Deejay
Bought two turntables and a mixer on the cheap back in 2005. Six months later I was spinning tunes in a small, off the beaten path lounge, downtown NYC, covering for friend. Ran out of records one hour into a six hour set, and had to get creative with the rack mounted CD player unit. Timing is everything. After that, pressure wasn't an issue, and I've spinning ever since. House parties, office parties, student graduation parties... wherever, whenever. Upgraded the set to Traktor Pro 3, so the blend between control vinyl and digital audio provides the best of both worlds.
Spotify Preview
Music Producer
A natural evolution occurs after some time spent deejaying - why not make your own beats and music? Sometimes you just have to do some s#!t yourself. Keylab 61 and Akai MPK Mini midi controllers are paired with Ableton Live 10, once the ideas start flowing there really are no limits to creativity. Sometimes it takes a while. Sometimes it happens quickly. Either way, when you're in the groove, music happens.
Absolutely Wicked
The 47 Track Old School Dancehall Mix
47 old school dancehall tracks for those who know how it used to go down back in the day!
Dancehall Fyah
Dancehall Recreation Super Remix
A year in the making, and just in time for Easter - recreated old school dancehall riddims, remixed and mixed.
A 40 minute audio feast, the first in a planned remix album featuring various artists, with riddims recreated from scratch, lending a modern twist on instantly recognizable dancehall tracks from the 80's/90's. Interspersed with original instrumentals, this audio journey is best enjoyed at high volumes with a subwoofer (or two).
Includes tracks by: Gregory Isaacs, Buju Banton, Galaxy P, Bounty Killer, Shabba Ranks... If you have favourite old school dancehall tracks that you would like to hear remixed, just let me know. In the meatime, check the mix on Mixcloud (and make sure to follow!):
Fade Away
Fyah Remix
Sleepy Wonder and Jango
Cellular Phone
Smoke Remix
Tickle Her Fancy
Dancehall Remix
Tickle Her Fancy - a super track with vocals performed by Galaxy P, over a recreated Donovan Germain produced riddim. Didn't take long to reproduce the bassline of one of the best riddims ever! Elements of the original still come through as I didn't have the acapella, but no matter. The bassline is deep and overrides the original, and new elements combine with old for a fresh, but very familiar remixed track.
Rumours
Dancehall Remix
Rumours is a massive and timeless tune, and while I tend to stay away from remixing reggae, preferring the more uptempo dancehall, this recereated Rumours riddim still manages to stay true to the original, but is admitedly not as smooth. There is a switch up that breaks with the original, but complimemts it perfectly.
What you Gonna Do?
Dancehall Remix
One of the first riddim recreation remixes, the production happened organically. I used pronouned chords to contrats the prominent bass riddim, while allowing Buju's strong vocals to carry the beat just as it id in the original. The smooth vocals by Wayne Wonder paired well with the tonal qualities of the chords, complimenting rather than competing in that frequency range.
Tribute Dub
A Touch of Jazz
Instantly recognizable as nothing else but classic old school dancehall, and yet with a modern, jazzy feel. Make no mistake, true to form, running a system with a subwoofer will push your ears to the limit. The bass is DEEP. Played as background music, jazz and dancehall come together for a smooth and relaxing vibe. Crank that bass and it will ripple the soul./p>
Dancehall Funk
Dancehall/HipHop Instrumental
Oh yeah! Some classic dancehall riddims over a funky hiphop drumline. A two for one special. A culmination of past musical memories, morphed into an instrumental with two distinct rhythm sections. This track used as the remix dub to Lucien Parker's "Wealth & Good Company" remix competition track on Metapop listen on metapop.com
Magic
A Late Night Session
Purely experimental, there is no specific genre for this track. The original sat for about a year before being picked up again and extensively modified. It started life as "Horn Funk", but then evolved into 'Magic' - a progressive flow of sound with a cheeky blow of a horn to stay true to the original. Positive and hopefull for the future, Magic is a feel good musical exploration.
Peenie Peenie Instrumental Remix
Shabba-inspired...
A cool and laid back remix riddim for Shabba's classic Peenie Pennie. Due to copyright issues the vocals have been removed for the most part, but you can image Shabba's lyrical verses pick up when the bassline drops.
Soundclash Riddim
Friday night production
A wicked dancehall riddim, produced after hours of deliberation, experimentation and dedication. This instrumental was intended to capture some island vibes during the down phase, but then with the rapid fire snares drop the listener back into a powerful rythmic atmosphere.
Island Life
De Reggae Vibes
First track off the Late Night Sessions Vol 1 album for 2019 uses slightly reverbed vocal samples over prominent 808 drums, further saturated with a deep bass line in tune to the female vocal sample. Deep chill.
Two-O-Nine AM
Lounge and chill
Literraly finished by 02:09, this track was the most fun. It's a minimalist production, but every instrument is perfectly aligned and balanced. Every element gets to shine, and played softly or cranked to the max, the track is a vibe. The female vocal is just a reverb of sound, adding some texture, while still letting the instrumental shine.
Why Am I Listening To This?
Why indeed
The first track off the Late Night Sessions Vol 1 album for 2019 uses slightly reverbed vocal samples over a prominent 808 drums, further saturated with a deep bass line in tune to the female vocal sample. Deep chill
Walk Like A Champion
All the Way Up Remix
The first official Dj Leroy West remix. Bujo's awesome Champion lyrics flow over a heavy bass line, with a resampled melody from Fat Joe and Remy Ma's "All the Way Up". Yes. The sample was cut up and reordered and used throught out. The tempo of the original song was kept the same, and mixing hiphop and dancehall is just something I do. Word.