The Round Up, Vol. 4

In this week's Round Up: Slow weeks, the end of summer, and Scuba.

This week and a 1/2 has been a little slow in the mix world, so I’ll be sure to throw in some extra good stuff at the end.

Scuba b2b w/ Jimmy Edgar, live at the Boiler Room, Berlin.

First up, an absolutely blistering set of techno and house featuring Hotflush Records boss Scuba alongside K7 Records’ Jimmy Edgar. If you told me Scuba was the best DJ/producer in the world right now, I’d have a hard time trying to prove you wrong. A true musical chameleon, Scuba started his career focusing on the deeper, more subtle side of dubstep and U.K. bass, but has since begun to delve into the world of tech-house. It was a good decision. Bringing his ear for creeping, melodic basslines to the world of house has been a revelation not just for his fans, but for Scuba as well. He’s been on an absolute tear in ‘12 - his Essential Mix was mind-bendingly good, and his album Personality garnered heavy critical praise. Not only an excellent producer, Scuba is a true maestro behind the decks as well, effortlessly defying any attempt to put a neat label on his sound. In that regard, Jimmy Edgar is a kindred spirit. A Detroit native, Edgar has made a name for himself with his eccentric, off-the-wall remixing, producing, and live performances. The dude oozes talent, and his 2012 album Majenta is easily one of my favorite electronic albums of the year. Combined, these two are something to behold. This mix sees both of them at their best, weaving in and out of floor-shaking techno and spacey melodies. Simply fantastic.

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NTFO - Nights.ro Showcase 037 Podcast

Back to the deep stuff! This podcast comes to us from (surprise!) Diynamic artists NTFO, a Romanian DJ duo who have been steadily garnering more and more buzz as 2012 wears on. These guys are consistently on point, coupling a deft remixing touch with rock solid production. They teamed up with Diynamic label mates Karmon amd Betoko on the great Wowshit EP earlier this year, and their remixes have been featured by some of the best deep house DJs out right now. NTFO doesn’t seem to get outside of Europe that often unfortunately, but they are high on my list of must-see artists whenever they manage to. This podcast is a lot of fun – bouncy, catchy deep house with some really brilliant moments sprinkled in. The track selection here is top notch, and I really dug the piano-heavy theme that seemed to pervade this entire mix. Check it out.

Kolombo - The Global Network, September Podcast

In the same vein as the Amine Edge mix from last week, this next one comes all the way from Belgium courtesy of Kolombo. He’s been seemingly everywhere in 2012, shining in both originals and remixes off the likes of Noir Music, Future Classic, Kompack, along with his own label LouLou Records. His deep, almost tribal touch with basslines is absolutely fearsome and leaves an indelible fingerprint over any track he remixes. I’ve been steadily diving into more and more of his discography over the past couple of months, and there’s a noticeable evolution towards his work. His focus towards heavy, punchy bass, drawn out and spacey synths, and a generally bigger sound has really coincided with artists like Amine Edge & DANCE, Demarzo, Adana Twins, Hot Natured, etc. gaining widespread success in the deep house realm. This type of catchy, slowed down, oozing house is everywhere now. I’m certainly not complaining.

Venice Beach - August Mix

The last gasp of summer is always the deepest - try as we might to fight it, those long summer days start to bleed their heat away with each passing week. Never fear DPCers, I have something that'll drop you right back poolside with a cocktail in your hand (tiny umbrella included). Courtesy of Parisian DJ duo Venice Beach, this hour mix drips sexy, churning Nu-Disco like nobody's business. The mixing isn't world class here, but it doesn't detract from the overall flow of the mix, a fact that really speaks to how successfully Venice Beach manages to nurture an up-tempo, carefree sound. It's hard to really analyze this one because it's just so much damn fun. This mix has been on repeat around here for a couple of days now, and I dare you not to smile and bob your head while listening. These guys are coming to U Street Music Hall in October in support of Lindstrom, so I'd highly recommend any of you D.C. folks to come check 'em out (and I guess Lindstrom too...).

Extras:

All hail summer 2012. We barely knew ye.

S.

Come check out DPC residents Mr. Bonkerz, DJ Remote Ctrl, and yours truly this Friday at Backbar D.C. It's gonna get warm.

Think we left out a mix? Have the low down on some freshness we need in our lives? Wanna talk Paris Hilton DJ skillz? Come chat with us!

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