A Private Party with Derrick Carter

Derrick Carter brought Chicago Disco Fever to Shoreditch on Friday night and contaminated hundreds of people making Shoreditch Studios a red hot quarantine zone, with hours of non stop disco music.  A shiny disco ball hung in the centre of the ceiling and hundreds of people were getting down with the groove ‘disco stylee’. I have no doubt John Travolta would of happily taken centre stage, so in his absence I ensured his memory lived on in the name of Joy Travolta. I resisted doing the ‘Night Fever’ arm in the air thing, however, I gave the tunes the respect they deserved and danced the hours away. Soar feet are always a sign of a fantastic night!

This life of mine is no ‘mid life crisis’ as I have the same number of decades of musical genres under my dancing belt as have Carter and other great DJs such as John Digweed, Pete Tong and Carl Cox. I will never apologise to anyone for going out and dancing to some of the greatest DJs of our time. Carl Cox by the way, holds the record of keeping me non stop dancing for 3 hours and no stimulants were required. It is always about the quality of the set! Derrick Carter was not far behind that record!

I took a younger girl friend with me who has a love for Dubstep, Drum & Bass and  Techno amongst others and she requested the cabbie played Kiss FM on the journey, as her favourite DJ EZ was playing. I wanted to give her a taste of the ‘Disco Glitz’ and on doing so her words to me on the dance floor were “I didn’t realise Disco Music was so funky”!  Derrick Carter introduced her to that style of music, so that was a brilliant road test Mr Carter!

The gig was sponsored by Tiger Beer, which went down as beautifully as the  music. The gig went on until sunrise, where Derrick Carter aroused the crowds consistently with some serious disco funk.  Derrick’s mix of ‘Miss You’ – The Rolling Stones delighted me and the crowd and got everyone  ‘oooh ooh oohing’ to the mix.

Derrick Carter getting down with the disco groove

I was considering asking Derrick for an interview, but then thought twice about it. This man is a master of the art of creating dance music for the masses and I didn’t want to interrupt his creative flow. The best interview on the night in my opinion is to feel the producers music and dance.

It was a diverse crowd and I chatted to a cool cat called Tom in the alley outside, who was having a ciggie break. He told me he rarely goes out, but as soon as he heard Derrick Carter was in town, he just had to be led astray.  I also got chatting to a lady, who immediately informed me she was 45 years of age and wasn’t comfortable with her size. Unfortunately, the music industry and media have been guilty of giving people like her a complex and made her feel she needed to apologise for being at a club and having fun! I soon put her straight and said, ” music itself isn’t ageist, sexist or sizeist and we are all as young as the music we feel; so lets get back on that dance floor and respect the art of the DJ”!

No person walks around an art gallery with their eyes closed, so I insisted we get with the groove and headed back to the centre of the floor, because  that was the reason we were there!

I believe we have a lot to learn from African tribes as every member of the community, young and old, large or small, get with the rhythm and beats and dance together. If the music industry were to get with the rhythm on the street and  dance floors globally and listen to the producers and crowds, they would see the potential sales and promote all people in videos. This would definitely boost record sales. They would also encourage men and w0men of any age or shape to go to a club and get funky, without being accused of being re-cycled teenagers! Zumba classes have become a huge hit in the UK, because people of all ages and size love to get together and dance, not only as a way of keeping fit, but also socialising and having fun away from the PC!

I am without doubt everyone had a fantastic night as Derrick Carter’s expertise at exciting the crowds lives on since he has been DJing since the age of 9 years and is one of the pinacles of Chicago House Music.

Derrick Carter

Buzzin Media on Soundcloud

The six track Kitchen Sink Drama EP includes a cover version of The Pet Shop Boys’ Rent plus an exclusive remix by techno DJ/producer Diarmaid O Meara.  But the stand-out track is Love Song, a pulsating slice of Giorgio Moroder Hi NRG disco with essence of the Human League and Visage’s Fade to Grey.

Emerging from London’s thriving mid-1990’s club scene where fashionistas reigned supreme and the DJs setlist was always one step ahead of the mainstream, Alexander Price  met musical and performative collaborators. Initially starting out as a performance artist with a backdrop of electronic music he made his debut at Amy Lame`s much loved Duckie night at the legendary Vauxhall Tavern.

Alexander Price releases his debut EP Kitchen Sink Drama via The Birdman Records in July. For more information visit www.alexanderpricemusic.com.

Derrick Carter Does Disco!

Tiger Beer Presents… “Derrick Does Disco Dammit!” – a private party with Derrick Carter

Derek Carter known as a champion & pioneer of Chicago House music will be playing Disco at a secret East London venue at the fifth in Tiger Beer’s sponsored series of 8 NotKnown events.

Tiger Beer has already teamed up with some of London’s most exciting promoters this year, including Off Modern and Get Me!, and now joins forces with the brains behind the stunning basement night, ‘A Private Party With Francois Kevorkian’ at The Citipost Building.

For ‘A Private Party With Derrick Carter’, the Chicago House veteran will be flying in for a very special ‘Derrick Does Disco Dammit’, the first time he has ever explored his passion for disco. In his own words: ‘I want to play from the moment the doors open, until the mad rush to the toilets at the end of the night!’

The event will take place in a unique, private East London space, with a giant disco ball and bespoke sound system. The venue details will be kept secret right up until the day of the event when they will be sent to ticket holders.

Limited free tickets will be available from the Tiger Facebook page whilst tickets are on sale at www.residentadvisor.net.

Tiger Beer Presents… “Derrick Does Disco Dammit!”
Friday 8th July 10pm till 5am
Secret East London Location
Tickets £10 in advance from www.residentadvisor.net

Billie Ray Martin - Sweet Suburban Disco

Billie Ray Martin’s long awaited follow-up to her 2008 international club hit Undisco Me is finally released.

Reinventing Italo Disco was the goal, but with a unique sound. Billie and co-producer Mike Vamp of Maertini Broes deliver an almost laid back yet dancefloor-bound pop fest with Sweet Suburban Disco.

Angst on the Suburban Dancefloor is the theme, as only Billie Ray Martin, ‘the Nico of the rave generation‘, as one magazine called her, can deliver it.

Enhanced by mixes from Yazoo maestro Vince Clarke and Horse Meat Disco giant Severino, as well as mixes by Luke Solomon and Ray Grant, this package delivers the BRM goodies once again.

This is the first in a string of releases for Billie Ray Martin in 2011, which will include a collaboration with darlings of the underground Hard Ton and the long awaited album by The Opiates.

Sweet Suburban Disco - radio edit by billie ray martin

Billie Ray Martin – Sweet Suburban Disco  Tracklist:

Sweet suburban disco radio edit
Sweet suburban disco original version
Sweet suburban disco Vince Clarke remix
Sweet suburban disco Severino remix
Sweet suburban disco Severino less vocal mix
Sweet suburban disco Ray Grant lights glow disco
Sweet suburban disco Ray Grant neon disco dub
Sweet suburban disco Luke Solomon dub
Sweet suburban disco original version instrumental

For more information visit www.billieraymartin.com

Billie Ray Martin releases Sweet Suburban Disco as a digital release on 28 February 2011 on Disco Activisto Records.

A Complete Introduction to Disco 1970 - 1980

A Complete Introduction to Disco 1970 – 1980

If ever a compilation does what it says on the label…

This lovingly compiled and beautifully produced four-disc set from the good folk at Universal could solve many a Christmas, birthday or wedding anniversary present dilemma, for those of a certain age, over the coming months.

The four discs trace the journey of the music/movement/way-of-life back to its Motown and Stax soul roots, through early funk and the Philly sound of the early-to-mid 70s and on to the explosion that stormed the dancefloors of the world. It calls a halt with mission fully accomplished as a new decade looms and the sound splinters, getting a little funkier in one direction, diluted in another. By the decade’s conclusion everyone had jumped on the disco bandwagon (with huge sales but varying artistic merit) from the Rolling Stones to Rod Stewart, ELO, Boney M and Blondie.

Though the likes of the O Jays, Gloria Gaynor, George McCrae,KC & the Sunshine Band, Candi Staton and, of course, disco’s Godfather Barry White had all previously enjoyed huge chart success 1977 was the year it all went disco, at least in the UK.

That, for many, ’77 was also the year it all went punk makes it all the more interesting. On the face of it polar opposites, time has revealed similarities that were not at all obvious at the time. Both were outsider movements, growing from small beginnings in tiny clubs, spreading by word-of-mouth. Punk thrived on live cries of anger from amateur kids, disco was the result of DJs spinning elaborately produced discs by seasoned professional musicians and the odd unknown soon-to-be star vocalists. Punk threw in all that was known about rock’n’roll and stirred it up. Disco did likewise with soul and funk. Both went worldwide and by the time the corporate pop people got a hold of it, the pioneers (musicians and fans alike) were moving on.

Listening to this set what hits me, like a custard pie in the face, is that much of this music sounds incredibly fresh and so damned alive a third of a century on.

The collection is thoughtfully split into four categories; subtitled as ‘the Roots of Disco’ (check Jimmy Ruffin’s ‘Tell Me What You Want’- more Al Green than Al Green – delightful), ‘Do a Little Dance Make a Little Love’ (disco finds its feet in the charts), ‘Disco in Excelsis’ (disco sweeps the world) and ‘Ready for the 80s’ (a new sound begins to evolve).

It’s interesting also to note how little crossover there is with the northern soul movement. Certainly Timebox’s ‘Beggin’ or the great early Sister Sledge cut ‘Love Don’t You Go…’ would grace the Wigan Casino and possibly something like the Four Season’s ‘The Night’ would have been at home on disc one of this comp, but otherwise the two genres retain fairly distinct and separate dancefloor identities.

My own taste is very much for the soul and pop end of the spectrum rather than the hardier, funkier material. You can pick your own favourites from the track list below. I never tire of Linda Lewis’ exuberant ‘It’s in His Kiss’, Gloria Gaynor’s ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’ and anything by KC & the Sunshine Band (though they only have one track in this set), but am not so moved by Manu Dibango’s ‘Soul Makossa’ (cited as possibly the first true disco record), Grace Jones or the slicker Eurodisco of Giorgio Moroder. Then again, Sylvester’s ‘You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)’ is a 24 carat classic by any yardstick. In distinguished company Sylvester, Isaac Hayes’ ‘Shaft’ and Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’ (UK number 1 when Elvis died) tower over all comers.

What you don’t get is anything by the Bee Gees. Indeed, only one track, Kool & the Gang’s ‘Open Sesame’, is represented from Saturday Night Fever here. Nor do you get Labelle’s ‘Lady Marmalade’, Marvin Gaye’s ‘Got to Give it Up’ or The Chakachas ‘Jungle Fever’. Oversights or licensing difficulties I couldn’t say.

Nonetheless, this is a great achievement. As I said, does what it says on the label. Big Time.

A Complete Introduction to Disco 1970 – 1980 tracklisting:

Disc 1

1. Love’s Theme – The Love Unlimited Orchestra
2. Backstabbers – The O’Jays
3. Law Of The Land – The Temptations
4. Soul Makossa – Manu Dibango
5. Black Skinned Blue Eyed Boys – The Equals
6. Hot Pants (I’m Coming, Coming, I’m Coming) – Bobby Byrd
7. Get Ready – Rare Earth
8. Beggin’ – Timebox
9. Everyday People – Sly & The Family Stone
10. I’ll Take You There – The Staple Singers
11. Theme From Shaft – Isaac Hayes
12. Tell Me What You Want – Jimmy Ruffin
13. Hey Girl Come And Get It – The Stylistics
14. Rock Your Baby – George McCrae
15. Love Don’t You Go Through No Changes On Me – Sister Sledge
16. Girl You Need A Change Of Mind – Eddie Kendricks
17. Satin Soul – Gene Page
18. Blue Eyed Soul – Carl Douglas
19. Doctor’s Orders – Carol Douglas
20. Shame Shame Shame – Shirley And Company
21. Machine Gun – Commodores

Disc 2

1. The Hustle – Van McCoy
2. Get Down Tonight – KC & The Sunshine Band
3. Never Can Say Goodbye – Gloria Gaynor
4. It’s In His Kiss – Linda Lewis
5. Forever Came Today – Jackson 5
6. Walking In Rhythm – Blackbyrds
7. Dreaming A Dream – Crown Heights Affair
8. It Only Takes A Minute – Tavares
9. Ten Percent – Double Exposure
10. That’s Where The Happy People Go – The Trammps
11. Young Hearts Run Free – Candi Staton
12. Open Sesame – Kool & The Gang
13. Down To Love Town – The Originals
14. Love Hangover – Diana Ross
15. Turn The Beat Around – Vicki Sue Robinson
16. Cherchez La Femme/C’est si Bon – Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band

Disc 3

1. Don’t Leave Me This Way – Thelma Houston
2. Let No Man Put Asunder (It’s Not Over) – First Choice
3. Cocomotion – El Coco
4. Love In C Minor – Cerrone
5. I Feel Love – Donna Summer
6. From Here To Eternity – Giorgio Moroder
7. Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) – Chic
8. I Need A Man – Grace Jones
9. Romeo & Juliet – Alec Costandinos
10. Risky Changes – Bionic Boogie
11. In The Bush – Musique
12. Let’s Start The Dance – Bohannon
13. You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) – Sylvester
14. Souvenirs – Voyage

Disc 4

1. Vertigo / Relight My Fire – Dan Hartman
2. After Dark – Patti Brooks
3. The Runner – The Three Degrees
4. Take That To The Bank – Shalamar
5. Dance With You – Carrie Lucas
6. Dancer – Gino Soccio
7. Space Bass – Slick
8. Can’t Live Without Your Love – Tamiko Jones
9. I Need Your Lovin’ – Teena Marie
10. Casanova – Coffee
11. The Boss – Diana Ross
12. Take Me Home – Cher
13. Last Dance – Donna Summer

A Complete Introduction to Disco 1970 – 1980
Various Artists
4 x CD
Universal

Adam Beyer, the Swedish techno DJ plays the Masque, Liverpool

Chibuku Shake Shake - Adam Beyer, Carl Craig & more
Saturday 16th October @ the Masque, Liverpool

Balancing myriad genres to such great effect creates three rooms of aural abandon for those seeking techno, deep house, dubstep, disco… and a good old fashioned rave.

Saturday 16th October has all of this and more, including man of the moment Tensnake whose Coma Cat is riding high in the charts and is catapulting him into the higher echelons of disco’s fraternity.

Chibuku Shake Shake will be reverberating to the sound of Adam Beyer, the Swedish techno titan making his debut in the Masque.  His sound is a mixture of bone shaking grooves and gilt edged rhythms, an intense and complicated ensemble of fierce techno music. It’s evident in his genre defining record label Drumcode, his peerless and highly sought after remixes and productions and heady DJ sets across the globe.

If Adam Beyer represents the avant-garde of European techno, then joining him will be one man who epitomises the pinnacle of the city where it all began, Detroit’s Carl Craig. Having been part of the second wave of artists to hail from the Motor City, Craig has been one of the true musical mavericks of the last twenty years.

Carl Craig has turned his hand effortlessly to a number of genres, be it the ambient drum n bass of Bugz in the Bassbin, disco flavoured house music with Paper People or his crushing techno edits under his own name or C2 moniker.

They are supported by local DJ and producer Lewis Boardman, now part of the NRK roster.

Upstairs Skream is taking centre stage for what will be two very special sets – disco in Ink and ear-warping dubstep in The Loft.

The Croydon native is the undisputed scene leader for dubstep, taking the music to the masses with his La Roux remix last year and latest album ‘Out of the Box’ garnering instant praise much like his self titled predecessor.

The summer has been spent smashing festivals on the solo tip and as part of dubstep super group Magnetic Man, whose glorious productions have merited a major label release for the group’s imminent album.

Further guests are to be announced shortly and local hero Rich Furness gets the vibe started.

And finally, Ink. Here it’s the turn of Hamburg disco fiend Tensnake, the undisputed man of the moment. Whilst the nu disco sound got purists salivating, he has managed to marry the underground purity with a credible hookier edge, taking the music to the record boxes of key radio tastemakers such as Annie Mac and Pete Tong.

Nowhere as this been more prevalent than on ‘Coma Cat’, a gorgeous slice of astute deepness out on Defected Records with an infectious chiming melody its core principle. Joining him will be a very special second serving of the night from Skream, showcasing the broad range of musical influences upon him with a rare-as disco set. Support comes in the shape of Liverpool’s disco enthusiast Paul Outlar.

Chibuku Shake Shake
Saturday October 16th
@ The Masque, 90 Seel Street, Liverpool, L1 4BH

Main Room
Adam Beyer
Carl Craig
Lewis Boardman (NRK)
Loft
Skream
Rich Furness
& Support
INK
Tensnake
Skream (Disco Set)
Paul Outlar

Tickets: £11 NUS / £13 advance
Info – 0151 706 8045

For more information visit: www.chibuku.com

Commix Album Launch Party

The launch of the Commix Re:call To Mind album takes place at the Corsica Studios in South East London on Friday October 8th, located in two railway arches behind the shopping centre at the Elephant & Castle, the venue boasts one of the best sound systems in the capital, with a specially installed Funktion One rig in both rooms.

To celebrate the launch Commix have pulled off a UK exclusive with Berghain / Panorama Bar resident Marcel Dettmann making his final appearance in London until 2011.

The Commix ‘Re:call To Mind’ album features remixes from amongst others Burial.  Thom Yorke is one of only a handful of musicians to have received the remix treatment from Burial but Metalhead’s owner, Goldie managed to entice him into remixing Commix’s “True”.

Further contributions come from fabric resident’s Instra:mental as well as Berghain / Panorama Bar resident, Marcel Dettmann and techno pioneers Underground Resistance.

This is the first time Metalheadz or any other drum & bass label has attempted to diversify its sound with what will be a landmark album for the record company.

Commix’s “Re:Call To Mind” Album Launch Party
Room 1 – Metalheadz – Commix, Marcel Dettmann, Insta:mental, Pangaea, Pedestrian
Room 2 Electric Minds – Duffstep, Dolan Bergin & Minkioni

Music Style: Deep Techno, House , Dub Step & Disco

Friday 8th October 2010 – 10pm-8am
Venue: Corsica Studios 4/5 Elephant Road, London, SE17 1LB
Nearest Transport: Elephant & Castle Tube (1min)

All info from: info@electricminds.co.uk / 07958 614 297
£8 – £15 in advance through Resident Advisor or in store at Phonica Records

Following their Easter Special at Heaven Neon Noise Project returns with another club adventure at one of London’s newest clubs, XOYO.

The next chapter for Neon Noise Project features a ‘Paris meets London digital disco and alternative electro DJ line up’ alongside an exclusive headline live appearance by We Have Band performing tracks from their recently released debut album WHB.

We Have Band infectious catchy vocal hooks dirty bass lines, and dirty disco synths are simply irresistible, also on stage is a live UK debut from Human Life and their engrossing icy, glacial cool US west coast electronics, which should insure an atmospheric and sweaty night ahead.

In the main room accompanying Punks Jump Up will be Parisian guests that
include Surkin from the pioneering Institubes stable and the Uffie producing Ed Banger beat warrior DJ Feadz who no doubt will treat and delight clubbers with a selection of electro.

Whilst in room two a mutual appreciation of future disco beats, handclaps, cowbells, and vocoders take over as Neon Noise Project support up & coming new talent with the likes of Tronik Youth and The C90s from Switzerland Relish Records. Plus resident DJ duo JBAG which features Jerry Bouthier whose mix for the recent Ponystep x Kitsune album was awarded his second Mixmag’s Electro Album of the Month.

XOYO is converted print works five minutes for Old Street tube, the purpose built venue is a platform for London’s leading art, live music and alternative club enthusiasts. Positioned in the heart of Shoreditch and set over two floors it’s the ideal setting for a Neon Noise Project party that offers a variety of sonic delights and fun across two rooms and its pod bars and mezzanine.

Neon Noise Project
Saturday 2nd October
9.30 til 5am
XOYO
32 Cowper Street
London EC2A 4AP
Advance Tickets £10 / £12 students / £13

After a successful launch, the second party will take place on 31st July 2010 and includes two guests who shouldn’t need much of an introduction.  Germany’s Move D & Birmingham’s Mark E each have their own distinctive style and sound.

Their prolific productions are quickly snapped up by respected labels like Running Back, Liebe Detail and of course Electric Minds who commissioned Mark E’s remix skills for the 2009 Arthur Russell Project.  Both DJ internationally regularly so it’s a pleasure to be able to bring them to our London party.

DJ History regulars 102 eh? and Dolan Bergin also join the line up, making full use of the Funktion One sound system that will be installed for all four parties.

The first 2010 party sold out days in advance and with a limited capacity these parties become more and more popular.  Tickets can be purchased in advance from Resident Advisor.

Electric Minds
with Move D, Mark E, Dolan Bergin & 102 eh?
Music Style: Deep Techno, House & Disco

Saturday 31st July 2010 – 10pm-6am
Email info@electricminds.co.uk for tickets
Nearest Transport: Old Street Tube

For more information visit www.electricminds.co.uk

Let's Gdansk New London Club Night

Let’s Gdansk is a brand new London club night exploring the plush, outer-reaches of melody-licked disco-house and deep atmospheric techno; kicking it’s musical manifesto off in the confines of one of East London’s finest new intimate venues, The Hobby Horse.

Guests include two of East London’s rising stars – Foolish Horse. Oli and Andy have been regulars on the London club circuit over the last two years and they’ve just recently signed up to the 54 Music imprint in a bid to bring their sublime, cutting edge house magic to the masses.

The opening night is Friday 28th May and is free entry all night!

Featuring:
Foolish Horse (54 Music)
Throwing Shapes (The Disassociates / Red Light)
Stevie Chan (Get Stuck In)
Craig Allison (The 9000)

Let’s Gdansk
The Hobby Horse
281 Kingsland Road
London
E2 8AZ

9PM to 3AM