Gold Dust

Hello there,


By now your Halloween costume is probably tossed in the garbage, at the bottom of the hamper or lost to the ether somewhere.  You're left with this waiting period until Thanksgiving and the holiday whirlwind.  Never fear, my friends, I have a special surprise for you.  This is Gold Dust, my 2009 fall mix, and also my favorite.  This mix really captures that mysterious, electric, primal feeling that only autumn can bring.  If you've ever seen the golden light of a sunset through the forest trees, the smell of chimney smoke somewhere in the distance, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.  Happy hunting!


petropolis

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From the Grave!

Hello kiddies,


My name is Sir Cosmo von Bathory.  Petropolis is out scampering about town in this despicable weather doing god knows what in preparation for this quaint little holiday you all celebrate.  All fun and games to you, but this is the day I was murdered, and it was not a pretty sight. But that is neither here nor there.  Today I am bringing you a little treat, as I am in hiding and not making any appearances this year.  I give you From the Grave: Halloween Revisited. It's a "best of," if you will, culled from several past years of Halloween mixes by Petropolis himself. I do hope you enjoy this and play it at all your silly little parties.  I, however, will be reliving my own death, as I do year after year.  But I shall bore you no more.  Enjoy your holiday.


Sir Cosmo von Bathory

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Electric Chapel

Well kids, the change is finally upon us.  Summer is gone, the light is waning and the air has that crackle of excitement as fall begins.  I'll be going upstate this weekend to start it off right with some hiking, apple picking and pumpkin pie eating.  I'm kinda in love with this mix right now.  A little darkness and rock n' roll never hurt nobody.  So grab your Jameson or Jack and burn a hole in the road.


petropolis

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Reborn This Way

This is at once a mix posting and a confessional, so bear with me.  I've been kinda quiet on the blog the past couple of months, but inside my head has been a cacophony of thoughts, ideas and emotions.  After a sense of accomplisment from reaching the year mark in NYC, a silent question hung over me.  Now what?  I thought I knew the direction I was headed, but then the bottom dropped out of some big plans, and I found myself back at square one, feeling more lost than ever.  Now I see several forks in the road, several possible paths, several decisions to make.  It took a minute, but I've now embraced the change, calling on my learned skills of adaptability and seeing where certain paths lead.  Traveling down my own road, watching the signs as I go.

While my mixes are really fun to make, they're also time capsules of where I'm at, mentally and emotionally, at this point in my life.  I think that's why it took so long to get this mix out this summer, because I didn't know what I was feeling.  Everything I tried to put together felt forced, until I retreated to Pennsylvania and had an amazing weekend with an old friend.  Good advice, strange dreams, and the untimely death of an amazing talent oddly came together to crystallize everything for me, to let me know that...it's ok.

So take a swim in the cool waters and brilliant sunshine of Reborn This Way.  It's my own version of a soul-cleansing spiritual baptism.  Even if it only makes sense to me, it'll still make you smile and maybe move your feet.  Enjoy!

This mix is dedicated to Kendall, a true soul mate.  And to Amy, who will be dearly missed.


Petropolis

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Sunshine & Popsicles

Well, it hasn't exactly been all sunshine and popsicles this past year, but I've definitely grown emotionally attached to this city.  Here's a glimpse at some of the amazing people and small wonders I continue to find...

The Year of Ganesha

Thursday, June 2, 2011
12:48pm, Madison Square Park

One year ago today I arrived in New York City, all bright-eyed and ready for my month and a half vacation/adventure.  I had no way of knowing just how much of an adventure it would turn out to be, one that has changed my life in every way.  I can't believe it's been a year.  Not that it's gone by quickly, but that it's been a year and I'm still here.  I did it.  I've been told that year one is the toughest in NYC, almost as if the city is testing you.  I went through six residences, three jobs, losing my wallet, phone, job, a friend...and yet what I've gained is worth more than anything.  Much like a romantic relationship, I sometimes wish I could go back to that dizzying wonder I felt when I first arrived, because so many things are familiar to me already.  But now, instead of looking up at everything in awe, I am a part of it all.  A friend recently told me that this city holds a mirror up to you and shows you who you really are.  Being so far away from what I had always called home and overcoming so many obstacles, I really did come face to face with myself.  And a year later, I have to say I really like the person that's grown before me in the mirror.

The single biggest lesson I've learned is gratitude.  While I am proud of myself for sticking it out and making the choices I did, I never would've gotten to where I am without the help and support of amazing friends and family, and without accepting help from the universe even when it was offered in unexpected ways.  I am grateful to be alive and blessed with so much love in my life.  Ganesha continues to place (and remove) obstacles before me, and I am thankful for these opportunities for learning and growth.

The question I get most often is, "are you just loving it up there?"  The answer is yes, and no.  It's hard to be away from my family and friends back home.  But I've also gained a family of friends here, something I never expected.  I don't wake up in the morning thinking, "I fucking love this city!"  But there are days, like today, when I'm head over heels in love with it.  This is where I'm supposed to be right now.  It's a holding place for me to expand and grow until it's time to move on to the next thing.  Outdoor work and New Zealand are on the horizon, but we'll get to that later.  For now, I just want to bask in the glory of this amazing city with a heartbeat like no other, and look up at it in wonder.

Paul

Let's Play a LoveGAME

Hello, lovers.  By now spring has finally arrived in the Big Apple, and everyone's got the fever.  Whether you're sweating in the gym, bedroom or dancefloor, LoveGAME is here to cool you off.  I didn't get to make a Valentine's Day mix this year, but this somehow feels more appropriate.  Its dance pop sensibility isn't for everyone, so just take this heart-shaped lollipop...and suck it. <3

xxxo petropolis

LET'S PLAY A LOVEGAME

SprinquiNEXT: The Return to Life

First, there was Enter the Sprinquinox.  No one can be told what the Sprinquinox is...

Then came Bubble Pop Electric Youth, a pink and poppin' blowout from Uptown Doodie Brown.

Last year was Spectacular Springtacular (in the words of the vernacular), presented online in all its glory.

NOW, prepare yourself to get seriously happy. This is SprinquiNEXT...The Return to Life!

DOWNLOAD SPRINQUINEXT SIDE A

DOWNLOAD SPRINQUINEXT SIDE B

Special thanks for the dazzling vocal stylings of Miss Whitney Campbell

and to the City of New York for being ambient gold.

*Note for iPod/iPhone users: be sure to put the download into a playlist,

otherwise iTunes likes to do it's own thang :)

Get Ready

Tomorrow, April 8th, 2011, Earth.

SprinquiNEXT:

The Return to Life

Can you feel me in stereo?

PETROPOLIS

Blog Takeover! Bubble Pop Electric Youth

DOWNLOAD BUBBLE POP ELECTRIC YOUTH SIDE 1

DOWNLOAD BUBBLE POP ELECTRIC YOUTH SIDE 2

Enter the Sprinquinox

Sitting high on Cloud 9 in the Petropolis Stu-stu-studio, I'm ready to unleash a wave of springtime happy silly craziness on you.  This year's spring mix will drop in just a few short weeks, but in the meantime I wanted to give you something to get things moving.

Many of you already know of the Sprinquinox, a mobile holiday I created in 2007 purely just to celebrate spring, my favorite season.  Each year we do something different, the only guideline being fun in the sun, maybe food and drinks as well.  The coinciding mix for the inaugural Sprinquinox took me in a new direction, using friends' vocal talents as interludes throughout the mix.  It is a journey, to say the least.  No one can be told what the Sprinquinox is.  You have to experience it for yourself.

Enter the Sprinquinox is dedicated to the memory of Quent Reese, 1977-2007.

The promise of a new day!

Petropolis

DOWNLOAD ENTER THE SPRINQUINOX SIDE 1

DOWNLOAD ENTER THE SPRINQUINOX SIDE 2

Foolishness 2

In Like a Lion

Happy March, everyone! Spring is approaching, and I’m practically bursting at the seams with excitement (and caffeine). RRRAAARRR!!!  But first, this is to be the one and only post I will ever write on the subject of Lady Gaga. Here we go…

In the beginning, there was this super blonde, shoulder pads-and-bangs person that invaded my So You Think You Can Dance program. Was she foreign? Who did she think she was coming out like a star? Then she blew up, and gained immense popularity in the gay scene. I thought the songs were catchy and dancey enough, but I lumped her in with all the other pop/R&B fluff that (at the time) I despised. I think I resented her even more because she did have such a…fierce gay following, and I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about. Did we really need another dance diva?

Then came the VMA performance with the blood. For the first time, I saw performance art that appealed to me. I like weird and certainly don’t mind a bit of shock value, plus she was singing live which I appreciated. Maybe there was something to her after all. Research time! Several acoustic piano performances on YouTube later, I realized that she has some real musical talent, both in voice and piano. What was happening to me?

Then the Bad Romance song and video appeared, and I immediately crossed over. Either my sensibilities changed, or the songs got better, who knows, but I was sold. More weirdness and extravagance followed, and I was happy now that she was moving away from her former incarnation (although I now like all her previous songs). Telephone, meat dress, etc. I’ve been along for the ride. But I’ve never known what side of the is-she-for-real-or-is-she-a-packaged-product debate I stood on, until recently.

Let’s get one thing straight. Yes, she’s famous. She’s now admitted to studying the sociology of fame and planning her every move. Of course there are things that are said and done for dramatic effect, but one thing I don’t doubt is that she loves her music and fans. There’s such a backlash about Born This Way sounding like Madonna. Everyone is influenced by other artists, and she’s 23 or 24…is it surprising that early 90s Madonna would have influenced the kid? Aside from two lines, I don’t hear the Madonna reference. To me it’s just reminiscent of late 80s/early 90s optimistic, anthemic pop that (in my world) is sorely lacking, and is exactly why I LOVE the song. And the video creates a character, concept and mythology, which I love. Bottom line, I am happy someone is sending out this message of acceptance in a time when I’m still told I don’t deserve the right to marry. You go, girl. Express yourself.


You people get ready for a euphoric, exuberant, badass spring, cuz it’s comin’ straiiiiight atchya.


Petropolis

Foolishness

That's a Wrap 2010

Hey Everyone!

    It's an old but true saying, hope springs eternal, at least for me it does.  Which can keep me on a crazy rollercoaster at times, but as Bjork once said, you can't say no to hope, can't say no to happiness.  I've got some exciting job prospects on the horizon, and of course this is always the time of year when I'm hunkered down in the studio, tinkering away at the spring mix.  I've also been having a creative surge lately, so I hope you don't mind more goodies coming your way--this spring is gonna be jam-packed with 'em!  For now, enjoy this little video postcard.  Happy New Year!

WATCH ME!

(You can also view at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZeAwjrPZws)

P.S. If you haven't already, gone and git dat golden nugret already!

GIT DAT GOLDEN NUGRET!

(or visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1acbVqRh3U)

White Wolf

Happy New Year!  As I'm sure you know, I've survived my first blizzard and am sloshing along with the rest of the locals (and tourists).  The weather up here (and dealing with it) is different than anything I've ever experienced, but I'm learning quickly.  Although the Solstice may have passed and the days are slowly growing longer, there is still a long, cold haul ahead.  I'm discovering that winter can be a visceral, brutal beast of an experience, but a delicate, hypnotic creature as well.  It is with this in mind that I made White Wolf. 


*New Year's Day warning: White Wolf is not suited for hangovers.  Best enjoyed on a pensive snowy stroll or whilst stalking barefoot through a moonlit enchanted forest.

*A note for iPod/iPhone users:  once downloaded, be sure to put this mix into a playlist before syncing.  Otherwise the files tend to get separated...

DOWNLOAD WHITE WOLF

P.S. The holidays are over, it's a new year, and we all need a little ray of sunshine to look forward to.  It gives me great pleasure to bring you the first Golden Nugret of 2011.  For those in the know, this needs no explanation.  For everyone else, stay tuned and it will all become crystal clear...

GET THAT GOLDEN NUGRET!

*If you have trouble with downloading or Quicktime, you can get it at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1acbVqRh3U