This weeks Mixin’ it up is from Mike The 2600 King. And the story goes a little something like this:
Starting off as a college radio DJ in St. Louis, Mike learned his way around a pair of turntables and began building his record collection, spinning at parties on campus and around the city. In 1999, he released “Yars’ Revenge,” a 4-track mixtape of funk breaks, scratch routines, and Black Sabbath and Sesame Street samples.
In the years to follow, Mike linked up with Doug Surreal, Bitch Ass Darius, and other St. Louis DJs to form the Litterthugz crew, with whom he spun at clubs, parties, and DJ battles around the Midwest, was twice nominated as St. Louis’ best hip hop DJ, and released the T.A.B.L.A.M.F.C.B. 12″, a barrage of cut-and-paste jeep beats, as well as a slew of acclaimed mix CDs including the funk and psychedelic workout “Heavy Session.”
Now residing in Minneapolis, Mike can be found cutting up funk, disco, classic hip hop, oldies, Miami Bass, and ’80s rock and R&B at parties and clubs around town, opening up for acts such as Peanut Butter Wolf, Madlib, The Rub, Spankrock, Atmosphere, DJ Steinski, and Prince Paul.
TRACKLIST:
Strawberry Alarm Clock “The World’s On Fire”
I used this track for my remix of Rick James’ “Give it to Me.” Awesome uptempo psych rock song from the group you might recognize as “the guys who did ‘Incense and Peppermints.’”
Doug Surreal & Mike the 2600 King “Give it to Me (remix pt. 2)”
I took the last few bars of my Rick James remix and sent them to my dude Doug, who added some keyboard parts and extra percussion. He sent it back and I extended the ESG vocal part and added the James Brown nuggets. It ended up kinda groovy. In 1999, Doug and I started a DJ and production crew in St. Louis called The Litterthugz with Bitch Ass Darius and a few other folks and now he’s living in a wigwam somewhere eating wheatgrass and drinking 808s.
Arcade Fire “Black Mirror (Mike 2600 Party Version)”
We (my design and screenprinting studio Burlesque of North America) design and print all of Arcade Fire’s tour posters and have done a few t-shirts and other tour graphics for them, so I thought I’d be totally sick of their music at this point, but I still really dig it. They’re great to see live in concert too. It’s like a Superbowl halftime show but with good music. When this acapella surfaced, I couldn’t resist doing a remix.
Santana “Mirage”
I extended the drums out of the end of the Arcade Fire remix and threw this great Santana song which I stole from my Dad’s music collection last time I was at my parents’ house. Hi Dad!
Mike the 2600 King “Rumble (Gettin’ it On)”
Big bass cut-and-paste number I whooped up and added a Big Daddy Kane acapella on top of. Rapp attack.
Eric B. & Rakim “Hypnotic”
This is one of those ‘unreleased’ songs that everyone probably has now since everyone has every song ever. Either way, Rakim is still probably the best rapper of all time.
Jermaine Jackson “Erucu”
From the “Mahogany” soundtrack. What a cut.
Breakout “Planet Funk”
B-side of their smash “Planet Rock” 12″ single on Melting Pot Music, one of my favorite new labels (and I’m not just saying that).
Yoko Ono “Walking on Thin Ice”
I overheard her performing at Pitchfork Music Festival last year and that shit sounded like 10 cats getting operated on by a blind, drunken veterinarian. Yo. Shit was not cool. I’m glad this song doesn’t sound like that.
Doug Surreal “Disco Sleaze”
Hopefully everyone will be on Doug’s jock after they hear this track. He did this one like 3 or 4 years ago. Stay tuned for the Motel Crew project.
Boney M “Felicidad”
I don’t think I’ve heard a Boney M song I don’t like.
TMS ft. Jimmy Graham “Get the Feelin’”
It’s like that perfect halfway point between disco and funk.
MSTRKRFT “The Looks”
This song and “Get the Feelin” go kinda really well together. It was outside of the MSTRKRFT show last October in San Francisco that Serg from beerandrap.com introduced me to bacon dogs. Shit yeah.
Ghosthustler “Busy Busy Busy (Prince Klassen Young Professional re-edit)”
My dude Klassen introduced us all to this great group out of Austin TX and served up this hot re-edit of their already hot song.
Chaka Khan “Fate”
Girls request Madonna. Women request Chaka.
Stardust “Music Sounds Better With You”
Congratulations to this song for its 1000th appearance in a mix for a blog! We did it!
Cougar Shuttle “Tow”
Wizard of electronic music, astro-physics genius, and casual mathematician, DJing with Cougar probably shaped the way I DJ more than any other individual ever. For real. This guy is a genius and this full-throttle acid song is just the tip of the iceberg of what dude is capable of doing.
Snowden “Kill the Power”
I think I saw my friend Mary wearing a Snowden button a few years ago but first heard this song on my friend Audrey’s radio show and was hooked, so this one is dedicated to both of them.
George Harrison “What is Life”
This is like the better version of “Got My Mind Set on You” from 10 or 20 years before. When is this song from? I don’t even know but I bet Google knows.
Grassroots “Wait a Million Years”
Oldies rock banger.
Mike the 2600 King “Fuck You Pay Me”
Boooyaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
Pase Rock “Fingertips pt. 3.5″
This is my favorite song to transition from non-clubby bassy stuff into clubby bassy stuff. Stevie + handclaps + 808s + Lyn Collins drums. What else do you really need?
Say Wut “Futuristic”
This dude has the best formula for Baltimore club music and everything he makes it just nasty.
Bird Peterson “The Jump Off”
I love this guy. He can DJ for 2 hours while only spinning his own music and it’s all incredible. This song is available on the DO IT TO IT 12″ single our crew just released. You can learn more about the record at http://burlesquedesign.com
Egyptian Lover “I Cry (Every Night)”
EMO BASS!
Blondie “Call Me”
Girls request Madonna. Cool girls with tattoos request Blondie.
LCD Soundsystem “Daft Punk is Playing in My House”
Daft Punk “Human After All”
Do these really need an explanation?
Danzig “Mother (instrumental)”
Whoa, I’ve been into Danzig for almost 20 years. Still have my original Danzig I tape and I remember exactly where I was driving when my Lucifuge tape snapped… I was heading Southwestish on First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis with Aaron Horkey righ near the parking lot with the Greyhound station in it. I’m still kinda pissed about that.
Soulja Boy “Crank Dat Soulja Boy (acapella)”
You.
Dead Prez “Hip Hop (instrumental)”
Back in the St. Louis days, this one used to clear out the booths and fill up the floor more than any other song at our weekly Litterthugz club night.
Peter Bjorn & John “Young Folks (acapella)”
This one sounds really good over a half-time beat. Last summer, we had a Peter, Bjorn, and a John all working in our design studio at the same time. It was around the same time that this song was huge and it was totally hilarious. LOLZ.
Dawn Penn “No No No”
Special request for my lady.
Download: Mike the 2600 King – Mixin it up for Discobelle
