Here's an edit I made a few years back with Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody?" Instead of that two-step laid back vibe, I wrapped up her vocals in a blanket of bass and beats.. This one gets played at every party and I'm still so happy to see people lose their shit when the chorus drops.. you just gotta wait for it..

Aaliyah - Are You That Somebody? (LBZ Backspace Club Mix)

This one is really old now, maybe people have kinda forgotten about this track. I did not. Really icy progressive breaking beats and a forlorn vocal performance by guest Molly made this into a chilled mix that is perfect for driving or concentrating or just disconnecting altogether. 

Gabriel & Dresden, Christian Cambas - Tracking Treasure Down (LBZ Paramount Extension)

I was really moved by Michael Elliot's fantastic remix of the De Nuit classic "All That Mattered" and found myself cutting up vocal bits of FM's "Rocketeer" until it sounded a bit like a radio edit but with a whole new character. Pop music ain't so bad, it just needs a new veneer sometimes.

De Nuit, Far East Movement - All That Rocketeer Mattered (Distraktor Chop Shop Bootleg)

Off the top -- All credit belongs to Butch, Bombay Bicycle Club, and Dark Sky. I make no claim to these tracks and this edit is purely for my own personal entertainment.

Despite its mouthful of a title, the track is primarily an extended edit of the astonishing Dark Sky remix to Bombay Bicycle Club's "Lights Out Words Gone."

I found myself playing the track twice on my way to work in the morning -- it's that good. Not content to leave it at that, I pulled the track into Live and began cutting it up and stretching it out until its length is roughly that of my commute to Oakland -- about ten minutes.

This is my first crack at an extension and I tried to keep the arrangement as interesting as possible with some added kicks and percussion but the real work is carried out by heavily edited versions of these tracks riding each other.

As the case seems to be with my tracks, they're never "done" but it's reached a stable enough point that any changes at this point would be minor. I'm ready to put this out and move on :) Thanks for listening.

Butch vs. BBC & Dark Sky - Drummer's Light Drama Words Gone Out (Distraktor 880 North Edit)

Soundcloud removed my original version, serving as motivation to fix this and reupload. To be clear, as with all my other bootlegs, I make no claims to the original material and only produce and release these tracks because it's fun and I thrive on the feedback of people like you who take a few minutes to hear what I'm doing.

I sped this version up just a little (100bpm dragged too much) and attempted to tighten up my arrangement (still considered to be a work in progress.) I was getting motion sickness from overly aggressive sidechaining on the bass so I think that came out much cleaner in this revision as well. 

Hope you guys dig it. I may or may not put a final version up. Grab this one while you can, not sure if it will stay up or not!

Beautiful Things (Distraktor's Disco Xanax Redux) (Free WAV DL)

I wish I had a better description for this. I started to write something clever and erased it immediately.

This project began as an accident in Traktor and has since blossomed into an Ableton production.

I love the Final DJs and this track in particular had been hiding from me for awhile. After dusting it off and giving it several listens, I knew it was ripe for a mashup. I came across Flo's "Cosmic Love" acapella and wondered what it might sound like if she were in-studio, laying down a vocal track for the already-emotional instrumentation of "Nightflies."

Ergo I started massaging the two until they began to sound like one. Added some extra kicks, extended some parts, added a little sidechaining pumpy pumpy, some strings, fills, and countless little other neurotic adjustments. Now it sounds like this. Full disclosure: I've never actually heard the original version of "Cosmic Love."

Naturally this track is just for fun. I highly recommend that you support the Final DJs, they're fantastically nice guys and make amazing tracks. Don't forget to support Florence and her wacky machine, too.

Florence & the Final DJs - Cosmic Nightflies (Distraktor's No Dawn Reboot)

Hey gang... after a brief hiatus from Soundcloud, I'm posting this remix that I started in April and got around to "finishing." I have uploaded and passed around a couple of working versions but I think this is the final shape and sound of the track.

Why I selected this track still remains a bit of a mystery. I was digging through some acapellas and found this great little gem. Forgetting everything I remembered about the original, I had a spacey disco vibe in mind for Melvin Riley's vocal... maybe like a B-side of some wacky European import 12" of this track that you'd find at a garage sale or used vinyl shop.

The original is pretty wacky, fun loving, mid-80's silliness. Once you peel the original instrumentation away, I found the song to be emotional, and a story of unrequited love is laid bare. While it is commonly understood that Sheila is qualified to fill her needs, our protagonist just wants the attention she gives to her other male friends. That's the angle that I decided to approach with the sounds and motion in this version.

I hope you guys love it as much as I do.

Since it's hard for me to tell if I'm doing it right, comments are encouraged. <a href="http://www57.zippyshare.com/v/58658633/file.html">You could find a link to the uncompressed CD quality version here.</a>

Ready for the World - Oh Sheila (Distraktor's Dusty Stylus Remix)

Hey, gang. I've been sitting on this bootleg for awhile but figured it was a good idea to share it with you since it's probably reached its maximum evolution. It seems like every DJ has their own version of "Dreams" so I'm throwing my hat in the ring.

Arguably at the top of their catalog in terms of popularity and recognition, I wanted to create a different bed for Nicks' chilling vocal performance when M-Seven's "Timeline" popped up in a playlist. I found myself singing the chorus to "Dreams" on top of it which quickly led me to locate a rather high quality acapella of the original.

From there it blossomed into a bit of its own creature. Maybe you know that I'm a sucker for heartbreak and catharsis so I tried to Focus on the Feels and bring a fresh sadness to this amazing classic.

Of course I cannot take credit for the original songs. I'm just sharing with you my labor of love. Downloads are free, comments are welcome. I hope you find this touching.

EDIT: Post-Upload Mea Culpa -- I am bad at Soundcloud and I should feel bad. After posting the track I noticed some digital garbage at the end of the track that somehow ended up onto the final print. Should have double checked. If it bugs you as much as me, then you can download corrected MP3 and high res WAV files from my <a href="https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B0n6-AR-laYXRVZvcGhvTm11WTA/edit?usp=sharing">Google Drive</a>. And have it alongside my deepest apologies.

FM-Seven - Timeline of Dreams (Distraktor Bootleg)

Anybody remember this track? No? I'm not surprised. I tried to strip my version down into something bleak and maybe a little bit hopeless.. trapped in a fog and just being so miserable and angry inside of it.. 

You really should check out the original version which is some kind of magic for sure. I consider this to be a work in progress but I think I'm ready to lay this project to rest and that can't happen until I let it go and put it before you guys.

I feel better now that it's out of my hands.

Dark Globe feat. Amanda Ghost - Break My World (Distraktor Remix)

Oh Dougy Mandagi, on thee how I do crush.

Here's my party-time edit of TT's ubiquitous "Sweet Disposition" and a groovy bumping re-imagination of Spandau Ballet's "True" courtesy of Nora en Pure.

Together I think they make magic. Had a little fun with this and even came up with a little wacky two-part harmony toward the end. Kind of a fun accident.

Nora en Pure, Temper Trap - Salty Sweetwater (Distraktor Bootleg)

What?

I don't know where the inspiration for this came from, other than just playing around with the track stems and it began to sound good (to my ears) when the key of the track was brought down and in the process made it feel a little darker? I haven't listened to the original, pretty much as usual, I just wanted to make something up without the poison of what it "should" sound like in my head. Credit really goes to Jhonny & Peps for their incredible track Acqua as the glue that kinda makes sense of it all.

0ne Republic, Jhonny & Peps - If I Lose My Acqua (Distraktor Reboot)

Fresh Out the Bedroom...

New on the social networking scene but hardly a stranger to dance music, Distraktor has been fader-fiddling for the better part of the last 20 years. Heavily influenced by the sounds and jocks of early/mid-90s dance stations KZ-93 FM in Peoria, Illinois and the legendary B96 FM (Bad Boy Bill, Mixin Marc, Julian Perez, Tim Schommer) in Chicago as well as the local skating rink (that's no lie) his style defies confinement and  aims to make music FUN.

His work combines elements that span the progressive and funky house genres along with electro, dubstep, funk, tribal, and nuances of great pop music to create fresh sounds that you're hearing again for the first time.

Looking forward is looking back. Distraktor's history includes the legendary El Torito Thursday House Parties and numerous appearances throughout the Bay Area to get people on their feet and shaking their asses. His formula includes weaving wacky mashups, devastating drops, and lots of "ohhhh yeahhhh, I know this song!!!" as partygoers revel in recognition of old tracks spun a new way.

Now it's time to spread the formula far and wide -- and Distraktor wants you to be a part of his militia. Your speakers have been warned!

Distraktor

Popular tracks