Nick Warren’s latest mix CD, “GU030 Paris,” was inspired by the new generation of fashionable, chilled-out club kids who frequent Paris’ Club Mix. The two-disc set – No.30 in the Global Underground series and the seventh that Warren has mixed for the label – is ready for global release Feb. 20, but Warren will be in town Saturday at Vinyl to offer Denver a sneak preview.
The first disc is ambient and minimal, evoking an elegant lounge atmosphere, with disc two pumping up the funk and bass grooves to a danceable level while remaining modern, sleek and spare. “Paris is a very cool and trendy fashion-based scene,” Warren said. “It’s a beautiful place, and it’s quite the fashion party at the clubs there, so I wanted to set that mood.”
To find the perfect tracks for his new mix, Warren sought out fresh and undiscovered sounds. He put the word out to his extensive network and the records started pouring in; he sifted through 2,500 tracks to pick the two dozen appearing on the Paris mix.
“Most mixes are a bit predictable these days,” he said. “If it’s not a challenge, I’m not interested. I wanted to test myself, and obviously I found so much fantastic music. If you go with the top 20 dance tracks it just stops your musical flow, and my job as a DJ is not to promote Madonna’s new remix but to support and promote these young new producers.”
Warren has created mixes for Global Underground based on the sounds and scenes from Prague, Brazil, Budapest, Shanghai, Amsterdam, Reykjavik, and now, Paris. So what’s next on his global musical horizon? “I’d like to do Alaska. I’m inspired by the wilderness, and it’s not an obvious sound like New York where there’s a definite scene.”
Warren is stopping in Denver this weekend as part of a quick U.S. swing, with only two other gigs scheduled before he jets off to play a series of shows in Australia and South America. But he’ll be back in April as part of a larger U.S. tour to further promote the disc.
“Colorado is a special place to me,” he said. “It’s close to the mountains and there’s a big student population, so it’s always vibrant and there’s this air of expectation.”
Nick Warren, Saturday at Vinyl nightclub, 1082 Broadway. 9 p.m., 18+, $10 303-860-8469
Kick up your heels
Ladies, it’s time to ditch the snow boots and grab the stilettos. In the dead of winter it’s easy to get stuck in a shoe rut; it’s freezing, icy, and the piles of dirty snow outside don’t exactly inspire most of us gals to hit the town in our highest heels.
But Tabu nightclub (1222 Glenarm Place) just launched Stiletto Saturdays last weekend, where women are rewarded for their bravery in the footwear department. The higher the heel, the more complimentary drinks you’ll receive – one for each lofty inch of sexy stiletto style. They’ll even award prizes for the best heels (last weekend it was a $200 gift certificate to Saks 5th Avenue), so catch up on those pedicures and prepare to party.
Jamaican sounds
Tuesday marks the birthday of the late reggae legend Bob Marley, and a party to honor him starts this weekend at Herman’s Hideaway. Blow off the winter blues and head down tonight for Jamaican-inspired sounds by Irie Still, Judge Roughneck, Psydecar and the Alicia Fall Band. DJs Uplifter and Da Teacha will spin in between the live sets to keep the celebration going. Saturday, the reggae vibes continue with Lion Souljahs, Cannon and the Lion of Judah, and Ital Influence, with DJs Uplifter and Da Teacha again manning the decks between sets. Door open at 7 p.m. each night; tickets $7 at the door, 1578 S. Broadway, 303-777-5840.
Kat Valentine writes about nightlife Fridays in 7Days. Reach her at kat@kingproduction.com or call 303-954-1568.
