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Day: 18 December 2013

Interview: Yousef

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Music.

Alongside his long established reputation at the forefront of Dance Music that has seen releases on forthcoming Loco Dice’s Desolat imprint, as well as on Crosstown Rebels, Get Physical and Defected, head of Circus Recordings Yousef has had a busy year managing one of the biggest nights to recently dominate the UK club scene, the Circus Recordings shows. Ahead of Circus showcases on Boxing Day and NYE, I caught up with the big boss himself to discuss his evolving sound, his roots in the North West and how Dance Music has developed over the period of his respected career.

Whatever your opinion on House music and the music of Yousef’s ‘Circus Recordings’, there’s no doubt that his experiences of the Industry can be rivalled by few. Reflecting on the recent surge of popularity for Dance music and House in particular, Yousef remarks how “the implosion of Dance music in the UK many years ago was a great thing in many respects. Many new DJs, promoters and labels all came striding out the ashes and created a whole new fresher scene”.

It is certainly a scene of which he is at the centre. “I’m always up to all sorts,” he explains, commenting on his release of three singles for Defected in the last year, ‘Think Twice’, ‘I See’ and of course ‘Beg’ that sat at the top of the Beatport charts for 10 weeks. However, many projects are currently in the pipeline. “I’m just about to complete a track for the official World Cup album. It’s a Samba Techno track where I recorded the Liverpool Samba School playing alongside a heavy House/Techno hybrid I’d made.”

In addition to UK label success, Yousef remarks on his collaboration with The Angel, ‘Float Away’ that was released on FFRR/Warners/Big Beat Records this summer and remained Ibiza’s hidden treasure for the rest of the season. In fact, ever since he first travelled there as a starry-eyed Dance music fanatic in the late 90s, Yousef describes his very special relationship with the White Isle, having DJed consistently there since 1998. “I’ve been DJing for a long time and it’s been my living for 15 years now but my style has certainly broadened. Or rather I’m not afraid to play records that I love. I’m as happy playing super deep Glen underground as I am Beyer Techno but my heart is always in House music.”

However, the increasing role of technology in globalising the Industry has undoubtably been influential in shaping his sound. “I was and am always into the authentic House sound, once called “American House” and I still am, but these days music comes from all over the world. I like Soul, Funk, Disco and proper 80’s Electro. I was never into Rock but I do enjoy the darker bands like Radiohead and Pink Floyd. I’m always open to ideas musically, now more than ever and check all sorts. DJ wise, Derrick Carter, Loco Dice, Marco Carola, Carl Cox, Onionz, Steve Lawler, Laurent Garnier… I’m a fan of them all. The introduction of easier and cheaper technology has helped producers get out their bedrooms and I’m glad to be part of the thriving scene.”

The ethos of Circus reflects these influences and desire to discover new talent. “I would describe the Circus sound as authentic House, Techno and Electronica with personality” he explains. “It’s for the floors but also creative. It doesn’t have musical limits but must be quality and is always open to suggestion. That’s what makes the events so popular, it’s because Circus continues to spread it’s message of the best in underground House and Techno by signing heroes like Reboot, Carl Cox, Green Velvet. It’s about resurfacing talent such as the likes of super talented Harry Romero. I wanted to create a strong platform for my own music as well as for developing fresh names like Acid Mondays, David Glass and Horatio and think I’ve achieved that. This year we released the years biggest underground track, Green Velvets ‘Bigger Than Prince’.”

However, originally hailing from Liverpool, he is quick to defend the North West’s place at the forefront of the UK music scene. He fervently describes the scene in the North West “as healthy and dynamic as it’s ever been. The reality is that Music in the North West is actually the best scene in the world. The clubs have the best facilities, best sound, lights, and above all the best people. From Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and all the surrounding towns, where else has such an abundance of 1st class events, so close and so often outside Ibiza? Believe me, as a touring DJ, there is nowhere like the North West of England right now.” We agree…

This has led to the establishment of a temporary Circus home in Liverpool’s East Village, the heart of Yousef’s inspiration. I ask him what sets Circus events apart from it’s rivals, to which he answers “you tell me? My team and I work hard to make it the best we can and make the people who come to the club feel welcome and safe. Its hard graft but it’s part of what we do, cliché wise, it really is a labour of love.”

At his set at Circus on the 26th December, he describes how he’ll be “bringing an array of fresh House and Techno mixed on 3 decks live as always. You always need to step it up boxing day as people are christmas’d out but the Circus Liverpool Birthday and Halloween this year were two of my favourite sets of 2013. They remind me how much i appreciate what i do.”

To catch Yousef’s 3 deck set alongside other House(hold) names such as Shadow Child, Loco Dice and Nic Fancuilli grab your ticket to the Boxing Day and NYE Circus events HERE.

Interview: Shadow Child

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Music.

Having established a reputation for himself as a talented producer of primarily bass-heavy House, Simon Neale aka Shadow Child has just released his debut album ‘Collected’ on self-owned label ‘Food’. However, many will be surprised to learn that the name of Simon Neale was known long ago in the Industry as a producer of Electro House under a different pseudonym. In light of his new debut, I caught up with the producer who after returning to his routes of dark, rhythmic House, has made one of the fastest rises to respected success known in the Electronic scene.

The decision to change moniker was an unusual one. Shadow Child describes to me his musical frustration of the past and desire to break away from Industry trends. “I was musically bored.. challenged but bored trying to make stuff I wasn’t feeling. I couldn’t get into where the Electro House sound went. For me it wasn’t even Electro to start with, it just evolved further from that to the EDM sound.” You can’t help but respect his decision to make such a drastic change in style for the sake of musical integrity. “It moved too far from what I love” he explains “towards heavily over-produced music that I didn’t want to play, let alone make. It’s tricky as the business side of it was wide open but, I need to be able to believe in what I’m doing musically.” The result was a change to the Star-Wars inspired pseudonym of Shadow Child.

Ironically it was this move away the over saturated market of “EDM trends” that allowed Shadow Child such fast success, the notorious ‘String Thing’ from his initial release on Dirtybird catapulted him onto the him onto the radars of Claude Von Stroke and Eats Everything back in early 2012. He mentions to me how House music is “truly back” and his excitement for explaining the complexities behind producing the simple yet profound tracks on ‘Collected’ is contagious. There is no doubt that enthusiasm translates directly into an infectious album with tracks that embody the soul of Dance Music today such as ’23 feat. Tymer’ that was recently featured on Grand Theft Auto V.

He describes how collaboration with Zimbawean singer Takura on opening track ‘Friday’ fell effortlessly into place. “I had the instrumental done (inspired by a 90’s track, called ‘Cascades of Colour’), and we just sent it to him and he delivered it the next day. It came about so easily, they don’t always work like that but this one did.”

In fact, only a couple of the vocals featured on the album were recorded with Shadow Child present himself, which is hard to imagine considering the unifying sense to the album on both Shadow Child tracks and remixes of existing releases. “My remix of Lianne La Havas was actually the hardest track to produce. It went from a major to minor key and wasn’t flowing right. After days of scratching my head, a simple hi-string sound made it all come together. So simple in the end”.

Although primarily classing himself as a producer over a DJ, Shadow Child’s recent slot on tastemaker station Rinse FM has allowed him to explore other approaches to his musical engagement. “The Rinse show enables me to showcase all the new music I might not play out.. I do play some of the same stuff but ultimately it’s my little piece of time each week to shout about other stuff I love too.” He expands, “there are so many great tracks I get sent, and the music is so fresh each week. 9 times out of 10 Rinse is the first place I’ve played the music you hear each week. It’s a total buzz”.

However, his heart will always be first and foremost in producing and creating new sounds that are pushing boundaries of Electronic music. “I love DJing but I make tunes and that’s all I want to do really. Every gig is special though at the moment and my love for playing out is back but I’m moving into new areas of music already and in the future there may be less touring and more studio. I have to stay true to my ambitions in music and lots of them are outside of making house records”.

I ask him if he would ever consider adopting another pseudonym with the possibility of switching musical style in the future, to which he answers “no idea.. I guess I can be unpredictable in that sense!” It really does seem that he moves in the shadows.

You can catch Shadow Child dropping some bass-heavy beats at the Circus Records showcase alongside other House hard-hitters Yousef, Loco Dice and Apollonia on the 26th December at East Village Arts Club Liverpool. Otherwise, check out Circus Records’s Facebook page for similar events.

Introducing: Irrelevant

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Music.

Quite ironically, Colchester-born DJ and upcoming producer, ‘Irrelevant’ embodies all the current trends of his time. Having established his name in the underground scenes spinning tech-house for many years and adopting influences from close friends Synkro, Burial and Radio Slave to name but a few, Irrelevant has finally released his debut album ‘Little Figurines’ available to buy HERE. On the edge of a career turning point, we caught up with Irrelevant to discuss atmospheric production, remixing techniques and creative connections.

Considering album-titled track ‘Little Figurines’ is based on the previously-written theme that features on his 2011 release ‘I’ll Be OK’, it’s clear by the contrast in style that Irrelevant’s sound has drastically developed over the last couple of years. He comments “my style has certainly evolved since I started producing.  I feel far more comfortable in the studio now. I’m not musically trained and I’ve always made music for myself so I’ve never felt pressure to create a certain sound to appeal to any one person or scene.”

However, these admitted shortcomings in technical training are arguably made up for in effortless creative flair. Irrelevant explains “I like to play with vocals, atmospheres and found sounds a lot, I record a lot with a digital audio recorder others I just stumble across by chance” and as a result, debut ‘Little Figurines’ embodies the experimental ethos and unusual sample choices increasingly adopted by the leading players in electronic music today in a release “primed for headphone commutes and midnight chills alike”.

Overall however, Irrelevant describes his sound as “deep dark emotional electronic music” that has been shaped by the creative figures around him. “I am surrounded by a great pool of creative friends such as Synkro, Indigo, Radioslave, Shed, Burial and Unkle who were my biggest influences in getting into production”. Although it’s early days in terms of his own material, remixes such as his ‘Delta X – Suppression’ remix have received much specialist acclaim. He expands, “for the Delta X remix, I wanted to bring in the vocal effect because the original track already had a strong instrumental riff running through it like a vein. My approach to remixing differs from project to project but as a general blueprint, my mind is always focused on adding something personal to someone else’s track. He explains “music is subjective, varying and unrestricted in its scope. It should be a creative release and a reflection of who you are. That ethos is reflected in my creative process and advice to budding producers”.

With his EP released on Kokeshi, Irrelevant is a good match for the increasingly renowned Independent label. “From the start Alicia (Alley Cat) and I have had a really good musical connection and the ethos of Kokeshi fits perfectly with what I do. It’s the meeting of our musical tastes that has meant a great relationship.” Looking to the future however, Irrelevant is holding his cards close to his chest. “I’m soon to be working on some collaborations and a secret project that I’m trying to get off the ground. Outside of that, I’m hoping to be play a few more sets than I did this year. My favourite sets this year have certainly been those at Fabric for Kokeshi, but I try to mix it up by playing anything from Ambient to Jungle. I’m hoping to do more with AtsuBox in 2014 and there’s some bits coming up with another couple of producers that are still in progress at the moment. Only time will tell.”

Irrelevant’s debut album ‘Little Figurines’ is available to buy from 16th December HERE.

Live: Emily Wells

Written by Alex Daniel on . Posted in Music.

8th December 2013

Ruby Lounge

9/10

As the tables-and-chairs setup suggested on arrival at a near empty Ruby Lounge, Emily Wells’ quirky, atmospheric brand of hip hop lends itself to the quiet, attentive audience; a fact which was proved patently true by the end of the evening. Thankfully, when she appeared on stage, downcast, brooding, in some sort of hooded cape, the venue had filled out. The opening number, ‘Fire Song’, taken from her recent third album Mama was met with polite but enthusiastic applause.

As the show continued, Wells lost the cape and started to work the crowd. Granted, at times the furthest this stretched was to graciously accept some ill-conceived clapping during a gospel-inspired number, but the longer the night went on, the thinner the screen between audience and performer became and she was eventually telling us the stories behind songs, many of which were hypnotic and dramatic crescendos from a sparse bass line and a beat to a fully orchestrated soundscape, interspersed with her ghostly, delicate vocals and perceptive lyricism.

Her eclectic array of influences is evident in her seminal album The Symphonies, from which the song ‘Fair Thee Well & The Requiem Mix’ was a particular crowd pleaser. Indeed, when we caught her for a few words after the show she spoke of how her classical background influenced her music (Wells is a first-study violinist). However, her love of hip hop was also apparent as she covered The Notorious BIG’s ‘Juicy’ to the whooping of those who recognised it.

Wells’ smooth use of loop pads and pedals and her ability on a multitude of instruments was impressive too. She would add layer upon layer to create an almost orchestral texture at times. All this combined with her tantalizing vocals and all-round great musicianship meant for a memorable performance; a hidden gem on a quiet Sunday night.

Live: Albert Hammond Jr.

Written by Dan Whiteley on . Posted in Music.

8th December

Night & Day Café,

7/10

With his main band seemingly on hiatus for the foreseeable future, Albert Hammond Jr. has wasted no time delving back into his career as a solo artist and singer-songwriter. The Strokes guitarist dropped his newest offering – the five-track EP AHJ – back in October, and is now supporting the release with a string of low-key US and European dates, including a sold out performance at Manchester’s own Night & Day Café.

In a set that clocked in at just over an hour, Hammond showcased material both old and new, with tracks from his sunny-sounding debut Yours to Keep sitting seamlessly next to newer additions such as AHJ’s ‘Rude Customer’ and ‘Cooker Ship’. There was a notable absence of Strokes numbers, signalling that this was a night meant to promote Hammond’s own work as opposed to cashing in on his old successes and the indie anthems that made him famous. Whether this was a wise decision or not isn’t massively clear; the packed-out crowd was receptive, but the applause definitely tended towards the polite and subdued throughout, and at times there was a feeling like some were treating the gig as a simple stopgap until the next Strokes tour.

That being said, the songs’ angular, new wave stylings generally translated well into a live setting, with the vibrant new single ‘St. Justice’ sounding even more urgent up close and personal, and fan favourite ‘In My Room’ serving as a clear highlight. Ending the main set was a questionably chosen cover of seminal punk band the Misfits’ signature song ‘Last Caress’, whose sensationalist lyrics (“I got something to say/I killed your baby today”) jarred against the earnest nature of the rest of the set, despite its enthusiastic performance. Hammond finished the night off on his own with the gentle ‘Blue Skies’, showing he is capable of holding an audience with the most subtle of accompaniments, and the gig as a whole confirmed his place as a big name talent and front man in his own right.

Live: Haim / Saint Raymond

Written by Ruby Hoffman on . Posted in Music.

8th December

The Ritz

8.5/10

About halfway into their set, lead vocalist Danielle Haim pauses.  The Haim gig at the Ritz resides across the street from venue Gorilla, where fellow indie band Los Campesinos! is making an appearance.  According to Danielle, earlier in the night Haim received a tweet from the latter band capturing the winding line of people waiting to enter the venue- a twitter ‘fuck you’ from the more established band who is clearly competing for fans at their respective show.  Danielle is nonplussed, and asks the audience at the Ritz to put their hands up while she takes a picture of their sold-out show to tweet in response.

Haim don’t really need to stress about attracting fans to their shows these days.  They’ve already sold out their March show at the Academy in Manchester, and the Ritz is probably the smallest venue the band will see for quite some time.  Are they worth the hype?  Even those who don’t worship their full-length Days Are Gone would have to agree.  Their live show is energetic and entertaining, and the three sisters’ impressive mastery of multiple instruments as well as vocal harmony is enviable.  Even if you’ve never heard a single Haim song before (doubtful considering their widespread play from BBC Radio 1 to various TV soundtracks), their catchy yet unique brand of indie pop will find you hard-pressed not to be dancing along anyway.

Support comes from Saint Raymond (Nottingham-born Callum Burrows), who at eighteen already has secured this coveted support slot for Haim as well as festival play and an upcoming UK tour in March.  His songs are display a quietly confident presence, with upbeat and easy choruses indicative of a future of full crowds singing along.  Albeit slightly generic, his band provides a complementary warm-up for early gig-goers.

Live: The Dismemberment Plan

Written by Henry Scanlan on . Posted in Music.

27th November 2013

Manchester Academy 3

9/10

The Dismemberment Plan never got much recognition this side of the Atlantic, despite releasing some of the most original and exhilarating music of the last 20 years. They’re a beloved cult band, and their set at Manchester Academy 3 felt like a love-in for fans after waiting 12 years for their return. Comeback album Uncanney Valley doesn’t quite live up to the band’s legacy but it has its moments. It’s full of slightly ditzy pop songs, including one about Brian Eno’s dad. Their best music relied on the kind of urgency and anguish that fizzles out with age, which might explain the lighter punches thrown by the new material.

But as a live act, it’s like they’ve been cryogenically frozen in waiting for this comeback (scientists can’t do that yet but still). They’re back to their old selves: screwing with time signatures, throwing odds and ends into the mix – they fuse snippets of Lorde’s ‘Royals’ and The Smiths’ ‘That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore’ into breakneck-punk number ‘Ok, Joke’s Over’ and somehow pull it off. It’s refreshing that The Plan are as intense as ever despite the fact that they’ve all settled into family life and ‘grown-up’ professions (drummer Joe Easley just so happens to work for NASA now). Frontman Travis Morrison still has his boyish charms, and the band members have hardly aged a day since their split (excuse the sweet talk).

Morrison’s vocals straddle the divide between hip hop and nerdy white boy rock, as he writhes and contorts to spit out a hundred words a minute on ‘Back and Forth’ and ‘Girl O’Clock’. Bass lines wriggle around off-kilter drum grooves on ‘The Other Side’. The choruses of ‘You Are Invited’ and ‘What Do You Want Me To Say?’ send the crowd into total euphoria. Keyboards fizz and bleep on a run of new songs, which sound a lot better live and steer clear of a mid-set lull. To end the night, as is the D-Plan tradition, the audience are invited onstage for ‘The Ice of Boston’. One guy got so excited he jumped up there and tripped over the microphone lead. What a dumbass. That definitely wasn’t me.

Interview: Death to the Strange

Written by Nisha Gogna on . Posted in Music.

A five piece band that is signed by a Manchester-based independent record label, Death to the Strange is certainly not an ordinary band to overlook. Earning themselves a limited edition vinyl release and some high profile support slots- such as with Gomez and James Walsh- the band is inspired by many legends in the music industry such as The Smiths, The Beatles, The Stone Roses, Oasis, Floyd, Radiohead, Dylan… not forgetting Grandad Jimmy of course! Currently finishing off the video to their next single ‘Openshaw Blues’ for early 2014, the band had only just finished filming their first official video ‘Sign On’ which was said to be a “laugh” as the band “really enjoyed being thrown into a position where we were out of our comfort zone.” Catching up with the lads, I found out that the inspiration of the official music video came from Emmerdale actor Jason Merrills who plays Declan. “He heard the song and said instantly he pictured a video to it. He contacted us and asked if we would be interested in him directing the video for ‘Sign On’ and we gladly obliged. It was great working with him he was so professional and was good to see him get a few of his friends involved as well such as Dominic Brunt (Paddy) and Sammy Winward (Katie Addyman).”

This is not the only notice the band have received. Death to the Strange even got a mention by Peter Hook from Joy Division when he was interviewed with Rolling Stone, to which Daniel Clarke (Vocalist and Guitarist) responded, “It’s nice to think someone that’s been through it all and about for years and is well respected as a musician is a fan of us and our music.”

These lads have clearly worked hard at their music to get themselves to this far. Rewinding to the start of their union, the lads revealed their heartwarming story of how they first met. “John was in a band called The Joint and I was in The Moods who are both still going and doing really well (check them out). He was their guitarist at the time and as we got to know each other we both kind of got into drum n bass and would see each other at raves most weeks in Manchester in places like Phoenix and the Music Box (which are sadly missed). We talked a lot about our taste in music and soon became good friends. We were both up for starting a new project based around acoustic guitars and harmonies. It took a while for us to get together as we were both busy in our bands but eventually we did and from then on have worked with each other since.” After a long period of exchanging displays of songs and coming up with a set, the duo invited more musicians on board, building the band around the songs. “It just so happens that all 5 members of the band now are great instrumentalists and we are all best of mates,” adds Clarke.

He also revealed the history behind the curious name. It originated from a line that John (vocalist and guitarist) wrote: “bring fear on the weak and death to the strange” in addition to a book called Death to the Weird by Hunter S Thompson.

On the topic of revelation, Daniel Clarke spills the gossip on Paul Sewell (bassist) who is an apparent “animal in the bedroom” and “likes to talk about his experimental sex life quite a lot and he doesn’t mind going into detail even when nobody else wants to hear.” Nice, Paul.

After digging deeper, the band exposed some embarrassing moments on stage: “There have been a couple of incidents such as halfway through a gig one of our friends pulled my pants down so I’m stood there singing in my boxers” and “there was even a gig not too long ago when John had had one too many and he fell off the stage.” He adds, “Music is supposed to be enjoyed and that’s the main thing. If you can’t fall off the stage without finding it funny then you shouldn’t be in a band.”

As a final word, Clarke advises to young aspiring musicians that “If music becomes a chore then it might not be the thing for you or you may be in the wrong band etc. It is difficult to earn a living at music until you have mastered your art and been doing it for years so music has to be the passion and not money, so just keep at it, keep enjoying it and never ever give up living the dream!”

Death to the Strange are planning on releasing a second E.P soon, and a third E.P by April 2014! The five lads inform that they have a festival in France in March which they are “really looking forward to,” and are planning a mini tour of a few festivals in the big cities all over Europe.’ However if you are too ecstatic to wait for that, then check out their upcoming gigs…
Thu 19th Dec, The Crescent, Salford Xmas party
Sat 21st Dec, African Caribbean Centre, Glasgow w/Girobabies
Thu 26th Dec, Ethiad Stadium, Manchester

Live: Falcons

Written by Natalie Proctor on . Posted in Music.

28th November

Antwerp Mansion

 

It’s safe to say that the world of music is evolving. More and more artists are blending genres and creating their own brand of music, and Falcons is certainly riding this new wave. The 26 year-old artist from LA dubs his music style as ‘Post-Timbaland Step’, attributing some of his longest standing influences to the world famous rapper and producer; Timbaland, and the old school RnB legend; Missy Elliot.

In a recent gig held at the Antwerp Mansion, the artist showcased this new brand of music in his own unique way. Beginning his set with Sage the Gemini and Rustie combined with his own signature style, Falcons immediately received a great response from the crowd. Continuing with some of his own tracks such as ‘Julio (Busta Rhymes)’ – which remains hugely popular amongst Falcons fans – and his latest EP ‘Birdcall’. Falcons proved especially electric, helped greatly by the atmosphere the Mansion is famous for.

Despite the small size of the venue, it was easy to see how the artist would thrive on a bigger stage. However, when asked if he would consider some of the larger festivals that the UK offers across the year, Falcons seemed somewhat hesitant, answering, ‘absolutely, but I mean I’m not interested in compromising my style’. The artist also went on to say that he was impressed with the UK music scene, and believed that ‘people look harder for music here’, and that they ‘want to hear the new sound’. With collaborations between genres becoming ever more common, we must be aware that ‘new’ does not necessarily equate to ‘good’. As it stands however, Falcons is an artist successfully championing this ‘new sound’.