{"id":571,"date":"2011-12-24T17:11:27","date_gmt":"2011-12-24T17:11:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/?p=571"},"modified":"2013-01-29T22:08:42","modified_gmt":"2013-01-29T22:08:42","slug":"julius-the-mad-thinker-23-12-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/julius-the-mad-thinker-23-12-11\/","title":{"rendered":"JULIUS THE MAD THINKER 23.12.11"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

JULIUS THE MAD THINKER<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The<\/span><\/strong> Dharma Lounge<\/a> sits quietly on the South End of the quaint but bustling Camden district of storefronts and businesses in Queen City, North Carolina. Entering the front door along the narrow hallway to pay homage at the front counter leaves a feeling of mild curiosity until one rounds the corner to find\u2026..a path that leads to enlightened nightlife. The 3,000 square foot venue contains eye popping hues of fiery oranges, deep reds and majestic gold. First glance around the playful interior reveals eclectic abstract greens, blues and gold of Asian inspired artwork-think Picasso meets the far east-that hang on fiery orange walls. The room gives off a warmth of tranquility that illuminates the natural environment as fresh organic aromas play in the air. Except for Blaze\u2019s,<\/span> <\/strong>\u201cFound Love<\/a>\u201d (Shrine Vocal) blazing from the clear crisp sound system the healing oasis could double for a yoga class.<\/span> By the way <\/em>free yoga classes are held on Tuesday evenings. Another survey throughout the global bazaar reveals three cabanas-one keeping company on the side wall and the other two on the room\u2019s back wall-with mahogany beams wrapped in vibrant orange drapes that flow to royal purple linen covered beds that entertain brilliantly colored Indian saris of red, orange and gold relaxing in total Zen. Each cabana contains its own decorative mahogany table with a golden mini-Buddha bathing in the soft glow of candles. Along the room\u2019s side wall are additional relaxing comforts of contemporary cr\u00e8me leather sofas sitting underneath the soft glow hue of orange lamps. Adjacent the cr\u00e8me sofas is the DJ booth-a rectangular shape that resembles a tree with branches sprouting upward against the backdrop of a burning flame provided by again fiery orange hues. The spacious booth sits four feet off ground in front of bamboo sticks that line the tango tangerine walls lit by ceiling lights which seem to shine down from the heavens. A state of the art light system hangs from a tapestry of natural crossbeams that resembles a steel beam suspension bridge. The beams intersect each other and travel the ceiling in every direction to form an impressive shadow of lines on the dance floor below. Travel the opposite wall, across from the burning DJ booth and you will find the Buddha Bar set ablaze too with flames and surrounded by mahogany barstools. However, this is not your daddy\u2019s average watering hole as it contains the centerpiece of the bar and perhaps the centerpiece of the entire room, an oversized golden Buddha sitting behind the bar wearing headphones. Talk about an ancient deity grooving to contemporary sounds. On the other hand, for the dancers the room\u2019s centerpiece is the wooden dance floor positioned dead smack center of the room. The floor large enough to house a gathering of foot soldiers and a small army of dancers is just right. After Kings of Tomorrow featuring April\u2019s,<\/span><\/strong> \u201cI Need To Love Me<\/a>\u201d plays and as Magnetic Man\u2019s,<\/span><\/strong> \u201cGetting Nowhere<\/a>\u201d (Yoruba Soul Mix) with R\u2019n\u2019B crooner John Legend on vocals cues up on the mixer the heated outdoor patio is discovered. Round tables grace the deck along with walnut patio furniture equipped with orange cushions that sit alongside a wooden fence with two fire burning furnace tables. Word to the wise, \u201cPlease be careful with the alcohol.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Dharma in Buddhist scriptures can take on a variety of meanings from phenomenon, nature, or characteristic; including but not limited too, source of things and truth. For the sake of this experience let\u2019s snatch Dharma from its path of an enlightened night life to a phenomenon as this night was nothing short of such. To define a phenomenon means looking at the word\u2019s second and third definitions which include; 2) something that is impressive or extraordinary; 3) a remarkable or exceptional person, prodigy or wonder.*<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Chicago’s own,<\/span><\/strong> Julius The Mad Thinker<\/a> embodies the very meaning of phenomenon. The 3Degrees co-founder is the very instrument of the music he plays and produces. In order to understand, let us dive deeper into the phenomenal waters of The Mad Thinker\u2019s world. It\u2019s a world of spiritual and uplifting music. A journey of rollercoaster beats that play soft and deep and then rush into a mad fury of fast meets hard. From Big Band swing to funky house, from afro-beat to Latin house, the beats never stop or disappoint. The beats originate from South Africa’s Capetown to America’s Chicago, from London\u2019s underground to San Francisco\u2019s bay and everywhere else in between.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

On this phenomenal night there is no opening DJ to be seen with no opening musical set to be heard, just four straight-hours of The Mad Thinker\u2019s mindset. Right from the start, Julius wastes no time by bringing his A+ game with choice cuts from Atlanta\u2019s KemeticJust\u2019s<\/span><\/strong>, \u201cI\u2019ve Got Life<\/a>\u201d (DJ Spinna Galatic Mix) which set the lifeless dance floor ablaze with tweaks and bass drops to old-school Gladys Knight & The Pip\u2019s,<\/span> <\/strong>\u201cI\u2019ve Got To Use My Imagination<\/a>\u201d (Timmy Regisford & Quentin Harris Mix) that gathers people from the bar and the outdoors patio to the ever burgeoning dance floor. Feet began to sway and hips gyrate as the party is off to a spectacular start. Chicago song master, Peven Everett with<\/span><\/strong> \u201cBurning Hot<\/a>\u201d (Timmy Regisford & Adam Rios Mix) keeps the cold winter\u2019s night hot as U.K. soul sensation Shaun Escoffery\u2019s,<\/span><\/strong> \u201cDays Like This<\/a>\u201d (DJ Spinna & Tickla Mix) perches the sun into the night. Cheers of approval swarm the room from the cabanas on the back wall to the front DJ booth on the front wall as people proudly sing, \u201cI Love The Sun.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

As the crowd steadily grows, Julius\u2019 musical concoction becomes a \u201cTop Songs of the Year\u201d playlist. The party\u2019s heavy hitters come from the year\u2019s brightest anthems and largest house music producers. Front and center sits Soundgarden\u2019s,<\/span><\/strong> \u201cBlack Hole Sun<\/a>\u201d (MasterKev & Tony Loreto Mix) that provides the alternative vibe for the affair. Big beats come courtesy of Joey Negro\u2019s and Gramaphonzie\u2019s,<\/span><\/strong> \u201cNo Sugar<\/a>\u201d with Shea Soul on sampled vocals. Trumpets shout and horns scream as swing house rushes into action to electrify happy-dancing feet. As if on cue, dancers stand upside down on hands and their knees slide onto the floor to spin in circles. This is dancing at best.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Wait! What\u2019s this? The music stops. A pause ensues for two short seconds. Then a four-count thump penetrates the atmosphere. An echo heard in the distance sings, \u201cI Was At The Club.\u201d With arms raised in the air and screams out of the mouths of hungry babes the house heads go bedlam; real bedlam. Its Timmy Regisford\u2019s with Lynn Lockamy\u2019s vocals on<\/span> <\/strong>\u201cAt The Club<\/a>\u201d remixed by Rocco that drives the music into hard progressive house territory that sends Dharma into the next stratosphere. Yet, another surprise is heard from the sleeper of the year,<\/span> <\/strong>\u201cIdiosyncrasy<\/a>\u201d by Yoruba priest Osunlade. The auto-tuned spoken rap drenches the room in chaotic dance. Talk about disturbing the Zen. South Africa shows up and shows out with-two of the top deep house songs of the year-Black Coffee\u2019s featuring Hugh Masekela\u2019s,<\/span> <\/strong>\u201cWe Are One<\/a>\u201d and Zakes Bantwini\u2019s<\/span><\/strong>, \u201cWasting My Time<\/a>\u201d (Black Coffee Original Club Mix) destroying the room with deep soul. From there last year\u2019s number one anthem storms the room, a deep house ballad from Black Coffee titled,<\/span> <\/strong>\u201cSuperman<\/a>\u201d that slows the vibe down and has the crowd singing, \u201cWill You Be My Superman?\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

There comes a point when The Mad Thinker goes deep, so deep that the music\u2019s rhythms became healing waters of ointment. Got a cold? Got lower back muscle spasms? Poof! Be gone. Just ask and you shall receive. The mind, body and heart become immersed in the deep subconscious of dance and deep beats. Literally folks, people lose their minds. The beats become so muddled and vocals so undistinguished that consciousness becomes an abstract thought. Was this Prince singing over a deep house remix treatment? Or someone else?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Not long there after, a funky beat rides deep as House Music vocalist king, Kenny Bobien\u2019s falsetto floats flawlessly and sings,<\/span><\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t Be Afraid<\/a>\u201d (MasterKev and Tony Loreto Deeper Vocal) a 10:45 extravaganza filled with swirling keys climaxing to a dizzying finish. Julius the instrument tweaks the synthesizer\u2019s highs and drops the bass to deliver an even deeper experience. Next up, songstress Monique Bingham with,<\/span><\/strong> \u201cYou, Me, World<\/a>\u201d (Jon Cutler Distant Music Mix) brings smiles to faces.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Julius has the ability to take your not so favorite song and turn it into your favorite anthem by playing songs like they\u2019ve never been played before. Being the instrument of music, Julius eschews every rhythm played. From the top of his buzz-cut head to the rubber soles of his sneakers, he becomes a vessel of the music. At times his body bobs and weaves with syncopated bursts of energy. Then he moves about with staccato jabs and at other times with fluid movements like ocean waves. With his body turned to the left his head uncontrollably falls backwards to speak the language of his love-music. No bone in his body is able to escape the grasp of rhythm\u2019s hold. Even his fingers absorb the melodies of life. The mixer\u2019s control knobs violently spin and the crossfader slams from side to side to allow the treble to run to the forefront and the bass lines to disappear in the background and drop on key counts that shatter the room.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The night\u2019s other musical standouts include a marching band thumping drums, clashing cymbals and blasting horns before transforming into the Elements of Life with Louie Vega\u2019s wife Anane on vocals singing,<\/span> <\/strong>\u201cOne Dream<\/a>\u201d the Big Game Mix which opened the 2007 Super Bowl. After that rousing round of Latin house, Josh Milan\u2019s,<\/span> <\/strong>\u201cYour Body<\/a>\u201d (Louie Vega Eol Mix) and Nathan Adams with Zepherin Saint\u2019s,<\/span> <\/strong>\u201cHolding On<\/a>\u201d (Timmy Regisford & Adam Rios Mix) keep the deep house afloat. It is Trina Broussard\u2019s, \u201cJoy<\/span><\/a>\u201d (Quentin Harris Mix) that brings down the house with its uplifting heartfelt appeal. Additional positive lyrics ensue from Lady Alma & The Rainmakers\u2019 on \u201cLet It Fall.\u201d With lyics as \u201cTrouble Don\u2019t Last Always\/Let It Rain\u201d the club transforms into church. Baseball caps swing through the air, hands wave in the air and shouts of praise are heard.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rounding out the dynamic set are U.K. soulstirs, Ben Westbeech\u2019s,<\/span><\/strong> \u201cSomething For The Weekend<\/a>\u201d (Joey Negro Z Mix) that brings a smooth groove to the dance floor as 1990\u2019s superstar Jamiroquai,<\/span> <\/strong>\u201cJust Dance<\/a>\u201d chops up the smooth groove with a broken beat mix.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

By night\u2019s end a sizable and diverse mixture of minds had gathered-including two drunk girls that fell smack down on the dance floor. Several diehard house heads trekked from Raleigh, NC, Sumter, South Carolina and even Atlanta, GA. The bodies in motion were more than pleased to have taken the journey along the path of the enlightened with The Mad Thinker. Thanks Dharma and Julius for a phenomenal night of music and dance.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

*Definitions of Dharma and phenomenon are provided by Dictionary.com<\/em>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Photography by Siouxanna Gomez<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Fb-Button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>
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Entering the front door along the narrow hallway to pay homage at the front counter leaves a feeling of mild curiosity until one rounds the corner […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[62,8,63,56,7,26],"class_list":["post-571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-events","tag-charlotte-nc","tag-deep-house-music","tag-dharma-lounge","tag-funky-house","tag-house-music","tag-julius-the-mad-thinker"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2JDhj-9d","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1193,"url":"https:\/\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/julius-the-mad-thinker-16-01-09\/","url_meta":{"origin":571,"position":0},"title":"JULIUS THE MAD THINKER 16.01.09","author":"ajdance","date":"January 17, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Photography by AJ Dance","rel":"","context":"In "Events"","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/category\/events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/01.-MP-AJJulius.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1245,"url":"https:\/\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/julius-the-mad-thinker-18-04-09\/","url_meta":{"origin":571,"position":1},"title":"JULIUS THE MAD THINKER 18.04.09","author":"ajdance","date":"April 19, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Photography by John Crooms","rel":"","context":"In "Events"","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/category\/events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/01.-MP-AJDance6.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":333,"url":"https:\/\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/julius-the-mad-thinker-mini-view\/","url_meta":{"origin":571,"position":2},"title":"JULIUS THE MAD THINKER Mini-view","author":"ajdance","date":"August 3, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Chicago's Julius The Mad Thinker of 3 Degrees Global will make an apperance in Atlanta, GA on Saturday August4, at the Sound Table for a special intimate night of music. Check out what the Mad Thinker is currently working on and his outlook for Saturday night's visit. Interview by AJ\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Events"","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/category\/events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/00.-MP-JuliusTheMadThinker1-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":315,"url":"https:\/\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/julius-the-mad-thinker-04-08-12\/","url_meta":{"origin":571,"position":3},"title":"JULIUS THE MAD THINKER 04.08.12","author":"ajdance","date":"August 5, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"JULIUS THE MAD THINKER The DJ Summer Olympic Games Calling all Ladies and Gentlemen, for those of you unable to snag a ticket to one of the most anticipated events of the summer-the DJ Olympic Games-press the power button on the remote control to your HD plasma television and press\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Events"","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/category\/events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/14.-RamonSinging.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":444,"url":"https:\/\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/chosen-few-djs-04-05-12\/","url_meta":{"origin":571,"position":4},"title":"Chosen Few DJ\u2019s 04.05.12","author":"ajdance","date":"May 5, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"CHOSEN FEW DJs \u201cIf you missed Friday night for this or that reason(s), then great. There was more dance space for me.\" White garments, fard faces, pinned-up hairdos, curly wigs, long legs, suede dress shoes and pumped stilettos stood orderly and fashionably in a wrapped around, roped off line-many of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Events"","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/category\/events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/00.-MP-DJWanyeWilliams.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":584,"url":"https:\/\/www.ajdancelegacy.com\/~ajdance\/mark-farina-08-12-11\/","url_meta":{"origin":571,"position":5},"title":"MARK FARINA 08.12.11","author":"ajdance","date":"December 9, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"MARK FARINA \u00a0 Outdoors in the cold night\u2019s air, the crisp breathe of old man winter kissed the dark sky decorated with twinkling stars. 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