Tag Archives: mp3

aged cheddar


I distinctly remember making jokes 20 years ago about how in the future I’ll be going to 80’s parties and they’ll be as ridiculous as the 60’s parties of the day.

Despite my soothsaying smart ass, I didn’t take into consideration a little thing called “frame of reference”.

I had no context or emotional attachment to the 1960’s. It was just an abstract concept — my parents’ decade of social progress, bell bottoms, consciousness expanding drugs and relatively free-for-all fucking with few consequences – aside from maybe… Babies.

Enter Generation X.

Now here twenty three years after the close of the decade that largely formed my personality – I got my first invitation to…. Yup….

A “1980’s Dance Party”.

It wasn’t until a good couple of days after wringing my hands over outfits that my 21st Century consciousness weighed in and said – “wow – our fashion was ridiculous” – but the eye rolling I did about the 60’s parties never happened… Just a, (for lack of a better description), “sustained squee-buzz of warm fuzzy nostalgia” overtook me.

What do you bring the hostess of an 80’s dance party? Traditional dinner party flowers and a bottle of wine wouldn’t do. So in a Starbucks-fueled frenzy last night I threw together a 50 minute run of largely rebooted oldie-moldies from my youth.

My fascination with dance music started in high school while working for Radio Shack… The strip mall where it was located was anchored by (strangely now on retrospect) a night club called “Club 747”.

One evening just before close this guy barreled through the door with two speakers under his arms and panic across his face. It was the club’s DJ – and he’d blown out his monitor speakers.

Despite his profession – he wasn’t terribly technical. To the nerdy-birdy 17 year old behind the counter – this was gravy. All was needed was a philips screw driver and the ability to tell the difference between red and black wires.

Nonetheless I had his speakers repaired in 15 minutes and had became his hero for the night. He invited me to come down to the club after I closed the store and see the booth.

I did… And as I stood by wide eyed and watched him weave songs together a love of dance music and envy of DJs that would follow me to this very day was cemented.

I’d got a couple of (cheap) direct drive turntables and started DJing parties with a couple of friends. That was as about as occupational as it ever got. Once college got underway my practice just became a method of making mix tapes for friends. Then once life got underway the tables got sold and my vinyl crated and put into storage. I’d never stop collecting remixes though.

In 2011, one of my gal-pals Amy asked me for a disc which reignited the long shelved hobby – which spawned a series that’s still running called BEAsTmix.

I have zero aspirations of doing this in any professional capacity. I’m way better at taking pictures and moving type around. But it’s fun to make mixes for friends…. Every one has a story and theme for whomever they were crafted for.

And this one’s for Jill – and what I’m sure is going to be a blast tonight.

*squee-buzz*

XOXOX

DOWNLOAD:download the file

 

 

 

 

beastmix06


Had this one done around my birthday but then wound up fiddling with it on and off while hibernating through the winter.

Given the theme it seemed better to throw this up here at the break of Spring when everything comes back to life… Nature’s systems resume the process of creation and we’re reminded the ghost is still in the machine kicking… or is that dancing.

Today’s the birthday of a very special friend who has not only inspired my ghost to dance – but has taught me a few new steps as well… ( and God damn can he cha-cha.)

Happy Spring – and… Happy Birthday to my ghost dancing brother out West.

 

track list:

Satisfaction
Feel So Close 2U
Our Lips “our” Sealed
Stop
Glad You Came
Show Me Maybe
Jessie’s Girl
Seven Loca Rattle
Whathegethefuckout
Flex Gym Duck
Que Sera Mi Vida
I Love It
Wile One Two

download the file

CREDITS:
dedication: Chris Head
series inspiration: Ken “Beast” Colina
the hard stuff: MixMeister v. 7.0.9

beastmix04


Yup… Here’s another one. This set was put together largely in February.

It’s hard to write about the relationships between gay men and their girlfriends.

All of mine have been in some capacity there for me through some of the hardest times of my life – last December is no exception.

We’ve held each other’s heads while we’ve bawled and bitched about boys… We shared our darkest secrets and biggest dreams.

I’m not just waxing sweet-ass when I say each and every one of mine in some way or another had at one time or another made me wish I was wired for heterosexuality…. because each of them would have made either great girlfriends, lovers, wives or mothers.

… Then again… If I were – we probably wouldn’t enjoy the special friendships we have now.

So… anyway… that’s where my heart was on this one… All my wonderful women.

You all vary in proximity and frequency of contact – and god knows I can’t put you all in the same room… but you all quite neatly fit in the dark place called my heart… You make it warmer… and in some respects – have kept the damn thing running long after being broken…

Repeat after me girls: “boys are stupid… let’s go shopping”  🙂

XOXOXO  – love you all… more than you will ever know.

track list:

01: one hell or another :  all my gals
02: gucci gucci girl power : shannon
03: cars (reboot) : jill
04: personal jesus (reboot) : linda
05: jumping in a cubicle : julie
06: she sells white weddings : erin
07: friday night in A&E : jane
08: hello girl let’s party : amy
09: sexy bitch : leah
10:children should be dancing : sandy
11: i wanna bulletproof dancer : jeanette
12: watch the sun come up : elise

 

download the file

CREDITS:
dedication: All My Wonderful Women
series inspiration: Ken “Beast” Colina
the hard stuff: MixMeister  v. 7.0.9

beastmix03


liner note portraitalright – so these little projects have started turning into total spank-o-thon self-expression projects…
Totaly perfect though because of the combination of design, photo and piddling with music.

This one’s an angry one. I maintain though that focusing all of my pain from the year’s emotional clusterfuck and subsequent broken heart and home into one… succinct… laser-focused effort was healthier and way less annoying and pathetic than a chain of  teenage publicly inappropriate FaceBook status updates.

Passive-aggressive anger is better… or is that bitter… (?)
You at least have to come here under your own free click-wheel to hear me whine…
Or – if you’re really special to me – you get a hard copy in your mailbox. 🙂

/digress

so –
apologies for the angst…
But serious gratitude for letting me share it…

track list:

01: introduction
02: jump you fucker
03: only
04: beautiful liar
05: if you could read my mind
06: the tamperer / feel it
07: the one who changed the way i love
08: we found love
09: rolling in the deep
10: no (more) service
11: kornplay
12: echo / release

 

download the file

CREDITS:
dedication: a mistake
series inspiration: Ken “Beast” Colina
blood & photo assist: DJcubster
the hard stuff: MixMeister  v. 7.0.9