After The Interview

Wow – I thought last week was busy: turns out transcribing 40mins of interview takes a while, transforming my words into something semi-readable even longer. This week has been insane though – I’ve had some very generous feedback (thanks!) and a number of very intriguing suggestions for where I could take the journey next. On the flip side I’ve also managed to make a massive prick of myself and royally piss off the real love of my life, Mrs D. Never underestimate the effort required to dig yourself out of one of those holes… So on top of trying to do my day job and also buy/sell a house, I’ve barely had time to think. Right now though, I’m sat on a train to Manchester with half an hour to spare. Best get a move on!

I wrote a while ago about Terre Thaemlitz after a mate suggested I might want to listen to the Midtown 120 Blues album. Since I started writing regularly, there have been times when I’ve wondered if I’m coming up to a dead end, but then people have suggested new directions that have got me all excited again. This has been one of those weeks.

The first thing was this mix I was sent from baleariksoul with a whole stack of records from this After The Garage era I’d not heard before.  It’s an absolute goldmine!  Most of it’s now on my Discogs wantlist and luckily for me, it gives me something ace to post this week!  I’ll hand over to baleriksoul:

Sublevel – Don’t Blame Me (Original Demo Mix) | Profile 12″ 1989

– If all soulful house sounded like this…

Intense – The Strength | Ace Beat 12″ 1989

– Will always remind me of Paul ‘Trouble’ Anderson. Solaris.

The Black Cuban Opera – The Sound Of Love | Black China 12″ 1990

– Tony Humphries play.

Private Posession feat. Hunter Hayes – Are You Wid It (Dub Mess) | Mega Bolt 12″ 1986

– The missing link between Colonel Abrams and Blaze?

Extortion feat. Dihan Brooks – How Do You See Me Now (Pavel’s Hip Hop Mix) | A&R 12″ 1990

– Great song that found wider recognition with the UK House scene. It had to be remixed though, shame really this version rocks.

Boyd Jarvis – Timpini | Movin’

Records 12″ 1991

– Great label. Great track.

Russ Brown – Gotta Find A Way | Jump Street 12″ 1986

– Classic. This song just goes to show that the key to an everlasting song is in the writing.

Down Under feat. Sta’ She’ – He Touches Me | Fine Tune 12″ 1992

– Just one of those house obscurities. It’s all about going to church. Too deep for most people.

The Dark Side – Gimme The Music (Inst.) | Lower Level 12″ 1987

– Dip back into Larry Levan’s Paradise Garage playlists and you will find this.

Paul Simpson feat. Colonel Abrams – Could It Be? | Yellorange 12″ 2002

– Love the reference to ‘Trapped’ in this. Check the credits on the record, masters at work.

Darlene Davis – I Found Love (Radio Edit) | Take One 12″ 1986

– Familiar with this? UK acid house silverbacks should be. What sampled it?

Great stuff – I’ve already ordered copies of the Intense and Boyd Jarvis tracks. Back in 1996, Faze Action’s In The Trees was one of the first deep house records I bought and it’s still one of my all time favourites. There’s an uncanny resemblance to the strings in the background in Timpini (around the 40 minute mark), no?

I’ve also had a few suggestions from guys on the DJ history forums to have a look into Bottom Line records and Raymond Castoldi – again, thanks BO0oz and manlike for the heads up.  I knew Ray Castoldi’s Biosphere record, I didn’t know he was organist at Madison Square Gardens – sounds like his story could be right up my sidewalk!  Just need to get on and do some more digging now