Years Gone By.

OK to start with these are a few musical highlights from years gone by.



Aged 13 I taped Leftfield's seminal LP Leftism from my brother. He played it constantly in his car. It moved me passed Jean Michel Jarre which had been on repeat in mi mam's car. It didn't leave my walkman for a year.

It is why I am obsessed with electronic music. Dubby and tribal, its 12 years old now but still can't be beaten.

Check this recording from Glastonbury 2000.

Leftfield Chant of a Poor Man (live)
Leftfield Storm 3000 (live)



Post-Top 40 tape deck recording days, early clubland exploration, lead to a certain flirtation with funky house. I think Chicago house tracks like MAW - 'To Be In Love' were partly responsible as well as a hedonistic gay scene in Leeds. The institution that is SpeedQueen and the now international night Federation were heavily debauched carry-ons!

Funky house liking didn't last long (well maybe it lasted much longer than I care to admit to myself), but as soon we discovered Back II Basics things soon got deeper, and if they didn't get deeper they got darker and dirtier! It all started to make sense.



In 2003 and 2004 Paul Woolford, Ralph Lawson, Frenchy, and DJ Sneak pushed everything 4/4, deep and acidic down into me. Now trying to pin down what those epic tracks is difficult I but found these still have impact.

DJ Rolando Kights of the Jaguar
Shatrax Mispent Years
Beats International Dub To Be Good To Me
Switch Get Ya Dub On
Paul Jackson The Push

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The likes of Ninja Tunes, Sonar Kollectiv and Sunday Best got me into more left field sounds. One misty winter morning driving back from a car park party that had got raided by the police in Manchester we flew down the M62 set into the hill above a belt of industry that looked as if it was floating in the cloud that clung to the valley bottom - not sober! Nightmares On Wax's DJ Kicks was the soundtrack and this sound became etched.

Kenny Dope Get On Down

The now concluded Blue Room on Radio 1 hosted by Rob da Bank and Chris Coco inspired me to host my own postclub uni internet radio show 'The Prescription'. Defining tracks were the following.

Sebastian Tellier La Ritornelle
Air Sexy Boy (Etienne De Crecy et Les Flower Pistols remix)
Fluir You & I (Trentemoller Free Dub)

Its a pity it filled the graveyard airways and my only regular listeners were friends abroad in far flung time zones. Its also a pity my narration was so weak! I'll post up some Prescription playlists though as we found some gems doing it.

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On to more recent times.

Top 3 Nights in 2006 and 2007

1. Trentemoller / My Robot Friend @ Dirty Disco, Northern Light, Leeds (1st April 2006)
One of his first ever UK DJ dates. I love all his work from his downtempo stripped out house and techno on The Last Resort to his riotous crunching tech- house. At Dirty Disco he and Dj Tom of course brought the filth. I've heard interviews were Anders says how he prefers performing with his band live more than DJing because people "actually listen to the music", but people were listening that night! Check the bass drop. (RIP Northern Light - that venue was so sick. Great production in a huge sound system and great AV with the towering VJ projection. Lovely crowd.)



Following Trentemoller was freak or unique (definite freak) NY club kid My Robot Friend. He releases his tracks on Soma who knows why but at the end of the day MRF is not just about the music. His live show is ridiculous. Wearing a huge full on light suit and camera fixed on his wierd little face and projected massively behind him he sings "I KNOW WHAT WOMEN WANT!".
At Bestival 06 he faked his own death while we were watching, which was. wierd. But its all showmanship from the 5' foot something Howard Robot. Must be seen to be believed. The 70+ year old Grandpa MC that came on that night in Leeds was a little much. Barking lyrics off a song sheet. Check.