WCC RADIO EP-028 available for download
Classic mixes and more
People are always
asking where are my classic mixes from the early
2000's. The reason I don't keep everything here
is mainly because of space and bandwidth but now
you can find them on the new WCC site. We have
completely revamp our site for 2010. You have
to check it out. Big up to Kevin for doing
this. Here is the description from the WCC
site for The Vault:
As we’re doing a bit of 2010 ‘house’ cleaning to
the website in order to make it a bit more
fan-friendly, we certainly couldn’t remove ALL
the mixes we’ve done over the past 10
years. So for a limited time, we’ve decided
to create “The WCC Vault” of classic mixes.
Here you can find a range of mixes from house, to
downtempo, to funk, soul, and all around amazing
music that we’ve put together over our journey
through the past 10 years. Hope you enjoy
and certainly feel free to pass these along to
all that might enjoy.
New mix "FALLING"
With tracks from Miguel Migs, Lisa Shaw, Tortured Soul, Blaze, and Samantha James, among others, you can see the direction and the sound of it. The title could mean a lot of things but don't read too much into it. House music is about positivity and love and we all need a little bit of that in our lives sometimes. We are not perfect creatures but we have to try to do the right thing as hard as that is sometimes. You will find this one in the current mixes page. I hope you like it.
WCC RADIO EP-026 available for download
WCC RADIO EP-026 (February 2010) is ready for download on the radio page either as an AAC or MP3 file. Second one of the year already. The first half of the show starts off and stays pretty soulful but picks up to some peak time tracks on hour 2. New tunes from Jay-J, Guy Robin, Reelsoul and others. Classic 90s garage from Butter on the great Smack label, classic Joey Negro and some amazing edits that you won't find at any store by Mario Dubbz and by Jask of Thaisoul. I hope you like this episode and as always tell me what you think by leaving a comment and/or rating the mix on the radio page.
City Sonar Vol 3 is here
So who likes Deep House? Well, it seems like a lot of you because people can't seem to get enough of the City Sonar series. This was never intended to be a series but because of the great feedback it got I did a vol 2. Now vol 3 is here and it's pretty clear where the trend is going... as long as you guys dig it there will be more of City Sonar. This one has some nice old and new skool deep cuts. I think it might the deeper one of all the sets so far. It's very dubby with not too many vocals. I always try not to alienate people too much by going too underground with my mixes but since this series is really meant for the heads it doesn't matter. WCC Radio takes care of the cross over House and City Sonar just takes you deeper into that journey. I hope you enjoy the latest installment of this Deep House series. Please let me know what you think of it by leaving me a comment and rating it on the mixes page.
WCC RADIO EP-024 Special Classics Show
It's funny that after I wrote that entry about our scene things seem to be showing signs of improvement. The San Francisco trip certainly made me come back with a smile and new energy and hope. Here in Los Angeles things seem to be picking up also. Some new local events (that actually play soulful house) are filling the clubs. Tortured Soul played this past week end and the place was also packed with happy people that just wanted to get their groove on. We might turn this ship around after all. Thank you to all who contributed to the entry and wrote in their two cents.
Please let me know what you think of this episode. Thanks to all who have supported the show these last two years. Hope we can keep it going for a lot more.
WCC RADIO EP-023 available for download
WCC RADIO EP-023 (November 2009) is ready for download on the radio page either as an ACC or MP3 file. This one starts off real soulful and then picks up with a mixture of deep, classics, and jakin' tracks. I hope you enjoy the November episode of WCC Radio and please rate it on the radio page after you listen to it. Next up is City Sonar vol 3, the now popular Deep House series of mixes. Thank you all for the support.
IPhone Web App of the site


If you own an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch you will be interested to know that I build a web app version of my site optimized for those Apple gizmos. It is a micro site that will allow you to stream WCC Radio and the mixes right off your mobile device. You need to be in a wifi zone for it to work. The web app will also work in a cellular zone if your using it on an iPhone but because of the size of the mixes' stream 3G works best. This mobile site will be handy if you want to listen to one of the mixes and you haven't download it yet. Besides the mixes there is a way to send me a quick message and my bio. You can also create a button for the site that will go straight into your home screen for quick access.
There is no special address to go to either. When on your iPhone or iPod Touch just type djricardotorres.com in your Safari browser and you will be automatically directed to the web app. I still need to populate it with all the radio shows and studio mixes but the latest ones are there to get you started.
WCC RADIO EP-022, Sandra & Torin
Early in the set there is a very cool and soulful edit from Jask of Maxwell's "Ascenssion" that always gets people to the dance floor early. The bass line kills it. Mr Patron is also back with more bootlegs that just take you back and makes you want to sing along. Rambone Sold (not their real name but sounds just like it ;) comes back strong with a Marvin Gaye bootleg which is not your usual putting an accapella over a house beat. It's an amazing production of the classic "Heard it Through The Grapevine". My friends Yogi & Huski from Random Soul (sounds familiar?) were also visiting Los Angeles from Australia this week. They were staring their US West Coast tour and they have hooked me up with some of their amazing, yet unreleased tracks that will be coming out in the near future. Check out "Just Bounce" and "Got To Get Up" - funkin' jackin'.
I hope you enjoy WCC RADIO EP-022. Let me know what you think of it by rating it on the radio page after you hear it or leave a comment here. Please also support Sandra and Torin by purchasing their tracks and keep House Music alive!
City Sonar Vol 2 now available
WCC Radio is not so much Deep even if I throw in a Deep House tune from time to time. I felt I have slowly gotten away from it over the years. That style is really how I started playing house music all those years ago. Also my first mixes online (in 2000!) were Deep House. They were hosted on the Deep House Networks and I know that some of you have those even if you can't find them online anymore. I'm glad there are still kats out there who are enjoying good Deep House. It seems the new generation of kids who are into house music like the harder (dare I say Electro) tunes when they go out and the Soulful and Deeper stuff is being played less and less in the clubs. It's sad but it might not be a bad thing. If anything those two styles will be pushed underground again and they will find their roots and come back even stronger. I for one am looking forward to that.
I hope you enjoy Vol 2 od City Sonar. I think this one is deeper than the last one. New and classic deep house tracks (some that I even played on vinyl). One notable mention is the Makam remix of the track Attica on Freerange. Wholly poop that track is incredible. It reminds me of the great Deep House from the late 90s and early 2000. Makam kills it as it goes from Deep to Funky and then back again. Like the boys at Stompy say it's the talk of the town. Keep it Deep!!
WCC RADIO EP-021 available for download
If you are a House snob and want a more deeper and underground sound (just kidding about the House snob remark ;) you'll be happy to hear that I already picked out most of the tracks for City Sonar Vol2. I'll have that mix on the site in about two weeks just in time for my next SS Radio show. I have been getting great feedback about Vol 1 and Deep House is still my first love. The City Sonar series is making those people who thought I was getting away from Deep House happy. WCC Radio for the bumping, soulful, funky house sounds and City Sonar for those who prefer it Deeper, darker and dubbier. Everyone happy!
New Studio Mix - CITY SONAR
It's been a while since I've done a mix that is not a radio show. Doing WCC Radio once a month doesn't give me too much time to do other regular sets. The last one, Happy Hour on the West Coast, was done in December of last year. I decided this time to keep it strictly Deep and underground to differentiate it from the radio show. Ladies and gentlemen I give you CITY SONAR - vol. 1. This is a really moody late night set with a pinch of soul on two or three cuts. The majority of the tracks are just head bopping deep tunes with some live edit acapellas layered in. I hope you dig it and find it different. Don't forget to rate it and let me know if you like it cause I'll do more. I want to make a series of Deep sets - that's why this is volume 1. Download as an indexed ACC or regular mp3 on the Current Mixes page.
WCC RADIO EP-020 special extended live set
Since it's the 20th episode I took this show out of the studio to give you the live recording of when I had the chance to warm up the dance floor of BALANCE for my friend Jay-J last Saturday night. This is my full set before Jay-J jumped into the decks so this show is a little longer than usual. Almost 3 hours. You might hear a couple of songs that I had already played in EP-019 but in a different context. If you've never experienced BALANCE this will give you a taste of what that amazing club is all about. It was a great night and as usual the crowd was awesome with it's amazing dancers. The show fades out when Jay-J started his set. You will get a chance to hear him when he puts up his portion on his podcast. Just for the record you will hear a bunch of "Jay-J" drops especially near the end. He really isn't that narcissistic. That was me doing those to f@#$k with him because he is a such a low key and humble guy... I was trying to embarrass him. I didn't succeed.
The show can also be streamed or podcast on SS Radio UK but this is a two hour edit of the show.
WCC RADIO EP-019 available for download
One of the sad things that the month of June will be remember for was the passing of Michael Jackson. I don't care what he did or did not do in his personal life and we can debate that for years to come but the one thing that no one can argue is that he was an amazing musical talent and genius. So, among the thousands of DJs that are paying tribute to him I finish the show with my favorite Michael Jackson song of all times, "Rock With You" from his "Off The Wall" album produced by Quincy Jones. Of course this isn't the plain album version but the amazing Masters At Work remix of "Rock With You". This is not a bootleg but a remix that was commissioned by Epic, MJ's label. What an honor it must have been for Louis Vega and Kenny Dope to be asked to do this. I'm sure it means even more now. RIP Michael Jackson.
WCC RADIO EP-018 is ready
I'm very happy with this show. I got to experiment again with some accapellas and some live edits using 3 decks. You will hear that with Osulande's "Momma's Groove" and Jay-J's "Keep on Rising". I have to give props to Yogi and Huski from Random Soul cause I heard them do that live edit of "Keep on Rising" and I thought I give it a try. I also found some great house remixes of Janis Joplin and the Doors. If you don't now who those artists are then I feel like a relic. I wasn't sure about these cause it's real hard to do a house remix of a classic rock tune that is not cheesy but Latenight Society and Mr Patron came through with two of my favorite tracks from this month. Check out "Southern Comfort" and "Storm Riding".
About a third into the show the set gets real Jackin' and Funky with great tracks by Tommy Largo and Jazzy Eyewear but the highlight and my favorite track this month is the craziest and funkiest in the set. It is courtesy of two guys from Belgrade, Serbia who go by the name of Gramophonedzie. "Why Don't You" is one of most creative house tracks that I've heard in a while. It guarantees to get the party started where ever you play it. It's not for nothing it is in the top 5 of almost every House Music download retailer. I played in Belgrade a few years ago with Jon Silva of Pesto Music but I don't think these guys were around then. I would have love to have met them.
The set ends with and old forgotten B-side from Naked Music and Miguel Migs. If it wasn't for my compadre Dustin Brown of the WCC I would have completely let this track go into House memory lane. I heard him play it during one of our jam sets and it reminded me why I felt in love with the West Coast Sound. This Atjazz remix of "Take Me to Paradise" is everything that is right with sexy soulful House. If you like it then you will like Dustin's new mix that will be up soon that includes this track and many more like it to bring you back to circa 2000 when Naked Music was in his glory days.
You can of course do a direct download of the show on my radio page or you stream the show online or subscribe to the podcast on SS Radio UK.
WCC RADIO EP-017 available for download
You will also find a lot of these tracks (and more) in the last recording the WCC did at BALANCE on April 25th. We have another 6 hour set that will be available for download soon. The live recording from March 14th is available now. Don't forget to rate EP-017 after you've listen to it. Thanks!
Full BALANCE set from March Available
The full 6 hours BALANCE set from our gig back in March is now available for download on the West Coast Collective site. Instead of one huge file with the full 6 hours we divided the set into six 1 hour segments to make the whole thing more manageable. If you play these files back to back (especially in iTunes) you will hear no pause or fade out at the end of one of the hours. The whole thing will feel like the original 6 hour set. It is available as ACC with the tracks name imbedded in the file and indexing or as a simple plain old MP3.
The West Coast Collective will also be back at BALANCE Saturday April 25th for yet another 6 hour House Music extravaganza. We will be again recording the whole night for future postings. If you live in LA or will be visiting around that date we hope to see you cutting the dance floor with us.
BALANCE set from March and video.
We've also added short video clips of that night on our Facebook fan page but if your not on Facebook you can check out the videos on this new video page on my site.
The WCC will be back for a full night at BALANCE on April 25th. We are going to be welcoming the summer West Coast Styleeee.
WCC RADIO EP-016 available for download
Speaking of accapellas I did some experimenting and live edits at the beginning of the mix with that real jazzy track from Stacey Mallory and over the Martin East track. And last but not least a very rare Jay-J / Chris Lum remix featuring Latrice Barnett. From what Jay-J told me this was the first time that Latrice had worked with them. The stories goes that Latrice was at Moulton Studios to record with Chris and Jay-J the classic "Summer Time" that came out on Loveslap. Both producers were also finishing a remix of Brancaccio & Aisher's "It's gonna Be a Lovely Day". They had an idea to throw some vocals over the remix and asked Latrice to improvise over the track to warm up her voice. The result is track #17 of this episode. This remix never came out because the label didn't like the vocals. Big mistake. I think it's amazing, the best version and now vary rare. I hope you enjoy it and don't forget to rate the show after you've listen to the whole set.
WCC RADIO EP-015 available for download
WCC RADIO EP-015 (March 2009) is ready to be downloaded on the radio page. It's March so this is the Miami WMC edition of the show and I did something different with this episode. Instead of playing some of the new tracks that will be hot at this year's conference (not that impressed so far) I did a set with 19 tracks that really floated my boat from previous conferences. These are tracks that range from the last 10 years or so. I picked these tracks because they made an impression on me when I heard them for the first time in Miami. Don't expect anything too underground. These are high energy tracks that really made people dance and have summer written all over them. Very Miami you might say. Think Defected and In The House of the late 90s and early 2000. I hope you like it and next month when I'm back from the conference with new tunes I will return to a deeper more underground sound. I will also post in a few days details of where I'm playing in Miami for WMC.
You will also notice that on the download page you will find two links for the mix. One is for the ACC and the other is for an MP3. Please only download one. I recommend the ACC for reasons outlined here. If the ACC doesn't work with your player only then download the MP3. Bandwidth costs money and I don't want to pollute this site with advertisements so I can cover the costs of the extra bandwidth.
New Video Tutorial for iPod on ACC Mixes
As promised here is the second video tutorial on how to use our new ACC format mixes with your iPod. This one is shorter and pretty straight forward. Like I showed you in the first video tutorial for iTunes you can skip the tracks, see what's playing and all that jazz. You've probably figured all this out already but in case you haven't here it is.
WCC RADIO EP-014 available for download
WCC RADIO EP-014 (February 2009) is ready for your listening pleasure on the radio page. This is the first mix in the ACC format with higher quality, track indexing, playlist embedding, and a bunch of other features as outlined in the previous post. Don't forget to watch the video tutorial to find out all the features and advantages of ACC over MP3. I'm also excited about this show because the classic track(s) take up the last 30 minutes of the show. It is a tribute to Eddie Perez of the Smack crew fame and who goes by the name of Mentalinstrum. Smack Productions put out some of the best and unforgettable Garage from the mid 90's. Eddie as re-release a lot of their classics on digital and I couldn't be happier since I had lost a lot of my Smack Crew vinyl that was out of print. I can't wait to play some of this stuff live again. It's going to set the roof of Balance on fire when we play there just before WMC. Enjoy the mix and don't forget to rate it after you listen to it.
New Video Tutorial for ACC mixes
As of EP-014 of WCC Radio all the shows and future mixes will be in the ACC (.m4a) format. I am super excited about this because this format is miles ahead of the tired MP3. You are probably already familiar with this format since it's what you get when you buy music from the iTunes store. Basically this format will work with your favorite media player on your computer or any of the popular portable players that people use (iPod, Zune, etc). There are many advantages to the ACC format such as higher quality encoding but the coolest feature is that I can now index the mixes. This means that you can jump from track to track and see what's playing at the moment just like with a CD player with out affecting or hearing gaps in the continuous mix. There are other nifty features to this format and it's all outlined in this little video tutorial I created that explains everything. I will be doing another tutorial on how this works with your iPod. I hope you enjoy it and that you learn something new. The ACC format should work just like the old MP3 format but for what ever reason if it doesn't for you please let me know through the contact page and I will send you a link to an MP3 version. I will do this temporarily for the next few mixes as we go through this transition but eventually I won't offer that format anymore.
Early but just in time for your NYE party. EP-013
I had quite a few people who asked me if I could have the latest WCC Radio show ready for NYE. Seems a lot of people are staying in and having house parties this year and they want the WCC to be their personal DJs on their iPods. I think that's pretty cool. I found out that there are even bars around the world that are playing our mixes regularly on their sound systems. Personally I would prefer to be playing there live but at least they are playing our selections :) I always wonder how many people listen to our mixes regularly. I have a counter that says how many downloads there is but that doesn't count if there is a 100 people listening to the mix at a bar or lounge and how many people give the mixes away to their friends and so on. Either way I hope you get to enjoy the first WCC Radio show of the year at your NYE party and dance your ass off. This episode is meant for the dance floor. Soulful, bouncy and uplifting. 2008 was a weird year with a lot of ups and downs. I'm kind of glad it's over (like the Bush administration). The first track really sets the mood for 2009 with "I'm in a Better Place" from my friends Yogi and Husky of Random Soul. The lyrics give hope for the coming year. This feel good track is coming out in February on Barcoda Recordings and will have a bunch of remixes. This is the original mix with vocalist Kristen Pearson. From that point on the tempo stays up and if you are around my age you will love the classic track which is perfect for when the party is reaching it's peak point. I've also change the cover art for the show to come more in par with the rest of the new look for the WCC and the dark colors look dope on the iPhone or iPod Touch. The early download is on the WCC Radio Page and the podcast and streaming will be available on January 4th after it airs on Raunchy Rhythms and SS Radio UK. I will post those link as soon as they are available. I hope you have a great NYE but above all stay safe and please don't drink and drive. We don't need to lose any house soldiers during the festivities. See you in 2009 and much love!
New Guest Mix For Soul Harmony
I've just completed a new mix for the Soul Harmony Podcast called "Happy Hour on the West Side". You can stream and subscribe to the podcast at the website. There is also a little Q&A so you can find out a little more about me. Alternatively you can download the mix on this site in the current mixes page. This mix is a standard 77 minutes so it will fit on an audio CD for those who are still burning them. It is also at 192kbps which is a higher quality than the rest of the mixes on the site which are at 128kbps. This is my little Holiday present for all of you. I hope you get a chance to rock it during your Holiday parties and that you enjoy it. Coming up next in the first week of January is the first WCCR show for 2009. Be good and be safe during the Holidays festivities!
WCC RADIO Episode 012 now available for download
WCC RADIO EP012 (December 2008) is now available for download or for streaming and podcast on SS Radio UK. WCC Radio has completed it's first year. We've had over 11000 downloads of the show from this site alone. That doesn't count the SS Radio podcasts which averages about 300 a month. I would like to thank all of you for your continuous support and spreading the word about our little show. We will continue to bring you quality house in the coming year. I hope you enjoy the last WCC RADIO for 2008 and don't forget to go rate the mix after you've listen to it.
WCC RADIO now on Raunchy Rhythms Radio
WCC RADIO Episode 011 now available for download
WCC RADIO EP011 (November 2008) is now ready for download. If you prefer to stream it online or subscribe to the Podcast you can do so at SS RADIO UK. There is a new feature with this mix. Torin of the WCC showed me a neat trick that allows me to imbed the tracklist in the MP3 file. In itunes you can find it under the "lyrics" tab in the info window of the mix. If you have an iPhone or an iPod Touch you can see the tracklist by touching the artwork of the mix while it is playing. Try it out it really works. Don't forget to rate the mix after you've listen to it. Enjoy it!
WCC RADIO Episode 010 now available for download
WCC RADIO EP010 (October 2008) is now ready for download. You will hear quite a few main street artists in this episode (Prince, Snoop Dog, Soul 2 Soul, etc) but don't fear! These are bootleg house remixes done by some of the finest of the house crop (that Christina Aguilera remix is so dope). Listen before you judge :) If you prefer to stream it online or subscribe to the Podcast you can do so at SS RADIO UK. Hope you enjoy the tunes.
WCC RADIO Episode 009 now available for download
WCC RADIO EP009 (September 2008) is now ready for download. If you prefer to stream it online or subscribe to the Podcast you can do so at SS RADIO UK. This episode is all about the underground. Not my usual soulful sets but a little more deeper and jackin’. I crave the days in the early 90s when our parties were in dark warehouses were the only light was from the mixer and turntables. Even if this set is nostalgic to me it doesn’t haver too many nostalgic tracks. They are pretty new. It just goes to show you that the underground is very alive. It’s just still...underground. Close your eyes when you listen to this episode and let it take you back to those days. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know how you feel about it by rating it after you heard it. I’ll know if you guys want more sets like this.
WCC RADIO Episode 008 now available for download
WCC RADIO EP008 (August 2008) is now ready for download. If you prefer to stream it online or subscribe to the Podcast you can do so at SS RADIO UK. I apologize for the show being a week late. This was due to my best friend and Great Dane "Geronimo" passing away last week. He will be greatly missed since he was such a majestic and amazing dog. Episode 08 is dedicated to his memory. Hope you enjoy the tunes.
New mix "West Side Summer"
A brand new mix that is not a radio show is available for download in the current mixes page. I wasn't planning on recording a new mix but this one kind of just happened. Sandra's new single is doing great, the WCC might start a new residency night on the West Side, and my VFX business is cranking out the jobs even in these hard economic times. Basically I don't have much to complaint about and I'm happy, so when I'm happy I like to jump on the decks and the result is this summer mix. I hope you enjoy it and don't forget to rate it.
Sandra's single climbing up the charts
Sandra single "Higher" is doing really great in the different digital download charts. The EP came out July 10th and it has reached #12 on Traxsource, #8 on Juno in the Funky House genre, and #7 (Jay-J's dub), #12 (original), and #14 (Jay-J's remix) on Stompy's soul genre. All of these charts are out of the 100 top tracks from each respective site. The second remix package has gone out as a promo to some of the jocks and radio stations and will be available in early august. This package includes mixes by Justin Michael of Hermosa Recordings, Torin Rea of the West Coast Collective and additional remixes by Jon Silva of Pesto Music. If you are interested in purchasing the current package it is available at your favorite digital download site:
WCC RADIO Episode 007 now available for download
WCC RADIO EP007 (July 2008) is now ready for download. Episode 07 includes the usual new and old favorite tunes plus some exclusive and unrelease tracks. If you prefer to stream it online or subscribe to the Podcast you can do so at SS RADIO UK. Hope you enjoy the tunes.
HIGHER available exclusively at Beatport
With huge support from House jocks, radio stations and tastemakers all over, Pesto was able to place this massive summer tune on a couple of upcoming compilations already. Raisani Miami Sessions (Dubai), Ibiza Global Radio, Open Bar (NYC) and Clubstar (Germany) - they all had a reason to put "Higher" in their mixes. Finally, Sandra Lima's debut on Pesto is happening and here are six reasons to look forward to the outdoor season: DeepHouse icon Jay-J contributes two smashing mixes, Jon Silva adds some mid-90ies flavour and The Mulder is pleasing us with his top-notch DeepTech sound. Sample some of the mixes with this Beatport Player. This is the sound of the summer 2008!
WCC RADIO Episode 006 is posted - Amsterdam maybe.
WCC RADIO EP006 (June 2008) is now ready for download. If this episode had a name I would have called it "Bass". The first half of the show as some wicked deep house bass-lines that just make you nod your head and raises your level of being cool by ten. I also did a live edit of Doobie J's "Cant Stay Away" vs Andre Harris' "10 things Not To Say To a DJ" and it turned out pretty good. I had some people asked me where I got that remix. Sometimes 2 tracks are just meant to go together.
This episode is a week earlier than schedule and that is because next week I will be in Europe for a few days. I will be in Cannes, France from the 28th of April to the 3rd of June for a friend's wedding. Then I'm off to Amsterdam for a few days. Officially I'm not going to gig but I might make a surprise stop to one of the SoulSessions night over there. I always have my music with me. If something is confirm I will post it on the blog and send an email out to let people know. If you live in the Nice area in France and know of a good house night there to check out please let me know through the contact page. Enjoy EP006!
Sandra's "Higher" availble on Raisani Compilation
Sandra's new track "Higher" is getting a pre-release on the Raisani Miami Sessions 08 compilation. This is the Jay-J dub which is a peak time stomper. For the full vocal mix plus the other remixes you will have to wait until the end of this month for the full release on Pesto Music. For now you can purchase the dub on Traxsource. Higher is track #5 of the compilation. You can also preview the full track on Sandra's MySpace page.
WCC interview on LA's #1 Hip Hop Station (!?)
WCC RADIO Episode 005 is posted
WCC RADIO EP005 (May 2008) is now ready for download. I'm really happy with this episode. It's my favorite of the year. I don't know why it just flows. I got to listen to it while driving on the coast with my sun roof open and enjoying this 90 degrees Californian spring. For a second I just forgot al of my troubles and got lost in the music. Hope you can do the same. Don't forget to rate it after you listen to it (might be just me who like it). Enjoy!
WCC RADIO Episode 004 is posted
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!
PestoMix up again - New & Improved
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.
And I Really Used to Like 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.
New Mix for Pesto Music
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 :)
WCC RADIO Episode 002 is posted
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!
WCC RADIO Episode 003 is posted
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.
Tracklist is Complete for Balance Live Set
WCC RADIO Episode 001 is posted
The first WCC RADIO show has been posted and ready for download. As I told you in the last posting the format will remain the same as Shameless Sessions it is just the name that changes. The show will air once a month on SS Radio UK but I will try to bring it up to a bi-monthly edition if my schedule permits. The show is not exclusive to SS Radio so if you run an internet radio station and are interested in airing the program please contact me.
The first hour of the show is a mix of newer and older tracks and the second hour is a tribute to my favorite West Coast producer (and friend) Jay-J. It is an hour of some of my favorite remixes and original productions (he has over 300) of this Grammy nominated producer and DJ. I am also keeping the tradition to end the show with a classic track. This month is a dope Michael Jackson underground remix of Off The Wall. This was when MJ was normal and with darker skin... I found this one as I was digging through my crates.
New to the site is a rating system for the mixes. At the bottom of each track list page you are able to vote on the mix from 1 to 5 stars (5 being best). After you listen to the mix please rate it so I get an idea of what people are digging. The rating is also available for the old mixes so if you have a favorite one go vote for it.
In other news the WCC will be back at BALANCE LA in February. Stay tune for the date and details. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
6 hour live mix for your NYE from the WCC
First of all Happy Holidays to you and all of your love ones. I want to thank you for the support that you have given me through out 2007. I can't believe this year is already over. It certainly flew by for me.
As a "Thank You" and a late holiday gift I would like to offer you the full set from our last gig at Balance here in Los Angeles. This is kind of rare that you will find sets like these online because it is 6 hours long! It is our full night un-edited. If you are looking for music for your NYE party this year you just put this on and you are good to go. It starts off smooth and then just peeks with some old, new and rare tracks that we like to take out when we play live.
You will find the tracklist for all 57 tracks on the download page with who was playing what. Basically Torin Rea, Dustin Brown and myself were rotating every 4 tracks so we kept it fresh. We compliment each other when we play but we all have a little bit different style (in a good way).
This download is pretty big, 317 MB. On a standard broadband connection it could take from 10 to 20 minutes to download so please be patient when you do. I need to thank Pablo Godel of Server Grove Networks for letting me host the mix on his servers. If it wasn't for Pablo's help I wouldn't be able to offer this mix to you because of the amount of bandwidth it would eat up with all the downloads that it will have. If you need any kind of hosting solutions please check out Server Grove Networks and give them a try.
Again thank you for 2007 and have a wonderful, safe and fun New Year Eve and stay soulful trough-out 2008!
Last Shameless Sessions of the year is up
The last Shameless Sessions radio show for 2007 is now available for download. For this one I actually took out some of my old vinyl that I haven't played in a long time. These are a bunch of old white labels that I hardly take out anymore since turntables are hard to come by at clubs these days. For the last few years I've been playing mainly digital files from CDs on CDJs. You will probably hear the sound difference from these old records when you hear them in the mix. I played the hell out of these tracks and they are a little worn out. Don't be alarm if you see Michael Jackson or Diana Ross on the track list... You might be pleasantly surprise ;)
Shameless Sessions Mix For November is posted
Shameless Sessions Mix For October is posted
My Shameless Sessions show for the month of October is available for download. It aired Sunday the 7th of October on SS Radio UK. Just to make it clear; My Shameless Sessions shows airs every month on the first Sunday of the month not necessarily the first week of the month. I had quite a few emails this week asking me where the mix was. I even had one that said that "it's been more than week and where is the fuckin' October mix?". Wow, did not know that people got so emotional about these sets. I hope it's clear now when they come out. Peace and enjoy the "f@#&ing" mix ;)
New mix "Glow Nights"
I posted a brand new mix that is not a radio show. It's been a while since I had done one that's your standard 70 minutes set that fits on a CD. "Glow Nights" captures the vibe of the residency I had for about a year now in Marina Del Rey, California. The tunes are high energy and they are meant for the dance floor. You will recognize a lot of the tracks in the set but these remixes might be brand new to most of you. Let me know what you think and enjoy. Also a new Shameless Sessions coming up in the first week of October.
Shameless Sessions Mix For September is posted
Shameless Sessions Mix For August is posted
Artwork for the Mixes is Complete
Shameless Sessions Mix For July is posted
Shameless Sessions Mix For June is posted
Shameless Sessions Mix For May is posted
Radio Shows For 07 Are Posted
All Archived Mixes are up
Archived Mixes Are Coming Online
Main Mixes page is up with new mix
At the top of the list is the live set I recorded from the Jay-J and friends party we did in Miami WMC 2007. I will also so post soon my May set from Shameless Sessions.










