April 18th, 2008. By Niklas
Friday and Mixin’ it up! This time we asked Skinny Friedman and Apt One from the DJ duo Philadelphyinz to make the mix for us. They have divided the mix between each other so everything from the beginning through Tum Tum is by Skinny Friedman. Everything afterwards is Apt One. But before we let them start the mix you should visit their web page for tour dates (they will be on an US tour from April 12th – May 3rd), tracks, remixes and other tapes. Time for less talking and more mixing. Let me present Philadelphyinz!
Tussle – Pow!
I layer drums on everything so I’ve been playing out these Tussle tracks which are basically all drums a lot lately. This shit would have made me pop a boner during my drumline days in high school.
Jackie Chain f/ Jhi-Ali – Rollin (LOLZ ROYCE remix)
This insane remix is by Stumble and Ghost aka LOLZ ROYCE and has a grip of outer space sounds and china cymbals. This is what rave rap should really sound like.
LCD Soundsystem – Get Innocuous (Soulwax remix)
Nothing against the OG version but those evil Soulwax synths work a little better in the club.
Neon Neon – Raquel
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like this track and with like a minute and a half of drums at the top it’s mad fun to spin. I originally dropped the acapella for Midnight Star’s “Midas Touch” over that drum breakdown but it didn’t really work.
Big Audio Dynamite – Hollywood Boulevard (Club Mix)
Produced by Sam Sever who is probably best known for doing a bunch of beats for 3rd Bass. Apparently he also did a remix for Live, which I now have to track down because what the fuck?
Holy Ghost! – Hold On
I am going to be so sick of this song in two months but right now I can’t play it enough. DFA does sentimental disco bangers better than anyone.
Ghostface – Charlie Brown (DJ Mehdi remix)
I remember this track leaking a few years back before Fishscale but with a murky MF Doom beat. I like this version better.
Tum Tum – Caprice Muzik (Skinny Friedman remix)
This was one of the first tracks clubbish tracks I ever made, before I was self-conscious about using the “Think” break. It’s kind of low energy but I like how it turned out.
DJ JJC – Machines Wanna Buck (Apt One’s Jive Blend)
JJC is a cat from West Philly who is experimenting with some new four on the floor stuff he’s calling Buck Buck. He’s also known for having the self-proclaimed “world’s worst record collection.” This is a little blend I did of one of his Buck Buck jams to give it that added “outer space” element for a classic electro feel.
M&G – When I Let You Down
Italo as a genre has a lot of deeply weird tracks, and it takes some work to get a dance floor to the point where you can throw something as weird as this out there and have it work. One of my goals when I DJ is to work a crowd to the point where I can play a track like this- something that is awesome but totally fucking bizarre, and have it work.
Escort vs. Eazy-E – Luv 4 Life
It’s ironic that the backing track here comes from a current band that makes throwback music, and the acapella I put over it comes from an emcee who is dead but still sounds ahead of his time. RIP Eazy.
Escort – Bright New Life
For a long time I’ve said that I’d start playing instrumental music again with a band only if I could play in a big disco, funk or soul band (or old time country orchestra). Escort is all over it. But this is truthfully like saying I’m only going to start playing basketball again if I can dunk, probably not gonna happen unless I wear special shoes.
Sinnamon – Thin Line
This single gets lost in the shuffle because Sinnamon was on Beckett and Jive for a while and this was the first single after they left. It’s on a little known label called Power House. Classic 80s NJ-NY-CT freestyle feel though- the sonic version of a tanning bed.
Charlie – Spacer Woman
This is an italo classic that most heads should know. Our good friend Lexie loves this song so much. All she wanted for her birthday a few years ago was a crispy 12″ copy. Her BF obliged and that record is more or less her dowry.
The Goodmen – Give It Up (Apt One’s Shake blend)
This track kind of defies description: it’s got some samba elements, it’s made by some dudes from Amsterdam and it’s most definitely a Jock Jam. There’s a frantic energy to this song that builds and dissipates a few times. I tossed a loop of Blaqstarr and Rye Rye’s “Shake It To The Ground” over the breakdown to give it some familiarity and some extra movement.
Twin Hype – Do It To The Crowd
Back in ’89, east coast hip hop was just getting into the house sounds the midwest had been serving up and this was the quintessential street-wise house track out of Newark. Apparently, Twin Hype is back together. I don’t know if the twins still dress the same though. These guys are like the Sedin Brothers of Newark Hip House.
Architecture in Helsinki – Debbie (U-Tern Remix Instrumental)
I really admire U-Tern‘s production chops- anybody with an ear for this stuff can tell that he doesn’t cut any corners, and he keeps it real classic. Honestly, I have no idea what the vocal version of this sounds like because I don’t like it when indie bands sing over my disco tracks.
Philadelphyinz – Pittsburgh Club Anthem
This is our tip of the cap to our hometown. It’s a remix of what I can only describe as a hilariously bad song- the Steelers fight song that gets redone every year with the names of current players. Skinny and I watched the Steelers shut out the Seahawks last season in a bar in New York the day after a gig and we were all fired up and laid this down. The funny little voice in there is Myron Cope, the Steelers’ long time announcer who recently died, he was like family to everybody in town. This song is dedicated to him. (You can download the track here (direct link).
Download: Philadelphyinz – Mixin’ It Up for Discobelle (zShare)
Download: Philadelphyinz – Mixin’ It Up for Discobelle (Divshare)
