This past December marked the six-year anniversary of Beats in Space, Mr. Timothy Sweeney’s WNYU-hosted, continuously mixed radio show. Over the years, Tim has acquired quite a knack for selecting and mixing eclectic, party-friendly dance musics, as demonstrated with the vast BiS playlist archives. Having spun everything from Sun Ra to Steve Reich to Meat Beat Manifesto to Mos Def, Sweeney’s repertoire has become considerably more focused since the early days of BiS. At the moment, the weekly broadcast tends to stay grounded in the 4/4 disco thump, concentrating on house, electro, dance-rock, techno and disco throwback. Recent guest DJs on BiS include Cosmo Vitelli, Hot Chip, Carl Craig, Maurice Fulton and other such high rollers. Having provided his DJ chops to the DFA for Holiday Mix 2005 and DFA Compilation #2, Tim’s connection with the label has made him something of a go-to man for DFA exclusives and pre-released material. December Mix, while decidedly less formal than the abovementioned sets, is certainly a solid abridgment of what Tim has been up to lately.

00:00: Moodymann – “U Can Dance If U Want 2” (KDJ, 2005)

Like many of Tim’s selections, “U Can Dance If U Want 2” upholds an ageless allure. Its supposed place in history is unclear upon first listen, as it sounds like it could just as easily have dropped in ‘81 or ‘96. The bassline is decidedly disco, while the echoed vocal samples hark back to Homework-era stylings. The beat, while not unwarrantedly simplistic, doesn’t quite have any of that “decade giveaway” spunk of the other choices in the set. Moodymann is pseudonym of Kenny Dixon, Jr.

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04:59: Martin Circus – “Disco Circus” (Prelude, 1979)

While its appearance in the set is brief (a mere two minutes), the mark left by “Disco Circus” is a prominent one. While it was Martin Circus’ only entry into the ever-prolific vaults of disco imprint Prelude Records, it remains one of the most celebrated releases in the label’s catalog and is still regarded as essential material in the genre. Although there are a few different versions, in its entirety, the original version of “Disco Circus” clocks in at around 14 minutes, so this is a mere snippet.

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06:59: Buzzin’ Cuzzins – “Let Me Show You Love (Quick Dub)” (Azuli, 1994)

Buzzin’ Cuzzins is a pseudonym of Jersey-based producer and Daft Punk pin-up boy Romanthony. “Let Me Show You Love” is a somewhat early entry in his catalog—his full length debut didn’t drop until ‘97. The track is incredibly barebones, rivaling “The Whisper Song” in terms of palette mass (or lack thereof).

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09:46: Liberty City – “Some Lovin’” (Murk, 1992)

Ralph Falcon & Oscar Gaetan (aka Liberty City) are best known for their work in the diva-fronted club smash hit factory Funky Green Dogs. Before they broke through as a part of that outfit, they were busy keeping up with their own label, Murk, and recording music under a slew of aliases. Following the theme of the Buzzin’ Cuzzins joint, “Some Lovin’” employs a particularly minimal palette of samples and grooves.

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13:22: X-Press 2 – “London X-Press” (Junior Boy’s Own, 1992)

If it’s not apparent by now, Sweeney has a thing for the early ‘90s (at least on December Mix). X-Press 2 has been active for over a decade but didn’t come into the spotlight until about a decade later. “London X-Press” is the trio’s first single released under the X-Press 2 guise—their previous outings were recorded as Ballistic Brothers.

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16:19: Goldfrapp – “Slide In (DFA Remix)” (Mute, 2005)

It wouldn’t be a Sweeney set without hearty helping from the DFA camp, and December Mix is no exception to that rule. This version of “Slide In” is currently only available in promo form. Once the sung verses cease, the song fizzles from a DFA remix into something of an extended jam session, incorporating rich, live percussion and spacey synth delay à la Delia & Gavin. Allison Goldfrapp’s delayed forthcoming LP, Supernature, will finally hit shelves in March. (Fingers crossed.)

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27:13: Paperclip People – “Throw” (Open, 1994)

Carl Craig has become quite the Stylus favorite as of late, and what better excuse to yap on about him than this feisty gem? Craig put out a handful of twelves and one full length under the guise Paperclip People in the mid ‘90s. Several of the old singles have been recently reissued on Craig’s own label, Planet E, including “Throw,” which proves to have the longest reign of any track in December Mix. Its duration is over ten minutes—perchance the Sweeney required a bathroom break?

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37:15: Baby Ford – “Normal” (Rephlex, 1998)

The Richard D. James-co-run “braindance” label, Rephlex, may not be the most conventional place to seek out material for an old-fashioned dance set. However, “Normal” nestles its way in very nicely, tying perfectly into the timeline-bending theme Sweeney harnesses so well. (And it makes sense, since Baby Ford is an elusive acid house icon, whose work dates back to the late ‘80s.)

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41:36: Hot Chip – “Just Like We (Breakdown) (DFA Remix)” (Astralwerks, 2005)

Hot Chip’s new single sees the UK foursome following a considerably more sophisticated and less slapstick-oriented direction than that of their full length, and this version may just be the best remix the DFA has yet to flip. It’s a pleasant late-‘05 surprise, and perhaps it will achieve classic status in the near future.

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49:00: Underworld – “Rez” (Junior Boy’s Own, 1993)

It’s not “Born Slippy,” but it’s perhaps the next best thing. “Rez” was Underworld’s debut single (not counting material from the outfit’s Under the Radar days), and it’s certainly been one to capture the hearts of the Stylus staff, as exhibited here. Whether you prefer “Rez” or its vocal-laden B-side, “Cowboy,” the track provides a welcomed tangent into more ethereal territories.

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55:16: Blues Explosion – “Mars, Arizona (DFA Remix)” (Mute, 2005)

It’s probably remixes like this that can best explain the DFA’s success thus far: rockin’ enough to keep from embarrassing the indie kids and with just enough digital spunk to keep the dance kids from making sarcastic Wyld Stallyns poses. I, for one, like to pretend I’m a Stallyn trapped inside a glowstick, just to throw everyone off.

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62:27: Depeche Mode – “Enjoy the Silence (Ecstatic Dub)” (Sire, 1990)

Further proof that Diddy indeed did not invent the remix. This version of “Enjoy the Silence” is devoid of almost any vocal content, as many “dubs” tend to be. It’s also largely ahead of its time, keenly exemplifying the acid house scene in a time before it had really begun to take off. Depeche Mode have always embraced electronic music culture, and boy have they gotten crazy with it lately, as we saw here.

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66:21: Visage – “The Damned Don’t Cry” (Polydor, 1982)

“The Damned Don’t Cry” is December Mix’s first official trek into synth pop territories. While it’s not exactly a well known song, it does well at further accentuating what was accomplished by “Enjoy the Silence,” and, for a stint, peddles the set in a new direction.

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68:19: Bandulu – “Amaranth (Love Lies Bleeding)” (Infonet, 1992)

“Amaranth” is the only December Mix selection that decidedly moves away from the dancefloor. The pulsing ambient nature of the track is more akin to Global Communications or Klaus Schultz than Putsch ‘79 or Daft Punk. A nice cool-down technique to help close out the set.

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74:02: Shit Robot – “Wrong Galaxy” (Astralwerks, 2006)

Rumor has it that DFA DJ Marcus Lambkin named his club night at Planet Bar after a robot drawing by James “LCD” Murphy. He recently adopted the get-up as his own stage name and is now the newest signee on the DFA imprint. “Wrong Galaxy” is more electro-leaning than one might come to expect from the label.

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If you like what you hear, there’s plenty more where this came from, as the past three years of BiS broadcasts are available for download here. Also, Tim stays busy not only on the radio circuit but as a live act as well:

1/26 Berlin (@ Watergate w/ Hot Chip, Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom, Dixon, Âme and Henrik Schwarz)
1/27 London (@ Plastic People)
1/28 Paris (@ Le Paris)
2/03 Boston (@ Paradise w/ The Juan MacLean)
2/04 New York (@ Bowery Ballroom w/ The Juan MacLean)
2/05 Montreal (@ Cabaret w/ The Juan MacLean)
2/06 Toronto (@ Spin Galery w/ The Juan MacLean)
2/07 Columbus (@ Wexner Center w/ The Juan MacLean)
2/08 Chicago (@ Empty Bottle w/ The Juan MacLean)
2/09 Minneapolis (@ Triple Rock w/ The Juan MacLean)
2/12 Seattle (@ Chop Suey w/ The Juan MacLean)
2/13 Portland (@ Holocene w/ The Juan MacLean)