Vizual Records presents:

BOOGIETRONIC

featuring:

Iz & Diz

plus special guests

Every Friday night at COPA
1637 N Clybourn, Chicago
10PM-2AM | 21+ | only $3

disco/house/latin/afro/sou​l/raregroove/electronic/et​c

copalounge.com
boogietronic.com

Here is where you can find me:

May 26 Crave Notte Milwaukee

May 27 Some Like It Hot Taste Lounge Detroit DEMF

June 4 Level 13 w/ Diz Rue 13 St. Louis

June 11 Entreplats Maremar Beach Club Mallorca, ESP

June 16 Classic Party TBA Barcelona, ESP (Sonar)

June 17 UMA/Vizual Pool Party Hotel Onix Liceo Barcelona, ESP (Sonar)

June 18 Sonar OFF Boat Party Port Olimpic BCN Barcelona, ESP (Sonar)

June 25 Vizual Records night Fabric (Rooms 3) London, UK

June 26 Downlow Radio Stage Glastonbury Somerset, UK

July 2 TBA w/ Jacob Kelly TBA York, UK

July 17 Bionic w/ Diz 222 Hyde San Francisco, USA

Iz & Diz + Vizual Records present The Biz

Friday, March 11 2011

featuring:

Join us in Miami during WMC Friday, March 11 at Love Hate Lounge as we present this special Vizual Records showcase featuring an exclusive 4 hour set by Iz & Diz, Atnarko, Nikola Baytala, and Alison Tara in an intimate setting. If that wasn’t enough, this will be the launch of the Joshua Iz ‘It Iz What It Iz’ album tour. Judging by the past Friday nights during WMC at Love Hate, this promises to be an epic night. Early arrival strongly recommended. Free.

first 50 people through the door get a copy of
Vizual System: A Collection of Vizual Records Tracks – Mixed by Joshua Iz cd.

Please RSVP by sending an email to: events [at] vizualrecords [dot] com

More info: http://www.vizualrecords.com/thebiz/

Other places you can find me in Miami next week:

Friday, March 11

Dutchie Music Miami 2011
Joeski, Mathias Heilbronn, Joshua Iz, Juan Mejia & More
Betsy Hotel Rooftop
1440 Ocean Drive, South Beach
12n-8pm
Set time: 5:15pm-6pm
Click here for event info

Saturday, March 12

Official Apt Entertainment/Dope Den Party
DJ Heather, Joshua Iz, Mark Farina, Colette, Jay-J, Joshua Heath + more.
Beach Plaza Hotel
1401 Collins Ave, South Beach
12pm-8pm
Set time: 4pm-5pm
Click here for event & presale ticket info

Electric
Presented by Serious Soul & Red Ant
Three, Doc Martin, Joshua Iz, Pete Bones, Chris Fortier, Atnarko and more plus The Beatnuts live.
Electric Pickle
2826 N Miami Ave
Wynwood Arts District, Miami
10pm-5am | 21+
Set time: TBA

Before starting Vizual Records in 2009, Joshua Iz has released music on some of the most respected labels in electronic music including OM, Prescription, Balance, Classic, Junior Boys Own, Guidance, Seasons, Six Degrees and Sony. He has remixed a wide variety of artists including King Britt, VHS Or Beta, Mark Farina, Greenskeepers, Terra Deva, Annie and Global Communication among many others.

While tracks like ‘Flower Sparks’, ‘Deep Space Pressure’ and ‘Tone D’ have already been rocking dance floors all over the world, ‘It Iz What It Iz’ is a true album meant to be listened to from beginning to end. The title track and first single ‘It Iz What It Iz’ featuring Joshua’s dj and production partner Diz on vocals is a smooth, sexy, midtempo, electronic affair with definite sing along appeal that will have you humming the super-catchy chorus again and again after your first listen. Diz’s signature velvet vocal style is perfectly suited to this enigmatic song about the mysteries of the universe and the importance of the moment.

‘Sentimental Love’ features the vocals of house music legend Chez Damier over a early Detroit-esque electronic soundscape. ‘We Control’ features reggae/hip-hop pioneer and Zulu Nation emeritus Jamalski lending his vocal chops to a hypnotic dub-hop rydim.

Ranging from electronic bleepy soul to reggae to arpeggiated deep techno, ‘It Iz What It Iz’ is like nothing you’ve heard before and destined to be a modern classic.

digital | cd | limited edition vinyl sampler available on Valentine’s Day 14 February 2011 at the Vizual Store and all fine digital and physical retailers.

Nevertheless, as Apple is wont to do, none of its new software offerings work on my machine’s architecture. It has taken the better part of 5 years but now all Apple software is now Intel only. To be fair, almost all software released in the past year is now Intel only as well, meaning that my machine is at a dead end. I knew this day would come and it is finally here.

When I bought this machine, I needed to use it right away for making music and most plug-ins and digital audio workstation software had not yet made the transition to Intel. Thus, I was able to dive in right away and enjoy the benefits of a dual processor as well as the new case design which allowed for swapping out hard drives with ease.

Moving forward, I will be buying a new desktop machine within the next 6 months but I am going to keep this machine a second workstation, possibly for an intern to use to help with all of the various tasks involved with running a record label. While I am at a dead end, that doesn’t mean you can’t go back and travel along all of the now well-worn paths that this machine has seen. This has been my most solid Apple computer yet and I plan on using it as long as I can.

Here’s my November 2010 Promo Mix:


DOWNLOAD

Listen:

Enjoy!

Still, the front page has everything I need and it maximizes the space so I can fit more on it. I’ve added the slideshow section right under the nav menu to show off the latest release, design project or whatever I want. Adding music to the site was essential, so the mini SoundCloud player has found a home on the the top right.

Eventually, I can do some cool tricks with the “Page Links To” plugin and use the front page “posts” as jumping off points to wherever I want. As I am a hybrid dj, producer, designer and writer, this new design makes it possible to show all of these things with equal importance, but in a much more image driven fashion. I hope you like it. Any comments on the site are welcome!

This is an amazing remix package featuring Russ Gabriel, JT Donaldson, C++, new mixes from Joshua Iz, and includes the limited edition WMC promo mix by Joshua released as a special promo earlier this year. You can check out previews of the release here.

Here’s what some people are saying about this release:

Great to here Mr. Diz on vox again. A superb track! Complete support.–Mark Farina

Another strong release from Josh! I particularly love the original album mix and the C++ Vox mixes which remind me of Josh’s Prescription style modern version. Full support! –Alex From Tokyo

Wow!!! I Really never say this, but All mixes are really good!!! Full support for the OG’S of the Bump!!!!! –Doc Martin

This is fantastic. Feeling the Org. + C++ mixes + JT’s mix. Super quality release! –Brett Johnson

As a special bonus, we are offering this previously promo only mix as a free download from the Vizual Store! Click on the link below to download the track!

VIZ006X – Joshua Iz feat. Diz – It Iz What It Iz (Joshua Iz Vizual Dub)

FREE DOWNLOAD [320 kbps mp3 file]

VIZUAL CLUB MEMBERS can get the full release today! Join Now! For just $20, you can download ALL the Vizual Records releases in an entire calendar year (including past releases)! To get all 9 mixes in this release separately would cost $18 – join the Vizual Club today!

To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub. –Shakespeare

There are two things that bond the stylistically diverse and geographically scattered group of internationally traveling djs: 1) we don’t get enough sleep, and 2) we all want more of it. The problem is, our jobs are so uniquely sleep-challenged that none of the normal tips to help with getting a good night’s rest are practical or even possible to follow. Sleep truly is bliss and in this article I will share some of my personal experiences in order to help my fellow djs maximize their sleep.

First, let’s go through these 10 tips for better sleep from the Mayo Clinic:

1. Go to bed and get up at about the same time every day, even on weekends. One of the major challenges djs face in trying to get sleep is the sheer craziness of our schedules. We show up to work at midnight and are often up until well after the sun comes up (or later). We have to be “up” for the gig – not just awake, but the life of the party. The social aspect of drinking/partying and after parties are a necessary part of the job but these add their own factors which create additional pressures on our precious sleep time. Like many djs, I like “staying up” as much as I like sleep, however it is important to find a balance between these two opposites.
2. Don’t eat or drink large amounts before bedtime. If you are a dj and you drink, this one is out the window.
3. Avoid nicotine, caffeine and alcohol in the evening. Here, I am assuming “evening” means before you go to sleep but if you drink or smoke, this doesn’t make sense.
4. Exercise regularly. This, in fact, is the one tip on this list that you can follow, and I recommend you do. Exercising releases endorphins which keep your mood up and will make you more tired at the end of the day which should help when trying to fall asleep.
5. Make your bedroom cool, quiet, dark and comfortable. Does this apply to your mate’s guest bedroom in the middle of the day? Or your hotel room in Miami?
6. Sleep primarily at night. Yep, not gonna happen.
7. Choose a comfortable mattress and pillow. While when on tour I would love to always have the luxury of a Westin Heavenly Bed, it simply doesn’t work out that way.
8. Start a relaxing bedtime routine. Here are some of their suggestions: To prepare for sleep, try reading a light, entertaining book or magazine; listening to soft music; making simple preparations for the next day; a light bedtime snack, a cup of hot tea, or a glass of warm milk; hobbies such as knitting or jigsaw puzzles; listening to books on tape. Ahhh, that’s what I’ve been missing – a hobby!
9. Go to bed when you are tired and turn out the lights. Great, thanks for that info.
10. Use sleeping pills only as a last resort. Sleeping pills can be extremely helpful when trying to re-adjust your sleep schedule as well as helping to turn the party off. After a big gig I am often buzzing just from the excitement and sometimes a sleeping pill helps to wind me down. Nevertheless, any kind of sleeping pill can cause dependency so they should be taken in moderation and only when absolutely necessary. That said, I also like them for the plane on long haul flights as they help you maximize that time and be prepared for the next day.

Flying Club

Coming back from the Sonar festival in Barcelona last weekend, I was on the last flight of the day back to London Gatwick Airport and the plane was full of djs returning home after a long weekend of all day and all night parties. Many of these djs were personal friends and I spotted a few of them leaning against the window of the plane, floating off into a dreamlike state for what seemed like the first time in days. For the traveling dj, sometimes the plane is the only (and best) place to get some much needed kip, even if it is on a relatively short flight.

On long haul flights, I always try to get as much sleep as possible. Not only does this help me to be more rested for my gig, but long flights are tedious – there are only so many romantic comedies I can watch and magazines I can read. Some people fire up their laptops and create entire albums on the plane but I am not one of them…my ideal 10 hour flight would be to fall asleep just after the meal and wake up to the sound of “Flight attendants, prepare for landing.”

Here are some tips to sleep on long flights:

1. Upgrade to Business Class. If you have miles or upgrade certificates with a particular airline, use them on long haul flights to upgrade. Your overall experience will be much more pleasant and many airlines have full lay-flat seats so you can really relax. In business class you are often given a little hospitality pack with an eye mask and ear plugs. Take advantage of these perks.
2. Choose the right seat. If you can’t upgrade, choose an economy seat that gives you the best opportunity to get in the most comfortable position possible. Check and see what kind of plane you will be flying on and then check out http://www.seatguru.com/ then pick the best seat for that plane. I find that windows give you something to lean against (instead of drooling on the passenger next to you). Exit rows may have more legroom but often the seats don’t recline so keep that in mind. Non-exit row bulkhead economy seats are often ideal as they have more legroom, but then you can’t have anything on the floor during takeoff and landing. Bulkhead seats are often closest to the lavatories and allow some extra room to step over the passenger next to you if you have to use one mid-flight.
3. Create your own business class experience. If upgrading isn’t possible, bring ear plugs and an eye mask to shut out the noise and light on the plane. Get some moist towelettes to refresh you throughout the flight. Buy a large bottle of water so you don’t have to ask the flight attendants when you are thirsty. Remember, the air on planes is extremely dry and it just sucks the moisture from your skin so it is important to keep well hydrated. Wear comfortable clothes (I’ve even seen people change into pajamas) and remove your shoes for the flight. Before the flight, I usually I buy a newspaper, magazines and mints and get a plastic bag. Then I put everything I need for the whole flight in that bag and keep it next to me so I never have to get up.
4. Develop a flight routine. I always plan to sleep just after the meal service. Drinking red wine with the meal (along with a lot of water) seems to help me fall asleep. If I have a sleeping pill, I take it just when the meal is served so usually it kicks in just when I’m finished eating. Before the meal service, I put my blanket on and get my pillow ready so as soon as they clear my tray, I am usually out in no time.
   On short flights, even a little bit of sleep can help you feel refreshed. Get a window seat close to the front of the plane so you can board first and start napping. Even 20 minutes of sleep can give you a boost for the rest of the day.

Heavenly Bed

As mentioned before, not every hotel or sleeping situation while on tour can be the Westin, but there are a few things you can do to while staying in hotels: keep your room cool and as dark as possible; use your eye mask and ear plugs if it’s loud or during the day; use the hotel gym or pool or go for a run if you are having trouble sleeping; request late afternoon/evening flights and get late check out or even pay for an additional half-day (a lot of hotels will do this as long as you are out before their cleaning staff leaves for the day). While staying with friends, make sure they have a separate room with a door – we’ve all been in the situation where you exhausted and are staying on their couch and then people are still partying in the room you are supposed to sleep in at noon the next day. As a general rule, if I don’t know the promoter or the situation, I require a hotel.

REMnants

When back at home, or just off for a few days while on tour, this is the best time to try to catch up on sleep. It’s tough to just slip back into a regular sleep schedule but if you can at least get 5-6 hours at night (or more if possible) and augment that with a short 45 minute nap during the afternoon (I’m a huge fan of naps), that helps a lot to keep you well rested and prepared for the next weekend. Sleep is crucial, not only to help your body recover but to help your mind filter through all the day’s (and night’s) events. Going for days with little or no sleep breaks down your immune system and severely decreases mental and physical performance. The main goal is to give yourself enough time to get into REM sleep as this helps your body and mind recover.

The first night you are back from being abroad, try as hard as you can to stay up until the time you would normally go to bed. Do not use caffeine to try to stay up and if you are exhausted then go to bed early. But, staying up until your normal time will help to get you back on schedule faster and avoid the problems with jet lag. As always, you should drink a lot of water – at least 1.5 liters per day. Try to eat at normal times and if you don’t have to go out, avoid drinking alcohol or large meals right before bed. If you have obliterated your body over the weekend, use mid-week days off to eat healthy, nutritious meals, drink loads of water, exercise, and get outside whenever possible. A 20 minute walk outside in the sun will give you valuable Vitamin D as well as create natural endorphins which will improve your mood as well as help to regulate your sleep patterns.

While it may feel like you hardly ever see your own bed, invest in a good one. As you spend close to 1/3 of your life in bed, you want this to be as comfortable as possible.

Have any other sleep tips for your fellow djs? Leave them in the comments below.