Okay, help me out. I LOVE Cattaneo and Diggers and many people who do as well said i HAVE to check out Zabiela. So I downloaded a couple of sets and to be honest did really care for them at all. But I want to give the guy a fair shake. For those of you that really like him, what is the one set that I should be sure to hear?

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Check he's alive cd its really good stuff

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His recent guest appearance on Kiss was on point :Bingo:

Check out the DJ promos and recommended sets forum. There's d/l for his Jul 08 2005 set off of Proton. It's pretty good.

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mostly everything of jz is way to breaky for me....but yes def. check out the kiss mix from feb

His Ableton mix was nifty.

Also tis fun to watch him live if you get the chance.

But who are these crazy people putting him in the same bracket as Cattaneo and Diggers :roll:

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[quote=sakio pod]mostly everything of jz is way to breaky for me...[/quote]

That was my first impression as well.

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I was the same as you. JZ takes some time to get used to. I really wasn't a fan of it at first but I'm a big fan now. I would recommend his Proton set or his "Computed" CD of Utilities. Both are equally good.

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jz has got more mixing skills than all other djs combined, check out his new cd "utilities" and you 'll see why...plus his sound is so unique, its hard to compare him to anyone

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His recent Kiss100 mix and 2004 Essential Mix's are good starting points.

But your best bet is to book a cheap flight to Ibiza and see him tear it up live at Space (personally I love his 2003 set from there which Kiss aired) ... although purchasing Alive 1 & 2 is the cheaper option.

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what you find in stores from him might sound all nice and magical, but to really start feeling JZ you gotta either see him live or get some of his latest live sets, keyword - live, meaning not the Kiss100 ableton set, or Alive or Utilities for that matter.

look for his "live @ Peter Pan, Italy" set if you want an idea of what he's like with a crowd and what tracks he's got this year. i know a lot of people dig his pre-recorded, well organized sets, but they just don't do it for me, at least in comparison to the "straight out of the club" recordings.

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^^ I agree...

Sets that are recorded live are so much better than retail...

His Kiss set is about the only one I like... but seeing him live is completely different from listening to a live set. sorta like grayarea or infusion :not me:

cant believe nobody has mentioned any of his "duck" mix cd's. or afterparty sets. there's tons of stuff around from 2002 and earlier that rock your jock! look for any of his Groovetech sets. some of them are on soulseek.

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His "4" is good...

i'm a fan of his Bedroom Bedlam set too...

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Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I will listen to a few and let you know what I think.

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Cool...make sure to tell Jib where he can go if you don't like it.

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the only way to get zabielas trip is listening to him live.....

after that, you may understand and apreciate his talent and musical taste

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^^^^^ couldn't of said it any better

You have to see this man live to really appreciate his talent.

I'll listen to his cds every now and then.. but I will never miss him live..

Speaking of which, saw him last wednesday in Minneapolis... amazing what he can do with a efx-1000, cdj-1000 and apelton live..

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I would have to concur w/ what is said above. Listen to the man live and feel the energy he can create, and watch him blow you away w/ his mixing skills.

Then get into d/l'ing his sets.

The man is like Richie Hawtin to me. Literally blows your mind in a live environment, yet hard to appreciate just listening to his sets at home. You need to put yourself back to when you saw him live to appreciate the feel or ambience he is trying to create with his sets.

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Thats just what I was going to ask, how much is he like Richie Hawtin when live. I have seen him live several times and he's always amazing to watch.

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there is a wicked video of him on slsk (James Zabiela @ club DaDa, Lithuania (2004-08-06) Part 1.wmv) if you want to check out his mixing. some mad skillz on the effects unit thing.

the second disk of utilities is quality. that captain hook track is a beast.

as is his set from peter pan from april of this year.

i don't know wether he is an acquired taste or he just plays better music these days, i really didn't dig his older stuff, it just seemed too noodly.

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you have to hear james play live. he's pretty amazing to watch and what he does while he's mixing is absolutely incredible.

his energy is umatched.

if you want more "deep" then i agree...his essential mix from february 2004 is pretty bad ass. he uses maetrik-excusion...i love that tune.

also his kiss mix from this past march is "easy listening" as well. he used ableton as he was mixing it. it's not as "breaky" as some people have been posting about.

look for his duck series as well. those 3 mixes were pretty fun.

then again, james can drop the plump dj's "get kinky" and have the place go CRAZY.

hoooray for james!

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I probably catch hell for saying this but James Zabilia is clearly the most overated dj out there.....I really never have been able to get into his sets.....

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[quote=chuckc]I probably catch hell for saying this but James Zabilia is clearly the most overated dj out there.....I really never have been able to get into his sets.....[/quote]

Chuck, I agree I have listened to a lot of his live sets and some of his comps. All of them are boring to me. But that is my personal taste. No offense to james or any of his fans. He can definelty mix and is very talented. I am just not a fan. Sorry.

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[quote=rewing3][quote=chuckc]I probably catch hell for saying this but James Zabilia is clearly the most overated dj out there.....I really never have been able to get into his sets.....[/quote]

Chuck, I agree I have listened to a lot of his live sets and some of his comps. All of them are boring to me. But that is my personal taste. No offense to james or any of his fans. He can definelty mix and is very talented. I am just not a fan. Sorry.[/quote]

same here.

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just an fyi: there are a few fake sets labeled James Zabiela, and they happen to be some of the most popular ones, as far as sources availablilty...

the following are NOT JZ sets:

• James Zabiela Live @ We Love Space Closing Party, Ibiza 26.09.2004.mp3

• James Zabiela - 2003-03-01- Live @ DNA Lounge San Francisco with Ralph Lawson and Dano.mp3

it's natural for people to take a while to get used to his trickery. personally, i got hooked for life after replaying his "Four" promo a few times. loved "Sound in Motion", hated "Alive", and with Utilities it's a love/hate deal. the Computed CD is just what the name suggests - lots of ableton utilities used in lots of different ways, while the Recorded disc is nothing but good old JZ's hands! (boy, that didn't sound right :lol: )

EDIT: even Pataky Pal started digging JZ after some time!

I don't like any of his sets except the kiss100 set... but his live performances are always great from what I've seen

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James Zabiela Live at Lot 33 Canberra 6-6-2003

Is not a bad set. It took me seeing him live twice to really get into his style. Lots of energy and really puts on a show. What a dj should be.

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Hey, what's the track 'ID' that he's been dropping for awhile..."Towards the Sun?"

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Definitely check out his "4" series!

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[quote]Hey, what's the track 'ID' that he's been dropping for awhile..."Towards the Sun?"[/quote]

That would be Future Funk Squad - Toward The Sun. It could be a remix too. I'm not quite sure.

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Thanks :Bingo:

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To me Alice Disc 2 is the trippiest compilation ever... those Donnie Darko samples still give me the chills

There are a lot of Zab's compilations and sets that I haven't gotten into, but his set from from Lot 33 Canberra is ace.

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I have the opportunity to see him on Wednesday with Nick Warren, from all the posts on here I am definitely going.

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Up until recently I had not head anything of his I liked, but the last 2 sets-- the Kiss Guest Mix and his recent Plexi Sessions mix on Proton have both been very good. I still have yet to see him live, although I understand he stays quite busy behind the decks. Just as long as he keeps pulling out good records that is a plus.

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Surprised there is so little mention of 4.2 - I think it beat 4 but not by much. I love how he adds a futuristic/sci-fi/nerd element to his sets. I'm starting to wonder if he's human.

Check out Live @ Vibe to see his talent at a young age. Fast forward to Utilities and 4.2. Wow.

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This thread is from July. Before 4.2 came out. ;)

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You should also check out his mix from later this year, excellent stuff :Bingo: