I Soldier On, still

A review of 2008, dance music prospective.

2008 has proven to be a very interesting year for me in dance music, although I cannot say the same about the other forgettable aspects of the year. Dance music is going to a change;

The strong emergence of nu-rave / rock electro / lap sap / french electro / mash-ups from underground to mainstream. Erol Alkan played a rocking set in Zoukout 08, Steve Aoki party at Zouk was voted as best party of 2008 by KLUE readers, Sister Bliss incorporating mash-ups into her set.

Looks like this will be a driving force of music in the years to come, and let's hope it won't end up as another DnB.

Melodic Trance is making a comeback. Driven by the ever prolific Anjunabeats and suprise suprise Blackhole, smooth melodic trance is back with a vengence. Sure the electro sound is still very obvious generally, and minimalistic elements are seeping in more and more, but the best impact this year in all my sets has been melodic and vocal trance.

Probably the best DJs now are House DJs, blending music with blips and screets with electro stabs and vocals into one smooth mix. Its not an easy task, at least for me that is, but awesome sets this year from some Dirty South, Steve Angello and David Guetta certainly proved to be some of the highlights of the year.

And wassup with some people getting too hung up on genres? I mean if the DJs having fun, the music is good, and you are rawking the roof, aint that's what dance music is all about?

The Best
DJ set of the year - Live performance : Cosmic Gate @ Freedom, Port Dickson - so awesome at the beginning of the best musical month of the year, full of then unknown monsters.
DJ set (radioshow) - Anjunabeats Worldwide 069 mixed by Super8 and Tab - not a note wrong in this set.
Label of the year: BLACKHOLE BLACKHOLE !!!
Suprise good tunes: Sasha and Chemical Brothers. Wow, stop listening awhile back, but they are back with a vengence, Britney Spears too (no I am not joking)

And my top 10 tracks in no particular order

Mr.Sam feat clAud 9 - Cygnes
Eric Prydz - Pjanoo
Andy Duguid feat Leah - Wasted
Marcel Woods - Life is Like a Box of Chocolate (Nestle Mix)
Sied van Riel - Rush (Trebbiano Mix)
Santiago and Bushido - Headtrick
Jean Elan - Where's Your Head At (Klaas Remix)
Santiago Nino - Harsh Times
Above & Beyond pres. Oceanlab - Breaking Ties (Above & Beyond Analogue Haven Mix)

And my top track of 2008, with the best response every single time I play it
Jessie Vendetta - Lo Fi

Mix set with 30 of the biggest tunes (I need to fit it on 2 CDs, as there are many more good tracks omitted) will be available this weekend on multiply.

Have a musically good 2009 !!!!!

edited: 23 Jan 2009

I am actually tired mentally,
Affecting me physically,
I am tired because i am sad,
I am tired because i hate,
I am tired because i love,
I am tired because I am human,
I am going to sleep now.

Found out about an hour once I am there, this was the 8th edition of Zouk Out, means I missed 3, the very first, the one in Marina and last year's with Armin and Cox. But honestly, there must be something special about this event, if not I won't keep coming back.

When Above & Beyond was confirmed on the poster about a couple of weeks before the 13th, I decided firmly that I will be going, and getting a room in Siloso Beach Resort (5 mins away on foot) certainly made the decision easier.

First impression, this has to be one of the best line-ups ever, Sasha first appearance, first time going for Sasha again after what, 4 years, a recognition of the giants that is AnB, finally get to see Dirty South (high on my to-watch list) and a slew of nu-rave, electronic acts such as Erol Alkan, Vicarious Bliss and The Teenagers. A very good mix of what is big past, present and future.

Upon making entry, I cant help but feel the pinch of global slowdown (and Singapore being in technical recession). Gone are large LED panels on the main stage behind the DJ, gone are RGB lasers in every room, even Mambo is positioned nearer to the other rooms. All arenas are notably smaller. Damn, the projection backdrop in the Zouk room is plain not impressive at all.

But the crowd are no less enthusiastic !!!

Now, this is my gripe about the crowd. While they arrive in droves, I notice quite abit of rude people out there, those who just bang into you without apologizing, fights, wow, actually there were fights !! Did everyone just got drunk too fast or bad drugs?

Oh, not forgetting RedBull and Vodka Redbull both cost the same at SGD 8. and they are using 42 Below. I remember some white men complaining they can't taste the vodka, sorry dude, you are drinking rubbish before.

Anyways, I met a whole load of people there, from home, but I guess my peers are at the level where they can actually afford to go for ZO.



Back to the music. First up Henrik Schwarz was a disappointment. I guess when you do play live, and your catalogue is not 100% hits, it does gets bogged down. Dirty South after that was simply pure class. I guess being a fan is not helping, I remember saying to a friend that its stoner's music, but hey, that is house for you. How I wish every place that plays house plays like him. And the mash-ups, goodness.

Sasha was less magical. Going for Sasha in Zouk KL the week before didn't help. He played more or less the same set, albeit compressed a little. The set really took of when he drop his Invol2ver remix of Ladytron's Destroy Everything You Touch, plus that unknown mix of Heaven's Scent (Digweed and Hernan dropped that recently as well) as well as Chemical Brother's Midnight Madness (ID mix).

Popping over to Velvet, I was in for a really good sounding Erol Alkan. Now that is one DJ that I really would like to book. His set was awesome, fussed electro with rock distortion. The energy was really good all the way.

Well, Sasha did one thing good, clearing out quite abit of crowd, making it so much more comfortable for AnB's set. Although the set was quite predictable, I was happy that the set was almost like a year in review of the biggest tunes from the Anjunabeats label and some more. And it was such fun being able to sing along to most tunes. And dropping 'Good For Me' is perfect for sun rise !!!

AnB set tracklisting below, courtesy of Trance Around the World ep 248, where they played a reconstructed set from Zouk Out. Although I could remember the starting melody was from Martin Roth's mix of Breaking Ties.

01. 16 Bit Lolitas - Nobody Seems To Care [Anjunadeep]
02. Komytea - Professional Killers (Jerome Isma-Ae & Daniel Portman Remix) [Anjunadeep]
03. Andy Duguid feat. Leah - Wasted [Black Hole Recordings]
04. Wippenberg - Chakalaka [High Contrast Recordings]
05. OceanLab - Sirens Of The Sea (Cosmic Gate Vocal Mix) [Anjunabeats]
06. Tatana with Andrew Bennett feat. Tiff Lacey - Closer (Than A Heartbeat) (Gareth Emery Remix) [S2 Records]
07. Nalin & Kane - Beachball (Myon & Shane 54 Vocal Mix) [CDr]
08. Tatana - Spring Breeze (Martin Roth SummerStyle Remix) [Sirup]
09. Above & Beyond pres. OceanLab - Breaking Ties (Duderstadt Remix) [Anjunabeats]
10. Above & Beyond pres. Tranquility Base - Buzz (Buzztalk Mix) [Anjunabeats]
11. Signalrunners & Julie Thompson - These Shoulders (Oliver Smith Remix) [Anjunabeats]
12. Veracocha - Carte Blanche (Cosmic Gate Remix) [Combined Forces]
13. Bart Claessen & Dave Schiemann - Madness (I Prefer This Mix) [Anjunabeats]
14. Above & Beyond pres. Tranquility Base - Oceanic (Sean Tyas Remix) [Anjunabeats]
15. Luminary - Amsterdam (Smith & Pledger Remix) [Anjunabeats]
16. Super8 & Tab feat. Alyna - Delusion [Anjunabeats]
17. OceanLab - Miracle (Above & Beyond Club Mix) [Anjunabeats]
18. Above & Beyond feat. Zoe Johnston - Good For Me (Above & Beyond Club Mix) [Anjunabeats]
19. William Orbit - Adagio For Strings (Ferry Corsten vs. Above & Beyond Opera Mix) [CDr]
20. Above & Beyond - Alone Tonight (Above & Beyond’s Club Mix) [Anjunabeats]

So this is my last ZoukOut, maybe?

I have always refrain myself from writing politically motivated blog, nor re-posting what others have written, or reported. I am kinda anti politics in many ways and planned to keep my blog politics free.

But the recent circus that we call Malaysian politics is really rubbing me the wrong way. I have said to close friends before that this ain't good for business and yes, I am saying that my work is a little affected by it, and could be more so if opposition come in power. Damn, all these trapeze acts and elephant bellowing is bad enough already.

But recent statement from ISA detainee Teresa Kok really irked me. First of all ain't the ISA kinda like finishing school for opposition party 'strong-men (or women)'? You ain't blue blood until you are in? But the part is about she was served dog food (or food resembling dog food) while in detention?
HARLO DO YOU KNOW THE PRICE OF DOG FOOD??

Dog food is way more expensive than cooked human food. Anyone who has a dog or a cat will tell you that. Damn I don't own a pet I can tell you that.

I was at Mid Valley shopping center today, and I decided to treat myself, so I went window shopping

Now for about a few hundred ringgit

should I get
1) a black Puma shoe (double as work shoe) and a pair of pants at half price = RM 400
2) a Sony digicam, 7 mega with wide lense = RM 899
3) PREMIUM optimus prime and megatron, complete with movie real face, and details, and transformable = RM 600
4) a CANON digicam (although Canon like seems like dont wanna sell digicam) = RM 900
5) a FIREWIRE hard drive for my mac as I got like 3GB left on my HDD = RM 560
6) a brand new Technics DJ headphones, OMG, I love sound = RM 620 (plus one limited edition slip mat)
7) a new laptop bag with a combo of some of the cheaper items above? = RM 650 maybe

Any suggestions? Can buy maybe one la, I dont want to be broke again?

So Far, In the space of 5 mins, i heard,

Avril Lavigne (i actually know how to spell her name) this Sat is cancelled. link

Summer Sensation Party at Sunway on Merdeka eve is also cancelled?

Is this a sign of more cancellations to come?

And this is just within 10 hours since I heard Global Gathering Malaysia is on again. Scenique is appointed organizer.

Anyone can verify the above?

My votes goes to

1. Super8 & Tab - on the strength of one Anjunabeats Worldwide 069, flawless set, 3 months or so after I have it and I am still playing it. Perfect set, musically.

2. Sander van Doorn - The man is going from strengh to strengh, check out live set, click on SELFCAST on www.sandervandoorn.com some of the freshest sounds at the moment.

3. Cosmic Gate - Best LIVE DJ set I have attended this past one year, top tech trancers with a slew of new tunes (at that moment). I was shouting, jumping, dancing, everything and I was sober too. WOW.

4. Richard Durand - Mashed up trance on sets. Awesome, check out R.Durand BBC essential Mix Live from Colorfest. Would love to catch him live soon.

5. Umek - I am loving this Astrodisco stuff he keeps throwing at us. Minimalitic tech house with a groove. Ha... sorry, couldnt resist trying to explain that one

Voting continues till End Sept.

I wanna

delete my friendster - but its has god a good birthday reminder system
delete my hotmail
delete my facebook
delete my myspace - but i got a damn good name, myspace.com/mervin

keep as little details about me online as possible.

Good night folks.

Yeah, I should blog more, but here it is, the annual DJ Mag Top100 poll is now open !!!!

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE DJ OF 2007-2008

Oh please, don't vote because Tiesto made Traffic in 2003 or Benni Benassi made Satiffaction in 2005. Vote for the best sound / set / gig you have heard all year.

Looks like SvD is high on my list, so is Cosmic Gate for a brilliant set in PD, May 2008. Will update with my choice later. Voting closes 24 September.

Oh did I tell you, each voter gets a free track from trackitdown worth GBP 1.49??

Vote for your favorite DJ here

People,

Future Sound Asia is currently hiring a 3D designer !!!

Requirements;
- Must be able to conceptualize and produce 2D and 3D visuals for structures, exhibition and events. Work must be transalated to realistic visuals for our clients to buy
- 3D studio max, photoshop and illustrator
- Creative and vibrant
- Know your inches to your mm, know your neon to your florocent lights, know your wood to your acrylic

Would really help if you;
- possess a degree or a diploma
- have a good sense of space and time
- dont mind getting your hands dirty once in awhile
- know what is a moving head.

Oh did I mention that fresh graduate encourage to apply.

What does Future Sound Asia do? check www.myspace.com/futuresoundasia

Buzz me for a discussion

Cheers,
Mervin +6012 3359259
mervin@futuresoundasia.com

saw it going away, try to pulled it back but ended up going away too.

Win some, lose some.

(work related vent)

Today I win some, but lost a few, including one big project, which I worked for more than a year. Kinda demotivated.

Have to work so much harder for the rest of 2008.