Felix Dickinson – Influences

One of the first bands I got obsessed about as a kid, I got recordings of all their early albums off my older brothers and used to strut around listening to them on my walkman as a young lad, much to the derision of the other kids at school, until ‘Road To Knowhere’ (one of my least favourite tracks) got in the charts and I became the cool kid at school for a week. I’d never heard anything like this as a kid, and guess it was probably my first introduction to disco or new wave or whatever you want to call it.

The Tonka Sound System was a massive influence, and although I came to the game a little late (1990), their parties undoubtedly changed the course of my life. The footage in this video is from their monthly Monday night at the Zap club in Brighton. I ended up moving universities from Leeds down to Brighton because of this night and when the Tonka speakers died a death I started organising the beach parties for them using local sound systems like Positive Sounds and Baby Boom. The track featuring in this video wouldn’t get into my influences on it’s own back although it did get played.

As a member of LHAS Inc. I’d have to have at least one Larry Heard track in here! I remember hearing them play this at the warehouse in Chicago; as with all the tracks played there at that time, it was so well known the whole club practically sang along with it as they slammed their body’s along to it; a proper anthem of house music. This track was on the seminal album ‘Another Side’, so many great tracks on there including “Feeling Sleazy’ (which I put on my Originals comp) and ‘Distant Planet’, ‘I’m Strong’, hell, they’re all good on there. This track also features Robert Owens on vocals who I’ve had the honour of recording a track with which will be coming out later this year on Cynic with a remix from Jaime Read (my partner in LHAS Inc. on the other side). Fingers Inc rule.

Acid house with pianos and a decent song. Hello!? I love Da Posse’s tracks, and actually ended up licensing ‘House Nation Under A Groove’ for Ugly (as I mentioned earlier). This is one of my favourites from them and I ended up playing my copy to death.

I used to listen to a lot of Kerri Chandler records and love all the deep house tracks he used to make, but when this came out I went nuts, I still reckon it’s the funkiest thing he’s done. This was a major influence on my first ever track; a remix of ‘House Nation Under a Groove’ that I did with Nick the Record on Ugly Music back in 1997. You’d not know from listening to our mix, as we had no idea what we were doing so it sounds nothing like it!

I love Sylvester, such an amazing voice, and love the sound of the whole Cockettes scene that he was part of, bearded glittery acid trannies; I think they were a big inspiration for the crew that I work with down at the Downlow in Block 9 at Glastonbury. This track stands out particularly for me, I love the sleazy slow mo tripyness of it. Produced by Patrick Cowley this track is so timeless.

I used to love Ian Dury and the Blockheads when I was a kid, but when I heard this solo recording from the Blockheads keyboardist it blew my mind. A tough B boy track with plenty of squelchy noodles over the top of it. Killer.

I always felt this record was a bit of crossover record, all though it’s disco and was made in 1976; it’s so striped back and dubby it sounds like house and could have been made yesterday. I used to play this record to death, and upset a few of the techno nazis when I played it on the main floor of Megatripolis.