Letter from the publisher: DEQ #10 I hate to be negative in such a positive publication, but ity, but instead I saw gaping mouths and sad faces. I found when the bubble goes pop! And the air comes out… we myself staring at the cover of the 12” record with Brown need to talk. in a fancy suit and Apollo Creed (actor Carl Weathers) in his red, white and blue satin boxing outfit. “How does it When was your personal bubble last broken? Was it a feel when there’s no destination too far?” Brown belted out. “friend” that stabbed you in the back? Was it a bad break “And somewhere on the way you might find who you are!” I up? Was it the death of a loved one? Whatever the situa- guess I never paid attention to the words until that moment. tion, it hurts. You scatter to regroup from the unthinkable. The gut wrenching pain deepens grooves in your brain and I thought about my life’s journey and about how much bet- brings you to your forever changed mental map. We can ter of a person I am through friendships with people from repair and reinflate the bubble, and it might look different, other cultures. Putting this magazine together and playing but ultimately it’s our address. nights with diverse people make me realize how truly lucky I am (and I’m sure you do as well.) Steven Reaume said so It’s easier than ever now to get consumed in our own lives. profoundly in his article, “When you risk everything to do We can have so much of what we want, when we want and what you love, it’s worth every bit.” the way we want it. With distractions like the internet, smart phones, television, entertainment, technology and not to As I see it, we are fortunate to have this music, our friend- mention an unstable economy where people are working ships through it and all its healing powers. This magazine twice as hard to stay afloat, it’s clear that in keeping our is doing a good thing for the community and the city. Even own lives together the world is falling apart. with that, I feel I have to do more. We have to do more. I am far from perfect. If we as people do not improve our inter- The pop heard around the world came on Election Day personal relationships immediately, both at home and with when Donald Trump became President-elect and, for the other cultures, we are in big trouble. There’s a real danger in record, I really hate the state of politics. I was DJing at the stereotyping and when that thought process reaches peo- Aloft hotel downtown that Tuesday night. Watching it hap- ple that want to get accepted in a part of society, it’s worse pen on multiple flat screens, I felt of the pain of my giving than cancer. That strong need to belong, combined with a up on politicians, putting them all in the “Suck, Bought and closed minded view, is fuel to a raging fire. Sold” category and closing the file. I felt the guilt of not pay- ing closer attention to the news and the state of the world To put out this fire, to repair the bubbles, to cure this, it’s (although it was impossible to escape the slinging of mud going to be one on one, hand to hand, mind to mind battle in this campaign.) centered in volunteering time and energy. Face and mind time. It will take the patience of saints. It will take an army of I will never forget seeing all the red states on the map as Wolf good souls and it starts with yours. Blitzer and numerous CNN strategists frantically barked as results came in. Moreover with the people’s choice, I real- Through healing on your journey, you might just find out ized the severity of racism and the sad state of this coun- more about who you are, like Soul Brother #1 James Brown try. Throw in the unavoidable PTSD from the election and it said, “Eye to eye. Station to station.” crushed me all at once. I felt sick. As the bad news kept rolling in, the small crowd wanted Thank you again for reading, your patronage, your thoughts, some music for sanity purposes. It was a strange scene as your friendship. Thank you for paying attention. Make a dif- I began with James Brown “Living in America” on this old ference now. school vinyl night. I thought it would lend a moment of lev- pg. 4 CONTENT Gari Romalis................pg. 05 Remote Viewing Party.....pg. 09 Al Schackman...............pg. 13 Exclusive: L’uomo..........pg. 17 Cymatic Soles...............pg. 25 Mark Flash...................pg. 27 Well Done Goods...........pg. 31 Vinyl Credits................pg. 40 pg. 04 (early Detroit DJs) came from the same platform and through the powers of observation.” I used to keep I just don’t get it. Maybe it’s just me.” my head down and do my thing,” he said. “He (May) GARI ROMALIS Romalis admits that with his steady workload, he taught me that you have to watch. The crowd will does not go out much, but when he did, he sup- tell you what they want to hear. You just have to look ported and continues to love all the DJs and their and be into it.” Prince said it best “There’s joy in repetition.” Yes different styles. He reminisced about the days of the In between DJing and learning music production, electronic music can tend to be somewhat repeti- original Charivari, Deep Space and Direct Drive so- Romalis worked hard driving for a delivery compa- tive, and yes there is joy in it, but what I am referring cial clubs and parties in the eighties when, accord- ny. There were long hours and essentially he was to here are the messages from producer, remixer, DJ ing to him, the love was there. Now, to him, “it’s just not taking good care of himself. One day in 2010 Gari (with an i) Romalis. His Facebook posts are a different.” But as you guessed it, nothing stops his he suffered a serious stroke. “I couldn’t get out of hearty blend of well timed life advice, pictures of his drive and progress in this music. It’s rooted deeply bed. Anyone without a will to live would have died.” 12” output and videos of inspirational tunes. There in the beginnings of the progressive music scene of Romalis said. He had to teach himself how to walk are posts like “procrastination is the thief of time” Detroit. It’s back in the days of Mojo and Buy –Rite again, and nearly everything else. or “real ain’t what you got… it’s what you stand for” Music. After a few years of rehabilitation, in 2012 he started coming from a thick bearded fella with a consistent, Speaking of Buy-Rite, Romalis remains close with making records. His close friend, the legendary DJ Skype looking photo live from the wood paneled owner Cliff Thomas and mentions him as a key fac- Norm Talley put him in touch with the French label basement lab. He’s definitely hard core. tor in his growth as a DJ and producer. As “the Dockside and he was off to the races with the “Last Upon telling a friend about my interview with Ro- money man”, he released and promoted Detroit’s Man Standing” EP. The track “Ain’t Right” starts with malis, he said “you are interviewing him? He looks electronic music in the early days and the store is a 4-4 deep filtered groove and what sounds like a intimidating.” I said “Nah, I just think he’s focused.” still there at 7324 W. 7 Mile Road on Detroit’s West heart beat in a body. Swirling, winding deep, sort of I’m truly glad my assumption was correct. He’s a side ( it’s now called Detroit Music Center.) “We all muted beats underneath. The claps and kicks come warm and friendly person with music production on worked there, shopped there and lived the music,” in to lift you. The vocal says “This ain’t right”. It’s the brain always. he said. “It would have all been different without his simple, long and deep. To hear it musically speaks “I have a weird creative process”, Romalis said. “I’ll involvement.” to what he went through escaping the jaws of death put some music on while I’m doing something else Derrick May was as another essential influence on and finding the will to keep living. around the house and then if I hear a few sweet bars Romalis. When he first met May, Romalis described From that EP Romalis never looked back, putting or something that catches my ear, I’ll stop what I am himself as a “wide-eyed, eighteen year old kid want- out over forty records. There’s excitement building doing to start chopping it up in the studio. It’s on ing to learn everything.” His time volunteering paid for his label featuring his own tracks called 1701, from there until I make something new.” He prefers off. “I would have gone to Mars if they needed me appropriately named after the year the city of Detroit to sample music because, as he says, “I’m a DJ. I’m to! People forget about people behind the scenes,” was founded.