Warmer Climes

WARMER MIXTAPES #1015 | by Miles Dean Ewell [Miles Dean/Principal Dean]

1. Stevie Wonder | Maybe Your Baby
One of my first memories is sitting on a rug in the unfinished basement of my parents' Pink Duplex listening to the Talking Book. My Father had given me the album, and I would listen to Maybe Your Baby over and over on my Fisher Price Record Player. I was in Love, and am so thankful my father chose to give me that one record from his collection.

2. Daft Punk | Indo Silver Club
When I was in 5th Grade, my best friend (and fam to this to this day) named Matej lived across the street. His family was from Czechoslovakia, and they always had the most excelent Chocolate stash. I would say we were not typical children, because our idea of having fun was building speakers. We would go to Radio Shack and buy Woofers and Tweeters with saved money. I would find scrap wood in my parents basement and we would cut, sand, drill and glue. Matej introduced me to Daft Punk, and I fell in Love with the song Indo Silver Club. It was my Favorite Speaker Testing Song. His was Bop Gun by George Clinton. He is still builds Speakers to this day, and they are amazing. I don’t build Speakers anymore, but I still do my Testing with Indo Silver Club.

3. Jimi Hendrix | Machine Gun (Live @ New Year's Eve '69-'70, Fillmore East New York City)
This song marked an interesting period in my Life; High School. I stopped eating Meat, wore clothes from Thrift Shops, grew my hair out, started Smoking, and got pretty Confused. I listened to Jimi Hendrix and Rage Against The Machine exclusively. I remember listening to this ten minute long Jimi Hendrix song on my massive Technique Speakers. I remember leaning against my bed (Square Grand Piano with mattress atop) and crying. This was the first time I cried because of the Beauty in Music. The Improvisation in that song is Incredible. Jimi finds a way to slip into a Dark version of the Star Spangle Banner, and that develops into the Sounds of War. Truly Amazing.

4. Dizzee Rascal | Brand New Day
Lunch Breaks are the best in the Summer. I would borrow my friend Luke’s car and cruse around on my break from the Summer Camp we worked at. He had incredible taste in Music, and introduced me to Dizzee Rascal. I will never forgot blasting that with his faulty Tape Adapter, driving around for 30 minutes with no where to go. To this day, I listen to Brand New Day when I am feeling down. The Sounds on that entire album were so New to me at first, and in time I only appreciate the Uniqueness of that album more and more.

5. Madvillain | Figaro
Watching the Sun come up out the Window of a Smokey Room. Passing a bottle of Whiskey around, and while free styling to Madvilliany Instrumentals. My Freshman Year of College was filled with Risk and Amazing Experiences. Ryan was the best type of friend, and we would Freestyle all the time to the highest quality Instrumentals. He believed in me, and helped me build my first Studio. Eternal Love to my dude Ryan Frank.

6.  Röyksopp | Poor Leno
Melody A.M. (Sides A + B)... I got this record For Free from my Favorite Record Shop, Speaking Volumes in Burlington, VT. It was managed at the time by my current girlfriend and I spent a lot of time there. I remember taking this record home and listening to it for the first time. I had been going through an in between stage in my Production, and this record was Illuminating for me. It spoke to me, and I knew what direction I wanted to head in. The lush Synth work, and intense Emotion captured in this record does not cease to impress me.

7. Slick Shoota | Pussyclot Funk Dem 
My good friend and, more recently, Manager, Nick Concklin was helping me through my current stage in Production. I was moving on from Hip Hop Instrumentals, and moving into a Realm Unknown. I would describe my Sound at this time as Awkward. It was comparable to the few years of your life that you would not mind never seeing photos from. Nick would constantly introduce me to New, Exciting Music to help me in my Inspiration and Direction. Nick introduced me to Pussyclot Funk Dem by Slick Shoota and I was blown away. I didn’t know about Juke and was instantly hooked. I Loved this song so much that I put it in a Live Juke routine with my good friend and collaborating Artist, Snakefoot. I ended up making a Remix of it based on our Live routine and sent it to Slick. He Loved it so much that we released it on B.YRSLF Division! This was my first release of this kind, and marked the beginning of what would be steady stream of Releases. I will always Love this song, and it will always mark a significant moment in my Production work.

8. Machinedrum | Youniverse
I was Frustrated, Tired, and feeling rather Antisocial at that moment. I was still being friendly, as I helped Machinedrum print out his papers to cross the boarder into Canada. I had no idea who he was. We were at the Record Shop my girlfriend's father now managed, and he was performing in the attached warehouse. I got a CD from him that night titled Room(s). I could not believe in the weeks following that I had met this Artist, and not known his Music. It was incredible. Room(s) is probably my favorite album, and helped solidify my Direction as an Artist. Youniverse is my favorite song off this record. I was driving up to MTL almost every other weekend, and did not remove this CD from my Car Player for months.

9. Disclosure | I Love…That You Know 
Another group introduced to me by my good friend, and current Manager. I remember sitting in my Studio with him and pulling up the YouTube Video. I was instantly hooked with the Minimal clicks, Tones and Pops that open this incredible piece. The Vocal work was like nothing I had ever heard before. In the incessant re-listening that followed for weeks, I believe this song made into the list of tunes that brought me to tears. This is my with a doubt my favorite Disclosure tune. Truly Inspiring.

10. DJ Rashad | Kush Ain't Loud
It was so exciting being introduced to more and more Juke. I felt it broke all the rules and I took away a New Sense of Creative Freedom. This specific Rashad song represents for me the Live Sets that I performed with my good friend Snakefoot. In the Studio as we prepped, he brought in a ton of material off TEKLIFE Volume I. We would merge it with other tunes and wacky Live Synth Lines. Our Live Setup consisted of two Laptops, two Launchpads, an MPC 2000, a Virus Ti, a DSI Mopho, and a Midi Keyboard - all Midi Synced. The sets we performed were entirely 160bpm, sporadic and relentless. I will never forget dancing wild in a crowded VT warehouse, playing Kush Ain't Loud on an overdriven System for kids that clearly had never heard anything like it.

+11. Mykki Blanco | Haze.Boogie.Life
Ross came over to my house once and said, you gotta see this new Music Video by Mykki Blanco. I had never heard of Mykki before and he put Haze.Boogie.Life on our Large Screen TV in my Living Room. I was blown away. The Beat Produced by Sinden and Matrixxman was incredibly interesting, Minimal and Dark. Mykki's Flow was Aggressive, Provocative and he was challenging Gender in his Entire Existence. The importance of this song for me is very much a combination of the Video and Music. I Love what Mykki is doing, and have been following him closely. I even did a Bootleg Remix of his song Kingpinning for Loveless Records most recent Free Compilation.



+12. Darling Farah | Fortune
I am trying to take more time to center myself, amidst juggling a 50 hour a week day job and constant additional Studio projects. I Love what I do, but sometimes Anxiety creeps up on me. Darling Farah inspired me to write my Jack Stars EP (a Free Download from Cosmonostro) and also now serves as instant Anxiety relief. When I need to slow down I play Fortune, by Darling Farah. It may be Dark, but it is for some reason the most soothing thing to me. I hold a special place in my heart for this song. This song also pushed me to explore my Synth Filters in totally new ways.

+13. Mya | My Love Is Like... Wo (Jaw Jam Bootleg) 
Confession: I watch the Music Video for Mya’s My Love Is Like... Wo probably once every other week. It is an incredible tune, and as Hetero Male, the Video is what dreams are made of. I was in Love with Mya during the whole Bullworth/Ghetto Superstar period. I found this Bootleg on Soundcloud and was floored. Jaw Jam took a favorite song of mine, and brought New Life to it with Analog Pads, exquisite Vocal Sampling, and intriguing Percussion. I listened to this tune straight for a day or two. I was always hoping to Remix this song myself, but there is no need. It has been done, and it is perfect.

+14. Paveun | I Don’t Know
This tune, filled with relentless Vocal Looping, is Pure Emotion. I cannot seem to get the Volume Loud Enough when playing this. Not only does the Composition and Juke Rhythm fully capture the Soul and Rhythm I seek, but it also reminds me of my Montreal family, RAW Records. Having the homies, Dear Lola, Thomas White, and Paveun only two hours away is a blessing. This tune came out on the first RAW Compilation, RAW 000, and I was in Love with this song before I ever met Paveun. Today, with my Records fam connection, it means that much more.

+15. Aden | Luft
Following Jimi Edgar's Label, Ultramajic, made for a beautiful day. I discovered the release Metaphysix I: Mentalism which is incredible. I specifically was drawn to the tune Luft, by Aden. The first Drop where a background element (Gradual Low Passed Riser) instantly becomes a primary ingredient of the Mix is one hell of a surprise. I remember hearing it for the first time, and then again driving in the car with Ross. Everything in that tune is so well placed. That 707 Open Hi Hat that comes in in the last verse is LOUD and so Perfect. This tune still inspires me, as I begin new projects in the Studio.