The latest mix session is actually a part 2 to 157. Together, the “Night Club Time Machine” sessions bring back a style I haven’t used in a while. Summer mix sessions are my favorite!

TSK – Mobile Soul
Koop – Summer Sun
Richard Earnshaw feat. Imogen Ryall – Summer Rain
DJ Jorj feat. Carmen Hendricks – Till I See The Sun
Bird – Summer Nude
Crystal Kay – Kitto Eien Ni (Studio Apartment Remix)
Jakatta – Shimmering Stars (Joey Negro Medusa Re-Edit)
Nova Frontiera – Supernova
Louie Vega – Elements Of Life (Richard Earnshaw Vocal Mix)
Mambana – Felicidad
Kings Of Tomorrow – Thru (Simon Grey Remix)
Reel People – The Light
Sunburst Band – Until The End Of Time
Feet – I Think Of You (Acoustic Version)
Summer Night In Spanish Harlem featuring House of Rumba
Swing Out Sister – Circulate (Live at The Jazz Cafe)
Jazztronik – Nanairo/Phoenix
Opolopo featuring Amalia – Street Lights
Lady Alma – Running For Nothing
Kerri Chandler – Inspiration
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Aly-Us – Follow Me
Shaun Escofferey – Let It Go (4Hero Acoutsic)

I never thought I’d be doing one of those “sorry it’s ben a while since I’ve last blogged” posts. I write and post so much all over every day that I hardly ever get a chance to write here.

First of all, you may be crazy, but that has nothing to do with what you’re looking at. I have completely changed the site. I thought it was time.

I’ve been working on a few new projects that are taking up a lot of time these days, but I’m having a lot of fun with them.

For one, I’m working on a brand we haven’t really used much in the past year. Margo’s taking the lead on editorial direction, and as soon as I’m done obsessing about the launch strategy, we will turn it loose. It’s going to be a nice compliment to Mobile Soul, something our music, TV, and fashion clients will really get some value out of and have a good time reaching their target audiences.

And then, there’s film. Next month, at one of the oldest and most respected film festivals in the world, looks like I’ll be making an announcement that I’m joining that film festival’s team and refocusing its online efforts. I’ll reveal names once everything’s done, but it’s very much the kind of gig that I got into this business for. It’s really cool, as all of my experience in promotion, marketing, advertising and sales will come in handy. It’s really a case where everytrhing I’m not made me everything I am to them. The fact that I refuse to do gossip and update on The Black Box Office every single day have really caught their eye. It’s gonna be great.

At Black Box Office, I’ve brought on a couple of new people. I’ve brought on a former co-worker from my days at BET to head up ad sales efforts. Not to pitch marketing clients, I’m still point person there, but just to focus on ad sales for the sites. I’ve helped him set up his own shop, and we’re his flagship client, so he’s not really working for me, though he does have a title within the company.

I’m also working with super-publicist Ava Duvernay and her crew at DVA. We’re working together on bringing some advertisers to Urban Thought Collective and the newly re-designed Urban Beauty Collective. You’ll notice we’ve already gotten started.

We are also designing and planning a campaign for Wendell Harris Jr’s independent film “Chameleon Street”. This classic independent film won at Sundance 20 years ago, and has a growing following of fans who never saw the film before. We’re doing a really slick campaign to revive awareness and sell the film online. It will be the first of many projects like this, and, as a personal fan of the film, it’s another thing that makes coming to work a joy.

And then, there’s the music. I’m working on a project with Dennis Dortch, the director of “A Good Day To Be Black & Sexy”, which will be a sort of mixtape series to promote his latest project. You know how you have the records lined up but there’s still something missing to make it a mix? That’s where I am with the first session. I’m probably putting too much pressure on myself, but, after 19 years, what ELSE is new. It will be a return to the kind of sessions I was producing for Trace magazine, with not so much house and dance, but still nothing you’re hearing on the radio a million times a week.

Speaking of music, Mobile Soul is totally back! We are back to our normal audience levels, which means 10 to 12 thousand of you are listening to the shows again. Interesting, this is the highest US Audience we’ve ever had! For the first time in 4 years, the US is our #1 market for Mobile Soul! It’s traditionally been our #2 audience, and I remember 2007 when it was #3 for most of the year! With a new design, we’re using a lightly updated magazine format, which is being received really well. We’re not really competing with any blogs, we’re really just puitting the show out and when we have a client with something relevant to say, we say it there. So it’s nice, the office is buzzing with music and the phones are ringing, and there are movies and comic art floating around. Love it.

Here’s show #148.

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In 2005, I started a mix show. Mobile Soul was one of the first podcast shows to feature progressive and electronic music. Lots of demos and white labels and classics. It was really popular. Vibe and Trace magazine wanted their own and I basically did versions of Mobile Soul for them. At first, I held back from mixing myself because I thought that it would be better to showcase my friends. But since a lot of my friends are artists, by the second year, I took over and did it myself. I’ve met a lot of great people doing the show, and had some fun letting them do guest mixes.

When I started focusing on the agency and film, I let the music go. A few weeks ago, I heard some tracks I really liked from some friends, and I had to get back into it again. So, Mobile Soul now starts season 5.

I pretty much picked up where I left off in 2008, in a tight soulful house groove. The hip-hop and drum n bass sessions are comin’ back, though. This one’s for the folks in Los Angeles who’ve been asking for it via twitter and text. And also for my friends who will be in Miami representing. I may have left the set for a minute, but I’ll be back, folks.

For now, here’s show #137.