Weekends are too short. Did a whole lot but still not all I wanted to do. And for once not because I’ve been slacking. I need 30-hour days and 3 day weekends. What I managed to get done was fun. A cratediggin’ trip to Antwerp (see also our Podcast) being the absolute highlight. Should do that more often. I adore working my way through stacks of asorted vinyl to find some gems. Result being dusty fingers and plenty of top class vinyl I wouldn’t have found through my usual routine of checking the new releases in my favourite shops. And certainly not for the prices I’ve paid. Expect to hear lots of them in our radio show next few weeks.

Last few weeks I came to realise nothing can beat vinyl. For me personally that is. This has little to do with the technology or skills of CD / Serato dj’ing nor the quality of the sound (I rarely play on sound systems good enough to hear the difference).  I just love the total package of vinyl better. I has probably a lot to do with the fact that a grew up with the medium. Anyhow, when I play with vinyl it feels more natural. Selecting records knowing them by sight is a big factor. Can’t seem to find anything in my CD map and I always play the same stuff from my computer. Vinyl makes me explore, makes me more adventurous. And I rate that as one of the main things in life. Exploring new territories in every way possible. Plus as a dj I love the fact that you need to make a selection before going out to play. It may be nice to have your entire collection at your disposal when your playing with your laptop but for me the main task of a dj is to make the right selection to create the right atmosphere. I too love the romantic idea of a dj having all his music to choose from and freestyling with that but I don’t believe it’s reality. It all begins with preparation. Selecting, knowing your records, knowing which ones segue well. And vinyl just is the best medium, for me, to do that.

It has come so far that I rather wait for stuff to come out on vinyl before playing it. Even if that means being a bit “behind” others. Which I don’t mind, because I dig deeper than most giving me an edge anyway. And I take the annoyance of carrying the weight of a bag of vinyl as a necessity to enjoy the fun of playing with them later. I don’t complain.

Had a good time at Strictly Niceness too. Being one of the only sober ones had a lot to do with that. Some wasted people at the end of a night. Some can hardly hold on their feet but still think they have a chance with ladies. These are the funniest. Saw some fierce dancing too. Didn’t know we had such quality dancers in Brussels. Big up to them. I’ve noticed that the best dancers are very often (not always) black, gay men. Is there a reason for that ? It makes my conviction stronger that every good dj needs / has a black gay following. I, myself, still have a long way to go to reach that goal.(Oh, please don’t take all of this too serious).

Big up to Kwak and Bernard for playing and saying some nice words about my Diana Ross edit. Still needs to work on the sound of it. Thanks to Kwak and LuiGi for offering to help me with that. I take those offers with both hands. And it motivates me to keep on and produce some more.

Up to the next weekend. Meanwhile enjoy the Podcast mix I’ve made.