James Holden is a no stranger in the electronic music industry. A prodigy of the progressive sound, he composed in 1999 his first track, Horizons, which was released one year later by Silver Planet Recordings and became an instant success. The track was a runaway club hit, supported by top disc jockeys like Dave Seaman, Sasha, John Digweed and Nick Warren (the latter along with Jody Wisternoff created even a banging remix). The subsequent releases were also successful, with Nothing (both the Original Version and the 93 Returning Mix) reaching the pinnacle of progressive trance of that era.
Holden's hits made him a highly sought name for remixes by the big players (Madonna, Britney Spears, Depeche Mode). In 2002, Sasha invited him to be part of the production team for his album Airdrawndagger (the album's eighth track, Bloodlock, was a collaboration between Sasha, Holden & Junkie XL). In the meantime, Holden showcased his DJ skills in mix CDs. His first one (Fear Of The Silver Planet) was supported by Silver Planet, mainly consisting of his productions and remixes. The second one was the fifth installment of the Balance series (curated by EQ Recordings) and it is till this day one of the greatest mixes ever conceived.
The "progressive" phase of James Holden lasted until 2005, when he decided to focus on different music styles. This transition is reflected in the early releases of Border Community, Holden's label home. His first works in the label can be described as minimal progressive house, which progressed to experimental IDM. Under the label's umbrella, several innovative artists produced solid compositions, like Petter, Nathan Fake, Avus, The MFA and Luke Abbott.
I haven't followed James Holden's work for years (as a matter of fact, his new orientation is not my cup of tea), but I recently discovered one of his early works, which has escaped my radar. In 2002 he created his third EP for Silver Planet, titled Solstice/I Have Put Out The Light. The B-side of the EP is presented in the current post.
JAMES HOLDEN - I HAVE PUT OUT THE LIGHT
IHPOTL is the characteristic sound of Holden's early output; hypnotic driving pads and tweaked vocals. In my opinion, it can be considered as a precursor to the acclaimed Nothing track. The ethereal yet sedate voice of Jenny Holden (James' little sister) is tweaked for a darker emotional experience.
An interview with James Holden from the old days can be found here.
Κυριακή 4 Αυγούστου 2019
Κυριακή 28 Ιουλίου 2019
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:
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:
Κυριακή 21 Ιουλίου 2019
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)
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)
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