What’s In Blake Jarrell’s DJ Box?

What’s In Blake Jarrell’s DJ Box?

28 July, 2009 | 4.35AM

• Written by: Zack Rico
• Filed under: Music News: armada, blake jarrell, dj box, electronic elements

Hurricane Katrina in 2005 displaced more than one million people. New Orleans kid Blake Jarrell was among the 6000 refugees who fled to the city of Chicago, to begin again.

In Windy City, he got sucked into the local dance music scene and soon found himself DJing at local parties. After a chance meeting with the world’s biggest trance DJ, Armin Van Buuren, Jarrell impressed the Armada boss with his original productions and was soon added to the Dutch label’s artist roster.

That led to a number of high profile projects, including the ‘Dancefloor Sessions’ mix CD in 2007, a 40 country world tour, a summer residency at Armada’s club night at Amnesia in Ibiza, and most recently a ‘Concentrate 2009’ double mix compilation.

Blake Jarrell is now one of the fastest rising stars in trance. His productions, which bridge the divide between progressive house and trance, have impressed a large number of A list jocks including John Digweed, who said Jarrell “is definitely someone to look out for in the future”. That’s quite a triumph for the boy whose life was once washed away by a storm.

We grabbed Blake to find out what tracks he has currently hiding in his record box. 

Favorite set opener?

Nathan Fake ‘The Sky Was Pink’ (Simon & Shaker Remix) Vs. The Orb’s ‘Little Fluffy Clouds’

I made this intro recently to play for the ravers at ETD POP festival in San Francisco. I took the Simon & Shaker remix of Nathan Fake’s ‘The Sky Was Pink’ and added the Danny Tenaglia acapella of The Orb’s ‘Little Fluffy Clouds’ over it. The result is quite an attention grabber and tension builder.

Secret weapon only you have a copy of?

Telefon Tel Aviv ‘I Made A Tree On The World’ (Blake Jarrell Remix)

This record has quite a lot of sentimental meaning for me. Anyone that knows me can tell you I am completely obsessed with Telefon Tel Aviv, which is rather odd considering I am generally known as a trance DJ. 

They share a similar story to mine and I identify with them a lot on both a musical and personal level. 

Josh Eustis and Charlie Cooper are also from my hometown of New Orleans and moved to Chicago to pursue their music careers further, as did I. 

They are my heros and I am very lucky I was able to become friends with them over the past few years. I sent the remix to Josh and he had this to say about it:

“The thing I like about this mix is that it’s a New Orleans boy wearing his heart on his sleeve. It’s hard for guys like us to fit in wherever our musical worlds take us, but I think as a result of that, we stand out… true romantics, ya know? The world needs more of that.”

I like to think if Charlie were still alive and would have heard the remix that he would have felt the same.

Trippiest record?

Simon & Shaker as The Sundayprayers ‘La Noche Del Cometa’

I’ve been playing every single one of these guys records since 2005 and to me they can do no wrong. They are taking all of the classy sensibilities of what’s going on in the tech house scene and are presenting it in a more progressive and big room-friendly way. 

This record has one of those liquidy percussive grooves and a mindfuck of a vocal sample. I’m banging the hell out of this at Amnesia in Ibiza this summer.

Killer vocal track?

Rex Mundi feat. Susana ‘Nothing At All’

This track does all the right things. Rex keeps it simple and emphasizes the anger, intensity, and heartbreak of Susana’s vocal with a badass jagged bassline and a straight-to-the-point arrangment style. 

It destroys dancefloors and sticks in your head well after the club closes.

Also the Jerome Isma-Ae and DJ Chus remix of Moony ‘I Don’t Know Why’ has been huge for me. The vocal is very passionate and one that the crowd just screams back at you. 

Jerome is on fire lately and my binder is just overflowing with his productions.

Bassline weapon?

Dakota ‘Sin City’ (Cosmic Gate Remix)

That Markus Schulz/Coldharbour rolling sub sound just gets you right in the gut on a big system. Klaus and Stefan do an amazing job of giving the original a nice groove and really emphasizing that massaging bassline. 

I can’t really play a set without at least two to three Cosmic Gate or Dakota tracks in it. 

The record that will never leave your box as long as you live?

Placebo ‘Passive Aggressive’ (Brothers In Rhythm Remix)

I haven’t stopped listening to, or playing this track, ever since Dave Seaman debuted it on his Essential Mix years ago. 

It’s just so intense and never lets up. I even named my radio show and brand ‘Concentrate’ after the lyrics in the song. 

Oldie that everyone else has probably forgotten?

James Holden ‘Nothing’ (93 Returning Mix)

The other night I played James Holden ‘Nothing’ (93 Returning Mix), and it sounded fresher than most of the big records coming out today. I know it’s not THAT old, but neither am I!

Get out of jail card?

Blake Jarrell ‘Boracay’

My new tune ‘Boracay’ seems to be proving itself in a variety of situations. It’s forward thinking enough for the progressive crowd, loopy and groovy enough for the techno crowd, trancey and epic enough for the trance crowd, and the chords are catchy enough for those rare commercial crowds. 

It’s worked really well at all the gigs. I actually made my own video for the track too.

One more tune of the night finisher?

Gui Boratto ‘No Turning Back’

I always end with a subdued sing along ballad type vocal track. Lately it has been Gui Boratto ‘No Turning Back’.  For me this is one of the best tracks this year. 

True and original song writing with forward thinking dance grooves. Can’t really beat it.

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