Was war der Ausgangspunkt für die Enstscheidung in der Detroiter Musikszene aktiv zu werden?
Der Entschluss DJ zu werden war von meinem grundsätzlichen Interesse an Musik bestimmt, in allen Facetten. Ich begann mich für elektronische Musik zu interessieren aufgrund stilistischer Merkmale und vor allem wegen der Art, wie diese Musik die Leute berührt hat. Wo sonst bekommt man schon eine solche Bandbreite an Genres, alle zusammengefasst in einem Groove mit derartig viel Schwung? Platten wie Mr. Vs ‘I Got Rhythm’ oder Mike 303s ‘St. Sylvestre’ bleiben wohl ein Leben lang in meiner Kiste.
Du hast diverse Radiosendungen gemacht, unter anderem das weithin bekannte Format Deep Space Radio. Was für Kontakte und Einflüsse kommen aus diesem Zeitraum?
Kevin Saunderson war ein maßgeblicher Einfluss. Er hat mich immer unterstützt, zuerst gefiel ihm meine Radio-Stimme, dann respektierte er auch meine ganzen sonstigen Aktivitäten. Wenn Leute aus anderen Ländern Detroit einen Besuch abstatteten, brachten Derrick May und Juan Atkins die Zeit auf, sie für ein Treffen mit mir ins Studio zu bringen. Read the rest of this entry »
Nach langer Stagnation ist die Disco-Geschichtsschreibung mittlerweile in vollem Gang. Gültig waren auf Jahre hin die in der klassischen Ära entstandenen Werke von Kitty Hanson und Albert Goldman, doch nun ist genug Zeit verstrichen, um sich genauer mit dem diffusen Phänomen Disco zu befassen, was angesichts der Hartnäckigkeit der mit dem Sound und dem Lifestyle verbundenen Traditionen und Mythen auch durchaus angebracht erscheint. Peter Shapiro, Wire-Autor und Verfasser von einigen dieser Rough Guides im Taschenformat, hat gegenüber dem eher systematisch-informativen Ansatz von Brewster/Broughton und der detailliert-eingrenzenden Herangehensweise von Lawrence den Ehrgeiz, Disco in möglichst viele kultur- und sozialgeschichtliche Einzelteile zu zerlegen. Er greift sich Aspekte wie beispielsweise Wurzeln, Musik-Charakteristika, Sexualität oder Kultur-Kontext heraus und gibt dann mittels eigener Analysen oder Interviews alles wieder, was ihm im direkten Zusammenhang erwähnenswert erscheint. Dementsprechend ist der Text keine linear-chronologische Abfolge der Geschehnisse, sondern ein Gesamtbild, das sich bei allen Zwischenhalten die erforderlichen Informationen und Schlussfolgerungen zusammen sammelt. Das hat den Vorteil, dass er sich nicht in nerdiger Ausführlichkeit verzettelt und dennoch eine komprimierte Annäherung schafft, in der alle wichtigen Namen und Ereignisse fallen. Gebündelt mit einem enthusiastischen Stil bis zum häufigen Fan-Superlativ fängt er den Laien auf, der angesichts der gebotenen Informationsfülle den Faden verlieren könnte und grenzt sich gegenüber den Konkurrenten im Forschungsgebiet ab, indem er aktuelleren Themen wie Hi-NRG, Euro-, Italo- und Cosmic Disco sowie Post-Punk den angemessenen Raum einräumt und einen Epilog zum aktuellen Stand der Dinge im Gespräch mit Daniel Wang anschließt. Somit als Kompletteinführung für Novizen als auch als Informationsergänzung für Kenner geeignet.
If there was one music missing in those Berlin days it was disco. Meaning disco in nearly all its forms. It was just not happening, anywhere. I was among a few people like Daniel Wang, Hunee, Nomad, Benji DF or Emil Doesn’t Drive trying to change that. We set up nights in small clubs, parks, warehouses, temporary and private spaces. It did not matter. All that mattered was that we could try to fill this void, and actually we achieved that. This mix is a good example for how this burgeoning scene was approaching the topic. Sets were not specialized in certain disco styles yet, you just played what you felt playing and threw anything into a big pot and stirred it
Dexys Midnight Runners – T.S.O.P. Tracie Young – Invitation Adele Bertei – Build Me A Bridge Angela Parisi – Wherever Forever Propaganda – Frozen Faces M + M – Song In My Head (Dub Mix) Modern Romance – Nothing Ever Goes The Way You Plan 400 Blows – Breakdown (Re-Interpreted) Konk – Machina Jam Raul Orellana – The Real Wild House (Wild Passion Mix) Chris Rea – On The Beach (Summer ’88) It’s Immaterial – The Sweet Life Yello – Vicious Games (Vicious Remix) Miharu Koshi – Ryugujo No Koibito Peter Jacques Band – Fly Like The Wind The Manhattan Transfer – Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone Roxy Music – Angel Eyes Herbie Mann – Etagui (Instrumental) Elbow Bones & The Racketeers – You Got Me High
It seems unfair to me that italo disco/house is in its approximately 10th revival now, for example, yet hip house never really came back. I absolutely loved it right from the start and I will never stop fighting for its full rehabilitation. When it entered the club soundtrack it was so much fun. House in the late 80s was still not the global phenomeon it was to be. It still felt like a continuation of disco, and acid house came about as a vital booster, but it still had the traits of a fad, however important and popular it was. But anyone has to admit, the idea to combine a fresh club sound like house with the promising commercial potential of another popular sound like hip hop totally made sense. Ok, not many hip house records had lyrics that exceeded mere dancefloor imperatives, nor had they really skilled rappers. But it could have been better, it was just not given enough time to develop. Anyway, here are some personal hip house favourites. They (still) kick!
De La Soul – Say No Go King Bee – Back By Dope Demand Roxanne Shanté – Go On Girl TDP – Ladies (Let’s Go) Unique 3 – Musical Melody Sugar Bear – Don’t Scandalize Mine Simon Harris – Another Monsterjam Tyree Featuring JMD – Move Your Body Mr. Lee – Get Busy 2 Houss People – Baby Wants To Move You Double Trouble & Rebel MC – Just Keep Rockin’ DJ Mink – Hey! Hey! Can U Relate The Minutemen – OK Allright Jungle Brothers – I’ll House You 2 In A Room – Wiggle It Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock – Get On The Dancefloor Doug Lazy – H.O.U.S.E. Tyree – House Music Is My Life Fast Eddie – Hip House KC Flightt – Planet E Shadows J – Hip This House K.A. Posse – Dig This
Die Loosefingers EP tauchte in vielen Playlists vor allem wegen der beiden Acid-Tracks auf, die gerade gut in die gegenwärtigen Adaptionen des frühen Chicago-Sounds passen. War es Absicht, diesen als Reflektion deines Stils das ruhige Stück „When Summer Comes“ gegenüber zu stellen?
Ja. Das ist ein Stück, was eher auf lange Sicht angelegt ist. Das die Leute auch noch in Jahren hören und darüber nachdenken. Die Acid-Tracks sind da schon vordergründiger, aber ebenso wichtig. Mir macht das schon noch Spaß, mit Acid herumzuprobieren. Ich bin nach wie vor abenteuerlustig. Neulich habe ich mit einem Sänger herumgejammt, das klang wie ein bisschen wie Mick Hucknall oder Bono mit Acid-Sounds (lacht.). Über die Jahre hat sich einiges in diese Richtung angesammelt.
Es gibt also noch reichlich Reserven.
Ich habe hunderte derartiger Tracks gemacht. Es ist auch geplant, ähnliches Material als Loosefingers Album heraus zu bringen, welches dann auf Alleviated erscheinen soll. Read the rest of this entry »
Let me give you some context here. In 2004 I was located in Berlin for one year. I made my master at university in my hometown before my move, where I was studying German and English/American literature, and I had a focus on movie history. I arrived in Berlin trying to get a hook in film journalism, but apart from writing movie reviews for de:bug magazine it never really took off. Some friends from back home were working for de:bug, and since I was looking for a job they asked if I wanted join in. First I was an editor for their extensive section of reviews, then I started writing my own. I also made friends with other fine and interesting people, and I started to enjoy the Berlin clubs more and more also. In short, I was back in nightlife again. When I moved to Berlin I was ready to stop DJing, and now due to new DJ friends like Hunee, Stefan Goldmann or Gerd Janson I was persuaded and motivated to pick it up again. One of the regular nights that I really enjoyed and went to often was Inner City, a house night Dixon set up at the Weekend club. You have to understand that at that time house music in a more traditional sense was pretty much dead in Berlin, and Inner City put it back on the map. There was a common feeling of resurgence among regular guests like me, and slowly something evolved from it. The most prominent sign was the label Innervisions by Dixon and Âme. The sound of the label was actually a tad too slick for me, but it felt good to be part of something that was gaining momentum and had impact potential. In 2005 Dixon asked me if I could contribute a guest mix for the Innervisions label website, and I recorded this mix for the purpose. In hindsight I already knew that their career would take off soon, and it would have been wiser to do a mix that highlighted my capabilities as a club DJ, but my timing throughout my years as a DJ was mostly more determined by what I was just in the mood for than by what would most likely pay off well (later several of my booking agents were quite desperate about my urge to keep my freedom to do what I felt I should do rather than develop a signature sound that was easier to sell), so I wasted the opportunity and just mixed some personal downtempo and house faves. Is it balearic? I’d say yes, somehow, but who cares.
This mix contains some very deep techno gems, most of them from Detroit. It contains an example of a thing I still do when playing out: mixing several versions of one track into a whole. In this case Sueno Latino, a tune that I should have tired of ages ago, but never did. It is not entirely unlikely that I had an sudden impulse to do this and wrap all the other tracks contained around it.
Phortune – Unity Da Posse – In The Life House 2 House – Boom Sueno Latino – Sueno Latino Sueno Latino – Sueno Latino Paperclip People – Remake Uno Chez Damier – Help Myself E Dancer – Feel The Mood R Tyme – R Theme M5003MB – The Cosmic Courier Infra Red – The Verge Millsart – Humana Model 500 – Mind Changes Fallout – The Morning After Ron Trent – Altered States
Again a mix displaying a personal preference for techno with a decidedly funky groove, with some added prototypes from the 80s, before techno was called techno. I have no idea why I ended the mix with this particular Specials song, as the business was not yet called business techno then. But what a song!
Telex – Moskow Diskow (Carl Craig Remix) The Back Room – Definition Of A Track Altern 8 – Objective 326 – Falling (Mike’s Mix) Risque III – Risque Madness Kikrokos – Life’s A Jungle Reese – Bassline Abe Duque – What Happened? Larry Heard – Lamentation Cabaret Voltaire – Crackdown The House Factors – Play It Loud Mr. Lee – House This House Yvette – Pump Me (Derrick May Mix) Blake Baxter – Club Fantasy Yello – La Habanera (Carl Craig Remix) Speedy J – Rise Kraftwerk – House Phone C & M Connection – Bio Rhythms Heaven 17 – Let’s All Make A Bomb The Specials – International Jet Set
Mix containing some spaced out deep house/techno gems. For my standards the flow is quite gentle. For the chill moods in life. My secret weapon of choice on display here: the instrumental mix of Electribe 101’s else quite disturbing stalker tune “You’re Walking”, which is just sublime.
Larry Heard – DNA RNA Electribe 101 – You’re Walking Model 500 – The Passage Kerri Chandler – Digital Love Affair A Guy Called Gerald – Eyes Of Sorrow Maurizio – Domina Morris Brown – Past Subway Ground Master – Marble Arch Blak Beat Niks – I’ll Be There Solar House – Peace Of Mind Lovechild – Sweet Ambience A Bitch Called Johanna – Love Is My Bass Agent X – Urban Paradise Callisto – The Cimmerian R Tyme – Use Me Urban Culture – The Wonders Of Wishing
This mix contains a diverse set of club tunes, all united by their direct connection to dub/reggae influences. Particularly house is so great because it is able to absorb so many styles. And among those styles I consider dub/reggae as royalty. By the way, it is a crying shame that Skacid died so young. Bring it back, you revivalists!
Pepe Bradock | 100% Coton Moody Boys – Jammin KLF – 3 A.M. Eternal Ballistic Brothers – Prophecy Reveal DJ Delite – Music For The People Beatmasters – Ska Train Longsy D’s House Sound – This Is Ska Freedom Authority – My Sound Hustlers Vol. 2 – Unity Reel 2 Real – Conway Rockers HiFi – Push Push Ragga Twins – Hooligan 69 Scottland Yard – Reggae House Rebel MC – Comin’ On Strong Studio 2 – Travelling Man Dee Patten – Who’s The Badman Mutabaruka – Dis Poem ‘99 Ph-7 – Better Place Dreamhouse Feat. Ceasar – Jump And Prance Colourbox – Baby I Love You So
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