—My Peeps,

In the spirit of the season, I prepared this little mix for your Christmas pleasure.
It’s nothing too fancy, just some of those 09 tracks, mixed and recorded at home, while dancing with my CDJ’s. Starts quite smoothly and gets harder towards the end, just like I like it.

TRACKLISTING:

1. SEVEN SEALS James Pants (Stone Throw)
2. SO MANY NIGHTS Burns (2112)
3. EVERYBODY WANTS Kid Sister & Green Velvet (Relief)
4. HUNGRY FOR THE POWER Azari & Ill/Agayo Remix  (Cliché)
5. DISCOMONSTER Le Le/Mercury Remix (Magnetron)
6. GET ON DOWN Feadz (Ed Banger)
7. ATTO D’ARMORE Serge Santiago (Arcobaleno)
8. IF YOU CAME HERE Tony Senghore (Anonym)
9. CHAPEL OF GHOULS Boy-8-Bit (Mad Decent)
10. BECAUSE OF YOU Skunk Anansie/Michel Cleis Remix (One Little Indian)
11. BANGKOK Boris Dlugosh (Phantasy)
12. HELLS BELLS Arveene & Misk (Clampdown)
13. WEDOUWEDOU Momma’s Boy/Kid Kaio Remix (Sound Pellegrino)
14. COMPUTER JUICE Riton & Seiji/DIM & TAI Remix (Turbo)
15. KEEP ON MOVING Philip & Lloyd (Off Track)

—I like all them tracks, peace to the artists and the purveyors. Feel free to spread, it’s all love.
Download it HERE or THERE

Hope to see you at The Palladium for NYE, if not MEHDI MIXMAS EVERYBODY and see you next year—

Just trying to get your attention.

Music+Internet+Lists.
If you’re like me, you gotta love a time like this.

To conclude these TOP LOVE/HATE posts, some random bits I wanted to share and argue you with:

DECADE’S BEST DJ: Sorry guys, I can’t choose one. I tried. I can’t.

DECADE’S BEST PRODUCER: See above.

DECADE’S BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Nas.

DECADE’S BEST MUSICIAN: Jack White.

Attention!

NEXT DECADE’S MOST LOOKED FORWARD:

Albums by SEBASTIAN and SURKIN.
New albums by THE MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUGHTS and GLASS CANDY.
The rise and rise of SANTIGOLD.
And the return of JACKSON AND HIS COMPUTER BAND.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, this wonderful album by COMMON that I forgot in my list the other day. I was so influenced by that record back in 2001. It brings back the best memories of the time I was meeting up with Pedro, kicking it “around the world” style, taking the MPC to the craziest places and just making beats all day with my crew the 113, Manu Key and Karlito. It was an amazing ride of a decade. I had so much fun, met many great peoples and saw some beautiful places. I got married and had a son. I had success and failures. I was in Mafia K’1Fry AND in Ed Banger. I was there. I am the 2000’s.

Mehdi.

No matter how much the industry changed this decade, albums were always the best thing about this music game. The feeling of getting it, ripping the cellophane off, opening the booklet, pressing play, and reading the credits, I simply can’t compare it to anything else. It’s a standard for absolute pleasure.

According to my iTunes count, here are the 5 albums I listened to the most this decade:

1. THE BLUEPRINT Jay-Z. (Roc-A-Fella) 2001
Rap music in the 2000’s doesn’t get any better than this, point blank.

2. VOODOO D’Angelo. (Virgin) 2001
Perfect record, start to finish, no wonder why D never dared to release another one.

3. L’INCROYABLE VERITE Sebastien Tellier. (Record Makers) 2001
Best french album of the decade, please don’t argue.

4. LATE REGISTRATION Kanye West. (Roc-A-Fella) 2005
In confidence, this is the Hip-hop album I wish I produced. I love this record.

5. SPEAKERBOXXX/THE LOVE BELOW Outkast. (La-Face) 2003
Still trying to get over the initial knock-out.  The definition of creativity in music.

HONORABLE MENTION: SO FAR GONE Drake. (Young Money) 2009
It’s still early to say if it will go down as one of the best ever, but it sure is the one I listened to the most this year.

——-
OTHER PERSONAL FAVS OF THE NAUGHTS:

QUALITY by Talib Kweli.
† by Justice.
SHE’S IN CONTROL by Chromeo.
ORACULAR SPECTACULAR by MGMT.
THE RECESSION by Young Jeezy.

——-
BONUS TRACK: MOST UNDERRATED ALBUMS

TOUCH by Amerie.
SO MUCH FOR THE CITY by The Thrills.
ANY SOUNDTRACK by Jon Brion. (especially HUCKABEES)
FABRICLIVE #36 by James Murphy and Pat Mahoney.
UNDERGROUND KINGZ by UGK.

It ain’t over yet!

Mehdi.

Parties this year, we had a lot. Some good, some bad, some GREAT. It is what it is:

——-
LOVED:
——-

1. ED BANGER’S 6 1/2 BIRTHDAY @CORONET, LONDON. (JULY 10)

We make these Ed birtday parties every year, but this one was really special. Everybody down, great atmosphere,  line around the block, thanks again London (and you’re welcome).
——-
2. ED ALL STARS @CINESPACE , LOS ANGELES. (APRIL 21)

It was Busy P’s birthday bash, the whole crew was here, plus KAVINSKY, A-TRAK and CHRIS HOLMES as our special guests. Then Thomas Bangalter told me “give me your CD case, I want to play a couple of tunes”. And the rest is history.
——-
3. RITON’S “WHO’S THERE” RELEASE PARTY @PLASTIC PEOPLE, LONDON. (APRIL 23)

Riton is one of my favourite DJ’s and Plastic People my favorite venue in the UK. Small but beautiful.
——-
4. BUSY P @SONAR BY DAY, BARCELONA. (JUNE 20)

I don’t think Pedro is getting enough credit for how good a DJ he is. That afternoon, he was untouchable.
——-
5. A-TRAK’S “INFINITY+1″ PARTY @STUDIO B, NEW YORK CITY. (MARCH 14)

Every year I take a 3 months break from touring, usually from January to March. This party was my ‘back in business’ gig, new CD case, a lot of tunes to test out, A-Trak on stage and, well, New York motherfuckin’ City in the house.
——-
6. FORMA-T @FUSE, BRUSSELS. (SEPTEMBER 11)

After a rather long string of summer festival shows, it feels good to get back to the down and dirty club gigs, where you can actually touch peeps with your bare hands on AND off the decks. One of the best clubs in the world, sound-system unrivalled, great crowd. One of those nights.
——-
7. GRAND PRIX D’ASIE MINI TOUR, BANGKOK/SINGAPOUR/JAKARTA (OCTOBER)

When Fafi and I went club-hopping in Asia this Autumn, we simply had no clue. Now, we know. And can’t wait to go back. (Peace to Dave, the wonderful peeps from ZOUK, and Arief for letting me destroy the BUDDAH BAR).
——-
8. ANNIE MAC PRESENTS @WAX-ON, LEEDS. (APRIL 25) + HALLOWEEN PARTY @LET IT BLEED, ABERDEEN. (OCTOBER 31)

There’s something about DJing very tired and very drunk in the UK, and I love it.
——-
9.  DJ MEHDI @NEIDKLUB, HAMBURG. (JUNE 27)

When I told my agent I wanted to do more ‘Old School House Music’ parties now, this was the one I was referring to. (See also, FOUFOUNES ELECTRIQUES in Montreal, Canada.)
——-
10. POCKET PIANO RELEASE PARTY (DEC 10), HAPPY ENDINGS @CHEZ MOUNE (JUNE 4), CLUB75 @SOCIAL CLUB (OCT 8), PARIS.

Feels good to be home sometimes. Peace to Club75, the A-Team, the Paydays, the Ed Rec Party Crüe, and a special one to my partners BUSY P and SO-ME.

——-
HATED:
——-

1. VICE PARTY @HEAVEN, LONDON. (JUNE 10)
2. FOOL’S GOLD PARTY @SXSW, AUSTIN. (MARCH 19)
3. BUGGED OUT@PARK, MILANO. (JULY 3)
4. NUIT ROUGE @HALLE DE MARTIGUES. (SEPT 12)
5. ED BANGER @4SANS, BORDEAUX. (JUNE 5)

Sometimes it just doesn’t work.

More TOP and WORST soon soon,

Mehdi.

Time to upset everybody—

——-

First in a series of TOP and WORST of the year,

here are my 10 FAVOURITE SONGS OF 2009:

——-

1. ‘HIGH TOGETHER’ Siriusmo. (Monkeytown)

Subtle and intense, my kind of electro. Masterpiece.

——-

2. ‘SUCCESFUL’ Drake, Trey Songz and Lil’Wayne. (Young Money)

These things I don’t understand, I just sit, listen, and watch it happen.

——-

3. ‘FEAR’ Drake. (Young Money)

How in the world could Drake foresee not only the joys of success, but also the delusions, at a time he was hardly known outside of Toronto’s greater area? Artist of the year.

——-

4.  ’GONE FISHING’ Cool Kids. (Cake Recordings)

Couldn’t pick one song, so I’m listing the entire mixtape. Like The Clipse, only with better beats. Yeah, I said it.

——-

5. ‘MAYBACH MUSIC 2′ Kanye West, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross and Lil’ Wayne. (Def Jam)

Usual suspects, I know. But in a year without a Weezy, Yeezy, nor Jeezy album, these guys STILL manage to make it to my top 10.

——-

6. ’GOLDEN TRAXE’ Shadow Dancer + ’SUPERCAKE 53′ Zombie Nation + ‘SPIDERS’ Joakim.

As far as albums are still relevant in our scene, it is pretty sad that songs of this quality remain under the radar. Inspiring.

——-

7. ‘KONTACT ME’ Boys Noize. (BNR)

Standout track from a daring record, and a personal favourite set finisher.

——-

8.  ’I'LL MAKE YOU JACK’ Kikumoto Allstars. (Gigolo)

Hands down the record I played the most this year. Makes me, well, jack.

——-

9. ’WHAT YOU NEED’ (PROXY REMIX) Tiga. (Different)

Took the best elements of the original song, only to make it better. A pure delight to play out. And dance to.

——-

0. ’MAFIA MUSIC’ Rick Ross. (Def Jam)

Beat of the year? Yup.

——-

(I OWE YOU A LITTLE EXPLANATION, STAY TUNED—)