Tune #98: Whodini - Magic's Wand

After 5 years, I saw Grandmaster Flash play a pure old-skool DJ set at Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. The event gathered approx. 3000 people, who had the opportunity to experience the scratching techniques on the Wheels of Steel by a true DJ. The set consisted mainly by classic hip hop tracks from the early 80's till the early 00's and it was a nice motivation to remember a forgotten rap classic (unfortunately not played by Flash...)

WHODINI - MAGIC'S WAND (ORIGINAL VERSION)


Whodini was one of the first rap groups (1981) hailing from the Bronx, New York. It was originally consisted of rappers Jalil Hutchins and John "Ecstasy" Fletcher until 1986, when DJ Drew "Grandmaster D" Carter became the third member of the group. Whodini made initial impact with releases like Magic's Wand, The Haunted House of Rock and Freaks Come Out At Night, which were humor flavored songs with slick hip hop grooves. The first two LPs (Whodini & Escape) are essential hip hop releases, especially for the listeners of the Golden age hip hop; funky beats and driving synth basslines indicate the true essence of rap music.

Although the group released 6 albums in a time span of 14 years, it never reached the commercial status of other hip hop stars of the era, like Run-DMC, Beastie Boys and A Tribe Called Quest. Between 1987 and 1991 they were inactive since they faced problems with their record company and they decided to concentrate on their families.

Magic's Wand was the very first release by Whodini, traced back in 1982. It was produced by mastermind Thomas Dolby and it was written by Hutchins, Fletcher and Mr. Magic himself (John Rivas). Rivas was an influential figure in the hip hop scene, since he hosted the first all-rap radio show in US, titled Rap Attack (hence the reference "I am having a rap attack" in the song). The radio show debuted in 1983 on WBLS in New York and exposed hip hop to the masses throughout the 80's. The collaboration of all these people created an electro vocoder rap classic and was destined to leave a mark in history of hip hop music.

Finally, you can enjoy the DIY aesthetic of the official video clip in the following link:

Tune #97: Transform - Transformation

What I like most in early trance releases is the hypnotic deep melodies and beats. Primitive, yet innovative compositions create a trippy experience, set free from the formula that was adopted years later in the trance genre. One perfect example is Transformation by Transform!

TRANSFORM - TRANSFORMATION (CLUB MIX)


I was not aware of the track, until I found and bought the compilation Logic Trance 2, a collection of early 90's trance, techno and ambient compositions. The collection was curated by Logic Records, a German label set-up by Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti, commonly known as the production force behind Snap!. The label also served as the production home for Cosmic Baby (Harald Blüchel), after his first years in the legendary MFS.

Behind the Transform alias you can find German producers Ralf Hertwig and Tommi Eckart. Both of them have been active since the early eighties, being members of new wave/punk bands in Germany. Between the late 80's and early 90's, they were involved in various electronic music acts (Marathon, Pulse, Caesar, Time Unlimited), following the dance craze of acid music that emerged since the second summer of love. Their only collaboration occurred only for one officially released EP by Cyclotron, a short-lived label in Frankfurt.

While the EP was successful (with several releases and licensing from other labels), the two members did not join forces again for the production of new material. One interesting fact for the EP is that Resistance D (Pascal F.E.O.S. and Maik Maurice) assisted in the realization of the project, since they were credited as co-producers in the release.

Listening to Transformation, you can realize that the hypnotic groove and the trance pads accompanied by the haunted woman chants are sufficient for a solid early trance release. The origin of the vocal sample is not verified, but the voice is reminiscent of Jane Fonda's (possibly extracted from Barbarella film).

Finally, if you think that the woman chants are familiar, then you may have listened to classic trance track La by Marc Et Claude, with remixes by the big players of the trance era (Ferry Corsten, Taucher, Binary Finary, Lange, Van Bellen).

MARC ET CLAUDE - LA (ORIGINAL MIX)