Accordingly, DJ Meme of Brazil just tweeted a special 9-minute DJ re-edit/bootleg of Donna’s hit “I Feel Love”.  The house music-friendly bootleg is a retro-tastic, synthy, and highly effected jam.  There’s no telling when Sendspace will take it down or the file will expire, so get it while it’s hot:

Click to download "DJ Meme - I Feel Love (Re-edit Bootleg)"

You can also stream it via Soundcloud, but it’s not downloadable there:

Be sure to follow DJ Meme and thank him for the post. Obrigado!

Upon hearing about it through his friend JR Gonzo of Guatemala, young producer Danny Dance  was ecstatic, and a flurry of tweets and Facebook posts ensued, with many smiles from friends and fans alike.

Dance Is A Feeling Records thanks Mark Farina and Dope Den Productions for supporting underground house music!  You can check out his Southport Highlands Mix (not his actual DJ set at the event) by clicking this image:

Miami-based label Dance Is A Feeling Records returns with another fresh release, “Playing In the Yeahs EP”, sporting two underground groovers by Danny Dance: “Playing In the Rain” and “Dirty Yeahs”.

“Playing In the Rain” will rock you with its mercurial, strong bassline and instantly addictive drums, while “Dirty Yeahs” hits hard with chest-pounding beats, soul-glazed samples, and a delightful surprise ending.

Spread the Feeling!

Danny Dance | Dance Is A Feeling Records Release Party at W Lounge SLC

Returning home for one special night, Danny Dance comes back to Salt Lake City on May 12 to DJ where it all began: W Lounge! Come celebrate the Official Launch Party of Danny’s new Miami-based record label, Dance Is A Feeling Records!

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SAT 05.12
Mother’s Day Weekend

DANNY DANCE
1200 Traxx | King Street NYC | Miami
Dance Is A Feeling Records

with JOSH MAX

DANCE IS A FEELING RECORDS RELEASE PARTY
W Lounge | 21+
358 S. West Temple | 9PM – 2 AM

DANCE HOW YOU WANNA DANCE. FEEL WHAT YOU WANNA FEEL.

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With hot releases and remixes on well-established labels like New York’s 1200 Traxx and King Street Sounds, Danny Dance has quickly established himself as one of the rising young artists in the underground House Music movement.

After three years as a house dancer and DJ in SLC, the birthplace of his Dance Is A Feeling brand and long-running DJ residency, he moved to Miami to hone his production career. With underground favorites like “Dancer’s Theme” and hit singles like “Just A Crush” under his belt, he recently fired up his own label. His label’s music releases on Traxsource have garnered him the support of DJs in SLC and beyond—among them Jesse Walker, Shawn Phillips, Grant Nelson, Mark Farina, Souldynamic, Doc Link, Supernova, 1200 Warriors, 4Peace, Chanson E, JR Gonzo, Jason Hodges, Jean Paul Francois, Stephan Hoellermann, Brian Patterson, DJC, Mind Street, and more. And, true to his name’s roots, Dance has built a loyal following with his popular Youtube video series, which has received over half a million views (his two most popular videos, “House (Dance) Is A Feeling” and “House Dance with Danny Dance Episode 1″ were both shot in SLC!).

Come celebrate an UNFORGETTABLE night of chunky, funky Deep, Latin, Soulful, and FUNKY House Music on Saturday, May 12! Expect a TON of HOUSE DANCING—dress to impress [the dance floor] !

Danny Dance takes a dance break from making beats and pays a visit to the world-famous Hard Rock Cafe, where he house dances in a spontaneous hand-in-the-pocket routine and highlights several sub-movements in House Dancing.

The song in the video is “Shining (Part 1)” from my last EP.

If this is your first time in Miami for the week-long house music tradition that is Winter Music Conference — #WMC for the initiated—you’re in for several hundred surprises packed into a brisk week of fun parties, budding friendships, great connections, wonderful food, and enough “House Is A Feeling” mojo to last you until next year.

But be warned: WMC can also be a monster that will devour your soul and wear down your body if you party too hard, especially with this year’s expansion to ten days (instead of the usual five).  As a second-timer and Miami resident, here are my top tips for surviving the Conference and maximizing your enjoyment this week.

1. Pace Yourself

If you’re used to heavy partying, you already know not to “peak” too early during a night on the town, and the same thing applies to a weeks’ worth of festivities.  Depending on how many days you’re staying for WMC, your mileage will vary, but one thing’s for certain: if you plan on making it through the week, treat this thing like your favorite new girlfriend: take it slow, don’t do anything crazy too early, and keep things balanced.

2. Water

The same sun that makes Miami a great place to vacay—and brings on the bikinis and palm trees like no other city—can also make your hangovers quite nasty—so be sure to drink water constantly.  Hangovers can’t be cured by anything except time and water, so be proactive and preemptive: hydrate as you libate!

3. Don’t Get Too Slizzered

Speaking of libation, nothing kills the next morning or drowns out the fun of the next day’s party like a nasty hangover or six.   Remember: beer before liquor, never been sicker.  Another tip: depending on your tolerance, 1-1.5 drinks an hour is probably more than enough to keep you buzzed, but more than that will almost certainly get you wasted by noon.  Also keep this in mind: people remember the darndest things—and the last thing you want to be remembered by (especially if you’re in the “industry”) is for being a sloppy drunk.  Oh, and did I mention that drinks in Miami are expensive?

4. Cash

Ahh, yes, the cash.  Unless you’re recession-free, I recommend you set up abudget for yourself and stick to it: Drink Budget (per day), Door Money budget (overall), Food Money, and “Other”.   For most parties, you’ll spend more on drinks than on cover, so keep the two budgets separate.  As for “Other”, I can’t comment, as it’s not my cup of tea, but if you want it, you can pretty much find it/them, but it can add up pretty quickly.

5. Embrace the randomness (“Oh, look, it’s Roland Clark…”)

WMC is like a house music lover’s dream: you might be standing there outside David’s Cafe and see Roland Clark casually stroll past you (happened).  Or Lars Behrenroth might be ordering a Cuban sandwich with his girl (happened).  Later that week, you might find yourself standing next to your favorite Hip-Hop producer as you both enjoy a set by DJ Spinna, who’s also standing within arms’ reach (happened).  And on your way back to the parking garage, you might see Black Coffee leaning against a wall while chatting up his friends (happened).

Par for the course, my friend–par for the course.  Enjoy =)!

6. Relationships relationships relationships

House Music is about relationships, even more than it is about the music.  You’ll more easily remember a person you met than a song you heard.  So talk to everyone.  Ask the older heads about early house music history (just last night, I met someone that got to play with Larry Levan at the Warehouse once).  Ask people about their cities, their scenes, and their tastes.  Exchange contact info and business cards if you have them.  You’d be surprised where and under what contexts new friendships will get kindled–and you’ll be shocked to see how many of the same cool people you’ll run into a year from now at WMC 2013.

7. Video

By the way, with so many iPhones, Blackberries, and other smart camera-friendly devices all around us, there’s really no reason not to record some of your adventures.  The more pictures and videos you take, the stronger memories you’ll have of your good times here, which will keep you focused on returning again next year.

8. Cardio

In addition to the hangovers, all those beer, food, and party carbs add up quickly this week, so don’t stop working out just because you’re on vacation.  Try to hit the gym in the mornings or go for a mid-afternoon run to stay fit and retain at least some sense of normalcy.

9. Sometimes you need to get away

You flew halfway across the world and took out half your savings to get here, so you might feel pressured to keep up the party pressure, but it’s okay to take time to rest.  Sometimes you’ll need to skip a party so you can take a much-needed nap, get your nookie on, or dip into a hot tub to regenerate.  Do it.  Often.

10. Stay flexible

Lastly, this whole experience is supposed to be fun, not work.  Even in my case as a budding artist that needs to be out there connecting and networking with fellow producers and labels, it’s important to keep the magic of WMC in mind: your best conversations might come from a slow party; spending $20 on cover might yield some terrific new contacts; the cute girls from Italy might invite you to a party even though you already had plans; or the 7 events you wanted to go to one day might turn into just 3.  That’s fine–stay flexible and enjoy the ride!

Follow my adventures this week on Twitter: @dannydance

When Danny Dance began his year-long production side project “SDHC“—short for “Spades, Diamonds, Hearts, and Clubs“— last May, he had no idea where his 52-song series would take him.  All he knew was that his series would force him to adopt a strict production regimen that would keep him accountable to himself as well as his fans, and would generate a steady stream of fresh content as he improved as a producer.

Now, as the series heads into its last 13 songs and final chapter (the Clubs Suit), Danny will be digging deep into his personal production archive for a bevy of oldies, shorties, ideas, and interludes that don’t fit the traditional dance floor narrative or his new Dance Is A Feeling Records label but capture the emotions and feeling of his year-long production journey.

“By design, my SHDC series sort of precluded any pretenses of perfectionism”, laughs Dance.  ”With only one week to finish, master, and promote a brand new song four times a month, I knew I had to release what was realistic for me given that strict timeframe.  It taught me a lot about pacing and about what I am and am not capable of yet as a producer, which is a humbling and necessary experience when you’re growing and learning your ropes.”

As you can imagine, Danny ended up with a lot of extra material: from small-length ideas and short interludes to full-length songs that, for aesthetic or artistic reasons, are better fits for free release via Soundcloud than for his new record label.  ”I think dance floor House tracks tell great stories, but there are other stories worth telling; there’s a place for short stories or emotional journeys that don’t necessarily belong in a club environment but do belong in your ears”, says Danny.  With SDHC 40 through 52, scheduled weekly from March to May of this year, Danny will get to highlight his point.

Follow the SDHC and Dance Is A Feeling stories with Danny on Twitter: @DannyDance

A little kid teaches Danny Dance how to do the ‘Jerk’ in exchange for the House Dance ‘Shuffle‘ move. Includes a preview of the upcoming ‘song Making Sure’ by Danny himself! Oh, and some Ben & Jerry’s!

SDHC 39 – King of Hearts

If I lived in West Palm Beach, I’d go to Monarchy every weekend, and I would even try to land a DJ residency there.  Why?  Because after my experience visiting the club last night for the Robbie Rivera event, I can unequivocally tell you that Monarchy is one of the best things to happen to Florida’s House Music scene.  When the service, people, music, and dancing come together the way they did last night, you know you’ve found a special spot.

First, there was the friendly, attentive, and professional staff—doormen who answered my questions, bartenders who quickly delivered stiff drinks (and with a smile), and an owner who personally checked in to see if I was having a good time throughout the night.  For a club with all the flash and glitz to match South Florida’s nightclub conglomerate, Monarchy sure stood out with a customer service I’d not seen since my days at my favorite club out West.

People make the party

If there’s one thing that can make or break a House Music venue, it’s the people, and in this regard, Monarchy really impressed. It was a trendy, sexy crowd, to be sure, with your usual staple of well-dressed guys and pretty girls in chic couture, but there was a surprising friendliness to the place and it was obvious that most people came for the dance floor, a point I’ll return to in a minute.  There was Stephanie from Chicago and her friend from Detroit; Anthony the jet-setting businessman with fun stories about New Orleans, and his girlfriend Tiffany; Amanda who chatted about music and how the club’s been on a roll since Tony took the helm; strangers high-fiving one another throughout the night; and the random dude who somehow ID’d me through the dance fog and mentioned that my House Dance videos on Youtube impacted his outlook on dancing.  A few girls here and there stiffened up or put up the predictable blocks, but the amount of it was so little that it felt more like an intimate neighborhood bar than a mega-club.  Just happy people having a good time without the pretentious veneer so typical of similar places.

The music was good, though less daring (and less Tribal) than I’d hoped for.  I’m a sucker for underground House, and even when I spin Big Room tunes, they trend more towards Defected than Dutch vocal house; last night’s music trended in the Dutch direction, but that’s really less of a flaw than a to-be-expected consequence of what worked for the crowd given how the night was programmed.  As an opener, Noel Sanger delighted the audience and kept up the energy with pounding vocal Tech and Electro House, and people were dancing well in advance of Robbie Rivera’s ‘Dance Or Die‘ set.  By the time Robbie started playing, the dance floor was already packed; Sanger had done his job.

Dancer’s delight

Frankly, I came to hear ‘Tribal Sax‘, a Robbie tune I’ve featured in several DJ sets in the past, and about an hour into his set, Robbie delivered.  As I heard the familiar saxophones cut into the mix, an unexpected thing (and best moment of the night) happened: a large circle formed, the phone cameras came out, and people started showing off their best moves to the Tribal House beat.  A few B-boys jumped into the fray, windmills and all, and one of them tried to battle; I opted for the carefree freedom of House Dance and took it easy on the spins (too many napkins on the floor).  Moments later, several girls rushed in to reclaim the dance space; you could tell they were having fun and came to dance.  You couldn’t even walk more than a few feet in any direction without seeing someone completely lost in the music, and that’s what every club night should aspire to.

Worthy of its crown

So this really gets to the heart of why Monarchy matters: a club’s worth is measured in the unique synergy of service, people, music, and dancing that it can deliver.  Music may change from night to another, or from one headliner to the next, but when those other elements are strong—when you walk away feeling like you had a great experience and connected meaningfully to others and to the dance floor—that’s what keeps you coming back for more.  That’s what house music is and always should be about, regardless of the genre.  Monarchy represents exactly that: a club, among the palms, worthy of its crown.

-Danny Dance

Follow my DJ sets and music production on Soundcloud, or my shenanigans on Twitter.  Follow Monarchy on Twitter, or buy tickets to upcoming shows.