Music Review – Guido’s Lounge Cafe, Vol. 1 -“Kaleidoscope Of Colors” (2014)

October 30, 2014 Music2Deal3 Comments

Greetings dear reader,

One of the perks of being privileged to have a strong network of talented & creative people in my beloved world of music, is that I’m fortunate to occasionally get insights to pre- releases/draft tracks per invites from artists, labels & DJ’s etc. This could be ahead of a formal label release-date (in this case August 25^th via the Ecstasy label) or other times, it could simply be from one music-soul to another for an informal ‘whaddaya think so far?’ on their current work-in-progress. This particular piece was a double-pleasure to write and to make time for as it’s for a musical friend of mine Guido Van Der Meulen. Guido is a fellow music-lover whom I met via music on the web (suffice to say here) so, it was wonderful to be asked to scribe some thoughts & views on this, Guido’s first mix via his collaboration with Manue & his label. I only hope my words accompany the mix well & trigger reactions accordingly.

Note for all readers, you may find that I jump around in tone as well as first or second person when writing. This is simply because I don’t write/listen in one-sitting. Instead, I listen a few time’s whilst penning thoughts & notes. Then I draft, re-listen & draft again as well as until completion. This means that my ‘view-point’ can change depending on many factors per real-world, life, mood etc but I promise you this, it’s allllll from the heart! :D my method, my style, enjoy!

Finally, a big thank you to Manue Dawar (CEO of Ecstasy records) & Guido Van Der Meulen for the invitation to both listen & review this mix ahead of the official album release date. Even more on that last as this is the inaugural mix in your on-going collaboration. I remain both honoured & touched by your invite so I wish you lots of luck in your future-endeavours together although based on this first mix, I don’t think you need it. Track-selection & a journey in sound in any mix is all to this music-lover & clearly, you’ve got this covered, very well done.

Peace & Musica, Darren Pearson Oct’14

PS: You can find a sample of the mix here:

https://soundcloud.com/guidosloungecafe/guidos-lounge-cafe-vol-1-kaleidoscope-of-colors-2014

http://www.mixcloud.com/Jazzmo/album-guidos-lounge-cafe-vol-1-kaleidoscope-of-colors-2014-snippets/

00:00 – 02:11 001 Jennifer Hannah-Murphy. ‘Tuesday afternoon’ (Original Mix)

Immediately made me want to listen to the full-track so I just HAD to search, find and share with my peeps straightaway so, I did so. :D Great use of bass & flute (my beloved flute…) for these receptors. It’s a fine opening-track and, I like the way Guido dived straight-in. This is simply as I’m very accustomed & always interested in GLC mix-intro’s that ‘set the scene’ etc. J But here, the sound is the opener so no words are necessary, bass then flute just grabbed my ears straight-away. I liked & was pleasantly surprised so very much enjoyed the change in this aspect, your flexing now clearly. :)

02:11 – 06:30 002 Marie Therese ‘Right Now’ (Original Mix)

Great transition into 1-to-2 and a great track coming-in, seamless Maestro. (Y) I didn’t notice we were into this track until the voices began. Pleased as I really dig that aspect in a mix as I just prefer a seamless wall of Lounge and down-tempo when blended well, always enjoyed & sought-out such journeys in music so this is for my Prime selections. J

The beat-drop @ 2.35 was great, perfect combo of laidback lounge, effects and voice, throbbing-bass too then the electronic-bells @3.35…sublime moment and a great momentary-contrast from the rest of the track. The addition of street-life sounds next is a great, great touch too plus, I’ve always enjoyed a well-used echo “yeah”…. who doesn’t! :D

bass n beats again, love that, head-nodding hard here.

06:30 – 10:38 003 Marga Sol ‘Goodbye’ (Original Mix)

Spanish style guitar work is very nice & works very well with the harmonies & main vocal.

I would like to see Marga Sol live in London one-day, a multi-faceted Lady.

10:38 – 16:33 004 Lemongrass, Jane Maximova ‘Deep River’ (Original Mix)

Biiiiiiiiiig track from the off, an immediate atmosphere is set here, majestic…deep and wide for sure, like that, vocal bleeding in really works well. Beats are dropped just right and digging the repeating big synth. theme. Like the Lemongrass label, frequently, so no surprise that this track comes from their stable, a quality-collective with business competent management.

16:33 – 20:06 005 Vono Box ‘La Planete’ (Original Mix)

Fantastic ATF track from the off, always loved the lazy beats & distant-sax on this track

I’d heard once before somewhere so was excited to hear it utilised* here. *You know, like the feeling you get when listening to a mix & you recognise the first moments of the next track coming thru? Time kind of stops in your head as you see how he/she has delivered & utilised it so essentially, a yes or no moment that Musik-Hedz know well so, a BIG YES here on that aspect. (Y) (Y) J

Laaaaaaazy-sax to the max for me, reminded me of a Sven Han Hees track **‘Flowmotion’ in that regard, it’s the lazy, almost nonchalant (to me) style of the tinkling on the keys, same vein so this track triggered that very recollection & moment when listening here, big like. Bass just compliments so very well and with the beats, perfect laid-back vibes,

Lounge music to this guy does not mean horizontal ambient as I sometimes feel some (many?) in the ‘wider-world’ may perceive it to be. This track is a fine-example of lounge & beats which I love to the bone as it also speaks to my Klub-Hed too. Excellent choice Guido and you merged it so very well, that I got really excited when I recognised it coming in as mentioned, just love that about a good mix, it’s like meeting ‘old music-friends’ etc J love the neatly sealed-off ending in the full-version too after searching for after first hearing here, had to say, thx for the tip. J

** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=208cMD02dDI ‘Flowmotion’ by Sven Van Hees

2 0:06 – 24:26 006 Arthur Rong ‘Snow Queen’ (Original Mix)

Niiiiice blend Guido, I missed the transition it was that flawless and unnoticeable amigo.

When the beat drops @20.47..niiice, good beats & vibe here, all elements really work-well together, head-nodding, like that bass-line underneath it all @23.00 grabbed my diaphragm as I’m writing this whilst listening alone, on speakers and very loud. J

Cool wind-down too, just bongos then all instruments bleed back-in @23.14, a most enjoyable & cool lounge track for sure. This is what I like to hear in a bar, not ‘in your face’ but enough to grab you and create the right ambience for the crowd ahead of their night out or event etc.

@23.16 is sweet, like the use of effects. (Y)

24:26 – 28:35 007 Sannan ‘Bluetone’ (Original Mix)

This sounds good already, yep, digging this, creative opening, hooked my ear. Basssss.. sits well here, always enjoy the use of strings unexpectedly in EDM, good example with the harp. I could be at a beach-bar with a great view with this track spinning, hypnotic, melodic & (again) REALLY dig the wind-down at the end too.

28:35 – 33:45 008 Mia Lemar & Pier O ‘Red Sunset’ (Original Mix)

Pier O Chill…a maestro in the Lounge space, the key’s are a-tinkling and I like that combined with a dreamy trumpet sample (from a loop-sample package from Loopmasters apparently) The sound is laidback, smooth & the vocal adds to the atmosphere already created. Never heard this track before so most pleased to cross paths via this initial-mix for the Ecstasy label. Sax is sublime, music which always sounds a ‘cut-above’ from the rest and if you don’t know what I mean by that, I mean loungey, stylish (like an appropriate & deserving club, bar or beach-venue) exclusive & intimate, all the above plus. Watching Pier as I’m aware that he is currently working in collaborations with Marga Sol as well as producing remix’s for Marie Therese, Claudio Fiore and, Euphonic Traveller…wow, the future will be VERY interesting to hear, I’m sure!

33:45 – 36:14 009 Doc Luv Jones ‘Tomatoes That Kill’ (Original Mix)

Great title! chuckles! An immediate head-nodder for sure, nice choice Guido, beats are doing it for me & the ping @ 28.34 was crazy on my speakers, loud! :D

36:14 – 43:21 010 Florzinho, Euphonic Traveller ‘A la Luna’ (Euphonic Traveller Remix)

@36.37 love the switch into this, a great remix from Euphonic Traveller, wow, thanks for the intro!

Great atmosphere here, like that drum-work, subtle but meaningful, really digging this on lots of levels. Sooooo many elements in-play here on the ear, the piano is haunting in its briefness & appearance over the main-wall of sound @ 43.36

This is a classy track & remix, how did I miss this! Coz it’s a daily-flood of music and I just don’t have

the time to listen as much as I would love to, sigh. A common problem for Musik-Hed’s, cie la vie but I’m still very pleased glad I crossed paths with this track regardless.

would love to hear this on a night-out when the floor & audience are vibin at 3am, perfect time to drop this methinks. J

43:21 – 48:39 011 Gary Openhill ‘Cafe Balearic’ (Original Mix) – Can hear this track coming through & it makes me very curious, very world music I feel. I hear Chinese violin merged with female vocal, well and then, the Spanish guitar. An interesting track crossing regions in music clearly.

48:39 – 52:58 012 Michiko ‘Rock & Roll’ (Original Mix) – Like the main-verse vocal and the effect applied. It differs very much from the chorus. Distinctive as she sounds like she’s in the room next door but, it works for the overall effect, quirky & interesting.

52:58 – 55:05 013 Sean Byrd ’Dusk Lounge’ (Original Mix) – A common-theme in these tracks has been the bass underlining a lot of the main sound. I like that theme whether it was intentional or not by Guido so, another example of here, short & sweet.

55:05 – 59:59 014 Pat Lajoie ‘Native Dancer’ (Mix 2) – Yet another track that Guido introduces me to (and there are many :D) with a very ‘Jazz in the Park’ feel to it. Saying this as this track got better to me the more I heard of it. The first time I heard this, I wasn’t sure as it sounded too ‘tame’ overall for my liking but now I see why, I just needed a Pimms & lemonade to seal the deal.

59:59 – 64:48 015 Five Seasons ‘Sweet Secrets’ (Original Mix)

…..immediate ATF, I LIKED this straightaway Guido!, beautiful, the way the track bleeds into full ‘clarity’ on the ears, you lined these 2 up very well as the mix-mood moved-up a gear again. (Y)

Beats are heavenly after the previous track & the echo around the violin….sighs, a lovely combo of EDM and a classical instrument, love those moments as the two work so well together when done well. Another example of such a fusions to me would be Moby’s track **‘Inside’.

The bass here grabbed me from the start & just never let go, hypnotic & hitting my gut (playing loud) and works well vs. the synths and the atmosphere created, my kind of soundscape, you chose well amigo. (Y) Last word on this is re the pause….then the beat dropping again @1.03.11.. Simply sublime and a fine track to end with.

**https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf-Iaf8Awg4 ‘Inside’ by Moby

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If you want to purchase the mix, you can do it here:

Amazon: www.amazon.com/Guidos-Lounge-Caf…ope/dp/B00M3EDYFE

Itunes: itunes.apple.com/nl/album/guidos-…4&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Beatport: www.beatport.com/release/guidos-l…f-colors/1350488

Spotify: play.spotify.com/album/0jo45ZUhDlqrbBMjIoKcoS

Google play: play.google.com/store/music/album…upkzwjeerb5qnz4me

Myth #1: Selling Out!

August 31, 2014August 20, 2014 Music2DealLeave a comment

We’ve all heard it before. Don’t be a sell out! Be true to the art form, be true to yourself. Don’t sacrifice that for fame and fortune. Bla bla bla. Noble words coming from people who usually (a) aren’t in the music business or (b) are in the music business but need to hold another 2 jobs to stay afloat. Good for them! Let them make the “noble” choice but don’t let their choices influence you. Selling out is not copping out and I will explain exactly why in a minute.

The music industry is like any other industry, right? Your music is a business. You are a brand. But too often we don’t treat it like that. For some reason we think it should abide by its own laws – that those that have a true love for the artform, those that are the most gifted/talented, those that have the best songs should come out top, and those that approach it as a business should not. Wrong. Music is like any other industry, and the reason we make it so hard for ourselves, the reason we think the industry is inherently “tough” is because we don’t approach it this way.

Anything in life is about supply and demand. If there is no demand, there is no exchange. Feel free to follow the art-form and make music that you love, just remember that that does not necessarily mean that everyone else will love it or that it will be popular. If you are happy with writing, recording or performing music that is not well received commercially just remember that from a label/promoter’s point of view you’re not marketable and don’t expect to get rid of your day job.

Please note this is not coming from a place of greed, it’s simply the reality. If anyone wants to make music a career you have to treat it like a business, and with a business comes much needed research and product/service customisation to meet a need/want in the market. If you’re looking at earning your wage through being an artist, i.e. through record sales, performances and related merchandise, you might have to do what some people refer to as “selling out”. All that it means is that you’ve listened to the world’s music-taste and you’ve adapted your art to meet it so that an exchange can happen.

I say selling out is not copping out because its simply understanding the industry and giving it the respect it deserves. The music industry is far from saturated. Music listeners do not select their favourite artist and simply move on with their lives like they would with a brand of toothpaste or their favourite soft drink. There is always space to invite a new artist into their collection. The thing that makes the industry so fresh is that music gets old. Isn’t that ironic! Sure its great to listen to the classics but you can’t spend your whole life listening to the same CD over and over. You need to make room for the new, i.e. there is always demand.

Finding that demand is key to staying alive in the industry and to be able to do what you love for a living. Yes, “what you love”! Sure I write soft-rock because it comes naturally to me, but if you told me that if I had to make orchestral music or pop music in order to have a profitable music business therefore negate the need for the potentially unfulfilling day-job, hell yeah I’d do it! You mean that I’d be able to spend my working days creatively, pursuing something that has my name directly attached to it! Sign me up!

You see for me, and I’m sure for a lot of you, being creative is number one. Take away my guitar and I’ll make the best piano-ballads this year. Take away the piano and I’ll play drums in the most brilliant accompanying rhythm section to come out this summer. Whatever I have, I’ll pour my soul into it. I’ll give my all. Why? Because I LOVE music. I truly love the art-form and appreciate all aspects of it. Restrictions don’t stunt creativity, they stimulate it! A good musician can express him/herself with any instrument/any genre. Isn’t that the music ethos. The code?

Selling out is an excuse that unsuccessful people use. We are all scared of putting our heart and soul into something only for it to fail. It’s natural to use excuses to prevent us from getting hurt, to maintain that comfort zone. Please just don’t impart that disease in someone else’s head because you were too afraid to follow your own dreams. And please please don’t look at them with regret when they’re getting all the attention and living the life you’ve always wanted playing music that you could play in your sleep!

Remove the “Sell out” myth from your vocabulary. Love the artform, love all aspects of it.

Sean David is a singer/songwriter, music entrepreneur and journalist from Port Elizabeth, South Africa. For more info on what he’s been up to click here.

English · This & That

Confession #3: Perfectionism Is For Underachievers

August 11, 2014August 4, 2014 Music2DealLeave a comment

Perfectionism is a funny word. You’d expect it to be black and white, hard and fast – it’s either perfect or it’s not, right? But the concept is so subjective it’s really become a gray area.

Okay, let’s take a step back here. First, before starting anything I think it’s important to identify what you’re trying to do and what’s important to you. If you’re making a song/album, is the public perception of you and your music important to you, or is your own personal perception of the song more important? Which brings me to the ultimate question – what will bring you the most happiness?

Seriously ask yourself that question. For me, it’s the enjoyment on other people’s faces when they hear the track for the first time. That uninhibited joy, the pure excitement. Face beaming kind of stuff! :)

Sure, I want to be happy with a track, but not to the point that it costs me the above goal. If, in my aim to make the perfect track (from my point of view) I am unable to complete and distribute 2 or 3 other good songs that people would enjoy, I have effectively lost.

The funny thing is, when those same people tell me what a great song it is, I believe it too. Not because I get brainwashed into thinking so, but because it’s simply the truth. If you are constantly looking at things from your perspective you are only getting a portion of the truth. As much as you thinkyou know better, it is actually your perspective that is the least objective and the least true.

Think about it. You are your own worst enemy. You constantly criticise your own work where others don’t. Now switch roles – think of a time when you had to give feedback on another friend’s song, art, design, cooking, or whatever. For this exercise, let’s think of a close friend, i.e. someone where you wouldn’t feel the need to “sugar-coat” things. Did you genuinely like the song, art, design or cooking? Did you speak the truth? If that person is a perfectionist more often than not they “considered” your opinion but did their own thing anyway – maybe they continued re-working the song or maybe they simply left it as is but looked upon this creation with less-than-satisfied eyes and failed to do anything with it. Sound like you sometimes? Me too.

This was a biig wake-up call for me and I am by no means free of this sin yet. I have spent many days/months/years either re-working something that was already good to start with and never releasing the song at all because it just wasn’t perfect in my eyes. Well guess what, I simply wasted all that time where I could’ve gained some exposure with the song that I had whilst having the time to continue to work on another couple good songs.

What’s more, if it’s a good product people will speak the truth. We all need affirmation. Affirmation breeds positivity, keeps us motivated and keeps us moving forward. (for my article on “How to stay motivated” click here).

On the contrary, I could work on a song until its “perfect” in my books, but I may have destroyed the very thing that actually made the song perfect to everyone else (Remember music is not all about the instruments and you can overwork it).

So in the best case, perfectionism will delay the finalisation and release of your artwork, delay your exposure and delay the enjoyment on receiving positive feedback. It will also drive you mad!

In the absolute worst case, you will end up over-working something that was already perfect, not get the affirmation you so eagerly thirst for and end up defeated and unmotivated.

Perfectionism is not efficient! Strive for excellence, not perfectionism. And if your friends tell you its good, its good. Cash that cheque and move on!

Sean David is a self-established music entrepreneur, singer/songwriter and journalist.

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