Depeche Mode 12″ singles for “Everything Counts” and “Love in Itself” from my vinyl collection.
There’s one band I’ve played more than any other in my DJ sets. That’s Depeche Mode. The British synthpop pioneers have been a part of my gigs, often regardless of the vibe of the party, since I started DJing. I doubt this will ever change.
I’ve been a Depeche Mode fan since I was a kid, but there are a lot of bands that I’ve loved for most of my life and don’t play nearly as often. It does help that L.A. has a lot of Depeche Mode fans. Outside of the clubs, the band frequently appears on request lists for weddings and birthday parties. But, that’s also not really the reason for so much Depeche Mode play.
Disco Heat is back at Songbird in Chinatown on January 5
Start off 2023 with Disco Heat. Jus’ B and I are back at Songbird in Chinatown on January 5 for a night of classic ’70s jams and nu-disco bops. Expect to hear everything from Donna Summer to Purple Disco Machine as we turn up the temperature on the dance floor from 9:30 p.m. until last call. There’s no cover for Disco Heat, but we do recommend that you RSVP on Eventbrite.
Cover of the single for “Heart Like a Wheel” by The Human League
In 2022, a 32-year-old song from The Human League started creeping into my sets. I’ve been a fan of the band since childhood and play them often when I DJ. Yet, I never played “Heart Like a Wheel,” let alone the extended mix of the song, before this year. I began playing “Heart Like a Wheel” because I heard it on a MARS FM broadcast nearly as old as the song itself.
MARS FM 103.1 was a short-lived radio station in Los Angeles during the early 1990s with a truly alternative format. While MARS was known as the “rave” radio station, they played everything from Morrissey to Arrested Development to Messiah. (Check out these old playlists.) It was wild. Years after the station’s demise, my friends and I recalled it in many conversations. A lot of us were, in some way, influenced by the sound of MARS.
Kickstart 2023 with DJs Larry G., Malvada and me (Liz O.) at Underground’s New Year’s Eve Ball. We’ll light up the dance floor at Chinatown’s Grand Star Jazz Club on December 31, 2022 from 9:30 p.m. until 2 a.m. Head over to Underground’s website to get your tickets now.
This Little Twin Stars CD booklet still holds my secret weapons from the ’00s.
One of the songs I played most in 2022 didn’t come out this year. In fact, “Drop the Numb” is an indie dance mashup that dates back to the mid-’00s. I retrieved it from my Little Twin Stars CD booklet filled with music from the heyday of Soulseek and music blogs.
I still don’t know the name of the remixer who fused together Mylo’s club hit “Drop the Pressure” with Scissor Sisters’ cover of “Comfortably Numb.” I wish I did, just so I could say thank you for this banger.
Getting down to “Genius of Love” at Underground on 12/09/22
I somehow remembered to record all three of my sets from Underground on Friday night and have posted them on Mixcloud. Special thanks to Larry G., Tea, Malvada, Grand Star Jazz Club and everyone who showed up last week for making this year’s birthday DJ gig a special one.
I’ll be back at Underground for New Year’s Eve. Tickets are already available and I highly recommend getting yours now via Eventbrite.
Check out the sets below. I’ve included the set lists underneath each recording.
