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Groj, who is also the founder and label-head of Box Records, has assembled a wonderful mix of melodic techno that touches on everything from the rich ambient textures of Clark to the acidic themes of Avus.

In addition to including a fantastically bouncy track of his own called “Playmorium,” Groj has also selected two tracks from UK-based producer Morris Cowan’s wonderful, progressive sophomore release, Six Degrees and one from Applescal’s recent Dreaming In Key.

Box Records also recently released a lovely kraut-inspired EP from Bulgarian producer Norwell entitled Harmonia, which is definitely worth a listen as well.

Download this psychedelic mix of melodic electronic music from the Soundcloud player below.

Visit Groj on Facebook // Twitter // Soundcloud

Visit Box Records on Facebook // Official Site

Sessions: Episode #20 – Groj: Tracks Played

1. Clark – Glenferrie Dust Track // Warp
2. Morris Cowan – Serialiser // Wigflex
3. Applescal – Lonely People // Atomnation
4. Groj – Playmorium
5. Morris Cowan – At Sixes // Wigflex
6. Matthys – Escaliers (Wesley Matsell Remix) // Loki
7. Van Hoff Martt – Somach // MoiMoi
8. Falling From Cloud 9 – 80 // Shabu
9. Van Hoff Martt – Ne pas Avaler // MoiMoi
10. Avus – Chock // Shabu
11. Moiré – Drugs // Werkdiscs
12. Can – Oscura Primavera

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Visit Matt Thibideau on Soundcloud

Visit Mark Thibideau on Soundcloud

Visit Hushlamb on Facebook // Twitter

Hushlamb Free Range Show: Episode #31: Tracks Played

1. Modular 2
2. Modular 3
3. Optic Lobes*
4. Modular 1
5. Circles*
6. Mod Around
7. When I Wait*
8. Poly Echo
9. Modular 5
10. Modular 7
11. Uranium Melts*

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For episode #12 the Bass Kultcha crew comes with a steady and heady mix of Roots Reggae and Dancehall. After kicking things off with an intro track by Ahndre (Boom One Records), Kevin Reigh begins his set with a series of tracks on two hot new riddims, the Honey Pot & Gyal Season, features new and old tunes on the classic Satisfaction riddim and also finds time to drop a sweet cover of Nirvana’s ‘Come As You Are’ by Little Roy and a blazing new Sizzla tune.

urbansteve pays tribute to the late Cedric ‘Im’ Brooks at the beginning of his set then transitions into a mix of tracks by UK dancehall, reggae and soundsystem revivalists Wrongtom out of South London, and Mungo’s Hi-Fi repping Scotland. Maintaining the vibe urbansteve laces his set with “Occupy The Session,” a heavy tune by Reggae Roast featuring Earl 16 and “Friday Night” by the Leisure Allstars before injecting a junglist vibe with Congo Natty, Lady Chann, La La & The Boo Ya on “Lioness.” urbansteve wraps things up with Mr. Bird flipping Natasja Saad’s ‘Calabria’ into “Talk Of The Town.”

The reset features a heavy diet of 90’s dancehall hits by the likes of Beenie Man, Silver Cat and Spragga Benz and more contemporary sounds by Protoje, Gyptian and B. Davis. Bass Kultcha closes the episode with Captain Sinbad’s “Jamaica 50″ and Dennis Brown’s “Give Mi Sweet Loving.”

Check out the archived video stream in the video player, or download the free mp3 mix from the Soundcloud player below.

Visit Bass Kultcha on Facebook

The Bass Kultcha Show: Episode #12: Tracks Played

Intro

1. Ahndre – D Sea Quake Sound

Kevin Reigh (3:52)

1. Torch – Good Reggae Music
2. Exco Levi & Kabaka Pyramid – Strive
3. Chronixx – Smile Jamaica
4. Sizzla – Good Love
5. Spragga Benz – Step Out and Dance
6. Tanya Stephens – If You Knew
7. Major Lazer ft. Ezra Koenig – Jessica
8. Carl Dawkins – Satisfaction
9. Jah Cure – Keep On
10. Little Roy – Come As You Are

urbansteve (24:12)

1. Cedric Im Brooks – Jah Light it Right
2. Wareika Hill Sounds – Chant Rasta
3. Cedric Im Brooks – Ethiopia Tikdem
4. Wrongtom Meets Deemus J – Superteng
5. Mungo’s HiFi – Rock Inna Dancehall
6. Mungo’s HiFi – Sweet Meditation
7. Reggae Roast feat. Earl 16 – Occupy The Session (Adam Prescot Full Up Remix)
8. Leisure All-Stars with Lady Chann – Friday Night
9. Congo Natty, Lady Chann, La La & The Boo Ya – Lioness
10. Mr. Bird – Talk of the Town

Reset (52:50)

1. Rhythm & Sound – No Partial
2. General Degree – Dweet Sweet
3. Spragga Benz – Girls Hooray
4. Silver Cat – Fowl Affair
5. Future Troubles – China Mi Live
6. Beenie Man – World Dance
7. Snow ft. Nadine Sutherland – Anything For You
8. Protoje ft. Kymani Marley – Rasta Love
9. Gyptian – Hold Yuh
10. B. Davis – Wherever I Go
11. Captain Sinbad – Jamaica 50
12. Dennis Brown – Give Mi Sweet Loving

On his latest projects:

“I’m currently working on new releases for [my label] Accelerate including a box set anthology. There is also a 7th City release coming out soon featuring Torontonian Matt Thibideau. Also, I’m working on a new live show that will premiere at the Cabaret Sauvage in Paris in September and working to put some events together in Detroit starting with [one at TV lounge.]

On his first exposure to house music:

“The first time I went to a house club was The Twilight Zone, and I think that was 1986. That completely blew me away. Between my CFNY days in the early 80s, I got interested in hip hop, but when I went to The Twilight Zone, I was like, ‘No no no, this is cool. I want to be part of this, whatever this is.’ They had this long stairway that went up to the club, and I remember just hearing this thunderous beat and thinking, ‘what the hell is going on up there?’ because house music was fairly new at that time. The Twilight Zone was quite progressive because they were picking up on this, I feel, quite early in the game. We got up there and the atmosphere was just so incredible. I still remember it like it was yesterday.”

On being labeled a minimal pioneer:

“I never called myself a minimalist—it’s just a label given to my style of music. I’ve come to terms with it over the years. I kind of fought it at the beginning, because, personally, I feel that I have my own style. When you’re grouped in with things you don’t particularly feel a part of, it’s a bit of an odd feeling. It was definitely my mission after I had moved to Detroit to develop something that I thought would be unique. Over the years, people have appreciated it and that’s a great feeling. But you know I learned mostly from listening to Chicago house records so I feel it’s like a consistent history that keeps developing with this music. I guess you could call it minimalist, the aesthetic or something, but it’s a sound that keeps evolving and maybe I was one guy who pushed it forward for a little while. Now there have been people after me who have developed it even further.”

On staying motivated in the music game:

“I don’t have to work at it. I’m just passionate about music, not only the kind I DJ and produce. It’s just something that comes naturally. I want to be engaged. I want to be a part of music until I’m on my deathbed. It’s my life. There’s not even a question whether I am motivated or not. It’s something that I always had a passion for and I don’t think that’s ever going to change.”

On the changes in music culture over the last 25 years:

“It was much more anonymous at the beginning, and purposefully so. No one tried to make big press releases or anything like that. You just did records and you put them out. And once in a while you did an interview. It was a totally different culture when I came into it. When you went to a club and you’re dancing, you’re looking at the other dancers. The DJ booths were usually on the 2nd level somewhere. That was true at The Twilight Zone, but it was also true with all the clubs in Detroit that were kind of iconic. You knew who the DJs were if you were an avid club goer but a lot of times you wouldn’t know what they looked like. It was just “this person is playing there tonight and we gotta go catch em” but you would just go. It became this kind of pure musical experience. That part is what I feel has changed the most.

There has been this whole industry that has been created. Now it’s taking its cues from mainstream music and how mainstream music is promoted. I started to see that more and more in the 90s when they started putting the DJs on stages and then shining lights on the stages. Then it became this thing where DJs would try to engage the crowd by throwing up their hand in breaks and everything like that. There was this whole switch into the DJ becoming some kind of performer. That whole part didn’t exist when I came into it.”

On the value of knowing musical history:

“It’s definitely to any musician’s benefit to know what came before them, to have a perspective on what they’re doing. If a producer doesn’t do that, and I think it’s rare, I don’t know how successful they’ll be. A big part of success is knowing where you fit it in and knowing your history and knowing the culture.”

On the music that moves him:

“There are too many to get into but of course there’s Kraftwerk, Prince, Roger Troutman, who did Zapp—all that very minimalist funk. Some of the George Clinton stuff. ESG. A lot of the stuff that came out of NYC in the golden era of 1980-81—Arthur Russell, Liquid Liquid. I still love that, and I think that’s my favourite stuff. The thing I listen to most now, however, is Nova Radio, which is a station out of Paris. I was so happy to get this on the Internet. Every time I was in Paris, I would listen to this radio station. I fell in love with it. It’s a mix of everything, which is how most music people listen to music—all the genres smashed together but kind of the best of everything.”

On his production process:

“If I keep doing the same thing, I get bored so I try to change it up. I use different a combination of machines. For me, the bassline is very important so as long as I get a bassline I like, I feel that there’s a track there. A lot times I’ve been stuck, I’ll come up with a bassline but can’t think of how to finish it so I’ll talk over it or add some vocal parts or an odd synth sound. Basically, it’s just getting the flow of the rhythm so that it flows naturally. It has to have some kind emotional impact. Sometimes you’ll be working on music in the studio and it seems like it’s sounding great,  but when you play it to people, they can’t connect to it. I just tend to discard those. If people can’t feel it, I just get rid of it.”

On the myriad genres of electronic music:

“I understand the terms house music and techno. Beyond that I don’t really make any designations. When something comes with a new name but it has the same rules as house and techno, I always feel it’s a marketing department developing something. People want something new. I understand why it happens. And it’s not hurting anything but I don’t see club music as that trendy. Things come and go, but I can play something from 20 years ago and it works fine. Things haven’t changed that much.”

On his latest favourite gear:

“The Cirklon Sequentix—it’s laid out similar to the step sequencers of the early 1980s, like an 808 or a 909. This is how I always worked, but with a 909 you’re always kind of limited by one MIDI channel out. This was a constant limiting factor, which can be okay because it pushes you to be creative, but with the Cirklon, I feel all my dreams have come true. I would think, if only I had a machine that did this. Well, now there is one that does all that.”

On hardware vs. software:

“It’s very intuitive to have knobs and buttons in front of you and knowing what those knobs and buttons do. When I work with machines, I’m not really thinking that much about the actual machine, because I know where everything is. I don’t have to think, I’m just doing it intuitively.

When I lived in Berlin, I didn’t want to bring all my equipment over so I started working exclusively in the computer. I couldn’t stand it after a couple of years. I felt like there’s just too many possibilities, which can shut you down. If you grew up with computers making music, that wouldn’t be a big deal, but coming from using one or two drum machines, one or two keyboards and then you’re into this world where you can use any sound, a million different tracks, whatever you want. I don’t know, it’s just too much. Just having a few things and trying to get the most out of those gets you further along, and to really get a unique style, you have to know those pieces of gear really well.

To know the ins and out of Ableton Live, I’m sure there’s people out there doing it and doing it well, but it’s too much for me. I’ve gone back to all hardware except for recording on Pro Tools. It’s much faster for me. And with my style of music, I don’t really need a lot of sounds to do it. It works against me to have lot of things going on. The music is very stripped down with only a few elements. I don’t feel limited by having one drum, maybe a sequencer and a couple of synths. That’s all I need.”

On the core components of a good festival:

“The music, of course, sound I feel is a big part of it, and the location. It’s so much fun playing them, getting out of a smoky nightclub. It’s a great trend that these are happening in North America. There’s one festival in Japan called Labyrinth that I played at a couple of years ago. If I ever did a festival, it would be like Labyrinth. They only allow 2000 people in, then stop selling tickets. What they do is they structure the whole day like you would a mix tape or something. They pick the DJs stylistically to fit a certain slot, and spend a lot of time to develop the flow for an entire day. It’s just one stage and they start at 10 or 11 in the morning, go until 10, then stop.”

 On his upcoming Sound In Motion performance:

“I usually don’t think about it except for a few days in advance but I’m continually developing my DJ set and trying to incorporate new, custom-made tracks that I only have access to. I’ll be bringing a crate of records and a couple of USB sticks.”

Catch Daniel Bell at this year’s Sound In Motion festival in Toronto.

by Bob Sexton

Opening the episode up with a nice track from Detroit-based Ghostly International artist Shigeto, Emily showcases a variety of other great tracks from Detroit and Toronto artists, including a great disco-laden track from recent Minced Meat guest Erno the Inferno.

Check out the archived video stream in the player above, or download this episode free from the Soundcloud player.

Visit Minced Meat on Facebook // Twitter

Minced Meat: Episode #7: Tracks Played

1. Shigeto x SKYWLKR
2. A.M. Architect – Window (Parallel Edit)
3. Lusine – Another Tomorrow
4. Solvent – Themogene
5. Superstructure – Escape
6. Karriem Riggins – Chopped Worm
7. Self Says x Shigeto – And That’s That
8. Space Dimension Controller – Space Party
9. Daft Punk – Get Lucky ft. Pharell Williams
10. Ben Pearce – What I Might Do (Radio Edit)
11. Pursuit Grooves – Code Nexion
12. Kyle Hall – Crushed
13. Dominik Eulberg – Adler (Stone Owl Remix)
14. Slum Village – Back N Forth Demo
15. Notes To Self – Used To Be Dark (w/ Lee Gaul)
16. Man In Charge – Live from Paradise
17. Phantasmagoria – Child of the Sun (Erno The Inferno Remix)
18. OktoRed – 2, 4, 6, 8
19. T&A – Two On The Pole

Included in this episode are tracks from Moodymann, Motor city Drum Ensemble, Buju Banton, Ice Cube, and many more.

Sit back and let this groovier episode of Production Notes enlighten you with sampling knowledge.

Download the eleventh episode for free from the Soundcloud player.

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Production Notes Radio: Episode #11: Tracks Played

1. Idris Muhammad – Turn This Mutha Out (Kudu, 1977) SAMPLED IN
2. Moodymann – Amerika (KDJ, 1997)
3. The Crusaders – Spiral (MCA Records, 1976) SAMPLED IN
4. Moodymann – Don’t You Want My Love? (Peacefrog Records, 2000)
5. Motor City Drum Ensemble – Raw Cuts #6 (MCDE, 2009) SAMPLES
6. Patti Labelle – You Turn Me On (Epic, 1974) SAMPLED IN
7. 12 O’Clock, Shorty Shit Stain & La The Darkman – Getting High (Elektra, 1999)
8. Curren$y ft. Young Roddy – Can’t Get Out (Jet Life, 2012) SAMPLES
9. Arthur Verocai – Dedicada A Ela (Continental, 1972
10. Deniece Williams – Free (CBS, 1977) SAMPLED IN
11. Shinehead – Woman Like You (Elektra, 1994)
12. Buju Banton – Champion (Remix) (Suite 56, 2000) SAMPLES
13. Ice Cube – You Know How We Do It (4th & Broadway, 1994)
14. Ricky General – Skettle Combo (Hot Ice, 1997) SAMPLES
15. Junior M.A.F.I.A. ft. Notorious BIG – Get Money (Atlantic,1996)

Simina, who has since returned to her stomping ground in Berlin, favours tracks with a wide variety of unique samples ranging from organic, latin-like guitar riffs mixed with soulful pitched down vocals, to the more aggressive and mechanic digital sounds similar to those heard in her previous mix for Sessions.

Download Simina’s Sessions Part II mix free from the Soundcloud player below.

Visit Simina on Facebook // Twitter

Sessions: Episode #19 Ft. Simina Grigoriu: Tracks Played

1. Sirens (Mollono.Bass Remix) – Monkey Safari – 3000 Grad
2. Utopia (Original Mix) – Danny Serrano – Terminal M
3. Where is Jack! (Scheibe & Waslewski Remix) – Matt Keyl – Gold Rcrds
4. Where is Kittin? (Dubfire Remix) – Marc Houle & Miss Kittin – Items & Things
5. Bomb Chickie feat Kevin Noel (Original Mix) – Simina Grigoriu – Bohemian Yacht Club
6. Vegas (Original Mix) – Stefano Noferini – Deeperfect
7. Funky Bitch (Original Mix) – Max Lindemann – Auftakt
8. The Best Dancer (Corner & Robeen & Jake Remix) – Alex Geralead – Flat Belly
9. Poked With Sticks (Original Mix) – Schuhmacher, Tesla – 1605
10. Check and Run (Technasia Remix) – Nakadia – Clarisse
11. D.L.A.S.S. (Nathan Barato Remix) – Ramiro Lopez – Suara

Over this hour-and-a-half mix, a varied mix of different styles of techno are traversed, from the more house laden leanings of the sounds Dick Diamonds regularly favours, to the more aggressive techno mixed by Philip James de Vries; which are then both contrasted by smoother, mellow electronic sounds from DJ Zenta.

Check out the archived video stream in the video player above, or download the free mp3 mix from the Soundcloud player below.

Visit the Deep North on Facebook // Twitter

Visit DJ Zenta on Twitter // Soundcloud

Visit Philip James de Vries on Facebook // Twitter // Soundcloud

Visit Dick Diamonds on Facebook // Twitter // Soundcloud

Deep North Radio: Episode #10: Tracks Played

Dick Diamonds:

1. Hermans – Dirt Urchins (Murr Remix)
2. ?
3. Dahmohl – Quil (Milos Remix)

Zenta:

1. Sandy Rivera – Auriel 2 (2010)
2. Basic Bastard Ft. Blake Baxter – Love Break
3. Nomambah – I Can Fly (Atjazz Astro Remix)

Philip James de Vries:

1. Philip James de Vries – Itslikea (Muzarco Remix)
2. Dole & Kom – Dada (Marquez Remix)
3. Depeche Mode – The Darkest Star (James Holden Remix)
4. Stephan Bodzin – Planet Ypsilon
5. Ryan Davis & Electric Rescue – Stroll (Ronan Portella Remix)
6. Dole & Kom – No Place To Go

Dick Diamonds:

1. Avatism – Slug
2. Dick Diamonds – Consequence
3. Derek Marin – Hercules (Dick Diamonds & Jeff Breen Remix)

Zenta:

1. 2000 And One – Wan Poku Moro
2. 6th Borough Project – Endless Night
3. Fred Everything – Back Together
4. Johnny Fiasco – Take Five

Erno, in keeping with his tastes as a DJ with ten years of experience under his belt, shares a mix that whose “backbone is funk but is adapted to modern day dance music to create a continuous experience, psychedelic even.”

Download this fantastic mix of funk and disco from the Soundcloud player below.

Visit Erno the Inferno on Soundcloud // Facebook // Twitter

Follow Minced Meat on Facebook // Twitter

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Kicking things off with a great, spacey dub track from Melaaz’s 1995 self-titled album called “Non, Non, Non,” Sassa’le and Aram Scaram slowly build into an episode that is dominated by a combination of psychedelia and 80s-inspired dancehall tunes.

As the fifth episode of Version Xcursion progresses, Aram and Sass’le spotlight Exco Levi, who recently took home a Juno for Reggae Recording of the Year for the second year in a row.

Rounding out the episode, Aram kicks of his mini-mix with a nice reggae-heavy tune from Harvey K Tel, and later gets into one of the quirkiest tunes yet aired on the Version Xcursion show, a crazy remix of Oriol Vandela’s “Music Man” from Solo Moderna.

Check out the archived video stream above, or download the free mp3 podcast from the Soundcloud player below.

Visit Version Xcursion on Facebook // Twitter

Version Xcursion: Episode #5: Tracks Played

Intro

1. Melaaz, Non Non Non
2. Massive Attack, Teardrops (Mad Professor Mazaruni mix)
3. Manasseh Meets The Equalizer, Spirit Dance

Sound Clash

1. Michegan & Smiley, Diseases
2. Pato Banton, Hello Tosh

Return To The Classics

1. Dennis Brown, Here I Come

Canadian Spotlight (15 min)

1. Melanie Durrant, Made For Love
2. Ammoye, Radio
3. Exco Levi, Storms Of Life
4. Exco Levi, Save The Music
5. Korexion feat. Potential Kid, How Great Thou Art

Outro DJ Mix (15-20 min)

1. Harvey K-Tel, Boops Apocalypse
2. Treson meets Citizen Sound, City Of Toronto (Mash-Up)
3. Mungo’s Hi-Fi feat. Top Cat, Herbalist
4. Mungo’s Hi-Fi feat. El Fata, Mary Jane
5. Oriol Vandela, Music Man (Solo Moderna Remix)
6. Sabo Cassady, La Curura
7. Overproof Soundsystem, Fire
8. Citizen Sound, Give Thanks (Dubplate)
9. Dubmatix, Give Thanks (Citizen Sound remix)
10. Public Enemy, Don’t Believe The Hype