DJ Stylus - The Vibe Conductor

I finally got around to putting this up almost 5 years after I first recorded it. All things in due time I guess. This was actually a mix that I did to hustle up some gigs. I took a downtempo and a house mix and put them on the same cd to try to impress upon promoters that I was versatile. I gave out a ton of these as freebies at gigs and still get inquiries about it. I had only been into house seriously for about a year at that point so if you’re a hardcore house head please don’t snicker at the naivete of the house section. Great records have long shelf lives, that’s for sure.

1. Jill Scott & Common - 8 Minutes to Sunrise
2. Ronny Jordan & Mos Def - A Brighter Day
3. Omar - Saturdays
4. A Tribe Called Quest - Like it Like That
5. Vodu 155 - Mama Dadu (instr.)
6. MoKenStef - Baby Come Close (instr.)
7. Davina - I Can’t Help It
8. De La Soul - Breakadawn
9. Common - The Light (rmx.)
10. J-Live - Play (instr.)
11. Jazztronik - From the Picture
12. Miguel Migs - Lionel’s Jam
13. Scott Grooves feat. Chris Codish - Organ Nights Part 1
14. U.C. Heights feat. Anthony Flanagan - Never Lost Faith (Original Mix)
15. Jamiroquai - Cosmic Girl (Quasar Mix)
16. Incognito - I Can See the Future (Ski’sa Main Mix)
17. Turnstyle Orchestra - Latin Soul (..Not so Latin Sonic Soul Mix)
18. Blue Six - Pure (Jay’s Original Vocal)
19. MJ Cole - Sincere (Naked Music’s Jay’s Breakfast Dub)
20. The Rurals - Grey Clouds
21. Incognito - Nights Over Egypt (MAW Bonus Beats)
22. Marie St. Claire - Closer I Get (Johnick Vocal mix)
23. Willie Washington presents Paula Ralph - Ain’t No Running Away (Ricanstruction Vocal Mix)
24. Masters At Work feat. India - To Be In Love (Ricanstruction vocal)

Elliott over at ProjectVIBE.net solicited me to hook them up with some mixes. I’ll be lacing them with one new joint a month. Here’s a sneak preview of the first installment. Make sure you check out Honey, Stef Renee, Fathom and all the rest of my new colleagues in soul.

1. Rasa - When Will The Day Come
2. Common - Take it EZ (instr.)
3. Incognito - Wild & Peaceful (Kenny Dope rmx)
4. Common - Funky For You
5. Raphael Saddiq - Sky’s The Limit (Yam Who’s Spiritual Rework)
6. Sergio Mendes - The Frog feat. Q-Tip & will.i.am
7. Ty - I Want 2
8. Stevie Wonder - Love Light in Flight
9. Faith Evans - I Don’t Care
10. Flowriders - Darkness (Gen-Lon oldschool remix)
11. Patrice Rushen - Number One
12. Fat Freddys Drop - Flashback (Jazzanova’s Breathe Easy Mix)
13. Reggie Watts - Movin’ On
14. Brandy - What About Us? (Markus Enochson Electro Clash Remake)
15. The Politik - Money (Don’t Let It Catch Ya)
16. Rhian Benson - Say How I Feel feat. Slum Village & Dwele (Bugz In The
Attic mix)

Back in late ‘04 the Soul Controllers were solicited to be a part of WPFW’s new programming block that would possibly incorporate hip-hop. Here’s the demo we did. Doesn’t really resemble what Decipher is now but it’s a decent bit of listening.

DJ Stylus

Roy Porter - Party Time
Common - Heat
DJ Spinna - All Up In It
The Rebirth - This Journey In
Prince - Ballad of Dorothy Parker
Patrice Rushen - Music of the Earth
Larry Gold - Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now feat. Black Thought
Lizz Fields - When I See Love (Ty & Drew’s Lizzie’s Children Remix)
Organized Konfusion - Let’s Organize feat. Q-Tip
Till Bronner - No Fusion Generation (Mark de Clive-Lowe rmx)
The Roots - Melting Pot

DJ Jahsonic

Theo Parrish - Ebonics
Rahsaan Patterson - So Hot
Roy Davis Jr. - Someday feat. Peven Everett
Quant - Tryin’ feat. Ernesto
Alan Hoyst - Inner City Blues
Blaze - Shine
Franck Roger & M-Salem - No More Believe
Universal Principles - Inspiration and Light

This one stays in downtempo territory.

1. Vivian Green - Keep On Going
2. Common feat. Pharell & Q-Tip - Come Close (rmx.)
3. Critically Acclaimed - Wallflower
4. Slum Village - I Don’t Know
5. The Roots - The Good, The Bad & The Desolate
6. Jill Scott - Brotha
7. Little Brother - Altitudes
8. Lowrell - Mellow Mellow, Right On
9. Roy Ayers - Ain’t Got Time
10. Father’s Children - Hollywood Dreaming
11. Break
12. Pete Rock & CL Smooth - I Got a Love
13. Pete Rock & Large Professor - The Rap World
14. Blackstar - Respiration
15. DJ Spinna - Galactic Soul
16. Jurassic 5 - Thin Line
17. People Under the Stairs - Acid Raindrops
18. Steely Dan - Kid Charlemagne
19. Courtial - Losing You
20. De La Soul - Ring, Ring, Ring
21. The Whatnauts - Help Is On the Way
22. Loose Ends - Slow Down
23. A Tribe Called Quest - After Hours
24. Tracey Lee - Stars in the East
25. Mary J. Blige - All That I Can Say (instr.)
26. Soul II Soul - Keep On Movin’
27. Slum Village - Players

Sezy liked this one so much she wanted to host it. Big ups on the new baby!!

1. Earth, Wind & Fire - Caribou
2. Sade - The Sweetest Taboo
3. Jay Dee - Dreamy
4. Cooly’s Hot Box - What a Surprise (Spinna rmx.)
5. Mista feat. Ceelo Green - Blackberry Molasses (Organized Noize rmx)
6. Blackalicious - Swan Lake
7. Ultra Naté - Twisted
8. DJ Krush feat. Mos Def - Light
9. AZ - Rather Unique (instr.)
10. Glenn Lewis - Beautiful Eyes
11. Shaun Escoffery - Livin’
12. The Roots - Sacrifice
13. Minnie Riperton - Wouldn’t Matter Where You Are
14. Harlem River Drive - Harlem River Drive (Theme Song)
15. Antibalas - N.E.S.T.A. (Never Ever Submit To Authority)
16. Soulive - Liquid
17. Bobby Hutcherson - Montara (Roots rmx.)
18. Will.i.am - Lay Me Down
19. Freeway - Alright (instr.)/Tasha Holiday - Spread My Wings (vocal)
20. King Britt feat. Bahamadiah - Transcend
21. Talib Kweli - Get By
22. De La Soul - Watch Out
23. Grand Puba - I Like It
24. Jay Dee - Get Down

I saved six live mixes from the Wednesday night residency I had at Rendezvous Lounge a couple years ago. When you hear the record skip, someone either bumped the table or was dancing too hard.

These jonts have been sitting on my hard drive the whole time, occasionally burned on cd to share with friends. I’ll get them all up here eventually. Here’s #1.

1. Soulive - Tuesday Night’s Squad
2. A Tribe Called Quest - Description of a Fool
3. Q-Tip - Feelin’
4. Cru - Just Another Case (instr.)
5. Mystic feat. Talib Kweli & Kam - The Life (rmx)
6. Brand Nubian - Travel Jam (instr.)
7. Jamiroquai - Black Capricorn Day (Slum Village rmx.)
8. Davina - Comin’ For You
9. Critically Acclaimed feat. Cy Young - Flashbacks (rmx.)
10. Will.i.am - Ev Rebahdee
11. The Roots feat. Jill Scott - Complexity
12. Mos Def - Brown Sugar
13. Floetry - Floetic
14. D’Angelo feat. Redman & Method Man - Left & Right
15. DJ Krush - Big City Lover(rmx.)
16. Dwele - A.N.G.E.L.
17. Choclair - Mach 4
18. Hi-Tek feat. Mos Def & Vinia Mojica - Get Ta Steppin’
19. Digable Planets - Dial 7 (Axiom of Creamy Spies)
20. Amel Larrieux - I n I
21. Donnie - Cloud 9
22. Donnie - Do You Know
23. Rare Essence - No Ordinary Love

I did the first Progressive Groove mix about 4 years ago. It marked a period in my path as a dj where my style broadened considerably and laid the groundwork for the Vibe Conductor concept. Some fortunate networking got me gigs where I was able to rock a lot of the records that I was buying for my own enjoyment but had no audience for. I challenged myself to put together sets that covered much wider stylistic ground but still “made sense” and the process has been a lot of fun.

This past Saturday was the official Rhomiepalooza birthday celebration and I created a new mix for the occasion that was distributed to my guests at the jam.

It’s woven with several thematic threads. Some of these tunes are current personal faves, others are records that have stayed in heavy rotation in my sets over the last couple of years and are popular with folks that come to see me. Most importantly, I’ve included some of the many local artists who have inspired me during my time in the DC arts scene. It feels like a fitting way to mark the 30th birthday milestone.

So if you missed out at the party, here’s another chance. Enjoy and tell a friend!

1. Ty - Look For Me
2. Opus Akoben - Ronin
3. Asheru - Black Moses
4. Georgia Anne Muldrow - Nothingness
5. Bobby Hutcherson - La Malanga (Kenny Dope rmx feat. Kronkite)
6. Chuck Brown - Bustin’ Loose
7. Rare Essence - Back Up Off The Wall
8. John Arnold - Rise Up
9. Beady Belle - Hindsight (Ricanstruction mix)
10. Okada Taxi - Season 2 Season (feat. Abdul Shyllon &
Mark De Clive-Lowe)
11. Mark de Clive-Lowe - 4.Y.V. (feat Abdul Shyllon)
12. Snowboy - 42nd And Broadway
13. Deadline vs. Batacumbele - Batacumbele
14. Big Bang feat. Nathan Haines - Smile In Your Eyes (Mark De Clive-Lowe rmx)
15. Ty - Wait A Minute (Dwele rmx)
16. The Sunburst Band - Far Beyond
17. Kenny Dope - Comin’ Inside
18. Alice Russell - Take Your Time, Change Your Mind
19. Common - Go!
20. Lizz Fields - I Gotta Go (DJ Spinna rmx)
21. Platinum Pied Pipers - 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
22. Chris Lowe Anda Ill Pedestrians - Midnight Blue

Some new funky bits, some classic ones, and a healthy helping of blue-eyed soul for my peoples to savor.

1. Plantlife - Your Love
2. Brand New Heavies - Boogie
3. Tony Toni Toné - Annie May
4. Sly & The Family Stone - Loose Booty
5. Brass Construction - Talkin’
6. The Police - Voices Inside My Head
7. Jermaine Jackson feat. Michael Jackson - Tell Me I’m Not Dreamin’
8. Michael Jackson - I Can’t Help It (Tangoterje rmx)
9. Greyboy - To Know You Is To Love You
10. Bah Samba - It Tastes Good
11. Diana Ross - Love Hangover
12. Jazzanova - Let Your Heart Be Free
13. Michael McDonald - Sweet Freedom
14. Steely Dan - Peg
15. N.E.R.D. - Things Are Getting Better
16. Marvin Gaye - Got to Give it Up
17. Brand New Heavies feat. Mos Def - Saturday Nite (Jay Dee remix)
18. Van Hunt - Dust
19. Prince - She Spoke 2 Me
20. Steely Dan - Time Out of Mind
21. Roy Ayers - Papa Was A Rolling Stone
22. Deodato - Superstrut
23. Damn! - Leaving This Planet

One of my popular grab-bags of nu soul, hip-hop and upbeat dancefloor flavors. Big ups to my homegirl DJ Sezy on the hosting. Don’t forget to share.

1. Intro (Soulive - Doin’ Something remix )
2. DJ Jazzy Jeff feat. Slum Village - Are U Ready?
3. Sara Devine - Take Me Home
4. Ring - Anything’s Possible (instr.)
5. Crossrhodes feat. Sy Smith - 3 Sides
6. The Rebirth - Everybody Say Yeah
7. Pete Rock break
8. Roy Ayers - Searching (Africa 70 version)
9. Butta - Sunday Afternoon (A.T.N. Dub Mix)
10. Beady Belle - Moderation (extended mix)
11. Nathan Haines - After Ours (Phreek Time Mix)
12. Vikter Duplaix - Galaxy
13. Markus Enochson & E-Man - I Am The Road (Bugz in the Attic remix)
14. Sylk 130 feat. Alma Horton - Happiness (Soul Dhamma remix)
15. Kenny Bobien - Now I Can See (Roy Davis Jr. remix)
16. Jackson 5 - Forever Came Today (DJ Stylus F2F Soul Train Edit)
17. Jamiroquai - Little L (Blaze shelter mix)
18. Aaliyah - More Than a Woman (MAW Main mix)
19. Agent K. - Rideaway Getaway (Spinna Remix)