1. Groove La Chord – Aril Brikha
It’s 1998 in Mykonos’ infamous Cavo Paradiso club, my all-time favorite residency. On my off night, I was on the dance floor and Chris Udoh (Wamdue Project) played this track causing mayhem – 4,000 people went nuts. I remember he played it at a -7 speed on the turntable and the record was grooving. This inspired me to go outside the box when playing techno/breaks/hiphop, to use different styles and speed.
2. Heaven & Hell – 20th Century Steel Band (written by M. Oliver)
This one brings me back to the age of 7, breakdancing like a freak on the streets of Astoria, NY. Haaa! I can’t say much more than this ! The track and the scene it was born in speaks for itself.
3. Hit and Run – Walter Gibbons 12” inch mix
I physically never made it to Paradise Garage in NYC, but I heard lots of stories about this track alone. The music transports me, and once you listen, you’ll understand.
4. Love Thing – First Choice
This is a universal must for all music lovers across the board. The track rocks any crowd and sends feel good vibes all over. For me, it resonates in the deepest part of my soul.
5. Hot Music (Soho) – Pal Joey
Another classic from NYC, but its not just about the 80s, it’s about being inspired and recreating classic break beats while paying homage to whatever and whoever brought you to your present. I would rock NYC spots pumping this track and making sure it wasn’t forgotten. Keeping this track alive means so much to me, it’s a vital tool in my sets, instantly energizes the room, and brings a smile to my face.
6. Time – Pink Floyd
I bow down to this masterpiece. From the synths, keyboard, drum and snares, this composition is unbeatable. The key to staying with the times and in music and music developments is to be reminded of the undeniable ROCK sound and its complexity. This track is rooted in me.
7. Plastic Dreams – Jaydee
The first time I heard this classic techno tune was on the radio, Saturday late night. I literally flew out of my room and danced on my stoop. I bought it the next day, kept my headphones on and zoned out. I probably have bought 5-6 different versions since then.
8. Moby Dick/ Bonzo’s Montreux – Led Zeppelin
When I was younger, I wanted to be a drummer and idolized star drummers like Peter Chris (KISS). I can listen to this track every day and everytime I will learn something new. It drives my production, especially drum patterns, and is the base of a lot of my most popular tracks.
9. Sun Rising – The Beloved
The first time I heard this track was in Vinyl Mania in NYC. It inspired me to take a long and serious look into electronic music and continues to push me to fine-tune my production.
10. Whoa! – Black Rob
My list cannot be complete without tipping my hat to my background in hip hop. Whoa! was one of my tour anthems at a very fast and furious time in my life (AS I WAS ON TOUR WITH BAD BOY RECORDS.) This track took me to a new level and showed me the importance of stage presence and bringing a f$@king concert mode experience to my audiences.
Jori Hulkkonen, Audio KoDe, Malpunkt – De-Noize Records Volume 3 EP (De-Noize Records)
De-Noize is the party and label with roots in both New York and Mykonos and now it’s back with a third great EP, this time from a trio of talents in the form of Audio KoDe, Malpunkt and Jori Hulkkonen.
New York’s Audio KoDe is a skilled turntablist who has played sold out stadium tours around the world and has been resident at Cavo Paradiso for the last 20 plus years. He’s collaborated with plenty of names from Shawnecy to Todd Bodine and released on vital labels like Get Physical and King Street amongst many more. Here he serves up two new singles with Malpunkt, while Finnish electronic music legend Jori Hulkkonen—an album specialist on labels like My Favourite Robot—also serves up a superb single.
Opening the EP is Audio KoDe and Malpunkt’s ‘Revival’, a terrific ten-minute opus of deep and cosmic electronic house. A whole eco-system of melody and harmony is built around a supple groove, with icy hi hats and real emotional depth to the track. It makes for a true trip to the outer edges of the cosmos and is rich in superbly layered synth work.
Hulkkonen’s ‘Humanitarian Roar’ is a more turbulent piece, with wonky synth lines and clattering drums that bring angst and energy to the floor. It’s another expertly arranged track that brims with life and will keep dancers on their toes throughout.
Audio KoDe and Malpunkt’s excellent ‘Materia Secunda’ then rounds things out in acid flecked, hypnotic and deep fashion. It’s a mid-tempo techno track with lingering pads roaming out to the horizon, busy claps and cantering drums all getting you swept along for the ride.
