DJ Daniel Van Olst

Sunrise + She's Got It (DJ Vartan, Sanich vs. Ghostbusterz) - Hugmonster Mashup by DJ Daniel Van Olst

I've been doing this for 6 months now, and I've been surprised to find out how personal it is.

There are endless ways to make a set. What theme? What concept? Is this track a great one, or merely a good one? Where do I place a transition? Do I make this sort of transition, or that sort? Which track next?

In the end, I finish, and (hopefully) I feel that it is just the way it should be - and no one else would make something exactly the same. I've realized now that when I listen to a DJ, I'm hearing who they are - because nobody else would make it precisely that way.

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I've called this mix 'Funkytown'. Perhaps some of you remember this 1980 song - it was one of my favorites in high school! How can you go wrong with this track? It's like three songs in one, and I love that cowbell intro! It gets worked into this mix as track 10, 'Superfly' (which is a mashup of 'Funkytown' and the 666 track, 'Supa-Dupa-Fly').

I lead off with a gorgeous remake of 'I'll Be Around', and after that, it's nothing high-minded - just a lot of funky disco goodness.

I wrap up with a remix I made of 'Sunset' with 'She's Got It (Venus)'. I had so much fun making it, it almost made itself. :-)

1. I'll Be Around (Original Mix) - Two Lee, Chris Commisso

2. Shined On Me feat. Andrea Love (Les Bisous Extended Remix) - Praise Cats, Andrea Love

3. As Long As We Together (Deepjack & Mr.Nu Remix) - Felipe Puertes, Severin Borer

4. Ain't Nobody (Extended Mix) - Sean Finn

5. About Damn Time (Purple Disco Machine Extended Remix) - Lizzo

6. In & Out (Earth n Days Remix) - TAI, Son Of 8

7. Nothing But A Heartache (Extended) - The Flirtations, Tobtok, Oliver Nelson

8. Yelme (Original Mix) - Bob Musella

9. Clap Your Hands (Extended Mix) - Martina Budde, Riccardo Fiori

10. Superfly (Original Mix) - Crazibiza, House of Prayers

11. Relight My Dubbs (Original Mix) - Block & Crown, Paul Parsons

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

13. Only Way Is Up (Original Mix) - Adri Block

14. Ride on Time (Extended Mix) - Eugenio Fico

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

16. Sunrise + She's Got It (Hugmonster Mix) - DJ Vartan, Sanich + Ghostbusterz

(BTW, the original 'Funkytown' was by 'Lipps, Inc.', and I'm embarrassed to say that I only realized this month that the band's name is a joke - it's a homonym for 'lip-sync'. Congrats to the band on making a joke that took 43 years to land - I'm impressed!)

Photo by Sebastian Pociecha on Unsplash

Half the tracks on this new mix (the odd number ones) are vocal tracks. There are big ideas here. You'll visit lands like loyalty, desire, fidelity, silence, rage, being ghosted, courage, and love.

To convey you forward between these destinations, I've arranged transport. The other half of the tracks (the even ones) are (mostly) instrumental tracks. Imagine taking a train...a ferry...a plane, to your next feeling, your next experience.

Keep your ears and hearts open for a remix of Solarstone's "I Want You Here" - the vocal harmonies are utterly unique and seem to come straight from heaven.

There's also a magnificent remake/remix of the classic, "Silence" - another perfect example of a track that (sorry!) never really grabbed me, but this...this leaves me lost for words.

1. Horizon feat. Chris Howard (Extended Mix) - Sebastian Moore, DJ San, Chris Howard

2. Sojourn (Dub Mix) - Paul Sawyer

3. Us Against the World (Extended Mix) - ALLEGRØ

4. Small (Original Mix) - Nicolas Soria

5. I Want You Here feat. Thea Riley (Paul Sawyer Remix) - Solarstone

6. Wisteria (Original Mix) - Amonita

7. Silence (Juloboy Remix Extended) - Svet, Diana Inez

8. Espiral De Amor (Extended Mix) - Somelee

9. Sara (Original Mix) - Ghostbusterz

10. Amethyste (Nōpi Remix) - Pedro Capelossi

11. Courage to Love (feat. Eric Kupper) (Original Mix) - Eric Kupper, RuPaul

12. Evergreen (Alex O'Rion Remix) - Kamilo Sanclemente

13. Echo (Original Mix) - Astomic

14. Andalucia (Dave Pad Remix) - Bigz

15. Just Here (Original Mix) - Juloboy

16. Into The Wild (Original Mix) - Eli Nissan

17. Right Here + Into The Wild (Hugmonster Mix) - Sons Of Maria + Eli Nissan

Photo by Nuno Antunes on Unsplash

This mix is mostly in the organic house category, but it also takes you on a bit of a journey: first clouds, then some sunshine, and finally ending up in a completely different place than the beginning.

My favorite track is the title track ("Andaluz Human") with the lyric, "I am only human, too." What acceptance these words carry! I'm not bad, not perfect...just human.

Would you be perfect if you could? Always have the right words, the funny comment, never offending anyone or making mistakes?

Would anyone be able to bear being around any of us if we were perfect? I think that in the end, we make connections with others through our imperfections and flaws, as much as our virtues and accomplishments. At the end of the day, being...only human.

Many thanks to Amy Lam for being kind enough to do an advance listen :-)

1. Permanent (Original Mix) - Kygo, JHart

2. What Falling in Love is For (Original Mix) - Emmit Fenn

3. Andaluz Human (Original Mix) - Florian Gasperini

4. So Free (Original Mix) - Double Touch, Reigan

5. The Day After (Beije Remix) - DJ Zombi

6. Every Little Beat feat. Richard Bedford (Khen Extended Mix) - Above & Beyond, Richard Bedford

7. Time (Meines Extended Remix) - Yves Murasca, Rosario Galati, Chasing Kurt

8. Solar Symphony (Original Mix) - Somelee, Talemates

9. Ascending (Shai T Remix) - Double Touch, M.O.S.

10. Beyond (Beije Remix) - Askoui, Mogio

11. I'm Not In Love (Eric Kupper Remix) - Lita, Jerome Drouot

12. You Are Mine (Extended Mix) - Juloboy

13. Sweetest Heart feat. Zoë Johnston (Shai T Extended Mix) - Above & Beyond, Zoe Johnston

14. Rapture (Original Mix) - Mijangos, Pako Rubio, Michelle Lanz

Image by Alessio Lin on Unsplash.

https://unsplash.com/@lin_alessio

We've all had it happen. We take a second look, and our perception of something we thought we knew well - a friend, a place, a lover, a situation - shifts, for better or worse, and nothing is ever the same again.

Things are reshuffled, turned upside down.

Nothing again is ever the way it was. And nothing has changed, except us.

This mix is dedicated to those epiphanies, those pivotal moments of realization in our life. It's a set of covers, remixes, mashups - revisiting classics, giving them a new twist...and perhaps hearing what we have not before.

In particular, listen up for the second track, a superb remix of the 2002 hit, "It's Gonna Be...(A Lovely Day)". I was never crazy about it, but this...I could listen to it over and over!

1. Call on Me feat. Boyz R Busy (Original Mix) - Block & Crown, Maickel Telussa, Boyz R Busy

2. Lovely Day (Original Mix) - Freddy Be, Dilby, Floorplay (LA)

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

4. Cry (Just A Little) (Original Mix) - Disko Junkie

5. Feel The Discotheque (Original Mix) - Dj Pelos, Jerry Davila, Ghostbusterz

6. Can't Stop Now (Extended Mix) - Babert, Mell Hall

7. Ain't No Sunshine (Nari Extended Mix) - Laurent Simeca, Crazibiza

8. The Story Never Ends (Original Mix) - Block & Crown

9. What a Feeling (Extended Mix) - Ben DJ

10. Don't Leave Me This Way (Original Mix) - Laurent Simeca, Crazibiza

11. Star To Fall (Extended Mix) - Disko Junkie

12. I'm Coming Out / Upside Down (Eric Kupper Remix) - Diana Ross

13. Down (Extended Mix) - GhostMasters

14. Crying At The Discoteque (Extended Mix) - Discotron, Sandy's Groove

15. Total Eclipse Of The Heart (Original Mix) - Ghostbusterz

16. All Over The World (Club Mix) - JL, Yvvan Back

17. What a Night (Original Mix) - Crazibiza, House of Prayers

18. Knew you Were Waiting (Extended Mix) - DJ Frisco, Marcos Peon, Martina Budde

Photo by Justin Dickey on Unsplash.

https://unsplash.com/es/@justinmdickey

A hint of magic, a coincidence, a small mystery. Wordless truths and the unexplained.

Science and logic are great, but because of our limits as humans, or just a simple lack of information, we sometimes have to cross a line - to a place where we have to rely emotion, intuition, or a leap of faith.

Making this mix, I've been tantalized by chance encounters, the radiance of strangers, a fleeting taste on the tongue, a feeling gone as soon as noticed.

Putting lightning in a bottle is a chancy business.

Perhaps I've succeeded a bit, perhaps not.

So, I will say this: May you all have a bit of magic, a breath of the beyond, and a continuing unfolding of the mystery in the coming year.

1. Call on Me feat. Okafuwa (Club Mix) - Jay Bird, Elazion, Okafuwa

2. Espiritu Del Viento (Original Mix) - B.I.R.DD (AR)

3. Be With You (Extended Mix) - DiscoVer.

4. Above the Clouds (LOSTIN X Foletto Remix) - Jose Tabarez, Roberto Caceres

5. Don't You See (Extended Mix) - Deep Stream

6. Know You Wanna (DiscoVer. & Sanich Remix) - Sunny Cooks

7. 604 Diary (Weird Sounding Dude Remix) - DJ Zombi

8. Rolling in the Deep (Extended Mix) - Mannymore

9. Storm (Original Mix) - Double Touch, Reigan

10. Fire (Extended Version) - Anne Marie, Demaklenco

11. While We're Here (Extended Mix) - Beije

12. Oriki (Original Mix) - Shai T

13. How Can I Blame You (Original Mix) - Double Touch, Reigan

14. Line of Dream (DJ Bird Remix) - INNERPHONIC

15. Back In My Arms (Shai T Remix)- Sahar Z

16. Reach Out (Extended Mix) - Andrew Spencer, Okafuwa

I wish I had something really profound to say, but this is just (hopefully) a solid house mix - with a bit of a twist at the end. ;-)

For those of you (like me) that are remake-crazy, there are covers of "Hot Stuff", "If I Can't Have You", "Born This Way", and "Beds Are Burning".

Enjoy!

1. Soulshakin' (Extended Mix) - Earth n Days

2. In Your Life (Original Mix) - Earth n Days

3. Has Your Man Got Soul (Earth n Days Extended Remix) - Milk & Sugar

4. Baby Hot Stuff (Original Mix) - Bob Musella

5. Please Don't Go (Original Mix) - Ghostbusterz

6. What You Need (Extended Mix) - Sanich

7. Can You Feel (Extended Mix) - Laurent Simeca, Tony Choy

8. U Try Livin' (Pressure) (Eric Kupper Remix) - 808 BEACH, Anelisa Lamola, Black Guy White Guy

9. Hope feat. Magnolia (Eric Kupper Remix) - Magnolia, LTBeam

10. Born This Way (Original Mix) - Ghostbusterz

11. If I Can't Have You (DJ Vartan & Techcrasher Remix) - Laurent Schark

12. Anyone Candy (Original Mix) - David Novacek, Yvvan Back

13. Spirit of House (Extended Mix) - Ron Carroll, Milk & Sugar, CASSIMM

14. Don't Wake Me Up (Original Mix) - Yvvan Back

15. How Can We Dance (Original Mix) - Ghostbusterz

16. I've Seen Starships (Paul Hamilton Remix) - Peter Mac

The Sahara. The big city. Rio de Janeiro.

Why are destinations such a popular song topic?

Is it because, for the price of a song, you can go anywhere?

Or is it because the physical journey is a reflection of our inner exploration?

Maybe, in the end, the only question that matters is...

Where do you want to go?

Jerusalem. Wales. Africa.

The sea, sun, moon, and stars.

Close your eyes. Take my hand. Come with me.

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1. Snow On The Sahara (Remix) - Anggun

2. Africa (Dim Zach ReWork) - Toto

3. California Dreamin (Extended Mix) - Freischwimmer

4. Janeiro (Jody Wisternoff Extended Remix) - Solid Sessions

5. Wanna Be There (Extended Mix) - Deep Stream

6. Jerusalema (Remix, Extended Version) - DJ Concito

7. Sunlight (Main Vocal Mix) - Andre Espeut, Elbert Phillips

8. Sleeping Satellite (Uptempo Club Mix) - Jan Johnston

9. Stargazing (Extended Mix) - Nicky Romero, Leo Stannard, Monocule

10. San Francisco (Moodena Remix) - Ferry Ultra, Stav & Ben

11. Ride Like The Wind (Extended Mix) - East Side Beat

12. Rhiannon - Katrina Cain