Friday, 15 November 2013

Off The Record - Volume #073 - mixed by Ian Oh Reilly


Ian found his way into dj'ing through dubstep, but it wasn't long before he started switching things up to hip-hop, house, bass & more! Nowadays Ian's sound is grounded in a house vibe, but with all these influences strongly present in every selection. With his OTR mix he has kicked things off on a more classic vibe but manages to flawlessly incorporate a variety of different sounds into one unique package. From chicago & disco style house to more modern garage & bass-driven styles this mix shows off the full spectrum of influences behind this dj. Well worth a listen for any lover of house music, and anyone with an appreciation for garage/bass/hip-hop/beats.

More from Ian:

Soundcloud


Download:
http://www.mediafire.com/?yvq33e82d3tqmb2

Listen on mixcloud:
http://www.mixcloud.com/OffTheRecord/off-the-record-volume-073-mixed-by-ian-oh-reilly/

Sunday, 10 November 2013

Off The Record - Volume #072 - mixed by Komplex Therapy

Off The Record - Volume #072
mixed by Komplex Therapy

To take us through some of the more obscure sounds of bass, this week we have Komplex Therapy on mixing duties, a drum & bass producer/dj who focuses on the more boundary pushing sounds within the genre. While his interest in d&b isn't strictly in the straight rollers & steppers this is by no means a chilled or ambient affair either! Komplex got this mix to us just before he departed Eire, and as such he's made the mix up of his favourite tunes from the past year he didn't get to play out at gigs. Throwing in all manner of d&b along with drifting into some dub & trap to create a very unique sound altogether. This is without doubt going to become an instant classic for all lovers of bass music!

More from Komplex Therapy:

Mixcloud

Soundcloud

Facebook

Youtube

Download:
http://www.mediafire.com/?hsnwyl9yr3tlbuv

Listen on mixcloud:
http://www.mixcloud.com/OffTheRecord/off-the-record-volume-072-mixed-by-komplex-therapy/

Saturday, 9 November 2013

Off The Record Rewind - #004 - with Obamabo

Off The Record Rewind #004
with Obamabo

Obamabo aka Oisin Daly, has contributed some serious sounds our way since getting on board with OTR. This guitarist/producer/dj dabbles in all things dub, blues, post-rock, electro, techno, house & general glitchy electronica. We've been lucky enough to have him come play at two of our gigs and get on board with our new compilation album. Along with this he's now sending us his third mix for the series! Quite different to either of his last mixes, Oisin came at this one under his new side-project guise of Sneaky Dread. 100% Irish dub/bass/reggae/dubstep selection.

OTR: I remember you sending us your first recorded mix to check out and wanting to get you on board with the series straight away! What made you get on to us at OTR?

Obamabo: Well I guess I have always been a bit of a bedroom or house party dj but my background was more from being a musician and producer and I never thought of myself as a 'real' DJ because I didn't have turntables or know how to beatmatch. Also I had no intention of playing tunes in one genre or tempo for a whole set.  When I discovered Off The Record through mutual friends and social networking I began listening to the mixes and while I enjoyed them, I began to realize that there was more to being a DJ and to what it encompassed. I knew I could bring a new sound to the series so I downloaded Traktor and started recording mixes and sent you one, which you duly liked and I guess it started from there.


OTR: Your first mix in the series was very well received as was your 'reggae special' mix. What's been your main influences when it comes to dj'ing?

Obamabo: I think the way I approach dj'ing is, well while all dj'ing is about build and flow, I usually build my mixes as a kind of soundscape, kind of designed to take the listener on a journey, more than keep them on the dance floor, usually with lots of ebb and flow and ambient effects carrying through the mix. Some of the mixes which influenced me most would be the like of Mark Farina's Mushroom jazz or the K and D sessions by Kruder and Dorfmeister. The kind of listening experience where you forget where you are or what you were listening to and have to check back every ten minutes haha. While I'm nowhere near the level of these masters yet this is the pedestal I'd be aiming for.


OTR: Nice, well it's working so far. You've got one of the most eclectic portfolios around.

Obamabo: I guess the main thing is having no barriers, I know what I like and given the right audience I know I can trust that they will get into the vibe I am trying to create. My musical and production background definitely comes into play, as well as a few other things haha, but its all about building an atmosphere. I will spend weeks going though soundcloud downloading new stuff and put them on my ipod or whatever, and as I listen I hear the ones I like and imagine the way they could be used in a mix, until the time comes when I have to put it on paper so to speak, and move on. Then when it comes to playing live I know I have  huge library of tunes in all styles to draw from!


OTR: Your first played for OTR at our 'Reggae Special' gig, how did you feel about that one, not being a strictly reggae dj?

Obamabo: Well I was still quite inexperienced at playing live and was willing to give it a shot and sit in with the big boys haha, but I dont mind doing a genre specific gig because it forces me to get creative with my collection and build a set that fits within the criteria. I have always been a big fan of dub stylings and knew I could put something together and enjoyed it thoroughly!

OTR: Yeah theres always something of a dub vibe about the music you play. Was this what led you to create the Sneaky Dread moniker?

Obamabo: Well over the summer I was kicking around with a lot of reggae heads and got introduced to sound system bass culture and started to really dig the dub vibes again. And while I did the fore mentioned 'reggae special' as Obamabo in the summer I felt that this was enough of a departure from the Obamabo sound I have been cultivating to merit a new moniker to concentrate solely on the dub/reggae/bass side of things. And so Sneaky Dread was born.

OTR: Next up was the SKE Summer Jam. Loved your set there, again another vibe altogether. You and 7AR fairly wrecked that tent!

Obamabo: Haha yeah that was fun. We got to basically open up the festival to music hungry punters who had been waiting for hours in the heat for some tunage so that made it extra enjoyable (and we were already fairly well on if i remember correctly). I built a set designed to keep people on their feet, with a few psychedelic moments, given the setting, and it turned out well!

OTR: Any other festivals or gigs worth a mention this year?

Obamabo: My favourite festival/gig of the summer was Sundown Gathering at the Glade in Kinnegad, where I did a very different slot, kicking off about 5am without a prepared set, just banging out tunes for about 3 hours and having  a blast, everyone was digging it. Great weekend.

OTR: You can always rely on the Earth Star crowd to put on a good one alright!

Obamabo: Yep, it really was a lovely weekend. Heavy hitting dub in the Dub Church with the Firehouse Skank guys and some great chillout/world vibes on the Subversion system in the Vybez tent.

Seisiun Dub, Choonage and Jungle Boogie are all definitely worth a mention and a big shout out to! If your ever in Galway hit these guys up. I also got to play some great gigs in Cork and Dublin with some of my favourite dj/producers Kelpe and Unconventional Science which were great shows. Big ups to Jolly Good Promotions in Dublin and to Edward Hurley in Cork for setting the shows up.


OTR: Hows production going at the moment? Whats in the works? 

Obamabo: Production is going well. After the release of my album 'Love is a Gift' at the end of the summer(free DL @ obamabo.bandcamp.com) I have been keeping busy working on remixes and collaborations which you can find on my soundcloud page. There is also a new Obamabo EP/album on the horizon , but still in embryonic stages.

OTR: After your first year of playing out in Eire, how are you finding the transition being in the U.S. now?

Obamabo: Obviously I have to tailor my sets slightly to suit the audience but America is a big country with a lot of people and you really find every scene here. I know it gets slated a lot for its EDM culture but a lot of my favourite beatmakers/producers are from here and I have been playing them back home so its not gonna change that much. Though I do want to build a proper live set, even incorporating it into a jam band type thing to bring my live shows to a new level. Of course there will always be dj sets but over the winter I plan to work on it and  hope to have a whole new look to my live setup in time for festival season next year.

OTR: Sounds good, Ill be looking forward to hearing some of that. Any particular artists your really into yourself these days?

Obamabo: Well, anyone and everyone really haha, within reason of course, but that's how my mixes stay eclectic. Too many to mention but I would recommend looking at my remixes, and checking out the original artists and their stuff. Da Freyzas is a young german producer who makes quality drum n bass and just released a great album. Destitute, Galway based dub producer who makes quality tunes and runs the Subversion sound system with Welfare, and Unconventional Science, who makes sample based hip hop/trap and live beats from LA. Hopefully there will be some more remixes out soon and some remixes off my own tunes, which I will bundle into a Obamabo remixes vs Obamabo remixed package and release on bandcamp for free. Looking forward to hearing the other contributions to the Off The Record compilation album to.

OTR: Yeah theres some serious sounds in the works for that one! Any favourites from the series yourself?

Obamabo: Sure, some of my favourites would be GEM_DOS & The Dub Doctor's two mixes.

OTR: Classic ones alright! Thanks for the new mix & the words Oisin, anything else you'd like to say?

Obamabo: Big ups to Dave Desmond, Ed Hurley, Donncha Walsh(Destitute), Welfare, 7AR, Bathsh3ba, D-fens, Stoned Fish Records, Jolly Good promotions, Choonage, Uncon Sci, Electronic Underground, and of course Off the Record...
Word up, Jah Bless, One Love and all that.... or whatever the ravers say over here... Peace out.

More from Obamabo:


Download:
http://www.mediafire.com/?279hiv4wy2r6a57

Listen on mixcloud:
http://www.mixcloud.com/OffTheRecord/off-the-record-rewind-004-with-obamabo/

Tracklist + downloads:
1. Dub Doctor - Bhavatu Sanga Mangalam
https://soundcloud.com/the-dub-doctor

2. Destitute - On my own (Dub)
https://soundcloud.com/destitute

3. Dub Dynasty ft Ras Tinny - Monsoon Come
https://soundcloud.com/rastinny-1

4. Dreadsquad & Cian Finn - Shamrock Jamrock
https://soundcloud.com/cianfinn

5. Welfare ft the Sirin Ensemble - Caillte
https://soundcloud.com/welfare

6. Leviathan - Sparxy & fused forces (Federal remix)
https://soundcloud.com/utfmph

7. Gypsy Rebel Rabble - Take my China (ExitIntrovert Remix)
https://soundcloud.com/exitintrovert

8. Point Blank & Dirt Money - BOH (Shooter remix)
https://soundcloud.com/skeshooter

9. Destitute - Dual Hog Tune (Sneaky Dread Remix)
https://soundcloud.com/obamabo

Monday, 4 November 2013

Off The Record - Volume # 071 - mixed by DJ Kid Hype

Off The Record - Volume #071
mixed by DJ Kid Hype

This week we welcome DJ Kid Hype from Brooklyn, New York, to the series. Well known for his hyper approach to big room bass generally mashing up a mixture of electro, dubstep, moombahton, house, techno & more! Getting into the spirit of the Off The Record series though, this mix sees him leave behind the banging heavier styles and give a salute to the world of disco. Raised on a strict diet of disco, Hype has revisited the sounds of his youth but added his usual and much more modern flair to them. Tying things together with a house vibe, this mix is made up of some of the most well known tunes of the disco era, re-edited into a funked up nu-disco treat.

More from Kid Hype:

Soundcloud

Facebook


Download:
http://www.mediafire.com/?2wuvd72372dy368

Listen on mixcloud:

Tuesday, 29 October 2013

Off The Record - Volume #070 - mixed by Four Floors Of Whores

Off The Record - Volume #070
mixed by Four Floors Of Whores

Introducing Wild Dog, Hepatitis B and Jake Bullet, or collectively, Four Floors Of Whores. This producer/dj outfit from the U.K. are quickly making a name for themselves with some solid remixes & unique mixes of their own. Taking everything from wonky synth-based electro to bass-laden tech house and more, the guys approach to mixing sees them layer sound upon sound turning each mix into a sub-genre of its own in the process. Elements of house, disco, bass, electro, breaks, acid & psychedelic sounds are present in most of what these guys put out and their OTR mix no exception. Despite currently working on an album for an upcoming US artist and many other side-projects, the group have gone all out for this mix, mashing up a crazy amount of genre-bending sounds into an electro-acid house frenzy! Definitely expect to hear more from these guys!

More from Four Floors Of Whores:

Soundcloud

Facebook


Download:
http://www.mediafire.com/?c1zt8j6hlwp0ehr

Listen on mixcloud:

http://www.mixcloud.com/OffTheRecord/off-the-record-volume-070-mixed-by-four-floors-of-whores/

Saturday, 12 October 2013

Off The Record Rewind - #003 - with 7AR

Off The Record Rewind - #003
Since getting on board back in the early days of the series 7AR has played live with us countless times and become a great contributor to the whole project. His first mix for the series is a funky glitch-hop nu-school breaks kinda sound that stood aside from the masses on the Irish scene. 7AR is now incorporating all kinds of bass-heavy madness like drumstep & mutant bass with some of the wonkiest & craziest hip-hop vocals around. Without doubt it's safe to say 7AR is doing his own thing, and it's been great to follow him along the journey, we had a bit of a chat with the man behind the strange name and even stranger sound recently and this is what came of it.


OTR: I know you started off primarily producing and dj'ing came next, how did you feel about getting on board with OTR in the beginning?

7AR: Yeah man, getting involved at the start was great for me, coz' I seriously was completely new to the game. I had been producing for a while before but never really played out too much like, so getting in with and having a mix I made put in-front of a pile of people was a great buzz, really got me up and moving bout' the whole dj'ing thang.

OTR: T'was a great mix you sent in, and one that cemented your place at our launch party! How did you feel about coming to play at a multi-genred night?

7AR: I had great fun at that party! There was good cross of styles all very smoothly going together, was dead happy to play with Drokkr, had been a fan of him for a while. I was on first but on reflection I was fairly lucky to be included that night I was so unused to playing out to a crowd, far too nervous, but I had fun playing and had great fun boogie-ing the night away.

OTR: We've all come on leaps & bounds since then sure! I love how every time you've played it's been a new vibe, I always love seeing djs progress and not get stuck in a rut, which happens far too often. Whats gone into what now makes up 7AR's sound?

7AR: Thats the most confusing thing I’ve ever been asked... I guess I’ve just kept an ear out for new sounds that I like and try to work them into sets and if I keep buzzin' off them I might try produce a tune or 2 to go with it. I guess hip-hop as well, been listening to and playing a lot of that over the past few month, I mean its always been something I was into but over the past while I’ve been playin it out at any opportunity, clubs/parties/while people are watching Jurassic Park etc. And with a lot of hip-hop tunes I’ve occasionally made a heavy bass bootleg of em', just for the lols so I can play em' out in heavier sets like. Mostly just listening to new stuff and listening to what my friends are listening to is the biggest thing that’s changed, and getting into new chaps playin' new things through the series.

OTR: What have been your favourite gigs you've played at or just been to lately?

7AR: Of gigs I’ve played that last OTR basement one was deffo' my fav, just a great buzz, other than that I had a great time playin down in Cork with Nancy’s Shnare, just a class wee party atmosphere y’know, deffo' need to get down there as often as possible, gigs I’ve been to, the Bangface ones in the UK are always class, and the weekender is great if ya get a chance to buzz over to it. Lots of great people there all on the same fun-time buzz!

OTR: Sounds good! So what do you have in the works at the moment?

7AR: Ahh y’know me, I'm always workin away at something, got a tune coming out on a Wonk#ay Record compilation and got another EP coming out soon enough after that with remixes from [Insert Gore], Four Floors Of Whores and my friend Dan Reid who I recently played in the national concert hall with, got a few other things on the go too but it’s a bit early to be talking bout' them. Looking forward to creating something special for the next expansion of the OTR project too!

OTR: Finally, who are you listening to yourself and who do you think folk should be checking out?

7AR: Been listening to a lot of Kursa, Disprove, Joe Ford, Noisia and more, on the bass front, its all worth giving a look-see, and a lot of Flatbrush Zombies and Danny Brown when it comes to hip-hop. And El-P, always El-P. The new I AM LEGION album is pretty stunning for anyone who hasn’t copped it yet too! Nephilim and Taos are two mixes from the series I always find myself going back to, and Federal of course, great djs/producers! Brap! Big-ups OTR, Ironing-Board Massif, Couch Crew, Mothers Against Noise, Wonk#ay. 7AR 4 Lyfe, peace.

More from 7AR:

Soundcloud

Facebook

Mixcloud

Tuesday, 8 October 2013

Off The Record - Volume #069 - mixed by Embassy


Somewhere in-between house & bass we have London duo Embassy. Taking inspiration from early disco house sounds, garage and bass music, they've really captured a sound that is uniquely theirs. Combining some of the most modern styles with the classics timeless sounds of the past have seen Embassy quickly make a name for themselves with both their productions & remixes. For their Off The Record mix, one half of the duo, Ed Pickard has stepped up for the mixing duties. Mixing up Embassy originals alongside remixes and tunes there really feeling at the moment has put together a brilliant snapshot of what the guys are all about. Deep bass-driven disco-garage house is about the closest attempt to a description this one is getting, we have no doubt you'll be hearing a lot more from Embassy in the future too, so get listening & get to know.

More from Embassy:

Soundcloud

Facebook



Download:

http://www.mediafire.com/download/11hk3ndl22a3hyt/Off_The_Record_Volume_%23069.mp3

Listen on mixcloud:

http://www.mixcloud.com/OffTheRecord/off-the-record-volume-069-mixed-by-embassy/