Music, style, and life. We are mGrooves. We are 4groovers…

How appropriate (or not) on this first of February during a leap year.  I can’t count how many times I wanted to throw my hands up in protest over some of the crazy-stupid things that occur.  Alas, this is not an options always open to us.  However, what I’m really referring to is the party by this name in Baltimore and one of the front men, Tim Galligan.

We are gonna get dirty...

I was introduce to Tim some years ago through his brother.  And it wasn’t directly either.  What do I mean?  Well, I have cousins that live in the Denver Colorado area and on a trip to visit with them, I was introduced to this cat named ‘Jimmy G’.  Jimmy G (James Galligan) is Tim’s brother.

So while we traded fun music stuff, he told me about his brother that would be out Baltimore way.  Some weeks later, Tim (the brother) shows up at one of my Lust4Life shows which at the time was being hosted at Shorty’s.  After a few times visiting and conversation, I also had him come in to lay down some music.  This cat comes in and rolls with a killer all-vinyl set.  After that he did not have to convince me anymore.

Tim’s range is wide.  He can lay down a killer deep house set and just as well bring out some ‘hands in the air’ electro-house, techno, or indie electronic music with flair and style.  Check out this sample mix:

Join Lust4Life as Tim joins forces with us–yes this is the ‘justice league’, hahaha–as we lay down some kick ass dance music.

Lust4Life (L4L) is Friday Feb 3 at Dionysus.

Who is Mark Castley?

Mark is a House music making and spinning dude. Originally from the UK, he has been cranking out bangin’ House beats on his label Blue Gritt Records. A decided taste for Tech and Jackin’ House styles, he also has a good touch on Soulful House as well as demonstrated by his remix of Hardsoul and Ron Carroll’s Back Together. And now he has landed on these shores; in South Florida to be more exact.

Mark and I started trading email a few months ago. Here at mGrooves we are eagerly working on ways to bring him to DC and Baltimore. So keep your eyes and ears open for news. In the meantime, check out his Soundcloud page for sounds and his music can be purchased through online stores like Traxsource.com.

http://www.bluegrittrecords.com/

http://soundcloud.com/mark_c

Twitter: @markcastley

This new installation to the LFG (Live From Gazuza) collection captures my musings through the music of what a strange and trying year 2011 was.  I am working on keeping my chi, my balance.

LFG 2012.1

• A Walk In The Park (Pional Remix) – Daniel Solar
• Your House (Rick L Remix) – Ricky L
• Proper Balance (Original Mix) – Consistent
• Mikes Garage (Mix) – Inland Knights
• Keep Moving feat. Lisa Shaw – Vincenzo
• Get Easy (The Deepshakers Dub Mix) – Mirco Sonatore
• Breath House – Armbar
• Hot Fridge – Ron Basejam
• Psyche Funk (Original) – KiNK
• Juju (Andre Lodermann Remix) – Black Coffee feat. Zakes Bantwini
• Interceptor (Kamo Remix) – Luke Solomon
• Trevoga (Original) – KiNK
• Finale – Guti & Luca Bacchetti

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (152.6MB)

A few changes have been made to 4groovers this week. And I hope these changes improve your experience when visiting us.

First we have improved the sharing experience. Now only at the bottom of an article, you will find buttons and icons for popular social services like Google Plus, Facebook, and Twitter. By using the “share” button, you can expand your sharing options to other services like Digg.

Share with your friend with ease across multiple social networks.

Through the use of a great plug-in called WPTouch, we have a much friendlier presentation on mobile devices and tablets.

By tapping the arrow to the right of the article title you can toggle a more or less of the excerpt.

Then by tapping the arrow in the bottom of the excerpt (in the gray area) view of the entire article is displayed with most artwork and other rich media (e.g. music, video, etc.). As you can see, our share and social options carry through to the mobile experience as well.

Finally, we have added a way to poll. Yes, we want to know your opinion. Hence, let’s start with these changes and upgrades; tell us which one is your favorite.

I think I am.  Ha!  What do I mean?  Only that I’m really digging everything this guy touches.

KiNK (Strahil Velchev) hails from Bulgaria.  He has a beautifully unique way he puts together some of his music using sequencers, loop players, and often recording to reel-to-reel tape.  Yep, un-real!  In my DJ sets lately I have been a big fan of the tune Trevoga (Original) (sample: Init2gether Mix, @ 7:39 position).  The drum break down is just off-the-chain hot!  You think I’m kidding?  Drop that track with a whole bunch of Latin women (or women who love Latin music) and just watch all the shaking that goes explodes on the dance floor.  And speaking of break downs, tunes of often vocal mate, Rachel Row, are just as killer.  Check the tune Pussy for an example. (Yeah, I wrote that word–so sue me. Ladies if you take the time to listen to the song you will find out it’s has a very positive vibe…)

Here is a recent post of a KiNK remix on Soundcloud that features Ms Row.

So yeah, I’m KiNK-y.  I just aspire to lay down beats as hot as this guy does.  Are you KiNK-y?  If so, about what/who?

It’s our first Lust4Life of the 2012 year and we are kickin’ it off with some down-home b-more flavor.  Craig Nasteef has been a maestro for some time.  He is throwing down with B-Side and I this Friday and he is bringing an all-vinyl set.

Yep,  all vinyl!!!

In the mean time, above is an sample of some Acid and Minimal House from him.

An all vinyl DJ set...

I’ll be slipping in a few new original sexy-cool pieces that I have co-produced with Toronto based DJ and producer, Melanie Sutherland.  B-Side also will be laying down some beats, Elly D Funk helps me host, and Ange has the perfect pour.

So, don your dancing shoes.  Bring your girl friends and your guy friends.   We are gonna have a House Party, L4L style….

***

Added for future L4L line-ups:

March – Mark  Castley (Blue Gritt Records)

April – DJ Kochi (ScandalDC, iNK House)

While that is more than just a mild over statement, what isn’t reaching is the spirit behind it.

Typically, this time of year gets people reflective, nostalgic, thankful, etc.  And I will get to those items in this space, just not today.  Today I would like to remind everyone to keep going and don’t let narrow minds, difficult times, SOPA, nothing rob you of the flow of the music that is within you.  Do this no matter what might be happening outside.

I know I will.  And thus why I repeat the phrase in the title.

***

I got ScandalDC Thursday at Gazuza (Jan 5th).  I will feature some pre-release music that I have been working on with Toronto DJ and producer, Melanie Sutherland (Broken Records).

***

Saturday (Jan 7th), the entire ScandalDC (iLLogic, Kochi, FugAmI, and myself) crew will be back with guest music man Kryogen (Terry Hsiung).  It might be soon after NYE, however, you are not going to want to miss this rare collaborative night.

***

Friday (Jan 13th), Lust4Life in Baltimore starts off the new year with a bang with local maestro Craig Nasteef joining B-Side, Elly D Funk, and myself for some down and dirty House beats.

We have to find a way to live, laugh, love...

Contining on the previous post “Life Has No Guarantees“, I have personally observed the number of people with complaints has seemed to increase. There are complaints against him, her, this and that. Others whine about the environmentalist, the captains of industry, and everyone in between. The 1% and the 99% all have gripes. I just read a blog where some dude in a Jaguar ride complained about a bike rider in an urban environment!!  Seriously?!

I’m not suggesting these complaints aren’t legit–many are.  As Rich Medina in a collaboration with King Britt stated in “Planetary Analysis” opined,  the world  is  ”…full of complainers.  The have-nots being chased down by the haves, turned into a whole bunch of bullshit.  Complaint is nothing but a notion to be filed and forgotten.  The problems it that most people here have no cabinets.  So they pile their complaints in their living room  and live with them like furniture you can’t sit on, like ashes in an undumped tray, just sitting there waiting to be thrown away…”  Why don’t we throw them away?  Why, after rightfully venting, do we not move on?

I ask this not in complaint, but to draw attention to an obvious link that many believe to be missing.  The obvious aspect in life that we have little control over most  of what happens in life except our reaction to it.  Why don’t we then find a way to work around it, work through it, work with it?  Why don’t we find a way to live, laugh, love?

This doesn’t mean we are only serious or serious minded.  This does not mean that we ignore our obligations.  This does not mean we don’t have people and things that we do not fight for–just the opposite actually.  It does mean that move through the ether of this universe aware as possible.  As the so-called Serenity Prayer states:

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.”

That last line being probably the most important.

–

Find A Way (the mix–the link is at the bottom of this article) features some hot music that contrasts some of the emotions touched on above.  I will be performing some original versions of some of those songs this Friday night at Lust4Life featuring Josh Vidal.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:03:46 — 146.0MB)

This mix was originally put together by Stylo in 2004 or 2005.

Are you going through a rough spot?  Has your rough period lasted a long time?  I’m sure sometimes life’s challenges can seem like they are insurmountable.  And make no mistake, a few might be.

It seems so many are complaining about things that might be life changing, yet not life killing.  Always be skeptical of guarantees offered.  Life has no guarantees–except maybe that of change, whether it occurs at a fast pace or slow pace.  And although I have had a distaste for this phrase, it really is true, ‘what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.’

I am the type of person that has a fair amount of confidence that we all can out-live, out-last, or overcome these challenges.  Maybe the key is not to get too attached to just one version of your dreams.  Dreams come true all the time.  However, most people would be lying if they told you the dream looks just like it did in their head, or that the path to that dream was clearly marked and unfettered.

So continue to dream!  However, be open to the many ways that dream might come about.  You will be a stronger person for it.

–

This mix is a throwback for me.  The themes and moods in it are slightly autobiographical.  And yeah, I do hip-hop and downtempo music too.  What?  You didn’t know?!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:36 — 30.5MB)

As some of you know the dates for the Winter Music Conference 2012 have been announced.  mGrooves and Stylo are very excited about this.  Why?  With all the changes in the dates surrounding the entire WMC vs. Ultra thing, frankly we were getting a bit tired of it all.

Lucky enough, we have already got one confirmation earlier this week.  Stylo and mGrooves will be back at the Future Classics party, the same that featured such artists as Studio Apartment, Crystal Waters, The Basement Boys, and Danny Tenaglia.  We hope you will be joining us at this mid-week pool-side party in Miami Beach.  Already there are some surprises in store!  So get ready!  The party is really is a blast!

As far as local events go (DC and Baltimore) we are on a short hiatus until next week when ScandalDC Thursday will return, Foundation (Dec 3rd), and Lust4Life (Dec 9th).

We are busy working on several projects with other emerging artists from across the globe.  In addition, work has started on Stylo’s original works inspired from his trip to central Europe over the summer.

mGrooves and Stylo would like to extend a word of thanks to all that have given their support over the past year, from both new and old friends.  mGrooves has now had the privilege to survive since 2005 and Stylo much longer because you all continue to give and share.  We are greatly appreciative of your generosity, with your time and your love.  We are here for the long haul, intent to continue to deliver fun parties, fun and interesting music, and quality entertainment.

We hope to see you on the dance floor soon!