"FAIL WE MAY, SAIL WE MUST"
This is one of Andrew Weatherall's many tattoos, a phrase he heard at a young age from an Irish fisherman, when the latter had to steer a boat in a stormy weather. Adopting the meaning of the phrase to push his artistic creativity to new levels, Sir Andrew has been an electronic music royalty for over three decades.
In past February I had the opportunity to attend an open discussion with him, held in Athens. While I was not keen on the questions of the moderator or the audience (including my non-intervention), I was amazed by the attitude and spirit of this man. Andrew Weatherall is a great speaker with his humor-flavored feedback on various topics, from music evolution and DJ point-of-view to youth culture (not surprising considering the fact that he was once a freelance journalist). A huge respect should be given to him for his DJ work ethic, staying loyal to his musical roots and never attaining the superstar DJ identity.
The 2-hour set followed after the discussion was quirky, tailored to Mr. Weatherall's ethos. The other half of the duo (i.e. Sean Johnston) was not present, yet the track selection and the atmosphere was very ALFOS-ish (playing below 122 bpm along with occasional techno bombs). As always, the tracks included in the mix were obscure (I guess that only some of them could be identified by Shazam's groundbreaking technology).
There are very obvious tribute tracks to use for today's post:
- Happy Mondays – Hallelujah (Remix): Andrew partnered with Paul Oakenfold for remix duties on a classic Madchester anthem
- Saint Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart (Remix): A "cool & deadly" remix on Saint Etienne's first single, a cover of a Neil Young track.
- The Sabres Of Paradise – Smokebelch II: Collaboration with Gary Burns & Jagz Kooner for mellow downtempo productions, featured in many chillout compilations
- Primal Scream - Come Together: The production mind behind Screamadelica, responsible for re-inventing Primal Scream and creating a rave 'n' roll album.
However, the following obscurity is selected:
MEEK - GLOWING TREES
In 1994 Andrew Weatherall used the pseudonym Emmet Prague, in order to produce track Glowing Trees. The two versions of the track are ambient techno compositions that do not fit to his dub leftfield style, but reveal his dark side in terms of music production. Limited to 500 copies, it is a must have rarity for Sir Andrew fans.
Long live to techno punk Andrew Weatherall!
Κυριακή 12 Μαΐου 2019
Δευτέρα 14 Ιανουαρίου 2019
Tune #93: Joker Jam - Traffic
Where are they now?
JOKER JAM - TRAFFIC (ORIGINAL MIX)
Joker Jam was the birth child of German producers Uwe Hölters and Bart van der Zwaan. Their first track was Innocence, released in 2001 by Red Series (possibly a label set up by themselves). Supported and remixed by Paul Van Dyk, it was also re-released by Green Martian (subsidiary label of the Bonzai guys) in Belgium and by Five AM in UK. Additionally, it was featured in many mix and comp CDs, achieving great success in the club scene.
The popularity of the track secured a new release called Traffic (not to be confused with Tiesto's track!!!) in the following year. The new production was included in the eighth installment of In Trance We Trust series, crafted by DJ Ton T.B. (mostly known as the one half of the alias Three Drives On A Vinyl). While the DJ mix is not very interesting in terms of flow and track selection (however, we should not deny the greatness of Ton T.B. as a producer), one of the highlights is undoubtedly this track.
I am wondering why such an energetic track like Traffic was not licensed in more compilations, since it is a progressive trancer which is capable for taking the listener to a euphoric atmosphere. I guess that Innocence stole its thunder, being the first production. Anyway, the usual suspect of that era Yoogie Van Bellen steps in on remix duties, adding his unique touch for a blissful listening experience. Additionally, a guitar-free version is also featured, performed by Joker Jam.
JOKER JAM - TRAFFIC (VAN BELLEN REMIX)
JOKER JAM - TRAFFIC (SUNSET MIX)
So, where are they now? Uwe has teamed up with fellow "Düsseldorfian" Felix Kessler to form a new project called Danzzer. No track has been released officially yet, since the duo is seeking for singers and songwriters to collaborate with them (according to their Soundcloud account).
Although his music output outnumbers considerably Uwe's work, Bart seems to be inactive for many years (at least according to Discogs!). However, he has found a new passion in handmade crafts!
Happy New Year!
JOKER JAM - TRAFFIC (ORIGINAL MIX)
Joker Jam was the birth child of German producers Uwe Hölters and Bart van der Zwaan. Their first track was Innocence, released in 2001 by Red Series (possibly a label set up by themselves). Supported and remixed by Paul Van Dyk, it was also re-released by Green Martian (subsidiary label of the Bonzai guys) in Belgium and by Five AM in UK. Additionally, it was featured in many mix and comp CDs, achieving great success in the club scene.
The popularity of the track secured a new release called Traffic (not to be confused with Tiesto's track!!!) in the following year. The new production was included in the eighth installment of In Trance We Trust series, crafted by DJ Ton T.B. (mostly known as the one half of the alias Three Drives On A Vinyl). While the DJ mix is not very interesting in terms of flow and track selection (however, we should not deny the greatness of Ton T.B. as a producer), one of the highlights is undoubtedly this track.
I am wondering why such an energetic track like Traffic was not licensed in more compilations, since it is a progressive trancer which is capable for taking the listener to a euphoric atmosphere. I guess that Innocence stole its thunder, being the first production. Anyway, the usual suspect of that era Yoogie Van Bellen steps in on remix duties, adding his unique touch for a blissful listening experience. Additionally, a guitar-free version is also featured, performed by Joker Jam.
JOKER JAM - TRAFFIC (VAN BELLEN REMIX)
JOKER JAM - TRAFFIC (SUNSET MIX)
So, where are they now? Uwe has teamed up with fellow "Düsseldorfian" Felix Kessler to form a new project called Danzzer. No track has been released officially yet, since the duo is seeking for singers and songwriters to collaborate with them (according to their Soundcloud account).
Although his music output outnumbers considerably Uwe's work, Bart seems to be inactive for many years (at least according to Discogs!). However, he has found a new passion in handmade crafts!
Happy New Year!
Σάββατο 27 Οκτωβρίου 2018
Tune #92: Rocco - Saharien Child
France greets Morocco:
ROCCO - SAHARIEN CHILD (ORIGINAL MIX)
Sémakdji Mourad started DJing with the encouragement of his older brother at local clubs of Lyon, France in his teens. Serving initially as supporting cast for jocks like Laurent Garnier, Carl Cox, Louie Vega and DJ Deep, he developed his craftsmanship as a DJ.
In 2001, he collaborated with Alex Santos (Alex S) and Emmanuel Kossi (Manoo) to form Rodamaal, whose output caught quickly the attention of Ben Watt (of Everything But The Girl fame along with Tracey Thorn) and was published in his label Buzzin' Fly. The most popular tracks of the group were Musica Feliz’ and Insomnia (remixed by Âme), licensed in several compilations.
In the meanwhile, Sémakdji produced his own tracks under the Rocco moniker. His pseudonym resulted from a shortening of his initial name, Morocco, as suggested by a club manager in his early DJing years. Influenced by the veterans of the scene like Todd Terry, Masters At Work and Dimitri from Paris, he established a solid appreciation for deep house music.
After producing several tracks for various labels (Freerange, Defected, MN2S, Real Tone), he marked his name in the club scene. The success of tracks Someday and Memories gave him the opportunity to travel the world, sharing his music. A strong bond has been established with South Africa, a place he visits 3-4 times a year, where he enjoys mostly the appreciation of the crowd for deep house. Even his solo album The Bridge was released by SA label House Afrika Records in 2013, featuring artists and vocalists from South Africa and US.
Although Rocco's favorite place to DJ is found in the southern part of Africa, today's track is largely influenced by Moroccan tradition (I can only guess that Sémakdji has Arabian heritage judging from his name). Saharien Child was released in 2011 by Deeper Shades Recordings, a digital label set up by Lars Behrenroth. The vocal sample is taken from an old folk Moroccan poem, whose content is unknown to me, since I do not speak the Arabian lingo. However, this unfamiliarity does not prevent the listener to be moved by the emotion of the lyrics, combined with the ethno flavoured melody. For full listening experience, I would suggest the Lars' versions:
ROCCO - SAHARIEN CHILD (LARS BEHRENROTH REMIX)
ROCCO - SAHARIEN CHILD (LARS BEHRENROTH REPRISE)
It is a pity that the track is not available in physical format, a must have for appreciators of high quality music!
ROCCO - SAHARIEN CHILD (ORIGINAL MIX)
Sémakdji Mourad started DJing with the encouragement of his older brother at local clubs of Lyon, France in his teens. Serving initially as supporting cast for jocks like Laurent Garnier, Carl Cox, Louie Vega and DJ Deep, he developed his craftsmanship as a DJ.
In 2001, he collaborated with Alex Santos (Alex S) and Emmanuel Kossi (Manoo) to form Rodamaal, whose output caught quickly the attention of Ben Watt (of Everything But The Girl fame along with Tracey Thorn) and was published in his label Buzzin' Fly. The most popular tracks of the group were Musica Feliz’ and Insomnia (remixed by Âme), licensed in several compilations.
In the meanwhile, Sémakdji produced his own tracks under the Rocco moniker. His pseudonym resulted from a shortening of his initial name, Morocco, as suggested by a club manager in his early DJing years. Influenced by the veterans of the scene like Todd Terry, Masters At Work and Dimitri from Paris, he established a solid appreciation for deep house music.
After producing several tracks for various labels (Freerange, Defected, MN2S, Real Tone), he marked his name in the club scene. The success of tracks Someday and Memories gave him the opportunity to travel the world, sharing his music. A strong bond has been established with South Africa, a place he visits 3-4 times a year, where he enjoys mostly the appreciation of the crowd for deep house. Even his solo album The Bridge was released by SA label House Afrika Records in 2013, featuring artists and vocalists from South Africa and US.
Although Rocco's favorite place to DJ is found in the southern part of Africa, today's track is largely influenced by Moroccan tradition (I can only guess that Sémakdji has Arabian heritage judging from his name). Saharien Child was released in 2011 by Deeper Shades Recordings, a digital label set up by Lars Behrenroth. The vocal sample is taken from an old folk Moroccan poem, whose content is unknown to me, since I do not speak the Arabian lingo. However, this unfamiliarity does not prevent the listener to be moved by the emotion of the lyrics, combined with the ethno flavoured melody. For full listening experience, I would suggest the Lars' versions:
ROCCO - SAHARIEN CHILD (LARS BEHRENROTH REMIX)
ROCCO - SAHARIEN CHILD (LARS BEHRENROTH REPRISE)
It is a pity that the track is not available in physical format, a must have for appreciators of high quality music!
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