Steve Lawler whipped up a frenzy of progressive house at the Virgin Mobile Festival 2008. Check these awesome pics which capture the vibe of the party.
Category: People
Tony Z spins Nu Pschidt tonight at Halcyon
Tony Z. spins Nu Pschidt tonight at Halcyon, Brooklyn's best DJ culture shop, from 7 pm to 9 pm.
Korea's music emprassario Jin-Young Park speaks to Portfolio on the music business future
In this video interview with Portfolio Magazine, Korean music executive Jin-Young Park discusses broadband penetration in South Korea and how that has affected music sales and what he believes is the death of the album as we know it. He sees a future in singles sales and the band as a brand, it's name plastered over phone cards, devices, merchandise and a host of other marketable products.
My buddy Kim Kline!
My friend, recording artist Kim Kline, and her manager, Brandon Chretien, were in town this week. I caught Kim’s impromptu performance for a Sony/BMG executive in the lounge at New York’s The London Hotel. I kept interrupting Kim with my camera. Heck, I am a blogger! Have camera, will travel!
So, if you haven’t heard Kim, she’s a fabulous pop/rock phenom, sure to blow up quickly, even though she’s been putting her music and packaging together for years now. But, to be a rock star, that’s what it takes. And Kim’s got what it takes–absolutely!
So, check out Kim’s video below. And don’t forget to visit KimKlineMusic.com or myspace.com/kimkline for touring info, to purchase her music and more! Let me get you started by giving you the link to 
to preview and purchase Kim’s self-titled album.
We love Kim! I know this is a DJ culture blog…but hey, you’d love Kim too! DJs can play rock remixes, right? Hmmm…speaking of rock remix, I think I’m gonna have to pitch that idea to her and maybe I can go in and lay down a house mix to her vocals. Good ideas happen in an instant.
Anyway, enough of my yapping. Here’s her hot video, “Inside,” which is my favorite tune on the album. She’s got new material coming soon!
Groove Armanda at Cielo
Last night, I dropped by Cielo for a set by Groove Armada. Their latest tune, "Love Sweet Sound," washed over the crowd and pushed them into a sweaty frenzy on the dancefloor. It was the highlight of the night--then again, I did leave at 1:30 a.m. and couldn't say for the whole show. I can't justify a 4 a.m. night out on a Tuesday with homework due for class tonight!
At the U.N.
Johan Farid Khairuddin
Johan Farid Khairuddin and I chatting at the U.N. during a break. He came in from Malaysia to participate in the U.N. Meets Web 2.0 and ICT Entrepreneurs Conference.
It was my first time at the U.N. Quite an exciting day, despite the fact that I was putting out fires all after noon and keeping my Indian friends working until ungodly hours.
I’m looking forward to working with Johan to help him with media connections in this country. I hope to travel to Malaysia at some point to work with him on his projects. The world is definitely smaller now that we’re all connected through technology.
Johan is headed to Washington on Friday, but we’re going to hook up over the weekend. Maybe I can get a podcast or video interview with him and he can tell you himself what he’s been up to!
Jasmine 1993-2006
I haven’t posted over the last few weeks. Not that I didn’t want to, I just having been feeling up to it since the passing of my beloved, wonderful black Chow Chow, Jasmine.
Jasmine has been with me since the summer of 1993 (that’s her above, last summer in Boston). She arrived from a Palm Springs, CA kennel specializing in Chows. She was the replacement to another beautiful Chow Chow, Pokey, I’d gotten from the same kennel a little over year before. Pokey suffered from a shunted liver. By the time the doctor’s figured out what was wrong with her, she’d wilted away to nothing, passing away a year to the day she first arrived.
Of course, that was just as tragic. The night she’d passed on, I was DJing the opening of Europa in Newport, Rhode Island. I’ll never forget the drive back when I found out she was at Angel Memorial Hospital in Boston. My girlfriend at the time, Maryna, waited for me to arrive at the hospital at 2 a.m., and I got to see her one last time. It was very difficult, and I thought my doggie days were over.
According to the breeder’s contract, I could receive a refund or I could take another dog. Contemplating taking the money, I’d learned from the breeder and her nephew Roscoe, a friend of mine, that there was a four-month old no one wanted. She had a grey wisp in her tail. Since she wasn’t a solid color Chow, so no one seemed to want to take her. I felt bad that she was out at the kennel without an owner, and thought that maybe I should give her a loving home. People tend to want dogs at the minimum ten weeks they are required to be held at the kennel. Puppies are the norm. The older a dog gets, the less likely it is to be taken in. And, with her off-colored coat, they told me it was hard for them to find someone who wanted her. With that in mind, I finally decided on accepting Jasmine into my life over 13-years ago. Now that I look back, what a wonderful decision, because Jasmine was, throughout her life, such a joy to be around.
As long as I’ve cared for Jasmine, she was never sick. Stubborn? Sure. Sick? Never. She and I went everywhere together. Through four or five different girlfriends and one ex-wife, Jasmine was there unconditionally. From Boston to Hoboken, Jersey City to Carrol Gardens, and Bay Ridge then onto Yonkers, we’ve lived in a number of places we both called home.
She just loved to be around, and wherever I went, I tried my best to take her with me. Whether it was the holidays at my family’s homes in Boston, to work in the city, long drives throughout the tri-state and New England regions, Jasmine would love to jump in the car and go. She was an amazing, loving Chow Chow. Despite their reputation as mean, Jasmine was well socialized and could call many of my friends her brothers and sisters. Everyone loved Jasmine. She never caused trouble, unless she was backed into a corner, which was very rare. She was amazingly sweet and never met a person she didn’t rub up against, like a cat, looking for attention.
I even brought Jasmine to DJ with me a couple of times. She would just lay in the booth for hours, oblivious and not moving a muscle, while hundred’s of people just beyond the glass were dancing furiously. Jasmine just loved to be near me, watching me do whatever it was I needed to do at the time.
Once we moved to Yonkers in June, I could tell Jasmine was slowing down. She began to need much more attention than I could give. I was spending $300 a month in dog walking fees, and she still was urinating in my kitchen. Here kindneys were starting to deteriorate. I knew that after 13-years, I needed to find a place that could care for her much better than I. After all, my life has changed dramatically in 13-years. From DJing a few nights a week in Boston and selling mobile phones at Tweeter Etc. to launching Netmix.com, experiencing 9/11 and a devastated New York economy, then overcoming adversity to become VP of Music at StarStyle, all the while attending NYU two nights a week for the last three years. The transition for me has been so great, it was simply just too much to care for both myself and Jasmine. Something had to give.
A month ago, I’d decided to kennel Jasmine in a long term environment. I thought she’d be well cared for an much better off, living out the last days of her life on a farm with other dogs. Three weeks after dropping her off, I received an emergency call from both the kennel and the local vetrinarian. Jasmine, it seems, had gotten into a serious accident on the farm while playing with the other dogs.
I was told another dog slammed into her at full speed while chasing chickens, which caused a massive hernia along her right, rear-quarter. The impact also caused her right hind-leg to snap at at the bone, just below where it turns to a ball that fits into the hip socket. Immediately following the accident, Jasmine tried to protect her injury, snapping at the other dogs, which resulted in a serious fight. The other dogs got at her pretty good, biting her on the back a few times, near her other injuries.
My girlfriend Missy and I were stunned. The vet told us that it didn’t look good for Jasmine, and that we must consider putting her to sleep. We immediately discussed this tragic turn of events and decided to drive the four hours to the vet to be with her one last time.
For the past few years, Jasmine’s eyes have slowly been deteriorating. She got cataracts and could not see very well. When we arrived, she looked up but couldn’t make me out. Once I moved closer to her and got down on my knees, she heard my voice and smelled my scent. Her tail started wagging and she tried to get up, but I calmed her and asked her to lie down. I lay on the vet’s floor, head halfway in Jasmine’s temporary cage, holding her for 45-minutes and telling her how much she was loved. Missy spent some time with her as well, and it was when Missy leaned down to kiss her and snuggle with her, that her tail was really going. She was so happy we were there, that she probably forgot all the pain and her injuries.
Having spoken to the vet upon our arrival, we knew that we needed to make the toughest decision one can make with a beloved pet–the decision to put her to sleep. After some time comforting her, the technician carried her to the table and layed her out. We held her paws and spoke to her, all the while caressing her face, kissing her and telling her how much we loved her.
The vet asked if we were ready. We were, and she adminstered an overdose of anethesia. Slowly, Jasmine went to sleep forever. We’ll miss her. Life hasn’t been the same ever since.
No one can understand what it’s like to put a pet to sleep until you do it. It’s one of the hardest things to ever have to face, but the most humane. The vet said she wouldn’t have made it through surgery, and that this was the best decision we could make for her.
Missy and I stayed overnight in a local motel and comforted each other. The drive back to Yonkers was a long one.
I’m sure I’ll be back to my old self soon. I’ve gotten a ton of music to review, lot’s of stories to tell. Give me another few days and we’ll get back to work on the business of Netmix. Thanks for caring and understanding.
Sincerely,
Tony Z.
Tony's Travels!
Hey, all! I’ve been so busy, I just haven’t been able to get to generating a blog post since my Entertainment Media Works colleagues and I left for MAGIC Markeplace over three weeks ago. I returned to NYC from MAGIC over Labor Day Weekend, but my stay in the Apple was short-lived.
After spending the weekend recovering from working 18-hour days in Vegas, I jumped right back on a plane to Atlanta for the Billboard Hip Hop and R&B Conference. Then it was onto Nashville for label meetings in the land of Country music and to interview a prospective candidate for a biz dev position at StarStyle.
This past week was a recovery week spent following up with people I’d met during my travels. I also squeezed in the first two classes of my Fall semester at NYU, where I’m entering my 3rd year.
The MAGIC trip successfully got us in front of the top brands, retailers, press, designers and even a few celebrities. It’s a must attend trade show for anyone buying, selling or marketing fashions or fashion related products or services. This trip, EMW showcased StarStyle.com with a booth in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. We brought a sizable team to the trade show to promote StarStyle, film content for the Fashion Five web video show we are getting ready to launch, and make contact with many of the brands and retailers we’ve been talking to over the past year.
My partner in crime, Fresnel aka Madsol Desar and I stayed at the MGM Grand, which played surprisingly good music throughout the hotel and casino area. It was very rhythm based; lot’s of loungey dance beats, which was definitely my cup of tea. Although the rooms are a little dated and mattresses in need of fluffing, the food in the hotel was the definitely the best in Vegas. From the Italian-style Fiamma, which has a sister restaurant in SoHo on Spring Street in NYC to Wolfgang Puck’s spot, you couldn’t ask for better service or better food. The Filet Mignon at Fiamma was absolutely amazing.
Opening night at MAGIC, we spent some time in the VIP area upstairs at TAO, then made our way to the dance floor to check out a live performance by Moby. Madsol is down with the Talib Kweli camp, so the next night we headed out to House of Blues to check out Talib and Jean Grae from an excellent vantage point backstage. The last night, we headed over to the Hard Rock Hotel to check out Tommy Lee’s party for his new clothing line. Out by the pool, Tommy actually worked the Pionneer effects rig while the DJ used Serato software and Technics tables to cut up some west coast sounding electronica and breaks.
You know, I love Triple Five Soul as a brand, but their party at the Wynn hotel was so wack, we had to leave. After Geology opened up (who was great by the way), things went progressively downhill. I don’t know who at BPM convinced Triple Five Soul to put this wack-ass DJ on, but it was just brutal. The mixing was god-awful. The music was like some half-dance, half rock, weird tracks that I couldn’t even comprehend. Just a bunch of noise and clashing keys. And to top it off, the DJ (I wish I knew his name…I can’t find the flyer around here anywhere) just stood there, up in the booth like he was rocking the place, and the dance floor was half empty. The cool people standing there wondering what was going on, while the trashed folk could have cared less. What’s worse, is then they had a live performance that was so horrible, I pulled my friends and said I’d just about had enough. I don’t care how dope the party was supposed to be, it’s probably one of the worst live performances I’ve ever seen. Contestants thrown off American Idol by Simon would have done a better job. Yes, friends, it was THAT BAD!
When we weren’t out at night, we were on the trade show floor networking with all the major urban brands. Ecko/G-Unit, Phat Farm, Southpole, R-World, Sean John…you name it, they were at the show. Our camera crew even caught Russell Simmons over at Project, a smaller version of MAGIC, to discuss a new Yoga line he’s just released. He recently cashed out of Phat Farm, so he’s got some cash to blow on more “green” type of projects, no pun intended!
I jetted back to New York to spend time with my girl over Labor Day weekend, then it was back on a flight to Atlanta for the Billboard R&B and Hip Hop Conference and Awards. I mainly went to check out top Billboard scribe, Michael Paoletta’s “I’m with the Brand” panel and try to catch up with D-Prosper from G-Unit. Michael’s panel was awesome. Beyonce’s father-slash-manager, Ludacris’s manager Chaka Zulu, and Jennifer Wu from FILA were on hand to give their input on product integration and other marketing related topics. I never did catch D-Prosper, he didn’t show for his A&R panel. But I did get to shake Rodney Jerkins hand and a few other notable A&R types after the panel.
After a few day’s rolling with the hip hop crowd, I jumped back on Jet Blue for a flight to Nashville, where I met with UMG Nashville and Curb Records for StarStyle. I also interviewed a nice woman who we ended up offering a job at StarStyle to handle the Country music market. Heck! What do I know about Country? Well, what I don’t know about the music, I do know that you can’t ignore one of the largest music markets in the country that has an extremely loyal fanbase and appeals to middle America. So, now we’re setting up a Nashville division to make sure we give the Country crew the love they deserve.
For the past two weeks, I’ve been back in the Apple, following up with people I met during my travels. School started two weeks ago at NYU, so I’ve been trying to keep up with that as well.
The big news is that I just ordered a new MacBook Pro, 15-inch screen with 2.16 Ghz Intel-based processor and 2 Gigs of memory. I’m waiting on it to come in from Apple, but when I get it, I’m finally going to be mobile with my MP3’s! I might even be spinning out again soon, now that I have my rig, Traktor DJ and Ableton Live . Although I do have to upgrade from Live 4 to 5, so I can get the upgrade to 6, when it comes end September, for free. Stay tuned.
Sorry that I have’t posted as much as I would have liked to. I’m sure you’re wondering where are all the photos from my travels? To tell you the truth, I just didn’t have time to shoot as much as I would have liked. I do have some cool shots that I’ll be posting over the next few days, but I’m thinking I gotta move forward, not backward.
I’ll get back in the swing of things shortly. Thanks for continuing to support Netmix while I’ve been away. Hey, I even finally crossed the $100 threshold in my Google Adsense Account! I’m rich!
For the past few days, I’ve been adding new friends on my MySpace page. I’m now up to 260-something. Let’s connect so we can get our networks to grow. My profile can be viewed at http://www.myspace.com/tonyzeoli. I also have a music profile at http://www.myspace.com/djtonyzeoli.
So, Tony Z. is back…that’s whassup!
Peace,
Tony Z.
Tony Z. heads to MAGIC Marketplace
It's been crazy hectic over the last week since my last post. I've been extremely busy working on the planning for our presence at the upcoming MAGIC Marketplace, which takes place in Las Vegas from August 28 to the 31st.
On Saturday, I'll be on Jet Blue with my homie, Fresnel aka Madsol Desar headed the show, considered one of the largest fashion retail trade shows in the country. In the spring, I walked the floor of the Las Vegas Convention Center as a first-timer during the Fall show to get a feel for how business is transacted and to do a bit of networking with top brands.
The S-Man and Ultra Records Come With Me release party at Crobar
On Saturday night, my girl Missy and I swung through the VIP lounge before Roger's set at Crobar in celebration of his new disc, "Come With Me" on hot dance label, Ultra Records.