This weeks installment in the Mixin’ It Up series comes, once again, from Canada. This time we let Hensforth take full control over the mix. Take it away:
“So, this is basically a refined version of my live sets, i.e. I had the luxury of editing everything instead of purely mixing live with Serato. The levels may not be studio quality, but my dj/production setup is pretty ghetto (fuck havin’ nice cars, I’m tryna’ blow up to buy a MacBook!). Anyway, here’s the dodge: I wanted to put together something different, reflecting other genres of music I really love, while still not going too fringe element on y’all, because straight up, club music nowadays is better than it’s ever been! The possibilities and access to the tools to create are incredibly abundant! But, with the rapid pace at which things are changing comes the struggle to drop ‘it’ tracks, meaning a lot of sets sound the same, and cats lose the personal touch that used to come with having record collections that reflected the diversity of their musical tastes. Hopefully I did that, but more importantly, hopefully y’all dig it.
Scream at me!
1. I monster – Daydream in blue / Dawn Penn – Night and Day
I usually start my sets with reggae, or trip hop, or something downtempo whenever I can, so I figured this blend would hold it down. I stuck the drums from the next track on there too. Voila, b-more remix.
2. Boy 8 Bit – Ghosthouse (Suspense is killing me pt 2.)
Boy 8 Bit! Track after track is amazing. Definitely one of the best club producers right now!
3. One Hand Loves The Other – Tortoise (Treasure Fingers Remix)
This track is downright pretty, and was my favourite remix of all of last year. The chopped up vocals go real well with ‘Ghosthouse,’ so I brought them in asap.
4. The Smashing Pumpkins – Zero (Philadelphyinz remix)
This track is all kinds of dope. Crazy aggressive, and on a technical level, it was ill how parts of the vocals were left intact. Goodlookinout Skinny! I edited a piece of my instrumental from the mike jones flip onto this so I could mix it longer, but when it drops, it seriously drops!
5. Math Head – Get Hype
This track makes me want to punch people in the face. Also, dude has the best producer alias in the game.
6. Bang Gang – Sorrow Superhero (pt. 1, 2, 3)
Really beautiful song; it’s always been one of my favourites. I looped the chorus and laced it over ‘get hype.’ Kind of a juxtaposition, but i thought it worked.
7. The Kansas City Gospel Singers – Trouble all about my soul
Swingtime gospel is the shit! Not even kidding. The remix possibilities are endless, barely any drums, ever. I edited this ontop of the intro drums on my track to give the mix a more layered effect…
8. Hensforth – I feel like dying
I’d been meaning to use the sample from this wayne joint for a while, and finally got the inspiration recently. I think it suits the club lifestyle pretty good on some before and after shit. Download it, play it, rock a football helmet and do the bumblebee dance.
9. Supreeme – Who We Are (Royal Rumble Remix)
Intro drums worked great with my outro, but I have to say this is my favourite remix of ’08 so far! There’s mad layers going on in this track, but it never gets hectic. It’s just so bouncey and happy, I can’t get enough. L.A. is killing shit right now, and these cats are a big reason why.
10. Crystal Castles – Crimewave (Lazrtag remix)
Crystal Castles are dope! Lazrtag are dope! The West Coast sound is dope! The bubbly synths from this and ‘who we are’ go nicely together.
11. Onira – Xiao Xiao
Australian dancey metally goodness! The first time I heard the lazrtag remix I was like “needs more metal solo,” so here it is…
12. Top Billin’ – Up in here
Name says it all! These cats always bring the heat.
13. DJ Shadow – Midnight in a perfect world (Hensforth remix)
This track kinda got the ball rolling for me this summer, so I had to throw it in. Basura, word up holmey! Can’t thank you enough.
14. Hank Williams III – Country Heroes / Fukkk Offf – The Bottom
Hank 3!!! Dude is pure punk in a cowboy hat with a bottle of Jack! I still think this is one of the best blends I’ve ever done. Some people hate though, go figure. The Fukkk Offf track is relentlessly ill, but y’all knew that.
15. Emynd – To all my haters
I’ve used Emynd’s Fugazi edit almost every time I’ve spun in the last couple monthes, so when I saw this, and realized how well it transtitioned into the bonecrusher joint, it was just a given. So much respect!
16. Bonecrusher ft. T.I. – Never Scared (Instrumental) / Dead Prez – Hip Hop (acapella)
One of the hardest rap instrumentals, period. I know, I know, I just kinda dropped this, but 16 out of 17 ain’t bad. Don’t worry, I only use the acapella for like 4 bars, it’s kind of an anthem for me when I drop weirder shit. Despite a handful of local hiphop heads being the most talented musicians and artists I know, they can be stubborn as fuck, so…
17. At The Drive In – Napoleon Solo
This song is effing brilliant. One of the best bands of the modern era. This is my favourite live blend I’ve done to date. The original is fantastic, so I just let it ride out at the end…
Thanks to discobelle.net, you cats have been one of the best music blogs since the jump off, and continue to be!”
Download: Hensforth – Mixing it up for Discobelle (zShare)
BONUS:
Hensforth also sent over one of his own tracks. You got to download this, it’s the bomb.
Hensforth – I Feel Like Dying (zShare)
