Monday 28 December 2015

Festive Trauma

Evening,

So that's part one of this two part festive onslaught on the liver out of the way. I stopped drinking about 2am Saturday night purely because I had no alcohol left and that was because I'd sunk two bottles in two days.

I do wonder what mother thought of me when I disclosed on Christmas morning that I'd already had my first quadruple vodka at barely 9 in the morning. This after finishing a six hour marathon set down at the Bank in town.

After visiting mother and sis on Xmas morning, I spent the rest of the day drinking on my own. A lot. So much so that it was a minor miracle that I woke up at all Boxing Day. Went up to celebrate mother's birthday and then went back to mine. To drink. A lot. Again.

Thinking that this was becoming a pseudo sadistic pattern I thought I'll puncture that with a bit of a mix - which is avaliable on Mixcloud right now.

Sunday and today has been quiet. Mostly spent killing people on Black Ops and sorting out Mixed In Key as I finally want to try and do a Studio style mix on Ableton. That and also get something concrete down - I'm aiming for 2016 for two things musically. Get some tracks that I can be proud of down and to get my djing to a place where people will book me to do sets out of town and not just down here.

I'm worried that I'm going to get typecast into being a wedding DJ who loves playing techno when he's allowed. When it should be the other way round.

Fingers crossed.


- B on the iPhone 6s x

Saturday 26 December 2015

Christmas With Bob

Well, Well, Well...

As I write I'm on my fifth quad vodka of the evening - on my own whilst all around me - friends, family are with their loved ones. Leaving yours truly on his tod - though I do wonder whether that's not a bad thing. Mother was constantly asking me through my sister whether I was alright when up there this morning for her birthday - of course I lied as standard.

This time of the year I much prefer being on my own as that way I'm less likely to have some sort of mental/emotional breakdown publically - whereas when I'm in the Surgery - I can be however I want to be - and there is fuck all any cunt can do or say about it.

I have Pan-Pot's ridiculously good remix of Bodzin's Zulu on the go at the moment - I have done several drafts for my year mix but it's ridiculously hard to cut down from 100 or so tracks - I may have to split it into two separate mixes - one commerical/mainstream and one more darker/underground. That's probably is what will happen. One should be avaliable tomorrow sometime as I'm too pissed to record it now - and it's too late to do it now, but there's about 40 tracks on that first mix - which will be a record for me on one recording - and I know in what order it's in so hopefully we'll have it done by midday tomorrow. Hopefully.

As for the more underground set - it maybe an Monday afternoon job to do - as it's going to be a great deal more intense to do justice as there has been so much quality techno out there - and it would have to be done in a way that it goes up and down like a roller coaster for key purposes.

As for the sale shopping - I'm a bit hesitant as I'm off to Secret Sundaze on NYD which I'm genuinely looking forward to - like I haven't with a night out since my first trip to Nation a good few years back. Talking about that Liverpudlian institution - massive love to those of you there as I watch Match Of The Day - its going to be a superb night based on what I've heard - if it wasn't for the non existent trains - I would've been there with you all!

B x


- B on the iPhone 6s x

Stephan Bodzin - Zulu (Pan-Pot Remix)





Almost heaven for me this - two of my favourite producers over the past five years coming together for this epic remix!

Saturday 19 December 2015

Pan-Pot - Riot (Paul Ritch Remix)





Hello there.



Pan-Pot + Paul Ritch = Mayhem.



The remixers involved in re-interpretating Pan-Pot's terrific album read like a who's who of Techno Royalty.

Uakoz - Handtrace (Original Mix)





Out now on Elevate

Friday 18 December 2015

Some Thoughts..

Evening all, or by time you read this it'll be the morning - ah it is!

Heading up towards the most chaotic part of the year for me - and potentially the most rewarding - with four gigs in just under two weeks - and having turned down a further one to have some quality time away from thinking about any firm of work!

On the djing front - the place where I'm sort of resident has installed the CDJ-900 nexus set which has changed how I'm going into doing my sets down there now - instead of lugging my mac and my s4 about - its all about a 64gb flash drive and rekordbox and voila - so that's rather good - it is though going to get to the point sooner rather than later when I'm going to be wanting some rekordbox compatible decks down here in the Surgery - so we need to work on that.

Day job keeps on plodding along - which is quite nice - though I'm back on the meds - though different ones to the man-boob enlarging Fluoxetine - which is a fucking relief!

Anyway I'm going to try and get some techno up on here between now and over the festive period - and hopefully my year mix will be avaliable to listen to as well - so ta ta for now!


- B on the iPhone 6s x

Location:Darby Place,Folkestone,United Kingdom

Monday 9 November 2015

John Martyn - Sunshine´s better (Talvin Singh remix)





One of my all time classic chill out favourites.



Definitely would want it played at my funeral.

Tuesday 20 October 2015

Interrogation at Quality Control

So this afternoon I ventured off to the wild west - I mean Maidstone to the local passport office to have my interview for my passport for next summer's manoverues around France amongst other places - and it reminded me of the dirgy old offices of my teenage years - being assessed for one thing or fucking another.

Fuck, even what I'm listening to right now - some real deep chilled classic from the 80s right now by Julee Cruise reminds me of those fucking offices. You know the ones, they've only been painted that shade of beige their entire fucking existence. Felt sorry for the poor people who had to go into that fucking shit hole day in, day out.

The interview was quite surreal, imagine that's your job. To interview people to see if they are who they really are. In a pseudo sadistic sort of way - I think I might enjoy that sort of job. We did agree on something. House music was so much fucking better in the 90s than now. Hell fucking yeah!!


- B on the iPhone 6s x

Location:Darby Place,Folkestone,United Kingdom

Sunday 20 September 2015

Rechargeable Batteries

Afternoon,

As I write this - I am lying on the grass overlooking the channel on East Cliff - its been quite a fun 10 days off - interspersed with going to the Social in Maidstone which was immense, as well as a farewell session for a friend off to uni up the road - OK it's Chelmsford - but still!  In between these days - was a rare gig at Skuba on Friday  - which contrary to what some people thought - was a good night - didn't see anyone complaining about the more Techy sounds that I was sprinkling into the set. Haters will Hate. 

Fuck em. 

Anyhow, back in to work tomorrow. Wonder how long my batteries will last this time!!

Friday 11 September 2015

Stephen Brown - Hot Shoe | Indigo Aera





Lots of 90s vibe in this one from Indigo Aera, this is from the Invisible Light EP.

Thursday 10 September 2015

Justin Bieber - What Do You Mean (Jerome Price Remix)





I genuinely do not have a fucking idea whether I like this or not.



The guys at work, have been raving about the original at work, which is extremely depressing, as they are normally quite savvy about the sounds they like.



Ah well, better duck for cover!!!

Happy Birthday Dad..

I was at work today, and was in my usual fucked off mood - nothing new there I know - I persisted and persisted in not saying what was up. In the end I said it. 

It's my old man's 65th birthday tomorrow. His pension day. 

I have not seen or heard from the fucking fucker for over ten years, ten years that I'm not going to get back, and it hurts. It hurts badly, like a gaping fucking wound that hasn't had the chance to heal over time, in part because I haven't allowed it to. As per previous notes about this subject, I still blame myself for him leaving in the first fucking place. 

I have wondered what would have happened if he hadn't left home - in the same way as if my abuser hadn't been taken to court all those years back. He was my abuser best friend, perhaps he just couldn't face me and think that he had failed in his duty to protect me. 

Fuck, this is hard to write. 

My father didn't fail me in his duties to protect me, it has become very clear to me and to wider society over the past years that this sort of deviant acts were going on in the highest of establishment as well as the 2 up, 2 down properties over the previous 40 years or so.  Just no one, took any notice of it until Savile happened. 

Dad, lost his way in the same way as I did.  He ran away from the problem, whereas I took myself to a whole different dimension via very questionable means!

It's a generational thing. 

What I resent is that people don't fully appreciate just how lucky they are to have their family around them, whereas I would love to just say to my dad one last time, that I love him, and I'll never stop doing that. 

I love you, Dad. 

Normal service resumes imminently. 

Tuesday 8 September 2015

Sasha Carassi - Dark Symphony




John Monkman & Pete Tong - The Bumps (Julian Jeweil Remix) [Suara]





I've picked this remix by Julian Jeweil for this release - for a few reasons. But mainky, because it's closer than the other two tracks in this strong package to the sound of where I'm going in my musical life - the chunky beats just makes you want to pretend you're in a tent with 5,000 other ravers getting on it!



Cracking track this!

Maribou State - Wallflower (Lane 8 Remix)





Purchased this yesterday, lovely remix this by one of House music's brightest and going places producers.

Monday 7 September 2015

We Are All Humans

There's no doubt that the situation in Syria and on its borders is the most pressing issue in the world right now and although some countries and politicians are doing their best under the circumstances - quite simply it is not good enough.

And the issue is not going to go away any time soon.

Dance music has always been at the forefront of showing solidarity with those in need.

And it is under that producers and DJs are coming together to raise support, awareness and much need money for those in need. Next Thursday, in Antwerp - such an event is happening.

For more info, head to the Techno For Humanity Facebook fanpage and through #TFH.

Thank you.


Dax J - Utopia (Original Mix) [EARTOGROUND RECORS]





You may recognise the artist, if you've heard my latest Promo, as included in it is his absolute earth shaker 'West Bank'.



This is out now on EarToGround.

Clouds - Complete Control (Slam Remix)





New slab of Techno from the Glaswegian duo, this is out on Soma!

Bob Bob's Techno Promo Autumn 2015

Bob Bob's Promo Techno - Autumn 2015 by Bob Bob on Mixcloud

Saturday 25 July 2015

Cuartero - Dioneli (Original Mix)





See my last post! Again superb sounds coming out of the Hot Creations stable!

Stephan Hinz - Breakout (Original Mix)





Gonna be doing a bit of a house party round friends this afternoon - you know the one, Alcohol, Cards, Golf and probably a coma at the end of it - this will be on big time - epic sound!

Sunday 12 July 2015

Jamie XX - Loud Places (John Talabot Remix)

Just a beautiful reinterpretation by the titan that is John Talabot.

The Magician - Together

Groove Armada - Superstylin' (Joris Voorn Rew





This is one of an number of exclusive tracks from the Little Black Book release by Groove Armada which got its release on Friday - this is such a superb edit by man of the moment Voorn. Expect this to be getting hammered in many sets both in the clubs and at festivals throughout the summer.

U2 - Where The Streets Have No Name





There is an amazing remix of this by legendary producer Ralph Falcon - but I cannot find it on YouTube at the moment so the original will have to do!!

Thursday 2 July 2015

Well. This Is Shit.

Evening,

Have spent most of this evening trying to get Apple Music working on my Macbook.

Unable to access your iCloud Music Library.

Apparently, so some people have said, Apple Music only really works for those with less than 25,000 songs.

Well, that's fucking useful isn't it. The sort of people who'll spend a tenner a month are probably the sort who have more than that.

Muppets.

Monday 29 June 2015

Bob Bob's Chillout Classics





Evening,



This playlist has been on my YouTube channel for some years and gets regularly added with new and old - and in some cases very old tracks!!



There is something for everyone in this!!

Mark Knight - Second Story (Original Mix) [Suara]





Proper grooves this from the Toolroom don!


Sunday 28 June 2015

Tell It As It Is.

A Sensible Thought.


An obvious point from David Icke.

Sunday Funday





As promised in an earlier post - here are some of my go to tunes for Sunday - particular for those times when you're in the Garden relaxing with a cold one!!



Alternatively, listen to Test Match Special for that similar if nostalgic feel.

Raffaele Rizzi - Manticore

Two Sides Of The Same Coin

Afternoon,

Spending some time up my mother's - having some dinner after yet another great and successful wedding done last night - this time at Elvey Farm which was very enjoyable - the bride and groom were more than happy with the set that I did - so we can hardly complain.

However, thoughts are far, far away. The events in Sousse, Tunisia as well as France and Kuwait on Friday as well as Charleston, South Carolina last Wednesday night have bought into sharp focus the madness that continues to envelop the world and in particular two extremities. The Fascists of ISIS and White Supremacists.

Let's be abundantly clear. These bastards are on the same side of a dirty coin. They are backward, decrepit and deeply disturbed people with warped and deluded opinions. Not one columnist or commentator has had the wherewithal, courage or balls to tell it straight. These cunts want to take us back. In the case of Dylann Roof it is the time of slavery and lynchings, with ISIS, it is much further back - for me, it feels that they want to replay the Crusades - and hope for a different result.

Both groups seem to live in some sort of fucked up, dystopian alternate reality - in similar to either Timothy Mcveigh, David Copeland and David Koresh before them.

In fact in the news this week was one Zack Davies, who was found guilty of trying to kill an Sikh dentist with a machete. He classed the beheader of innocent aid workers 'Jihadi John' a Inspiration. Yep, that's right people - a racist psychopath - attempted to kill an dentist - whilst chanting 'White Power' and 'I did it for Lee Rigby' - classed an Islamic state fighter as a inspiration. In the words of Richard Littlejohn, you cannot make it up.

So there you have it. ISIS and White Supremacists. Both twisted, both nasty, both deserve to be banished to history

Paul Weller & Portishead - Wild Wood (The Sheared Wood Remix)





Lovely tune to listen to on a Sunday afternoon - may do a playlist of similar tunes on my YouTube Channel - this afternoon!

Sunday 21 June 2015

Lazyboy - Underwear Goes Inside The Pants





Heard this some six years ago - and it's lyrics have more meaning to them now - than at anytime thus century.



Listen.

Lost Frequencies - Are You With Me (Original Mix)





This has come out on The Bearded Man on iTunes today - the original mix probably being the best mix of the package!

Sean Tyas - Melbourne (Original Mix)

Andy Blueman - Time To Rest [Daniel Kandi's Banging Mix]





This is another of my all time classic Trance, released in 2008 - very much an hands in the air moment - you wanted to be hearing this at 3 in the morning!!!

Daniel Kandi & Robert Nickson - Liberate

Where Do We Go From Here?

Morning,

I was as you saw on my twitter feed in London yesterday at the #endausteritynow demonstration. The predicted turnout of 70,000 absolutely dwarfed by the figures that turned out - estimated at least 250,000. An remarkable figure considering the abysmal election results.

I didn't hang around for the speeches - mostly because my legs were shot to fuck after 15 hours standing up all of Friday as well as the best part of six hours doing the exactly the same yesterday!

I refer back to the demonstration that I went on back in 2011, little under a year after the Tories and Lib Dems agreed that monstrosity of an coalition agreement - and the atmosphere then compared to today couldn't have been any more different and positive.

For one thing, the crowd - was far more positive in its attitude compared to previous demos, and apart from the Class War people breaking away down at Victoria Embankment - there wasn't - touch wood - any flash points.

So what now? The people behind today's demo, The People's Assembly - have vowed to be on the streets on July 8th, the day of Gorgeous George's emergency budget - followed by demonstrations at the Tory party conference in Manchester in October - that could be interesting. However, I can't help but think that much more drastic may be required to get the bastards in power some serious thought.

 

Thursday 18 June 2015

Blue Adonis - Disco Cop (Original Climax Edit)





Evening bitches!



Purchased this of Discogs over the past weekend and have just burnt it onto my macbook for future gigs - for those that do not remember - it was a big commercial hit both here and across Europe - for some absurd reason I just remember it being played continuously throughout the Autumn of 1998 - across all TV - and like most things that were being played to death that summer - Jason Nevins' remix of It's Like That by Run-DMC which came out earlier in the year did likewise!

When Will America Get The Message?

Another day.

Another gun massacre in America.

When will they fucking learn? 

When  Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold 17, killed 15 students (themselves included) and one teacher, and wounded 21 others before committing suicide. Did the U.S Government do anything. Nope.

When Seung-Hui Cho, shot and killed 32 students and faculty members, and wounded another 17 students and faculty members in two separate attacks on the same day, the deadliest attack in U.S history - did the politcians do anything? Of course not.

What happened when Adam Lanza, aged 20, killed 26 people and himself at the Sandy Hook Elementary School., most of the victims under 10 years of age. Nothing.

The American people - OK not all of them but a sizeable and deluded amount of them - believe that they have the constitutional right to bear arms. But what about the right to life?  These are the same muppets who'd consider firebombing abortion clinics - and yet the President is absolutely powerless to stop the madness - because of the sheer power that the NRA have in congress, in the senate and in the wider country.

There needs to be a debate - once and for all on this issue. The NRA need to be put out of pasture. 

For America's children sake. Stop the madness once and for all.

And that before we even get into the fact that this is not just a hate-crime - this is an act of terrorism.

I got criticised by some tweeters last weekend for calling the attack on the headquarters of Dallas Police an act of Terrorism - the perpetrator being a white man with supposed issues, when we all know that if it had been someone of Muslim origin, or Latino origin or African-American origin - the media, particular Fox News - would be putting a completely different slant on the whole situation.

The attack on the church in Charleston, South Carolina is just that.

Terrorism.

And the sooner the authorities stop beating about the fucking bush, the better for all.

May those who have perish rest in peace.


Tuesday 16 June 2015

Jeff Mills - The Bells


Nothing wrong with some serious hardness from the King of Techno, the great Jeff Mills!

Friday 12 June 2015

Fatima Yamaha - What's A Girl To Do (Done031)





Morning,



This came out about two years ago originally - and has been a real slow burner in many after-hours sets - now its becoming used more and more in some big names sets - such as Eats Everything's set at Parklife albeit his own re-edit - just last weekend.


Sunday 7 June 2015

Swings and Roundabouts

I feel extremely down and despondent at the moment. The gigs have from a bar and club point of view dried up completely - and although I've got a lot of private and wedding gigs coming up over the summer - I do not want to be labelled as just a party and wedding DJ as that is not why I got into djing all those years ago. Don't get me wrong I enjoy doing those gigs - as they require a greater level of intricancy and careful planning which I love doing for hours on end before the gig - but I do want the chance to play what I want once in a while - which is why I enjoyed the first hour or so playing at the bar in town that I had played in for the past year or so - until they decided to go down the Stilton route - and not have people playing different stuff - and new stuff - and instead have someone play the same old shit week in, week out.

My day job is also getting me down, but that's a conversation I'm not going to have on here!

The black dog is also rearing it's ugly head as well, and that is another thing that I need to control - perhaps the above is not a bad thing - Alcohol is not exactly the best remedy for someone like myself, particularly when I feel like I do right now, and for the past few weeks.

From a DJ's point of view - I have always tried to force new music onto the punters - almost in a Johnny Walker style of way - if you like that, you'll like this. I am really proud of this way of thinking - having pushed some quality sounds onto people over the past five years or so - nowadays, management seem to want to do whatever it takes to keep punters in - which although understanding causes DJs to play the same, tired old crap each and every week - and if you don't believe that - then trust me I've done that myself!

Perhaps I should be thankful that I have got so many wedding gigs and other gigs coming up this summer - I know of plenty of quality DJs who are probably better than me who don't have that to look forward to. Perspective, Bob.

I'm glad in a way though that I'm not doing much bar work at the moment as it's forcing me into the studio - OK, it's Ableton but fuck you all! There's so many ideas upstairs - but it's getting it all down in sounds and riffs! The other issue - is that Ableton is absurdly big - there is so much to look at - and work with - its bonkers!! I've got 10 days off at the end of this week - which is a fucking life saver as it gives me a bit of time to get myself underneath the bonnet and work solidly for a few days on some stuff - and get it uploaded for your perusal.

I've done a couple of mash ups involving six or seven tracks already using some of the tricks that I've found already - so will get those up sometime today!!

 

Wednesday 20 May 2015

Loneliness Is The Elephant

Well, this is fucking bullshit isn't it. I genuinely do not have a fucking clue how the fuck we get out of this state of mind right now. Life seems to be going alright at the moment - but it just feels that it can just go fucking to shit at any moment. Probably how everyone feels right now.

The thing that truly upsets me is that I feel so low and lonely at times at the moment, and I feel that I can't show that to anyone - whether that is friends or family because they've dealt with it for so long. Almost like I'm suppressing it at the moment with nowhere for it to go. Loneliness isn't just being on your own for long durations of time to me, for me it is having a completely different mindset to everyone. Whether that is in a room, train - whatever.

Not having the same feelings and thoughts as everyone around you at that time is loneliness. Now imagine having that on a constant basis. Exactly. Not pretty.

I'm in bed right now, listening to some supposedly relaxing music trying to get my thoughts down - as that is the one way I know how to express myself without resorting to drink or drugs. Because that does fuck all to help doesn't it!

Tried to sort out an appointment with the doctors for after work today. They asked whether it was a emergency. What the fuck is a emergency? Is it a case of life and death? No, not at the moment, but give it a couple more months of feeling like this, and then who knows. Thought in the end fuck it. Just try and get on with it. The gym seems to be helping with getting my anger and shit out of me at the moment, back to doing five, one hour sessions a week for the first time for some years so - can only be a positive - and if that can help me lose a few pounds around the spare tyre, then all the better.

Anyway, got my first wedding gig of the summer coming up on Saturday, decent earner and all that - so may decide to do a spot of retail therapy come Sunday. How exciting!

Nighty Night!!

 

Monday 18 May 2015

Technasia - Obsession (Hombre Lowdown's French Kissed Edit)





Have enjoyed playing this a lot recently!! Included in my new promo which I've put up on Mixcloud this evening n

Saturday 16 May 2015

The Grid - Floatation





Completely different and off the beaten track away from their epic hit 'Swamp Thing' - listened to this with my new Beats Solos this morning - and couldn't help but appreciate how good a tune and how ahead of its time it really was considering its 25 years since it was originally released.

Killing In The Name Of The State

Morning,

Obviously, we have had the announcement that the surviving individual who perpetrated the sickening attack on the Boston Marathon has been sentenced to death - the fact that he has been sentenced to death shouldn't be a surprise to anyone - the crime was an affront to human decency and all we care about. I don't want to get into the intricacies of the case, but the question must be asked, is it right for the state to be carrying out such judicial acts?

Let me state my position on capital punishment from the outset. I'm very much against the motion, that it is the ultimate tool that the criminal system can offer - it isn't. It is for some a way out for those who carry out such senseless acts - and far from it being the ultimate tool, it is what these killers want to happen, so they can become martyrs for their cause. It is not in society's interest for there to be such individuals to be warpingly looked up to by others who might carry out similar attacks in the future.

An eye for an eye.

No matter how much humanity progresses we're still positively medieval at times.

Sunday 10 May 2015

The Aftermath.

Evening,

I've thought long and hard over the last few days regarding the unexpected election result. There have been many articles and posts across the internet concerning where it all went wrong for Labour and for the parties on the Left of the political spectrum, where I place myself - some have been very thoughtful - others have been nothing short of sniping from the sidelines, see Mandelson on the Marr show this morning. I also see that the War Criminal, Blair has been sprouting off his Neo-Liberal claptrap nonsense in the papers today - again, I will not be lectured to on compassion by a man who started an unjust war on fabricated evidence. Did you feel any compassion for the thousands of innocents who died for your despotic and shambolic crusade Tony? No you didn't. 

However, I have to get something off my chest which has been properly pissing me off over these past few days - Let's put some facts on the table. The Tories didn't win anything. They got under 37% of the vote, 25% of the electorate. Labour shouldn't have to adapt their policies to fit in with what they think people want. They should fight for what they believe in and if that's democracy then proportional representation should be a top priority. It's an scandal that UKIP and the Greens with five million votes have two MPs. How can we call ourselves a democracy when five million votes result in just two fucking MPs?

People criticise others for protesting on the streets of London yesterday and there is no excuse AT ALL for some to deface the women's War memorial on Whitehall, but you have to ask the question, if a substantial proportion of the electorate are that disaffected by democracy that the only option they feel they have is to march and protest to get their voice across, just what on earth is going to happen when a couple of years of savage cuts have been implemented by this government.  It is offensive to me that the Tories believe however well the economy is doing that money shouldn't be spent on services that can play a big role in the economic advancement of those at the bottom. Austerity quite clearly disproportionately affects the poor and needy as they benefit from public services that are cut the most. It is not as if to argue against austerity is economic illiterate when that article suggests that there is much debate from economists around the benefit it has. People will say that they're alright jack, but isn't that one of the fundamental rules of humanity - look after those around you who can't look after themselves for one reason or another. 

Have we as a society just stopped caring about those around us?  Of course not, I have spoken to plenty of people these past few days who are as disheartened and frustrated by the electorate's verdict on five years of ConDemNation, but the reaction is not to be vindictive to your family, friends and neighbours purely because of who they voted for. That's doing the Tories job for them. 

The divide and rule tactic employed by Cameron, and perpetuated by the Tory media, such as the S*n, Times, Torygraph, Daily Heil and Express worked spectacularly - and Cameron knows it. 

There is now just the small issue of getting the union back together, which in my opinion is probably beyond repair. Gonna need to explain that one to Her Maj, Dave.

Saturday 2 May 2015

Après - Chicago





Love this right now - not out on iTunes for another month or so - but has been available on Beatport for the last month - love that euphoric feel that the track gives out!

Tuesday 28 April 2015

Sunday 26 April 2015

Who The Rich Give Their Money To...

No doubt, they want something in return.

 

Pander To The Masses

Evening,

Last night's gig has bought me down to earth with a bit of a bump. There I am playing what is normally my standard warm up set before the madness kicks off - a bit of commercial deep house - fuck I even threw in a bit of Smooth Operator - when the manager comes in and tells me to 'Uplift it'.

So I do that - put a bit of Kiesza and Disclosure on. They slowly leave to leave a relatively empty dance floor - this is about 9:30pm. Pretty standard for the Saturday before payday - but it has had me thinking today - whether DJs in general should really be taking orders from management or for that matter bar staff about what to play - particularly if like me the person on the decks has more experience than they do in reading a crowd. The bar staff piped up soon after stating the crowd the night before was craving 'Cheese'.

Ah the bane of all DJs.

That was the night before - even though the guy who played the night before described the night as 'pretty dead' in a message he sent me earlier in the day. Hmmm.

Still in the end we had a good night in the end - haven't had any further negative feedback - so must've been alright - but I walked away from there pretty cheesed off with the night events.

 

Classic Trance 2015

Classic Trance 2015 by Bob Bob on Mixcloud

Funniest Thing You'll See All Day

Tuesday 31 March 2015

Brother Brown - Star Catching Girl

Think this is the Soulside Mix - absolutely gorgeous this. Am gonna try to laid down a set of some of my all time chilled and laid back tracks between now and the weekend as I'm busy as then!

Sunday 22 March 2015

Sam Feldt - Show Me Love

Played this at the start of my set last night - think it set the tone beautifully for the evening - which if you've seen my Instagram account was quite epic!!

 

Friday 20 March 2015

Decisions, Decisions

Evening all,

Some very big decisions are going to be needing to be made I think in the coming weeks - having had a conversation via Facebook with my DJing boss this morning - making it clear that he will not be playing anywhere near as many gigs as he had done prior to going off on his travels late last year. Which means that I am going to be having an extremely busy summer coming up - which cannot be a bad thing let's be honest - but it does mean that I'm going to have to make a decision on whether I'm going to make the leap of faith and quit the day job - which at times in recent weeks has sounded like a very nice prospect to be fucking honest!

I know what a fair few people are probably going to say to me, that I need to make sure that I have the money behind me before I make the jump - but I look at some people and they seem so much fucking happier than me - even without the money that I have - it is I wonder sometimes down to your individual circumstances I know - but slowly and surely I am coming to the conclusion that I need to make this call - it's is just a case now of when not if.

Just can't wait to do it!!!

Thursday 5 March 2015

Where We Are Now..

Good evening,

Been not a bad couple of days to be honest with you. Got back to work this Monday just gone - which didn't go too badly - been able to get back into it without any issues at the moment but yeah you know what things are like with my fucking nogging!!

As for this weekend we've got a private gig in Folkestone for one of the analysts at work which should be fun it's their daughters birthday - so a different crowd again but the sounds are going to be very similar than normal - so shouldn't be any issues at all!!

Tuesday 24 February 2015

What It’s Like Inside a Depressed Person’s Head..

Evening,

I think that the below article sums up exactly where I am right now. I found the article here.

While not everyone’s experience is the same, when people have a major depressive episode, generally the world looks, feels and is understood completely differently than before and after the episode. During a major depressive episode, the world literally seems like a dark place. What was beautiful may look ugly, flat, or even sinister. The depressed person may believe loved ones, even their own children, are better off without them. Nothing seems comforting, pleasurable, or worth living for. There’s no apparent hope for things ever feeling better, and history is rewritten and experienced as confirmation that everything has always been miserable, and always will be.

When this reality shift happens, it’s difficult to remember or believe what seemed normal before the episode. What the person believes during the episode seems absolutely real, and anything that conflicts with it is as unbelievable as a memory or message telling him or her that the sky is purple. For example, if the person is unable to feel love for a spouse, and someone reminds the person that he or she used to feel that love, the person may firmly believe he or she had been pretending to himself/herself and others—though at the time he or she really felt it. The person can’t remember feeling the love, and can’t feel it during the episode, and thus concludes he or she never felt it. The same process happens with happiness and pleasure. Attempts to tell the person that he or she used to be happy, and will feel happy again, can cause the person to feel more misunderstood and isolated because he or she is convinced it’s not true.

Even if nothing was wrong before the episode, everything seems wrong when it descends. Suddenly, no one seems loving or lovable. Everything is irritating. Work is boring and unbearable. Any activity takes many times more effort, as if every movement requires displacing quicksand to make it. What was challenging feels overwhelming; what was sad feels unbearable; what felt joyful feels pleasureless—or, at best, a fleeting drop of pleasure in an ocean of pain.

Major depression feels like intense pain that can’t be identified in any particular part of the body. The most (normally) pleasant and comforting touch can feel painful to the point of tears. People seem far away—on the other side of a glass bubble. No one seems to understand or care, and people seem insincere. Depression is utterly isolating.

There is terrible shame about the actions depression dictates, such as not accomplishing anything or snapping at people. Everything seems meaningless, including previous accomplishments and what had given life meaning. Anything that had given the person a sense of value or self-esteem vanishes. These assets or accomplishments no longer matter, no longer seem genuine, or are overshadowed by negative self-images. Anything that ever caused the person to feel shame, guilt, or regret grows to take up most of his or her psychic space. That and being in this state causes the person to feel irredeemably unlovable, and sure everyone has abandoned or will abandon him or her.

It’s difficult to describe all of this in a way that someone who’s never experienced it can make sense of it. I can’t emphasize enough that when this happens, what I am describing is absolutely the depressed person’s reality. When people try to get the person to look on the bright side, be grateful, change his or her thoughts, or meditate, or they minimize or try to disprove the person’s reality, they are very unlikely to succeed. Instead, they and the depressed person are likely to feel frustrated and alienated from one another. I do believe cognitive therapy has an important place, but generally not in the throes of a major depressive episode.

So what does a person whose reality has shifted in this way need? Please keep in mind that I am talking about a major depressive episode—severe depression that has lasted more than two weeks. I would take a different approach for someone with milder depression, or one that is a response to a terrible loss. For some people in a major depression, medication works and is the only thing that works. The same could be said for electric shock treatment, though it’s not for everyone. Many people will emerge from major depression in time, though episodes seem to make more episodes more likely, so if medication works to end the episode, it’s usually prudent to take it. Nutrition, acupuncture, and other body-based treatments can help without the side effects of medication.

Loved ones can gently hold and show love and commitment to the depressed person, try not to take on the person’s reality, but also not argue with him or her about it. They can also gently remind the person that depression causes his or her perspective on everything to change, and he or she is unable to think outside of depression mode at the moment. It is a time for the person to avoid making decisions, or avoid doing anything significant that requires a nondepressed perspective. If this is a repeated experience for this person, it can be helpful to discuss all of this between episodes so he or she is more prepared when caught in the quicksand.

 

Tuesday 17 February 2015

How Much More?

This is getting harder and harder to do!
 
I'm going through a stage where I'm getting more and more bored in general. Of life, everyone, the family, friends and foe - everyone - and probably most worringly of all - of myself. Bored of this thing. This thing upstairs which just does not want to leave me - and is leaving me as a empty, soulless shell of a person - which is not great for anyone.  
 
What's getting more obvious to me, and probably to nobody else is I know everyone else is getting bored of me - they just won't say anything - but I just know. And I'm bored of being bored of being like this. 
 
I can't explain how that feels - apart from you feel nothing but just constant emotional pain and torment upstairs - and even greater exasperation on your part and on behalf of everyone else.  There is elements is thinking that the best way out is the worse way out - for all concerned - at least that way I'll feel no further pain and nor would anyone else.

Monday 16 February 2015

Getting To Grips With Ableton. At Last!!

Apart from a long drinking session seeing LFC win in the cup - my weekend was dominated by myself looking at the arrangement screen of Ableton 9 - and finally being able to automate curves on tracks - instead of having to do 20 breakpoints - just to do a bass curve - it's one click and boom its done! I think this is going to help make my tracks sound that more professional sounding - which is of course a good thing. 
 
I found a very useful article by an Techno producer, of which I will link to on my Twitter feed later this evening - in which he explains how to make subtle changes to your workflow - such as decreasing the volume on all your racks and saving that as the default audio track setting - which saves a stupid amount of time!

Saturday 14 February 2015

A Rant

Hopefully a more chilled me this morning!
 
But first a bit of a rant.
 
I did my usual Friday night residency at Skuba in town last night - smashed as per normal - played over 100 tracks (which is my barometer that shows that I've done alright) - but there was a slight sour taste in my mouth - and as I sip my Starbucks - that taste is still there.  

Amongst the punters was this woamn, age - I would guess early 50s - but she seemed to think that the whole night was about her - people like that I detest - hatred is not strong enough a word for people like her.  In the end it got to the point where she was talking down to me like I was a child. Never a good move - wished I had a mic - would've told her to jog on in more colourful language to be honest - we ended up having a solid crowd of about 40 still dancing pass 1am - which was quality!

Tuesday 10 February 2015

Frustrating

Being an out and out depressive is not an easy life - you come into work and you just don't want to be around people who are happier and smiling about life and living for life and there is you moping around just wanting someone to put you down humanely. Yep, that is how I feel right now - feeling no purpose and meaning in this world of ours compared to other friends and family - and that's hard -brutal to accept - particularly as I'm typing this. You have people trying to cheer you up - but they just do not have the first thought of what torment you're going through even when they're attempting to put a smile on your face - and that hurts.  
 
People asking when I'm going to resume my driving lessons, or get my passport - but in my mind - there's no point spending that money if I don't think I'm going to be here in a few years time.  When I stop thinking about driving off Beachy head when I get my Pinky then perhaps I would be in a position of strength to go and get my license - that is the bottom line. 
 
But you can't throw that into a conversation - quite literally a conversation killer that one! People just do not think what depressives think sometimes, and its not their fault - so I'm not going to tell them the truth - because that is just too painful for them to understand.
 

Monday 9 February 2015

Groundhog Day

Well,
 
Here we are again, Monday afternoon  - work - depressed - fed up - etc, etc, etc.
 
I am quickly realising that this is the only way for me to express my inner feelings without the need to offend friends and family. There is a real part of me which is thinking that I have no one at all to talk to except to write it all down. I am in constant fear of heading down the path of self-destruction and not doing anything about it before it is too late for me to do something.  
 
There is no place for me to store positivity upstairs right now - whether its work, or play - I did a 18th birthday party on Saturday - absolutely smashed it - whilst everyone else was getting smashed in a different kind of way - and people were raving to the organiser about me - and to me - and yet I can't take these at face value - for what they are supposed to be for - without thinking about whether they mean it.  It's hilarious and yet tragic that my life experiences have brought about this - from a DJing point of view for the last year or so I've been caning it week after week - and yet I just do not know how to bring on board all the positive comments I get from complete strangers.
 
I know exactly how to keep negative comments in my conscious - walk in the park that - but anything positive I can't keep at the top of my matter.
 
At the end of my night - early on Sunday morning - once I had moved all my gear from the hallway to my bedroom - I looked into my hall mirror and was reduced to tears for no reason - at the end of one of my better days, there I was crumbling - and there was nothing I could do about it.
 
Despairing.

Thursday 5 February 2015

Retching With Receipts

Been an busy last few days for me, with booking more gigs for me to play at - and sorting out receipts for my accountant with a view to get a tax rebate - after spending stupid-a-quid on music these past few years - found about 600 email reciepts on Tuesday from various download stores since 2010 - when I really started to take all this seriously - so lets say on average - £6 a time, that's the best part of £4,000 - and thats not even starting to take into account software or hardware!  
 
It's a bit of a no brainer to look into this a bit more closely.

Wednesday 28 January 2015

Fuuuucckkk!

One thing that really gets me at times is how I can be some despondent around other people who are so happy - its like that for me this morning - and no its not because the Redmen lost last night - its been the case for the last few days - and it is very frustrating for me to feel on the outside looking in at times like now.
 
It does feel at times that I'm cocooned in some depressive bubble surrounded by lots and lots of happy people - the depressive nature of this does mean that we are at times so quiet at work, that people forget I'm even there - which is probably how I like it.  
 
However, having this state of mind has had in the past - and continues to have its knock on effects - not hitting the level of performance in my day job is causing me to stagnate in my current job role - whilst newcomers seem to just fly by me with their sky-high confidence, verve and zeal - perhaps its my age in comparision to these newbies - but I just can't compete with them with me the way I am at the moment.
 
All I want to be at times is in my bed - surfing on my iPad - looking for new music - that's all.
 
At least that way I'm not hurting any one anymore, apart from myself.

Tuesday 27 January 2015

Enough Is Enough

Had a productive evening last night - finished off my Remix for Brodanse's Train Of Thought's contest on beatport - of which I will send a link to you all to listen to - its very deep, chilled almost melancholy in tone and mood - which summed up how I was feeling at the time of writing the track - it's had 16 plays at the time of writing this - but it did feel very thereputic to produce - and to take the track - which has that Tech House monster feel to it into something a lot more deeper and subtle - and although I've uploaded the track to Beatport as it needs to be in by the 2nd - I will do some more into it - add some more layers into the mix - before using the iZotope Ozone 6 module to master it into the final mix.
 
Went on to start another remix but the start of the evening was not as productive as I would have liked. I went to the gym, and that went as per normal, however I had found myself getting quite tearful earlier in the day at work, on the way and back from the gym - so much so that by time I got home, I just broke down in floods of tears.  This concerns me greatly.  I have not been in the best states of mind for a few weeks - but still - for that to happen when it did last night is a huge blow for me.

Monday 26 January 2015

Surrounded By Emptiness

Afternoon,
 
I feel like someone who is on his own right now - surrounded by people, but absolutely oblivious to the suffering that I'm going through right now.  Whilst in the office, people are talking about their holidays, doing their driving licenses, saving for a house etc - I just don't see the point of doing or preparing for any of these things as I don't know where my mood will take me a day at a time - and that is beyond frustrating.  
 
I started the year by coming off my tablets - because they were making me ridiculously tired - even to the point of falling asleep at work - not a good look at all. Now people are pestering me to do all these things - but the bottom line is - I can't be bothered as I seriously don't know if I will get live to completing my lessons, or going abroad or getting a mortgage.
 
Absolutely horrendous.

Sunday 11 January 2015

Efdemin - Parallaxis (Traumprinz's Over 2 The End Version)

 

Trentemøller - Always Something Better (DJ Tennis & Mind Against Remix)

 

Robert Babicz - Mercury Bells (Beta v3)

Morning all,

Been doing a bit of track buying today - and to my intense disappointment - this amazing tune by the Cologne producer is still not available for me to buy!

Such a fantastic track, ambient, atmospheric and chilled - it's a track that I've shared on my Soundcloud account some months ago with the hope that it'll get released but alas we still wait!!

Monday 5 January 2015

A Difficult Circumstance...

That is how Oldham manager Lee Johnson has described the situation regarding the possibility of them signing convicted rapist Ched Evans. 

Hmmm. I can think of several other phases that would be more appropriate. 

It's a bit of a no-brainer. You don't want to be associated with a fucking rapist. Surely?

Of course it would not the first time that Oldham have signed a player with a criminal record - having signed Lee Hughes after he had been jailed for Death by dangerous driving. 

He needs a second chance, that's not in any doubt - however being given a second chance at a football club with the social responsibilities that that comes with that privilege is surely a step too far. 

Sunday 4 January 2015

This is Beautiful! Katie Hopkins Gets Owned.

The Year Ahead

Well, here I am - on the settee here at the Surgery this evening with one more day off before I have to head back into work - and the one thing that comes to mind for the past year is one of achievement whilst struggling with the demons upstairs.

I have been wondering - sometimes aloud - what would be a good target to aim for - for the coming year - the DJing seems to have itself taken care of - certainly for the forseeable future - which in itself  is a remarkable personal achievement for myself - considering my confidence wasn't exactly great this time last year.

Outside of my usual hopes and dreams of getting a gig in London - which I am quietly confident is going to happen this year - the aim has to be get a Original Release signed up - which seems a long shot - however I do think that if I put my mind to it - there is nothing I can't do!

Bob Bob's Top 10 Tunes 2014 - #1 Hot Since 82 vs Joe T Vannelli feat. Csilla - The End (Sabb Remix)





Is it the best track of the year - probably not - is it the one that got people going in those sweating underground clubs - you bet it fucking did - whenever I played it or heard it - either in the bar, house parties or even at home on my iPhone, that amazing sample from Reflekt's Need To Feel Loved, just gave me goosebumps - this tune, Walking With Elephants and Pushing On, are probably the three tunes in this top 10 that I know I will keep on playing for the next year to 18 months and even then in my eyes - they will become classics, so they'll end up in my classics folder!



The moment I heard this tune, I knew I could throw it in a couple of BPMs down and it would have that chilled vibe about - a couple up - and it would be a fucking monster - the minute long breakdown being a great example of the tune's versatility!.


Bob Bob's Top 10 Tunes 2014 - #2 Kölsch - Cassiopeia feat. Gregor Schwellenbach

Bob Bob's Top 10 Tunes 2014 - #3 Ten Walls - Walking With Elephants

Bob Bob's Top 10 Tunes 2014 - #4 Clean Bandit - Rather Be ft. Jess Glynne

Bob Bob's Top 10 Tunes 2014 - #5 Duke Dumont - I Got U ft. Jax Jones

Bob Bob's Top 10 Tunes 2014 - #6 Avicii - Wake Me Up (PANG! Slow Things Down Mix)

Bob Bob's Top 10 Tunes 2014 - #7 Daniel Steinberg - Let Me Down (Tube & Berger Remix)

Bob Bob's Top 10 Tunes 2014 - Joint #8 Oliver $ & Jimi Jules - Pushing On





A slow burner this one, became fucking huge after the Ibiza season came to a close in the UK - though in my eyes the vocals have been somewhat sullied by an horrendous mashup that I heard being played on New Year's Eve after my set at Skuba.

Bob Bob's Top 10 Tunes 2014 - Joint #8 Klingande - Jubel (Nora En Pure Remix)





Was always my favourite remix out of the ones that was released - never played the Tube and Berger remix - which saddened me!