Mix Time: Spring Collection

Andrew, Dublin, Jan 27 2007, originally uploaded by Enda P.

Another mix, I hear you ask? Why, yes, I say. Yes, indeed.

This gratuitous arty shot of Andrew (no. 1 main squeeze) introduces my latest swingorilliant mix. Tomorrow is the 1st of February, the beginning of Spring for us mad people who divide the seasons by calendar months (it’s valid!), and having boogied quite a bit last weekend, I fancied putting together a lil’ sumthin’ sumthin’ of fresh tunes.

Which are:

1. The Beat Is Rockin’ (Simmons & Christopher Remix) * Erick E
2. Last Night A DJ Saved My Life (Seamus Haji Mix) * Seamus Haji
3. The Groove (Original) * Louise Ciccone
4. Lead You To Heaven (Finest Dream) Part 2 * And If feat. Alison Limerick
5. The Creeps (Fedde Le Grand Remix) * Camille Jones
6. See Ya (Original) * Effin & Blindin
7. Rain Down Love (2006 Club Mix) * Freemasons feat. Siedah Garrett
8. Pennies From Heaven (Mark Wilkinson Kidology Mix) * Inner City

Madge fans should find track 3 of interest. I know nothing about it other than it seems to be Madonna’s Into The Groove from an alternate timeline. Enjoy! I myself adore the And If track for it’s melancholy orchestral sample. Aw…

Download the continuous mix (Remastered mp3 50MB) [mediafire link] 

Mad Weekend

Dublin, 27th Jan 2007, originally uploaded by Enda P.

I’m barely awake, but what a weekend. Andrew was in town and my bestest friend, Kevin, had a surprise party for his 33rd birthday. Andrew and I had to distract Kevin during the day while his partner frantically prepared the house and got the guests in. The plan was hatched and executed flawlessly all day in a relay-like operation (which involved me getting a bit tiddly on Kir Royales for a good part of the afternoon).

Anyway, the party was a huge success, there were lots of delightful people, consumption and dancing (to my mixes!), and we floated back to our hotel at 7am. Happily, we had asked for a late checkout (which appeared on the bill as, wonderfully, ‘Sleepy Sunday’), so we were relatively intact enough to get get Andrew back on his plane to London at 6.

Bah. This long-distance malarkey is totally getting on my tits.

Waltz Me Once Again Around The Dancefloor - MIX TIME!

I’m feeling mixular once again, pop pickers. Oldies and newies aimed at getting people all flailing arms and legs akimbo at an upcoming house party. It’s not as super perfect as I would like, but I really wanted to get these particular tracks in - it’s for a birthday boy (who might be reading this blog, so I’ll shut up now.)

You can download a zip with the mix in iPod battery-friendly separate (but still mixed) files, so if your crossfade setting is on, turn it off, man….

Tracklist:

1. Flawless (Phunk Investigation Vocal Mix): The Ones
2. Relax, Take it Easy (Ashley Beedle’s Castro Vocal Disco Mix): MIKA
3. Flashdance Original Club Mix (UK radio version): Deep Dish
4. Yeah Yeah (D Ramirez Extended Vocal): Bodyrox feat. Luciana
5. I Feel Love (Rollo & Sister Bliss Monster Mix): Donna Summer
6. Insomnia 2005: Faithless

Download Birthday Mix Part 1 (Zip file  49MB)

New Classic: Sally Shapiro * I’ll Be By Your Side

Earworm alert. Again.

I first heard Sally Shapiro’s ‘I’ll Be By Your Side’ last year and it deservedly found it’s way onto my end of year Top 40. So, deliciously melancholy Italo-disco that sounds like it was big in, em, Italy in 1984. Loved it lots and played it lots and lots and then a bit less. And that’s the shape one’s relationship with music tends to take:

1. Discovery
2. Love/Hate/Indifferent
3. If love, repeated plays for certain period of time
4. Less regular outings
5. Even fewer outings.

But Sally has bucked the trend and came slamming back into my consciousness this week. I have no idea why, but methinks said track must now be added to All Time Classic status. Funny that.

Why not give it a whirl? The producer of the track, Johan Agebjorn, has made it available free in last.fm. But you may like to explore the accompanying album, Disco Romance, too, which is fully available in shitty ol’ iTunes Music Store, but maybe you could get the CD?

Batten Down the Hatches!

Batten Down the Hatches!, originally uploaded by Enda P.

It was a bit windy this morning and the nice tree outside my office window had a bit of a swoon. Oh dear. Good thing it didn’t fall the other way all the same - I could have been squished!

UCC Posse 2007

UCC Posse 2007, originally uploaded by Enda P.

Just back from a delightful weekend with these four freaks. We met in college in 1991 in University College Cork and have remained in contact since (despite my having ditched them in 1992 ha ha!).

One of us has two kids.
One of us is a police officer.
One of us is 40.
One of us has a PhD.
One of us is suffering from male-pattern baldness (but only because I have too much testosterone. The mad doctor said so.)

Meme Time. 5 Things!

That Mildew. She tag me good.

Ok, here’s 5 Things You Never Knew About Me.

1. My Confirmation name is Nicholas. It was common for youngsters about to be Confirmed to choose the name of a saint that meant something to them. As a very reasonable 12-year-old, I reasoned that no saint had done anything for me other than Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus.
2. But I was also in awe of Nick Rhodes from Duran Duran, so that may have had some bearing on things.
3. The first record I ever bought was Happy Talk by Captain Sensible. It was a 7″ and the b-side scared me.
4. I have written a book. If you want to know how to write an essay for university, look no further.
5. I once told my teacher to fúck off. I was a shy six-year-old and he (Mr Downey - hiya!) was coercing me into Irish dancing in front of the class. I wasn’t having it. The poor man was so startled that the good boy swore at him, he didn’t even punish me!

Ok, that was weird. Now, I tag Conor, Alan, Tom, David and Afwan.

(PS: That’s not me up there. I’m not that bloody old!)

Groan…

God, back at work after two weeks off. A great fortnight with family fun in Galway and then bliss in my second home in London. I got home from London last night at 11:30. No one in the house. No milk/food. Too knackered to bother going back out for supplies. And now I’m at work with brain in second gear. Plenty to be getting on with, but I haven’t the slightest interest.

Happily, I work in my own office and no one is around to watch my doing feck all except for booking my next flights to London. Hooray for Air France’s service to London City airport. It may seem more expensive than Aer Lingus and Ryanair et al, but by the time you’ve taken into account the cost of your Heathrow /Stanstead/ Gatwick transfers and the time and hassle, then Air France is the way to go! Also they give you coffee and stuff, and there’s never a queue in City!

And the charts have gone mad. Yay!