Late night shenanigans with a man who knows his music
Well, I listen to a really eclectic range of music at home. When you live and breathe house and techno music your listening period can become a little bit of a break from the norm and an escape from what can become a kind of monotonous tirade of house and techno. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, a lot, but I don’t know how anyone could possibly listen to the same kind of music constantly and never anything different. So anyway, here are my 10 favourite tracks to wind down to at home!
01. TEED – Garden
When I first started getting into house music and real dance music in general, TEED was one of the first artists I came across. Like most people I first heard this track on the Nokia advert, I tracked it down and I’ve loved it ever since, the chords and vocal combination is stunning to just sit back and listen to.
02. Gramatik – So Much For Love
As a producer and DJ, you can’t help but look for genius levels of production in what you listen to, it becomes almost second nature, and Gramatik certainly has that for me. Came across the guy when browsing Beatport (as you do) in the chill out section which led me onto his hip hop stuff. He makes his music from cutting and chopping old soul & RnB records and mashing them together, beautifully. This track in particular is one of my absolute favourite pieces of music.
03. Gnarls Barkley – Crazy
The pop classic from the amazing St. Elsewhere album. Amazing production, musically brilliant and off centre, and CeeLo’s vocal is 100% on point. Love this track and have since I was a kid.
04. Notorious B.I.G – Big Poppa
A list of tracks you listen to at home wouldn’t be complete without a rap classic would it? Biggie is one of my all time favourites and this track in particular always grabbed me a lot more than any of his others, the beat is a perfect example of 90s hip hop and his lyrics and flow are incredible in this.
05. Band Of Horses – The Funeral
I know, its pretty depressing, but its also outstanding, a brilliant musical performance from a really good band and this never fails to relax and ground me.
06. Jimmy Eat World – Sweetness
A childhood throwback for me, when I was around 12 I was trawling the streets skateboarding (badly), and its the social norm that you have to listen to some form of rock music, wear baggy jeans and spike your hair up (it was a phase, honestly!). And Jimmy Eat World have stuck with me, I keep up to date with every album and single they put out and I love their stuff.
07. LCD Soundsystem – Daft Punk Is Playing At My House
I first heard this when I was around 15 on a game called SSX On Tour. We all have that in game song we put on repeat and always seems to make us play better, this was mine! When I was around 19/20 I started looking into them a bit more in the interest of nostalgia and came across their albums and its filled with awesome stuff, they’re amazing.
08. Jamie T – Sticks n Stones
Funnily enough, my almost 50 year old Dad introduced me to Jamie T in around 2008. In this track I just love the stories he tells, I feel its something every young person can relate to on some level, the same goes for most of his material, he’s just released a new album called Carry On The Grudge and its fantastic. He’s one of my firm favourites.
09. East End Dubs – Little Helper 70-2
Everything this man has ever touched has turned to gold for me. From his releases on his self titled label, right through to this Little Helpers EP. The way he locks grooves together amazes me, the intricate percussion and the call and response between every element is so intelligent yet so simple and it gets me every time. My favourite House/Techno artist right now by a distance.
10. Otis Redding – These Arms Of Mine
I don’t think there has ever been a voice I have appreciated more than Otis Redding’s. Precisely pitch perfect and amazingly soothing and emotionally powerful, its something you don’t hear enough of these days, he left us way too soon.
Lee Walker – Mind Control
(Mile End Records)
Mile End Records are back here with a new EP from Lee Walker featuring a killer remix from ViVA duo ANEK. Before now the label has earned a fine reputation on dance floors around the world for its fresh take on house and tech and that continues here. Lee Walker is a fine English talent, resident DJ at Solar Knights and plays live as part of Groove Syndicate with Lee Pennington. Also releasing on labels like Little Helpers, Lee is a bright new star on the UK scene. Lee’s first original, ‘Mind Control’, is a classic bit of edgy, crisp and metallic tech house. Skating hi hats roll over deep, loopy drums and clipped, dark vocal samples add some light night menace. It will keep floors locked for the duration and the cute stabs and drum fills work on mind as well as body.
Anek, who have shot to the top of the pile in recent times with his their tech house goodies, then remixes in fine style. Their mix is more playful, with loosely circling percussive hits and more prominent and colourful piano stabs making for a light footed, booty shaking groove.
Then comes another Walker original in the form of ‘Told’, an even more ghoulish and peak time tech offering with slick drums and thick bass. Synth stabs and carefully treated vocals pepper the groove, as do trippy droplets of colour and whacked out hits.
This is an EP of pure and unadulterated club music that comes with oodles of dance floor appeal.
Lee Walker – Mind Control (Mile End Records No. MILE 270) is out now…
