I did this interview, I belive four years ago. Some references are a bit outdated, but it's still interesting and entertaining. I played the same night, and this was done the day after. So when doing this I was so knackered I hardly could speak, so these parts are rough edits (without my questions). Pt.1 - Now & then. About the changes in the way the consumtion of popular- and club music has been through.
Pt. 2 Electric Chair. On how keeping the club going, keeping it fresh.
Pt. 3 Manchester & The look. What makes a place creative. Music & fashion - the northern look.
One the most iconic songs in dance music. They had a bit of a revival last year, but obviously always of current interest. I think they've been playing live since the eighties, and still having trouble getting paid for use of their breaks in samples. Great to see it live, check the congabreaks:
Stones Throw artist Dâm Funk is one of the future stars of modern soulful music. Residing in L.A., he's a true connoisseur of funk & soul. Try to find any of his dj sets, and you get a lesson in underground and soulful dance music from the early eighties.I've heard some interviews on the radio, he seems like a really cool dude. Check this video:
Activision, creators of the game Guitar Hero, is preparing to release another title for their music game line up - DJ Hero. The game will be packaged with a hardware controller that looks similar to a standard CD turntable. Whether this says anything about contemporary music, i.e rock is dead, I can't tell...One thing is for sure, now all the quasi-dj's playing straight from some software can start to practise the actual craftmanship. F-ck I've seen dudes standing there without any headphones with all the music pre-programmed. What's the deal with that?
Rumours says that Dj Shadow, amongst others, have been developing and testing the game. Thugh it's unclear who'll actually cover the actual Dj Hero.
A god day is to have som spare time to check through some records. And if the mood is fine, even try to get together a mix. So here you go! Starting out with a nice 7" from Earth, Wind & Fire and no idea where it would end up. A very random mix, new and old, hopefully with some stringency. Touching some brasilian, latin, jazz, funk & house bits. Specially feeling the Billy Bang track from the Live at Carlos 1 LP. Obviously Percy Faith on Freddie Hubbard's First Light - très cool, from the Corazón LP. Enjoy! Download Tracklist:
Earth, wind & Fire - Departure
Trio Mocoto - Nao Adianta
Tim Maia - É Necessário
Roni Size - Watching Windows (Nu Yourican Soul rmx)
Detroit has always been an influential place in the history of popular music. Since the Motown days it has been established as the progressive city for SOUL music. So much creativity has emerged from the Motor City. Check this 9 minute video on Underground Resistance
Isn't - "Can you play something that I can dance to" the most annoying thing you can hear when playing your treasurable wax. Anyway, I was playing some hip hop. It was still early on you know, at the time when you can drop some really good stuff. Seconds from, when I was about to go for some Sahib Shihab this girl in a wheelchair rolls into the dance floor. There was no time for getting another record cued up. It didn't take too long before her friend came up and asked the question.
Fair enough, it's not always the most danceable stuff. Shahib Shihab that is. But this LP with the Danish Radio Group is certainly a rarity that can't be neglected. Even the Japanese re-issue is rare nowadays. Can't remember which track I dropped at the time, but the whole LP is superb. Check: Dance of the Fakowees(320)
Not really musically related, but still(?) a culturally interesting phenomena...Swedish pop/rock group Bob Hund is auctioning their first release in six years on the bay. The trick though, is that it's only released in 1 copy. It's a dubplate too, not really that handy. It comes with a record player, which is actually the sleeve/artwork for the release. The designer has also added lots of texts on the record player. If it's the text of the song is unconfirmed. Might come handy as a dubplate isn't playable too long...Check the auction here, but there isn't much time to save any money.
"This amazing piece of sonic bliss, comes from the highly sought after Re-Member's Only album by King Britt presents SYLK130. We recorded this record live. This was before cd turntables. So we made the song, then the vinyl, then called jazzy jeff and de la soul to cut it live in the bassment of Studio 4 in Philly. History my friends! Unfortunately lost the super 8 tape!" I don't get much into hip hop nowadays, but I certainly like my rap. And if you do you need to check this out. This is ace, Jazzy Jeff kills the cuts! Get your download at FiveSixMedia.
This is Carlos Nino's & Miguel Atwood-Ferguson's tribute project to the late J Dilla. This absolutely amazing contemporary music. Good to see that it's out soon on wax. Update. In the meantime check this live video:
Earlier this year another legend passed away. Freddie Hubbard, a huge, and long time hero for me. Through his early 60's stuff to the fusion years in the late seventies. I stumled across this interview by Ben Sidran. Check!
I read that the infamous Frank Wilson “Do I love you" 7" is up for Auction. Expected to fetch between £25-75 000 it still hails as one of the holy grails, all-time, all genres. Present owner, Scottish Northern Soul Dj Kenny Burell, certainly made a good investment back in the day. It has probably given him lots of gigs, and an investment that has increased in value. He bought it for £15 000.
It indicates that the need for originality is still relevant within the Dj-community. Although this particular record, and the soul scene is the most extreme, and you can’t always make comparisons with other records/genres. Though, the collecting- and dj’ing art has always been hard to separate (If you’re over, say 25-ish, dj, and genuinely like music). In these cases there are certain paradoxes, which I’m personally part of as well, that clashes between the interest of the music and the need of the original pressing. Hypothetically you could do well with a re-pressing, or even an mp3. But like a friend of mine once said - “An mp3 is as interesting as an anonymous piece of sugar in a sugar bowl”. And I certainly think he’s right, even though I’m not the most hardcore collector I still aim for the original pressing. And most definitely on vinyl. That way these collectors/dj's become purveyors of the culture (and good music) which is getting more and more expendable in these times. Personally I’m more of a bargain hunter, and that’s where the collecting habits come in. It’s a bit like a competition, and getting a bargain indeed gives the feel of winning a prize. Having the rarest record is could also be considered as a winning formula which gives you “capital”(social and economic) within the scene.
Anyway, I don’t want to make these posts too long. I briefly want to tell you about one of the finest bargains I’ve found – the Nancy Holloway “Hello Dolly” Lp, with the fantastic "Hurts so bad". I think it was 5 or 10 sek, ($1) and in very very nice condition possibly just played a very few times. That’s certainly a good buzz, and makes all this worthwhile.
Pt.1 - Now & then. About the changes in the way the consumtion of popular- and club music has been through.
Tracklist:
Isn't - "Can you play something that I can dance to" the most annoying thing you can hear when playing your treasurable wax. Anyway, I was playing some hip hop. It was still early on you know, at the time when you can drop some really good stuff. Seconds from, when I was about to go for some Sahib Shihab this girl in a wheelchair rolls into the dance floor. There was no time for getting another record cued up. It didn't take too long before her friend came up and asked the question. 
Not really musically related, but still(?) a culturally interesting phenomena...Swedish pop/rock group Bob Hund is auctioning their first release in six years on the bay. The trick though, is that it's only released in 1 copy. It's a dubplate too, not really that handy. It comes with a record player, which is actually the sleeve/artwork for the release. The designer has also added lots of texts on the record player. If it's the text of the song is unconfirmed. Might come handy as a dubplate isn't playable too long... Check the auction here, but there isn't much time to save any money.
"This amazing piece of sonic bliss, comes from the highly sought after Re-Member's Only album by King Britt presents SYLK130. We recorded this record live. This was before cd turntables. So we made the song, then the vinyl, then called jazzy jeff and de la soul to cut it live in the bassment of Studio 4 in Philly. History my friends! Unfortunately lost the super 8 tape!"
Earlier this year another legend passed away. Freddie Hubbard, a huge, and long time hero for me. Through his early 60's stuff to the fusion years in the late seventies.