For the eleventh installment of our Leisure Mix Series, Amsterdam’s Gijs Poortman, better known as G-String, delivers a hard-driving tour through a self-described, “deep outer space techno mix.” Recorded in his personal studio on two SL1200′s, a mixer, and a pair of CDJ’s with some effects, this mix effectively blends two worlds. A balancing act of pounding, funky percussion and bright chords, paired with the menacing depth the M>O>S camp is famous for. Paradise’s Deep Groove’s masterpiece “I Love” guides you with whispers of an unknown future over disintegrating, robotic textures, setting the tone for one of Leisure’s most memorable podcasts.

R-A-G - Black Rain EP to be released on May 21st, 2012.

http://soundcloud.com/gstring
http://soundcloud.com/r-a-g-1

Mo Kolours – Mini Culcha (Beautiful Swimmers Remix)
[Track courtesy of XLR8R]

This coming Friday, Love Dancing welcomes a label owner, band member, producer, rapper and DJ — Maxmillion Dunbar. Over the past five years, Max and his extended East Coast family have been making waves with strong releases that come from left-field but are built to keep dance floors churning. Since his debut album for RAMP in 2010 Max has continued with a streak of 12′s which have seen him carve out a unique aesthetic, most recently his track Polo was picked up for a rerelease on the much beloved Live at Robert Johnson. Leisure had the chance to chat with this musical polyglot and inquire into utopianism, temporary autonomous zones, and go-go rhythms.

Jordan Matt of Leisure:Your imprint, Future Times, has now been running since 2008. The other day this struck me as interesting, because it is the same year of the economic collapse and also the year Obama was elected. I want to ask you about the visual and musical aesthetic that you’ve been cultivating. Whether it’s the musical contrast between rolling, popping upfront drums and ethereal new age chords, or the website with some kind of golden robo-cherub greeting me, I get a really playful, joyous and almost utopian vibe from the whole thing. Release names like ‘Max Trax for World Peace’, ‘World Music’, and ‘Double Rainbow’ suggest optimism and a kind of innocent enthusiasm. Yet, given the turmoil both in the US and in the world in general over the past four years, it seems paradoxical. Might this aesthetic choice be in response to the climate of economic disparity and social upheaval that’s been so pervasive over the past four years?

Maxmillion Dunbar's label — Future Times

Really, it’s always a struggle in the US socially, certain ideas that seem fundamental to people’s well-being have always been somehow looked at as strange or antagonistic. You can even be close with people you disagree with completely. People, myself included, really focus on themselves too much here. It’s a mess in many ways. But on the flip side there’s a lot of amazing people and music and ideas here, and everyone I know, when they can, sort of just blazes through that bullshit, by example. That’s as close as we’ll get to utopia.

The US is always paradoxical. You can always say, “it’s wonderful here,” and, “it’s terrible here,” about a place, and both sentences will be true. We definitely stay on the optimistic side of that one, though. And I think, “innocent enthusiasm,” is putting it too lightly. We’re grown and completely enthusiastic about what we do.

In the accepted narrative of the development of dance music in North America, there is a lot of emphasis on the axis of Chicago/Detroit/New York, but geographically — DC is pretty much in the middle of that whole area. I guess Go-Go is a relatively well-known regional form, but outside of that there’s not a ton of info about DC’s dance music scene. Can you tell us a little more about the development of that, and how Future Times fits into that trajectory?

DC is always on some underdog shit, but it’s also quietly one of the most legendary music scenes in the US. This is the place where a lot of people’s favorite band was Funkadelic, or Fugazi. Or both, too. The best punk bands ever are from here, without question. Gil-Scott Heron was here, Trouble Funk, and the entire Go-Go axis around which many rhythms are formed, let alone artists and careers. The way most kids anywhere bang a beat on a table in high school is DC-based. That go-go sound. And major league rappers still get backed in DC at huge events by local go-go bands, turning their beats into live music and stretching everything out. It’s heavy here, really. And its on the low, too. I’m even leaving shit out by accident. There’s Ethiopian music and culture in DC big time, too. And tons more. You constantly walk by music. In a way its ubiquitous. There isn’t a dramatic amount of extra music-related culture here either, like the negative side, of magazine politics or huge amounts of bad blood. Which is cool. Here, people who want to run a club, or do a show, they just do it pretty much the best they can, and people respond and enjoy themselves. Always have.

The way Future Times fits into the DC music world is by doing whatever we feel like doing, and making sure it comes out tight. That seems like the musical lineage around here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ixs6_1s7RQ

Relating to the idea of geography, I wanted to talk a little bit about the wider North American scene in general. With two of the major strains of dance music over the last decade or so; minimal techno and dubstep; being based in Europe and the UK respectively, what do you think of the idea that the tide is now shifting back to North America? Obviously on the larger scale there are people like Skrillex and Deadmau5 poking into the realms of the mainstream music industry, but underpinning that kind of acknowledgement is a healthy underground that has been pre-empting some of those wider movements. Along with the hyper rhythmic advances in Footwork, there has been renewed interest in Chicago House, Detroit Techno and their roots in disco. Guys like Theo Parrish and Omar-S, who kind of straddle those two worlds, and now people like you — L.I.E.S., 100% Silk, and Mathematics, are rearranging the DNA of some of those influences, and entering into a kind of dialogue with that history which seems more authentic or grounded than a lot of European attempts at using some of those tropes. How is awareness of or lack of history a catalyst or detriment in the process of creating music?

People forgot about the US for awhile, but it’s true that there’s a little thing about machine music from here, and soul music. Like, for the most part, you can’t fuck with it. It is what it is; you can definitely tell where it comes from. For better or for worse, no one gets a grant to make techno here. I mean, I would love one, but it’s not happening. So everybody does their own thing. People usually work hard to make music. They do it when they can with other jobs. My absolute favorite part of American culture is music. The vibe when I was a kid and would go far downtown to see hardcore shows, or when you roll through a grown and sexy party. Fresh perspectives, challenging other notions while holding on to an ethic. Rhythm and blues, you know? Grooviness. It’s a thing here! It’s what I latch onto if I ever feel like it’s becoming too much to live here or whatever.

In terms of history and how it informs us, dance music is one of those amazing things that is underground as hell on the one hand, but on the other, you’re gonna bond with like, the nurse at the dentist about funky music. It’s a vast net that collects a lot of people here. So the history is everywhere, but personal too. Like, a lot of us are too young to have “been there” in past iterations of the scene, but you will DJ and have a 45 year old woman come show you her Paradise Garage membership. She will tell you about it, and maybe freak out to Padlock alllllmost the same as she used to. It fluctuates. And as we can see with the outpouring of records right now, people are putting their stamp on it. And forming a community too, which is cool. But not always, which is important to note.

It’s just levels, really. Dance music that gets mainstream here for the most part is garbage, missing out entirely on that underground DNA that links P-Funk to go-go to disco to garage to house to techno to experimental music to hip-hop. I mean even huge, global-ass Daft Punk was linked up with the “Teachers”. Now, big EDM (or whatever) artists here are missing out on it. Thats why their music sucks.

What’s the current situation with throwing parties in DC? Does it happen mostly in bars or warehouses? We heard about the U Street Music Hall Manifesto and this incident last year. What has your experience been?

That incident is DC style. Someone acting like an asshole. Someone calling them out about it, and laying it down. I dunno what to tell you. Most people in DC and Maryland are polite. It gets awkward if you’re an asshole here.

Parties here, besides U Hall, come and go. Straight up. Venues open and close, get good vibes and bad vibes. We throw great ones when we can.

On the graphics for one of your mixes, I noticed the cover of Hakim Bey’s TAZ, or Temporary Autonomous Zones, someone who has written extensively about underground or secret groups like the Tong societies and was influential in the creation of events like Burning Man. For you, are there parallels between Bey’s writing and the world of underground parties, and the esoteric nature of vinyl DJ culture? Do you think that secrecy or protecting certain knowledge, whether as white labels, ‘holy grail’ records, or ‘for the heads’ mentality is healthy for music to continue to develop?

Bey was also on some shit I didn’t vibe with, and a bunch I haven’t read too. Very into the idea of TAZes and all that though: the idea that for a moment you’re in a place with others and you run everything, separate from the police (state) and the limits of clubs, etc. There are parallels, but i don’t think they’re super specific. It’s also a literary scene, or set of philosophies that I pluck from, rather than being deeply invested intellectually, to be honest.

I’m of the notion that we should (and at great times, we already do) have a music society that is underground, but not secret at all. White labels and holy grails aren’t super necessary to me. I’ll tell somebody what the record is. I don’t own the entire conception of the music, just the vinyl.

I just listened to an interview with Sadar Bahar, and he was saying that if you get caught more than once or twice doing a late night party in Chicago, you can be fined up to $10,000 and have your records and gear confiscated. In this kind of environment, do you think we have to go further underground, or do you think it would be beneficial to be completely transparent? Matias Aguayo and his crew in Chile started doing Bum Bum Box parties after a crackdown on illegal late night parties, where they would meet somewhere outside in public with just a boombox, and people would come and vibe. They got different DJ’s to prepare a mix and send it to them. I feel like in a way public gatherings in North America are becoming more and more marginalized. In fact another incident in your city comes to mind, where those people were arrested at the Jefferson Memorial for dancing! It really outrages me, but it’s also interesting that such a seemingly inane activity can be such an incendiary thing.

Maxmillion Dunbar will be joining Love Dancing in the Hideaway this coming Friday at the Waldorf Hotel

People here can capitalize on a party big time. If they keep it from being shut down, or get lucky, or have a cousin who’s a cop. They can also set up a club and jump through hoops for the crew, which is appreciated. There are no rules here sometimes, and sometimes every rule is applied to the letter to fuck with you. It’s a toss up. The paradox.

Imagine a bit less than half of the country dancing. Some in fresh sneakers, some in drag, some in suits, wheelchairs, thongs, robes, having the best time. Now imagine the other people hating that and trying to stop it.

Then, imagine a bit more than half the country supporting the troops absolutely no matter what, feeling awkward about gay people, shooting kids with skittles in their hand to keep their neighborhood safe, pretending people don’t exist in a society, wanting to teach kids less. Now imagine the other people hating that and trying to stop it.

And its not even really that simple….so we make music!

http://futuretimes.org/
http://soundcloud.com/maxmilliondunbar

The Aquarian Foundation – A1: Untitled
Preview side one of a cassette released on March 31st, 2012. Limited edition of 50.

When my phone rang late at night, and a husky, gruff voice offered to arrange a meeting with Edward Arthur Wilson, I was skeptical. After all, the man who went by the name Brother XII died almost a century ago, according to historical record.

“You the hack who been snoopin’ around ‘bout Cedar-by-the-Sea,” barked the voice, speaking of Brother XII’s notorious Nanaimo-area compound where he founded his mystical cult, the Aquarian Foundation. Between 1927 and ‘33, the Aquarian Foundation caused sensational tabloid scandal the likes of which Nanaimo, British Columbia had never seen. Then they disappeared, seemingly for good, only to reappear last year as the moniker for a mysterious electronic music outfit. For years, I’ve been an avid collector of tidbits surrounding the occult cabal, and my curiosity was piqued. I began investigating these musicians for connections. What did they want? Had the original Aquarian Foundation survived all this time, dormant, waiting for the dawn of some new age? Perhaps these eerie, aquatic siren songs were some kind of new, coded message, a hypnotic musical ritual, a form of sonic dance floor propaganda, and a drum machine manifesto that could make L. Ron Hubbard green with envy. Maybe they were just bored West Coast teenagers with a keen interest in recreational drugs and local history – but I had to find out for myself. I followed up leads, called sources. Nothing. No answers. Who was this new Aquarian Foundation?

E.A. Wilson aka Brother XII, 1927

Through the yawning bay windows of my BC Ferry, the Queen of Cowichan, I stared into the glassy abyss of the Georgia Strait, and wondered what was in store for me.

The original Brother XII released his “Message From the Masters of Wisdom” in 1927, proclaiming his bizarre new Theosophy. Drawing on the ‘Divine Wisdom’ of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, whose ‘Theosophy’ claimed to offer the Ultimate Truth of the Supreme, the Cosmos, and Humanity, Brother XII’s message promised the coming of a new Age of Aquarius. The message attracted a large number of well-educated disciples capable of carrying out his plan, and with official incorporation from the Canadian government, the Aquarian Foundation was born.

Blavatsky’s vision was an esoteric concoction of ‘universal wisdom’, brewed from all manner of ancient mystical and philosophical teachings, which she claimed articulated one over-arching message, accessible only to the most learned throughout history. Wilson’s vision rejected the Catholic sacraments and Indian messianic figures of Neo-Theosophy, and promoted a movement, “not back, but forward to Blavatsky.” Altruistic, astrological, anti-Catholic, anti-communist, anti-individualist, communitarian, elitist and radical, according to the principle’s listed in the official Aquarian publication, THE CHALICE, Wilson’s vision was a unique creation, developed from already peculiar origins.

Several hundred in number, mostly American and some British, they founded their community on 200 acres of land at Cedar-by-the-sea. Unhindered by the locals, they were confused for fishermen. A settlement was constructed, including the House of Mystery, where Wilson alone could commune with the 11 Masters on Higher Planes. Money was raised from across the world to support the work of the Foundation, and was mostly funneled into the creation of yet a new settlement on Valdes Island called Mandieh. Members of both communities were forced to turn over their worldly possessions and live in total isolation from one another. Wilson lived in the Valdes settlement with his ‘Magdalene of Chicago’, Mrs. Myrtle Baumgartner, a young, beautiful woman he met on a train from Seattle to Chicago. Wilson now claimed he was the reincarnation of Osiris, and that he and Mrs. Baumgartner would procreate a new World Teacher. Living with a woman other then his wife and declaring their intention to reproduce prompted the Foundation’s first scandal. Squandering donations on the Valdes Island settlement led to its first lawsuit. With the support of Mrs. Mary Connally, a massive donor herself, the lawsuit was settled. More land was acquired and money continued to pour in.

The bad news was far from over, however. First came the exodus of some of the community’s founding members and leading lights. Then Mrs. Baumgardner was unable to give birth to the World Leader and suffered a collapse. Wilson blamed his followers, who he deemed insincere, and punishments began. Appointed disciplinarians abused community members verbally and physically, often without cause and held some in bondage as if they were his slaves. Mrs. Connally was forced to perform hard labour at the advanced age of 71, and to live in a barren hut on the beach. Some dissenters rebelled, and Wilson banished them. Among the banished was the very same Mrs. Connally who had defended Wilson against legal action in the past. Her successful lawsuit against Wilson in 1933 ended the Foundation. Wilson responded vengefully – destroying settlement properties and fleeing to the sea with stolen wealth. Years later an abandoned cultist who remained on Valdes cracked a safe and discovered Wilson’s final message to his followers – “For fools and traitors, nothing!”

I arrived in Nanaimo and made for the Dew Drop Inn, the location where my mysterious confidant claimed I would find Brother XII. Instead, the address led me to the Occidental, a grimy dive bar that seemed as if from another time and place.

At this early afternoon hour, a few elderly customers with weathered faces lined the bar stools and the odd table, staring blankly over their slowly disappearing pint glasses. The aged odour of cigar smoke and whiskey stained the walls. A tall gentleman in exotic clothes from the turn of the last century, a cracked, black leather hat, vest and boots, a blue denim button-down and trousers, looked up from beneath his brim to reveal fiery blue eyes. Recognizing my out of place look immediately, he beckoned me to join him in the corner, and motioned the bartender for a drink.

I sat down as a glass of neat scotched arrived. I did not drink. My host lit a cigarette, disregarding the law. “You can’t smoke in here anymore,” I told him. He ignored me, inhaling deeply then quickly exhaling through his nose, a blast of smoke billowing around his face. His features were fine worn by age. His facial hair neatly trimmed around pursed, thin lips. His motions were controlled, sharp and precise. He moved so little it barely betrayed humanity.

“Are you Brother XII?” I asked.

He inhaled and exhaled smoke in silence.

“Where have you been?”

“All over the seven continents, I’ve convened with the Masters. I have collected clues and signs, instructions for bringing about the New Age.”

“Why have you returned? Why now?”

“The prophecies have always spoken in rhythms of fives and twenty-fives. My work began in 1875, and soon it will be 2025. It is almost 150 years since I began, and 100 years since the Aquarian Foundation was born. The Pythagorean spiral has cycled backward to move forward, and now the golden ratios are singing their tune at last.

The Zodiac cycles are complete. The stars have aligned. It is now time for the coming of a great enlightenment – a purifying wisdom. I have returned to my islands, Ruxton and Pylades, the site of a great and powerful force to bring this message to the world.”

“What of how things ended last time?”

Silence again, but I could sense the anger boiling beneath the surface.

“Base and vile nonbelievers were incapable of hearing the true wisdom of the Masters. I tried and failed to bring them the truth, and from my failure, their failure, I learned. Cowards, the lot of them. That is why I took to the sea, to learn from my mistakes and to discover the route to the true path. I learned I was not to blame. I learned it was not yet time, and that I would soon have the tools I needed to make the ancient knowledge clear to all.”

“Why music? Why electronic music?”

“The energies and rhythms of the ancients are alive within the ratios of the music computer. A music machine is a gateway to the architecture of our universe, the fabric of the divine. We do not program, the machine processes the mathematics of space and time, and expresses their inner voice aloud. We only unlock the secrets by setting the box in motion. I have simply been waiting and in search of the mechanism to unlock divinity. Now it has arrived.”

“Is it hypnosis? Is the music intended to hypnotize your followers?”

He shot me a fierce glare, and looked away again quickly.

“Hypnosis is a parlour trick. Street magic. These are the siren songs of the cosmos. The expression of the deepest unity of the universe. These dances are ordered by the same mechanisms that have constructed eternity. It is the voice of God and all gods to have spoken the universal truth. These tones are the notes of the soul, and of all past souls leading to this moment. If it is hypnosis, then fate is the only magician. These dance steps have been choreographed by wisdom itself.”

He turned to me an exhaled smoke into my face, glaring again. His eyes smoldered, the bright embers of his flaming tobacco reflected in his glassy blue iris.

“And why are you telling me this? Why am I here?”

Come for the ritual. Join the Aquarian Foundation as they tap into the arcane and esoteric at the No Show.

He blew another thick cloud. Smoked soaked into my pores. When it cleared, he was gone. I found myself alone, questioning how much of what I’d just seen was real. My brief encounter with this mystery man had prompted more questions than answers. His bizarre account of tonal computers and the meaning of the universe reminded me of the close connections between music and myth in human history, from the Pythagorean scales, West-African and East Indian bard poetry, to the post-modern fictions of Drexciya. Perhaps there was some truth in these wild words after all.

http://vimeo.com/aquarianfoundation
http://soundcloud.com/theaquarianfoundation

Update:

(April 3rd, 2012)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-z9oVQLmpY

A brief glimpse at the Aquarian Foundation’s first live performance taking place on March 31st, 2012 at the UNIT/PITT Projects in Vancouver, BC.

GB – Leisure Mix #09

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Over the past few years, Gabriel Reyes-Whitaker has established himself as one of the West Coast’s most prolific contemporary producers. Releasing under a handful of pseudonyms, and drifting through a range of tempos and musical styles, his captivating personal touch remains the only constant. The mix he’s prepared for Leisure showcases some of GB’s less obvious influences, drifting away from Drexciyan undertones, and bringing things into a more introspective place.

Tell us a little about the mix you’ve prepared for us. How and where was it recorded?

It’s a mix of some things I enjoy listening to. Only one bit of my own material is in there. I put it together in my home studio. Nothing fancy, mostly from vinyl, mostly in the vein of ambient and experimental electronic music. I didn’t want to do the expected mix of electronic dance music. For that you’ll just have to see me live!

When did you become interested in electronic music? Did you grow up listening to it, or is it something you became acquainted with later on in your life?

I think watching television as a kid opened me up to electronic music…theme songs from TV shows like The Price is Right (Edd Kalehoff), as well as lots of cartoons. Also most of the pop music was primarily electronic when I was growing up. Prince was a big initial inspiration and still is. Stevie Wonder and TONTO (Malcolm Cecil and Bob Margouleff), electronic jazz, plus the whole world of Krautrock. Then later — jungle, hip hop, downtempo, house… In short, yes. I grew up listening to electronic music.

The run out of your Valentine Connexion release reads “Analogue Music Will Never Die.” The use of analogue equipment seems to be an integral part of your musical identity. Can you give us some insight into your process? Has outboard gear always been a part of your production?

I definitely prefer the sound and feeling of analog, or outboard gear at the very least. It’s a physical experience. My process varies, but tends to be based around analog MIDI electronic instruments running in tandem, being controlled by a sequencer, which acts as the brain. Sometimes I don’t use MIDI at all but instead use CV and triggers to connect the instruments together. This allows for a direct dialogue between instruments. Generally speaking, I like to record my songs in live performance. Almost all of my more recent releases have been done this way. Outboard gear has always been a part of my production to varying degrees. I’d say it’s more of a hybrid thing I’ve been doing. When my first releases were coming out, most of the music was done with samples and computer software, with traces of synths and other live instruments on top. These days I still use software for sequencing sometimes, but the sound sources are almost always coming from physical instruments. And I’ll also add that even though most of what you’re familiar with of mine is electronic, I play a few acoustic instruments on recordings as well. I still sample once in a while for the fun of it.

What are some of the main inspirations behind your work? Be they musical, physical, emotional, etc…

All of life is an inspiration to me. What I’m going through and what I witness are always the primary sources of creativity for me. All the emotional highs and lows that I experience feed the music. In terms of music that inspires me, I’m inspired by the long lineage of people before me (and contemporary with me) who have charted their own musical territory without an obvious road map, and who remain loyal to what’s true for them. I’m also inspired by what I read… philosophy, spirituality, mythology, history, etc.

Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of people compare you musically to Drexciya. As an artist, how do you feel about that?

I am a fan of Drexciya, so I’ll take that as a compliment. Whatever makes it easier for people to grasp the music, cool with me!

There seems to be a strong visual element that coincides with the release of your records, are you responsible for the artwork?

I do some of my own artwork, yes, but not all of it. Bee-ow-slernk did the artwork for The Xpander and The Provider. And of course there other artists who have done my cover art like Roids (MSK), who did the recent All City 12″ cover, and Radek Drutis did the most recent Abstract Eye cover that’ll be coming out soon (he also designed the Yesterdays New Quintet covers).

Due to the scarcity of some of your releases they have began to go for outrageous money online, as an artist and a label owner how do you feel about people selling your music for a ridiculous mark up? Will this sort of thing discourage you from small pressing runs in the future?

No, hopefully it will encourage others to buy directly from me and to do so early on, when the releases are still new, before I run out! I can’t be too mad at the people who sell my records for crazy prices, but let’s just say I have a few things planned to help minimize that for forthcoming releases.

I understand that you also do some commercial sound work, scoring films, television, etc. Is your approach to commercial work much different than your own personal work? If you could re-score any film or TV show, which one would it be?

Fortunately for me, most of my music that has been used for film and television has been music that I’ve also released on record. I get a little queasy at the idea of making strictly commercial music. It has to be something I enjoy first and foremost. Re-scoring a film or TV show? Hmm. It would be fun to re-score a movie like The Secret. The music they used has a level of cheese to it that makes the message unnecessarily harder to absorb

I understand you’ll be releasing a record of Eglo later this year, can you tell us a little about that?

Yeah it’s called GB Presents The Abstract Eye and it’s a three song EP that I think you’ll enjoy.

From an outsiders perspective LA’s music community seems to be thriving, can you tell us a little about it? Who are you most excited about? What’s your favorite part about the city?

GB will be performing in Vancouver at the inaugural Hideaway Session on Friday March 30th.

Tell us what you’ve got planned for 2012.

More releases, more experimentation, more expanding my own boundaries, more challenging myself to do things in new ways, more honest expression of where I’m at in real time!

If you are in Vancouver area, please join for the inaugural Hideaway Session on Friday March 30th. GB will be performing live alongside Max Ulis and Derek Dee.

http://giftedandblessed.bandcamp.com/
http://giftedandblessed.com/
https://twitter.com/giftedblessed

Update:

(April 4th, 2012)

8 minutes of GB’s set recorded live in Vancouver at the Waldorf Hotel on March 30, 2012. An improvisation on Roland TR-808, Roland Jupiter 8, Simmons SDS8 and Roland space echo.

Cloudface – Leisure Mix #08 (Live Set)

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Vancouver’s Cloudface is a weather pattern. After rolling over the Rocky Mountains from Calgary, gathering steam, he’s circled the coast, flown overseas, toyed with different sounds, and picked his spots. His journey started with punk in Southern Alberta, but life’s currents led him to the Pacific, and shaped the liquid electronic experimentation that is now his calling card.

Take us back and tell us how it all began?

“The first electronic album that I really got into was ‘Dubnobasswithmyheadman’ by Underworld. I bought that CD when I was working near a music store in Calgary. It got me started, but even after that, I wasn’t buying electronic music. I was more into punk. The first album that really blew my mind was probably Boards of Canada’s ‘Music has the Right to Children’. I still use that album as a test signal at my day job with an audio repair shop, so I end up listening to it about 10 times a day.

I’ve been making electronic music since about 1997, messing around with Impulse Tracker (an old PC tracking program). For the band I was in at the time, I would make ambient noise sound collages that played in-between all our songs. That was probably the first electronic music I made. When I was in the band Certain Breeds, I made music under the name Eagleroad, which was psychedelic minimal stuff. It was never really dance music, more like trippy noisy tracks. I went to Berlin and that’s when I started to really like dance music. When I came back I started to focus a lot more on music that was more straightforward.”

How do you approach a live set?

“The first thing I do, when I have a show, is decide what I want to use. For me, that’s the most important part. It determines the general sound of the set and how I’m going to work with transitions, whether I’m using internal sequencers or sequencing everything from one spot. I’ll think about what I want to do and how I want the set to flow and how much gear I want to bring to a show. I like to keep it within a couple of road cases.

[I start with] the gear and the vibe. Once the intro is there, it all goes from there. For this mix it was all new material that was written just for the mix.”

How much does improvisation factor into your live sets?

“The sequences are all pre-programmed. With machines like the 303, you can’t really program it live. You can get a bit looser with things like the SH101. I know the order of how things are going to happen, and I know how it’s going to begin. I usually have about 4 or 5 parts that I want to get to in a set. I figure out the transitions, and then I improvise the body of the song. So, the middle of a song is improvised alongside composed anchor points.

With the 808, I’ll leave it in write mode and just change it live, which can be good some times, and other times it can get a bit repetitive…but I like repetitive drum parts.”

People talk a lot about the swing on the 808

“I think it’s a little bit of voodoo. I think the perceived ‘swing’ on the 808 is caused by the accents, which are a huge part of the 808 sound, and what a lot of people miss out on when they use samples. Without the accents I don’t think the 808 would be the 808…that and the fact that when certain sounds are layered over each other they create a third sound. Like when a closed hi-hat and an open hi-hat are played at the same time they create a half closed hi-hat sound that doesn’t sound like either.

I know its kind of cliché, everyone talks about the 808 and the 303, but for me there are still new zones that are there to be messed with.”

What have you been excited about playing lately?

One of the nice things about having so much stuff in the studio is that you kind of go through phases with certain synths. For the last month or so, I’ve been into the Akai S612.

I’ve had the S612 for a few years, but I keep coming back to it because it’s so easy to use and it just sounds so good. In this mix, I run the DX100 into the input of the S612 and then I sample a sustained note and use that as almost like another layer to the DX100. It gives it more depth.”

March 31st @ Unit/Pitt Projects

Is there a synth or drum machine that is always present in Cloudface?

“I like to have the freedom to use anything, but at the same time I use the SH101 in almost everything. I use the Machinedrum’s live sampling in every set as well.

Usually when I run the SH101 and the Akai S612 through the Machinedrum, I will sample a part of melody line and play that over the original line for variations. You can get some really unpredictable results, which is why I like it.”

Don’t be afraid of the rain. Listen to this mix prepared exclusively for Leisure, and join us when Cloudface touches down with fellow  West Coast music mystics, Plays:Four and The Aquarian Foundation, at “No Show”, March 31 at the Unit/Pitt Projects.

http://soundcloud.com/dssr
http://www.facebook.com/o0o.cloudface.o0o

Basic Soul Unit – Leisure Mix #07

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Early this month, eclectic Toronto dance connoisseur, Basic Soul Unit (born Stuart Li), will play his Vancouver debut at The Waldorf Hotel. In preparation, he has graciously provided the seventh installment in our podcast series. He was also kind enough to sit down to speak about his influences growing up, who he’s keeping his eye on, and the new live set he’ll debut shortly.

Basic Soul Unit’s mix is a true testament to his versatility as a selector. Seamlessly weaving between Tears of Velva’s The Way I Feel and Blawan’s Peaches is no small feat, proving Stuart’s skill as a cohesive yet creative DJ. Following Stuart’s production over the years has been a pleasure, and we’re all extremely excited for his first Vancouver appearance. Check our events section for more information about the party — we hope you can make it!

Tell us about the scene where you grew up in Toronto. Who influenced you the most in those days?

I first came across dance music before high school, probably in the late 80’s, listening to community college radio stations. In particular, I remember CKLN 88.1 with Ron Nelson’s Fantastic Voyage on Saturdays (who played hip-hop), and Dave’s Dance Music on Sundays (where they played house, freestyle, reggae, and soul, etc). As commercial radio didn’t really play this music (and still doesn’t), these shows, and others like it were instrumental in spreading the word about those sounds. During high school in the early 90’s, I started going to after hours parties with friends, through word of mouth or hearing about them at the record shops like Starsound and Carnival, and then later on at Play De Record and Traxx. At the parties, they played mostly house music before it splintered into different genres. It was very mixed with people of all races, both straight and gay. Usually the parties were held in an empty loft or warehouse, with minimal lighting. Just a dark room, a system, and the music. The crowds were up for it, and knew what they were hearing. It was probably the first time I experienced nights where music was the sole focus. The two main DJ crews I remember at that point were Mark & Aki, and PTS (Peter, Tyrone & Shams). Others included Nick Holder, Dino & Terry, Mitch Winthrop, and later on Jason Palma and Dave Campbell, and JMK. In terms of artists, there was: Nick Holder, Dino & Terry, Stickmen, Ron Allen & Hayden Brown, Gene King, M-1 among others.

Cosmos Records, Toronto

Are there any artists in Toronto today that we should keep an eye on?

Two young up-n-comers who I’m feeling are Kevin McPhee (he plays post-dubstep or house — whatever you wanna call it) and Jesse Futerman (who does downtempo, jazz, hip-hop influenced sounds). There is definitely a ground swell of artists coming up in all genres though.

Are there any T.O. DJ’s who out-of-towners can’t miss?

Maybe partly because I don’t get out much these days, but the DJ’s I enjoy listening to (aside from my partners, Jason Palma and General Eclectic) are under-the-radar friends like Jason Ulrich, Andrew Allsgood, and James Duncan. Each has their own flavours, but they all have open minds and nice grooves in common.

Which international DJ’s will you go out of your way to see?

Again, aside from gigs, I haven’t been out much lately, because of my family and work commitments. I’ll have to comment based on past outings and travel experiences. DJ Harvey always comes to mind. He can rock a party and take it off the deep end. Three Chairs at Detroit Electronic Music Festival, which I think was the 2nd or 3rd one outside in the tent, was wicked. I have great memories from Body n Soul in NYC. More recently, I enjoyed sets by Levon Vincent, Steffi, Hunee, Deetron, Cosmin TRG, and Roman Fluegel.

Whose tracks have you most excited right now?

A whole bunch: The New York crew including DJ Qu, Levon Vincent, Fred P. I’m loving what’s coming out of Chicago like Steven Tang, Chicago Skyway, Specter, Hakim Murphy, Traxx, Hieroglyphic Being. Also: Imugem Orihasam, Kevin Reynolds, Keith Worthy, Marcellus Pittman, Vakula, Uncanny Valley crew, Cosmin TRG, Skudge, Conforce, Reggie Dokes, the Stroboscopic Artefacts camp, D’Marc Cantu, Morphosis, Portable, the Toronto talent mentioned above, and of course many more.

You worked in a record store for many years, what are your thoughts on music distribution today? Living in Canada, is it difficult to make a living purely based on record sales and performances?

I don’t make a living off music myself. I also do graphics, so I’d say it’s definitely difficult in Canada. Well, I guess these are tough times for sales anywhere in the world. It just seems that the way music is sold digitally, now the format itself is ethereal. That changes the way people consume and value music, it seems to me. Maybe that potential was always there, people always shared through cassette tapes, but the digital technology has made it easier. I don’t think about it anymore in terms of trying to fight it. I guess maybe it’s an inevitable outcome of technology and its incompatibility with the current economic system. The question then, is how to make a living off it? I know vinyl is doing well as a niche market, but from an artist’s point of view, it’s not enough to feed oneself. DJing is also hard, because the market is mostly in Europe. From my experience, anyway, unless you’re in the top tier of DJ’s, in terms of media hype and demand, getting over there is not as easy as it might seem, even with releases on respectable labels. There are travel costs, and promoters who aren’t willing to take risks. I’m not blaming them totally, because cost can be a big factor for smaller venues and promoters. On top of that, the market there is already quite saturated. Lastly, not every producer is a good DJ and vice versa, so what can a producer do? I don’t have a concrete answer to the first question, but it;s definitely something I’ve been thinking about as a working father, musician, and DJ.

February 11th: Leisure presents Basic Soul Unit at the Waldorf Hotel in Vancouver

You’re performing live for the first time later this month. Tell us about your plans for that.

Well, I’m a bit nervous, but also excited. My set up consists of Ableton with a TR707 drum machine, an xoxbox, and a BCR2000 with a launchpad for controllers. It was a learning process, for sure. I’m not a musician by training, so I wasn’t going to bring synths and analog gear just to sequence. If I had a synth on stage I would actually want to be able to play them live. Maybe it’s time for some lessons. I did want some external components though, so I could do some hands on tweaking, rather than just having the laptop and a controller. Through the process, I learned I couldn’t do things the way I wanted to sometimes. It’s a combo of working out how you want to play, and what works best for each song with the given equipment. I hope that as I gain more experience, I can increase the improvisational feel of it.

What else do you have planned for 2012?

The main thing will be a full-length release on Still Music. Its something that’s been in the works for a long time, but due to distribution issues was delayed until now. I think it was probably for the best. Over time, I figured out what I wanted to say more concisely on a long player format. Other than that, there are tracks on compilations for Midnight Shift (an Ibadan related label), Aesthetic Audio, a split EP for Finale, and a couple other things I won’t mention yet. Also traveling a bit and working on future gigs. Of course, I’m looking forward to playing in Vancouver!

http://soundcloud.com/basic-soul-unit
https://twitter.com/#!/basicsoulunit
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Basic-Soul-Unit/49591600083

Tracklist:

01. Gerd – Palm Leaves (Larry Heard remix) [Royal Oak]
02. Hunee – Folga [Future Times]
03. Achterbahn D’Amour – JX2 [Frank]
04. Vakula – Saturday (Fudge Fingas remix) [3rd Strike]
05. Perseus Traxx – House Music [Bunker]
06. Basic Soul Unit – Growing Pains [Other Heights]
07. Makam – Good To You [Dekmantel]
08. Tears OF Velva – The Way I Feel (4 Daye Club) [King Street]
09. Red Rack’em – Kalimba [Philomena]
10. CCO – Nothing To Lose But The Chains [Drum Poet Community]
11. Helium Robots – Jarza (Theo Parrish translation 1) [Running Back]
12. Morphosis – Too Far (Marcel Dettman Definition 2) [Delsin-MOS-Morphine]
13. B.D.I. – Decoded Messages Of Life [Rush Hour]
14. Blawan – Peaches [Clone Basement Series]
15. Conforce – Within [Delsin]

Lukas VVarm – Leisure Mix #06
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This particular mix was done by myself, Alexander Slaughter / Lukas VVarm. It was made one morning during the last days of December and was recorded one time through with vinyl records, in casual and comfortable clothing. The mix took place in a small room on the main floor of our house — the lights were turned off for the last two tracks and as you might tell, I may or may not have gotten a little too loose on the levels towards the end. So, my advanced apologies for any distortion over the last track or two. Unfortunately, Soundstream and Basic Channel had me so freaked out that I temporarily lost all bodily control.

Note: You can now subscribe to the mix series via the podcast directory in the iTunes store. We’ll be releasing at least one session each month from both local and international DJ’s/Producers. Get all other recordings and subscribe for future updates here. Enjoy!

Tracklist:

01. TIN MAN – Reset Receiver [Global A]
02. Marcellus Pittman – Obsession [FXHE]
03. Walt J – Untitled [FIT / Dow Records]
04. Heaven and Earth – Space and Time [Prescription]
05. Sigha – Rawww [Hotflush]
06. Wax – 40004 [Wax]
07. Troy Brown – Dreaming [DNH]
08. Kingdom Come – Groovy Baby [Strobe]
09. Chez Damier & Ron Trent, M.D. – Untitled [Prescription]
10. J.T. Melody Presents Tina Reneé – I Can Feel It [Plastic Music]
11. Blake Baxter – Body Work [KMS]
12. Smokin’ Gang – Crazy Claps [Hot Mix 5]
13. Reggie The Movemaker – Get Your Money Man [Blackbart]
14. Marcus Mixx – The Spell (Ron Hardy Mix) [Let's Pet Puppies]
15. Telex – Raised By Snakes [Lost]
16. Master C&J – Face It [State Street]
17. Kassem Mosse – Untitled [Workshop]
18. Basic Channel – Q 1.1/III [Basic Channel]
19. Soundstream – Just Around [Sound Stream]

Alexander Slaughter

Contributor / alex@weareleisure.com

Soundstream

Just Around
from Sound Sampler Vol. 1

Label: Soundstream
Purchase from: Hardwax

Soundstream has to be one of the most consistent producers around and I really love that, even though consistent in quality, each song is always individually interesting and dynamic. Frank Timm’s ability to extract the found sound and construct something completely new and unique sends his tracks to a place that is far, far past “the edit.” Sound Sampler Vol.1 was a perfect way to cap off the year.

Kassem Mosse

“Untitled”
from Workshop 12

Label: Workshop
Purchase from: Discogs

Kassem Mosse was very active in 2011 with releases on Workshop, Non-Plus and the first vinyl release on his Omnira imprint. His third contribution to the Workshop series was, for me, the most exciting of all of his 2011 endeavours. I wish I could put every track from this EP on here, but when you search “Kassem Mosse Workshop 13″ on Youtube, this is the first result so, let it be the voice of the people! The whole record is amazing, but B1 is the song that hooked me.

Floating Points

“Danger”
from Danger 7″

Label: Eglo Records
Purchase from: Eglo Records

Some lush textures going on with this 7″ release on Floating Points’ own Eglo imprint, coming complete with a planetary locked groove. This track is a kind of silent killer. The power of this slow roller is not often immediately felt, but when the speakers bump so does this song! The erratic rhythms are so nicely equalized by the warm pads that keep the song emotive and human, not allowing it to be lost to any kind of analogue gear boner measuring contest.

TIN MAN

“Nonneo”
from Acid Test 01

Label: Absurd Recordings
Purchase from: Hardwax

This, for me, is when “Acid” is at its best—deep and moody. I really appreciate the restraint TIN MAN displays on this track. The grooves are intentional and well executed. ‘Nonneo’ is proof that Acid can still be beautiful.

Steffi

“Sadness”
from Panorama Bar 03

Label: Ostgut Ton
Purchase from: Hardwax

I was noticing on the charts that Steffi was getting a lot of love this year, predominantly for her full-length album and the track “Yours feat. Virginia.” I’m not sure if this one got demoted because it’s a part of a compilation, but for me, this exclusive of Prosumer’s Panorama Bar 03 mix is the one! Each layer of the percussion or melody is so thoughtfully added or subtracted, never too sparse and never to overbearing. So melancholy in so many ways, but every time I hear it I smile.

TIN MAN

“Lost in L.A.”
from Perfume Lp

Label: Salon Records
Purchase from: Boomkat

The epitome of a perfectly crafted pop-tune in this digital century. This one is deeply layered with intricate drum arrangements and ghostly keys. Between the classical experimentations of Vienna Blue and the handful of remixes & singles of his own signature acid — this year TIN MAN finds his missing organ and creats a record with Leonard Cohen-like level of romanticism.

Andrés

“Be Free Baby”
from Andrés III Ep

Label: Mahogani Music
Purchase from: Boomkat

Detroit’s economic crisis in full-effect, completely leaving out any mastering touch. Despite the general flatness of the production, “Be Free Baby” is just like every soulful house gem on Mahogani Music—timeless and simply ideal for baby making. Everyone always tells you to “turn it up”, but for this one you might actually have to.

Vondelpark

“Camels”
from nyc stuff and nyc bags Ep

Label: R&S Records
Purchase from: R&S Records

Alex suggests that this song is Instagram, I think it’s Night Bus with lens flare. This UK trio is putting together everything you’ve ever liked about James Blake, Mount Kimbie, and the slow-motion night music your artschool roommate blogs about. This is future garage music for the kids.

The Caretaker

“Libet’s Delay”
from An Empty Bliss Beyond this World

Label: History Always Favours the Winners
Purchase from: Bandcamp

This entire full-length kept my sanity in check during long hours of work and should actually be used as a medical prescription—the scribbled label would read “For Keeping it Together.” The record focuses on amnesia, converting the recollections of various Alzheimer’s patients into arrangements consisting of original compositions and 78′s. Faded glimpses of a grand piano are heard one moment, some eerie ballroom jazz the next, kind of making you regret your promise to quit spending endless nights with Fallout 3.

Omar-S presents
Colonel Abrams

“Who Wrote the Rules of Love (R&B Mix)”
from Who Wrote the Rules of Love 12″

Label: FXHE Records
Purchase from: Discogs

You’ve got an old-school house cat Colonel Abrams handing out rhythm & blues lessons right over Alex “Omar” Smith’s tambourines and some smooth string arrangements. Nah, nah, nah, nah-nahnah-nah!

Gerry Read

“Untitled”
from Untitled / Legs 12″

Label: Fourth Wave
Purchase from: Boomkat

It was hard to think about the past year in music without including this dude in my list. New to me and most everyone else, he pulls together a whole bunch of stuff that I’m really into at the moment—straight-forward basement grooves with tonnes of gritty texture.

Space Dimension
Controller

“Flight of the Escape Vessels”
from The Pathway to Tiraquon 6

Label: R&S Records
Purchase from: R&S Records

A standout tune from a record with an unabashed narrative that thoroughly entertained me. Gimmick or not, I’m sure we’ll be writing about this dude again next year.

Objekt

“Tinderbox”
from Objekt #1 12″

Label: Self-released
Purchase from: Boomkat

Few people I know will get it but it’s here for very good reason, trust me.

The Citizen’s Band

“West 42nd”
from 77 Reasons

Label: Live At Robert Johnson Records
Purchase from: Live At Robert Johnson

So delicate yet punchy, I’ve been discovering and rediscovering brilliant little details each time I listen to either side of this release. From the depths to the clouds and back again—dolphin dives.

Burial

“Stolen Dog”
from Street Halo

Label: Hyperdub Records
Purchase from: Hyperdub

Because it’s percussively sparser than a lot of his other work, “Stolen Dog” plays like a relieved sigh, sounding uncharacteristically hopeful because the lush chords and vocals have room to breathe.

Jason Fine

“Jack Yo Bodda”
from Menage At Trois

Label: FXHE Records
Purchase from: Clone

There was so much quality released on FXHE this year. Jason Fines release, Menage At Trois, was the definite stand-out for me though. “Jack Yo Bodda” is somewhere in between a DJ tool and an anthem, and it’s the perfect example of simplistic dance music executed masterfully. The writing on the b-side label puts it quite nicely, “MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK!!! HERE AT FXHE RECORDS DETROIT.”

Specter

“Pipe Bomb”
from Pipe Bomb 12″

Label: Sound Signature
Purchase from: Clone

The first time I heard “Pipe Bomb” was last year during Theo Parrish’s set at BODY. I had absolutely no idea what it was and it turned the entire room on it’s side. Theo then released it on his label a few months later and I’ve been listening to it every single day since I bought it and it still gives me goosebumps. Well done, Specter. Well done.

The Abstract Eye

“Nobody Else (Pt.2)”
from The Cool Warm Divine

Label: Valentine Connexion Records
Purchase from: Rush Hour

To be honest, there wasn’t a real stand out tune on this EP—every track is fantastic and this is the only one I could find on youtube. Early American electro influence was big in dance music this year though most of it seemed to fall a little short. It was wonderful to receive something amazing straight from the source that truly delivered. Essential listening.

Anthony Shake Shakir

“Anthony Shake Shakir Meets BBC”
from Meet Shangaan Electro And BBC

Label: Honest Jon’s
Purchase from: Honest Jon’s

A truly inspired effort from one of Detroit’s unsung fathers of Techno, this one is a no brainer. Play it loud.

Simoncino

“Jungle Dream”
from Beat The Street

Label: Mathematics Recordings
Purchase from: Mathematics

Mathematics released a tremendous amount of amazing music this year. Jamal Moss, John Heckle, Kuba Sojka, Takeshi Kouzuki, and the rest of Mathematics camp deserve a round of applause for consistently releasing some of the most memorable contemporary dance records. Thanks for keeping shit weird you guys, we appreciate you. As far as this Simoncino tune goes, I wouldn’t normally give much of a second thought to a track ridden with pan flutes and wildlife samples, but this one works.

Daniel Maloso

“Discoteca Cavernicola”
from Hijos De Jose

Label: Comeme
Purchase from: Discogs

These South American cats have dubbed their style Caveman Disco. Lifting a lick from the Human League, this is some real chest beating stuff right here.

$990

“Gatito (Diegors & Don Gata Negra Remix)”
from Chilean Pop

Label: Comeme
Purchase from: Boomkat

More from Chile! Taken from a great little compilation of remixes, this one never left my bag—if you heard me DJ this year you have probably heard this. You should check Marinero and Enagami as well. Heaters.

Sun Araw

“Bump Up”
from Houston Abstros

Label: Monofonus Press
Purchase from: Monofonus Press

Bringing the intergalactic beach vibes this warm little 7-inch touched my buttons.

No Gold

“We / Be / Do”
from No Gold Lp

Label: Unfamiliar Records
Purchase from: No Gold

My list wouldn’t be complete without a track from No Gold’s debut LP. This, honestly, didn’t leave my record player this year. Every track is a bomb. Great video for this one as well.

Julio Bashmore

“Ribble To Amazon”
from Batty Knee Dance Ep

Label: 3024
Purchase from: Boomkat

Who needs ecstasy when you have this? Memories of Kaleidoscope at 3am!

Terekke

“Damn”
from Damn Ep

Label: L.I.E.S.
Purchase from: Hardwax

I had the most classic moment with this record at a shop in New York. One of the employees put on this record and everyone in the store just stopped digging and flipped. It’s funny because this isn’t really a banger but more like the sounds of a Mr. Fingers demo versioned by Rhythm & Sound. This song has deep power.

Tim Hecker

“In The Fog II”
from Raveheath, 1972

Label: Kranky
Purchase from: Boomkat

It’s impossible to pick one song out of this album, because it’s all misty and floats together. Big organ sounds flipped through delay in an Albertan yurt.

Africa Hitech

“Light The Way”
from 93 Million Miles

Label: Warp Records
Purchase from: Warp

After Sun Ra…reaching through technology to the sky. Ecstatic chants at 140.

Hype Williams

“Rise Up”
from Kelly Price W8 Gain Vol II

Label: Hyperdub
Purchase from: Boomkat

And suddenly you’re just standing there and this song is playing.

Blawan

“Getting Me Down”
from Getting Me Down 12″

Label: White Label
Purchase from: Boomkat

There’s a universality in “Getting Me Down” that’s positively un-Blawan; it’s candidness, the inelaborate percussion, the structural restraint, the overall seeming lightness of it. But agreeability only affects range, so let’s be honest about what we love about this tune, what bit of it latches onto our core: the enigmatic clipped siren song of our reanimated Moesha. “I know anybody’s gonna be lonely / Without the reason they got someone to care for…”

Holy Other

“Touch”
from With U Ep

Label: Tri Angle
Purchase from: Discogs

In an attempt to avoid the pin-the-genre-on-the-donkey game entirely, I’ll say “With U” was the most wholly unclassifiable release I copped this year. Sure, it’s pushing a sound with many hangers-on but what separates Holy Other from the other faces in the pack is a penchant for actual craft; find me a track in this vein this side of Forest Swords as clearly articulated as this.

G.H.

“Earth”
from Ground Ep

Label: Modern Love
Purchase from: Boomkat

Though Ground is his first solo release, Gary ‘Gaz’ Howell has his fingerprints all over Modern Love as one half of Pendle Coven and mixed-up in the HATE experiment of 2009. A distillation of the more difficult and industrial qualities of the Modern Love sound, Ground makes no amends for the cautious listener. “Earth” is the brightest and most accessible cut off the EP, enlivened by a quicker tempo and soul sample, a bit of radiance beneath a crust darker than darkness, like stilled molten lava.

Terius Nash

“Wake Me When It’s Over”
from 1977 Lp

Label: Self-released
Freely Available at: Radio Killa Records

Probably more than anything else released this year I listened to 1977. Under label drama reminiscent of Prince’s turn to Artist Formally Known As…, The-Dream became Terius, and one can think of 1977 as not so much leaked for free on the internet but liberated from bureaucracy at much spiritual cost. In a year where novices were credited with stunning innovation for easy artifice (The Weeknd, Frank Ocean) it was Mr. Nash who was dropping the realest R&B.

Omar-S

“Here’s Your Trance, Now Dance!!”
from Here’s Your Trance, Now Dance!! Lp

Label: FXHE Records
Purchase from: Discogs

I don’t even know what to say. Give Omar 10 minutes and he’ll show you what it sounds like to live in a more perfect world.

Daedelus

“Tailor-Made (Floating Points Remix)”
from Tailor-Made Ep

Label: Ninja Tune
Purchase from: Phonica Records

Hair standing on end? Yeah me too. Floating Points kills on the remix duty.

Kai Alce

“Simply ’93″
from Assorted Elements Ep

Label: NDATL Muzik
Purchase from: Phonica Records

This shows you don’t need a whole hell of a lot going on to make a track jump off the wax. Tight programming and a sputtering synth make this special.

Theo Parrish

“360@129on696 (Full Version)”
from Feel Free To Be Who You Need To Be

Label: Sound Signature
Purchase from: Hardwax

Doing donuts on Detroit’s I-696 seemed like something I would have done five years ago. Now I conjure that scenario up while listening to this.

Session Victim

“Good Intentions”
from Treats Vol. 3

Label: Retreat
Purchase from: Retreat Vinyl

Summer in a bottle. Chug, chug, chug, chug. Ahhhh!

Andy Vaz

“Straight Vacationing”
from Straight Vacationing Lp

Label: Yore
Purchase from: Phonica Records

His usual journey to Saturn, but this time he’s kind enough to bring you back. Keeping you suspended with his first LP in five years, this is one you can’t skip. It was tough to choose a clear favourite but I tried.

You are in fact a Chicago native, correct? How did your involvement with dance music begin and develop?

I was born and raised in Chicago, and only lived outside of the city for a brief period. If you grew up in Chicago, especially in the 80′s you almost had no choice but to be into the music because House was such a huge staple in the city. In High School or grade school, they would have the mixes on at lunch time and we would be out in the car instead of eating lunch listening to them. They were playing the mixes all day during the week and then all night on the Weekends. I would stay over at a friend’s house and we would record every mix from each weekend.

A friend of mine got me into DJing when I was 12 or 13, on a set of old tape decks. From there, I started out with two crappy belt-drive turntables where you had to slow down the spindle with your fingers, and actually my parents would never buy me equipment, they thought it was too expensive. So, I had to kind of make shift it. I made it so that one turntable was the left speaker, and one turntable was the right speaker and I just had to use the dial in the middle to blend together, with no headphones. It was either that, or I would have to go mix on my friends’ stuff.

Then, I just started going to Gramaphone, meeting all those guys. Also, I used to hang out at this place called The Hip House that was pretty big in the 90′s and that’s where DJ Sneak and all the guys from UC started out, I hung out with a lot of those cats. I wanted to get into making music and they would tell me “go buy this gear or go buy that gear and once you get that we’ll help you out,” but I couldn’t afford it at the time, so I just sort of stuck with DJing parties. Actually, there was a group called Code 3 who did make some records back in the day, I started hanging out with those guys and doing little tours, or would DJ on the side with them. From that, I got to meet guys like Daryl Pandy and Phuture, but I was so young that I had no clue and I didn’t take it as seriously as I should have.

This was all throughout my teenage years, it came from listening to House on the radio and then meeting those people and kind of being in little DJ crews in Chicago and you’d go around and play in little hole in the wall spots. Or, these big house parties that gang bangers would throw and I’d be shitting my pants, knowing that I’d have to go to them anyway. Back in the days you’d go to those parties and they’d be fun, but you’d only party so long before somebody would get hit with a chair or people would start shooting and you’d be grabbing your records and running.

How long has KStarke Records been around and how did the thing come about?

Well, at one point in Chicago, everybody was stealing everybody else’s records, so DJ’s started writing on the labels so they could recognize their records in other people’s crates and prevent their stuff from being stolen. I had quite a few crates stolen from me, and when I moved back to Chicago after living briefly in Los Angeles, I was looking to get back into DJing. I had been getting a couple of smaller gigs around the city, so I started going out and looking for some of these records that had been stolen back in the day. I remember going to a place that’s not around anymore called Hot Jams, and the owner had these records on the wall that he wanted phenomenal money for at the time. He was asking 200-300 dollars for these records, and I was like, “what? $300? I paid 3 dollars for that record.” He was explaining how rare and unavailable those records were at the time [2004] and I was thinking to myself, “man, I’ve got 2 of those.”

I met another friend around 2004 and started buying records off of him. He was telling me that all the house stuff was really rare at that time. So, I just started going out – trial and error – buying up smaller collections that I had found and just kind of started putting records up on eBay. I put one record up on eBay that I had bought for 4 dollars. I remember seeing on the last day that the bid was up to $50 – I was already excited. Then, at the last second the bid just shot up to $250! Plus, I had 4 more copies and that was it; I knew I wanted to start selling records.

So it was all online at that point?

No, not all. I was going out and buying up massive collections and the just selling the records out of my basement. A lot of cats would come over to my house and buy a bunch of my records and when I started getting more and more stuff people started saying, “hey man, you should really open up a record store.” I found a guy who had this huge warehouse full of stuff that I was buying and I figured that having a record store had always been something I wanted to do, so I just decided to go for it. I just took some money that I saved up from my old job and from the other records I had sold and put it into opening up the shop. I really didn’t know anything about how to run a record store, or anything about it. I just said I’m going to try and see what happens, I’d rather try and fail than figure what if. So, I literally started the store with under 7000 dollars and had two of my friends come over, build all the racks and we just started advertising through word of mouth. We just got the word out and started having in store parties. A lot of people came, and luckily I’m still here.

Can you tell us what record it was that you sold for $250.00 that started it all?

It was the first pressing of Z-Factor – I am the DJ. It’s funny how eBay is like a stock market for vinyl. I’d be lucky if I got 20 bucks for that record now.

How did your re-issues of the old classics begin?

I was a DJ way before I was a record seller/collector and I have a love for the DJs too. Not everybody has 500 dollars for a record. Some guys just want to play the record. They’re not trying to buy it to make money off of it, they just love the record. That’s what I loved about it and that’s what made me want to start the label too; to start putting out stuff again for people so they could get it again and have stuff that they’ve always wanted. That was what it was really about for me.

What influences the decisions you make of what songs to re-issue? Is it just based on what is available, or what you can get your hands on?

There were always certain tracks that I knew I wanted to put out. I’ve been doing releases under a couple of different pseudo names besides the Jackmaster Hater stuff. Also, there was another smaller label I did, called Booton. When the eBay era got huge everybody became a weekend warrior record dealer. I would go out to try to buy some house selections, and I’d be getting asked to pay ridiculous money for these records. I’d be telling the guys, “I just want the record, I’m not going to resell it. I just want to play it out too.” Because of that, I figured there are some of these records that I’m going to look into re-issuing rights and put some of this stuff out again. It was an effort to kind of kill that. That, ultimately is what made some of the prices of these records go down, because there was a re-issue. It’s like, if you have the choice and it’s a good quality sounding track, are you going to pay 8 dollars or are you going to pay 800 dollars? That’s what it was all about. I did it more for the music so that people could have that song, or that record again.

Then, I started getting into hearing all this stuff that hadn’t been released. Lots of the old WBMX tracks, that I had always wondered why they had never been put out. I started meeting some of the guys who had these reels and DATs from before and often they would just give me the stuff. They would just be like, “Here take it, I’m not using it.” They didn’t really care, or feel that there was a market for that music. They felt that the really tracky, old school, beat down house was dead and they were into the New York vocal house stuff at that time. I was lucky to be able to obtain that stuff when I did because at that time, nobody really cared about it and now it seems that is what there is a market for again.
I was buying all of those Joe Lewis Target releases in the 80′s and stuff from other smaller labels when they came out, not because there was a market for it, or because they would be worth something on eBay. I was buying it because that was the stuff I was really into since day one. I really liked it and that’s why I bought it.

Was it only a matter of time then, before you began working on your own productions?

Kevin Starke – 151 (KR.001, 12")

Yeah. Finally, I started getting my hands on some gear. One my friend sold me a 303 and then I came across some other stuff. I started listening to some of the records that were coming out– I saw that people were interested in it and I thought to myself “I could make that I think, it can’t be that hard?!” I always knew I had a good ear for music so I decided to start working on some of my own tracks.

Are you working on some new music at the moment?

Yeah I am. I’m working on some tracks with Hakim Murphy right now and I’ve talked about working on some stuff with Tevo Howard as well. Melvin Oliphant (Traxx) and I have always talked about doing some something together. We have known each other since we were kids; we grew up together. Those are some of the guys in Chicago that I feel are keeping that WBMX vibe alive. I have people coming into the store and hearing their tracks and saying to me, “Oh, I don’t remember getting that one, when did it come out?” I’ll tell them, “Last week!” They can’t believe it, they would have guessed it came out in the 80′s.

Historically, when talking about the development of dance music in North America, Chicago and Detroit are always very closely paralleled. Do you still see a strong relationship? What is it that keeps these two cities linked?

Definitely, we go hand in hand. Detroit and Chicago really are, very similar cities. Especially, if you consider other places within similar proximity. I would say Detroit is a lot more like Chicago than say, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, or even the Twin Cities. Detroit and Chicago each have their own urban scenes, they both have more poor areas where a lot of young, creative kids come from. To be honest, I think people who have to struggle a little bit make better music sometimes. You’re forced to do whatever is necessary to make it, rather than those who have it all.

Do you feel those factors will ultimately define an individuals output?

I feel that is the difference in music; when somebody has to go through a little bit of struggle, vs. somebody who has every piece of equipment that they could ever want. Kids come into the store, who want to make tracks and all they focus on is having every piece of gear! They don’t realize that the music isn’t going to make itself. People think you need to have all of this stuff to make a record, but that’s not the case. All that’s needed is the ambition to make it happen.

http://www.discogs.com/label/Kstarke+Records
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kstarke-Records-Chicago/

Chicago, Illinois is a metropolis of music. Its lakeside skyscrapers, rail yards and aging hog processors tell a tale of America from beginning to present day. Gene Hunt knows some of its stories.

His blistering set in Vancouver for June 3’s History of Dance V at the Waldorf was a testament to his home, and Gene’s prowess behind the decks. On his new compilation for Rush Hour, Gene Hunt Presents Chicago Dance Tracks, Gene showcases classics from the birth of the seminal Chicago house scene where he honed his skills. Available now, the record comes with artist interviews, a Gene Hunt interview by Farley “Jackmaster” Funk, and original photo’s from back in the day. The artwork displays original Chicago flyers.

Chicago Dance Tracks (RH-115)

Starting in 1986 in Chicago when he was only 14, Gene Hunt quickly became a fixture on the golden age house scene. Hotel gigs at legendary party spots like Bismarck, La Mirage, Sauers, Da Vinci Manor, AKA and the Riviera, led to a residency at the Hyatt Park Athletic Club, where he became Ron Hardy’s protege. In this period, many Chicago dance producers gave Gene exclusive reel-to-reel recordings so he could play them out at the clubs. Some were never released. Until now. Thankfully for us, Gene stored these rough, uncut exclusives and private computer experiments in the vault. Some for as long as 25 years, with recordings dating back to ’82 and ’83.

Now Gene has finally revealed some of these unreleased gems by Mr. Fingers, Steve Poindexter, Ron Hardy, Farley Jackmaster Funk, Virgo Four, Virgo & Adonis, and Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley to name a few. All tunes were restored and remastered from the original, first generation reel-to-reel tapes (a more complete insight into this process can be heard in this podcast).

The sparse, grimy collection of house bangers sound as if they were from another planet more than another time. Not radio-friendly enough for local labels like Trax and DJ International, their scarcity only fueled their underground popularity in Chicago’s clubs. Their proper release only adds further to the windy city’s sonic lore.

Made exclusively for the most dedicated jackers, these tracks aim to hypnotize with raw patterns and dynamic melodies, evoking at once the rhythms of the talking drum and the industrial throb of American freeways. An experimental dance subculture born of disco boogie breaks and drum-machines—a community who celebrated diversity, personal expression and advanced, industrial urbanity. These tracks feel like the apartments and warehouses where they were recorded and played for a dedicated community of dance-crazed party-goers and music lovers: dark, futuristic and sweaty, with a liberal sprinkling of sparkle.

One standout is “1015” by Dion Williams & Tony. You may know Dion Williams by his more popular pseudonym, No I.D. Under that name, Dion produced 1994’s hip-hop classic, Resurrection, for Chicago’s Common. That record helped put Common and Chicago rap on the map. Later, No I.D. returned to fame as the mentor of Chicago-born megastar Kanye West, who started as a beat maker for Jay-Z before he turned rapper.

In a BBC Radio One interview with Benji B last year, celebrated house and techno producer Theo Parrish described being inspired and influenced by seeing Dion perform when he was one of Chicago’s hottest disco selectors. Dion co-produced the lead track, “Dark Fantasy“, on West’s multi-platinum smash, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, with West and Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA. Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy features samples from afro-disco legend Manu Dibango (Soul Makossa, which some claim is the first disco record ever) and James Brown funk classics (“Think” by Lyn Collins, perhaps the most sampled break of all time and the seed for countless subgenres in American dance).

Over the years, many hip-hop fans skipped house, while house purists often frowned upon hip-hop. Even as each infant sub-genre blossomed into an international pop music juggernaut in its own right, audiences diverged and congealed around their preferred style. Increasing definition on different frontiers obscured hidden common origins and conceptual overlap. With “Planet Rock“, Arthur Baker and Afrika Bambataa claimed to give birth to electro, hip-hop, house, Miami bass and techno. Both house and hip-hop feature prominent polyrhythm, swinging, hypnotic tempos, phosphorescent synths and hard-nosed vocals arranged on drum-machines in the urban northeast. Ultimately, house, hip-hop and techno all emerged from the funk, disco, soul and late-20th century Afrofuturism. Unique elements and techniques of all three styles can be traced back through jazz, blues and the West African musical tradition.

Gene’s choice to finally display Dion’s early house production reveals again for us those sub-dermal connections between genre and fans. The journey from Kanye West’s roots to Dion’s funky, experimental electronica, and then retro-futuristic rap pop, mirrors the 20th century journey of African-American music: across the Atlantic, to the delta of the Mississippi, then ultramodern, urban Lake Michigan, beyond and back again.

These records, and their places in Gene’s collection, tell us about the history of popular music. These songs are not just old house records picked out by a curator. They are not just an annotated greatest hits list of a period sub-genre by an enthusiast. They are highlights that reveal the texture of our society, as viewed through an influential community at an overlooked period in its social life. These are songs about how a small group of people most of us never met and will never meet touched us, our friends, loved ones and memories. These songs are a carefully chosen frame to show the story of us.

A vibrant counterpoint to the selections he chose for his compilation, Gene’s History of Dance V set at the Waldorf Hotel in Vancouver culled tracks from disparate genres, taking the crowd on a ride through cosmic Chicago and beyond.

History of Dance V: Gene Hunt

We caught up with Gene while he was in a vehicle on the way to the Detroit Electronic Music Festival, briefly before his arrival in Vancouver. We asked him about Chicago Dance Tracks and his then upcoming appearance at History of Dance. We ended up having a sprawling chat about the lifestyle of a professional DJ, the early days of a dance music protegé and pack-rat, and Gene’s passionate desire to honour his friends, mentors and fore-bearers by bringing their work to a new generation of dance enthusiasts. Hunt offered this and a slew of other tidbits, and we’re proud to present to you all a slice of the historical clarity that he bestowed to us.

How does Detroit Electronic Music Festival ’11 compare to other years?

I mean, they’re charging admission now. In the beginning it was free but people don’t mind paying admission coming out and checking out the festivities and the booths, people are all networking, selling their t-shirts and stuff. It’s still something that’s real big as far as Detroit, Michigan, is concerned. It’s something to look forward to for Memorial Day Weekend. I always look forward to the Techno Fest.

Touch on the relationship between Detroit and Chicago, or the relationship between house and techno, and how people felt about it back in the day.

One thing about the two sounds is that they always meshed together, so it wasn’t really ever an issue. It wasn’t a problem in either of the sounds because they admired a bunch of stuff that we did and we admired a bunch of stuff that they did. With the contrast of both elements we really had a nice combination of something that still today has same effect. There are so many things that come out of [Detroit] that I think are super hot and they think likewise.

Theo Parrish has talked about how the two styles are like relatives, would you agree with that?

Yeah to a certain degree, you know what I’m saying? It’s like you know that’s the way they’re both designed in context. They’ve kinda got the same flavour but it’s like, they just got a different way of going about doing it, that’s all. It’s just your style and your interpretation. I just feel that—techno and house music—they were hand and glove. It goes down to the Metroplex 500, the Derrick May stuff, “Strings of Life,” I mean those were all Detroit records that we played in Chicago that were seriously hot. They probably played “Like This”, and “Move Your Body” so it’s always been hand and glove.

It’s always been a Great Lakes thing.

Right.

How would you describe the two different styles? How did they contrast and how did they connect?

We’re not that far apart. It’s one big highway away from each other. I was born and raised in Chi, but I moved out to Detroit for a portion in my life. So I got to be a little more than brushed up on the techno scene that was here. Detroit guys would come to Chicago, and we kept in touch. We’re only 300 miles away and obviously both styles are different but they go together hand and glove.

Techno has more of an electronic sound and it has a bit more orchestration. It’s kind of like the operas of house—it gives it more of a clarity. The way they make things in Detroit, in reference to the drum machine and how they do the programming, it’s completely different. Chicago’s style is more drum oriented, as far as the drum patterns and everything. They still have the same beats per minute but the music is completely different. If you heard a Detroit record and a Chicago record you can tell the difference, but they still have the same effect on the dance floor. A lot of stuff, like the old Blake Baxter stuff, like back in the early eighties when I was playing there were a lot of guys making things in Detroit. A lot of those tracks were effective, they worked well with the house things that we were doing, along with Italo disco and all those things. It all meshed together.

Are you playing a lot of techno in your sets?

I played techno in my sets, and I even have a couple techno albums that I’ve done for a few labels that get with techno so I most definitely have a full-fledged experience of it. I did an album for a record label called Hybrid in Stockholm. It’s called Skyline ’96. I’ve produced a lot of it so I’m completely familiar with it.

How early were you playing techno in your sets?

I would have to say maybe ’87, ’88 maybe before.

So pretty much when you were starting out there was already an audience for it in Chicago.

(Laughs) Yeah! Exactly, because a lot of the techno records like “Strings of Life” were really hot in Chicago. Before it even came onto press we used to play our stuff on reel-to-reels and tapes. We didn’t have CD players back then, there wasn’t no Serato. It was straight up real. You had a reel-to-reel or a tape deck with pitch control that allowed you to play things that were extremely different or things that weren’t out yet or that everybody didn’t have access to. Most of the hot guys that were DJing at the time we got hold of “Strings of Life”. Derrick May came to Music Box and gave me and Ron Hardy a copy of it. We started playing it and everybody was freaking out on it. That’s when the city started catching a whiff to it, like, “what’s this track right here?” Then copies started getting leaked out and it sold a lot of copies when it came out on vinyl because a lot of DJs had a chance to play it before it was actually pressed. As soon as it hit stores, all the DJs that wanted it after they’d been hearing us playing it. People didn’t have access to it but they were up on it. All the hot DJs in Chicago that was doing music in a serious way, they had a copy of it.

They would drive from Detroit to Chicago and come to the club! They would bring demos and so forth for us to play in the club. We would play it for a little while, then other guys would get it and next thing you all the DJs are playing this one particular track and next thing you know the record is hot. So when the record comes out, it’s already sold because everyone has been anticipating this track that’s been leaked out.

You’ve stored all of these exclusives really painstakingly, sometimes for up to 25 years. Why did you think this compilation was important to release now?

Guys that were the actual fabric of the tracks that they made at the time, guys that I admire guys that were more or less my mentors and my inspiration giving me the skill and taking me up under their wing and showing me the aspects of producing. It’s something that’s giving the respect to them. The guys that showed me the ultimate style of production and gave me the tools that I need to persevere and to do something. It’s my dedication and an opportunity for people to see Chi in a rare form and to see the talent and some things that were very meaningful in reference to that whole experience. It’s so the new generation can understand because they didn’t get the opportunity to experience to hear anything that was out there. The guys that are on the project, they were a big spiritual and physical lift, in reference to the music they were creating. Their genius and the way that they made tracks back then—showing these legendary guys is the ultimate show of how it was done over two decades ago.

I think it’s going to be a wise, but lucrative decision, because it’s a true educational experience. If you wondered what it would be like back then—it gives you an opportunity to re-live or regenerate that experience. The new generation can see that during the ’80s, these guys, these tracks were club bangers. It gives people the credit so people can see who made each track. It gives each artist their respect. It’s not undercover, it’s not bootlegged or anything so it’s showing the respect to the artist in its rarest form. Anyone whose heard the artist or kind of knows this artist—it gives them an opportunity to give back and boost up some of the things they’re doing now. It’s a collector’s piece and I think it’s wonderful because it gives the guys that I admired and looked up to an opportunity to add to what they’ve got coming out—to show them that somebody cares and somebody remembers them. It’s Chicago in its rawest form, and the way we were structured at that time. It’s going to be fun and educational.

Was it difficult to store and preserve those original tracks?

I was like a pack rat. Back in the day guys would give me music to play. The people I got my stuff from were the people who actually made and produced it. Years later I see Steve Hurley, I see Chip E. I’m like here’s your track “LSD” and Steve was like, “wow, this is clean, where’d you get this?” I’m like, “you gave it to me,” and he was like, “you kept that!?”

In other words I had stuff when I was 15, 16 years old. I had three reel-to-reels because I was DJing professionally and I was going to high school. So from my sophomore to my senior year I started DJ-ing with the big guys so they would give me all the music. I would just retain the music. Over a period of years I kept them preserved. I got extensive tapes. The tapes and reels that I bought, I bought the best quality. Years down the line I still have these tapes and these reel-to-reels. Some of the reels got a little old but with the technology now you can go in and re-edit and so forth, so it’s a blessing to be able to hit on something like that. These are 25 years old! For me to be able to take the music off of there, and for it to sound good, it’s amazing.

Did you have to store them anywhere special?

I just had them put up, in a dry place. I sealed them up, double wrapped them and kept them in cool dry places. They just sat there over the years. I just had everything in that order, I just preserved them and held onto them for that course of time. I still got my mixer! I still got my Bozak mixer from when I was 14 years old.

Did you just do that out of your own habits or did you think that this was going to be important to share down the line?

I didn’t look at it as sharing down the line, I looked at it as you know at that period of time there was a lot of stuff that a lot of people gave me. There were things on these reels and tapes that I didn’t get the opportunity to play back then. To realize that now with the sound quality and how effectively that I can play now that’s 25 and 26 years old and I can play it for an audience now that’s phenomenal. Then it’s the sound quality coming off the reel-to-reel, and I can enhance it. It’s fun. I can take old stuff from back then that used to play at the clubs and used to rock the crowds, and it’s totally new to this generation. I play it now and it’s like a totally new record. You can take these certain elements in something that we embraced in Chicago called house music and you can reconstruct it into something. With some of these old materials the idea of enhancing it and making this track a thousand times better now with the new technology versus just having a drum machine and a tape deck on your bed and turning some knobs.

It’s a totally different ball game. We’ve got Pro Tools, Ableton, and Reason. See, I still use all my outboard gear. I use Ableton but I still associate all that with my outboard gear. I still like that warm, beautiful, analog sound but then you can put just a little sprinkle of digital on it. It sounds warm and good like one of those records you used to learn back in the day.

Get that real pie filling in there.

Yeah, exactly!

Listening to the compilation now, It still seems like you knew that this was something a little more precious than ordinary. It sounds like you knew that this was all something worth hanging onto.

Back in those days when we were playing stuff we had radio and we would music trade. By us music trading there would be stuff that I would make or that they would make. Some of use didn’t DJ at the time, they would just give me all the new stuff that they made—the stuff that they had that they released already I had—and they would give me some of the stuff that they were making, some of the more underground stuff that they were ready to put out. They wanted the records broke. Everybody was getting aware of what was being made because we were all sharing and playing it.

So now in 2011, these particular treats that you’re hearing on this record—it’s something that’s opening up your mind to something that’s new. It’s 14 tracks from my mentors, my big brothers, my professors all wrapped up into one compilation. Its guys that were an extreme inspiration to me and that helped design the fabric of Gene Hunt. These were some of the tracks that were Chicago club rockers, and this is our style in its rawest form and this is just us keeping it as realistic is possible. To enjoy that experience 25 years later is just amazingly beautiful.

http://www.discogs.com/artist/Gene+Hunt