Decibel Festival 2012

I remember the first time I interacted with Machinedrum aka Travis Stewart. I was given the opportunity to perform at Decibel Festival 2012’s Warp Records Showcase, opening up the night for Jimmy Edgar, Clark and Travis. It was the highest profile show I had played so far, and the challenge was just what I needed to think bigger and further develop my own voice. I remember him coming on stage towards the end of my set when I was playing some Slick Shoota, bobbing his head and singing along. From then on, I become more and more enamored by this man, both for his hefty amount of quality productions, and his friendly demeanor. Daft Punk are still my main dudes, but I watch them from afar. It’s just a pure gift to cross paths with Machinedrum over the years since that Warp show. He is truly one of the most talented and visionary artists around. I was there at the Vapor City Live debut at dB Fest 2013, the Jets show that same year, Vapor City live in Portland in 2014, and now this Machinedrum show at Crocodile in 2015. Once again, I felt like this was a culmination of everything I had learned, and another challenge to better myself and add my own energy into the night. This wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for the artists creating these songs. Followers of this site should recognize a few friends that have come through in interviews over the years. Big shout-out to my favorite producer to come thru Disco Droppings, XI, whose on the very first track of the mix. Shout-outs to Embassy Recordings, Broodlings, Slick Shoota, HxdB and WD4D, who you’ll also hear. And respect to DJ Rashad and the Teklife family, who you’ll see represented..

It was a total joy to work with The Crocodile on this show. Thank you to all the staff, and especially Shaina for allowing my intern Beck Ninneman and I to bring in additional lights, and granting us some brand new subs. The vibes were fierce and rowdy. It was that show I’ve dreamed about since I started, where everything just clicks.

Tracklist

XI – Trinary

The Bug – Skeng (Kode9 Remix)

Broodlings – Two, Three (Embassy Recordings)

Stray – Chatterbox (Original Mix)

WD4D & Suttikeeree – Up On Something (Unreleased)

At The Drive-In – Pattern Against User

Ital Tek – Challenger Deep

Nine Inch Nails – Survivalism (Jimi Jaxon Remix) (Version 1)

DJ Rashad – Ride Dis Dikk (DJ Earl Remix)

HxdB & DJ Cure Feat. MC ThinkTank – Sound The Alarm (Firestar Soundsystem Remix)

Mincha & Ghost Town – Aberdeen (Howie Lee Remix)

Drake – All Me (DJ Paypal x DJ Taye)

Fracture – Loving Touch (Original Mix)

Rvdical The Kid – Tokyo

DRJ – With You

Etherwood – Unfolding (feat. Laurelle Robichaud)

SpectraSoul – Light In The Dark (Feat. Terri Walker)

DJ Jy – Kesha Wif The Fatty ;] (Drippin x Slick Shoota Remix)

Pascal – P-Funk Era (Original Remix)

DJ Rashad, DJ Spinn, Alix Perez – Make It Worth (Original Mix)

DJ Earl, DJ Taye – Wurkinn da Bass (Original Mix)

Shy FX – Bambaata (Dillinja Remix)

Video Credit: Cameron Jessup

Mix also available on Mixcloud, Video also on Vimeo

– Jimi Jaxon

As mentioned in this post title, I believe Jimmy Edgar has some crazy dominance over magical properties. His productions, and overall aesthetic have some spell over me. There’s something about the sound and look of each element, and his use of effects. Every day at my house, one of my roommates and I are playing something from this man..I think I woke up yesterday to “Qlinda”. Most recently we were gifted with his RA mix. Cut to VINYL, people, Edgar has gone the extra mile to give a specific, warm sound quality. One thing I really like about this mix, is I can put it on and get distracted by something, come back to it and the vibe is unbroken. He also takes his time building the energy, it creeps in all sophisticated like, and before you know it, you’re off. It’s a well-built mindset, and it’s that execution that I look for in a superior mix. It’s also just as much a mental journey as it is a physical one. I can imagine myself at one of Jimmy’s shows (Played before him and Machinedrum at Decibel Festival 2012, saw him and Jets at Decibel Festival 2013), or I could just have headphones on and travel throughout my psyche.

Born in 1983, It’s insane to note that by age 15, Edgar was DJ’ing Detroit raves alongside Techno pioneers/wizards Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson. Soon after, he signed his first record deal, and by 2004 he had his first Warp Records release entitled “Access Rhythm”. It’s Edgar’s skills as a visual artist that grab me just as much as his music. Almost every single time he posts some graphic online, I’m like “wow”, or “like”, or “what the fuck? this is rad.” Take for example this above picture which he captioned, “Ultramajic office”, or the below one saying “One of the few shots without the model from Me and Pilars photoshoot.”

It’s that multi-sensory precision and ultra class that puts Jimmy in a total other realm. This 2013 Redefine Magazine Interview said it best, “While it begins with solid musical foundations of intricately-crafted, analog synth-driven club jams, it (Edgar) has grown more and more to incorporate art, music, and metaphysical ideas into one cohesive artistic whole.”

From Vedic and Hindu religion, to magic and quantum physics, founder Edgar with collaborators Pilar Zeta and Machinedrum weave their spiritual and mathematical fascinations into an already incendiary record label + design house + metaphysical portal called Ultramajic (Est. 2013). With sound as their foundation, the label is making huge statements right out the gate; powerful tracks that easily influence dance floors and consciousnesses. You may feel the releases demand movement, or just simply, trip people out. My eyes are glued to Ultramajic until further notice; with future releases from Jets, Sophie, and plans for club nights and gallery events.