Liner Notes

When the world has dealt its cards.....

2008-09-01T22:15:00.002-04:00

Every day I am reminded how lucky I am to have such amazing friends. The older I get, the more I enjoy spending quality time with those that are close to me. This afternoon, we gathered on Elmwood to have a glass of wine, eat some tasty burgers......and laugh. That we did many times. Almost to the point of tears.

So as the rest of my friends celebrate in Ptown, I do hope they know we are thinking of them and toasting to them!

Tender - Umbrella Mashup

2008-09-01T22:01:00.001-04:00

This just makes me smile every time....

2008-09-01T21:57:00.000-04:00

Happy Labor Day!

2008-09-01T21:56:00.000-04:00

but you held my hand, you took me right back down to hell

2008-06-15T19:15:00.002-04:00

okay, so I guess I owe a review of Kaskade's set from WetBar aka "Swerve" on Friday night. To be honest, he really put on a great show. Much better than the last time I heard him spin at the very same venue last September. Of course, that night it was so hot and slippery on the dancefloor that I really couldn't get into the music. It was like dancing on a greased cookie sheet. As I digress.

Ryan (Kaskade) was in town promoting his new CD titled "Strobelight Seduction" recently released on Ultra Records. I hadn't had the opportunity to listen to this CD yet, but I did go buy it on Saturday.

He went on some time after midnight, opening up with the title track from his new album called "Move for Me" a production that involve him teaming up with Canadian DJ Deadmau5, who in the past two years has exploded upon the house music scene. It's a beautiful track with an excellent female vocal. It was not a huge crowd, but very obvious from the start that everyone there was a huge Kaskade fan. He then played back to back tracks from his previous album, "Bring the night", including "Be Still" and Dirty South's massive remix of "Sorry". The crowd was very into his set at this point, and he then chose to go a little darker, which have been very characteristic of Kaskade as of late. He played several progressive house dubs, and threw in several songs from "Strobelight Seduction". Tracks I remember included a great new remix of Three Drives on Vinyl - Greece 2000 circa 1999, a classic house track indeed and hammered back in the day by the likes of PVD and Tiesto. I would note that the crowd was a nice mix of both gay and straight people. He finished off with one of my favorite new tracks by Funkerman called "Speed Up", then an older production called "Steppin Out", one of my favorites back in 2003. Finally, he ended the night with his relatively new track called "4am", a beautiful track indeed.

As to be expected, Kaskade delivered a quality set. His mixing was superb and on cue. This was my 7th time hearing him and I realize how talented he is each time I go out to hear him.

I would note that Brandon Sutton was there and dancing? which was a nice break. It seems that putting down the headphones has allowed him to come out of his shell and that makes me very happy.

Wake Up

2008-06-11T11:22:00.002-04:00

I received this strange email the other day from someone wanting to buy my blog from me....to the tune of $50. I suspect that he really wanted the domain name. Its true, I have neglected this space for quite some time now. Excuses aside (new job, boyfriend, etc.), my passion and love for music was brought back to life last weekend after going to hear my friend Jefferson spin at STATS. So me thinks I will get back on the blog and DJ thing and give it another shot.

Mama didn't raise a quitter. And maybe I will start with Kaskade this Friday night.

Let's see how far we've come

2007-12-17T19:58:00.001-05:00

what an incredible weekend. full of celebration, laughter, and emotion. after 6 years of school, Jarrett graduated this weekend with his Masters in CIS from Georgia State University. I am so proud of him, and I know that he is glad to finally be done with school....for now.

Friday night, his brother Ryan flew up from Satellite beach for the weekend. sure i was a little nervous. but those feelings faded quickly the minute he walked in the door. It is pretty awesome to have a family that is so accepting and open. we dined at Slice and then headed over to a very interesting party at Atlantic Station.

I managed to get most of my Christmas shopping done early on Saturday. I always wait until the last minute, but at least this time I had a plan. i had a list.

saturday night I had dinner with Jarrett's mom and brother at Room, Bob Amick's new restaurant in the Twelve Centennial Park hotel/condo building. the wine list was extensive and the food was very good. though it has only been open a short time, i fear it may not have the edge it needs to succeed. then it was off to the symphony to hear Handel's messiah.

and then there was sunday. Jarrett's sister flew up to surprise him, and we all joined up at the GA dome for his graduation ceremony. then a group of his friends and family gathered at STATs to celebrate the special day. (by the way, STATs is another new concept by Bob Amick. it's an upscale sports bar that is massive in size with a rooftop deck and has much potential once they iron out a few problems. mainly the warm tap beer... yuck). We had a great time, and I realized today how lucky Jarrett is. His family is so positive and accepting, and made me feel like i was part of the family.

next up: a trip to Florida to visit Jarrett's mom. and maybe a trip to Disney.

2007-12-17T19:58:00.000-05:00

2007-12-17T19:57:00.000-05:00

The McGills

SNM - Itajai Vibes (Wize remix)

2007-12-07T16:36:00.001-05:00

leave a message I'll get back to you

2007-12-04T18:42:00.001-05:00

I cannot get enough of Wize these days. I put him right up there with Phunktastike, my other favorite DJ at the moment. Wize is really the alias for Basile Fanon, the French DJ/producer/remixer who founded the group back in 2001.

remix of His production work as well as his remixes are qualility. Wize can best be described as "having a sound that is simply superb; it's a fusion of classic French House and Disco with something extra, giving it an uplifting quality." Well, soon to be released on Watona Sick Record label comes Wize'sSNM - Itajai Vibes. It is a really beautiful and uplifting track. I first heard in on Jody Wisternoff's recent live set on Justmusic FM. Take a listen above.

keep an eye out for Wize's newest production, a track called "Freedom". It is rumored to have incredible crosssover potential.

Keep an eye out for more releases from this talented DJ.

Rairbirds - Calling (7th heaven vocal mix)

2007-12-03T18:44:00.001-05:00

so i called a friend of mine

2007-12-03T18:36:00.000-05:00

You may be familiar with a funk rock band from the 90s named "Rootjoose", whose style of music closely resembled "surf rock" bands like that of Reef. They were from Cornwall, and their live performances included choreographed comedy dances and light shows that gained them much popularity with the people in the South West of England. The group's popularity grew through the late 90s and they were very close to breaking into the mainstream music scene when their record label went bankrupt in 2001. Well a few of the guitarists of Rootjoose have moved on to form a dance band called "Rairbirds", and I think they are pretty cool.

The band now describes their sound as "Part digital, part analog, part programmed, part played, everything we were and everything we became, for one and all for ever."

Their latest track titled "Calling" is great, with remixes from 7th heaven, skylark, and jerry ropero. My favorite so far being the 7th heaven vocal mix.

Check them out. You can download these tracks from Itunes or Beatport. Take a listen above.

you tell me that you're sorry, didn't think I'd turn around...and say.

2007-11-19T22:33:00.000-05:00

well i made it back from California safely. lemme tell ya, it was hard leaving San Francisco on Sunday morning. Such an amazing city it is. we spent the latter part of last week in the wine country. first a day in Sonoma, then hitting Napa valley on Friday. the weather was nothing short of perfect, starting with a cool mornings in the upper 40s, and warming up to the upper 60s by the afternoon. my favorite city along the way would have to be Healdesberg. It was like visiting Thomasville, Georgia but with all the charm and charisma one would expect in the wine country, complete with boutique shopping and some of the best food i have ever had.

We spent the weekend exploring San Francisco. Out hotel, The Palace, was fabulous and is one if not the oldest hotel in the city. I met up with an old friend from Atlanta that took us to the organic market at the Ferry Building on Saturday and of course a stroll through the Castro.

I cannot wait to go back and visit. and i can't wait for my wine to arrive in about a week.

2007-11-19T22:32:00.000-05:00

We stayed at The Palace, in San Francisco, the oldest hotel in the city.

2007-11-19T22:31:00.000-05:00

The view from Sterling Winery, in Napa.

2007-11-19T22:30:00.000-05:00

Dinner at The Girl and the Fig in Sonoma, California

2007-11-19T22:29:00.000-05:00

This was one of my favorite wineries, called "Bella".

2007-11-19T22:28:00.000-05:00

We spent Thursday in Sonoma

2007-11-19T22:27:00.000-05:00

Dinner at the Benziger Winery

and you see your gypsy

2007-11-16T10:57:00.000-05:00

well hello! Greetings from Santa Rosa. It has been an incredible week out here in California, beginning with just a little bit of work and ending with much fun. I flew in Monday morning, and have spent the past few nights out in wine country. I forgot how beautiful it really is out here, and makes me not look forward to coming back to Atlanta. Here are a few of my observations:

San Francisco truly is a pedestrian city. The cars actually stop and allow people to walk in cross walks. a novel idea i know, but try the very same thing in Atlanta and you will surely be hit.
It is so clean out here. The cities, the streets, the parks. It makes Atlanta look like a dump.
The price of gas out here is only a little higher than Atlanta.
I know nothing about wine. After hitting the wineries of Sonoma yesterday, I still am baffled by how much goes into the wine making process. And how many factors can cause a wine to taste linear, jammy, spicy, chewy, smooth, and just about any other adjective to describe the taste.
With the recent oil spill in the bay in San Francisco, the mayor decides to take trip out of town as all hell breaks loose. and the people of San Fran were not happy. I found it interesting that the morning newscasters openly expressed their disdain on air. would that every happen in Atlanta?

We are off to hit Napa today then back into San Francisco for the weekend. As I am sitting in the Aroma Roasters cafe here in Santa Rosa, I hear Fleetwood Mac - Gypsy playing and know i am home.

Later......

You'll flow down her river

2007-11-01T21:17:00.000-04:00

I believe the moment we sat down last night, Jarrett and I both wished we had worn our Halloween costume from last weekend. You see, at the very last minute, Erik loaned us his Neptune and Mercury costumes that he and Flippen wore to Halloween in New Orleans several years ago. and boy were they great. only requiring the magic of a warm iron and my vietvanese tranny pedicurist to tackle our feet. we had to wear sandals you see. the party turned out to be really fun, despite the 45 degree weather and my scantily clad body. thank goodness the gays were smart enough to rent one of those air heater machines that i thought some queen would certainly mistake for a speaker box and an opportunity to really "get her fierce on".

with Halloween 2007 taking place in the middle of the week this year, Jarrett and I were looking for something fun to do. we quickly eliminated the possibility of going to one of the various haunted houses for fear of waiting in line of hours. and i will be the first to admit that i may not have been the most excited about his idea: to have dinner at Trader Vic's and attend their "Hulaween" party. in fact, i think i may have even chuckled under my breath. I quickly called my parents to inquire about this place tucked away in the bottom of the Hilton Hotel downtown only to have my father reply, "Oh that place has been around for 30 years, I bet they haven't even changed the oil in the pans". now that is encouraging. but then again, I thought, "Why not?".

There is not doubt the place is a bit campy, kitschy, cheesy, and all of the those adjectives that can be inserted to describe a place that instantly transports you back into the 70s, completed with Tommy Bahama shirts, bamboo walls and ceilings, and Hawaiian themed decor all in major abundance. I felt like i was in that scene from "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" where they are on a day long mescaline binge at the hotel bar. Sans the merry-go-round. The crowd was very young, however, in stark contrast to what i expected. I thought for sure the place would be packed with overweight conventioneers with their trade show lanyards and Nextel two-way cell phones causing all kinds of noise pollution. Instead, it was a very college age group. respectable.

We ended up having a really good time. The place was packed, and just about everyone there had arrived in costume. and really good ones. we sipped Mai Tai's, their signature drink and on special that night, and had a really good meal. then it was of to hear the band they had playing in the bar called "Tongo Hiti". with songs ranging from "I want you to want me" to none other than "Lips like Sugar", I could see myself coming back with a group of friends. The thing i realized most last night was that sure it was random, but a welcome change from what was expected. I could have easily walked down to the local gay watering hole to see my favorite clowns, i mean drag queens perform. but i didn't.

Britney spears stoned

2007-10-18T06:39:00.001-04:00

I was really just looking to see Britney's new video for "Gimme More" and I came across this. MUCH more entertaining. I mean really?

and I can show you a silver lining

2007-10-14T08:08:00.000-04:00

The name Eric Kupper is not new to the music scene. In fact, his involvement in music expands well beyond the house music genre. He got his start two decades ago while working as a keyboardist and guitarist for such legendary DJs as David Morales, Frankie Knuckles, and Peter Rauhofer. And ever since 1986, he has played on, remixed, and produced over 1400 records for artists spanning nearly every musical genre.

Several years ago, Eric discovered the DJ disease and soon became a resident DJ at London's Pacha club alongside Hed Kandi for four years. He is now the resident DJ with Tokyo Disco, a joint venture with Mark Doyle, the former creator of Hed Kandi.

His remixes have a classic clean house style that I love. Some of my favorites over the years include Garbage "Bleed like Me", Samantha James "Rise", and Solu Music "Fade". I cannot quit listening to one of his newest productions that came out earlier this year, after hearing it almost nightly at the A-House in Provincetown. It features a vocalist named Belle and the track is called "Touch". It is the classic Hed Kandi Beach House sound that I love so much. It is available online.

Phunktastike September Promo

2007-10-13T15:11:00.001-04:00

Listen to Phunktastike's September 2007 Promo Mix.

midnight at the aquarium

2007-10-13T15:04:00.000-04:00

There are few DJs that can actually "wow" me with their technical skill and impeccable track selection. At least consistently. but Phunktastike, a dj that I have just discovered in the last six months, has done just that. Much like myself, he was first influenced by music from his sister, listening to the early works of New Order, Depeche Mode, and the Cure. It wasn't until 1998 that he first discovered house music, and now his productions and remixes are being hammered by Desyn Masiello and Luke Fair among others. I predict big things from this guy in the coming years. Take a listen to his September promo above.

I've been waiting, waiting to hold you all night

2007-09-11T18:37:00.000-04:00

well I am finally back from Provincetown. and to say i had a good time would be an understatement. 8 days of glorious cloud-free weather with temps in the 70s. some of the strongest rum runners to date at the boat slip. amazing seafood at the lobster pot. sleeping outside under a blanket of stars with the rustling of the leaves being the only sound for miles. bike rides to the breakwater. shopping on commercial. dancing to the signature tunes of DJ Lasalle at the A house.

it's always sad to leave a place that you love so much. but I'll be back. and it may be sooner than next summer.

pictures from the week are below.

2007-09-11T18:27:00.000-04:00

BJ and Jason were a lot of fun. I can see more trips in the future.

2007-09-11T18:24:00.000-04:00

Whale watching was a lot of fun.

2007-09-11T18:23:00.000-04:00

John Brown got a chance to show off the new beard. It's a good look, isn't it?

2007-09-11T18:22:00.000-04:00

The sunsets in Provincetown do not suck

2007-09-11T18:21:00.000-04:00

I finally walked all the way across the breakwater to the beach.

2007-09-11T18:20:00.000-04:00

We also spent time with a former Atlantan, Rob Borden, and his ultra-hot couple friends from Dallas. I may have had a big crush on both of them. I mean, how could you not with teeth like that??

2007-09-11T18:18:00.000-04:00

We stopped by Edwige to see the very hot bartender, Mark, and pick up his second release, This is Edwidge 2, with the CD design by Tony.

2007-09-11T18:17:00.000-04:00

it is pretty funny when all of the bartenders know your name and have your email address. just ask john brown. Jim, one of the regular bartenders at the A house, kept our glasses full with very strong skinnys.

2007-09-11T18:14:00.000-04:00

As John Brown would probably agree with me, it is really hard to take a bad picture from the deck of the boat slip. in fact, every afternoon, as the sun begins to set, i would find myself taking numerous pics of the very same thing, as the colors are changing every minute.

2007-09-11T18:13:00.000-04:00

As per usual, we danced our asses off to the sounds of DJ David LaSalle in the A-House. or Red Lobster on Cobb Parkway if you will.

are we there yet???

2007-08-28T21:33:00.000-04:00

With only three days left until i leave for the cape, i am scrambling to get everything finished on my "to do" list. and each day i find myself becoming increasingly anxious. but in a good way. call it senioritis if you will. part of me has already checked out at work so even the most annoying coworker only bothers me slightly. erik and i were talking about it this evening, like a pair of kids waiting for Christmas to come. I think that I am mostly looking forward to a time away from work and everyday life. to a place that seems so surreal and magical that one can only describe by having actually visited. patience......

you holdin' up traffic green means go

2007-08-27T08:11:00.000-04:00

as the scramble to get ready for Ptown commences this week, I can finally say that the CD is officially completed. of course, DJ David LaSalle was no help. I emailed him last week, evening attaching a picture to remind him who I was (as if he needed it) and I never heard back from him. maybe they don't have that high speed Super Net up on the cape. but i have a fairly good idea of what he and Mary Alice are playing.

Here's the tracklist. i will post a download link later in the week if you are interested...

"IT'S A 2 STREET TOWN, Y'ALL"
PTOWN LABOR DAY 2007
DJ JOHN THOMPSON

1.amy winehouse - tears dry on their own (alix alvarez sole channel mix)
2.montoja feat chianty - love comes over me (sunfreakz remix)
3.justin timberlake - lovestoned (kaskade remix)
4.freemasons feat amanda wilson - i feel like
5.iio - rapture (freemasons bootleg mix)
6.rihanna - push up on me (moto blanco club mix)
7.shayne ward - if that's ok with you (moto blanco vocal mix)
8.erasure - sunday girl (riffs and rays remix edit)
9.maroon 5 - makes me wonder (trent cantrelle vocal mix)
10.beyonce - green light (freemason vocal mix)
11.kelly rowland - like this (dj escape and coluccio main mix)

Enjoy.

souvenirs, novelties, party tricks

2007-08-26T19:20:00.000-04:00

the last few weeks have made me realize what truly wonderful and supportive friends i have in my life. first, with Erik and John's show at Mary's, where a large crowd of friends and family came to see the trials and tribulations of Norma Desmond. as played by none other than Erik in full character, makeup included. and to look out and see his entire family in the smoky gay dive-bar, laughing and cheering him on was really very cool. johnbrown played a slightly retarded PTown Barbie/Norma sidekick. the show was creative and very funny. after the show, people stayed around for me to throw down some fun music and give everyone a chance to catch up. on a monday night no less.

thursday night, a group of 70+ gathered at the our old stomping grounds, Gaylo, to send off our good friend John Flippen to NYC. He has taken a position in New York with Google, and i cannot tell you how proud and happy everyone is for him. it's bittersweet, though, as i have really gotten to know this amazing person really well in the last two years, and i will be sad to see him leave. i do, however, see a trip to NYC to visit real soon. yet again, thursday reminded how fortunate I am to have the friends that i do.

then there is Jarrett. while talking on the phone to my mom this afternoon, she replies, "i don't hear from you that often now that you are spending so much time with you 'new friend'". it's funny, as she cannot seem to make herself say "boyfriend" but simply acknowledging that I have someone special in my life is a start, right? and i am sure she meant it in the best possible way. the only thing that parents ever want for their children is for them to be happy and to share their life with someone they care about. it's true that Jarrett and I have been spending a lot of time together. he makes me laugh, and finds humor in my crazy ways. who else could watch me breakdance and do a 'back spin' on my laminate hardwoods and not think that i was insane. well, i just might be sometimes.

and i really don't have any idea why i became very insecure this afternoon, and pretty much acted like a fool. which sent him packing his things and making me feel really bad. there are always time in relationships where the other person will start to get on your nerves, and i clearly became that person with him today.

next up, Ptown. it's a 2 street town, y'all.......

2007-08-26T19:19:00.001-04:00

it's the day of the show, y'all!

2007-08-26T19:19:00.000-04:00

ankony and jason

2007-08-26T19:16:00.000-04:00

me and Beardy

2007-08-26T19:15:00.000-04:00

Erik and a very mischievous La Rose

2007-08-26T19:13:00.000-04:00

Drew and Jeffrey

you never know when love is coming your way...

2007-08-04T13:25:00.000-04:00

It appears that Liquified has pulled out of Opera/Eleven50 and made Wetbar their official venue for bringing house DJ to Atlanta. Who could blame them? The space is much bigger, and I am sure that the owners of Wetbar are happy, because I am really surprised the place is still open. It is never near capacity on a regular Saturday night. I was thrilled to see that Kaskade, one of my favorite DJs, will be returning to Atlanta on September 22. Get ready for a an amazing night of music.

And Ryan (Kaskade) will be releasing his next mix CD compilation titled "Bring the Night" on August 21st. Stay tuned for details....

you got the green light

2007-08-01T22:22:00.000-04:00

I can't help but find myself filled with excitement and joy for Erik and JohnBrown's upcoming show at Mary's in just a few short days. Tonight, we gathered over free range chicken and butter peas to discuss the evening....from music, to video to costumes. It is going to be brilliant i assure you , so plan on coming out to support these brave boys, and myself of course, as it promises to be a lot of fun.

and then i go and drop the bombshell, upon you.

2007-07-30T17:41:00.000-04:00

whew....that was exhausting. goodbye weekend.

i like to think of myself as a very easygoing guy. there are very few things that upset me or cause me to become angry. but poor communication and customer service can really work my nerve. after my air conditioner went on the fritz mid-week, i learned just how lucky or is it privileged we are go come home to a house that is 72 degrees.

by friday i was ready to leave the 84 degree desert at my condo, and the fact that it took until saturday to get someone out to my place had me in a full-on fag storm. i admit that part of the breakdown in communication has to do with me leaving my cell phone at Beardy's, but when i give simple instructions to a technician on the phone and he still manages to do the exact opposite, well, i just don't have time for that. i guess they don't call it Fort Knox for nothing.

i managed to release some stress with a bike ride, and later Beardy came over to inform me of his new job offer. so i treated him to a celebratory dinner at ECCO.

Jill and Walt's birthday brunch was a lot of fun. I had no idea that it would be such a big event, so I found several opportunities to inform everyone of the "Welcome to my Home" video on youtube. and, after a few sangrias, i managed to do a few impersonations. What??

as my trip to Ptown grows closer, i now focus on the T Shirts and CD. methinks i need to send a little email to DJ David LaSalle.......

2007-07-30T17:39:00.000-04:00

here i am doing my best Brenda Dickson....."Do you like this gown?"

2007-07-30T17:38:00.000-04:00

apparently, Chrissy found my Brenda Dickson impersonation funny

2007-07-30T17:37:00.001-04:00

Walt, the birthday boy

2007-07-30T17:37:00.000-04:00

me, Beardy, and just a tish of hyperhydrosis....

the sun rising up

2007-07-10T18:31:00.000-04:00

thank you, Tony, for filling me with such envy that i was forced to place an APB to mr. frank green and commence the Ptown planning early. it appears that someone has chronicled the July 4th holiday up on the cape through a series of photos, taken from the various parties that week. looks like much fun, but i can bet that none of the queens received a special "thank you" on the loudspeaker from none other than DJ David LaSalle for coming out and supporting him on the decks. johnbrown and i did, however, after attending a marathon dance session spanning two weeks. yeah, we might have gone to the A House every single night. but why not? there is nothing better than meeting Olivia and dancing your ass of to some of the finest house music in a club that closely resembles The Red Lobster on Cobb Parkway. after all, it is one of the oldest bars/clubs in the nation. now if i can only find a way to have Beardy join me in the promised land, even if it were only to amount to a couple of days.....

but first, i must prepare for the third of our Out & About events this sunday at Shout. of course, i have yet to mix and prepare the CD we intend to give out to the first 50 people through the door. but i tend to perform better under pressure. stay tuned.

now let's focus on beauty, exercise, and nutrition

2007-07-09T20:00:00.001-04:00

part 2 shows us brenda's secrets to maintaining that womanly figure. plus some helpful tips on nutrition (avoid all fat if possible, thanks brenda!) and cosmetic must-haves.

Ostrich feathers anyone???

2007-07-08T12:25:00.001-04:00

This is one of the funniest things i have seen in years.

took an oath, i'mma stick it out 'till the end

2007-07-05T20:18:00.000-04:00

well hello.

sorry for the lapse in blogging, but i have been buzy with other things.

here's what has been going on.... Pride '07 came and left so very quickly. i have to admit that it was refreshing to be able to attend the Sunday parade without having to dodge lightning bolts and downpours. john and erik's brunch was again a huge success, and the Sanctuary realty party on sunday afternoon was off the hook. I, for one, thought that seeing Chris Naeve dancing shirtless was well worth the $20 donation I made at the door.

Hottie McBearderton has now become Hottie McBoyfriend and i am really excited about that. It's funny, just when you think you have met everyone in this town, this awesome person comes into your life. He keeps me laughing and that is very important to me.

and now my focus turns to PTown, which is lest than 2 months away.....must....get....to.....gym.......

2007-06-24T21:19:00.000-04:00

me and dale

you can stand under my umbrella, eh eh eh

2007-06-11T19:09:00.000-04:00

i don't know why i love sundays so much. but i do. here's how it went down yesterday....

i had finished the hard part of creating the promo CD "heal" for out out & about event - ie. actually mixing the cd live, recording it, then using music editing software to "cut" the individual tracks. cause i know how johnbrown loves it so much when i give him one of my mixes and it is one single track. but what i didn't realize is how long it would take to burn all 50 cds. long story short --- i bike to get my car, stop by office depot for supplies, and spend the entire day burning cds and labels, reminding myself along the way that my time and effort will hopefully have an impact on a child in need. Rainbow house really is an important charity.

cut to Shout where after some major technical adjustments i was able to hook my equipment into both the house system as well as the enormous JBLs surrounding the "dj booth". of course i wasn't even close to being set up when a couple of queens working the very last bit of serotonin from memorial day weekend in pensacola were requesting, no demanding that i play "Glamorous", the chris cox remix of "hurt", and the new enrique iglesias "ping pong song". when i replied that i didn't have any of those songs (and not really sad about it one bit), they scowled at me in disgust. i mean really. these guys think that if i don't have the newest Tony Moran big room circuit remix of "insert any tired diva vocalist" then i am not a good dj. whatever. i am sorry if you find out about the hottest new songs by buying the latest Masterbeat cd compilation. yawn.

the party was very well attended, and as per usual, there was a whole slew of beautiful men i have never seen before. equally, there were several out & about regulars, many that i know very well. so well that at one point i looked up only to see 4 guys within a six feet radius of me with whom i have slept with. great.

when the place became real crowded, i caved in and played what they wanted to hear. as someone told me on sunday, "you can't change them". they want to hear kimberley locke, heather headley, and christina. and if i can keep these boys happy, drinking, and spending their money, then that is what i will do.

i managed to throw in some older tracks between the whomped up thunderpuss-double-extended-eleven-minute-big-room-club-house-diva-remixes. and like clockwork, they ate it up. i mean how can you not enjoy hearing a remix of echo and the bunnymen- lips like sugar? on a side note, i might have ended the night with the hot chip remix of amy winehouse - rehab.

flippy and the assistant were kind enough to help transport my equipment back to my condo. and then it we headed over to the assistant's pad for a post Shout recap. jarrett (my bearded date from tuesday) and dori (the love of my life) joined us, and over a few beers, we recounted the night and solved ALL of the worlds problems....... and then there was monday.

ever since the day we walked away, i don't care who's to blame

2007-06-10T09:42:00.001-04:00

yesterday's cookout at Mark and Chris's newly renovated bungalow on Elmwood was much fun. what started out as a housewarming quickly turned into a celebration for several reasons. first, it was both mark and chris's birthdays. and we were also welcoming jeff and his boyfriend craig to town from chicago for a visit. and finally it provided an opportunity to see their new home. after nearly a year of stress, meetings with contractors and architects, and a big chunk of money, they have moved back in to a really beautiful home. i'm not jealous, but i did notice that the master closet is as big as my 700 square foot condo.

burgers and hot dogs were served. as well as a keg of beer which is trouble because you just seem to lose count after about three trips to the tap. an eclectic mix of people gathered to celebrate. and we did. i managed to get a checker cab home just before midnight. now that's respectable.

next up: out & about @ Shout. see you there.

2007-06-10T09:40:00.000-04:00

the boys from chicago

2007-06-10T09:39:00.000-04:00

the always handsome Boo

2007-06-10T09:37:00.000-04:00

chris and JB

2007-06-10T09:36:00.000-04:00

me and the birthday boy

Heal

2007-06-07T06:31:00.000-04:00

2007-06-06T20:17:00.000-04:00

this sunday, we are holding our second Out & About event, this time moving back to our original location of Shout. The benefiting charity this month is CHRIS Kids, but more specifically, "The Rainbow Program". I really have taken an interest in this necessary program, that provides a safe and supportive residence for homeless and runaway gay, lesbian,bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth. Having come out when I was 25 years old, i can only imagine how my parents might have reacted had i been much younger. Sunday also is a warm up to CHRIS Kids
"Premiere Party", which will be taking place at the Georgia Freight Depot the following Sunday. Finishing touches are being made on this month's CD called "Heal", and the first 50 people in the door on sunday will receive one. so come out and support and excellent cause and hear a little good music while you are there.

Out & About - June 10, 2007

"Heal"

1. groove invaderz feat nicole tyler - keep risin (groove invaderz mix)
2. bob sinclar feat gary pines - give a lil love (harlem hustlers vs bob sinclar remix)
3. simply red - stay (grant nelson remix)
4. freemasons feat judy tzuke - vacancies (original mix)
5. dennis christopher - sign your name (soul corporation club mix)
6. disco freaks - take me to the sun (freemasons remix)
7. dj wady and junatik - i want you (hott22 remix)
8. freemasons feat julie thompson - you're not alone now
9. darren hayes - step into the light (moto blanco remix)
10. armand van helden - i want you soul
11. armand van helden - my my my 2006 (stonebridge remix)
12. mika - love today (moto blanco club mix)

keep on jumpin, let your body fly

2007-06-04T16:49:00.000-04:00

the weekends are just too short. here's what happened.....

friday night was so beautiful so erik and i went on our own TOGA or Tour of Gay Atlanta ifyouwill. we started with drinks at blake's and left just as the skating rink dj announced that the drag show would be starting soon.

on to amsterdam, or the gay Dave & Buster's as i call it. i just cannot figure out that place, and it is apparent that the owners cannot either. they are trying to cater to everyone, and despite the efforts, they seem to lose everyone. it should be called "pre-heretic" as the place goes from packed to deserted at the midnight hour. so we did as everyone else, we ventured on to the heretic where the music was mediocre at best......as was the crowd.

saturday = on call = time to mix next week's Out & About CD titled "Heal". I am really happy with how it turned out. i plan on posting the mix as well as the tracklisting later in the week.

and then there was sunday. john brown cooked brunch for twelve of us and it was really amazing. my favorite part was the blueberry cobbler with creme fresh. delicious! and a typical sunday ensued. i picked up foreman mid afternoon, and we headed to barry's "summer fest porch party". strangely, i didn't know very many people there, but of course, there were several guys there i would like to know better. on to admire mark and chris's new renovation on elmhurst, and shocker, on to blake's....cause it's on the way home after all. i managed to chat with beardy mcbeardyton that i met only a few days ago. so i flipped the switch and landed a dinner date this week. maybe my 3 month drought is coming to an end.....

2007-06-04T16:48:00.001-04:00

2007-06-04T16:48:00.000-04:00

bj and my 7 chins

2007-06-04T16:46:00.000-04:00

bj and jason - "couple of the year"

2007-06-04T16:45:00.000-04:00

the love of my life dori

2007-06-04T16:44:00.000-04:00

the very talented john brown

2007-06-04T16:42:00.000-04:00

me and foreman taking in mark and chris's new bathroom

2007-06-04T16:40:00.000-04:00

You bring light in

2007-05-24T21:04:00.001-04:00

You're the sun and the sky and the blue that runs through it

2007-05-24T18:45:00.001-04:00

If there is one name that can be associated with the start of house music as we know it, then that would be Frankie Knuckles. Born in South Bronx, New York in 1955, Frankie grew up listening to the jazz music his sister used to play. In school, he studied costume design and commercial art, but that wouldn't be the career path that he would follow. Instead, in 1971, he was offered a job by (the late) legendary DJ Tee Scott who was the resident DJ at Better Days, a club in New York. and every monday and tuesday night, Frankie got to take control of the dance floor from the DJ booth. Having been a long time childhood friend of the also legendary DJ Larry Levan, they first worked together back in 1972 at a club called "The Gallery" in upstate new york. A year later, Frankie joined Larry as the alternate DJ at "Continental Baths". When Larry Left in 1974 to open his own club, the prototype for "Paradise Garage", well Frankie took over as the head DJ at Continental Baths until its end in 1976.

In 1976, while Larry was involved in setting up "the Garage", he was approached by a group of investors and asked to become the resident DJ of a new club they were opening up in Chicago. Larry didn't want to leave, and since "the Baths" had just shut down, Frankie was asked to make the move to Chicago and become the resident DJ of the legendary club "The Warehouse". You have to remember that back then they were only calling it house music in Chicago, the word used to denote something that was "cool, hip, fresh, or bad". And the Warehouse was the place to be for many years. Designed to hold only about 600 people, but on any given night, nearly 2000 people would cram themselves into this 3 story factory building to hear the magic of Frankie Knuckles. The crowd was mostly gay and nearly all black, but one thing that bound this group of people together was their love for house music.

Frankie continued to reel in the masses for years until the Warehouse finally closed in 1982 at which time Frankie opened up his own club just a few miles up the road called "The Power Plant". By this time, house music was in full swing in Chicago so it was deemed to be the birthplace of a genre of music that continues to draw the masses on a regular basis. The whole genre of house music can be traced back to Frankie Knuckles and his influence on the city.....hence the term "house music".

Years later, Frankie would take to production in the studio and churn out such classics as "The Whistle Song" which even today can be heard by many a DJ. He has remixed songs by Luther Vandross, Janet Jackson, Diana Ross, and even Michael Jackson. In fact, his remixography contains more than 200 tracks, so many that even Frankie cannot even remember them all. In 1997, he was the first DJ turned producer to receive a Grammy Award for his mixing skills. He has released several compilations and makes guest DJ appearances at clubs across the world. He is highly respected by his peers and the music industry.

If you are in town this weekend, make sure you go hear Frankie, as he is part of Liquified's lineup at WetBar on Saturday night. It should be a very interesting and mixed crowd, which means it will be people there to hear some really great music.

shooters, shooters, guys git ur shooters.....

2007-05-17T19:11:00.000-04:00

it's no secret that i spent a lot of time at backstreet. we all did. we are all guilty trashing the place, and frequently on any given weekend night saying "oh, i won't be going to backstreet tonight, that's for sure" (only to walk in later that evening/early morning and run into the very same people that you said this to). the truth is, you knew what you were going to get at backstreet, it was consistent. much like the heretic is/was today. and now with the gay atlanta nightlife as lame as it is, we find ourselves longing to have this dive of a club back.

i have had my eye on a zip up jacket with the above slogan on the front. i should have purchased it when backstreet closed several years ago, and they sold off everything in the place. recently, i saw Juan, the oddly hot and very friendly server at Quattro wearing this very same jacket. knowing that he used to work there, i have dropped several hints to him over the last few months about my desire to have my own. and he has promised to look in his closet for a jacket or shirt for me. then i remembered that a girl i work with is a roommate of the Vara's daughter. turns out it wasn't very hard. the Vara's love to hear that people loved the gay institution known as backstreet. so this week, i scored a t shirt, some magnets, and my very own piece of the dance floor. RIP backstreet.

Carry Me Away

2007-05-14T18:13:00.000-04:00

Chris Lake has to be one of the hardest working DJs in the world. The 24 year old Scottish DJ, producer, and remixer has made a big name for himself in the UK house scene. In fact, he has accomplished more in the last few years than many DJs will in a lifetime.

Born wayyyy back in 1982 (geez) in Norwich (UK), Chris was raised for the first twelve years of his life in a small village before moving to Scotland where he is currently based. But it was during his time at the Mintlaw Academy where he was first introduced "to all this keyboard stuff" by a friend and was immediately hooked. After dropping some cash on a keyboard, they were soon creating their own tunes.

But it wasn't until 1999 when Chris was introduced to "Underground Music", that of the UK house scene and he was hooked again. He spent several months landing guest spots at various clubs in Scotland, and then just six months later, he was offered a residency at Passion in Aberdeen. For the next two years, Chris concentrated on his DJ'ing, unleashing driving and energetic house music to the masses that would come to hear him at Passion.

In 2001, he once again returned to the studio to start producing and remixing. He created a cheeky little bootleg of Danny Tenaglia's track "Elements of Der Shieber", and somehow it found its way into the hands of Seb Fontaine who dropped it on his Radio 1 show four weeks running. It even made the live broadcast from Radio 1's Ibiza opening party that very year.

His next production was called "Phatter Planet" which was a re-rub of Leftfield's "Phat Planet". The success of this track has been amazing, receiving the props and respect from some of the biggest progressive house DJs in the world such as Tiesto, Timo Maas, and even Desyn Masiello.

For the last several years, his name has become synonymous with quality house music. His monster Track "Changes" took the country and world by storm, and was even named by Pete Tong as the essential new tune in December of 2005. He has even formed his very own record label called Rising music. Not bad for a guy who hasn't even made it to 25.

This week, Chris returns with a track that I have been anxiously waiting for. The track, called "Carry me Away", features the vocals of Emma Hewitt, is nothing short of beautiful. It really reminds me of something by Reflekt, or even the track released earlier this year by Atrium - called "In love with you". It builds and builds with a nice bass line and piano riff only to be complemented by Emma's gorgeous vocal. pure class. Check it on Chris's website.

Buzzin' Fly Vol 4

2007-05-11T18:19:00.000-04:00

Ben Watt, house DJ and former member of the group Everything but the Girl, returns with the fourth installment of his very popular CD compilations called Buzzin' Fly. Set to be released on his very own record label, Buzzin' Fly Records, this time Ben moves away from his signature house sound. I was able to get my hands on a promotional copy, and I was a bit disappointed. And probably because I was expecting something along the lines of the first in this series or even the Lazy Dog CDs. Though it does warrant a further, more detailed listen.

Apparently, the Buzzin' Fly is moving a away from its house origins,and dabbling in deep techno, electro, and even progressive house music. I noticed upon first listen that there are very few if any vocals on the CD, and the first few songs are very techy and bleepy. along the lines of tiefschwarz, which I have found some of their work interesting, but again not what one would expect to hear on a ben watt CD. In addition, the CD comes bookended by spoken word extracts from his long running Out-spoken project.

Paul Van Dyk - Another Way

2007-05-10T16:24:00.001-04:00

in honor of the #1 DJ in the world coming to the Tabernacle in Atlanta tomorrow night, I wanted to post a video taken from his 2003 album Titled "Paul Van Dyk: Global". I found the CD in the back of one of my cabinets while cleaning on Sunday, and I forgot how good this mix really is. It brings me back to the Winter Music Conferfence of 2003....And since NO ONE has expressed any interest in going to hear this beautiful man tomorrow night, i guess I will settle for something recorded.....

tonight should be fun though. I am spinning atop the rooftop bar of the Glenn Hotel downtown for the Assistant's cocktail party for the Coca-Cola company. This life sure is hard....

2007-05-08T21:28:00.000-04:00

tell me why

2007-05-08T21:22:00.000-04:00

my weekend was fairly quiet, as i as on call saturday and sunday. but upon leaving the gym on friday evening, i was offered a last minute ticket to Chastain to hear Corinne Bailey Rae and John Legend. Naturally, I was very excited as they are both very talented artists that I would like to know more about. you see, my interest in music is much deeper and developed than some 4 x 4 beat.... and the company pictured above could not have been better.

we jumped into Thomas's Denali and headed down in style, only to find that the traffic was terrible. it must have taken us nearly an hour to travel 2 miles up to the Blue parking lot. so we uncorked a bottle of wine and put the gwen stefani dvd in and relaxed. it was like a super mom mobile, those yukons....

unfortunately, we arrived at our table just as Corinne was finishing her last song, which was a big disappointment to me. John Legend came on and was phemonemal. He put on a fantastic show, we dined on chips and dips and some really tasty red wine, and the weather turned out to be perfect, despite the "predictions" of rain in the forecast.

on sunday, i finally took the time to set up my external hard drive, a christmas gift from my parents nearly 6 months ago. my library of music has become so large that my hard drive was full, even to the point that it was slowing down. and didn't even have enough room to defragment.... it turned out to be a very easy task, and soon i had expunged nearly 30 gigs of music and transferred it all over to my new 160 gig external hard drive.

and as i got in bed sunday night, i was thinking about some of the anger and disappointment that I have been holding in over the past few months about a certain someone in my life. and it has bothered me to no end. my friends know that i am someone who is pretty forgiving, and i just finally came to a realization that all things aside, life is way to short to hold grudges. and with that, just like my hard drive on my computer, i forgave that person and erased all bitterness and anger out of my life. and lemme tell ya, i feel much better because of it

dj john thompson - halloween 2006

2007-05-05T16:48:00.001-04:00

here is a live mix recorded at a halloween party i spun back in october.

The infamous John Brown cartwheel

2007-05-02T20:35:00.001-04:00

Spin - out & about

2007-05-01T22:38:00.001-04:00

I thought i would provide the tracklisting from the promo cd we gave to the first 50 people at Sunday's event. If you didn't make it early enough to receive one, you can stream this mix below.

Spin - out & about 2007
dj john thompson

1.miguel migs - mesmerized (alix alvarez sole channel vox mix)
2.carl kennedy - ride the storm
3.samantha james - rise (eric kupper remix)
4.hott 22 feat angie zee - just friends (hott 22 remix)
5.freemasons - nothing but a heartache
6.booty luv - shine (moto blanco club mix)
7.supafly - moving too fast (northwest remix)
8.goldbumpers - change (extended vocal club mix)
9.noir pres the soul flava - hot (club mix)
10.rockefeller vs alibi - sexual healing (freemasons vocal mix)
11.beyonce & shakira - beautiful liar (freemasons club vox mix)
12.sophie ellis bextor - catch you (moto blanco club mix)

It might just be good for you

2007-05-01T20:13:00.001-04:00

If you are a fan of the group Way Out West, then you may be familiar with Jody Wisternoff. As part of this ubiquitous progressive house act know for such tracks as "Stealth" and "Mind Circus", the 26 year old european DJ, remixer, and producer has definitely made a name for himself in the last few years. His production work is nothing short of perfect, having released several tracks in 2006 that progressive house DJs all over the world are rocking at the moment. This includes "Cold Drink, Hot Girl" as well as "Nostalgia", released just a few months ago. Both of the aforementioned track are available for digital download at Beatport. Each month, Jody releases a new house mix titled "Way out There", usually on Proton Radio. They contain a collection of released and upcoming house tracks that are sure to be big in the coming months. On April 26th, Jody released his newest Way Out There mix in two parts, containing new tracks such as "Armed" by Pryda (Eric Prydz alias), and legendary vocalist Billie Ray Martin called "Undisco Me".

But what really caught my attention is the first track on Part 2 by a group called Relation. The song titled "Your Tiny Mind" as remixed by Lifelike is stunning. It sort of reminds me of something by Tiga or the Killers, with a male vocal over an uplifting synthesized and melodic harmony. It is by far the classic sound of Lifelike, better know for his remix of "Discopolis" early last year. Check out a clip of "your tiny mind" below. Enjoy!

your tiny mind

2007-04-30T20:51:00.000-04:00

yesterday's out & about 2007 kick-off event at Loca Luna was a great success. we were all a little nervous going into sunday, as we were at a totally different location, and one that lacks its own surface lot now that ANOTHER condo building is going up on the site formerly known as Backstreet....

Surprisingly, the gays showed up in gaggles, even arriving as early as 4:30pm, which was unheard of when we hosted at Shout. The weather could not have been more beautiful, and i think that people really liked the space. though i can see how it would probably get too hot in the middle of summer.

the total in donations collected at the door is just shy of $1800! We estimate that somewhere around 200 people were in attendance. big thanks to johnny sinclair for all of his hard work at the door. who knew that people would donate an extra $5 for a hug?

I think everyone enjoyed the music. I did have several compliments. and i can clearly remember two trainwrecks.....the most unflawless of trangressions....all while flirting with Scott Davis. even three years later, he still melts me....

our next event takes us back to Shout in june to benefit ChrisKids Rainbow program.

come with me

2007-04-21T10:24:00.000-04:00

here's the official advertisement for next week's Out & About. It will be a guaranteed good time.

we have everything we need

2007-04-17T17:51:00.000-04:00

I think i have finally found a way to post new music and mixes to my blog. so here goes my first attempt. let me know if this works..... click link below to download.

JT's spring mix 2007

me and my imagination

2007-04-17T17:49:00.000-04:00

It's that time again. you know, spring in Atlanta, one of my favorite times of the year. and it's time to kick off this years Out & About events. I expressed an interest to become more involved this year, aside from simply spinning at the events, which i love so much. our meeting last week was very productive; it's amazing what kind of ideas can come about in a one hour brainstorming session over salads. it seems like we have finalized the details for our first event, to take place in less than two weeks at Loca Luna. sure i have some work to do, but trust me, it will be a fantastic event. stay tuned for details.

2007-04-10T21:07:00.000-04:00

If you are a fan of Chicane, then you will be happy to know that new material from this group is due out this year. It's funny, I was at a party recently and we were talking about music, and I was really surprised to find out how many people have never heard of Chicane. I can remember first listening to Chicane back in 2001, after a long night at Backstreet. It was perfect morning music....

The mastermind behind the group 'Chicane' is Nick Bracegirdle. Back in 1996, after finding himself really bored with bad dance records that seemed to be churned out one after the other, Chicane was formed and the first single "Offshore" was released that very same year. Numerous very popular singles soon followed, including 1998's "Strong in Love" which is one of my favorites. Then, in 1999, Nick teamed up with long time friend Bryan Adams to produce "Don't give up" which eventually surpassed Madonna on its way to #1.

The last we heard from Chicane was last year when the track "Stoned in Love" was released, featuring the vocals of Tom Jones. This was a big track for me last year, though I am not sure that it caught on in the USA.

Back in February of this year, Chicane announced their split from Universal Records. Instead, they are going back to their very own in independent record label, Modena Records, on which the track Offshore was originally released. Their forthcoming album, titled "Somersault" is set to be released on the aforementioned record label in mid June. Chicane just finished shooting the video for the first single from Somersault called "Come Tomorrow" which is scheduled to be released in May.

give a lil love

2007-04-05T18:22:00.000-04:00

For years, when you thought of global dance music, you often thought of New York, London, and Chicago - the birthplace of House Music. But it wasn't until the late 1990's that a new wavy of funky and cool tracks began emerging from Paris. This new sound, which was appropriately called "Le French Touch" by the UK music press, was inspired by soul and disco as well as early New York and Chicago house music. First came Dimitri from Paris, better known for his compilations "A night at the Playboy Mansion". Then Daft Punk came on the scene, and has been on the forefront of electronic dance music even today.

But in 1998, the smash hit "Gym Tonic" emerged, featuring vocals sampled from a Jane Fonda workout tape and credited to Bob Sinclar. Of course at that time, no one knew who Bob Sinclar was, though it was rumored that he was a spy, sunglass model, and even a hardcore pornstar. Turns out, his name was just an assumed identity of one Chris Lefriant. In fact, Chris wasn't new to the club music scene. Raised in La Marais, a bohemian and gay neighborhood of central Paris, Chris initially wanted to be a tennis pro. But when he heard DJs spinning hip hop, funk, and soul music, his interest quickly shifted to electronic music. For years, his focus was mainly jazz and R&B, but it wasn't until the late 90's after hearing the likes of Arman van Helden and Kenny "Dope" that Chris found the 4x4 beat of true house music. And that his when he realized what power a track can have on a dancefloor.

The last few years have been huge for Bob Sinclar. And again, his style has now changed into a catch, pop, feel good sound, with soaring melodies and uplifting lyrics. His release of the album "Western Dream" in the Spring of 2006 featured the very popular track "Love Generation" with the vocals coming from Gary Pines of the reggae group the Wailers. In fact, Love Generation sold over 120,000 copies with its first two weeks of release, and is featured as the them song from french TV's Pop Idol (the french version of American Idol). Other tracks from western Dream that have been big include Tennessee, World, Hold on, and Rock this party.

This week, another track from Western Dream is released, called "Give a Lil Love". Featuring the vocals once again of Gary "Nesta" Pine of the Wailers, this track for the changing season. The Harlem hustlers vs. bob sinclar whistle remix is nice, yet it sounds too much like previous productions, ei: world, hold on. Go straight to the "Electro Blues remix" and you will be happy. It has the perfect sound of spring and summer: uplifting vocals, heavy piano riffs, and synthesized strings. And if you listen closely, the sound of children singing in the background? It works.

Look for Bob Sinclar's next relsease, "Soundz of Freedom", due out in May of 2007. It features 14 exclusive remixes and 6 edits of his previous work.

2007-04-04T18:47:00.000-04:00

For years, Paul Van Dyk has been named in the top 5 DJs in the world. But in October 2006, for the second year in a row, DJ Magazine named him the top dj in the world. DJ Magazine is known as a prestigious reference point for DJs around the world, and this vote drew over 250,000 votes from over 235 countries. Not only is this DJ a grammy nominated remixer and composer, but he is also a political activist, when he became involved with the "Rock the Vote" campaign in 1994 to encourage America's youth to exercise their right to vote. This marked the first time that an electronic artist was involved with the campaign as he joined other artists such as Mary J Blige, Bono, and Lenny Kravitz.

Growing up in communist Berlin, it wasn't until after the wall came down in 1989 that a growing culture of electronic and techno music emerged. But Paul found himself looking for another sound. The debut of his unique style of dance music wasn't until 1991 at the Berlin club "Tresor". From there, Paul focused on composition of new music, and his first production called "Perfect Day" was released in 1992. In the late 90's, Paul released his first album called "45 RPM" was released, and soon he was gaining popularity with the American house scene. In fact, he even held a residency at the infamous New York dance club Twilo. In 1999, Paul created his own record label called Vandit Records, and since then has released numerous remixes and compilation CDs on this very label.

Now that Eleven50 has closed its doors for renovations (yet again), my enthusiasm for the house music in Atlanta began to fade. Until I found that Liquified has totally revamped their website and has an exciting spring line up. And this time, he won't be here on a Tuesday night, as in previous appearances in Atlanta. And not only that, but he will be playing at the Tabernacle.

Having been described as a "trance" DJ, I have personally read posts and listened to some of his live sets, and can say he really runs the line of progressive house. And from what I have heard, he consistently puts on a fantastic show.

bang the box

2007-04-03T19:21:00.000-04:00

This summer, Lovebox Weekender 2007 returns for a two day musical celebration in London's Victoria Park. Now heading into its fifth year, this annual festival organized by none other than Groove Armada, features cutting edge musical acts. It is a far cry from corporate saturated music events. Instead, this event is put on and run by people who live and breathe music. Although the headlining acts have yet to be announced, as you can see above, there is quite an eclectic collection of bands, electronic musical acts, and talented DJs. Even more interesting is that the B-52's will be appearing on Sunday, playing their first UK show in over ten years.

more info is available at www.loveboxweekender.com

i've given up on hopes of leaving, a broken bridge at every choice that i make

2007-03-27T21:48:00.000-04:00

when i was making the aforementioned cd on sunday, i was looking at some of the tracks that one of my favorite djs, Luke Fair, has spinning in his recent sets. Luke Fair, the young canadian dj that I have spoken about before, has a certain style that runs the line of funky and progressive house music without becoming too dark and monotonous. in fact, i often think that i like to emulate his style of mixing and song selection.

i came across a group called "add 2 basket" that really intrigued me. after further research, i found out more about this dj duo that call themselves by this name. and here it goes....

add 2 basket is actually made of Shootie (who is one half of the group the Monkz) and the guy pictured above, named Andras Genser. Genser is a DJ from Budapest who was born in 1979. ironically enough, his love of music started at a young age, much like myself. in fact, i was even further intrigued to find out that he actually went through a point in his life where he was into hair bands, of which he calls his "hard rock season". just like andras, i was really into glam bands in the late 80's, attending the concerts of tesla, poison, and warrant to name a few.

it wasn't until the age of 20 that andras discovered his love of house music. while working as a bell boy during the day, andras saved his tips to which the money went straight to buying house music on vinyl. while working at this five star hotel, he met several "A-list" djs such as sander kleinenberg and nick warran, because as bell boy he was required to carry their record bags to their respective rooms. turns out, it was a chance meeting with harry "choo choo" romero that later landed him a gig at Pacha Budapest, after he gave one of the promoters there his mix and he like what he heard.

while spinning at Pacha, he met Shootie, and they began spending time together in the studio. a collaboration ensued, and soon they decided that they needed to put a name to some of their work. but they wanted something that would stand out, something that was catchy. turns out, their name comes from online record stores, as when you are purchasing music online, and you find a track you like, you must "add it to basket". as their productions improved and work began to take more solid form, they formed an online digital label called "add 2 basket records" which is available on Juno, 3 beat, beatport, and dj download. they have had over 2000 downloads to date.

this past october, andras was invited to sweden on a renaissance halloween party to play alongside nick warren and nic fanciulli. pretty cool that only 4 years before, he was carrying their record bags. check out http://www.beatport.com/ for digital downloads of add 2 basket.

it's hard to describe their style. blending house music with 80's, pop, disco, funky, synthesized, melodic and electro, it somehow really works. i love it.

part of me

2007-03-26T18:51:00.000-04:00

how was the weekend? just fine i guess. i spent some quality with flippen on friday night. we dined in the highlands and made an appearance at Amsterdam where i found out they have a kitchen as evidenced by the large condiment cart near the door. i thought you weren't supposed to dine where ya disco? lord i know a certain queen who would love one of those at his house. 'cause you know, nothing is too good for a dipping sauce :)

brett's birthday part on saturday night was much fun. chris's house was full of a very hot and sexy A-list crowd but a definite lack of alcohol. of course, i guess word got around cause there were clearly more people there than had been invited. but then i was criticized by a fellow music blogger at the party for getting too personal and open on my blog. i thought that was what a blog was for, to talk about the things going on in your life, an online diary of sorts? alas, i do know i have spoken a lot about the people in my life, mainly tim, as it seems that was one of the only ways i was able to communicate my feelings with him. pretty sad that these days the most meaningful things to people are expressed in text messages, emails, and blogs. what happened to simply telling someone how you feel, like in person? oh i do remember...

i'm sure that people are tired of hearing about my failed relationships and near routine morning coffees with diane.. so now i look to focus more on music, as that is something i am passionate about and a part of my life where i have actually been successful.

the above picture is of a dj that i just discovered this weekend. his name is serge devant, and he grew up in St. Petersburg, in the old soviet union. serge was trained classically in the violin and piano before moving to the united states. after opening for Tiesto in 2005, Crobar requested him to become their resident DJ. he really has a great sound, and he has signed two new tracks, "surround u" and the forthcoming "part of me" due out later this year on Ultra records. The latter of which has been remixed by Emjae, and the result is a brilliant track with a georgeous male vocal. check out a clip here.

yesterday i sat down and mixed a new CD, this time leaning toward a more progressive sound, as i know with Shout events in the works, i will be playing a lot of freemasons this summer. the tracklist is below, and if you want a copy, i will be happy to email it to you.

DJ John Thompson
spring 2007

1.monkz - space dizko (add2basket remix)
2.emjae - hold me down (jim connor and raw shape remix)
3.damian strong - love shop (12" mix)
4.leama and moor - distance between us (jody wisternoff remix)
5.d-pulse - can't stop the morning light (phunktastike remix)
6.add 2 basket - lovey dovey (main vocal mix)
7.turbofunk - gotta move (trent cantrelle and chris cox mix)
8.the quasar - october (monkz remix)
9.blue amazon - and the rain falls (add 2 basket and monkz remix)
10.emjae - safe from you
11.karran & porter - what killed tony montana (phunktastike mix)
12.red squared - don't be afraid (tom novy vocal mix)

comments are welcome..

the clock was always ticking

2007-03-20T22:24:00.000-04:00

today marks the kick off of the wconferenceinter music in miami, and i would love nothing more to be down there right now. so i must live vicariously through the posts of local djs around the world. that's okay, cause i know i will make it back to this week long celebration of music real soon.

and with the conference, comes loads of new music. i came across a new track by mutya buena, one of the original members of the sugababes, who left the group in 2006 to pursue a solo music career. if you remember back to early '06, the sugababes came out with a track called "easy" as remixed by seamus haji, owner of Big Love records. now mutya is working on a new album that is due out early summer of this year. her new track is a collaboration with george michael called "this is not real love", and the remix by Moto Blanco is superb. this time, miki moto and bobby blanco take a slightly more funky progressive approach in contrast to their normal straight up house sound. and it works. i am sure it will be a big track this week in miami.

you have it all, the latest, the greatest

2007-03-19T21:16:00.000-04:00

i'm still trying to figure out why i felt so good today. i'm not complaining, but it just doesn't add up....

after two days on call, i was ready to cut loose and have some fun. so after the gym and a yummy breakfast at pot and pan, i set out on a bike ride with bret and johnbrown. it was a near perfect early spring sunday in atlanta, the sky so crisp and clear. we biked through GA Tech (a little too cold for the frat boys to go shirtless), atlantic station, and the highlands. lunch with dori at my favorite spot, Quattro, meant we also started drinking beer. on to BJ's for more libations where at one point i remember bj dancing on his coffee table to one of my new years cds. :)

then to blake's where it was clear upon entering that queens had been drinking since noon. and i mean cocktailed up and horny. if i had any question as to where Diane might be today, i could bet money she was with heyward......

follow up phone calls today revealed a juicy bit of gossip involving Hottie McPecs that lives just a few floors below me..... sprechen se deustch?

or so the story goes

2007-03-16T21:21:00.000-04:00

well i am happy to report that my date last night was not retarded, contrary to what Eric may have thought. i will admit that i did have some reservations after speaking to him on the phone, but that quickly ended when i showed up to pick him up last night. he is a hottie collectible for sure. but more importantly, he is part of the extremely rare limited edition series 2 that I have been searching all over EBAY for: The Vietvanese Hairburner. and the most ironic part is that he lives just down the street.....on charles Allen......

the sun always shines on TV

2007-03-15T18:56:00.002-04:00

.....and here is my niece, little Molly-Catherine, demonstrating what happens
when you decide to run down the hill after getting off of the school bus. note:
she didn't lose her front tooth in this accident, just secured a fractured arm
and a very colorful cast.

the new LA fitness over at atlantic station is now open and let me tell ya, it is
without a shortage of hot boys. and the native atlantans are really enjoying the
basketball courts....

it seems i am going on a date with the aforementioned boy i met last thursday
night. i admit it, i was tipsy. what? and eric has ASSURED me that he is in fact very cute......

distance between us

2007-03-13T21:03:00.000-04:00

there is nothing like spring in atlanta. every year around this time, people all over the city come out of hibernation, and flock to the streets and parks. it's a chance for all those hot boys you don't see out at the bar to show off the body they have been sculpting in the gym all winter. today was no exception. from the uber-hot-shirtless-straight-boys playing volleyball, to my celebrity sighting of young Davis from the Real World Denver attempting to jog off a few extra lbs, it reminded me of why i love this time of year so much. yet it will only be a couple of months before the humidity, heat, and mosquitoes arrive, so get out and enjoy it.