When I started down the 2009 recap path, I knew I wanted to do tracks and mixes. I thought about artists, labels, cover art, track titles, most obscure film stars used in track titles, best use of scantly clad women… you get the picture. At the end of the day, I spend the most time listening to tracks and mixes, and those are the areas on which I decided to focus. As with my 2009 tracks post, this isn’t a “best of” list. These are the mixes that knocked me out the most and spent the most time pushing that little bar across the top of iTunes. The mixes appear in no particular order.
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I have to start with this one as I’ve yet to get my hands on a mix from Mr. Baumel that I haven’t liked. I usually like them a great deal. This is a live set from Patrice and Nuno (dos Santos) recorded in Amsterdam on the first of August, 2009. I asked Pat for a tracklist, to which he replied, “I don’t have a tracklist for the mix, it’s a live mix, some of the records are Nuno‘s and i don’t know all of them.” The continuity of this mix is outrageous, and I can imagine mixes of similar quality (when you’re fortunate enough to find one) being scrutinized and prepared for weeks. The fact that half of the outfit isn’t even sure what records were played indicates that this was not gone over with a fine-tooth comb before hand, which makes it all the more impressive. I think these are two DJs who have a wide range of tastes, a depth of knowledge about music, and the ability to work together to the extent that real energy and improvisation are no strangers to their sets. As your attorney, I advise you to listen to anything these two have put out.

As luck would have it, Heidi and Seth Troxler both put out some of my favorite mixes of the year so the picture to your right works perfectly for this post. As Heidi is on top, we’ll start with her In New DJs We Trust show from the first of May 2009. I’m a big fan of INDWT and I listen to the show each month, so this was not an easy decision to make. I knew one of her shows was going to be on the list, but which one??? Well, this one. The tracklist is great, and a guest mix from Damian Lazarus… Come on. This mix has Visionquest, Jamie Jones, the first track in Lazarus’ set is ridiculous, and he also throws in a song that has a little nod to Nick Cave. All in all, a great two hours of music.

And now, our friend Mr. Troxler, who, with a little help from Heidi, is putting a new spin on the concept of tenting. I’ve heard several of Seth’s shows from the past year, but my favorite is his set from NYC’s Electric Zoo. The recording I have is not of the best quality and there are a few obvious technical glitches, but none of it detracts from the fun, grooving feel of this set. He had a few hours early in the day, and he used them well. I still listen to this set at least once every week or so, and I would probably listen to it more often if I didn’t dedicate the majority of my listening time to things related to the site. The man can cover some sonic ground and keep the wheels on the cart. For those of you who haven’t heard the mix, I won’t ruin it for you. Know that there are great songs and one big surprise around the 1 hour 20 minute mark. I was surprised anyway. In an awesome “holy shit, that’s…!” kind of way.

Next on the list, Gadi Mizrahi‘s rooftop set from Bar 13 in Manhattan which turned into W+L Podcast 90. This one gets your attention from the start. I caught up with Gadi to talk about this set, but it turned into a full-blown interview, and I’ve decided to publish it soon as a separate post. For our purposes, I’ll just talk about the mix. It’s deep and sexy and full of soul. There you go.

“The music that inspires the visuals of Spectral designer, Michael Cina.  An all-vinyl mix of Spectral/Ghostly tracks.” This bit of information pulled from the mix description in iTunes is pretty much the only thing I can find about my next pick: GhostlyCast #25: Michael Cina – Waves of Seeing. I’ve found a wealth of information about Michael and his accomplishments as an artist and designer. However, I’ve turned up little about things on the music end. The mix will be posted below. For further information, I would direct you to the Ghostly International website. You can find more of Michael’s work (pictured below) and a lot of good music. I’m always pleased to find organizations that prioritize artistic endeavors across the board, and Ghostly fits the bill. Not many record labels have a section for their visual artists right next to their producers and DJs. It’s not surprising that such a mix would come from an entity like Ghostly. Incidentally, Michal designed the artwork for Gadi Mizrahi’s latest release. The world of good music remains a small world…

Speaking of small worlds… The very first installment of Chris Liebing‘s CLR podcast (my next pick) which hit the second of March, 09 opens with a story of coincidence that lead Josh Wink to the studio of Liebing the day he was recording his first podcast. I like the story, and I just like listening to Chris Liebing talk to people. He has to be one of the nicest DJs out there – not a hint of ego in his voice. Did I mention he‘s a DJ? And a damn good one. But you’d never know it listening to him talk. All personality traits aside, when I want to hear some straight up techno, this is a can’t-miss mix. I couldn’t find a tracklist, but whatever is happening around the 15:00 mark… is nice. I also picked a CLR mix because I think it’s one of the best electronic music podcasts out there today. He usually has top notch guests who bring mixes that don’t disappoint. If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and subscribe.
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P.S. It looks like I’m only going to be able to include 5 mixes in the post itself. To hear the CLR podcast in question, click here.

P.P.S. For a tracklist of Gadi’s mix, click here.
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Tags: 2009 Review, Chris Liebing, CLR, Damian Lazarus, Electric Zoo, Gadi Mizrahi, Ghostly International, Heidi, In New DJs We Trust, Jamie Jones, Josh Wink, Michael Cina, Nuno dos Santos, Patrice Baumel, Seth Troxler, Seth's Picks, Visionquest, Wolf+Lamb, Year In Review