instrumental video nine from beeple on Vimeo.

I created this mix to enter a competition. If you like what you hear, or are just a nice person, you can vote for me over at PaceMaker.

I didn’t want to send in another generic summer house mix. I wanted something fresher, funkier and a bit more old school. Lots of old classics as well as modern versions and re-edits of disco, funk and boogie. I hope it flows nicely and keeps the vibe uplifting.

This was all mixed using my new X-Session Pro USB Mixer and the free Torq LE software it comes bundled with. I added a few subtle sound effects in GarageBand afterwards to give it a summer tan.

Hope this keeps the rain away – or if not, at least puts a little grin on your face.

Double Mojito Mix from tenyo at Letsmix.com.

After fiddling around with DJay for Mac, which I reviewed here a few months back, I decided that I needed a control surface. Using the trackpad and keys on my macbook was cool but I found myself wishing I had a physical mixer.

The USB powered X-Session Pro is a small, light unit that plugs into your laptop for instant plug n play goodness. Unfortunately, DJay doesn’t support this mixer at the moment, but it comes bundled with Torq Light Edition for free! The software is really good and works flawlessly with the mixer to give you total control as if you were using regular turntables or a CDJ. It will even beat match – although it still messes up sometimes, so your best off using your ears.

It feels great to have knobs and sliders again! It’s also reasonably priced at under £70. Check out Amazon for the best deals.

Awesome video by Tin Spider. Printer noises become a Drum n Bass track. Great animation married to samples. The way a good music video should be. Reminds me of the old HP LaserJet we had in the office which kept breaking down for no apparent reason.

Here’s an exclusive mix to beat the winter blues. I’ve been checking out a few blogs over the holiday period and found some great sources of new music. Disco WorkOut and BigStereo are great sources of new dance music, from electro pop to new disco. I was well and truly out of the loop when it came to what’s new. These guys pointed me in the right direction and there is some amazing new music out there. It got me excited so I thought I’d create a mix.

There are a few classic oldies mixed in as well as brand new stuff. It’s on a synth driven, disco vibe – hence ‘Slicone + Glitter’. The later tracks in the mix showcase the beefed up 80′s sound thats going round at the moment which I love. Lots of remixes and samples going on as well. I hope you enjoy!

Check it out…

Silicone & Glitter from tenyo at Letsmix.com.

I used to Dj for fun not so long ago – things like birthdays, house parties and the odd bar. Since moving away from my record collection; which is still crated up in my garage in London, I’ve really missed my decks and the experience of mixing. What I don’t miss is lugging 100 odd records half way across town and back. Thats where DJay caught my attention.

The first thing I noticed was the interface – more like what I was used to when using the real thing. This looks more like a DJ app than a technical sound engineering program. Also, having your entire iTunes library ready to go means bye bye to heavy record or CD cases.

A killer feature is the ability to use your MacBook trackpad to perform scratching, backspins and crossfader cutting. The software can also be paired to a USB hardware controller, although at the moment Algoriddim say that only the Vestax VCI-100 and VCM-100 are supported fully. I’m hoping they will add support for simpler and less expensive kit soon.

I’ll be playing with Djay and posting some mixes created using the software soon. So far it seems stable and responsive. What stands out for me is that you have to use your skill to mix – not rely on auto BPM and cueing functions. Oh, and did I mention it only costs €39.99!

Some dedicated San Franciscan Dj’s and Vinyl Junkies maintain an amazing blog dedicated to one of my favorite types of music. Back in the Late 70′s and early 80′s, the falling star of disco collided with the pioneering new electronic funk and soul to produce a new genre called Boogie!

The guys over at Beat Electric have dug pure gold from the crates. If you’re too young to remember this music or simply an old school record lover like me, then this is an invaluable resource.

Some of these tunes would never see the light of day again if it wasn’t for sites like these. Keep the music alive!