10 Tunes That Changed My Life
1. A Guy Called Gerald ‘Voodoo Ray’
No matter how many times I hear this, it blows me away every time. A truly amazing record and very instrumental in me doing what I do. If I see the video on a music channel when I’m at home…it makes me want to get up and go out to a club
2. Max Linen ‘The Soulshaker’
My first record under our Max Linen guise with partner Leiam Sullivan, the biggest Record of Ibiza 2001 (No.1 in Pete Tong’s Radio 1 Ibiza Buzz Chart). We wrote this at Mark Picchioti’s studio in Chicago…it was about minus ten, yet we envisaged ourselves on The Space Terrace (Ibiza) and wrote it specifically for that. Jason Bye dropped it as soon as I gave it to him and it took the roof off. We PA’d it at the closing parties of’We Love Space’ and ‘Manumission’ as well as MTV &Popworld…the birth of Max Linen.
3. Sandee ‘Notice Me’
An amazing record! I wore several pairs of shoes out to this one, it’s a track that you get totally lost in every time you hear it, very hypnotic and an absolute classic.
4. The Stranglers ‘Golden Brown’
A record that I loved as a Kid, I’ve listened to this so many times and it never gets boring. I’ve been taking it out to Ibiza for the last 5 years, I’ll be able to drop it one day, right time, right place as a last record of the night track… With the right crowd it’ll go down a storm.
5. Max Linen ‘Flashback’
Our follow up to ‘The Soulshaker’. Keith told us a story of how Frankie Knuckles threw the first warehouse parties at his loft warehouse. It’s a mad record, written more as a book than a track…adding elements that complimented his story as it went along. Hailed as the biggest Ibiza record of 2004, stamping the Max Linen name on a global scale.
6. New Order ‘Blue Monday’
One of the seminal records of all time, testament to that it can still be played now. It’s been in my record bag for as long as I can remember. Dropped at the right time it will cause mayhem on pretty much any dance-floor. The video of this is classic too.
7. Young MC ‘Know How’
Another one that’s been in my box for ages and a great end of night record. A refreshing twist after a night of 4/4 housemusic. Another seminal record that goes off whether the crowd is 18 or 40.
8. Nightwriters ‘Let The Music Use You’
Another track that made me go out and start buying records, which then led to my DJing. Often ripped off but never equalled, another head down and get lost in the moment track.
9. St Etienne’s ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’
This record really is the dogskahunas, an early Ibiza track that is totally mesmerizing and sums up what Ibiza is all about.
10. Josh Wink ‘Higher State of Consciousness’
The first time I heard this I was playing at Clockwork Orange @ Es Paradis, Brandon Block dropped it, the track blew me away. A record that pushed boundaries with Josh dismantling a 303 to get the sound.I also wanted to add Nuyorican Soul’s ‘Black Gold of the sun’ & ‘It’s alright, I feel it’, Greece 2000 ‘Three Drives’ and Leftfield’s ‘Not Forgotten’, but ran out of space!
I’d like to dedicate this chart to DJ Darrell Richardson, all of these tracks meant a lot to him too. RIP mate, you are sorely missed x
Rob has a new night starting…
‘WE ARE PHONETIC’ is a monthly club night at a brand new venue in London…Ghost
WE ARE PHONETIC present DEAD FAMOUS
@ GHOST – Saturday 25th April 2009
10pm – 5am
MICHAEL GRAY
MARTIJN TEN VELDEN
ROB ROAR
SCOTT CUBA
LIVE PA BY LUCIANA (BODYROX, TAIO CRUZ, SUPER MAAL)
Ghost
113-117 Farringdon Road
London EC1R 3BX
More information and advance tickets at