DJ Pez

01/19/2025

We're finally catching up! One more review and we've completed all the Global Undergrounds to date (Yes, there's a new release later this year).

Global Underground 45 - Danny Tenaglia - Brooklyn (2023)

On NYE, my partner drove us party hopping from house to house. This was our soundtrack for the car.
(Pics of all the stops in the comments).

There's a couple of tracks that don't seem to fit but overall the mix is a solid selection of House music...primarily with a Tribal influence (a few Progressive & Techno tracks thrown in for good measure). I enjoyed the chuggy Tribal sounds of Disc 2 over Disc 1. That remix of Moderat - Running is fire! There is a good flow and rhythm with some nice breakdowns and interludes.

Standout Tracks Disc 01
-----------------------
Taster Peter - B***y Call
-Minimal House groove echoing Underground Soviet Sonar Bass Pings spattered with Classic House vocals.

Danny Tenaglia - The Brooklyn Gypsy
-OMG, what an EPIC Jazzy House cover of Crystal Waters - Gypsy Woman. Pure Fire this one.

Standout Tracks Disc 02
-----------------------
Jay Lumen - The One
-Chuggy Acid laden Techno with surprise Techno chord stabs at the end. I've recently discovered Jay Lumen. Some good Hard Techno these days.

Overall: 8/10

Next Up: Global Underground 46 - Anna - Lisbon (2024)

01/11/2025

We didn't quite make it to the end of the Global Underground series as was my original goal for New Years 2024 but I firmly believe in finishing the race so we've got 3 more reviews in January and then it's on to something different!

Global Underground 44 - Amelie Lens - Antwerp (2022)

Skating the fine line between Hardtrance & Techno, Amelie Lens captures the popular sounds of the roaring 20s. The mixing however, seems lacking as most transitions are quick crossfades between intro & outro with some serious key clashes. Each track on it's own is well produced but together, this mix is lacking feeling. Disc 01 is surprisingly more atmospheric than I'd expected. I used to think dropping random words about space or computers in a female European accent was awesome. Now it just sounds dated. I guess it's just retro now.

Standout Tracks Disc 01
-----------------------
Neon Shadow - Camino
-A nice electro-breaks with some classic choppy pads

Standout Tracks Disc 02
-----------------------
Alt8 - Cairo At Night (Aero Remix)
-Elements of Psytrance poke through this solid groove. I would get lost in this one on the dancefloor.

Overall: 6.5/10

Next Up: Global Underground 45 - Danny Tenaglia - Brooklyn (2023)

12/31/2024

Global Underground 43 - Joris Voorn - Rotterdam (2020)

This mix was something else while I was recently cruising through the rocky mountains. Joris Voorn took +100 songs and made a work of art over two one-hour sets. Disc 01 is full of melancholy and feeling and finishes on such a powerful note. Disc 02 brings that dancefloor energy. Definitely a must listen for everyone.

Standout Tracks Disc 01
-----------------------
Marino Canal - White Atlas
-Haunting by nature.

Marino Canal - Curious Eyes
-Another staple in my collection. Slappy venetian synths skip atop a minimal house beat.

Joris Voorn - God
-...

Standout Tracks Disc 02
-----------------------
L.S.G. - The Train Of Thought (Joris Voorn Remake)
-An update to a personal favorite.

Overall: 10/10

Up Next: Global Underground 44 - Amelie Lens - Antwerp (2022)

12/31/2024

December 31st means it's time to PPAARRTTYY!!!!

If you're lucky, you'll find us out and about tonight.

Global Underground 42 - Patrice Bäumel - Berlin (2019)

I've been a fan of Patrice Bäumel for some time now. I was fortunate to see him perform at Lightning In A Bottle in 2018. He did not disappoint! I would suggest giving his 2017 Essential Mix a good listen as well.
I'm a fan of this mix. It's smooth, multi-track journey leaves little room for criticism and I can safely say this is one of my go-to mixes when I have 1 or 2 hours to spare. How someone can pack in 25 tracks an hour and make it sound like one continuous track is beyond me. I like how many of the songs featured are beatless ambient works but layed over a progressive beat.

Disc 01 is packed to the bring with lush moving pads and strings. There is much heavy atmosphere on this CD.

Disc 02 comes in on a darker and harder tip. Much more techno. Very dancefloor friendly.

Standout Tracks Disc 01
-----------------------
Shlømo - M.U.M.
-Ambient arpeggiated techno blips with a shimmer reverb. Used as a break halfway through the mix.

Standout Tracks Disc 02
-----------------------
Château Flight - Cosmic Race
-Just the lead synth is taken for the mix which slides all over this song.

Fabrizio Lapiana - Far Away
-An uplifting builder. An essential track in my collection.

Overall: 9/10

Next Up: Global Underground 42 - Joris Voorn - Rotterdam (2020)

12/30/2024

Gonna smash through these reviews if it's the last thing I do (...in 2024)!

Global Underground 41 - James Lavelle - Naples (2015)

When we started this last January, they were releasing several mixes every year. Now we are on much looser schedule.
I would say this is more like another UNKLE double album as almost every track in this mix is credited as written by James Lavelle or remixed by James Lavelle. The tracks aren't so much mixed as blended is some sort of jam type studio session. Lots of vocals and very emotional. It's got big indie rock vibes. Not so much for dancing as maybe for a long road trip where you want to have a little cry in the middle of nowhere.

Standout Tracks Disc 01
-----------------------

UNKLE Featuring Alice Temple - Bloodstain (UNKLE Sounds Remix)
-Slower with a crawling Moog-ish bassline. Nice vocals.

Standout Tracks Disc 02
-----------------------

UNKLE - Heaven (Charlie May Remix)
-Airy dance number. A beat you can float on.

7.5/10

Next Up: Global Underground 42 - Patrice Bäumel - Berlin (2019)

12/30/2024

I'm currently stuffing myself with chocolate.

Global Underground 40 - Solomun - Hamburg (2014)

I didn't know much of Solomun (other than a handful of memes) before this mix. To be honest, I was surprised to hear how this mix turned out.
Disc one starts out very somber. This mix is deep progressive house & techno by nature. Lots of sappy theme and vocals throughout the mix. Every second track reminded me of an older song; kinda weird. Animal Trainer - Dragon Games is 100% a cover of Little Dragon - Twice. The mixes themselves aren't really anything to write home about. This one's more about mood.

Disc two picks up the pace a bit more with a darker, broodier sound. Again, the mixes aren't overly complex.
Standout Tracks Disc 01
-----------------------
Sevensol & Bender - Captain Trollig
-Inquisitive. Low crawling.

Bonobo - Cirrus
-Reminds me of Tor. Bells EVERYWHERE

Standout Tracks Disc 02
-----------------------
Daniel Avry - Naive Response
-I've always been a sucker for these Rezzy sounds.

Overall: 7/10

Next Up: Global Underground 41 - James Lavelle - Naples (2015)

12/28/2024

After vacationing in The Galapagos Islands and a holiday road trip to Vernon, I can safely say that I'm about 8 Global Underground mixes behind and there's only 4 days until the new year. That means at least 2 per day. Procrastination got the best of me again.

Global Underground 39 - Dave Seaman - Lithuania (2010)

This mix has a nice blend between fun, plucky, minimal, glitchy, house, progressive, techno, smooth. Disc 01: starts out a little darker, gets playful and mysterious, turns into a chase scene, finishes off on an uplifting note. Disc 02 is more dancey by nature. At first listen, both discs felt dull & generic but after several successive listens, The mixes grew on me. I liked disc 01 more than disc 02.

Standout Tracks Disc 01
-----------------------
Moonbeam - Tiger (Rolland M. Dill 'Got Him By The Tail' Mix)
-The sounds are large and colorful in character. Like a Sunday afternoon stroll.

Glenn Morrison - Triangle & Strings (Tom Middleton Mix)
-Big finisher for a set. Reach for the lasers. Big build.

Standout Tracks Disc 02
-----------------------
Barry Jamieson & Charlie May - Homecoming
-Tricks you by starting with 2010s house bass bubbles and then 180-degrees into a space scape.

Overall: 8/10

Next Up: Global Underground 40 - Solomun - Hamburg (2014)

11/28/2024

OMG, I've fallen so far behind on my Global Underground reviews!
As luck would have it, I've got a vacation coming up and I think I'll just blast through the last 8 or so of them.

Global Underground 38 - Carl Cox - Black Rock Desert

For those that don't know, Black Rock Desert is where Burning Man is hosted every year, though it's geological history is much deeper than that. Carl Cox is probably one of the worlds most popular DJs which is why it's extremely hard for me to tell you that I've never really been a fan. I don't really know why! There's just something about his music that I just can't get behind. He seems like one of the nicest people which is why I really wish I could get behind this mix.
One of the reasons I'm not a huge fan is it seems like every single one of his DJ mixes is run through a multiband compressor with an exciter. The sounds are just too thick and over saturated. There's also never a stand-out track for me...they always hit kinda blahhh.
There is one mix that I absolutely LOVE and hold close as one of my favorite mixes of all time and that's XL Recordings: The American Chapter on cassette tape. Only the cassette version is mixed and there are no credits as to who the DJ was. It is rumored, however, that Carl Cox did that mix on 4 Turntables back in 1993.
This mix...didn't really hit it for me. The transitions were tight but the vibe kept changing with every track (especially disc 2) and again with this over saturated sound.

Standout Tracks Disc 01
-----------------------

Lance Blaise & Rod B. - Faaktree
-It's got that 2010s minimal chuggy beat with nice Spacey atmospherics. Reminds me of Dubfire.

Christian Smith - Flyertalk
-One of my personal favorites. Carl Cox used this track to close out disc 01 but I would have used it as say, a 3rd or 4th track in the set as it has amazing potential to build up.

Standout Tracks Disc 02
-----------------------

Honestly Nothing.

Final score 6/10

Up Next: Global Underground 39 - Dave Seaman - Lithuania

11/08/2024

For everyone who was there and everyone who wishes they were!

https://soundcloud.com/peznakov/john-00-fleming-halloween-afterparty-2024-10-25

Here's my all vinyl afterhours set on October 25 2024, right after John 00 Fleming played and Open to Close set for Rave Mama's "The Journey" series @ Shuffle Club YYC!

Thanks to Todd & Annalise for hosting and recording!

Tracklist is on Soundcloud.

After John '00' Fleming played a fantastic Open to Close set for Rave Mama's "The Journey" series @ ShuffleClub, I played an all vinyl set at the afterparty! Thank you Todd & Annalise for an amazing

11/04/2024

...home sick with a minor cold giving me some time to reflect onnnn.....

Global Underground 37 - James Lavelle - Bangkok (2009)

Like the intro suggests, Disc 01 is designed for headphone enjoyment...in the dark. Tracks are less 'mixed' and presented more as a storyboard. It reminds me of an older style of DJing I would expect in the Hip Hop community (See: Freddy Fresh - Essential Mix 1998). I enjoyed some of the little snippets and samples thrown in. I found the musical selections to be all over the map and less cohesive as a whole.

Disc 02 brings it back to the dancefloor with some heavy Techno hitters and trippy House grooves. I much preferred this Disc as it plays host to one of my all time favorite songs, see below:

Standout Tracks Disc 01
-----------------------
Nathan Fake - You Are Here (Four Tet Remix)
-I enjoyed playing this song when it first came out as it has such a vibe to it. minimal and light.

Jesse Somfay - Lying In A Bed Of Myst
-A Canadian hero. The production on this is next level. So light and airy.

Standout Tracks Disc 02
-----------------------
Radio Slave - Grindhouse (Dubfire Terror Planet Remix)
-ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS EVER! BUY THIS FOR ME ON VINYL!

King Unique - Dirty (Fergie Mix)
-Punchy & Techno.

8/10

Up Next: Global Underground 38 - Carl Cox - Black Rock Desert (2010)

10/29/2024

I've been sitting on posting this latest Global Underground review because there was so much going on at home.
Kister, one of our fur babies, was hospitalized for a week. I won't get into detail but we've now discovered that Kister is a) diabetic and b) not producing any more blood cells in his bone marrow.
After many doses of insulin, a blood transfusion, and a spread of antibiotics, he is home and seemingly healthy. We are now faced with the +$10,000 vet bill.
I'm never one to ask for charity but you may see some fundraiser events and livestreams in the future.

Global Underground 36 - Darren Emerson - Bogotá (2009)

This mix is a real treat to listen too. At first, I was enjoying its true House nature with spatterings of Trippy Techno and Smooth Progressive.
Then I got stoned...
Oh man, did these CDs ever take me on a journey! I was lost in the melodies and trapped in the rhythms. A very good mix that take you from point A to Z across a trippy landscape of house grooves.

Standout Tracks Disc 01
-----------------------
Darren Emerson - Home
-A bass heavy thumper with a tripped out breakdown.

Nikitin & Semikashev - Blown
-A steamwhistle builder atop a dubby House beat.

Nick Chacona - Mariacha
-A bubblebath of 303 delays on a darker note. Haunting and creepy yet has a very Psy-feel to it.

Standout Tracks Disc 02
-----------------------
Donnacha Costello - Black Bag Job 526
-Very reminiscent of early Detroit Techno. Fun in an old skool way.

Jamie McHugh - Lunar (Handycraft Remix)
-Another trippy builder of a track with lots of rising action.

9/10

Up Next: Global Underground 37 - James Lavelle - Bangkok (2009)

10/13/2024

Those Northern Lights, Am I Right? Makes me want to get a tripod for my phone. Also, I was lucky enough to see comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS on my drive to work one morning.

Well, it's definitely not my best work but in keeping with the spirit of forward ever backward never, I present the best tracks from Global Underground Volumes 31-35 compressed into a plateable 45min mix.

You can find this mix as well as all the other volumes on my Soundcloud page.

Global Underground 31-35:
https://soundcloud.com/peznakov/global-underground-31-35

Featuring tracks from:
31 Dubfire: Teipai
32 Adam Freeland: Mexico City
33 Layo & Bushwacka!: Rio
34 Felix Da Housecat: Milan
35 Nick Warren: Lima

Tracklist
---------
01 Blunted Dummies - House For All
02 Lula - The DJ, The Music, & Me (Peace Division Freaky Vocal Mix)
03 Glide - Cassini
04 James Holden - Lump
05 Armand Van Helden - Je T'aime (Switch Remix)
06 Alexander Kowalski x Barca - Start Chasing (Extrawelt Remix)
07 Alex Bau - Halifax Funk
08 Analog People In A Digital World - Before The Wind
09 Liaisons D - Future FJP
10 Booka Shade - In White Rooms (Neo Mix)
11 Ellen Allien x Apparat - Jet (Paul Kalkbrenner Remix)
12 Riley Reinhold - Lights In My Eyes

Playlist of all Global Underground mixes:
https://soundcloud.com/peznakov/sets/global-underground-mixes

10/05/2024

The hot water tank is 90% fixed. I've replaced the pilot ignition assembly. The pilot stays lit and the burner ignites. Now, whenever the burner shuts off, it does so with such vigor that it shuts off the pilot as well. A work in progress.

Went to see Infected Mushroom (DJ Set) last night. It was so great to run into many old friends! It's been some time since I've seen a room go off hard to Psytrance. Calgary, you should be proud!

Global Underground 35 - Nick Warren - Lima (2008)

This review was going two ways in my head. I'll start by saying both discs are flawlessly mixed; disc 01 being slightly deeper than disc 02. There is real cohesion in track selection and you can tell there's thought in the planning of this mix. A mix you'd play for that long drive on a summer day. Even better, get someone else to drive as you ponder the clouds from the backseat. That being said, there isn't much for the dancefloor here. On a bad day, it gives elevator music energy. It was nice the series brought different styles of music to the fold but having Nick Warren back is a breath of familiar fresh air. My 18 year old self would have passed on this. My 44 year old self is enjoying it over a cup of herbal tea.

Standout Tracks Disc 01
-----------------------
Glide - Cassini
-Lush atmospherics driven by a simple rhythm, spattered with hollow bass bubbles.

Standout Tracks Disc 02
-----------------------
Analog People In A Digital World - Before The Wind
-Those orchestral string stabs bring this track to a whole new level. A unique sound.

8.5/10

Stayed tuned for my Global Underground 30-35 compilation mix where I take the best tracks from volumes 30-35. Think of my mixes as the TLDR of the series.

Up Next: Global Underground 36 - Darren Emerson - Bogotá (2009)

PS - I have a layover in Bogotá this December. I'll let you know if the mix holds up!

09/27/2024

Currently fighting my hot water tank. My thermocouple wasn't picking up. I tried a few tricks to no avail. I was in the process of taking it out to clean the tip and accidentally broke the aluminum gas tube for the pilot light. Looks like I'll have to replace the whole pilot light assembly to get a replacement tube....which shows up on Sunday from Amazon.

Global Underground 34 - Felix Da Housecat - Milan (2008)

Felix Da Housecat is probably most recognized for his 2001 Electroclash staple "Kittenz And Thee Glitz" (Silver Screen Shower Scene / Madame Hollywood) but his history with electronic music dates back much earlier, to the early 90s (Many of his earlier releases were under the name Aphrohead). One of my favorite mixes of his is from 1997 called "Transmissions Vol. 2: Essential House Mix" which leans far more towards an underground techno vibe (Check it if you can find it! A Canadian release!).
This is why it didn't surprise me to hear a darker harder techno feel in the start of Disc 01 which then continues to a more bangin' variety of sounds but still sticking with that techno feel. Disc 02 has much more of that rock meets rave 80s throwback feel but still keeping with a house groove across both discs. Both discs kind of go all over the place which is no surprise. The 2010s are right around the corner and I feel like this was electronic music's sort of 3rd revival as raves paved way to clubs paved way to music festivals. Everything kinda got very ADHD at this point. Sounds became more crass and raw, less sample based. Lots of sidechaining, lots of bit crushing. At the end of the day, this just isn't my vibe. The sounds are too raw and unrefined for my pretentious tastes.

Standout Tracks Disc 01
--------------------------
Alex Bau - Halifaxfunk
-Quite heavy for a Global Underground Track. I enjoy the crunchy stereo spread bassline in this one.

Standout Tracks Disc 02
--------------------------
Armand Van Helden - Je T'aime (Switch Remix)
-Basslines and BMore House. I'm certain this song found it's way to many blogs and sites like Hype Machine in the day. The baseline is reminiscent of Gusto - Disco's Revenge.

Overall: 6/10

Next Up: Global Underground 35 - Nick Warren - Lima (2008)

09/22/2024

We're knee deep in pickles as the Summer winds to a close.

Upcoming events I'll be going to in October:
October 4th: Infected Mushroom (DJ Set) @ The Palace, Calgary
October 25th: John '00' Fleming (All Night Set) @ Shuffle Club, Calgary

Global Underground 33 - Layo & Bushwacka! - Rio (2007)

Disc 01 is such a treat. Layo & Bushwacka! have mixed us a fantastic blend of early Acid House and House music. 26 tracks skillfully blended as a who's who of early rave roots. This mix had so much energy for most of the tracks being 30+ years old. A couple of newer songs in the same direction are spattered within. This mix kept my head bobbing all day at work.

Disc 02 brings us into the 21st century starting with with a blends of Minimal Tech-House & Microhouse. The vibe picks up halfway through bringing us a minimal techno sound including the classic Spastik by Plastikman. The mix finishes on a more Progressive feel but still deep within the borders of House music. On a whole, the mix doesn't peak very much and has what I'd describe as a 'backroom martini bar smoking ci******es' feel. Good for what it is but didn't move me very much.

Standout Tracks Disc 01
-----------------------
The Blunted Dummies - House For All
-I first heard this song on a Chris Sheppard compilation. As soon as I heard this in the mix, I had to track down all the samples. Prepare yourself for the DJ Pez Remix one day. ;)

Liaisons D - Future F.J.P.
-Late 80's House music at it's finest.

Standout Tracks Disc 02
-----------------------
Riley Reinhold - Lights In My Eyes
-Beautiful lush atmospheric pads washing over a Minimal groove.

8/10

Next Up: Global Underground 34 - Felix Da Housecat - Milan (2008)

09/17/2024

How do you organize your record collection?
Do you sort them alphabetically by artist? By genre? By record label?
Is it chaos?

Global Underground 32 - Adam Freeland - Mexico City (2007)

It's nice to see a fresh face in the Global Underground lineup (Sorry Nick Warren). Adam Freeland did a fantastic BBC Radio One Essential Mix in 2003 and I was hoping for something along the same vibes. Sadly, that's not what we have here. This mix just didn't do it for me on many fronts.

Disc 1: If co***ne was music, it would sound like this. It's full of mid-2000s 'bangers'. The mixing is all over the place with some tracks just looped and faded into the next. It gives off a 'I just got Serato and am going to smash tracks into each other because I can' vibe. Sure, it has some classics of the time like Justice and SebastiAn but I don't feel like the flow was well executed.

Disc 2: Identity crisis. We mix James Holden - Lump (Forward Thinking Experimental Progressive Techno) into Cobblestone Jazz - Dump Truck (Robot House) for less than a minute where we then slam it into Silver Sun Pickups - Lazy Eye (Alternative Shoegaze Hipster Rock), and then on to Substance & Vainqueur - Immersion (Basic Channel / Chain Reaction style Minimal Dub).

Standout Tracks Disc 01
-----------------------
Honestly, nothing really grabbed me.

Standout Tracks Disc 02
-----------------------
James Holden - Lump
-I've enjoyed this song over the years. Experimental freeform techno. Lots of k**b tweaking.

5/10

Next Up: Global Underground 33 - Layo & Bushwacka! - Rio (2007)

09/14/2024

I've created another Best of Global Underground mini-mix!

https://soundcloud.com/peznakov/global-underground-26-30

This mix compiles the best tracks from Global Underground Volumes 26-30 as we continue to review every Global Underground release until the end of the year!

Featuring tracks from:
26 James Lavelle: Romania
27 Danny Howells: Miami
28 Nick Warren: Shanghai
29 Sharam: Dubai
30 Nick Warren: Paris

Tracklist
---------
01 Subway - Thermal
02 Dennis DeSantis - Thin Air
03 Starecase - Vapour Trails
04 Lunascape - Mindstalking (Dave Aude Dub)
05 Lee Coombs x Meat Katie - Import
06 U.N.K.L.E. - Eye For An Eye (Dylan Rhymes vs Force Mass Motion Remix)
07 DJ Shadow - G.D.M.F.S.O.B. (U.N.K.L.E. Uncensored)
08 Syntax - Bliss (Felix Da Housecat's Vocal Remix)
09 Acquaviva & Maddox - Feedback (Valentino Kanzyani Earresistable Mix)
10 Hardfloor - Aceperience 1
11 Plastikman - Ask Yourself
12 Chimera - Natural High
13 Ohmna - I'm Lost
14 Tripswitch - Roll Your Own

Mixed on a Denon Prime 4

Previous Mixes:

Global Underground 21-25:
https://soundcloud.com/peznakov/global-underground-21-25
Global Underground 16-20:
https://soundcloud.com/peznakov/global-underground-16-20
Global Underground 11-15:
https://soundcloud.com/peznakov/global-underground-11-15
Global Underground 06-10:
https://soundcloud.com/peznakov/global-underground-06-10
Global Underground 01-05:
https://soundcloud.com/.../dj-pez-global-underground-01-05

Stay Tuned for 31-35!