Mon, 11 Feb 2013  /  Post a comment
new chill out house disco & electro swing mix i recorded:http://www.mixcloud.com/bigchillpresents/dirty-retro-big-chill-mix/

Fri, 25 Jan 2013  /  Post a comment
Its that time of year when everyone starts talking about jetting off to Miami for WMC or maybe Ultra as it now more popularly known.
This will be my 10th & final year there, as my bank have refused to offer me any further loans for me to visit there again in the future.
Everyone knows hotels whack up their prices by 100% flights also sale out & drinks & food prices also double so you do need a hefty wod of dollar bills to enjoy the week or 2 weeks.
I'm going to be there just 2 days organising a pool party & an evening club night. Currently sorting out line ups, need some name suggestions of decent deep house nu disco djs who will be out there & would like to play at our event providing they dont charge over the top. Its Miami WMC its about networking & pushing your tunes out there to the massives. If anyone's going let me know.

cheers


Will

hit me up on facebook or twitter www.twitter.com/dirtyretro

Fri, 24 Aug 2012  /  Post a comment
Dirty Retro at Big Chill Bar Brick Lane Saturday 25th August


Visit: www.bigchill.net/bar for more info

Fri, 03 Aug 2012  /  Post a comment
The Change of State.

Booking DJ sets in the states is more difficult now then ever due to several factors.

I have spent the last 10 years visiting the US mainly Florida but also California, during those 10 years i've noticed a huge change in the club scene, especially dance music or as some people like to say (EDM) the annoying shortened abbreviation/term for electronic dance music.
I first went clubbing in Miami in 2002 back then the clubs were more underground, more real, the music was fresh, the people were friendly, it was about good positive vibes, people were in to the music & would be there just for the music & not for show. Cover at clubs was only $5 or $10 & drink prices were reasonable, same as bar prices. I started djing in Miami a few years later at popular clubs such as Bed & Mansion back then I was playing strictly vinyl & the occasional cd, it was a skill being able to mix different genres on turntables & coming from London I found I had more appeal then some of the local djs with the newest & hottest dubplates which meant I would get regular bookings & get paid more.

Between 2006 - 2009 i toured the US several times playing sets at clubs in great city's such as New York LA & the spiritual home of House Chicago, i was living the dream in my world, doing what i love & what i'm passionate about. Plus sides were staying in 5 star hotels & eating the best food. I wasn't getting paid thousands of dollars like many superstar DJs do, I was getting enough to get by & survive. I managed to get bookings due to my experience & profile not because of my name because I am not a big name. I had played at venues in front of thousands & small bars for 50 -100 people.
I was educating & sharing with American people what i was brought up on, house music, in every form.
Some clubs did not get it & I would get asked to cut my set short as i had no hip hop, other clubs i would get people screaming & giving me constant hi fives as they loved this new sound they were hearing.
It was a real eye opening experience seeing people's faces as i dropped josh wink higher state of consciousness straight after the last dj has just dropped a Beyonce remix.

I continued to travel stateside twice a year, each visit I was getting less gigs & less interest even after having built up more experience & more of a name in London & elsewhere.
Each visit to a club became more frustrating less enjoyable & more cringeworthy, was this a sign I was growing out of clubs & the music or was it the fact that all the DJs were now playing the most soul destroying commercial mainstream dance music on their laptops. The clubs became less friendly, the people were not there for the music thats for sure they were there for show and to look good & to see who could spend more money on each table.
You approach the door at a South Beach club & the long haired french guy straight from St Tropez wont let you in you because your with a friend who's a guy or not beautiful enough to get in.

Some clubs won't let you in unless you buy a bottle or table for a few hundred dollars, the American dream is no longer a dream it's a reality. The DJ & music is irrelevant here, the magnum & Greygoose is more important.
This was always going to happen once the cool kids get in to dance music then everyone else will follow.
Anyone can be a DJ now days, everyone knows this, you can buy a laptop software & download 50 mp3s produce a few tunes & then hit the club with your demo.
The influx of mainstream cross over dance tracks from hiphop to house, featuring popular artists singing over David Guetta tracks was always going to be a winner.
This was good for the club scene in the US as the kids were being introduced to the worst possible electronic dance music, they were getting a taste of new Ibiza.

I know several DJs like myself who have spent decades working on their game & now can't even get a gig in the US due to not being David Guetta or as famous as him. Clubs wont take the risk booking experienced underground London DJs who play out every night in the UK just because the clubs kids wont know their name. Club managers & promoters don't care if your massive in London Ibiza or where ever.
Even the smaller more underground clubs in cities such as DC & Atlanta wont take the risk, they are not even willing to spend $200 on a DJ that is worth 10 times more. The economy is partly to blame but also the mainstream influence & commercial giants that have taken over.
DJs are charging less because they know the new kids on the block will undercut them & play a pre recorded mix. Who in the club cares if the DJ is not playing live?
It is a sorry state of affair for the hard working DJs who knows they are good enough and worthy enough of headlining a popular American nightclub but will no longer have that opportunity unless they follow suit.
Sorry for this negative rant & sounding extremely bitter.
It's my personal view on the situation.

God Bless America God Bless EDM

Wed, 01 Aug 2012  /  Post a comment

Mon, 30 Jul 2012  /  Post a comment
Dirty Retro Sound cloud page, bringing you the best in

House
Nu Disco
Deep House
Techno
Retro House
Electro Swing
Funk
Soul
Nu Jazz
Boogie
80's 90's
Classic cuts

Fri, 20 Jul 2012  /  Post a comment

Thu, 19 Jul 2012  /  Post a comment

Tue, 31 Jan 2012  /  Post a comment
Barbados Music Factory

On a cold November afternoon in London I received an email regarding a dance music event in Barbados that was taking place in a car park close to Bridge town, this was one Spam mail that for once actually caught my eye. I got in contact with the event organiser Craig Corrie to find out more about the Music Factory which was going to be Barbados's first ever dance music festival, I booked a flight the following day to go there.

For anyone who has ever been to Barbados or the Caribbean they will know full well that it's famous for its beautiful beaches, crystal clear turquoise sea water, jaw dropping scenery and of course Reggae music, so it makes a perfect holiday destination to visit to unwind relax & chill.

When I heard news that there was going to be a high energy Electronic Dance music festival on the island I was intrigued to see how it would go down. Bajan's are normally used to hearing reggae, dance hall and more urban affiliated booty shaking genres.
Thanks to the emergence of Rihanna's dance floor hit we found love produced by Calvin Harris, the cross over from hip hop to dance music has never been stronger. Dance artists such as David Guetta & Arman Van Helden have all jumped on board and collaborated with mainstream urban stars such as Usher Tiny Tempah Dizzee Rascal and now Rihanna, this has opened the doors to a new audience and listenership. Dance music be it commercial is now being heard and played in popularity on small Caribbean islands.

The days leading up to the big event were very exciting and somewhat nerve racking for the DJs & organisers as no one knew if it was going to be a success or a complete flop. There was a great buzz on the island about the music factory event; people were very hyped about the occasion.

The event that was in partnership with Illusions entertainment events unusual & Ministry of Sound tours featuring their own tour DJ and headliner Patrick Hagenaar, also on the line up were DJs from New York London & local DJs, a total of 20 DJs were performing.
I arrived at the start of the festival and on arrival the first thing that I noticed was the size and scale of the event. It was much bigger then I imagined, the main tent was fitted with a state of the art lighting and sound system, visuals were projected on to a massive screen behind the stage, on the left of the stage was a VIP balcony with attractive promo girls strutting their stuff. Outside there were several bars and food stalls selling Caribbean food and another smaller dance tent again fitted with a deafening sound system.
This was a big production that was professionally organised and could match even beat other global dance events.

The first couple of hours of the event were slow and there were concerns if anyone would actually show up; a heavy downpour did not help the situation.

The DJs who were playing were doing a good job getting the small crowd moving. Within 30 minutes to an hour the main dance tent was packed helped by the rain everyone squeezed in to the tent to keep dry and more importantly dance. By 1am the party was jumping, the festival was almost at full capacity on average 2500 people had showed up with great support from local Bajan's and the influx of tourists mixed with expats. It was a very diverse cosmopolitan crowd, many of the black Bajans were listening to dance music for the very first time and seemed to be enjoying it. A local DJ from Slam FM had the crowd in a frenzy when he dropped Darude Sandstorm, the crowd lit up with hundreds if not thousands of flashing glow sticks in the air, sexy podium dancers who were flown in from New York were on stage, the atmosphere electric, the temperature hot. We were all witnessing history in the making, a momentous heart felt moment, it was a special event to be part of.

The crowd were mixed ages all friendly and polite without the attitude you would expect at many other dance music event's, this was a great advert for Barbados, what makes this island special, people all came together to support and help, the weather did not dampen the spirit, it wasn't about big named DJs or large sponsors, it was about the music and people all together as one like the early house days how Ibiza once was.

This is a new movement in the Caribbean that has just started and looks like it is set to grow. Can Barbados now become a destination to visit once or twice a year for Dance music enthusiasts & high end clubbers?

Flights from the UK do not come cheap but once you arrive I can assure you it will be worth every penny.

Mon, 30 Jan 2012  /  1 Comment
We are looking for house/nu disco soulful house DJs who are well known enough in the industry & will be out in Miami on the 16th & 17th march to play at our day & night events.
please email topmusicagency@live.co.uk

We are putting together the line up this week.