After working on it for over six months, I’m happy to finally announce my new techno/electro DJ mix, Escape.

Download audio file (Escape.mp3)
Escape (download)

This is my first mix released since 2005′s Year of Reflection, which was actually recorded in 2004 (hence the title). So I’ve been on a bit of a break from this type of thing for a while. My turntables and records have been boxed up in my closet for a year and a half, and it’s probably only a matter of time before I sell them all. But I’m actually very happy for this.

I made this mix entirely with Ableton Live using MP3s that I downloaded from eMusic, Beatport and Bleep. This is something I’ve wanted to do for years, but at first the technology didn’t exist, then the technology appeared but songs were unavailable digitally, and more recently the technology and music both became readily available, but I couldn’t find the time to put them together. I called the mix “Escape” in part because I’ve finally found my way past these obstacles and made something very close to what I always hoped would be possible in a post-vinyl DJing age.

Far from some people’s claims that using software to beat-match and mix is the easy way out, this was the most labor-intensive mix that I’ve ever created. Tracks were transposed, extended, edited, sliced up, and processed heavily to get them to blend well. It was a very educational experience, but it also taught me that I still have a lot to learn. I hope, now that this is finished, I can spend more time learning and applying these new skills to original productions, something else I’ve intended for years but never made the time to pursue seriously.

I hope it goes without saying, but please be aware that the independent labels that produce this music rely on the support of electronic music fans to stay in business, and I am not providing this mix to profit from the work of the original artists. Especially since I’m no longer playing out, I made this purely for the fun of creating it, but I hope that if you enjoy the music you hear, you’ll buy the original tracks.

Tracklist

00:00–04:19 Ellen Allien & Apparat — Red Planets
02:16–10:50 Lucien-N-Luciano — Future Senses (feat. Francisca Leon) (mini re-edit)
07:46–14:49 The Field — Over the Ice
12:38–21:46 Minilogue — Space
19:48–28:23 Monolake — Plumbicon
21:36–27:47 Alex Smoke — Never Want to See You Again
26:43–33:04 Lusine — The Stop (Robag Wruhme remix)
31:19–34:27 Modeselektor — B.M.I.
32:51–36:57 Kraftwerk — Numbers
33:53–39:17 Ellen Allien & Apparat — Do Not Break
37:51–45:01 Undo & Vicknoise — Mescalina
42:27–49:41 The Field — Everday
48:17–56:48 Gui Boratto — Beautiful Life

I plan to upload some of my older mixes to this site in the coming weeks and months, and maybe even dig out some of the previously-unreleased recordings if anyone would be interested. In the meantime, I’d love to hear what you think of this one in the comments.

Photo credit: sierraromeo