DMZ Diary

#14 - June 13th 2003

Damn! It's friday the 13th.... well I talked about luck last week so I'm now stuck without a subject, so lets just see what floats to the top of my mind. Well it's summer season (at least in the Northern Hemisphere) so that's a cue for all the big music festivals to pitch their tents and set up stages in the middle of fields, only to get rained into a mudbath by mother nature. Well at least that's the way it always is in the UK - Glastonbury is probably the most famous British festival, catering to an extensive cross section of society. But there are dedicated dance music events, most notably Homelands and Creamfields, where DJ's really do have the status of rock stars and the UK affirms its status as Dance Nation. Sure there are bigger events - Berlin's Love Parade being the most (in)famous street party in the world, so big that the idea has spread to other cities around the world, but nobody does it better than Berlin.

Well, except for Fatboy Slim when he did his Big Beach Boutique II, AKA Normstock II - when a quarter of a million people turned up to see a handful of ugly men play other people's records. The number of people caused major problems for the town, transport was impossibly clogged, lines to get to bathrooms were legs crossingly long, and ever shop was picked clean of snacks and beer. I hear Norman's planning to take this idea on tour to all the famous beaches around the world, but if you want to get a taste of the event then you can get the DVD. The music is top notch, up for it, in yer face house music - and the DJ is entertaining, clearly enjoying himself, well except for the moment when one of his records skip during a mix. DJ's should buy this CD just to see how easy mixing is, and how important it is to pick good records.

Speaking of which.... I'd better go and put together a show for you lot before you get bored.


Scott Manley

Tracklisting - Hour 1

Artist Track Label Buy? (readme)
Bassbin Twins ESW Marine Parade
This is the intro track we play at the start of every show. Slammin Beats!
Mint Royale
 Blue Song Faith and Hope
Mint Royale, managing to combine big beat and Moby style blues samples, from their top album 'Dancehall Places'

Slam vs Unkle
 Narco Tourists Soma
This collaboration between Slam and James Lavelle was released to celebrate Soma's 10th anniversary, it's a guitar led grinding house record. It's a great record to celebrate the first decade of Scotland's best dance music label.
A Guy Called Gerald
 Voodoo Ray Warlock
One of the best records ever made, understated, atmospheric, and just overflowing with groove. Not much else even comes close.

Fab Four feat Robert Owens
 Last Night A DJ BLew My Mind
Clearly inspired by another classic this modern update, is nicely laid back and funky at the same time. Also featuring classic house vocallist Robert Owens who has experienced a resurgence in popularity recently through his work with Photek and others.

De'Lacy
 Hideaway (Deep Dish Mix) Deconstruction
The production on this record is amazing, the vocal compbined with the wierd synth noises over the beat made it stand out back in the early 90's, another one of those timeless dancefloor classics (2 in one show!).

NYC Connection
 Bless The Funk Urban Underground
I heard the plump DJ's playing this a lot, it's a pretty stripped down record compared to the kind of breaks that the Plumps produce, but you always need balance right?
Basement Jaxx
 Do Your Thing XL
This house track has a great swing Jazz feel which makes it irrepressably good fun, you have to get the Jaxx last album 'Rooty' - worth every penny.

Maurice and Noble
 Hoochie Coochie Man White
Very hot white label at the moment, I don't even think I have a first generation copy, but this Prog house meets U2 sound is generating some amazing reactions when its played.
Tenth Planet
 Ghosts (Redancka Mix) Tommy Boy
By the numbers prog-trance number with a nice vocal, there's no reason I should like this record more than a load of others, but I can't help myself, hope it's not just me that digs this track.

Meat Katie and Elite Force
 Toba Kingsize
Dark prog house track, as black as the vinyl it's pressed on.

Circulation
 Turquoise (BLIM's Relentless Bass Mix) Hooj Choonz
Another contender for 'Heaviest Bassline In The World', this beast used to sound amazing every time I'd play it in the back room at Halflife, the room was just the right size to accentuate the evil bassline.

Slacker
 Scared (Scared Of Tomorrow) Loaded
This is an older Epic house track from about 1997, slacker have never quite made it as big as they deserve, but they've just kept putting out great records, and this was one fo their first.

Way Out West
 The Gift Deconstruction
Pioneering breakbeat trance record from the same era, this record grabbed its vocal from Joanna Law's version of 'The First Time Ever I Saw your Face', after this record she seemed found herself in demand and contributed vocals to several classic trance records.

Joshua Ryan
 Pistolwhip (James Holden Mix) Nu-Life
Thankfull James stripped out the incredibly annoying siren from the breakdown and left us with much more ambient moments. This is one of my favourite trance records which came out around 2000 when trance was in a quality control nosedive, wish I could play you more of it.


Hour 2 - Special Guest - Miss Wish

Miss Wish, member of Realtime Radio, Breaks DJ and general all round cool person. Look for her in the Baltimore area, and check her website at www.vinylwish.com.

Stay Funky....
see ya Next Week.

Scott Manley 06/13/03