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

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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

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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.

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