Mental Floss

I just found a copy of some video of me shot around 1999 for an early Internet video program called PepperScott Television. It's a bit dated, but an interesting take on myself at the time, what I had done, and where I was going.

MENTAL FLOSS – TORONTO INTERNET TELEVISION

Well it's happening again, I'm playing at the annual Harvest Festival and it should, as always, rock. In fact the logo above has a shot of the tent stage I'll be playing in.

If you've never been, but live in the area, consider going. It's always filled with my favorite DJs of the area, is nice land and features good sound systems. I also ordered a new soundcard to DJ with, so either my set will sound awesome, or or it'll be silent while I figure out Why I Fail So Hard.

I had the opportunity to play at a Boreal canoe trip to Moon River the other week, and Andy Johnson was kind enough to record a good chunk of the set.  Thanks be to Andy!

Boreal’s generally a yearly (or twice yearly) canoe trip for 150 people organized primarily by Justin/Alieninflux who also does Harvest Festival, with assistance from a core group friends and all of us campers.

It’s a good mix of some minimal/dub techno, house and stuff in-between, and the crowd freakin’ rawked!  Completely prepared to have a good time and very appreciative of all the music for the night.

You can use the player below for instant gratification, or download it for your iPodding pleasure.

Just a heads up that I'll be playing at re:Treat, this year's gathering for old friends/new friends of the OM Sumer Solstice Festival.  I'll be arriving early this year on Thursday, so will probably play Thursday or Friday sometime.   I have to leave Saturday this year because of previous commitments 🙁  Come track me down at the festival for more specifics – it's always kinda fluid that way…

I'm happy to be playing the first Promise Cherry Beach Sunday this coming weekend. There was some fear that they might not be able to continue but all's good.  Come out and chill in the sun!
 
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hi, David and Irving here. We’re really  happy to announce that Sunday afternoons down at Cherry Beach will be  continuing this summer for the 6th year!
     
    With the controversy at the end of last summer, all winter long we were  concerned that we had reached an end of an era. After 5 years of sweet,  mellow anarchy and community in the sun, it was frustrating to think we  wouldn’t be able to listen to music and dance in the park with friends,  family and pets.
   
    We got lots of good advice from the Kensington Car Free Sundays people  Shamez and Kelsey, Jason from Councillor Joe Pantalone’s office, Ari  from the Trinity Bellwoods Tuesday drumming group, our smart political  friend Mike Layton, the Toronto Public Space Committee, Gregory Nixon  from Live with Culture, and Kevin and Lori from NewMindSpace, and went  into action this spring to encourage local councillor Paula Fletcher to  support us.
   
    Paula understood that this Sunday gathering is fantastic on many levels  and she was very willing to throw her support behind it. We wrote up a  proposal to the City and now they’ve given us a permit and blessing to  continue. This type of fun is a viable part of great cities like New  York, Paris, Montreal and Madrid. Toronto just got way cooler.
   
    Here’s the good news:
   
    this Sunday June 17th
      Promise Cherry Beach Sunday Afternoon Soundsystem
       
    Bring a frisbee, bring a kite, bring a handy sweater, bring a dog (only  nice dogs), bring your lover and a hammock. And pass the time on this  lazy sunny Sunday afternoon with friends and friends of friends.
   
    3 to 11pm
   
    Dan Driscoll – trip hop
    Violet – dub reggae
    Hali – house
    Orly – retro and electro
    Rollin Cash – break beats from the birthday boy – congratulations Roland!       
    Adam Marshall – deep house and techno
    Mental Floss – deep groove
   
    Directions to Cherry Beach and the new location – With consideration to  ongoing construction and landscaping, the site may move around the park  from weekend to weekend, which is kind of interesting. We have a  meeting at the beach friday morning with Parks staff to determine the  location for this Sunday. We will email and let you know in the evening  just where it is.
   
    Biking to Cherry Beach is easy along the paths beside the lake, and a bus from Union Station goes there too.
   
    Things to think about – Please bring only what you plan to take back  out with you, leave no trace! Pack something warm (it gets cool after  dark by the lake) and something to sit on and also something to keep  sun off your head. Drink lots of water. Bring something to share.
   
    And remember how key it is to take care of your friends, your  neighbours, and what's going on around you. It's what makes Cherry  Beach happen smoothly.
   
    We have been asked by Parks to put a lid on public consumption of  alcohol, which is reasonable. It’s delicate and we have a trial permit,  so understand that alcohol in public spaces is not ok. David and Irving  will need to keep an eye out, so please don’t let us see any. We will  have friends helping to remind people of this over the weekend. If we  all cooperate here, then we get to have our good times.
   
    For the past 5 years the picnic’s been free. Now with the permit,  insurance, soundsystem and other weekly expenses, we’d like to ask for  your help. From time to time we’ll be passing around a hat, please  contribute as you are able. Thanks a lot!
   
    Looking for djs, bands and other performances
    Over the course of the summer there’s about 80 djs, bands and  artists that perform. We’d love your help and suggestions and any  contacts you may have to make the performances happen. Last summer’s  stunning hit was the Jimmy Swift Band from Nova Scotia, arranged by our  friend Derek in synch with the band’s appearance at NXNE. If you’re  bringing in a dj or band or performance, ask them to make an appearance  at the beach part of their weekend in Toronto. They may embrace the  chance to play outdoors, away from the hype and lights of a club, to a  happy and enthusiastic crowd like ours. Think big and let us know.       
   
    We’d like to give our deep thanks to Pat and Councillor Paula Fletcher,  Sandy Straw and Jaime McCaig at Toronto Parks, Jason and Councillor Joe  Pantalone, the Toronto Public Space Committee, Shamez and Kelsey, Ari,  Mike, Jason, Kevin and Lori, Wade, Joey, Jonathan, Gregory, Charlotte,  Ayla, Katie, Lyen, Linda, Bettina and Emily, Justin, Tomasz, and  Robbi-Anne.
   
    And, most of all, please thank yourselves for the huge influx of  letters of support to city council. Pat and Paula told us how impressed  they were with them. Their office get lots of angry and aggressive  complaints. Your letters were refreshingly upbeat, mature and  personally engaging. Way to go everyone! We did it!
   
    Thanks for reading, see you Sunday!
   
    cheers,
    David and Irving

For those in Guelph, here's a nice little event out on a farm with a bunch of friends from the OM Festival.

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Shoo Rabbit Crew Presents…

FREAKIN' ON FIFE
  ~ A summer solstice phenomenon ~

Saturday June 16th, 2007
  7081 Fife Road, Guelph

7pm till ???

~ With musical guests ~

Mentalfloss – consistently inconsistent (www.mentalfloss.ca)
  Mike Lambert -tripped out techno, dubbed out house (Sumkidz, Dickard & Bobert)
  Jonah K. – dark drum n' bass (Sumkidz)
  Spazzmonk – jungle/breaks (IBS, Sumkidz)
  Violet – dubby niceness (Purrpelle, Sumkidz)
  Katikata – funkhouse
  Karma – roots n' dancehall
  Pype – live
  + other special guests

~ Join us for a night of dancing under stars in the beauty of rural
  Guelph! Go for a walk in the bush, carouse in the kitchen, zone out by
  the bonfire, dance in the grass, trip out in the fields inhabited by
  zillions of crickets and frogs! Surrounded by 80 acres of soya and
  wheat fields the only addition to perfection is your precious
  presence! ~

WHAT TO BRING:
  – A tent
  – sleeping bag/blanket
  – some vegetables/fruit to donate to the kitchen
  – waterproof shoes
  – snacks
  – bugspray
  – sunscreen
  – treats to share
  – BYO Vibe : enhancements to your attitude may be available but come prepared

** Lots of room for fire dancers to play so bring your poi/staff
  Smokers: please bring a tin or film canister to dispose of your butts.
  Also, bring a bathing suit if it's hot on Sunday and we take a drive
  to a local watering hole!

**NO COVER but a small $ donation (sugg $5-$10) to cover costs of
  sound and donations to artists is appreciated and encouraged**

**PARTY INFO: 519.821.6505**

PLEASE RSVP!

DID YOU KNOW?? The fife is a simple instrument usually consisting of a
  tube with 6 finger holes,and diatonically tuned. It is made of wood,
  usually grenadilla or rosewood & sometimes bamboo.

African-American fife and drum music can be traced back to the Civil war.
  But in the hands of slaves, the stiff, formalized music used to direct
  military movements was transformed by the same African syncopations and
  poly-rhythms that eventually gave birth to jazz and blues. In a time when
  drumming by slaves was forbidden, the fife and drum was an acceptable
  outlet. Many dancers “salute” the drums with pelvic movements not unlike
  traditional dances from Africa, Haiti and the West Indies. Otha Turner was
  one of the best known African American fife players, he passed away in
  2003 at the age of 94.
  Go here to find a link to Turner's “Shimmy She Wobble”
  http://www.othaturner.com/mp3/ShimmySheWobble.mp3

MAP QUEST LINKUP:
  http://tinyurl.com/3bowjp

Directions from Toronto/Guelph
  Hwy 401 West towards Guelph
  Exit Hwy 6 North (Exit 295)
  Exit at Wellington Street (Wellington, Cambridge, Acton)
  NB: DO NOT EXIT AT THE FIRST WELLINGTON EXIT! WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE
  SIGN SAYING “WELLINGTON, CAMBRIDGE ACTON”
  Take a Left at Wellington (west – Provincial Route 7, Prov Route 24)
  Go 3 Lights on Wellington Street (you will pass a 24 Hr Tim Hortons &
  Gas Station at Imperial Road)
  Take a Right at Fife Road (NB: STREET IS NOT WELL MARKED) – Fife is
  one street past Imperial Road
  Go until 7081 Fife Road (Approx 3 miles on your left)

I’m pretty bad about recording my sets whenever I play  — I usually have a recorder with me, but in the crazyness I never remember to hook it up.  A friend commented that it was   a shame that none of the stuff was archived, which got me thinking that it was about time I actually did put out a mix since it had been 7 years since November Leaf Beats.  This turned into a much bigger project called “A Week’s Worth Of Floss”, where I’m essentially attempting to own your ears for an entire week.

The mixes cover all sorts of different genres, and I’ve preened over them extensively (about 8-16 hours per mix), so toss them on your iPod and hopefully you’ll have something for every mood. I’m hoping to follow up with another 7 mixes to cover the rest of the types of music I play, but these days it’s primarily music to get people dancing like house, breaks and techno.  This set of mixes is a little more uppity as a result, and the next batch should be a bit more laid back.

If you want to find out about the next batch, consider subscribing to the mailing list or the RSS feed for the site.

Funky Techno – Download

TRENTEMOLLER – Polar Shift
Apendics Shfuffle – track 4
Billy Dalessandro – Come With Me
Burnski – Expresso (Maetrik remix)
Dave Clark – What was her name (LFO Remix)
Adam Beyer – Kinky
Dapeyk Solo – Take it Back
Fraktion – BNKL
Jeff Samuel – HeB GBz
Guido Schneider – Oh my buffer
Tigerskin – You want it
Alka – Mifa (John Tejada Remix)
Heinrik B – Untitled
Alexander Kowalski – Days of the liar (Joris Voom Tribalicious Mix)
Double X- Hesitant
Alexander Kowalski – Delicious
DINKY – Acid in my Fridge (Tobi Neumann Remix)

Drum’n’bass – May contain traces of heavy metal– Download

Massive Attack – Risingson
Beck vs. Black Cabbage – Sex Laws Are Rude
Breakbeat Era – Ultra Obscene + Roni Size – Beatbox
Roni Size – Visiting Angels
Teebee – Corpse
Ram Trilogy – Mind Overload
Bill Laswell – Nico (no-u-turn)
Drifter – She Gives Me Forever
Ed Rush and Optical – Bad Company Rmx
Nasty Habits – Liquid Fingers (Goldie Remix)
Aphrodite – Twilight (Remix)
Red – Paradise
Concord Dawn – Raining Blood
Kiko – Ronin (Feat MC. Mecha)
Cause 4 Concern – Rumors
Matrix – Sleepwalk
Photek – The Lightening
Decoder – Vapor Dub
Bad Company – Trick Of The Light
Atom – White Car

House & Breaks – It’s Groovy Music, Baby– Download

Leftfield – Chat of a Poor Man (Mighty Quark Remix)
Groove Armada – Chicago
Mr. Scruff – Get a Move on
DJ Gregory – Tropical Soundclash
The Stone Roses – Fools Gold (Rabbit in the Moon Remix)
Chicken Lips – He Not In (Club Mix)
Akufen – Deck The House
Cassius – Feeling For You
Fatboy Slim – Retox
Lexicon – Sexy Thang
Sarah Vaughan – Fever (Adam Freland Remix)
Martin Solveig – I’m A Good Man (Mousee T. Breakbeat Mix)
Deception – Le Tigre (DFA Mix)
Scissor Sisters – Comfortably Numb (Fatboy’s Extended Mix)
The Lose Cannons – Superstars (Boris Dlugosch & Michi Lange Vocal Mix)

Rock’n’Roll – Kawkin’ Out While Rawkin’ Out – Download

Otis Spann – Pretty Grils Everywhere
Ellen McIlwaine – Higher Ground
Cake – You Part The Waters
The Soggy Bottom Boys – I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow (radio station version)
The Birds – No Good Without You Baby
Big Sugar – I’m A Ram
Tom Petty – Runnin’ Down A Dream
The Hives – Hate To Say I Told You So
Liam Lunch – United States Of Whatever
Eagles of Death Metal – I Only Want You
Hives vs. Guess Who – Die American Woman, Alright (El Barto & Liam B.)
John Spencer Blues Explosion – Fed Up And Low Down
Primus – Jerry Was A Race Car Driver
Big Sugar – Girl Watcher
The Flies – I’m Not Your Stepping Stone
Goldfrapp vs. Normal Greenbaum & ZZ Top – Ohh La Grange In The Sky (DJ Zebra)
Placebo – Pure Morning
Eagles of Death Metal – Speaking in Tongues
The Poets – That’s The Way It’s Gotta Be

Breaks – Breakin’ – Download

The Smashing Pumpkins – Perfect (Perfecto Remix)
Hyper vs. The Hives – Coz I Wanna
Gorillaz- Feel Good (Boot Inc remix)
Alter Ego – Rocker (Stanton Warriors mix)
Goldfrapp – Utopia (Tim Write Remix)
Plump DJs – Plumpy Chunks
Apradan – Strut (Dub mix)
LCD Soundsystem vs. Scissor Sisters – FIlthy Inflitrator (Dunproofin`)
Stereo 8 – I Can`t Stop
The Wizeguys – Start the Commotion
Hustle Athletics – 2
Blackstreet – No Diggerty (We`re not from London remix)
Def Inc. – Acid Rock
Madonna – Frozen (Flashpoint Breaks Mix)
Ils – Requiem
Pharoahe – Oizo (Fuck Beat)
Cut N Run – King of the Bongo
Tricknologist – What time is love (K boy`s 2ci dub)
Adamski – In Tha City (Breaks mix)

Breaks – Breakin’ 2 – Electric Boogaloo – Download

John Creamer & Stephane K – I wish you were here (PMT Mix)
Meat Katie and Elite Force – Ju Ju
Unkle – Have you passed through this night
Unseen Force – 2 Be Your 1 (Evil 9 remix)
Adam Freeland – REality 3D
Sly Fidelity – Whole Lotta Sly
The Cult – She Sells Skantuaray
X Men vs. The Beach Boys – God Only Nose
Ils – Cherish (Freeland Mix)
False Prophit – Pixie Boot (Gouge Away)
Spincycle – Shoryuken
Radiohead  – Everything In It`s Right Place (Hybird Remix)
Hybird – Fatal Beating
Deejay Punk Roc – Blow my mind (Plump DJs remix)
Breakneck – Halfpipe
Rennie Pilgrem & Dub Species – The Sermon
Dee Kline, Nubreed, Ransom & Phil K – Bushpig
Freaq Nasty feat. Phobe One – Boomin` Back Atcha (Freq`s Nu Skool mix)
Vigi & Flip – Freak Frequency (Unbalanced mix)
Tricknologist – Groove
Krafty Kuts & C5 – Joyriders – Take It

Beats for Beatboxers – Download

Luke Vibert – Plug in the Head Phones
Dust Junkies – Beatbox Wash (Rinse It Remix)
T Love – QMS
Dynamic Symcopation feat Mass Influence – 2 Tha Left
Flowetry – Flowetic
Rahzel – Southern Girl
Kid Beyond – Deep Inside
A Forest Mighty Black – Everything (Freakniks Fremix)
Fatboy Slim – The Journey
DJ Shadow – WAlkie Talkie
Beyonce vs. Brainbug & Muppets – Mupp It Out (Alex H)
DJ Format – Here Comes The Fuzz
Rahzel – Rahzel vs. The Roots
Spike Jones – William Tell Overture
DJ Food – Do We
Lamb – Trans Fatty Acid (K&D Remix)

Just posting about a fundraiser I was fortunate to be a part of.  More details can be found on the site for Raise.  There's also a video below to give you an idea.

Most of this was written while I was with the Kosmic Free Music Foundation/KFMF .MOD/tracking music group.