Exclusive Mix 039: Juan Ramos (Berlin)

Hailing from Bridgeport, Connecticut, Juan Ramos grew up in a Puerto Rican household where his family nurtured him on a healthy diet of Latin Jazz, Hip-Hop, and early crossover dance music. His fascination with music grew with age as he experimented with making electronic music and later on joining various local bands from his home state. At the age of 19 Juan started to experiment with laptop DJ’ing but quickly bored and transitioned to vinyl for a more challenging approach.

As the story goes, after a holiday to Berlin in 2012, he felt the pull of a place that could provide more than his small rural hometown. Resident now since summer ’13, Juan has devoted his daily life entirely to crafting his music, centering loosely around a house format that caters for references to the rich palette of influences which have fueled his path through music. His first release “The Mariner” released with San Francisco based label Friends With Benefits garnered positive reviews and featured on XLR8R.

His texturally rich and eclectic selection has gained him the support and attention of some of Berlin’s more interesting circles and 2015 looks to be a fruitful year for the young talent.

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New Boards of Canada album, 6/10/13

To say that I’m a Boards of Canada nut would be an understatement. Since my friend Colin introduced me to their music in ’98 their lo-fi, warm, downtempo organica has become a staple of both my musical catalog–often the last track I play in an extended live set–and indeed, a stanchion of my existence on the planet.

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Easter Otteremedy: De La Creme Selects Pt. 1 by Karl Kamakahi

Chiiiiiild…it’s been a weekend already, and we haven’t even hit the Easter festivities or Flammable or Honey Soundsystem yet (tonight–see below). Green Velvet banging out tracks with live lyrics at Q, Atish smiling and dancing around ETG while delivering deep house, the Train Car Party with DJ Diz going off Chicago-style, Jake Shears bringing an actually credible tech-house DJ set to Rapture, and Two Dudes in Love helping bucket & Zak celebrate conjoined bachelorette/birthday parties last night at the Eagle. I’mma try to make it to see Riz Rollins this afternoon for his special Easter Bonnet edition of REVIVAL at Q, and perhaps Flam tonight if I can revive my limbs from the dead…

But in the meantime, chill to this mix from local Seattle treasure Karl Kamakahi. Karl is known for his bomb-dropping beats as part of the Flammable, De La Creme, Proper, Front Street and Conception crews here in town, but this sweet downtempo/acid jazz mix he crafted with Seattle’s Gene Lee is one of the best  chill sets I’ve heard since the days of DJ Funky Nasir’s Spice @ Moe’s in the early 90s. It’s been on constant repeat in our car for months. Perfect for a sunny Sunday afternoon–and a free download.

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And if you’re reading this from San Francisco, come out to see Bottom Forty’s own Nark at Honey Soundsystem at Holy Cow tonight! I heard something about a party bus…

Alien Alien – “Sambaca” Remixes

Alien Alien’s “Sambaca” was a queer revelation when it came out months ago–crazy genderfuck Italians evoking gritty European club and street scenes. New remixes out now…including these by DJ Athome & Klaus and Fabrizio Mammarella.
Available here: Listening quality (iTunes)  Full Losless/DJ quality (Traxsource)

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The amazing original for full reference…