Step It Up!

Hello Hello....I know it's been a while.... you'll soon find out why.....anyway, I thought I'd share with you a bit of what I've been listening to this Summer. This mix is a few months old now and a lot of the tracks are even a few years old. But I've probably listened to it a what a billion? maybe two billion times over the past few months (no really i'm obsessed!). So who really gives a fuck? Not I. As D'lex cautioned in his podcast notes, this is probably not one for the purist Dubstep heads, since there are a lot of the scenes tried and tested faves on here. But if you're like me an anti-purist and not a non 'head' but you enjoy the bass-y end of electro-tech with a few futuristic melodic elements plus wicked percussion, you will love it. Every track is just pure genius, and the programming and flow of the mix one of the best I've heard. So cheers to D'lex from and Stealth and Dollop in Nottingham for the exceptional mix. And go team Dubstep!

Hope you enjoy it Jxx

D'lex (Dollop) - Dubstep Mix

Paris is Learning

I played at Paris Social Club on weekend at a smashing night called Je Kiffe Mes Cops. It's run by a hot Parisian all girl crew and was such a laugh to play at. I just love the nonchanlance of Paris...... take your craft and your art seriously but not yourself. Drink Champaign until you don't even care to..... casually eat Croissants au Chocolat in cafes mmmmm.... Dance and dream and feel that je nois se qua baby. I think I could learn I thing or two from this lifestyle.

Hers is an hour of my set recorded live on the night (this is a De Frequencies exclusive and won't available on my podcast):

JoJo De Freq Live @ Paris Social Club 16-04-09

Miss Kittin & The Hacker - Party In My Head
Shadow Dancer - Infinite Lies
Medhi - Pocket Piano - Brodinski Remix
Pryda - Animal
Modeselector - Suckerpin - Feadz Remix
Kris Menace - Scaler
Roel H - Dancing Bears - Phil Keran Remix
Zomby - Strange Fruit
Milton Jackson - Crash
I:Cube - Live At The Supernovac
Xaver Naudascher - Afterlife
Lindstrom - Grand Ideas
Radioslave - RJ
Audio Soul Project - Reality Check - Vincenzo Remix

Dark Diamond Disco

Never mind the whimsical name (you know i luv a bit of black shimmering sparkly discotheque!), this chart is actually full of muscle. I like the contrast.........

JoJo De Freq's Dark Diamond Disco Chart

1) DJ Hell - The Disaster - Ink & Needle Remix (International Deejay Gigolos)

2) Zomby - Strange Fruit (Ramp Recordings)

3) Mr Oizo - Steroids ft. Uffie (Ed Banger)

4) Marc Houle - Flapping Around (Minus)

5) Housemeister - What You Want - Siriusmo remix (All you Can Beat)

6) Xaver Naudascdher - Afterlife (DFA Presents - Nobody Knows Anything)

7) Ramon Tapia - Tanzgefehl (Great Stuff)

8) Zomie Nation - Worth it (UKW)

9) Jesse Rose - Forget My Name Ft. Hot chip (Dubsided)

10) I:Cube - Supernovac - Live at the Lanchoneta Version- (Versitille)

.................and you can find them all neatly arranged for you to hear or buy at Beatport!

Talk Talk

Yes, I've been guilty of blog neglection so far this year.....and just as soon as I stop being such an obessessive studio nerd complelety wrapped up in my quest for the *new sound*, spending a very unhealthy amount of time with my computer, I will most definitely get back to blabbing away on here. But for now I'm afraid I must post a few less consuming bits.....so if anyone is interested in hearing me talk more than I already normally do on this blog I've compiled at little (late) best of my 2008 online interviews....

Bugged Out – Reflections on The Closing of the End

Ministry of Sound

The End Club

The Metro

We Need A Resolution

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a fabulous New Years eve party that lived up to their expectations, it's always a difficult thing to do. There were a lot of good ones around, including NYD which seems to be getting better than NYE it's self. As for me I was playing in Dubai. It was a interesting place to be, warm weather, luxury everywhere, a shiny new corporate tourist paradise really, whether thats a good thing or a bad thing it depends on how you look at it. But it unfortunately it definitely meant a bad thing on the party front. Most people didn't even end up going out on NYE. The Ruler of Dubai ordered all NYE parties cancelled (the day of the parties!) as an act of solidarity to the Palestinians being bombed in Gaza. After all, Dubai is a Muslim country and what's going on right now in the Gaza strip is pretty major not to mention horrific. With some maneuvering we were still able to go through with the party. But it meant we had no NYE countdown and most Palestinian sympathizers didn't go out, and if they did they weren't really feeling like parting. The owner of the club I played donated all of our party's proceeds to the Palestine aid fund, incredibly generous. But at the end of the night, it was all a bit of a let down.

Anyways, it's a New Year and I'm feeling good! Despite it being a tradition normally never buy into, this year I've made loads of resolutions. Because this year is special. I have lot's new exciting plans for music making this year. It's gonna be an extremely important and exciting year, I'm letting go all the stuff in my life that's holding me down or that I've outgrown and I'm gonna do exactly what I need to do. It's gonna be a year of big changes. Yes, I am being ernest, and slightly vague (i must keep some of my mystery!), but I really don't care. I'm excited. I'm positive. And I'm determined to make some music to cheer me up in the new year. I'll let you know how I get on.....

I've put together a couple of best of 2008 charts. This is not me trying to be obscure or clever. It's just an acknowledgment of who or what I think were the hardest working, talented and inspiring. My fave records, labels, and people etc...and the most amazingly brilliant nights I played over the past year, in no particular order:

Best Club Trax

Roar - Patrice Baumel (Get Physical)
We Bring The Music -Freak Seven
Sunglasses At Night - Tiga & Zyntherius - Alter Ego Remix (Turbo)
Two Doors Down - The Mystery Jets - Duke Dumont Remix (6-7-9)
Dull Flame of Desire - Bjork Ft. Anthony Hegerty - Modeselector's Remix For Girls (One Little Indian)
Church Of Nonsense - Danielle Papini (Alchemy)
Good Life Ft. Inner City - Kevin Saunderson - Mathew Jonson Acid Remix (KMS)
Falafellows - Kebacid
Dance Like a Hoe - Otto Von Schirach (Cock Rock Disco)
Township Funk - Mujava - Sinden Remix (Warp)
Crimewave - Crystal Castles - Sinden Remix (Last Gang)
Pocket Piano - DJ Medhi - Brodinski Remix (Ed Banger)
Wassup Wassup Ft rye Rye - Diplo Vs Sega - Crookers Remix (Mad Descent)
Shake It to The Ground Ft. Rye Rye - DJ Blaqstarr -Claude Von Stroke Remix (Mad Decent)
Duke Dumont - Hoy (Dubsided)
Smith N' Hack - Space Warrior (Smith N' Hack)
Italo Boyz - Zinga (Get Physical)
Kids - MGMT - Soulwax Remix
Hot Chip - Hold On - Switch L.A. Remix (EMI)
Diablo -Oliver Huntemann & Dubfire (Cocoon)

Best Of My Own Trax

Welcome to Dalston (MYTHIC) - Erm, rating your own music is a bit embarrassing, but you know i worked bloody hard in the studio this year, and produced the most music to date. It may not be good enough for my best of the year list, but it's dammed worth a mention!

Best Dance Labels

Turbo
Man Recordings
Boys Noize
Mad Decent
Mental Groove
Kitsune
Modular
Get Physical

Best Pop-Indie Acts

MGMT
Hot Chip
Crystal Castles
Santogold
Alphabeat
La Roux
Bloc Party
Ladyhawk
Late Of the Pier
Mystery Jets
M.I.A.
Robyn
Sam Sparrow
Kid Kudi

Best Comeback

Grace Jones - She is absolutely mad and I love her. Read this interview from the Guardian, she gets drunk with interviewer Miranda Sawyer and tries to go take her home, brilliant.

Best DJ Gigs

Paris Social Club, Paris April 26th 2008
My sister came along with me on the Eurostar, a nice weekend, great boutique club, met and played with Housmeister.

The Last Ever Nag Nag Nag, London, May 28th 2008 - An emotional nostalgia trip. As Jonny said 'The end of an ear-ache.'

Gloria, Sao Paulo, Sat 10th May 2008
It was my first time in Brazil. I need to go back.

Jezabel @ Amnesia, Ibiza July 18 2008
With Hannah Lottle and Paulette, stayed with Jade Jagger in her beautiful villa, fab venue, a rare girls night.

Low Club, Madrid Oct 4th 2008
Just a really amazing night with mad love from the crowd. The Spaniards party better.

Bugged Out @ Sankey's Manchester, Dec 14th 2008
I'm loving Manchester right now and this night with Miss Kittin returned it.

Bugged Out, Tokyo Dec 12th 2008
Not without it's stresses, but what an fascinating strange world!?