NIX PHUTURE TRAX Issue # 1
UK house music afficionado,
Nicky Trax, delivers the first in a new series of montly columns rounding up news, reviews and spotlighting the people making the music so hot... Enjoy and any feedback/promos/tees, etc would be most appreciated at
nicky@phuturetrax.co.uk
News
The UK Summer never really kicked off this year but that didn’t stop the festival goers and Ibiza party animals from induldging in some of the best music around as every weekend we were again spoilt for choice with diversity being the way forward this year.From the Big Chill - big up Norman Jay for his amazing Sunday afternoon sets - Lovebox... to the Carnival & all the rocking London crews, it’s been another season of top notch outside events. Now hugely attended, the Summer festivals are rites of passage for many of the nation’s younger clubbers, and you have to do at least one season before you take that job!
And as the bigger festivals now reside on the TV, armchair festival watching is the domain of the urban clubber, dipping into your rockier side without all the mud and warm beer. In response to the big corporate events, smaller boutique festivals appealing to the more experienced palate, are thriving, showing there’s still a long way to go before any of these kind of events get written off as history.
Off to Ibiza this weekend and I dream about clubbing by the sea, and the fantastic carry-ons and recovery you can enjoy under the sun. Watch out “We Love @ Space… DC10... MN2S and Defected... we’re coming!
Diary dates include the Amsterdam Dance Event running from October 18th-20th and then in the UK, the Southport Weekender with the Sounds Of Blackness live alongside DJ’s Tony Humpries celebrating his 50th Birthday, Todd Terry, Kerri Chandler, Karizma, Henrik Schwarz, Gilles Peterson, Marley Marl, and tons more. More info on southportweekender.co.uk
Vocals
One of the UK’s most consistent house labels, Defected rounds up some of Summer’s most amazing tunes on their three CD set, Ibiza Battlet Weapons. Part 1 opens with the raw funk of Mark Grant’s “Guessing Again” featuring Russoul; the sublimely soulful “Tricks” from Restless Soul featuring Shea; the gospel power of Michelle Weeks with “A Purpose”, here in the wicked Spen & Hudge 12” mix and a deeper Therapy Remix of “Through The Rain” from Soul Creation featuring the inimitable Kenny Bobien amongst others. Top soulful set.
Part 2 boasts new mixes of Mr V’s “Put Your Drink Down” courtesy of Copyright and Bob Sinclar (Pt 3); before it goes into rhythm and drums overdrive starting with Alex Wizz “s full-on “Drummin” with Louie Benedetti and H20 on the mix into the Benedetti mix of Shovell’s acidic “Drums Of Ghodrat”. Afro-Cube continue the vibes with horns on “Muervete Mama” leaving the killer instrumental rawness of “Mumbassa” from Wipe The Needle to close.
Part 3 opens with the pirates fave, Dennis Ferrer ‘s “Touched The Sky” here in its Yass Remix before hitting a more poppy trail with Axwell’s mix of Bob Sinclar’s “I Feel For You”, and Erick E’s mix of “Rejection” from Martin Solveig.
Also hot this month is Warren Clarke & Shena’s “Lifting”, which also deploys Mark Grant in raw funky style, and well worth checking.
Under the Defected umbrella of labels, now resides the legendary Strictly Rythm who unleash their much hyped but not delivering “Get Down” from Todd Terry All Stars, alongside the messy Big Room mix of Quentin Harris “U Don’t Know” which is a great taste from his new album. The other it pick on the promo goes to the deeper Osunlade fave “April” , with shades of Blaze running through it, and a real strong song. Mood II Swing’ sound like they’ve never been away on the lush Tara J-vocalled “Passing Time” and then Grand High Priest round off with the uninspiring “Mixdown”.
The MoreHouse Allstars deliver their new upbeat flyer, “Life Is What You Make It” featuring Solara with the Groove Junkies working the mix. Their Soulelectro mix suits tuffer floors leaving the Funk Fusion to soar in soulful sets. So on it, the dynamic GJ duo have also launced their amazing new radio station, mixthegroove.co.uk, which boasts sets from some of the scene’s favourite DJ’s and their website is really looking good these days.
“Disrespectful” is the feisty new song from Chaka Khan and Mary J Blige, forthcoming on Chaka’s new Funk This album. It’s great to hear these mighty divas on the dancefloor transported by Matty Heilbronn's Soulflower Final mix and should be a mighty return to form for Chaka. Matthias keeps up te good work on Ledesi’s new “Alright” song due on Verve, and again a fine voice to hear on the dancefloor.Bahsonik remix “Dial L For Love” new from the Super-Phonics, and launching the new Favouritism label in raw, moving strings style. Skipping along a mellow deep path, “Dial..” is already a summer Sunset fave with Louie Vega not to mention IDMW where it has been heralded as Single Of The Week and, with a wicked Dub, a winner for those spaced moments.
Tracks N Tings
On the tracky side of the floor check out Dirty South & M.YN.C Project’s basic house groover that breaks down into minimal claps, beats and acidic keys before cranking up the drums for some ace instrumental and harder mix flava.
There’s the minimal progressive vibe of “Moods” featuring Lemon new from Shlomi Aber on Renaissance which then gets even deeper on the lush Gel Abril Âme-fluenced Involved Mix.
Mix Moments... deeper and edgy house music with Karizma’s Coast To Coast set on NRKk and also Little Louie Vega’s In The House set for Defected. For the mellow old skool vibe try Bugz In The Attic’ Back To Mine on DMC and for leftfield choice, the Singles 2006-07 on Soul Jazz.
Spotlight on: ROCCO
New releases: "Club Culture" EP on Freerange + in the bag and ready to roll "Heartbeat Pt.2", the Kemistry & Filsonik Remixes; Rocco & Claude Monnet "90's" (SSOH): Rocco & Klement Bonelli "Les Celestins" (SSOH); Nick & Danny Chatelain " For All Underground DJ’s" Rocco Remix (Newlite); Formation Soul Bossa" Sun Groove" Rocco Remix (Centric Music) and Rocco "Da Man" (Map).My new EP "Club Culture" is the result of what I have felt when DJing or clubbing over the last 20 years. I have a "Deep" image throughout almost all of my productions, but I play heavier in a club 'cause we need to push the floor , and it’s what I’ve tried to reproduce via these 2 tracks. Also, I started to play in club with House from Detroit and Chicago and I wanted that' "sweat" in this EP.
Future of house music: My personal vision of house is that, as with many things including fashion, there is a cycle that almost every 20 years we go back to the roots of house music.
After 10 or 15 years DJing and listening to house and other music, I stop, and think of what love made this music ?
With more experience as a producer, I try to recreate this wonderful atmosphere which grabs me in House Music!
Keep an eye on young producers like Groovenauts from Sweden (they just remixed a track for Larry Heard) or Kemistry from UK (who remixed my part 2 of my EP on Shack Music) because they really bring a fresh breath to house music !
So for me , the future of House Music is gonna be a mix of the Strong beats we have in "Electro" productions with the "Smooth" touch of the warm keyboards and basslines from the 90's.
Early musical influences: I got into music very young, thanks to my brother organising events throughout France in the 80’s, sountracked to the music of Weeks & Co, Chemise, Kool & The Gang, George Benson, James Brown, Eddy Grant, Bob Marley, Santana to name few....
I was particularly interested in the funky productions from Nick Martinelli and Shep Pettibone's “garage” sound. And my influences began with Dimitri from Paris' s radio show from 1987 to 1989:, and he's my spiritual master of the art of mixing ! Dimitri was amazing - a real showman with this music...
In 1996, I got a special residency at The Ambassade club on Saturday nights. It was the only place you could play true garage music like Masters At Work, Victor Simonelli, Tommy Musto, Franckie Knuckles... And it led me to play with some of the greatest DJ’s in the house scene including Little Louie Vega, Lenny Fontana, Mousse T, DJ Shorty, Kenny Carpenter, Mad Mike...
In 2001, with my friends Alex S , David , and Manoo we produced Rodamaal's “Love Island” on Jazz-Up records, and we got discovered by Ben Watt.
Hot 10
MANOO & FRANÇOIS A - Magnetic (Buzzin’ Fly)
DJ FUDGE - My Definition Of House (SSOH)
CLOUDKICKERS featuring MARCUS - Bring On The Night ( Rocco Tro-Deep remix) (Newlite)
TRACKHEADS - He's Kingdom (Freerange)
SOUL CENTRAL - Time After Time (Osunlade Remix) (Defected)
ROCCO featuring MARCEL - Memories (Main Mix) (Citydeep)
ROCCO – Revolution (Freerange)
ÂME – Enoi (Innervision)
GROOVENAUTS - A Love Supreme (Cdr)
FRANCK ROGER - The Hook (Seasons/Cdr)
INDAMIXWORLDWIDE.COM: Only the best, No time for the rest!
INTERVIEW
