WCC RADIO EP004 (April 2008) is now ready for download. I added a new feature to the track list, a link to buy the individual tracks from the mix. When you click on the track's label it will take you to digital download site (Traxsource, Stompy, Beatport, etc) where I purchased the track. It won't take you to the exact track but it will take you to the label's songs on the digital download site. It makes it a lot easier to find the song and to narrow your search. Give it a try and please go out and support the labels that are giving us such great and beautiful music.

What prompted this new feature was the whole Defected incident that happened to me last week. I figured by including this it will make the labels (and artists) happy. If they still don't want me to include their music it's their lost. You will notice that this set has 2 Defected songs even after I vowed never to play anything from them. Call me a sell out but dam these tracks are good ;) The ironic thing is that one of those tracks is one I removed from the Pesto Mix and both are, as of now, unreleased (you can find them on Traxsource but they are digital edits, these are the real thing). How did I do it? They gave me permission! Go figure... Maybe they think I have something to offer. So if you purchase tracks from their store tell them it's because of Ricardo Torres ;) Enjoy the mix!

Tags: SSRadio UK, WCC, Radio Show

On a lighter note... This feels good to watch after the ups and downs of this week.

Tags: DJing, Gigs, Clubs

Defected has won my respect back. We've been in discussion with them about this whole unauthorized use of their tracks for the last few days. Let me be clear that they are not changing their position and policies. Both parties have now a much better understanding of each other's opinions. I think we both agree that the whole "seeking compensation" might have been premature and I believe it's not going in that direction. We've also agreed to open a dialogue with them if in the future I/we use their tracks for online mixes. Something that would benefit all of us.

They won back my respect because this exchange would have never happened with any of the big commercial labels. They are basically saying that they are also and still part of our small community and they are willing to talk even to us smaller guys to resolve these issues. All of this would have not happened with out your help, the people and headz who visit my site and listen to my mixes. Thank you all for your support.

In other news WCC RADIO EP004 will be up this Sunday. Maybe with a Defected track. Maybe.... ;)

Tags: Defected, Pesto Music

I guess some of those messages that people have been sending to Defected due of this incident and what people are discussing across the different house forums must have gotten to them. Pesto received an email from the Head of Promotions and Music exploitation of Defected to address the situation. The tone is very different than the first email. He makes a case for their side of the argument. You can read it here and make up your own mind about this debate.

Thank you to those who email me in support and to those who took the time to write respectfully to Defected about this matter. Long live our community.

Tags: Defected, Pesto Music

The NEW PestoMix is now up and its IMPROVED since it does not have any Defected tracks in it. If you are wondering why read the post below this one. This whole thing with this major label has left a real sour taste in my mouth and I feel it has tainted something I hold sacred which is the spirit of House Music. I also found out that I'm not the only one of their ex-supporters that they have done this to. Check this out. Please go out and support small independent labels like Pesto, Barcoda, Compost, Poji, Shifted Music and many others that are keeping the spirit of House alive and let's leave Defected and its sub-labels chase bedroom DJs for compensation. I'm sure they will make lots of money and pass the profits to their artists (yeah right). I hope you enjoy the mix.

Tags: Mixes, Pesto Music, Defected

Some of you are wondering what happened to the DJ Mix I did for Pesto Music. Well within minutes after Pesto posted the FREE podcast they got this email from Defected:

"I have received a newsletter with a Pesto mix that includes 2 of Defected tracks that are unreleased. Defected has not granted you any authorisation to use them and we control the copyright. Please remove them from this mix immediately. You are giving our music away for free when you do not have the rights. We will seek compensation for this illegal usage."

First of all I purchased those "unreleased tracks" on Traxsource directly from Simon Dunmore (Defected's boss) Top 10. They don't even seem to know what tracks they are releasing or selling. Second, a big "respected" label like Defected coming after a small independent one man label like Pesto and threatening to sue them for giving them free promotion just floors me. Defected is in their legal right to do this but is it morally right? I've been a big supporter of Defected for years I have PURCHASED every single release I have from them vinyl or digital. No more. This is a slap in the face to our community. If this is their attitude then they will go down just like all the other main stream dinosaur labels that are crying that their profit margins are shrinking and are coming after the end users. I will re-do the PestoMix with out any tracks from Defected. Only tracks from labels that support and understand DJ culture. If you care to voice your opinion to them you can do to the label manager at their contact page here. The email above came from "Business Affairs and Licensing Manager". If you do contact them please be respectful. Like I said they are within their legal rights, I just feel they don't know how to pick their battles.

Tags: Mixes, Defected, Pesto Music

There is a new Thursday night happening here in Hollywood called Mondial. The whole thing launches Thursday April 10th, 2008 at the famous Rumba Room in Universal Citywalk. The concept for Mondial is very interesting. The main room downstairs will cater to a more commercial crowd with main stream club music and a live band playing Rock en Espanol but the more intimate room upstairs will be nothing but Soulful House hosted by the West Coast Collective. I will be playing all night on April 10th and if things works out we will be rotating the different members of the WCC for future dates. I personally think that it will do great since the promoters are experienced,they know what they are doing and they are doing it right. I'm also excited of having the crowd from downstairs coming to check us out and discovering the style of house we play and hopefully make a few converts. For more info about guest list and all that jazz check out the front and back of the flyer.

Tags: Gigs, Los Angeles, WCC, Mondial

Pesto Music asked me to do a DJ Mix that coincides with the release of my wife Sandra's new track coming out on their imprint April 20th, 2008. Sandra's new track called "Higher" will be coming out in two EPs. The first one (Pesto 011) will include Jay-J's (Shifted Music) mixes and Jon Silva's aka The Mulder (Pesto Music). The second EP (Pesto 011R) will have remixes by Justin Michael (Hermosa Recordings), Thomas White (Natural Rhythm), and our own Torin Rea (WCC). We've already passed out some promos to a few jocks and we are getting great feedback. You can hear Jay-J's vocal mix in my set (track 11). If you are part of the Pesto community you will get this mix as an iTunes Podcast. If not you can download right here. You will also notice that this mix is at higher bit rate. The mixes on this site are at 128kps but as of the PestoMix they will be 192kps. Bandwidth is getting cheaper so I'm passing on the savings to you :)

Tags: Pesto Music, Sandra Lima, Mixes, Jay-J

WCC RADIO EP002 (February 2008) is now ready for download. If you are wondering why it's here after EP003 then read the entry below. The point is that it's here now so you are getting two shows this month :) The first hour is deeper and darker than I usually play but the mix brings the soul back in hour two. Check it out and let me know what you think of it by rating it after you've listen to it. Enjoy!

Tags: SSRadio UK, WCC, Radio Show

WCC RADIO EP003 (March 2008) is now ready for download. Some of you are probably wondering where is EP002? Last month when the radio show was schedule to air on SS RADIO the WCC was also playing live at BALANCE here in LA. We did a live broadcast from the club that a lot of people got a chance to tune into. Unfortunately the recording of the night had some glitches. Torin is trying to fix it and if he can we will post that set. I then promised that I would record a new EP002 and post it even if it was late. My life got crazy during February (read the post below) and I wasn't able to do it. I still want to do an EP002 not to break our streak so hopefully I can get that done with in the next week or two since I'm finally coming back up for air.

I'm really happy with this EP003. It's Deep, Jackin, Funky, and Soulful and I have for you a preview of my wife Sandra's new track "Higher" that will finally be out before the summer on Pesto Music. There will be remixes by Jay-J (Shifted Music), Justin Michael (Hermosa Recordings), Thomas White (Natural Rhythm) and of course Jon SIlva (Pesto Music). There are also a couple of other remixes floating around including a WCC remix by Torin Rea. What you hear in the set is Jay-J's dub mix. His vocal remix is also slammin and has the quality you come to expect from Jay-J. Justin Michael's remixes are pretty amazing also. Think "big room Dennis Ferrer" type. Thomas' version will of course be Jackin' a la Natural Rhythm and I'm sure the very talented Jon SIlva will have some nice surprises for us since he is the one that did the original mixes. I'm also looking forward to hear what Torin is cooking up.

Tags: SSRadio UK, WCC, Radio Show, Sandra Lima, Pesto Music

Wow. February was one of the craziest month that I've ever had. Because of this, the site and the mixes have suffered. I've had a few people emailing me wondering if I had disappeared and quit the DJ biz :) I think a lot of the newer people don't know that I'm not a "professional" DJ and that I do this as a hobby. By "professional" I mean I don't make my living out of it (I've been DJ'ing for over 20 years). What I really do for a living is Visual Effects for feature films and mainly TV commercials. I own my own VFX company and I am the main artist. This past month was completely out of control. One job after another non stop. I am not exaggerating when I am saying that I was working 12 to 14 hour days every single day in February (including the week ends). I even had to find somebody to replace me for my residencies because I just could not take myself away for a few hours to go DJ. I was mainly working on a feature film that's coming out this fall called City Of Ember and a Fiat commercial that will run in the European Union. If you live in Europe and see a TV commercial with a bunch of Fiats driving in the Moroccan desert that's my work. Most of the cars are CG (created in the computer) but they look photo real.

On top of that my best friend in the whole wide world, Geronimo my Great Dane, got really sick and ended up in emergency care for a few days. We found out that he has a genetic heart condition that is common in big dogs. I knew this would happen one day (I've had Great Danes all my life) but not this soon. He is only 4 years old. My goal right now is to make his quality of life as good as possible for what ever time he has left. I'm optimistic that he will get better so I'm not writing him out already. My last Great Dane lived until he was 10 1/2 years old (their average life span is 7 to 9 years).

Again, thank you all for your patience. I do this site and my DJ'ing for the love and passion I have for House Music and because I like to share it with the world but sometimes life gets in the way.

Friends of our in Québec City are looking for a missing person that is part of their family. If you live anywhere in the Province of Québec, or Canada for that matter, please take a look at this link for the French info and this link for the English info. You never know, you might have seen Marilyn in your area. I hope you have.