Mixset - DJ Diaries Vol #02

The second installment is a full on trance experience, upbeat and hard as nails! There are some amazing tracks on this mix, some of which I reviewed recently, if you like trance then check it out :)

DJ Diaries Vol #02 by Dj Joker on Mixcloud

Tracklist
01 - Omnia feat. Melissa Loretta - Halo (Dan Stone Remix)
02 - Urry Fefelove & Abramasi - Eivissa (Second Way Remix)
03 - Luke Bond feat. Mark Frisch - The Other Side (Jorn Van Deynhoven Remix)
04 - Hydrogenio - 777 (Ben Gold Remix)
05 - Digital Horizon - Step Up (Original Mix)
06 - T4L - Sensation (Original Mix)
07 - Stuart Miller - Hyperdrive (Original Mix)
08 - Euphoric Feel - When The Sun Comes Down (Original Mix)
09 - Eugene Karnak - The League (Original Mix)
10 - DJ Ange - Isolation (Original Mix)
11 - Ehren Stowers - Terminus (Original Mix)
12 - Sean Tyas - Lift (Matt Skyer Remix)
13 - Up & Forward - Perstige (Den Rize pres. Blur8 Remix)

Mixset - DJ Diaries Vol #01

Finally after a long wait, and some trouble with Traktor :( I have uploaded some recent tunes with what will be a continuing release outlet - DJ Diaries - so expect more installments soon. So many good tracks, so little time to share them!
This mix is a selection of mid-tempo tech filled trance songs with a mix that stays fresh with wave after wave of aural distractions! The whole mix has a dub feel present in the background that sucks you before the beat bounces back in!

DJ Diaries Vol #01 by Dj Joker on Mixcloud

Tracklist
01 - Matt Darey feat. Leah - Hold Your Breath (Original Mix)
02 - Michael Woods - Warrior (Original Mix)
03 - Litagoria - Last Round (Original Mix)
04 - Beat Service - Solo (Sundown Mix)
05 - Armin Van Buuren pres. Gaia - Stellar (EDX Fe5tival Remix)
06 - Maor Levi & Bluestone - On Our Own (Original Mix)
07 - Sied Van Riel - Audio 52 (Original Mix)
08 - Andy Tau - Looking Back (Meridian Remix)
09 - Xtigma - Fire Star (Original Mix)
10 - Vrije Staat - Versatile (Club Mix)
11 - VADA - Fire In The Sky (Stoneface & Terminal Remix)
12 - Alex M.O.R.P.H. & Protoculture - Waking Up The Stars (Original Mix)
13 - Sergey Prosvirin - Starfall (OST & Mayer Remix)

Mixset - Quiver

A twisting mix that that stretches across many variations of trance music. Features big breaks, phat beats, hypnotic grooves, balearic melodies with a sprinkle of awesome vocals :) Recommended that this is listened to at loud volumes! This was a challenging collection of tracks to bring together and it really gets into full flow at around the 30min mark.

Quiver by Dj Joker on Mixcloud

Tracklist
01 - Alex Gaudino - I'm In Love (Original Mix)
02 - Monogamma - Sunday Morning (The Madison Progressive Remix)
03 - Moby - Shot In the Back Of The Head (Tiesto Remix)
04 - Kaskade ft. Haley - Dynasty (Kaskade Arena Remix)
05 - Xgenic - Around Me (Steve Brian Remix)
06 - Marco V & Mohawk - Spamarrest
07 - Perpetual ft. Tiff Lacey - Restless (Arty Remix)
08 - Tiesto vs. Diplo - C'Mon (Original Mix)
09 - Laidback Luke - Till Tonight (Ferry Corsten Fix)
10 - Audien - Transition
11 - Beat Service ft. Manon Polare - Static (Proglifting Mix)
12 - After Meridian & Dave Costa ft. Cat Martin - Empty Spaces (Andrew Bennett's Lost Time Remix)
13 - Air Run - The 25th Hour (Nu Fjord Remix)

Mixset - ExHale

This is the second cd in the set and is an extension of InHale. This mix is an uplifting full on mix that pumps through some huge lead synth riffs, grinding beats and spacey aural candy!

Read the full description on an earlier blog post

ExHale by Dj Joker on Mixcloud

Tracklist
01 - Steve Allen & Ben Alonzi ft. Tiff Lacey - Wildfires (Jonathan Martin Remix)
02 - Sindre Eide Vs Aimar - Alive Again (Original Mix)
03 - Antheya - High (Store N Forward Dub)
04 - Oakenfold ft. Onerepublic - Not Over (Nat Monday Remix)
05 - Leon Boiler - Ocean Drive Boulevard (Original Mix)
06 - Static Blue ft. Catherine - Closer To You (Deepwide Remix)
07 - The Gift - Blue Lights (Fei Fei Remix)
08 - Toltel - Afterglow (R.E.N.O.I.S.E. Remix)
09 - Carl B - Deliverance (Dub Mix)
10 - Arto Mumanto - Event Horizon (Tempo Gusto Jace Remix)
11 - Andre Visor & Kay Stone - Something For The Mind (Giuseppe Ottaviani Remix)
12 - Lexwood ft. Ferrin & Low - Chimaera (Original Mix)

Mixset - InHale

Another pumping trance mix with some gritty tech trance diversions :)

InHale by Dj Joker on Mixcloud

Tracklist
01 - Mark Norman - Be With U (Three Drives Remix)
02 - Stoneface & Terminal - Endorphine (Album Extended Mix)
03 - Marcos - Reality (Marcos Rework)
04 - Gareth Emrey - This Is That (Original Mix)
05 - Gilbert Renior pres. Dyor ft. Ken Spector - Follow Me (Alex M.O.R.P.H. Remix)
06 - Woody Van Eyden & Alex M.O.R.P.H. Ft. Michelle Citrin - Turn It On (Original Mix)
07 - Randy Boyer & eric Tadla Ft. Dan Sanfilippo - Alice (Heartbeat Remix)
08 - Sela & Briggs - The Day Will Come (Tom Sela Remix)
09 - Kamil Polner - Earth Protector (Van Gelder Remix)
10 - Gary Logan - Finally (Original Mix)
11 - Tom Colontonio pres. Artexx - Light Collector (Original Mix)
12 - Audio One - Lost in Space (Original Mix)

Mixset - Firestone

This is a nice blend of pumping trance tracks I put together while in Mallorca a few years ago :)

Firestone by Dj Joker on Mixcloud

Tracklist
01 - Solarstone ft. Bill McGruddy - Electric Love (John 00 Fleming Remix)
02 - Aly & Fila Ft. Katherine Crowe - It Will Be Ok (Original Mix)
03 - Alex Daf - Tibet (Original Mix)
04 - Tydi ft. Tania Zygar - Vanilla (Ben Gold Remix)
05 - Trance Arts ft. Dajan - Beneath The Shadows (Karybde & Scylla Remix)
06 - Running Man - City Of Gods (Sayphonik Remix)
07 - Brannock - Decade (Alan Wyse Remix)
08 - Muse - Resistance (Tiesto Remix)
09 - Ernesto Vs Bastian - Every inch A King (Original Mix)
10 - David Folkebrant - Blue Coloured Mouse (Crismon High Energy Remix)
11 - DJ Ermit & R.O.N.A.M. - Herzschlag (YOMC Remix)
12 - Paul Miller pres. Meli - Nothing's Gonna Change Me (Original Mix)

Mixset - Bits & Pieces Vol 4

The final selection for this series raises the tempo and goes full on with this choice selection of hard trance tunes.

Bits & Pieces Vol 4 by Dj Joker on Mixcloud

Tracklist
01 - Kris Machlan - Sensations (Original Mix)
02 - Masif DJ's - Wasted (Steve Hill Vs Guyver Mix)
03 - Masif DJ's - Everyday (Phil York Vs Dark By Design Mix)
04 - Phil Reynolds - Global Takeover (Dave Holmes Remix)
05 - April - One Of Us (Original Mix)
06 - Tom Berry & Paul F - Come Together (Bang Brothers Remix)
07 - Lee Haslam - Music Is The Drug (Amber D Remix)
08 - Rednoise - Amplified Mind (Original Mix)
09 - Ben Stevens & Rodi Style - The Age Of Love
10 - Jody 6 - Imphanticide (Original Mix)
11 - Tru-D Vs Paul F - My Night (Original Mix)
12 - David Ding - Batter (Original Mix)
13 - K-Complex & Simon Qudos - To The Stars (Original Mix)

Mixset - Bits & Pieces Vol 2

The second of the series, this one takes a house styled approach that slowly evolves into a more progressive trance sound towards the end. Some funky and soulful tracks in this mix.

Bits & Pieces Vol 2 by Dj Joker on Mixcloud

Tracklist
01 - Shur-I-Kan - Gripper (Original Mix)
02 - Manuel Sahagun - Cream
03 - Funky Destination - Marijuana
04 - Knights Of The Round Table feat. Glynn Carelesse & Jessie Mathews - Rumours (Knights Main Mix)
05 - Astrid Suryanto - Distant Bar (Gutterstylz Dub Mix)
06 - Marc Evans - Tonights The Night (Manuel Migs Salted Vocal)
07 - Danism & Michael Watford - Change (Original Mix)
08 - Dean Coleman Feat. DCLA - I Want You (Sultan & Ned Shepard Remix)
09 - Paul Keely - Trans Am
10 - Chocolate Puma & Bingo Players - Disco Electrique (Revisited Mix)
11 - Proff - Gliterring Puzzle (Original Mix)
12 - Jaytech - Deltra (Proff Remix)

Mixset - Bits & Pieces Vol 1

First Volume in a set of odds and ends that never made it into other mixes :)

This collection of mixes was made in 2009

Bits & Pieces Vol 1 by Dj Joker on Mixcloud

Tracklist
01 - Kuffdam - Turn Your Hand To Tis (Styrafoamkid Mix)
02 - Jay Lumen - 12hrs From Paris (Original Mix)
03 - Above & Beyond pres. Oceanlab - On A Good Day (16 Bit Lolitas Downbeat Remix)
04 - Jaytech - Wannabe
05 - Signum - What Ya Got 4 Me (Yvan Prog House Mix)
06 - Deadmau5 & Kaskade - I Remember (Extended Version)
07 - Kenneth Thomas - Wish You Were Here (Solidarity Remix)
08 - Miro - By Your Side (Michael Parsberg & Flipside Remix)
09 - Stoneface & Terminal - Santiago (Original Mix)
10 - Alex Daf - My World (Alive Stone Remix)
11 - Tritonal feat. Christina Soto - Daybreak (Original Mix)

Mixset - Full House

The second CD I uploaded today. It is quite unusual for me to do something as close to house music as this so this is a rarity of a release!!

Don't forget that I will be putting up a lot of mixes up on my Mixcloud account, including some new ones for 2012 (and that classics CD I mentioned earlier).

Full House by Dj Joker on Mixcloud

Tracklist
01 - Tim Berg - Bromance (Avicii's Arena Mix)
02 - Alucard - One In A Million (Noel Sanger Gratuitous Violins Remix)
03 - My Digital Enemy & Prok & Fitch - Raveo (Original Mix)
04 - DJ Rose - Take Me Higher (Nicky Romero Dub Mix)
05 - Moris Mavado & Stephen Quarre feat. Ace & Miss Bunty - Hold On (Vida Remix)
06 - Something Good - Solence (Original Mix)
07 - Full Intention Vs. Marco Demark & Dave Manna - America [I Love America] (California Mix)
08 - Brown Sugar & Niko De Luka feat. Terri B - Keep On Knocking (The Fresh Guys Remix)
09 - Hannah - I Believe In You (Ali Wilson & Tristan Ingram Full Fire Mix)
10 - John Dahlback feat. Andy P - Love Inside (Adrien Mezsi Remix)
11 - Benny Benassi feat. Kelis - Spaceship (Pance Party Remix)
12 - Laidback Luke & Gregor Salto feat. Mavis Acquah - Step By Step (Abel Ramos Remix)
13 - Alex Mind - Binary 1.0 (Superstrobe Remix)
14 - Rossini Pain - I Will Be (Nicola Fasano & Steve Forest Remix) (DJJoker Re-hash)

Mixset - Bits & Pieces Vol 3

Just got myself sorted out with a Mixcloud account, finally a good outlet for my own mixes :)

I have uploaded a couple of mix CD's from last year, no real reason for the CD choice apart from I still had the source files handy which saved ripping them! Check out my full selection on Mixcloud, or listen to the first CD now using the embeded player below.

Bits & Pieces Vol 3 by Dj Joker on Mixcloud

Tracklist
01 - Skybrain - The Rising (Original Mix)
02 - Robbie Buri - Poker (Original Mix)
03 - Audible - White Mouse (Niklas Harding Remix)
04 - Stowers & Young - Ocean (Rozza Remix)
05 - Mark Versluis & Sonai Ten Berg - Becherovka (Suncatcher Remix)
06 - Adam Foley - Distortion (Liam Melly Remix)
07 - BT - Flaming June (Randy Boyer Mix)
08 - Mike Koglin feat. Tania Laila - Find Me (Khaomeha Dub)
09 - Alex M.O.R.P.H feat. Roberta Harrison - Purple Audio (Woody Van Eyden Remix)
10 - Mark Sherry, James Allan & William Daniel - Future Primative (Original Mix)
11 - Sean Tyas - Seven Weeks (Tom Colontonio Remix)
12 - Pierre Pienaar feat. Marcie - If You're Not Here (Graham Gold Remix) 

New Mix - Exhale

Today has been quite successful due to the completion of a rather unusual mix, using my favoured Traktor software by Native Instruments. I guess I will start with a quick tracklist below before describing the mix in a little detail.

1. Steve Allen & Ben Alonzi feat. Tiff Lacey - Wilfires (Jonathan Martin Remix)
2. Sindre Eide Vs Aimar - Alive Again (Original Mix)
3. Antheya - High (Store N Forward Dub)
4. Oakenfold ft. Onerepublic - Not Over (Nat Monday Remix)
5. Leon Boiler - Ocean Drive Boulevard (Original Mix)
6. Static Blue ft. Catherine - Closer to You (Deepwide Remix)
7. The Gift - Blue Lights (Fei Fei Remix)
8. Toltel - Afterglow (R.E.N.O.I.S.E Remix)
9. Carl B - Deliverance (Dub Mix)
10. Arto Mumanto - Event Horizon (Tempo Gusto Jace Remix)
11. Andre Visior & Kay Stone - Something For The Mind (Giuseppe Ottaviani Remix)
12. Lexwood feat. Ferrin & Low - Chimaera (Original Mix)

The first thing to point out is that I did a quick edit after the mix was exported to shorten the frist track. I like keeping my mixes inside the 74min barrier as burned copies over this have problems in some CD players.

The mix starts out at 133BPM and has quite a gentle pulsating feel which slowly builds over the 74mins while throwing various soundscapes and moods around. Also having a mix open with vocals from Tiff Lacey is always going to start things well and Jonathan Martin's remix of Wildfires has a wonderful deep bassline and soft kick which allow the vocals and synths to float on top of everything else. I was a little dissapointed at having to chop of a few minutes from the start of this track but on reflection it lets the mix find it's footing quite quickly.

Another deep throbing tracks follows on from the strong opening and helps keep the feel while also providing a melodic shift with a mesmerizing break which sucks you in and lets you down as gently as it arrived. Wanting to lift things a little I dropped in High by Antheya and choose the Store N Forward Dub as it fitted best with the tempo and mood. This tune has some attitude and redefines the soundscape again with it's dubby effects, twinkly riffs and solemn overtones. This is really good tune actually and has an element of surprise with its very melodic breakdown and the introduction of a really nice little synthline which helps push the track forward while the pads and ambient sounds build the track into an outstanding trance song.

After all the dreamy sounds thrown about at the beginning I brought in another favourite track of mine at the minute Oakenfold ft One Republic - Not Over (Nat Monday Remix) is an essential track in any DJ's record box (or hard drive!). The track has a wonderful melody set to spacious synths beautiful arrangement and a pretty good vocal as well. Nat Monday's remix adds a more enlongated arrangement similar to the style of earlier Belgian trance track, but without all the cheese. This one is packed with a twisted melancholy or subtle strings and riff that never gives up and a relentless bassline.

Things needed a good shake up around now and I introduced Ocean Drive Boulevard by the excellent Leon Boiler. Leon is producing some great stuff at the minute, mostly some nice tech-trance that always catches anyones attention with his production trickery. This track however is one of his more restrained efforts and to that effect the tranciest I have heard from him yet. The classical guitar section during the breakdown and strewn throughout the rest of track is married with a huge dirty synth which fills the whole stereo spectrum, and just when you thought it couldn't get any dirtier he adds the lead synth which has enough distortion on it to make Slipknot jealous. The ironic thing is that the track is so clean and fits well with the ambitous mix that was starting to take shape.

Closer to You. What another outstanding track, I don't know who Catherine is but she has a nice voice and the breathy sound in this track and nice production by Deepwide benefit greatly from her soft deep voice. Another epic song with floating pads, crisp synths and overzealous amounts of reverb however the unusual transitions through the arrangement again make this track stand high above the many other vocal trance tracks doing the rounds at the minute. Never full on, but never standing still this is one track that will probably appear on my Top 10 soon !!!

As a brave soul I decided to try and break away from the extremely uplifting atmosphere that the mix has had up until this point. The Gift - Blue Lights (Fei Fei Remix) is definately a little darker and has more of a techno feel, with quite distinct sounds used for the two main synthlines this combined with a bit of trickery mean it is hard to see which way the track is going to go. Serves to make a "dark" moment in the middle of the mix without ever really losing the soundscape put forth by the preceeding tracks. It is also at this part of the mix that the percussive grooves start to make more impact and change the dynamics. You can tell the mix is building towards something.

Afterglow was another brave choice. You will either love or loathe the lead synth and the entire track hinges on this. Another track based around a big sound flying about with big pads, fat bass and nice sweeping sounds gluing the whole lot together. Again the production quality is outstanding with a beautiful breakdown which certainly brings the whole mix to a stop giving you time to catch your breathe. I think it was at this point I realised this was not a normal mix I had created, as the break builds up again it becomes evident that this mix is quite clearly all about creating an encircling wall of sound for the listener. As another classic trance song passes we move on to something a bit different again from another top remixer & producer at the moment.

Carl B brings us deliverence here, which is a dirty chunky lump of tech-trance. The soft sound of strings is combined with dirty chunky percussion and some nice piano accents before the hwole thing kicks off with what can only be described as a growling riff and heavly locked groove. If this doesn't have you dancing then there is something wrong with you! Lots of nice little varied breaks and before you know it the tracks is gone. This is the kind of track that people will not forget but will find it impossible to remember, it also opens the door for something a little more substanial in terms of driving the mix forward.

Event Horizon is another track that might well make it into my Top 10 as well. This track is a proper trance track with more body to it. A pumping bassline, solid kick and clever synthline all work well to carry the track through a few minutes before leading to a well worked breakdown. The track continues to twist in and out while maintaing a high level of energy throughout.

Staying with the more classic solid kick and pumping bassline I dropped Something For The Mind, which reminds me a lot of Paul van Dyk's "For An Angel", sweeping 303's, tight synth riff and staggered arrangment all reminiscent of that classic track. Giuseppe Ottaviani adds just enough changes to help this track find it's own way. Easily comparable with a classic and this one is nearly as good. I would of loved to hear some vocals on this one however they would have to be used carefully!!!

All this winds the mix up for the last track, which is again a great track with earlier roots. In this case Chimaera basically steals the basic kick/snare loop and vocal sample from the magnificent Slusnik Luna - Sun. However apart from this also being a pounding piece of trance music that is where the similarities end. Chimaera is another track that everyone should have in their record box as this is quite possibly one of the best out and out trance tracks I have heard in 2008. It has a monsterous breakdown, driving main section, a great melody, awesome production values and most of all that little bit of sophisication that makes it truely unique. The track never feels rushed yet by this stage I had made it up to 136.5BPM. A true tribute to the magic of trance music that the atmospheric beginnings continued through the mix and end on a very uplifting note.

Although the mix may not have as much substance as a usual trance mix, this is one for the mind rather than the body.