DJs Kon and Amir rereleased this rare track by Burton, Inc. along with a brilliant DJ Kon edit of Everybody Party by the Firebolts. Forget about finding the originals but to find the reissue released by Kon and Amir's label On Track Records go to discogs.com. To grab it online check out DJ Kon's blog at Playin' 4 Keeps. 

This is the first in a series of two compilations being released by the Belgium label, Eskimo Recordings that focus on a contemporary take on the balearic and cosmic sounds. Featuring tracks by Stratus, Maelstrom, Lullabies in the Dark, In Flagranti, and Ichisan along with a remix by DJ Cosmo. For more info about the release and the Eskimo label check them out online.

It's that time of year again. Time for the leaves to change color and just about everything served with pumpkin in it. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin latte, pumpkin ale, etc. Well lucky for us DJs and record collectors it is also time for the annual WFMU Record and CD Fair in New York City. This year happening on October 24 through the 26th at the Metropolitan Pavilion on 127th West 18th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. For more info and hotel reservations check out their website at WFMU.org/recfair.

LA based funkmeister is tearing up dancefloors with his reinvention of 80s style funk. Dam has been on the LA scene for quite sometime now. (He helped produce some of Snoop Doggy Dog's records in the mid nineties.) Currently he is on Peanut Butter Wolf's label, Stones Throw Records which released his debut 12" "sidewayz." If you are in the LA area check out his dope  Monday night party called  FUNKMOSPHERE for the best in rare 80s boogie funk and modern soul.

Dam Funk Mix

Vid for Toeachizown

I feel as though we at Tothedisco.com have been neglecting certain genres of eclectic dance music including house, tehcno, and hip hop so I'd like to introduce you to this German label, Permanent Vacation if you have haven't already heard of it. The Munich based label, consistantly puts out quality dub disco, house, techno, balearic, and just cool weird tracks. Some of the artists and remxers on the label include Prins Thomas, Sally Shapiro, Dolle Jolle, and Panthers.  The label has also released great compilations like Space Oddities which features rare European library grooves from 1977 - 1984. Check out their website to listen, learn, and purchase.

Permanent Vacation

I just thought I would post this great article about pressing up vinyl. It has some great information on the process for getting your tunes to vinyl properly, how to get a distributor, and names of pressing plants thoughout the world. We at Tothedisco.com want to promote any new music coming out on vinyl so please send us anything you may have. You can email us at info@tothedisco.com for further details.

Check out the article posted on the Music Biz Hacks blog.

It has been a long few months with many great legends passing away.  Most recently Isaac Hayes passed away and I know this is a little late but I wanted to share this great tribute mix for Mr. Hayes I found from DJ Premiere.

DJ Premiere's Isaac Hayes Tribute Aug. 15th

 Also below is an excerpt from the last interview Isaac Hayes gave to the LA Record:

 L.A. RECORD’s Rena Kosnett interviewed Isaac Hayes last week in preparation for his performance later this month at Sunset Junction. We were saddened today to learn of his passing in Memphis. As far as we know, this is his final interview.

Rolling Stone named ‘Soul Man’ as one of the 500 greatest songs of all time. Do you think most people realize you and David Porter wrote that song?
Maybe, maybe not. Some people, they don’t connect it—they think it was Sam and Dave, because they made it well known.
You said previously that you wrote it in response to the the 12th Street Riots in Detroit—about ‘man’s struggle to rise above his present conditions’?
Yeah because, you know, the riots were going on and we were watching it happen on TV, and we saw that they had written on the walls of the black-owned stores ‘Soul Man.’ And I said, ‘“Soul Man,” that’s a good title.’ At that time in the ‘60s, there was all kindsa crazy stuff goin’ on. That’s why I wrote it, you know.
The Sunset Junction festival started as a way to bring the Latino community and gay community together in East L.A. after several instances of violence. Would you consider writing a ‘Soul Man’ type of song for the gay and Latino struggles?...Click Here

The folks over at djhistory.com have allowed us to post this interview with the master of disco and inventor of house, DJ Fankie Knuckles from 1995.

Anyone with even a passing knowledge of dancefloor history knows Frankie Knuckles respectfully as the ‘Godfather of House’. Together with his childhood friend Larry Levan he ran wild on the early disco scene: his first job was spiking the punch at Nicky Siano’s Gallery. Transplanted to Chicago after a residency at the bacchanal of New York’s Continental Baths, it was Frankie’s sets of ballsy older disco at the Warehouse that ignited this polite midwestern city and gave house music its name. This interview was conducted just after the shock closure of New York’s Sound Factory, another great room that Mr Nicholls had (briefly) made his own.

Where did you start DJing?

I started spinning at the Continental baths in July 1972. As well as the club area, there was an olympic size swimming pool and a TV room at the very end. Alongside the pool was a sauna and a shower room, then there was like boutiques and restaurants and bars, and back into an area where there was apartments and private rooms...Click here

We at Tothedisco.com  apologize for not posting anything about Barry Lederer's passing until now but we just heard the news over the weekend. Barry passed away on May 31 of natural causes. It's such a shame that Barry has passed away. He was a kind and generous person from the few times that I spoke with him on the phone.

Barry came onto the Disco/DJ scene from early on in its infancy. He began DJing almost by accident at a club called the Firehouse in Soho and also ended up spinning at the Sandpiper on Fire Island. He developed his own sound company called Graebar Sound System and wrote the disco column for Billboard Magazine 1976-1982. Later he started working as a sound consultant for fashion shows.

 He was the ultimate supporter of disco and as you can see just by googling his name that he has added his knowledge and experiences from the 70s to many disco websites. He told many many great stories about that era and what really happened and who were the real players who shaped disco and the future of dance. It was with the deepest sincerity that my thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family of Barry. If you would like to send your thoughts in tribute please go to Discobarry.com.

Defected Records has put together a nice little documentary following legendary DJ and label head Gilles Peterson around. The doc follows Gilles from presenting at a Cinematic Orchestra concert, to DJing at Southport Weekender. and finally to the goldmine that is Gilles treasure trove of records at Brownswood Studios. The salivation will be on your lips as you see Gilles' many shelves of records.

Gilles Peterson - In the House