Very sad to hear of the tragic passing of Michel Baumann (AKA Soulphiction/Jackmate) this month. Fourty nine years is a heartbreakingly short time on this planet. For me he was someone who made deeper electronic music that was never dull, yet full of personality & raw soul.
His ongoing input into the house music world will be no doubtedly be missed but his back catalog revisited forever.
Five MB favs below…
Any good DJ worth their salt knows the importance of a good dj tool. These tracks on their own don’t often add up to much but mixed in with other tracks do the trick for the dancers. These types of records rarely leave the bag and can really help join the dots in and out of different genres. I’ve picked the classic label ‘Rockin House’ to highlight these sort of drum workouts. Some on this list you might argue are more than just dj tools, but they are quite brilliantly basic and do the job – so good enough for me.
One electronic producer I have loved across the last three decades is Morgan Geist. A true master of synths and drum machines, NY disco and 80s electro influenced but with a modern sensibility. His Metro Area project with Darshan Jesrani is another first class example of modern synth music and his Environ label is beautifully doing it’s own thing!
Five MG favs below…
Cherrystones has been at it for years. Compiler, remixer, editor, producer, ace dj. Doing his thing his way – without compromise. Sometimes in fashion, sometimes not. I don’t think he really cares what you think, as he does it because he loves music. One thing is for certain – he knows his stuff better than most. His passion and knowledge are undeniable and stands as an example of what it should really be about.
Rajko Müller aka Isolée is an artist who follows no trends within electronic music and does his own thing with sound design. The productions are always distinctly unique, yet varied in style & consistently interesting. I first discovered him via the great Playhouse label the late nineties and he’s been a constant background force in out there electronics ever since.
Below are five that highlight using melody sparingly has way more impact…
This particular topic creeps up a lot in our conversations as we both share a love for the great loose, frenetic energy that comes from a band making a proper dance floor number. It’s something we are really on a mission to incorporate into our own original material by working & recording with a range of talented musicians, that we can edit and arrange in our studio.
Here are five with that band make dance music vibe, that never fail!
Plus a cheeky little BB nip and tuck (HERE) of the Boomtown Rats…
Dom Thomas is part of the amazing B-Music team of diggers and DJs. His own label Brutal Music follows the same sensibilities of digging out and releasing ‘oddities’ that the more adventurous dance floor could get down to. I love this stuff and wish more club nights would play these types of sounds. Always felt you got an education when B-Music DJs took to the decks – joyful stuff.
There is something about alot of those early US house & techno labels that got that club potion executed so damn correctly. That balance of raw with just the right amount of elements, meaning their releases can still be played with maximum effect today. Sadly 80% of what you hear in dance music thesedays is so desperately santised, it often lacks personality and as a result I can’t see it being remembered or revisted as fondly.
Nu Groove has one of those astonishing back cats that I always revisit when I want to play something with a real sense of tension.
Five timeless NG belters below…
In the words of Alan Partridge – ‘lovely stuff’ – from the mid 90s era Khan. I love the production as it keeps a live raw feel. Definitely not meant to be played through a laptop or phone – this needs either played on a good system or listened to on a decent pair of headphones. Music to get lost to but still bumps and most importantly is never boring.
