thursday notes

o.g.

-Dimitri from Paris compiles and mixes a two-disc reprise, Return to the Playboy Mansion. It's out April 22 via Defected. The mix features retro and modern sounds. "I've been a very avid disc collector," Dimitri says, "and depending on the subject matter, I dig deeper to pull out something suitable." The French houser will also play select north American dates, with more to be announced:

March 21 - Chicago
April 26 - Denver
April 27 - Coachella
April 27 - Las Vegas

-Miami tribal king Oscar G. (above) unleashes his first artist album, INNOV8, April 22 via the resurrected Nervous label. The long-player is sequenced, mix-CD-style, but only features G.'s own, original material. "I feel like dance music is better represented when it is served by a DJ, so this album is an attempt to showcase my original material while also wearing a DJ hat to put it together for the listener," G. says. "Each track on this album is there not only because I feel it is strong enough as a song, but also because it serves a puropose in the overall DJ mix that binds the album."

Of course the spinner will be representing during the Winter Music Conference - March 28 at Nocturnal Terrace and March 30 at Cameo.

-It's rumored that Activision, the company behind wildly popular video game Guitar Hero, has trademarked the name "DJ Hero."

-KCRW (89.9 FM, Santa Monica, Calif.) DJ Jason Bentley has been tapped (once again, I think) to spin at the crown jewel of Oscar parties, the Governor's Ball, Sunday.

-New York's Hudson Hotel has paired up with the soul-leaning Giant Step label to produce DJ-driven "Monday Nights at Hudson" early-evening soirees that will run from February through October.

-Massive Attack was chosen to curate London's Meltdown arts festival at the city's Southbank Centre in summer.

-LA Weekly takes a look at lo-tech DJ and beat-maker Baseck, who uses two Gameboys as sequencers during his sets.

-Dubfire stars in my weekly dance club recommendations for the Los Angeles area.