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Home , Adonis (musician), Alex Sadkin, Andrew Weatherall, Bite It, Brain Capers, Break 4 Love

TEST A RANDOM FUNCTION #1 PRESSING

CROS SAYS... ‘I COULD ORDER DRUGS LIKE PIZZA’

WELCOME / AFICIONADO / / INTERVIEW / ’S 2011 LIST KEITH HARING AT LE MANS 24 / PHOTOGRAPHS! / HUGO NICHOLSON ON / ENO’S FAVOURITE PRODUCTIONS / TENS / / TREVOR JACKSON / REVIEWS / COPYDEX / MIXES / MISON VS MARTIN HTTP://TESTPRESSING.ORG WELCOME.

We’ve been running the Test Pressing website for a number of years now. Originally it started as a site posting MP3’s of old records we loved with the odd guest track but as time has gone on it’s sort of grown. I guess you know us, if you are reading this, for our mixes.

We’ve been lucky enough to be given some amazing mixes from DJs that spend a long time tracking down music that is ‘theirs’ and for that we are truly grateful. Alongside we try and find other things that interest us. Occasionally we get to sit and interview people whose work we respect and love, but mainly we ‘borrow’ from across the digital landscape, finding articles and images, mainly in magazines, on people we like and, well, steal them.

I thought it would be good to do a bit of a round-up in the form of a digital magazine to show the side of the site that sits behind the music. So if you’re reading this, press play on a mix from the site, and spend five minutes in our own little world. In a nutshell its , design and the ever-changing world of the balearic beat.

While we are at it if you want to know what the new balearic beat is really all about then the Aficionado two from , Moonboots and Boardman, came up with this description which just about nails it.

“PLAYING ANYTHING GOOD OUTSIDE OF THE FOUR-FOUR MAINSTREAM THEY SET ABOUT CREATING A CEREBRAL SOUNDTRACK FOR MINDS AND FEET WITH A BALEARIC EDGE. REFERENCING THE MULTI PLAYLIST OF KU, SHOOM AND THE CAFÉ DEL MAR, WAS ADDED TO THE MIX ALONGSIDE ELECTRONIC AND FOLKY ODDITIES.”

That right there is what it is all about for me and many others around us. Not sure about the Swedish balearic massive (yo Anders!) as they might have a different take on it but thats ours.

Anyway, on with the program and thanks for listening and reading,

Paul & Rob. Test Pressing.

P.S If you read the site a lot you know everything in this so close this up and go do something else. BITS...

level of criminal damage outfit. And there was a fire CHRIS caused to studios owned in the studio.” BLACKWELL. by their then-label , often instigated by “Who lit it?” . their drug-fuelled Svengali, has become legendary. “I don’t know, ” Hunter Why Chris Blackwell Is A “When you were in the claims. “But I had to Genius Part 312. studio with Guy, he was just ring (Island Boss) Chris frantic. He knew nothing Blackwell. ‘Er, Chris, there This comes from an interview about music. But he did has been a bit of a problem with Mott ’s Ian have a propensity to wind in the studio.’ He said, Hunter. The passage has you up. He would take you ‘Problem? What kind of been about Mott manager, on a flight of fancy; you problem?’ I told him it had and later producer of could feel yourself mentally been set on fire. ‘ Calling’, Guy leaving the building. There was a pause. Then Stevens, and his cavalier An hour later, he would go, he said: ‘Was it really attitude to life when they got ‘OK: play.’ And of course necessary?’ onto the subject of the you really wanted to play, recording in Island Record’s because you had been I said, ‘Yes.’ studio. listening to this bullshit for an hour. When we were He said: ‘Fair enough.’” In early recording sessions recording ‘Brain Capers’ he with the arrived in a highwayman’s BITS... SHOOM. A TOP TEN. BY . 1) THE STYLE COUNCIL ‘SHOUT TO THE TOP’ Discovered at the Shoom in Brighton. ‘Massive’ at the Barn. 2) CUBA GOODING ‘HAPPINESS IS JUST AROUND THE BEND (ACCAPELLA VERSION)’ Top buzz for top people. 3) ALTHEIA & DONNA ‘UPTOWN TOP RANKING’ Everyone loves a happy happy happy tune. 4) ’WROTE FOR LUCK’ Top tune from the Machnester E-posse. 4) REDD HOTT ‘ECSTASY’ Real soul from ‘81. 6) 17 ’LET ME GO’ This 12” is ‘the bullseye mix’. 7) BILLY PAUL ‘LET ’EM IN’ Martin Luther King meets Philly. Wonderful. 8) FURNITURE ‘BRILLIANT MIND’ Only the 12” of this indie-balearic classic will do. 9) ’KING TUBBY MEETS THE UPTOWN’ Acid starts here. 10) ‘HOW DO YOU STOP’ Mellow and melodic. Photographs from the last night of Shoom by Graeme Styles. AN INTERVIEW WITH WALLY BADAROU.

Let’s go back. Back to a time when Stanley, and the So Wally, how did you initially end studios had no midi systems, boss, Chris Blackwell, behind up working at Compass Point? where were no sequencers and the desk. The Compass Point keyboards were played, not used All Stars, as they were named, & friend Dan- to create three second loops. made incredible records. Grace iel Vangarde (father of Thomas Digital technology was just about Jones, , Gwen Bangalter, ) knew Chris to appear, and snare drums Guthrie, Lizzie Mercier Descloux, Blackwell as Island Records used would take ten years to recover. Robert Palmer and many others to distribute The , Music was built around skills: benefited from the coming one of Vangarde’s productions. the capturing of a performance. together of these people and Chris was looking for a keyboard Three takes and ‘next’. It would as time leaves more and more player to join to the recording take a room, a vibe, a locked- room to appreciate this music, team he was putting together for down rhythm section, a keyboard you realise just how special it is. a . Daniel rec- player and guitarist with room Wally Badarou was key to this ommended me to Chris. We had to move, an engineer ready and band, and we were lucky enough a very brief phone conversation a switched-on producer, full of to track him down. As it’s the regarding schedule and fees. I great ideas. Add to this the vocal fiftieth anniversary of Island landed in Nassau in early 1980, performance of an artist at the Records this year we decided to for what was to be just an album peak, or beginning, of their career focus on the Compass Point era session initially, and ended up and you have the recipe for and those sessions in Nassau. being a near-12 year experience. something special. If it takes place Badarou’s soundtracks are well on a tropical island, all the better. loved, his solo seminal, What were your thoughts when and it’s his playing with the Chris Blackwell first brought Compass Point All Stars that up the idea of the Compass For a certain period of time (and is the topping on perhaps the Point All Stars? it was a long period) a studio ultimate melting pot in western in Compass Point in Nassau music. The Muscle Shoals hit All he was concerned about ini- had that something special. it from a soul angle, but the tially was to cast the right mu- The house band consisted of Compass Point All Stars got sicians for that specific Grace Sly & Robbie on drums and you from all sides. Wally took Jones album. Only when he , and Barry a large amount of time out to heard the sound that was gen- Reynolds on guitar, Sticky on the answer our questions and open erated, he understood what he percussion and Wally Badarou the door on those early Grace had, and thought of something on keys, rounded off with Steven Jones sessions. So back we go… that could last much longer than the initial project. We almost did bluntly to business from minute two albums for Grace in the first one, Chris Blackwell included. period, ‘’ and Looking back, this probably ‘Nightclubbing’, the latter to be helped in forging a long lasting completed and released after- friendship between all of us. wards. The team was so produc- tive that we also did several other Sly & Robbie were to be the modern single projects within the same reggae core of the combination. period, like ‘Some Guys Have Barry and I were to bring rock All The Luck’ by Junior Tucker. and electronic overtones to the What made Compass Point so As we kept on coming back to picture. It all worked out well special? There seems to be Nassau to start and/or com- beyond expectations. Probably a certain vibe to all the music plete these and other projects, because we all brought much that came out of the studio? Chris eventually nicknamed us more than what was initially ‘The Compass Point All Stars’. expected from us individually: Chris Blackwell (above), Sly & Robbie, Mickey and Sticky period. He was the soul behind He immediately thought of it as a were all open to new horizons anything that went on down ‘band’. I was quick to observe that already; Barry brought his unique there. Even in his absence, a real ‘band’ needed to stem out mixture of powerful rock guitar people remembered where they of a co-opting process, shaped and subtle writing skills; my were, and why they were there. around a clear leader. As it turned natural eclecticism allowed me out, he was the Compass Point to create classical, , But whenever he was around, All Stars sole leader; which in- and/or African textures and just his presence was enough to evitably implied, in the long run, counterpoints wherever needed. propel anything to higher levels that things would not survive still; production, performance, his complicated business life. maintenance, mood, anything. DESPITE There was a to all NUMEROUS problems suddenly. Things just had to “happen”, that was it. And ATTEMPTS TO most of the time, they did happen. WORK IN DAYTIME, Grievances and frustrations could not last, grander goals were at SESSIONS stake. He made us all deliver our WOULDN’T START best. The minute you entered the BEFORE SUNSET. premises, you were impregnated with that quest for unconventional What were your first style and excellence. impressions of ? The studio was custom- What did they bring? And what built. Must have been pretty How much was it to do with the worked about the combination impressive. What was it like? fact that people were hanging of you and them? out together? At first glance, it honestly did not I had heard of them initially, but seem that different from major The fact is, there was not hardly knew any of their work studios I used to work in, in much hanging out together really before I met them. Barry or London. MCI boards and multi- really, specially in the begining. and I were rather annoyed tracks, JBL 4312 speakers and Alex, Barry and I would go to to be rushed to Nassau days Auratone monitors were restaurants sometimes; Sly, before everyone else, so we in those days. Sure the rooms Robbie, Mickey and Sticky had weren’t in the mood for good had their own sound, but so had their own lives. Now and then impression at first, to be quite quite a few facilities around the Chris would invite us all at his honest. At that time, I felt I had globe. Major studios always had house for dinner. But otherwise, more important things to do in their acoustics carefully designed if in the recording situation, Paris, and Compass Point was by highly professional experts. incredible things happened, to be just another job, that I was outside of the studio, we were eager to be done with as soon What was most impressive quite estranged to each other. as possible, and return to the ironically was the over-relaxed Only when musical outcome day to day life of a busy Parisian atmosphere and nonchalant pace. started to impact the outside session player. It took me a The people made the difference. world, we realised we could learn while to realise where I was, and Despite numerous attempts deeper from each other; then we who I was playing with. For the to work in daytime, sessions got closer somehow, but never better , as we just went wouldn’t start before sunset. to the point of walking down the street as a band. We had our few restaurant in town, and the I remember going to the Garage individual agenda and, as happy traditional ‘Junkanoo’ parade at once, as well as the Palace as we were to be delivering the New Year’s Eve, we hardly left our in Paris. As old school as it music we did, once we stepped apartments. I was so absorbed may sound, they both looked out of the studio, we were just by the myriads of things I wanted huge to me, deprived from eager to return to our solo to achieve, I could rarely be seen that sense of communion only business. We didn’t feel like near the beach or the pool for the smaller clubs can offer. Huge staying on the island too long, as first ten years of my stay there, dance floor, huge bars, huge paradisian as it looked. Only Chris despite many invitations from snare drums, huge everything fully understood our potential, and , and vibes diluted. They meant and dreamt of us gradually aiming who frequently went sailing a totally different experience at a real ‘band’ situation, sort of around the islands. Only when I from what I used to enjoy. permanently based at Compass was about to leave, in the early Point. This never really happened. 90s, I finally had a taste of it. Back to the Compass Point sessions – was one person When you think of that place in acting as musical director, or your mind, what do you see? were the worked THE MUSIC out by the musicianstogether? A million pictures, far too many WE WERE DOING to express here. It’s not only WAS NOT No musical director other than what I see, but what I hear, what Chris Blackwell himself. Chris did I smell, what I feel. It is all that ‘FORGED’ not even ‘direct’ anything. One went on between us, added to TOWARDS does not direct Sly & Robbie. As what went on with the incredible a synth programmer and player, line-up of legendary icons we THE DANCE FLOOR. I never was directed, neither at happened to meet and work with. WE DID WHAT Compass Point, nor anywhere It’s all of the things I discovered, else in the world. I always came misunderstood, experienced; WE DID SIMPLY out with my own ideas, and all the things I’ve reached for BECAUSE WE so did everybody in Nassau. from within “Studio W”, my all- LIKED IT. computerized -fitted Arrangements were a constant personal room. It’s the tropical interaction between us, to and salty humidity, as well as the last recording minute. the conch chowder and curry Were you visiting any clubs at chicken at ‘Traveller’s Rest’, our the time? beloved restaurant nearby. It’s the kindness of the Bahamian Not as band. I can only speak for people. It’s Chris Blackwell smile myself so, as a matter of fact, I when we were ‘rocking’. It’s the had stopped being the intense rides aboard the blue CJ-5 Jeep nightclubber I used to be in the Alex and I co-owned. It is all 70s in Paris, with the advent of worth a full length motion picture disco. That was intense back (that I am attempting to write). then, because in Paris, in between ’s hits, one could Where were the main places enjoy George Benson’s ‘This people went outside of the Masquerade’ and ’s studios? ‘Lady’ all in the same night, at the same club. I could not find Could you describe how a Well, you’re in Nassau Bahamas, that kind of variety in following session would come together? so you name them: pool and decades. I went nightclubbing Can you give us an ? beach in daytime, restaurants, a couple times in Nassau casinos and clubs at night. Not during the 80s, unimpressed. I Sessions for Grace Jones and my cup of tea really. Nor Sly, was quite unaware of the club had a fairly simple Robbie, Mickey or Sticky’s. It scene in . Maybe for schedule, since they were mostly all sounded like paradise but, the better … because, from based on covers: in the control believe it or not, we seldomly Grace Jones ‘Pull Up To The room, Chris would make us all took advantage of all that was Bumper’ to ’s listen to the original (or demo) at our disposal over there. ‘Padlock’, the music we were a couple times, while Sly and Compass Point was quite remote doing was not ‘forged’ towards Robbie would be building ideas from downtown Nassau so, apart the dance floor. We did what we mentally. Then we would all go in from basic shopping around, a did simply because we liked it. the recording room. Sly & Robbie would try out their ideas while I Is he someone who is an (now of Bahamen “Who let the would be quickly programming unsung hero in the story? dogs out” fame), for example. a sound, and Barry and Mickey were setting up their gear. Well I can only talk from within Did you actually live on By the time I was improvising . Here in France, he the island when working at something, the tape was already definitely is. But so was the Compass Point or were you rolling, and there went the first whole of the Compass Point moving around and flying back take ! We would then give it two phenomenon anyway, at least for sessions? more trials, not more. Chris’ smile up until recently. It took time and body language were the for people to realise who I personally did both. I was verdict. If we had it, we had it. If was responsible for what a constant traveller anyway, not, too bad. We would call up they heard, and to connect working in the U.K., the next . That meant, Chris projects between them. music in L.A., and other had quite a number of projects in Paris or New-York. ready for treatment beforehand. Who else was instrumental at So were Chris and Tina, for both that time who’s been missed and Tom Tom What was like out of the history books? Club agenda. Nevertheless, to work with in the studio? we were neighbours at the ‘Tip- I believe Alex Sadkin still did Top’ condo Blackwell had built Very active, and yet non- not receive due respect for his behind the studio. Alex did obtrusive during recording. His contribution. He was visionary in reside for a while. I never spent unbreakable enthusiasm was a running near perfect mixes right more than six months in row booster. But nothing compare from preparing for the first takes. there. Steven and Andy were to mixing time. Then, he was Today’s total recall inherent to reside on a more permanent the absolute king of the room. to digital production makes it basis. The rest of the team would As soon as he had the common practice. Talking about come and go between sessions. section cooking, he was non-stop digital precision, Joe Cocker’s dancing the rest of the time, and ‘’ album, despite What was the first record you the console was both a musical its minimal success, still has played on at Compass Point instrument and a choreography very little to envy, compared and what do you remember of partner to him. It ‘talked’ to to today’s digital productions. the session? him, they had conversations, and the speakers were never Engineer Andy Lyden was not Grace Jones ‘Warm Leatherette’, loud enough. Automation was involved in the main Compass officially; with ‘Nightclubbing’ still science-fiction dream, and Point All Stars sound, yet he starters in reality. It all started we had a genuine real-time was my invaluable partner on unpretentiously, with the title performance, that I wished my “Echoes” album. He did my song and a couple other tracks. someone had taped. Pure genius. percussion under “Mambo” Only when we cut ‘Private Life’, (as sampled by we realised something serious in ‘Daydreaming’) resonate far was in the making. Sly, Robbie, beyond what I envisioned, just Sticky and Mickey’s ominous as he did on my contribution groove, Barry’s rock-solid pulse to “Countryman” soundtrack. and hard-edged solo, Grace’s He now lives in France. eerie combination of talked verses and sung choruses, it Wives and friends played an all triggered the melodic hook important role too, and so did and the spacious swells I came studio manager Loraine Fraiser. up with. This was a very special Keeping the studio technically up night for all of us, as we suddenly and running on a tropical island realise each one of us key role was also quite an achievement. in the sonic outcome; genuine Do you still stay in touch and I take this opportunity to mutual respect grew between do you know where he is now? praise the work of Paul Jarvis, ourselves ever since. Moses Cargill and Ozzie Bowe. We never really kept in touch That experience paved the and again, outside of the Quite a few legends contributed way to the more substantial studio, there was very little but were hardly quoted as ‘Nightclubbing’ album, making communication. I sometimes get being ‘Compass Point All us more confident in what was news by Tom Tom Club’s Chris Stars’: Robert Palmer, ex-Wailer setting us apart. Joe Cocker, and Tina. I know he is running Tyronne Downie and Bahamian Gwen Guthrie and others his own studio, back in . bass player Kendall Stubbs benefited from that momentum. The Compass Point All Stars Funny enough, I never owned could get the originals. Call it made me specialise in melodic one: when I finally could afford it, ego or self-respect, I believe hooks and counterpoints. Or I directly went for the Synclavier, any genuine musician still wants perhaps vice-versa: it made a multi-fold groundbreaking one’s performance released more obvious what I had within. monster at the time. That latter un-manipulated, and views the I’ve always been a melody system made me one of the first phenomenon as a flattering man. My sounds always came tapeless producers ever. But tribute to one’s original idea. from that quest. Given the right again, as technically impressive surrounding and groove, hooks as my fully computerized and It may feel disturbing when the like the hi-pitched intro to Grace’s speech-controllable ‘Studio-W’ remix proves way more successful “I’ve seen that face before” room might have looked, I was than the original, specially would come fast and easy to me. not too concerned by technical when the original was meant to achievements. Here I was with compete in remix territory, i.e. the It wasn’t just you guys working the best sampling machine in disco. This was hardly our case. at Compass Point. Who else decades, and yet I always kept a But if ever existing, frustrations did you bump into? What very minimal sample library. What could only be short-lived: at the accidental benefit did people mattered to me was philosophy end of the day, the remix is still like Iron Maiden or other non- behind the architecture, the a tribute to the original idea, funky Nassau people bring? music it allowed me to create, and the composer remains the yielding in my most favorite solo winner on both accounts anyway. Befriended Paul and Linda work, ‘Words of a Mountain’. McCartney, The Thompson When you were making Twins, ex- member Emil ‘Echoes’, do you remember Schult. Also met , AC/ I WAS SO FAST what other music you were DC, Iron Maiden, , AND PRODUCTIVE listening to at the time? and quite a few movie people too, like Elia Kazan, 007 and WITH THAT Well I was listening to everything ‘Thunderball’ author/producer SINGLE MACHINE, everybody was listening at that Kevin McClory, ‘Spiderwoman’ time but, quite honestly, I never Sonia Braga, Dennis Hopper. I EVENTUALLY wanted ‘Echoes’ to be inspired GOT NICKNAMED by any of the ongoing chart of the The list goes on, of people ‘PROPHET’. time. I really wanted it to be apart, who felt like either enjoying driven by past memories rather. a bit of that unconventional ‘Echoes’ were musical tales, chemistry, or simply vacationing As technically sophisticated as based of forceful moments in my in Blackwell’s land. Looking we did sound sometimes, the childhood, my teen days, my life back, they made Compass Compass Point All Stars as such in Africa, in Europe, everywhere Point the more legendary. only had a very few pieces of gear and everything I had been. to deal with otherwise, apart from Hence the apparent ecclecticism Was there anything specific Sly’s Simmons and Oberheim throughout the album. about the technology you DMX drum-machine snippets. were using, or anything else No extensive programming time Are there other outtakes from you created or accidentally allowed anyway: we’ve always ‘Echoes’? It would be amazing invented at this point? focused on the performance, to to hear alternative or extended keep the momentum going. The versions of the tracks. I had my first go at an S.C.I. chemistry was augmented with Prophet V during the first Alex Sadkin, Steven Stanley or Not that many outakes, reason sessions. It was the dream Andy Lyden’s interactions; the being that I only had 24 tracks machine I could hear on seminal performance made the sound. and limited studio time to deal albums by Hancock, Weather with. So, apart from ‘Endless Report and the likes, so I asked How did you feel about the way Race’, everything had been for a rented one. Waiting for the Compass Point All Stars carefully demoed beforehand. the rest of the team to arrive, I were used/favoured by disco, To tell you the truth, demos had more than sufficient time specifically and FK? are even more interesting than to study it, so I could be fast at outtakes, as one can hear were getting just the sound I needed Or . All good friends it all came from, stage by stage, by the time Sly & Robbie were of mine. Yet, as clever and discarded directions et all. One “ready to burn” later on. I was remarkable as might must remember: midi sequencers so fast and productive with have sounded from the day they did not exist yet, total recall that single machine, I eventually were invented, they never matter and automation were a rarity. got nicknamed ‘Prophet’. to me much, as long as people Apart from the drum-machine, everything had to be manually Point what are you most proud played from scratch, for good. of? Hard decisions were to be made before entering the studio, unless I honestly feel more privileged and you were a million-seller before. honoured than proud. As I said, there I went, unaware of what I Why such big gaps between was to deal with. And before I your artist albums? ‘Echoes’ could realise it, I had been part was released in 1983, with of quite a few pages. I never ‘Words Of A Mountain’ was striving for it, things just following in 1989. happened. Friends of mine keep on telling me it had to do with Several reasons: I had a busy talents I unknowingly had too. life sessioning all over the world, Perhaps, but there we are: I was Massive Attack rendering of co-writing and producing Level not aware of them, at least not ‘Mambo’ through ‘Daydreaming’, 42 in the UK, film-scoring in L.A., to the extent they are nowadays. I had been (both him and I had finishing ‘Studio-W’ in Nassau, been) like pioneering that trip- all the while re-immersing We honestly thought that more hop sound. Perhaps. But then, myself in symphonic works, important things were being were we looking at achieving for the new direction Chris achieved elsewhere, in the US, what I understand trip-hop has Blackwell and I decided my next in the UK. This is no modesty, been trying to achieve ? Were we record should aim at was it is a fact. Like everybody, we looking in the same direction? classical. Moreover, with what had heroes; James Brown, The Does it matter if we weren’t? still looked like a symbolic succes Beatles, , Sly & The same goes to how ‘Hi-Life’ for ‘Echoes’ back in those years, Family Stone, , seemingly influenced both zouk I lacked the self-confidence and Weather Report. The air was music of the french Antilles and thrive that would have urged me filled with ubiquitous smash African music at the same time. to deliver sooner. That been said, hits by the , Influence is a whole phenomenon I am still not quick at following , Lionel Ritchie, yet to be rationally investigated. those two with a new one … Kool & The Gang, etc, who seemed to leave little room for If you were to suggest someone Going a little more general now our ‘uniqueness’ back then. listen – really listen – to one – what made Island Records so thing you did at Compass special as a label? As time goes by, it’s only now Point, what would it be and that all the Grace Jones legacy, why? To the risk of repeating myself, augmented by Tom Tom Club’s just one and only one person. It ‘’, and Gregory As the Compass Point All was all down to Chris’ visions Isaacs’ ‘Night Nurse’, and Stars, ‘Private Life’. It is, like and intuitions, and the Compass ‘Chill Out’, Gwen Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’ Point All Stars were just one in Guthrie, Ian Dury, etc, sort of or Weather Report’s ‘Birdland’, many. As an artist, you could build a long line of albums with without pretending to sum a only respect the way he could legendary impact, that people whole career through just one bet on something he really likes, started to inter-connect them song, yet the kind of piece that regardless of the moods and the with the Compass Point All tells best what the artist really losses. He could make mistakes, Stars. But looking back, we did stood for, what set him/her fully huge ones sometimes. But you stick to the style that was ours, apart, what makes his/her planet wanted to be part of it, because not because we were brave at such a vibrant yet distinct world it never was business as usual. resisting the mainstream, but on its own. ‘Private Life’ had all the Think of it: who else could have because it was the only thing we grits and the meat, the colors and had Bob and , or knew how to do best collectively. the fragrance, the rawness and and Salif Keita the sophistication the Compass under the same logo without What are you aware of that has Point All Stars were capable looking like just another closed- been influenced by you? of, right from the early days. department company? There was style and dedication behind Difficult to say, despite all the That’s it. Cheers Wally. everything he approached. feeds an comments I get on my site, myspace and facebook You are welcome. I know you are modest man walls. It really depends on what when it comes to pin pointing part of what I did we are talking Interview by Paul Byrne. certain eras but when you look about. For instance, Andy Lyden back to that time of Compass recently told me that, with TODD TERJE. 35 TRACKS I PLAYED TO DEATH IN 2011.

Apiento – The Orange Place Johannes Heil – From Within Phreek Plus One – La Spirale (Justin V mix) Dreamhouse – I Can Feel It Agoria – Panta Rei (Balearic mix) Czerwone Gitary – Ucze Sie Zyc (Pink Disco Cor- Magnus International – Gamlefar poration edit) Murphy Jax – It´s The Music (Alden Tyrell mix) Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonrs – I Was On My Traks – Wild Safari (edit) Way To Hell Cos Ber Zam – Ne Noya (Daphni mix) Kwanzaa Posse – Musika (Murk mix) Tanner Ross – B-Side Sharon Bailey – Cosmic Dust Bobbettes – This Ain´t Really Love (edit) James Last – Don´t Go (edit) Doc Severinsen – Be With You (Harvey edit) Chymera – Curl Brass Roots – Good Life Matias Aguayo – Dance Machine Say When – Save Me (edit) Joshua – Roots & Wings Men With Sticks – 3rd Eye (Dixon version) – You Make Lovin´Fun Fela Kuti – No Possible (Joystick Jay mix) Virgo Four – It´s A Crime (Caribou mix) Haze & Noir – Around (Solomun mix) Being Borings – Love House Love Robag Wruhme – Donnerkuppel Nebraska – My Father D.A.F. – Brothers – Look Right Through Chagrin d´Amour – Eden Nouba (Joakim edit) Locussolus – Gunships ( mix) Lama – Love On The Rocks KEITH HARING AT THE LE MANS 24 HOUR. PIN-UPS. 1 / THE HACIENDA.

HUGO NICHOLSON. ON SCREAMADELICA.

Adrian Sherwood, and because track, then you really need your I’d started doing things in a similar rhythm parts to be spot-on. It’s way we never really looked back! all right in a sequenced track if a loop pushes and pulls against “At the time Andy was just a DJ the beat over a one- or two-bar who had amazing taste in records period, because people can learn and a massive record collection — the feel of that and can therefore he wasn’t really that interested in play along just fine, but if you having to deal with the operation have live drums changing their of the studio and the gear from relationship with the beat over day to day. Therefore, I did all the longer periods it doesn’t tend to engineering and programming work. If you don’t need to use for the tracks we co-produced: sequencing, because everyone’s Some of Hugo Nicolson’s best- ‘Don’t Fight It Feel It’, ‘Inner playing along live, then you known work is that which he did Flight’, ‘Come Together’, ‘I’m can get away with much more with Andy Weatherall on one Comin’ Down’, ‘Higher Than The rhythmic variation and it’s best of the most influential albums Sun’ and ‘Shine Like Stars’. It just to let the band get on with it. of the ’90s — ’s was great, but really stressful — I However, on Screamadelica the Screamadelica — and it was was thrown in at the deep end. timing of the live takes had to be in landing the job of working tweaked to match the sequenced with the famous DJ that Hugo’s HE REALLY stuff — one notable example was experience working at The LIKED ADRIAN ‘Come Together’, though Andy Townhouse really paid off. “While and I were fortunate enough to I was still at The Townhouse, I SHERWOOD, AND receive the tapes from someone managed to get onto a session BECAUSE I’D else who’d done it for us. as tape-op for , and he really opened my eyes to STARTED DOING “We started each remix by a much more intuitive approach THINGS IN A picking just those bits of the to recording — I’d never seen SIMILAR WAY WE multitrack takes which we anyone quite so aggressive with thought had attitude and would the mixing desk. He followed NEVER REALLY be good for the tune, and loading none of the established rules of LOOKED BACK! them into the samplers we had at the time, yet he got really great, the time: mainly Akai S1000s and interesting mixes quickly. It was “We treated all the tracks we did S1100s. In addition to this, we really inspiring to watch and it as remixes. We had been given just messed around with random prompted me to start working multitrack tapes with takes and stuff I’d sampled against that way myself, doing everything overdubs which Primal Scream the track — for example, on how I felt it, allowing myself to had done — all of them had ‘Come Together’ there’s a tear the whole track apart and melodies and at least a few reversed cartoon skidding to be brutal with the equipment chords, together with all sorts noise right at the beginning! if necessary. Just after that, my of other little sounds. Some of It was just a case of throwing things management arranged for me the tracks had complete band in one at a time and working with to work with Andy Weatherall takes, though not done against them if they looked promising. at Battery Studios — he’d just any sort of click so the timing done Primal Scream’s ‘Loaded’ often needed tightening up. If “We did everything with samplers and some Saint Etienne stuff. It you’re going to add much in the and sequencers — systems like so happened that he really liked way of sequenced parts to a Pro Tools were in their early days back then and their sound was drums and keyed them off a down and yet adds a little variety.” pretty nasty, so we never really cowbell which I programmed to Nicolson’s ability to reinvent considered anything like that do a rhythm I’d heard on a Jungle himself was particularly useful to be an option. In fact, I can Brothers record. Then I grabbed following an extended absence remember thinking at the time a bit of bass fill from halfway from record production. that ‘This hard disk recording through the song, turned it thing is never going to take off,’ backwards and used that as the “After Screamadelica, I went on but I suppose I’ve been well bass. I put Duffy’s all over tour with Primal Scream, dealing and truly proved wrong now! the top, gated all the other parts with their MIDI rig on stage. After to play with the same rhythm as that I decided I wanted a break the drums, and finally added in from the industry, and I ended up Denise Johnson’s vocal. We did leaving the music business for it really quickly, but that was the about five years. When I got back one that everyone liked best, into the industry, I was able to find so it ended up on the album. work engineering with (see box), doing Embrace, Shack and some of the Seahorses stuff, and ON ‘DON’T FIGHT have since gained a reputation as a recording and mixing engineer, IT, FEEL IT’, rather than as a remixer.” THE DRUMS ALMOST SEEM “I’d seen what gear I needed to do LIKE THEY COME remix work from all the sessions I’d attended where they had used IN LATE AT FIRST programmers: I usually hired a — THAT WAS Korg M1 as a master keyboard JUST A BAD EDIT (or a Prophet VS, lucky), a couple of samplers, and an ORIGINALLY, Atari 1040 with Emagic’s Notator. BUT WE REALISED Other than that, I just used the gear already in the studio — all IT WORKED, the usual suspects along with an SO WE KEPT IT SSL out of preference. However, THE WAY This article originally appeared in while I knew what I needed, I Sound On Sound magazine. still wasn’t really a programmer IT WAS. myself when I first started with Andy. It was all I could manage to get everything sequenced up “And there were a number of in Notator and running in sync accidental things that we ended with SMPTE so that I could up using, too: for example, on do arrangements using the ‘Don’t Fight It, Feel It’, the drums SSL’s automation. Fortunately, almost seem like they come in it worked really well like that late at first — that was just a bad and it had a really good feel.” edit originally, but we realised it worked, so we kept it the way it The remix mentality which was. Another one was when the Andy and Hugo applied to their Atari crashed halfway through work meant that the tracks doing ‘Come Together’ and we often changed dramatically lost a bunch of work, so I had to as they went through different quickly play everything back in interpretations on their way to the again. I’m not really a keyboard final cut. “We did two different player — I have to almost guess mixes of ‘Don’t Fight It, Feel It’, the notes when I play — and, as a for example. The first was done result, even though I reproduced over a day and a half and, though most of the track fine, the bass it was sounding all right, Andy lines of the two halves of the song said we ought to just try another ended up being slightly different. one anyway in a few extra hours It didn’t matter, because it still we had available. I gated the makes you want to jump up and PIN-UPS. 2 / BALEARIC PEOPLE. . FAVOURITE PRODUCTIONS.

guitar). You know… It wouldn’t He then went on to talk about his have been, well I am sure it life growing up in a small town in wouldn’t have been as crappy Suffolk which was surrounded as that (referencing version he by air bases (both American and just played) but that’s the kind British) and in turn had 17,000 of thing it would have been and GI’s within about 5 miles of the yet it turned into this amazing jet town. stream psychedelic fantasy piece Donna Summer: and entirely to do with electronics “As the town was the closest State of Independence and with the use of the studio and place for them to go for with a lot of brilliant open minds.” entertainment there were lots of “Produced by Giorgio Moro- coffee houses in the town, which der, it’s an amazing production. had jukeboxes, which mostly had Putting the crudely mechani- American music on because the cal, duugguder dugguder dug- clientele were mostly Americans. guder, this kind of Germanic ro- So from an early age i was hearing bot thing, against the incredibly really, really good doo wop and sexy emotional organic gospel deep southern R&B. I’ve still got . It sounded so far ahead some of those records. ‘Life’s too of people who thought they short’ by The Lafayettes, which were making modern music.” was not a doo wop song but a The Velvet Underground very mysterious single that meant a lot to me. The main rhythmic “Then the Velvet Underground element in it is just someone – that’s production of restraint. playing rim shots, playing on the You have to admire people who edge of the snare drum, there’s say the best thing I can do for no big drums in it. So you have this piece of music is defend it this very sparse background against the recording industry feeling and this urgent singing : ’cause I am sure there were all over the top. Tomorrow Never Knows sorts of people sitting around saying ‘ooh you should get a I was always impressed by music “Again very important for me proper drummer, it’d be so much I couldn’t penetrate the mystery because it was very clear that better with a proper drummer, of.” song didn’t exist before it got to instead of that woman who can the studio (plays the song on a only hit one drum at a time’.” Lovely stuff. MARSHALL JEFFERSON. INTERVIEWED. I WAS LOOKING AT PAGES AND MARSHALL JEFFERSON HAS BEEN GETTING INVOLVED TAKING QUESTIONS FROM ALL THE FORUM MEMBERS AND THE STORIES ARE PRETTY INCREDIBLE. I’VE PULLED OUT MY FAVOURITE POINTS AND IT’S STILL PRETTY LONG SO I’LL KEEP THIS INTRO SHORT AND SWEET. THE COPY IS AS IT IS ON THE SITE. SO GET YOUR FAVOURITE MARSHALL MOMENT OUT, PRESS PLAY AND READ ON…

the Sheba Baby club, where Mike From there it got to be the biggest Dunn, , and Hugo song in the Music Box. Ron told Hutchinson were DJ’ing. This me not to give it to anybody was before they all had records else, and I held off for awhile, out, and I was known as Virgo. but there were other DJ’s in the (loved that nickname!) They city that wanted it and finally I loved the song and I gave them gave in when , a cassette copy, but they said ’s biggest rival got a it wasn’t because copy of it. Prior to that,I took it of the piano. From there i drove to to on to the Music Box to give Ron my own label. At that time Larry Hardy a copy. Outside in the car Sherman, the owner, considered i played it on my car system for himself a House music expert some friends (One was K-Alexi) because he’d previously put out Posted by Julian_Kelly: and I don’t think they were too stuff and also 4 Marshall, whats the history impressed. I’d had about 15 of my records. He hated the song of the “House Music National unreleased songs playing in the and said it wasn’t House music Anthem” …how did that tune Music Box at that time and they because of the piano. I didn’t come to be? thought some of my other stuff care and paid him to press the was much hotter. They also said record up. I heard it in my head on my job at it wasn’t House Music because the Post Office, but with female of the piano. 13 months passed before he vocals, and different words. I got finally pressed it up, but there home and did the piano, bass After that, I went into the Music were some things that happened and drums. I thought it was hot Box and gave DJ Ron Hardy a before that…………………. as hell, and booked a session copy while he was playing. I didn’t at Lito Manlucu’s studio. Called expect him to play it right away; After Frankie Knuckles got a copy up my buddies from the Post usually i just gave him a copy and of it, it seemed the flood gates Office (Curtis McClain, Rudy he’d listen to it later and maybe opened. I had to give Lil Louis Forbes, Thomas Carr) wrote play it the next weekend. This time and copies, because the verse and the backgrounds he put it in the cassette machine Eddie lived 2 doors down from me in the studio. Recording and right away. I saw his head quickly on my block and Lil Louis lived on mixing time was about 3 hours go into a violent bobbing motion the next block. Mike Dunn, Tyree total. They thought it sucked. I and I knew he liked the song. He Cooper, and Hugo Hutchinson thought it was the hottest shit the immediately put it on and played already had copies. Pretty soon it dancefloor would ever hear, but I it 6 times in a row, putting on a seemed like every DJ in have quite the ego. sound effects record while he had copies…………….some The night, I took the song 1st to rewound the tape. really bad and some passable, but crowds freaked every time it offered to take all the press came on. around to all the House music clubs in the city. At that time I’d International DJ’s played it to and tried everything to get Larry to this is how I tracked down how press up Move Your Body, but he they got copies, after talking to hated it and said it wasn’t House the DJ’s and members of the Music. It was because he said it press: wasn’t House music that I called it “The House Music Anthem”.I 1. Frankie Knuckies got his copy even paid him with my own from my friend Sleezy D. money to press it up. and he still hadn’t done it. 2. Frankie Knuckles’ best friend was Larry Levan from New York’s Well, when Larry took the press . At that time, around to all the House clubs, Posted by HiFi: Mar- DJ’s from all over the world would Move Your Body was the hottest shall, I’m wondering about fly to New York to hear what Larry song playing at every single club- the version of Move Your Body played, because whatever was on dirty cassettes. The day after that came out on DJ Interna- popular there became hits. he took the press around to all tional, it’s very different than those clubs, Move Your Body the piano version on Trax – the 3. Somehow DJ Alfredo from was finally on vinyl. DJ International 12” is a beast, got a copy of it, and started for sure. Can you tell us a bit playing it in Ibiza. about the different versions, which came out first etc. 4. English DJ’s , Danny Rampling, and Jazzy M THEY THOUGHT Also, can you tell us a bit about got copies. and Paul IT SUCKED. the Virgo EP, that EP is pretty “Trouble” Anderson got copies is pretty insanely deep, My too, but I’m not sure if they got I THOUGHT IT and R U Hot Enough are it at the same time as the 1st 3 WAS THE my jams. or not. HOTTEST SHIT After Move Your Body got hot 5. Once the English DJ’s started THE DANCEFLOOR in the clubs, I stupidly thought I playing, things got weird, WOULD EVER could do a better version in a big because the press got involved. studio. The DJ International ver- was quick to jump on HEAR... sion is a 24 track version record- a new music trend and got on it ed at Paragon in Chicago. right away. “Move Your Body” had the words “Gotta have Posted by jj11: I also heard The Virgo EP was supposed to House music, all night long”, and an interview you did marshall, be 2 songs from me and 2 from with that “House” music, you and you said you were thinking and was supposed to can’t go wrong!” so naturally, the ‘, piano’ when doing be called “Virgo and Adonis”. next task was finding out what ‘move your body’. is there a “No Way Back” was supposed house music was and getting the specific elton john song that to be on there but Adonis pulled full scoop. your were thinking about ? also it when it got played at a party the intro reminds me a little bit and he found out how hot it was. I started hearing English accents of ‘Deputy Of Love’. was that There was another song called asking me for interviews when I any inspiration for it also ? i “The Final Groove” that he wrote answered the phone. I thought hear how ‘Let’s ’ was and he pulled that too, but it nev- it was my friends screwing with inspired by . er came out. “My Space” and “R me, but damn, those accents U Hot Enough” were last minute sounded authentic. I did a few No specific Elton John song replacements. phone interviews and suddenly, moreso his general piano playing a whole herd of British Press all style, which was pretty churchy. There was also a version of “Un- flew to Chicago to interview I had no idea the intro sounded der You” called “The Pleasure any and everyone involved anything like “Deputy Of Love”. Exchange” it had female vocals with House music. They sat in “Let’s Get Busy” was inspired and on it, kind of like a on sessions and took loads of by “Move Your Body”, but I cross between “Sensuous Black pics. Of course, Larry Sherman always so I may have grabbed Woman” and “Love To Love considered himself the resident the hook either consciously or You Baby” that version never expert on House Music and unconsciously, can’t remember. came out either. Hardy played it and copies of it are still floating Move Your Body, and I didn’t around. Maybe Jamie will have it. want to do him any favors. I think Gene Hunt has a copy, but I’m not sure. A promoter named Billy Prest had taken really good care of us while touring the East Coast and asked me if could write a song for his singer, Ce Ce Rogers. He gave me a cassette of Ce Ce singing and I gave it a quick listen and told him I’d do it. I just “happened” to have Someday lying around and gave it to Billy. Made me look like a genius coming up with a song Posted by RAS: Of course the so fast instead of the screwup I previously mentioned tracks actually was. were bangin’. I have very fond memories of your records get Billy immediately flew Ce Ce Posted by julian_kelly: This is dropped at the ‘G’ as I was a to Chicago to sing the leads. I good stuff Marshall. Also, how newbie in 1985. However, my had the music all recorded when did Ten City come to be? What JOINT is ‘Open our Eyes’… he got into the studio. Billy had the story behind “Devotion” ? specifically instructed Ce Ce to I always admired the musical- “Open Our Eyes” is probably the not play keyboards around me, ity of Ten City…very well com- only song I’ve ever done that I because he didn’t want me to posed songs… and the strings don’t think I could do better to- get intimidated. Ce Ce was a were the trademark that al- day. Kenny Bobien and Eddie Berkley grad and an awesome ways set it off. Stockley sang the backgrounds keyboard player. Ce Ce is also LIVE to the 2 track master. a born showoff and absolutely I met down at Trax the most competitive person I’ve records. He’d sang lead on a song ever met in my life, and of course called “Funny Love” by Dezz 7. I within the 1st minute of him loved the words and found out getting in the studio he found a he wrote them. From there we grand piano and was playing so started working on songs togeth- great he could have intimidated er……..did about 5 that never Rachmaninov. came out. Among the ones that did come out were “Devotion” Didn’t phase me a bit and I told and I Can’t Stay Away” him when he was done to get in the vocal booth and sing. “Devotion” came about when we were out on a double date. The I recorded Ce Ce’s warm up and girls went off on their own and told him to go back to his hotel. we started singing about them. Posted by julian_kelly: It was absolutely phenomenal. I went home and did the music, Marshall, I remember first Ce Ce panicked and asked to re then let Byron hear it the next hearing “Just A Little Bit” when sing it. I said no at 1st, then finally day. I told him it was the song we I bought one of those import gave in, but my mind was made wrote last night and he didn’t be- volumes of the Jack Trax series up. I told Steve Frisk, the engineer lieve it. After that we could write in the mid to late 80s. What’s to record him while I went to songs together over the phone the history of Ce Ce Rogers’ Macdonalds. When I came just singing parts back and forth. “Someday” ? That was a back, Ce Ce seemed a bit more Byron Burke and Herb Lawson definitely a progressive and satisfied with the second vocal. were friends of Byron’s. Atlantic socially conscious tune. I took it home and listened to it, Records wanted to sign Byron as but the second vocal seemed a a solo act but he didn’t want to Someday, I wrote after watching bit contrived compared to the be on stage by himself. In fact, the news one day. It sat around 1st. his 1st 10 shows as Ten City he for a few months because I didn’t performed with his eyes closed. know who I was going to get My next trip to the east coast, I Byron and Herb eventually got to sing it. Curtis McClain was let Merlin Bobb at Atlantic hear more involved in the songwrit- usually my 1st choice for songs, it and he signed it immediately. ing process and took over on the but we were constantly at each He also played it on the radio the 2nd album. other’s throats while touring for night he got it. Ce Ce panicked again and asked end result was a beat tracks Posted by ‘Magic’ Juan: Did Billy and Atlantic to send him to album. I felt this was by design you have any input at all on Chicago to sing it one more time. because Vince and Jesse didn’t “Virgo Trax Again”? If not, did Ce Ce flew to Chicago and re want everybody making house it upset you that he used the sang it, but this time I had Merlin records. Virgo moniker to put out that backing me up that the original release? Virgo Go Wild Rhythm vocal sounded better and that’s It almost worked. I had lost my Trax is still the sh*t. I sorely what went on the record. confidence and almost quit the regret trading my copy years music business. Vince and Larry ago. Ce Ce Rogers is absolutely, Sherman thought I quit and positively the greatest live gone forever because I stopped I had nothing to do with “Virgo performer I’ve ever seen in my coming around, but the I guess Trax Again”, and yeah, I was life, period. No artist should ever the album did pretty good pissed off. Not only was “Go follow his performance, I’ve seen because Vince did “Virgo Trax Wild” my 1st record, but Virgo singers totally destroyed after Again”. was my 1st nickname…..and watching him sing. I’ve seen him Vince wasn’t even a Virgo sing to an audience of 3 and had What got my confidence back? dammit, lol. I also didn’t get paid them all standing with their hands Ron Hardy was playing 4 of my for it, even though I paid to press in the air and screaming at the songs at the Music Box, and it up top of their lungs. people were literally stampeding the dancefloor when they came When “Move Your Body” got Anyway, he greatly helped record on……… released, it wasn’t released on sales and what went down on my label, it was released on Trax record was a performance in the I also released an EP called records. Larry did a last minute studio, not a production. It was “Virgo”, that had “Free Yourself” hack job because he was so an honor just to be a part of that and 3 other songs. It had excited , and didn’t even bother session and watching him let produced by Virgo and Adonis on to re-cut or remaster it, he just loose like he did. it, but Adonis pulled his 2 tunes at scratched out my label number the last minute. One of those was (OS2 for Other Side Records 2) No Way Back. I had to scramble on the mothers and added his to get the last 2 tunes, so I gave own (Tx 117) to this day you know Larry 2 songs on cassette. Those you have an original pressing if were R U Hot Enough and “My you see where he scratched out Space” my label number.

Another thing that gave me grief was he put down “Marshall CE CE ROGERS Jefferson” as the artist. I had been using the nickname “Virgo” IS ABSOLUTELY, for more than a year and it was POSITIVELY THE my 1st nickname. All my life i wanted a nickname but never had GREATEST LIVE one, the song being so popular Posted by So Easy:hey PERFORMER I’VE totally blew Virgo to the side marshall, if you were virgo, EVER SEEN IN MY and I haven’t used it since. The why is Vince Lawrences name artist on “Move Your Body was all over the records as if he did LIFE, PERIOD. NO supposed to be “On The House”- it? And tell chauncy, I will get ARTIST SHOULD my friends from the Post Office, him those other tunes asap. Curtis McClain, Rudy Forbes, EVER FOLLOW HIS and Thomas Carr, and putting I did Virgo Go Wild Rhythm PERFORMANCE, it mildly, when the record came Tracks. I’VE SEEN out as “Marshall Jefferson”, they produced it. What Vince did weren’t too pleased. was micromanage the recording SINGERS TOTALLY process until everything seemed DESTROYED AFTER They stormed over my house and as difficult as Harvard physics. asked me wtf was going on. I told he even had me convinced WATCHING them Larry Sherman put it out on dust affected the sound. He HIM SING... his label instead of mine without also convinced me to take all my consent. They didn’t believe the keyboard parts off, so the me and I gave them the address to Trax Records so they could go selor for both boys. Robert was and talk to Larry and straighten it the 1st to come to Chicago and out. he tried to bring the New York club experience to Chicago.he Well, when they got there Larry tried to get Larry 1st but Larry basically told them that Marshall was already playing at success- Jefferson was the name on the ful clubs, so he got Frankie. Of label and they could his ass, course, things were pretty ghetto before telling them to get lost Posted by julian_kelly: What in comparison because the Mafia not very politely. They came back was your experience like when wasn’t involved-at least not the over my house and told me how you first went to the east coast? sophisticated system New York Larry was a crook and all that. How did it differ from the Chi- had where you basically had al- Norman Davis, who was Curt’s cago scene? Did Chicago and most unlimited money, so Chica- friend came up with the idea of New York artist/jocks really go never had a live me signing an affidavit that they know each other? Do you know scene. sang on the record and that’s if Hardy knew Levan? what I did. Ron Hardy of course knew who Chicago vs New York club scene: Larry Levan was, but because They then took the signed this may. Take awhile because I’m he was Frankies rival he had no affidavit to Larry and Larry told on my iPhone and I may not be direct contact. I don’t think Larry them that they were really great up to it. was even aware of Hardy. He’d singers, and he’d given me gotten copies of $150,000 and put my name on The 1st thing I remember is New from Frankie, but he didn’t get the song because I’d signed a York was infinitely better financed Move Your Body from Hardy; he contract. They stormed back over than Chicago, in fact, way bet- had to wait until Frankie got a my house and asked me for some ter financed than any club- sys copy from Sleezy. of the $150,000. I told them I he tem I’ve ever seen in the world hadn’t given me $150,000 and in before or since. Everything was Sound systems: the Paradise Ga- fact i’d paid him $1500 to press 1st class-over 300 clubs all had rage had the cleanest, but the up 1000 copies on my own label, Richard Long sound systems and Music Box on 16th had the loud- but they didn’t believe me, even separate sound AND lighting est I’ve ever heard in my life. And after i showed them the receipt. systems for the live acts as stan- Hardy knew how to work it. Who They said they were going to dard, and even unknown resident was better? Personal preference sign a contract with Trax Records DJ’s were getting over $1000 on any given night; both were fu- because Larry was going to put a night. This because the Mafia eled by drugs and both were god. their names on records and pay was laundering money through them a lot of money. I tried to talk all those clubs through one guy Posted by DUBFLY: Damm my them out of signing a contract, – Steve Juliano. They’d tell Steve ears are still ringing from the but I guess when your record’s to set up a new club for them and Garage system and you said playing on the radio and you have he’d do it within weeks. I remem- the music box was louder no money and your friends and ber Steve getting busted and the …….FUCK …LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! family are all telling you how great entire New York club scene col- Marshall this thread rocks you are things get irrational. lapsed by 1988 except for 1 or good looking on the history This is what I put it down to and I 2 clubs – one of those was the brother! tried my best to talk them out of ’ Sound Factory. I signing a contract, but they did remember DJ’s going from $3000 The Music Box systems was only it anyway. To make a long story a night to like $50-and they were louder because it was in a much short Larry gave them no money, happy to have somewhere to smaller room, technically the but he did put their “On The play. Live acts started singing Garage had the greatest sound House” as the artist on 2 records. through DJ mixers with no stage system ever put in a club, but and no lights, it was sad man. Art- some tell me was louder. The problem was, after I started ists with records out could count When I 1st got to Zanzibar, Tony meeting with major labels, on making hundred of thousands Humphries was the DJ and Tee everybody wanted to sign the per year performing just in New Scott had Moved to the Chee- guys that made Move Your Body, York, all that was over……. tah. Both were great. I didn’t re- but they’d already signed with ally listen to Tee the 1st time at Trax records. Frankie Knuckles and Larry Levan Cheetah because I was too busy were best friends since they were hitting on , who’s about 12 years old. Robert Wil- career was just starting (yeah, liams was also from New York at she’s a BIG time househead from one time was a guidance coun- wayyyyyy back!). who was Oprah’s hairdresser, was there, Atlantic’s would do my girlfriend’s hair for department made its 1st profit free. Needless to say a lot of since 1967. We liked to joke that perks came from that. we financed En Vogue, Levert, and Mikki Howard, because they Early 1987, I was touring the east never spent money on videos for coast with Byron Stingily. It was us. They could basically just drop Byron’s 1st trip and he wanted us with no promotion and do to make the most of it, so we good numbers. stayed 2 extra weeks. Byron and Dwayne set up meetings with The thing was though, we were the majors. Our 1st meeting was out there and happy to be there, with a guy at Capitol, and we had and Sylvia and Merlin were one rough demo, which turned a major part of that and we Posted by Mike Barnes: out later to be “Devotion”. That appreciated it. Marshall, Slyvia Rhone(Former A & R guy cussed us out for 2 CEO of Atlantic/East-West hours about how unprepared we Thanks to Julian_Kelly, jj11, records, During the early to were; we had no photos, no bios, Prince HiFi, RAS, So Easy, mid 90s), And, Merlin Bob put and only one song demoed on ‘Magic’ Juan, DUBFLY and Mike more than a few cats down on cassette. We felt 1 inch tall when Barnes of the Deep House the Atlantic label, In regards he finished with us and we were Pages forum and Marshall to Dance music, Like, CeCe ready to give it all up. Jefferson. Rodgers, Jomanda (), Ten City, Etc, Marshall, Would you Care to build on the impact 2 DAYS LATER, and contributions that Slyvia Rhone and Merlin Bob had on WE HAD the dance music circuit, During A MEETING the late 80s to late 90s, Also, WITH Was Dwayne Powell Ten City’s Manager (I remember seeing MERLIN BOBB. Dwayne Powells name listed MERLIN LISTENED on Ten City’s album’s, During the 90s, Though, I never found TO THE DEMO out what role Dwayne Powell OF “DEVOTION” actually played with Ten City. AND SAID Dwayne Powell was a 25 year “THIS IS old extremely arrogant black THE SHIT!” attorney when I met him in 1986. I really liked his confidence and love of the music. Dwayne 2 days later, we had a meeting irritated all the old guard of music with Merlin Bobb. Merlin listened attorneys in Chicago because he to the demo of “Devotion” and got meetings with all the major said “This is the SHIT!” “I’m labels at will. Problem was all playing it tonight!”. Merlin not the established music attorneys only played it that night, but he couldn’t even get majors to take signed it 2 weeks later. He also their calls-until Dwayne broke signed Ce Ce Rogers when I down the door with House music. let him hear that. He would ask me for stuff from cassette and It seemed like all the labels, immediately play it on the radio. attorneys, and music business Timmy Regisford at MCA was establishment in Chicago all the same way, and I wish I could converged on Dwayne at the have thrown stuff his way, but same time that year; his name Merlin was just beating him to couldn’t enter a conversation the punch. without insults and slander. I loved Dwayne; not only did he Sylvia was Merlin’s boss. She gave handle my 1st major label deals, him the freedom to sign anything but his boyfriend Andre Walker, he wanted. When House music CHARTS FROM JOSE PADILLA, PAUL OAKENFOLD, , DANNY RAMPLING, HARVEY, ALFREDO, NICKY TENS. HOLLOWAY, TONY HUMPHRIES AND ROGER THE .

Paul Oakenfold / Time Out / March ‘88 Jose Padilla / i-D / September ‘94

The Orb / NME / November ‘89 Danny Rampling / i-D December ‘90

Paul Oakenfold / / July ‘88 Nicky Holloway / i-D / October ‘88

Roger The Hippie / Land Of

Alfredo / i-D / April ‘90 TENS.

The Humph / i-D / July ‘92 DJ Harvery / The Face / July ‘97 TEST PRESSING VS MISON & MARTIN.

Back in August 2010 we sat J: Gareth! He would tell you a etc. How do you think the down with Phil Mison of little story about the records internet impacts upon what Cantoma and Joel Martin he played. Like I remember you are trying to do finding from Quiet Village to chew when he played Dennis Parker new music without everyone the fat. Here’s how it went... ‘Like An Eagle’ and he’d say else discovering it? about everyone in 12 West Test Pressing: Easy one for (an early club in NYC) where J: I think it stems from people 5... When did you two first Tom Savarese was DJing… coming to see you and you meet each other? having exclusive things that P: Yeah I remember that. only you play and they can P: We first met properly through Apparently they had some only hear you play. I think Oscar from Trax (London massive steps at the back sometimes people get overtly record shop). You gave me and loads of dancers paranoid about other people some CDs with mixes on and would be doing a dance finding out about what they then I think we were doing a waving their arms like birds. play and with re-edits, the party in West Hampstead and internet and bootlegging, you you came down and played, Test Pressing: You both put never know whats gong to Gerry (Rooney) played, and DJ a lot of value in hunting happen. But you do have to Gareth (friend of Phil’s who live down records for yourself, realise that DJs are only playing and hung out in NYC for years) the same as say The Idjut other peoples records and the played. It was a good party. Boys, Harvey, Gerry Rooney artist would think it insane that you wouldn’t want to share there is as much a buzz in I’d if I missed a week their music with other people. finding something in the field buying records. Ridiculous. It’s not like Scott and the yourself (laughs), as there is Antarctic but it’s nice to have to listening to it and playing J: It’s happening again with music that you have found it. Finding it, and physically the small little labels. If you yourself. With the internet now tracking it down is almost miss that first press and don’t people don’t have to venture a bigger thrill or high than get it within the first couple of out. You can find what you the music contained within. weeks of it being out, you can want on the internet and its get it on Discogs or whatever, all about money – if you have Test Pressing: It’s definitely but it will be £30 or £40 as no- it, you can own the record. true that people used to one is doing long runs of vinyl make more of an effort to go anymore. Not on 12 inches. P: Maybe the day of clubs and track records down in with one core DJ who has the late 80s and early 90s… Test Pressing: It feels pretty a core crowd going to hear healthy at the moment… them every week and hearing P: I heard about a fight music from that DJ is long in Trax records over a P: I agree. There’s loads gone. It was like going to Pure copy of ‘Numero Uno’. of good music out there. or Glam (Danny Rampling clubs) and that was the only J: (In disbelief) ‘Numero J: I speak to certain trusted place you could go and hear Uno’?! But yeah, there weren’t people as I won’t listen to ‘Come On Boy’ by DJ H any record shops where clips. Mates of mine will listen featuring Stefy before it was you could get that stuff. to clips on sites for hours, and bootlegged. If you’ve got the then make a list, and then go power and the crowd then that Test Pressing: I miss those and listen to them properly is a justification for not telling days of wandering round in a record shop and then anyone about those records. Soho with your list of records decide whether or not to buy trying to cross them off… the record. But for me, if I am J: I had this discussion with going to spend £8 or £9 on a Gerry Rooney the other day, P: Yeah religiously from about record then I want that record and I am sure Phil agrees, November ’87 I’d go out to be something that I’ll be that for quite a few of us every week and buy records. listening to in 10 or 20 years WHAT’S THE ONE RECORD YOU WISHED YOU HADN’T PLAYED? JOEL: THE FIRST RECORD... PHIL: ALL OF THEM...

time, and that will also sound Test Pressing: Who was the Rampling played it… good at home, because last DJ you heard that you otherwise I’ll get it on CD. really enjoyed? Test Pressing: Is that where you two meet musically? Test Pressing: There seems P: I’d say Mark7 at to be a select few of you Disco Bloodbath. J: Rampling was one of sharing music… the first DJs I remember J: Frankie Valentine at a small hearing club-wise, as I was P: You realise how do in Stoke Newington. He always a big radio-head, small this scene is was playing, and I thought but Rampling and Trouble I sometimes to be honest. he’d play house but he was liked for different reasons. playing serious serious adult Rampling would play Euro Test Pressing: Have you music, and I didn’t know and also New Jersey records both done LA? most of it. He was playing and then Trouble would play soul and disco, Euro records, the full on garage madness P: I did a party with Tony then a record and which is a different lick. Watson on the Hollywood then a rocky cut… I had to Boulevard and we DJ’d in a go and say ‘this is serious P: Rampling told me the bar with George Takei’s star Frankie’. I love to go out and story about how he booked outside and it was a great hear music I don’t know. Tony Humphries for Shoom. party. LA is a werid place. It’s He had the tapes from Kiss hit or miss. You know you have P: But you’re a music obsessive. or whatever, so he went to the Sarcastic parties and that’s It must be hard to go out and New York on the off-chance the biggest thing, I am not sure hear records you don’t know… of meeting him. He went how big as I haven’t been, but to Zanzibar and he wasn’t I have been to Candelas and J: No. Even when I was 17 playing, went somewhere else that’s only about 80 people. going out, I was never the and he wasn’t there and he was one wishing to hear a certain like ‘oh no’. So he was like ‘it’s Test Pressing: What about tune, I would revel in hearing a wasted journey’ and then he ? music I didn’t know. It would had one number and thought be a real ecstatic rush. I he’d have a final go. He dialed P: The first time I went to definitely had the mentality from the airport, Humphries Japan, it was to play at Ageha of wanting to know what picked up, he canceled his which is like a superclub over music was though, as once flight and went back. He met there. They took me up to the you hear a piece of joyous him, then he came over and booth and it was 8 decks in music you want to repeat that. played. I love stories like that there. But I wasn’t DJing there, as it shows the passion for it. I was in the shed outside P: I remember going on a tour of (laughs). It was 200 people Portugal with Muzik magazine Test Pressing: Finally, what’s and me DJing all night. As with Paper Recordings, Danny the one record you wish you it was getting a little bit light Tenaglia and loads of others hadn’t played? they pulled the doors open and Elliot Eastwick played behind me and the sun was Eric Kupper’s ‘Planet K’ and it J: The first record… rising over a lake outside. was like what the hell is this… P: All of them (laughs)… I was like ‘fucking hell…’. J: He did a great mix of Robert Palmer. Do you remember? END.

TREVOR JACKSON. INTERVIEWED. Right, here’s the next of our One of place to was The Embassy though. pretty irregular Test Pressing was Patsy’s Parlour and I used Was that early hip-hop interviews – this time with to hang out there all the time. and electro at that time? Trevor Jackson of Underdog/ It was a small video arcade Output fame. Trevor has and ice- parlour full of Well it sounds like a cliché but long been known for his all different sorts of people. my first single that I bought was music but is also a hugely ‘The Chase’ respected graphic designer Growing up my older brother on 7”. I was really into science so we decided to use the used to listen to Stevie Wonder fiction at the time so I suppose sleeves discussed to illustrate and jazz-funk, his mate used to the logical thing at the time was the interview. It’s good to manage Light Of The World, to listen to as interview someone whose my sister was into it shared a similar aesthetic. not scared of being forthright and Ultravox. I was obsessed and having strong opinions. with taping any music program The future? on TV. , The I was first made aware of Tube, I’d sit there every day Yeah it was kind of the future. Trevor through his work as recording and my mother I’ve talked about it many times the Underdog – firstly with to tape things when I was out. but the first gig I went to was The Brotherhood and then in I’ve still got hundreds of VHS the Human League for the Dare turn with mixes for Massive tapes somewhere. I’d also tour and it a huge effect on me. Attack amongst others. From listen religiously to Westwood Adrian Wright was doing the there it was a short step on LWR and also Mastermind visuals and they had Doctor (through tough times by on Invicta. I also started to Who, Captain Scarlet, Fellini the sound of it) to starting read The Face, Blitz and i-D movies on multiple screens and East-London based Output and become more interested it blew my mind, so from a very recordings with releases in club and music sub-cultures. early age I had a strong interest from LCD Soundsystem and in visuals. The Dare album had Kieran Hebden’s Four Tet. such a strong cover and the band were really into 2000 AD Right let’s kick off with the basics. THE FIRST and Judge Dredd which I also Where are you from originally? loved, so I was kind of linking all GIG I WENT this audio visual stuff together. I I’m from Edgeware, was stuck in this suburban place North West London. TO WAS dreaming of other more exciting places, New York to me was my What was it like? What was THE HUMAN mecca. I’d listen to Colin Favor the first scene you got into? on Kiss playing NYC Kiss FM LEAGUE FOR mastermixes by Red Alert and the When I was 12, or 13, Edgware Latin Rascals, I’d hear about all was mainly a Jewish area, there THE DARE these amazing clubs and I started was a whole scene almost like to hear a relationship between the the Jewish version of casuals TOUR AND European electronic music I was called Becks, all these kids that into and a new American version would wear Fiorucci and Kickers IT A HUGE that was even more exciting. and hang out at Edgware station. It was a big thing at the time, EFFECT ON Where were you going out hanging out there or at Golders back then? Green, or Hampstead, a place ME. called the Coffee Cup. It’s still I’m trying to think back to where there. There’d be 200 kids on the we were going. My older friends street, standing around posing. I was fortunate to meet a guy all used to go to White Trash That was kind of what most of slightly older than me called and places like that, but I used the kids did but I wasn’t really Simon Cass whom I became to go to the Camden Palace, interested in that. These were really friendly with. He was really Batcave, Xenon, and Busbys on people whose older brothers into New Order, Hi-NRG and a Sunday which was more of a were all estate agents and and from the north London Jewish social thing jewellers, typical Jewish suburbia age of about 13 or 14 I started where they played disco and jazz things. I fortunately managed going to gigs and the Camden funk… London club culture was to meet more alternative, Palace all the time. I used to very small then. I used to go out interesting people and was able go nearly every night. The first every Wednesday, Thursday, to broaden my social scene. proper club I remember going Friday and Saturday that I could. Was that where the early Did you study graphic design get my own work in. I’d hear on interest in graphics came from? at college? the grapevine that people were putting records out and when I I was really into this magazine Yeah I eventually knew I wanted heard (S’Express) called Escape. There was a to work in music and design was putting out a record I simply group called The Battle Of The record sleeves, so I studied spoke to him at the WAG where Eyes. It was Savage Pencil, Chris at Barnet College and I ended I used to go regularly and said Long, and Ian Wright and Andy up there for four years. I got ‘I hear you’re doing a record. I (Dog) Johnson – all anarchic a diploma in general art and want to do the cover’. He told me British comic book artists, Ian design, then a higher diploma in to bring my portfolio in the next Wright and Chris Long used to graphic design. And through it all night to show him, I went along draw for the NME. Andy Johnson I was still going out all the time. with my portfolio, sat down in did covers for his brother Matt the corner and showed him my Johnson’s band The The. Chris college work and he was like Long’s stuff was really incredible, ‘yeah great’ and that was one of very graphic and unique. All his the first commissioned jobs I did. characters were club kids, the sort of people I’d meet when So where does Champion I was out. I was really into that. come into it? It was more kind of comic book but it was well designed. I started After I did S’Express, I was also to become very interested in the doing stuff I wasn’t so into; Steve visual representation of music Walsh the Gypsy Kings and some and the relationship between really dodgy things, as I started the two, covers, videos, every getting more of my own work aspect. It’s funny. I was in my in. Martin from Kunst was like storage last week and I found ‘Trevor you might as well get on this bag and I’d found I’d cut with doing your own stuff’ so I out hundreds of music ads from ‘I HEAR ended up sharing the studio with magazines. I can really see where YOU’RE DOING him paying rent, mainly doing some of my influences had come A RECORD. my own work but also helping from. I mean there were obvious him out when he needed it. I things like all the ZTT adverts, I WANT TO DO think it was through working at which really were amazing, but THE COVER’. the record shop that I notice also loads of stuff random I just Champion were putting out all cut out. So there was Escape, these great records. They were this small little comic book, and Where did you first agency Bite connected to these importers in probably ’s amazing It! come from? the premises next door, called work on The Face that got me Record Importers or something, into wanting to either be a comic I left college and started working they could cherry-pick the best book artist or a graphic designer. for a company called the records as soon as they entered Kunst Art Company based in the country and license them. I What else were you up to at Clerkenwell. They used to do a noticed none of the record had that time? bit of music work as well as film picture sleeves, they were all in posters and it was really exciting. that Champion green house bag, I was also working in a record shop this was all pre-computers, so I went to see Mel Medalie, who at that time from the age of 13 or working with photo-mechanical was a proper character, a crazy 14 for five or six years. I ended transfer machines, photocopiers, South African guy, and I said ‘I’ll up being manager on a Sunday. Tipex and rotring pens. I started do sleeves for you for free and if Richard Russell (now Managing to meet loads of interesting and you like them give me more work’ Director of XL Recordings) used influential people going out in and one of the first things I did to work for me and I used to take the evenings. I was confident was a of ‘Set It great pleasure in telling him to and slightly precocious, living at Off’ by the Bunker Crew and he go and put the grills up on the home with my parents so I didn’t liked it. So he was putting out windows at of the day. need any money and could afford four or five records a week and to do commissions for little or no I was doing the sleeves cheap What was it called? money. Whilst I was working for but he was giving me shit loads Martin Huxford, doing posters for of work so that kept me going for Loppylugs. It was pretty famous things like Belly Of An Architect ages. I was doing ‘Break 4 Love’, for the area – in Edgware – by Peter Greenaway and some , Frankie Bones, Pal two minutes from my house. other cool things, I started to Joey records… brilliant records. All those Todd Terry sleeves do something different. Also, sleeves had a mini-story to them, are quite distinctive with that computers had just started being almost like a two panel comic strip ‘bit’ design… integrated into bigger studios, related to things that were going so you had Paintbox and these on at the time in culture. You know at the time, for record programs that cost thousands sleeve designers, there were only of pounds, and I couldn’t afford What do you think when you a few big people. You had Peter that so those early sleeves see those sleeves now? Saville, Vaughn Oliver , Neville were a reaction to those big Brody and Malcom Garrett at companies. I used to love playing They’re innocent. There’s a Assorted Images whom I all video games on the ZX Spectrum naivety and I’m proud, you know… really respected but you also and Commodore 64 and to me it had Stylo Rouge and all these suited the music. It was like 8-bit So house was really kicking off boring mainstream companies, music. You know, Todd Terry is in the late 80s, were you still and for a record sleeves, alot of making these records on pretty into hip-hop then? the time they’d just take a photo, low-res samplers so it seemed lay some type on it and get paid an obvious thing to do. That was Sure, there was still lots of a fortune. I was like ‘fuck that, like late ’80s early ’90s. I still had great around as well as that’s just lazy’ and wanted to that comic book mentality. The mutations of it like , the scenes were still connected me was a really seminal club. It me. I was obsessed by Arthur and as hip hop got faster the was a really fucking good time. Baker, and Adrian two scenes became connected. Sherwood. On-U Sound was a Clubs like Delirium started to play Did you do the big inspiration. The first On-U house as a reaction against the sleeve for Gee Street? dub stuff I wasn’t so into, but more violent side of hip hop but when Adrian Sherwood started I still loved both genres. I related I did Royal House ‘Can You Party’ working with , Skip to it work-wise as I started and then I did Jungle Brothers ‘I’ll McDonald and Keith Le Blanc working for Gee Street Records. House You’, basically the same (the ex-Sugarhill Gang Band) I was going to fashion clubs and record with a rap on it. I did as well as DJ Cheese I became parties that still mainly played the sleeve for that and ‘Black Is hooked, hearing that Fats Comet funk, hip hop and electro stuff Black’. I was lucky you know. I track “DJ’s Dream’’. It was as well as all the amazing early was doing that and also working fucking crazy. You know I most London parties, but I for Network Records. All those probably heard it at Astral Flight also started going to bio rhythm sleeves. Neil Macey with DJ Wolf playing it. So, my clubs, Clink Street etc. There were was working for Network and initial records were not melodic certain points when they crossed I remember when that classic at all just rhythm and noise. over. My favourite london club Virgin Ten compilation was a place called Astral Flight came out and I seem to remember Then I met this rap crew who lived at The Embassy. A guy called DJ meeting Neil Rushton (the round the corner from me called Wolf played there and he was head of Network) at a London the brotherhood and I started mind-blowing. Him, Colin Favor launch party or something. working with them. I started Bite and Eddie Richards were the DJs It! purely to put out this track doing it for me then. People talk ‘Descendants Of The Holocaust’ about Paradise Garage and that I’D LISTEN TO which was a reaction against was my Paradise Garage. Hearing stereotypical Jewish suburban New Order’s Your Silent Face COLIN FAVOR AND life as well as needing to voice a over that soundsystem… They EDDIE RICHARDS subject we felt that was important had this huge rectangular lighting ON KISS, THEN to be heard. We’d experienced rig that would descend over the our own forms of racism and were dancefloor and this big inflatable I’D HEAR THEM just as angry as we were excited couple swinging from the roof PLAY AT THE by the platform of hip hop. fucking. I’d listen to Colin Favor and Eddie Richards on Kiss, then CLUB, AND THE Was that when you first went I’d hear them play at the club, and NEXT DAY GO TO into the studio properly? the next day go to the Record And Tape Exchange in Camden THE RECORD AND Yes, we went to this small and find all the records I’d heard. TAPE EXCHANGE IN studio called Monroe Studios In the NME they used to do a little CAMDEN AND FIND in Barnet. I used to work with chart and I’d be able to discover this guy called Roger Benou, he all the records I didn’t know. ALL THE RECORDS ended up engineering most of I’D HEARD... my Underdog mixes. We did was DJ Wolf and why was first Brotherhood stuff there on he so good? an Akai 950 sampler and an Atari So when was Bite It! as a ST. It was interesting because The club from what I remember, label born? That was your first that studio became a real haven was a posh Mayfair venue full venture into music right? for loads of underground British of a weird mix of rich socialites, music when it moved to Holloway cute girls and art students but he Yeah. I was doing Bite It! as a Road. A lot of important Drum ‘n’ used to look like a goth, with high design thing only. There was a Bass producers started out there. spiky blonde hair playing from a Street Sounds remix competition Lucky Spin records was next booth high up overlooking the and I hadn’t really made any music door. DJ Crystal who was the floor. He used to go from like before but I’d bought a four-track original Brotherhood DJ, Ed Rush, Bauhaus to Kraftwerk, then to and had a little sampling device Adam F, DJ Trace all those guys, ACR. He was the first British DJ for the Commodore 64 computer I used to hear Amen being cut up I heard doing that really well. He where you could sample for a in a million different ways 24/7 was really really on point – and few seconds with a very basic through the walls, everyone at the he’d play funk as well. It’d be sequencer, and I made a remix time worked there. It was a really interesting to see a playlist from on that. I was making beat-based important creative hub. When I him. I was too young to go the music only. ‘Beatbox’ by Art Of was working as Underdog I was Blitz and stuff like that so that for Noise had a huge influence on doing all my remixes down there. The sleeves for The up Mo Wax. And he was like So where else did your Brotherhood seemed to kick ‘What is this???’. He loved it and influences come from? against what was going on in we started a good friendship. UK hip-hop at that time… Mainly clubs. The whole Did you know the Bristol lot as warehouse thing was massively What had happened was, I had well? influential on me. Shake N this parallel life. With the design Fingerpop, Family Funktion, those I’d gone from Gee Street, I was good friends with parties. , . Network and Champion then Mushroom (Massive Attack). You know he actually used to be I started working for Pulse-8 When the Brotherhood EP came a good DJ. Then you had Soul II doing terrible Euro out it started to get played a lot Soul and all those guys and the sleeves. I was making a lot of and Richard Russell who was Mutoid Waste parties as well. It money but I was hating it. It was working at XL, asked me to do was an amazing time. That whole soul-destroying especially after an underdog remix for House period of club culture hasn’t designing records that had such Of Pain’s ‘Top Of The Morning really been documented enough integrity. At that point I made To Ya’. It went Top Ten on the but it was hugely influential to a a conscious decision to stop back of my mix and my remix lot of people. I also used to throw designing and start my own label. career as Underdog started to parties with Tony Nwatchuku That’s why I started Bite It! and it take off along with having the (from Attica ) in Oxford at a had a very strong visual aesthetic. label. Mark Picken, who was place called the Caribbean club managing Massive Attack liked back in ’87 ’88. We’d play hip hop, The reason I wanted to do the mixes and eventually started Smith & Mighty, early Todd Terry something graphically strong was looking after me. I went on a things, that really was the start that you had and European tour with Massive of everything for me career wise. Cold Sweat (UK hip-hop labels) Attack and DJed at after parties but they appeared second-rate along with Mushroom and G. compared to American product. I wanted to make records that sounded as good as American THE WHOLE records and looked as good. If not better. Hip-hop visually had WAREHOUSE already started to be a cliché THING WAS with the girls, guns and cars and MASSIVELY stuff so I wanted to go against that. I was also really conscious INFLUENTIAL to sample from very different ON ME. kind of records. Not only did they have to sound and look right, the sources had to be different. Massive Attack kind of So you had all that going on European jazz-rock, Soft changed when Mushroom and then the Soho set with The Machine, ECM, it was all about dropped out… Wag and stuff… different sample sounds to what was going on at the time. That For sure. I have a hell of a lot of Yeah you had all that and then was part of the ethos of the label. respect for 3D and G but it’s now Dodo’s, Dial 9, Delirium, there a very different band. ‘’ was so much going on, The I remember buying a 12” with a in still one of my favourite records RAW club in the basement of sample saying ‘I might smoke of all time. I mean Mushroom the YMCA in Tottenham Court a spliff but I won’t sniff’ that I’d wasn’t an easy character, He Rd was perhaps the best club in heard on the radio. What are was always the younger one London for me after the Embassy, you proud of from that time? during the Wild Bunch days, so Saturday night with Dave I suppose he always got treated Dorrel and CJ Mackintosh was A record called ‘100% Proof’ like a kid in the band but he was incredible. But I really remember I sampled this tune by Julian hugely talented, made all the best going to some amazing parties Priester called “Love Love’ beats as far as I’m concerned and along the Thames. I remember on ECM that was originally in contributed loads of great ideas. vividly the first time I heard house 3/4…and I flipped it into 4/4 I went to Mushroom’s studio and music at a Shake N Fingerpop/ and I did this tripped-out bonus he was like a proper audio freak Family Funktion party, one of the beat with flutes and tripped had amazing gear. I don’t know DJs was cutting up, a mix I stole out shit, they sold it in Honest what’s happened to him, I liked for years afterwards, ‘Peter Piper’ Jon’s where James Lavelle had him a lot. I’ve been trying to get Run DMC with Fun Boy Three started working before he set in touch with him again for years. ‘Faith And Hope And Charity’. I went upstairs and there was a after Roger Sanchez and Kenny me realise I wanted to get well Mike Tyson fight being shown on Dope. Marts tragically suddenly away from hip hop and the way a big video screen and they were passed away, he was a very it was becoming so narrow- playing Farley Funk close friend as well as work minded, and release music I over ‘Love Can’t Turn Around’ and I was collegue and that had a very regardless of genre and most like ‘what the fuck is this record?’ big effect on me. I was young. I importantly who else would like it. There were things like Cultural was in my late 20s and it totally Vibe ‘Ma Foom Bey’ always being threw me. Up to that point I felt Was Mo Wax influential in the played but that was a proper indestructible and I’d never had move from Bite It! to Output? house record I think I heard. anything like that happen to me. You look at it as a label and they are releasing tracks by What made it a proper house Marts was a real character. I’d , , stuff record? met him in Honest Jons with like that… James Lavelle and when I met It sounded different. I was used him I thought he was a stuck- James (Lavelle) is a genius, but to uptempo HI-NRG but that up wanker. He was opinionated, a victim of his own success. He record… It was probably about totally full of himself and never was on it. People don’t give him Darryl Pandy’s vocal, I didn’t agreed with me about anything enough respect. I grew up with go down so well. The floor was but he had the coolest shit, eclecticism, and he took that empty but I was enchanted, the everything you wanted, sneakers, aesthetic which was missing atmosphere was great. To this art, records, he was completely at the time and brought it to a day I’m most comfortable in a on-point, and when I got to meet new label and an amazing mix dark, dirty basement. I’m not into him properly we got on like a of stuff. Then they had the club Funktion One soundsytem clarity house on fire, we became great at The Blue Note, Dusted, and and air con. I like reggae sound friends and he started to manage I remember DJing with me, systems smoke and sweat. me. But then he passed away. I Weatherall, Carl Craig, going to ended up falling out with The see the craziest mix of people, Going back to the label – who Brotherhood and things went sour. it was a brilliant time. He did a signed The Brotherhood at lot of stuff. Maybe the downfall Virgin? of the label and with regards to Output, I saw that James ended We got signed by Simon Gavin THEY WERE up becoming bigger than most and Steve Brown, who went on the artists. He was the label to form Science, and then we FUCKING GREAT. and I think that possibly created spent a long time making The THEY WERE LIKE resentment and it put to much of Brotherhood album. There was the spotlight on him, the minute no-one in British hip-hop at the SUN RA MEETS I started Output I didn’t want time making quality cross-over ESG MEETS KING it to be mainly about me. I was music with a strong concept, we TUBBY. THEY happy for people to know it was had one. The band was mixed- my label but I wanted the focus race. It was a black guy, a Jewish WERE AMAZING. I on the artists. They were the guy and a mixed-race guy and GOT DEEPLY INTO most important things. The label musically I was sampling 90% was just a conduit for the artists. English and European jazz rock THEM... and we got the English artist Dave What were the first releases on McKean who’d done artwork Output? for BATMAN at DC Comics to They pushed me out of the band design the sleeve. I was really and off of the label, after what They were just some bits that happy with the thing as a whole. had happened to Marts I just I had kicking about. Remixes It joined the dots in many ways. thought ‘fuck this, I don’t want to that got rejected and stuff. The cover looked very different do this anymore’ and I got out of The early stuff was very beat- from anything else at the it. I don’t really know what I did for based. I don’t really remember time, the whole project ended a year. I needed to find some new what the first release was but up being very well received. inspiration and I started going I released three ten inches back to my records and I realised which were beat excursions… How do you get from Bite It! to I was deeply into just weird weird starting Output? records. I used to go to Soul Jazz Now I remember what I did in and Mr Bongo and buy strange my time in between Bite It! and There was quite a gap between European jazz records, travel Output. I ended up hooking up the two. I was being managed the world buying crazy things to with this band the Emperors New by Marts Andrups he also looked sample and play. And It made Clothes who were on records. They were fucking great. They were like Sun Ra meets ESG meets King Tubby. They were amazing. I got deeply into them and hung out with them all the time and got friendly with Luke Hannam the bass player, then Acid Jazz asked me to produce their album after doing some remixes for the band. We spent perhaps a year making the record, I’d gone from working with only samples to learning how to record live instruments and working with real musicians, it was a crazy time of experimentation and pushing boundaries, it was about as un- acid jazz as it could possibly be, totally out there music, perhaps one of the best things I’d ever done. but we finished the record Eddie Pillar (Acid Jazz owner) refused to pay me. Eddie was notoriously hardcore as was his partner at the time Dave Robinson who used to run Stiff rRcords, I may have been a dick about it but I refused to be fucked over. that was the moment Gramme I was really fortunate as I’d signed I told him to go fuck himself and was initially formed. This new a P&D deal with RTM Distribution. unfortunately I think it’s one of the direction caused a split in the And I could spend some money best things I’ve done. So I ended band and they eventually broke on packaging. I could do what up putting out an Emperor’s up Gramme formed perhaps a I wanted. I was sick of doing New Clothes record on Output, year later? I kept in contact with all these crap sleeves. All my maybe third or fourth release, Luke, he played on many of my influences started to make sense. and then the band broke up and later Underdog remixes and also All the I loved, Luke started to form Gramme introduced me to Kieran Hebden the fusion of things, genreless with Leo (Taylor) the drummer. whom he met at Rough sounds, I finally had my outlet I’d one day. I’d never have signed always wanted. And there weren’t I didn’t realize Luke and Four Tet had it not been for Luke. any labels in the UK doing what I Leo were in Emperors New was dong. I felt like all my artists Clothes… Was it Fridge (early group were rejects. We were outcasts featuring Kieran Hebden) at and I enjoyed that. I’d always felt I remember the turning point. We that point? like an outcast myself. were doing this track that was like the precursor to Playgroup’s Yeah Fridge. Fridge was him, Was the label in East London at ‘Make It Happen’ Leo was Sam and Adem. They recorded that point? playing the drums in a in their bedroom. And I listened style, Luke was rolling with a to their records and went to see There wasn’t much going on in brilliant uptempo wobble style them play together at home and Shoreditch at that time… baseline. and it just didn’t sound they sounded like Can or Faust All you had was The Blue Note. right, I was trying to explain to or something. They sounded And that was it. For me it felt like leo to play simpler in a more amazing. a second home as I’d worked in primal almost moronic style and Clerkenwell for so long. I was he didn’t understand, I pulled Was that when the label found lucky. To dispel any myth, I don’t out Metal Box and said ‘listen to it’s identity? have rich parents, I was earning this. He totally got it and I think money as a teenager when I first

“I FELT LIKE ALL MY ARTISTS WERE REJECTS” started working living with my interest me. I never ran the label be able to stop things and make mum, so I was saving money, and as a business, I just loved this anytime to set it up properly, I could fortunately afford to buy a music and I wanted it to be that messed up everything. flat when I was quite young. This heard. Also, at the same time was the only place I could buy a I was conscious of my limited It sounds like most of the nice space in East London. Best capabilities as a label so I felt i bands just turned up? financial decision I made and I didn’t have the right to sign a was fucking lucky and the area band to the label and lock then It wasn’t really that, i listened to blew up. down to anything, it would have many hundreds of demos but been dishonest to do that. Also, most of the artists I released I heard stories about how Daniel had been ignored or rejected, I suppose there was you and Miller had never actually signed people just weren’t interested in Nuphonic over here… Depeche Mode so I was like ‘fuck them, and for me I have a strong it, why should I sign anyone’ and attraction to things that other There was also Tummy Touch. It I also worked with the bands as people don’t like, as well as was them, Nuphonic and myself. friends which perhaps was very naivety in recording. I love early Tummy Touch were here before naive but that’s how I did it. Thing demos – the initial essence of an me. was, it also protected me in a way artist. because the bands expectations What records were you buying of me couldn’t be unreasonable. at the time? I didn’t have anything in the contract I had to achieve. All I I was really into post rock, Tortoise promised the bands were that and things like that. I used to have I would get there records in the a great relationship with Darryl at shops, radio and club play and the Rough Trade shop in Covent press, the rest who knows? You Garden and I’d buy fantastic know I had been running the label records from him. I loved that by myself, apart from a false start place, and also Atlas Records at with a deal with Virgin through with Pete Herbert and Mark Source Records that didn’t work Kirby behind the counter, They out, and Rob (Sandercombe, got me into Basic Channel and label manager at Output) had stuff like that. You know I’d done come in and he was a life the early techno with Network saver. He was magic. Just what but when those Basic Channel I needed. Well organised and When did Playgroup come into records came out they made knew how to work with people so the picture? sense to me. Hip-hop had got a he came along at the right time. bit boring and I was playing more Playgroup came along in about experimental music – Kompact, So what happened then? 1999. 99% of the things I do Thomas Brinkmann, stuff like that are reactionary I create things was coming out, restored my You know, when people started to because I get fucked off with faith in club music, that I thought really like the records was when what I see or hear around me, had become incredibly boring. it fucked up. No-one taught me or I think somethings missing how to run a and I and someone needs to do So back to the label, you had can hand on my heart say I never something about it. Playgroup a pretty good track record for drew a wage as I was doing started because I was bored discovering bands… other things, DJing, remixing and of what I was hearing in dance designing. I never ran the label as music. I was listening to all these It was more being involved with a business and in turn many of the records through working with things. I didn’t discover them. bands didn’t make money, though Gramme and I was realising that Perhaps I was lucky. I was in i’d like to think most of them did no one was making live dance the right place at the right time. well out of it in other ways. I don’t music anymore that wasn’t dumb regret it at all. Unfortunately or super commercial. All the Do you wish you’d locked by the time a well organised production on records at that down some of the deals with structure of the label needed to time were super complicated; the likes of Four Tet and LCD be in place it was too late and we Aphex, Squarepusher, , Soundsystem? couldn’t go back. It was started Rodney Jerkins… I wanted to in a totally relaxed casual way but make a simple record. I’d been I have never been a good the success totally took me by doing loads of dark complex businessman. I’ve never done surprise and i was too busy trying stuff and I wanted to make a things for money. Money doesn’t to run the day to day business to credible, fun and sexy record. My main drive was, I was 30 other people and I don’t want records using Hennessey in the years old, I was sick and tired of to do that anymore. I can’t make ink for , Will bankheads the ’80s not getting the respect a space disco record better cassette label, people are doing it deserved. People always used than Lindstrom so why bother. really interesting stuff. So I’m still to take the piss out of it, which There’s no point. I still have inspired by things I see around me, has obviously changed now, that hip-hop competitiveness whatever format they might be. and I strongly felt there was at the end of the day. massive influence in the music Would you buy a record just for I was hearing around me, but it So closing off that whole it’s sleeve? seemed people were in denial Output era – what would you and and that whole period of time have done differently? I have done, and made many needed to be showcased in the mistakes doing so, especially on right way. Edwyn Collins, Dennis I would have had a good crate digging excursions without Bovell, , Shinehead, accountant that didn’t rip me a soundburger or record deck to , I wanted to get all off, I wouldn’t have employed hand! But my life has changed over my influences in there and mix a ‘so-called’ business advisor the last two years. I’ve cut down it up with new people. I wanted who would end up making things on consuming and purchasing to make an album that sounded even worse and I probably things I don’t need as I had too like your best friend’s house party would have had a business much of everything. I don’t want not a commercial super club. At partner or someone that had to be cynical but having lived the end of the day, I just wanted some experience from day one. through so many things it is that ’80s era to be respected. I rare to see or hear new things was fortunate to work with some that truly excite me anymore, really great people on that record. I’M A SNOB. A and right now I only want to SUBVERSIVE SNOB. experience powerful new things The ’50 Ways To Leave Your I haven’t felt before, or live with Lover’ – it’s a good one. How I LIKE THE IDEA OF essential things that are timeless. did that come about? KEEPING THINGS LIMITED, UNIQUE, At the end of the night I always used to play ‘Mama Used To SELECTIVE AND Say’ or ‘Billie Jean’ by Shinehead SPECIAL. as well as ’s original, I remember I was DJing at the Massive Attack end of tour party But I don’t know if anyone would in Paris in the tiny backroom have seen the potential in it of this club and I played the anyway, my initial plan was quite original of ’50 Ways…’ as the reactionary and destructive, not last record and the guys from having a business objective apart Air came up to ask what it was. I from breaking even. Who really was shocked they didn’t know it, would have known that Four Tet that moment stuck in my head, it would be as popular as he is all kind of linked together and it now? I initially didn’t expect any So looking at your design – if made sense to cover that record. of the artists I worked with to sell you had to pick a favourite more than 1,000 records, to be sleeve what would it be? Is there a new Playgroup album honest I would have been quite coming at some point? happy with 200. I suppose I’m a I find it really hard musically and snob. A subversive snob. I like visually to have an opinion on my I’ve probably made about four the idea of keeping things limited, own work. Maybe the Soulwax albums since that one came out unique, selective and special. sleeve (above) and some of the but I’ve never felt like releasing Bite It! sleeves. I still like them. them. The longer it takes the more You’ve always designed record cautious I am about putting stuff sleeves – what do you make of You seem to DJ a lot in – out. The reason I want to release sleeve design at the moment? what’s so good about it? music is questionable now. If I’m frank about it there are so many I think it’s interesting now that In Berlin you can play in most people making great music now. the whole digital thing has almost clubs the people will look I only want to make records with gone back on itself. People are really normal, but you play the a purpose and records that don’t slowly reacting against it, Look at weird records and they go off. sound like other people. I’ve Stones Throw, they are releasing You play them in London and always made music inspired by limited beautiful screen-printed they leave the dancefloor. And there is something about that essence of Berlin that is still super exciting to me, people seem open minded and free in many ways. Maybe that’s what is missing in London at the moment. I made a real conscious decision to stop playing big gigs at the moment. I’ve seen many of my contemporaries play bad music simply for money. There are to many people that will compromise their beliefs to earn a living and I don’t want that. If I’m honest I don’t like being in the limelight, never have, I don’t want to play anthems and do things that people want me or expect me to do. The Playgroup thing mucked up so many aspects of my life as it put me in the spotlight, made me feel uncomfortable, messed up relationships and even my health. When you put out a record and start playing the promotional game you get pushed into a world that changes everything. I don’t want that attention nor care about what I like, not what people tell me I ignore what’s happening. I think anyone thinks about who I am or should, And I am opinionated now what’s going on with the what I do, as long as I’m proud in the process. People seem student riots is really exciting. I of what I do I’m content. Now scared of strong opinions these got hairs on the back of my neck I’m much happier playing for days. I respect people that are when I saw students revolting. 2-300 people where I know I am passionate and have genuine That’s what this country needs. going to have a good time than reasons behind why they do That can only be a good a big gig which might pay me things even if I don’t agree with thing for culture as a whole. well but I leave the booth feeling them. For instance with movies like I should of stayed at home I love Enter The Void and Uncle Finally, if you could go back to and question why I bothered in Boonmee Who Can Recall His any club in time where would the first place. big gigs can be Past Lives (Cannes winner you go? great with the right promoter, 2010) as much as I appreciate line up and crowd but it’s almost Hollywood blockbusters like I would go to the Funhouse as impossible to play records that Armageddon and Bad Boys 2. shown in that New Order video. have any detail, sensitivity or I don’t have any preconceived That’s the weirdest thing for me. depth, which is what I appreciate ideas of what I should and Arthur Baker is a friend now but most. Berlin to me is good but shouldn’t like and how I need I considered that guy a god at it’s not necessarily the epicenter. to fit in in anyway. I’ve never one point. Everything he was One of my favourite gigs has wanted to be part of anything. involved in. Him, John Robie, been this small town Asturias Latin Rascals, you know… he in northern , I played a I respect individuality and was amazing. What I would do to little club for 200 crazy people innovation in all forms and refuse go back to the Funhouse where for 7 hours. Fucking amazing. to be pressurised to think or JellyBean Benitez puts on that conform in anyway that I don’t to Reel tape of ‘Confusion’ So rounding up – you’ve been feel totally comfortable. People and the lights go, and the B-Boys quoted as saying you share have been too lackadaisical and girls start dancing, that’s ‘an equal love of low brow and recently, this country has been where I’d want to be. I know high brow culture’. How does putting up with so much shit the Paradise Garage was the that manifest itself? recently, we’ve been continually one for a lot of people, but for lied to and deceived, people me it’s definitely the Funhouse. It manifests itself as I am often full say nothing and accept that’s of contradictions, but I like what the way things are or simply END. CLEANING RECORDS. THE COPYDEX WAY.

SOMEONE TOLD ME THIS WORKED SO I THOUGHT I’D TRY IT OUT. I TRIED IT ON A BIT OF A GOOD RECORD, PRINCE’S ‘BLACK’ ALBUM, BUT LUCKILY IT SEEMED TO WORK. ANYWAY, TAKE ONE CRACKLY RECORD AND A POT OF COPYDEX AND OFF YOU GO…

STEP 1: OPEN COPYDEX, REMEMBER STEP 2: COVER THE WHOLE RECORD SMELL OF YOUTH AND DEAD FISH WITH GLUE. AND PASTE LIBERALLY ONTO THE RECORD.

STEP 3: LET THE GLUE DRY UNTIL STEP 4: PULL IT ALL OFF. DONE! AND CLEAR. THIS TAKES A WHILE SO GO IT TOOK ALL THE CRACKLES OUT. TO WORK OR SOMETHING. ROB’S REVIEW CORNER

Golf Channel has a load of stuff lined up for 2012, and the few things they have let us hear so far are pretty varied. Dominik Von Senger pairs up with Thomas Bullock on ‘Only Love Can Take Us Home’. A reverbed motorik pulse, shades of Holger Czukay and space rock guitars recalling classic Pierce and Kember. Like The Laughing Light Of Plenty, PANORAM / ACCENTS / having taken the tongue out of SCENARIO their cheek. The b-side is reduced to little more than Dominik’s A fusion-influenced, less freaked, fragile vocal and the occasional DR CHOCLATE / MAGICK / Dam-Funk. Maybe more con- treated guitar outburst. It`s BEAUFORT/ IN PLAIN SIGHT cerned with modal than Rick actually quite affecting. Juju & James or Mandre. Keyboard Jordash’s ‘Jewsex’ is Horn and In Plain Sight is a new project feedback fizzes above thoughtful Lipson with Frankie remade epic from Andy Blake that came as bass-lines. In some places, there Italo High Energy. Fun Fun’s a bit of a surprise, since, while is Pulsinger’s Dogmatic sequenc- ‘Happy Station’ with balls and a World Unknown provides safe es, City Lights II, in it`s references touch of the Simple Minds. The haven for fetishists ev- and feel. Marc Moulin’s Placebo ‘Clubsex’ mix traps a Pacman erywhere (check the Facebook or Sam Suffy for 2012. A Sybarite and has it bouncing off a wall of group) and Cave Paintings seems gone Jazz not Modern Classical, feedback until it locates Steve inspired by early 80s Chicago, if you’re looking for someone Poindexter and the Relief records these three 12s all hark back to slightly more contemporary. This back catalogue, and ‘Dubsex’ mid-90s moody/deep/druggy beat’s broken but it’s only whis- drenches everything in and (you choose, I know where I pering it’s pain. 69’s detuned synths. Tin cans was coming from) House. Ga- rattle in a haunted . rage made underwater on Cha- A ghostly locomotive. A bit like ras and Shiraz. Skippy drums. that DJ G La Tortue record that Hypnotic keys. KCC with Emile. used to play. Spike’s Dangerous Minds. Deep Zone ‘New Germany’ runs on a cheap dubs. Junior Vasquez’s ‘X’. Jonny beat box al a Perry’s ‘Soul Fire’, Dangerous` ‘War With The Devil’. but not horny, depressed. Drones Sex Mania. Shaking hands with like a bedroom Eno on ‘Heroes’. on that dodgy DJ Nature adds a three-note boat on the Thames after The Punk funk bass-line, a porn star Ministry. Weatherall at The Blue and trippy keyboard flirtations. Note. Edgar Lustgarten re-doing DOMINIK VON SENGER / Spiraling and building, like a live McClaren’s ‘’. No ONLY LOVE / JUJU & JORDASH take on Wild Pitch. The drones need for a break down, everyone / JEWSEX / SPIKE / NEW now sounding more than screams when the hat comes in. GERMANY / GOLF CHANNEL cold war Berlin. It’s a vibatory thing. BALEARIK BROS / TIME TWIST / BEARD SCIENCE

Sean Johnston and Paul Williams (ne Brown) on the label birthed by a secret society of DJH defectors. This collaboration chugs forcibly like a High Energy record at -8, reverbed and pumped. Percussion fills like blips. A Fancy gone to Hell. A little like a lost dub of Kissing The Pink’s ‘Certain SUNS OF ARQA / BRUJO MAX ESSA / POW WOW / Things Are Likely’. Or The MAGIC / EMOTIONAL RES- VALLEY SOUND / missing their CUE MUSHROOMS PROJECT / cues. Busy meeting John in GALATTICA / the john. Prince Fari, The late, great JANSEN JARDIN Voice Of Thunder, leads the dance. Less Dread, more Wolf- A couple of new things from man Jack. Banjoes and Bass. my drinking coach, Max From back when Weatherall Essa. The spiritual ramblings on didn’t own any House records. the semi-ambient intro of ‘Pow Definitely one for my “Cloud Wow’ recall Young American Cukooland” history lessons Primitive, but the organ swells the next time The Balearic Mu- are pure mid-90s (is 2012 the seum hits town. year we move musically from 1991 to 1996?) New York House. Mood II Swing, Eightball. Peter Daou on the later Nu-Groove gear. The original mix of the Mushrooms Project’s ‘Galattica’ MIND FAIR PRESENTS NO is almost twelve minutes of STRESS EXPRESS / REACH echoed percussion, cosmic synth THE STARS / ROGUE CAT washes and soft rock-riffing. Like SOUNDS a Disco Riders On The Storm soundtracking Vice. With Spoons solos, white Pop Rock Glenn Fry as guest. Or Tiedye vocals, ‘Lets Go Swimming’ trying to be Gimme Shelter era clusters, distressed clangers, Stones. A 303 attempting the random sax burts, Stones menace. Chicago Damn’s remix FURSATTI / RHEINLUST / “sympathetic” percussion, CLAREMONT 56 is a burst of Mayday’s Wiggin’, Rockabilly twanging and a hint The Art Of Stalking (tune), and of Nassau`s clipped post-modern The chime of plucked microtones the high-hats from ‘A Night- funk all swirl randomly. Admirably Drive Thru Babylon’. Music made picks up where Frankie shambolically even. ‘Tree House/ Valentine`s remix of Torn Sail to communicate with UFOs, School Bell’ turned Prince’s ‘Little when it still seemed possible left off. Somewhere in between Red Corvette’. As it falls apart. Michael Rother and Rheingold`s that aliens might save us. I can`t The NYC version is Arthur Baker hear anything of the original bar ‘Dreiklangs-Dimensionens’, remixing The Stones for a Risco updating like the lovely the idea that I am navigating by Connection LP with the other moonlight on wet roads through Fuxa. Neu`s “Hallogallo” mixed Arthur, Russell, Peter Gordon, for the . a deserted city. Kip Hanrahan and Lester Bowie on session, while the Rogue Dub is a more overt Russell/Gibbons homage. The production on this leapt out of the car stereo, amidst the bulk of ‘New Disco’ stuff. It will probably sound amazing at The Loft. A pretty strange, unique and timeless Disco record. MIXES. WE’VE DONE A FEW.

MASSIVE THANKS TO ALL THE DJS X

ADIOS, TEST PRESSING. X