TRICKS, TREATS AND NON-STOP JAMS

It's Halloween Weekend and I’m bringing a bag of musical tricks & treats. I’ll be packing king size HK custom remixes on chart toppers from Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Hozier, Benson Boone, Shaboozey, Kendrick Lamar and MORE! And that’s just getting the cauldron of hits bubbling! I’ll be raising classic Halloween jams from the grave, sinking my fangs into a few monster mashups plus new bangers from Addison Rae, Tate McRae, The Weeknd and so much more! It’s gonna be a spook-tacular throw down so don’t miss a single beat.

 

Remember…if it's hot, if it's new and it makes you wanna move…you're In The Mix with HK™.

GRACIE ABRAMS PRIVILEGED WITH HK REMIX

Gracie Abrams has lived a privledged life as the daughter of Hollywood titan J.J. Abrams. She’s now paving her own way on the music scene and taking no “Risks” dating Pedro Pascal, who you will soon see in Gladiator II. 

 

It’s absolutely no risk tuning into In The Mix With HK™ this weekend, cause you know I’m gonna bring the summer heat via non-stop bangin sets. In addition to my HK remix on Gracie Abrams, you’ll hear exclusive remixes on Hozier, Dasha, Kane Brown & Marshmello, Katy Perry’s brand new jam and Jelly Roll. Plus new music from Raye, BIA & JID, Taylor Swift, Coldplay and MORE!

 

Remember…if it's hot, if it's new and it makes you wanna move…you're In The Mix with HK™.  

JULY 4TH WEEKEND ON IN THE MIX WITH HK™

Did you miss the fireworks? Not those kind that explode in the sky. I’m talking about sonic explosions for your soul. That ear candy that makes you get up out of your seat. Yeah…that kind. 

 

Well, I got your back and your ears covered. Be sure to tune in this weekend to hear a non-stop sonic grand finale. I’m lighting the fuse on HITS from Sabrina Carpenter, Hozier, Shaboozey, Eminem, Chappell Roan and Dasha. Of course there’s gonna be some brand new party bangers, classics and MORE! It’s July 4th weekend, let’s go!

 

Remember…if it's hot, if it's new and it makes you wanna move…you're In The Mix with HK™.   

BILLIE EILISH WITHOUT FINNEAS? AND HK REMIX

It’s safe to say there would be no Billie Eilish without older brother Finneas. They’ve won 8 Grammys and 2 Oscars together. He’s acted as co-writer and Producer on all her music. Rumor has it Finneas is ready to break out and fufill his own dreams in TV and Film as an actor. This has got Billie nervous as Finneas has been a personal and professional constant in her life. The idea of possibly recording and touring without him is freaking her out. 

 

You’ll be freaking out when you hear my HK remixes on Lunch and Birds Of A Feather this weekend. Along with EXCLUSIVE REMIXES on Hozier, Eminem, Sabrina Carpenter, Shaboozy and MANY MORE!!! Plus brand new jams to light up your weekend like 4th of July. 

 

Remember…if it's hot, if it's new and it makes you wanna move…you're In The Mix with HK™.   

HOZIER HK REMIX IS TOO SWEET

Hozier, the irish singer-songwriter, spent most of the last three years contemplating hell on earth. But nowadays he is feeling much better about what he gets to do, and life in general. He made his way into our ears and hearts back in 2013 with the hit “Take Me To Church”. His current single “Too Sweet”, is just that. And, this week it gets some HK flava.

 

I’m serving up some more sonic sweets in the way of Benson Boone, Sabrina Carpenter, Teddy Swims, and Post Malone. I’m packing new jams from Billie Eilish, Shaboozey, Dasha, Chappell Roan, Artemas and The Black Eyed Peas. There’s also gonna be a trip to the vault to pull out some musical surprises.

 

Remember…if it's hot, if it's new and it makes you wanna move…you're In The Mix with HK™.

NON STOP BANGERS!

Get ready to turn up the volume and let the beats take control because In The Mix with HK™ is back with another electrifying episode! This week, I'm bringing you an exclusive lineup of remixes that will have you dancing non-stop. From the smooth vibes of Chris Brown, to the soulful tunes of Hozier, and the catchy beats of Madison Beer and Knox, This playlist is guaranteed to keep you on your feet.

 

If you're a fan of fresh beats and killer remixes, then this episode is not to be missed. I've carefully crafted a musical journey that seamlessly blends new tracks with your favorite hits from the past. It's a celebration of music that transcends genres and brings people together through the universal language of sound.

 

So, mark your calendars and set your reminders because this week's episode of In The Mix with HK™ is going to be a wild ride. Grab your headphones, turn up the bass, and get ready to experience non-stop bangers that will leave you craving more. Tune in for a musical adventure that will remind you why music is life. 

 

Remember…if it's hot, if it's new and it makes you wanna move…you're In The Mix with HK™.

 

MUSIC AND MOVIES!

I’ll be glued to the Academy Awards this Sunday night not only cause I’m a movieholic, but I’ll also be anxiously waiting to hear the winner of Best Original Song. That bad boy is given to the songwriters who composed the piece specifically for a film. Kind of a bummer for the performer cause they get nada unless they kicked in on the writing of the lyrics or music. This winning song enhances the movie greatly but often isn’t a commercial success in its own right. Here are a few exceptions that were chart toppers… Last year Let It Go from the animated film Frozen won and we don’t need to talk about what a HUGE hit that was. Going way back some other winners that climbed the charts include Over the Rainbow - The Wizard of Oz 1939, The Way We Were - The Way We Were 1973, Theme From Shaft – Shaft 1971, Flashdance...What a Feeling - Flashdance 1983 , (I've Had) The Time of My Life - Dirty Dancing 1987 and My Heart Will Go On from Titanic 1997. Back in 2002 Eminem, Jeff Bass and Luis Resto killed it with their infectious grove: Loose Yourself  from 8 Mile. Then in 2005 Juicy J, Frayser Boy and DJ Paul’s It's Hard out Here for a Pimp from Hustle & Flow took the golden guy.

Will this year’s winner be a commercial success??? Hard to say but my vote for Best Original Song would go to Glory from Selma, music and lyrics by John Legend and Common. Glen Campbell’s I’m Not Gonna Miss You from Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me took the Grammy for Best Country Song and is a sentimental favorite. While Glory is the odds on pick after getting a big push from Legends recent performances at the pre-superbowl bash and Grammys. Both are strong, highly emotionally charged songs and deserving of the prize.

This weekend I’ll be spinnin’ super hot gold and platinum hits just for you on In The Mix with HK™. Get ready for my exclusive remixes on Maroon 5 – Sugar, OneRepublic – I Lived, Meghan Trainor – Lips Are Movin, Hozier – Take Me To Church, Ariana Grande – One Last Time, Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk and sooooooo many more!

So turn up the volume and rip the knob off. It’s gonna be an all out non-stop music slam down you don’t wanna miss!

Remember…if it's hot, if it's new and it makes you wanna move…you're In The Mix with HK™.

GRAMMY® WEEKEND ON IN THE MIX WITH HK™

This Sunday is music’s biggest night - The 57^th Grammy Awards, and it's goin' down in epic fashion!

Being a long time voting member of the Academy plus a previous Grammy® nominee I take the Grammy Awards very seriously. Record of the Year is a down and dirty fight. The nominees are: Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX – Fancy, Sia  – Chandelier, Sam Smith – Stay With Me (Darkchild Version), Taylor Swift – Shake It Off and Meghan Trainor – All About That Bass. What a wicked line up! I say give a statue to all of them! Then there’s the performance list for the show that reads like a who’s who of the music industry with Katy Perry, Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Madonna and Rihanna all on the roster!  DAMN!  I love Grammy night!

Even better than Grammy night is a Grammy weekend! I'm kicking off mine In The Mix with HK™ with featured brand spankin' new custom HK remixes on nominated artists like Hozier, Meghan Trainor, Sam Smith, Jessie J and Taylor Swift. I’ll also be talking to the band that’s been named one of MTV’s “Artists To Watch For 2015”- Priory. They’ll be givin’ up the goods on how the group and their new hit Weekend came to be. Of course there's plenty more so don't miss a single second!

Remember…if it's hot, if it's new and it makes you wanna move…you're In The Mix with HK™.

CROWDFUNDING…WHAT DO YOU THINK OF IT?

Could crowdfunding sites be the next big way for artists to get in the studio and get their music heard? Crowdfunding platforms are typically used by unknown artists to finance their creative projects. Although it has recently expanded to established stars like Spike Lee, Zach Braff and one of history’s most successful R&B groups, TLC.

TLC started their campaign on Monday with the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter and in three days exceeded their goal of $150,000. One could say who wouldn’t want another TLC album. I know I do. But others have suggested that the fact TLC isn’t going through a record label for funds may mean that this album isn’t necessarily something marketable. Then there’s always the obvious question of what will this album be like without Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes who tragically died in a car accident.  

Do you feel crowdfunding should be left for struggling unknown artists that have exhausted all means or be used by existing stars with the clout, connections and a bankroll to do it the traditional way?  Will you help “Kickstart” TLCs next and supposedly last album?

I'm gonna kick start your weekend with a new bevy of custom HK remixes on One Direction – Night Changes, Taylor Swift – Blank Space, Hozier – Take Me To Church, Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo – Time Of Our Lives, Cash Cash – Surrender, Ed Sheeran – Thinking out Loud and so much more. Don’t miss a single beat this weekend on In The Mix with HK™!

Remember…if it's hot, if it's new and it makes you wanna move…you're In The Mix with HK™.

UPTOWN FUNK GETS FUNKED UP ON IN THE MIX WITH HK™

Mark Ronson has been sitting atop the Billboard chart for two weeks with his banger Uptown Funk featuring Bruno Mars! Ronson is the step son of Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones. Born in the UK among British musical professionals and cultural elite, he grew up in the U.S., attending Vassar College and NYU. Ronson broke onto the music scene as a NYC club turntablist who then got into production and went on to win Grammys for his work with Amy Winehouse and Adel. I just love a club DJ done good.

Uptown Funk is the lead single from his latest and fourth album, Uptown Special, that just dropped this week. Although this is his first hit to make a splash in the US, Ronson has been kickin’ it in the UK for some time. Will Uptown Special deliver more hits? I haven't heard the whole album, so for now I don’t know, but I am L-O-V-I-N Uptown Funk and can’t wait to funk it up HK style this weekend!

We're all going uptown when I put the HK sonic glaze on Selena Gomez, Hozier, Jennifer Lawrence, Iggy Azalea and Prince Royce. Plus reworkings on brand spankin' new jams from Olly Murs, Priory, Milky Chance, Ne-Yo and more!

Remember…if it's hot, if it's new and it makes you wanna move…you're In The Mix with HK™.

MUSIC HAS TAKEN OVER THE FLAT SCREEN!

Music has always been a factor on the flat screen. But now music related shows of all genres are popping up more than ever. For a while now Nashville, Glee and a long list of music competition shows have been huge. But last week Galavant a medieval musical fairy tale with songs by eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken aired on ABC. Next week Angela Basset makes her directing debut (despite much Houston family criticism) with Whitney a Whitney Houston biopic to air on Lifetime. Jimmy Fallon's Lip Sync Battle is getting a spinoff show (thank you music gods) in April on Spike TV with LL cool J as host. Then there’s Empire, the new FOX musical soap that dropped this week staring Terrence Howard. Giving the show Hip- hop cred is none other than multiple Grammy-winning producer-rapper Timbaland as song writer and producer.

Before or after you binge out to the TV, I’ll be blowin’ up your speakers with custom HK remixes on Selena Gomez – The Heart Wants What It Wants, Calvin Harris featuring John Newman – Blame, Ariana Grande and The Weekend – Love Me Harder, Fall Out Boy – Centuries, Hozier – Take Me To Church, Fifth Harmony – Sledgehammer and new music from Hoodie Allen, Vance Joy, Priory and Imagine Dragons.

Join me for an epic night of live remixing on all your faves and …

Remember…if it's hot, if it's new and it makes you wanna move…you're In The Mix with HK™.

WHAT'S ON TAP FOR 2015

2015 is set to be a killer year for music! It‘s already solid for great live performances, with Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, Ariana Grande, and One Direction getting’ ready to tear up the concert circuit. God knows I can’t wait to see Katy Perry’s half-time Super Bowl show featuring a thousand kittens, edible glitter and fire-breathing sharks. You know that girl is going to rock Phoenix and who doesn’t love edible glitter???

Big artists are slated to drop new music in 2015. My decks have been screaming for the much anticipated Rihanna album. Also, Rita Ora’s second album is set for pressing after being delayed since her split from boyfriend/co-writer Calvin Harris. And Fergi, who hasn’t released an album in eight years, will be throwin’ down her sophomore effort. Plus new beats from Imagine Dragons, Charlie XCX and Coldplay are all hittin’ it in 2015! 

I can tell you I'm gonna be hittin' the decks hard and heavy this weekend on In The Mix with HK™!!! Tune in to hear EXCLUSIVE HK REMIXES on Hozier – Take Me To Church, Nick Jonas – Jealous, Maroon 5 – Animals, Taylor Swift – Blank Space, Iggy Azalea featuring MØ – Beg For It and much, much more!

Remember…if it's hot, if it's new and it makes you wanna move…you're In The Mix with HK™.

IN THE MIX WITH HK™ HOLIDAY STRESS RELIEF

The holiday season brings many a party but anxiety can also creep in with finals, travel, buying gifts that burn a hole in the pocket and the much talked about and oh so special “Family Stress”. Don't worry though, cause In The Mix with HK™ is gonna kick that holiday stress to the curb. I mean, we are here for YOU! And the experts have our back.  Mayo Clinic says in their “Tips To Tame Stress” that “listening to music is a good stress reliever because it provides a mental distraction, reduces muscle tension and decreases stress hormones” they go as far to say “Crank up the volume and let your mind be absorbed by the music”.  Oh yeah …I’m gonna be crankin’ up the volume this weekend with an all out sonic assault on your senses.

Look at what I'm putting under the tree for you. Brand new mixes on Hozier –Take Me To Church, Charli XCX – Break The Rules, Taylor Swift - Shake It Off and Mr Probz – Waves. I'm also filling my Santa sleigh with exclusive never before heard versions of James Newton Howard featuring Jennifer Lawrence – The Hanging Tree, Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk, and Fallout Boy - Centuries. My bounty of musical presents is sure to excite when I unwrap the likes of Ella Henderson, Ariana Grande and The Weeknd, Selena Gomez, Maroon 5 and more.

Don't miss a single second of my Christmas party and consider my HK bangin’ beats an early gift!

Remember…if it's hot, if it's new and it makes you wanna move…you're In The Mix with HK™.

MUSIC IN THE TWITTERSPHERE

We always knew music ruled the world.  Now, according to Twitter, music is the MOST discussed topic on their social media site. The Twitter class of 2014 shapes up like this…Justin Bieber was the most tweeted about artist. Pharell's Happy was the most tweeted about song. Beyonce' had the most tweeted about album. Katy Perry has the most followers, but 2015 is my year to catch her (haha!). Come on people! We can do this! Follow me on twitter @HowardHKKessler and you could walk away with cool limited edition HK swag! Winners are randomly selected monthly.

Your tweeters and woofers are gonna be thumpin’ big time this weekend when I drop the needle on custom HK remixes. Get ready to tweet about my amped up versions of Calvin Harris – Blame, Hozier – Take Me To Church, Nick Jonas – Jealous, Jessie J f/2 Chainz + more! It's gonna get turnt up with new joints from One Republic, The Script, Hoodie Allen, Ella Henderson and Betty Who.

Remember…if it's hot, if it's new and it makes you wanna move…you're IN THE MIX WITH HK™.

ECHOSMITH ARE THE "COOL KIDS" ON IN THE MIX WITH HK™

Echosmith, the band comprised of four siblings from Southern California has been tearing up the charts with their platinum selling hit Cool Kids. This week I sit down with Sydney the lead vocalist and brother Noah, bass and vocals, to discuss their new found success and more! At some point during this interview we're gonna find out something we've never known about them before and what they like to do for fun. Promise!

I know what my idea of fun is and that's mixing and remixing the latest hits, some sonic classics and brand new epic groundbreakers for your aural excitement. This weekend I'm breaking fast out of the gate with brand new HK remixes on One Direction – Steal My Girl, Meghan Trainor – Lips Are Movin, David Guetta – Dangerous and Taylor Swift – Shake It Off. I've also got totally re-imagined takes on Mr. Probz – Waves, Milky Chance – Stolen Dance, Hozier – Take Me To Church and of course Echosmith's – Cool Kids. 

When it comes to brand spankin' new music get ready for joints from Vicetone, Waze & Odysey, Steve Aoki & will.i.am, Eden XO and Trey Songz feat. Nicki Minaj.

Remember…if it's hot, if it's new and it makes you wanna move…you're IN THE MIX WITH HK™.