Season’s greetings, Phil? Already? On the 4th of December? You know, I more than most hate the way in which Christmas is forced upon us earlier and earlier every year. But our work Christmas party was on Friday and I am already starting to panic slightly about Christmas shopping, so attention is beginning to turn to all things festive. And this week’s podcast is my extended Christmas gift to everyone I know that isn’t a rampant trance-head like myself – something for those of you who find my usual offerings a little too full on or intense to rock around your Christmas tree to. This week’s mix comes from the more accessible echelons of house music.
And ‘accessibility’ is the key word here. Drafting and redrafting, compiling this tracklist seemed to take forever and I laboured hard to make sure there was plenty going on that even the most casual of music fans should recognise. Vocally, The Jam, Faithless, Eurythmics, Simply Red, Bob Marley and The Doobie Brothers all make an appearance in some form or another. While that is supplemented by all the usual house heavy-weights – like Wolfgang Gartner, Afrojack, Avicii, Klaas, Swedish House Mafia, Fedde Le Grand, Sidney Samson and Benny Benassi.
House music seems to have made one of its cyclical moves towards mainstream popularity in 2011 and, while a good deal of the house music that gets picked up on for daytime radio playlists ranges from average to goddamn awful, I’ve handpicked as much material that genuinely falls under those ‘big’ and ‘popular’ brackets as I possibly can. In the end, I’ve tried to get a balance between house music that I’ve loved in 2011 – following up from my Ibiza Loves House Music episode in the summer – and records that I know people will recognise. And hopefully there’s also a good balance between tracks that will have you up and rocking and tracks that will just paint a cheesy festive smile on your face. Nothing too serious. Just good ‘feel good’ house music.
This 2 and half hour marathon opens with an incredibly daft song that I heard 3 or 4 months ago on the We Love Ibiza podcast. After pissing myself laughing listening to it in the car on the way to work, I listened to it on repeat till lunchtime. A perfect tongue-in-cheek start to proceedings I thought. After that we have a nice blend of deep, funky and filter house – perfect for the early stages of those Christmas house parties. That includes the rolling disco grooves of Nora En Pure’s Spicy and the vocal driven masterpiece that is Something Good’s Ride.
After about 40 mins we start to pick up the pace. There are more tongue-in-cheek vibes courtesy of Rodeo by Mattias & G80s and the inescapable We No Speak Americano. To be honest, the latter is a huge tune that I did start to get sick of hearing on Radio One as it was massively overplayed. But in the context of what this mix is all about, I had to include it. There’s also the very distinctive I Like by Klaas & Bodybangers, a tune that isn’t only a bit of a guilty pleasure for me personally but a tune I thought more mainstream music fans would enjoy for its sassy vocal and infectious bassline.
After an hour and 20 of warming up good and proper, the mix explodes into some higher octane club music, starting with Adrian Lux & Blende’s remix of Worldwide. That was a tune I heard in Adrian Lux’s guest mix on Sander Van Doorn’s Identity show and had me grinning from ear to ear. Truth be told, I was very close to including that one in my overall Year Mixes. Of the tunes remaining, the most recognisable are the Zedd remix of Swedish House Mafia’s 2011 single, Save The World – the original a big tune at this year’s Creamfields I hear – and Laidback Luke’s rework of Benny Benassi’s Cinema – my favourite record from my most played Xbox game of 2011, Need For Speed Hot Pursuit. Not that I’ve had the time to play much Xbox these days.
Tune of the episode was a very difficult pick this time around. I was very close to giving it to Worldwide but after listening back to this set a few times in the office, I decided it was actually Marcus Schossow’s new version of Red Carpet – Alright that was the record that had THE lot - the vocal, the beats, the bassline, the chords, the euphoria, the filthiness. And that’s why it gets my vote. Maybe a bit of my trance bias coming out there but it is a special record.
When I posted my Ibiza Loves House Music episode back in July I did stress how much out of my trance comfort zone I feel when mixing house music. And once again, with that in mind, I’m delighted with how this episode has turned out, especially given that it is so long. I suppose that is testament to the fact that I am improving, as well as beginning to fully appreciate just how much careful planning and harmonic track choice can help you along. There is a musical journey to be had here; a journey I just wouldn’t have been able to pull off 12 months ago. The first time I listened to this set back in the office, it was the shortest 2 and half hours of my life. That, more than anything, has to be a good sign.
Oh, and apologies for this week’s horrifically red festive artwork against the usual blue and purple of the blog. If I don’t pleasure your ears, I’ll at least ruin your eyes!!
THE PHIL-HARMONIC PODCAST 021 - THE XMAS STOCKING FILLER 2011
2. Sons Of Maria - More Jazz [Enormous Tunes]
3. Nora En Pure - Spicy [Enormous Tunes]
4. TJR - One Love [Peak Hour Music]
5. Crazibiza - Eastchester [Hugh Recordings]
6. Ministry Of Funk - Money [Muzik X Press]
7. Something Good – Ride [Nocturnal Groove]
8. Mattias & G80s - Rodeo (Dub Mix) [Molto Recordings]
9. Manuel De La Mare, Lissat & Voltaxx – Club Around The World (David Amo & Julio Navas Remix) [HotFingers]
10. Klaas & Bodybangers - I Like (Klaas Mix) [Kontor Records]
11. John Dahlbäck – Are You Nervous [Spinnin' Records]
12. Truelove - Rock The Casbah [Chic Flowerz Digitalic]
13. Matt Caseli & Danny Freakazoid – Long Legs Running 2011 (Graham Sahara & Central Avenue Mix) [Spinnin' Records]
14. Yolanda Be Cool & DCup – We No Speak Americano! [Sweat It Out]
15. Joey Negro & Z Factor - Keep On Jumpin' (Luigi Rocca Remix) [Z Records]
16. Fedde Le Grand - Metrum (Manuel De La Mare Remix) [Toolroom Records]
17. Roger Sanchez feat. Mobin Master & MC Flipside - Worldwide (Adrian Lux & Blende Remix) [Stealth Records]
18. Nadia Ali, Starkillers & Alex Kenji – Pressure (Alesso Remix) [Spinnin' Records]
19. Afrojack & R3hab vs. Shakedown - Prutataaa At Night (Hardwell Mashup) [CDR]
20. Steve Angello vs. Faithless - KNAS Insomnia (East & Young Mashup) [CDR]
21. Swedish House Mafia - Save The World (Zedd Remix) [EMI UK]
22. Red Carpet - Alright 2011 (Marcus Schössow Remix) [Spinnin' Records] <<<(Phil’s Tune Of The Episode)>>>
23. Sidney Samson feat. Tara McDonald - Dynamite (Nicky Romero Remix) [RockTheHouze]
24. Wolfgang Gartner – Illmerica [Ultra Records]
25. Lissat & Voltaxx – Young And Beautiful (Klaas & Micha Moor Remix) [Scream & Shout Recordings]
26. Wynter Gordon – Til Death (R3hab Remix) [Atlantic]
27. Benny Benassi feat. Gary Go – Cinema (Laidback Luke Remix) [D:vision Records]
28. Avicii – Sweet Dreams (Gregori Klosman Remix) [Joia Records]
29. Wolfgang Gartner – Wolfgang's 5th Symphony [We Play]
30. Tiësto – Maximal Crazy [Musical Freedom]
31. David Guetta - Little Bad Girl (Instrumental Club Mix) [F**k Me I'm Famous Records]
32. ENCORE: Nero - Guilt [More Than Alot Records]
So, what next for the podcast? We’re not done yet in 2011. All of my followers out there who were disappointed to see a tracklist of house music this week - don’t fear. My year mixes are next and by the time the second one lands, you will have had 5 hours of the year’s best trance and progressive tunes in just less than 1 week. Sit tight, keep sober and I’ll see you in 2 weeks.
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