MODERN MASTERS — THEO PARRISH
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Seems fitting to be closing the decade with a post on Theo. I can’t think of any other producer whose had such an impact on me or who in my opinion has consistently come up with the goods in the last 10+ years. Like the other dons I’ve looked at in this series I don’t like everything he makes, but guaranteed I’ll love the sheer craftsmanship of his work and the fact he’s coming from such a unique place. If you listen closely to his productions you’ll hear that he’s got every layer in the mix working as hard as he can get it: whether that’s a filter on some hats or an eq’d clap, he’s on top of every detail, shaping and finessing. It’s the same when he plays out, as anyone whose checked him will testify, he’s glued to his dirty old desk constantly working the eq. Then when u bring his countless remixes & edits into account, we truly are looking at a Modern Master, no question.
So the hardest part of this series for me is gonna be which Theo tune to end on. I’ve gone a bit left here with a track whose theme is particularly relevant to me (us) at the moment. Hope u feel it.
Big up the ‘D’. See u in 2010, Quaid.
Theo Parrish — Timeislafinacharunninout
Buy here.
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BACK ONLINE
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Except for some of the Friday Fusion posts which we’ll sort in the next couple.
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MODERN MASTERS — CARL CRAIG
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One of the most versatile producers out there. Naturally I’m more drawn to the jazzier side to Carl’s sound than his bangin’ Planet E vibe, but I’ve always loved his approach. Particularly when he applies his electronic aesthetic out of the traditional Techno context and when he’s working with live musicians.
Been a massive influence from that killer La Funk Mob remix back in the day through to his Innerzone Orchestra output, the Detroit Experiment and much more. The tune I’m dropping here is from the Detroit Experiment, the much rinsed ‘Think Twice’. Love the build on this one, the trademark analogue synth work and above all else that deep groove. Feel it. Q
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MODERN MASTERS — KENNY DIXON JNR
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I caught a show of his in the smoke a few years back. I remember saying as we we’re going in that I was hoping to see & hear something I’ve never checked before. In fact that didn’t happen till after the support acts came off. Then he dropped ‘Freaky Mutha’. Suddenly we had this sexy/surreal/fucked up combination of a booty shaking babe on stage with the man himself singing and posturing behind a sheet in the background, all with this killer track behind it (the first time I’d heard it, so it was super heavy).
The high expectations I had for him as a performer came from my love and appreciation of KDJ as a producer — making music that is utterly unique to him whilst sounding both strangely familiar and like nothing you’ve ever heard before. Particularly like the Prince influence that runs through ‘Freaky Mutha’ & the tune I’m gonna drop here, ‘Rectify’.
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MUSIC FROM THE FUTURE (PART 4)
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We go from the experimental to the mainstream: a little something from 1979′s ‘Buck Rogers in the 25th Century’. It’s scored by composer Stu Phillips who put together the soundtrack to the original ‘Battlestar Galactica’ series a year earlier — so he’s no don by any stretch of the imagination.
And for the most part it’s a by-the-numbers Hollywood soundtrack, but this track ‘Something Kinda Funky’, taken from the film’s spacey disco scene, does have some nice synth work and syncopated drum programming (courtesy of Ian Underwood from Frank Zappa’s The Mothers of Invention) if you can get over the cheesy lead b-line…
Stu Phillips — Something Kinda Funky
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FRIDAY FUSION
music_unified theory
I wanted to find a selection that represented a fine example of Cold War Eastern European fusion. There is only one stable that can offer the full range of fusion flavours east of the iron curtain and that is MPS. I’ve been dipping into their back catalogue for some time now and, as often with fusion, it’s a hit and miss affair. From the 60′s folky/jazz of Dave Pike, George Duke’s albums of the early sevs to the various prog flavours of late sevs early 80′s there is loads to discover. Like this little gem from Dutch keyboard legend Jasper van’t Hof. Enjoy.
Jasper van’t Hof — Titty Chickie
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Punch it!
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A collection of hyperspace clips from films.
via kottke
COSMIC CONNECTIONS
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It’s a particularly spacey selection this month, with Disco Basso at the controls who puts together a mix of deep synth, cosmic jazz, & kraut. Get it here.
MODERN MASTERS — OMAR S
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What I like about Omar S is that whole stripped back aesthetic. Not minimal exactly, just raw — getting straight to the point. He also comes from that generation of Detroit producers who mixes in the Hip Hop influence to his sound, whether that’s a slower, head nodding bpm or more beat driven grooves. He’s also open about the fact that much of his music is meant to be played in the mix, not DJ food as such but maybe just bubbling away under another tune. I don’t like everything he does, but he’s definitely a big influence, and I’ve rinsed the tunes I do like on my last couple of mixtapes. The tune I’m dropping here I first heard on Jez Proctors super deep ‘4am in Detroit‘ and yeah it probably works best in the mix than standalone, but I like it either way, check it yourself. Q
Omar S website. Buy his music here.
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MODERN MASTERS — UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE
electronic_music
New feature where we’ll be looking at our favorite contemporary producers/artists. First up Quaid gives us his top 5 from the D…
I first got interested in UR via ’93′s seminal ‘Galaxy 2 Galaxy’ EP, which was a kind of heds up to the first generation of Detroit techno producers from 10 years earlier. And as well as being heavyweight’s in their own right (though not always on my tip) the trio of Mike Banks, Robert Hood & Jeff Mills created a movement with a definite social & political agenda, adding a gravitas and context to their sound that takes it way beyond the dance floor — much like PE did with Hip Hop. Though it’s personnel are in constant rotation, UR are still going strong today in one form or another, can’t say I’ve checked their current output but worth digging their back catalogue for timeless electronic music like this.
Underground Resistance — Journey of the Dragons
UR website. Buy their music here.
FRIDAY FUSION
music_unified theory
This week it’s a Weather Report double header — always going to be controversial choosing the ‘definitive’ cuts from this Fusion super group, but to my mind there’s always been two tracks that I’ve come back to time & again.
First up it’s ‘Non Stop Home’ from ’73′s seminal ‘Sweetnighter’. It’s Weather Report’s third album and their beginning to make the transition to synthesizer funk (amongst other things), this number is pure breakbeat pressure from start to finish, led by drummer Eric Gravatt, and aside from some initial abstraction and more structured melody later on, his band mates hardly get a look in.
The next is ‘River People’ a tune which has been re-imagined several times in recent years by nu skool cats like ‘O Boogie’. In truth it’s the first half of this tune that always gets me, thanks to Joe Zawinul’s decadent ARP playing over a classic Pastorius b—line and crunchy hand clap. The LP it’s from ‘Mr Gone’ was released 5 years after ‘Sweetnighter’ — testament to the groups creative prowess over the decade and making them absolutely essential in any Fusion collection.
Weather Report — Non Stop Home
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