DJ Daniel Van Olst

Many thanks to the amazing Leo Frappier for mix assistance and additional production! :-)

I loved creating this remix of "Listen To The Music" - such a joyous song about the power of music.

(Mix assistance and additional production by Leo Frappier. I would definitely recommend him!!)

"We live for the music, no matter what the world comes to."

- Robbie Rivera

My December mix is music about...well, music. :-)

It's about ways we make music, and things we do to the soundtrack of our lives.

Listen. Dance. DJ.

Sing, clap, groove.

Get lost in it.

Be lifted by it.

And most of all, love to it.

My wish for all of you this month is that music will fill your lives in the coming year in every way you may want.

That you will always have the right track for every moment.

And that you have music to move you, comfort you, inspire you, and lift you up throughout the coming year.

Peace, love, joy.

- hugmonster

1. Listen to the Music (Daniel G. Van Olst Extended Mix) - The Doobie Brothers

2. Let The Music (Lift You Up) (Extended) - Mobin Master, Alfreda Gerald

3. I Wanna Boogie Tonight (Disco Down Mix) - Mike Chenery

4. We Gonna Boogie (Original Mix) - Da Funk Junkies

5. Last Night A DJ Saved My Life (Hugmonster Edit) - Julian The Angel

6. All In My Head (Original Mix) - The Cube Guys, Diego Broggio, Castaman, Miss Julia

7. Let's All Chant (Original Mix) - Eugenio Fico

8. Get Down (Extended Mix) - NUMA A TFIVE

9. If You Want My Love (Wayne Soul Avengerz & Odyssey Inc. Trois Garcon Mix) - Soul Avengerz, Max C

10. Lost In Music (Angus McDonald Remix) - Sister Sledge

11. I've Got The Music In Me (Re-Tide Club Mix) - Yvonne Kay

12. The Music's Got Me (Juloboy Remix) - Mart, DiscoVer.

13. Touch Me feat. Kathy Brown (Block & Crown Extended Club Mix) - Kathy Brown, Sonic Soul Orchestra

14. Groove Me (Original Mix) - Larry Funk

15. Ticket 2 Ride (Extended Mix) - Syke 'N' Sugarstarr

16. Love Me (Extended Mix) - Hot Since 82

Ever feel a little badass? If not, do you want to?

In support of your badassery (is that even a word?), I have a classics-heavy November mix.

The world is complicated right now, and the days are getting longer in the northern hemisphere. If you are feeling a little down...consider this a musical prescription to boost your mood 🙂.

There's a lot going on in this mix - some energetic house, some vocal dance, and a fair dose of electro-pop. (Of note is a 2023 remaster of the JRMX Club Mix of Jessica Sutta's 2013 hit, 'Again' - too good to be forgotten!). The focus here was the theme rather than new tracks. Hope it hangs together!

My wish for all of this month is that we embrace our inner badass - not the sort that places us above others, but rather just confidence in knowing our strengths and weaknesses. (It's ok. Really!)

Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash.

1. Shining (Original Mix) - Sarah Washington

2. Again (JRMX Club 2023 Remaster) - Jessica Sutta

3. Sunshine After the Rain (Two Cowboys Club Mix) - Berri

4. Invincible (7th Heaven Remix) - Kelly Clarkson

5. Break The Chain (7th Heaven Remix) - Nick Jay, Silke

6. I Love My Radio (JRMX Club Remix) - Ross Alexander

7. We Got Love (7th Heaven Club Mix) - Jessica Mauboy

8. Happiness (Twilight Club Mix) - Kristine W

9. Love's Gonna Save the Day (George Calle's Anthem Mix) - Georgie Porgie

10. Change (Jason Nevins Dance Radio Edit) - Kimberley Locke

11. Hallelujah (Odyssey Inc. Extended Remix) - David Penn, Kevin McKay

12. Malibu (Original Mix) - Kim Petras

13. 9 To 5 (Original Mix) - Block & Crown

14. We Live (Jewels & Stone Extended Club Mix) - Jonathan Pierce

For my September 2023 mix, I've got happy (or dare I say, "transcendent"?) vocals.

"I'm taking it to the next level." "I'm stepping it up." "Becoming a better version of myself." Most of us - at least sometimes - want to experience growth, and often not the gradual kind.

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We start our journey with our feet firmly on the ground with the incomparable "Husavik (My Hometown)", and end up in the clouds with Paul Goodyear's amazing remix of "Heaven".

In between, we ascend in various ways - some literal, like "100 degrees", but usually emotionally and spiritually, such as with "Sacred", "Love My Life", "Euphoria", and "Life Love and Happiness".

This transcendence, however joyful, isn't always free, as in "Tattoo" and "Butterfly" - sometimes we have to let go of people, even pieces of ourselves, to make the leap up.

My wish for all of us this month is that we remember most of us are trying our best. Even if that best doesn't sometimes look all that good. 🙂

xoxoxo

hugmonster

p.s. A special thank you to Fernando Delás Carnevali for introducing me to "Husavik", and also to Paul Goodyear for his help :-)

Photo by Antoine J. on Unsplash

1. Husavik (My Hometown) (Cahill Remix) - Will Ferrell & My Marianne

2. Collide (Cahill Remix) - Leona Lewis / Avicii

3. Be With You (Moto Blanco Club Mix) - Erasure

4. Love My Life (Adam Turner & James Hurr Club Mix) - Robbie Williams

5. I Believe (The Cube Guys Remix (David Penn Re-Edit)) - Happy Clappers

6. 100 Degrees (Still Disco to Me) [with Dannii Minogue] (Steve Anderson Extended Disco Mix) - Kylie Minogue

7. Life Love and Happiness (Paul Goodyear Fire Island Extended) - Brian Kennedy

8. Tattoo (Jason Nevins Extended Remix) - Jordin Sparks

9. Sacred (Fiben Remix) - Erasure

10. Butterfly (Dario Xavier 2k22 Club Remix) - Mariah Carey

11. Euphoria [feat. Harper Starling] (Dan Thomas Remix) - The Perry Twins

12. The Great Divide (Original Mix) - Velvetine

13. Easy to Say (Sunlight Project Remix) - Steve Anderson, Andrea Britton

14. Heaven (Paul Goodyear 12" Mix) - Stereolove & Sarah Washington

July was a wonderful month for many of us. Wonderful, exciting, but also emotional, overwhelming...maybe even perplexing at times.

So I've taken a step back here. Still a happy sound, still a great beat, but a bit more thoughtful, relaxed. Not evoking a perfect day...perhaps just a good day. Good days are underrated! 🙂

This mix is dedicated to DJ Brian Norwood. Not just for his great music, which has gotten me through the toughest of times; but for his kindness, encouragement, faith in people, and his sense of humor.

If you are not following him (how could that be though?) please rush right over and do so at https://soundcloud.com/dj-brian-norwood! You will not be disappointed!

(and if you like my music, I'd love it if you share or repost this!)

Photo credit: Kamran Abdullayev on Unsplash

1. Kinda Love (Extended Mix) - Richard Judge

2. Together (Original Mix) - Nicolas Soria

3. New Day (Original Mix) - VICTHOR

4. Marula (Extended Mix) - A.M.R, Robby East

5. Under Trees (Original Mix) - Yotto

6. Blue Horizons (Original Mix) - Peter Mac

7. Sea of Mazunte (Hugmonster Mashup) - Yves Murasca, Meines vs. Peshta Gora

8. Let The Music Guide You feat. Alec Sun Drea (Original Mix) - Mark Picchiotti

9. Power Over Me (Extended Mix) - Tailor, Mees Salomé

10. Serenity (Original Mix) - Double Touch

11. By Your Side (Original Mix) - Nicolas Soria

12. Pray for Rain (Oliver Moldan Extended Remix) - MOGUAI

13. As The Stars Fall (Original Mix) - Awka, Baya

14. Giving Up On You feat. Lewyn (Extended Mix) - Falden, Lewyn

15. Walk Away (Original Mix) - VICTHOR

Just like the title says - this is a big bundle of joy and happiness!

I start easy with three groovy tracks, and land gently with three soft tunes, but in between, it's a whole lot of sunshine.

This set is from the fifth Flag Alley event in San Francisco - an event by flaggers, for flaggers (and those that love them!).

If you would like to know a little more about flag dancing, you can see a bit of video from the event here: https://www.facebook.com/1637960689/videos/788493689489572/

Photo Credit: Lucy Basta. Lucy is an artist in the Mission in San Francisco. You can find her on IG as @lucycreativity.

1. Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) (Earth n Days Remix) - Jerome Robins

2. Feel Luv (Club Mix) - Disco Gurls

3. 2 The Ground (Original Mix) - 2Lovers

4. Love On the Line (with Katherine Ellis) - Bimbo Jones

5. Small Talk (Stephen Jusko & DJ Blacklow Remix) - Katy Perry

6. Be Alright feat. Maya (CHICO's NashVegas Mix) - Dion Todd

7. Happiness (Dave Audé Club Mix) - Alexis Jordan

8. Joy & Happiness (Original Mix) - Per QX, Odyssey Inc., Wayne Soul Avengerz

9. Say Something Anyway (Bimbo Jones Remix) - Bellefire

10. System of Survival (Moto Blanco Extended Mix) - Robert Williamson

11. Love Is Alive (Original Mix) - 7th Heaven ft. Katherine Ellis

12. Somebody 4 Everybody (Moto Blanco Club Mix) [feat. Mark Picchiotti] - Matt Zarley

13. Bring the Sunshine (with Katherine Ellis) - Bimbo Jones

14. Lola's Theme (VIP) - The Shapeshifters

15. This Love (Taylor, Russ and Andy's Version) - Taylor Swift

16. Out Of My Head (Original Mix) - Mirko & Meex

17. Young Love (Extended Mix) - Sean Smith

18. Suite For Polar Bears (Hugmonster Mashup) - P.O.S., Spencer Brown vs. Owen Paul vs. Martina Budde, Riccardo Fiori

19. Watch the Sun (Extended Mix) - Zen Freeman, Fred Falke

20. Finally (Original Mix) - Julian The Angel

21. All I Wanna Do 2023 (Club Mix) - SURF

22. Love You to the Sky (Adam Turner Remix) - Erasure

23. We Break the Dawn (Moto Blanco Club Mix) - Michelle Williams

24. Waterfalls (Extended Mix) - Maurice, Roger Martin

25. Tribe of Kindness (Extended Mix) - Nora En Pure

26. End Of The World (Morgan Page Pop Mix Extended) - Matt Alber

I was telling DJ Michael Rackley that I wanted to make a Pride Month mix - but that somehow I wanted to put a new spin on the concept, a new twist.

From that vague thought and him hearing me out, a week later, I have a new mix.

It starts with a few clouds, but by the third track, they blow away and the sun comes out. I think it is a fundamentally happy mix to help you celebrate this month.

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I'm not sure I can precisely define "pride", but I know that being free is part of it - the knowledge of who you are, the courage and space to express it, as well as the confidence to allow and support others in their freedom.

This mix is about freedom. It starts with struggling to be free. From there, we deal with having to let another be free, and then wishing for freedom. The mood moves up to feeling free, pleading for freedom, and then appreciating it; and rises again to revel in it. It ends with the ultimate - the freedom to spread our wings and take flight.

May you all have the insight and courage this Pride Month to be who you truly are.

This mix is dedicated to Michael Rackley for his friendship, and his support in my learning the craft.

1. Castles - Punctual [feat. World's First Cinema]

2. The One That Got Away (JRMX Club Mix) - Katy Perry

3. Joy (Mark Dedross Extended Mix) - Staxx, Mark Dedross, Markosa

4. Free (Phats & Small Vocal Mix) - Lighthouse Family

5. Happiness Is Alien (Ecotek & James Egbert Club Mix) - Cause and Effect

6. Take Me Away feat. Therese (2018 Extended Remaster) - Stonebridge, Therese

7. Freefallin (Moto Blanco Club Mix) - Zoë Badwi

8. The Music Will Take Care of You (Matt Pop Extended Club Mix) - JLX [feat. LaVance Colley]

9. Freedom (Extended Mix) - Sanich

10. Don't Stop Me Now (Moto Blanco Club Remix) - First Ladies of Disco, Martha Wash, Linda Clifford & Norma Jean Wright

11. Release Me (Moto Blanco Mix) - Agnes

12. Don't Let Me Stop (Moto Blanco Extended Remix) - Ryan Hagan

13. Es Vedra (Holter & Mogyoro Remix) - Gabriel & Castellon

14. Free (Delarox Remix) - Danijel Kostic

15. To Be Free (Pumpin' Dolls To The Top Club Mix) - Mike Oldfield

16. Fill Us With Fire (JRMX Club) - Erasure

Photo by Daniel Hodgkins on Unspash

Recorded live at Flagging Open Studio on Saturday, May 6, 2023.

At this month's Flagging Open Studio, I decided to go darker - smoky, sultry, but still with that beat that you need for flagging!

Listen up for the third track, "Surge" (Above and Beyond), with awesome percussive loops and multilayered vocal pads. It's at a well-deserved top spot on the organic house charts right now.

From that, I drop into an amazing remix by Sebastian Busto of Adele's "Set Fire To The Rain".

The ninth track is the original version of "Easy", by Groove Armada. I remember this from my early club days (it's 21 years old now!), but to my ear, it still sounds as fresh as ever. They were ahead of their time with this one, something that rarely pays off.

From there it was easy to shift to an instrumental track called "Ocaso" (Leo Perez, Andre Moret) - proof that progressive house doesn't have to be dreary and repetitive!

Flagging Open Studio is an in-person event where we practice, share and enjoy the art of flag dancing. If you would like to see what this looks like, check out this link: https://www.facebook.com/1637960689/videos/178073715119908/

1. Farewell (Extended Mix) - Quarterhead

2. 5000 Miles (Extended Mix) - Ashley Wallbridge, Bodine

3. Surge (PROFF & Igor Garanin Extended Mix) - Above & Beyond

4. Set Fire To The Rain (Sebastian Busto Remix) - Adele

5. Where You Are (Extended Mix) - John Summit f./Hayla

6. Bird (Original Mix) - Time (FR)

7. Who Do You Think You Are (Extended Mix) - Ghostbusterz

8. Right In The Night (NuDisco Klub Mix) - Block & Crown

9. Easy (Original Mix) - Groove Armada

10. Ocaso (Weird Sounding Dude Remix) - Leo Perez, Andre Moret

11. So In Love With You (Block & Crown Club Mix) - Stonebridge, K-SYRAN

12. Fooled Around 2023 (Extended Mix) - Sanich

13. Every Sunrise (Original Mix) - Nils Karr, Roald Velden

Recorded live at Flagging Open Studio on Saturday, April 15, 2023.

Flagging Open Studio is an in-person event where we practice, share and enjoy the art of flag dancing. If you would like to see what this looks like, check out this link: https://www.facebook.com/1637960689/videos/178073715119908/

1. The Rhythm Of The Night (Juloboy Remix) - Mart, DiscoVer.

2. The Most (Juloboy Remix Extended) - Alexander Hristov

3. London Grammar - Strong (Judah Remix)- Judah

4. Just Another Day (StoneBridge Extended Anthem Mix)- Nelson Rego

5. Nothing Gonne Stop Us (Original Mix) - Ghostbusterz

6. I Wanna Dance with Somebody (David Morales Pride Anthem Mix - The Cube Guys, Barbara Tucker

7. What the Future Holds (Cahill Remix) - Steps

8. Never Ever (Extended Mix) - Robert Burian

9. Need Someone (Extended Mix) Calippo

10. Hideaway feat. Jack Morlen (Extended Mix) - Steny, Jack Morlen

11. Secrets feat. Jack Morlen (Extended Mix) - Steny, Jack Morlen

12. Gorgeous Feat. Confidence Man (Mighty Mouse Remix) - Yuksek

13. So Pure (K Loveski Remix) - Imal SL

14. Back To Life (Scorz Extended Remix) - DubVision, Afrojack

Photo Credit: Jouke Lanning