Spybar Presents:

Sultan [Yoshitoshi, Harem Records]

&

Ben Brown [Global Underground, Black Hole, Audio Logic]

Friday, May 1, 2009

Spybar Nightclub – 646 N Franklin Chicago IL 60607

I am playing Spybar on Friday May 1st. Headlining the night is DJ and recording artist Sultan (bio/info below). I’m on the decks for the 1st half the night. Should be proper.

Ben Brown friends/fans: email “info at djbenbrown dot com” to  to be put on the guestlist.

Sultan featured Ben Brown “Nova” in his DJ charts last year, so I’m very excited to join him at Spy, which is always rocking on Friday nights.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

---

From http://www.djsultan.com/in_biography.html

From the desert heat of his country of origin to the winter rigours of Canada, Sultan has travelled a road quite out of the ordinary. After living in Kuwait, Cyprus and Egypt, Sultan moved to Montreal, Canada in 1996 to pursue an education in Mechanical Engineering and Business. Inspired by the vitality of the nightlife and his passion for music, he quickly immersed himself into the house scene of his adoptive city. Little by little, his interest for structures irrepressibly shifted from engineering to music.

In 2000, his reputation took root in solid ground when Montreal’s Mix 96 radio station assigned him the 12-3 a.m. slot every Sunday night. And In July that same year, Sultan became the weekly Level resident at club Living, opening and playing alongside such DJs as Deep Dish, Sander Kleinenberg, Danny Howells, Saeed and Palash, Max Graham, Nick Warren, Lee Burridge and many more.

Following his graduation from university in the summer of 2001, and in the wake of his DJ success as resident at the internationally renown Stereo and Sona after hours, Sultan created his own studio in order to unleash his talent as a producer. Once again, the results were tremendous. His first-ever production, “Primal Instinct” was signed to Chug Records that same year and garnered much appraise. The door had opened and with great enthusiasm Sultan quickly established himself as one of the most innovative and respectable producers in the house/progressive scene. With releases on various labels including Deep Dish’s Yoshitoshi label and John Digweed’s Bedrock Breaks Label, Sultan now has more than 70 titles under his belt with releases under the aliases of Soul Tan and Jiva (Sultan and Ned Shepard), as well as numerous collaborations with Tone Depth (The Greek), TommyBoy, DJ Tarkan and Ned Shepard.

In 2003, international recognition became imminent whereas four of Sultan’s productions (including a remix) were featured on “Global Underground 25: Toronto” mixed by Deep Dish, which made its way to number one on the Billboard Dance Album Charts. In 2004 Sultan began to make his mark on the international music scene playing over thirty international tour dates across North America, Europe, Asia and Africa while maintaining a solid consistency in his productions and remixes.

2005 and 2006 have seen Sultan rise to the next level with more compilation appearances including Tiesto’s “In Search of Sunrise 4

Here’s another remix, this time of Franz Ferdinand’s “Ulysses”.  Meant to give this one a little more electro + vocal mix but it turned out to be a stripped down big room progressive track (don’t ask me how), hence the “Stadium Mix” title

Listen to Franz Ferdinand – “Ulysses” (Ben Brown Stadium Mix):

[audio:Franz_Ferdinand-Ulysses(Ben_Brown_Stadium_Mix).mp3]

And, dub below=same track minus the vox

Franz Ferdinand – “Ulysses” (Ben Brown Stadium Dub):

[audio:Franz_Ferdinand-Ulysses(Ben_Brown_Dub_Mix).mp3]

Here’s the video of “Ulysses”:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdGGqScwe4w[/youtube]

If demand is high enough, I’ll post free hiqh quality mp3s for download, so let me know in comments below if you dig it.

Ben Brown March 2009 Newsletter

*formatted from email newsletter

Quick Links ben brown beatport facebook twitter myspace HiDef iTunes

Ben Brown – Chicago, USA

New Music Ben Brown Chinstroke / 151 Ben Brown, Kris B, Nosmo – La Cocina [GU] Kanye West – Love Lockdown (Ben Brown Remix) Smartminds – The Fix (Ben Brown Rmx) Sona – Do You Know (Ben Brown Remix) Ben Brown, Austin Azua -Night Train Classique EP Ben Brown, Nosmo, Kris B – La Cocina Ben Brown – Point Taken

Dear Friends and Fans,Thanks for opening this March update! This one’s full of good news as I’ve been busy in the studio all winter finishing up new remixes (incl. a Kanye remix), originals, and a new, officially licensed mix compilation for one of  the US’s hottest electronic music labels. Last but not least, a “Ben Brown” track is out on the latest Global Underground compilation mixed by Darren Emerson. -Ben GLOBAL UNDERGROUND 36 DARREN EMERSON : BOGOTA This one’s kind of a dream come true… getting a track licensed to my favorite mix compilation series is definitely something worth celebrating! My collaboration with Nosmo & Kris B , titled “La Cocina”  officially earned its keep when Darren Emerson asked for it to go on his latest Global Underground Mix CD. This CD is out now anywhere fine electronic dance music is sold, including iTunes I posted this on my website as well : here HiDef 001 Mixed by Ben Brown Recently finished and finally hitting the presses, I’m happy to announce that the HiDef 001 mix compilation is now available for preorder from Audio Logic Recordings. It features some great new music from some of the best in electronic music (Ricardo Tobar, Jimmy Van M, John Selway, Moonbeam, Jim Rivers, Amoeba Assasin, more) in addition to two exclusive remixes I created for the CD. Check out the tracklist and free sampler of the CD on the Audio Logic website. And the write-up on djbenbrown.com Shipping March 31st. Here’s the label write-up: With singles on labels such as Black Hole, Deep and Nine Records already under his belt, next generation artist Ben Brown is set to release his first mix compilation on Audio Logic Recordings this Spring. Ben has worked extensively with Chicago-based Audio Logic over the past year and the release of HiDef marks a new transition for the label. Alongside exclusive remixes and edits from Ben himself, HiDef delivers fresh material by Ricardo Tobar and Jamie McHugh as well as classics by the likes of Amoeba Assassin. Join us in celebrating the release of HiDef during Winter Music Conference 2009 aboard the Aqua Luxury Party Yacht on March 28. HiDef Release Party Cruise Audio Logic Recordings Aboard the Aqua Luxury Party Yacht Miami, FL Sat- March 28, 2008 Those that are heading to Miami, check out our nearly sold out Yacht Party to celebrate the release of the HiDef compilation. Audio Logic Recordings proudly presents  Blake Jarrell, Ben Brown, Christopher Manik, Chris Walsh, Seneca, Tom deLaubenfels, Topher Jones, and Tyler Hamptom aboard the 300 person Aqua Luxury Yacht in celebration of the “HiDef” 001 Mix Compilation coming out on Audio Logic March 31st, 2009. Tickets: http://www.wantickets.com/EventDetail.aspx?e_id=54812&title=HiDef_WMC_Yacht_Party__HiDef_CD_Combo More : http://djbenbrown.com/wmc-2009-audio-logic-hidef-yacht-boat-party-cruise/ Ben Brown “Chinstroke/151″ EP Ben Brown Chinstroke / 151 Previews and downloads here New 2-Track EP out on Audio Logic. Support from Jaytech, Mashtronic, Harry Lemon, Blake Jarrell,  and many more. Click here for full list of DJ support on this EP Audio Logic Write-Up: Ben Brown delivers two new additions to the Audio Logic Recordings catalog with the release of Chinstroke and 151. Ben has the support of many major artists and has not looked back since the release of Love and Solace in 2007. With Audio Logic’s first mix compilation due out soon and Ben at the wheel, his profile and support will continue to rise. Chinstroke showcases Audio Logic’s distinctive progressive sound. The track starts with slamming percussion that builds with an airy tension. Haunting melodies captivate the listener in a rage of energy as the lead filters in and out. The driving bass line creates an intense experience as the track builds and channels incredible energy. Chinstroke has a fantastic vibe that will become a favorite on dance floors across the globe. 151 is a progressive gem that sets the mood immediately and keeps the listener locked in. Ben uses an arpeggiated bass line to set the track apart and combines it with a funky melody that creates a relentless groove. 151 will raise nergy levels in an intimate room or massive festivals making 151 a versatile weapon of choice for all DJs. Listen HERE Kanye West – Love Lockdown (Ben Brown Remix) Kanye West – Love Lockdown (Ben Brown Remix) Here’s a remix I put together last fall… a nice groovey prog houser that I’m making available to everyone, no strings attached. There are free, full mp3 downloads and previews available on site. Leave a comment on the site to let me know what you think! That’s it for March… see you in Miami! -Ben Up Next MonthThe Ben Brown Podcast #1 Ben Brown remixes of D:Fuse + Mike Hiratzka , and Derek Howell Franz Ferdinand – Ulysses (Ben Brown Remix ) Free Download New Releases and  some more news. Recent Ben Brown Releases All current and future Ben Brown releases are available on Beatport and iTunes You can also check out samples of new and unreleased material on myspace or djbenbrown.com

HiDef 001 Mixed by Ben Brown

Audio Logic Recordings

HiDef 001

This past fall, Seneca Giese at Audio Logic Recordings invited me to be involved with the first in a new mix compilation series. The title of the series  stems from the series of parties we had done here in Chicago by the same name, and this first installment is an extension of those events in addition to being an expression of my personal taste in electronic dance music material.

This piece was done entirely in Ableton Live, with each track being highly edited and remixed to fit more cohesively in the entire mix. Features of each of these individual tracks appear throughout the mix.. some are obvious, some are hidden a little deeper.

The process wasn’t like a normal DJ mix; it was a much more ‘produced’ and premeditated concept. I chose the tracks that went well together before considering the flow of the mix in its entirety.  For example, the first transition completed was the last in the final mix;  the great Ricardo Tobar remix of Fairmont’s “I Need Medicine”  layered, looped, and edited over the entirety of Jamie McHugh’s beatless electronica track, “Stammer”.  Each of these ‘track-to-track’ transitions were done independently. Eventually I had good amount of larger chunks consisting of 2 or 3 tracks that were then combined into the sections which then formed the entire mix.

Moonbeam and Funky Bastard Remixes

Tyler Michaud and the New School Recordings crew approached me about a remix for the Moonbeam track in the early fall of ’08 but I had to pass on it initially. I had the samples and realized after a few weeks that the melodies and atmosphere in the track were perfect for an opening track. We got it approved for the mix and I worked it into the intro track. Turned out to be a nice chill/melancholic opener for the CD.

Listen to Moonbeam feat. Blackfeel Wite – First Night (Ben Brown Intro Mix)

[audio:Moonbeam_feat_Blackfeel_Wite-First_Night(Ben_Brown_Intro_Mix).mp3]

Download this clip

I wanted to include the original mix of TFB’s Koalas For Breakfast but just couldn’t find a way to do it justice in the mix, as it’s such a good piece of organic guitarness on it own. I knew I wanted to remix the track when I heard it and worked it into a bit more of a summery tune with more dancefloor energy for later in the mix.

Listen to The Funky Bastard – Koalas For Breakfast (Ben Brown’s Toasted Koala Remix)

[audio:The_Funky_Bastard-Koalas_For_Breakfast(Ben_Brown_Remix).mp3]

Download this one

I had fun with the mix. This was my first endeavour into the official DJ Mix Compilation  world, and I’m fairly happy with the results. I hope you are too.

-B^2

---

HiDef 001 Tracklist

1. Moonbeam featuring Blackfeel Wite – First Night (Ben Brown Intro Mix)
2. Jimmy Van M – My Eyes featuring Steve T (2am JVM & Marc Mitchell Mix)
3. Eelke Kleijn – Dopamine Theory
4. Amoeba Assassin – Rollercoaster (KOS Remix)
5. Pete Lazonby – Wavespeech (Descent Mix)
6. Jamie McHugh – Lunar (John Selway Remix)
7. RPO & David Weed – Industry Part 2
8. Lil Dirty – Vintage (Jim Rivers Remix)
9. Elegant Universe – Hypnotized
10. Ricardo Tobar – La Otra Playa
11. Wize – Grand Voyage (TBS Remix)
12. The Funky Bastard – Koalas For Breakfast (Ben Brown’s Toasted Koalas Mix)
13. Fairmont – I Need Medicine (Ricardo Tobar Remix)
14. Jamie McHugh – Stammer

HiDef Samples and Downloads

Listen to the preview below:

[audio: HiDef-Ben-Brown-Preview.mp3]

Download HiDef 001 : Ben Brown Full Preview

or

Get the  HiDef 001: Ben Brown Torrent Download

Purchase HiDef 001 online: Audio Logic’s HiDef Page

---

P.S. The cover pic  was taken outdoors in February.. was -10F with wind chill during that shoot, so that’s why I look cold. Thanks to Jason Warth for the great cover design, photos,  and for making me look at least a little bit better than bad for the cover.

Please feel free to add comments in the section below.

Reviews of Chinstroke & 151

Out now on Audio Logic : http://www.beatport.com/labels/audio+logic+recordings.

Good to see some support on this EP.  Thanks to everyone.

DJ Reviews:

Andre Solaris – Wow! Ben doensn’t dissapoint. 151 is totally up my alley…dark alley. 9/10

Blake Jarrell - Chinstroke is Good Stuff! 8/10

Bs As Deep – Thanks for the EP. Both tracks are good but my favorite is 151! You have my full support 8/10

Christopher Manik – Cool tracks! 151 has an old school flavor it. Nice stuff from Ben as usual. 8/10

Flash Brothers – Supporting Chinstroke 7/10

Harry Lemon – Supporting 151. 7/10

Jaytech – Really liking both of these – thanks! 8/10

Kev O’Brien – Chinstroke is right on the money. 151 is not really my style as much, but has a big peak hour energy which I can see a lot of people liking. 4/5

Luke Porter – I love Chinstroke, fucking chunky as hell! 8/10

Mashtronic – Chinstroke is awesome. Will hammer this for sure. 9/10

Matt Rowan - Really enjoying both tunes. Big peak time stuff from Ben… well done! 8/10

Mike Hiraztka – Chinstroke is really nice, cool groove, some great sounds and as always Ben’s production is excellent. 8/10

Nico Heins – Chinstroke is a monster! The spacious, heavy groove and elusive lead makes this a peak time bomb not to be messed with! 9/10

Row – Ben delivered once again. Both tracks are great productions and Chinstroke will be in the bag for my next gigs! 9/10

Sasha Le Monnier – 151 is certainly rolling along with a rather FAT, Hypnotic sound… sweet! Chinstroke is a lovely track for warming up with… sweet stuff! 4.5 / 5

Seneca – Chinstroke is one of my favorite releases to date! 9/10

Shawn Michaels - Solid production. 151 is a BOMB! 9/10

Stefan (Progressive-World.at) – Chinstroke is awesome! Proper dance floor stuff which will manage to do some damage on the floors worldwide! 151 is amazing as well! That’s the way progressive house should sound! 9/10

The Funky Bastard - Supporting Chinstroke 7/10

Thomas Sagstad - Bouncy, I like it! Chinstroke is my choice.

Topher Jones – 151 is a really nice tune. Liked it the first time I heard it! 7/10

Tyler Hampton – Chinstroke is massive! Really groovy stuff… it will definitely get some plays from me. 9/10

More DJ Support

Spesh (Jondi & Spesh) (USA)
(Loöq Records, Loöq Radio, Qoöl, Jondi & Spesh)