I made this mix for the 20 Years Of Anjunabeats Fan Mix Competition (https://anjunabeats.com/20/submit/).

The Anjunabeats catalogue is so vast and even more varied than I thought. I tried to pick somewhat lesser-known artists for this mix.

The hour starts out with some really gentle and beautiful deep/organic/melodic house, then slowly but surely builds momentum with some groovy progressive beats, and finally climaxes with an onslaught of lovely glitchy trance tracks. These tracks, in my opinion, combine the best of harmonically pleasing chord progressions, impressively detailed sound design, and emotive aural dynamics. If you're not blissfully energized and wanting to dance by the end of this mix... then just listen to it again. 🙃

Track list:

1. Yotto - Maggio (Original Mix)
2. Matt Lange - Isn't It Lovely (Original Mix)
3. Kidnap - Silence (Extended Mix)
4. Lycoriscoris - Shizumu (Original Mix)
5. Modd - Beyond (Extended Mix)
6. Jon Gurd - Lion (Leaving Laurel Extended Mix)
7. Braxton - Indigo (Original Mix)
8. Dosem - Eternal Summer (Extended Mix)
9. Trance Wax - Beul Un Latha (Original Mix)
10. Martin Roth - Organic Cold Brewed Hipster Funk (Extended Mix)
11. Xinobi, Vaarwell - Steady (Extended Mix)
12. Moon Boots, Steven Klavier - Tied Up (Original Mix)
13. Mat Zo, OLAN - Colours (Original Mix)
14. Cristoph - SFB (Original Mix)
15. Tinlicker, Run Rivers - Lost feat. Run Rivers (Extended Mix)
16. PROFF, EKSF - For The Night (Extended Mix)
17. Jaytech - Dreamworld (Extended Mix)
18. Judah - Misdirection (Extended Mix)
19. 7 Skies - ZAO (Extended Mix)
20. Above & Beyond - Hello (Extended Mix)
21. Above & Beyond - Rocket Science (Extended Mix)

Anjunabeats Fan Mix (May 1, 2021)

"Love and Trance" was the tagline for my Dolofest X opening set at The Black Cellar in Brooklyn, which was the first post-vaccine event I DJed at. I think there's more love than trance in here, but these are all tracks that I like to play on repeat, whether I'm listening with one or many. In any case, it warmed up the crowd nicely 💓

Track list:

1. Pendulum - 9,000 Miles (Eelke Kleijn Remix)
2. Amtrac - Replica (Original Mix)
3. Paolo Mojo - 1983 (Eric Prydz Remix)
4. No Mana & Chipzel - Secret Level (Original Mix)
5. Gareth Emery pres. Runaway - Outrageous (Original Mix)
6. Andain - Beautiful Things (Gabriel & Dresden Unplugged Mix)
7. Pryda - Shadows (Original Mix)
8. Above & Beyond - Home (Boxer & Amy Wiles Extended Mix)
9. No Mana feat. Jantine - Strangers (Original Mix)
10. Max Cooper - Resynthesis 3D (Original Mix)
11. No Mana - VVVR (Original Mix)
12. Armin van Buuren feat. Fiora - Waiting For The Night (Beat Service Remix)

Dolofest X Mix (June 19, 2021)

Beautiful melancholy, melancholic beauty... harmonious melodies and melodious harmonies. 🏔️

~
Original track by Krisu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf_EZIpWuJQ

Krisu - Your Soul Is Beautiful (JC++ remix)

The axiom of choice is a mathematical assertion that can be understand colloquially as the ability to go through an infinite number of buckets and choose exactly one object from each bucket (assuming there are no empty buckets).

It seems simple enough (and maybe even "obvious"), but it actually has a bunch of implications in the world of mathematical proofs that boggle my mind, including the fact that you can cut up a sphere into a small number of pieces and then reassemble those pieces into... two spheres of the same size as the original. Insert balls joke here. (Look up the Banach-Tarski paradox if you want to go down a rabbit hole.)

Don't even get me started on the hairy ball theorem. 🌐

Axiom of Choice

A quick 15-minute set to pump you up for the day. 💪

Track list:

1. JC++ - Sin Prisa Sin Pausa
2. JC++ - Neon Rain
3. Eric Prydz - Inox vs Shadows (mixed by Mandeep Bhusri)
4. Stan Kolev - Oblivion (Austin Pettit Remix)
5. Amy Wiles & Matt Fax - Remind Me Why feat. Mirror Machines (Extended Mix)

Twitch Hackweek Opening Ceremony (April 4, 2022)

This was my first time playing at The Lot Radio in Brooklyn! (thelotradio.com) 🚚

Here I presented a musical journey of progressive, deep, and electro house. 🏠

Track list:

1. 16 Bit Lolitas - Nobody Seems To Care (Anjunadeep 08 Mix)
2. Ben Böhmer & Malou - Lost In Mind (Volen Sentir Vision)
3. Xinobi, Vaarwell - Steady (Extended Mix)
4. Le Youth - Touch (JackLNDN Remix)
5. Avoure - Aura (Lane 8 Edit)
6. Above & Beyond - Home (Boxer & Amy Wiles Extended Mix)
7. Stephan Bodzin — Earth (Mind Against Remix)
8. Eric Prydz - Inox vs Shadows (mixed by Mandeep Bhusri)
9. Cherry (UA) - Euphoria (Extended Mix)
10. Jam & Spoon feat. Rea - Set Me Free (Pavel Khvaleev Remix)
11. Stan Kolev, Matan Caspi, Aaron Suiss - Trimurti (Original Mix)
12. JC++ - Neon Rain
13. Valante - Oorun
14. Lazerus - Oracle (Extended Mix)
15. JC++ - Knobs 'n' Stuff
16. Sebastian Weikum - Analogue
17. Stan Kolev - Oblivion (Austin Pettit Remix)
18. Matt Fax & Amy Wiles - Remind Me Why feat. Mirror Machines (Extended Mix)
19. Two Are & Stereo Tourist - Walking in Silence (Extended Mix)
20. TWO LANES x Panama - Rolling Back (Durante Remix)

Progressive Hour @ The Lot Radio (April 25, 2022)

With this track, I was in a contemplative mood and combined chopped-up vocal clips with atmospheric waves of sound (high synth chords and low bass swells). The breakdown starting at 1:05 uses a half-time beat and leans into the vocal chops to create a mysterious vibe. The track title was inspired by a plot device from the movie "Everything Everywhere All at Once". If you could put anything you wanted from the universe onto one bagel, what would it become? 🥯

Anything Bagel

I combined some slightly more complicated drum patterns in this one, along with all the ear candy layers you could wish for. You might be expecting a breakdown and a second drop, but I liked how it sounds as is and wanted to leave the listener (you) wanting more. The track title came from a phrase I encountered in Douglas Hofstadter's book "I Am A Strange Loop". If you end up spacing out while listening to this, then mission accomplished. 🌌

Complex Reflexes

I played this at Eris Evolution Open Decks in Williamsburg on an August evening for a small group of friends and music aficionados. 88 minutes of bumpin beats ranging from progressive house to melodic techno. Nearly half of the tracks are JC++ productions, one of which a friend described as evocative of a "space chase". 👨‍🚀

Track list:

1. JC++ - Murdered Dreamz
2. JC++ - Fractal Eyes
3. JC++ - Neon Rain
4. Cramp - Buggy Funk (Original Mix)
5. JC++ - The Night Stopper
6. JC++ - Axiom of Choice
7. JC++ - Pent Up Demand
8. JC++ - Theorema Egregium [unreleased]
9. Stan Kolev - Ineffable (Original Mix)
10. JC++ - One Zeno
11. Max Freegrant & Slow Fish - Stranger Things
12. Rob Dougan - Clubbed to Death II (Full Piece) [From Ep. 9 From Paper to Performance]
13. JC++ - Complex Reflexes
14. Nora En Pure - Oblivion (Extended Mix)
15. JC++ - Quantum Qualia
16. ZHU - Risky Business (Original Mix)
17. Pryda - Shadows (Original Mix)
18. JC++ - Machinehead++
19. MOLLA (IL) - Take Me 7 (Original Mix)
20. JC++ - Superstrings
21. Deadmau5 - HR 8938 Cephei
22. JC++ - Montana Ave
23. Miss Monique - All I Got (Extended Mix)
24. Arm In Arm - Hunger For Your Vibe (Moonwalk Remix)
25. Eleonora, Rodg - Forever Lost (Arude Remix)
26. Genix, Ruben De Ronde, Rodg - Midnight Blue (Matt Fax Extended Remix)
27. Lynn, Asher Swissa - Heartbeat (Extended Mix)
28. Joshua Moreno - Radiohead - Everything In It's Right Place (JoMö's Luscious Rework)
29. JC++ - Anything Bagel
30. Maor Levi - Am I Dreaming (JC++ Cuckoo Clock Remix)
31. Pierce Fulton - This Is What Gets Me Home
32. Leaving Laurel - Need Little, Want Less (Original Mix)

Open Decks @ Eris Evolution (August 24, 2022)

I'll spare you the geeky explanation of the track title (you can look it up), but this is definitely one of my favorite tracks so far. The chord progression is relatively simple and I was able to plop out (blob out? blop out?) the main melody in one sitting. I had the most fun doing detailed sound design on all the different instrument layers and the swirly sparkly sound effects that come in near the end. Listen to the glisten 🗺️

Theorema Egregium

Okay I know I said the previous track was my favorite track so far, but it turns out I like this one even better. As usual, I sprinkled a generous helping of ghostly and robotic vocal effects throughout, but it is definitely the sexy female lead and blended harmonies that give it an irreplicable emotional punch. The track title is a Simpsons reference (S05E13), but I feel like the lyrics match it quite nicely. Personally the goosebumps kick in for me at the second drop around 2:40. ⏳

I Can See Through Time

I played the 7pm opening set for Lance's 30th birthday party and celebratory Twitch stream with the rest of the AGC crew in Denver. I snuck in a few JC++ tracks, and it was my first time syncing visuals manually using a controller pad on the side. Plus the first time playing on a sound system with a subwoofer that you could literally fit three people inside. Enjoy the grooves and wubz! ⚰️

Track list:

1. Tinlicker - Shadowing (Original Mix)
2. Royksopp - Sordid Affair (Maceo Plex Mix)
3. Eleonora, Rodg - Forever Lost (Arude Remix)
4. JC++ - I Can See Through Time
5. Maor Levi - Am I Dreaming (JC++ Cuckoo Clock Remix)
6. JC++ - Anything Bagel
7. Kaskade - Play with Me
8. Cramp - Buggy Funk (Original Mix)
9. Khomha - Laberinto (Extended Mix)
10. JC++ - Brain Drops
11. Paul Thomas, White-Akre - Vyote (Extended Mix)
12. James Egbert, No Mana - Alive (Original Mix)
13. ZHU, Arctic Lake - Yours (Original Mix)
14. The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition (Axwell & Dirty South Remix)
15. Ariana Grande - Into You (3LAU Remix)
16. Arty & Mat Zo - Rebound (Artemil Remix)
17. Cosmic Gate and Emma Hewitt - Going Home (Gareth Emery Radio Edit)
18. Eelke Kleijn, Ost - Lost Souls feat. Ost (Nora En Pure Extended Remix)
19. Ellie Goulding - Lights (Bassnectar Remix)

Aspen Grove Collective Opening Set @ Bar 404, Denver (November 19, 2022)

Ethereal and energetic, with punchy percussion and a sprinkling of decorative sounds.

That's me playing bass guitar in the outro section. 🎸

Moderated Debauchery

Driving down a decaying urban street, headlights piercing into the gloomy night, cranking the sound system up, trying to stay awake. There's your imagery. 🟤

Cold Coffee

I played this at the beginning of my 37th birthday party at a venue in Williamsburg, warming the crowd up for our rock band show that followed. About two-thirds of what you hear are original tracks of mine, mixed with some favorites from Kaskade and others. Everything here is totally my vibe! 🤘

Track list:

1. JC++ - Moderated Debauchery
2. JC++ - Compu Global Hyper Mega Net
3. Kaskade, Cop Kid - Turn It Down v3 (Extended)
4. JC++ - I Can See Through Time
5. Maor Levi - Am I Dreaming (JC++ Cuckoo Clock Remix)
6. Robert Miles, Tinlicker - Children (Extended Mix)
7. JC++ - Anything Bagel
8. JC++ - Sin Prisa Sin Pausa
9. JC++ - A Small Amalgamation [unreleased version]
10. JC++ - Knobs 'n' Stuff
11. JC++ - Neon Rain
12. Kaskade, Skylar Grey - Room for Happiness v3 (Extended Version)
13. Eddie, No Mana - Fragile Human (Original Mix)
14. Kaskade, Ella Vos - Eyes v3 (Extended)
15. JC++ - Cold Coffee
16. Kaskade - On Your Mind (Original Mix)
17. JC++ - Machinehead++

Untz 11: Playful Possibilities (July 8, 2023)

I had fun making this one and I have fun listening to it too. It's got all the hallmarks of a JC++ track, including sliced and diced robohuman vocals, a solid "punching a stuffed animal" beat, the beautiful stretchy ethereal breakdown bridge, and various razzle dazzle sprinkles of soundgarden dew drops on the peripheries of your ears. Is that enough of a decorative description for ya? 💓

Lights Lasers Cannons Fireworks Drones My Heartbeat

I chose a more subdued beat for this track, but you'll still hear the usual mix of angelic female melodies and sliced and diced voices. Attentive listeners will notice at least one instrument layer which I reused from a previous production. This song reminds me of a serene landscape, on the shores of an ocean, lush with vegetation. Not all the sounds make sense, but they're not supposed to. 🧠

Semantic Satiation

This is the type of progressive, layered, relentless energy that I like to dance to at festivals and such. Crank it up and let yourself go. Hopefully I can play this on a ginormous sound system someday. ♾️

Infinite Drive

For this track, I randomly started with the atmospheric/rhythmic synth sounds in the background and kept the drum beat pretty simple. I layered on the buzzy bass to give the sandwich more "meat" but resisted adding too many dramatic swells or drops. I'm going for a "peaceful haunting" feel. Something about observing the interplay of light, sound, and power. ⚛️

Elektromolekular

I made this mix for the Discovery Project: EDC Las Vegas 2024 DJ/producer competition (https://www.insomniac.com/music/discovery-project/competitions/edc-las-vegas-2024-dj-producer/).

It clocks in right under 35 minutes, and includes 6 original tracks by yours truly (including an unreleased one!). I also selected a handful of other progressive house and trance artists whose styles have inspired and complemented mine.

The tempo doesn't deviate from 124-128 BPM, so it's suitable for a dance party or just groovin' in the background while you work on your award-winning magnum opus. 🌠

Track list:

1. JC++ - Neon Rain
2. Yuji Ono & Motoki Asada - Downpour
3. Tinlicker - Blowfish (Extended Version)
4. JC++ - Benevolent Dictation [unreleased]
5. Deadmau5 - Nosedive
6. JC++ - Infinite Drive
7. JC++ - Moderated Debauchery
8. JC++ - Evergreen Terrace
9. Andrew Bayer & Matt Lange feat. Kerry Leva - In And Out Of Phase (Norin & Rad Remix)
10. JC++ - Lights Lasers Cannons Fireworks Drones My Heartbeat
11. Lamorn - Armed (Original Mix)

Discovery Project: EDC Las Vegas 2024 (April 19, 2024)

Those of you who've followed my musical journey through the years know that I host "Untz" parties every year or so, whenever time/space allows. Yesterday was the 12th instantiation of said event, and I took the opportunity to showcase 28 of the tracks that I've produced over the years. Please enjoy this curated set of carefully crafted sounds. 🔺

Track list:

1. JC++ - Sin Prisa Sin Pausa
2. JC++ - Anything Bagel
3. JC++ - Moderated Debauchery
4. JC++ - A Small Amalgamation
5. JC++ - Neon Rain
6. JC++ - Benevolent Dictation
7. JC++ - Pent Up Demand
8. Maor Levi - Am I Dreaming (JC++ Cuckoo Clock Remix)
9. JC++ - Theorema Egregium
10. JC++ - Quantum Qualia
11. JC++ - Semantic Satiation
12. JC++ - One Zeno
13. JC++ - Cold Coffee
14. JC++ - Elektromolekular
15. JC++ - Complex Reflexes
16. JC++ - Fog of Peace
17. JC++ - Fade Into Bushes
18. JC++ - Machinehead++
19. JC++ - Meowzz
20. JC++ - Montana Ave
21. JC++ - I Can See Through Time
22. JC++ - Everyone Wow Now
23. JC++ - Compu Global Hyper Mega Net
24. JC++ - Infinite Drive
25. JC++ - Evergreen Terrace
26. JC++ - Knobs 'n' Stuff
27. JC++ - Serializing Tubes
28. JC++ - Lights Lasers Cannons Fireworks Drones My Heartbeat

Untz 12: Potent Potential (April 27, 2024)

I titled this track "Total Tonnage" for the entire time I was working on it, and then with one keystroke, ended up saving it as "Tonal Tonnage". But I kinda like how that sounds better. The vocals are from an old-school typing tutorial and function as sort of an auditory Rorschach test... 🏗️

Tonal Tonnage

As they say, art is never truly finished... it is merely abandoned. I swear I replaced the lead synth in this track like six different times. The incarnation you hear here has a fun "video game map exploring" vibe to it, don't you think? I can release another version in the future with a sexy female singing melodious lyrics on top. Everything in its own time (and space)... 🪐

Everything In Its Own Space

I injected some pop-y vocals into this one. For the feelz. 'Tis a bop. But don't worry, I still have some ethereal sprinkles of glitchy ambiance. ✨

Digital Dust

This might be my favorite track yet. I've always been a little hesitant (for no good reason) about adding "poppy" lyrical vocal leads to my productions, but I'm starting to understand how they can really help the song emotionally resonate and make it more memorable for listeners. These vocals are from a sample pack by Emily Vaughn. Is she singing the same thing over and over again? Yes, but that's kind of the point. Repeating words and phrases can be quite useful for instilling and remembering them (hence the title). 🗣️

Mantric Mnemonic

I played this DJ set on the first night of Lunar New Year 2025 (year of the Snake), at Eris Open Decks in Brooklyn, NYC. The hour-long musical journey fully consists of original JC++ productions that I've made over the last few years. It starts out more slowly (in fact the first track title means "without hurry, without pause") and builds up energy (and vocals/lyrics) as the set progresses. Seeing my #1 fan smiling in the crowd and getting people dancing was the perfect way to kick off the year! 🌚

Track list:

1. JC++ - Sin Prisa Sin Pausa
2. JC++ - Anything Bagel
3. JC++ - I Can See Through Time
4. JC++ - Everything In Its Own Space
5. JC++ - Moderated Debauchery
6. Maor Levi - Am I Dreaming (JC++ Cuckoo Clock Remix)
7. JC++ - Evergreen Terrace
8. JC++ - An Epsilon of Room
9. JC++ - Rigid Bodies
10. JC++ - Neon Rain
11. JC++ - Benevolent Dictation
12. JC++ - Mantric Mnemonic
13. JC++ - Digital Dust
14. JC++ - Lights Lasers Cannons Fireworks Drones My Heartbeat
15. JC++ - Infinite Drive
16. JC++ - Tonal Tonnage
17. JC++ - Cold Coffee

Open Decks @ Eris (January 29, 2025)

I sought a more peaceful, beautiful and scenic vibe this time. The drum beat is different than the typical "four on the floor" house track, but you could choose to dance to this nonetheless. I sprinkled in lots of interweaving soothing vocals, chiming sparkles, nature sounds, and an undulating bassline as a underlying baseline. All your secrets uh oh... 🌕

Secret Spaces and Pretty Places

A "brilliant move" in chess is a move that's considered strong, surprising, and critical to the game's outcome. It often involves a sacrifice of a piece or an exchange of some sort. In algebraic chess notation, a brilliant move is indicated by a double exclamation point (!!). Meanwhile, a "blunder" (a critically bad mistake) is denoted by "??", and a "dubious move" is denoted by "?!". Maybe those can be future track titles. 👑

Brilliant Move

"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And one fine morning——

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

~~~~

What do these closing lines of The Great Gatsby mean?

According to teh interwebz (AI something or another),

This line is a "meditation on the paradox of progress", while also serving as "a critique of the American Dream".

It utilizes the repetition of the "b" sound to create rhythm and draw emphasis... and it "brings the story to a close in a minor key".

~~~~

I think some of those descriptions apply to this song too! 🚣‍♂️

Borne Back

I named this track "Cerulean", which is a shade of blue that's light or dark depending on how you want to look at it... it took me most of March and April to make this track, partially because I couldn't quite get it to sound like what I thought I wanted it to sound like when I started making the track. But then I realized it doesn't need to sound like what I originally thought I wanted it to sound like - it's perfectly okay (great, actually) for it to sound different than my original intention, as long as it ultimately feels like something I made, and something I'm willing to put out there in the world. Especially if the next step that feels right is to let go of it and move on.

Style wise, I don't really know what to call this, but it's definitely moody and kind of dreamy with a low throbbing pulse throughout. I focused more on crafting the sound design (rather than transitions or "drops" per se), especially with some of the buzzy bass swells and the vocal atmospheres. The singing voice that you hear come in around the 3 minute mark was made using Music AI Sandbox, which my team at Google built and recently announced: https://deepmind.google/discover/blog/music-ai-sandbox-now-with-new-features-and-broader-access/

When I listen to this track, I imagine a watery dreamscape with animals frolicking to and fro. The deeper you go, the darker it gets. 🌊

#MusicAISandbox #Cerulean #ArtIsNeverFinishedOnlyAbandoned

Cerulean

I challenged myself to make this track, including the album art and video, in less than 12 hours (start to finish; non consecutively). And I did it! I began on a Tuesday and released it on the following Sunday. This is not meant to be an exuberantly energetic song, but it should pair quite nicely with an easygoing walk or a peaceful meal. What's the meaning of a velvet lined box, you ask? Well, beauty comes in many forms... ⚰️

Velvet Lined Box

If you start playing this set right after dinner, it should help you get through that food coma phase :) Starts out slow and relaxing for the first half hour or so, then does a few tempo changes here and there, gradually building momentum for an energetic finish. Good for pumping yourself up before a night out.

Track list:

1. Swedish House Mafia - Don't You Worry Child (PANG! Slow Things Down Mix)
2. Rufus Du Sol - Innerbloom (Lane 8 Remix)
3. Toto - Africa (Mozambo Remix)
4. Mono Mind - Save Me A Place (Bridge & Mountain Remix)
5. C A N T I - Human Music
6. Shook - Walking To The Sun
7. Daft Punk - Veridis Quo
8. James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream (Kygo Remix)
9. Seven Lions - Lose Myself (feat. Lynn Gunn)
10. Rameses B - Mountains (feat. Veela) (Monstercat Release)
11. Estiva - Flares
12. Eric Prydz - Breathe (feat. Rob Swire)
13. Autograf - Episode
14. Ellie Goulding - Burn (Mat Zo Remix)
15. San Holo - Light
16. Zedd & Alessia Cara - Stay (Tritonal Remix)
17. Protoculture - The Descent (Extended Mix)
18. Knife Party - Begin Again
19. Ram - Heartfelt
20. Jean-Michel Jarre & Tangerine Dream - Zero Gravity (Above & Beyond Remix)
21. Deorro - Five Hours
22. Orjan Nilsen - Violetta (Original Mix)
23. Tiesto feat. Disco Fries - iTrance
24. The M Machine - Superflat
25. Wolfgang Gartner - Illmerica
26. Loopy - Need 2 Stop
27. Haywyre - Insight
28. Paper Diamond - Can We Go Up?
29. Andy Moor feat. Carrie Skipper - So Much More (Myon & Shane 54 Remix)

Burning Man 2017 Thursday night mix @ Giraffic Park (August 31, 2017)

pushing buttons 🔘 and twisting knobs 🎛️

JC++, a producer and DJ with Midwestern roots, was classically trained on piano, clarinet, and bass guitar. Now living in NYC and armed with a laptop and headphones, he plays with electronic music as a universal language that anyone can connect with.

His progressive house tracks create a fun mood in a range of spaces, from casual apartment hangs to dance floor parties. Layered vocals and intricate soundscapes turn his music into vibrant journeys, keeping the energy going with a whimsical touch.

What is JC++ in a nutshell? The aural rendition of an emoji. d(@_@)b

~~~

dj.jcplusplus@gmail.com

http://jcplusplus.com

Popular tracks by JC++