mixtapes

Meet the Pacemakers: Phillip

Posted in Meet the Pacemakers by Emoke

Say hello to Pacemaker’s new Community Manager: Phillip, who had a chat with Emőke to introduce himself. Meet your new best friend in the app – the amazing @phillip!

 

@phillip

 

Hey Phillip! Everyone is super excited to find out more about Pacemaker’s new Community Manager! Please tell us a bit about yourself, who is Phillip?

Thanks for the warm welcome Emőke! Back in 2008 I discovered Pacemaker when the company Tonium originally launched the Pacemaker Device, a handheld DJ device that let you mix music on the move. It was so unique, there was nothing else like it at the time. I love the original device and still use it today. At the time of course, I had no-idea that this device would lead to me eventually working for Pacemaker, but over the years I gradually met members of the Pacemaker team.

You’re no stranger to the community, since you’ve been already working with us behind the scenes…

That’s right. Since 2013 I’ve worked as a customer support assistant for Pacemaker, therefore it’s possible if you’ve emailed or tweeted us (@Pacemaker) with a technical question then we might have already spoken. Some members of the Pacemaker community might also recognise me helping out with testing in our Pacemaker Beta program.

What are you most excited about in your new role as Community Manager?

From helping with customer support, I know the Pacemaker community has always had some really talented and really passionate people within it and I’m really excited to meet more of these people in this new role. You’ve certainly made a lasting impact on the Pacemaker community Emőke, so I’m sure I’ve got a lot to live up to!

What do you do in your spare time outside of working for Pacemaker?

I love music and performing as a mobile DJ in my local area is something I’ve done for a number of years. As well as this I’ve helped out behind the scenes at a number of festivals and events, usually operating lights and sound equipment. Pacemaker is such an awesome company to work for because of all the new music you can discover on a daily basis.

 

 

What kind of music do you prefer and what kind of mixes can the community expect from you in the future?

I genuinely love listening to a range of different genres of music and having performed at weddings and private parties it’s great to be able to switch up the mood of a party by playing everything from 80’s disco to the latest House and RnB. Hopefully the community will see this in my mixes. If I had to pick a single genre or artist though, the genre would be House music. I might have a bit of an addiction to the duo known as Disclosure. I think I have seen them in concert about 3 times now. 🙈

What’s your favourite feature of the Pacemaker app?

I think the Pacemaker studio is awesome. Being able to zoom in and make manual adjustments to the transitions really allows for some serious creative possibilities. I can’t wait to share more mixes with the community like you’ve done Emőke.

You’ve also shared your very first mix as community manager in the app. What could you tell us about the selection?

That’s right! So with this first mix, my aim was to take you back on a musical journey through the years. I’ve tried to select some of my favourite tunes from each decade, starting with some 90’s classics and gradually bringing you back to the current day, perhaps with a few surprises on the way. 😛 Hopefully there’s something for everyone in there.

 

Top 10 Most Commented Pacemaker Mixes in 2017

Posted in Mixtapes by Emoke

We absolutely love it when the Pacemaker community has a lot to discuss. No matter if it’s just a supportive thought, an amazing transition or an outstanding track that needs to be complimented, comments are highly appreciated. Let’s see which 10 mixes sparked the most comments last year!

If you want to (re)listen, just click on the mix in your iPhone.

 

 

#10

 

 

#9

 

 

#8

 

 

#7

 

 

#6

 

 

#5

 

 

#4

 

 

#3

 

 

#2

 

 

#1

 

Top 10 Most Liked Pacemaker Mixes in 2017

Posted in Mixtapes by Emoke

Check out the most liked Pacemaker mixes from 2017, we’ve compiled the 10 most ❤️ ones.

If you want to (re)listen, just click on the mix in your iPhone.

 

 

#10

 

 

#9

 

 

#8

 

 

#7

 

 

#6

 

 

#5

 

 

#4

 

 

#3

 

 

#2

 

 

#1

 

Top 10 Most Played Pacemaker Mixes in 2017

Posted in Mixtapes by Emoke

Curious which were the most popular mixes last year in Pacemaker? We’ve compiled the 10 most played mixes from 2017, check it out to see if you’ve made it to the top. 😎

If you want to (re)listen, just click on the mix in your iPhone.

 

#10

 

 

#9

 

 

#8

 

 

#7

 

 

#6

 

 

#5

 

 

#4

 

 

#3

 

 

#2

 

 

#1

 

All We Want for Christmas is Your Mixtapes! 🎅🎄🎶

Posted in Mixtapes by Emoke

Create and share your Christmas mix to be featured in Pacemaker during the holidays.

 

 

 

Are you into cheesy Christmas songs? 🧀

Or you like a modern twist but keep it traditional? 🎄

Maybe you have your own crazy Christmas style? 😜

It doesn’t matter, we want to hear ALL your festive mixes! We will share the best ones with the world & feature them in the app.

Add #mixmas2017 in the title or description, so Santa can find your mix on his iPhone. 🎅

 

Click here for some inspiration: http://bit.ly/mixmas2017

80’s Slush Funk Mix with John Acquaviva

Posted in Guest Mixtapes by Emoke
John Acquaviva (Photo: Tasya Menaker)

 

Legendary Italo-Canadian DJ/producer John Acquaviva has been behind the decks and music scene for decades now.  Having amassed one of the greatest collections of vinyl as well as at the bleeding edge of technology having introduced Final Scratch and Beatport to the world. With his latest Pacemaker mixtape the techno pioneer returns to some of his favourite club tunes from the glorious 80’s with thick slabs of soul, disco and funk.

You can see the master in action both speaking and performing at Slush Music in Helsinki  this coming week along with Solidaritet in Stockholm, Sweden (Dec 1) and One Twenty Stars LTD in Tampere, Finland (Dec 2).

 

Meet the Pacemakers #2: illtino

Posted in Meet the Pacemakers by Emoke

Most of our Pacemaker users are probably wondering on a daily basis… who is @illtino?  How does he have time to make so many smashing mixtapes? How does he have the energy to support everyone with a nice compliment or constructive feedback? What’s his secret to be so awesome? We were super curious to find out more about one of our most hardcore users, so here comes the naked truth – @illtino: up close & personal!

 

illtino with his lovely wife, Marilou

Where in the world do you live?

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area home of some of the BEST DJ’s in the world!

How did you discover Pacemaker?

I used to play around with different DJ apps, my favorites were the mashup music ones. So about this time last year I was randomly searching for a DJ/mashup app and saw Pacemaker, downloaded it and have been hooked ever since!

What is your favourite thing about Pacemaker?

I LOVE the Pacemaker community! I try to spread love to everyone I can, new or experienced users. We’re all in here cuz we LOVE music and enjoy mixing it!

Name one of your most favourite mixes from another user on Pacemaker.

My favorite mix from another Pacemaker is Groovin House by @stanfitz! He’s the “House” master at Pacemaker IMO! His house blends are smooth and his transitions are on point, I can tell he’s been doing this for a long time, LOVE the playlist on his mixes. So I look forward to whenever he drops his mixtapes!

If you could pick just one favourite user in the Pacemaker community, who would that be?

My favorite Pacemaker person is @stanfitz! We both have different styles, he’s Ying and I’m Yang, I’m very hyped, he’s very mellow! We should combine on a mix that would be fun!

How do you usually discover music, what are your favourite sources?

LOL not gonna reveal all my secrets, but one of my favorite shows right now is Insecure on HBO and I’ll have my Shazam app so that I can Shazam their show soundtrack. They have the best show playlist and it ranges from the most ratchet song to the most soulful song, I love it!

How much time do you usually spend on creating a mixtape?

It varies…I have a bunch of mixes that I have saved or projects that I published and want to pull back to remix. So I’ll build my mix until it’s perfect to me, it can take an hour to a whole week or month just piecing it together. I look at Pacemaker like it’s a puzzle, you want to piece tracks together so they flow right together. It’s all about the vibes!

We only see a username and sometimes a picture when it comes to users. Who is behind your username?

One of my favorite albums of all time is iLLmatic, my first name is Santino so I combined the 2. So in high school I was putting these mixtapes together for my friends or for parties I’d have iLLTiNo all over those mixtapes. I’ve always been a fan of mixtapes too so I used to have stacks of mixtapes of all types, hood mixtapes to baby making R&B mixtapes. I was everyone’s go-to source for what was new out at the time, I still am!

illtino = huge Golden State Warriors fan

What do you do when not mixing on Pacemaker?

I have a tech job so I’m dead tired by the time I get home. So it’s kind of therapeutic to come back home, throw on my headphones and zone out to make mixes on Pacemaker.

Did Pacemaker change the way you’re listening to music? If so, in what sense?

Being in the Pacemaker community you get influenced by everyone’s different style in music. So many vibes to choose from, I love it! I have different projects I’m working on so I’ll be inspired by what I’m listening to in the Pacemaker community. I find myself studying other DJ’s style a lot more, I’m a student of the game. I start to see music in waveforms thanks to Pacemaker lol!

Have you had any DJ experiences before joining Pacemaker?

In high school I had my Technics 1200, at the time I was big into the  turntabalist style so scratching and beat juggling like DJ Qbert. And like I said I was putting all these mixtapes together and DJ’ing parties with the homies. When I got into college I was focused more on promoting parties behind the club scenes work.

Are you making music yourself in any way?

Not currently producing anything at the moment, but used to make beats and mixtapes back in the day. Speaking of which I need to dig up my old material (there’s some tracks I’ve rapped on lol).

Name 3 of your current favourite artists.

I’m a big Diplo fan and the Mad Decent crew they got so much energy I dig that, and the variety of music that’s on the label they really got some great music coming from them. I think Kendrick Lamar is the best rapper alive right now he’s definitely reppin Cali right now. And Anderson.Paak he’s so dope, feelin the jazzy R&B style he puts out.

Name one of your own mixes that you’re the most proud of.

Definitely my Trapmaker Plus mix! My mixes before that we’re around an hour, but for Trapmaker I wanted to condense it down and remix my favorite hip hop tracks over house beats. I get inspired by the Pacemaker community, it’s a mashup of everyone’s style!

Who would you like to see posting a mixtape on Pacemaker?

Diplo and Mad Decent on Pacemaker… that would be DOPE!!

Name one friend who should be on Pacemaker but isn’t.

Aww wish I could get my HYPHY party crew to join some have but they’re not as consistent as I am.

Is there a question you always wanted to ask from a Pacemaker user but you never did?

Hey @stanfitz where do you collect your house tracks from? Nevermind, surprise me bro!

Techno, Deep House & Underground Trap 🚀

Posted in Weekly Mixtapes by Emoke

Label Worx are back with an uncompromising, heavyweight techno mixtape

 

 

UK-based Label Worx are back with an uncompromising, heavyweight techno mixtape. Featuring some proper warehouse anthems, this selection is a gold mine with lots of underground gems to discover. More than two hours of seriously intensive techno business with raw, heavy drum grooves and basslines. Ready to jump into the darkest corners of electronic music?

 

 

Fans of all music genres should check out @powertothefish’s latest sound bouquet, because it basically contains everything you can imagine. Everything. From abstract trap music through bass, techno and electro to the most underground and obscure hip-hop gems. An impeccable and crazy mixture!

 

 

@iva9 has proven himself to be a deep house aficionado, finding lots of like-minded followers in the Pacemaker community. For his latest mix he’s picked tracks from Enormous Tunes, the amazing Swiss house music label. In this soothing selection you can find gems by Nora En Pure, Sons of Maria and Croatia Squad.

Tech & Deep House Rhythms 💥

Posted in Weekly Mixtapes by Emoke

Meet the Pacemakers! Read our chat with @joebrokken + listen to some great tech & deep house

 

 

Ever wondered who your Pacemaker friends really were? Where do they live, what do they do when they are not busy creating amazing mixtapes? Well, it’s time to get to know them a bit better! To break the ice, we spoke to everyone’s favourite @joebrokken. Read our chat & play his latest mixtape, where vaporwave meets Jimi Hendrix and experimental electronica is the new funk!

 

 

We just can’t get enough of @stevemodz’s heated tech and deep house selections. Expect the unexpected, effortless transitions and some of the hottest vibes with Hot Since 82, Sonny Fodera, Lupe Fuentes etc. Play this at your house party for maximum satisfaction!

 

 

@gbread’s first Pacemaker+ mixtape totally deserves a spot in this week’s best of the best. Just like your favourite double shot espresso – it’s hot and simmering, packed with super energetic bass & tech house grooves, deep bangers and a blast of club-ready beats.

Meet the Pacemakers #1: @joebrokken

Posted in Meet the Pacemakers by Emoke

Ever wondered who your Pacemaker friends really are? Where do they live, what do they do when they are not busy creating amazing mixtapes? Well, it’s time to get to know them a bit better! To break the ice, we spoke to everyone’s favourite @joebrokken!

joebrokken

Where in the world do you live?

I live in Seattle, Washington USA.

We only see a username and sometimes a picture when it comes to users. Who is behind your username?

Oh, well I’m a music lover, a husband, a pet owner, and a designer.

How did you discover Pacemaker?

I downloaded Pacemaker two years ago when it was first featured in the iOS App Store.

What is your favourite thing about Pacemaker?

I love that Pacemaker keeps getting better and more fun to use, but my favorite thing about the app is the community of music lovers it has created. I am connected with musical friends all around the world and I love that. Pacemaker has created a social network where people are smart, kind, and sharing ideas – it’s so cool!

What would you improve in the app?

I’d like to see some more advanced info about the tracks I’m mixing. Pacemaker does a lot of heavy lifting for me when it comes to matching tracks, but I would like to see the key signature of each track any way. It would help me find songs that go together even though they may have a different BPM.

If you could pick just one favourite user in the Pacemaker community, who would that be?

I would have to say every user I’ve had a dialogue with. The people who are engaging and want to have a conversation about music like tefoden, provocateur, proudspark, capturingphi, stanfitz, jonas and many many more keep me going and make it fun to share.

Name one of your most favourite mixes from another user on Pacemaker.

Every once in a while a mix drops that is so fresh and new everyone else wants to take a crack at it. I remember when tefoden dropped NOISE // RNB // NOISE, everyone was like, WOW what is that? That mix taught me a lot about contrasting sounds and the importance of having contrast in a mix. Yes, we want smooth seamless transitions but not at the cost of sounding boring. So for the next few mixes I played with the idea of contrast and I noticed this theme popping up in mixes from other friends on Pacemaker. It was like everyone went up a level together by listening and collaborating with each other.

How do you usually discover music, what are your favourite sources?

Our local alt-radio station KEXP states that most people find their “type” of music in their early 20’s and stick with it for the rest of their life. KEXP is on a mission to undo all of that. They want to create a scene where people discover and love new types of music for a lifetime. I couldn’t agree more with that mission. I am always digging around on record store blogs and meandering down algorithmic paths on Spotify to find artists I’ve never heard of. Pacemaker makes it really easy to find new music because people with great taste from around the world are always dropping mixes with artists I’ve never heard of.

How much time do you usually spend on creating a mixtape?

Some flow right through me in a couple of hours, while others take weeks and lots of research. It’s hard to say.

What do you do when not mixing on Pacemaker?

I’m into the local music scene here quite a bit. I went to the Flaming Lips, Mark Farina, Fleet Foxes, and Father John Misty recently. It was like a DIY music festival. When I’m not getting down with my bad self on the dance floor I like to go outside and have fun in the fresh air.

joebrokken

Did Pacemaker change the way you’re listening to music? If so, in what sense?

Pacemaker taught me how to choose just the right thing to listen to. I didn’t know that I had good taste in music until I saw other people who I greatly respect commenting and enjoying my mixes. Just a few weeks ago it dawned on me that OMG I have good taste in music.

Have you had any DJ experiences before joining Pacemaker?

Nope.

Are you making music yourself in any way?

I am a pianist first and a drummer second, I like making tracks on my computer. But more than anything I’m enjoying Pacemaker as a musical outlet these days.

Name 3 of your current favourite artists.

Bicep, Svarte Greiner, and JD Emanuel.

Who would you like to see posting a mixtape on Pacemaker?

LAUREL HALO!!!

Name one of your own mixes that you’re the most proud of.

I’ve been putting these meditation mixes together for a while now, and when I’m working on one I can feel the music coming through me. It is one of the purest expressions of self that I have found and I’m always surprised when other people like them. For me it is really hard to mix popular music because I like to live on the fringe. So I have to say that I am most proud of Headphones and Chill #3, It should be called Netflix and Chill because that mix is sexy. I took a crack at really mixing some popular music and making something new with it. I pulled all the stops and used everything I’ve learned about mixing to create the smoothest sexiest mix possible. Everyone I play it for remembers that mix and says oh, you have really good taste in music, what was that?

Name one friend who should be on Pacemaker but isn’t.

Octoclops – you know who you are buddy.

Is there a question you always wanted to ask from a Pacemaker user but you never did? Ask away!

@provocateur: what planet did you come from and can I party there?