Influences: Black Booby

One of the 1st house tracks that truly captured me, I was in that ‘just too young for Shoom’ category and put on my dancing shoes around ’91, Hence the whole Hardcore and some late New beat stuff was more my initiation into dance music. I was hearing various house/acid records but they just wasn’t clicking with me, then I heard French Kiss and the bass-line that went around and around, the sassy, naughty vocal lick and of course the breakdown/slow down, I was then hooked. Simple as that.

Again as with House I was a little late to the party with Disco, around 94 I got the Mastercuts Salsoul comps and started to join the dots, we lived in SE London and even though all the great record shops and clubs were only across the river it did feel like it took an age to discover music some times, fast forward a few more years and trips to the US stock piling on disco (I had family there, I wasn’t some jet setter!) and Eddie’s belter was in my possession. A true song and so dear to me, stormer! That piano!

Not much I can say about this other than it is simply one of the finest, classy and heart pulling songs I know, From the production, the mix down to the sheer warmth and width of what comes from the speakers when you put it on, I’m not one to look backwards and prefer to see what’s up ahead but this makes me wish I could have just one night in Garage, just one night to see bodies move to this.

Now this is probably hardest to provide a track on but anyone that knows me knows that the D is where its at for me, the sheer volume of classic, original, futuristic, open minded electronica that has come from Detroit is simply astounding. Mr Craig was one of my first purchases getting me into everything, early 69 stuff, Innerzone Orchestra, Paperclip people etc. This track choice is more an example to showcase the musical genius and integrity of all from the D, not so much my all time favourite but it touches on so many base’s that I feel its an important one. From KDJ to Derrick May to Shake to Kyle Hall. I salute every one of you and every one in between.

OK so everyones just gonna be like why the fuck is he banging on about that bloody 909, its done.
Yes it may be done but in all honesty when a machine is used to do a job and every time you go to do that job you pick the same machine surely its one we just have to always talk about?
A whole formula for a whole genre was invented with the 909 & 808 and I still find it amazing that even in this whole new dawn of ultra portable, micro sized shit hot tech we still find such fascination with 30 year old drum machines the size of a suitcase. I sold my 909 & 808 about 5 years ago as the offer of literally thousands was just too tempting, but just jumping on any drum machine that has good controls for messing with it is just too irresistible. I remember I was using my 909 in a very static way and then seeing Jeff Mills live once getting these bouncing, almost out of time licks going I revisited the way I looked at it, theres so many hidden tricks to Rolands drum machines and once mastered you can do some devastating manoeuvres. Everyone loves a 909 🙂