Tag Archives: riva starr

Gratuitous Dance Mix – Claude Von Stroke

16 Feb

Claude Von Stroke

Sometimes I like to post a mix just because. There is no specific subject matter or motivation behind it beyond that I feel like it. I came across this gem by Claude Von Stroke via facebook and spent my Saturday and Sunday cleaning the house to it (though doing little cleaning because I was dancing so much).

This mix, which he did for Mix Mag, is frenetic and jumpy, but has its deeper, almost house-y, moments as well. My advice: listen to the mix in full, then make your judgment. As with most Claude von Stroke pieces, you have to ease into it, but you won’t be disappointed. It will grow on you fast. Enjoy:

Claude Von Stroke – BLOC Mix for Mix Mag

(click to play)

tracklist after the jump

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Get Dressed to This: Fake It

14 Jan

If there’s one thing I’ve always had as a personal fashion rule, it’s never to wear clothing or use accessories that are covered in designer names or fall in line with the countless hyped items, solely popular because they are made by a well-known designer. Clothing and accessories made up a form of expression for my personality, They speak of my mood and my thoughts in a way that a name or a designer logo simple does not.

But recently, a company came out with a piece that pokes fun at the most coveted, overpriced bags in recent history: the Birkin. The Birkin bag and its demand have been parodied by many a television show and article, including (and most famously) Sex and the City:

The design group Thursday Friday has come up with the perfect solution for those who want a Birkin and can’t afford it AND those who want one just to be ironic: a totebag with the Birkin painted on, and for only $35! This is not the first purse-on-a-totebag in existence, but the Birkin image certainly makes it a fun find. (via New York Times)

Though the bag make be a tongue-in-cheek take on something popular, the rest of your outfit can be as original as you’d like.

In the meantime, while you think on what to wear, use this excellent mix as your soundtrack. There’s nothing remotely fake about it (via You Can Call Me Pelski):

 

Jet Project – Dec 2010 Mix

(click to play; right click + save as to download)

tracklist after the jump

(more…)

Get Ready With WooHoo – The Mix

19 Nov

This exclusive Retail DJ Get Ready With WooHoo mix could not have fallen on a better day. It’s a Friday, the final day in what for many may have been a looong work week and the beginning of what will hopefully be an amazing weekend. Let this mix be the soundtrack to yours.

But before you press play, I offer some background . . .

This mix accurately reflects WooHoo’s style which, as I mentioned before, is a mix of old and new, pop and underground, fast and slow. Much like the first mixes of WooHoo’s I heard, this one is constantly moving, taking the listener on a journey through a variety of genres and tempos, the common thread of course being quality, each of his tracks well-chosen and deliberate. But unlike his previous mixes, this one has your wardrobe in mind. As he stated, rock is sometimes the soundtrack to his getting ready process, so he included a bit here to get you warmed up. As you go along, the pop and electronica come in at the perfect time, getting you in the mood to dance if you haven’t already started 10 minutes after pressing play!

But enough from me–I’ll let the music do the talking. Have a lovely Friday and don’t forget: if you’re going out, be sure to Get Ready With WooHoo:

Get Ready With WooHoo – The Mix

Retail DJ Presents Get Ready With WooHoo by WooHoo

(click to play; click the small arrow on the right to download)

tracklist:

TV On The Radio – Hours
Phantogram – Mouthful of Diamonds (Michna Remix)
Holy F#@k- Latin America
The Talking Heads – Slippery People (12″ version)
LCD Soundsystem – 45:33
The Stone Roses – Fool’s Gold
Jody Watley – Looking for a New Love
Debarge – Stop! Don’t Tease Me
Holy Ghost – I Know I Hear
Adonis – Reck the Joint
Lee Foss – Run Around
Roach Motel – Transatlantic
Bodyrox – Yeah Yeah (Ramirez Instrumental)
Flavio Diaz – Alysa
Laurent Wolf – The Crow
Sebastien Leger – The People (Eric Prydz Remix)
Karizma – Groove A “K” Ordingly
Grand High Priest – Mix Down
Robbie Rivera – Feel This (Robbie Rivera’s Original Mix)
Riva Starr – Organ D’Amour
George Morel – Everybody Sing Along (Morel Sing Along Mix)
Todd Terry – Daft Groove
Thomas Bangalter – Spinal Scratch
Cassius – 1999 (Remix) (radio edit)
WOOHOO – Runnin’

acknowledgments after the jump

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Get Dressed to This: All A-Flutter

10 Sep

photo credit: Marielle (marielliot)

This morning, when I woke up from my hour of sleep (yes, one hour), I was delighted to know that even while under a down comforter, I remained slightly cold, the temperature outside barely reaching the mid-60s. As the weather cools and the leaves turn, thus so does my soul. It’s no surprise to the people who read Retail DJ that I am a big fan of this season, the justification possibily being my actual date of birth, but for those of you didn’t know this, you’ve come at a great time. As I mentioned last night, as an homage to the coming of fall, I’m posting a new Get Dressed to This outfit + mix piece every night for a week. 

For this edition Get Dressed to This, I’ve decided to show my true crush on fall with some highly feminine pieces, though of course “edged” up by way of accessories and creative tailoring. Though this outfit is clearly for dancing, it’s also nice for a dinner date, small get together, or a people-watching centric walk with friends (for which fall is perfect!). This outfit is set to the music from the most recent Fool’s Gold podcast (“Foolcast”) by way of Style of Eye. It perfectly matches the outfit, volleying between soft and hard, disco and dubstep, catchy lyrics and heavy bass. So start your night with a nice beat and some sartorial inspiration/ Press play and Get Dressed to This: 

The Music:

 Style of Eye – Foolcast 016

(click to play; right click + save as to download) 

tracklist (below) after the jump 

 

The Outfit: 

1. Lorinna Dress, AllSaints, $180 USD 

flattering and "girly," yet with an edge

 

2. All Pain, No Gain Boots, Irregular Choice, $199 USD 

pewter patches

check out the peek-a-boo colored strip

 

 3. Super Suspender Tight, House of Holland (via Urban Outfitters), $28 USD 

the garter look, without the fuss

 

4. Extra Large Bright Red Beaded Vintage Earrings, Vintage Repeats (via Etsy), $13 USD 

bright, indeed

5. The Clingy Wallet (in teal), 49 Square Miles, $250 USD 

small, but can hold your phone + keys

  (more…)

Smooth as Butter

7 Sep

bad for the heart, good for the soul?

I’m still catching up with emails, posts, and life after a week of having been back in NYC. Part of that involves a continuation of the club chronicles and the amazing music I heard while I was away. My last weekend in Sao Paulo (which I am recounting before I get around to finishing the tales from my first weekend) had a few twists and turns that led me to a happy ending.

That said, let’s start with the beginning of the end . . .

My last Friday in SP I actually spent in bed. After having been sick for the previous 3 weeks (NYC, prior to going to Brazil, then all through the Brazil trip), I needed to fully recover, and prayed that sleep would be the solution. While I remained a little sick on Saturday, I knew that hell or high water, dead or alive, I couldn’t spend my last night in SP doped up on Benegripe and filled to the brim with green tea. I was going out no matter what.

I ended up at (you guessed it) Vegas, where all I knew about the DJs was that one of them playing for the night was from NYC. Wearing an outfit that channeled mime meets Raggedy Ann, I was ready to get my final dance on in the B . . . and BOY, did I. Thanks to the amazing sounds from the tagteam set from NYC-based DJ Brian Thomas and Cali-based DJ Daniel Casanova, I had a stellar final night in the B and felt very very proud to be an American :- )

They easily switched from their Macbooks to vinyl, commanding the crowds attention and easily keeping it with a super-long set full of nuevo disco, house, funk, and even a few moments of more minimal tracks. I often find myself lamenting the lack musical depth of a lot of American DJs (the exception, of course, being those I profile and/or rave over here), but I was in for a pleasant surprise that night. Before actually meeting the DJs, I had no idea THEY were the Americans who were headlining. I introduced myself in Portuguese, received a reply in Portuguese from Brian, and for a moment assumed that the American DJ(s) had already gone on. But a few minutes in, I asked if he was the one from NYC, and sure enough, a few English words later, I knew right away that my assumption had been squashed.

Though you can’t listen to Brian’s set from that night, you can quite easily get a taste of his talent by way of the mix from his site notmargarine.com (that he did for Brazilian DJ site deepbeep). Brian, better known in the States as Butter, put together a sick mix back in the spring that you cannot miss. From the second you hit play, this lounge-y, house-infused set is sure to put you at ease, but never fails to excite in those moments when you need it the most. It’s perfect for almost any occasion – be it going out for a drink, getting dressed for a night of dancing, or even your daily commute. It’s a musical jack-of-all-trades with a sound as smooth as butter. Enjoy:

Butter – SubMerced

(click the link to play; click here to download)

tracklist after the jump

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Riva Starr Made Me Do It

8 Feb

RIVA STARR

This new Essential Mix by Riva Starr is so amazing I could not wait until Thursday or Friday to post it. Filled with serious dance-til-you-hurt tracks, this is one of the best Essential Mixes to date (and I have heard a lot of them). Big up to Radio One for making the intelligent decision to ask this master mixologist from Naples (and by way of the always awesome Made to Play crew) to stop by. This mix just about made me go up to the roof and start dancing in the freezing cold . . . but I refrained because. . . I am accident prone and didn’t want to fall or anything :-)

Anyway, I can’t be held responsible for anything this mix may make you do. Just be warned– it will make you drunk with happiness and joy, and possibly insanity if you are listening to it at work or in an environment where you can’t jump onto your desk and dance. Save it until Friday if you absolutely must, but I say take the risk and just say, “Riva Starr made me do it!”

Riva starr – essential mix-sat-02-06-2010-www.rivastarr.com by Rivastarr

- Retail DJ

Disco Nuevo

12 Jan

In case you haven’t heard, there has been a resurgence of two types of music as of late in the electronica/club scene, and no, i am not talking about dubstep. Both house and disco have risen from the speaker death they experienced when trance, techno, electro, and UK garage/grime/dubstep/niche took over. There have been several incarnations of house in recent years, including “fidget house,” which Crookers and Congorock made famous, in addition to the equally party-friendly tech-house, made popular by folks like Jesse Rose and Riva Starr. Yet another sound that pre-dates the electronica scene is disco, and it’s been given an entirely new face for the contemporary clubgoer/music listener.

What I like to call “Disco Nuevo” has been floating around the music scene in creamy mixes from the likes of several Canadian DJs including Matty C and DJ Neoteric, and Belgium’s Aeroplane, all of whom have taken the 70′s favorite genre and turned into something more fitting for the present. While some of the old disco elements are still there,  like the heavy bass, tinges of gospel, and sassy vocals, the general sound is smoother, more finessed and has light infusions of house and soft rock that provide music that’s good for lounging or dancing, if one sees fit.

Bearing in mind that it’s only Tuesday, I felt like these mixes would be more appropriate for easing you into the week, without overwhelming the senses. These mixes are from the White Light Mix Series, which is a compilation of disco nuevo mixes by a set of talented DJs you may already  know and love. Hopefully you all will appreciate these as much as I do. I have chosen some of the standouts of the bunch, but they are all honestly worth a listen, and a dance or two. Enjoy (to download, right click the link and  ”save target as”):

White Light Mix Vol. 1 – Matty C (DL)

tracklist:

The Whitest Boy Alive – Golden Cage (Fred Falke rmx)
Architecture in Helsinki – Debbie (U-Tern rmx edit)
Cazals – Somebody Somewhere (Lifelike rmx)
Holy Ghost! – Hold On
WSGM – You Should Be Someone Else (Moulinex rmx)
PNAU – With You Forever
Shapeshifters – Pusher (Lifelike rmx)
Lifelike + Kris Menace – Discopolis (A Hundred Birds rmx edit)
Fiasco – Happy Hour (The Scar rmx)
DJ T + Booka Shade – Queen Lucid
Fred Falke – Love Theme
Daft Punk – Voyager
Alan Braxe + Fred Falke – Intro/Running
DJ T – Funk On U
Leroy Hanghofer – Pin
Juan Maclean – Happy House
Global Communication – The Way (Secret Ingredients rmx)

White Light Mix Vol. 3 – DJ Neoteric (DL)

tracklist:

01 – B.e.l.l X.1 – Flame (Chicken Lips Mix)
02 – F.r.i.e.n.d.l.y F.i.r.e.s – Paris (Aeroplane Remix)
03 – A.l.a.n P.a.r.s.o.n.s P.r.o.j.e.c.t – Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You (Twelves Rmx)
04 – T.h.e P.l.u.g.s – Imaginary Friend
05 – B.e.n.i – My Love Sees You
06 – H.o.t C.h.i.p – Like We Breakdown (DFA Remix)
07 – J.a.p.e – Floating (D.I.M Remix)
08 – P.r.y.d.a – Rakfunk
09 – D.V.A.S – Society
10 – M.i.a.m..i H.o.r.r.o.r – Make You Mine
11 – L.e.s R.h.y.t.h.m.s D.i.g.i.t.a.l.e.s – Dreamin’
12 – L.a.d.y.h.a.w.k.e – My Delerium (JBag Hot Pop Remix)
13 – M.e.t.r.o.n.o.m.y – Heartbreaker (Kris Menace Remix)
14 – L.y.k.k.e L.i – Lit Bit (Autoerotique Bootleg Remix)
15 – M.i.d.n.i.g.h.t J.u.g.g.e.r.n.a.u.t.s – 45 and Rising
16 – R.o.l.a.n.d C.l.a.r.k – Music Talking (Fred Falke Remix)
17 – T.h.e H.o.u.r.s – See the Light (C.a.l.v.i.n H.a.r.r.i.s Remix)
18 – The A.s.t.o.n S.h.u.f.f.l.e ft Tommie Sunshine – Stomp Yo Shoes
19 – C.a.s.s.i.u.s – Feelings For You (Les Rhythms Digitales Dreamix)
20 – O.c.e.l.o.t – Our Time (Treasure Fingers Remix)
21 – E.m.p.i.r.e of the S.u.n – Walking on a Dream
22 – L.a.d.y.h.a.w.k.e – Back of the Van
23 – F.e.l.i.x D.a H.o.u.s.e.c.a.t – Ready 2 Wear

White Light Mix Vol. 6 – Curtis Vodka (DL)

tracklist:

1. Julianna Barwick – Cloudbank
2. Walter Jones – I’ll Keep On Loving You
3. Low Motion Disco – Love Love Love (LSB Remix)
4. Phoenix – Lisztomania (Classixx Remix)
5. Full Moon Fashions – Happy Shades
6. LCD Soundsystem – 45:33 part 1 (Apt One Edit)
7. Stevie Nicks – Stand Back (Eli Escobar Disco Mix)
8. DJ Kaos – Love The Night Away (Tiedye Mix)
9. Downtown Party Network – Days Like These
10. Federico Conti – Suono Piano
11. Jitterbug – Speakers Corner
12. Burial & Four Tet – Wolf Club
13. The Juan MacLean – One Day (Lazaro Casanova Dub)
14. Kid Sister – Get Fresh (Alex Gopher Dub)

- Retail DJ

I <3 Mondays: Get Your $'s Worth

10 Jan

It’s been a busy weekend. I came back from Memphis, met up with some old friends, was introduced to some new ones, interviewed a dj, met an mc, and went into scheduling overdrive for some upcoming “Get Ready With __?__” posts. Overall, it was a productive couple of days. But now as the sun has officially set on the two days that keep most of us from going nuts during the week, it’s time to start all over again.

Yes, in a few hours, it will be Monday. Considering one of my sole responsibilities here at Retail DJ is to provide music to get you amped about, well, everything, I didn’t want to let you down. This week’s I <3 Mondays mix comes straight from Britain by way of Berlin in the likes of a ginger decks fiend named Oliver $ (pronounced “Oliver Dollar,” though for the longest, I was calling him “Oliver Money,” because that sounds gangsta too). I found out about him a while back and finally had the opportunity to see him spin when the Made to Play crew + DJ Gina Turner rolled into town on December 8th, dropping some killer mixes and a whole lot of energy at Love in the East Village.

The mix I have featured for today’s post is Mr. $’s Fabric promo mix. It opens hard with a track that will most certainly wake you up (and quite possibly make you belligerent) called “Bitch Fight” and smooths into lighter beats like old school  house track “The Answer.”

All in all, this mix will make your Monday start off on a happy foot, or at least one that’s tapping a litle on your commute to work.

Oliver $ – Introduce Yourself (Fabric Promo Mix)
Oliver $ – FABRICLIVE Promo Mix by fabric

Download

Tracklist:

  1. Trevor Loveys & AY ft. Spoek – Bitch Fight (MTP Remix)
  2. Benga & Coki – Night (Geeneus Remix)
  3. Ying Yang Twins Vs. Shlomi Amber & Kenny Larkin – Whispering Sketches (Oliver $ Edit)
  4. Riva Starr – Black Cat, White Cat
  5. Genetic & Gio Martinez – Rempejack (Oliver $ Remix)
  6. Poligono – Changes
  7. Manolo – The Answer (Gipsy Kink Remix)
  8. Deetron – Orange
  9. Markus Homm, MP & JB – Bis Co
  10. Unknown Bootleg
  11. Sick Jargon – Go Hump (Daniel Carro Remix) Edit
  12. Daniel Haaksman – Deixa Tocar (Consistent Remix)
  13. Zed Bias – Bareknuckle

- Retail DJ

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