Mixtape: DJ Roger Riddle - My Past Is Calling

My Past Is Calling

This has been a time of reflection for me. An up coming milestone birthday. An upcoming move. A recent trip to my hometown after years of being away. Staying in the house I grew up in while on that visit.
These songs are at the very essence of my childhood. 

This is the music that helped to define my personal tastes in music. This is where I came to the fork in the road that was my parents music and the music of my generation. This is also the fork in the road where hip-hop and techno split. Where 80s pop bumps up against both briefly.

These are the songs of the skating rink in Detroit. They are the songs that I sat by the radio to record on my boombox. And because techno was born in Detroit, these are the songs that I struggled to stay up late and hear what the Electrifying Mojo was going to play on his radio show.


These are the songs that set me on the path to becoming a DJ and today, I give them their due. An offering.
Track listing after the jump.

My Past Is Calling by Roger Riddle on Mixcloud

1. Cosmic Rapp by James Pants
2. Sucker MCs by Run DMC
3. Too Much Posse by Public Enemy
4. Trans Europe Express by Kraftwerk
5. Beat Box by Art of Noise
6. Speech by Cyrus
7. Hip Hop Be Bop by Man Parrish
8. Situation (U.S. 12" Mix) by Yaz
9. Big Fun by Inner City
10. When We Used To Play by Blake Baxter
11. I Need A Freak by Sexual Harrassment
12. Play It Cool by Model 500
13. Al-Naafyish by Hashim
14. Do Me (Frank Wiedeman Orchestra Mix) by Tiefschwarz
15. Clear by Cybotron
16. No UFOs by Model 500
17. I'm Ready by Kano
18. Look Out Weekend by Debbie Deb
19. Strings of Life by Derrick May
20. Technicolor (Long Mix) by Model 500

Mixtape: DJ Roger Riddle - One Step Beyond

DJ Roger Riddle - One Step Beyond

I had been building up some electro-pop and indie-pop songs I really liked in hopes that I would be able to make a mixtape of them. Then one day I heard Jamie xx's "Loud Places" and I knew I had to get that into a mix as quickly as possible. I had to share that song. It was too good not to.

So "Loud Places" was the last song added to the list even though it is the first one in the mix. Sadly, I had to leave out Sylvan Esso's "H.S.K.T." I just couldn't make it work.

Otherwise, these songs are just fun. The track list is after the jump.

One Step Beyond by Roger Riddle on Mixcloud

1. Loud Places (feat Romy) by Jamie xx
2. Never Matter by Toro Y Moi
3. Rattlesnake by St Vincent
4. What Else Is There by Royksopp
5. Constant Surprises by Little Dragon
6. Alligator (Dave Sitek Remix) by Tegan and Sara
7. Big Girl, Skinny Girl (feat Tchak Diallo) by CX Kidtronik
8. Ragazzini by Luminodisco
9. Sexotheque by La Roux
10. Except Death by (!!! Chk Chik Chick)
11. In The Fast Lane by Jean-Luc Pnty
12. Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda by J*Davey
13. All I Ever Need by Caribou
14. Friends by Seven Davis Jr
15. Cry For You by Hot Chip
16. The Light (feat Denai Moore) by SBTRKT

When All That Matters

Summer flings are funny things things. They seem like they are going to last forever even though you know the summer is only three months long. For most people, it's over after time moves the summer on.
For the very lucky ones, they find something special that endures.

This is my ode to the summer fling. What happens to the couple? Listen to the songs, and let me know what you hear.

Enjoy.

When All That Matters
Southern Freeez by Sonzeira
Closer To You by Jimpster
Happy Cycling by Boards Of Canada
Dorothy Dandridge Eyes (featuring Esperanza Spalding) by Janelle Monáe
Something About Us by Daft Punk
Inside And Out by Feist
Footprints by A Tribe Called Quest
Maybe So Maybe No by Mayer Hawthorne
The Sensitive Kind by JJ Cale
Dreamin' by Amp Fiddler
Aht Uh Mi Hed by Shuggie Otis
In The Thick Of It by Brenda Russell

When All That Matters by Roger Riddle on Mixcloud

Breaking Free Of The Mold

In my last mix I talked about how playing what was expected of me nearly drove me to quit DJing. Fun though those songs may be, to play them every time I DJ and never play anything new was really hard on me.

I've since learned to play what I want. Well I play what I want within reason. There is still a lot of stuff I wouldn't dare play here in Macon that I love. But I get it out through my mixes. Like this one. It's full of great music but I would never be able to play this set in Macon and see people having a good time. But I must say when I DJed this past weekend I worked the Jill Scott and Michael Jackson remixes from this mix into my set and to my surprise people seemed to enjoy them. Maybe we're getting there in Macon. I won't hold my breath though.

As for this mix, it's full of Soulful House tunes that I've run across recently. Speaking of soulful. After the set I played this weekend I was talking to a couple of my favorite musical artists when some guys walked by and one of them stopped to talk for a bit. One told me he had been listening to my mixes here on Soundcloud and was shocked at the vast variety of stuff I play. Trying to put it in words he said, "You're different. You're just...soulful." It was a great compliment. I've been called way worse.

Back to this mix. Mario Biondi's "This Is What You Are" last heard from me in The Adventures Of Johnny Swank makes an appearance but with a rework from Opolopo. Opolopo is also behind the fantastic remix of Michael Jackson's "Rock With You". The true stand out on this mix is Josh Milan's "Thinking About Your Body" with Louie Vega on the remix. Lots of other goodies in this bag as well. Would love to hear what you think.

Enjoy

Breaking Free Of The Mold
The Foreign Exchange - So What If It Is
Moodymann - Run Away
Jill Scott - Golden (Kaytranada's Life Extended Living Edition)
Sade - Stronger Than Pride (Karizma's K2 Mix)
Mario Biondi & The High Five Quartet - This Is What You Are (Opolopo Remix)
Aloe Blacc - Dance For Life
QB - Yes No Maybe (QB's Hotstrumental)
The Layabouts - As Long As You Believe (BB Boogie Remix)
Audiowhores - Chains
Michael Jackson - Rock With You (Opolopo House Bounce)
Nativeroots, Zano - Taking Over The World (Original Mix)
Rick Wilhite - Drum Pattern And Memories (Moodymann Mix)
Black Coffee feat Soulstar - Rock My World (Julian Gomes Remix)
Josh Milan - Thinking About Your Body (Louie Vega Roots NYC Mix)
Funkineven & Fatima - Phoneline
Dee Dee Bridgewater - Children Go Round (Demissenw) (King Britt FiveSixMix)
Jose James - Spirits Above
Heidi Vogel - Black Narcissus (Emanative Remix)