Slash Demon Remix) 2010
12 The Clover - Love In Da Wood 2009
13 And.Id - First Talk 2009
14 Hatiras - Your Love 2009
15 Massimo Di Lena - Delirious 2009
16 Rusty James - Stop Lying 2010
17 David West & Inkfish - Ghetto Feel 2010
18 Rondenion - Sun Glare 2009

We're spinning beats at the v-Day launch tonight in Toronto

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JOIN US AT THE FOUNDATION ROOM FOR AN EVENING OF FRIENDS & FUN, DRINKS & DANCING, MUSIC & MERRIMENT... ALL FOR A GREAT CAUSE!!

Support V-Day Toronto at a casual fundraiser as we prepare our most exciting season yet. Funds raised will benefit the Toronto productions of The Vagina Monologues, A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer, our brand new workshops and the one-of-a-kind EVE Underground series. All proceeds from V-Day Toronto performances will be donated to the YWCA of Toronto and METRAC (www.metrac.org). Money raised at The VAULT will help cover production expenses, which means more money to our very deserving beneficiaries!

Cover: $10
Music by the People Downtown: http://peopledowntown.com
Big Thanks to our event sponsor, The Foundation Room: http://www.foundationroom.ca/

More about V-Day:

V-Day (http://www.vday.org) is an international movement committed to the eradication of violence against women. Our signature fundraiser, founder Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues, raises money and awareness for shelters for battered women and girls. This year, V-Day took place in 2,200 venues around the world. V-Day's theatrical catalogue now also includes A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer, a stunning collection of writings exploring violence against women from several perspectives both male and female.

Our beneficiaries this year will be METRAC (http://www.metrac.org) and the women's shelter program at the YWCA. Our goal is to raise more money to combat abuse against women and girls than ever before. We are also committed to our Global Spotlight - the Women of the Democratic Republic of Congo - what the UN now calls "the rape capital of the world." Last year, the DRC was declared THE most dangerous place on Earth to be born female.

Participate in this global movement, celebrate the women and girls in your life and community, and be part of a collective voice that refuses to be ignored, a voice that says NO to violence against women and girls. Come and party with us! Contribute to The VAULT tonight!!

Podcast 003: Nathan Lee's 126 Melancholy Mix

Header image: Podcast 003

This 126bpm melancholy mix was prepared with lots of love. It's breaking my heart a little but I'll get over it.

Tracks:

  1. Underworld - Headset 2002
  2. The Black Ghosts - Full Moon (Appleblim & Komonazmuk Remix) 2009
  3. Cut Copy - Future 2004
  4. Memory Tapes - Bicycle 2009
  5. Ascii Disko - Seven Angels 2008
  6. Agoria - Les Violons Ivres 2006
  7. Superpitcher - Tomorrow (Kaito Mix) 2004
  8. Daso - Daybreak 2005
  9. Partial Arts - Trauermusik 2007
  10. Alex Smoke - Telemetry 2005
  11. Anna - Green 2007
  12. Vector Lovers - Genevieve 2007
  13. M.A.N.D.Y. - Tonite 2003
  14. Closer Musik - One, Two, Three--No Gravity (Ewan Pearson's 2004 Remix) 2004
  15. Radiohead - Nude (Ripperton Edit) 2008
  16. Guy J - I See You Next Time 2008
  17. Lucky Misu - Puzzled 2007
  18. Booka Shade vs Plastic Operator - Night Falls Won't Back Down (A-Side Remix) 2007
  19. Perfume Uniform - Out Alone Tonight (Lucky Misu Mix) 2007
  20. Ebb - I'm All Made of Music (Jori Hulkkonen Remix) 2006
  21. The Postal Service - Such Great Heights (Remix by John Tejada) 2003
  22. The Raveonettes - Lust (Trentemøller Remix) 2008
  23. Apparat - Useless Information 2007
  24. Cortney Tidwell - Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up (Ewan Pearson's Objects In Space Remix) 2007
  25. Gui Boratto - Beautiful Life ƒ Luciana Villanova 2007
  26. The Chap - President At Last (Zilla's Premier Remix) 2007

Podcast 002: Abdul Smooth in the mix live for 90mins

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After prepping a nice tight little 1hr set I pressed record and well, scrapped the set - opting to freewheel it; I haven't mixed this stuff together before and you'll hear all types of tunes; from dubstep to indierock to punk-breaks.  Man, I even went so far as to include to remixes back2back of that great Lisztomania track by Phoenix! HA!

- Abdul Smooth

Tracks:

  1. Not Gonna Take It (Rob Paine Remix) - Fort Knox Five
  2. Baba O'Riley (Ils Club Mix) - Ils (vs the Who)
  3. Leave me Know - Kooqla
  4. Marihuana Mantra - Kuno & The Marihuana Bass
  5. VIP - Kami K.
  6. Shades of Yellow - Zeno
  7. Get the Money - Panty Raid
  8. Bird Flu - MIA
  9. Tokyorkshire (Andy H Remix) - Kidkanevil
  10. Anthem (Skipmatt & Bunter's Mix) - NJOI
  11. Invaders Must Die - Prodigy
  12. Friday I'm in Love - The Cure
  13. Name of the Game - Crystal Method
  14. Wack MCs - Del the Funky Homosapien
  15. ? - Delerium
  16. The Darkest Star - Depeche Mode
  17. GB Beats - Geoff Barrow
  18. Any Flavor But Vanilla - the Dirty Beatniks
  19. ?
  20. ? - DJ Cam
  21. Just Get on Down and Rock - Magic Mike
  22. Wrong (Deep Dish Mix) - Everything But the Girl
  23. (Lets get high)
  24. Up for The Posse - Deekline & Wizard
  25. Lisztomania (Der Die Das Mix) - Phoenix
  26. Lisztomania (Classixx Version) - Phoenix

 

A Fervor to Play

Music Lover - by http://www.flickr.com/photos/cipion/
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There’s a mysterious quality about music that science can’t dissect. It’s a marvel watching musicians of all genres transform sentiment into melody. Making something out of nothing, musicians ingeniously manifest the best and worst parts of the human experience in to fervent orchestras of sound. World famous guitarist Carlos Santana eloquently agreed with this notion when he said that “Just as Jesus created wine from water, we humans are capable of transmuting emotions in to music.” Musicians tap in to a special frequency converting the energy of a sensation in to songs that pull at your heartstrings.

Where words and pictures don’t work, music becomes the alternate therapeutic medium of expression. The artist sometimes thought mad for his inability to effectively articulate his thoughts becomes a mastermind with this tuneful and cathartic mode of communication. Elvis Presley put it well when he said, “I don’t know anything about music. In my line you don’t have to.” You see, learning to strike the chords is not enough. Acquiring the technical skills is only a small portion of the equation. Although the tools of the trade do need to be learned, its undeniable that the root of good music comes from a place deep inside. Latent music bursts out from the musician working with his instrument of choice, even if it’s just his voice.

Even if the seed of the musician’s talent springs from his sensitivity to the human condition, it is still a wonder how the artist thinks up different tracks that merge together. How does one know how to harmonize the high and low pitched sounds? How does one dream up the next note? Its amazing to watch fingers move speedily along piano keys or strum along familiar strings so knowingly.

One may contemplate that perhaps the source of inspiration of the music may explain the mystery of it, but in truth, it’s not always possible to pinpoint one incident that invoked a song. It’s seems an accumulation of many conceivable and inconceivable factors. “After it's finished, sometimes I can trace a path that goes back to the possible source of inspiration,” Tracey Chapman said, showing us that the motivation behind a track is not always clear-cut.

Its not just the words that impact us, not just the pleasure in recognizing a storyline; music is a unanimous dialect that resonates with us. Unique as each production is, it has the ability to speak to the masses. It’s a language that can touch us in places other mediums can’t reach. We seem to genuinely identify with certain tempos and rhythms.

Music is obscure and enigmatic in its own right. We can sing a happy song and get glassy eyed. We can hear a sad song and be jovial. We can hear a gospel song that brings us to our knees or an opera that causes tears to stream down our faces uncontrollably. Music is complex and powerful and we seem to love being participants of the psychological games it plays.

- Zihan Kassam

Photos now online from the I Need Sugar launch party

Abdul Smooth on the dex
Paige & Lee
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Photos are online from the I Need Sugar launch party!

You can peep a few I took on my mobile phone here + some great ones Lee took here.

Thanks to all the people downtown who came out to chat, chill and shake their rumps.

Animated visual loop from our I Need Sugar launch party

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There were so many people engrossed in the porno popsicle-licking animation I made and projected last night @ our I Need Sugar launch party that I thought to upload and embed it here so you can get your jollies once more :P

BTW - I'll be posting images from the gig in the next couple days so do check back!

q./

Promo Mix: Abdul Smooth spins some sugar

Its become a habit to press record whilst randomly going through tracks in prep for a gig (i.e. unrehearsed track selections and transitions) - this mix runs just over an hour and surveys a bunch of 4/4 rhythms - from all types of dance/house to rock, funk and more.

Feel free to download the mix or just listen here through this post - and please pass the word around about the gig its being posted to get you excited for - that's our 'I Need Sugar' launch party on June 13th, 2009.  You'll find all the necessary links here in the blog @ peopledowntown.com :)

Remember, you should support the artists in this mix if you like their tracks by buying their music - that's why we've included a tracklisting below!

See you on Saturday people!

Tracklisting:

  1. Love Like a Sunset Part I - Phoenix
  2. Perfect Blue Sky (feat. Robert Smith) - Junkie XL
  3. In White Rooms - Booka Shade
  4. Cherry - Lisa Shaw
  5. Lets Go - Todd Terry
  6. I Got the Funkin' - Dan Wilde
  7. Holiday Home - Zoot Woman
  8. This Could Be Beautful - Metronomy
  9. I Found U (TV Rock Mix) - Axwell
  10. Uncle Tech (Groovenatics Remix) - Todd Terry
  11. Underground - Stacy Kidd
  12. I Won't Stop - Frankie Bones
  13. Congaloid - Solo
  14. Silent Snow - Parov Stelar
  15. Young Folks (feat. Victoria Bergsman) - Peter Bjorn & John
  16. Twist - Underworld

 

I Need Sugar T-shirts at discounted prices!

I Need Sugar T-shirt
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As a nice take-home-and-feel-good surprise, we've made up a bunch of limited-run t-shirts to sell with discounted entrance to the I Need Sugar launch party on Saturday June 13 in Toronto!

You can buy entrance to the party for just $30 including a t-shirt (4 color options!) and a drink ticket; which is a steal.

Grab your tickets here: http://peopledowntown.eventbrite.com

More info about the gig is below and on Facebook.

Party: Launching 'I Need Sugar' on Saturday June 13th

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We'll be throwing down some beats in a couple weeks on Saturday June 13th when we launch what will hopefully become a monthly residency in Toronto.

You'll hear a wild selection of beats being mixed up by Abdul Smooth and I Need Sugar blogger Lee Dale (also known via Say Yeah).

We'll post more info as it comes, suffice it now to say that this gig is gonna be superfresh!  Free popsicles all night long to welcome the summer vibes, plus a free drink if you pre-purchase a ticket online for just $10.


Click here to buy tickets online: http://peopledowntown.eventbrite.com


Here's the full low-down:

People Downtown presents the launch party for I Need Sugar

Saturday June 13th, 2009 from 9PM - 2AM

@ the Central - 603 Markham St in Toronto, Canada (just south of Bloor st, steps away from the Bathurst subway station)

$10 entrance; (*pre-sale/online tickets include a free drink)

with DJs:

Abdul Smooth (http://www.abdulsmooth.com) + Lee Dale (http://www.ineedsugar.com)