I decided to shake things up and start 2022 with something fresh and surprising — playing a breaks / left field set on the Dusty Rhino at It's A New Day + Breakfast Of Champions Block Party 2022. It felt like the perfect place to try something new as the history of the Rhino and Cowboys sound has so much breaks in it… it was time for me to explore a new genre. 

I've played on the Rhino for the last few years at BOC and it's always been home & family for me. It meant the world for me to be back here surrounded by so many incredible people and to be reminded how much I love this community. Truly a pleasure. 

This was SO MUCH FUN and I can't wait to bring more breaks into 2022! ENJOY⚡️  

(note: this was re-recorded at home as I think my set was partially clipping from day-of)

Torie - Live on the Dusty Rhino: It's A New Day x Breakfast of Champions [Breakbeat/LeftField]

Sometimes you realize that it's burn day and you have WAY too much leftover meat in various coolers at somewhat questionable temperatures. So you pull the grill out to the bar, and fire her up. Other campmates bring more food, you get out the megaphone and feed the neighborhood all day. If you're lucky, your favorite dj from home (and role model camp creator)will have camped with you that year and magically have 12 hours of songs with words on them AND be in the mood to not leave the decks all day. History will be made and a favorite tradition formed. Minds blown, songs sung at the top of many lungs, and much dust kicked up by many boots.

Years later you'll want to start a soundcloud page for camp, and maybe drag your feet for a while, but along will come a mix, slaved away on throughout a pandemic, by the very dj that set the tone for that magical experience. Part of a series representing our remergence from said pandemic, and a certain psychedelic therapy that feels like a romp around the playa. So you’ll start the soundcloud and just like the Annual Impromptu Questionable Meat Bonanza, a new platform for us to express ourselves will be created under the guidance of the same dj who’s already had such an indelible impact on our culture. 

We're thrilled to have @djspaceotter be the first mix we post here, and look forward to sharing more mixes from our other crazy talented camp mates, and friends!

DBR ❤'s: Spaceotter

I was stoked to return to Northern Nights Music Festival for my second year playing – I threw down a Friday night set at the Submerged Sessions stage for an hour of trippy vocals, rolling baselines, house, minimal, techno n' breaks. This was quite fun to hear these tracks blasting out on a proper Danley soundsystem (thanks, Jobi!!) – it's one of my fav sets I've played in awhile. Thanks to everyone who joined 💜

Torie - Live at Northern Nights: Submerged Sessions

Tropical is thrilled to release our fourth set from Oregon Summer Campout 3 weeks ago!

Please enjoy Joe Pea's  sunset set from Saturday evening 8:00-9:30pm!

More pictures from Tropical Oregon Summer Campout:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=tropicalevents&set=a.5758588450822614

Tropical on FB: Facebook.com/tropicalevents
Tropical on IG: Instagram.com/tropicalsince98

Follow Joe Pea here on Soundcloud @Joe-pea
Insta: @joe_pea

IG: https://instagram/joe-pea
FB artist page: https://www.facebook.com/joepea419

Photo credit: Tyler Cameron
https://www.instagram.com/terpcam/

Joe Pea - TOSC 004 - Live at Tropical Oregon Summer Campout June 25, 2022

Tropical is thrilled to release our sixth set from Oregon Summer Campout 3 weeks ago!

Please enjoy Harlequin's set from Saturday afternon 12:30-2:00pm!

Pictures from Tropical Oregon Summer Campout:
www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanit…5758588450822614

Tropical on FB: Facebook.com/tropicalevents
Tropical on IG: Instagram.com/tropicalsince98

Follow Harlequin here on Soundcloud @harlequinokikai

Photo by Anthony Svendsen
IG: @anthonysvendsen

Harlequin - TOSC 006 - Live at Tropical Oregon Summer Campout June 25, 2022

Audio Angel x GriffinGrrl welcome you to The Unveiling – a multidimensional experience of heartbreak, upheaval and awakening. Step forward with us as this story continues to evolve…  

Gratitude to these artists & labels -- and big love to our crews & collaborators who have traveled by our side over the years.

1~ Subwave, Bop - Take It Off - Hospital 
2~ Skeptical - Desire feat. Collette Warren - Soul:R
3~ Technimatic - True Believer - Shogun Audio
4~ Marcus Intalex - Step Forward - Soul:R
5~ Break - Excuses - Outlook
6~ Netsky - Iron Heart (Nu:Logic Remix) - Hospital
7~ Nu:Logic - Strut feat. Other Echoes (S.P.Y Remix) - Hospital
8~ Alibi - Catalyst - V
9~ Black Barrel, Ill Truth - Make It Funky - Dispatch
10~ Total Science - Nosher (The Sauce Remix) - CIA
11~ Urbandawn - Come Together feat. Tyson Kelly - Hospital
12~ Jimmy, Taurus Riley - Pull Up Selector (Nu:Logic Remix) - Hospital
13~ Bou - Wine Ya B - Critical Music
14~ Traimatize - Stereo Yout - Biological Beats
15~ MA2 - Hearing is Believing (Serum Remix) - Formation
16~ DJ Die, Dismantle - Harder They Come feat. Reddders - Gutterfunk
17~ Dapz & Papa G - Give A Little - Serial Killaz
18~ Blu Mar Ten, Anile - Lyssakses - Medschool
19~ Serum, Paul T & Edward Oberon - Moon In Your Eyes - V

Cover art by Seth Grym
Master by Gene Lee

GriffinGrrl x Audio Angel - The Unveiling

One of my most emotional mixes, this set was recorded Live at Subtract open Air party just outside of LA (Valley) in an absolutely chaotic time for me.  Two days after my only lover of 16 years and wife of 12 told me she didn’t love me anymore and I went to LA with my daughter to process it.  It was also my first time back in LA since moving from there in 2019, and first time seeing/staying with my family since the pandemic.  Unsurprisingly I had trouble keeping myself together in these circumstances.

So suffice to say there are a lot of feelings in this set.  It would have actually been yet moodier but there was a hiccup on start time at this party that changed my set (2nd in order and rt before Doc Martin)  from early-ish to peak.  But it is still an emotional journey, at least for me :) 

It's my break-up set, and those can be powerful.  I'll never forget DJ Heather's at Tropical 2-Year Anniversary in LA in 2000.  It was raw and full of feels and one of my favorites, but I didn't get approval to release, I think it was too personal.

I like to play with the mix of dark and light generally - being a positive person and eternal optimist I overall lean towards light.  This set of course a unique moment in time for me.  It starts more moody and breaks through into the light, also reflecting a transition from more techy opener Bellhop to housier Doc Martin, and a balance of hosts Subtract and Sublevel.  Yeah, I think about all these things :)

It felt so good to be in LA at the party, seeing friends I hadn’t seen in years, feeling supported and loved!  In a euphoric moment towards the end I actually caught air behind the decks - not too often my feet leave the ground back there the way I mix, but Armando Kroma thankfully caught this on camera.  It was the hopeful part of summer 2021 for events and everyone was feeling it -  soon after Delta variant kinda wiped things out again.  

So why didn’t I release this set earlier?   I actually tried.  I had it mastered by Brian Saitzyk, but tbh for about 10 minutes in the middle my attention to my levels was poor in all the emotion and excitement and I pushed the pioneer mixer a bit so there’s a bit of crunchiness that can’t really be mastered out.  

So then I re-recorded it.  I don’t like to do this, I like the way I mix live better, as well as for the live set really to be the live set.  But sound quality is a factor so I did the re-record.  But then never released it.  I also was planning to push the set so the Delta V perhaps another reason I paused on set release...

Maybe too much time just went by.  Maybe it was too emotional for me as turmoil in my life continued.  Things worsened in my marriage, poly definitely did not work, dating after 15 years and a pandemic neither easy nor the focus I really wanted.  I made a lot of progress getting my groove back and enjoying my life in 2022 until my mom became ill very suddenly June 2022 and passed in September. 

Anyway here we are, I am releasing things, moving on in my life and starting to feel my fire again.  

As such I am releasing this set!   This is the original live version lightly mastered for overall levels by Brian Saitzyk.   If the audio quality is compromised some for emotion that’s an accurate reflection of my state anyway, and it’s really just a little fuzzy in a small part of the set anyway.  So, live and raw it is!  

Big thanks to Anton for bringing me, Brian Saitzyk for mastering, Mikey B for commiserating with me, Doc Martin and Andrew Bellhop for playing great sets before and after me, and all my friends for uplifting me (literally this time!), and Armando for catching that moment I broke through into pure joy <3

Ben Annand Live in LA at Subtract/Sublevel Open Air with Doc Martin - July 31, 2021

PLEASE JOIN US FOR LIB 20 YEAR ON SALE NOW at libestival.com.
Many thanks to @Rithma for the beautiful mastering job! 

Lightning in a Botttle 2022 was my first big festival after the pandemic and it was HUGE - more than 30,000 people.  I played Thursday night and there were only 3 stages going and already 18,000 people there.  This set was played on the Junkyard stage to I don't know maybe 1500-2000 people - a secondary stage became pretty main, and the mains of course were nuts at this fest.

I knew exactly where was going with this set, coming out of the pandemic with pure unbridled euphoric house vibe on the edge of underground and mainstream.  People were freaking out, it was so so so lovely there I can't even tell ya ♡♡♡  

Incredible experience and before I go any further let me thank Jesse and Dede Flemming for throwing the whole shebang, and Patricio for curating the Junkyard stage formerly known as Favela Bar.

DJing is an art, or it should be.  I'm not just transitioning tracks, I am almost always playing with tracks together with very short gaps in between. I spend far more time in the mix of two tracks than out.  

DJing is also a performance, particularly at a festival, and to be honest I'm way more natural musically than as a performer.  I think the most important thing is how a mix sounds listening back - lots of the more 'showy' sets I can't get through live let alone listen to later.

BUT PERFORMANCE IS STILL IMPORTANT!  People want to see the DJ having fun, and that's not always natural for me.  

LIB has been a great confidence builder for me, my sets have steadily improved and my DJ energy even more :)  It's become home for me and I have a really nice following there after 5 years straight.

Much credit to the amazing sounding DJ booth provided by Todd Anisman of ChinoSound - who became Tropical's sound guru right after the first tome I played in 2016 - I felt my groove and put on at least a decent show along with a really nice house set.  

MUCH LOVE TO THE ARTISTS FOR THE TRACKS I WOVE TOGETHER - I hope you also listen and enjoy my art ♡♡♡  
Credit where credit's due, and bite my style all you want, it's super flattering and more importantly gives exposure to artists who likely get less than they deserve.  

Special shout out to Kevin McKay who I've been following since 90s Glasgow Underground - always one if my fave vinyl labels - for the peak moment in the middle of this set when the crowd absolutely exploded for 'Move Your Body'.  

And another to Christian Burkhardt for appearing the most in my track list - I guess you know who my favorite producer is lately :).
 
But really, really, all these tracks and artists are super great, please look up and support  

Track List LIB 2022:   Artist - Track (remixer)

1 - Mosta - Paeonia (Lauhaus Remix) 

2 - Milos Pesovic - Don’t Scream

3 - Lauhaus, Maria Franca - Physical

4 - Giorgio Moroder - Our Love (Christian Burkhardt Rmx)

5 - James Dexter, Artslaves - Play On

6 - Chris Wood, Meat, Christian Burkhardt, BMW - Music

7 - Jorjick Croes, Kenny Kelly - Alma & Cuerpo (Shawn Jackson Rmx)

8 - Chris Wood, Meat, Christian Burkhardt, BMW - Super Sync

9 - Christian Burkhardt - In Today’s World

10 - LouLou Players - She Calls (Extended Mix)

11 - Chris Di Perri - For You Homie

12 - Milos Pesovic, Greck B - Head (Saul Antolín Remix)

13 - Alan Fitzpatrick, Reset Robot - Phantom

14 - Adelphi Music Factory -  My People (Love Can Live Forever - (Mark Broom 4am Dub (Extended))

15 - Kevin McKay - Move Your Body (Elevation) (Kevin's Extended ViP)

16 - Christian Burkhardt - Enough

17 - Gerd - 12 Minutes She Danced With an Alien (Jaris Voorn Ruff Mix)

18 - Cristian Merino - Peace, Freedom

19 - Dennis Quin - Are Fundamental

20 - MANT - Subconscious (James Dexter Rmx)

21 - Rob Pearson - Better (Rob Pearson Rmx)

22 - Riggs - Sleight of Hand

Ben Annand Live at LIB 2022 Junkyard Stage

Recorded Live in the BPY Village, Love Burn 2023

Vonfunkhauser - Live @ 420 Party Love Burn 2023

FnF Submission 2023 (OrganicHouse)

I had a short but sweet time at Bug Out Campout 4: Garden of Dreams on day 8 and 9 of my Spring Break roadtrip with my daughter, Cerise.

This set went down at midnight on a pretty frigid desert night, did my best to warm people up with some break and then some techno.  Ok, fine, there's. little house in there too :). Something for everyone, hope you enjoy!

Overall one of my faster sets, starting at 130bpm and creeping up to 132 by the end. 

Many thanks to hosts Neil Bombshelta Black, Jason Deyarmin and Julia Daemia Styczynski for putting together a lovely event ♡

Definite highlight having Cerise bopping around to my breaks - she really has quite the dance moves!  She got cold tho and came and chilled for the rest of my set in back of the DJ booth while I moved more into techno.

Speaking of DJ booth, it was on point and I could hear great!  Sound system was proper for 1000, and decor and visuals were great too.  A lot of care was our into this little party, which of course is close to my heart ♡

Bug Out was intimate and fun!  I wish I had more time there but the time I was there I got to connect with some friends and some new people, all good vibes 🙂

 I hope to be back next year and stay longer- but it also  worked perfectly in this Spring Break adventure this time tbh.

BugOut Breaks And Techno (LIVE In The Mojave Desert 4 - 2-23)

Welcome to the official Soundcloud home for Tropical Since 98, Socal's beloved underground house music event which has donated over $30,000 to charity causes since 1998!  This Soundcloud is dedicated to live sets from the 80+ Tropical parties since it's inception.  

Tropical is the creation of Ben Annand, who continues to organize the event to this day.  The link for Ben's personal Soundcloud is here, be sure and visit that too ;)

http://soundcloud.com/ben-annand 

Tropical started in a warehouse on October 9, 1998, and moved around to different warehouses until making one home in 2003, known as the Tree House.  In 2004 and 2005 Tropical was almost monthly between the Tree House, and newly started boat parties out of Long Beach.  In June and September 2007 were the first 2 Tropical campouts, in Bonsall, CA at the venue now known as the Fire Garden.  In 2008 and 2009 Tropical went to Zuma State Beach in Malibu for summertime Tropical Beach Parties.  

Though occasionally still in a warehouse, since 2011 Tropical has been primarily outdoors, with the main events being the summer boat party and fall/winter Tropical Oasis Retreat, most recently seen on Kauai (Hawaii).  Tropical is 100% nonprofit, donating all proceeds after cost to charity.

Joe Pea - TOSC 004 - Live at Tropical Oregon Summer Campout June 25, 2022

Tropical Since 98

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