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15 Years of Cables 'n KnobsPosted By: Shagz This is an article I've been meaning to write for years now, since at least 2006, but I just never got around to it. Well today I decided to get around to it. Join me as I walk back through the years and look at all of the different incarnations my dj gear has taken...
Non-DJ Performance: Univox presentsPosted By: Shagz It's Christmas concert season again, and Univox has a great show lined up this year. I'm really loving a lot of the music Dallas has put together for this concert, and it's really beautiful stuff, a mix of classical and modern choral Christmas music. The choir is also sounding amazing, even more so that we've grown in size: we're up to 70 people now! The concert will feature works by local composers Sarah Quartel and Ben Ji-Soo Kim. Quartel’s Snow Angel is a beautiful and unique piece that incorporates dramatic narratives between choral music and piano, cello and percussion accompaniment. We are honoured to welcome Samuel Bisson on cello once again this year. We are also fortunate to perform a carol composed by new Toronto resident Ben Ji-Soo Kim, an accomplished composer who has had works published with Earthworks and premiered by the renowned Los Angeles Master Chorale. You can listen to Ben's A Christmas Carol here. The concert will also include contemporary favourites, Ave Maria – Franz Biebl, A Hymn to the Virgin, and Stroope’s All My Heart this Night Rejoices. Details: Univox present Snow Angel
Heading out on Moby's TripPosted By: Shagz It's been a long time since I put up a new dj mix - almost a year actually - and I didn't want to make another post without actually having a dj mix to share with you...so if I'm posting, that means I have something. :) I give you Moby's Trip, a deep tech house mix with some progressive house shiney bits. On Mixcloud and Soundcloud. The mix was originally inspired by my Mom, not so much the musical choices but the little "trick" I've set up in the mix. My Mom was a Suzuki piano teacher, where you learn how to play a musical instrument by ear rather than by sight reading. She had these "endless" cassettes that had a mechanism that would loop the tape, so her students could listen to the song over and over again, with out end. So I put this mix together so that you can put it on loop and it will seamless mix the end into the beginning, allowing you to play mix indefinitely with no break. 'Cuz you'll totally want to do that. :) As for the title, it's a little math joke courtesty of my friend Mike and has nothing to do with Moby at all. If you don't get it right away, check out the mix cover on Mix- or Soundcloud, it might help. :) Hope you enjoy it!
Spinning at Everyone's a DJ @Disgraceland, July 9Posted By: Shagz If you're in Toronto this upcoming saturday night, I'll be dropping a short 20 min set at Disgraceland, in the 10pm slot as part of the monthly Everyone's a DJ party. Haven't quite settled on a set yet, but there's some banging funk tunes from groups like The Basement Freaks and The Heavy that will likely figure into the evening. Come by for the eclectic song selection, stay for the brews and excellent fries. (Did I mention Disgraceland also has deep fried twinkies on the menu?) Everyone's a DJ @Disgraceland
Non-dj Performance: Univox, "Prayer and Rememberance"Posted By: Shagz Long time, no post, mail out, anything! Truth be told, the winter chill's got to these here dj bones, and I've been hibernating a bit, cutting down on my multi-tasking and trying to focus on one project at a time (in this case, some family audio archiving and restoration), and generally trying not to start new things. Basically taking some personal time, so I haven't really been on the decks or djing much. I've also been listening to a lot of folk music. Hey, it happens. :) In the meantime, my choir Univox will be performing some uplifting, beautiful music at our winter concert on March 20th. The 411: A choral concert featuring the premiere of two new works — A Katyn Prayer, and Through Snowy Winds — by Univox Composer-in-Residence, Norbert Palej. Also including Svyati, Song for Athene, and Funeral Ikos by John Tavener. With cellist Samuel Bisson and Gary Diggins on didgeridoo. (Yup, didgeridoo!!) Tickets are $15 in advance online or $20 at the door. What: Prayer and Remembrance Buy tickets online: http://univoxchoir.org/tickets Also, like I said, I've been listening to a lot of folk music lately, 'n I had a chance to check out local girl-folk band The Billie Hollies at their CD release party last weekend. They do really great, quirky, honey-dipped folk music that feels like it's wrapping you up in a blanket, perfect for this dead-of-winter weather we're having in Toronto lately. They have a really thick sound, thanks to their varied and interesting instrumentation (french horn, glockenspiel, autoharp, bass clarinet!) You can check them and their here: www.myspace.com/thebilliehollies They have a show coming up at the Tranzac Club, Sun, Mar 13 at 3pm, and I can't think if a better way to spend a lazy afternoon. (Except possibly for the nap I'm going to go have right after I hit send on this) FB event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=158808700841056 That's it for now. Hopefully see you at the concert on the 20th, and keep an eye out for new mixes 'n maybe another party in the coming months.
Thanks! Plus Univox Gig, Christmas DJ Mix, and the Right Amount of HarPosted By: Shagz First, a big big thank you to everybody who came out to Heart For The City on friday night! We had a great crowd near capacity at the Bang Bang Bar, collected several boxes of food for the Sharing Place and had a great time while doing it. Also a big thanks to Jai and Chris for throwing down some dope, dance floor rockin' beats! Always a pleasure working with these two. In case you missed it, you can listen 'n download my Heart For The City preview mix at the following, fine websites... Stream: http://www.mixcloud.com/djshagz/heart-for-the-city-preview-mix/ Second, just a reminder about my choir, Univox, is having our Christmas concert next monday night! Shaping up to be a really good show, we practice the Dave Matthews song with our guest artist on monday night, should be really magical. :) And Eric Whitacre's "Lux Aurumque" is heavenly...you can hear it here, performed by the first virtual choir on YouTube. (Sorry, none of Univox is that vid, alas and alack) Tickets are $15 in advance (available online at http://tickets.univoxchoir.org), $20 at the door. You can still get 'em through me in person, but I'll have to work to get you sorted out on that front. What: The Light That Shines Lots of lounge and heart warming cheer from the greats like Lou Rawls, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee and more, plus updated beats 'n remix from Ohmega Watts, A Skillz and others. It's all win, really. :) And lastly, been meaning to post this for awhile...the vinyl vs. mp3, turntable vs. laptop debate has been going on for (what seems like) years, but I've never heard the argument framed quite like this: are turntablists just ticked off that laptops have made it *easy* to dj? And if so, how do laptop jockeys compensate? Another excellent post from DJ Tech Tools. This is probably my last mail out of 2010 as well, so I'll also wish you a very blessed and safe Christmas. Despite all the sadness in my life these past 12 months, there's a been a lot of great times as well, and I have definitely been at my happiest when I've been dropping beats for you guys, be it through an mp3 flipped across the www, or seeing your the sweaty smiles in person on the dance floor. Thanks for making it such a great year to dj, hope to see you all again in the next one.
Interview with Podcast Blast up!Posted By: Shagz I couple weeks ago I got an email from a Clevland-based web magazine, Podcast Blast, to do an interview. The interview went up last week and I'm quite happy with it! Just basically talking about trends in djing, where things were and where they're at now, where they're going. Head on over and check out page 4 & 5 for the interview!
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