Nick Edwards still bares the stamp of his earliest sonic impressions, those seemingly benign songs and sounds that fill our minds and memories years later as adults. In his case it was the sounds of Bristol, UK in 1969. Edwards’ earliest exposure to experimental electronic music came via the insidious, subliminally subversive sounds of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Tristram Cary, Barry Gray and the plethora of weird library records that soundtracked childrens’ TV programmes transmitted during the 1970s. This heavy exposure led to a natural affinity for the early Industrial, synth and post-punk noise of Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle, SPK, Robert Rental & The Normal, Fad Gadget and early Human League.
Like a sonic sponge Edwards was swept along by the tide of new sonic possibilities engendered by nascent electro, techno, hip hop, house and ambient electronica. Simultaneously he was developing a strong taste for the more experimental side of seventies art/krautrock and the Jamaican dub reggae of King Tubby, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Prince Jammy etc. At some point all of these influences combusted and Edwards began recording his own music during his teens in the late-eighties, using primitive hardware-based audio studio environment, direct to four-track cassette. He would continue his self-exploration of sound in the early 90′s creating a large body of recorded work, with a vast majority of the material remaining unreleased.
Zooming forward a decade Edwards came to public attention as one of the first wave of music bloggers, writing the influential Gutterbreakz blog from 2003-2009. This was a highly personal journal of musical obsession, notable for inadvertently helping to trigger worldwide interest the dubstep phenomenon. In 2010 Edwards returned as a musician and live performer, forming musical projects like EKOCLEF. As Ekoplekz, Edwards has released a solid amount of records and cassettes on various labels including Punch Drunk, Mordant Music, Further Records, Public Information, Perc Trax and Plant Migration. Edward’s formative influences range from early electronics and radiophonics to 70′s dub, industrial and krautrock, newer forms of leftfield dance music and the post-noise experimental vanguard.
Focusing on his own music once more, Edwards re-emerged as Ekoplekz in 2010. A volatile mix of radiophonics, industrial noise and disintegrated dub, with a commitment to primitive hardware technology and lo-fi cassette recording techniques, Ekoplekz proved an unexpected critical success, leading to a steady stream of releases on labels such as Punch Drunk, Mordant Music, Further Records and Public Information. Edwards continues to produce music at a feverish rate, both solo and in collaboration with others, most notably Ralph Cumbers (as Ekoclef) and Baron Mordant (as eMMplekz) and his first solo release under his own name on the respected Editions Mego label is available now.
MundoVibe: Your music is deliberately lo-tech and distorted. Interestingly enough, in this day and age of digital perfection it is sounds more subversive than ever. What is it about this sound that appeals to you?
Nick Edwards: I’ve always been drawn to more primitive recordings, whether its Elvis or Throbbing Gristle. I like the sound of music recorded onto tape, not necessarily just for the warmth, but also the subtle distortion that can be achieved. And I like the sound of older analogue sound processing and effects. I guess my taste for it comes from when I was a little kid playing my parents’ 7″ singles, which were all old pop songs from the fifties and sixties. There was so much character present in those recordings, especially those Joe Meek productions like ‘Telstar’, and the biting sound of Hank Marvin’s Strat on the early Shadows hits, which would literally send a shiver down my spine. And I guess I will always prize those lo-tech sounds over digital clarity or accuracy. In fact I have no interest in achieving a perfect, transparent recording. The character of the recording should be as distinctive as the actual performance it documents.
I do have an unhealthy obsession with the idea of decay, particularly the area of urban decay. I was born into a world of shiny new motorways and modernist architecture and I’ve been watching all that concrete gradually aging and falling into ruin ever since.
You developed this methodology when digital tools might not have been accessible as they are today. But now you have these tools at your disposal so why not just digital and use all of the latest software?
I started with cassette recording technology back in the late eighties when it was the only option available to me. Just devising a simple sound-on-sound recording process using domestic cassette recorders was a miraculous act of will-to-power. The results were often poor, but the personal satisfaction of successfully getting an idea onto tape was enormous. I spent a long time working out better ways of getting a good recording on tape. It’s that sense of battling against the odds that always appeals to me when I hear these old, brutally recorded demos. Eventually I got a proper cassette 4 track recorder. Then, a few years later I spent quite a lot of money on one of the first digital multitrack recorders, a Fostex DMT8, and just thinking how horrible it sounded…just a very dry, dead sound. I persevered with it for a while but sold it eventually, vowing to return to cassettes. So I bought a secondhand Yamaha MT3X portastudio, which is the same machine I use to this day. So what was born out of necessity has now become an aesthetic choice. It’s not just some retro stance – I genuinely believe it gives my recordings a distinctive extra layer of character and bite.
One thing that has changed is the loss of physicality of a music recording. Most people experience music now as an MP3 or digital track. Yet there is still a cassette and vinyl culture that collects and listens to music this way. Does the medium change the message of music, especially yours?
I think it varies. I know some people who genuinely love and prefer the sound of cassettes over MP3s. Other people are ‘objectophiles’…they might listen to MP3s for convenience but like to have something they can display on their shelf…and maybe for other, older people those archaic analogue formats have a talismanic quality that feeds off a nostalgia for a ‘better’ world that they see rapidly disappearing. I suspect my releases tap into all those potential areas, and I feel it’s quite appropriate for me to exploit them, because the music contained within is born from a similar viewpoint. I rarely buy or consume music on digital formats, so I try to package my music for consumers who have the same outlook as me. But I’m not on some anti-digital crusade. Most of my key releases are available in digital/download format, for those who prefer those formats.
There is a strong element of decay in your compositions, perhaps reflecting the state of society, the decline of industrial manufacturing, the ultimate death and decay we all face. Would any of these be fair interpretations of your music? What ideas are behind your compositions?
Yes it’s probably true that I do have an unhealthy obsession with the idea of decay, particularly the area of urban decay. I was born into a world of shiny new motorways and modernist architecture and I’ve been watching all that concrete gradually aging and falling into ruin ever since. I think perhaps my generation have experienced an unprecedented amount of change in our lifetime (cultural, technological, political, architectural etc) and it’s sometimes hard to deal with, particularly in these uncertain times. So we yearn for the comforts of the world we dimly remember from our childhood. We can’t go back there, so instead we spend a lot of time mournfully obsessing over the rapidly decaying artifacts left behind. Inevitably, for those working in the creative arts, these feelings will bleed into their work and I’m no exception to that. I don’t think it’s necessarily an unhealthy state to be in, as long as you can stay anchored to the present and try to keep moving forward.
In the 1970s certain Jamaican producers, namely King Tubby and Lee “Scratch” Perry gave birth to “dub”, utilizing rudimentary production technqieus of cutting and splicing tape, employing reverb and messing with sound. How did their music and production techniques impact your listening experience and the music you create?
Well, as I mentioned earlier, I started out listening to those old pop records from my parents’ era, which were often covered in tape echo and captured on primitive recording equipment. So when I first started hearing those dub reggae records it was like the same thing on steroids! In King Tubby’s hands, all those amazing textures which were hinted at in the early days of pop suddenly took center stage. And Lee Perry’s Black Ark productions make instant sense if you’re already familiar with Joe Meeks’ Holloway Road recordings. All that stuff had a huge impact on my development as an artist, without question.
I wanted to make a record that was like a summation of everything I’d been working on over the past couple of years in my guise as Ekoplekz. In that respect it was quite a lot more calculated than my previous records, because I wanted to make sure I included certain sounds and techniques I’d been developing.
With your signing to Peter Rehberg’s Editions Mego label you have dropped your Ekoplekz name, opting to use your real name. Is this a stepping out from the shadows for you?
To some extent, yes. For some time I’d had this little nagging voice in my head kept asking me why I, a mature, adult solo artist, was hiding behind this stupid name, and maybe it was time I started taking myself a bit more seriously. But at the same time, Ekoplekz is quite a fun, memorable name to play around with, and the unique spelling makes it really easy to google information about yourself. In the end my mature, serious side won the argument, but I haven’t completely abandoned the Ekoplekz brand just yet.
Plekzationz is comprised of four 15 minute pieces: ‘Chance Meets Causality Uptown’ , ‘(No) Escape From ’79′, ‘Inside The Analog Continuum’ and ‘A Pedant’s Progress’ Is there an overall concept that ties these tracks together?
Each part is intended to focus on specific core obsessions that drive my creativity, but not in a tidy, discreet way, because that’s not the way I work. So there’s a lot of cross-talk between them. But I’m not gonna spell it all out for everyone…the clues are in the titles…
Plekzationz could be the soundtrack for a lo-tech sci-fi movie or a vision quest in the desert. Where do you see its place, what was the “vision” you had for this release?
I’d love to hear this sort of music in a sci-fi movie today! But to answer your question, I was aware that releasing a record on Editions Mego might bring me to the attention of a slightly wider audience, so I wanted to make a record that was like a summation of everything I’d been working on over the past couple of years in my guise as Ekoplekz. In that respect it was quite a lot more calculated than my previous records, because I wanted to make sure I included certain sounds and techniques I’d been developing. The end result is like a personal journey through the recording/performing process, compressing two years of development into a one hour showcase. For instance, the bass guitar at the start is very deliberate, because my earliest tracks were just me fishing around with a bass guitar, a keyboard and a couple of fx pedals. And the final part is a completely live, one-take improvisation, intended to demonstrate how far I’ve come (and how far I still have to go) in terms of confidence and performance technique, without any post-production or studio trickery. But at the same time I wanted to make sure there were enough fresh elements to satisfy those who’ve been following my work since the early days.
On listening to Plekzationz, it’s interesting how one’s mood and state of mind are effected by listening to it. One can go from relaxed and passive to agigated to thoughtful to sad. There’s a lot of feeling packed into this recording. Any thoughts on the various states of mind your music creates?
I try not to approach music from an analytical or intellectual viewpoint. I always try to be guided by emotional, instinctive feelings when I’m recording and performing. If those emotions are conveyed to the people who listen to it, then I guess you could say that the music has succeeded, and that’s all that I, as an artist, could ever hope for.
Although one wouldn’t say your music is beat-driven, there is definitely a pulse and cycle to what you are doing. There is a also a heavily distorted beat buried in the mix. How does rhythm and cycle fit into what you’re creating?
Not long ago I was involved in an evening of live music, performing spontaneously with four other artists, all of whom were experienced improvisors. One of them said to me afterwards that I was the first person he’d ever played with who used ‘beats’ in improvised music, which surprised me. The fact is, I spent years deeply involved in electronic dance music, either as amateur producer, dj, blogger or simply fascinated listener. From disco, early hip hop and electro in the eighties, through to techno, jungle, dubstep, its always been an area of interest to me, so naturally there will be rhythmic elements in my own work. I never try to deliberately suppress my influences. Hopefully by letting all those influences (and the feelings they inspire) freely intermingle, I can create music that is a unique sum of all its parts.
From disco, early hip hop and electro in the eighties, through to techno, jungle, dubstep, its always been an area of interest to me, so naturally there will be rhythmic elements in my own work.
Many of your compositions are lengthy, allowing you the time to slowly introduce themes. What is it about a longer track that works for you?
Doing longer tracks is actually quite a new thing for me. Most of my earlier work is shorter bursts of sound, typically around 3-5 minutes. But for ‘Plekzationz’ I definitely wanted to spread the sound out, let it breath and develop at a slower rate. I can certainly see potential to slow the pace down even further on future releases. I’m really into the idea of making ‘ambient’ music that is weird and disconcerting, rather than mellow/chill-out.
There is also a sense of floating, disconnectedness and space that permeate your sound. How do these themes fit into what you’re doing?
Yes, that continues the idea of making ‘ambient’ music. A lot of these feelings come from the soundtracks and special sound effects used in the TV programs I used to watch as a kid in the 1970s, which would often have unearthly, floating incidental electronic sounds. So I tend to associate those spacey, dark atmospheres with a personal feeling of warmth and nostalgia. It just feels totally natural to me.
Nick Edwards tweaks the knobs. Image courtesy of secretthirteen.org
In creating your music, is it a building up of sound elements? How do you develop a track’s core concept.
All my music begins with improvisation, usually just shaping and developing a rhythm or textural background wash, then adding more detailed sounds on top. I suppose I approach it like a painter would, working with oil on canvas…or maybe water colours..? Sometimes the end result feels structured, other times quite abstract-expressionist. When I’m recording the music, i just try to work instinctively, without any firm goal or concept in mind. The conceptualization comes later when I start thinking about how best to present the work to the public, assembling it into rational chunks of information, thinking of suitable titles for any given piece of music, working with a visual artist on the record sleeve, etc. Its only then that the conceptual elements start to form.
You stated in another interview that “my music is like a wall, a psychologically protective wall that helps keep me sane in the face of all the media/consumerist bullshit that surrounds me.” That said, would you ever want your music to reach a much wider audience? What are you thoughts on our media culture?
Haha…I think I was in a particularly belligerent mood when I said that, but I’m not the sort of artist who will ever crossover to a mainstream audience. That’s not a statement of intent, I’m just being realistic. But coming back to that idea of sci-fi movie soundtracks, if a producer asked to use my work in a film, or the BBC asked to use something I’d done as background music in a documentary, then of course I’d be thrilled. I like the idea of introducing experimental or challenging sounds to mainstream audiences subliminally through incidental music and sound effects, which is how I was first introduced to it as a child. Looking back, I feel very lucky to have been exposed to a more Avant Garde climate at an early age. Everything seems so safe and conservative these days…or just irritating, rather than challenging or genuinely shocking.
3. Electronics . to reinforce oscillations because the natural frequency of the device is the same as the frequency of the source.
4. to amplify vocal sound by the sympathetic vibration of air in certain cavities and bony structures.
Think of a Jamaican sunset, awash in golden and rainbow colors, ocean waves lapping at your feet on a soft and sandy cove, air of salt and fish fry, a soft trade wind caressing your body, cold Red Stripe in hand. Then transport that moment to London (or any cold, wet city) and add a 9-piece band playing deep, dubby reggae in the background. You can’t help but sway your hips to the pulsing bass and rich tapestry resonating through the air.
And this is the effect London’s Resonators have on the ears, body and soul — transporting listeners to a magical, mystical place where worries and stress slip away. You may not be in Jamaica when you hear them but their sound will sweep you away to another state of mind.
Resonators are everything you love about dub reggae and much more. “An extremely well-rounded and highly enjoyable performance from a band that oozes confidence, are at ease on stage and most importantly have a real thirst for and understanding of real, authentic reggae music,” says UK Reggae Guide. It’s old school reggae with a new school energy and sensibility and Resonators have built a strong presence on London’s and Europe’s reggae and soul culture with a sound that’s warm and familiar yet radically different. Resonators’ music embraces diverse influences, making their music relevant in today’s Bass culture as well as reminding us of reggae’s uplifting influence on the dance floor.
What unites us is a love for the feel, the groove of ‘classic’ reggae. However, we also want to be open to new influences, and be free to create how we want to create, no limitations.
Inspired by the meditative quality and universal appeal of Jamaican roots music the band radiate a playful and unified stage presence. The two lead singers Kassia Zermon and Faye Houston wipe away the notion of the big-ego front man whilst Darren JamTone provides live dub effects, and the balance is set. Following its release in 2010, Resonatorsʼ eponymous debut album gained worldwide and national radio support on BBC Radio 2, BBC 6 Music and Kiss FM from the likes of Mark Lamarr, David Rodigan and Craig Charles.
Since signing with Wah Wah 45s, the band have released four heavyweight 7″ singles, receiving international radio play and widespread acclaim.
The last couple of years have seen them play at legendary venues including Brixton Academy, Koko, Jazz Cafe and at top UK and European festivals including Glastonbury, Green Man and Outlook Croatia. To date, the band have shared stages with Horace Andy, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Mad Professor and TheSkatalites amongst many others. This summer saw them at Lovebox, Sunrise Celebration and Notting Hill Carnival, to name but a few.
The eagerly anticipated second album and first for Wah Wah 45s, The Constant, has been critically acclaimed and is in heavy rotation on all reggae-loving jukeboxes and laptops alike. It fuses direct and healing messages about today’s world with progressive roots-inspired dub and a deep soulful sound. The first single taken from the album, Surrender was released earlier this year and was described by David Rodigan MBE as ‘British Reggae at its best.ʼ
MundoVibe was fortunate to track down the very busy Resonators for this interview.
MundoVibe: Congratulations on the release of your second album, “The Constant” on Wah Wah 45s. How does it feel to have this record coming out?
Resonators: It feels great to be putting out our second LP, especially with the support of the fantastic crew at Wah Wah 45s. A lot of work has gone into it and there’s a real sense of progression with this record. Very pleased we’ve been able to release it on vinyl too!
MundoVibe: Though you have a classic sound, it isn’t stuck in the past. How do you balance being a contemporary dub reggae band with retaining a classic feel?
Resonators: There’s a massive melting pot of musical tastes within the band and everyone is capable of pulling out some music that the rest of us have never heard. What unites us is a love for the feel, the groove of ‘classic’ reggae. However, we also want to be open to new influences, and be free to create how we want to create, no limitations. Therefore, it’s a love and respect for that old feel, and the freedom to explore and be influenced by new territories which gives us that blend.
MundoVibe: Tell us about the cover art for “The Constant”, which is a painting using strong symbolism.
Resonators: The artwork is by a good friend of ours, Jim Sanders. It’s very primal and he has an amazing way of evoking all sorts of emotions with his work. Whether the reactions are positive or negative, his work is very striking and visceral and reflects on the subjects of life, death, love and reproduction. It’s universal. We hope our music is too!
MundoVibe: As an 8 member group, how do all of you get along? Do you approach the music collaboratively or are there some members who assume greater roles in writing the music and orchestrating it?
Resonators: We’re 9 members including Darren, who’s become a significant creative element of our sound. Our approach to the music is very collaborative. Often someone will come along to the regular sessions we have with an idea and we’ll play around it, each finding our own space within the music. Other times we’ll just have impromptu jams which’ll spit out new ideas. We tend to spend a good few months developing tracks before they’re unleashed on stage. We’re very lucky to have such an an amazing group of musicians who get on so well and are completely open to each others suggestions without any ego. It’s all about the music!
MundoVibe: Your two vocalists, Faye Houston and Kassia Zermon are the perfect accompaniment to your sound. How did you end up with these two charismatic ladies on vocals?
Resonators: We’ve known each other and worked together for a long time now. Kassia and Faye have sung together in various other projects, through which they’ve built a good relationship and sensitivity to each others styles. It’s fairly unusual to have two lead vocalists and it works well with Resonators because of this long-standing relationship.
MundoVibe: Lyrically, your music addresses social and personal issues. They stand out for being socially conscious but not overtly preachy. What is your stance on your lyrics and how are they formed?
Resonators: Kassia and Faye’s writing processes are actually quite different; Faye likes to take away a rough recording of a new instrumental idea, put it on repeat and let lyrics evolve from the feelings, experiences and memories evoked from the music, in a considered fashion. Kassia’s practice is deeply rooted in improvisation, on-the-spot ideas and jamming, but again inspiration coming from how the music makes her think and feel. They tend to put the two together and see where it takes us.
MundoVibe: Tell us about the dub side of Resonators. How does dub influence and shape your sound?
Resonators: From the outset Resonators was intended to be a live dub act, to merge the aspects of a live band and dub engineering to create that other, sonic dub space we all know and love so well!
MundoVibe: If you could describe your sound as a delicious meal, what would the ingredients be?
Resonators: A hearty, fruity, spicy veggie curry. With chocolate icing.
MundoVibe: How does “The Constant” differ from your debut LP, how has your sound evolved?
Resonators: The current Resonators line-up had just very recently formed when we recorded the first album; ‘The Constant’ is thus the true fruits of labour of the nine-piece as it stands, and in some ways our first real album, as it’s more collaborative from the writing point of view. We had more time to develop the songs and work with the same extremely talented producers who mixed the first record too – Darren JamTone (our live dub master), Nick Manasseh and Richie Phoe.
MundoVibe: You are on the indie label Wah Wah 45s, which is run by two passionate music promoters and DJs, Dom Servini and Adam Scrimshire. Tell us about how you connected with Wah Wah 45s and its role in forming your sound and getting your music out.
Resonators: Wah Wah 45s booked us for a gig at the Vibe Bar back in 2010. It was a steaming night and the vibe (no pun intended) was incredible. We slipped Dom a copy of our debut album and the next day we got and email saying they wanted to release Sweet Love Affair as a 7″ single. Since that success, we’ve released three other singles with them and now the LP. It’s great to work with an independent label who are so personally passionate about our music and they’ve really helped get our music out to a wider audience.
MundoVibe: Assuming you’ll be touring in support of “The Constant”, what can we expect from your live show?
Resonators: We’ve been gaining some reputation for the natural energy of our live shows. A large part of this stems from how close personally we are as a band, and the enjoyment we get from gigging with each other and interacting with the audience.
From his Barcelona headquarters, intrepid musical adventurist James Barrie operates Audio Texture, a radio program and music consultantancy with its finger on the pulse of emerging artists and trends in global dance and electronic music. James serves much as a musical ambassador, presenting new artists and tracks from points across the globe. A recent Audio Textures program featured the emerging producers of Russia, for example. There are no borders with James and Audio Texture is known for its unbridled variety of styles, from heavy bass to jazz to soul. The common theme is quality and Audio Texture has gained an international reputation for exposing new sounds and talent such as Floating Points, Tropics and Prommer & Barck.
Audio Texture is James’s latest venture in a lengthy history in the music business which began in the late 90s with the establishment of Camden CDs, a long running Camden Market institution for dance music.
James also DJ’d all around London, with long running residencies at The Bug Bar, Brixton, The New Cross Inn and The Trafalgar. Other notable gigs included Plastic People and the long running promotion Here Comes The Sun at the legendary Brixton after hours venue The Comedy House. He was also involved with live music promotion organising jazz, funk and Brasilian music at the popular HEAVY Thursday sessions in South East London.
In 2004 James created Street Level Distribution, promoting US urban artists, labels and Djs in the UK. Clients included Def Jam, G-Unit, Federation Sound and DJ Ayres as well as many other artists and djs both commercial and underground. He was also a founding member of staff at IF Music, one of London’s top record emporiums and regular haunt of Gilles Peterson, Norman Jay, Jazzanova, Pete Heller, Mr. Scruff and many others and worked in various capacitites for the world famous BBE record label label.
Getting restless, James traveled to Colombia and Brasil in 2006 before resettling from England to Spain, a move that has allowed him to take in the daily sunshine as well as expanding on his vision of music. In Barcelona, with inspiration from the Future World Funk parties, he created The Cosmic Jam party which brought leading DJs and producers to the city. James introduced the likes of DJ Food, Bonobo, Drumagick, Nouvelle Vague, Seiji as well as local talent to Barcelona’s music scene.
King Cannibal & Wrongtom at the Cosmic Jam Party
At the same time he began broadcasting the Global Souljah radio program in association with BBE Records, programming adventurous dance and soul music. Broadcast on Scanner FM in Barcelona, BLN FM in Berlin and other stations as well as online, Global Souljah evolved into Audio Texture. Audio Texture gives James a solid platform from which he can promote the music he loves and to continue his role as a musical tour guide, so to speak.
MundoVibe caught up with James Barrie to discuss his life in music and his ambitious plans for Audio Texture.
MundoVibe: James, you have been involved in music for what seems to be most of your life. How did music become such an essential part of what you do?
James Barrie: Actually I came to music a bit late, when I was around 26. I was always a keen, eclectic music fan, veering towards the esoteric, from the age of 13. I was equally at home at a Pixies or Pop Will It Eat Itself gig as listening to rare groove at Club Sandino with Blue Boy DJing in Northampton, my home town. I then got my mind blown by the whole UK rave scene which I jumped into feet first in 1990. The atmosphere was so incredible I basically lived for the weekend for about 18 months before the drugs started to take their toll, prompting me to move to Amsterdam, which on reflection perhaps wasn’t the best idea at the time.
I then embarked on a period of travelling for the next 6 years, working in ski resorts, hitch hiking around Europe and travelling around the world before I decided to settle down, sort my life out and earn some money by working for my father’s finance business. I soon realised it wasn’t for me and money wasn’t everything, so instead of saving for a mortgage deposit I spent all my money on some record decks, a decent stereo and loads of music and then thought right, I’ve got to do something I enjoy for the next 40 years, music it is and I moved down to London to make my fortune in the music business.
You site BBC Radio’s John Peel as an influence and inspiration to begin acquiring records. What was it about him that so inspired you?
John Peel is a Don, firstly for his unrepentant eclecticism, support for new artists and also for his radio style, which made you feel connected to him, like a friend or a cool uncle. He had such a laid back style, he wasn’t polished or pretentious, the show wasn’t full of jingles and over production, he sometimes played records at the wrong speed or played the wrong side which just made him seem even more human and likable.
Then there was the music! I’ve still got Ted Chippington and Napalm Death records and it’s entirely his fault. Whilst everyone at school was listening to Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet, Peter Williamson, my partner in crime at the time and myself were tuning in religiously to John Peel’s shows and as a consequence were buying The Dead Kennedys, Peter and The Test Tube Babies, Steel Pulse, The Fall and Ivor Cutler. To this day I still know all the lyrics to ‘California Uber Alles’ and ‘Too Drunk To Fuck’ – my poor middle class parents must have been expecting the worse when I was blasting those early 7″ punk singles out and shouting along.
I have to say Charlie Gillett also made me feel the same way with his radio show he also had great knowledge, great tunes and a friendly, disarming radio manner. It’s tragic they both died quite early when they still had so much to offer. Gilles Peterson is my other radio hero, solely for his musical tastes rather than his presenting style though.
The roles you’ve played in the music industry are many: DJ, record shop owner, promoter, publicist and consultant. How have you adapted to these various roles — is this a natural evolution?
A lot of these jobs are intertwined. As a DJ you’ve got your finger on your particular music pulse and it’s a short step from playing those tunes in clubs to promoting artists who make that music, writing about them or selling them. Evolution is probably the key word. Once you have a bit of experience in one role, see what’s going on and talk to other industry bods you discover what opportunities are available and with experience comes educated decision making about what works for you, what you are good at and what you enjoy.
Of these roles, which do you prefer?
My present roll as a music consultant and radio show host suits me just fine. Coupled with this I DJ occasionally and promote the odd party. I enjoy everything I do and even through the financial ups and downs and the fact I work long hours, it never seems like work, that is priceless.
Since you’ve been involved in the music culture and business how has it changed with the advent of the internet and digital formats?
In the last 15 years I’ve witnessed the biggest shake up of the music industry in it’s history, which is still happening with no real end in sight to the upheaval and uncertainty, it’s an exciting and scary time in equal measures. I’m sitting here in my office surrounded by 5000 dusty old records a couple of thousand CDs but now I rarely reach much past iTunes and a web browser to listen to music, which I have to say for someone who relies on organising large amounts of music and finding particular tunes quickly is a life saver.
The fact I don’t have to pay €10 for a 12″ b-side dub remix and can now pick it up whilst sitting on my lazy arse for 99c is a result as well, although being of a certain age I still head to the last remaining independent stores that suit my tastes when I can and I’m still interested in collecting old classic vinyl.
I also benefit from having my radio show podcast downloaded 10,000+ times a month, whereas before those people that like what I do in Australia, America, Brazil or wherever would never have heard of me. Rather worryingly though industry success is increasingly being measured by hits and views rather than money in the bank which is a bit worrying for new artists and record labels trying to make a living and that’s the modern music alchemist’s dream – to turn those hits into gold.
I could go on at real length here: from the way artists can now market themselves and bypass the industry – even though most of them would prefer and benefit from a record label and manager doing that so they can get on with producing music, to the mobile revolution, streaming, Mp3 increasing portability but ironically decreasing sound quality to me being able to mobilise people for a party with my Facebook friends and mailing lists. For anyone wanting to make sense of what is going on in this brave new musical world then I would recommend checking out http://www.hypebot.com/.
Vinyl records have made a considerable comeback in recent years. Do you see this as a permanent trend that will continue to grow? Does this have any impact on the music you are involved with?
Percentage wise vinyl purchases have increased for the lasts couple of years but you have to take into account vinyl use fell by about 90% (I’m guessing) before it started to rise again! Now most record labels are doing runs of 300 copies, 1,000 if they are really popular whereas just 7 or 8 years ago those figures would have been 5 times that. There will always be a market for physical sales, if only to satisfy the geeks and collectors in the world and those with decent hi-fi set ups that can notice the difference between a well mastered digital file and a vinyl record (which isn’t as much as they would like you to think) but I don’t see a major resurgence happening, simply because vinyl is so expensive these days and most people don’t have a record player any more!
Personally I’m really into music, not formats, but I have to admit to still preferring a physical product although I do buy a lot of MP3’s as well. For new albums I prefer a CD (well packaged please) for convenience sake – I don’t have to turn it over and it’s easy to rip and it’s there when my hard drive crashes. I like vinyl for original vintage recordings. It’s so evocative being able to hold that slice of musical history in your hands including the artwork and the format used at the time, despite the odd crackle and pop.
You more of less serve as a global ambassador for emerging producers, artists and genres. What would you define as your “mission”?
My “mission” is pretty ill defined. I basically wander open-minded and fairly randomly around the world of music that interests me, it just so happens I’m pretty inquisitive and restless so I enjoy searching out new artists and sounds. I then present the music that I find to anyone that will listen, whether it’s a radio show listener, punter in a club or a brand or establishment that would like to sound a bit different to their competitors. Sharing is a big part of what I do and also wanting to present an alternative to the dire pop (and increasing mono) culture that is increasingly pervasive. Internet radio in all it’s forms is a really important tool in that particular fight.
One thing that’s emerged with the internet has been the globalization of music and the rapid spread of artists from cities like London. What are your feelings on this?
Great!! It really has helped expose loads of interesting new music to people that would never have heard it. The less artists are at the mercy of lazy journalism, commercial media concerns and narrow media channels the better. If you relied on most of the music press and radio for example in Barcelona you wouldn’t know much about bassline culture but if Kode 9 or Pearson Sound comes to town then the club will be rammed and you can thank the internet for that. The internet for all the woe it’s brought to the music industry, record sales in particular, definitely has it’s positive sides and instant communication and easy personalised search and discovery are amongst them. There has been a real interest in Russian beat producers like DZA, Long Arm and Pavel Dovgal in the last year helped by the internet and it has also helped spread the word about obscure regional music genres like Kuduro or Brega for instance in recent times.
You’ve hosted the long running radio program, Audio Texture (formerly Global Souljah) for several years. What was the inspiration for this program and how has it evolved?
The show is basically a vehicle for me to share some of the music I am passionate about to a wider audience. The idea behind the show hasn’t altered although I’d like to think my presenting style has grown more confident. It’s simply a trawl through my current musical interests, the latest acts worthy of the hype, music which I am fortunate to get sent and stumble across with a few classics thrown in.
Since Audio Textures is known for its eclecticism, how do you go about programming it?
I choose 60 minutes of the best tunes of that week, lightly research them to make me sound all knowledgable and clever. I then try and make the most coherent ‘mixtape’ from all the styles and tempos I can, before recording the show in one take. I try to make my presenting as unobtrusive as possible whilst at the same time imparting a bit of knowledge before unleashing it on the world for anyone who cares to listen.
Since you undoubtedly receive loads of music, do you see the quality going down with the ease of production? What makes a track or artist stand out and make it to Audio Texture?
There is undoubtedly an increasing amount of crap music out there aided by the advent of affordable technology and the ability to download expensive production software for free. Fortunately you can apply lots of filters to it all to help the task of tracking down the cream. Before I used to trawl expensive Soho record stores in London, now I mostly trawl loads of record lists from the likes of Boomkat, Vinyl Underground, Bleep, All City and Sounds Of The Universe and subscribe to lots of record label mail outs from labels that I like and trust. Bandcamp notifications are increasingly playing a part as artists start to take control and swap a free track for an email address. I wish I had spare time to listen to more radio shows and podcasts as a trusted selector is also an aid to sorting the wheat from the chaff.
As to what makes a track stand out and make it to the show well it just has to move me in some way. I try and stay immune from all the hype surrounding certain releases and just have a listen, if it makes me smile, dance, sing or nod my head then it’s in with a good chance.
You’ve recently made the move from London to Barcelona. What was the motivation for this move and how do you find living there? Are you tapped into the city’s music culture or inspired by it?
I’ve been in Barcelona for five years now. I first fell in love with the city when I came here to visit friends and for Sonar years ago and I’d been mulling a new life in a smaller city with some decent weather. After 9 years of living in London I was running out of energy to make the most of the city, which requires you to work hard, play hard and cover long distances in crowded public transport or slow moving traffic.
I have to say the reality has largely lived up to the dream. I’ve had to adjust certain expectations like not being able to earn a living from DJing which was my initial intention but it’s all good and I can safely say that I will be here for a while although I don’t rule out a further move sometime in the future. The more laid back culture here suits me nicely as well with more emphasis put on friends and family, less on money (maybe because it’s harder to earn here?) and you can’t put a price on decent weather on a regular basis.
The only downside here is the music culture but after living in London that is only to be expected. There is a real lack of variety here not helped by a lack of venues. The decent spaces have entrenched promoters and owners who are largely unimaginative and unreceptive to change,. The Ajuntamento (powers that be) also decided to crack down a few years ago, in an attempt to make the city more business like, on the largely unlicensed music scene here which was quite vibrant spawning acts like Ojos De Brujo and Macaco, without allowing any alternatives to develop. They now seem to have realised their mistake but I don’t see any movement at present to rectify things. Consequently the scene here is pretty dire and uninspiring despite all the Barcelona Mestizo hype from a few years ago.
Not being one just to complain though I launched the Contraflow parties here 3 years ago, bringing over people like Seiji, DJ Food, Bonobo, DJ Moneyshot, King Cannibal and it was one of the best parties in the city for about 18 months. The lack of venues was a problem though. After battling multiple gangster venue owners that were intent on relieving me of my money (there is a good reason those venues are empty on a weekend!) I finally found a home in an old heavy metal club with a crucifix on the back wall and a pentagram light shade. It had nice warehouse vibes, laid back security but the cost of installing decent sound and visuals coupled with international DJ fees meant it was hard to make a living despite organising Sonar parties for Ninja Tune and the Red Bull Music Academy when they were based here.
Once Audio Texture is up and running and making decently lolly and I don’t have to rely on the parties to pay the rent I will get back on the scene though. Barcelona is my home and I want to contribute to its musicality and vibrancy. The idea is eventually to develop the parties into a festival and even a new forward-thinking venue equipped with killer sound that this city so badly needs. I know it’s going to be an almighty battle with bureaucracy but I have some cunning plans to make it happen, all I need now is the money.
One of the services you now offer as part of Audio Textures is as a music consultant. What sort of consulting services could a client come to you for?
The main services I offer through Audio Texture at the moment are in-store music and music branding. People, businesses and organisations come to me if they want musical advice. It could be help in selecting the correct music to represent their brand values, creating some great playlists to enhance the atmosphere in an establishment, program some music for an event or recently for example to compile, license and manufacture a CD for sale in a chain of stores. I am also looking to push into the world of TV, film and advertising synch next year. Audio Texture is presently just me and I just focus on the music which I am passionate about, which luckily is quite a wide spectrum and which largely suits more sophisticated and progressive brands and spaces, so it’s quite a personal and hence unique selection that I offer. Don’t come to me if you want a country & western or greatest hits selection for your Irish bar, which has already happened and which got refused — my life is too short to work with music I’m not passionate about.
Do you still get that thrill with music that you had when you first started? What keeps it exciting for you?
The music buzz is still there. Music can get me singing out loud, dancing round the office or badly serenading my girlfriend much to her distress. I love music whether its digging into musical history or searching for and dropping the latest beats. It helps that I’m not growing old gracefully and will be the last one to be dragged off a dancefloor if the music is good. I try not to let my knowledge get in the way of a good new tune that wears it’s influences and samples on it’s sleeve, I try and see music through the eyes of a 19 year old without all the baggage of multiple references, though if you put a heavily auto-tuned vocal in your track I will switch it off immediately and delete it from all playlists.
What genres of music and what artists do you have your eye on at the moment? What trends do you see for the summer of 2011?
Personally I’m on a bit of a folk rock mission at the moment. I’ve ignored the rock side of music for a while now but I’m learning to love it again helped by great compilations like Americana from BBE, the Joel Martin & Mo Morris mix CDs, the Popo Vuh remix project and the likes of Paul White using obscure Swedish prog rock artists as sample source material, I’ve even dug out my old Bad Brains albums although I might have to train a bit more before I dust off the Extreme Noise Terror Peel Sessions again.
If you want the latest trends then head over to Hype Machine although personally I can sense that more electronic producers will be inspired by the likes of Flying Lotus and Fourtet and start working with live musicians and vocalists more. As studio projects and producers can’t now rely on recorded sales to survive and the synch market is becoming ultra competitive they need to take the show on the road and there is nothing more boring than some geeky studio bod stuck behind a lap top, nervously looking up occasionally- I want to see a bass player, percussionist, horns, singer and at least two dancing girls, though how the artists and labels will afford it with no money is another matter.
What can we expect from Audio Texture in the future?
Audio Texture will be many things in the future, expect to see the radio show continue and hopefully get picked up by some more cool independent stations and an increase in the podcast listener base. I’m looking for a lot more clients for Audio Texture which will then give me the means to develop club nights, a festival and a permanent club space and to be a general force for musical good in the Iberian peninsular and beyond. Check the blog and radio show to keep updated – http://www.audiotexture.blogspot.com
Growing up in two countries — Chad as children and France as teens — the women of Les Nubians, Hélène and Célia Faussart, were shaped by both cultures. On their third recording, Nü Revolution their pan-African vision remains as vibrant and clear as ever. Nü Revolution embodies, both through music and lyrics, a true sense of ‘World Citizenship.’ Featuring special guests ranging from African music legend Manu Dibango to indie soul icon Eric Roberson, with South African pop stars Freshly Ground, Ghanian-American MC Blitz The Ambassador and Polish MC John Banzaï along for the ride. Les Nubians manage to make the blend of so many diverse elements seem logical and organic; it flows quite naturally from their multicultural lives.
MundoVibe’s John C. Tripp spoke with Hélène and Célia on the Nü Revolution via telephone from their new home of Brooklyn just after their first performance ever in the Caribbean island of St. Maarten.
MundoVibe: Congratulations on your third full-length recording, I’ve been absorbing it and I love it. It’s got a great message to it, it’s really uptempo, very celebratory vibe and I think it’s going to blow up for you. So, this Nü Revolution, I want you to tell me about it because I want to be part of it.
Les Nubians: Well, Nu Revolution is a two year process to put together and Nu Revolution, why, I guess NU for “new universe” and we’re entering a new time, everything is kind of changing and no more types of frontiers because of the internet. I feel like because of the written histories we all went through, the recession crisis, all the wars and all the natural catastrophies we feel even more related to each other than ever. So, this is a new universe we’re living in. There’s finally worldwide citizenship that’s for real now.
Diego Garcia, the former frontman of acclaimed garage rock band Elefant, may have been born in the wrong era: he wears his heart on his songwriting sleeve. But more likely he’s just continuing a tradition of strong songwriting, albeit with a romantic sensibility.
Diego Garcia "Laura"
On his solo debut album, ‘Laura,’ he explores his Latin roots with a sound that conjures the spirit of 1970s troubadours like Sandro, Jobim and Jose Jose. It is the fusion of these Latin influences with the era’s “anglo” visionaries, artists like David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, and Bryan Ferry, which makes this project truly special.
Minor keys, cello, nylon classical guitars, light drums, and wooden tambourines help create a vibe of tenderness and intimacy on “Laura”. With lush string arrangements, delicate Spanish guitars, and distinctly Latin flavor, the album is worlds apart from Elefant. What remains a constant is the romantic within.
Garcia’s new album was inspired by the loss of love. His music was a means of healing and closure and “Laura” is a musical diary during four years of torn feelings over the break up with the love of his life (don’t worry there’s a happy ending).
Alberto Gil & Cory Wong. Photo Credit: Unai J. Bolivar
Minneapolis based musician/producer Cory Wong is on a mission to spread the music of Peru’s coast as far and wide as possible. Last April, he traveled to Lima and assembled an ensemble to help document Afro-Peruvian music. The group was called Peña (a meeting place or grouping of artists/musicians) and two albums from the sessions have been released since last October on Wong’s Secret Stash Records. A third Peña volume, released this April, remixes some of the original tracks.
Volume 1
The first Peña effort was a collection of 17 tracks that eloquently displayed the different styles within the genre and was accompanied by a documentary DVD, impressively packaged in an lavish wooden box. The album quickly received critical praise from tastemaker’s like NPR Music, PRI’s The World, All Music, Blurt, Afropop, etc. and landed on many year end lists.
MundoVibe caught up with Peña’s Producer and Musician Cory Wong to discuss the history of Afro-Peruvian music and how Peña came to document it.
MundoVibe: It was just a year ago that you visited Lima, Peru to record and release Peña. What was the inspiration for you to venture to Peru and to make this recording?
Cory Wong: It came from a long standing relationship with my guitar mentor Andrés Prado. He is from Lima and lived here in Minnesota for several years and is now back there. He instilled in me a passion for Afro-Peruvian music and taught me a lot about the culture and where this music has come from. I wanted to do a project like this for a long time and last March I was at lunch with Eric Foss and we just decided that it was time to make it happen. 2 weeks later he, Unai Bolivar and I were standing in Lima with a bunch of gear ready to go!
Disco get a rebirthing by Scotland’s Prolific DJ and Producer, Al Kent. MundoVibe Interviews Al Kent on his long history in dance music and his groundbreaking disco recordings and his Disco Love series on BBE
Disco never died. Some 40 years after its ascent up the charts its DNA is all over the myriad of dance music genres that keep us grooving, bumping and grinding. Without disco there would be no dance music as we know it today. It is disco that fused soul music with a booty-inducing groove, so infectious that it reached the far corners of the planet with its life-affirming sound.
One person who felt the earth move under the disco groove was Scotland’s Al Kent who, at an early age, had begun collecting rare soul and disco records (thanks to a dad who’s eclectic record purchases influenced Kent in a profound way). With the Northern Soul scene in full swing, Kent found himself immersed in a fervent and vibrant music culture. With this as his foundation he ventured deep into collecting vinyl, amassing a collection of rare grooves that would serve as his inspiration and sound library for years to come.
With the explosive arrival of house music, Kent began to experiment with music production and launched his musical career producing house tracks alongside Darrell Banks and a young Milton Jackson, but the turn of the decade saw him refocus his attentions to one of his earlier musical loves: Disco.
Using his house production skills, Kent launched his Million Dollar Disco label, featuring his unique re-edits of classic disco, pulling sounds from his now enviable collection of vintage disco and obscurities. These nuggets were well received but Kent wanted more: he wanted to create real disco and not just sample it. Kent formed his own disco band — The Million Dollar Orchestra — and proceeded to record a disco record so convincing that purists thought it was a long lost treasure from the disco vaults. “Better Days” was recorded in the traditional way, mostly one take, in an analogue studio. The sound is rich, lush, string laden, beautiful disco music, full of joy with phenomenal musicianship.
Not one to rest, Kent followed up “Better Days” with the equally lush “Secret Sounds”, all mixed by engineer Marco Rea in his analogue throughout studio, The Barn, with final production done by Kent his home studio (christened “The Disco Room” by his 4-year-old daughter). The results are pure disco heaven.
In addition to Million Dollar Orchestra, Al Kent has numerous compilations of his mixes, edits and even the sleeve artwork to his credit. It seems a natural that Kent would connect with London’s disco-loving BBE Records and his two Disco Love compilations and mixes for the label are must haves for disco and dance music connoisseurs. On these releases Kent selects and mixes his favourite lesser known tracks from the heyday of disco, most of which are Kent’s own exclusive edits. Black Rock, Crosstown Traffic, Patricia White and Quinn Harris are amongst the artists that have gone under the knife.
Like such legendary DJs as John Morales and Producer/Remixers like Tom Moulton, Al Kent has kept the spirit of disco alive with his passion for the music. In this day of auto-tuning and instant dance tracks it’s rare to find someone so dedicated to staying true to its spirit and soul. Like that perennial disco classic, Al Kent is here to stay.
MundoVibe Editor John C. Tripp corresponded with Al Kent over two weeks for this in-depth and definitive interview on his musical journey and his love for all things disco and beyond.
MundoVibe: Here it is some 40 or so years since the advent of disco and it is still influencing and inspiring DJs, producers and listeners. What do you think it is about disco that has give it such staying power?
Al Kent: It’s just good music. If you asked a soul or rock or jazz fan the same question it would still be relevant to them, so I don’t think we can say only disco has staying power; good music transcends time. But from a dance music perspective, disco nailed it. There are so many elements in there that it’s hard for anyone to resist – if you like drums, or if you like percussion, or you’re into soul or whatever – you’ll surely find something that touches you in a decent disco record.
I believe music production peaked in the 1970s, again not just on disco records but in music generally. Cheap and easy took over in the ’80s and even more so in the ’90s. It feels like we’re at a point where no popular music is made in anything even resembling traditional ways. Maybe disco is still loved by people because it’s of a time when musicianship and production were so highly polished that it feels like something special. The biggest trend after disco was house and those records were being made almost solely for dance-floors. Obviously there are exceptions, but in general the producers weren’t making music to be listened to outside of clubs. Whereas disco was a progression from R&B and soul which was always danced to anyway. So I guess quality is a big factor. (It’s worth noting that the worst disco records are the ones that were clearly made just to make people dance and cash in on the craze.)
Having said all that, I’m not sure that disco always had this “staying power”. The big backlash at the end of the ’70s meant it was scorned by most people to the point where it was almost forgotten.. other than the kind of records people in afro wigs would dance to in ’70s theme bars. House producers sampling old disco records was probably the starting point of a revival, helping people to understand a bit more about the music. Then compilations like Dave Lee’s “Jumpin’” series or Nuphonic’s “Loft” albums were a real education, books like “Last Night a DJ Saved My Life” and especially “Love Saves The Day” opened a lot of people’s eyes to what disco music was really all about. I think it’s fair to say that a hell of a lot of people would still think “Boogie Wonderland” was the Epitome of disco if it wasn’t for these things.
MundoVibe: The musicianship of that era has definitely stood the test of time and sadly much of today’s productions values pale in comparison. There’s also something about this music that expresses an unbridled emotion and feeling. What song or moment do you remember where the music really connected with you? What was it about it that spoke to you instead of, say, rock music?
Al Kent: That’s quite a tough question to answer because I got into disco gradually through soul music. So my eureka moment would’ve been hearing Marvin Gaye for the first time or something. To this day I can’t put my finger on why. I’ve always had a bit of the maverick in me so it’s possible I wanted to like something none of my peers liked, but there was definitely something in soul music that really touched me. It was all about the voice in those days though; Otis Redding became my idol. Then I discovered northern soul and the music itself became as important as the song, so that would be where my passion for “soulful dance music” came from.
I was such a music snob though (probably still am to a certain degree) – records had to be from the 1960s, had to be by black artists. But through exposure to later releases at northern soul events I slowly started to appreciate more “disco” records. No one over here really knew they were disco records at the time though. Curtis “How Can I Tell Her”, Anthony White “Hey Baby” or Rare Pleasure “Let Me Down Easy” were typical records that were played by people who’d turn their noses up at disco. It’s likely that the books and stuff mentioned above have actually influenced the way a lot of people now understand those records.
You mentioned emotion and feeling and I think in essence that’s the answer to the question. All the music I love has that quality, whether it’s the Teddy’s voice and the polished strings on a Philly record, or the passion of some unknown singer giving it everything he’s got because he only has the money for one day in the studio and his bus fare home!
MundoVibe: It seems you’ve had this driving love for this music since your youth in Scotland. What were your experiences and impressions then that gave you such a strong desire to be part of the disco/soul culture?
Al Kent: I think I partly answered that in the previous question.. I have a strong independent streak, especially when it comes to music. I’ve always avoided the mainstream and northern soul is probably the ultimate underground scene. It took quite a bit of dedication to be part of it, certainly in the 1980s when I was around it. The records were obscure and generally expensive, you couldn’t find them in your high street record shops. The venues were all miles away, always involving quite a journey. Some places were so hard to reach it’s a wonder anyone actually showed up! And of course the music was amazing.
All these things appealed to me greatly; I never had any interest in the music played in local clubs, or the people who frequented them. There was never any trouble at all-nighters, very little alcohol was consumed and there wasn’t a drunken mad dash at the end of the night to desperately try your luck with a girl, followed by some sort of street brawl.. which was pretty much what was going on in regular night clubs around me. There was a real sense of camaraderie and I quickly made hundreds of friends through this shared obsession with soul music. I could pretty much go to any northern soul event anywhere in the country and know I’d meet at least one group of friends. And I regularly did!
There was never a disco culture here in Scotland, even in its heyday. I’m too young to have visited clubs back then, but I’d be surprised if my local DJs had ever heard of Tom Moulton or Walter Gibbons, or if they’d played anything they couldn’t pick up in their nearest record shop. The records I mentioned above were examples of northern (or “modern”) soul records I’d hear at all-nighters, but they were always the 7″ versions and were played more because the tempo and/or rarity fitted the scene.
MundoVibe: The Northern Soul scene had a great impact on you then. Was it a big step to then begin amassing records and DJing or was it just a natural thing to do then? What was in your mind at that time, was it a sort of rebellious thing to do?
Al Kent: I never planned to be a DJ, or even to collect records actually.. amassed is probably quite a good word. I just bought records because I liked them and wanted to own them, but have never seen myself as a collector – collecting things seems a bit too nerdy, even for me. I bought records from a really young age so it wasn’t anything new to buy northern soul stuff. Just a lot more expensive!
I think it’s natural for anyone with a passion for something to want to share that somehow. So I guess it was natural to want to play my records to an audience. The first time I did it was just in a local community hall a few of us hired for the night. I played some records but I don’t remember thinking of myself as a DJ but I did enjoy it and we put on quite a few other events in various places. Looking back it was probably more about the event itself, a desire to put on a party, than about me being a DJ.
I’m not sure there’s actually such a thing as a professional northern soul DJ, it’s really just guys with good records who play for beer money and travel expenses. So it would be rare to find someone who describes himself as a DJ.
MundoVibe: Since there were no self-identified DJs in the Northern Soul scene, was the DJ culture and loft scene in places like New York City something that you were aware of? Were there other scenes or tends going on that gave you inspiration and guidance as you moved forward?
Al Kent: I’ve possibly misled you slightly – there were actually “name” DJs on the northern circuit, but what I mean is it wasn’t so much a career as it would be for a club DJ or for a mobile DJ. Of all the DJs we booked I don’t remember ever negotiating fees, it was all very much “whatever you can offer”. Generally the bigger names were also record dealers so had access to the best records and playing them at events was all just part of the obsession.
But to answer your question: no, I had no knowledge whatsoever of what had gone on in the states at that time. I’ve always been a bit of a hoarder though so would pick up old magazines or books if they looked interesting and I learned a little about disco that way. Then I came across some 12″ singles and started seeing the same names as remixers, or recognising certain labels and seeing things like “special disco mix” on the sleeves. Very slowly I started to paint a picture in my mind. I don’t remember consciously looking for information on disco music, but it did get into my subconscious.
It wasn’t until the house explosion at the end of the ’80s/early ’90s that I really started to DJ semi-regularly and I sort of moved away completely from the soul scene. That was where I learned a bit about mixing and started to pick up bits of information about people like Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles and the roots of house music, which is obviously disco. That whole Chicago thing, and the NY scene that preceded it was something I was never aware of before house music.
MundoVibe: So how did the Northern Soul movement mesh with the house music scene in Scotland? Considering the production values of house music one might think there’d be a certain distaste for it from a purist perspective. What was your experience with house?
Al Kent: The crossover was minimal at that point.. not only based on the difference in music, but it was a completely different scene. As I’ve mentioned a couple of times, northern soul really is an obsession to most people on the scene, so nothing else matters when you’re involved. House music got so big though that a few people did either move away from the soul scene altogether or would go to house music parties as well as soul events, but they were in the minority.
One of the most important people as far as introducing house music to Scotland was Yogi Haughton who also came from a northern soul background. It was at one of his events I first heard house music, and saw the effect it was having on people. There were two rooms in this venue, one playing northern soul, the other house and I met a friend on the stairs between the two rooms who was there for the house music. She dragged me into her room and to be honest it kind of freaked me out a bit.. northern soul events were always quite basic affairs – community halls or decrepit old ballrooms, primitive sound systems, dimmed lights. This room was full of smoke with a full light show, booming sound and it was packed shoulder to shoulder with people basically going crazy! I didn’t particularly get it, but was intrigued nonetheless. My next experience was at Southport weekender which was always quite big for northern soul fans but had recently branched out into clubbier stuff. A few of us ventured out of the soul room and spent some time listening to house music and this time i was less freaked out and more intrigued.
I found myself at a few more parties, bought a few of the records and slowly started to move more into that scene.
MundoVibe: House music seems to have spread in an almost viral manner, since I remember how huge it was in New York City and other cities in the States. This was also long before the internet could have any role in its dissemination. What do you think it was about house music that connected with so many people in so many places?
Al Kent: Because I came to house from a totally different place I wasn’t aware of it as early as those who were around when it first arrived over here. The first people to embrace it would have been DJs from the warehouse scene, or maybe into electro and so on as the first imports were sold in the same places they did their record shopping. By the time I got wind of it the party was in full swing so I can’t honestly say why the music took off like it did.
From my own experience it was the parties that got me, and I’m sure a lot of people would say the same. The atmosphere was incredible, and I know it’s not cool to say so, but ecstasy played a big part in that. As a music lover though I started buying some of the better records I was hearing.
MundoVibe: So true, I can’t remember a house music party during that time where ecstasy wasn’t being consumed, it seems that drugs have always been a factor in music scenes. With the scene blossoming with these huge parties and with house and disco as the template how did your DJing and production path develop from that point? When did it become full fledged?
Al Kent: My first “professional” gigs, as in being hired and paid, were in a local club. I guess much like the NY disco scene, when house hit everyone wanted a house night and a friend of mine knew a couple of guys who were looking for a DJ. I had some records so pretty much got the job for no other reason. I had no idea what I was doing in that environment – I didn’t even know what the pitch control on a turntable was for! But I bluffed it as best I could and over the weeks, through trial and error and watching DJs at other parties, taught myself to mix. That was at a time when you could fill a club all weekend every weekend if the music was right and the management and door staff were tolerant. So I was quite lucky to find myself in that position. That was probably when I started to take DJing more seriously because I was getting some money. I didn’t have a job so being paid to play records meant I could buy more records and blow the rest partying the rest of the weekend! But I was playing 100% new releases then. I didn’t see a place for disco at that point.
Production-wise, I think everyone who’s into music must have the urge to make some themselves, especially at that time when every DJ seemed to be releasing records. So I was always keen to try. I had a few false starts, paying an old rock engineer who happened to own a sampler but had no idea what house music was, trying to work with people who had conflicting ideas to mine and so on. I did produce a few records that I’m certainly not proud of now, but they started the ball rolling. Eventually I started doing some work with Glasgow’s Solemusic who were very supportive and put me into a decent studio which is when I would say I got more enthused about producing music. Without Stevie Middleton from Solemusic I would probably have given up and looked for a job!
MundoVibe: It seems we take a lot for granted with technology now. Having access to decent equipment has always been part of the challenge of creating music. How has your production (thus your music) evolved then as technology and your own experiences have matured?
Al Kent: Well, back when I first started I didn’t know anything about anything.. literally nothing. I’d show up at a studio with a bag of records and little more than an idea in my head. So the end result was always a bit hit and miss, and very very basic. Quite often I’d leave the studio with a cassette of my track and just feel I’d wasted a whole day because it was rubbish. But time is money. Then I got a decent Mac and a copy of Cubase VST and slowly taught myself to use that. So I could spend as long as I wanted on recording and editing, meaning I could take a completed track to the studio and spend a day mixing it instead of most of the day arranging and a quick mix before time was up. That was still pretty basic stuff though – a couple of samples over house drums.
Now I have an even more powerful Mac, but still use Cubase. I’ve never upgraded from version 2 of SX because it does what I need it to do. People ask me which I use; Logic or Pro Tools and I blush when I tell them Cubase. But I don’t use any plug-ins or virtual instruments or whatever, so I don’t see the point in spending a ton of money on something I then need to learn to use just to do the same thing I use Cubase for anyway.
I’m actually going in the opposite direction to everyone else now – I’ve got an old analogue mixing desk, some old keyboards and little bits of outboard gear that I’m adding to slowly. Because all my influences are old 1970s records that’s the sound I’m hoping to achieve, so digital doesn’t do it for me. The Mac’s really only for editing and arrangement, or I suppose I’ll use plug-ins for speed when writing or for knocking up a demo. So, to answer the question, my music hasn’t really evolved through technology, other than the ability to work on my own without the need for an engineer until the final stages.
It’s probably evolved through my experiences though. But that’s just natural for anything you spend a lot of time doing – instead of a couple of samples over house drums it’s a few musicians, or instead of a few hours arranging it’s a few days. I guess experience has given me more confidence to do more than just the basic stuff I started with.
MundoVibe: What productions did you release that you are most satisfied with?
Al Kent: From back then? Probably the first one is a song called “Good Inside” which was the first time I’d used vocals. It was just an accapella over some samples, very simple stuff, but it all worked really well together. “Love is Freedom” which I produced with Milton Jackson before he went all deep house and successful was along the same lines. Those samples worked incredibly well together. Even now I smile when I hear that one! The other one from that era is “Come Back Home” which again is the same idea – a nice vocal over some disco samples.
I guess it’s the “songs” I got satisfaction from. I realise it’s not particularly creative to lay a few samples on top of each other though and thousands of people have made thousands of similar records. It’s usually by accident you come across things that work so well, but that’s part of what makes it so satisfying.
The project I’m most satisfied with is easily the Million Dollar Orchestra album. There’s not a sample on there at all and it took about two years to get that together.
MundoVibe: Well, with the Million Dollar Orchestra you went all out and hired all live musicians for a full fledged disco production. How did you put this together and what were the challenges in doing this? Are youpleased with the results?
Al Kent: The initial idea was never to take it so far – I’d got really bored with just using samples and hadn’t actually had any interest in the type of music I was making for a number of years. I hadn’t bought a new release, didn’t play any new releases as a DJ and didn’t enjoy going to clubs and hearing new music. I was really just going through the motions because it was how I’d become comfortable working. It was laziness. And it was pointless; I got no satisfaction from it and certainly wasn’t getting any money from it. So I started toying with the idea of making some disco tracks, something more from the heart. The first step was “writing” which consisted of me creating some backing tracks from samples; bits of percussion and drum loops from disco records. Then I got a couple of friends to play keys and bass, just emulating records I played to them. I got maybe twelve or so rough ideas together and spent a bit of time editing and getting something coherent out of the few bits I had. I still didn’t have a plan at that point though.
Mark Robb, a good friend of mine who’s very involved in a lot of soul and jazz things that go on in Glasgow got quite interested in what I was doing and asked if I could do a live show for him. I’ve never been known to turn down a gig so Mark and I put together a band to perform some of the tracks I was writing plus a couple of covers. We had a few loose rehearsals normally with only a few people at a time turning up but the show went really well. That was when I started to think about scrapping all the stuff I’d been working on and recording it all live. It seemed weird to have met all these amazing musicians then to sit back down at my computer and start chopping up samples again.
So we did some more rehearsals to let everyone get a feel for the tracks and I booked a studio…
The challenges were really just the sheer number of musicians we had to work with… that and the amount of channels we needed to use on the desk! Thankfully Marco Rea, whose studio we used, is a fantastic engineer so he handled everything perfectly. Without him I don’t think we could’ve got anywhere near as good a result as we did. Editing was very time consuming. We were doing it together in the studio initially, but once I realised how long it was taking I brought everything home and worked on it here. That was kind of hard work.. I went from the couple of samples over house drums I was used to, to something like 56 tracks of strings, horns, percussion and so on.. I think we got carried away! But I loved every minute of it.
I’m really pleased with the results. It’s unusual because normally when I listen to something I’ve made all I can hear is what could’ve been better. My only regret is that we didn’t record any songs. Well, we actually did, but they didn’t make it onto the album. We’d come so far down the road producing the tracks as instrumentals that when we added vocals as an afterthought they just didn’t gel. Still, it means we have some lyrics already written for the next album!
MundoVibe: The result of that first recording from Million Dollar Orchestra was “Better Days”, which came out on BBE Records. How did you connect with BBE? What was the response to the release? How did people react knowing out that you’d gone to such efforts to record it?
Al Kent: I still didn’t have any solid plans when I finished the album, I just sent copies round a load of labels I thought might be interested. The loose idea I had was to put it out myself if need be but it would obviously be better to get somebody more experienced behind it. BBE is a label I’d always admired so they were one of the ones I approached. A few labels got back to me but I really liked BBE’s attitude to the album, and business in general, so happily went with them.
The response was good – I didn’t expect to make a fortune from it, so it came as no surprise when I didn’t, but the feedback I got was all very positive. Which is really all you can ask for if you’re involved in anything creative; that people you admire, or people who share your tastes appreciate something you’ve done. It’s always really difficult to judge your own music – when I listen I can hear each element and listen a lot more closely than a casual listener would, so I really have no idea how they sound as complete tracks, and especially have no idea if I got the recording and mixing process right for what I was hoping to achieve. Thankfully a lot of people were fooled into thinking it was recorded in the 1970s, so I guess it worked out.
I think people who know me, or know of me, were most impressed with what I’d done.. I was asked about samples and things like that when it was released, so I’m sure there are plenty of people who had no idea the lengths I’d gone to. But through the MDD site, mailing list and various interviews I did there were a lot of people who knew early on what I was up to. It was great to get feedback from those people because it was partly based on their appreciation of the work involved. But at the end of the day, no matter how long it took or how much work we’d put into it, it’s the finished product that counts. The tracks could’ve been rubbish after all that so any positive critiques were good, whether the person knew the background or not.
There were a couple of negative things – someone didn’t like it because it wasn’t as good as Tom Moulton or Patrick Adams! (must remember to record MFSB in Sigma Sounds next time then!) And one guy on a forum called it the worst most boring fake record of the year! That was a bit weird.
Was Al Kent born with headphones on? The disco love started young.
MundoVibe: “Better Days” not only fooled many into thinking it was the real thing, it also received accolades for its authenticity and for its modern sound. How did this release shape your next projects, did you apply a different methodology to what you did?
Al Kent: The next project was “Secret Sounds” which was a lot simpler than the Orchestra thing because there was very little recording involved. I would imagine most people who produce music have hard discs full of unfinished and forgotten tracks; I had tons – rough ideas, tracks I’d gone off, MDO sessions we hadn’t used. Better Days had taken so long and been really costly (I had to sell a lot of records to finance it) so I couldn’t just simply do a follow up until I’d had a rest and recouped some money. But I also couldn’t see myself taking an actual break. So I worked with what I had. As far as my part in producing that project there wasn’t really any comparison to the Million Dollar Orchestra. But when it came to mixing I made sure I went back to Marco and we treated those sessions much the same as we did the other ones.. everything went through the desk and analogue outboard gear again, we bounced it to tape and so on.
I think we both learned a lot from the MDO sessions and I guess I do have a different way of working now thanks to that. I know now how I want things to sound and have a fair idea of how to get it right whereas there was a lot of trial and error before. And I find it quite difficult now to work on anything as simple as what I had been doing which is a bit of a hindrance as it slows everything down, but it’s hopefully worth it.
MundoVibe: Considering the work you put into learning this process and its genuine nod to classic disco let’s hope there’s more of this to come. Do you see any connections of what you are doing to other artists and studios? For example, in Brooklyn is Daptone Studios which treats soul music in a similar fashion as you to disco. Do you want to expand what you’re doing and bring other artists into it?
Al Kent: I have to be honest and admit that I don’t really keep up to date with who’s doing what. Of course I know of Daptone and a few other names are familiar, but my time is taken up so much doing my own thing that it’s difficult to investigate much else. But I suppose we’re all trying to do similar things.. make the music we’re influenced by in a respectful way and in a way that allows us to get an authentic sound. As I hinted at before, there’s no point in using old equipment and traditional method’s if your music sucks, so the recording process is only part of the puzzle.. but for me it’s a big part!
I’d love to work with other artists. Vocalists in particular. That’s the one thing that’s missing from my music and it’s something I’m very keen to rectify. I’ve spoken to a few people about it recently so that’ll be happening soon. I’d also love to work with other producers, just to bring some fresh ideas in. But it’s genuinely hard to find anyone who fits the way I want to work or who has the same influences, or complimentary influences.
MundoVibe: One would certainly think there’d be vocalists eager to work with you. If you could work with any vocalists from the classic disco era who might they be?
Al Kent: Without question Chaka Khan. But that’s a dream that’ll never come true! There are people who I’ve been in touch with who maybe sang on some obscure old 45, or people who I’ve run into on the dreaded facebook that I’d happily work with. The difficulty is they’re all in New York or Detroit so it’s not easy to record them, and I’d be terrified to do it without being present to oversee things.
MundoVibe: Maybe one day Chaka Khan will knock at your door, one never knows! Apart from your recording projects you have gained a solid reputation as a re-editor and compiler of rare disco and soul tracks, released as “Disco Love” by BBE. How did this project arise? Are these tracks culled from your own collection or do you seek them out? How do you go about the re-editing process?
Well I’d been doing these small run CDs of rare disco tracks for a while – “Disco Demands”- which I sold through the MDD site. I sent some of them to BBE around the time we were talking about the Million Dollar Orchestra. Peter said “Pity you didn’t let us put these out” or something like that, I said I had plenty more if he was genuinely interested and so we started planning the first Disco Love. I was really surprised because obviously there are some pretty serious people on that label and I’m just this guy from Glasgow who likes records.
The Disco Love tracks are all records I already have.. but I’ve noticed recently that I’ve been justifying a few purchases with the excuse that I can use them for a future compilation!
I don’t really have a particular set process when I’m editing. I think it’s the same with producing; half the time the initial idea you had won’t work and at some point you’ll go off on a tangent. Or give up. I’ve pretty much stopped trying to work things out in advance because it’s invariably a waste of time.
I’ll edit almost everything that I buy – either because there are parts I don’t like or other parts I particularly like, or just to give it a unique twist. I’ve bought so many records over the years though specifically because I thought I could make a good edit that have just been a complete waste of money!
Anyway, a rough idea of my editing process: Record the audio first, of course, then start chopping.. Usually I’ll hack away at the audio as it plays, deleting anything I don’t like straight off, highlighting anything I think will work particularly well. Then it’s usually a case of trial and error, looping certain parts, moving things around until I find a groove I like. Things have to feel natural, but also a bit unnatural if possible! Once all that’s out of the way it’s plain sailing.. it becomes quite organic.. just listening to the track you know what should happen at certain points so it’s only a matter of making sure these things happen when you sense they should.
MundoVibe: So, in a sense you are re-defining what disco is for modern ears with your edits. Can you pinpoint what is different now in terms of what is appealing to you and to the listener/dance-floor?
Al Kent: I don’t know if I’m necessarily doing it for modern ears – there’s a very long history of editing in disco and I feel like I’m really just keeping up that tradition.
I can’t speak for the dance-floor; I can only do what I like and hope that it works for them too. One thing I do know though is that I’m tired of hearing the same few disco records played again and again. So that’s mainly what drives me – trying to find records that maybe aren’t so well known or are underplayed or forgotten, but also sound great in a club (there are plenty of records that are unknown because they’re awful!). And then I try to make them sound even better! I love the classics too but for me it’s much better to play a new version instead of boring people with “I Know You I Live You” or “Do What You Wanna Do” for the zillionth time. And I guess that’s perhaps what I’m aiming for when I edit – I don’t want to play the same records that any other DJs play. Or at least not in the way they play them. That appeals to me and it’s probably refreshing for the dance-floor too.
House music obviously had a massive impact on the dance-floor which changed the way music was played in clubs. So I always think it’s a good idea to construct an edit with that in mind. All those edits you hear where someone’s looped the intro and then it’s just the song confuse me. What’s the point in that? It seems a lot of people just want to be able to say they did an edit. What appeals to me is creating a whole new track from something – sometimes even completely changing the feeling of something just by emphasising certain parts and losing others.
MundoVibe: So not only do you select rare tracks for the “Disco Love” releases, they are also stamped with your re-edited sound style. What tracks are you featuring in the new “Disco Love” release and how does it differ from the first?
Al Kent: I didn’t think I’d been too radical with the editing on Disco Love (I didn’t know I had a style either!). Although looking at the track-list now I actually did completely restructure quite a few of them.. I can’t help myself sometimes!
Disco Love 2 doesn’t differ so much from the first one in that it’s simply a bunch of records I really like. I didn’t have a set path for the first but from reviews I’ve seen it seems like there is some sort of theme I didn’t consciously plan. I just hope it isn’t ruined by part 2 as I didn’t have that in mind when I was choosing those tracks. But they’re both a reflection of my taste in music with records chosen for their quality rather than value or scarcity, so I’m sure the “theme” will carry on.
The songs on part two that are getting the best reactions are Sandy Barber “I Think I’ll Do Some Stepping On My Own” and Elijah John Group “Keep a Little Love For Yourself”, neither of which are particularly difficult to track down, but are great examples of the type of music I love.
Both albums have one track I submitted then regretted when it was too late though.. I always seem to do something stupid!
MundoVibe: With the compilations and Million Dollar Orchestra you have a lot to handle. What can we expect for the future? A live tour perhaps or a reunion with some of disco’s best DJs? What do you have planned?
Al Kent: The comps and so on are only part of it.. I keep a lot of balls in the air!
Million Dollar Orchestra live is something I would love to do at some point. We had quite a few offers after the first album, but obviously with that giant band and everyone having other commitments etc., it was very difficult to get anything together. The next time we record I’ll make sure there are some songs that can easily be played live without having 20 people on stage.. unless of course anyone has the budget for the full band, then I’ll gladly do a full show!
I don’t really make plans.. I just do what I can from day to day. Right now I’m working on a latin-ish disco project with a few guys, running a monthly party in a warehouse in Glasgow, re-editing like crazy, negotiating a tour of Australia, possibly Japan, possibly USA and working on some remixes for Blue Note and Clone.
The worthy successor to Ali Farka Touré. — Bassekou Kouyaté
Mali’s Sidi Touré sings the traditions of his Malian culture and beyond on his Thrill Jockey debut “Sahel Folk”
Sidi Touré made his first guitar as a child, constructing it from his wooden writing slate in the ancient town of Gao, Mali. Once the heart of the Songhaï empire and burial place of its Askia kings, the town rests between the Niger and the encroaching ocean of sand known as the Sahara Desert. The Songhai empire was the last of the great empires of the Sahel, reaching its zenith under Soni Alibert (Sunni Ali) in the mid 400’s. Sidi Touré was born here in 1959, but to be born a Touré, a noble family who trace their lineage directly from the Askia kings, carried a significance and onus of a past that reaches directly into the present. Like another Malian noble turned singer, Salif Keita, Sidi Touré faced a conflict between the inexorable pull of music and the expectations of family and society. Touré’s family had been sung about, and sung to, by traditional griots for centuries, but until a small boy challenged the rules, the Touré’s did not sing!
Velanche is the host and producer of Urban Landscapes, the weekly radio broadcast showcasing jazzy and soulful club culture from around the world. The show dives into nu-jazz, broken beat, rare funk, soul, house, downtempo, and related variants thereof.
Launched in January 1998, the show has evolved from its humble beginnings of ambient, downtempo and trip-hop sounds, evolving into its current form.
Velanche has been with KCPR, the college radio station of California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, since September 1997. He was also the RPM Director for the station for four years, as well as the alumni director. He has hosted other shows, and is currently co-host of Club 91, a weekly live dance mix show.
Velanche’s work with Urban Landscapes has earned a respectable following. He has profiled and/or interviewed a number of artists and producers, including Jonathan Moore from Coldcut, Jason Swinscoe from the Cinematic Orchestra, Martin Iveson aka Atjazz, Gilb’r of Chateau Flight (and founder of Versatile Records), Chris Vogodo from Zero dB (and co-founder of Fluid Ounce Records), The Angel, members of Bugz in the Attic, members of the Gonkyburg crew (Swell Session, Ernesto, Mimi Terris, and others), and Magnus Zingmark from Koop among others.
One thing that has changed is the loss of physicality of a music recording. Most people experience music now as an MP3 or digital track. Yet there is still a cassette and vinyl culture that collects and listens to music this way. Does the medium change the message of music, especially yours?
John Tripp Creative 