"MOIST" V.Apr.10.Pt.3 | Take Back the Circuit B

Hey everyone, hot off the presses, we have this weekends edition of Club FG Internation w/ DJ Peter Rauhofer posted on the home page (almost as quick as it was aired!), as well as Part B to the multi-part MOIST entitled "Take Back The Circuit!"

MOIST.V.Apr.10.Pt.3
1. Erika Jayne - Pretty Mess (Tracy Young Club)
2. Soul Project Feat Lisa Hunt - Music Makes Me Free (Morris Corti Remix)
3. Robyn - Dancing On My Own (Chew Fu Extended Mix)
4. Christina Aguilera - Not Myself Tonight (toMOOSE Dirty Club Remix)
5. Rihanna - Rude Boy (Ranny and Bryan Reyes Club Mix)
6. Tocadisco & Nadia Ali - Better Run (Club Mix)
7. Sylvia Indeep vs. Gloria Estefan - Kiss My Salsa (DJ Seth Cooper's Private Mix)
8. Ralphi Rosario Feat. Abel - La Pachanga (Native Drums Mix)
9. Steve Aries Feat Lavoie - Dressed In White (Ana Paula Mix)
10. La Miss - Something I Should Know (Da Brozz Rmx)
11. Macy Gray - Beauty In The World (Ruff Loaderz Club Mix)
12. Longo & Wainwright - One Life Stand (Ian Carey Mix)*

An overdue edition of "The Verge" | Crossing Over is on deck, the playlist is already put together for the most part, and its going to be a HOT one! Those that prefer the deeeper and more tribal side of things have received the separate set devoted to that style, very well.

A follow up to my "take back the circuit" commentary from White Party week, for those who care to follow along is below. For those that don't, here's the TiVo button to go directly to the site.
http://circuitcadence.com

*****************
To the point of that re-empowerment push, take a moment to reflect back on the roots of the circuit, as it relates to YOUR life. Gradual changes over time can blur the importance of things going on around us. Or exaggerate them. When I compare things, I actually don't see a dramatic shift. By in large I think the majority of the things I love about the circuit endure unscathed - music, friends, fun, leisure, community, travel, etc.

In fact, I actually came to the realization that a lot of the things I viewed as current "atrocities" taking place around the circuit, are really nothing more than meaningless and petty misunderstandings, gossip and/or ego/greed/insecurity issues. The sad part really becomes then, that just because its petty shit, it doesn't mean its impact is petty or insignificant. It sucks even more to think about events such as the Reunion Pool Parties not taking place, when it was that very event at the old Hilton way back when, that is a gay days institution. And for what?
***(rhetorical question, btw - a lot of people probably think they have an answer or a part of it, but far too much of it is probably circumstantial or incomplete, or otherwise overcomplicated to an irreconcilable extent, to ever hope to make sense of. this is one of those rare questions on the S.A.T. where the correct answer is "not enough information exists to determine the correct answer." far too many answers would lie in the honesty of people who, good or bad, probably haven't earned the benefit of the doubt to "take their word for it.")

Disney was doomed from the day of the "no compete" concept being entertained, but one would have hoped that at least someone who entered into the agreement could have had enough foresight to say: "Hmm. I wonder if monopolies and cartels are illegal in this country, and regulated heavily by powerful branches of federal government, because they might not always be good, or fair, or benevolent?" (which by the way they never are, but if you paint a small enough picture with enough short sightedness, it might be tempting).

Isn't a huge part of the genius in a capitalist economy, that the innovation and motivation inherent in a system where there are infinite potential rewards for working hard, and that he who is willing to work the hardest and the smartest and the longest, is deserving of said rewards? We all know someone who became something out of nothing and were able to do it because they were willing to bust their ass and work really hard to get it. We probably all know someone who sits on the couch everyday and complains about never winning the lottery, too. It doesn't even occur to them that a good start might be to buy a lottery ticket and to watch the results, it should just happen, and happen for them.

Gay Days exploded into the mega-circuit event that it did, because it was a heavily competitive climate, in a robust economic period for the world, and it was taking place in a town that is fueled by the tendency for people to over-indulge in leisure and luxury, and is essentially just an ongoing "who can build the best playground" contest. Fantastic events were taking place because they HAD to take place. Each promoter knew they needed to do everything possible, and everything had to go right, or they'd fail to survive. Each year had to build on the now newly set, higher expectation of the prior year, and the venues had to be better, shows more spectacular, music more groundbreaking.

The agreement obviously cost enough money to make it worth multiple promoters time to walk away for a couple of years, so are we shocked that then there wasn't really the investment in the end product that people had come to expect? Not only does a monopoly eliminate any incentive to "try" or improve anything, because why does it have to impress if you're already marketing something to people who have no alternative? But, even if a desire to impress exists, the money to execute it disappeared with the payoff.

Of course all of this took place publicly, but the party-goers who didn't like an event in a hotel ballroom didn't have anything to say about what led to that, until they were physically in the ballroom. As long as there was something that seemed remotely plausible, being offered as a rationale, the rationale need not even be listened to. I mean, who's really buying the whole split crowd dilemma, anyway? Many of the events were so over sold that they could no longer hope to resemble somewhere you could expect to be safe or comfortable. There was room for more than one event at a time, and the fact that there were options, was precisely why the weekend was so widely appealing. If someone was obsessed with Victor Calderone and their best friend was obsessed with Peter Rauhofer, they could actually enjoy a weekend where both of their desires are being catered to. I'm all for an event away from my hotel-mates by the time Sunday usually comes around, anyway.

The logistics and complication of tickets and coordinating with friends was more troublesome than dancing in a ballroom? In actuality, yet another strength of the weekend, is those very complications. Perhaps if god forbid the fab 5 be separated for an event, they might meet more new friends and have more new and fun experiences, than would have happened with all 5 standing hip to hip in a tight circle in the same spot of the dance floor, otherwise.

My point is twofold:

1

I've decided to postpone indefinitely the planned launch of circuitscandal.com, because I don't want to spend time or energy on negativity. I've learned some OUTRAGEOUS things about people many out there look up to, unknowingly, but unless me sharing it has a direct positive impact or prevents an imminent threat, its a distraction from more constructive tasks.

2

I picked up a pen and in less than five minutes came up with the following list of personally important people, musicians, establishments, organizations or otherwise significant influences in my circuit life, each of which had then hundreds of instant memories tied to them, that came flooding back to me. For over 10 years and my entire adult life circuit events have been a substantial source of my happiness and are simply vital to my personal identity (inward and outward). Not everyone is quite the fanatic I am, so its obviously going to have varying levels of importance. But, I was walking blind and uninvolved up until now, so hopefully more and more of us wake up to things and start taking things back.

*** The results of a brief and spontaneous brainstorm re: my circuit roots, and the key influences leading to my eventual passion/obsession with circuit music.

DJ Jason Lanoux
"Velvet" @ NATION - D.C.
Fireball - Chicago
DJ Tony Moran
DJ Peter Rauhofer
DJ Victor Calderone
DJs RosAbel
DJ Steve Lawler
DJ Alexander
Winter Party
The Mayan - L.A.
Crobar - Chi & Miami
Mansion - Miami
The Saloon - Minneapolis
Profile Music - Minneapolis
Kazaa/Napster/Limwire
Live365/CircuitMix/DMA/GIRL/PNN/DI.FM/Energy94.7
iPod & .mp3 technology
Pensacola Memorial Day
San Diego Pride
Palm Springs White Party Week
New Orleans Halloween
Oz
Paramount Backlot
NYE in LA
Scandal
Circuit Noize
JustCircuit
Partylist
Erowid.com
"When Boys Fly"
Friendster
Connexion
Niko-Brian-Adam
Troy & Ryan a.k.a. Circuit Moms
Hank
Wes
Sid (a.k.a. crackhippobitch, lil' pink circuit ho)
The travelling after-hours posse

I stopped when they stopped just popping into my head rapid-fire, so its not complete, but I was taken off guard by how complex it is, and how many tangents and connections exist within the web. Its an indication of just how very unique each person's must lay out too. Thanks for caring enough about what I had to say to make it this far!

Nail in the Coffin for White Party Palm Springs!

The level of disgust in my mouth regarding the literal raping of the circuit community by the greed machine that is the White Party Palm Springs, as Jeffrey Sanker has defined it over the past 21 years, is quite simply impossible to articulate into words.

I've never been exactly quiet in my assessment of Jeffrey Sanker as "the greediest promoter on the circuit." In five consecutive attendances at the White Party Palm Springs I have witnessed example after example where it is quite evident this is not some mutual passion and love for music that is driving the annual production. Rarely are the public comments taken into consideration, prices are outrageous considering the overhead consists of a hotel ballroom and city subsidized public spaces. Allegedly, He gets countless tax kickbacks in gratitude for the tremendous economic surge the event brings to the local community, yet he has not once ever passed those funds on to the circuit-goer in the form of lowered ticket prices or complimentary refreshments.

You might wonder how I reached this conclusion of greed being the key motivator, so I'm obliged to share with you just some of the countless examples over the years.
Drink tickets are not a necessary component of a properly run event. If the insinuation is that there is a desire to prevent theft from staff, then why wouldn't that staff simply be supervised and fired for infractions. To then make it a concerted point to make them mandatory at all events of all sizes and then implement three different types of tickets, with varying values and applicability, it seems evident that the motivation would be largely based out of a conscious desire to see people purchase as many excess tickets as possible, that would ultimately go un-used because of the structure. It also creates an environment where the staff are not well tipped, if at all, because there is no cash quotient present at the time of serving.
I'll never forget the year it was 110 degrees at the tea dance and you better believe 5 or 6 drink tickets was only enough to get one of those tiny joke miniature evian bottles with two sips in it.
The ticket prices speak for themselves, there's just nothing else on the circuit remotely close in range, and for a "for profit" operation at that.
The pool parties, pricing, and ticket purchase process is confusing at best, but grossly overpriced and despite a higher than bargain pricing on the host hotel rooms, are not included for guests of the hotel?
The talent and production is often bare minimum necessary to a quality disproportionate to the expectation associated with ticket costs that inflated.

I'm sure if we wanted to open a public forum asking for all of your personal examples it would become out of hand.

With the gossip about Jeffrey finally trying to sell the event running rampant, it would seem prudent that logistics and operations, plus costumer interaction, would be a key priority. However, many paying customers of the main event with the Freemason's, were turned away at the door, with a simple statement of "we're closed" as early as 2AM! **************If you are one of these persons, I strongly urge you to contest the charges for your pass with your credit card companies****************** This was done arbitrarily, and without explanation or rationale. Door staff on an ego trip were simply unwilling to be bothered with caring for the best interests of a very valuable client base, by honoring even simple requests for management escalation. A simple "only paul or Jeffrey can change it" and a complete and total unwillingness to engage either of those individuals, by the door manager Brian, after repeated requests - is unacceptable and appalling, a full three hours prior to the scheduled close.

I actually arrived at the event to notice that I had left my wallet and pass in my other jeans, told the recording artist I manage and was with, Jipsta, to go ahead without me and I would run back to the hotel, only to return 10 minutes later and be told, the same story. I was not able to be present for the debut of the current number 32 Billboard dance track "Nasty Boy" in front of its largest audience to date, and door staff couldn't have cared less that I was industry, with an artist inside to represent, or even worse, did not care that I am a promotional partner for the weekend and have generated considerable value for the weekend in the form of high volume web traffic, fully dedicated podcasts, page customization, and continuous word of mouth. I literally stood outside for over an hour without one person offering an explanation, or logic, and the blatant disregard for doing the right thing for someone who clearly has been helping to promote the parties. (Might I add that I was approached in January being solicited for a partnership, not the other way around)

Meanwhile, earlier that day, two other wildly successful pool parties were occurring around town, with outstanding and new music, while the sanctioned event was nothing more than an opportunity for masterbeat to push a best of their own downloads play list. In an economic climate where people are thinking twice about flushing money down the toilet, for less than half the price, the ACE pool party in particular, was the talk of the town, without a doubt. And do you think its a coincidence that the police showed up at that event twice, hoping to find some sort of technicality or missed permit opportunity to shut it down, no doubt at the request of Sanker himself.

Considering the blaring absence of a charitable cause tied to the weekend festivities, the blatent disregard for the community, and the repeated demonstrations of ego, power, manipulation, and greed, its time to start taking back our circuit, for the love of music, community, and charity. I see the Ace party as a foreshadowing of just how simple it is to put on a better experience, and why not do so with charitable intentions while we're at it? I know that there are plenty of hotel ballrooms around town, plus even more appropriate types of venues, and I think its time to say enough is enough to this out of control trend towards us giving up the things we love about the circuit and spending more to do it. Meanwhile, we're offered less and less, including unconscionable moves like eliminating MedEvent to cut corners and improve profits.

"MOIST" V.Apr.10.Pt.1 | Cherry Jungle

Available now at http://www.circuitcadence.com


TRACK LISTING:

1. LILLY ALLEN - THE FEAR (BRYAN REYES 2010 UNDERWORLD CLUB MIX)
2. ALEXANDRA BURKE - THE SILENCE (ALMIGHTY CLUB MIX)
3. TONI BRAXTON - MAKE MY HEART (STEREO PALMA VOCAL CLUB MIX)
4. WYNTER GORDON - DIRTY TALK (OCELOT MIX)
5. SABRINA WASHINGTON - OMG (SOULSHAKER REMIX)
   
6. KE$HA - BLAH BLAH BLAH (DREW G. & BRIAN CUA'S OBJECTIFIED ANTHEM)
7. BOY GEORGE - AMAZING GRACE (SHARP BOYS EXTENDED CLUB MIX)
8. MYON & SNAHE 54 PRESS. VELVETINE FEAT. ARUNA - SAFE (WHEREVER YOU ARE) (ORIGINAL MIX)
9. BRIAN GIONFRIDDO - CATCH YOU FEAT JUDY (SIDE B MIX)
10. VERNESSA MITCHELL - RISE (JEROME FARLEY & LEVEL ONE EXTENDED CLUB MIX)
11. J. VERNER & SHINE - I GOTTA BELIEVE (GUSTAVO SCORPIO REMIX)
12. MATISSE - BETTER THAN HER (RANNY AND BRYAN REYES CLUB MIX)
13. YINON YAHEL - I FEEL THE MUSIC (ORIGINAL DUB MIX)
14. CHARICE - PYRAMID [BARRY HARRIS CLUB]
15. DAVID GUETTA - GRRRR (ORIGINAL MIX)

[CHANGES TO HOW YOU DOWNLOAD]

To make the site easier for you to use, and easier for me to keep up to date, I have switched from .RAR to more advanced archiving/bundling capabilities available from 7zip. This will only apply to files you are used to seeing as .RAR, they will now have a file extension of .7z or .exe. Any other types of files you are used to seeing will remain the same. This decision is primarily in response to the significant increase in technical questions and lower download figures, of the .RAR updates versus podcasts or dj featurettes. 7 zip will make it easier for users with lower proficiency in technical computer skills to still enjoy individual tracks. Many requests for the mp3's linked by themselves have been received, but that is simply not realistic for the level of time it consumes and online storage needed. Those who do not own a program like winRar, or know how to use it, can now still enjoy these periodic updates with ease. The benefit to 7zip is the ability to create an archive similar to a .RAR, however the end file is formatted as a "self-extracting" program that automatically un-bundles the songs and asks where they should be saved on your hard drive, without further iinteraction or software. [NOTE: The archive is capable of performing this task automatically because it is essentially a program that is carrying out the steps instead of you. Because .exe files are capable of doing things on their own, you will be asked for added permission when opening these types of files from us. We will never send spam, spyware or viruses and certainly would never mislead or misrepresent what a file and its contents consist of, but we still recommend having up to date security tools in place to ensure and that you use Firefox as your browser. If you do not trust these file types, you will still be able to enjoy these sets, however you will be limited to the continuous mix podcast version and not have access to the tracks themselves.]