House Is A Journey

Getting into the holiday vibe.. Mixed in Spetses, Attiki, Ellada   First step: equalize the mood and clean up my drive.. Beach sounds, easy on the ears, some new cuts of oldies, some recent releases. Not going to say much about it.    If you feel like some fun and sundrenched sounds, this one is live from Spetses, Greece.   Playlist: 2016 Rise (U&J Morning After Remix). U-Ness & JedSet 2016 Feels Like (Morning After Remix). U-Ness, JedSet 2015 Tom's Diner (Noface Remix).Suzanne Vega, Noface 2016 Good Times (Late Nite Tuff Guy Remix). Ferry Ultra, Late Nite Tuff Guy feat. Boris Jennings 2016 In the Underground (Re-Tide Club Mix vs Re-Tide Remix) [Xtian Edit]. Mattei & Omich, Joe Smooth, Re-Tide 2016 So Hard (Original Mix). Angelo Ferreri 2016 Under Pressure (OtherSoul Classic Mix). Queen feat David Bowie, OtherSoul 2016 Ibiza Life (Tommie Cotton Sunset Vocal Mix). Twism & B3RAO, Groove N Soul 2016 Ma Quale Idea (Francesco Cofano Mix). Pino D'Angio, Francesco Cofano 2016 He

Resuming my Trance Mission with “The 138 bpm Drop”   Balearic Trance Journey. Drop both your inhibitions and your gear and let the journey start!   If you do not like real (but frenetic at times) bangin’ trance, I strongly suggest you give this one a miss… yet, you will have foregone quite a journey…   Firstly, I have to thank Lars for giving me the inspiration to put this set together. Lars has been supporting this space for quite a while and has always commented (positively or not) when he sees a new upload.   Recently, Lars contacted me when, in between my hiatus and completely uninterested with the current offering of traditional house, I uploaded the 2 Quanta of Solace. Once again he gave me the will-power to revisit that old love of mine, Trance, Progressive House or what I call Trouse.   In the past, I have always chided from high bpm Trance. Anything over 130 and I would either never get there or prefer not to include it in any set. Partly for I

Second Quantum of Solace (In the Air CX 134)   Refer to previous podcast for an update on my status.    I mixed this second Quantum of Solace during an 8 hour flight. The only post-edit is the intro, in many ways unnecessary but I felt like tying the set up to the Quantum World. Furthermore, should you be a fervent follower, you have already endured many a time my love for intros..   Numerous Xtian edits, set mostly in the progressive house, trance space I want to stay in at the moment. And herein included quite of few 2015-2016 tunes, which is a bonus!   A bit of sugar, some alternative tracks and quite a few on my personal high-rotation list . Enjoy!   I have another quantum on my hard drive, mixed during the return flight. I will post it when I have some time.   Some of the tunes featured are on my favourite current list: - “I Need You” from SK1 - “Peace of Mind” and “Counting Down the Days”, not to miss very current trance/progressive

First Quantum of Solace (CX Lounge) I really should start with the simple fact that I have put myself on a hiatus.. Several reasons for my current status: A) Life is currently non-linear and the pressure to keep this podcast up to what I believe should be my standards would not really bring any escape. B) I had found that laately what I uploaded was at best mundane. If I do not feel it, why should I do it? Furthermore I am currently over soulful house, I do need to really get very far away from it for a while to start feeling it again. C) I played a long set on New Years’s Eve and though not bad same non-urge to publish it. D) What happens once every two years, my library got corrupted. I had to bite the bullet and migrate to my new mac, having lost most edits and settings. To rebuild a library to the structure I need takes a lot of time and tagging and I simply do not have that luxury at the present time. But here I am, travelling overseas, facing lounge downtime, flight downtime, hotel room dow

I Play for Paris Pt.3   Twisted Original Club, Progressive and Trance anthems and a couple of Rock ones!   Fittingly starting with “Sympathy for the Devil”, diving straight into Progressive sexy house with a hint of Club House before a Progressive – Trance House climax.  First time I get people to actually dance to my beloved Faithless, must have been the time when everything clicked and kicked in.   One month ago some nihilistic losers butchered 130 women and men in Paris…   Forget about the social media meltdown, France is my country and Paris my city. Whereas France is actually far from being the model country it aspires to be, by attacking “her” for being the “capital of prostitution and obscenity”, those bastards just proved that somehow those symbols of secularism and freedom are still alive and worth celebrating.   Forward to a few days ago… I was unable to mix anything, which wasn’t dark and filled with anger

I Play for Paris Pt.2   Handbag House tunes bordering on lipstick Pop!   Fittingly starting with “Too Young to Die” with a rather long medley of Moloko’s “Sing it Back” in the first third. At that stage, I had to attend to some social duties and cued what is one of my favourite tune to fill up the blanks.     One month ago some nihilistic losers butchered 130 women and men in Paris…   Forget about the social media meltdown, France is my country and Paris my city. Whereas France is actually far from being the model country it aspires to be, by attacking “her” for being the “capital of prostitution and obscenity”, those bastards just proved that somehow those symbols of secularism and freedom are still alive and worth celebrating.   Forward to a few days ago… I was unable to mix anything, which wasn’t dark and filled with anger for a month until we decided to have an impromptu party. The core nexus of friends

I Play for Paris Pt.1 Eclectic Lounge with a few unexpected finds and some very tongue-in-cheek pop mashups..   One month ago some nihilistic losers butchered 130 women and men in Paris… Forget about the social media meltdown, France is my country and Paris my city. Whereas France is actually far from being the model country it aspires to be, by attacking “her” for being the “capital of prostitution and obscenity”, those bastards just proved that somehow those symbols of secularism and freedom are still alive and worth celebrating. Forward to a few days ago… I was unable to mix anything, which wasn’t dark and filled with anger for a month until we decided to have an impromptu party. The core nexus of friends who could make it facing Xtian who was wondering what would spark his muse and how he could get out of his negative loop and make himself and his friends happy. I played a 4 hour set, took about 20 minutes to get into it but once I found the right forma

My name is Deep.. Just Deep….   If you are not into Deep House, forego this one but if you are partial to the Deeper vibe, check it out.   Nothing else to add. It’s Deep, Just Deep.   Playlist:   2013 I Wish You Were Here (Addex Remix). John Creamer & Stephane K feat. Nkemdi 2015 Can You Feel It (Original Mix). Lifekiss&Hoover     2015 Just Glow (Robert Maik 6AM Mix). Blackbird, Robert Maik 2013 Rise With You (Katoey Deep House Remix). Lazy Hammock, Katoey 2015 I Can Feel U (Original Mix). Demarkus Lewis 2015 The Manifest (Original Mix).. Till Von Sein, Mr. V 2015 Feeling Love (Original Mix). Elias Tzikas 2013 You And Me (Original Mix). Oscar Barila 2015 Soul Groove (Original Mix). Soledrifter 2013 Dreamz (Original Mix). Urmet K, Millie Mad Docks 2014 Sometimes (Karol XVII & MB Valence Present Jackspeare Remix). Hanna, Karol XVII & MB Valence, Jackspeare 2015 Crush (2015 Dub Mix. U-Ness, JedSet 2015 Passion (H@K Deep Mix). Petros Mitolis, H@k  

Deep n’ Twisted   I had to depart from the soulful vibe I was in and turned to some iconoclast and eclectic deeper cuts I had on the hard drive.   It is chilled, somewhat Deep and slightly Twisted. Please consume without pre-conceived expectations. Just let this one roll..   Playlist:   2014 Touch Me (Mario Chris Remix). Jerry Ropero, Tom Novy, Tom & Jerry, Abigail Bailey 2013 Spread Love (Holmes Price Remix). P A U L I E 2015 Milagro (Original Mix). DJ Meme, Bazzo Ruthel 2013 Lovely Mistake Part 2 (Chris Deepak Remix). Dimi Stuff, Natalia Tsalli 2015 Trippin (Mickey Remix). Shameboy, Max Marshall 2015 My Dream (Original Mix). Seb Skalski 2015 Booty Angel (Jimpster Remix). Till Von Sein, Kid Enigma, Jimpster 2015 The Beat Inside. Soledrifter, Marck Jamz 2013 Why Cant We Live Together (Original Mix). Timo Jahns   2015 Sound From The Second Floor (DJ Meme Reconstruction) [Xtian Edit]. Vincent Ache, DJ Meme 2015 Coming Back To You (Original Mix). Yotto 2015 Light Up the Night

Spring is Coming Ep.2   Very ambivalent as to whether this episode ought to have been uploaded at all..   Continuing in the spirit of the previous episode as I endeavour to slowly get into the soulful, sunnier vibe of the Australian springtime.   Nothing really special but handpicked tunes, some of which I possibly dropped  too recently but felt like giving them a second chance.. This set is certainly not required listening. In the same way that a biography of say Stephen Fry is not required reading but is still an entertaining read, this set should be a bit of fun to have in the background.   I have all those unplayed recent soulful tunes in my hard drive. Before I delve into something deeper and probably more challenging, I need to patiently go down the list and try a few tunes for a planned rooftop party in December.   Therefore, grab yourself a book and a drink and give those mostly current tunes a go.   Playlist:   2015 Burn So Deep (Sandy's Deep Burn vs. Sandy's

Spring is Coming Ep.1   As some may know, I am based down under in Melbourne and Spring is coming.. If it were not for the Carnival to come, the blooming flowers, my debilitating hay fever would remind me that come October, SPRING IS NIGH!   With Spring comes the urge to listen to easy soulful, pool-side tunes.. and here they are.   Not going to wax lyrical about this one, it is just a simple, effortless, catchy vocal House. If you are looking for underground, progressive tunes, come and visit this page another time OR scroll down, I promise, those are there as well ☺..   Quite happy to have kept it current.   Playlist:   2014 In the Beginning (Original Mix). Tony's Wayback Machine 2014 The Real Thing (Original Mix). Superdisko feat Juan Pacifico 2015 Come Back Baby (Original Mix) [Xtian edit]. Flush 2015 Surrender Yourself (Original Mix). The Checkup 2015 Share a Little Love (UNess  JedSet SoulHeaters Mix). Bruno Kauffmann, Michael Ashanti 2015 Over (Chris Sammarco Remix)

Let’s Play!   A bit of background:   Location: household, Melbourne, Australia. Date: 19-09-15 first day of mid-term holidays. Temper Gauge: immediate risk of major family breakdown!   First day of holidays and tempers were at breaking point! Kids complaining they were bored, Spouse close to losing it having to pick up everyone’s mess lying around, pleading for help and getting blank hostile gazes as only responses... I propose to put some music on.. The communal answer I get is: “You haven’t done anything fun for aaaages “.. Daggers straight to my parental, spouse and music lover heart!   I rig up the full DJ set-up, connect the lasers and lights, pump up the volume and start playing something I had half put together during my travels..   Having in mind that they wanted something new but not just new, that they NEEDED something fun and uplifting, sing-a-long and dance-a-long tunes, I shifted to trusted classics of 2007/2009, chose those uplifting progres

“A little bit of House, A little bit of Disco, that’s all we need, that’s all we need”   SoulfuLips (The Club Edition)   Another summer soulful vocal mix upload,  same format and mostly current tune restrictions. Beware! This one will make you want to rise up and DANCE! It is a happy mix sure to pick you up if you have the blues.. Put it on and let the music play! More focused than the previous one but with a double (“I Feel”).. I dropped the ball on that one but the second remix was just the disco vibe I was going for…   Playlist:   2015 Move Me (Original Mix). The Checkup 2014 It's Alright (Jerome Robins Groove Remix). Sterling Void, David Morales 2014 I Feel (Sahib Muhammad Original Mix). Ann Nesby, DJ Spen 2014 It's You (Mousse T.'s Discotronic Mix). FCL 2014 Running To Love (Richard Earnshaw Remix). Steven Stone, Andrea Love 2015 Pennies From Heaven (The Night Remix). Kevin Saunderson, Inner City 2015 Woman (Micky More & Andy Tee Vo

SoulfuLips (Bar Grooves Edition) Still riding on my holiday vibe, I felt it was time to revisit soulful house. Soulful tracks were beginning to accumulate in my hard drive and I thought it was time to present it in a series of sets. I am attempting to offer a classic soulful mood using mostly current releases. First one in the SoulfuLips series, the Bar Grooves Edition.   Looking at the playlist with 8 2015 tracks, a couple of late 2014 releases, I feel I stayed within my format. I also included a couple of mashups gems from Mike and Tess. Set does lose focus and oomph midway but nothing can be perfect.   Playlist:   2015 Where do I Belong? (Original Mix). Purple Disco Machine 2015 Song for O (Original Mix) [Xtian King of My Castle Mash]. Purple Disco Machine 2015 What Do You Want. Miguel Migs feat. Meshell Ndegeocello 2014 Everywhere (Panda Remix). MYNC, Mario Fischetti, Deborah Cox, Panda 2012 I Love Rolling Stone (Mikeandtess Mash Up). Dolls Combers & The Temptations 2015 You're Gon

The idea for the set came from looking at my podomatic stats with thousands of downloads and plays from Egypt, Turkey, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.. I thought I would give something back for all of the encouragements I have received from you.   Therefore I thought that after a month of fasting, it was high time to offer some of my followers the music they need to finally party!   Eid Mubarak!   عيد مبارك   So Guys and Girls.. 5 hours of party tunes.. Starting slow but If you time it right you can get the set to coincide with the sunset and go straight into a disco, beach house party.   Have fun!   To make it clear I have my issues with all religions but those issues are not specific to any and observing peacefully an important tenet of ones’ faith is a choice I fully respect.   Playlist:   2000 Last Kiss ((Xtian Edit). Ishtar 2006 Here Comes the Sun (Francois K. Remix). Nina Simone   2012 Sands of Arabia (Skandelos Remix). Javi Enrrique, Ali Mans-Ch 2015 House

The Funky Train from Athens to Ibiza   Title is a referenced to the Mikis Theodorakis track (No.6), which I was very happy to drop considering the set was put together at the Nysia Hotel pool (Spetses Island, Greece).   A word on the Nissia hotel (http://www.nissia.gr/en). Great place, very good rate for their villas where you can comfortably sleep 6 to 8 people for under 300 EUR B/F included... Why would onenot want to come to Greece?   Sun-drenched poolside tunes with some cherry picked re-rub of old tunes and then the start of all the current beach and soulful tunes I have accumulated in the last 4 months.   I was listening for the nth times to old offensive covers of old tunes at a sunset bar called Cielo. I begged them to stream The Funky Blackman (Campo Allegre) latest podcast (http://funkyblackman.podomatic.com/entry/2015-07-03T21_29_57-07_00).   They finally obliged and the place started grooving… With all the free streaming music around, why on earth would anyone

Ναι η οχι? Yes or No?   I arrived in Athens as a storm was brewing.. A physical one but such a symbolic metaphor for the shambolic economic situation Greece is in.  I spent my first night looking at the thunder hitting the Parthenon and thinking that even Zeus was angry..   I started mixing choosing tunes that were sexy, some dark, some hopeful, some progressive, some sun-drenched, trying, when I could, to choose titles that referenced the issue at end.   As a staunch European I have strong views on what is happening here, this is not the right forum nor my intention to force my views upon you, though the choice of titles might give some an inkling.   For the Greece I love, let's remember that a storm always passes...   Playlist:   2014 Melody Like A Drum Feat Lisa Donnelly (Wild Culture Remix). Andy Caldwell feat Lisa Donnelly 2014 Slip Away (Larse Vocal Remix). Bambook, Mennie, Cari Golden, Larse 2014 Yoohoo (Original Mix). Dusky 2013 Re

I am in Krakow Poland where this little progressive set came about. Vibe is still chilled and progressive with some carefully picked gems if you care to have a listen. Too busy to extend the blurb and to promote it but you would miss some good tunes if you were not to give it a try. Mostly recent tunes, nice to see that I am finally catching up with my backlog. Playlist: 1. 2015 I Had This Thing (Sebastien Remix). Royksopp 2. 2015 Get Lost (Purple Disco Remix). Teenage Mutants, Purple Disco Machine 3. 2009 Movements 2 (Ibiza Moments Mix.) [Xtian Need 2 Edit]. Pentatonik 4. 2014 Sun Goes Down [TEEMID Remix]. Robin Schulz feat. Jasmine Thompson 5. 2014 Higher Ground (Tobtok Remix). Charli Taft, Blonde 6. 2015 Sexual Healing (SNBRN Remix). Marvin Gaye 7. 2014 Finally (Sax Version). West.K, Saccao feat. Diva Vocal 8. 2015 Just Dancing (Nikos Diamantopoulos Club Mix). Anna Cavazos, Tony Loreto 9. 2015 All I Can For You (Original Mix). Dandy, Boxer, Forbes 10. 2014 Don't Stop (Framewerk Remix). Chris Karpas, M

Elevate your Mind   A study at the Montreal Neurological Institute at McGill University suggests that listening to music "can arouse feelings of euphoria and craving," even stimulating dopamine release in the brain — a chemical affiliated strongly with pleasure, reward and even addiction. Not that I needed the emprical data set to believe it, but countless studies do show that music has a LASTING impact on the brain plasticity.. There you go... save yourself a session and treat your brain to some free therapy :) Semi-chilled, slightly dark, resolutely progressive set.. Musical food for your brain cells. Find the right setting, load the set up and let your brain do the rest..   In many a way, where classical meets electronica.. Set got scratchy towards the final tracks.. It happens.. Pesky downbeats...   Playlist:     2015 The Bridge (Shur-I-Kan Remix. vs Original Mix). Jody Wisternoff feat. Sian Evans 2014 Till I Come (Nick Devon & Inner Rebels Remix). Chris

What is Nu Disco?   To accompany the Birthday Boy on his ride. If I can't be there physically, let's at least be with you with my music... Set should mark the start of a more progressive series, which might culminate into YET another Trance Mission.. What is Nu Disco? Beyond being a real annoyance as I hate adding genreS in my elaborate sorting algorithm, Nu Disco is the 21st century take on the late 70’s, 80’s Italo House disco sound. Imagine Studio 54 but… today! C&M Productions introduced me to that sound. My personal take on Nu Disco, the one I love, are tunes that insidiously make you want to dance by stealth. You are listening to progressive house and yet, through production, through samples, through ambience, you just get in the disco groove. So resurrect up your comfy dancing shoes, dig up the glitter, get the talcum powder ready and have a boogie on me! Playlist: 2015 Greece 2000 (Martin Brodin Re-Rub) [Xtian Sage Mash]. Disco For The People feat. Jupiter & Bottin