Re-Wiring the Future of Electro

Home , Annie Mac, David Gravell, DJ Die, Dusky, Dynamite MC, Erol Alkan

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DJMAG.COM ACID EVANGELIST MR C ON LIFE & THE UNIVERSE

SOUTH AFRICAN HOUSE IS LIVING & BREATHING DANCE MUSIC! DJMAG.COM SPREADING LIKE WILDFIRE! SCENE & HEARD: SASHA SET TO STORM THE RONI SIZE BARBICAN ON ‘BROWN PAPER BAG’

HOW HAVE DJ MIX COMPS LAYING IT * MUSIC STAYED DOWN: MCs RELEVANT? RECORDING * CLUBS THEIR OWN ART * TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL DREAMS: CALIBRE & * CRAIG

RICHARDS

February 2017 £4.95 £4.95 No. 566 Helena Hauff Re-Wiring The Future Of Electro

No.566 February 2017 £4.95

WAZE & ODYSSEY, BISHI, JOSH WINK, KIM ANN FOXMAN, THE ADVENT, OVERLOOK, PLUS: JUSTIN ROBERTSON, FRANCIS INFERNO ORCHESTRA, BEST OF BRITISH AWARDS… Untitled-1 1 13/12/2016 14:20 CONTENTS

Cover shot: TANYA CHALKIN

027 HAUFF MUSIC ALL NIGHT LONG! Already renowned for her eclecticism and slamming sets, Helena Hauff is without a doubt the most exciting new talent in dance music. DJ Mag flys out to Germany to meet the analogue aficionado in the flesh...

FEATURES 032 CHASING RAINBOWS 032 CHASING RAINBOWS DJ Mag heads to South Africa to explore the rapidly expanding electronic scene...

041 THE ACID EVANGELIST Musician, actor and activist, after 30 years at the core of dance music, Mr C has quite the story to tell... 055 LAYING IT DOWN 047 ESSENTIAL MIXES In a world of podcasts and free content, how do mix compilations stay relevant?

055 LAYING IT DOWN We catch up with d&b’s top vocalists to find out how they’re changing the game...

060 FUTURE SOUND OF SASHA The legendary Sasha is back with a vengeance, so we sat down for a chat... 085 FABRIC RE-OPENS 069 SPECIAL DREAMS Calibre steps away from drum & bass on his new LP for Craig Richards’ label. 041 MR C 154 LUCKY SEVEN Kim Ann Foxman reveals the tracks and albums closest to her heart...

006 COMIN’ UP Roni Size, Josh Wink, Bradley Zero, Overlook, Francis Inferno Orchestra, Justin Robertson, Ghost Culture... 080 BEST OF BRITISH AWARDS 075 ON THE FLOOR Awards aplenty at our Best Of British party, exploring Japan’s club scene at TDME, Fabric’s grand reopening... 147 XONE: PX5 106 MUSIC REVIEWS Bonobo, Yuksek, Young Marco, Tycho, The xx, Sherwood & Pinch, Brian Eno, FJA AK, Matthew Dear, Clap! Clap!... 134 TECH Vitalic, Roland DJ-808, Xone PX5, 060 SASHA Pioneer HDJ-700s, Manu Gonzalez...

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NEXT ISSUE OUT LIVING & BREATHING DANCE MUSIC! 23.02.17

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Contributors PEACE, LOVE & UNITY Paul Clarke, Ben Murphy, Claire Hughes, Louise Brailey, Neil Kulkarni, Sherman, Ian McQuaid, Just as DJ Mag was going to press for this issue, we started Joe Roberts, Richard Brophy, Found Sounds, Dan Reid, Zara Wladawsky, Larry Rostant, Oli hearing reports from BPM Festival in Mexico about shootings Marlow, Ben Arnold, Kristan J Caryl, Luke Pepper, Kris Needs, Ben Osborne, Tim Stark, Kutski, at one of the closing parties — at the Blue Parrot in Playa Del Jonathan Burnip, Manu Ekanayake, Katie Palmer, Sunil Chauhan, Leon Clarkson, Whisky Kicks, Ashley Zlatopolsky, Chris Davison, Stephen Flynn, Erin Sharoni, Dani Deahl, Anna Wall, Angus Carmen. Shocking incidents like this are happening all too Thomas Paterson, Kirsty Allison, Morgan Jones... often at the moment — what the fuck is going on in the world? Advertising Warm, friendly and seemingly safe, BPM has traditionally Sales & Marketing Director Heath Holmes [email protected] been the place over the past few years where much of the Sales Manager Chris Blackhall [email protected] dance music industry has headed following new year’s eve. Advertising Manager Iain McGoldrick [email protected] The night at the Blue Parrot was an Elrow night, the Spanish promoters who’ve specialised in high-production-value, Managerial gloriously celebratory parties over the past few years. Where Publisher James Robertson love and happiness rule. Managing Director Martin Carvell It should go without saying that murderous violence has no Accounts Patricia Jordan [email protected] part to play anywhere in our beloved scene — a movement founded on ideals of peace, love and unity. The thoughts of Events all at DJ Mag are with those affected by what BPM organisers Head of Events Adam Saville [email protected] called “this senseless act”. Events Booker Alex Donald [email protected]

Events Manager [email protected] This issue we’re mixing up big hitters like Sasha and Mr C Alex Anderson (pages 60 and 41 respectively) with more emerging artists like Helena Hauff (cover story, page 27). There’s a piece on Subscriptions Email the South African dance scene (p32), how compilation mix [email protected] Telephone CDs are still thriving in this ever-changing market (p47), and +44 20 7684 4881 Online tons more great content in the coming pages. subscribe.djmag.com For the Helena cover, we’d just taken on a new photographer

— Tanya Chalkin. Experienced in other fields, Tanya was DJ COMPETITION RULES: To enter a competition you can send your answer by post to [name of competition], DJ Magazine Ltd, PO Box 71897, London, N1P 1HH or email [email protected] to be received on or before the closing date. By sending your entry excited to be working for DJ Mag as she thought it was you agree to these competition rules and you confirm you are happy to receive details of future offers and promotions from DJmag. com ltd.The winner will be notified within 28 days of the closing date. Competitions are only open to UK residents. No employees of DJmag.com ltd. or any of its group companies or the employees of any entity which has been involved with the administration of this another door opening for her — she’d just travelled to competition or any member of their households may enter this competition. No responsibility is accepted for entries delayed or lost in the post. Proof of postage will not be accepted as proof of receipt. The prize is as stated and no cash alternative is available. The Hamburg to photograph Helena for this cover. Just as we provider of the prize reserves the right to substitute the prize for one of equivalent value. Thrust Publishing Ltd. is not responsible whatsoever for any failure by a third party to provide the prize on time or at all or for any loss, damage, costs, expenses, or personal were going to press, we heard from her friend Annie injury caused by the prize. If you have any query or complaint in relation to the prize, you should contact the provider. If you are a winner of the competition you accept that Thrust Publishing Ltd. has the right (without additional payment or seeking permission) to use your name, address and likeness for the purpose of announcing the winner of the competition and for related promotional Nightingale that Tanya had sadly passed away. Thoughts are purposes. All entries must be received by the closing date. No purchase necessary. Details of the winning entry will be available at any time on or after the closing date by written request from DJ Magazine Ltd, PO Box 71897, London, N1P 1HH. with her friends and family at this difficult time too. SEND POSTAL ENTRIES TO: (Name of Competition), DJ Magazine Ltd, PO Box 71897, London, N1P 1HH

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Untitled-1 1 16/01/2017 14:39 Comin’ Up Upbeat updates - all the stuff you need to know!

BRIGHTON MUSIC CONFERENCE IS BACK! The UK’s top electronic music conference returns for a fourth year with yet another slew of big-name panelists and performers…

FOLLOWING YET ANOTHER stand-out event in importance of management, music videos, collaboration platform Brapp will host its debut 2016, Brighton Music Conference pitches up by publishing and Q&A sessions with Toolroom live event, with filmed performances of 12 of the seaside once again from 27th to 28th April. Records, Hospital Records (moderated by DJ the UK’s best hip-hop and grime MCs, plus Now in its fourth year, BMC continues to bring Mag editor Carl Loben), producers Friction, sets from Brighton’s Slip Jam DJs. Featured together industry professionals from across the Josh Butler and Paul Hartnoll, and DJs like artists include Dr Syntax, Shogun MFTM, Bobbie spectrum of electronic music to discuss current Darius Syrossian. Johnson and Gemini of Don’t Flop fame. No issues, educate and provide a platform for new On the tech front, Native Instruments will run more line-ups have been confirmed as of yet, creative relationships to flourish. their Native Sessions both days, several tech but with the likes of Seth Troxler at The Arch, giants will host workshops and seminars, and and Mala and Commodo at Patterns last year, Over the two days, over 50 talks, seminars, there’ll be heaps of new equipment from the expect yet another array of tantalizing parties workshops and shows will take place at the likes of Pioneer, Korg, Serato, Roland, Focusrite during the event. Brighton Dome and several other venues across and Novation to geek out over. With plenty more panelists, demos and acts to the city. Presented by esteemed organisations be announced, we recommend grabbing a ticket such as PRS, the Associated For Electronic With Brighton’s club scene well and truly on as soon as possible. Music (AFEM) and the Night-Time Industries the up again, BMC will be spoilt for choice •brightonmusicconference.co.uk Association (NTIA), panel topics include the when it comes to live gigs this year. Music

006 djmag.com COMIN’ UP

With Danny Howard from BBC Radio 1

ONE-ON-ONE With more radio commitments and a pretty heavy year in 2016, I decided to take a break from DJing for the whole of January and safe to say... two weeks in (at time of writing this), I’m missing it so much already! That said, it’s getting me even more excited to get back behind the decks. I can now announce my mini UK tour, which is going to be me and one special guest at various nights in March. Leeds, Reading, Nottingham, London and Southampton — get ready! CONGRATULATIONS ANNIE & T Special mention here must go to my Radio 1 colleagues Annie Mac and Toddla T, who have just announced that Annie has given birth to another baby boy. I find it quite apt that he was born on the first Friday night Annie took off on maternity... obviously going to be a rave baby! It’s been a privilege filling in for Annie on Friday nights — a whole new challenge for me, and quite a responsibility! THE BIG THREE Detlef feat. Ossey James ‘Swagon’ SANKEYS MCR CLOSED After absolutely hammering his tune ‘Kinky Tail’ in pretty much every set last year, Detlef has PERMANENTLY brought another big one! Trademark bassline and quirky vocal... it has all the makings of Renowned venue forced out after 23 years... a track that I’ll be rinsing over the next few UK CLUBBING INSTITUTION Sankeys is due to the fact that the entire building months, for sure! Manchester has closed with immediate has been sold to a residential property effect. developer who intends to turn it into Franky Rizardo ‘Same Man’ The Beehive Mill Building in which the apartments. When I heard that this sampled the famous Till nightclub was located has reportedly “With that, it is with great regret that West tune from back in the day, I was interested! been sold to property developers, after we must close Sankeys with immediate Add Franky’s awesome production into the mix being listed by real estate agent Savills effect. On behalf of the directors and and the outcome is a certified banger. UK back in December 2016. management team, can you please Been playing this a lot on radio recently, and The venue’s staff received a text message pass this message on to those that it it’s probably one I’ll take into my festival sets in mid-January informing them of affects and apologise for how suddenly this summer. Large! the news, along with a formal email the change in circumstances has taken statement from Tony Hill, managing place?” Marquis Hawkes ‘Eivissa’ director of the club’s owner, Radius Only Sankeys’ Manchester branch has When a track sounds like summer at this time of Security. halted operations, with Sankeys Ibiza and the year, I want in. Looking forward and getting In the email, Hill writes, “As you are Sankeys East set to remain open. The club excited for Ibiza and the festival season is all aware we have been in negotiations with first opened in 1994, and its closure is a that’s on the brain right now, and this tune is the property management agents of great loss to Manchester, redolent of the one that I’m already putting firmly on the USBs Beehive Mill for some time with regards to city’s legendary Haçienda club, which was ready for the sunshine. It’s all about the pianos the lease for Sankeys. demolished in the early noughties and in this one, but make sure you check out the “It has become apparent that the reason replaced with flats. rest of the EP... all the tracks are ace! that they haven’t issued a new agreement

djmag.com 007 HYPE CHARTS This month’s biggest tracks, as determined by early sales data analysis from BPTOPTRACKER. These hype cuts are predicted to smash the Beatport charts soon. Listen to the tracks at bptoptracker.com

HOUSE TECHNO DISCO

01. ENZO SIFFREDI, QUBIKO 01. DEVOCHKA, MANDRAGORA 01. DJ HELL Blow Toolroom Records Shiva Style Alien Records I Want U (The Hacker Remix) International DeeJay Gigolo Records 02. BASTILLE 02. CARLO RUETZ 02. DJ HELL Blame (Claptone Extended Mix) Virgin Records Ltd Instinct SCI+TEC I Want U (Extended Version) International DeeJay Gigolo Records 03. MATT CASELI 03. JULIAN JEWEIL 03. GET TO KNOW Long Legs Running (Club Mix) Enormous Tunes Rolling Drumcode Out Of My Hands Nurvous Records 04. ALEX GUESTA 04. JULIAN JEWEIL 04. AGORIA, CARL CRAIG Cumbia Cienaguera SPRS Traffic Drumcode Speechless (feat. Carl Craig) (Album Edit) InFine 05. PAUL DAREY 05. ADRIAN HOUR 05. BEVERLY CHILLS The Bomb Deeperfect Records Kickback (Andreas Henneberg & Beth Lydi Remix) SNOE One Night In The Disco Solid State Disco 06. ALEX LUCIANO, LEINK 06. JULIAN JEWEIL 06. MIC HAEL MAYER & JOE GODDARD Landscape Suicide Robot Venice Drumcode For You (Pachanga Boys Remix) K7 Records 07. THOMAS GANDEY 07. JULIAN JEWEIL 07. BEVERLY CHILLS Lovemachine Noir Music Blue Drumcode Axel Foley Solid State Disco 08. LEONARDO GONNELLI 08. JULIAN JEWEIL 08. D-F ORMATION, TERRY NUMAN She Likes It Deeperfect Records J3 Octopus Records IO (Tuff City Kids Trance Mix) Suara 09. WEISS (UK) 09. DUANE BARTOLO 09. NU DISCO BITCHES Walk With Her Dirtybird Bring It On Psymal Records Madafoonk (Funk Extended Mix) Instrumenjackin Records 10. VANILLA ACE 10. BEN TEUFEL 10. KENSHIN, HEIKEN Scandalize Toolroom Records Keep It Close (Pedro Costa Remix) Krad Records D.A.N.C.E Muzica Records

BASS EDM TRANCE

01. RENE LAVICE 01. LUCAS & STEVE, JAKE REESE 01. OMIKI Sound Barrier RAM Records Calling On You feat. Jake Reese (Club Mix) Spinnin Records Balkan Spin Twist Records 02. ALIBI, COMMAND STRANGE 02. LIKA MORGAN 02. ARMIN VAN BUUREN Skyline V Recordings Feel The Same (EDX Dubai Skyline Remix) No Definition Communication (David Gravell Extended Remix) Armind (Armada) 03. GRIDLOK, BTK 03. BLASTERJAXX 03. M.I.K.E. PUSH Megahertz feat. Gridlok (Gridlok M.F. Mix) Dutty Audio No Sleep Maxximize Analogy High Contrast Recordings (Be Yourself Music) 04. BTK, METH 04. KILL THE BUZZ 04. DAVEY ASPREY, ELLIE LAWSON It Gets Rough Sometimes (Gydra Remix) Dutty Audio Break The House Down (Hardwell Extended Edit) Revealed Recordings Bridge The Divide Amsterdam Trance Records (RazNitzanMusic) 05. COMMAND STRANGE 05. JEWELZ & SPARKS 05. ALEX KLINGLE Zero Sugar V Recordings Grande Opera Revealed Recordings Remember When Enhanced Progressive 06. SPASS 06. N ORA EN PURE 06. CHRIS METCALFE Hi Tek Savage Society Records Diving With Whales (Daniel Portman Remix) Enormous Tunes Orbit Afterdark 07. BENZMIXER 07. PRYDA 07. MARK SIXMA Psyclones 2015 Savage Society Records Lillo Pryda Recordings Visionary (Vlind Remix) Grotesque Reworked 08. INFEKT, SUBFILTRONIK 08. BOB SINCLAR 08. MYSTICAL COMPLEX Moonout Blockz Savage Society Records Stand Up (Club Mix) Spinnin' Premium Future Nation Nutek Records 09. G ARABATTO, CHARLEE MUSE 09. K SHMR, MARNIK, MITIKA 09. A CE VENTURA, LIQUID SOUL Ignite Universal Music Mandala feat. Mitika (Official Sunburn 2016 Anthem) Spinnin Records Psychic Experience (Captain Hook Remix) Iboga Records 10. L 33, HIJAK MC 10. WILL SPARKS 10. PROTOCULTURE The Crypt C4C Recordings Flamenco Bourne Recordings Asphalt Armind (Armada)

OFFICE THE BEST LIVE SETS ON DJ MAG TV PLAYLIST What’s on the DJ Mag office stereo? COMING UP! LEE WALKER, MARK BROWN & •Radio Slave •The Mekanism ’Another Club’ ’Breath’ MORE @ CR2 RECORDS SPECIAL Rekids Play It Say It LIVE FROM WORK BAR, LONDON • The Black Madonna •Sense MC ‘He Is The Voice I Hear’ ‘The Elephant In The Room’ 2ND FEBRUARY @ 7PM Special Requests Diffrent Music • Mr. G & K15 •Various ‘A Learning Curve’ ‘Sub Slayers 50’ Lo Recordings Sub Slayers •Various Artists •Lost Colours CATCH UP! ‘Africa Gets Physical’ ‘Through The Looking Glass’ Get Physical 61 Seconds Recs SOLARDO •Moiré •Marconi Union LIVE FROM BEST OF BRITISH @ EGG ‘No Future’ ’Tokyo+’ Ghostly Just Music WATCH NOW! •Catz ’N Dogz •Hernan Cattaneo ‘Watergate 22’ ’Sudbeat (compilation)’ youtube.com/djmagtv Watergate Balance

008 djmag.com KILLERS This month’s promos destined to destroy the dancefloor...

INCOMING Stone Cold Simon Baker KILLER

SIMON BAKER as B.K.R has teamed up with Hot Creations/Paradise guru JAMIE JONES for ‘Fly EP’ on Dusky’s 17 Steps imprint. ’Bubble & Squeak’ — as the name suggests — is a bubblin’ slice of fidgety techno with a huge bottom-line and massive metallic stabs, while the cavernous ‘Fly’ is built for filthy warehouses and ‘Dis’ has a razor-sharp electro flavour... Another meeting of Ibiza stars comes in the Ghost Culture form of THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS and ‘Nucleus EP’ The Martinez Brothers Phantasy Sound

DANIEL AVERY-COLLABORATOR strobe-lit bodies and sweat dripping monic pads and bulbous analogue and Phantasy Sound alumnus Ghost from the rafters. Its driving, bleeping bass underlaid with clipping snares, Culture brought a fresh wave of hook, rising-air build and dramatic stepped riddims and snappy hi-hats, sleek, chilly electro-techno with an breakdown midway through serves as while ‘Persueus’ is squeaking broken industrial feel via his self-titled LP for the sort of stuff that’ll make festival beat that breaks out into a grotty Erol Alkan’s cutting edge imprint in main stages completely lose their rave-line that could have been ripped DAN GHENACIA (on white label next January 2015. shit. from something by the Ratpack. month). ‘Disco Jam 1’ and ‘Disco Jam Two years later, our inbox has been While perhaps not immediate dance- To finish off, ‘NGC1265’ is a wistful 2’ are two sexy dancefloor work-outs blessed with the arrival of ‘Nucleus floor fare, ‘ICO130’ — with its cutting number made of wiry major chords made of looping 909s and rolling 808s EP’, a five-track EP of liquid-metal amen breaks, acid squiggles and over irregular wood percussion. over a sleazy bassline... Ace Chicago DJ electronica packed with plenty of hollow analogue feel — falls some- Overall, ‘Nucleus EP’ is an exception- THE BLACK MADONNA gets totes emosh emotion. where between the twisted majesty ally dense, well-rounded EP without a on her new label We Still Believe with Much like the Chemical Brothers of ‘Ambient Works’-era AFX and the dull straight-up four-four in earshot. ‘He Is The Voice I Hear’. Channelling charging up Jon Hopkins’s widely heart-tugging world of Joy Orbison’s Experimental electronica that hones her religion via the medium of house, revered ‘Immunity’ album, ‘Coma’ ‘Hyph Mngo’ thanks to its blissed out in on the IDM scene with updated it’s a track touched up with disco bells — with its insidious electro top-line vocal sample. ‘NGC1275’, meanwhile, eyes, it’s impressively built to work and driven by a chugging bassline, but and crunching techno bottom — is a embarks on a similarly synaesthetic bodies as much as it will get inside defined by Detroit-laden strings even rushing trip of drug-fuelled robotics; journey, silky electronica decorated brains. Ghost Culture’s now got us Omar S or Carl Craig would be proud a menacing spiral of hypnotic lasers, with echoey, metallic chords, har- begging for his next album! of... Hot UK house talent MARQUIS HAWKES makes a return to Aus Music after last year’s ‘Doornroosje’ with X-Static/Bjarki Total Science ‘Sweet Temptation’. ‘Eivissa’ is a strong ‘My Inspiration (Bjarki’s ‘Turn Around’ piano banger with space-funk squeee ‘Sweetest Thing’ Version)’ C.I.A. synths and a slammin’ four-four. Let bbbbbb us see those hands...! Meanwhile, DRUM & BASS VETS Total more gorgeous rave-inspired goodness DUO X-STATIC’S 1992 rave Science continue their journey comes from SHANTI CELESTE on her new slammer ‘My Inspiration’ gets a into modern jungle with this Shanti Celeste re-release via Bjarki and Johnny Chrome Silver’s new bbbbbb new four-tracker. Since moving to Bristol, the pair have imprint. While this is a real treat for those who missed it the been making the most of the thriving local scene and first time around, the special ingredient here comes from here we see them team up with natives Break and DLR Bjarki himself. Man of many talents that he is, the Icelandic for rolling madness on ‘Big Time Winners’ and ‘Too Close producer drops a sublime revamp, upping the ante with For Comfort’, respectively. Our pick is the solo title-track, huge, punchy breakbeats and smoothing out the pads and however, a gritty steppa packed with crunchy breaks and bass to create an all the more heady affair. Best dig out that classic subs. And just incase that didn’t sway, there’s a old hi-vis gear... Calibre remix thrown in too!

Peach Discs label with the hardcore- laced ‘Loop One’ and the chunky Francis Inferno Folamour harmonic house of ‘Selector’... ZENKER Orchestra ‘Shakkei’ BROTHERS celebrate ‘A Decade Of Illian ‘Oasis’ All City Tape’, a 12-track selection featuring Superconscious Records the likes of SKEE MASK, STRUCTION BORROWING THE grandeur of and STENNY alongside stuff by the MELBOURNE HOUSE talent FIO Floating Points and blending label bosses themselves... And Latvia’s swaps the four-four for ‘90s it with the beautific, flowery W3C combines pounding techno and hardcore-inspired breakbeat magic on ‘Oasis (Celestial Body charm of Omar S, France’s Moonrise Hill boss Folamour distortion on his debut EP for Infinite Mix)’ for Superconscious Records. Serious Detroit stabs, has delivered seven sublime minutes of superb piano Machine. And Hemlock returns with rolling broken beats and a raw, bubblin’ bassline topped house for All City. A decorative flurry of bold, heartfelt three tracks of haunting melodies and with cheeky bells, bongos and supple airs make for an exqui- keys that rise delicately up and down the scale with crisp tripped-out riddims from BRUCE... site throwback to the ‘90s with a very modern flavour. The hi-hats over a warm, unctuous four-four — it’s perfect in ‘Erotikk Mix’ is like Soul II Soul hip-house, so buy it! every flippin’ way!

djmag.com 009 Untitled-1 2 16/01/2017 16:15 Untitled-1 3 16/01/2017 16:16 VITAL LABEL

BRADLEY ZERO Q&A

How did Rhythm Section come about? “A radio show became a regular dance became a label.”

What does it sound like? “Truth, joy and love.”

Who have you released? “Amongst other things, the breakthrough releases of Al Dobson Jr, Chaos In The CBD and Henry Wu. Debuts from Duke Hugh, Contours, Dan Kye and Silent Jay, and quite a bit more!”

Who’s playing it? “Mary-Anne Hobbs has been a huge supporter this year. Gilles Peterson has been on it since day one, and we got some serious love from Bonobo on our Duke Hugh album.”

Proudest Rhythm Section moment? “Closing our own Rhythm Section stage to a capacity audience at Dimensions this year. I had to pinch myself.”

What’s next? “More live shows, some albums, some bigger festival collaborations but most of all, more of the same: radio and regular dances in Peckham every fortnight.”

GIMME 5 01. Dan Kye ‘Joy, Ease, Lightness’ “A debut for an alias of the multi-instrumentalist and endlessly talented artist also known as Jordan Rakei.”

02. Chaos In The CBD NOMINATED BY Gilles Peterson for ‘Midnight in Peckham’ the ‘label of the year’ gong at his “So far our best-selling release. Worldwide Awards in 2015 and by us A subtly hypnotic collection of as Best Breakthrough Label for Best tracks that perfectly evokes that Of British last year, Rhythm Section ethereal late-night mood.” International has gone from niche little label to one that has a far- 03. Silent Jay x Jace XL wider-reaching appeal in 2017. ‘Sacrifice’ Founded in Peckham and borne out “A stellar collection of R&B/ of a radio show by owner Bradley neo soul anthems from two of Zero which, since 2012, has aired Melbourne’s finest purveyors of via NTS Radio, the label — founded musical goodness. This release in 2014 — is best known for marks the debut physical release boosting the careers of Chao In The for the pair — who both have so CBD, Al Dobson Jr and Henry Wu, much more to offer across so many among others, a couple of years styles.” back. A source of undiscovered talent too, it’s debuted releases by 04. Al Dobson Jr ‘Rye Lane the likes of Contours, Silent Jay and Volume One’ Dan Kye more recently. “The record that started it 2016 was by far the label’s all, containing elements of strongest year yet, its prestige everything that was to come, coming out of its ability to stamp presented in a way only Al Dobby himself can do. A authority on the high-end world timeless classic, if I may say so myself.” of broken-beat, jazz, funk and soul with edgy, house-inflected releases 05. Earth Trax x Newborn Jr ‘Sax and Flute’ that not only ooze authenticity and “Sometimes simplicity is key, and with this debut EP, class, they make people dance while the polish duo do exactly what it says on the tin. Two also appealling to the heads. As euphoric house cuts crafted from a sax and a flute.” you’d expect, Rhythm Section is all about the rhythm.

012 djmag.com TAKE TEN Justin Robertson The maverick DJ/producer, artist and keen cyclist lets 01. Steinski & The Mass Media ‘The Motorcade Sped On’ us know what his ten most influential tracks are... “I remember getting this on a free NME 7” in 1987. The art of sampling was still quite new to me, but this and the magnificent Coldcut, amongst others, were splendid teachers. This record and others like it showed what you could do with found sounds, newsreel and bits of other people’s records that could be pillaged for a noble purpose.”

02. Tangerine Dream ‘Phaedra’ “I’m always banging on about this record, but as a nascent member of the South Bucks counter-culture, me and my good friend Richard Hector-Jones used to nod our heads in trance-like appreciation of its hypnotic sequences. I often walked around without shoes on, sticking it to The Man — daily.”

03. Yardbirds ‘Stroll On’ “I put this in because I just watched Blow Up again for the thousandth time, and they appear in the film playing this number in far-out garments. Jimmy Page, who looks amazingly cool, is a big hero of mine. I passed him a canapé at Peter Blake’s birthday party a few years ago. That was one of the highlights of my life, though I couldn’t think of anything to say to him.”

04. Chip E ‘Time To Jack’ “When I moved to Manchester in 1986, I was a furrow- browed indie kid. Within weeks I was fully converted to the Housenation. Manchester was the place to hear and buy all these great tunes. Mike Pickering, Martin Prendergast, Andy Madhatter, Jon Da Silva, The PSV club, the Hacienda, Trash parties, The Gallery and many, many more all changed my life. I loved the alien relentlessness of these records. It was proper shamanic stuff.”

05. Upsetters ‘Blackboard Jungle Dub (Version 1)’ “This record is still so baffling, odd and magical. I could spend the next hundred years in the studio and never get close to its raw psychedelic brilliance. Dub is the backbone of everything I try to do.”

06. Terry Riley ‘A Rainbow In Curved Air’ “This man possesses sublime skills. I recently did a soundtrack for my latest art exhibition, which took a lot of inspiration from him. I caught him performing ‘In C’ recently. He is still magnificent in his eighties.”

07. Relatively Clean Rivers ‘Relatively Clean Rivers’ “This whole album is fabulous: ‘Here’s a story you’ve all he multi-talented Justin Robertson was turned onto the wonders of acid house in been waiting to hear, it’s about LA skies, tsetse flies, Manchester in the late ‘80s. Starting to DJ and run his own nights, he was soon alibis’...” producing, remixing and starting bands — including the dubwise Lionrock, who had several Top 40 hits — before moving to London in the early noughties and embracing 08. Harold Butler ‘Open Gates To Zion’ T “My friend David Hill introduced me to a wealth of music the early electro-house sound. A musical maverick, his many projects — Revtone, The Prankster, Thee Earls, Deadstock 33s, that has enriched my life no end. A very happy way to etc. — have allowed him to explore many facets of a broad spectrum of sonics, and it’s the spend late nights and early mornings in the nineties was latter project that has provided most impetus of late. His recent ‘Everything Is Turbulence’ in his living room.” album explored everything from dub to disco, punk to psych, and that album (out this month) has now been remixed by some of Justin’s favourite producers — including names like Andrew 09. Almost anything touched by Red Axes Weatherall, Gerd Janson, Slam and Dave Clarke’s _UNSUBSCRIBE_ project. “After all these years you still get producers who can flip “Choosing the remixers was quite straightforward,” Justin tells DJ Mag. “I just wanted to the script, bring in influences from all over the place and avoid that focus group remix package vibe, and work with people I admired, who would be create something new and unique. I always get excited inventive and fearless, and would most importantly give it their personal stamp. All the when they bring something out. There are so many great remixers on the record I admire greatly, so it was fantastic they all agreed to get involved and producers around just now, but Red Axes are just so that they all delivered such fine work.” consistently brilliant and interesting.” There are, indeed, some corking reworks on the Skint-released remix album, and Justin has also begun exhibiting some of his art — that’s proper paintings and stuff — in galleries under 10. Graham Nash ‘Military Madness’ the same title. We asked him for his ten most influential tracks. “Ask me tomorrow, this list “Reminds me of dearly loved, absent friends, who I don’t would be entirely different!” he replied... see enough of.”

djmag.com 013 GET TO KNOW

FRANCIS INFERNO ORCHESTRA

FROM: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

SOUNDS LIKE: MOTOR CITY DRUM ENSEMBLE, FANTASTIC MAN, RED RACK’EM

THREE TUNES: ‘HARMONY, HEZBOLLA’, ‘3AM PIANO THING’, ‘OASIS (CELESTIAL BODY MIX)’

THANKS TO PRODUCTIONS from the likes of Harvey Sutherland, Fantastic Man, Tornado Wallace and Andy Hart, the esteemed electronic alumni of Melbourne are being suitably represented on the world stage. It’s a furrow that’s been ploughed out there on the underside of the world for some years now, and the rest of us appear to be catching on. It’s about time, really. Francis Inferno Orchestra — also known as producer Griffin James — though now living in London, is back in his hometown when DJ Mag gets him on the phone. It’s a balmy summer night, and he’s mulling which of a number of free parties in the city to head to. Because — so far, at least — there’s never been anything amounting to a Castlemorton-style incident, the free party scene in the city has been largely left to its own devices, in storm drains, abandoned breweries and disused factories. The video for James’s latest release, ‘Oasis And A Time’, to be unleashed on Superconscious, the label he runs with Fantastic Man, is an ode to the scene, made up of blurry black and white phone- shot footage of a DIY rave underneath the ring road opposite the city’s art school. The lead track, ‘Oasis’, is thick with rave stabs, ecstatic pads and an old school breakbeat loop rattling over its firm four-four thump. It fits the visuals like a glove. “Australia never really picked up on illegal raves, and how to police them, so you can kind of do them pretty easily,” he says. “So in the last few years there’s been this kind of renegade movement.” It’s one of the many reasons the city’s dance scene is being looked on enviously. For James, he earned his stripes on the dancefloor at Tornado Wallace and Otologic’s revered club-night C Grade, at the soon-to-close Mercat Basement venue, while his baptism came some years earlier, courtesy of Daft Punk’s Alive tour in 2007, where he forged a fake ID to get in underage. His mind was suitably blown. These days he makes understated club bangers; simple, yet often devastatingly effective, like the wild ‘3am Piano Thing’ (which is pretty much what it sounds like). Since moving to London, though, he feels the city’s ‘grind’ has slapped him around the chops a little, pulling him from the easy-going vibe of Melbourne and into making a more serious go of this music and DJing business. But inside, he’s still thankful for how it all began back home. “There’s a real camaraderie between all of us,” he says. “And even though we’re all doing our own thing, we’re kind of all doing it together.” BEN ARNOLD

014 djmag.com GET TO KNOW

OVERLOOK

FROM: BOURNEMOUTH, UK

SOUNDS LIKE: LOXY, BLOCKS & ESCHER, ALASKA

THREE TUNES: ‘CLOUDS’, ‘GUMSHOE’, ‘MISTY’

WHERE NEXT: RENEGADE SOUNDSYSTEM @ FIRE, LONDON — FRIDAY 17TH FEBRUARY

BOURNEMOUTH’S Overlook is something of a prodigy in drum & bass. First appearing, as so many do, via a series of compilations back in 2011, there was an instant buzz around the young producer that has never gone away. In the time since, his cinematic jungle has earned him release credits on some of the genre’s most respected underground labels, including the mighty Samurai Music, Doc Scott’s 31 Recordings, Narratives Music and burgeoning imprints Rupture and Repertoire. “I have learned a lot in the past couple of years, which has really helped me move things forward from a production standpoint,” Overlook (real name Jason Luxton) tells DJ Mag. “As for the style, it’s just what comes naturally to me.” Encompassing hard-nosed, break-led killers, murderous dub rollers and tribal cuts, Luxton’s style remains fresh but recognisable — atmospheric backdrops and a penchant for movie samples being his primary sonic signatures. “The atmosphere is one of the most important aspects,” he explains. “Without that holding it together, it wouldn’t be the same. I put a lot of focus on getting that right, and I think that’s what people respond to the most when they hear my music. The thing that draws me to samples is the idea of taking something and giving it new context, sometimes making it clear where it’s being taken from or sometimes completely changing it so it’s unrecognisable. The possibilities are endless.” Turning 25 this month (happy birthday!), Luxton is ready to take the next step in his career, which comes later this year in the form of his debut album. Dropping through Ruffhouse and Gremlinz’s UVB-76 outlet (through which Luxton recently put out his epic two-tracker ‘Night Into Dreams’/’Scarlett’), the LP has taken two years to complete. “I’m really happy with how it has all come together,” says Luxton. “It’s different to what I have released in the past, but I think people will still recognise it as me. The album was a chance to try some new things, including some other tempos and styles but also to tell a story — as clichéd as that sounds.” With such a deft hand at the controls, we’ve no doubt the release will prove to be yet another winner for Luxton, and with gigs still pouring in fast, plus “a few more secrets” he’s keeping under wraps for now, it doesn’t look like the buzz for Overlook will be fading anytime soon. BEN HINDLE

djmag.com 015 HOT SEAT Pic: JOS KOTTMANN

We throw a few curveball questions the way of... JOSH WINK Words: JOE ROBERTS

It’s 23 years since Ovum boss Josh Wink wrote ‘Meditation Will Manifest’, a track re-released by R&S last December. Fifteen minutes of unfolding acidic intention, it bears all the hallmarks of his subsequent hits, like ‘Don’t Laugh’ and ‘Are You There?’ — the hypnotic, pitched-down vocal, a mesmerising, trance- inducing groove — and found this second life thanks to the support of Nina Kraviz and Ricardo Villalobos, who began a grassroots revival by both playing it.

It was a last minute tick in the release schedule for 2016. “Every year I kind of do a track, and that’s the track of mine that people play all year,” Wink tell us over Skype during a snatched window in a (working) family holiday, but 2017 is going to be a bonus year. With a new album planned, built around his own distinctive take on acid house and techno, a single is set to proceed it. Having earned this attention by focusing purely on his music, we found out why it’s great when you’re straight, yeah...

Does it seem like everyone else is catching onto the power of meditation? “I’ve never been one to really know what people are doing, other than when I ask my friends. Since I was 13 I was raised on a more spiritual, conscious path and a lot of my titles are related to that, whether it be ‘Meditation Will Manifest’ or ‘Higher State The original ‘Higher State Of Consciousness’ was without my approval. I was in a hotel in Switzerland, Of Consciousness’ or ‘I’m Ready’. I still think it’s an ambient track. Do we need chill out rooms then I see a video of my song on TV that I know important to meditate and focus and clear the head again filled with UV décor? nothing about. I imagine they’re happy because of all the craziness that is going on. I meditate on “I was into all kinds of music, and I still am. Then they made a lot of money. I learned a lot from that airplanes to clear my mind to be able to sleep. I was a little bit more pedantic and non-stop experience, there’s the consciousness in that.” about collecting and learning about all different “It’s kind of fun that a lot of old school friends of kinds — be it jazz, or new age, or downtempo, or Did you ever get any hassle for being a white man mine are coming to me saying, ‘Hey, I’m vegetarian jungle, or techno, anything. I was always up for with dreads? now, I’m vegan now, I’m doing yoga, I’m not doing experimenting in all kinds of musical genres. It was “Thirteen years of my life I had locks and I never drugs, the music is just my thing’. For some reason hard because people wanted to hear straight-up did. I started locking my hair in 1986. I was heavily people have always come up to me and said that techno, or straight-up house, or straight-up jungle. into dub reggae and I have really nappy, curly hair. to me. I’ve always been a little bit of a black sheep You did one thing, and that was that. I was always A bunch of my friends from the West Indies said in the industry. The music I was making in the one on taking chances, because as an artist that’s I should lock up. That’s what it was about, I was beginning wasn’t typical house, but I was recording what makes me happy. Still, when I DJ I play all living a vegetarian, Rasta-ish lifestyle, making a on house labels from New York — Strictly Rhythm forms of house and all forms of techno. It should profession out of my hobby. It wasn’t fashion. I was and Nervous — and it wasn’t techno, but I was just be a way to express yourself, and if you have the guy at the time in First Class with dreadlocks recording on revered techno labels as well, like R&S the right crowd of fans you can lead them on that and everyone was looking at me. Black people and Kickin’. I was always in-between the worlds. journey. were like, ‘Hey man, you’ve got dreadlocks, what’s I was from Philadelphia, I wasn’t from Detroit, I “But yeah, originally it was written for a chill-out up with that?’ White people were like, ‘Hey man, wasn’t from New York, I wasn’t from Chicago, so I compilation for Strictly Rhythm called ‘The Deep you’ve got dreadlocks, what’s up with that?’ It was was the different guy in terms of music, but also I And Slow’. Then they suggested that I do a remix, at a very innocent and naïve time. It is what it was. never did drugs, I never really got crazy drunk. It’s and lo and behold it became the ‘Higher State Of It was before it was a popular thing to do in any kind of interesting to see where people are going. Consciousness’ that most people know.” community beside the Jamaican community.” I’ve been asked a lot in the last couple of years about the rise of consciousness and conscious That’s quite a contrast. Why did you get rid of them? clubbing. To me, it’s great and it’s a really important “Very much so! It’s funny, I delivered the masters “It was health reasons. I was having problems thing to be aware and present and try to be part of of the ‘Tweakin Acid Funk’ mix and they wanted me with my back and neck, they were too long, they the world community.” to re-do it, because they said it was too hard on the went to my mid-thigh. I had to cut them off, it was ears and they couldn’t cut it at the lathing studio. time for a change. Also, when I got success off a Apparently some Berlin clubbers are combining So I said, ‘Well, if you can’t do it then I don’t want to lot of my records I was really recognised. It was an the best of both worlds and sniffing raw give it to you’. Luckily that didn’t happen.” identifying landmark, and there was a lot I didn’t chocolate. Have you ever tried a sneaky bump? like about that. So I stopped doing press for a little “That’s awesome! I’ve not heard of that, but I’d They must have been very happy with the result... bit, I cut my hair and I went through a little bit of an prefer to eat it rather than anything else. Then “I don’t know, I had a hard time with the introspective moment about who I was and what I again, no idea what it’s like to put it in my nose.” relationship with them after that, because a lot was doing. I kind of started over again.” of weird stuff happened. Just remixes and videos

016 djmag.com Untitled-1 1 13/12/2016 14:24 CHEEKY BUBBLERS Fresh acts rising to the top... BRYAN KESSLER Kessle audio

The latest exciting musical export from Cologne — the city that brought us Kompakt Records, Barnt and Mouse On Mars — is DJ/producer Bryan Kessler. Like them, he’s distinguished and original. Few artists could drop beats on both Jackmaster’s Numbers and Matias Aguayo’s Comeme, something Bryan’s pulled off with a great deal of style. The reason he’s making such a racket is, perhaps, his unconventional approach to house. ‘Super Boo’, from his Numbers ‘10,000 Suns’ EP, is a thundering beast of dramatic piano and strange melodic motifs, while the title cut makes free and easy with martial drums and acid noises. ‘Nebel Dance’ with Christian S is, again, all about the percussion, a mid-tempo disco thing. Bryan’s made a virtue of straddling the lines between underground 4/4 beats, and we’ve a feeling he’s just getting warmed up.

SOUNDS LIKE? Matias Aguayo, James Murphy, Paul Woolford

AUSTIN ATO Drums Of Death... is dead

Colin Bailey announced last year that he was “killing Drums Of Death”, his ghoulish voodoo-techno persona, and what’s appeared out of his ashes are various new projects, including cosmic synths as Frankie Dreams and Coba, a techno alias releasing on Dusky’s 17 Steps. However, it’s Austin Ato that’s really catching our attention. A chance for the charged-up Glaswegian to channel his inner melody, he’s already signed ‘All I Want’ — a euphoric organ-led thumper with squeaky synths — to TMT Records (out end of Jan) — and ‘Blessed’ — a loopy slice of Detroit-flavoured tech with soft, supple airs — is also waiting in the wings for a release. Expect huge, emotional bangers oozing with class.

SOUNDS LIKE? Denis Sulta, Lauer, Bicep

ANASTASIA KRISTENSEN Future-facing dystopianism

A DJ and producer from Russia, based in Copenhagen, Anastasia Kristensen’s tunes have lately been getting a lot of attention from DJs like Call Super. Her track ‘Spring Ballade’ on super-hip label Nous Disques’ ‘#3 Black’ compilation is an intricate, moody and melodic portrait that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on an early Kenny Larkin or Carl Craig EP. Meanwhile, her mix of BLD’s ‘Bubble Games’ unveils a grittier, acid-fuelled aspect of her persona, via crackly, raw techno. First exposed to dance music during studies in Canada, she tried her hand at producing on Ableton while staying with a friend in Berlin, and has been hooked ever since. Citing second wave Detroit techno, R&S ambient offshoot Apollo and Nine Inch Nails as influences, Anastasia’s productions balance melody and darkness to sublime effect, and her DJ sets take in everything from Function to Regis and Inigo Kennedy.

SOUNDS LIKE? Carl Craig, Suburban Knight, Matrixmann

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PRAYER ITOA High praise Next hype Classical music. Boring, right? Made for stuffy old farts who are Need some more jukey goodness in your life? Of course you do — disgusted by electrowotsit jibba jabba? Wrong. And not just because there’s no such thing as too much! Then meet Alex Godoy, aka Itoa, of our current talking point, Prayer (seriously #GiveClassicalAChance), the latest breakbeat wizard to join the ever-growing movement of although he is doing a great job at converting anyone who still believes UK beat-splicers catapulting drum & bass dancefloors into the future the aforementioned. A trained pianist and composer, the Brit producer by switching up the past. His fizzing cocktails of footwork, jungle is bridging the gap between old and new with sublime combinations and dubbed-out, soundsystem low-end are on par with the best, but of gritty electronica, re-imagined classical tropes and emotive what’s the fresh twist? G. R. I. M. E. Following work for Bad Taste and atmospherics. The perfect soundtrack to watching a beautiful sunrise Roots & Future (amongst others), the Londoner’s latest — for Italian over a filthy city, his work is as uplifting as it is heartbreaking. Prayer’s label Beat Machine Records’ ‘Swinging Flavours’ series — packs the latest project, ‘LOST’, is an undisputed stunner, from the cinematic rudest pan flutes this side of Peru, and a crafty cut from a certain intensity of the title-track to the dusty breakbeat that drives ‘Time’ Godfather of the genre. Trust us, this guy’s tunes are: Very. Hype. and the reverb-soaked keys of ‘Fading’. Having just debuted his live Check out his recent Fresh Kicks mix on the DJ Mag website, and get A/V show last month, this is someone to jump on right now before that to know! hipster know-it-all you hate gets there first.

SOUNDS LIKE? Moresounds, Chimpo, Fracture SOUNDS LIKE? Burial, Actress, Vessel

OGRIS DEBRIS Austrian alternative attitude

This quirky duo take electronica down many garden paths — through pop pastures, smooth jazz-lands, rocky techno mountains, hip-hop rooftops, classic house cityscapes and beyond. Their first releases on Compost Records eventually led to their bonafide hit ‘Miezekatze’. Austrian labels Affine Records and underground-heavy Disko404 have been the home to many of their releases, plus they’ve crossed the borders releasing on legendary NYC label Nervous Records. Heading into genre-bending territories, they’ve worked with Round Table Nights to remix Joey Negro, Zara McFarlane, Dorfmeister’s Tosca and Dorian Concept. Keep your eyes peeled on where the roads will take these two next.

SOUNDS LIKE? Daft Punk, cLOUDDEAD, Dorian Concept

djmag.com 019 CHEEKY BUBBLERS

JEANGA & GEORGE E. BIAS Sentimental Synthesizers Confirmation bias George, aka George T, donned his musical war-paint as one of the Part Italo disco tribute, part art prank, E. Bias is the project of prolific founders of Tribal Funktion in Glasgow back in ’91 and with his post-punk artist and vocalist Richard Youngs, Paul Thomson of Franz Chicago-inspired house cuts on labels such as NRK and Farris Wheel. Ferdinand, and artist/filmmaker Luke Fowler. Signed to Dave Maclean of JeanGa hails from Paris founding labels Cassette and Blasé Records Django Django’s Kick + Clap label, they’re a lo-fi synth band, and their and a respected producer and composer in his own right. The duo came plinky-plonk rhythms and drum machines pay lip service to both early beeping onto our radar with their eclectic and eccentric debut album Chicago house (on the track ‘Ride’ with its familiar bassline), and early ‘European Repetitive Beats’ on Greco-Roman, full of retro guitar riffs Italian dance music. and heart-warming analogue basslines. We hear there’s a live show in The ‘Emmanuel Bias EP’ is dedicated to a fictional Italo artist, and the works and some fresh George T productions to boot for 2017 — get supposedly made up of the songs he wrote and then discarded when he ready, world. drifted away from music. Richard Youngs’ vocals, reminiscent of Robert Wyatt in places, give it a poignancy and strangeness, especially effective SOUNDS LIKE? Simian Mobile Disco, Joe Goddard, Simoncino when recited over the brittle, air-dried machine boogie bass of ‘Share’. A curious, fascinating meeting of worlds.

SOUNDS LIKE? Frankie Knuckles, Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley, New Order

NIGHT DRUGS Montpellier at midnight

French-born Paul Garcias comes in many guises; as one half of RCNG with Reality Check and as Night Drugs, his solo outfit. RCNG is dreamy techno, while his solo productions span laid-back disco, to feel-good house cuts and Brazilian influenced percussive beats. Whichever genre he chooses to take, KOKO they’re guaranteed to make Koko loco you move and shake. His latest EP came out on Radio Koko is the 18-year-old Italian turning out discerning productions Los Santos, a label also of deep yet driving minimal that somebody of his age has no right to based in his hometown of record. Having seen releases through labels including Banoffee Pies, Montpellier. His next will cross Drumma Records and Re.Face, Koko has quickly established his own the water over to Vancouver’s brand of druggy and psychedelic tech built around luscious grooves, Grandcity Records, inspired diving basslines, deconstructed percussion and bags of swing. by UK soulful house of the The young Italian’s ‘Eloa’ was massive at Sunwaves last summer, but it’s middle 2000s. His influences his recent release on Frame Sounds that truly demonstrates a producer certainly span worldwide, and oozing confidence, with ‘Okok’ a cacophony of sounds that shouldn’t no doubt these new records work, yet melts dancefloors on impact. Fuse London head honcho Enzo will too. J’adore. Siragusa has snapped up Koko’s latest work, ‘Sigaretta’, for release on his Infuse imprint later this year — as well as his UK debut in early 2017 SOUNDS LIKE? Soul Clap, — and we can’t think of a better seal of approval. Palms Trax, Massimiliano Pagliara SOUNDS LIKE? Chris Carrier, Ekkohaus, Ricardo Villalobos

020 djmag.com Untitled-1 1 13/12/2016 14:39 GAME CHANGER Seminal cuts that altered dance music forever

“You get all these bits, you throw them into a bag and shake ’em up and down, see what comes out. That was when I was in my element of rolling out, so to speak. I must have made seven tunes in the best part of two or three days. Went out, cut them all to dubplate, gave them to the A&R man to see what stuck. ‘Brown Paper Bag’ just stuck out there.”

MADE ON THE HOOF during an intense splurge of creativity, ‘Brown Paper Bag’ was quite literally an amalgam of influences and ideas that all went into the crinkly paper receptacle, were shaken around and fused together. Yet the results were electrifying. Twenty years on from the release of the track — originally contained on the ‘New Forms’ album but rinsed on dubplate for some time beforehand — it still sounds fresh. RONI SIZE/ It’s one of the few historical dance tracks to really REPRAZENT cross over. ‘Brown Paper Bag’ still gets daytime play on BBC 6Music, while thanks to its stop-start ‘BROWN PAPER BAG’ video’s rotation on MTV during the salad days of (TALKIN’ LOUD/MERCURY, 1997) music videos, it’s known worldwide, contributing

022 djmag.com GAME CHANGER

zenith of the Bristol drum & bass sound, which wrong-footed, perhaps expecting something Roni Size, along with fellow DJs and producers quite different to what actually emerges next. from the Full Cycle massive, DJ Die, Krust and “It’s not just the double-bass, but the guitar,” Suv, originated. Roni notes. “I think it was done on a 12-string, detuned. The bass and the guitar, I think they POLYRHYTHMIC were all… I spoke to a lot of musicians who’ve On earlier tunes like 1994’s ‘Jazz Thing’ (which tried to recreate it and they can’t ’cause of the sampled Lonnie Liston Smith’s ‘Shadows’), or tuning. One of the reasons it stands out is that ‘Music Box’ (with DJ Die), Roni had fashioned a people who know about music and know about new style of multi-layered, polyrhythmic drum how to write and create it, they can’t understand & bass — tough, but funky and sampladelic. how this works together. It’s a unique-sounding He used jazz loops and breaks, but for harder, record, very dark in places but very light in places club-geared tracks, not in an ambient way as as well.” contemporaries of the time, such as Wax Doctor or LTJ Bukem, would do. JAZZ This attitude stemmed from his musical youth Crucial to Roni’s dusty, smoked-out jazz loops in the St Andrews area of Bristol, influenced by and crispy breaks were the methods he used to reggae soundsystems but most of all by the cut process and produce them. It wasn’t just that ‘n’ paste aesthetic of hip-hop. “For me it’s all Roni chose to sample rather than make his beats about coming at it from a b-boy mentality,” Roni with a drum machine or sequencer. It was also suggests. “And coming at it as someone who to do with the sampler he used. While others was brought up around soundsystems — Saxon, were hung up on the grit and grist provided by Coxsone, King Tubby’s and King Jammy’s, I don’t samplers made by Akai (for instance), Roni and know anything different.” his fellow Bristol producers kept with what they In addition to the reggae influences — addressed knew. in the hefty sub-bass component of Roni’s cuts “It was a Roland S-550 or S-760 sampler [I used]. — much of the rest of the music on his early It was a time when everyone was using Akais, releases was composed of samples sourced in the that time-stretch on the Akai or E-MUs. We stuck same way a seasoned, golden age rap producer to our guns and just used the Rolands. I still use would make their beats. it now,” he says. “We would go to America breakbeat hunting,” “Did the Roland have a different effect? Roni remembers. “That’s what we used to do, go Absolutely. I think the filters on the 760 engaged digging in the crates, all over. It just happened very differently. It gave us that Bristol sound to be it was a lot of ’70s jazz or funk, or just rock that no other sampler could give you.” records. You’d hear great loops and you’d use Recorded at Studio Drum in Bristol, the Full Cycle them. Lonnie Liston Smith, I grew up with that crew’s first studio (that doubled as an office track and that whole album anyway. It was about space), in its first incarnation, ‘Brown Paper Bag’ digging in the crates at a time when samplers was an instrumental, tucked away amongst the were coming out left, right and centre. When you wall-to-wall gems of the ‘New Forms’ album. But get a sampler, what you gonna do? You’re gonna the record label was keen for them to release it sample, aren’t you?” as a single, with a vocal, so Dynamite MC, a key Yet Roni, buoyed by the instant classic status part of Reprazent, recorded a rap that would help afforded tracks like ‘Jazz Thing’ — and fresh from propel the tune into the UK Top 20, and make inking a deal with the Gilles Peterson-affiliated, the album a platinum seller. Roni also reckons high-profile Talkin’ Loud label — became more the video for the track played a key role in its ambitious. He was no longer content to just popularity. work with pre-existing rhythms. Instead, his “I don’t think it was just the track. I think the new project Reprazent would bring in new video played a major part. MTV at that time collaborators to put flesh on the bones of wasn’t playing much drum & bass, the tempo his grooves, and make them unique. ‘Brown was 170bpm so it was still quite slow, quite Paper Bag’ contained Roni’s jazz influences, audible, and I think people heard the track and but condensed to a vital, living essence, using thought, ‘That’s pretty jazzy’, and they saw who live players who would become central to made it and said ‘That’s cool’. Then the Mercury the Reprazent sound, and the band’s hugely happened and they saw it on MTV, they saw the successful live show. forward/backward stuff going on, and thought, ‘That’s cool’ too.” It’s the positively portly, descending double- bass on ‘Brown Paper Bag’ that does the most After the success of ‘New Forms’, Roni went on damage: a dark, compelling rhythm with an to make Reprazent one of the most successful almost spy thriller vibe. It was an ingenious idea and respected live dance acts out there, with that sealed the deal on a classic. It also banished their follow-up record ‘In the Mode’ also hugely any thoughts that this jazz influence was of the popular. Since, he’s been prolific, making to pockets of appreciation for drum & bass in the polite, ‘coffee table’ variety. three solo albums, contributing beats for the USA especially. “All the instrumentation on top was pretty much Breakbeat Era collective and their classic album “I remember going to America and Jamie Foxx self-made,” Roni says. “I had my bass player ‘Ultra Obscene’, and in 2016, making the album was like, ‘You’re the guy in the video, going Si John come into the studio, and he had a ‘Past & Present’ alongside DJ Krust. He’s just backwards and forwards!’” says Roni. “People got double-bass. That’s what I love, when you can won the prestigious Inspiration Award from the the music and got the video.” collaborate with somebody, go into the studio Music Producer Guild, voted for by peers in the A thundering barrage of stepping breakbeats, and get someone to put a session down. You music industry. Previously winners have included jazzy double-bass twangs slicker and oilier verbally put across what you want, and then Damon Albarn. But his top priority this year is than Castrol GTX, snippets of acoustic guitar they put down an interpretation. It’s great when promoting the 20th anniversary of his classic, and clarion call vocals from Onallee, ‘Brown someone gets where you’re coming from.” first album — ‘New Forms’. It remains one of Paper Bag’ was the signature cut of Roni Size’s Also vital to the disarming power of the tune the definitive d&b long-players, but for a short, Reprazent band and collective. It was the tune is the haunting guitar at the intro and drop, sharp hit of the good stuff, reach for the ‘Brown that probably helped to secure the ‘New Forms’ played by Steve Graham. With the intro’s hip- Paper Bag’ every time. BEN MURPHY album its 1997 Mercury Music Prize: the creative hop beat and strange, beguiling guitar, you’re

djmag.com 023 OFF THE FLOOR BISHI’S WOMEN IN Books, art, movies, etc... ELECTRONIC MUSIC Words: KIRSTY ALLISON TOP TEN 01. Wendy Carlos 02. Laurie Anderson 03. Laurie Spiegel BISHI 04. Pauline Oliveros 05. Bjork MOTORS 06. Yuka C Honda 07. Grimes Bishi is a renaissance woman who 08. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith has promoted clubs, DJ’d, sung 09. Mira Calix on tracks, and always seems to 10. Anna Meredith be involved in interesting new culture. Here, she speaks about her new project, WITCiH — the Women In Technology Creative Industries Hub So Bishi, just to fill in our readers, and give a bit of background, name your career highs… “The career highs I am most proud of are headlining the Queen Elizabeth Hall, and The Kitchen in NYC; appearing onstage with Sean Lennon and Earl Slick for Yoko Ono’s Meltdown; the London Symphony Orchestra performing my first album in its entirety; the Kronos Quartet playing on Albion Voice; playing sitar and vocals for a Daphne Guinness album produced by Tony Visconti, and winning the ASVOFF for my film collaboration with designer Manish Arora.”

Your heritage and identity is pretty pan-cultural — how does that play into your art? “As a British Bengali, daughter of immigrants — a culture clash has been the defining centre of my existence. I traverse between different cultural disciplines and converse between different musical languages. This has not always made me an easy bet or been favourable commercially but it keeps bringing extraordinary people to cross my path, so I can’t really complain. Anat Ben-David “I’ve always seen it as extremely important to explore and educate yourself about the history industries there are significant issues around of whatever ideas interest you, as a means to women’s representation. I identified that understand the past and how we could aim to do there was an emerging community of artists better. The internet has been the almighty tool to and technicians struggling to find space and help facilitate this process and I have been really representation to show their work, so decided to encouraged to see many people, once forgotten celebrate them… so I started WITCiH – The Women by history, now get the respect they deserve. The In Technology Creative Industries Hub.” composer Julius Eastman and painter Carmen Herrera are great examples of this. And what do you do? “At WITCiH we aim to salute the pioneering “At the moment we are a grass roots movement, Women In Tech — from the present, and those but things are gaining pace. We have hosted a Leslie Deere who have come before us in the past. Just series of Salons at The Bargehouse in [London’s] recently the astronomer Vera Rubin — who Haggerston. There will be bigger events in pioneered the concept of dark matter — passed the upcoming year, a YouTube Channel and EP away, and Margaret H. Hamilton was awarded releases. There are some forthcoming high-profile the presidential Medal Of Freedom by Barack collaborations. I’m incredibly excited.” Obama. It’s important for future generations to understand that they are not alone in the pursuit It’s great to see you striding strong as a top of their ideas.” dame of electronica, using your position to offer a greater depth to the idea of sexuality — The formation of WITCiH came about after beyond image, and the homogenised… touring your last project, the impressive “The question of sexuality is a really interesting ‘Music Audio Visual Production’ — Albion Voice one because most of culture is dominated by Spiegel, Alexander Jodorowsky, Alan Moore, Yoko Live. Can you explain more about it? one-dimensional porn-inspired imagery, especially Ono, Brian Wilson. However, I really respect and “Coming from a background in LGBT underground the music industry. I don’t think of sexuality or admire the people I collaborate with on music and and alternative clubs, I understand that the best sexiness as something cheap. I think WITCiH is an all other creative aspects of my work. The women I way to create change is for everyone to stand up extremely sexy project because of the vitality of have presented thus far at WITCiH overwhelmingly together and to shine a light on the ideas that are the ideas of the women involved.” inspire me — Ana Matronic, Chagall, Anat Ben- already present. David, Kimatica, Leslie Deere and Mira Calix.” “I realised that there was an area where Music, Who have you found inspiring throughout your “I’m also inspired by my mother and father who Digital Art and STEM (science, technology, career? came to the UK with not a penny to their name, engineering and maths) crossed over and that “A few people I would include are David Bowie, have never complained about anything and given some of the most interesting voices within this Grace Jones, Brian Eno, Meredith Monk, Wendy it their all. It’s been a rollercoaster, yet they still movement were women. In the technology Carlos, Kraftwerk, Bjork, Laurie Anderson, Laurie manage to have a laugh.”

024 djmag.com OFF THE FLOOR You used to do stuff with Leigh Bowery, is that right? What was the relationship with COFFEE TABLE Minty/Matthew Glamorre? “Actually, my then boyfriend, the musician DRUM & BASS Patrick Wolf, introduced me to Minty after NHS300: Appendix is a splendid coffee table book Leigh’s death. We have felt the depth of documenting the life and times of Hospital Records — Bowery’s influence on our lives and work, one of the UK’s foremost drum & bass labels, marking the fearless way in which he pushed the their 21st birthday and 300th release. The book boundaries of self-expression and identity. documents how a canny choice of label name has No one has been able to come close to what led to a plethora of medical-related artwork, merch, Leigh achieved in his frighteningly short puns, and other label ephemera. The inventive life. junglists have co-opted hospital identity labels, “My relationship with Matthew Glamorre first aid kits, medical cards, NHS appointment cards started with him as my ‘disco dad’. He’s and much more over the years for promo purposes, not that complimentary about me as a shy while there’s a wealth of early photos, record sleeves teenage girl, but he could clearly smell and event footage to feast your paws on. The lushly the talent, otherwise he wouldn’t have presented tome also shows all the various t-shirts, bothered. Ha! When I was 17, we started a mugs, posters and so on that they’ve crafted — even club called The Siren Suite, my first outing down to putting their name to their own lager, punningly titled ‘IPA&E’. These folk know what they’re as a DJ. We mixed classical music from doing — they even put on their own festival last year, Hospitality In The Park. hospitalrecords.com the Middle Ages to Aphex Twin, via the minimalists, Stravinsky and film music. We had a strict ‘no beats’ policy but it got people dancing anyway. Our creative LET’S DO IT AGAIN marriage birthed clubs such as Chasing The Dragon with Steve Strange, and Kashpoint. CELEBRATING 20 YEARS of Germany’s long-running techno We moved into music full-time, wrote and festival, Time Warp in Mannheim, this precious book features produced two Bishi albums, ‘Nights At The word from Sven Väth, Carl Cox, Laurent Garnier and Richie Circus’ and ‘Albion Voice’ that has been Hawtin, all preaching the same tune about the festival performed on stages and in galleries around being an ultimate DJ experience — largely because there’s a the world. Matthew helped co-found WITCiH. heap of dancing. Often the first European port of call of the Although we are not involved creatively summer after the rigours of spreading good times in Asia and anymore and work on separate projects, we the Americas, this book defines Time Warp as the ultimate remain good friends.” European rave-inspired experience. With pages devoted to the people who make the event happen, Collaboration or loner? it’s an insight into event management at this level of passion “I’m definitely a collaborator. I have a very — and also the growing difficulties in promoting large events, strong idea of who I am and what I want, and taking the parties on tour to the Netherlands and Italy. but it’s my collaborators who have shown time-warp.de me things I had not thought previously possible. My collaborators have brought the best out of me. I’m a collaboratrix, if you must.”

All good stuff. But with the positive, there is often an equal negative, so what career lows gave you most power? “My first album performed critically well — I toured with Patrick Wolf and Roisin Murphy and ended up with two Culture Show specials and an appearance on the Jonathan Ross Show. The only offers I got for furthering my career in the traditional music industry was to play ‘the world music card,’ or even worse to lose weight and sex up my image. I’ve also been told that I’m a hard sell cos ‘white hipsters won’t get me’. Yes, this form of casual racism has really happened to me, and it hurt like fuck. There’s few places for brown/Asian women to go in the music industry — how many prominent faces can you name? But the rejection forced me to face up to my own cultural identity and to HANGIN’ IN THE BOOTH own it once and for all. I’ve never looked WITH THE INCREASING VOGUE for compilations of back.” images, in sound and print, The Men In The Glass Booth is the year’s best so far. Showcasing some of disco's Current/future projects? rarer cuts from DJs including Walter Gibbons, Bobby DJ RIP IT UP “I’m in the process of releasing two EPs of Guttadaro, Tom Savarese, Jellybean Benitez, Tee Scott ON FEBRUARY 23RD the final London new music this year. A commission from and John Luongo, this opulent release also includes showing of Do You Own The Dancefloor Guerrilla Science/UK Space Centre. I am also a 40-page book which features exclusive photos and occurs at the Curzon in Soho. This cult a guest singer on Anat Ben-David’s opera insights from some of the story's key figures. Hilarious classic, which we reviewed last year, is the ‘Kairos’, I have a very exciting residency at documentation of tag-lines such as ‘Your dancing feet de-facto(ry) story of clubbing kleptomania National Sawdust in New York. make the music complete’ from Midland International — when the floors of the Hacienda are torn “I’ll also be speaking about WITCiH at She Records, photos of Walter Gibbons’ Tuesday night up, with everything from the urinals to the Says in Brighton for International Women’s Hangin’ Out CARD for his private parties, and strong DJ booth being ripped up and auctioned for Day, and for a study day at the Visconti denim patches from Bobby Guttadoro — there’s a story charity. This showing is for charade too, so Studio at Kingston University.” here, with a good soundtrack. You can make the movies you’re being double good by getting down in your mind… bbemusic.com to get up on it… doyouownthedancefloor. co.uk/latest-new

djmag.com 025 WHERE THE GLOBAL MUSIC COMMUNITY CONNECTS “This is the one time of the year when the entire global music scene gathers in one city…” Scotland Herald Learn More: sxsw.com/globalmusic

SXSW Music Festival March 13−19, 2017 Austin, TX

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