Think a patio with mountains, Forrest, and some ocean in the background. Creative people with indie and hippie vibes.
I would provide my ideas but I want to see where people would go without my input.
Iām thinking something with a warm, dreamy, imaginative vibe. Maybe some ambient electronica, maybe some well-produced world/house hybrid, maybe some dubby jazz. Something along those lines.
If you were to go in an ambient direction then Iād recommend taking some time to listen to some mixes by Mixmaster Morris - he plays some really nice stuff that I think would be just right.
A few examples of what Iād considerā¦
This came out on Dr Bobās Chillifunk label about 20 years ago. There are a couple of other quality remixes of the same track which take it in a more uptempo direction, but I canāt find them on YT:
When I said ādubby jazzā, this is the sort of thing I had in mind:
I think this track is simply beautiful. It got onto a Defected comp a few years ago, plenty of other stuff on that particular comp which might fit your bill:
Or this if you fancy something much more smooth and uptempo - this is one of my classic ācocktailā records. Charles Webster at his finest imho:
Alternatively, maybe stuff like this version of Riot In Lagos, or other stuff by Ryuichi Sakamoto:
3 Likes
Or, when you said thisā¦
ā¦maybe you were thinking of this? 
:
1 Like
Btw, hereās a link to Morrisā mixcloud. Highly recommended!
Appreciate all the recs! youāve given me some cool stuff to dive into.
1 Like
Is that the right mix of Atjazz?
1 Like
Itās certainly the mix i meant to post. I canāt guarantee that the video is correctly titled (i.e. āAtjazz rmxā) - but Iām fairly sure it is. Iām a vinyl dinosaur and my copy of this 12 is in a storage unit atm so i canāt check right now, but I think the only vinyl release for the mix playing in the video was on this 12 and, having played it frequently in the past, Iād say from memory that itās the 2nd track on Side 2 - which matches the label in the video, soā¦ 
I simply went through YT vids of Slide It In until i found the one I play! Awesome track imho!
1 Like
Iād definitely play something Native American. This is a Seattle band with members of the Tlingit tribe. P-funkās Bernie Worrell, a Cherokee descendant, plays keys. Some Native American flute fronting a funky rock band.
Also, I love brainstorming music for very specific scenarios like this.
3 Likes
As someone who lives on a scenic Pacific Northwest island, surrounded by trees with a view of mountains and not far from from the salt, acquainted with local creative and indie thinkers, not to mention hippy as hell - and who has been a DJ for decades, I admit to being utterly stumped by the question!
When I have DJed here - parties, weddings, my own promoted nights in a rented hall, Iāve found the musical sophistication low, the requests stereotyped, and the general attitude that the DJ was little more than a human-powered jukebox. āPlay this song Iāve heard a thousand times NOW! Donāt even dream of playing something I havenāt heard.ā
This was sometime ago. But it happened repeatedly. Very discouraging. Perhaps things have improved. DJs have acquired a bit more status since then. Perhaps people have got a bit politer. However, what I see around here today is a still strong bias towards live music in pretty well worn styles like blues, bloody Django, countryish folk, tending towards the acoustic.
Good luck if youāve got a gig coming up! Be prepared. Realistically, Iād suggest being clear with your hosts or employers about what they expect and what youāll do.
2 Likes
So, what are your ideas?
Despite my own acerbic response, I think @MusicForHangovers made some real good suggestions.
1 Like
Iāll share my ideas when I get off work so I can embed the songs more efficiently.
Itās a very non traditional wedding. But still a wedding Itās gonna be mostly mainstream. But I wanted to explore what non mainstream stuff I could drop.
For the mainstream side of things, van Morrison and steely Dan are two things that come to mind.
Steely Dan! Thatās rather hilarious. 10 cc would also fit right in with that filthy thought. Juicy Lucy? The Pink Fairies? Throbbing Gristle?
Hope I wasnāt discouraging with my earlier remark. I see youāre an experienced wedding DJ and well organized.
I rubbed both my brain cells together and might suggest some Hawaiian. Lot of backānāforth between the Northwest and Pacific islands. Iām no great expert, but I have put together a couple of unmixed Hawaiian compilations, private label if you know what I mean. Theyāre getting on for twenty years old now. One is generally relaxed, Hawaiian Breeze, and the other is, well, itās called Hawaiian Beat Root Jam. Make of that what you will. Sorry not up to searching for embeds. Anyway, I could send you files if you liked. Just let me know what format. Theyāre in AIFF so almost anything is possible. I made āem for some friendsā wedding. Listening to the Breeze right now. Sounds not bad. Quite varied.
It also crossed my mind that some Brazilian tracks might work. Big field to choose from, the obvious classics to contemporary rhythm workouts. Possibly some of the more anodyne reggae, Third World, Twinkle Brothers, that kind of thing. Aswad. Some guy called Bob Marley also has some good love songs.
Personally, Iād look at some of the more acoustic and accessible African tracks, especially in the AfroCuban style - and why not some salsa?! You could probably add some soca jumpers as well.
Might check out the likes of Soul Sugar, Lord Echo and Guts for some more sophisticated and contemporary takes on dubby soul and salsa. Quanticās various projects also come to mind.
Now you know why the locals here think Iām a nutcase DJ! Not to be trusted.
Can I crash the wedding? Hear how you do. Weāre a big wedding island. Whidbey. Need any local insights, just ask.
3 Likes
Itās great you reminded me about Brazilian. The groom has Clube da Esquina on his shelf.
10cc - Iām not in love works really well for some people. Basically anything on the soundtrack to the first guardians movie is still working.
1 Like
Aaaaahhā¦!! I didnāt realize it was a wedding, and Iām laughing a lot about those comments regarding the Pacific Northwest! Iāve never been further north than San Francisco, so I had in mind a bunch of Silicon Valley sophisticates wearing very plain but highly expensive Japanese designer clothes and sneakers, sipping bottled water while microdosing LSD and listening to Flying Lotus - or something like that!
If weāre talking 10cc and Steely Dan then my notions about ādubby jazzā etc might be a bit too earnest!
A lot of people can be rather sniffy about DJing at a wedding, but frankly I love those gigs (I only ever do them for friends, so all parties know what theyāre getting). Itās a great excuse to pull out a broader range of stuff than might normally be the case.
1 Like
Iām just considering the implications of this choice at a wedding! Surprising how many āclassicā choices at weddings (like āBand of Goldā by Freda Payne) are actually pretty dark and not at all romantic when you listen to the lyrics!
1 Like
Btw, I think @JonathanE 's suggestion regarding Quantic (or QSO or Combo BƔrbaro or whatever) is perfect. Also other Tru Thoughts artists like Alice Russell or Nostalgia 77.
I always get a great reaction from this one - it is recognizable and funky as hell and really makes people sit up and listen:
Also the QSO version of the Beny More classic:
And the original if you want to keep the Afro-Cuban vibe to the fore:
If you were going Brazilian then maybe play covers of the classics - artists like Sergio Mendes are good for that. And Brazilian covers of soul classics. Hereās a well-known one, but it still sounds great. Thereās also a shorter studio version:
2 Likes
3 Likes
Yup, the Paul Simon track had crossed my mind.
1 Like
Should probably stay away from Soft Cellās Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go 12ā masterpiece also!
Hell of a fine song though and everyone knows it from the bloody supermarket - where there should be nothing tainted.
This gorgeous James Carr soul track, some think the best ever, is probably out also!
Or you could live dangerously.
1 Like
Prince Fattyās remixes of Nostalgia 77 tracks are also awesome.
3 Likes