DJ SPAZ. Photo courtesy of www.thefriendattack.com

During the course of this abysmal English summer, a Montreal DJ by the name of DJ SPAZ dropped a mix into TM that really cut through a lot of hazy, atmospheric summer type mixes we’d been getting that immediately made me sit up and connect.

After a couple of months of chatting by email, I can say that 33-year-old DJ Spaz, otherwise known as Alex Pearo, is one straight up no bullshit dude, which makes it even more of a pleasure to drop his mix on you lovely folk.

Spaz’s Robotic Mix starts with a winner of a tune, Chew Fu Phat’s remix of Florida hottie “I’m Da Man of My City” from Popov, throws in some Rico Tubbs, plus that nice Crooker’s remix I keep hearing everywhere – of Radioclit’s “Secousse” - then gets busy, banging through 40 odd more tunes.

The end result is a bouncing mix that’s most certainly informed by Alex’s anything-goes style (“good music whatever the style - if it sounds good I’ll probably drop it”), playing electro, Baltimore, ghetto house, house, hip hop, funk, dancehall. And no doubt further influenced by 15 years of Djing throughout Montreal: which included sitting tight on a hip hop and dancehall residency and being the buyer for indie hip hop at a record store for a good six years of those.

Alex explained that the tracks for Robotic Mix were all sourced via the internet, which was as much of a stylistic choice as it is an indicator of how important putting music online is these days.

He says:

“The interesting thing about this mix is all the different sources I used to get the music (blogs, forums, myspace pages, etc). It ain’t record digging like the old days aka 3 years ago, but the end result is similar. I think that the producers who remixed or produced the tracks on this mix have an original and futuristic sound, which is what drew me towards their music in the first place. Also surely many DJs might jump on some of these tracks eventually but they’ll have to hear it on a mix like this first.”

If you’re in Montreal, you can catch DJ Spaz on Thursdays at House - where they recently had DJ CZECH and LA RIOTS as guests – and at Coda’s Fix Fridays, one of Montreal’s biggest electro nights.

He’s jacked in the weekend residencies in favour of branching out of what can become a musical straight-jacket and getting out on the road, with Vancouver parties and an upcoming North American tour – can’t blame him really. Good luck with it Alex & keep us posted.

DJ Spaz - Robotic Mix

Robotic Mix Tracklisting

01. I’M DA MAN OF MY CITY (CHEW FU FIX)-POPOV
02. BMORE DOMINATOR-RICO TUBBS
03. SECOUSSE (CROOKERS RMX)-RADIOCLIT
04. LET’S GO TO WORK (ANDY GEORGES & JAKZ RMX)-BRYAN COX
05. BREAK IT DOWN (HERVE RMX)-ESTAW
06. BREAK IT DOWN (DETBOI RMX)-ESTAW
07. PUSH THE FEELING ON (DJ.DSTAR RMX)-HOODS UP
08. GANGSTER-RICO TUBBS
09. PARTY LIKE US (UDACHI RMX)-AC SLATER
10. TAKE ME UPP-N.R.O.T.B.
11. GUNSHOT LEAN FORWARD (ANDY GEORGE & JAKZ RMX)-DETBOI
12. SAY WHOA -A-TRAK
13. GRAB YA FUNKSTICK-KELEVRA
14. GET FAMILIAR FT RYE RYE (START THE VIOLENCE RMX)-COBRA KRAMES
15. EVERYBODY (HEADSHOTBOYZ RMX)-BACKSTREET BOYS
16. SOUND TAPE KILLING (DETBOI RMX)-TODDLA T
17. SMILE (DETBOI RMX)-KIDDA
18. STUCK ON REPEAT (FAKE BLOOD RMX)-LITTLE BOOTS
19. MOTHERFUCKING BASS (POPOF RMX)-DJ RUSH
20. RAVE ON-DON RIMINI
21. ON A ROLL MAN-MACHINES DON’T CARE
22. BACK IT UP MAN-FEADZ FT. SPANK ROCK
23. THE CHASE-ROB 3
24. BREW BARRYMORE-DIPLO
25. MAKING ME MONEY (SWITCH RMX)-JACKNIFE LEE
26. BIG DANCIN-BOUNCE CAMP
27. JERK IT (NACHO LOVERS RMX)-THUNDERHEIST
28. FASCINATION-KW GRIFF
29. NEWSTYLE CROOKS (CHAVY BOYS MIX)-SCOTTIE B
30. GETDOWN-METERHEAD
31. NERVOUS BREAKDOWN-DON RIMINI
32. MARS (DAVE NADA HOOD MIX)-FAKEBLOOD
33. MAKE IT BORDERLINE (RED FOXX RMX)-MICHEAL GRAY
34. HOLD ME DOWN (FOAMO RMX)-PRIMARY 1
35. BILL COSBY SWEATER (HOSTAGE RMX)-OH SNAP!
36. THROW IT AWAY (DESIGNER DRUGS RMX)-MESSINIAN
37. HOT CHICK (DETBOI RMX)-UFFIE
38. ANYWAY YOU CHOOSE TO GIVE IT (FAKE BLOOD RMX)-THE BLACK GHOSTS
39. LOOK FOR THE WOMAN (FAKE BLOOD RMX)-DAN LE SAC VS SCROOBIUS PIP
40. KAPUTT IN HOLLYWOOD (TROUBLEMAKER RMX)-ROBOSONIC
41. GREAT DJ (CALVIN HARRIS RMX)-THE TINGS TINGS

Photo credit: RO

Two bouncing hours taking in Hip Hop, Dubstep, Italo-house, Fidget, Ghetto and Techno, from Italy’s Phra & Bot for Radio 1’s essential mix, 21 June 2008.

Crookers Radio 1 essential mix

Betin Cocek - Intro Ca-Ca (PIC)
Erykah Badu - The Healer (Motown)
Nostalgia 77 - Seven Nation Army (CDR)
Dabrye - This Is Where I Came In (Ghostly)
Dabrye - Game Over (Flyin Lotus mix) (CDR)
Mr.Oizo - Z - (Ed Banger)
Portishead - Machine gun (Island)
Ratatat - Bird Priest (XL)
CSS - Lost (Dj Mehdi rmx) (CDR)
Syl Johnson - Different Strokes (Twilight Records)
Benga - Pleasure (Tempa)
Rusko - Mr. Chips (CDR)
Alter ego - F**kingham palace (Modeselektor rmx) (Klang Elektonik)
Radioclit - Secousse (Mental groove)
Radioclit - Secousse (Crookers Spino mix) (Mental groove)
Crookers - Il Buono (Mad Decent)
Tommie Sunshine - Limit Of Your Mind (Nic Sarno Remake) (CDR)
Crookers -Il Cattivo (Mad decent)
AC/DC - Thunder (CRKRS 10 min re-fix) (CDR)
Plastikman - Spastik (CDR)
Jape - Floating (D.I.M. Rmx) (CDR)
Chromeo - Fancy Footwork (D.I.M. Rmx)
Chromeo - Fancy Footwork (Crookers Rmx)
Boy 8 Bit - The Things That Freeks Are Made Of (CDR)
Kw Griff - The Force (CDR)
N.E.R.D. - Everyone nose - Phra re-fix
Outlander - Vamp (CDR)
Crookers - Il Brutto (Mad Decent)
Crookers - Il Brutto (Bloody Beetroots Il Bruttissimo rmx) (Mad decent)
Alan Braxe - Addicted (CDR)
AC Slater - Jack Got Jacked (Jack beats remix) (Palms Out Sounds)
Don Rimini - Let Me Back Up (Crookers Tetsujin mix) (Mental groove)
Crookers - Sveglia (Southern Fried)
Crookers - Knobbers (Southern Fried)
Duke Dumont - Hoy (Dubsided)
Math Head - Get Hype (Trouble and Bass)
Math Head - Turn the music up (Trouble and Bass)
Kid Cudi - Day’n'night (Crookers mix) (Fools Gold)
Busy P - To protect the entertain (Crookers mix) (Ed Banger)
Crookers - Big Money Comin’ (Southern Fried)
Yelle - Ce Jeux Acapella (CDR)
Foamo - Rockerman (CDR)
TJR - Sonic Chronic (Lee Mortimer mix) (CDR)
Bumblebees - Rio (Crookers mix) (Modular)
Crookers - Magic Bus (Southern Fried)
Crookers Ft Kid Cudi - Embrace the Martian (Southern Fried)

Coming in at number five six, No Love Lost Records meets U.K.’s Andy George!! Get to know a bit more about the young blood who co-promotes a spectacular club night at Moda, with partner Jaymo, in the South of London. Named by Kissy Sell Out, as one of his favorite nights out!! Is there a future NLLR mixtape for Jaymo? hint hint. Stay posted for more NLLR mixes!!!!

“ANDY GEORGE and DJ partner in crime, JAYMO, were recently offered that very rare opportunity of playing a legendary BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix, which they hosted in fine style alongside KISSY SELL OUT. The Essential Mix was recorded at a huge blowout edition of ANDY and JAYMO’s massively popular Fidget House and Electro club night, MODA, in Lincoln. MODA has quickly earned a reputation as one the absolute best club nights in the U.K. CROOKERS, SINDEN, SWITCH, BOY 8-BIT, ANNIE MAC, ZOMBIE DISCO SQUAD, BLACK GHOSTS have all played the night alongside ANDY GEORGE and his fellow MODA residents. ANDY gives us a perfect taste of the MODA vibe with his NLLR mixtape, splashing bass heavy exclusives and wobbly reworks every which way until the very last. The tracklisting for this mix reads like an A-to-Z of only the best Fidget House producers in the business, including of course ANDY himself. On with the mix” — Lee, NLLR

Andy George - NLLR Mixtape Project

01. Andy George - Intro
02. Tom Neville - Dance Moves (Tom’s Locked Up Remix)
03. Estelle Feat. Kanye West - American Boy (Nadastrom Remix)
04. Kudu - Let’s Finish (Sinden Remix)
05. Curses! - What I Need (Bulgarian Remix)
06. JakZ & Scott Cooper - Move Your Booty
07. Destroy Disco - Fly or Bounce (Jokers of the Scene Remix)
08. Moby - I Love To Move Here (Crookers Lemmesse Remix)
09. Lee Mortimer - Letting Go (Andy George Hype Remix)
10. Jaymo feat. Lady Red - On The Grind
11. The Kills - Cheap & Cheerful (Bloody Beetroots Remix)
12. Dynamite MC - What (Jack Beats Remix)
13. AC Slater - Party Like Us
14. Bizzare Inc - Playing With Knives (Andy George does L-Vis 1990 Re-Edit)
15. L-Vis 1990 - Apple Bass
16. Santogold - LES Artistes (Herve Re-Edit)
17. Underworld - Ring Road (Fake Blood Remix)
18. Busy P Feat. Murs - To Protect & Entertain (Original)
19. Radioclit - Secousse (Crookers Spino Remix)
20. Pin Me Down - Cryptic (Phones Materialisation Remix)
21. Does It Offend You Yeah? - Epic Last Song (Jack Beats Remix)
22. Wideboys - Project Bassline