RUB N TUG interview

Thomas and Eric together are Rub N Tug. They throw a party called Disco Theatre of Manhattan as well as the Camp Fire nights. They have been doing some interesting remixes for projects like !!!, Sly Mongoose or Lcd Soundsystem and re-edits of old cuts by Chicago, the Beastie Boys, etc... In conjunction with his old Tonka Sound System partner from the UK, DJ Harvey, Thomas has also been producing original material for a very limited imprint called "Map of Africa" on the Whatever We Want Records.

01:How Was DJing In Japan At The Last Time You Toured?　What Did You Feel About Japanese Clubs And People?What Do You Feel Comparing Japanese With New Yorkers?
Thomas: We Felt Free To Go Anywhere With The Music And That's The Best Way To Feel When It's Time To Play.　The Clubs Were Nice And Felt Real Loose Like a Free Vibe Again.　People From Japan Seemed To Be More Courteous And Positive Like There Is a Tiny Amount Of Lsd In The Water.
Eric: Good Fun!!!　We Played 3Different Cities.. Each City Had Different Vibrations.. But All Were Open Minded And Up For A Good Time.　Thats Hard To Compare Because Nyc And Japan Are Soo Far Away.
02: What Do You Expect And What Would You Want To Do In Japan In This Time?
Thomas: I Don't Know And I Don't Mind.
Eric: I Expect The Same As Always.. Super Cool People ,Good Food, Hanging With All My Old Friends... Nice.
03: Can You Tell Us About Your Party, "Camp Fire"? When Did You Start It?　How Long You Guys Doing The Party?
Thomas: It's So Small.　It's Like Being Drunk On a Fishing Boat In a Tropical Storm And Being Happy About It.　Everybody Cheers When There's Thunder And Lightning
Eric: Campfire Has Been Going Almost 2 Years Now.. It'S A Place Where Us And All Our Friends Can Get Together Once A Week And See How Much We Can Drink.
04: Tell Us About The Recent Club Scene In New York?
Thomas: I'm More Of a House Party,Old Time Bar Kind Of Person Myself And Campfire Is Quite Enough For One Whole Week.
Eric: Don'T Know.. Mostly Just Go To Bars.
05: How Would You Describe Your Dj Style?
Thomas: Jake And Elwood
Jake And Elwood
Eric: It Would Probably Be Easier For Someone Else To Answer That Question.
06: Where Do You Mostly Get New Or Old Records When You Are In New York City (Or In Upstate For Thomas)?　Is There Any Record Store In New York You Could Recommend?
Thomas: A1 In The City And Junk Stores And Stuff Upstate.　Sometimes In The Post With The Bills Which Is Nice.
Eric: I Would Have To Say A1 Records Is Still On Top For The Old Stuff..　These Days The New Stuff Is Harder To Come Across...　In New York.
07: Tell Us Your Favorite Artist And DJs?
Thomas: The Glimmers Too.　And The Idjuts.　Foolish Felix
Eric: Paul T. Is For Techno From Sarcastic,　M.O.A.,　Thomas,　Harvey.
08: Is There Any Perosn Like a Mentor For Your Musical Knowledge Of You?
Thomas: Jason Hinds,　Cheese Expert,　Neals' Yard Dairy, Covent Garden, London;　Taught Me Everything I Needed To Know By The Time I Was 14.
Eric:
I Don'T Know If I Have A Musical Mentor..　But Over The Years I Have Made Friends With People That Have Turned Me In Different Directions...　See Quest. #7.
09: Your Picture Disc From The Compilation "Camp Fire" Included Daniel Wang's Unreleased Song.　Can You Tell Us How Is The Relationship With Daniel Wang?
Thomas: The Wang Man Rules
Eric: That Danny Wang Tune Is From The Never Released Balihu # 2 From Like 1995..　I Have A Test Pressing..　The Only One I Think.　Danny Is A Great Friend Who Makes Awesome Music...　He'S Raving To The Techno In Berlin Now..
10: Could Do Tell Us About Your Remixes Of Beasties Boys?
Thomas: I Like That Mix
Eric: That Was Pretty Random..　I Have Been Friends With Those Guys For A Long Time... And One Day Ad-Rock Called Me And Asked If We Wanted To Do A Remix Of One Of There Tunes..　So We Did It And They Loved It.. But The Sample Clearence Was A Little Tricky...　Lucky For Us Someone Bootlegged It.　Rnt Records!!
11: Is There Any Artist Or Song You Want To Remix?
Thomas: The Blues Brothers Soundtrack.
12: Tell Us Your Future Releases,　Remixes Plan And Recent Activities?
Thomas: We Just Finished a Mix We Like a Lot For Sly Mongoose, Track's Called Snakes And Ladders Yeah.　Original Rub n Tug Material Is Coming Out In The Fall.　Stay Tuned !
Eric: Lcd Soundsystem Should Be Out Soon..　And Just About To Begin Remixing A Track For Coldplay....　But When That Is Finished Get Ready For *** Rnt Records*** Our Original Stylin' Comin Soon.

whatever we want records

What made you start WeWW?

I was tired of being inspired. + if Richard branson can do it!

weww

Personally, how did you guys get into music? And specifically this side of it?
I just read in the science journal that a good dancer makes for a good mate. Something to do with symmetry. Hence the reason all the guys on the label have hot girls. This covers all sides.

weww
Starting a record label must be a very daunting thing to do, and could cost a lot of money…where did the drive come from?

Saturday night binging with thomas and harv. I like whiskey, a McCallen 18 can motivate you to move buildings.

weww
As an independent label, would I be right in thinking that the majority of your signings have come from past relationships so far?

Yes, somehow it feels we’ve all known each other before. sort of like buddism or Hinduism, or one of those ideologies.

weww

Does WeWW belong to a specific genre of music that you could pinpoint?

Sure, my genre, 40 is the new 20, if you know what I mean.

weww
New York based and influenced, WeWW already has a large following in Europe, why do you think that is?

I guess they have taste?

weww
Map of Africa, is probably your best known artist… can you tell us more about them?

Yes, I guess Harvey is a legendary dj, it sounds weird to me, since he’s still alive and all. Him and Thomas both are talented, handsome and insightful. And they both don’t mind sleeping on the floor if they had to.

What can we expect from WeWW in 2006, 2005 was a huge year, can it get any bigger?
I used to think that when I was 13. I was wrong then…

What are you working on right now?

This crazy interview.

»»» NUPHONIC «««

TIRK Records - Scott McCready

Niall speaks to Scott McCready, MD of Tirk records, the new label from Nuphonic Productions

Whatever happened to Nuphonic records? For a certain breed of records buyer, from the mid-nineties up until the turn of the last decade, Nuphonic was the essential label to check. With it’s distinctive logo, simple design, and focus on quality music, it grew quite a cult following, the British equivalent of, say, Strictly Rhythm in New York. T-shirts, slipmatts and record bags emblazoned with the legend “nu” were a way of punters and deejays making a statement about their taste, and an important factor in British (and by extension European) house music in forging it’s own unique identity, separate from American styles. The unique, disco tinged, tripped out deep house of acts like Faze Action, the Idjut Boys, Laj/Raj/RayMang, Fuzz Against Junk and Street Corner Symphony kept the bar incredibly high and helped broaden the horizons of the average house-head: indeed it was records by acts from this stable that helped many of us to delve into musical history and re-discover the previously maligned sound of disco. I would hazard a guess that in years to come Nuphonic will be looked on as being the defining British record label of it’s age (in a second hand shop in NY recently I noticed a large section of Nuphonic records that was getting eagerly checked. They were going for far more than they do over here). But all good things come to an end, and about 2 years ago there just stopped being Nuphonic records on the shelves. A news piece in Jockey Slut confirmed it: Nuphonic Records was no more.

Then late last year arrived a promo CD of two re-edits (one by the Idjuts, the other by Sean P) on a funnily named new label called TIRK. This, apparently, was the new label venture by the people behind Nuphonic. It sure sounded like it: “A Place Called Tarot” by Tantra, as diced up by the Idjuts, was an epic slice of floor-rocking Italo, and “Hungry” by Sandy’s Gang a sweet soul peak-timer (thanks to Sean P). More releases followed, particularly a very impressive 12” by Syclops. Through Radio Magnetic I was able to track down the label head Scott McCready, who, coincidentally, turned out to be Scottish, and who I discovered used to work on the Fopp store on Byers Road in Glasgow’s West End. After moving to London from working at the first English Fopp in Sheffield, Scott went into label management, first with the End, and then as a freelancer, before hearing that Sav from Nuphonic Promotions was interested in starting a new label…

“Sav just wanted to get back into making records again. It’s pretty simple really. He had a couple of things and people had been mentioning it to him and he missed it. There’s always been two strands to Nuphonic; there was the events and the production side and there was the label side. Sav ran the events and production side (as he came from doing the Blue Note). Sav’s side of that business continued, he continued doing events and productions, like he’s just done a big fashion show for Fashion Week, and also he’s doing the programming for this 1500 capacity club in Camden called Coco. He had been vaguely involved in the label but it was more to do with the guy Dave Hill, so I think Sav kind of missed it, and then he thought he needed to get somebody in to manage it. That’s when he approached me.”
So why start up a new label with a new name and packaging? Why not simply re-launch Nuphonic?
“I think Nuphonic was Sav and Dave together, and this is Sav on his own. Plus also it’s been three years since Nuphonic ended and a lot has changed since then. I don’t think Nuphonic as it was could stand on its own now. Nuphonic was very much of a sound, in terms of deep house and stuff, I don’t think you can purely do that on 12” sales anymore. Also, like, you don’t really hear that sound out much anymore, and to be honest I don’t think any of us are really listening to it as much as we were then. So the idea with Tirk is that it’s gonna be a bit more freeform. It’s still going to be of that style, but a bit more open. So we’ve had a 7” by punk-funk/electronicy act New Young Pony Club and we’re looking into putting out another thing that sounds a bit like Can/Neu! kind of stuff, as well as doing some of the house stuff. We’re still doing stuff like Idjut Boys, but again they’ve moved on as well, they’re not doing what they were doing three years ago, Maurice Fulton, he’s not doing what he was doing three years ago. Everything moves on, you can’t listen to the same things all the time!”
So what happened to the original Nuphonic? Why did it shut down?
“It was a combination of things. I’m surmising because I wasn’t there, I’ve only started working here in the last 6 months, so from the outside looking in and knowing the market… One thing: there was the label itself in terms of the general downturn in dance musics. So there would have been older productions and stock coming back, and paying for things like racking and stuff world wide, it’s quite easy to sink into debt quite quickly if the sales don’t match up. So there was that tailing off of dance music album sales about 3 years ago and Nuphonic were quite big on albums. I think that’s where the downturn in the label came. Hand in hand with that was the fact that they bought a pub called Bridge and Tunnel in Shoreditch, it’s quite a big pub. It had lots of good stuff on at it, they had Weatherhall playing on a Thursday night. It was a really the sort of epicenter of the Shoreditch thing. But then they lost the license for it, so the money they had invested in this pub drained the rest of it. It was kind of like Factory and the Hacienda, but very very small!”
What is on the release schedule for the rest of the year?
“We’ve got an album by the Idjut Boys ["Press Play"], it’s the first big thing that’s come out. It’s a re-edits album, it’s really good. There’s quite a lot of varied stuff on there, there’s up to the minute stuff like Lindstrom and Jackson and stuff like that, but then there’s also old stuff like Harry Thumann, some Chaz Jenkel stuff, stuff like that. Again it’s quite Idjut Boys-y, but it’s what they’re listening to now. Then after that we have album by Greg Wilson, This is gonna be a Loft-style collection, he’s done an album of 12 exclusive re-edits for us. It all ranges from electro stuff like Mike T through to Roxy Music and Talking Heads and Scritti Politi and things like that. Again it’s taking in a wide spectrum of things, ‘cos I think the music scene’s kind of gone back to that. There’s the whole thing of the early 80’s; a lot of it is just a reflection that things are a lot more open now, you can be into rock music, and electro and house and techno and whatever… It’s a lot less regimented than it’s been.”
You’ve also put out a 7”, something Nuphonic didn’t do. How has that been going?
“It did really well, we felt that we had to do that really early because if we put out four twelves straight away, it we become “Oh, this is the label from Nuphonic and it sounds like Nuphonic”, you know what I mean? But the NY Pony Club thing [“Tight Fit”/”Ice Cream”], I really liked it and it did really well, it got playlisted on X FM, which is the first time either label ever had a playlist. Which is a bit of a result! We’re looking to get another single and then towards getting an album either at the end of this year or the beginning of next year.”
Have you got any Tirk parties lined up?
“Again it goes back to there’s always been two sides to the business, Sav runs the Nuphonic Productions, and that. They’re launching the Camden Palace thing, they’re looking to do a lot of parties in there. We don’t have anything lined up for the immediate two months. We still do London Express parties, all around London, we’re going in regular at Fabric and also Brighton and do things at Festivals, like we’ve got a tent at the V festivals in the summer. So that side of things will be ramping up again, but I think it will be primarily around the Camden Palace/Coco thing.”
Who would be DJing?
“We’d obviously like to get people we’re putting records out by, so the best thing will be putting nights on with Greg, and whenever Maurice [Fulton] is available, we’ll get Maurice to DJ. The Idjut Boys are already doing stuff for us anyway. Just a continuation of the label and the events, everything so it will all be like stuff we like.”
And finally, what about any readers who have demos they’d like to send?
“Yeah, that’s not a problem. The easiest thing to do is just to get in touch with me.

Darshan Jesrani

Darshan Jesrani interview

A feature on Metro Area would not be complete, of course, without taking to the more enigmatic half of the duo, Darshan Jesrani, whose press profile up to this point has been practically non-existent. I rang him at his home in Brooklyn on Thursday the 3rd of March 2005 to get the low down on one half of the best disco act on the planet.

How did you meet Morgan Geist? How did Metro Area come together as an act?

We met because we both finished school in around 1995, and we were both from around the New York area. We were both studying in rural areas but we were both really into music, so we were subscribed to these internet music mailing lists where people would discuss records and stuff like that. I began to notice Morgan’s posts and I thought maybe he was kind of aligned with where I was coming from musically. I just kind of remembered him around, and we would write back and forth to each other. Then a good friend of mine had Morgan’s first EP that he produced on Metamorphic, and I really liked it, so that was another reason to get in touch... We just started hanging out and talking and buying records and stuff like that. Even at the time we were still really into even the older records and older production styles and things that were missing in the records of the day.

Had you put out any stuff on your own before became part of Metro Area?

Yeah I did a few projects under a few different names, with another partner of mine, Maneesh. We grew up in the same area and I did a project under the name SS3 for a little bit, like two records, and then I did a project called Acronym City for two records. But I was just feeling around in different styles. We did a track, kind of New York sounding house, but with a bit of atmospherics, for a Strictly Rhythm comp at one point. Just little things, you know?

And what brought you round to getting into disco and that whole sound?

Well this is kind of like wanting for a lot of the stuff I used to hear on the radio as a kid, like D-Train and Evelyn King. It was sort of like R&B, but it had kind of a spacey, funky edge to it because they were using electronics at the time. So really the interest in a lot of these old styles is kind of like 80’s R&B and y’know, radio dance music. Then from there, there was a whole other underground world of club music which was pre-house. People like Shep Pettibone were playing that kind of stuff so that’s what initially drew me to going back, and it’s kind of re-exploring that stuff. Disco was cool but I only knew the radio disco stuff like Donna Summer and things that got popular. But then I began to really understand and discover a lot of underground disco records when I started to dig back and see that the mood was different and more along the lines of today’s mentality of partying and, like, really rhythmic underground sounds, not so much songs, you know what I mean?

Indeed. Was there a conscious decision when you made the music to sound different ands to sound disco?

Yeah yeah, we wanted to do something that sounded like it could have been an instrumental or a dub track that people unearthed that could have been made in the early eighties or late seventies. We wanted to make something that kind of flipped people out a little bit because the sounds were decidedly taken form an older style. But yet no vocal, so…..

Were you surprised by the success of it? In Europe, anyway?

I don’t know man. I mean, yeah, I think we were both surprised, but it took a little while to catch on. We started putting out Metro Area records in 1999 and then I think that by 2002 people were really into this kind of sound and it’s offshoots. I don't know. In clubland, where time and trends are really compressed, I feel like that maybe, but it’s [taken] a little while. We just kept putting out records, where it was one EP and then another EP and another EP… I guess I am surprised that people took elements of this style and really blew it up into a trend. Almost all new records that you hear have, like, some kinda electro 80’s bassline, or something. That is a little bit surprising to me. Like, people pretty much dropped deep house! At least in Europe, which is strange to me. Dropped it like a hot potato!

When I was speaking to Morgan he was saying he doesn’t really keep abreast of much new music, he leaves that to you…

Even I just kind of pick and choose and stuff, like I used to follow labels. I’m really just a fan of the classic shit like Prescription Underground and deep house from Chicago and shit like that, so I used to follow a lot of those kinds of labels, but now I just check for maybe some of the same producers but [on] different labels, and I try and check for different acts. Things have exploded a little bit and become a bit more fragmented. They are not as set geographically, or as in terms of camps anymore ‘cos in the mid 90’s it was very defined. Like you had Chicago, New York [had] people like Masters at Work and Power Records and DJ Duke and people. Every city had a sound you know, but now it’s a little different.

What new stuff is there that floats your boat?

Lets see, what did I get recently? Well I really like Raiders of the Lost Arp, I think it’s wonderful, really moody and musical and nice. I like Lindstrum’s stuff, that’s pretty cool. I like Brennan Green, I like some of his records. I like some of Danny [Wang] and some of his friends, like Ilya Santana. I dunno, there’s little things here and there. Stuff that’s being made with a little more of an open mentality, that’s not as formatted as a lot of club records are.

How has playing out been going?

It’s cool. It’s really fun and I really enjoy it because I pretty much play the same sound, which is like our influences and styles. Wherever I go I try and present it differently depending on what the vibe is like. Like sometimes I’ll have to play stuff a little bit faster, or work into classics and disco a little bit later in my set. Or sometimes people really prefer if I start off on a slower more organic note, so it’s really interesting to see how different audiences respond, depending on what kind of music the dj residents are cultivating there. But it’s cool, I like it.

How do you find New York, clubwise?

That’s funny that you ask, I was just posting a message about this, but I dunno, in NY I don’t think we have enough venues. All the new venues, because of the really high price of real estate, and because of the licensing we have in the city now, new venues that are opening have advantages like lots of cash, more of a business mentality rather than as a music venue. So it tends to offer people more of the entertainment-nightlife-illusion experience, rather than a place where you can hear music on a really good soundsystem and have some drinks and stuff. Music is not really the focus, so I’ve been sort of whining about that for a little while and hopefully things will change. We might be at that point in a cycle, but if you like it’s at rock bottom. We have a few places you can go; Shelter is one of ‘em, it’s running as a club, but there should be others. It’s almost become really polarized; on one end you have this kind of empty expensive experience which is more commercial, but on the other hand you have this earnest, niche, but really almost lack luster other scene which is existing in venues which are a little bit run down, so it’s like, "couldn’t there be something in the middle?"

And you have been DJing a lot in Europe. Any places in particular that you like?

Yeah, lots of places. There’s a club in Malmo in Sweden, right across from Copenhagen, it’s a party rather, called Art for Pleasure. This guy Matthias runs it, I don’t know the name of the venue. There’s another club in Berlin called Weekend which is great, it’s a new place, I think the owner opened it with a really good mentality, like he’s got really nice soundsystem, a beautiful mixer, a really nicely laid out booth. There’s Plastic People in London, there’s the Robert Johnson in Frankfurt. There’s these guys in Dublin who do really good parties, 52 Funk and Downtown Sounds. I mean I was happy to be a guest for them but the other DJs they bring in are good too, Like Danny [Wang] and Nicky Sciano and stuff like that. They have their eye and their mind on more of a musical thing. A lot of time people don’t even take the chance, you know? And the crowd really likes it and their parties really go off! In Gothenburg also is this really nice club called Nefretiti (part of them do this group Swell Session on Compost, they were doing a party there), that was really good too. I guess anywhere where the DJs are building a crowd on more soulful music. Or more musical stuff. Electric Chair in Manchester, that’s great. [in terms of the States] we’ve played in some of the major cities, but the States is a huge country. Most of my gigs are out of town, and out of the country!

You mentioned that you are currently working on the new Metro Area single. How’s that going?

It’s good, it’s gonna be two tracks and a bonus beats thing and it’s like, one track is more up tempo, kind of dancey and kind of weird, and the other one is slower and a little more thoughtful sounding. I dunno, it’s gonna be a different sound for us, I’m really curious to see how people react to it. It was fun making it, and half the fun about it is feeling ambiguous about it when you put it out, just putting it out and seeing what happens, ‘cos that’s how we felt about our first single. We were like “Ah, are people really gonna like this or get it?” But we didn’t really think too much about it, we just put it out and it was fun.

How did you find the reaction to Metro Area 5?

It was good, I mean DJs checked for it and bought it, and charted it, but in terms of a release it came out with pretty little fanfare. I was wondering if people really caught it. I mean I think people got it. That was another record that was fun making. I’m happy to have all this stuff in my catalogue, you know, whether people really catch it or not. You always hope to connect with people, but it’s also nice to build a good catalogue of stuff you’re happy with and you can say “OK, we were experimenting at the time but it’s all good!”

discopia

check it out :

www.discopia.com

the world of BETTY BOTOX

	BETTY BOTOX - The World Of Betty Botox
	Label: Botox
	Cat.No. botoxlp1
	Price: € 19.15
	Format: 2LP


	Re-edits from Betty Botox - actually by Keith McIvor (JD Twitch from Optimo). All the tracks on this LP have been re-edited so that they are 100% DJ mixable from start to finish, includes an eclectic selection of tracks, from a wide ranging selection of artists, including Crass, Slick, Rose Royce, Richie Havens, Divine, Dennis Coffey, Dr Feelgood and The Leather Nun.. [disco-edits]

	space base back to the piano magic is it s'ex yr after began to spank fist and shout

add to cart ...

LCD Soundsystem - Too Much Love (Rub'n'Tug remix)

a. Too Much Love (Rub'n'Tug remix)
b. DFA logo etching

*Limited vinyl only pressing of 200 with the DFA lightning bolt laser etched on the b-side. Available exclusively at the DFA webstore.

12" $6.99

GREG WILSON *Dj

Greg Wilson [Liverpool,UK]

Biography

MANCHESTER DJ GURUS - THE FACE 1990
"Greg Wilson is an honorary Manc born in Liverpool who is generally acknowledged as the godfather of the early eighties Manc electro scene. He is one of the first British DJ's to have used three turntables. Remembered for his nights at Legend and the Hacienda".
FROM SLEAZE NATION MAGAZINE (AMANDA CAZA) 1998
"By 1982 he was established at Wigan Pier, thrilling all and sundry with his brew of electronica and soul. He was given a dying Wednesday at Legend, Manchester's most influential black music venue, and blew enough life into it to spread queues round the block and gain punters countrywide. Forget the Hacienda, where Wilson began the first full-on dance night - Legend was the start of it all. His secret? The dastardly mixing techniques he'd picked up in Europe plus this weird and wonderful new form of music sweeping across from New York".
FROM THE BOOK 'THE NINETIES - WHAT THE F**K WAS THAT ALL ABOUT' (JOHN ROBB) 1999
"Greg Wilson was entranced by the stripped down electronic sounds that were coming out of New York where, in one of the weirdest quirks in rock history, black kids in the ghetto started to get hip to Kraftwerk. Taking the atmospheric synth music of the German outfit, they re-invented it as a dance music of their own. The computer age was dawning and here was a music that matched the nu digital times...Electro is one of the key forebears of nineties pop culture".
FROM THE BOOK 'MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - THE POP CULT CITY' (DAVE HASLAM) 1999
"Wilson's work on the decks every Wednesday (at Legend) drew the attention of Mike Shaft, who was then fronting a black music show on Piccadilly Radio. Although not a big fan of the new dancefloor sounds, he invited Wilson to do mixes for the radio show. These were probably some of the most taped programmes in Manchester radio history"
FROM REVIEW OF 'CLASSIC ELECTRO MASTERCUTS' - BLUES & SOUL (BOB KILLBOURN) 1994
"Compiled by famed deejay Greg Wilson who was one of the chief protagonists in the early development of electro in the UK. Greg helped pioneer the early stages as resident deejay at the legendary Wigan Pier and Manchester Legends venues. Greg was one of the first British deejays to consider seriously the art of deejaying and mixing was beyond the simple act of sticking a platter on a turntable before swilling ale and checking out the available talent (although I'm pretty sure Greg did his fair share of these activities too!). Greg's mixes on Manchester Piccadilly Radio were significant interludes and he was also the first British deejay to mix live on TV when appearing on the now defunct The Tube show".
FROM THE BOOK 'AND GOD CREATED MANCHESTER' (SARAH CHAMPION) 1990
"'The whole black side of Manchester has been completely ignored' says Greg Wilson, Manchester's first electro DJ, on the wheels of steel at Wigan Pier and Legends in '82. A disco-chemist, he experimented with mixing and NY's new styles...Legends stepped out a whole 18 months before The Face's cover feature caught up...By the start of '83, white hipsters were changing channels, switching from doom-rock to dance beats. ACR, New Order, Swamp Children and the like tuned into Legends...'In all things that have been written about Manchester, the thing that led the way hasn't even been mentioned! The black-white mix! Even when the students arrived (on the scene) the black side kept its identity and everyone began bouncing ideas around' argues Greg".
FROM THE BOOK 'SHAUN RYDER, HAPPY MONDAYS, BLACK GRAPE & OTHER TRAUMAS' (MICK MIDDLES) 1997
"Kermit was here there and everywhere. Everyone knew Kermit. Everyone knew Kermit stories. Everyone knew that one day this man would turn into something important. The story begins way back in the early eighties, at Manchester's Legends nightspot. On Wednesday night Manchester grandmaster of Electro, Greg Wilson, held hardcore funk sessions sussed enough to educate even the hippest of dudes from old Hulme. All the while, down the road, the Hacienda remained a vast, cold, empty shell, full of echoey indie sounds and a few straggly raincoated students. Greg Wilson was where it began and Kermit would soak in his influences".
FROM THE SLEEVENOTES OF 'CLASSIC ELECTRO MASTERCUTS' (IAN DEWHIRST) 1994
"Before retiring from deejaying in 1984, Greg had kicked off the first weekly dance night at The Hacienda and was managing Britain's best known breakdance crew, Manchester's Broken Glass. In '84 he produced Street Sounds' experimental 'UK Electro' album, and has since produced the Ruthless Rap Assassins".

Pequenos grandes discos

12 discos (7 polegadas) essenciais que vão do funk ao Reggae, da Pop inspirada nos anos 70 ao Latin Jazz:

1. JIMMY CASTOR BUNCH "it's just begun/such a lady" (octopus breaks)
2. THE OTIS AND CARLA BAND/LOUISE MCCORD "tramp/better get a move on" (bgp)
3. MARVA WHITNEY "unwind yourself/what do i have to do" (45-king)
4. DELORES EALY "honeydripper/it's about time i made a change" (unknown)
5. A-KO "soul '69/untitled" (melting pot music)
6. VARIOUS "bay area funk" (luv n' haight)
7. FUNKY NASSAU "bahama soul stew/look what you can get" (tramp)
8. AARON NEVILLE/CYRIL NEVILLE "hercules/gossip" (jazzman)
9. SUPSONIC/PYRAHNA SOUND "match 2-2/la turbie pyrahnanienne" (indestructible)
10. MARK MURPHY/EDDIE JEFFERSON "why don't you do right/psychedelic sally" (jazzman)
11. THE MOHAWKS "the champ/give me some" (sir j.j.)
12. THE SUPERIMPOSERS "would it be impossible" (little league)

CARL CRAIG - The Workout MIX

Editora: REACT _UK
Formato: 2xCD
Data de edição: 2002
Creditos: DJ Mix - CARL CRAIG
Notas: 2 CD's com uma música de mix contínuo: CD 1 de 1:19:28 + CD 2 com 1:18:31

Carl Craig :"The Workout is designed to be not only a listening tool, but also a tool for lifestyle. No matter what you do daily. The Workout is there to be your personal soundtrack to your life. The Workout can be listened at any volume trough any sound source whether you are driving home from the party or you are making your own party on your own or with that special someone. The Workout is the CD for you."

Biography:

Dancefloor experimentalist and top Detroit techno producer Carl Craig has few equals in terms of the artistry, influence, and diversity of his recordings. Few others have recorded so much quality music in such a variety of styles as has Craig, who jammed distorted beatbox samples into lo-fi electro riggings, crafted epic house tracks like his remix of Tori Amos' "God," and recorded the most sublime Detroit techno since godfathers Juan Atkins and Derrick May were at their peak. After an apprenticeship during the late '80s with May, Craig began releasing his own recordings in 1989, first on Derrick's Transmat imprint and later on his own label, Planet E Communications. During the following decade, Craig spread his work between solo aliases -- Paperclip People, Innerzone Orchestra, 69 -- and his own name. With each new project and each change of musical direction though, he distinguished himself as one of the few artists to consistently hit the mark with productions whose subtleties in the living room more than matched their infectious energy on the dancefloor. When he was growing up and attending Detroit's Cooley High, Craig was turned on to a diverse musical diet ranging from Prince to Led Zeppelin to the Smiths. He often practiced on his guitar, but later became interested in club music as well through his cousin, who worked lighting for various parties around the Detroit area. The first wave of Detroit techno had already set sail by the mid-'80s, and Craig began listening to tracks courtesy of May's radio show on WJLB. He began experimenting with recording techniques using dual-deck cassette players, and later convinced his parents to buy him a synthesizer and sequencer. Craig also studied electronic music, including the work of Morton Subotnick, Wendy Carlos, and Pauline Oliveros. While taking an electronics course, he met a mutual friend of May and passed on a tape including some of his home productions. May loved what he heard and brought him into the studio to re-record one track, "Neurotic Behavior." Completely beatless in its original mix (since Craig didn't own a drum machine), the track was just as sublime and visionary as Juan Atkins' blueprint for cosmic techno-funk yet called on emotions previously found only on May's material. The British fascination with Detroit techno was just beginning to take hold by 1989, and Craig was invited to witness the phenomenon firsthand by touring with May's Rhythim Is Rhythim project (which supported Kevin Saunderson's Inner City on several English dates). The trip became an extended working holiday as Craig helped out on production for a re-recording of May's classic "Strings of Life" and the new Rhythim Is Rhythim single, "The Beginning." He also found time to record several tracks of his own at RS Studios in Belgium. On his return to the U.S., Craig released several RS tracks on the Crackdown EP, recorded as Psyche for May's Transmat Records. Craig then founded Retroactive Records with Damon Booker, and despite working days at a copy shop, continued recording in his parents' basement. Craig released six singles for Retroactive during 1990-1991 (as BFC, Paperclip People, and Carl Craig) but the label was dissolved in 1991 due to disputes with Booker. That same year, Craig formed the solo concern Planet E Communications for the release of his new EP, 4 Jazz Funk Classics (recorded as 69). Deliberately lo-fi and gritty with the implementation of funky beatbox samples, tracks like "If Mojo Was AM" presented a new leap forward after the compulsive sheen of Retroactive singles like "Galaxy" and "From Beyond." Besides the distortion of 4 Jazz Funk Classics, his other Planet E work during 1991 contained off-the-cuff nods to such disparate moods as hip-hop and hardcore techno. The following year's "Bug in the Bassbin" unveiled another Carl Craig alias, Innerzone Orchestra, and added elements of jazz to his beatbox frenzy. In the process, Craig became an uncommon influence on the early progression of the British drum'n'bass movement -- DJs and producers often pitched up "Bug in the Bassbin" from 33 to 45 rpm for a do-it-yourself jungle breakbeat. The release of Paperclip People's "Throw" added disco and funk to Craig's growing list of active inspirations; his natural progression into remixes during 1994 provided the dance world with versions of Maurizio, Inner City, and La Funk Mob tracks plus a stunning reworking of the Tori Amos song "God" that lasted almost ten minutes. Thanks in large part to the Amos remix, Craig soon signed his first contract with major-label exposure, to the Blanco y Negro division of Europe's Mute Records. His first full-length, 1995's Landcruising, opened up the Carl Craig sound and gave it an epic feel closer in spirit to his earlier recordings, while the thematic tug of a journey around metro Detroit mirrored Atkins' Model 500 tracks like "Night Drive." Landcruising opened up the market for Craig's material, and several months later, RS Records released 69's Sound of Music, a compilation of two EPs released the previous year for the Belgian label. In 1996, the high-profile British house label Ministry of Sound released a new Paperclip People single called "The Floor," composed of hard, clipped techno beats but an elastic bass line and prevalent disco sample that earned it much airplay in house venues. Though he was already one of the most noted names in the world of techno, Craig's reputation began growing in the more general category of mainstream/global dance, and he soon became less tied to the mantle of Detroit techno than many of his contemporaries. Craig helmed one in the series of DJ Kicks albums released by Studio !K7 and spent several months based in London. He returned to Detroit later in 1996 to focus on Planet E, which released a Paperclip People album titled The Secret Tapes of Dr. Eich (mostly collecting previous singles) and a Psyche/BFC retrospective titled Elements 1989-1990. The new year brought the second proper Carl Craig LP, More Songs About Food Revolutionary Art. He spent much of 1998 touring the world as Innerzone Orchestra with a jazzy trio. The project also released an LP, Programmed, expanding Craig's full-length output to seven -- though only three had appeared under his own name. Two collections appeared during 1999-2000, including the Planet E mix album House Party 013 and the remix compilation Designer Music. Throughout the early 2000s, he was sporadically active, releasing a series of mix albums and compilations (2001's Onsumothasheeat and Abstract Fun Theory, 2002's The Workout, and 2005's Fabric 25), as well as the occasional production and remix. He overhauled Landcruising in 2005 and titled the release The Album Formerly Known As....

www.spectralsound.com

A spectral sound é uma editora musical dedicada ás electrónicas mais dançantes e que nasceu como uma sub-editora da fantástica Ghostly International. Dela fazem parte artistas muito bons em matéria de produção: Matthew Dear, Osborne, James Cottom, Broker/Dealer, Jeff Samuel, Audion, Peter Grummich, entre outros. Mas não é só de boa música que esta editora se envolve porque para além disso desenvolvem também um aspecto visual gráfico á altura, como provam as edições em vinil e o próprio site na internet, que aconselho a visitar se quiserem saber mais acerca deste projecto.

www.spectralsound.com

Dj HARVEY

A Brit abroad who gets the yanks feathers ruffled and those trendy Tokyo kids screaming for more. From acid rock to disco obscurities, the feller plays em all. We caught up with him on a Californian beach, charging waves and dropping bombs.....

Hey Harvey, things seem to suit you well over there, caught some pics of you spinning at Candelah’s in San Diego and damn! Where did that body come from?

Yes things do suit me very well in California, Hawaii and NYC where I divide up my time. The body in fact comes from expensive, somewhat illegal steroids and regular visits to Gold’s Gym inbetween charging very heavy waves. I have a regular circuit of parties I spin at; Candelahs in San Diego, Smart Beat Oasis in Oakland, R X Gallery in San Francisco, Moonshadows in Malibu (funny that. I once played at Malibu’s in Bracknell -Ed) and other odds n’ sods including the Spider Bar in Hollywood and New York’s Deep Space. The crowd there have been schooled to perfection by Francois and its a real pleasure to spin there.

Those old Black Cock tunes are going for big bucks at the mo. Any chance of getting it going again?

There’s an outside chance of a re-issue box or maybe even a cd but Black Cock remains flacid at the moment. Map of Africa is my new band project with DJ Thomas - ex Wicked are Weapons. We’ve been working on an album (pretty much completed) which is being recorded and produced in his Woodstock studio. We should have something for your ears sooner than later. It’s not a change of direction, just another creative avenue. I’ve played in and out of various bands for most of my life - you could say this reflects my home listening.

Tell us about the club in Hawaii...

Yes we have recently opened up thirtyninehotel (www.thirtyninehotel.com) a community- based multimedia space that features artists and contemporary dance parties. We plan to have the planets best NYE party there this year. The soundsystem is work in progress, if any studymasters out there have any juicy bits to donate to a good cause we are always on the search. I recently discovered a Richard Long system that a friend has elements of which I must have.

Do you remember the old days at Moist/MoS fondly?

All those days were really, really good fun but not as good fun as these days...“it’s always better than it used to be”, I’m lucky I keep it movin. Moist ran for a fair while and was an alternative to a few of the so-called trend setting nights of the time. It was Heidi and myselfs brainchild. I think that night was definitely responsible for showing (London) DJs and crowds that DJs could play for a longtime and create a mood, make a journey and keep things exciting. Larry Levan, FK, Kenny Carpenter, Daryl Pandy, Terry Hunter all performed there as well as UK guys that Heidi wanted to elevate such as Trevor Jackson, the Idjuts, Gerry Rooney, Fraser Cooke and Ashley Beadle.

Any crazy nights stand out?

Group sex on the dance floor of the Zap Club, Ibiza, Larry Levan at Moist, the reflection of Miss Nude Australia’s punani reflecting on the bald patch of Gary Saltzman’s (Todd Terry’s manager) head as she danced naked on the ministry booth to one of my sets.

You once told me you could turn up on a Saturday night at the Ministry with just a plastic carrier bag full of records...

That comes from something I believe in which is I see some DJs with far too many boxes and they are only spinning for one or two hours. I’m usually spinning much longer and only have one box - thats because i have the upmost confidence in the records and the groundwork I’ve put in beforehand. When I DJ you get me and records from my mind, each one so carefully considerd at the point it makes it into my bag thats it’s the absolute right one for the job. You know one hour of music if you play the record through can be as little as two, three, maybe four records - if they are the right ones they will be enough.

Have you any ambitions left DJ-wise?

To learn to mix, havin lost the skill a few years back during a severe case of the Mancuso’s.

Finally what happened to your legendary record collection? Did you fly it out to the states or is there a cave of wonders somewhere in England?

There is a cave of treasures somewhere but I made my brother memorise a location then swear a samurai blood oath to protect it forever.

o formato vinil como objecto de culto

12 discos (tamanho 12 polegadas) musicalmente brilhantes que se fazem acompanhar também de um suporte físico excepcional em termos de design gráfico. Quando estes dois factores se conjugam conseguimos entender melhor a razão pela qual o vinil ainda hoje se mantém com uma grande legião de consumidores fiéis que o consideram um objecto de culto tão interessante e espectacular.

*podem clicar na imagem e posteriormente expandi-la para verem em tamanho grande.

2005 - Alguns discos essenciais...

1. CARL CRAIG "darkness" (planet e)

2. QUIET VILLAGE "can't be beat" ( whatever we want)

3. DAVID ASTRI "dancing digits" (soft rocks)

4. SYCLOPS "the fly" (tirk)

5. DJ COLE MEDINA "1.5 upgrade" (house arrest)

6. JAMES DUNCAN "night tracks" (le systeme)

7. LINDSTROM & PRINS THOMAS "further into the future" (feedelity)

8. TODD TERJE "eurodans" (full pupp)

OUTRA VEZ DANCIN' DAYS

As marcantes sessões Dancin' Days (e não Dancing Days como anuncia o flyer do Trintaeum...) voltam ao Trintaeum para um "one-off" natalício.

Esta noite que, durante cerca de 5 anos, celebrou a influência do Disco na actual música de dança( seja qual for a sua linguagem...), desvendando um imenso número de temas obscuros e intemporais que soam hoje tão surpreendentes como na altura em que foram editados, alimentando as mais esclarecidas pistas de dança de Nova Iorque na viragem dos setenta para os oitenta, e estando na génese da revolução House operada em Chicago, parece ser hoje mais pertinente do que nunca.

Nesta edição de natal de Dancin' Days, que decorreu na sexta-23, o passado, presente e futuro desfilaram numa excursão pelas diversas expressões que o Disco tem assumido, e que faz dele, hoje mais do que nunca, uma das forças motrizes da mais moderna música de dança.

Só quem não lá esteve é que ficou a perder...

10 DANCE CLASSICS 1980-1990

LIME "on the grid" dub version (prism) 1983
MARRS "pump up the volume" (virgin) 1987
LIQUID LIQUID "optimo" (99 records) 1983
MIDWAY "set it out" funky breakdown mix (personal records) 1984
CABARET VOLTAIRE "don´t argue" adrian sherwood´s dance mix (parlophone) 1987
MY MINE "hypnotic tango" instrumental (ariola) 1983
TONEY LEE "reach up" dub mix (radar) 1982
KC FLIGHT "let´s get jazzy" dope dub (rca) 1989
SINNAMON "thanks to you" instrumental" (becket records) 1982
NITZER EBB "shame" mix one by daniel miller (mute) 1989