Little White Earbuds » podcast

LWE Podcast 33: Chilling the Do (aka Kassem Mosse & Mix Mup)

LWE Podcast 32: Shaun Reeves

LWE Podcast 34: St. Plomb

LWE Podcast 34: St. Plomb

Little White Earbuds — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:01:56 +0000

Although it’s hard to confirm he’s performed full-fledged miracles, St. Plomb certainly has traits we consider saintly in producers: His releases for Mental Groove Records, Viking Music and Brut! are sure remedies for the easily bored, cutting across funk, house, techno and jazz aesthetics, sometimes in the span of a single record. Together with Crowdpleaser he wrote the album 2006, one of that year’s defining points which managed to be oblivious to the surrounding trends. And rather than burn himself out after exhaustive tours, St. Plomb wisely took time off to care for his family and refocus his musical approach. Now, three years later, he’s recharged and ready to show the world the sort of grooves he’s always wanted to produce. For LWE’s 34th podcast, St. Plomb strings together an intoxicating and exclusive blend of house sounds that would soundtrack his ideal night out. He also kindly spoke to LWE in a rare interview, discussing his musical origins, the back story of his conspicuous absence, and the self-critical approach which hangs halos on his tunes.

Download: LWE Podcast 34: St. Plomb (87:21)

01. Outernational Meltdown, “Marimba Song” [B&W Music]
01.5 John “Julius” Knight & Roland Clark, “This Is House” (This Is House-A-Pella) [Soulfuric Trax]
02. Ekkohaus, “The Healer” (Kreon’s Lindermann Remix) [Morris/Audio]
03. Glenn Underground, “Negro Music” [Unified Records]
04. Leon ft. Corrina Joseph, “I Follow You” (Deetron’s Springtime Leaves Remix) [Rebirth]
05. Spencer Parker, “The Beginning” (Michel Cleis Remix) [Buzzin' Fly Records]
06. Men With Sticks, “3rd Eye” (Dixon’s Mash Up Edit) [Junior Boy's Own]
07. St. Plomb, “Escape Run” [Brut! Records]
08. Marlon D., “Deep Drum” (Underground Collective Mix) [Jellybean Soul]
09. James Teej, “Spending Life” (Affkt & Danny Fiddo Remix) [Rebirth]
10. DJ Pierre & Marshall Jefferson, “Clap Your Hands” (Soulsonik Dubstrumental St. Plombified) [*]
11. Free Chicago Movement, “Recognize” [Nuphonic]
12. Abacus, “The Answer” [Room With A View]
13. Terry Hunter presents Kgosi, “Advice From Father” (Africa Hi-Fi Vocal Mix) [T's Box]
14. Wbeeza, “He So Crazy” [Third Ear Recordings]
15. Peven Everett, “Got 2 Get Down” [Unified Records]
16. Âme, “Sarari” [Sonar Kollektiv]
* denotes unreleased tracks

I know you started out with funk and hip-hop; how did you get into house and techno from there?

St. Plomb: I actually started with jazz even before that. When all my mates were into Duran Duran, I was into Omar Hakim, I was learning drums in the local jazz school. In fact, I hated house when it first appeared in the clubs. In a matter of weeks, the four-to-the-floor beat had replaced the eclectic mixture of funk, disco, punk, rock, ska, pop and whatnot. I remember sitting in the middle of the dance floor to show my disapproval at the MAD club in Lausanne, in ‘88, as acid-house had just hit the turntables. Young and not yet famous Laurent Garnier was playing and I stupidly sat! The first electronic music to blow my mind was jungle in ‘94 — it wasn’t kick-based! Drum’n'bass made me want to start DJing seriously and producing. It’s only around 98 that I was introduced in a very pedagogical way to American and German techno by my friend Gregor (Crowdpleaser). Two DJs then had a great impact on me: Kevin Saunderson, because he made me feel the link between soul and techno, and Rolando because he played it the hip-hop way.

How did you meet Gregor? Did you have any preconceived notions for what you wanted to do together?

We’re coming from the same art school in Lausanne (ECAL). He’s a graphic designer now and I’m an art teacher. I helped him produce his first 12″ in my home studio, ten years ago. We quickly realized that we could get along very well in the working process without having to explain too much. So we started co-producing on Rather Be, sharing ideas 50/50, and it was like magic. I’ve been trying with lots of other people, and he’s the only one I keep collaborating with so far with great satisfaction.

Your music varies greatly from release to release. Are you always looking forward to trying new sounds? What is one underlying quality you believe exists in all your music?

As a matter of fact, I feel I’m finally settling down into something recently. Indeed, I got bored with styles, but I also have the feeling I was trying new things. You might call the resulting versatility a quality, but this has made my “career” very complicated so far, because I suppose it was a tad confusing for labels and promoters. It appears now that I’m naturally narrowing things down a bit. Not I don’t try anything anymore, I just do it… which sounds a bit Russ Meyer, though.

It seems that electro has had a big impact on your style, is that true? What does electro bring to the table for you?

Not at all. First of all, I’m an old schooler, so for me electro means 808 and break-dancing, the soundtrack of my early hip-hop days. I loved it, but hip-hop really hit me later when it started sampling the music I loved, jazz and 70’s funk. There you have the holy trinity of my early influences. Then there is the new “electro” and I have no idea what it’s about. Sounds to me like techno made by people with a pop-rock background. I don’t relate. My releases featuring Detroit Grand Pubahs and/or TTC have been tagged electro, but I’ve never liked anything else called that, so I can’t explain. Maybe because of gritty and rough bass lines, but I had funk in my mind doing so. It got lost at some point, probably, which happens when you’re zigzagging like I did.

There are some electronica moments in your discography as well. How important is writing for the dance floor?

Sometimes I wish there was more of these “electronica” moments. I have lots of ideas for downtempo or beatless music, but when I start working I always end up making a club track. I guess that’s what I love doing most, simply. Nothing’s more rewarding than a packed dance floor moving to my beat. Even when I performed music for dance-theater shows, it was not club music but it was still meant to drive moving bodies, and it was still based on (very) repetitive loops and grooves.

A lot of your timbres and sounds are anything but out of the box, with even the more simple sounds taking unexpected and complex turns.” Where does this approach come from and why is it important to you?

There’s a famous Swiss clock maker whose slogan is “Masters Of Complications.” It’s true that when I compose, it’s always as if the ultimate gem was deep into the forest, so I go on searching and rarely keep first finds. With electronic music, sound design is interwoven with the composition. So unless you’re damn lazy, you can’t help but twiddle and fiddle until you get that very sound that’s gonna be a vehicle for your melody, rhythm, etc. Basically we all use the same equipment, and if you don’t make a minimum of effort most of the production sounds the same. This is not new, think of the DX-7 days. I for one would usually blend three different types of sources in my tracks to avoid that: Real machines first, old ones mostly, 808, Juno 60, Minimoog, etc., and also some forgotten synth expanders. Then I would play and record drums, percussion, voices, and basically anything that my mic stumbles upon. And eventually I use carefully selected plug-ins. All of those have their strong and weak points, but altogether they allow to create a more subtle material, bringing depth in the mix, background noise, warmth, flaws, life. Now I don’t want to talk like I am an authority, I have more to learn than to teach.

Tell me a bit about making 2006. Did you know at the time of its creation that it would be as big as it ended up being? Did you see 2006 as your survey on the sounds of that year?

We actually worked for two years on this album. After one year we had 10 tracks ready, but we weren’t fully satisfied so we re-worked them for another 12 months. We didn’t want to give ourselves excuses of any kind. We worked it the Kubrick way, in every detail. So we had immodest expectations indeed. We called it 2006 only because it was a milestone for us. In the making, we had no consideration for what other people did at the time. The period was all minimal, bleeps and blurps, but we were playing lots of old-school, funky American techno in our sets. It was more for us a digest of our various influences, our own Homework in the form of something that wasn’t supposed to be trendy. It wasn’t up-to-date, so we named it the current date.

It seemed like you sort of disappeared after 2006, only to reappear this year. What were you up to in the meantime? Were you producing at all or keeping up with records?

The main reason is that the day the album was released, my son was born! Busy year! Those of you with kids at home know what I mean, especially if you have modern views on how the father should get involved.
The other reason is that after those two years of production I was exhausted, dried out. After the release we also toured in Europe and incidentally in Japan, which took most of my time and energy left. On top of that, the album had great reviews everywhere but it didn’t sell, which became very depressing. Then by and by, the creativity came back. I accepted the fact that I had less time due to family life, thus had to get organized instead of complaining. And at the end of the day, I’m much more effective now than before. I also took this time to reconsider which direction I wanted to take and went back to my musical roots, jazz and funk. Now I even got myself a guitar and started learning last month.

What’s changed for you in the meantime? Do you still enjoy the clubbing atmosphere?

Actually I had an epiphany in January 2008 at the Zukunft club in Zurich. Moodymann was playing, a glass of cognac in one hand, turning plates with the other, hosting the night like a radio-show, mixing down-tempo soulful tunes with disco bombs, Latin house, jazz-funk, you name it. All the music I always loved. To hear psychedelic-disco-funk at peaktime hour in the best club in town, I was literally in tears. I thought I was done with techno. It was like a baadaaaass angel slapping me in the face, saying: “I do my thing, why don’t you?” For years, I had been fighting my jazz-funk influences, thinking they were unwelcome on the dance floor, too much cliché or whatever. I suppose I also had the typical complex of the white guy educated in black music. But in the end, all this is a part of me, no matter what. I believe in the disco utopia: breaking boundaries, bringing people together. I feel now much more confident in the studio, I still produce a kind of house but I don’t refrain from my deep influences.

Tell me about the new records you have coming out in the next six months.

In October, I released two tracks on Brut! Records, “Escape Run” and “Saturnic Night Access.” I love this label, so I’m very happy about this release. It’s gonna be the first plate reflecting clearly the new turn in my production. It’s available on digital and as a very limited vinyl edition. Then comes “Niki,” another two tracker on the new Swiss label Saint-Vitus on digital, in fact two versions of a same track with my son babbling on it — it’s my take on classic house.
Then Ripperton’s label Perspectiv will release “Precious Soul,” the most musical stuff I’ve ever done so far, with remixes about which I can’t speak yet. And Third Ear Recordings will release the next Crowdpleaser & St. Plomb EP.

I see there’s a new record coming from you and Crowdpleaser. What was it like getting back together after time apart? Has much changed for you two?

We’re good friends so we’ve kept seeing each other and DJing together in the meantime. And as I said before, it’s always been sort of easy to work together. Now I wouldn’t say that our four new tracks were quickly done; far from it, there’s again a lot of deep diggin’ involved. But I feel we’ve achieved keeping it fresh, and it should hopefully reflect the fun we had doing it. This 12″ will also feature guest producer Emilie Nana, from which I’m sure you’ll hear a lot in the future.

When/where was the mix made? What was the concept behind your choices?

The mix was made end of August in my studio on a pair of CD mixers, with the idea to make a mix that is for once representative of what I would actually and ideally do in a club. Sometimes you have to adapt and play differently: On the main floor in Ageha, Tokyo, you don’t want to play deep jazzy minimal stuff. I also played at the Hive club in Zurich recently, I just couldn’t go funky — people were clearly expecting darker and deeper beats. Fair enough, I can adapt to some extent. But here is what I’d like to be booked for. What I wish people would expect from me.

Who are a few of your favorite DJs, past and present, and why?

Of course Moodymann, for all the reasons mentioned above, plus his charisma, his voice. The man just does what he wants. The DJs who impressed me the most weren’t necessarily the ones proposing a perfect mix and letting people go nuts, but the ones who surprised me. I’ve seen François K and Danny Krivit in quite small venues, all legends apart, they was just magical moments of music. In an other genre, James Holden made a huge impression on me, a few years ago, mixing CDs so smoothly, he was the first to make me consider dropping vinyl. But mostly his selection was surprisingly wide, quite unexpected. And finally, the ones I know only on tape, such as David Mancuso whom I hope I’ll manage to go and see once, Larry Levan and Ron Hardy, all founding fathers of the disco dream, synonyms of liberty, sound quality, challenging uncompromising selection, and free love for all.

Download: LWE Podcast 34: St. Plomb (87:21)

Related:

LWE Podcast 33: Chilling the Do (aka Kassem Mosse & Mix Mup)

LWE Podcast 32: Shaun Reeves

LWE Podcast 33: Chilling the Do (Kassem Mosse & Mix Mup)

Little White Earbuds — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:01:56 +0000

Though their records are some of the most cutting edge stuff coming out these days, Kassem Mosse and Mix Mup are techno atavists. This is easy to guess just from hearing their music: Kassem Mosse’s tracks have the dusty, rough edged feel of an all-analog set-up, while Mix Mup’s material is consistently raw and clangy, with his own New Wave vocals giving it all a charming whiff of throw-back. Of the all the musical sentiments the two producers share, one of the most potent is their longing for a time (namely, the 90’s) when nightclubs provided an outlet for more challenging, un-danceable electronic music. This is the raison d’être behind Chilling the Do, a musical project that combines records, field recordings and mixed media snippets to gleefully antagonistic effect. LWE Podcast 33 offers an exclusive and abridged version of what the duo might unfurl in a nightclub over the course of several hours. It’s dark, campy yet deeply compelling, and as they’ll be the first to admit, not for everyone.

Download: LWE Podcast 33: Chilling the Do (77:26)

How did you two start working together?

Kassem Mosse: We worked together on the last Workshop release, we edited and did the final mix together.

Mix Mup: We also did a radio show some time ago, and realized we worked together really good. The radio show ended, and then we got this idea for Chilling the Do, a collage thing.

K: Yeah, that’s what the radio show was like, lots of samples and collage stuff. Just on a local station here in Leipzeig, called Radio Blau. But we had a lot of people listening in. Sometimes people still tell me they used to listen to the show, which is very strange, because we never had much feedback.

How would you explain the concept behind the mix?

M: In the 90’s there were many chill out zones in clubs. There was the main floor, and then the chill out floor. Nowadays, you have the second floor, but it’s also a dance floor. So we miss this chill out location.

Isn’t this collage a little more experimental than usual chill out room stuff?

K: Well, it’s very much our chill-out room. It’s maybe not the typical concept you think of when you think of a chill out room, not just nice melodies and stuff. Our idea of it is a place where you go and you try to actually listen to something. Maybe you’re talking to your friends and then you get surprised by something, so you keep listening, without dancing. This one is supposed to be a bit more eerie. It goes back to our radio show — we would have a topic, and collect radio snippets and sounds that fit the topic and then go from there.

K: Usually, Chilling the Do is a live thing. We do it for four hours or more. On the radio show, we would just play with samples, there was not much talking. It was like communicating through samples, through snippets from a TV series, interviews from the Internet, old movies. Now we do this live, and it’s very long — like, the whole night. In this case, we chose a theme that is inspired by old horror movies… we show our dark side in this mix. This was kind of a special thing — it’s not live, it’s a mix. Usually we play instruments.

K: Yeah, there’s some stuff on there that’s unreleased material, but usually we’d have instruments. We didn’t do that for this [podcast] because we didn’t have enough time, it wouldn’t fit; we didn’t want to be rushing through things.

What kind of setting would you perform in?

M: We want to do this in nightclubs, in a typical chill out zone, where people come back from the dance floor and listen to something that’s not a straight 4/4 beat. But it’s very difficult nowadays — I think people have lost their patience for this sort of thing. So, we’d like to do it in nightclubs and we know its possible, but, well, it’s not always possible. Sometimes we do it in other locations, like bars, or we could do it in something more like an art space, but that’s another kind of crowd.

K: Yeah, that’s another idea. You know, there used to be a time where you wouldn’t have just DJs playing on all floors. Nowadays you go to a club and you have two floors or three floors, and you just have DJs playing dance music on all floors. There was a time when it wasn’t like that, where you could go to some space and just hang out and talk to your friends, and you really don’t have that anymore. Maybe you have a back room or something, but it’s just not really a special place. But sometimes you do have it and people don’t like it — we’ve had a very negative reaction to this. They go to a place where usually there’s two floors of techno, but tonight we’re playing, and they say, “What is this? Play some techno! What’s the point of this? We don’t get it.” Its not enough for them to go to one floor to listen to techno, they need always two floors. I mean, nothing against techno or anything, but I mean, this behavior — I don’t get it. People are not so open-minded as perhaps they were some time ago.

Do you think maybe, as techno attracts more of a mainstream crowd, they’re less likely to understand something so experimental?

K: Yeah, sure.

M: I think so. I don’t like to talk like this, but I’ll do it now again [laughs]. When I first experienced techno in the 90’s, when I was like 14 years old, and for the first time went to a club in my hometown in East Germany, everything was very new, and you went there because you wanted to hear something you never heard before. It was all very experimental, everyone there was very open-minded.

K: I think it has to do with expectations. Actually, I was reading that [LWE] post on Innervisions, and Dixon was saying that he doesn’t give away mixes because he doesn’t want people to have expectations when they come to a club. And maybe that’s the thing — back in the days when this was new, people didn’t know what to expect, and nowadays they just want to hear this or that type of thing. But in the 90’s it was not like that, people were more curious. I sound like a grumpy old man, but still. [laughs] Sometimes I’m missing a little tension in clubs, I want the DJ to play something different, that doesn’t fit too well.

M: We need surprises. We are looking for surprises, and we can’t find it, so we do it ourselves — we surprise each other.

K: That’s true — because when we play as Chilling the Do, we don’t know what the other one is going to bring, we don’t listen to the stuff before hand, so it’s like a constant ping pong kind of affair. It’s a way of keeping things interesting for us too.

What’s an example of a time and place where Chilling the Do performed and it really kicked ass?

K: How could it kick ass? [laughs] The best example would be when we played at this local place, which was exactly one of those nights where on the one hand you have people approaching you saying, “This is a techno floor, why are you not playing techno?” but you also have this perfect situation, because the way people were sitting was like a subway train somehow, they sat sideways in rows. So we played a lot of train sounds, to make it feel like everyone was on a train, traveling around. Very surreal.

M: It was a recording of the subway in Jena… we recorded it for an hour or so from the main station.

I would have expected you play in art spaces rather than clubs.

K: Yeah, right, but that’s not enough for us, we’re not content to play in art spaces.

Chilling the Do has a focus on hardware and improvisation that’s fairly unusual for live acts today. Would you say there’s a statement involved in that?

M: Well, we’re just doing what feels natural for us. But at the same time, it comes to a statement, because we’re not just doing it at home for ourselves.

K: And you know, we want to see a certain change perhaps, we want to see more open structures. You have people trying that, doing these laptop orchestras and stuff like this… but you need more of a possibility that something can go wrong. There must be room for mistakes — if something goes wrong, that’s OK, it happens, it’s alright. Everybody’s playing it safe, and that’s something I don’t like so much. Especially with new technology, everything’s just very safe. You can get your timing fixed and then mold everything together, you can have ten mp3s all going at the same speed, but what’s the point? It’s more interesting if you have these things where you can see that someone has to know how to work these things. Perhaps things go out of sync for a moment, but then you bring it back together — it gives it kind of a human edge. Perhaps that’s something I’m missing — the chance to fail.

Are there any live acts right now you really admire?

K: Well there’s Rancho Relaxo, that stuff is kind of like what we do.

M: There’s also The Midnight Episode… one of our friends… on Myspace.

K: Yeah, they’re really cool people, really like-minded kind of project. It’s very good music.

Download: LWE Podcast 33: Chilling the Do (77:26)

Related:

LWE Podcast 32: Shaun Reeves

Curator’s Cuts 02: Jordan Rothlein

Little White Earbuds — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:01:06 +0000

Artwork by Rayna deNiord

LWE’s Curator’s Cuts podcast series features our reviewing staff mixing together recent favorites and providing explanations for their selections. Contributing writer Jordan Rothlein steps up to the decks for Curator’s Cuts 02. We will post the tracklist later in the week, as each curator discloses and describes the tracklist as part of the podcast.

Download: Curator’s Cuts 02: Jordan Rothlein (108:47)

Related:

Curator’s Cuts 01: Steve Mizek

LWE Podcast 32: Shaun Reeves

Little White Earbuds — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:13:45 +0000

The first time I saw Shaun Reeves DJ, it was on iTunes. I was at the Marcy Hotel in Brooklyn, interviewing his roommate and DJ partner Seth Troxler, when Shaun introduced me to what immediately became one of my favorite house tracks: Nick Holder’s “Feelin’ Sad.” Seth asked if I had ever heard Shaun DJ, and I said I hadn’t. He gave me a knowing look and said “He’s the best.” Across the room, Lee Curtiss nodded in firm agreement. Knowing Shaun only by his terrific edit of Wolf + Lamb’s “If U Had,” I was intrigued. I didn’t get to see him behind the decks until a few months later, at his birthday party in some smoky New York basement. Right away I knew Seth and Lee weren’t kidding; Shaun’s mixing style was amazing, full of deft sleights of hand and perfectly executed blow-up moments. Though a bit subtler than his set that night, LWE’s 32nd podcast has the same impressive qualities, showcasing the sense of groove and flawless track selection that make Shaun a favorite in Berlin lofts and underground clubs around the world.

Download: LWE Podcast 32: Shaun Reeves (55:29)

Tracklist:

01. Ryan Crosson, “Metro Bunker” [Eklo*]
02. Masomenos, “Piano” [Welcome To Masomenos]
03. Jin Choi, “Are You Out There?” (Tolga Fidan Remix) [Roman,Photo]
04. Affkt & Danny Fiddo, “Points” (Villalobos Una Puta Mas Atras Remix) [Barraca Music]
05. Seuil, “Lost in the Soul Shower” [Freak n' Chic]
06. Lee Curtiss, “Smoking Mirrors” [Spectral Sound*]
07. Memory Foundation, “Summer Visions” [Yore Records]
08. Jimpster, “Sleeper” [Freerange Records]
09. Inxec & Matt Tolfrey, “Show Me How (To Feel It)” [*]
10. DJ W!ld, “Untitled” [*]
11. Addled, “Crescendo” [*]
12. Michael Collins, “You Tenderly Fall Apart” (Gadi Edit) [*]
*denotes unreleased tracks

When and how was the mix recorded?

Shaun Reeves: I recorded the mix last week in my living room.

What kind of feel were you going for with this mix?

I was trying to keep it deep and groovy but moving.

What’s your favorite kind of party to DJ? What are some of your favorite spots?

Any party where people are enjoying themselves and the music is fine by me. My favorite spots so far are Club der Visionaere in Berlin, Fabric in London, and the Marcy Hotel in Brooklyn.

What are some producers or tracks you’re really digging at the moment?

Lee Curtiss, Ryan Crosson, Seth Troxler, Cesar Merveille, and Wolf + Lamb.

What can we expect from you in the months ahead?

I have a new release that I made with Seth Troxler and Hector coming out on Crosstown Rebels this month under the name The Royal We. Also in the near future I have a remix I made with Lee Curtiss coming out on a new label from Belgium called Readymade. In November I will going to the U.S. for a tour with stops in Miami, NYC, LA, and some others. Really excited for that as always, its great to come home and see friends also its been extremely fun playing there recently.

Download: LWE Podcast 32: Shaun Reeves (55:29)

Related:

Talking Shopcast with Yore Records

Little White Earbuds — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:01:03 +0000

Welcome to the latest edition of our series of interviews and mixes affectionately titled Talking Shopcasts. The majority of media and fan attention gets showered on the artists who create the music we love to listen to/DJ with/dance to, and for good reason. But without the hard work, keen ears and business savvy of label staff, we’d be stuck only streaming tracks on their websites. For today’s installment, we focus on Yore Records of Cologne. If deep house has been one of the big stories in recent dance music, Yore has surely curated some of its finest and most lasting moments, doing so with an eclectic range that defies narrow definitions of “deep.” Spearheaded by Andy Vaz — the man behind the Background and A Touch Of Class labels, and a formidable producer in his own right — Yore aims for timeless sounds. Putting out records from all-time greats like Rick Wade has been a big part of the program, but so has Vaz’s keen ear for new talent. Tracks like Kez YM’s “Washing My Soul” and Trackleton’s “Traditional Folk Song” could masquerade as beloved classics twenty years deep, but their fresh approaches and distinct voices transcend imitation or even homage. In the interview below, Vaz discusses Yore’s goals and values, minimal and deep, and the potential value of adding friends on MySpace. To “deepen” your understanding of the label, we’re extremely pleased to host an exclusive mix from Kez YM, featuring music from Yore comrades, influences, and contemporaries. Want more Yore? Be sure to turn back to LWE’s very first podcast, an exclusive mix from Terrence Dixon, and check back soon for further spoils of our talk with Vaz.

Yore isn’t your first record label. As I understand it, you launched Background partly as a response to a problem: Terrence Dixon suddenly didn’t have a label to release his music. What inspired you to found Yore?

I was getting bored of the so-called “minimal” sound — precisely what the bastard people had turned “minimal techno,” which I was interested in, into. It got pimped and killed, little by little, until it was dead and empty-hearted. The minimal of the past few years had little do to with what we intended with Background, which was a mixture of the deep, the radical, the repetitive, the musical, etc. — all of that. Yore’s approach was to try and bring the soul back into the music — electronic music really being music, rather than just percussive loop-sounding stuff — a druggy sound — but something with a musical message. I also wanted to focus on the “timeless” factor. A good record with soul and musical ideas will hold up and stay in your shelves or DJ bags for years. Yore goes against the trend of silly “beaatch” type DJ Tools, one-hit wonders or any form of whatever the hype of the minute is. Yore will provide like-minded heads with unique deep sounds — not more, not less. The feedback the label gets from people around the globe proves that we seem to be accomplishing our goals. Through the messages we receive, we know we aren’t alone!

The name of your label suggests a reverence or maybe nostalgia for the past. How did you settle on the name “Yore”?

My girlfriend, who is a native English speaker, came up with it when I started thinking out loud about the name for the new imprint. I am so thankful for that. I think the name fits perfectly. Oldschool, Timeless, Classic. In days of yore…. Yeah.

Yore is a joint venture with Alessandro Vaccaro. How are duties shared and decisions made around Yore headquarters?

Very simple, I am A&R’ing Yore and handling the promotion while Alessandro handles the administrative side of things. We are just about to launch a new label together called Self Defence, where it will be the opposite model. Alessandro will be the upfront person and A&R for SDF, while I will mainly keep running Yore.

What kind of music will Self Defence specialize in?

Deep techno.

You’ve emphasized a “timeless” sound for Yore, as opposed to just an “old school” one. What separates these, in your opinion?

Well, I did grew up on Detroit and Chicago sounds. Started listening to it when I was 15 — I am 33 now. I think the music had such an impact in its early days! It was so strong, so raw and sexy and, yes, minimal — true minimal! I will always love that sound and I still am a heavy collector of US-flavored house music. However, Yore’s approach is not to sound old — it’s not about that. We cannot ignore that we live in the now and make use of what’s possible now. However, like I said before, I care less about these hundred new “all sound the same,” empty-headed records released each week. We want to put out quality music that will stand the test and be with you for years, just as my record collection will stay with me forever! I am serious! I play my 12″s every day! We want to make records for the lovers, the collectors and the tasty peeps out there — music from heads for heads. And we don’t want to put out a record just to be played for a month and then forgotten. Not an easy task at all, but we are working on it constantly. I have been running labels for eleven years now, and I think I can spot a hot artist or release by now.

Are you at all interested in reissuing older records?

No, that’s not my intention at all. Yore will hit you off with the new. If you want nostalgia, Discogs will be your partner. And that’s the best option. I dig Chi-house classics there on the daily. If you want the old and rare, there will be a price tag on it. I don’t see anything wrong with that. If you love an old record, go get it.

Over the last couple years, you’ve been a vocal critic of “soulless” or “arbitrary” music riding the minimal wave. Do you see similar problems in today’s resurgence of deep house?

Yes, it’s happening already. House gets pimped like they did with minimal, and they will be able to destroy it, no doubt! Now every week there’s tons of plain percussive wannabe house records adding one deepish sounding tone over tons of percussion, and people call it deep house — while it’s basically the same minimal techno with just a hint of a “deep.” Deep, however, is not a genre, it’s a feeling — an emotional energy.

Maybe this is a tricky question, but how would you define that feeling?

That’s the point — you can’t define it. You feel it or you don’t!

Speaking of people who do feel it, I have a couple questions about the Yore family. You’ve known Terrence Dixon for a while. How did you guys first meet?

Oh yeah, we go way back. I met him around 1997 or 1996. He used to stay with me numerous times each year, and I made quite regular visits to Detroit and stayed with him back then.

Yore has hosted a couple big returns — .xtrak and Memory Foundation each broke long silences, and chose Yore as the place to do it. Were those records that you pursued?

Oh yes. I have also known Todd since 1996, so that was an easy one. I’ve always been a fan of his early .xtrak stuff, and he came to mind first when I planned the launch of Yore. He fits right in! I had also admired Memory Foundation’s M-Plant stuff back when it was released. Feels like ages ago and that stuff still sounds fresh. Which proves my point — timeless stuff last forever! So I searched them down and talked them into getting involved again. I also see that as a strength of Yore. Reactivating talent that should not R.I.P yet, and making a new generation aware of some talent that they would have never stumbled across. I think that’s a very valid aim of a record label, rather then signing the latest hype of the month and sharing the “artist” with fifty other labels until the hype is over. That’s not what we stand for.

Of course, some fresh faces in the Yore roster have enjoyed some buzz this year. How did Trackleton and Kez YM first come to your attention?

Kez YM was a total coincidence. He added Yore as a friend on MySpace, and I clicked on the profile and got blown away with the deepest of the deep. He had to be signed. In fact, I believe in his talent so much that it’s the first exclusive signing to the label. We have a three-year exclusive recording deal, and I’m putting a lot of effort into making people aware of his music. It needs to be heard, and the first release did really well for us. Next one is currently being pressed. Warning! It’s so deep, it might change your world as you knew it when you hear it, so get your head right first!

I understand you were fairly hands-on in picking the tracks for Rick Wade’s The Good, The Bad And The Deep record. Do you often select the tracks that end up on a record, or do artists come to you with a package in mind?

I hand pick the tracks — always! If I don’t feel it a hundred percent, I will not put it out, regardless of who made the music. The label reflects my personal taste — just how it should be.

My assumption is that Yore depends more on vinyl sales than, say, Background did. Has the business model changed much from one label to another?

Yes, its definitely focused on vinyl. That’s also because I am such a vinyl addict. I’d eat vinyl, if it had to be. And Yore has already managed to become a collector’s imprint. Again, we make music from heads for like-minded heads. The true heads collect records, play records, love records — just as I do.

What role do digital sales play in Yore?

It’s slowly picking up, but its still kindergarten stuff, sales-wise. Enough for me and the artists to get some fresh sneakers once in a while. But I see tendencies for it to increase. I wish people in rich countries would stop downloading our music for free off the internet — that shit ain’t fair. Speaking of digital sales, though, in about three weeks we’ll open our own digital and vinyl shop!

Do you have a particular favorite release on Yore?

Tough one. Terrence Dixon, Train of Thought? Kez YM? Probably those, but they all sound sweet to me.

I see there’s a new Derrick Thompson record on the way. What else can we expect from Yore in the next year or so?

There’ll be “A Work in Progress,” a new Detroit-based talent co-produced by Chez Damier, and an Above Smoke EP, both on the way. Then the new Kez YM 12″, and my next EP right after. Thanks to everyone for reading and all the positive feedback we get! It’s you who is giving us the motivation to do what we do!

Download: Talking Shopcast 06: Kez YM (60:00)

Tracklist:

01. Rondenion, “Storm” [Rush Hour Recordings]
02. Kai Alcé, “Feeding” [NDATL Muzik]
03. Loco Dice, “Black Truffles In The Snow” (Mike Huckaby’s The Jazzed Out S Y N T H Remix) [Desolat]
04. Lerosa, “Sketch” (Sad Mix) [Uzuri]
05. Vakula “Change The World” [*]
06. A Made Up Sound, “Late Drive” [Philpot]
07. Black Art Music, “Keepin’ The Groove” [Third Ear Recordings]
08. KiNK & Neville Watson, “Inside Out” [Hour House Is Your Rush Records]
09. Chez Damier, “Teach Me, Keep Me” [Mojuba]
10. Rick Wade, “Shamballa” [Yore Records]
11a. Ray Valioso, “You’ll Never Be Mine” [Deep Vibes Recordings]
11b. Patrice Scott, “Nuonce” [Minuendo Recordings]
12. Gherkin Jerks, “Acid Indigestion” [Gherkin Records]
13. Kez YM, “Butterfly” [Yore Records]
14. 2nd Avenew, “It’s The New” (Dub Mix) [Alleviated Records]
15. Kai Alcé, “Decay” [NDATL Muzik]
16. M. Pittman “Obession (Datsallivdatsalliv~`^*!!)” [FXHE Records]
17. DJ Qu & David S., “Nite Ride” [Strength Music]
18. Kez YM, “Natural” [*]
19. The Kings Of Late Night, “Fly Away” (West End Lounge Mix)
[West End Blue]
* denotes unreleased tracks

Related:

LWE Podcast 31: Spencer Parker

Little White Earbuds — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:01:15 +0000

After years spent mastering the art of keeping heaving masses dancing, London’s Spencer Parker took on a new challenge: producing his own people-movers. His education behind the decks paid off from the start, quickly garnering releases for REKIDS and Tsuba Records that swelled his fanbase handsomely. Soon after Buzzin’ Fly, liebe*detail and REKIDS (again) were knocking at his door hoping for a Spencer Parker release of their own (or a second, or third). Tracks like “Improvised Minotaur” and “Untitled Head,” which stitch together catchy loops and rambunctious piano progressions with captivating swing beats, prove his popularity is backed by a generous dollop of production talent. For LWE’s 31st podcast, Spencer Parker shows off the skills that put his career in motion with an exclusive mix of lithe and groovy house tracks, including unreleased cuts from Boola, Radio Slave, and Mr. Parker himself.

Download: LWE Podcast 31: Spencer Parker (61:26)

Tracklist:

01. Dan Andrei, “Om” [*]
02. Radio Slave, “Orchestrating Manoeuvres In The Dark” [*]
03. Spencer Parker, “The Beginning” (Michel Cleis remix) [Buzzin' Fly Records]
04. Boola, “Amarijj [*]
05. Nic Fanciulli & Steve Mac, “10%” [Ovum Recordings]
06. Radio Slave, “Na Und!” [Cocoon Recordings]
07. Kreon, “Jauce” [Cecille Numbers]
08. Coyu & Edu Imbernón, “Burn Myself” [Great Stuff Recordings]
09. Mic Newman, “Fan Hits The Shit” (Spencer Parker Is A Gun For Hire remix)
[Vicious Vinyl*]
10. Spencer Parker, “I Love Nobody Else” [Arearemote*]
* denotes unreleased tracks

What came first, production or DJing? When did you start? How were you introduced to both?

Spencer Parker: Definitely DJing. I’ve been DJing for a little while now whereas I feel I’m pretty new to the whole production game. With regards to DJing, I came to it completely from a fans point of view. I began to go clubbing and would collect certain records to remind me of certain nights out at clubs like SW1, Ministry of Sound or Gardening Club, say. Pretty soon I had a small collection of good records, my friend was having an 18th birthday and I said I’d play. I’m a huge fan of house music and I see DJing as a way of saying, “Wow, listen to this!” On the production side of things, I’d always been interested in making my own edits and special remixes for my sets, but the advent of programs like Ableton Live meant it was now possible to do this without needing a £10,000 studio. So I taught myself how to edit and mix on Ableton and pretty soon began to make my own tracks. For me it’s the most instinctive and easy to use production program around if you come from a purely DJ background.

When/where did you make the mix? Any concept involved?

I made the mix in my newly adopted hometown of Berlin on three CDJ 1000’s, a Pioneer DJM 800 mixer and my trusty Redsound Soundbite Pro loop machine. There was no real concept behind it, but the mix was done after a long weekend of gigs including Panorama Bar and the excellent Stereotype in Edinburgh; so after not much sleep and a fair few flights, I wanted to include a lot of the records that had really worked for me at both gigs.

When DJing, what’s the balance between playing what you want love/want to hear vs. what you think the crowd wants to hear? How important is it to play to the crowd’s demands (”play Sebo K & Metro, ‘Saxtrack’” even when you don’t want to, etc.) compared with what you think they might like?

In general, I just play what I like. I always keep my head up to see what particular tracks go down better than others, but as a rule I just do my thing. The reason for this is that, when I go and see Francois Kevorkian, Marcel Dettmann or Justin Drake DJ, I don’t really want them to compromise for the crowd, I want to here their take on what’s the best music in their crate right now. It sounds a lot more militant than I mean it to — but I completely respect the people who pay to hear me play and I want to give them a good night out more than I want to pander to the few people who want something more commercial or obvious.

A lot of DJs have made the switch to Serato-like setups rather than transport their vinyl. Do you think the debate on vinyl vs. mp3 DJing is drawing to a close? Why or why not?

I honestly don’t care, to be brutally honest; what’s important is the music you play and the quality of it in terms of sound. I personally only play WAV files and have burnt all my vinyl to CD, as I’ve found that very few venues worldwide have the turntables and CDJs set up at the exact same volume, so this is the best solution for me. I still record shop and buy vinyl every week as there will always be great records released that are simply not available on download sites only.

Who are a few of your favorite DJs past and present? Why?

At the moment I’ve been really impressed by DJs like Luciano, Marco Carola, Radio Slave, Dean Muhsin (Bearweasel), Marcel Dettmann, Gerd Jansen, Barem and Justin Drake. In the past I’ve had some great nights out listening to the likes of Francois Kevorkian, CJ Mackintosh and Erick Morillo.

What’s coming up from you in the next year’s time?

More of the same really. I have dates scheduled at Panorama Bar, Shinding, Studio 80 in Amsterdam and Fabric as well as remixes due soon for Yousef, Mic Newman and Slovenian label Potencial Records. As far as releases go, I have a new single on Buzzin’ Fly called “The Beginning” with remixes from Danny Fiddo and Affkt as well as Michel Cleis, a new single on Rekids called “Romantic” with a great D’Julz remix and another single for them entitled “My Heart” with a excellent remix from Daniel Sanchez. I also have a new EP due in September on 2000 and One’s Area Remote label, and maybe even an album in early 2010.

Download: LWE Podcast 31: Spencer Parker (61:26)

Related:

LWE Podcast 30: Santiago Salazar

Little White Earbuds — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:01:31 +0000

With the Underground Resistance headquarters as his incubation unit and Mike Banks as mentor, it is no surprise Santiago Salazar’s career has developed in the way that it has. He first appeared in 2001 under the moniker S2 and popped up intermittently over the next few years, sharing vinyl space with Dex from Los Hermanos, also undertaking edits and mixes for UR. Before long he was asked to join Los Hermanos and be a part of the UR Galaxy 2 Galaxy project. His Ican label with friend Esteban Adame has been going strong for the past few years while 2009 has seen the launch of the feverishly infectious Historia y Violencia imprint with Juan Mendez. Little White Earbuds tracked down Mr. Salazar to tap his brain for more information on collaborations, being a part of the techno version of Parliament and the importance of dancing to your own tracks. In addition, Santiago helms our exclusive 30th podcast which is full of slamming (and often unreleased) techno cuts that’ll have S2 fans drooling.

Download: LWE Podcast 30: Santiago Salazar (62:10)

Tracklist:

01. Santiago Salazar, “Partida” (LAX a SFO mix) [*]
02. Santiago Salazar, “Materia Oscura” [Rush Hour Recordings]
03. Santiago Salazar, “Untitled” [Historia y Violencia*]
04. Santiago Salazar, “RELEASE: Stress Valve” [*]
05. Santiago Salazar, “Sci-Fi Xicano” [Rush Hour Recordings]
06. Ican, “Trucha” [Planet E]
07. Los Nite Owls, “LNO Theme” [*]
08. Silent Servant, “La Noche” [Historia y Violencia]
09. Open House ft. Placid Angels, “Aquatic” (Rennie Foster Dirty Works Mix) [Rhythmic Tech]
10. Carl Craig, “Future Love Theme” [Warner Music Japan]
11. Suli Belarto, “Copa Verde” [Huastec*]
12. Ican, “Caminos Del Niño” (Martyn’s Oscuro Mix) [Ican Productions]
13. Omar-S., “Psychotic Photosynthesis” (S2 Dub Mix) [*]
14. Ican, “East Los Revival” [*]
* denotes unreleased tracks

Tell me about your discovering dance music. Were your friends into it as well and was there much of a scene in LA at the time?

Santiago Salazar: Well, I’ve been into dance music all my life. But in my teenage years, I started sneaking out of my house to go to local backyard parties with some of my friends. There were always parties going on our block or the next. I remember hearing disco, freestyle, new wave, hip hop and slow songs I use to love watching the girls dance. There were about 2 DJs living on my block so I would always go see them practice; of course they would NEVER let me touch their expensive Radio Shack equipment! I was a part of local party crews in La Puente/Bassett area and every weekend there would be parties to go to.

In the early days of being a DJ yourself what particular moment or club helped hone your skills the most?

The Beverly Room was the spot. That was my first regular gig located in the infamous “Rampart District” of L.A. I would play every Monday night from midnight ’til 5am/6am. It was a crash course for me because prior to that, I hardly played in front of people. Just so happened, that spot had mostly gay attendance. I remember being threatened a few times by regulars who would say, “I’m gonna kick your ass if you don’t get off the tables.” After being intimidated a few times, I tightened up my skills and the reaction was different. They would be dancing right in front of me, cat walking, leg kicking. It was a rush for me!

What were your reasons for moving to Detroit?

Submerge and the childhood dream of getting into the music business.

How did you come to meet the Underground Resistance guys?

A simple phone call back in ‘95. I wanted to call the phone number on a Teknotika record to let them know that I loved what they were distributing around 1995. It just so happened that Mad Mike answered the phone and was interested that Chicanos/Latinos from L.A. liked the Submerge sound. From that phone call, Mike started sending me white labels of all their releases. I would go to all the record shops in L.A. and give it to the buyers. Some of the popular shops on Melrose started to have a whole Submerge section in the shops.

How did your time there help your music both in production and the way you approach what you do?

I always had the approach of making music for DJs, but working in the studio with Banks helped me tremendously. I would sit in the studio with him at the midnight hours working on various Red Planet, Los Hermanos, UR releases. Sometimes he had me in there just for support. Other times, I would be setting up recording takes. But most of the best time I was chopping up tracks with Mike. I learned how to assemble tracks from one of the masters. I remember once, DJ Dex, DJ Genesis, DJ Roach (Rolando’s brother) and I all got a crash course on editing with reel to reel tape (UR-040 Analog Assassin). After that, I had a much more appreciation for Pro Tools.

I understand you provided the edits for the Galaxy To Galaxy album and the Interstellar Fugitives 2 comp. Tell us about the process.

Well, it was a few people who provided edits. DJ Dex, Jeff Mills, Gerald Mitchell, Mike Banks and myself. It just so happened Jeff and I got written credits on the G2G album. For the Galaxy 2 Galaxy album, most of the older tracks were edited by Jeff Mills with the exception of the newer tracks. On the ISF2 comp, it was produced and edited in Kobe, Japan. That was the turning Point for me. Mike and I stayed there for about a month and worked on ISF2 comp, along with Skurge, Gerald Mitchell and Cornelius Harris. Working with Mike, I learned how to assemble tracks, post-production and placing the tracks in CD order. We were always getting feedback from the guys back home in the states (Ray 7, Nomadico, DJ 3000) and adjusting.

How was it making and playing music with so many other people as Galaxy 2 Galaxy, being a part of the techno (or rather hi-tech jazz) version of Parliament?

It was one of the highlights of my music career. Overall the band helped me most with my DJ performances and production. I can’t explain why it did, I just remember one time, we were playing a festival in Belfast and I was to open up and close out for Galaxy 2 Galaxy/Los Hermanos (while still playing with the bands). So, I was on stage for about 6 hours in total, I remembering while closing out, I felt this overwhelming control over the crowd, something I haven’t felt before. It was all due to playing with a group of head-strong professional musicians.

You seem to do well out of collaborating with people or teaming up as part of a unified project. What is your take on working solo and being part of a bigger team when making music?

I love doing both. When I’m working on a solo project, the sound is more minimized to one soul (with the exception of my wife and son always around). I’m always trying to get a reaction from my wife and son. Sometimes, my son will put his toy down and say, “Dad, at this part, you should make the clap go [makes delay effects noise].” When working with Ican, you get a combination of more souls. Sometimes, a Ican track would have 3-6 souls on it (Esteban Adame, Dan Caballero, Iris Cepeda, Gonzalo Chomat, Jose Perico Hernandez and/or myself). I love collaborating with Esteban Adame. I always learn something new from this guy and it always helps my solo productions. Same goes with Silent Servant; he actually had a strategy before starting Historia y Violencia where he told me to study the charts of all online stores/DJss top 10’s etc. We did this for about a month and then started production on a sound for HyV.

What were your reasons for moving back to LA?

Jobs! At the time, Submerge Dist. couldn’t afford a huge staff. I was working at a local sushi bar as a bar-back/dishwasher until I got fired for getting into a fight with a patron. With stress and being home sick, we decided to move back. We still miss southwest Detroit and friends.

Internationally we don’t hear much about LA in terms of its dance scene. What is it like?

LA has a great scene. Parties like Deeper Moods (Suli Belarto), Lies Lies Lies (Joe Bickle), FTWK (Rudy C/Abdul Shakir), re_Invent (Developer), and Sub Level (Doc Martin) are some of the best parties to go and really get your dance-on. There are many smaller parties that go off weekly with local talent that are great.

With Ican and now Historia Y Violencia are you still a part of Los Hermanos?

Yes, very much so. Los Hermanos is always changing, new members, new sound etc.etc. Gerald has really worked hard on keeping Los Hermanos open for great production. We are currently working on our 3rd album.

Stylistically do you approach your Ican releases and Historia Y Violencia releases in different ways? And if yes, how so?

With Ican, you get more of a sci-fi Latino techno/house sound. We really want to carry on the tradition of Los Hermanos sound but with vocals. On Historia y Violencia, you will get more of a deeper sound. Juan and I really took time into starting this label. We did a lot of research and development.

Financially, running a record label doesn’t seem to be such a rewarding idea these days. What were the reasons behind setting up labels rather than shopping your Ican and HyV releases out elsewhere?

Aaron-Carl had a lot to do with us starting the Ican label. At the time, we was shopping our first release around and then Aaron did this remix for us and gave it to us as a gift. He helped plant the seed for us to launch Ican Productions. With Historia y Violencia, Juan and I felt it was the perfect time for us to do something together. He had the connection with Veto Distribution in the UK and it just worked out perfectly.

You’re offering the next installment of Historia Y Violencia as part of a download bundle of all three releases before the third release is out on vinyl. What was the decision behind this?

Juan and I felt it was time to branch out to the digital realm with Historia y Violencia and felt we should do this with free bonus tracks. HyV003 tracks are titled “Corazon” and “Mi Alma,” which translates to “Heart” and “My Soul.” Also, Zero” was the ONLY digital store to reach out to us. It took about six months to finally get it going and Ike at Zero” was extremely patient with us. It’s not too often a digital store goes out of their way to contact you through Myspace with interest in carrying your catalog.

Your tracks are all very much made for the floor. Do you get out on the dance floor yourself much or do you make the propulsive tracks you do from the point of the DJ spinning?

Both. I love to dance (only to certain DJs). If the music I produce doesn’t make me dance, it usually gets scratched. “Arcade” is a exception for me; I don’t really dance to that track, I usually wave my hands in the air to that bass line (like I’m playing a Thermin).

Which producers and records have you been digging lately?

Aaaah… SO many. Really diggin’ the East Coast revival team of Jus-Ed, Fred P, DJ Qu and Levon Vincent. The veterans, Kerri Chandler, Chez Damier, Brothers’ Vibe, Vince Watson and Orlando Voorn. Ben Klock, Stefan Goldmann, Soundstream, Patrice Scott, Keith Worthy, Jeff Mills. New cats: Suli Belarto, Disco Nilihist, AEOD, the list goes on and on.

What can we expect from you over the next year?

More vinyl releases! More of the Historia y Violencia project with local talent here in L.A. Ican is going Italo with a release from Raiders of the Lost Arp and a follow up release from new Ican artist El Coyote. Also, a remix I did for Kevin Reynolds in 2006 will finally see the light of day.

Download: LWE Podcast 30: Santiago Salazar (62:10)

Related:

Curator’s Cuts 01: Steve Mizek

Little White Earbuds — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:00:46 +0000

Artwork by Rayna deNiord

Curator’s Cuts is a new LWE podcast series in which our reviewing staff mixes together recent favorites and provides explanations for their selections. We’re kicking off the series with a podcast from LWE editor-in-chief, Steve Mizek, which first debuted earlier today on Modyfier; there you can read a full explanation of the process behind the mix. We won’t be posting the tracklist until a few days after publishing, as each curator discloses and describes the tracklist as part of the podcast. We hope you enjoy Curator’s Cuts 01 and encourage you to comment with your thoughts on the series.

Download: Curator’s Cuts 01: Steve Mizek (91:30)

LWE Podcast 29: Black Jazz Consortium

Little White Earbuds — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 05:01:35 +0000

For many listeners, Fred P. was one of 2009’s major discoveries. Less a young upstart than a veteran finally getting his due, Fred Peterkin has become one of the key players in New York City’s resurgent house scene. His affiliations with Jus-Ed and Move D — both of whom are contributors to upcoming releases on Peterkin’s Soul People Music imprint — hint at his elegant deep house style, but his releases for the past two years as Black Jazz Consortium have established his unique voice. Fred took off from working on his ever-expanding label and his own productions not only for an in-depth discussion, but to provide us with our 29th podcast as well: an exclusive two hour journey through the deepest house — including some unreleased cuts.

Download: LWE Podcast 29: Black Jazz Consortium (117:33)

Tracklist:

01. Patrice Scott, “Excursions (Reprise)” [Sistrum Recordings]
02. Leonid, “Never Mind, Use The Moon” [CDR]
03. Black Jazz Consortium, “Steps Beyond” [Soul People Music]
04. Ernie, “Soul Of The Night” (Ordell remix) [Minuendo Recordings]
05. Rick Wade, “The D” [Laid]
06. Imugem Orihasam, “Weather Report” [CDR]
07. Brawther, “Endless” (Deep Mix) [Balance Alliance]
08. Deymare, (unknown) [CDR]
09. Chaton & Ripperton, “+91 Ahead 2″ (Ripperton’s Los Barrios Mix)
[Plak Records]
10. DJ Spider & Lola, “Haarp Storm” (Spider’s Alternate Mix) [Plan B Recordings]
11. Substance, “Relish Loops 1-6″ [Chain Reaction]
12. Joey Anderson, “Untitled” [CDR]
13. DJ Qu, “The Zones” [Strength Music]
14. DJ Jus-Ed, “Getty Up” [CDR]
15. Levon Vincent, “The Medium Is the Message” [Novel Sound]
16. Damon Bell, “Banyana” [Deepblak]
17. Fred P., “Open” (Mars Mix) [Soul People Music]
18. Move D, “Drøne” [Modern Love]
19. DJ Jus-Ed, “Step Up 2″ [Underground Quality]
20. Black Jazz Consortium, “The Om” [Soul People Music]
21. Levon Vincent, “Invisible Bitch Slap” [Deconstruct Music]
22. George & Andre Hommen, “Marashi” [Objektivity]
23. Leonid, “Sadim” [Sistrum Recordings]
24. Sterac, “Rond” [Delsin Records]
25. DJ Qu, “Somethin’ Ta Feel” [Strength Music]
26. Fred P., Untitled [CDR]
27. Dub Poets, “Black + White” [white]
28. Hayden Andre presents Subculture, “The Voyage” [Strobe Records]

How was this mix recorded?

Fred P.: I woke up out of a deep sleep and started mixing out of a pile of records I’ve been playing out over the past few months. I used a Technics 1200 MK2, a Stanton S550 Dual CD Player, though only one player works, a Numark Pro CM-1000R Mixer Rotary, an old and beat down Pyle Pro PYX-3X Crossover, and a Roland VS840EX for effects only. Clips and blips are taken from the movies “The Secret” and “Beat Street.”

You’ve put out tracks under both your own name and as Black Jazz Consortium. Is there a difference?

Yeah, to a certain degree. The stuff I do as Black Jazz Consortium is a bit more consistent, as opposed to Fred P where I’m experimenting a little bit. If I’m compiling or something like that, outside of me being creative, I’ll probably just be Fred P. An exception would be the upcoming Earthtones collaboration on vinyl, which is myself, DJ Jus-Ed, and Move D. That’s probably the only compilation where I’ll be Black Jazz Consortium.

How do you approach a collaboration like that? How did it come together?

Well, I’ve been on Underground Quality on a few outings already, and I met Move D my first time in Germany. Basically, he knows my work and he likes my work, and I respect him a lot; I think he’s a great artist. The music I did with Move D I’ve had for a while, like a year. The original idea for the Earthones collaboration was to be a CD, but seeing what’s going on with technology now, what goes on with CDs when they come out, I feel it would be better to respect the work put into it musically by doing it on vinyl.

Do you stick to vinyl as a DJ?

Yes. I’d like to exclusively play with vinyl, though it’s kind of difficult. When I have some promotional stuff that’s on a CD, or something deep in my collection that’s on a CD, then whatever, but I like to play with vinyl. In a perfect world, it would be all vinyl.

Where did the name Black Jazz Consortium come from?

The name Black Jazz Consortium came from a project I did about 10 years ago. The original name of it was Brooklyn Jazz Consortium, because I was living in Brooklyn then — Bed-Stuy, to be exact. I told a good friend of mine by the name of Jay Locke about it and he was like, “Yeah, that’s a cool name,” but the project never went anywhere and it went into the closet for eons. 10 years later, I did a couple releases digitally, and I needed a name. I came across one of my CDs at the time that said Brooklyn Jazz Consortium, but I wasn’t living in Brooklyn anymore and it wouldn’t have made sense. So I just said, I need a quick name, and came up with Black Jazz Consortium. Slapped that on it, and off to the races. It seemed to catch on, and as time went by I started to define what that actually meant, and it took on a deeper meaning.

What is that deeper meaning?

I love jazz music, basically the idea of it, because it’s so closely related to dance music. If you really look at it through the history, jazz music at its inception was the dance music of its day. Now it’s really no different, it’s just electronic, and it’s more about artists themselves as opposed to a trio or quartet or whatever the case may be. But to me, it’s free-form music.

Name some jazz musicians who have inspired you.

Chick Corea, Groove Holmes, Oscar Peterson, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Tom Scott — there’s a whole bunch of ‘em actually.

Do you have any experience playing jazz, or any other kind of musical training?

Nah, I play by ear. If the vibe is good, and I can feel it, I might be able to scratch out a little something. I’m not a traditional musician by any stretch of the imagination, so I couldn’t tell you a note if you asked me. I play both black and white keys though, it’s not like I only play black keys!

How did you first get into making tracks?

I started making tracks when I was like, 15 years old. What happened was, I was into hip-hop back then, beatboxing, cutting and scratching, breakdancing — you know, pseudo-b-boy stuff. Someone saw me rhyming with a friend from school and said, “Hey, I wanna make a demo.” I didn’t know the first thing about that, but I saw it as an opportunity. So I pretended I had some knowledge of what that was about. That was my first opportunity to see a studio, and once I got in the door, forget about it. It’s been on ever since. After that experience, I started to collect cassette decks, and tried to learn what multi-tracking was about. Even though the sound quality was terrible, it taught me the concept of sound design. Some of that stuff I still do in my tracks, with some of the weird noisier sounding things. “Levels” is a good example of that, you have the layered noises bouncing around within it as a rhythm. That’s a piece of that concept.

What inspired you to move from hip-hop to electronic music?

When I was in high school, I used to go to clubs to dance. I hung out in high school with a friend whose family members were actually in the scene and were able to get into clubs for free. It was always about dancing, I didn’t really have anything to do with collecting records or wanting to DJ. I just loved to dance to the music. That’s how I got into house. It was definitely about the vibe, the energy, the whole nine. I did that from about ‘88 to about ‘90 — three years’ worth of going to clubs and dancing, back before I even collected a record. Then when I stopped; I missed the music, so I would go to the record stores and buy the records.

So even though I got into hip-hop and was doing hip-hop production and all this stuff, behind the scenes I was still listening to house music. It never really left; it was what I would listen to when I didn’t want to hear anything else. It was always there, and when I got my first studio set up, the first tracks I produced were house tracks. No one ever heard them, but I produced them. They came to me easier than hip-hop at the time. I actually had to learn to put a hip-hop track together, whereas a house track kind of came easily to me. Not to say it’s easy to do, but the idea, the form, was a bit easier to wrap my mind around. To make a long story short, when I stopped doing hip-hop I stopped creating music altogether for about two years. When I got back into it again, my good friend Jay Locke inspired me to get back into making electronic music.

Who were the key dance artists for you when you started collecting records?

In the very beginning it was like Todd Terry, Masters At Work, anything that was on Strictly Rhythm, Nervous, Right Area — those were the main labels. That was in the early days. Fast forward, say to about 1999, 2000, it was basically Bugz in the Attic, 4Hero, IG Culture — the whole West London crew. They’re the ones who re-inspired me to really go hard and make some music, because they were using all the elements I liked from all electronic music, not just house or broken beat. They were utilizing everything and putting it into a danceable form, and that’s what made me really want to make music again. So I was collecting that stuff from about 1999 to about 2003, and then I switched. I started getting into deeper house, like real deep house, which is where the association with Underground Quality comes from, because Ed has been producing just some of the deepest stuff from then until now. He’s still bringing out some bangers — he’s the man for that! That’s really what I’m playing now, with little nuggets from other places, but it’s mainly Underground Quality, Strength Music, Novel Sound, Deconstruct. I mean, I’m not shirking anybody, that’s just what’s going on right now!

Has the scene in New York changed much since you got involved with it?

I have to be perfectly honest with you. I’m a bit of a hermit. I mean, when I used to go out way back in the day, the scene was different. New York was different. We didn’t have all the restrictions we’ve got now. Back in like, ‘87, you could really party in New York from sunup to sundown and it really wouldn’t be any problem. Now the club scene is so constricted, it’s crazy. It’s difficult for underground guys to really get something started in the clubs because there’s so much on the back end you have to worry about, monetarily and logistically. So you don’t get to see much about that anymore. Especially since 9/11, it changed the scene a lot, because of the laws and all that different stuff.

Today, to be real with you, I only come out to parties where I know I’m going to hear what I like to hear. But now music is being presented in different forms. For instance, House-n-Home is done in a loft as opposed to a club, which is genius because it takes the club aesthetic out and leaves the house party in. That place is incredible and every party I’ve attended has been a stellar event. That’s my reason for going out. Otherwise I might step out here or there but I’m not really out in the scene like that because that energy I like about the scene isn’t really there. I mean, don’t get me wrong, everybody’s doing stuff. I could talk about it more on a musical tip than about the scene. Musically, there’s a definite shift going on because really, this kind of stuff might have been there but it hasn’t been put on the forefront. All credit goes to DJ Jus-Ed for putting it on the forefront. For instance, that Unity Kolabo Ed set up, if you listen to that, everyone on it is absolutely amazing! And I’m not saying that because I’m on it. I haven’t seen a record like that in years. Musically, there’s definitely a paradigm shift happening in dance music in New York.

Do you get to play in town much? Where do most of your gigs happen?

What’s funny is that my first major gig was overseas. I played at Hafen 2 in Offenbach and Cube in Heidelberg a year ago or so, and those were the first major clubs I’ve ever played in. I couldn’t get arrested here, actually. Then I went back for an Underground Quality night in Berlin with DJ Jus-Ed and DJ Qu, and then when I came home I started to get more gigs. So I was gigging about every month for like six months or so. Which was cool, because I wasn’t exactly used to it. I’m more of a production guy. Ninety percent of the time I’m in the studio, and it’s different world getting out and performing with records. I’m still actually getting a feel for it.

Is music a full-time thing for you?

Yes it is. It is doesn’t pay as much as commercial music, not remotely. It’s only because of the economy, I mean jobs are tight now. But I definitely need another hustle to go along with this, because I’m truly independent, man. I gotta work it for what I can.

Soul People Music has focused on putting out your own productions. Do you plan on adding other artists in the future?

Soul People in the very beginning was digital, and there was a whole roster. There were eight or nine releases. Then we lost our digital distribution, which happens if you don’t release something like, every week, to keep up with quotas. Then I started producing vinyl, which is a difficult medium to build on since the record stores started closing. So I’ve been putting all my effort into the Black Jazz Consortium project, to build it up so I can start presenting other artists on vinyl. That way it’s not so much a roll of the dice. I’m starting to do it with the Earthtones project. Maybe three or four records into that series I can start bringing out some artists who I already have on the roster who have gotten released digitally. You’ll start to see more artists digitally, but in the future you’ll see them on vinyl as well.

How has digital technology affected what you do, not only terms of distribution but production as well?

The only piece of computer software I use is Cubase, and I use it for recording purposes only. I’m old school when it comes to making music. I need the equipment right in front of me. I need knobs. I need to be able to turn things on and off with my fingers, instead of a mouse. I need to slide things. So I use a keyboard, I use a sampler, and I use a board to make my thing happen. Nothing against digital studios, at some point I will have to get with the technology of the day and try it out. But what I know is analog, and that’s how I get down. The only problem I have with digital music is that if you have a lot of artists using the same program, most of the time a lot of their music tends to have the same feeling. You get a lot of the same sounds, so they basically all sound like the same song! With time, you can freak anything and make it a little bit different, but for me, I live in an analog world. There’s more feeling to it, and you can hear everything, right or wrong. Whereas with digital, it’s so clean. There’s no room for anything else! That’s cool too, and I do have some of that music. I don’t hate on it at all. But I like the analog environment.

Does having those knobs and sliders affect how you produce tracks? How does your creative process work?

I don’t know, man. That’s a touchy subject! I don’t particularly have a theory for making music. Maybe that is my theory.

Download: LWE Podcast 29: Black Jazz Consortium (117:33)

Related: