Club Moon Rising: Jason Rivas and "Black Moon (Original Club Mix)"

A bit of the club comes to you today for our random world tune. Black Moon (Original Club Mix) is by Jason Rivas. Jason Rivas is a professional DJ who began his career in the 1990s and has released over 300 records as a producer of house music for various labels. He has also been remixed by many international artists. Black Moon can be found on The Balkan Club Night Vol. 2 (2011).

Billy Club: Cop & Thief and "Balkan Beat"

I have never really been into the club scene. I must seem like the most boring person on the planet but really, I'm not. In fact, there are some things about the club scene that make me wish I was. The club scene seems like a hotbed of sexual energy as everyone is out there on the dance floor, sweating away as they move their bodies in close proximity to one another. And I'm a red-blooded, if a bit on the old side, American male that finds the thought of women dressed in tight clothing dancing somewhat titillating. But I've always thought of the music as being pretty much interchangeable, more for dancing than for anything else, with a beat that kind of beats you over the head like a policeman's billy club. Yet, even the music has been evolving, and one of the interesting things has been the sampling of Balkan music into club beats. And even more interesting to me is that it's become popular. Perhaps that was why I was able to find a whole collection of Balkan club music and even find some pieces in it that are interesting, not tedious.

The random tune for today is a club tune should have strobes and colored lights flashing along with it. If you don't have that going in your living room when you play the song, just pretend that you are in a club with a lot of bodies grinding around you. Balkan Beat is by Cop & Thief, which is a DJ or a pair of DJs from Italy. But I'm not too sure because I can only find minimal information on them on the web. The tune is heavy on the beat like a club tune, with lots of Balkan brass thrown in. You can find Balkan Beat on World Presents The Balkan Club Night #2 (2011). Enjoy!

P.S. Don't tell my wife about my visions of hot, tightly dressed women in the club. Let's just keep that between you and me.

A Nice Vintage: Ian Oliver feat. Eastenders and "Vino Vino (Lukas Lehrmann remix)"

I love wine...but I can't drink much of it. Well, let me restate that. It's not that I can't, it's that I shouldn't.

That's tough for a native Northern Californian who grew up just north of wine country and who therefore has had ample reason to enjoy a few vintages in his lifetime. But there it is. The problem is not the wine. The problem is that my body has more than two glasses of wine, and then decides it's time to go to sleep. A third glass, especially on a warm afternoon, will put me to complete sleep. This is a problem if I'm at a party. I can ameliorate the effect by sipping the wine but even that works its toll sooner or later.

But here's the thing about wine for me that doesn't work with any other libation: wine (especially red wine) is the only alcoholic drink where at some point I go from completely sober to that delicate balance of feeling completely at peace and good with the world for a few minutes to a half hour. The problem is that either I don't drink anymore and the feeling goes away, or I drink another one and tip the balance into sleepy time. That being written, it's that peaceful feeling I crave. A good glass of wine with friends in a relaxed atmosphere is the perfect tonic for pretty much everything. A glass of wine on my front porch as the late afternoon sun provides its gentle warmth is an experience I can have over and over again. It's a good thing that I can always revisit that feeling for the rest of the time I'm on this earth. And occasionally, I know that I will end up sleeping away the rest of the evening on a bed because of one glass beyond that perfect balance.

One doesn't necessarily associate the Balkans with fine wine, though recent reports indicate that it's star is rising in the world of appellations, but in terms of vintage brass instrumentation and accordion the Balkans are about as exciting as it gets. And one of the amazing things that has happened has been a cross of the old with the new, almost like a blending of traditional grapes with some new hybrids to create something completely new. In the past decade or so Balkan brass and accordion has become more popular, and with it experimentation in turning these tunes into danceable club music. And to my surprise (though perhaps not the surprise of people who have listened to this music for a while) it works marvelously. There is something about Balkan brass and accordion being sampled and looped, augmented by electronica, and put to a beat that never fails to get the body moving.

To that end, Vino Vino (Lukas Lehrmann remix) is a remix of a Balkan dance tune by Ian Oliver featuring Eastenders, which in itself uses a lot of sampling. Unfortunately, I can't find much information about Ian Oliver or Eastenders (please feel free to comment and provide some information), but this remix is infectious and makes you want to dance! You can find Vino Vino (Lukas Lehrmann remix) on the compilation CD The Balkan Club Night #2, Disc 2 (2011) Enjoy! I've also included the original, below, with the official video so you can compare it with the remix.