Make Me A Mixtape Vol.3

Blush Response is the work of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joey Gonzalez. Blush Response’s sound can be described as a combination of the synth pop of bands such as Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, and IAMX, and the hard edged industrial found in acts such as Nine Inch Nails, Orgy, and Skinny Puppy. It is a highly electronic sound. Joey released his first single, "Reduce you", on June 2nd, 2009 and since then has been working around the clock to produce his full studio length album "We are Replicants."

Joey takes some time to sit down and make us a mix tape.

Opening Track - You're Theme Song.
David Bowie - Breaking Glass. This song will be played at my funeral, the happy go lucky attitude of it combined with the absurdity of the lyrics pretty much define my life. The amount of drugs Bowie was on at the time really shine through, and this makes it all the more attractive to me. Not because of his drug use, but rather the state of mind one would have to be in to come up with something as ridiculous (in a good way) as this song. Its almost Lewis Carroll like. First album you owned

The Prodigy - Breathe - I didn't actually own any albums in 1997, but when I stole this from my aunt's cd collection everything changed. This song is singlehandedly responsible for me ever wanting to make music. When I heard something electronic with serious attitude it kind of blew my mind.

Musician dead or alive you would most like to play with

Alec Empire - Everything Starts with a Fuck - The sheer visceral assault of noise on your ears in this song blows my mind every time. I have yet to find anything that hits harder, and anything that has as much soul at the same time. I'd really love to work with Alec Empire because I'd want to pick his brain. He basically invented an entire musical genre, which is something not many musicians can claim to have done. The fact that said genre is also filled with an attitude I can relate to (read: "Fuck You"), only makes me want to collaborate more.

Favourite dance track

Nitzer Ebb - Join in the Chant - Hearing this was a revelation for me. It was almost like the anthem for communist Russia coming out of my speakers, with its machine like drums and the repetitiveness of the message. Once I got into Nitzer Ebb with all their imagery and their inspired look and artwork, I understood the meaning of "Industrial".

Best Love Song

Depeche Mode - Stripped - I think this one kind of speaks for itself really. This is one of the most beautiful songs ever written, with the sampled motorcycle engine beat, to the synth pads that carry the bridge, to the direness in Dave and Martin's voices, its just chilling to me.

Break up song
Nine Inch Nails - Gave Up - Maybe I've had one too many bad breakups, but this is my go to song in a fit of anger after ending things. I'm a big fan of self destruction for one reason or another, and this song helps me capture that recklessness and urge to scream post breakup. I'm a bit of a goth, sue me :)

Best Male vocal

Iggy Pop - China Girl - This vocal gives me chills every time, especially when he screams "Its in the white of my eyes", you can just almost feel what he was feeling.

Guilty Pleasure

Mindless Self Indulgence - I Hate Jimmy Page - MSI is somewhat of a guilty pleasure for me, mainly because they don't take themselves seriously at all, but their fans do. I saw them live once and it was the loudest show I've ever seen. NOBODY commands the crowd like Jimmy Urine. He literally had them doing anything he'd say. It was a great exercise in psychology and crowd hysteria.

Saddest song in the world

Sneaker Pimps - Flowers and Silence - The despair in this song is almost overwhelming. This is the song I listen to when I hit absolute bottom, its almost a way to redeem my spirit. You can just hear Chris Corner's never ending angst captured in one moment, and it just resonantes with me so much. Everyone has felt this way at one point or another in their life, but nobody has put it so perfectly as Chris Corner did with this song.

Closing Track - The old faithful

Bjork - Pluto - Being that I'm a bit of a dramatic person, I often find myself coming to this song to scream my fucking head off. Homogenic is one of my favorite albums of all time, and this song captures an element of punk rock that punk these days can never touch. This is an odd one for Bjork considering her repertoire, but I think it captures a side of her that is often left alone. A side that I really can relate to.