Do It Again - That ElectroNuRock Sound!

For today's set, you will hear mostly the Roland TR-808 drum machine recognizable in almost all of the tracks used. The Roland TR-808 , a legendary drum machine created in the 1980s, also acts as the base of a specific track for broken, syncopated rhythms. The instrumentation for this type of updated retro sound is highly funk-style simulated bass lines, sequenced or appregiated synthetic guitar riffs and unheard sound effects, all created with synthesizers.

What started off in the 80s still continues up to now especially with the proliferation and revival of everything that is 80s, from music to movies to fashion to pop culture.

Expect the most prominent artists of this genre for today's set like A.R.E. Weapons, Para One, Felix da Housecat, Dirty South and Benny Benassi. Have also heavily utilized plenty of effects such as filters, delays, reverbs, phasers, flangers, samplers and scratches all incorporated in the mix.

Now for the tracklisting:
1) Walking Blues - A.R.E. Weapons (Thomas Troelsen Remix)
2) It's My Life - No Doubt (Spintech Remix) - nice cover of this classic Talk Talk track!
3) Black Spot On The Sun - Mark Knight & Dirty South vs. The Police (Original Mix) - samples "King Of Pain"; very, very good
4) Du Dun Dun - Para One (MSTRKRFT Remix)
5) The Creeps - Camille Jones vs. Fedde Le Grand (Electro Funk Lovers Remix)
6) Such A Shame - Crew 7 vs. Talk Talk (Tim Verba Remix) - another updated remix of a classic new wave track
7) Do It Again - The Chemical Brothers (2007 Extended Mix) - love this new Chemical track!
8) Need You Tonight - Anton Neumark (Good Will and Tommie Trash Remix) - nice INXS cover
9) Perfect (Exceeder) - Mason vs. Princess Superstar (2007 Martijn Ten Velden Vocal Mix)
10) In A Big Country - Big Country (Extended Remix) - check this out!!
11) You Don't Know Me - Armand Van Helden (2007 Remix) - nice updated remix!
12) Afterglow - INXS (Redankas Afterdark Remix) - JD Fortune's not a Michael Hutchence, but he's the right frontman for the new INXS; great track
13) I Can't Go For That - Frank Shofner feat. Samantha Newark (Scotty Boys Sunday Afternoon Extended Mix) - nice remake of this Hall&Oates song

14) Like Something 4 Porno - Felix da Housecat (Armand Van Helden Remix) - king of electro!

15) Big Time - Peter Gabriel (Electro Kingdom Extended Main Mix) - updated remix of this 80s track

16) Here Comes The Rain Again - Eurythmics (Freemasons Vocal Mix) - love this updated remix; thanks to Mixipod for this great track!

17) Back By Any Demand - Sander van Doorn (Dope Mix) - nice track!

18) Bring The Noise - Public Enemy (Benny Benassi Pumpkin Remix) - nice electro remix of a classic hiphop tune!; thanks to skin for this track!

Link... MyElectroNuRockSoundMix - The Beatmeister

You may also want to try my last month's post of "The 80s Remixed, Remashed and Rehashed - Some Electro House For You," which is very similar to this one.

Here's to a great electro weekend! :)

Rock The Alternative Way - A Mix Of Mushy Beats

Because of the weird and wet weather we have been experiencing over the past few days here in Manila, it brought out the mushy feeling inside me and thus placed me in the mood of creating this mix. After finishing my set and listening to it afterwards, I began to realize that even though the weather was bad and not cooperating, listening to some chillout grunge, 90s alternative rock and new wave beats was a good idea as it relaxed me in a way and gave me a better perspective for the rest of the day.

So for today's set, chill out to some of the best tripped out new wave tunes with the likes of Tears for Fears, Human League, Johhny Hates Jazz, Blue Zoo, Crowded House, Midge Ure, etc., mixed with some cool, but edgy 90s alternative rock and grunge tunes from Radiohead, Pearl Jam, The Verve, Beck, Joan Osborne, Jesus Jones, and a tinge of classic rock from Billy Squier and Squeeze.

Now for today's tracklisting:

1) Stay - Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories - from my Reality Bites Soundtrack CD; i think Ethan Hawke directed the video

2) Light & Shade - Fra Lippo Lippi (Big Beat Mix)

3) Somebody - Depeche Mode (Spiral Tribe Remix) - mushy DM tune

4) Don't Dream It's Over - Crowded House (Freedom Mix) - another great Aussie act!

5) Upside Down - Two Minds Crack - another one of my wifey's fave!

6) Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve (Extended Bass Mix) - Cruel Intentions theme

7) Creep - Radiohead - another early grunge tune!

8) Loser - Beck

9) Stoke - Billy Squier (DJ Shooter's Remix) - thanks to DJ Shooter for this classic rock track!

10) One Of Us - Joan Osborne

11) Tempted - Squeeze (Hot Tracks Remix) - another one from the Reality Bites soundtrack!

12) Love Moves In Strange Ways - Blue Zoo - mushy new wave tune!

13) Dear God - Midge Ure - still rocks even without Ultravox!

14) Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2 (The Beatmeister's Remix)

15) Turn Back The Clock - Johnny Hates Jazz (Original 12" Extended Version) - one of my fave new wave tunes; the best version; brings back great memories

16) Repetition - Information Society (Spiral Tribe Remix)

17) Human - Human League (Original 12" Extended Version) - my fave Human League tune!

18) Shout - Tears For Fears (Extended US Version) - from my TFF greatest hits disc

19) Right Here, Right Now - Jesus Jones (12" Extended Version)

20) Daughter - Pearl Jam - get ready for some grunge!

Here's the link... MyMushyBeatsMix - The Beatmeister

You may also want to try my earlier post titled, "Songs From The Big Chair - My New Wave Mix" if you enjoyed this set.

So chillout, take a break, and enjoy the cool weather!

Never Gonna Give You Up - The Best Of 80s Italo/Euro Disco

Here's another retro weekend treat. Have compiled some of the best in Italo/Euro Disco tunes from the 80s for all you retro lovers to enjoy. The term Euro-disco was used to refer to various styles and genres of electronic dance music, which emerged from Europe in the early 80s, most notably Italo Disco and Eurobeat. The birth of Eurodisco became when the Germans took the "Euro" from the Eurovision and the "Disco" from the "Discotheques" and created the term "Eurodisco," almost the same time that the term "Disco" appeared in the US.

Britain was the best known contributor to the 80s euro-disco music. Most notable was the Stock/Aitken/Waterman production team, which produced the best from this genre with the likes of Rick Astley, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donnovan.

Other significant contributors of the 80s Euro-disco explosion were Mike Francis (who was very popular here in the Philippines), Taja Seville, Brenda Holloway, Sonia, Robin Wright, Europe, Ken Lazlo, Colours, Steve Allen, and a lot more. I've tried my best to compile all the greatest Euro-disco hits from this era, all in the mix, and hope I didn't miss anything. Also, most of these tunes were the original 12" versions taken from my Club Mix CDs and other 80s Dance Music Compilation CDs.

Now for the tracklist:

1) Never Mind - Colors (12" Extended Version)

2) Message Of Love - Steve Allen (12" Extended Version) - nice mellow dance tune

3) Iko Iko - The Belle Stars (12" Extended Mix)

4) How Gee - Black Machine (Funky Mix)

5) Time and Love - Tea For Two (12" Extended Mix)

6) Around My Dreams - Silver Pozzoli (12" Extended Version) - love this catchy tune!

7) Body Dancer - Magic Fire (12" Extended Version)

8) Love Is Contagious - Taja Seville (12" Extended Mix)

9) Together Forever - Rick Astley (Original 12" Extended Mix)

10) Survivor - Mike Francis (Solid Wave Remix) - popular jazzy disco tune in the 80s!

11) ABC Of Kissing - Richard John Smith (12" Extended Mix)

12) Never Knew Love Like This Before - Stephanie Mills (Hot Tracks Remix)

13) Life Dance - Sonia B (12" Extended Version) - club anthem back in the 80s here in Manila!

14) Don't Cry - Ken Lazlo (12" Extended Version)

15) Too Many Broken Hearts - Jason Donnovan (12" Extended Version)

16) Dancing Easy - Funhouse feat. Kenneth Sherman (12" Club Mix) - thanks for reminding me Jeyb!

17) Give Me A Little Inspiration - Brenda Holloway (12" Extended Version)

18) Downtown - Petulla Clark (1988 Extended Version) - nice remix version of a classic tune!

19) Listen To Your Heart - Sonia (12" Extended Version)

20) Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley (Extended Remix)

21) I Should Be So Lucky - Kylie Minogue (Bicentennial Mix) - early Kylie tunes!

22) Give Me Back My Heart - Robin Wright (12" Extended Version) - nice tune too!

23) Harvest For The World - The Christians (12" Extended Version) - my fave version of this song

24) Six-Two-Eight - Europe (12" Extended Version)

25) Boys Do Fall In Love - Robin Gibb (12" Extended Version)

26) Black Cars - Gino Vanelli (Hot Tracks Remix) - nice tune!

27) Da Da Da - Trio (Original Extended 12" Version)

28) Hypnotized - Copyright (Original Extended 12" Version)

Link: My80sEuroDiscoMix - The Beatmeister

BTW, you may also want to check out my previous post, "Pump Up The Volume - The Dance Classics Collection," if you enjoyed this one.

Happy weekend! :)

Breaker's Revenge - A Mix of ElectroFunkin' Breakdance Classics

For someone who was born in the 70s and experienced his adolescent years in the 80s, today's set would be very memorable. Before being engulfed in New Wave music, I was first breakin', poppin', and lockin' to these old school electrofunk and hiphop classics. Having my very first post entitled, "Old School Funk Classics," I've decided to do another set of these classic electrofunk and hiphop tunes and give it another shot. Most of the music I've included for today were the ones that we've used in dance and battle routines, more commonly known as "showdown" back in the day. Expect also some early 90s stuff from Vanilla Ice and Mellow Man Ace.

Some of the tracks were also included in the soundtrack of four of the most memorable breakdance movies ever made in the 80s namely, "Breakin'," "Breakin' 2", "Beat Street," and "Body Rock." I recall watching them all in Betamax format (hehe!).

Here's a shot of some of my vinyl from way back 80s. Hope you have a blast with these cool memorabilia. :)

Now for the music:

1) Crazy Cuts - Grandmixer DST - sounds very much like Herbie Hancock's "Rockit"

2) Showdown - Ollie & Jerry - from the Breakin' soundtrack; from the same guys who gave you "There's No Stoppin' Us"

3) Love Rockin' - Terry Burrus and Transe - love this funky tune; danced by a popular Filipino group called "The OctoMechanix" back in the 80s.

4) Body Rock - Maria Vidal (Jellybean Dancemix) - familiar with Chilly D?; for those who've watched the movie, you'll know what I'm sayin'

5) No Parking On The Dancefloor - Midnight Star (Ultimix) - this is what you call electrofunk

6) Call Me - Skyy (Disconet Remix) - another popular tune danced by another popular Filipino group back in the 80s called "The Knapsax"

7) Hey You (The Rocksteady Crew) - The Rocksteady Crew - a breaker's anthem back then; synchronize your feet

8) Wordy Rappinghood - Tom Tom Club (12" Version) - great for those poppin' and lockin' moves

9) Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice (Ultimix) - before Eminem (hate this guy!), there was Vanilla Ice

10) Cool As Ice - Vanilla Ice - cool movie soundtrack

11) Breaker's Revenge - Arthur Baker -the ultimate battle theme!; early Arthur Baker stuff before he got into the British Invasion

12) Looking For The Perfect Beat - Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force - the godfather of electrofunk

13) Frantic Situation - Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force + Shango - back-2-back classics; thanks to JayDee for this track

14) Din Daa Daa - George Kranz (Disconet Remix) - from Breakin' 2 soundtrack; another classic

15) Mentirosa - Mellow Man Ace (Extended Version) - early 90s latino hiphop

16) Survival - Grandmaster Flash - another legend in early 80s hiphop

17) Mirda Rock - Reggie Griffin - love this funkin' track; great for those poppin' and lockin' moves; early 80s electrofunk

18) Basketball - Kurtis Blow - another legendary 80s rapper

19) Beat Street Breakdown - Grandmaster Melle Mel and The Furious Five - "throw yer' hands in the air and wave them like you just don't care"

20) The Message - Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five (Original Extended 12" Version) - classic old school hiphop; thanks to Fexy for this track

Here's the link... MyElectroFunkinBreakdanceMix - The Beatmeister

Get ready to synchronize your feet and get down to the riddim!

Classics4Life - My Mix On Internet Radio :)

Hi everyone! First of all, thanks so much for everyone who has appreciated and enjoyed my work for the past 3 months. Just wanted to say that I really appreciate all the kind words all of you have given me and this just gives me the urge and enthusiasm to keep on doing what I'm currently doing even though I'm also very busy with my work. Will do my best to update my blog as frequently as possible to give you all the mixed old and new tunes for an amazing listening experience and bring back great memories.

Also, just wanted to tell everyone that you can now also listen to my mix sets being broadcast on internet radio @ Classics4Life. It's format ranges from Old School Funk, Disco, New Wave, Electro and a lot more. Great station by the way. Please check it out. :) Thanks to my friend, DJ Kleesbees, for giving me the chance to have my work be heard by more people. This is a dream come true for me.

Have a great weekend!

Virtual Insanity - A Jamiroquai Mega Mix

Today's upload is for all Jamirophiles, especially to my friends, Mixipod and Nel, both diehard Jay Kay fanatics including myself. This mix is for you guys. :)

Jamiroquai, composed of core members Jason "Jay" Kay and drummer, Derrick McKenzie, was the most prominent component of early-90s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside bands such as Incognito, The Brand New Heavies (also one of my faves in this genre), Galliano, Curduroy, Digable Planets, US3, Freak Power, Guru, The Brooklyn Funk Essentials, James Taylor Quartet, Urban Species, Groove Collective, and a lot more. Their lineup has changed several times with their style being described as new age funk and jazz.

With their growing popularity in Europe and the UK, they remained relatively unknown in the US, until their breakthrough with their third album, Travelling Without Moving (their best album for me personally) in 1996, which yielded two big hits, "Virtual Insanity" and "Cosmic Girl." (check out the destroyed Lambo :( )The success of the former was because of its innovative and unique video, which feature JK's cool moves and some gravity-defying images. For a sample, here's the clip... Enjoy!

Before I forget, would like to thank and give a shout out to Mixipod who was the one responsible for compiling all these great remixes and giving me the idea to do this JayKay MegaMix. Please visit her blog too for some cool and amazing remixes! :)

Now for today's tracklisting:

1) Do You Know Where You're Coming From (Intro)

2) Planet Home (Trabant Brothers Inc. Remix)

3) Seven Days In Sunny June (Steve Mac Classic) - my current fave; very cool!

4) Little L (Bob Sinclair Remix) - nice remix!

5) Love Foolosophy (Raul Rincon Remix)

6) Alright (Tee's Digital Club Mix) - nice and funky!

7) Cosmic Girl (Quasar Mix) - nice Lambo in this vid!

8) Electric Mistress (2007 Remix)

9) Light Years (True Power Mix)

10) Deeper Underground (The Metro Mix) - from the Godzilla sountrack!

11) Space Cowboy (Morales Classic Club Mix) - my ultimate Jamiroquai fave song; super cool!

12) Supersonic (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - Ace Klub Mix)

13) Feels Just Like It Should (Eric Prydz Remix) - electro touch from the ace Swedish DJ

14) Canned Heat (Spooky Remix) - nice moves from "Napoleon Dynamite" :)

15) Corner Of The Earth (Milk And Sugar Club Mix)

16) Don't Give Hate A Chance (Freemasons Mix) - nice house remix from Freemasons!

17) Time Won't Wait (Groove Assassin Remix) - really groovy tune!

18) Bad Girls (2003 White Label Remix) - nice remake of a Donna Summer classic!

Link: My Jamiroquai MegaMix - The Beatmeister

Now, this is what I call, "The Return Of The Space Cowboy!"

Bending Time & Space Continuum - My Back To The Future Mix

As a hardcore fan of "Heroes" and the "Back To The Future" trilogy, I was always amazed with time travel. Who wouldn't want to be able to go back and change something you wished you never did or see your future. Have read articles regarding time travel and at the moment, it's still not possible and will remain only a dream for all of us time travel enthusiasts.

However, music gives us this power because whenever we hear an old tune, it instantly brings us back to a memorable travel or experience, be it good or bad. At the same time, the first time we hear a new tune, it gives us an idea of what the future of music would sound and even create new trends in pop culture.

In this regard, I had the idea of putting up this set where tunes would jump from old new wave stuff to current modern rock then back and so forth. The tracks would range from Figures On A Beach to The Killers to The Cure to The Clash to Felix da Housecat and more. It's just like how Marty and Doc travelled from 1955 back to 1985 then to 2015 then back to 1985 or how Hiro Nakamura travelled back and forth through time.

Now for the tunes:

1) No Stars - Figures On A Beach (Unreleased Original Mix) - still have my vinyl of this band

2) Mr. Brightside - The Killers (The Lindbergh Palace Club Mix) - another superb remix of my fave Killers' tune

3) Lovesong - The Cure (Josh Patrick White Label Mix)

4) Somebody Told Me - The Killers (Mylo Club Mix)

5) Should I Stay Or Should I Go - The Clash (White Label Mix) - nice electro take on this classic Clash tune

6) Hear My Name - Armand Van Helden (Extended Version)

7) Bittersweet - Kush (Kush's Contradicted Club Mix) - from my Hed Kandi:Twisted Disco CD

8) White Wedding - L.A. (Stargazer Remix) - Billy Idol Remake!

9) Rush Hour - Jane Wiedlin (Original Extended Version) - love this tune!

10) Ready 2 Wear - Felix da Housecat (Benny Bennassi Remix) - nice retro sound

11) The More You Live, The More You Love - A Flock Of Seagulls (Mission UK Remix)

12) I Get Weak - Belinda Carlisle (3 Werqn Bitches Classic Anthem Mix) - another ex-GoGos!; nice song

13) Rockall - The Young Punx (Krafty Kuts Remix) - a little breakbeat!

14) White China - Ultravox (Special Mix) - Midge Ure rocks!

15) Change Your Mind - Sharpe & Numan (Original Extended 12" Version) - love this old song!

16) Change - Tears for Fears (Joey Negro Punk Disco Mix) - another one from Roland & Curt

17) Read My Mind - The Killers (Gabriel & Dresden Unplugged Mix) - nice remix!

18) Twenty Killer Hurts - Gene Loves Jezebel (Original 12" Version)

19) Nemesis - Shriekback (Original 12" Version) - from my Spiral Tribe CD

20) Tainted Love - Soft Cell (Thomas Schumacher 2005 Love Cell Mix)

21) SOS - Rihanna (Jason Nevins Remix)

Link... My Back 2 The Future Mix - The Beatmeister

If you like this one, you can also check out my first post similar to this titled, "A Joyful Rebellion - When Rock and Electronic Dance Music Collide."

Just to prove that music can be our own personal time machine!

The Dawn of Early 80s Electronic Music - A WXB102 Tribute Mix

Belonging to the so-called "Generation X," I felt obliged to make a tribute mix to an 80s icon, this new wave radio station based in Manila called WXB102 from the early 80s. This was my first exposure to really good music from my adolescent years and I remember making compilation tapes of my favorite tunes back then, taped directly from radio. WXB102 introduced me to legendary bands like The Colourfield, Culture Club, Scritti Politti, Visage, Blancmange, X-Mal Deutschland, Siouxsie & The Banshees, New Order, The Cure, The Care, Lotus Eaters, The Art of Noise, The Blue Nile, Haircut 100, Pet Shop Boys, Men Without Hats, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Smiths, INXS, and many more. What's great about them is that they were the first and only all-New Wave station in the Philippines broadcasting from inside a house somewhere in Pasay City, and was considered to be "underground" by hardcore listeners back then.

For a complete write-up about the station, you can visit Julia's Club 80s blog where she featured a very informative article on WXB102. She was also the one who gave me an idea to do this mix. :)

Thanks to modern technology, we can all still listen to them if you're into 80s New Wave and even modern New Wave stuff via net radio @ live365.com/stations/xb_102. From their website, I think it's now based in the Seattle area (am not sure though) ... anyway, just visit their site. :)

Here's a pic of one of their most famous jocks, Cool Carla, who was also one of the lead vocals of a famous local New Wave band from the 80s, "Identity Crisis."

WXB102 was also the first to introduce the art of remixing (pause-tape remixing style) and releasing rare 12" Extended and B-Side Versions. I still remember their 12-minute version of "The War Song" by Culture Club, their remix of "Grinding Halt" by The Cure, their Scritt Politti MegaMix and also their own remix of "Catch Me (I'm Falling) by Real Life.

Moving on to today's mix, I've compiled some of the best tunes all played by XB, which I could say, were my early influences in terms of electronic music and exposure to 12" Extended Versions or Remixes. Bands like the Art of Noise, Visage, Scritti Politti, Human League, and the Pet Shop Boys were already using samplers, synthesizers, and electronic drums during that time. Almost all the tracks in this set are memorable to me as I first heard them from WXB102 and were all included in my busted compilation tapes.

Hope you'd enjoy listening to this set, as much as I did mixing and compiling them, and hearing it over and over again. It really brings back great memories, both of WXB102 and of the great music from the 80s.

Tracklisting:

1) Legs - The Art of Noise (Album Version) - Anne Dudley and the rest of the guys were one of the first electronic music gurus

2) Beatboy - Visage (Dance Mix) - i love this track!; I remember I was in 4th grade when I first heard this tune; thanks to Rene for this amazing and very rare tune!

3) Wood Beez - Scritti Politti (Original 12" Version)

4) Absolute - Scritti Politti (Original 12" Version) - back-2-back Scritti Politti; only heard these versions from XB; nice; still got my Cupid & Psyche cassette.

5) (Keep Feelin') Fascination - Human League (Razormaid Remix)

6) No Promises - Icehouse (Dance Mix) - rare remix

7) Burning Flame - Vitamin Z (Original 12" Version) - the first time I heard this, I thought it was Curt Smith singing, hehe!

8) Mad World - Tears For Fears (Extended Version)

9) Motion Of Love - Gene Loves Jezebel (Original 12" Version) - from my Spiral Tribe CD

10) New Song - Howard Jones (Original 12" Version)

11) The War Song - Culture Club (Ultimate Dance Mix) - too bad I lost my taped 12-minute mix of this tune

12) Down Under - Men At Work (Hot Tracks Remix) - most successful 80s Aussie act

13) Animal Magic - Belouis Some (Original 12" Dance Mix) - early 12" mixes; still have the vinyl EP of this one

14) What Have I Done To Deserve This - The Pet Shop Boys feat. Dusty Springfield (Hot Tracks Remix)

15) Chains Of Love - Erasure (Disconet Remix) - my fave Erasure song

16) Don't Stand So Close - The Police (Original 1986 Dance Mix) - nice remix

17) Opportunities - The Pet Shop Boys (Dub For Money Mix) - this version first heard on XB102

18) Away - Bolshoi (12" Extended Version) - nice one along with Sunday Morning

19) If You Leave- OMD (Edge Mix) - my fave OMD track

Link... MyWXB102TributeMix_The Beatmeister

Kudos to "The Station That Dares To Be Different."