I had the honor and pleasure to rock Concord Music Hall for a sold-out night where we welcomed our re-release into the wild with a full-capacity indoor event, coming off of a really difficult 15 months for us all.  The room was brimming with excitement as we all got together on a dancefloor once again, with me and ARTBAT at the controls.  This extended opening set checked quite a few boxes for me.  It showcased lots of material released / forthcoming on my label (Vested Recordings), it set the vibe on an upward trajectory that I was super happy to curate, it celebrated us all reuniting, and it made wonderful statement for my amazing home city of Chicago with a sold-out weeknight show.  Big thanks to the team at Auris Presents for having me deal this room a small beating, and huge thanks to all of you who showed up in full force.  Together we made it an epic night to truly remember and took a big step in putting 2020 behind us.

Super happy to finally be getting this one up to share, and I hope you love it as much as I loved playing this out for you all.

Press play, turn it up, and as always, if you're feeling this, please hit me with a favorite and/or a repost. If you were there, you'll get to relive a piece of the night. If you weren't, perhaps this will motivate you to catch my next one. *winky face*

Tracklist:
01. Or Sade - Ambivalent (Original Mix)
02. Lykke Li - No Rest For The Wicked (Joris Voorn Remix)
03. ICoen - Lose Yourself (Original Mix)
04. Armonica, Know Kontrol - Slave (Patrice Baumel Remix)
05. Rez Dorsia - Four Darks In Red (Original Mix)
06. Nathan Fake - The Sky Was Pink (James Holden Remix)
07. NekliFF - Dusty (Original Mix)
08. FJ9 - Deeper Than Us (Original Mix)
09. Guy J - Esperanza (Santi Mossman Rework)
10. James Zabiela - No Other Way But Down (Original Mix)
11. Sasha - Coma (Original Mix)
12. ID - ID 
13. Emod - Once There Was (RJ Pickens Analog Reconstruction)
14. Jeremy Olander - sthlm test (Original Mix)
15. Or Sade - Love Story (Original Mix)
16. Audiofly - Circles (Original Mix)
17. Cirez D - Glow (Original Mix)
18. Jeremy Olander - Let Me Feel (Original Mix)
19. Jeff Ozmits & RJ Pickens - Rules of Engagement (RJ Pickens Flightplan Edit)
20. Art Bastian - Infrared (Instrumental)
21. ID - ID 
22. PQM - You Are Sleeping (Matador Remix)
23. Jeremy Olander - Rubicks (Original Mix)
24. ID - ID 
25. ID - ID 
26. SMYL - The Bird (Sasha Remix)

All tracks are property of the original artists and labels, and this mix is for promotional use only. If you like any of these tracks, please support the artists and purchase them!

Follow Me:
facebook.com/rjpickens
soundcloud.com/rjpickens
twitter.com/rjpickens1
instagram.com/rjpickens1
facebook.com/VestedCHI
soundcloud.com/VestedCHI
instagram.com/vestedmusic

RJ Pickens - Live At Concord Music Hall Chicago 17JUN2021 [support For ARTBAT]

What an incredible night this was.  Played a 2 hour peak time supporting slot for my old friend and turntable mastermind: Jody Wisternoff.  If you were there, you already know what happened -- sheer bliss and pandemonium that night from the moment the doors opened to when all the lights came on at the end.  This was one of the best sets I've played in 20+ year DJ career here in Chicago, and it felt incredible to get this one under my belt.  

Press play and turn it way up.

Tracklist forthcoming.

RJ Pickens - Live at Spybar Chicago 30SEPT2023 [supporting set for Jody Wisternoff]

Marsh b2b Sasha at Anjunadeep Open Air Miami, 2024

Marsh B2B Sasha DJ Set - Anjunadeep Open Air Miami, 2024

Marsh - The Cove, Anjunadeep Explorations 2024 (D&B Set)

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► Kaprin  ♫
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Release Date: 31 Jan, 2025
Download: https://www.beatport.com/track/urban-pulse/19933420

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PREMIERE: Kaprin - Urban Pulse [Dear Deer Dubs]

The Great Mix

What an electric night. Myself (RJ Pickens) and IXTO teamed up for our first B2B set ever (public or private), but you’d never know it from how locked in we were. 90mins flew right by in one regard, while experiencing moments where the music made time stand still for us both and for our dancefloor. 

Lots of ground was covered in these 90mins, with much of the set consisting of unreleased material, some of which has since been released (or will soon see a proper release in the future).  Some real gems got played. Hope you enjoy them on the playback as much as we enjoyed playing them in the moment!

Press play, turn it way up loud, and dance like nobody is watching. 

Tracklist:
01.	Kamilo Sanclemente x Paul Van Dyk - Essence of Our Lives (Portals & Parachutes Edit)
02.	ID - ID
03.	Cirez D - Teaser (Patch Park Remix)
04.	Alex O’Rion - Tunnel (Original Mix)
05.	Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know (Richard Knott Remix)
06.	Trisco - Musak (Freedo Mosho Edit)
07.	ID - ID 
08.	Amháin & Covsky - Salamander (Kasey Taylor Remix)
09.	FJ9 x Sol Echo - 1917 (Original Mix)
10.	Sasha x Marsh - Dead Synthy (Original Mix)
11.	ID - ID
12.	Dave Gahan - Dirty Sticky Floors (Junkie XL Vocal Remix / Patch Park Bootleg) 
13.	Kaprin - Urban Pulse (Original Mix)
14.	X-Press 2 - AC/DC (Will DeKeizer Interpretation Remix)
15.  Miss Melera - Sage (Extended Mix)
16.	Molac - High (Just Wanna Rock)
17.	Oliver - Control (Original Mix)
18.	Brynjolfur - Fluxx (Original Mix)

All tracks are property of the original artists and labels, and this mix is for promotional use only. If you like any of these tracks, please support the artists and purchase them!


Follow RJ Pickens
instagram.com/rjpickens1
instagram.com/vestedmusic
instagram.com/portalsandparachutes

Follow IXTO
linker.ee/ixto
instagram.com/ixtomusic
twitter.com/ixtomusic
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RJ Pickens B2B IXTO - Live at Serum Chicago 24JAN2025

This is the CLR Podcast 426 with a 2,5 hours long set by DJ Hyperactive. Enjoy!

Support the artist:
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Track list - CLR Podcast 426 I DJ Hyperactive

Kobe Dupree - A1 Intro - DIGI [MFM4416] - [4Trk]
Choice - Acid Eiffel -Acid Eiffel - [Fragile]
ALIASING - Untitled Trk 3 - Unreleased - [4Trk]
Jason Patrick - Cycle Guide - [4Trk]
Decoder - Iccha 
Planetary Assault Systems - Surface Noise ( Oscar Mulero Reassembly 2 ) - [Mote Evolver]
DRUMCELL - Vexis Heights - [4Trk]
GCOD - Squash The spiders (Original Mix)
Shlomi Aber - Limelight (Aber's Broken Mix) 
TWR72 - 1N0V4T1V3 (Original Mix) - [Hayes]
Submerge - Bring Me Back - [4Trk]
Jay Clarke - In Dreams - [Klockworks]
Truncate & Hyperactive - Universal Function - [Truncate]
CONCEPTUAL (IT) - Soul Against Soul (Original Mix) - [ara]
Jonas Kopp - Red System #1 (Original Mix) - [TH Tar Hallow]
Robert Hood - Art School - [M-Plant]
Bidoben - Sans Soleil
Truncate & Hyperactive - Matter of Time - [Truncate]
IGNACIO - Organa
GCOD - Moodymann (Original Mix)
Jeff Mills - Belief System - [Axis]
FAÏG - Narco
Kobe Dupree - Tongue of the Unseen - [4Trk]
TWR72 - ID34S (Original Mix) - [Hayes]
Museum - CCC (Original Mix) - [Marcel Dettmann Records]
Operator - Novel Horizons [digi only] - [Mord]
MÄUK - Rawnotic (Original Mix)
Kobe Dupree - Lukova - [4Trk]
Bidoben - 98 Fahrenheit
Jeff Mills - Cubango (Original Mix) - [Purpose Maker]
Kobe Dupree - Jacurutu - [4Trk]
Pierce - Grand Finale
Kobe Dupree - Heretics - [4Trk]
DJ SUN - Highway Rituals
Feph - Origae 6 - [© Zosimos]
Decoder - Sunya
KOBE DUPREE - Tongue of the Unseen - [4Trk]
CONCEPTUAL (IT) - Covered in Pollen (Original Mix) - [Illegal Alien LTD]
Pierce - Choices 
Aliasing - Untiled Trk 2 UNRELEASED - [4Trk]
Planetary Assault Systems - Give It Up ( Len Faki Reassembly 2 ) - [Mote Evolver]
Jason Patrick - Innuendo 12
The Advent - Mononix - [Kombination Research]
Møntero - Staying Strong (Original Mix)
4squared - Ebb & Flow
Blenk - FM9 - [Enemy Records]
Mistake Made - Vortices 
Decoder - Emotional Intelligence
Jason Patrick - Rafters - [4Trk]
Drumcell - Vexis Heights - [4Trk]
Etapp Kyle - Essay (Original Mix) - [Klockworks]
Feph - Gravity - [© Zosimos]
TWR72 - 7ECHN0L0G1 (Original Mix) - [Hayes]
Rrose x Polygonia - Haima
Kobe Dupree - Interlude of Voice - [4Trk]

CLR Podcast 426 I DJ Hyperactive

For RA.1000, we take it back to the source with two never-before-heard tapes from Frankie Knuckles's private collection

There is no house music without Frankie Knuckles, literally or figuratively. The queer icon's luxurious DJ sets at Chicago's Warehouse gave a rising movement its name. From there, countless offshoots splintered and travelled the globe. But what did the genesis and growth of the sound really feel like?

The Godfather of House left behind not only timeless records, but personalised cassettes with hand-drawn liner notes handed out to friends and family. Two of those, dated to 1989 and 1996, have been digitised especially for RA.1000. (Thank you to the Frankie Knuckles Foundation.)

To put that in context: the first tape predates not only many of today's active clubbers, but the entire existence of jungle, drum & bass, UK garage, French touch, Jersey club, Afrobeats, IDM, baile funk, hardcore, footwork, dubstep, dub techno, tech house, breaks, minimal, maximal, gqom, gabber, grime and hyperpop.

In short… that's a very, very long time ago. The world of dance music was much smaller. DJ culture was functionally unrecognisable from the one we see in 2025. 

And yet, to some degree, what you'll hear on RA.1000 hasn't changed at all. It's a capture of not only what made Frankie Knuckles one of the beloved pioneers of first-generation dance music, but what draws people to club culture in the first place.

The mood on these Frankie Knuckles sets outlasts even its creator: a spirit of optimism that floods the world's best dance floors and keeps dance music pulsing on into the future, nearly 40 years later, in spite of it all. We end our 1000th mix celebrations here because it all starts there.

Find the tracklist at ra.co/podcast/1018. Listen to all RA.1000 mixes, as well as the complete history of the RA Podcast, at https://1000.ra.co

RA.1000 Frankie Knuckles

I was asked to asked to warm-up the room for Jeremy Olander's Vivrant showcase at Sound-Bar in Chicago, and I was happy to do so.  Jeremy is an artist who's work I've now been a longtime fan of, and it's been pretty awesome seeing his star rise over all these years.  On this special night, I set the tone for the first 2.5 hours, and it truly felt like one of those few-and-far-between events where everything was fully cohesive from start to finish.  Killer vibes all night, and palpable electric energy in the air.  I wish they all could be like this every time.

Anyway, I'm really happy to share this set with all of you, as I know I'm overdue on posting a fresh mix...  And that being said, this is a pretty damn good one to be putting up.  It's stacked with a mixture of super fresh cuts, some tried and true selections with staying power, and I peppered in some fine selections from the Vested Recordings label catalog, some of which are forthcoming releases and got some great reactions from all of you in attendance.

Press play, turn it up, and as always, if you're feeling this, please hit me with a favorite and/or a repost.  If you were there, you'll get to relive a piece of the night.  If you weren't, perhaps this will motivate you to catch my next one.  *winky face*

Cheers,
RJ

RJ Pickens - Live at Sound-Bar CHI - 16Feb2019
Supporting set for Vivrant Music showcase w/ Jeremy Olander
Tracklist:
01. 16 Lolitas - Peninsula (Original Mix)
02. Badin Brothers - Monkey Flute (Original Mix)
03. Eelke Kleijn - The Calling (Extended Mix)
04. Alex Metric, Ten Ven - Plates (Original Mix)
05. Andre Sobota - Missing Line (Golan Zocher Remix)
06. Oliver Schories - Steady State (Dale Middleton Remix)
07. N'to - Note Blanche (Original Mix)
08. Tim Robert - Love Will Mak Us Fly (Robert Mason Remix)
09. Saladin - That Was Yesterday (Original Mix)
10. Marc Romboy & Stephen Bodzin - Atlas (RJ Pickens & Hummingbird's Origins Edit)
11. Morttagua - Amunet (Original Mix)
12. Rez Dorsia- Four Darks In Red (Original Mix)
12. Alexandros Djkevingr, Greg Ignatovich - Year 2086 (Original Mix)
13. Dorian Craft - Asteria (Original Mix)
14. Galexis - Gravity (Monojoke Remix)
15. Emod - I Found My Voice (Original Mix)
16. Zehv - Blanco (Original Mix)
17. Zehv - Blanco (Audioglider Remix)
18. Badin Brothers - Monkey Flute (Ampish Remix)
19. ID - ID 
20. Morttagua - Valhalla (Original Mix)
21. B.B.E. - Seven Days And One Week (Yotto Extended Mix)
22. Alexandros Djkevingr, Greg Ignatovich - Sniffs & Swallows (Original Mix)
23. Valentino - Flying (Original Mix)
24. Eelke Kleijn - Home (Original Mix)

All tracks are property of the original artists and labels, and this mix is for promotional use only. If you like any of these tracks, please support the artists and purchase them!

Follow Me:
facebook.com/rjpickens
soundcloud.com/rjpickens
twitter.com/rjpickens1
instagram.com/rjpickens1
facebook.com/VestedCHI
soundcloud.com/VestedCHI
twitter.com/VestedCHI

RJ Pickens - Live At Sound-Bar CHI - 16Feb2019 [support For Jeremy Olander Vivrant Showcase]

Recorded live at Spybar Chicago - 04Oct2019
[supporting set for Dosem]

It was truly a pleasure to share the lineup with the mighty Dosem.  Most impressively, he has such a dynamic range in his sounds and productions, spanning from deep to house to tech to progressive, this guy can really do it all.  It felt really great for me to be able to cover a bit of ground myself, continue building the room and get some great reactions on so many of these selections I played (including a couple of Vested Recordings tracks).  We mic'd the room that night too, for added bonus, and you can hear some parts where people were really connecting with what was being played.

Thank you all who were part of this start-to-finish stellar night of music.  Those of you where there can press play and relive a bit of this great night again.  If you weren't there, here's what you missed.
Press play and crank it up.  

As always, if you're feeling this, please hit me with a Like / Favorite / Repost / Share / Comment, or all of the above!
Cheers, and thank you all for dancing with me.

Tracklist:
01. Martijn ten Velden - Strings Attached (Original Mix) [About Us Music]
02. Tears For Fears - Shout (Alex Graham Remix) [white label]
03. Donatello & Stefano Richetta - Simplicity (Original Mix) [Click Records]
04. Art Bastian - Blazing Sun (Huxley Remix) [18th Floor Recordings]
05. KARAAL - Imagine (Original Mix) [Fryhide]
06. CIOZ, Sam Shure - Kamala Bani (Original Mix) [Stil vor Talent]
07. Marc DePulse - Pov (Original Mix) [Parquet Recordings]
08. ID - ID [forthcoming on Vested Recordings]
09. Ben Böhmer - Dysphorie (Original Mix) [Freundchen]
10. Cherry (UA) - Come To Me (Original Mix) [Timeless Moment]
11. Martijn ten Velden -  Transition (Original mix) [About Us Music]
12. Nevalu - Hypnotize Me (Original Mix) [Vested Recordings]
13. Anartist - Belossia (Original Mix) [Bonzai]
14. Depeche Mode - Only When I Lose Myself (Freedo Mosho's LA Edit) [white label]
15. Bob Moses - Listen To Me (Cassian Dub) [Domino]
16. Kaz James, Nick Morgan - Twisted (Original Mix) [Saved]

All tracks are property of the original artists and labels, and this mix is for promotional use only. If you like any of these tracks, please support the artists and purchase them!

Follow Me:
facebook.com/rjpickens
soundcloud.com/rjpickens
twitter.com/rjpickens1
instagram.com/rjpickens1
facebook.com/VestedCHI
soundcloud.com/VestedCHI
twitter.com/VestedCHI

The Great Mix

Erik B

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