Our latest release featuring Chris Fortier, Jay Tripwire, Just Jason and Darren DuVall is available now exclusively on Beatport. If you'd rather get it somewhere else, just wait until August 11th when it hits iTunes, Amazon, Traxsource, Juno, Stompy and other fine digital music outlets.
The time has come for our third release to come out and play. Thanks to 8DPromo, MM03 promos have been circulating for a few weeks now and the feedback from the likes of DJ Three, Alland Byallo and Nikola Baytala has been great.
This third release is our most ambitious project yet, featuring an original track from house music heavyweight Chris Fortier and three quality remixes. Chris's original version of “Take The Light” is an earful, fusing hauntingly techy and dream-like elements into a playground of sound. It’s an overly cinematic and deep builder with the high production quality one can expect from Fortier’s repertoire. “Take The Light” is also surrounded by distinctive renditions from Jay Tripwire, Just Jason of Latenight Society, and Musical Missionary cornerstone, Darren DuVall. It's a distinctive and ear-grabbing package of tunes ready-made for DJ sets.
Here's some of the feedback that's come in so far:
Anthony Pappa (UK) – “4/5 - All of the tracks are really good. My favourite is the Jay Tripwire Remix.”
Alland Byallo (Kontrol, Nightlight/USA) – “Jay’s remix is amazing!”
Nikola Baytala (Kontrol, Tweekin/USA) – “5/5 - Jay Tripwire mix all the way! Deep dark dubby and techy !!!”
Three (Hallucination Limited/USA) – “4/5 - Original and Tripwire mixes in the box.”
Android Cartel (iVav, Railyard/USA) – “5/5 – Digging the Original and Jay Tripwire rmx. Will play both.”
And here's an independent review > Deep South Audio.
MM03 will be released through Beatport on 7/28 and everywhere else on 8/11.
Take a listen for yourself...
Check out our label showcase on Miami Dance Party dot com. I had a lot of fun putting this together with Justin Ryan in the MDP studio. The showcase covers our two previous releases and a bunch of upcoming stuff. Here's a tracklisting:
Tracks 6 through 12 are future releases which we're working to get out the door ASAP. Some will come out on our first full length compilation which is in the works.
It was tough picking which tracks to put on this showcase because we've been blessed to receive so much great music. We hope this wets your appetite and keeps you coming back for more because this is just the beginning. And if you haven't done so already, please buy our current releases to help us raise money for our mission. Thanks!
Musical Missionary and The Motivational Edge will be teaming up this summer to design and run innovative programs that bring the gift of music education to underprivileged kids in Miami. To get started on this mission, The Motivational Edge, Musical Missionary, and a number of other education nonprofits are teaming up to throw a fund raiser for our upcoming summer programs.
This cool event will take place Friday, May 21st, at MIA Restaurant and Lounge (20 Biscayne Blvd) across the street from American Airlines Arena.
Some of Miami's best live musicians will be taking the stage to make sure you get your money's worth. On top of that, there will be tasty catered delights, drink specials all night and a complimentary drink ticket. There will also be a silent auction that can land you on the world's largest cruise ship and a raffle that can put you behind the wheel of a Porsche Boxster.
Tickets are $35 and proceeds go towards providing music education to deserving kids who cannot afford it. Get your tickets soon because capacity is limited.
Thanks to 8DPromo, our new release has been tried out by some of dance music's best trained ears, and many of them have chimed in with gratitude and appreciation for Pointbender's musical mastery...
Dubfire (Deep Dish) – “Left Brain 5/5”
Joshua Iz (Vizual, Bionic/USA) – “Definitely can work “Frosted Circut” into my sets. Thanks!”
Miles Maeda (Smartbar/USA) – “5/5. Exodus Ted is an extremely catchy ditty Definitely will sneak this one in as often as possible.”
Alland Byallo (Nighlight, Liebe*Detail/USA) – “4/5. Left Brain is cool!”
Maetrik/Maceo Plex (Mothership, Crosstown Rebels/Spain) – “4/5. Great EP as usual from Pointbender. ‘Frosted Circuit’ is my fav!”
Stryke (Plastic City, Circle Music/USA) – “Another excellent Musical Missionary release! 3 great tracks here “Frosted Circuit” being my fave.”
Joshua Heath (Salted Music/DAE/King King, USA) – “4/5. Nice package here. A little deep, a little tech, a bit of minimal. ‘Exodus’ is a great opening set track, but my fav is definitely ‘Frosted Circut’.”
Justin Johnson (Cable Recordings / USA) – “4/5. Nice diverse 3 tracker here. I really like ‘Left Brain’ and ‘Frosted Circuit’. Excellent 2nd release for Musical Missionary.”
Robert Owens (Compost/UK) – “4/5. Very nice vibe!”
Daz-I-Kue (Bugz In The Attic/USA) – “Some real cool deepness here”
Latenta Project (Proton Music, Wavesurfing/Macedonia) – “Really nice EP, thanks!”
Jamie Topham (Straight Outta Now/UK) – “Strong release from MM with ‘Frosted Circut’ pushing all the right buttons for me.”
Tyree Cooper (Groove Baby, Supa Dupa/Germany) – “I like the first track ‘Exodus Ted’. It’s a nice track to kick start your set. Nice job. ”
Johnny Fiasco (Klassik Fiasco, OM/USA) – “Left Brain. Will support!”
Jevne (Onethirty Recordings/USA) – “Exodus Ted is a very nice ride! Great mood setter!”
Nick James (Promo Only/USA) – “Exodus Ted. Nice mood setter. Will play.”
Benji Candelario (Transistori Music/USA) – “Hot!! Good EP definitely will be played!!”
Deepchild (Trapez, Anabatic, Resopal/USA) – “Left Brain has some nice solid tooled-up chunk!”
Sleazy McQueen (Eight Track/USA) – “I’ll use the Left Brain.”
Musical Missionary follows up its acclaimed debut release from Darren DuVall with a strong house music EP that's firmly focused on the dance floor. Cooking up the heat on the label’s second release is Pointbender, the live act alias of Texas native Sean Anderson. Sean has a number of releases under his belt on his own Harmonious Discord label and as one half of the production duo Grey. Pointbender brings out Sean’s more live-oriented performance skills that have been honed in countless energetic nightclub gigs.
Pointbender’s Left Brain EP features three tracks that range from set warmer to floor destroyer. The warm, deep house cut “Exodus Ted” merges soothing synths and piano with steady tight percussion and a bubbling melody. “Frosted Circut” lights up the dance floor with snappy tech-house beats and a rolling wave of synth stabs. The acid bass just makes it that much sweeter. “Left Brain” is cowbell techno at its finest, with some more acid bass for good measure. There’s a time and a place for “Left Brain”, peak hour and right next to the speakers.
Musical Missionary is more than a record label ... it's also nonprofit charity dedicated to improving educational opportunities for underprivileged youth around the world. Profits from label sales go to sponsor music lessons for deserving students who would otherwise be unable to afford them. Upcoming projects and releases include contributions from Chris Fortier, Alland Byallo, Stryke, MikeZ, Miguel Colmenares and Q-Burns Abstract Message.
Available exclusively on Beatport now and other fine outlets April 19th.
Thanks to Lauren Segal from NextAid, I have been invited to sit on two panels during WMC.
The first one is titled "Social Consciousness Through Music" and will be held at the Eden Roc hotel (4525 Collins Ave) on Tuesdsay, March 23rd, at 4pm. Here's what it's all about:
"We are one through music! How are music organizations serving society and how are these global issues affecting the industry? Why is music essential to the progress of culture? Social awareness gurus discuss these topics while explaining how music creates positive transformations in the world we live in."
The second panel is titled "Creative Expressions in Education" and will be held at Ocean Drive Auditorium (1001 Ocean Drive) on Saturday, March 27th, at noon. The motivation for this panel is as follows:
"Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity”- Aristotle. Why are the Arts important to child development and how are interdisciplinary approaches beneficial? How does funding affect the quality of education in the Arts? Don’t miss this round table session with community leaders, educators and local artists!"
Both panels are open to the general public, so if you're interested in any of these topics, come on out and share your insights and opinions. Copious amounts of partying will follow!
It took a lot longer than it should have, but we made it! You can now find Musical Missionary's releases on Beatport, thanks to the hard work and persistence of our distribution advocate at IODA, Justin Johnson. Thanks Justin for staying on them!
This is Musical Missionary's first ever podcast. If you aren't familiar with Darren DuVall yet, he's the musical mastermind behind Musical Missionary's debut release, Between The Streets EP, which is available now.
This mix is deep and uplifting at the same time. With Mood Changer, Darren shows off his ability to strum our heart strings while he simultaneously persuades us to move our butts. Check it out! And don't hesitate to share it with people you like.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and thanks to 8DPromo and AheadPR, many influential beholders have beheld this first release with delight. Here are some of the highlights...
Q-Burns Abstract Message (Eighth Dimension Records, USA) – “I really dig the release. It's got a lot of diversity as well as depth, and seems to go beyond usual 'house music' releases in its musicality. The production is really sleek, too. All of the cuts are appealing but the title track is definitely my favorite. It's quite evocative.”
Tony Humphries (Tony Records/Yellorange, USA) – “Quality deep house productions, all the way here!”
DJ Pippi (Aluminium Records, Ibiza) – “This package is great!!! I love it! Full support!”
Joshua Heath (Salted Music/DAE/King King, USA) – “Cool deep lush grooves. Great to hear original music instead of shitty bootlegs.”
Tyler Stadius (Proton Radio/Mexico) – “Real beauties here. Smooth & oozing soul.”
Chris Fortier (Fade/Field Trip/USA) – “Fav track-Slow. Very cool collection showing the mature
depth in all angles.”
David Dunne (Galaxy, UK) – “Very nice, will feature in nu cool show this weekend.”
Al Bradley (Bugged Out, UK) – “Great vibes and a great idea for a label too, respect for that. The music is brilliant - some great ideas, am feeling 'Everyon's Groove' most, simply for the warmth in its vibes, fantastic sounds..”
Eli Goldstein (Soul Clap, USA) – “loving the range of tempos and breakbeat influences”
Chris Udoh (Tigerhook, USA) – “5/5. Super & sexy & chill Very Nice Darren !”
Willie Graff (Pacha Ibiza/Cielo, USA) – “I like the downtempo track! Nice chill vibes.”
Aphex Twin (Warp, UK) – “fsd;fsklh! cool!!”
Pheel (Adults Only, Brazil) – “A new star rising on the East [coast]. Sweet, sensual breaks/house track, just luv'd it, a def spin + 2 beautiful lounge sounds & a deep 'n' slow grrooove... flawless release!”
Also found this review posted by Philadelphia Weekly's "From the Selekta" House Music Reviews section. I'm so happy to see people liking this release and recognizing it for its robustness. Here's the tail end of the review...
"I’m a fan of purchasing EP’s that are the full package, and getting the most out of my money when buying music. Darren DuVall definitely delivers a full array of genres with an utterly pleasing quality sound with each track on this EP. So whether you are looking for tracks to chill to, dance in your towel in your bedroom, or DJ to a club, you will be a happy customer."
