Posted: April 4th, 2016 | Author: Finn | Filed under: Interviews English | Tags: Electronic Beats, Interview, Motown, Rewind, Sassy J, Stevie Wonder | No Comments »
In discussion with Sassy J on “Songs In The Key Of Life” by Stevie Wonder (1976).
I found „Songs In The Key Of Life“ in the record collection of my mother in the 70s and secretly transferred it to my own after listening to it. How did the album find you?
I grew up listening, dancing and singing to this album as a little girl. It was one of the rather few soul records amongst my parents Jazz collection. I made my babysitter put it on. I was singing along the lyrics using my skipping rope as a mic. Oh well… That’s why I picked this record for this interview. I think next to all the Jazz at home “Songs In The Key Of Life” built the firm roots of musical tree of life.
Were interested your parents’ Jazz collection as well, or did the album offered an alternative to what you were used to hearing around the house?
The Jazz records that were playing and Jazz tunes my dad played on the piano was just the music that was mainly there. I remember being scared when Duke Ellington’s „Caravan“ would play, or that I loved to fall asleep to Sarah Vaughn’s voice. The funky clothing or jewelry and style of the musicians that stayed with us stuck with me. I also remember artists performing in our living room on house parties. So I was interested in those other aspects of Jazz at home. When I started getting into Hip-Hop later on, finding out about the samples & originals, I got more interested in their Jazz collection again – up to now. I am still pulling out things.
Some childhood memories are very formative and lasting. Was it important that you were introduced to the album at a young age?
I guess so. It reached out to the little girl in that living room. It triggered the attention of her ears and eventually made me choose it for this particular interview.
Why did you think the album had such on impact on you, and what kind of impact was that?
I liked it and I wanted to hear it over and over again, because it made me feel good. The sound, the groove, the melodies, the moods and of course his voice. Next to all the other music at home, this record surely made me fall in love with music. Music is the love of my life. I couldn’t live without it. That’s a hell of an impact!
I remember that even the format of the album was very special to my fledgling music enthusiast self. There was a lot of music spread over two discs, plus a bonus 7“ and a fat booklet. Even at a time when I did not spend too many thoughts on an album’s background that seemed extraordinary. Does the album justify this grand scope, could it not have been any other way?
Yes, the format added an extra attraction to it. I used to love to sit down, open it, take out the booklet and look at it while the record was playing out and out: the cover art, his signature and fingerprint, all the content of it. The older I got, the more I would discover. Singing along to the lyrics, finding out who was featured on there or who was listed in his thank you’s.
What are the highlights of „Songs In The Key Of Life“ for you? And is it mandatory to swallow it as a whole, or can you skip parts that do not hold up to others?
To me the highlight is the journey you go on, listening the whole record. The cover artwork and title reflect it: Mr. Wonder’s Songs In The Key Of Life. Genius. Timeless. So much to hear and discover. So rich.
Most critics heralded „Songs In The Key Of Life“ as a masterpiece ever since, fewer noted that it is patchy in parts. Not only in terms of songwriting, but also in terms of stylistic diversity. The latter I always found very unfair, as the diversity was always one of the aspects I found most fascinating about the album. Would you agree that this ambitious palette is a pro rather than a con?
I groove, feel, get inspired, sing, dance … to music. I don’t approach it that way. To me the record is genius. It is ONE. No drawers or palettes needed.
It is quite astonishing that Stevie Wonder was only 26 years old when he released „Songs In The Key Of Life“. Yet he signed to Motown when he was 11, and before he started work on the album he even considered quitting the music business for good. So he had a long career going on already. Does this inform the music contained on „Songs In The Key Of Life“? Is this a statement bursting out he could not deliver before? How much artistic freedom is needed for an epic like this?
It is a beautiful thing in life to learn, grow and get better and more experienced in all you do.
I think the beauty in this album lies in the journey he made up to then. On “Songs In The Key Of Life” you can hear his experience, all of his brilliance and essence. It feels so complete, strikingly timeless. A flower, fruit, expression of the genius he is. I believe delivering a record, an epic like this, you need to be yourself to the fullest and complete artistic freedom is needed – else it wouldn’t be that complete. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: March 28th, 2016 | Author: Finn | Filed under: Gigs | Tags: Archiv der Jugendkulturen, Berlin | No Comments »
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Posted: March 28th, 2016 | Author: Finn | Filed under: Mixes | Tags: Dresden, Mitch, Podcast, Rustie, taz, Uncanny Valley | No Comments »
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Starkey – Stars
Rustie – Tempered
Shlohmo – Out Of Hand
Joker – Mahogany
2000F & J Kamata – You Don’t Know What Love Is
Slackk – Bells
Spokes – Mutations
Starkey – Neck Snap
Dong – Suzuran (LV & Quarta 330 Remix)
Throwing Shade – Once
Spokes – Ritalin (E.M.M.A. Remix)
Joker – Milky Way
Lauren – Struck (Guido Remix)
Terror Danjah – All I Want
Joker – Lost (Instrumental)
Lil Silva – First Mark
Joker – Electric Sea (Instrumental)
Mr. Mitch – September
Kelela – Gomenasai
Nomine – 99 Aachen
Wiley & Zomby – Step 2001
Chemist – Blocks Still Kold Remix
Mssingno – XE2
Taz – Gold Tooth Grin
Starkey – Playing With Fire
Banks – This Is What It Feels Like
Björk – Lionsong (Kareokieijd Remix)
Björk – Lionsong
Rapid – Licence
Hyetal – Neon Speech
Macabre Unit – Juggernaut
Morgan Zarate – BHC
Brokenchord – Bluestar
Cassie – Call You Out
Starkey – Paradise
Taz & Akka – Illusory
Georgia – Digits
Ital Tek – Violet
Pixelord – Polygon Fane
Sugababes – Stronger
Björk – All Is Full Of Love
Kelela – The High
Posted: March 26th, 2016 | Author: Finn | Filed under: Mixes | Tags: Anstam, Dresden, Ikonika, Mitch, Podcast, Surgeon, The Art Of Noise, Uncanny Valley | No Comments »
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Strict Face – Alice
Mssingno – Brandy Flip
Myth – Lonely
Okmalumkoolkat – Allblackblackkat
Lamont – Pondering
Acre – Blood Artist
Cooly G – Landscapes
Kelela – All The Way Down
Kuedo – Mtzpn
NxxxxxS – Adventure Time
Rabit & Myth – Lonely Backseat Love
Wen Feat. Riko Dan – Play Your Corner (Kahn & Neek Remix)
Akka – Eye Of Zohra
Tala – Alchemy
Fang Lilies – Color Crop
Ikonika – Praxis
d’Eon – Foxconn II
Grown Folk x Main Attrakionz – I.C.E.
J.G. Biberkopf – Weakness
Sharp Veins – The Seeing Palm
Cid Rim – Charge
Darkstar – Aidy’s Girl Is A Computer
Myth – Evaporate
Surgeon – Golden
Anstam – I Stopped Counting
Burial – Come Down To Us
J.G. Biberkopf – Spirit
Mssingno – Skeezers
Starkey – New Cities
Starkey – Ok Luv (Instrumental)
S-X – Woooo Riddim
Guido – Flow (Instrumental Version)
Damu – Ridin
813 – The Whaler
Torus – U R
The Art Of Noise – Moments In Love (Beaten)
The Art Of Noise – Moments In Love
The Art Of Noise – Moments In Love (Caspa Remix)
Mr. Mitch – It Might Be
Sharp Veins – Water Logged
Cas – Drugs Don’t Work
Posted: March 26th, 2016 | Author: Finn | Filed under: Interviews English | Tags: de:bug, Elektro Guzzi, Front, Hamburg, Modyfier, Radio, Stefan Goldmann, Uncanny Valley | No Comments »
How come you did 3 mixes for our podcast series?
The original idea was to record mixes for my wife to listen to in the car on her way to work. She loves anything UK and bass & breakbeats related, but I have not made a mix for her before with the styles contained here. It was meant to be one longer mix at first, but then I found too many tracks in the shelves I just had to include. It was the same with a 90s Deep House retrospective I did for Modyfier early last year. I’m afraid I cannot portion myself anymore. And I hope it does not become a habit, it really messed up my weekly schedule.
Can you tell us something about the concept behind every mix?
The concept is really simple. Mix 1 starts with 80 BPM, Mix 3 ends with 150 BPM, halftime though. The pace gradually increases in between, and the mixes are more sequenced then mixed. Predominantly for listening purposes, but feel free to move if you want to move. The music is a diverse mix of Grime, Hip Hop, R&B, Dubstep and affiliated sounds. As mentioned, the reason I chose these sounds were mainly motivated by my wife’s preferences, but recently I was also getting really fed up with the current high level of pretentiousness in club music. Every day I hear House and Techno music and I see designs and read track titles or concepts that are desperately pretending something but there is actually not much going on beneath the surface. There is some longing for intellectual weight and diffuse deeper meanings, but there is a considerable discrepancy between creative intention and creative result, and a disappointing display of conservative ideas in the process. I think a lot of the music you can hear in these mixes is not afraid to use commercial elements and turn them into something that is innovative and more forward-looking than other club music styles that want to be advanced, but in fact just vary traditional formulas. You may argue that lot of the tracks I have chosen sound similar to each other as well, but I would like to think of the listening experience as a whole, and that for me presents a much appreciated alternative. I do not think it is better than other music I am more associated with as a DJ, but for me it helps to look elsewhere as soon as routine creeps in. I usually regain patience with the sounds I am normally occupied with if I do so. But apart from a regular change of perspective, I also cannot listen to 4/4 club music more than I do for all my work commitments. That is more than enough. I like to reserve my little leisure time for music I do not know as well.
You’ve been heavily influenced by Hamburg’s legendary club Front. Do you think that a club nowadays can have such massive impact on local and even nationwide music scenes like back in the days when dance music was born?
I don’t think so. At least not until you can present a sound that is new. In that aspect Front is a good example. It existed from 1983 to 1997. Just think of all the new club music styles that occurred in that period of time, and then compare that to the last few years. Apart from Grime and Dubstep most new music played in clubs now is a variation of the music that came into being in said period. I am very grateful that I belong to the generation that could witness that directly on the floor. Pioneering days are always easier. Of course the combination of extraordinary DJs, a dedicated crowd and a unique location and interior will always work, but I think that in recent years a lot of clubs did not become widely known for paving the way for crucial musical developments. They became widely known for good bookings that make a difference and for being an outstanding attraction as a club itself. Clubs and DJs can still inspire new ideas and even change lives, but I doubt this now happens on more than an individual scale. I welcome the next lasting musical revolution in club culture though, it is overdue.
Macro has always been a very versatile sounding label covering new and almost forgotten releases. Who does what at Macro?
Stefan Goldmann concentrates on the manufacturing, mastering and administrative side of the label, I concentrate on how we communicate what we do to the outside world and the digital and virtual part of our catalogue. But we both decide what we want to release and with what artwork. And we are in constant touch with each other about every aspect running a label requires. There is no other way, at least not for us.
What are the future plans for the label?
We are constantly looking for new talents that we feel can add something other to the canon. Thus we signed the band KUF, whose first single is out while you are reading this. They are also working on their debut album, due later this year. And then we always appreciate new material by artists we already worked with. Elektro Guzzi for example are also working on a new album, others to be confirmed will follow suit. There will be new material from Stefan as well, which will probably draw from recent commissioned works. And there will be another album with compositions by Stefan’s father, the late Friedrich Goldmann. For the rest of the future, we just try to keep going as long as we enjoy to keep going.
You’ve written for the highly acclaimed but now gone German print magazine De:Bug. Do you miss it? What do you think of today’s dance music journalism?
I actually do miss it, yes. De:Bug offered content that other German music magazines do not offer, or do not want to offer. Every defunct print magazine takes away something that is not necessarily replaced. Not by other magazines, and also not by web media. And there are not enough websites in Germany that reach a wider readership. I can remember a lot of people sneering at the demise of De:Bug, they felt a print magazine was outdated anyway. But every media outlet passing away also diminishes the reach you can have with what you do. And in times when it is quite a struggle to make a living from whatever profession within the music industry, this is a problem. Unfortunately this struggle also changed today’s music journalism. For the worse, in my opinion. There is more clickbait controversy than well researched discourse. Occasional thinkpieces are presented as something exceptional, when they should be the norm. I notice a worrying increase in factual mistakes when I read print or web media these days. There probably is not enough budget for sufficient editing, but even if the small budget only allows freelancers and interns and only a few journalists on a monthly payroll, thorough supervision should be a must. Otherwise you can hardly justify that people should still buy a print magazine for example. And too much online music journalism is just a newsfeed. I get a lot of PR mails on a daily basis, and a lot of them I will find on websites only shortly later, too often without any own words added. Music journalism should offer individual perspectives and opinions, based on individual research. Else there is not enough to learn from it. I think it is a bit sad that a lot of interesting debates about music happen on social media, and they are not even sparked by interesting features in other media. A good music journalist should try to lead the way, and not vice versa. And in any case the traffic obligations should not lead the way either.
Back then journalists were always one step ahead and everyone relied on their reviews. Now you can stream everything via Soundcloud or preview via the shop websites. From your record shop buyer perspective: are record reviews still relevant for you?
Not really. I mostly order releases for Hard Wax weeks in advance before the according reviews are published. Web is usually quicker than print, but still most reviews are connected to actual release dates. The rest of the texts sent my way want to sell their product, they are not reviews per definition. But I always choose to remain as neutral as possible. I listen to the music first, and then I may read the accompanying text about it. In my experience as a buyer it is very advisable to follow your own instincts. I register the opinions of distributors, labels and early adopters, particularly if I think they are reliable. But they do not really influence my decisions what to buy, and in what quantity. That is a different reality.
Lowtec told us that they were calling Hard Wax from their telephone booth back in the 90s and that one of the sellers previewed them the tracks via phone. When and where did you started buying music and how did that change over the time?
I bought my first records in the mid 70s, when I was about six years old. And then I never stopped. You only learnt about new music from friends, record stores, magazines, books and radio. Sometimes it took me quite a while to figure out certain tracks I liked in clubs, sometimes I never succeeded. The internet of course changed all that dramatically. You can learn about anything in a short time, and then you can purchase it a few clicks further. I also called up Hard Wax to buy records in the early 90s, holding up the newsletter leaflet with highlighted picks. That always felt a bit awkward, compared to just browsing through the crates of a well selected record store. But however convenient it is nowadays to gather knowledge about music and then acquire it, it is not necessarily more exciting to do so. The process almost completely neglected the element of surprise and there is a linear way to what you want. Still, whenever I find a record in a store I was not aware of before, it feels much more satisfying than finding music online. Store finds beat web finds, and I like surprises. And I do not want anything to fall into my hands, I do not want to feel lazy. And I will probably never value an audio file in the same way I value a record. I think you lose the respect for the music you are listening to if you do. But all that is a generational thing, even if a lot of people way younger than me are getting into vinyl. It is the privilege and imperative of youth to question the habits of the previous generations. I certainly did the same. But now I gladly act my age.
We’re always wondering how do you manage the flood of new releases as Hard Wax buyer?
You have to organize yourself cleverly and you have to know what you can ignore and when. And you have to develop ways to keep being interested. If you lose your curiosity, you have a problem. Personally, the minority of records that I find interesting outweighs the majority of records I do not find interesting.
Will there ever be a book about those famous one-liners?
We are aware of the cult status our comments have, but for us they are more a means to an end than anything else. But if someone rises to occasion, I hope it is highly recommendable to the point of being killer, and not just writer tool literature.
Finally, what do your children think about what you do?
I have a wonderful five year old daughter, and she knows exactly what I do. She likes to listen to music, either on her little cassette or CD players, or when I play records to her. She thinks I have too many records, but she also likes them. Especially since she brought some of her Kindergarten friends to my room and none of them had ever seen a record, or a turntable, and jaws dropped. She copes with me being away on weekends or working at night by thinking I am at least a little bit famous, and that what I do makes some people happy. She might even be a bit proud of me when she hears or sees me play on the web, or when she sees photos of me somewhere, or flyers and posters, or articles I wrote. But it is not too important for her and she does not want to do my job later on either, because she likes to sleep at night, and have her weekends off. Her favourite tracks are “Die Roboter” and “I Like To Move It”.
Finn Johannsen – Uncanny Valley Podcast 40.1 by Finn Johannsen on hearthis.at
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D The Koreatown Oddity – Title Sequence
Jhené Aiko – To Love & Die
Kid A – BB Bleu (Original Demo)
Nosaj Thing – Let You
Mr. Mitch – Dru
S-Type – Lost Girls
Banks – F**k Em Only We Know
Lil Silva – Don’t You Love
Hudson Mohawke – Ryderz
Jam City – Crisis (Special Mix)
Cassie – About Time
Cid Rim – Red Ocean
Jhené Aiko – Lyin King
Morgan Zarate – SP
KUF – Odyssee
Dolor – Our Number
Cassie – Just One Nite
Hudson Mohawke – All Your Love
Mr. Mitch – Padded
NxxxxxS – Ice Cold Ocean
Shriekin – Red Beach (Strict Face’s Starfall Edition)
Silk Road Assassins – T
Morgan Zarate – Pusher Taker
KUF – Wildlife
Blood Orange – You’re Not Good Enough
Fhloston Paradigm – Chasing Rainbows
Carby – Speechless
Rosie Lowe – Right Thing
Gent Mason – Eden
Kuedo – Memory Rain
Throwing Shade – Mystic Places
Plata & Glot – Ghosted
Cooly G – He Said I Said
Snoop Dogg – Sensual Eruption (Instrumental)
Blood Orange – High Street
Tala – On My Own In Hua Hin
Kingdom – Goodies Remix
Hudson Mohawke – Indian Steps
LHF Vs The Ragga Twins – Street Wise
Dizzee Rascal – Strings Hoe (Wen Refix)
Kuedo – Whisper Fate
The Range – Two
Kuedo – Vectoral
Epoch – Windmill
Posted: March 7th, 2016 | Author: Finn | Filed under: Gigs | Tags: Flo Dalton, Luzern | No Comments »
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Posted: March 4th, 2016 | Author: Finn | Filed under: Mixes | Tags: Colonel Abrams, Vocals | No Comments »
Finn Johannsen – Vocals Matter Part 01 by Finn Johannsen on hearthis.at
Thelma Houston – I’d Rather Spend The Bad Times With You (Extended Dance Version)
Siedah Garrett – Do You Want It Right Now
Kimberly Ball – Bad Times (I Can’t Stand It) Part 2
Aretha Franklin – Get It Right (Long Version)
Jesse’s Gang – Real Love (Edit)
Jamie Principle – Waiting for My Angel (Bob Heckmann Remix)
Visual – The Music Got Me
J.M. Silk – Music Is The Key
Colonel Abrams – Music Is The Answer
Hugh Masekela – Don’t Go Lose It Baby (Stretch Mix)
Willie Colón – Set The Fire to Me (Latin Jazzbo Version)
Steve Arrington – Feel So Real (Vocal Extended Version)
Leon Debouse – We Go Better Together (Vocal Mix)
Sharon Redd – Love How You Feel
Matt Warren – The Way To My Heart (Club Mix)
Serious Intention – You Don’t Know (Special Remix)
J.M. Silk – Shadows Of Your Love (Fierce Mix)
Colonel Abrams – I’m Not Gonna Let (Extended Version)
Alisha – Baby Talk
Regina – Baby Love (Vocal Long Version)
Raww – Don’t You Try It
C-Bank – Nightmare Of A Broken Heart
J.M. Silk – I Can’t Turn Around (House Of Trix Mix)
Farley Jackmaster Funk & Jesse Saunders – Love Can’t Turn Around (Houseapella)
Farley Jackmaster Funk & Jesse Saunders – Love Can’t Turn Around (Houseapella Instrumental)
Farley Jackmaster Funk & Jesse Saunders – Dub Can’t Turn Around
Posted: March 4th, 2016 | Author: Finn | Filed under: Macro | Tags: KUF | No Comments »
Macro M47 – KUF – Odyssee
Posted: February 29th, 2016 | Author: Finn | Filed under: Interviews English | Tags: Electronic Beats, Mixtape, Rewind, The Art Of Noise, Trevor Jackson | No Comments »
In discussion with Trevor Jackson on “Illmatic” by Nas (1994).
Can you remember the way you were introduced to “Illmatic”? Was it love at first sight?
Hip-hop was the main music I listened to in the early ‘90s. I devoured every new hip-hop release that came out. I’d been aware of Nas since 1991 when he guest-starred on a Main Source track called “Live at the Barbecue”, which was produced by Large Professor, one of my favorite producers. He was incredible on that. It was a great time for hip-hop. So many incredible hip-hop albums came out between ’91 and ’94. In 1992, Nas put out a single on Ruffhouse called “Halftime”, which was a track from the soundtrack of Zebrahead. That single totally blew me away. It still is one of my favorite hip-hop singles of all time. By that time, people in the hip-hop world were really aware of Nas, so when the album dropped in 1994, it wasn’t love at first sight, to be honest. It was a surprise.
You were expecting something big?
Yeah. All the real hip-hop heads were, not only because he was an incredible MC, but also because of the producers on the album, which were the cream of the crop at the time.
How were all the luminaries who played a part in the process apparent on the album? How would you characterize their input?
The thing about hip-hop at that time—which was very different than it is now—everyone strove to have their own sound. Nobody wanted to sound like anybody else. Probably more than any other music, people who were into hip-hop bought a lot of records because of the producer rather than the artist or the MC. It was quite unique.
On Illmatic, Nas worked with DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor and Q-Tip. Even though they were all from New York, they all had their own distinctive sound. Premier usually only took one loop, but he could do something incredible and really simple with one or two bars. Pete Rock was more complex and slightly more soulful. Large Professor had really amazing basslines, and Q-Tip was still deep, dark and street, but slightly more abstract. It was almost like The Avengers: Hulk, Thor, Captain America and Iron Man all coming together on one team. I don’t want to take anything away from Nas, who’s an amazing MC in his own right, but he always needed a great beat behind him. And they were the best at the time.
It’s kind of astonishing that there were so many different people involved, yet the album is pretty coherent.
The thing is, all these guys are from New York, and New York rap was all sample-based. It was pretty raw, and so even though these guys all had their own distinctive sound, they all hung out together; they were all friends.
That’s true. As you said, you go a long way back with hip-hop, and you probably heard a lot of classic albums. What makes “Illmatic” so special?
All I know is that I never get tired of it. A week doesn’t go by when I don’t listen to the whole album. It’s a short, too—it’s only got ten tracks on it, which was not typical, as a lot of albums used to hold 20 or 30 tracks. In contrast, Illmatic is really tight and focused. I love every track apart from one. I just think there’s something about Nas’ hunger to succeed on that record—I felt like you can hear that he came off the street into a vocal booth and just rhymed. It really has that immediacy and that hunger; you can hear it in his lyrics and you can hear it in his voice, and for me, it’s 1000 percent believable. I understand every word of it he says. Maybe it sounds silly, but it feels like he’s talking to me directly. His voice is just so direct. There’s something about that album. It was a point in time. So many different things combined to make it a special record.
It was his debut album, and it’s still hailed as one of the most important hip-hop albums of all time. That’s obviously quite a burden as well, but it’s really fascinating that he achieved this as his first album.
When it first came out, it wasn’t a success, though. It had critical success, but it didn’t sell. It took a bit of time to catch on. Looking at it now, for me, it’s always been a thing about Jay-Z or Nas. If you ask me, Nas would wipe the floor with Jay-Z in terms of rap skills. But Jay-Z is the superstar today, not Nas. Nas is still the rapper’s rapper. Also, sadly, he probably hasn’t made a record quite as good as Illmatic—not a whole album, anyway. So, if you want to talk about the greatest record of all time, many people today won’t say Illmatic. People will say it’s Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, or they’ll say Kanye’s it’s 808s & Heartbreak. For me, Illmatic is a benchmark, but I’m the older generation. I don’t know if the new generation really understands. What they perceive as being “good rap music” now is totally different, as is rap music itself.
Just in terms of the production, hip-hop—especially from the East Coast—was much more sample-based. I think that kind of vanished over the years.
The other thing is, in a weird way, that album marked a beginning, too. Before, you’d have one producer producing the whole thing. From what I remember, Illmatic was the first time so many esteemed producers all produced on the same album. That kind of changed things, because after that, people started getting loads of different producers to do an album. It’s not like they said, “Let’s get Premier or Pete Rock because they’ll sell millions of records.” They got those people because they really worked with Nas and they sounded right. But the hip-hop environment changed after that; people lost their unique sound. Everyone started to sound the same. Read the rest of this entry »
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