OnegloveClub presents The London Disco Society. Bringing together some of the finest talent from London’s thriving underground dance music scenes to pay homage to the grand daddy of all modern dance music… Disco. Disco music is the Ape in the evolutionary chain of Dance music that sparked the inception of House, Garage, Jungle, and even Dubstep. However unlike an Ape, Disco is sexy and far more sophisticated.
10th February 2012 10pm – 4am Horse & Groom, Shoreditch
Issac Christopher – The Vibe Zone Mix 2011
After receiving an overwhelming amount of love for their first pre-party last year, they’re back and this time they’re even bigger. Six bi-monthly parties, now downstairs at The Horse & Groom, will host evenings of music set to bring the (u)groove directly to your ears. This kicks off with the official launch party on 10th Feb, headlined by emerging underground talent, Issac Christopher.
Despite his productions receiving national air time from the likes of Mary Anne Hobbs, Mosca, and DJQ, Mr Issac Christopher has remained ever elusive. Even so, they have managed to coax him out of hiding for an exclusive debut set. In fact, if we’re to be truthful, he liked the last party so much he asked them if he could play! The London Disco Society are over the moon to have him, an we hear they are very much looking forward to lots of rolling disco basslines and four to the floor jackin’ rhythms from this fella. We must say, you should be too!
Anonymity has always been popular with electronic musicians; Daft Punk famously evolved their personas into futuristic robots after an ‘accident’ in the studio with a sampler. It’s therefore wise to take Flight Facilities claims of members Captain Earnest Bon-Huffington, Madame Francois de Ludenkopf, Esquire Winston Humphries III and Fred with a pinch of salt. Ignoring the deceptive guises, it turns out that Flight Facilities are an Australian duo ‘who combine the blissed out pop production of Quincy Jones, the dancefloor hedonism of Daft Punk and the intoxicating head rush of the best night of your life’ – as they put it.
The antipodean pair lit up the international scene last year with their breakout and smash hit single ‘Crave You’. A sultry piece of dance pop composed of lingering piano chords, hypnotic funky drums and gnarly synths with a deep leisurely melody carried by the silky voice of Melbourne based songwriter Giselle Rosselli. The track snatched a SMAC award for ‘best song of 2010’ and was included in the trend dictating Kitsune Maison 10 compilation.
Their notable single ‘Foreign Language’ (featuring singer Jess Higgs) is a brazenly joyous flashback to 70’s disco and has been given a deep house makeover by Aus and Simples Records boss Will Saul and his production partner Tam Cooper. UGroove TV’s Edmund Knock caught up with the duo to find out a little more about them.
Hey guys, thanks for having a chat with us. So, after checking out your Facebook and Myspace page, I’m interested if you can tell us a bit about your upbringing in Trinidad and Tobago?
Good question. Unfortunately, it’s all highly top secret so we pretend we’re actually from Australia. We generally tell people we’ve had a great upbringing and life down-under but it’s all just a cover for our Caribbean heritage.
Tell me about yourselves, how you got involved together with Flight Facilities. Were you part of any other projects before forming the group and how long have you been making music for?
We both met through clubbing. It sounds bad but we were just at the same venues way too often so it was only a matter of time. Before Flight Facilities one of us was just DJing alone and the other was working with Light Year on a project called ‘To Shades’. Everybody seems to be related in one way or another in Sydney’s music scene.
Your sound has been described as Nu-Disco amongst other things but there’s definitely a French House feel about it as well. Who are your major influences?
A lot of older music. The music our parents brought us up on has played its part. Roy Orbison, Michael McDonald, chic, Cat Stevens, etc. but in a more modern sense, we were shaped largely by the years between 04′ and ’08. Things like DaftPunk, Fred Falke, Booka Shade, Tiga – it’s hard to pin it down even to just a few.
You use vocals in most of your tracks, what is that you feel vocals add to your music, or even any music? Why do you feel it’s important for you to use vocals?
Vocals are almost essential to giving a song some cross-over appeal. We’re pretty tough on ourselves about the final vocal content too. There’s so much appeal to a lot of instrumental songs and we have every intention of making some, but for now we want to try to make the kind of vocal tracks we wish were the sound of current pop music.
Giselle Rosselli is a very talented singer and I love her vocals on Crave You. How did she get involved with Flight Facilities?
Purely by coincidence. Met her in a bar one night through a friend and we got to talking about music. From there we stayed in touch and who knew, 2 years later, that this is how it would turn out?
Jess Higgs is the latest singer you’ve collaborated with. She has a very classic soulful voice which harks back to golden era of disco. Can you tell me more about her, where do you find these girls?!
Funnily enough, at the bar next to the one where we found Giselle. Coincidence again, through another friend. Jess was really fun to work with and was great at throwing ideas around. She’s amazing on stage and her voice is always on. Makes us look bad when she comes out to sing.
Your single ‘Foreign Language’ is a pure disco song, how did you go about writing it?
We started by referencing some old disco tracks. We were also looking at Jamiroquai and Moloko and talking about how great it was that 10 years ago that was what commercial music sounded like. Something has been lost along the way and it’s kind of sad – we’re hoping that sort of music can make an impact again. It’s still great to listen to!
Ever since angry rock kids ruined the scene with the infamous Disco Demolition Night, the genre has been predicted to make numerous comebacks that have never properly been realised. Recently though, artists like Maceo Plex have been infusing heavy disco touches into their house productions. Do you think that the time is right for disco to regain its crown at the top of dance music?
Whether people realise it or not, disco never disappeared. It still maintains its popularity to day. Look at songs like Barbra Streisand, it was one of the biggest dance hits in the past few years. That was a Boney M sample. Boney M were heavy hitters even back in the 70s and 80s, and their music still sounds good and still works in a contemporary context. We think the one thing that’s interesting about the infamous Disco Demolition Night is that disco records are still rare and collectible items. Rock, not so much. Not to take away from the rock scene, but it’s funny how time dictated the value.
You’ve had quite a busy touring schedule this year and have performed everywhere, including Colombia. What are your plans after the Foreign Language dates in Australia, are you going to travel around Eurpoe and/or America anytime soon?
We’re still organising an American tour for March/April and we may be heading back to Europe later in the year. It’s pretty exciting to be able to visit places we thought we may never have been able to. What’s more is that we do it for ‘work’. Airports and travel are pretty exhausting experiences but taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture is a rewarding feeling.
Will Saul and Tam Cooper remixed ‘Foreign Language’ what do you think of the re-work, are you fans of their work as it is and was it a personal request to have them remix?
To be honest, at first we weren’t sure about it and we weren’t too familiar with either of their work. It’s so bare and we didn’t take to it right away. But then we played it in Germany last August and realised how huge it was. It’s the simplicity that makes it so interesting, we love it now! We play it every opportunity we get. The label made sure we got that mix and it was definitely a good move on their part. Will Saul and Tam Cooper definitely have at least two more fans as a result.
You have a clothing line, tell us a bit about that?
Well it’s just t-shirts for now but we want to move into some other items. We think some Flight Facilities wrist watches would be unreal.
Do you prefer performing in the intimate surroundings of a small club or in front of a sea of arms of your adoring fans at a music festival?
They’re both as good as each other. Having 1000+ people in front of us at a festival is an unbelievable experience but an intimate club show makes you feel like part of the crowd. You can feel the atmosphere and the audience becomes part of the show. It’s too hard to choose because they’re such vastly different experiences.
Dubstep is the buzzword of the moment and the genre is currently in the middle of taking over the world, it’s especially seen a meteoric rise of popularity in America. There’s a remix of ‘Crave You’ by Adventure Club that’s nearly as popular as the original. Are you tempted to add any bass wobbles to your music in the future?
To be perfectly honest we’d have to say “definitely not”. Neither of us enjoy dubstep. We understand it’s such a big thing at the moment but as hard as we try, we just don’t understand it. We’re blown away by the response to Adventure Club’s remix and we can really appreciate how well they did with the remix. As far as our understanding goes, they did a really tasteful interpretation. You probably won’t find us playing it any time soon. It just doesn’t fit with our sound or our DJ sets – but that’s what remixes are for, right? All the same we’d love to meet up with those guys, they seem like legends and they’re obviously going to be HUGE -deservedly so.
Finally after two riotously infectious singles, the question on everyone’s lips is when can we expect a debut album?
An album? Uh oh! Not any time soon. We’re still working on more singles. At the rate we work, we wouldn’t have a full album til about 2020. We tend to put a ridiculous amount of work into one song at a time and that seems to be working for us right now. So we have to keep fending the album requests off with a sharp stick. Expect a new single from us in the next month or so featuring Grovesnor. We’re hoping it will it hold a flame to the other two.
If you’re off for some fun in the sun, and in particular Spain in the next few months, then take note. Madrid’s leading superclub is back with a bang for 2012. The first few months of parties have been confirmed and the gargantuan club is ready to roll. Even more mind bending production, costumed dancers and ice cannons will be on hand across the two hangar-sized rooms to entertain you and all the other thousands of clubbers form around the world who make the pilgrimage each weekend.
There are a whole mix of parties and DJs to get UGrooving to over the next couple of months. Regulars such as techno heavy Code will be taking to the decks with Joseph Capriati, Eric Sneo and more on Jan 14th, while the likes of Ben Sims, James Ruskin and Mark Broom are making magic happen on Feb 25th. Legends will also be gracing the place, with one-off nights like the big beat sensation Fatboy Slim, circus man Yousef and many more on 11th Feb.
Also due to take place between now and mid March are various Supermarxte parties which feature a whole host of local house focused talents. Not to mention, the Vertigo Party’s, which will include, Rex the Dog and Sander Kleinenberg on Jan 21st, and French hero Martin Solveig playing after an infamous Goa Carnival party across a whole weekend on 10th March, with tons of names yet to be announced.
If you haven’t yet made the trip out to Madrid, it could be the clubbing experience you’re really missing out on!
The original ninja has announced that he will return to the road in Spring 2012 with his ‘Jaguar Skills and his Amazing Friends’ Tour. The Radio 1 mixologist will be hitting 12 venues with his lightning-quick mixing and mash up skills throughout March and April with a bunch of his favourite DJ’s including Brookes Brothers, Loadstar, DJ @War, DJ Cable and many more to be announced!
2011 was another landmark year for our masked hero. His highly successful mix compilation for Toolroom Records received critical acclaim, and marked the start of his quest to conquer every mix series in existence and become the unrivalled “King of the Comps”. With some exciting compilations in the pipeline for 2012 Jaguar Skills looks set to achieve this accolade very soon! He also continued his collaboration with retail giant Urban Outfitters having launched an exclusive Ninja Tee and CD combo last year.
The demand for Jaguar Skills outside of the UK also went to new levels, with his US tour taking in all the biggest venues (Pacha NYC and the Nocturnal Wonderland Festival), as he further spread his sonic wings as far as Japan with performances at Air! Make sure you are present with the rest of the Jaguar Skills army to hear the impending aural assault of every tempo; from Dubstep to Drum n Bass, and everything in-between.
He’s one half of the well-known duo that run record label, Desolat. A label that prides itself in supporting a curation of all kinds of people and artistic subcultures, who bring a creative flair to what they do, informed by lives lived ever so slightly less ordinary. Dice cleverly nurtures these talents and influences, using his own observations to create very well planned compositions. Dice’s innate understanding of people: what they sense, what they feel, what they want to imagine, is a part of what distinguishes him from other DJs. It’s this that makes the burning question that anyone who knows, and more to the point, has enjoyed and witnessed Loco Dice wants to know – which tracks do it for him? Which ones will never leave his record bag? His DJ sets, whether at Germany’s biggest rave Timewarp, Cocoon in Ibiza or a beach party in South America, are spontaneous orchestrations fueled by the night, venue and crowd. With his Under 300 Tour already in full swing, Dice dishes his top 5 secret weapons out to UGroove TV and tells us a bit about why he loves them and just what it is that makes them so special. Over to Dice…
G-Man – Quo Vadis
It was this track that my friend and partner Martin Buttrich played after my 1st Studio session in early 2000 in his Hannover studio. My musical life, my sets, my music, my groove have changed after that day. It’s the track that doesn’t have one sound too many. Truly an era defining record, and a great example of how little you need to create something essential. “Quo Vadis” is somehow a nasty little cousin of Maurizio and until now it’s great to drop it and to feel this 90’s vibe.
DJ Buck – Make it Hot DUB
One of those tracks that trigger 100000 memories when I drop it, but it never lets me totally drift away and loose the focus on what’s happening at that moment.
This Siesta west-coast era was one of the greatest for me, I got almost all of them. There were and still are few other great tracks from that time that I dig from my crates and play, and the reaction is still fantastic.
Parallel 9 – Dominus
My man Steve Rachmad! This is a track was released in 2005 and it still sounds so fresh. It’s chord driven brilliance has worn well, and it doesn’t matter where I am on this planet or what kind of party it is – this is the tune that everyone asks about after the gig.
Anthony Shakir – The Floorfiller (Skudge’s Floor Killer Version)
After hearing this track for the first time, I knew that it will never ever leave my collection. What energy this groove transports, what a vibe. This version’s stripped down groove gives me so much freedom to drop anything over it. Many times I have added different soul or house layers and every time I’m speechless realizing how funky techno can be.
Pitched down a little bit, it’s a deep DJ tool.
Danny Ocean – Lights in my Dark World
I met Danny after the DC 10 closing where I was resident around 2006.
He was that skater guy with his rucksack, wild haircut and really looking like he was not really partying – he looked like someone waiting to pass his CD.
And he did! Without any comment.
It took me a while till I heard it and found out what was on that CD. It was pure bliss, and I was flashed right away.
It became my last tune in almost every set. I stopped playing it after a while, but then I re-discovered it and kept playing it all the time. Pure emotions, pure energy.
In 2007 when Martin and I founded our record label Desolat, this was one of those tunes that no-one had (beside me and Danny), and was one of the 3 tracks that made Martin and me create Desolat.
UGTV017 | SuRFBiT: Standing In A Dream World Podcast Tracklist
Title/Artist/Label
Song With No Ending – Wildcookie – Tru Thoughts
At Least – Slope – Slope Music
Brothers in Arm – Cisco Cisco – Apersonal
All Woman – Kathy Diamond – Permanent Vacation
Can’t Live Without Music – MAM
In My System (Dub Redo Remix) – Mario & Vidis – Endless Flight
Shooting Love – Mustang – Different
Till The End Of Time – Ogris Debris Bartellow – Estrela
Night Owl (Zoe’s Raygun Remix) – All Good Neighbourhood Alliance – Funk Wheapons
Slow Emotions (Music A Dub) – Chromatic Filter – Rebirth
Beatbox (PBR Streetgang Remix) – Crazy P – 20:20 Vision
Alpha Storm (An 2 Remix) – Samos – Theomatic
Stones – System Of Survival
Something Goes Right – SBTRKT – Young Turks
SuRFBit is one side of DC10′s Circoloco resident duo, System of Survival. Bingo’s SuRFBiT moniker allows him to open up a record bag filled with classic house and nu-disco gems which he skilfully mixes together creating a fusion of sound that has a distinctive nod towards the past, yet keeps it’s feet tapping firmly on the sounds of the future. UGroove TV’s January Groovecast was created to help you kick back and relax a little whilst still getting that groove on, Surfbit traverses the waves with the perfect January soundtrack that’s as smooth as it’s protagonist.
What feeling/atmosphere did you intend for the podcast?
I have just been inspired from my personal background, a taste of the old New York parties like “The Loft”.
What is your favourite track on it?
I think my favourite on this podcast is ‘Stones’ by System Of Survival. It’s not released yet but will be out for sure some time this year. I love it!
What is your favourite track at the moment?
At the moment I really love SBTRKT’s ‘Something Goes Right’. I like their whole album, think it’s the best of 2011.
What do you have coming up, any new releases due out?
I have a lot of music ready, some edits and some originals. Some of them are coming out this year and most of them you will be able to download for free on my Soundcloud. Others will be released on my label’S FVENTI and IANVS71. I also have some tracks featured on the new System Of Survival Album.
Where can we catch you playing next?
Well, at moment I’m very busy with the System Of Survival album project but I still like to share my mixes on Soundcloud and Mixcloud for my friends, as well as playing at some private party’s. Public show’s are coming soon!
Any artists who you are really interested in at the moment?
A lot of them actually in this new wave of nu-disco/pop. Like SBTRKT, CFCF, Nebraska and of course Soulclap. In my mix I take a lot of music from the past as well, every day for about 2 hours I’m taking time off to do a lot of research.
How about this, then? We’re giving you the chance to win TWO ONE YEAR season ticket passes for The Warehouse Leeds 2012. It’s pretty simple too…
More than thirty years after first opening back in 1979, legendary Leeds music venue The Warehouse returned in 2011 with an astonishing new look, sound and feel. Now fully back into the swing of things and with a killer selection of promotions lined up for 2012, The Warehouse is set to celebrate its 33rd year at the top of its game, especially given the opening of a new third room – The Garage – which is a glass roofed, bricked wall rave paradise!
The promotions include legendary night Back to Basics who will host nights with Lil Lois, Gavin Herlihy, Damian Lazarus, Clive Henry, Matthias Tanzmann, Kerri Chandler and many more. Filth will also be at the heart of all The Warehouse does this year – itself turning 5 years old – with a monthly slot and the likes of Davide Squillace, Audiofly, James Teej, The Martinez Brothers, DJ.T, Daniel Bortz and Martin Dawson.
Proving to be one of the most sought after events of 2012, the hype building around Hideout Festival is testament to the outstanding line-up and stunning beach location this unique festival offers. Now after announcing another 30 acts to the already extensive three night lineup, it’s definitely becoming one of the main festivals to consider this summer.
Hideout Boat Party Mix
As much as we love our house and techno, we can’t deny Hideout Festival now boasts DJ sets from some of the biggest acts in drum & bass and dubstep. Chase & Status, who have recently been nominated for Best British Band at the Brit Awards will be taking to the turntables. As will one half of the most legendary duo’s in dubstep, Benga, who is joining his counterpart Skream at the event . The new BBC Radio 1 ‘In New DJ’s We Trust’ DJ will be stepping up to the plate and spinning some innovative dubstep sounds alongside his long-standing musical collaborator. Dubstep favourit SBTRKT will be bringing big beats from behind his mask, while Canadian act and owner of Turbo Recordings Tiga will also be stepping up to the plate. Ticket holders can also expect to hear one of the original pioneers of drum & bass Shy FX, head honcho of Digital Soundboy, as well as Redlight, who’s recently released single ‘Get Out My Head’ is set to storm into the charts this week.
Back to the tech/house heads, do not fear, German act Loco Dice is now set to add his unique take on house and techno to the line-up, while Resident Advisor’s 2011 2nd best DJ in the world Seth Troxler has also been confirmed. Hideout is also welcoming into it’s elite assembly the likes of huge Canadian talent Art Department, global electronic leaders Aeroplane, Scuba and Simian and Mobile Disco to name but a few.
HIDEOUT FESTIVAL 2012
The full and final lineup can be viewed below and is also available on Hideout Festival’s Facebook page and all-new website. With all this confirmed and yet more added extras to come, Hideout Festival 2012 really is proving itself to be the essential festival of this summer and is in place to surpass the caliber set by last year’s event. Not for the faint-hearted, Hideout Festival 2012 will once again combine the beautiful setting of a beach holiday with the intense euphoria of the most turbo charged electronic festival.
2012 early bird tickets have already sold out, but standard tickets remain at a mere £99 for all three nights, so grab one quick! Stay alert for updates on boat parties coming soon, which will be announced on Hideout Festival Facebook and Twitter pages, plus sign up to the Hideout Festival newsletter to avoid missing out.
Hypercolour starts 2012 with a release featuring two of the most hotly tipped artists around with Huxleyʼs ʻLet it Goʼ featuring Eats Everything on the remix.
Hypercolour and itʼs sister labels Hype Ltd and Glass Table have become must check imprints in recent times due to ever-changing and interesting output that takes in house, techno, bass, disco and electronica without ever sounding contrived. The label groupʼs varied A&R policy, courtesy of label bosses Jamie Russell (Cedric Maison), Alex Jones and Ste Roberts, continually hits the mark when it comes to DJs and punters, and each release always has a story behind it.
Huxleyʼs rousing vocal houser ʻLet It Goʼ has a typically Hypercolour back story, with the on-point producer signing the release off the back of turning up to a festival gig for the label late and dropping the newly written track in the back of an ice cream van to a crowd five people strong. ʻThose five people were having the time of their lives so I signed it on the spotʼ is Jamie Russellʼs statement on the matter.
Almost every section of ʻLet it Goʼ is hooky – from the stuttering drums, the nagging basslines, the hefty leads and the prominent full vocal itʼs an emotive cut which duly warrants the oft overused word ʻanthemʼ.
Eats Everything, fresh from winning just about everyoneʼs support for an amazing 2011 which took in tracks and mixes for Dirty Bird, Southern Fried and Leftroom (to name just a few), serves up a bottom heavy but subtle ʻRefuseʼ of ʻLet It Goʼ. Modern deep garage just about explains a mix that retains all of the soul of the originals vocals but adds itʼs own unique swagger to proceedings.
In anyoneʼs terms, this is a massive release for a label and artist that continues to shine. Huxleyʼs ʻLet it Goʼ is released on Hypercolour Mid-Feb 2012..
Recore Records return with its third release, ‘Death Of A Musicbox EP’, compliments of Oli Furness – an artist who has been steadily releasing his 90s infused house tracks on various UK labels over the past few years and developed a refined, mature style of production that draws on classic House and Garage tropes.
Furness utilizes drum machines, outboard synths, mixers and effects units to create a warm analogue sound that reflects his involvement in the long running Manchester House scene. Oli has been heavily involved with the Acid House movement over the past decade and subsequently has become a member of the infamous Hacienda Nightclub booking agency.
Title track ‘Death Of A Musicbox Ft. Effluence’ is a cosseting deep track focused on subtle additions to a main Rhodes hook and leading elements while background pads and white noise creep in to paint the bigger picture. Trippy spoken word vocals run alongside crispy drums resulting in an ethereal production cleverly automated throughout it’s near seven minutes to create dynamic flow.
Lost My Dog Co-Founder, Pete Dafeet, steps up for remix duties on ‘Death Is A Music Box’ and stamps his solid drum patterns and rolling bass line on top of the hypnotizing chords and pads of the original, the result being a more raw, upfront approach to house music.
‘Product’ leads with a piano melody and scattered acid squeaks while old school strings build tension in the breaks. Gritty electronic bass and catchy vocal hooks veer the track into a more peak time approach but one full of intricacies and elaborate changes.
Finally we have ‘Can’t You See What’s Happening to Us’ – a euphonious slice of soulful house with a bumping electronic bass hook driving the track alongside fluttering synths shifting pitch and gliding alongside metallic percussion hits filling the mid range. The vocal sample brings the track to fruition and gives it a garage tip that makes it both captivating and harmonious.
Oli Furness provides a solid third release for Recore Records evidently making them worthy of your attention for the foreseeable future.
