recent news

As another year comes to a close, I always like to reflect back on the year that was. 2011 was an interesting year in the music world, one which saw the number of gigs I played go down, but the quality of the ones I did play go up. It was also a year in which I reinvested more time into my radio show mixes while keeping the production-side going when time allowed.

First off, I thank everyone of you for your ongoing support of everything I do (I wish I could do more); amazing as always. All the best in the new year to every one of you!

GIG HIGHLIGHTS

The year started off with two fantastic gigs highlighting the months of January and February, starting with my first time at Trinity nightclub in Seattle, then back in Calgary at Habitat with long-time musical friend, Darin Epsilon. Spring was a bit quiet but summer brought about my return to the Motion Notion festival by Edmonton. I first played this festival in 2003, 04, and 05 but had not played since - and wow have things grown since then. It was a lot of fun to come around full circle and play the main stage again, and I hope to do it again in the coming years.

Moving into fall, three gigs really stood out for me. First off was my weekend stops in both Scottsdale, Arizona and at Trinity in Seattle for a return visit. This was this my wedding anniversary weekend with Sarah, who I was very happy to have come with me of course, and both gigs turned out well with the Seattle show being absolutely over the top. I had the privilege of playing a 2 hour set of my biggest and best stuff to a packed room throughout - the atmosphere in there was absolutely insane. Hopefully I can make Seattle a yearly visit as both my wife and I really love it there.

The third highlight gig of the fall was the annual Bardo halloween party. This one's always special as it pulls together the old crew of guys that originally powered Area709 - and this one was extra special as it brought out another one of those grouchy old men, none other than Rusty Ezard.

As always, the support from the dance community in Calgary was nothing short of amazing and the whole night simply went off as only an underground party in this city could. These parties always bring things up a notch and as a result, it was probably the best set I had put together all year by far (709Sessions Episode051 featured this set)… with the original crew around you, you have to step it up as you will be judged, lol!

RADIO SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

2011 was a great year for the online radio show side of things. My 709Sessions show rolled through it's 4th year, continuing to build a strong following along the way. I was also lucky enough to be featured as Artist of the Week on FriskyRadio as well as jump in for a guest spot on Darin Epsilon's Perspectives show, which draws a massive following.

Look for more of the same in 2012. Luke Porter jumps in on guest duties for my show first thing in January, followed by a host of great guests in the coming months. There may also be a move to a new station in the new year as well, we'll see. So far Digitally Imported, InsomniaFM, ETN and Tribalmixes have been fantastic for me, so I want to continue to build things on those stations.

PRODUCTION WORK

This year saw time for production decrease, however despite that challenge, I managed to produce one of my best tracks to date, "Sunrise Over Xaman-Ha", which was signed to John 00 Fleming's legendary JOOF Recordings label - to be released on January 24th of 2012.

I'm honoured to be on the JOOF label. I've always been a big supporter of the music coming from the label, and having a chance to be in the company of such amazing artists is truly humbling. Hopefully I can continue to build my production work with them in the new year.

OTHER STUFF

A more interesting side-step this year, as it relates to the music aspect, was my venture into teaching cycling classes. Putting together sets for gigs is one thing, but putting together mixes for these classes is a whole other bit of craziness - having to bridge the gap between what people are into without compromising your own personal tastes, meanwhile creating a soundscape for getting the most out of a workout.

The result has been phenomenal and has actually really taken me back to my roots in trance - and has revealed a whole new appreciation for what good trance really is. Needless to say it's a been a lot of fun and I love where things are going.

Still tied to the healthy side of things, I also started doing a few downtempo and off-beat gigs for Lululemon - highlighted by their Salutation Nation yoga event (300 people doing yoga on a soccer field) - which allowed me to get out and play some very interesting stuff for an extremely supportive organization, and of course score some awesome clothing at the same time. More of that will be coming in the new year I hope!


That sums up what's been a really good year and I'm looking forward to what 2012 will bring. Thanks again for all of your support and may the next year be special for each and every one of you.

Just a quick update as things head into winter, and considering the fact I've forgotten about my blog for two months...

Since the short weekend tour through Phoenix and Seattle way back in September - which by the way were two pretty awesome gigs, especially playing for a packed house of rowdies at Trinity's Blue Room in Seattle - I've put a lot of my musical endeavors on the back burner for the moment, but only temporarily. With my day-time design and web company taking off through the roof this fall, including building a new office and hiring new people, my time in the studio has been very limited.

However, as mentioned, the hiatus is only temporary and there are still a few things in the works. My track "Sunrise Over Xaman-Ha" has officially been signed by JOOF Recordings. Both the intro and beat dub versions were picked up and I should know a release date soon.

Fall also brought around the infamous Bardo Halloween party for the third year in a row. This party is quickly becoming a highlight of the schedule every year, as it brings together the original crew of 709 DJs (Darvin, Jay, myself) for a night, which almost never happens anymore. This year was even more special as the guys brought out one of my best friends in the world, 709'er Rusty Ezard (aka Cricket) for a set of straight up old school psytrance, like only he can play.

Needless to say the entire night was a blast, with the four of us ripping it up and shariing a bunch of laughs with 300 friends, just like we used to. Awesome stuff.

...and, I managed to record my set (which was an absolute blast to play on the Traktor S4 - 4 decks of pounding progressive and techno going completely mad the whole time). Here's the link:

http://www.wesstraub.com/transfer/bardoIII.mp3

Looking ahead to the holidays and New Years on the horizon, again, keeping a low profile. After playing Habitat for the past couple of years to celebrate NYE, my wife and I have decided that we probably won't be going near a club this year for the occasion, and most likely venturing out to the mountains to have a great weekend with a few close friends - of course bringing the musical gear along the way... to be confirmed.

And, once the endless hours of labour that are going into the new office are complete, I should find myself back in the studio hopefully finishing off a few tasty items that I started over the summer.

Thanks again for checking in and have a great holiday season - coming up ever so soon!

Just a quick post for those who attended Lululemon's 'Salutation Nation' today in Calgary...

Some of you asked about where to get the music I was playing. Currently I don't have any downtempo or chillout mixes up on the site of my own (working on it!!), but here's a few links to some of my favorite chillout stuff.

Marco Torrance - From Jasmund to Wittow
A mix of classic chillout stuff that's just beautiful to listen to start to finish. One of my favorites.

> DOWNLOAD LINK

Cardamar - Another Day in the Clouds
Another favorite, this one with a few more beats.

> DOWNLOAD LINK

A whole bunch more mixes like those can be downloaded at the following site: http://www.chilloutmixes.com/

For individual chillout and downtempo tracks, my favorite label is Ultimae Records. Every artist on here produces amazing music. You can purchase a whole bunch of stuff here http://www.beatport.com/label/ultimae-records/1889