Happy holidays to everyone celebrating something this December. I’m off to enjoy the great state of Connecticut for some lovely eats and gifts. I hope you all have a similar experience – well not CT, but whatever joint you end up partying at.

Here’s a quick something for all of you. 

Random 14 Tracks I Overplayed in 2008 Mix. (works best in iTunes)

Just a bunch of tracks I’ve been playing in 2008. If you care to avoid my commentary, simply use the Chapters feature in iTunes (found in your Finder bar when you play this file) to get right to the music.

See you all in 2009.

(photo via flickr)

I am putting my money behind Australia’s power pop band, Empire of the Sun to be the hottest act of 2009. Point.

Empire of the Sun consists of Luke Steele (Sleepy Jackson) and Nick Littlemore (Pnau), a fuckload of makeup, and French revolutionary meets Shanghai fashion. These guys are weird. Big time weird… weird in the Bowie Stardust kind of way. But goddamn they’re making respectable pop music.

“Walking on a Dream” is their debut single and MGMT should be very very nervous right now. This is real and the influence is obvious.

My vote for single of 2009. 

Doc Scott is playing at Elements, one of the longest running drum and bass weeklies in the United States. Its a Boston thing and has been for a very very long time. Doc Scott has been spinning records, as well, for even longer.

I remember sitting in the cafeteria at Northeastern University and my very good friend Michael rolled in with the new Metalheadz Platnium Breakz Comp from the UK. This was 1997 I assume and jungle had been tearing up the scene for a while now with drum and bass beginning to develop into its own.

The track that floored me on the comp actually came as the track one disc 2. It was indeed a Doc Scott track.  For years I referred to it as “The Unofficial Ghost” which was its original name on the UK pressing. Later, US domestic pressings called it “Fabio’s Ghost.” That’s trivial at this point because either way, the track would crush dancefloors and I, for some reason, have never heard it played at a drum and bass night in the USA. I probably never will.

“The Unofficial Ghost” unequivocally changed something logically in my brain as to how I heard and understood music at the time, not just jungle or dnb. For the first time, I focused on the bass instead of he drum track and, from that point on, I needed nothing more to move me.

The crushing harmonics of “Ghost” almost throws the listener into the next room. Musically, nothing has every moved me sonically in this manner. For those that have been around me when my mobile rings to the “Ghost”, you know what’s up.

Doc Scott is probably better known for “Shadow Boxing” and “Drums 95″. Absolute sonic bangers at the time, almost more so than “Ghost.” “Shadow Boxing” crawls up onto you from over a hill. The image is startling; like a wall of soldiers marching to the frontlines. The pause midtrack without rhythm is your last chance of escape.

These three tracks, to me, are what made this genre of music maybe the most influential in my life and may have opened my ears to more experiential sounds – be it alt rock, no wave, bossanova, I thank jungle/dnb and Doc Scott for waking me the fuck up.

I bought this Metalheadz cap back at Black Market Record in London I think around 1997. It brings me back.

Aw, fuck it, you can download my ringtone version of “Ghost” here. I made an iPhone and MP3 version for your loving. It will surly scare the kids. Just in time for Halloween!

Some music. Four tracks in my current rotation.

My very good friend Einar described it like being at the VMA’s but with a shitload more tequila, people, foamy mats. How  Diesel pulled off their Brooklyn circus, and 17 other parties around the world, as well as broadcasting them live on Diesel TV, required really one important thing – fuckloads of marketing money.

To those inside the tent (and I am sure it was more than 5000), we witnessed a festival grade musical line-up, as well as two ringside bars pouring liquid into anything they could find once the cups ran out. I luckily held tight to the empty Pepsi can which politely housed anything but Pepsi.

The entrance application. Under live music, it says, “and many more.” They were not kidding.

The wrapped tent. A much bigger affair than assumed. 

The long walk on the highway.

The front of the Diesel House. Bar to the right.

Hot Chip.

T.I. invites M.I.A. out for some “Swagger.”

A little jam with T.I. and Franz Ferdinand.

At the beginning of the Franz set the fire marshall came onstage and asked people to kindly repel off the balconies and make it down to the ringside floor or the party was going to end. It took a moment, but people listened. If they had not moved, we may have well missed the mega finale.

M.I.A. heavily pregnant but still looking amazing rips into her set…

But as quickly, the boys from N*E*R*D joined her crew on stage…

And together they demo’d the room. “Paper Planes” duet and all.

N*E*R*D broke into “Lapdance” and closed with “Everyone Nose” which encored with N*E*R*D mashing The White Stripes “Seven Nation Army” LIVE (I said LIVE) with “Everyone Nose.” That deserved a big old “holy shit.”

And how about the Margiela V-Man jacket on Pharell. You are indeed the king of bravado, my friend.

Now for some film…

M.I.A. and N*E*R*D. You know the track. Purposely shaky. I did drink a lot of Don Julio.

Some sights from ringside in between sets. If you listen close enough you can hear the magic question.

Who did we run into?

Hey! Its Stockholm’s Einar!

A man with four actual eyes.

A nice girl. Sorry we forgot your name!

And the lovely Christina who dropped a tab and was looking for god on the tight rope. 

That is a lie. She was actually just pretending.

That is it. Show is over but where the fuck are Marcus and Tim?

Special “thank you” the to girl grinding me during “Lapdance” for making it feel all the more special.

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Now, if you have read this far…

I want to say thank you to Andrea Rosso, the mastermind behind 55DSL for sitting down with HighSnobiety on Friday for a great conversation. Coincidentally 55DSL is celebrating their 15th birthday next year. More on that shortly. Big thanks to Ann for letting this online outlet into your world.

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Last minute engagements tend to develop into high yield results. Pendulum at Cambridge’s Middle East Downstairs, is a great example of this. Pendulum, for those who may not be aware, are an Aussie based live drum and bass act who clearly pull influence from the good ole days of breakbeat inspired drum and bass as well as some big beat. The New New has called Pendulum the next The Prodigy.

I could not agree more but will add that they remove the cheese found during live The Prodigy gigs and replace it with some youthful guys looking to demo every room and soundsystem in their way.

I will concede to the drum and bass purists that this is not a perfect match from what we experienced in the 90’s, but how can you not applaud them for straying from the 4-4. And fuck it, they’re selling out shows all over the USA.

Either way, the Middle East Downstairs gig was to the wall and exploding. Not many rooms in Boston still have that quality of moisture dripping from the ceiling. This was it.

Welcome to the new rave.