Mixes / Podcast

Telepathic Fish ‘Float IV’ guest mix on Dublab

Float 4 Tape cover front v4
You can now listen back to the 2hr Telepathic Fish ‘Float IV’ guest mix from last week on dublab with Doug Shipton and I. My set is largely new tracks with a couple of classics and Doug dives back to the 90s and beyond for his hour.

Tracklist:
STRICTLY KEV MIX
Patrick Carpenter – Santosha (Bandcamp) Space Drum Meditation – Yarra (Space Drum Meditation)
 Lo Five – Unbecoming You (Castles In Space)
 Paul Cousins – Blueprint (Castles In Space)
 Advisory Circle – Gog (Cafe Kaput)
 Listening Centre – The Death of Group D Meter (Castles In Space)
 Loula Yorke – I Felt A Melting In Me (Castles In Space Subscription Library)
 Dub Squad – Blown Fruit (Music From Memory)
 Multicast Dynamics & Sid Hille – Metamorphosis – Part 1.1 (Astral Engineering)
 Eurythmics – This City Never Sleeps (acappella) (RCA)
 John Lennon – Space (Mind Games Meditation Mix Binaural ∿Theta Waves∿ 8Hz) (Universal)
 Klaus Back & Tini Beier – Interferences (Buried Treasure)
 Kosmologic Research Society – Rift (Confused Machines) Multicast Dynamics & Sid Hille – Metamorphosis – Part 1.2 (Astral Engineering) Spooky – Orange Coloured Liquid (Test Pressing)
 Dream 2 Science – My Love Turns 2 Liquid (acappella) (Confusion Records) Multicast Dynamics & Sid Hille – Metamorphosis – Part 1.3 (Astral Engineering)
 LF58 – Radials Part 1 (Astral Engineering)

DOUG SHIPTON MIX
Reload – The Enlightenment (Infonet) Christ. – Arctica (Benbecula) Biosphere – Decryption (Apollo) William Orbit – Silent Signals (I.R.S.) Kat Epple & Bob Stohl – Spiritus Sanctus (Dead Cert) Global Communication – 14.31 (Dedicated) Some Other People – Relativity (Infinite Mass) Black Dog – Raxmus (Warp) Ami Shavit – Alpha 3 (Amis) Gescom – Cicaca (Skam) Emerald Web – Ice Caves (Stargate) Bola – Aguilla (Skam) Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Providence (Constellation) Essential Chrome – Mika (Wide Area Network) Deuter – Ecstasy (Kuckuck)

Posted in DJ Food, Mixes / Podcast, Music, Radio. | 2 Comments | Tags: , , ,

Tales From A Disappearing City podcast


I had a chat with my friend Neil Keating aka Controlled Weirdness about my formative years in music; record buying, clubbing, graffiti and a fair bit about Telepathic Fish. This is an indepth chat, probably the deepest I’ve gone about some subjects and I provided Neil with a load of vintage photos to illustrate the chat on the YouTube stream.
Glad to be a subject on this excellent podcast, if you like it, check some of the older episodes, the Jerome Hill, Aaron Trinder and Ian St. Paul ones are particularly good. Thanks to Neil for having me and putting the work in with the picture editing.

Posted in DJ Food, Mixes / Podcast, Music, Records. | No Comments | Tags: ,

0282 podcast – cheap digs

I recently had the pleasure of chatting to Moz from 0282 for his ‘Doings’ podcast, about finding cheap records, or the things I look for that are cheap anyway. One of life’s pleasures is looking for and discovering new music and I look almost every day.

There’s been a lot going on recently which is why there’s been few updates here. I did a couple of gigs supporting the Orb recently, have been designing a lot of stuff I can’t quite talk about yet and am currently framing a lot of my work for an exhibition next month in Folkestone, see details below. It’s followed by a gig in the same bar as the exhibition on June 14th so, if you’re in the area that weekend, come on down.

Openmind exhibition

Posted in DJ Food, Mixes / Podcast, Music, Records. | No Comments | Tags: , ,

Electrik Collage show #12 Feb 2025


My latest radio show is streaming from 2pm today wherever you are in the world on ROVR radio. I’m constantly amazed at the amount of great new music that’s out there and this month features new tracks from Awkward, LF58, Create-A-Mess, Apta, the Cheeba Cheeba label and some great reworks by Disco Police. There’s a classic megamix in the form of Cuco‘s Disco Breaks re-edit of Martin Circus ‘Disco Circus’ and a little trio of versions of Malcolm McLaren‘s ‘World Famous’ classic, it’s quite beat-heavy this month and, dare I say it?, a little trip-hoppy in places (not a bad thing in my book).

Listen back here https://www.rovr.live/show/4699

Show #12 Feb 2025
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #7
Monastry – Origin
Type Raw, Alcynoos & Parental – Poetry
Create-A-Mess – Denmark Hill (DJ Food slight re-edit)
Dr.Doppler – Gardens in Spain
David Beast – Racial Riots
Awkward – The Shift
Monastry – In the Machine
Disco Police – Masterpiece (Bop Gun Slow Blow Mix)
E20 Trio – S950 Is a Verb
131 – I Cant Find My Way Home
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #44
Martin Circus – The Circus (Disco Breaks mix) (The Cuco re-edit remastered)
Disco Police – Caramel (Bop Gun Primordial DISKO Tech Mix)
Akufen – Play (Never Work Till Monday)
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #39
Chop – Oscillo
LF58 – Radials Part Two (excerpt 3)
Anne Dudley – Close (To The Edit) diverted with World’s Famous
DJ Koco – World’s Famous feat. 45trio
Malcolm McLaren – World’s Famous
Run DMC – Peter Piper (Brat mash-up DJ Food Re-edit)
Redman – Dont Wanna C Me Rich
Create-A-Mess – Fly Humans
Disco Police – God Make Me Funky (Bop Gun Cosmic Regroove)
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #18
Djrum – Frekm pt. 1
Chop – Rioflection
Lone Bison – Origin Story
Awkward – Last Fiend
ill-sugi – rah
Apta – Sink
Apta – Meniscus
LF58 – Radials Part Two (excerpt 4)

Posted in DJ Food, Mixes / Podcast, Music, Radio, Records. | No Comments | Tags: ,

Electrik Collage show #11 Jan 2025


My latest radio show is streaming from 2pm today wherever you are in the world on ROVR radio. Kicking off with another vintage megamix from the vaults and new music from Disco Police, Awkward, MagicTouch, Space Drum Meditation, the Cheeba Cheeba label and more.

Listen back at https://www.rovr.live/show/4589

Show #11 Jan 2025
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #42
MagicTouch – Kyousoku 3
Awkward – The Grand Deal
Dr.Doppler – 00.Ocimum
Kentorako – BarbedWireStew
Alcynoos & Parental – Chase
Beautify Junkyards – Sonora
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #21
Awkward – The Subway And Rammellzee (refix 24.6)
Disco Police – Disco Queen (Bubbling Minds DISCO Mix)
David Beast – Endurance Test
Nebulon Systems – Music Is (DJ Food Radio edit)
Silvia Sommer – Tinguely
LF58 – Radials Part Two (excerpt 1)
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #34
Crazy John – Electro 1984 (Hully Gully Mix)
Disco Police – Space Is The Place (Bubbling Minds Proto Detroit Techno Mix)
Midnight Heist – Shiny
Akufen – My Blue House
Paul Funk – Don’t Make Me Wait For Acid
Nebulon Systems – Orangutan (DJ Food Radio edit)
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #8
Lone Bison – Origin Story (Paul Cousins Remix)
Beautify Junkyards – Sister Moon
Kosmologic Research Society – Hippocampus
James Adrian Brown – Limbic System (Demo)
LF58 – Radials Part Two (excerpt 2)
Space Drum Meditation – False Dawn

Posted in DJ Food, Mixes / Podcast, Music, Radio. | 2 Comments | Tags: ,

DJ Food – Genius and Soul Mix

Genius + Soul logo
Doing a bit more clearing out over the holiday…

I was asked to provide a mix for a new show that started in 2022 – Genius and Soul, run by Joseph who has featured me on both his Solipsistic Nation and Soundwave shows before. The rough brief for G&S was Jazz and Black Classical Music and the many styles that grow from those trees. I put together a 45 min mix and the tracklist below has buy links if you want to explore further. The first episode featured Brian Jackson and upcoming guests were to include Carlos Nino, King Britt and Matt Black amongst many more. This series seems to have faltered after four months so here’s the mix as it seems a shame for it just to sit on a hard drive. The Annabel (lee) track is now officially released.

Track list:
DJ Format – The Light (Project Blue Book)  https://djformat.bandcamp.com/
Annabel (lee) – Blackstar (unreleased)  https://annabel-lee.bandcamp.com/
Aver & Move 78 – Follow The Earworm (Village Live). https://villagelive.bandcamp.com/
Nevergrand – The Storm (Spun Out Sounds) https://bit.ly/3eKM6OW
dgoHn – Electryon (Love Love Records) https://dgohn-music.bandcamp.com/
clipping. – Say The Name (Sub Pop) https://clppng.bandcamp.com/album/visions-of-bodies-being-burned
Planet Battagon – Hygiea (On The Corner Records) https://planetbattagon.bandcamp.com/
DNGDNGDNG – Atlantida (On The Corner Records) https://onthecornerrecords.bandcamp.com/music
Jazzuelle feat. Kirsten Adams – 48 Stay (CTEMF 2020) https://bit.ly/3eJvU0w
Laraaji – Illusion of Time (Ahead Of Our Time) https://coldcut.bandcamp.com/album/0

Posted in DJ Food, Mixes / Podcast, Music, Radio. | No Comments | Tags:

Revolution Tapes No.5 – House Music Composite – Jay B. Ross & Associates, 1980s

House Music Composite tape
More from the stash of record industry cassettes I found at Revolution Records in Penge this summer:

Bearing the name and address, Jay B. Ross & Associates, 100 N. La Salle, Suite 815, Chicago Ill. 60602 plus a phone and telex number (which really dates it) plus the title ‘House Music Composite’, typed onto a paper label on one side of the tape, this cassette has no other info. A quick web search reveals that a Jay B. Ross still operates in Chicago (albeit at a different address now) and is a ‘Royalty Retrieval Agency’. Elsewhere an official entry for their activities states: “Jay B. Ross Royalty Retrieval Service provides legal services for creators in the entertainment industries. We specialize in music publishing, contractual agreements, royalty retrieval, Will & Estate, and copyright law.”

Founded in 1969, Ross was a legend in the law profession and the music industry who worked with the likes of James Brown, Ray Charles, Muddy Waters and Woody Guthrie among many more and once negotiated the largest advance ever paid to a music entertainer for a pay-per-view performance for James Brown. He also had a TV show where he would interview celebrities (mostly his clients) and give tips on negotiation – there’s even a YouTube channel to view clips. His involvement in the early Chicago house music scene was large as an article here explains as well as fleshing out Jay B’s history. He received a Lifetime Achievement at the Chicago Music Awards in 2008 and died in 2018 but his company still operates.

I’d imagine this tape was an in-house publishing/licensing showreel sent out to prospective labels and I’m guessing the timeframe, from the tracks I can identify, was around 1986-87. My house music history is spotty so I’m using Shazam and Discogs to try to find info on this. Artists seem to get two tracks a piece and it’s likely that there are unreleased bits here as some of the songs are godawful (I’m warning you in advance for the second half) and could even be demos. Saying that, I’m putting this up as a piece of history as it’s not on Discogs and I’d like to know more about it if anyone recognises anything.

First pair of tracks I can’t find anything on but the male vocalist is begging you for ‘Nocturnal Passion’, the second pair are Andre Wade’s ‘The Flight of Jacking Your Body’ on Play House Records (or Kool Kat in the UK) in two versions but I can’t identify which mixes they are. This track seems to have a checkered history, some sources credit it as Mike Macharello featuring Andre Wade and simply call it ‘The Flight’ but there are later remixes of the same track under the name The Fascination in 1989. Anyone care to elaborate please?

The third pair are male vocal led songs in the Prince mode with only a rudimentary grasp of pitch. Adonis’ classics ‘Now Way Back’ and ‘We’re Rocking Down The House’ follow, no mistaking them. The next pair are mostly instrumental in the Kevin Saunderson / Ten City mode with ‘Close Your Eyes’ repeated in the second cut. Hold on to your hats for the next three tracks as it gets rocky from here; cheesy female-led tracks in need of some serious autotune (if such a thing existed), and the final, ‘Jack My Body’ is excruciating. Things get only marginally better with a trio of male vocal tracks to finish, horrendously out of tune but so buried in the mix it’s hard to hear what’s being ’sung’. The first seems to take ‘Pump Up The Volume’s bass line as a starting point, the second is painful and the third sounds familiar but I can’t place the bass line. Any info appreciated!

Track list:
Unknown – Nocturnal Passion
Unknown (Same artist) – unknown
Andre Wade – The Flight of Jacking Your Body
Andre Wade – The Flight of… (unknown mix)
? – Bop Never Stops
? (Same artist) – Jack Tonight
Adonis – No Way Back
Adonis – We’re Rocking Down The House
Unknown – Untitled
Unknown – Close Your Eyes
Uncredited – I Got To Have Your Love
Uncredited (Same artist) – I Can Make You Feel Good
Uncredited (Same artist) – Jack My Body
Unlisted – Untitled
Unlisted (Same artist) – Untitled
Unlisted – Untitled

Posted in Mixcloud Select, Mixes / Podcast, Music. | No Comments | Tags: ,

The Electrik Collage show #10 Dec 2024


My latest radio show is streaming from 2pm today wherever you are in the world on @rovr_live New music from The Beat Machine label, Visioneers, Totem Projects, Jem Stone, Robert Leiner, Beautify Junkyards, Bernard Fevre, Space Drum Meditation, Paul Cousins and more plus a vintage megamix from the vaults.

Listen back at https://www.rovr.live/show/4589
Download the app to get archive access. APPLE or ANDROID

Show #10 Dec 2024
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #22
Ticklish – Lost
Naco – Wavefunk
Paul Cousins – Artefact 12
Pablo Dread – Hardcore Blips (Fanu Remix)
Time Signature – Brklyn (Slow)
Visioneers – Mystic Brew
Beautify Junkyards – Dancers Reward
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #31
Midnight Heist – Teriyaki Sauce
Totem Projects – You
Totem Projects – Love
MagicTouch – Kyousoku 2
Visioneers – Red Cactus (album version)
Jem Stone – Fake Ghost
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #41
As One – Fractured Light
Akufen – You Look Delicious
Varonos – A Hauz U
Robert Leiner – Echobox
Various Artists – House Mix ’90
Space Drum Meditation – Oviraptor
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #33
Beautify Junkyards – Somersault
Paul Cousins – Thought Loops
Akio / Okihide – Phoenix At Desert
Virgo – Prelude
Bernard Fevre – Earth Message
Bernard Fevre – Central Way
Space Drum Meditation – Sarkanda

Posted in DJ Food, Mixes / Podcast, Music, Radio. | No Comments | Tags: ,

Revolution Tapes No.4 – Trax Records Sampler 1987

Trax tape 1
Supposedly produced by label founder Larry Sherman in 1987 according to the Discogs entry, the tape kicks off side A with a ten minute megamix which I’d say was of UK origin by the use of spoken word samples and scratches, maybe Double Trouble who did lots of mixes for compilations round this time. No track list for this but it includes ‘Hey Rocky!’, ‘No Way Back’ and more. Next up we have approx one minute snippets of forthcoming releases with a spoken word intro to each and here’s where the fun starts. The Discogs entry has simply copied the track list from the tape inlay but several listed titles don’t feature, some are by different artists and a couple aren’t listed at all. You can see from my photo that the previous owner had scribbled out the corrections as they listened to it. The tape plays a bit faster than most of the recordings released and you can hear all of this over on my Mixcloud Select channel, subscribe for £3 p/m to gain access to over 200 uploads.

Trax tape 2
Side A:
Various Artists – Trax Records Medley

– Soon To Be Released Cuts
Dalis And Co. – Rock Steady (announced as by Barnes and Brand but eventually released as just Dalis in 1987)
On The House – Give Me Back My Love (eventually released as ‘Give Me Back THE Love’ in 1987)
On The House – Got To Go (announced as ‘Just A Little Bit’ – possibly unreleased elsewhere)
The Jungle Wonz–Time Marches On (not on the tape)
Kevin Irving – Children Of The Night (released 1987)
Kevin lrving – Ride The Rhythm (announced as by and released as Marshall Jefferson / On The House with Marshall Jefferson – this is the Frankie Knuckles Mix I think, released 1986)
Kevin lrving–If You Want Me (not on the tape)
Eric Bell – Your Love (this is the instrumental – released 1987)
Harry Dennis & Bam Bam – Risky Love Affair (possibly unreleased elsewhere)
Dezz – I Like It (possibly unreleased elsewhere)
Dezz–You Stole My Bass Line (not on the tape)
William S.*–Never Let You Go (not on the tape)
Hercules–Lost In The Groove (not on the tape)
Darryl Pandy – Chains (possibly unreleased elsewhere)
MG2 – My House Is Bigger Than Your House (this was actually the first release on the Hot Mix 5 Record label in 1986)
Fingers – Never No More Lonely (released on Jack Trax on the Fingers Inc. Another Side LP in 1988 and 12” in 1989)
The Housemaster – (no title) (this is a version of Terry Baldwin’s ‘Housemaster’ but a different one from the mix released in 1987)
Kevin Irving – Can’t Let Go (possibly unreleased elsewhere)
Sweet D.–Move My Body (not on the tape)
Robert Owens–Never No More Lonely (not on the tape)

Trax tape 3

Side B:
– Catalog Hits (with year of release added after the title)

Boris Badenough – Hey Rocky! 1986
Marshall Jefferson – Move Your Body 1986
On The House – Ride The Rhythm (remix) (announced and released as by Marshall Jefferson / On The House with Marshall Jefferson – not sure which mix this is but it doesn’t sound like the one released) 1986
Jungle Wonz – The Jungle 1986
Adonis – No Way Back 1986
Adonis – We’re Rockin’ Down The House 1986
Santos – Work The Box 1986
Mr. Fingers – Can You Feel It 1986
Robert Owens – Bring Down The Walls 1986
Liddell Townsell – Party People Jack Your Body 1987
Jesse Saunders – Funk-U-Up 1984
Jesse Saunders – Waiting On My Angel 1985
Lillian – Night Flight (released on Precision Records) 1986
Fresh – Dum Dum (Reprise) 1984
Sweet D – House Trax (announced as ‘Thank You’ – released as ‘Thank Ya’ in 1986)
Farm Boy–Jackin’ Me Around (not on the tape)
Dezz – Beat Me Till I Jack (actually released under the name Fat Albert in 1989!)
Dezz – Funny Love (actually released on Precision Records under the name Dezz 7 in 1985)
Sampson Butch Moore – House Beat Box 1986
Radio Fashion – You Get What You Deserve 1987
Virgo – Free Yourself 1986
Jack Master*–Sensuous Woman Goes Disco (not on the tape)
Farley Keith*–Funkin With The Drums (not on the tape)
Sleezy D*–I’ve Lost Control (not on the tape)

Here’s an interview with Larry Sherman from Soul Underground magazine in 1988 – he sure didn’t pull his punches!

Trax interview

Posted in Mixcloud Select, Mixes / Podcast, Music. | No Comments | Tags: ,

The Electrik Collage show #9 Nov 2024


My latest radio show is streaming from 2pm today wherever you are in the world on @rovr_live New music from Visioneers, LL Cool J, Nidia & Valentina, Robert Leiner, Forsaj, Gaslamp Killer, DJ Prime Cuts, Beautify Junkyards, Paul Cousins, Benedict Drew and more…

Listen back at https://www.rovr.live/show/3800
Download the app to get archive access. APPLE or ANDROID

Show #9 Nov 2024
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #13
Visioneers – Today
LL Cool J – The Force
Midnight Heist – Deep Thrust
LL Cool J – Runnit Back
Nídia & Valentina
Nídia & Valentina – Rapido
Visioneers – Heather
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #32
Forsaj – Pierogi Funk
Robert Leiner – My Dream
Lextron – Jaunt
Bush Doctors – Turn It Out
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #36
Alex Kassian – A reference to E2-E4 (Mad Professor’s Quantas Crazy Remix)
Robert Leiner – Analog Days
Gaslamp Killer & Jason Wool – Chaos (Club Edit)
DJ Prime Cuts – Out Time Is Now (DJ Food re-edit)
Dave Lombardo – Vicissitude
Beautify Junkyards – Turn the Tide
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #24
Beautify Junkyards – Here Everything Is Still Floating
Paul Cousins – Tessellation Pact
Dub Squad – Blown Fruit
Lo Five – The Observer Trap
Palomatic – Flutter
Benedict Drew – Optical Frame Work (excerpt)
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #13
Paul Cousins – Thought Loops

Posted in DJ Food, Mixes / Podcast, Music, Radio, Records. | No Comments | Tags: ,

Revolution Tapes No.3 – Disco Mix Club Previews Jan/Feb 1983

DMC tape 1
Founded by Tony Prince and named after his radio show, Disco Mix Club began releasing tapes in 1983 to provide a promo service for DJs in the UK. Subscribers were vetted to make sure they were practising pro or semi-pro DJs and a subscription service provided promotional tapes and vinyl (and later CDs) of upfront dance music, megamixes and remixes by a cache of DJs working with the club. This cassette isn’t listed on Discogs and dates from just before any that are there (the first is February 1983), sounding more like a promo for the company at times, it could well be the first DMC tape or certainly one of the first. Initially the organisation would send out between two and four cassettes a month before vinyl versions arrived mid-1984.

DMC tape 2
Side 1
Tony Prince intro and interjections over Shalamar Megamix 1 by Alan Coulthard – 11.27 mins
Love the way he pronounces ‘genuinity’ (is that even a word?) and the address of DMC near the end.

The unexpurgated Shalamar mix is available on the February 1983 DMC tape

Excerpts from the K-Tel’s ‘Disco Dancer’ album interspersed with very of their time DMC jingles in between sections highlighting mix crossover points between tracks – 3.21 mins
Tracks included:
Evelyn King – Love Come Down
Rockers Revenge – Walking On Sunshine
Raw Silk – Do It To The Music
David Christie – Saddle Up (ooof!)
Shakatak – Easier Said Than Done
Imagination – Just An Illusion
The Sugarhill Gang – The Lover In You
Daryl Hall & John Oates – I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)

The K-Tel album in question is this one, again, mixed by Alan ‘The Judge’ Coulthard (due to his training in law). One of the founding DJs of Disco Mix Club, Alan provided many mixes for the company from 1982-86 before he parted company with them, returning in 1992. He sadly passed away in 2021.

DMC advert inc. Indeep – Last Night A DJ Saved My Life – 0.42 mins

Excerpts from 22 forthcoming ‘disco’ releases introduced by Tony Prince
Each preview runs for approximately 3 minutes before Prince cuts in to introduce the next one and information usually includes the label and release date. Most are slated for January or February of 1983 hence my guess at the date of this tape as none exists on the cover although I’d also guess this was recorded in late 1982 making it one of the first DMC tapes.

Tracks:
Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (just the first of many singles from Thriller)
Ray Parker – Bad Boy (no hit here for Ray but Ghostbusters was only 2 years away)
Syl Johnson – Ms. Fine Brown Frame
Aretha Franklin – Love Me Tonight
Thompson Twins – Love On Your Side (their first big breakthrough pop hit)
David Jospeh – You Can’t Hide Your Love
The Peech Boys – Do Something Special (future classic)
Set The Tone – Dance Sucker (obscure post punk/ electro funk from Glasgow)

DMC tape 3

Side 2:
The previews continue…
Stevie Wonder – Frontline
Bobby M – Lets’ Stay Together (The Al Green classic later covered by Tina Turner to great effect)
The Dazz Band – Let It Whip
Icehouse – Hey Little Girl (minor hit here that’s stood the test of time)
Melba Moore – Mind Up Tonight
Kajagoogoo – Too Shy (which of course ended up going to No.1)
Bumble & The Bees – My Life
Level 42 – The Chinese Way (another huge hit to be)
Janet Jackson – Come Give Your Love To Me (no hit here but her time would come)
Howard Johnson – Say You Wanna
Stone – Girl I Like The Way You Move (absolute monster electro funk, check the B side Dub mix for some serious tweaking electro – sampled by many later)
Art School & The Mighty Motor Gang – Emotion Explosion
Jerome Jasper – I’ll Do Anything For You
Rockers Revenge – The Harder They Come (another cover but no follow up hit here guys)

DMC tape 4

Posted in Mixcloud Select, Mixes / Podcast, Music. | No Comments | Tags: ,

Revolution Tapes 2: Various Artists – Megamixers No.1 / No.2

Megamixers 1It’s been a while coming but I’ve finally had some time to dive into the pile of cassettes I got at Revolution Records in Penge this summer. Just to refresh your memory; I found a stash of tapes that obviously came from someone who worked in the dance music industry in the 80s and 90s and the next round of posts will be my attempts at deciphering what’s on them. Most have little or no info on them but now we have Discogs and Shazam so finding out about their contents is a little easier than back in the day.

This first tape is simply entitled ‘Megamixers No.1 / No.2’, recorded on a TDK tape and most likely dates from 1986. It’s essentially two DJ mixes but there’s more to it than that. I’m putting these up on my Mixcloud Select subscription page so if you’d like to hear then sign up for £3 p/m for access including over 200 archive mixes from the Solid Steel days.

Side 1

Up until the Art of Noise track this mix is the 1983 Disconet Top Tune Medley from Vo.6 Program 9 – mixed by John Matarazzo and Mike Arato. Disconet was an American DJ pool series of albums with hot promo tracks and exclusive remixes or megamixes similar to the UK’s Disco Mix Club.

I’m guessing whoever made this tape had that record and added their own extras onto the end.
After Thomas Dolby you’ll notice that the pace of blends slows somewhat and the tracks are cut into each other rather than beat mixed, there was also a jump in volume when AON was introduced which I’ve levelled out here. Both Trouble Funk tracks are intercut back and forth before introducing the Beastie Boys’ ‘Hold It Now, Hit It’ (which samples a piece of ‘Drop The Bomb’ for its chorus – there’s the connection) and a big drop in tempo. There’s an extended section at the end where it sounds like the DJ is playing with two copies of the instrumental for a bit after the main song finishes and then we get an album cut by Lovebug Starski. This plays in full and, after a pause, the mix reconvenes in the middle of a couple of hip hop tracks, probably a previous set that was taped over.

Tracklist:
Shannon – Let The Music Play intro
Men Without Hats – The Safety Dance
S.O.S. Band – Just Be Good To Me
Yazoo – State Farm (Extended Version)
Herbie Hancock – Rockit
Madonna – Holiday
Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
Freez – AEIOU
Shannon – Let The Music Play (12” version)
Lime – Angel Eyes (remix)
Irene Cara – Flashdance… What A Feeling (Extended remix)
Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
Thomas Dolby – She Blinded Me With Science (Extended Version)
Art of Noise – Legs (Inside Leg Mix)
Trouble Funk – Drop The Bomb
Trouble Funk – Pump Me Up
Beastie Boys – Hold It Now, Hit It
Beastie Boys – Hold It Now, Hit It (Instrumental)
Lovebug Starski – Say What You Wanna Say
Salt ’n Pepa – The Showstopper
Roxanne Shante – The Def Fresh Crew (cuts off near the end)

Megamixers 2
Side 2

This side sounds like it was a mix by the DJ rather than a pre-recorded megamix – sadly (or thankfully) it cuts off in the middle to make way for three Beastie Boys and Run DMC demos

Tracklist:
Rochelle – My Magic Man (Magic Mix)
(an unknown house track is mixing in near the end but then abruptly cuts off early)

Beastie Boys – Time To Get Ill (demo version)
Run DMC – Slow & Low (demo version)
Beastie Boys – I’m Down (demo version)

At this point the tape cuts into two Beastie Boys demos from Licensed to Ill – the acoustic version of ‘I’m Down’ (a cut that never made it onto the album) and a version of ‘Time To Get Ill’ – that are different to any of the other demos on the web that I could find, certainly better quality. Also inbetween the two is a hissy recording of Run DMC’s original demo of ‘Slow & Low’ which they originally wrote and the Beasties would later record. I ran these by my friend Noah Uman in the US who has an amazing archive of hip hop and a ton of knowledge and he came back with, “The song I’m Down was meant for Licensed To Ill but the Beatles blocked it, I’m pretty sure it showed up semi commercially on a CMJ release (College Music Journal) in 1986.”

This might be the more rock guitar-orientated version that’s out there on the web. The Run DMC recording would later surface in much better quality on an expanded version of King of Rock but I’ve tried to clean it up here as best I can, the tape sounds like it’s recorded through a sock.
About the Run DMC demo Noah said, “The Slow And Low demo of Run DMC doing it, I actually uncovered that from a DNU tape (do not use), whenever I saw that written on tapes I knew we had to check it haha…After I had it released on the reissue it started popping up on bootlegs, one of my few proud record industry moments!”
I’m guessing that whoever had access to these tracks had to quickly find a tape to record them onto from another industry source, hence the random inclusion in the middle of a side.

(The mix reconvenes in the middle of an unknown house track before…)
Kenny ‘Jammin’ Jason – Jam Tracks
Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk – Jack The Bass
Unknown – (more Jam Tracks?)
Mantronix – Hardcore Hip Hop

And that’s it, a snapshot in time from the early to mid 80s. Disco mix classics on side 1 with golden era hip hop cuts and a snatch of early house music on side 2 with some rap history interjected randomly in the middle. More soon, I’ll try to get them out on a weekly basis on a Friday morning as before and if anyone is interested in the actual tapes, they’re for sale if you want to make an offer (although this one is already sold).

Posted in Mixcloud Select, Mixes / Podcast, Music, Records. | No Comments | Tags: ,

The Electrik Collage show #6 Aug 2024


The second show this month with a load of new music sprinkled with some older selections. Friday 30th Aug, 2pm wherever the you are in the world (the station is time-stamped by region).

Listen back at https://www.rovr.live/show/3064
Download the app to get archive access. APPLE or ANDROID

Show #6 Aug 2024 2

DJ Food – Electrik Collage #6
Beastie Boys – Jimmy James (Bsidewinsagain remix)
Jem Stone – Everyone’s Hugging The Horse
Larry Manteca – Bank´s Layout Reconnaissance
Myrth – Myrthiolate (edit)
Bob Dorough – Little TwelveToes (AI instrumental)
Jem Stone – Island Of The Snake People
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #46
The New Library Sound – Diving in Deep Sea pt. 1
Prefuse 73 – Raja
Markey Funk – Chronoscope
Pete Sasqwax Beat Cult – Initiation Ritual Part 11
Pete Sasqwax Beat Cult – Initiation Ritual Part 18
Handyman – The Clapping Song (DJ Food Re-Edit)
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #16
Ruby My Dear – PnT2
Sculpture – Max Ax
akufen – U
Sculpture – Cross Processor
Fluctuosa – Cobwebby
Pete Sasqwax Beat Cult – Initiation Ritual Part 04
Santaka – Burning Head
DJ Food – Electrik Collage #26
Broadcast – I Want To Be Fine
The New Library Sound – Seagrass
Group Modular – Lonely Pylon
The New Library Sound – Underwater Lounge
The South Coast Synth Ensemble – Electronic Counterpoint III
Felbm – Cycli Infini (excerpt)
Jo Johnson – It just is the love it feels
Sean Ono Lennon – Asterisms

Posted in DJ Food, Mixes / Podcast, Music, Radio, Records. | No Comments | Tags: ,

New DJ Food 45 Live mix for 2024

DJ Food 45 Live Mix 11th 2024 web
It’s that time of year again, my annual mix debuts tonight on the 45 Live radio show, hosted as ever by the divine Greg Belson on Dublab. You know the drill, all 45s, no other sizes but 7″ vinyl, I’ve dug deep as ever for this, some of these tracks were only bought a week before I made the mix. I’m mining the vintage dance pool once again from the heyday of the late 80s and early 90s and this is probably my most housey entry ever, drawing heavily on the Champion label (Raze get three entries and no, one of them isn’t ‘Jack The Groove’) and beyond. It’s also the most tracks I’ve fitted into an hour for the show, 32 in total, trying to speed up my mixes to make it interesting. I really had fun bashing through this and plenty of the tracks still stand up. I decided to bookend the mix with two spoken samples from the same flexi disc, we start with love and end with sex – enjoy. As usual Greg bookends the show with his own unique selections – you can tune in live at 4am GMT (Aug 17th UK time) as the show goes out 8pm-10pm PST on the west coast tonight. https://www.dublab.com/shows/45-live-radio-show

Track listing – Early House / Hip House mix ’86-91 – Aug 2024

Dee-Lite – What Is Love? (Holographic Goatee Mix) 1990
E-Zee Posse – Breathing Is E-Zee (Instrumental) 1991
Turntable Orchestra – Gonna Miss Me (Vocal) 1988
Pulse – Shut Up Already (Fierce Mix) 1987
Frankie Knuckles – Your Love 1989
Wally Jump Junior & The Criminal Element – Cut Me Loose 1986
D.L. Kool – Get On Up 1989
Criminal Element Orchestra – Put The Needle On The Record 1987
Emilio – Do It Again Emilio 1988
D.J. Lelewel – Amgic Atto II (The Deep Edit) 1989
Tingo Tango – It Is Jazz 1990
The Funky Worm – Hustle! (To The Music) 1988
Plus+One feat. Siren – It’s Happenin’ 1990
Frank K. feat. Wiston Office – Everybody Lets Somebody Love 1991
Raze – Let The Music Move U 1987
Sterling Void – Set Me Free (Music Mix) 1988
Liquid Oxygen – The Planet Dance (Move Ya Body) 1990
Musto & Bones – All I Want Is To Get Away (Bones Beats) 1990
Raze – Bass Power (Power Bass remix) 1991
Bootleggers – Hot Mix 3 1988
Jazzi P – Feel The Rhythm 1990
The Beatmasters – Warm Love (The Field Hippy Mix) 1989
Toni Scott – That’s How I’m Living 1989
101 – Just As Long As I Got You (House Mix) 1989
Mr Lee – I Can’t Forget 1987
Raze feat. Lady J – All 4 Love (Break 4 Love 1990)
Doo Lally ‘D’ – Floorshaker (Dynamite edit) 1991
True Faith w. Final Cut – You Can’t Deny the Bass (Dub) 1989
Hi Tek 3 feat Shamrock – Come On and Dance (Radio Mix)1990
Reese & Santonio – Truth of Self Evidence 1988
Frankie Knuckles – Baby Wants To Ride 1989
Lee Lewis – French Kiss (The Remix) 1989

Posted in DJ Food, Mixes / Podcast, Music, Radio, Records. | No Comments | Tags:

DJ Food and Hannah Brown – Upside Down Records set 13/07/24


The in store mix that Hannah Brown and I did last Saturday at Upside Down Records in Deptford is now up on their new Mixcloud – give them a follow.
Two sets from me, one from Hannah (her first slamming set didn’t record sadly) – all fully trackmarked.
There’s still a crate of my records for sale at the shop, with more joining them soon… Pay them a visit, one stop from London Bridge on the overground.

Foood Records Upside Down
Track list:
Strictly Kev mix 1
David Essex – Rock On
Jack Wilkins – Red Tribe
Santaka – No Rivers Here
Spacetime Continuum – Flurescense
Special Request – That Wisnae A Microdose / Melon Farmer / Epsilon
Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia – Obsidian (Organically Decomposed)
John Heckle – The 4th Dimension
Spiral Deluxe – The Cosmos
Caustic Window – Cordialatron
Murcof – Maiz
Akufen – Late Night Munchies
Luke Vibert – Everybody
Radio Slave – Dedication
Lalo Schifrin – Quiet Village
DJ Format & The Simonsound – Holy Thursday

Hannah Brown
Lonnie Liston-Smith – Expansions
Another Taste – Time Is On Our Side
Nu Genea – Disco Sole
Mildlife – Magnificent Moon
Phantom Handclap Band – Judge Not (Ray Mang remix)
Vivian Vee – Alright
Pleasure Pool – Ask Your Body
The Units – High Pressure Days (Todd Terje remix)
Talking Heads – Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)
Brother Resistance – Dancin’ Shoes Rapso
Surprise Chef – Crayfish Caper (Nuyorican Broken mix)

Strictly Kev mix 2
Martina Topley-Bird – Soul Food (Charles Webster’s Bangin’ House Dub)
Dream 2 Science – My Love Turns To Liquid (Beat Foundation Liquid Lustre mix)
Tin Man – Flip
Dream 2 Science – My Love Turns To Liquid (Padappella)
Four Tet – Peace For Earth
Sam Clarence – Sextant Daktari
Unknown – Beam Me Up (Creative Use)
Bon Voyage – Ils Disent Que L’orient Est Rouge
Chicago Housing Committee – Six Million Dollar Acid
Rockers Revenge – Rockin’ On Sunshine
D Train – You’re The One For Me (Dub)
Renegade Soundwave – The Phantom
Marshall Jefferson present Truth – Open Our Eyes
Baby Ford – Fordtrax
Cabaret Voltaire – Easy Life
Mr Lee – I Can’t Forget
S’Express – Mantra System
Frank K (feat. Wiston Office) – Everybody Lets Somebody Love
Sueno Latino – Sueno Latino

Posted in DJ Food, Mixes / Podcast, Music, Records. | No Comments | Tags: ,

Electrik Collage on ROVR radio

ROVR schedule
Friday 12th April sees the start of my new monthly show on ROVR Radio – streaming 2pm-4pm wherever you are in the world. Electrik Collage will be 2 hours of music culled from my current DJ sets and listening choices with a bit of older material thrown in as well but I’m going to try and keep the balance to newer music as there’s so much out there. The station has a great line up of selectors and you can stream it live from your desktop or access archived shows via the phone app which is free to download. No ads, no playlists, no algorithms, no chat, just music.
Tune in live here https://rovr.live/#/

ROVR line up

ROVR bio

Posted in DJ Food, Mixes / Podcast, Music, Radio. | No Comments | Tags: ,

2023

Best LPs 2023Music:
Kosmischer Laufer – Volume 5 LP (UCR)
Soia, Julien Sénélas, Jérôme Vassereau – In C for 11 Oscillators and 53 Forms LP (unjenesaisquoi)
Cate Brooks – Tapeworks DL (Cafe Kaput)
Memorials – Music For Film: Tramps! LP (State 51 Conspiracy)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – PetroDragonic Apocalypse… LP (Album of the year)
Field Lines Cartographer – Moonbuilding Sessions LP (CiS Subscription Library)
Brian Eno – The Lighthouse radio station (Sonos) (most listened to)
Niholoxica – Source of Denial LP (Crammed Discs)
SareemOne – Olivine Window
Coast Contra – Breathe & Stop Freestyle/Never Freestyle/Scenario Freestyle
Move78 – Grains LP
Heiroglyphic Being – The Moon Dance LP (Apnea)
Raj Pannu – Past Crimes EP 12″ (To Pikap Records)
Gordon Chapman-Fox – The Nine Travellers LP (Castles In Space Subscription Library)

Podcasts:
Oh God What Now?
Cartoonist Kayfabe
Jonny Trunk’s Patreon Show
What Goes Around
The Bunker
The Bureau of Lost Culture
Not A Diving Podcast with Scuba

Best of Live events 2023-2
Gigs / Events:
Art of Noise @Jazz Café, London
The Light Surgeons – SuperEverything launch @iklectik, London
Quadraphon debut @Ramsgate Music Hall, Ramsgate
Beyond The Streets exhibition @Saatchi gallery, London
Pop Up Subculture festival, Stroud
Holotronica, @IMAX Bristol
Sunroof / Finlay Shakespeare @iklectik, London
0282 Club, the library, Burnley
Paul Cousins @iklectik, London
The Light Surgeons – The Consensual Hallucination @iklectik, London
Memorials at the State 51 Summer Psych party @State 51, London
Queens of the Stone Age @Glastonbury
FogFest2 @iklectik, London
JG Thirlwell & Emsemble @Bush Hall, London
The Book & Record Bar 10th anniversary party, London
Machina Bristronica, Bristol
Visiting Peel Acres with Eilon Paz of Dust & Grooves
Nihiloxia @the Jazz Cafe, London
NEXT Festival, Bratislava, Slovakia

Best design 2023
Design / Packaging:
Yves Malone – A Hello To A Goodbye LP (Castles In Space)
Drumetrics – Phuzzle (Drumetrics)
Waclaw Zimpel – Train Spotter LP (State 51)
David Boulter – Factory 3″ CD (Clay Pipe Music)
Fluctuosa – Wetware EP 12″ (Analogical Force)
Fluxus – Orbit & Shine LP (Castles In Space)
Floating Points – Birth4000 12″ (Ninja Tune)
Cate Brooks – Easel Studies LP + badge (Clay Pipe Music)
Brian Eno – Top Boy OST CD (Beatink)

Artists:
Kallamity
Soda
Nick Taylor (Spectral Studio)
Louise Mason
Francis Castle (Clay Pipe)
Tradd Moore
KO_Computer
Kishi Omori
Autone1
Mike Mignola
Geometric Love
Anna Readman
Zoe Thorogood
Colin & Maria @ Time Released Sound

Best books 2023
Books / Magazines / Comics:
Medical Grade Music – Steve Davis & Kavis Torabi (White Rabbit)
Doctor Strange – Fall Sunrise – Tradd & Heather Moore (Marvel)
Tales To Enlighten – The New Testament – Matt King and James Edward Clark
Beyond The Streets exhibition book
Pop – Milton Glaser (Phaidon)
Kevin O’Neill Apex Edition (2000AD)
Mark Stafford – Salmonella Smorgasbord (Soaring Penguin Press)
Savage Impressions – Bruce Lichen (Independent Project Records)
Hexagon Bridge – Richard Blake (Image)
Monica – Daniel Clowes (Fantagraphics)
Acid Valley – Luke Insect
Petrol Head – Rob Williams & Pye Parr (Image)
Lawless – Dan Abnett & Phil Winslade (Rebellion)
Giant Robot Hellboy – Mignola/Fegredo (Dark Horse)
Facelss & The Family – Matt Lesniewski (Oni Press)

Film:
Barbie
Squaring The Circle : The Story of Hipgnosis

What Have I done 2023
Another year over and what have I done?
Designed a retro jungle cover for District 1727 release Rinse Out The Raw Steel
Opened for The Art of Noise two nights running at the Jazz Cafe
Designed The Home Current & Peter Wix and UNE CDs for Spun Out Of Control
Performed at Candlemas with Julian Hand, Heena Song, Paul Naudin and Whyte Light Visuals
Started working with visual artist PuttyRubber with my Quadraphon turntable at live gigs
Designed the Stasis 12″‘Quondam Sequences’ for De:tuned
Edited a short video for Holotronica after their Bristol event (not sure this ever got broadcast/finished actually)
Restarted my Infinite Illectrik label with 7 monthly releases from May
Mixed two new volumes of The Funky Eno with selections provided by Nohbodhi
Gave talks about Wheels of Light in Stroud and Brighton
Collaborated with Graham Dunning live with visuals by PuttyRubber and Chromatech for FogFest2
Appeared on the 45 Live and What Goes Around podcasts
Wrote the theme for the new Why? podcast
Remade and remixed Amon Tobin’s Permutation LP artwork for the 25th reissue
Continued the weekly Mixcloud Select series of archive mix uploads
Designed and illustrated Wonders of the Undersea World LP for Trunk Records including a sheet of stickers to make your own cover design.
Designed zoetropes for T Rex, Donna Summer, Dr Who, Lily Allen and Steps(!)
Designed the Pulse Five EP, poster and postcards for FSOL, working with Jonas Ranson again on the screenprint
Designed the De:tuned 15 logo and T-shirt for the label’s fifteenth year in 2024
Designed the Clerkenwell Kid Junkyard Melodies album + ephemera and 3″ Xmas Winter Warmers companion CD for Stephen Coates/The Real Tuesday Weld
Designed the A’bear album sleeve for Castles In Space
Contributed vintage graffiti photos to the second Old So Kool book about the UK graf scene in the 80s
Ongoing research into at least three other book projects…

RIP:
Alan Rankin, Jeff Beck, David Crosby, Burt Bacharach, Raquel Welch, Alain Goraguer, Lee Purkis aka In Sync, Paul O’Grady, Al Jaffee, Jah Shaka, Mary Quant, Mark Stewart, Frank Kozik, Andy Rourke, Peter Jones (Colourscape designer), Martin Amis, Kenneth Anger, Tina Turner, Astrud Gilberto, John Romita Snr, Glenda Jackson, Jane Birkin, Paul Rubens, Jamie Reid, Michael Parkinson, David McCallum, Mark the 45 King, Benjamin Zephaniah, Ian Gibson,

Looking forward 2024
Looking forward to:
Candlemas II
Gary Hustwit’s Eno film
The Time Released Sound Book – A Decade of Handmade Music Packaging
Furiosa – A Mad Max Saga
The Hoppy documentary
Richard Norris’ autobiography, Strange Things Are Happening
Sophia Satchell-Baeza’s ‘Sensuous Laboratories’ book
The The’s new tour
Doug Shipton’s new Fundamental Frequencies label
More collaborations

Posted in Art, Books, Comics, Design, DJ Food, Event, Exhibition, Gigs, Light Shows, Mixes / Podcast, Music, Openmind designs, Records. | 2 Comments | Tags: , ,

New 45 Live mix tonight on Dublab and more

DJ Food 45 Live Mix 10th 2023 v2 web
My now annual 45 Live mix has come around again, a set made entirely of 7″ records of any persuasion. The crew has been running for nearly a decade now, originated by Boca 45 and Pete Isaac to celebrate the 45 format. As usual I’ve been stockpiling dance singles from the late 80s and early 90s and this year’s offering is heavy with Hip House, a genre that shone brightly for around a year in 1989 having notable releases in both the UK and US with us Brits arguably being the first to get a track out with The Beatmasters featuring the Cookie Crew in 1987.

That doesn’t feature here but there’s plenty of UK action to balance things out including a bit of Skacid (Ska + Acid) and even a bit of Bleep. As usual Greg Belson will be holding things down Stateside as the host of the show (which hits episode 200 next year) and my mix will feature at some point in the middle of the show. You can tune in live at 4am GMT (Aug 5th UK time) as the show goes out 8pm-10pm PST on the west coast tonight. https://www.dublab.com/shows/45-live-radio-show
UPDATE: Here’s the show

PS: No Mixcloud Select upload this week because of this mix, back on it with more 90s tapes next week.

IPM_SQUARE-ADVERT
Of course Aug 5th is a big one as it’s the first iteration of a new book and zine fair, initiated by Velocity Press in the same spirit as the indie label market. I’ll be popping my head in as Four Corners Books have a stall and it will be good to support. Then I’ll be heading straight to Iklectik to set up for the second annual Fog Fest party, hosted by Robin The Fog (shhhhh… it’s his birthday, bring cake). I’ll be taking part in a modified turntable soundclash with Graham Dunning alongside visuals from PuttyRubber and Leon Trimble and from the rehearsals we had the other week it should be a lot of fun (see below). Also on the bill are Robin in his Howlround guise, Steve Davis DJing and live sets from Lauren Sarah Hayes, Nad Spiro and tpwiikatj. Here’s a snippet from our rehearsal the other week

FogFest 2 Poster v1 - web
I almost forgot, today is the return of Bandcamp Friday and the monthly Infinite Illectrik release is out – for ii012 it’s the (re)turn of the Electrostatic Headshell Assembly with a 3 track techno/electro set recorded earlier this year. There’s more to come before the year is out including some new names to the label and possibly even a physical release to round the year out.


ii012 cover 2 web

Also – more Food-related collaborations if you want to support digitally today or any other day:
https://djfood.bandcamp.com/
https://celestialmechanic.bandcamp.com/
https://thenewobsolecents-cis.bandcamp.com/album/the-superceded-sounds-of

Posted in DJ Food, Infinite Illectrik, Mixes / Podcast, Music, Quadraphon, Radio, Records. | 2 Comments |

Tripping The Light Fantastic on the Bureau of Lost Culture

9G9A3660

I joined Stephen Coates again on his excellent Bureau of Lost Culture podcast the other week alongside Optikinetics co-founder Neil Rice and FX wheel artist and light show operator Jennie Caldwell to talk psychedelic light shows in support of my book, Wheels of Light.
Neil recounts his first light show experiences, starting one of the main companies making equipment for light show in the ’70s and the rise and fall of the industry. Jennie was part of the second generation of artists who saw it rise from the ashes in the second summer of love, when acid house and dance music arrived and revived the artform for a while. They both have tales to tell and I learned plenty from listening to them.

She also took some excellent shots a few weeks back when Optikinetics lit the Raven Row gallery for the publisher Four Corners Books at the book launch.

9G9A3750
Stuart Warren-Hill (Hexstatic / Holotronica) and Neil Rice (Optikinetics)

9G9A3677
Brendan and Emma from Insight Lighting with Geoff Blindt (Mystic Lights) who contributed some photos to the book.

9G9A3722
Neil Rice and I, he really should have a co-author credit, he helped me so much during the research.

9G9A3765
9G9A3615
One of my Solar 250 projectors with a custom-made Wheels of Light FX wheel for the night, made by Larry Wooden of Orion Lighting, also present showing original art and wheels from the 70s and profiled in the book.

9G9A3725
(left in hat) Chris Thomsett (Innerstrings), (middle) David Fowler (Optifanatics) and (right with beard) Nigel Bailey (The Odd Light Show)

9G9A3628
9G9A3672

Posted in Books, Bureau of Lost Culture, Event, Mixes / Podcast, Packaging, Radio. | 1 Comment | Tags: , , , ,

Mixcloud Select 113: The Monkees’ Head – DJ Food Rescore, 2001-2005

CD DISC ON BODY

This post is dedicated to Bob Rafelson, the director of Head, who passed away this week, RIP.
Back in 2001 I was asked to compose a turntable rescore for a film of my choice for a club night in Budapest, Hungary called Cinetrip. At the time I was really starting to explore psychedelia through digging trips in the US and Canada and thought this would an ideal way to soundtrack something weird and wild that would hold the attention without too much dialogue.

Head Flyer - Size1

Sometime around the late 80’s I’d taped The Monkees’ freak film flop from TV as it intrigued me when reading the blurb. I was pretty confounded by it, this wasn’t the squeaky clean boy band with the ‘here we come…’ hi-jinx of their Saturday morning TV series. This contained cut up sequences, solarized freak outs, Vietnam war commentary and more fourth wall-breaking than you could shake the dandruff out of your hair to. It made no sense, consisted of an ever-changing series of completely different scenes designed to link songs and concepts together before looping back on itself and returning to the start. There was little plot to follow, just The Monkees as they jumped from genre to genre, location to location, costume change to character evolution.

DSC00325

Music choice ranged from present day right back to the 60s, a psychedelic flavour of course but elements of library, soundtracks, jazz, electronics, trip hop and spoken word to fill the few talking moments all fitted over an over-evolving selection that was refined each time I played it. After the initial performance I severely reworked the parts for The Big Chill Festival where it had evolved into a three turntable and FX performance that was so complex and stressful to perform that my legs weirdly seized up the minute I’d finished the set! I did another nine performances – mostly in the UK and Ireland but also playing at the Portuguese short film festival to a bemused audience – until it was retired in 2005.

Head DVD front:backHead DVD contents

After this I decided to preserve the set by making a DVD with both the original and my alternate soundtrack selectable via the audio menu, adding in some of the original film dialogue in the edit to mesh the sound and vision together a little more. The disc came wrapped in mirror board card to mimic the original soundtrack LP packaging and included a random flyer from one of the nine different cigarette card-sized ones made for the Dublin performance. These were sold online via the Ninja Tune forum and later on I uploaded the whole thing to the Internet Archive for posterity. This mix has never been put up solo on the web and I’ve never done a track listing for it, preferring for people to have to work it out. Sometimes it’s good to have a mystery to dig into, although a lot of tracks are fairly obvious to anyone with a decent musical knowledge. Also I sampled a few bits later on…

Head1

So here it is, sans the film of course, but that’s out there if you dig a little

end credits (final)

Posted in DJ Food, Film, Mixcloud Select, Mixes / Podcast, Music, Records. | No Comments | Tags: , ,