> Backroom Productions – Definition Of A Track ( New York Underground Records) 1988
A rare tune from 1987. Indeed nothing but a track.
I knew this from the vinyl edition of the DJ-Kicks by Terranova. At that time it fit right in with what they were trying to represent with that compilation. I used to play this track regularly back then, it was very good for warming up.
So you actually know this for quite some time then.
Yeah, of course! I was not into Terranova that much, but the compilation had some brilliant tracks on it. East Flatbush Project and such.
This has some kind of Hip Hop vibe to it, too. But it does not exactly sound like 1988.
No, and I didn’t know that (laughs).
Would you still play it?
Definitely. I don’t know when and for what occasion but it is a class track.
It somehow reminds me of the bonus beats they used to have on the flipside of old House records.
Yeah, but bonus beats have gone out of fashion a bit, apart from Hip Hop. Argy had some for that Sydenham track “Ebian” on Ibadan last year. But I think it is not really relevant anymore for the current generation of House producers.
The percussive elements really distinguish the sound of that era from today’s productions. Lots of handclaps, or here it’s rimshots.
My problem is that I don’t really like all these percussion sounds from drum machines. I prefer sampled real instruments. This is probably some classic Roland drum machine, like a 606. I would take the bassdrum and hi-hats from somewhere else. The toms of these old machines are always cool, but the bongo sounds for example are not for me. I wouldn’t use that for my productions. I couldn’t do these 100 % authentic references. I think it’s supercool to listen to in a Prosumer record for example, but I couldn’t do that.
You got qualms about doing something like that?
No (laughs)! I’m just working on a new track for which I sampled an old Amen-break. I don’t care, if I like it I use it. This kind of break is in 90 % of all Drum and Bass tracks and nobody cares, so I don’t care either.
> Phortune – Unity (Jack Trax) 1988
This is an old track by DJ Pierre, from his Acid House days. But it is different to most tracks he produced back then. It is pretty deep.
It’s great. Awesome vibe for 1988, I could listen to this all day. It doesn’t tranquilize my feet, it’s not boring, it’s perfectly right. And I would grin from ear to ear if I would hear this in a club.
Some of its sounds have aged really well.
I really like this. I think it’s a pity that there are not so many tracks with great basslines at the moment. There are a lot of simple, functional basslines without much of a melody. Of course it’s effective and some current tracks need some of these dominating, functional elements, but a track like this for example needs a bit more, and I miss that. It’s also simple, but it has more and different harmonies. I like that, it gets me hooked. I would love to buy this on Beatport (laughs)!
Bridging the generation gap right here, the Druffalo Hit Squad lends a helping hand with a heads up call to the hopes and dreams of boys and girls anywhere, anytime, anyplace. You might feel disillusioned, disenchanted, shattered, heartbroken, isolated, ignored, left over, left out, misunderstood, mistreated, underestimated, unwanted and unloved. We’ve been there. We suffered. We nearly dropped. But we draw conclusions. And we reached out. And we set in motion. And we found what we were looking for. This is for the survivors…
The Colourfield – Castles In The Air (Chrysalis) Heaven 17 – Let Me Go (Virgin) Mike Francis – Survivor (RCA) Chris Rea – Josephine (Magnet) David Bowie/Pat Metheny – This Is Not America (EMI America) Laid Back – Fly Away (Metronome) Madness – Yesterdays Men (Virgin) The Pale Fountains – Unless (Virgin) ABC – All Of My Heart (Neutron) Culture Club – Romance Beyond The Alphabet (Virgin) Icehouse – No Promises (Chrysalis) Tears For Fears – Advice For The Young At Heart (Fontana) The Dream Academy – The Love Parade (Blanco Y Negro) Talk Talk – It’s My Life (EMI) Bryan Ferry – Don’t Stop The Dance (EG) The Stranglers – Always The Sun (Epic) Electronic – Getting Away With It (Factory) The Lotus Eaters – You Don’t Need Someone New (Arista) Spandau Ballet – Gold (Chysalis) Danny Wilson – Mary’s Prayer (Virgin) The The – Uncertain Smile (Epic) Pet Shop Boys – Being Boring (Parlophone) The Go-Betweens – Bachelor Kisses (WEA) Blancmange – Waves (London)
The Druffalo Hit Squad with yet another hurricane session for the party boys (and girls) who only come out at night. We own your lonely hearts, and we show you images of heaven. Yes, it is love, and we don’t move away from it, darlings. We got the gloves on, we dream electric, and we don’t stand back. Reason? No. Boredom? No. Orchestras? Yes. To a Debussy beat, the city waits forever. It shines like destruction, it lives inside us. We can make you see it. And we think hard about the weather, too. We’re pretty sure it must have rained. We dress for action, and howl at many moons. Who do you love? Is it us? Is this a test?
Kim Carnes – Hurricane (EMI America) Foxy – Party Boys (T.K. Records) Peter Brown – They Only Come Out At Night (CBS) Local Boy – Thriller/Owner Of A Lonely Heart (Profile) Peter Godwin – Images Of Heaven (Polydor) Gang Of 4 – Is It Love (Warner Bros. Records Inc.) Culture Club – Move Away (Virgin) Visage – Love Glove (Polydor) Giorgio Moroder With Philip Oakey – Together In Electric Dreams (Virgin) Stevie Nicks – Stand Back (WEA) John Farnham – Age Of Reason (RCA) Leonard Cohen – First We Take Manhattan (CBS) Andrew Poppy – 32 Frames For Orchestra (ZTT) Pet Shop Boys – Left To My Own Devices (Parlophone) Yello – Call It Love (Vertigo) Eurythmics –Love Is A Stranger (RCA) Data – Living Inside Me (Virgin) Cut Glass – Alive With Love (Ear Hole) New Order – The Perfect Kiss (Factory) Blancmange – The Day Before You Came (London) Steely Dan – Glamour Profession (MCA) Chas Jankel – Glad To Know You (A&M) Greg Phillinganes – Behind The Mask (Planet) Elbow Bones & The Racketeers – You Get Me High (EMI America)
I recorded this as a guest mix for the website of my dear friend Michael Joyce aka Truly-Madly, who was then a true aficionado of all things deep. He became a famous DJ much later than me, but once he did (and he is probably more famous than I ever was by now) he seemed to have deleted the mix from his website to cover up traces of my influence throughout his career. Story of my life.
Ok, kidding. Love ya, Trudy!
Picture is my old friend Jan Carter Boche (left) and me leaving one of our favourite kebap shops in our hometown Kiel. We never did eat anything anything there, but they had cheap and cold beer. I loved that “Escape” shirt, bought in London sometime in the early 90s. I instantly wore it to the next fish and chips shop right after I purchased it, and the elderly woman behind the counter asked me if her food was so bad that I wanted to run away. Not THAT bad.
Sensory Elements Vol 1 – Explain It Infra-Red – Love Honey Funtopia Feat. Jimi Polo – Do You Wanna Know? Beautiful People – I Got The Rhythm (Club Mix) Underground Inc. – Magie Noire (Rick Lenoir Mix) Ronald Burrell – Quiet Song Jovonn – It’s Gonna Be Right (Be Smoove Dub) Debbie Gibson – One Step Ahead (Masters At Work Mix) Ecstasy Boys – Seven Steps To Heaven Language – Tranquility Bass Liquid Variety – The Best Part Of The Trip (The Best Part) Boo Williams – Home Town Chicago Glenn Underground – May Datroit Tribute – Rain (Dub) Stardust – Love Will Find A Way (Sweet Embrace Mix) Aphrodisiac – Just Before The Dawn (Exclusive Remould)
Gilles Peterson und Patrick Forge lehnen sich mit dieser Sammlung zurück und gedenken des Londoner Alldayers, mit dem der ganze Acid-Jazz-Komplex seinen Lauf nahm. Dingwalls war damals das Auffangbecken für die monotoniegeplagten Hipster, die je nach Blickwinkel unter- oder überfordert nach der musikalischeren Alternative zur Acid – Revolution fahndeten. Zu Rolli und Goatee abgebogene Ex- Mods und Soulboys, Straight-No-Chaser-Abonennten, Anspruchsposer und und Tanzflächenakrobaten schmissen sich in den leichten Jazz der tanzbaren Variante und manifestierten eine robuste Geschmacksbastion, deren Diktat noch immer fingerhebend in den meisten Veröffentlichungen nachhallt, die sich an Jazz mit schwachen Nerven und faltenfreiem Funk abarbeiten. Im Überblick ist das zwischen den warmgeduschten Düdel-ClubSoul-Funk-Brasil-Jazz-Komponenten von Ayers bis Ponty aber auch immer noch so adrett und versnobt, dass man gar nicht weiß, ob man sich für diesen komplett unruppigen Rückblick wirklich bedanken muss. Cecil Taylors Rübe in die Tasten knallen zu sehen, ist auf alle Fälle eine reizvolle Alternative und Musik aus der Steckdose geht irgendwie auch, wie immerhin später auch eingesehen wurde.
Der Italiener Enrico Crivellaro alias Volcov betreibt die angesehenen Labels Archive und Neroli, mit Anbindung an Londoner Broken Beats und beseelten Deep House aus Detroit und New York. Von dort holt er sich auch zahlreiche Versatzstücke, die im Verbund aber überwiegend wie ein verschollenes Artist-Album klingen, das Naked Music nicht mehr rausgebracht hat. Also Soul der eher summt als brüllt und Tiefe die eher vordergründig fließt als hintergründig abtaucht. Alle beteiligten Vokalisten wurden anscheinend exakt nach dieser Prämisse ausgewählt und der satte Schönklang folgt trockenen Fußes. Diese ganze Vollmundigkeit tritt schon selbstbewusst auf, aber wenn sich wie bei dem großartigen Instrumental-Ausreißer „How I Feel“ ein abseitiger Weg anzubieten scheint, schaltet sich danach der vorgebaute Limiter ein.
Dies ist der dritte Teil der EP-Serie zum anstehenden Remix-Album im Frühjahr 2006 und er klingt formidabel. Für die Drum And Bass-Gemeinde bauen Marky & XRS exakt den Vocal-Clubhit, den man von ihnen erwarten konnte. Auf diesen sonnendurchfluteten Flow haben sie quasi ein Abo, dass geht ihnen flugs von der Hand, ist aber auch immer noch sehr schön anzuhören. Etwas gewagter sind die restlichen Adaptionen. Jeremy Newall gelingt ein 1A spaciger Boogie, der an die guten Tage von Clubsoul erinnert, steht wohl wieder unmittelbar vor der Tür. Mr V macht aus “In Your Mind Part II” zwei schöne TechHouse-Versionen, die sich rechtmäßig im Umfeld der guten Seite von San Francisco Deep House und Londoner Boompty niederlassen können. Pepe Bradock geht auch in die Tiefe, aber wesentlich weiter, bis er schon dunkel-psychedelische Gefilde vorstößt, in denen der Groove mit allen Bauteilen reduziert und seziert wird, um als kühner Entwurf wieder an die Oberfläche zu kommen. Beeindruckender House-Dub, in großen Buchstaben. Lobenswert bei allen Beiträgen ist zudem die fehlende Scheu vor den originalen Vocals, das wird nach Bedarf auf Ayers selber oder auf die Gastsängerinnen konzentriert, aber immer smart.
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