Test Pressing Podcast

It's Saturday morning and time for another edition of our podcast. Me and Phil, a bottle of fine Italian red wine and lots of (we hope) good music. (http://testpressing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/TP-RADIO4.png) Download (http://testpressing.org/audio/Test_Pressing_4.mp3)

If you have been a regular here for a while then Yozo Kumitake of Koenji`s EAD Records (http://testpressing.org/2010/09/mix-tokyo-tracks-008-haruomi-hosono-–-hotel-malabar-upper-floor-moving-triangle) should need very little introduction. Even if you are not a regular here, then you might be aware of the Originals compilation he put together for Claremont 56. Yozo has been running EAD for 16 years now, and every year he makes an anniversary mix, usually a balance of expensive stuff you`ll never find and inexpensive stuff you never thought of listening to, and we have been lucky enough to host a few (http://testpressing.org/?s=yozo+mix) of them. Here is the latest. Yozo & EAD, Arigato gozaimasu. Omedeto gozaimasu! (http://testpressing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/316-YOZO.png) Download (http://testpressing.org/audio/316_Yozo_EAD_16th_Anniversary_Mix.mp3) Where are you based?　 Koenji, Tokyo, Japan. Is this your hometown? Yes. What is your first musical memory? When I was 6 years old my uncle, who was a college student at the time, made a 60 minute cassette tape. It consisted of just one song, Simon & Garfunkel`s “The Boxer“ in a seemingly endless loop. Do you know if your uncle just liked the song, of if he was making some avant-garde Art statement? I know my uncle liked the song very much! What was the first record you bought? Alice / Champion and Godeigo / Gandha-ra, both Japanese 7”s. (http://testpressing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/godeigo.jpg) What was the last record you bought? Musica Electroacustica Española 2. When I DJed with Moroi at Shelter, he played this LP. Amazing time and amazing music. What inspired you to open EAD? The feeling I got visiting the Loft in NYC. When did you first visit the Loft? Maybe I first visit the Loft in 1991. Did you go on your own? Yes. At that time I was going to a club called “Choice” frequently, but sooner or later, that club closed and I heard that the Loft had re-opened. I asked a friend, “How can I get into the Loft?” and my friend said “Say “I`m a friend of Larry Levan.” How did you learn about David Mancuso and the Loft? My encounter with the Loft's legendary DJ David Mancuso was such a mind blowing experience that it changed my fixed idea of "Dance music". I heard strange voices when I listened to the music at the Loft! "Rhythms on earth exist to convey god's dearest wish. Let us dance together, feel the rhythm together and turn our voices into energy." "We can share the music with everybody on earth because we are earthlings." It was the very moment when I felt the roots of music with my body, in my early 20s living in NYC. From this strange experience, I started going to the Loft every Sunday morning at 4:00 AM where the experience turned into a certainty.At the Loft, where all genres are played together, there's no meaning in putting the grooves into categories! The Loft woke me to the realization that dance music exists in all genres. Had you been collecting records before visiting the Loft? Yes, before visiting the Loft. How long have you running EAD? 16 years. How would you describe your EAD`s sound? How has it changed? I would like to always change. I am always looking for music that makes me dance. Personally I have seen your shop go from being very Loft-influenced to carrying more World music, more Jazz and more Japanese music. One thing that has always been constant is the Reggae. How did your love for Reggae start? I think I heard Bob Marley in the days of high school from my brother. Do you ever DJ? Sometimes I play at friends` parties Do you play any musical instrument? I played bass when I was a high school student. In a Heavy Metal copy band. Hahaha. I can't play now. Ok, who would be your favourite Heavy Metal band, who were you copying? What would be your favourite Heavy Metal track? What would you have played on the bass? I can remember a few songs.

Next up in our evergrowing TP mix series are Protect-U who are part of the whole Future Times crew (well Mike runs the label alongside Max D) out of the US that has Beautiful Swimmers, Ari and co. If you took New Age and added some Compass Beats to it you might get close to defining what they are into and about but it seems wider than that. For want of a better description its landscape music. Ever changing and moving. If you haven't heard their recent mix for Public Possession check it. Aaron Leitko and Mike Petillo, they that are Protect-U, have done us a mix that neatly sums up their sound and interests. A new album is set to arrive next year. Tidy. (http://testpressing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/314-PROTECT-U.png) Download (http://testpressing.org/audio/314_Steel_Can_Green_Tea.mp3)

Balearic Social is one Mr Andy Pye. I thought I should get this mix up after spending the weekend listening to him playing lovely music so here you go. Andy makes a large contribution to the new eclectic world that we live in with his Balearic Social radio show which is on Purple Radio (http://www.purple-radio.co.uk/) every Sunday from 8 till 10 a.m UK time. Future guests include Moon, Danny Psychemagik and the enigma that is Manpower. Check the Soundcloud (https://soundcloud.com/andyp10) to hear some of the past mixes. (http://testpressing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/312-BALEARIC-SOCIAL.png) Download (http://testpressing.org/audio/312_Parodia_Flare.mp3)

Another Saturday, another one of our bi-weekly podcasts. Me and Phil. A load of good records and a bit of chat. Nice! (http://testpressing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/TP-RADIO3.png) Download (http://testpressing.org/audio/Test_Pressing_Radio_3.mp3)

Farley & Heller and one of I-Level. The Mondays (or more accurately the backing singer), a geetar and a “block-rocking” beat, fore shadowing the Chemical Brothers just a tad. Run DMC, “Peanut Butter” and an annihilating rhythm. Paradiso`s “Here We Go Again” has me mid-way through a night at the Soho Theatre Club. Conversations in the alley that ran down the back. Lucky Luke. Everyone earnestly revealing their admiration for one another. Nomad is early doors at Gosh, along with Bandulu`s dub of The Smiths (thank you Mr Williams / Brown), Fluke`s “Philly”, This Ragged Jack and the “For The Love Of Money” bass-line. L.U.P.O. do the gas-face. As the tempo picks up, it`s more “Rampling On The Radio” than Flying at Dingwalls. Frank K, Offshore, Nitelife Cityrama. Danny`s voice and music seemed to embody a positivity. Getting ready in Tulse Hill for a night out in Covent Garden. The Gardening Club. A pop to the pub across the street to stick the gear in my socks, then a “Hi” to Heidi on the door. Harvey hiding in the arches. Steve Lee playing “Always There”. Ian B R.I.P. I seemed to hear Pleasure Inc.`s “Sexy Dancer” everywhere, but it reminds me of a warehouse party and tales of exploits in Ibiza. Stealing speedboats. Madchester also-rans. The suggestion that we all “Join Hands” didn`t seem so daft back then. (http://testpressing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/BOYS-OWN-15-AUTUMN-1990-2.jpg) Download (http://testpressing.org/audio/311_Boys_Own_Autumn_1990_PT_2.mp3) “Boy`s Own. The Complete Fanzines 1986-92” is published by DJhistory.com and can be purchased directly here (http://www.djhistory.com/books).

At the heart of Mop Mop (http://www.mopmop.com) is Andrea Benini, a musician, producer and composer from Cesena, Italy, currently residing in Berlin. Benini attended the “Discipline dell Arti, della Musica e dell Spettacolo” (DAMS) in Bologna, pursuing the study of African-American music and Contemporary music, and then worked as a journalist for three years at the Italian magazine “Percussioni”. In 2005, he began the Mop Mop project, mixing Funk, Afro and Jazz, working with Alex Trebo on piano, Pasquale Mirra on vibraphone, Guglielmo Pagnozzi on sax, Bruno Briscik on bass and Danilo Mineo on percussion. 
Mop Mop have performed in Italy, Germany, France, Poland, Hungary, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Russian Federation, appearing at clubs, theatres, festivals, and on national radio and television.
 Their song “Three Times Bossa” featured in Woody Allen‘s “To Rome With Love”. Their fourth LP “Isle Of Magic” (http://testpressing.org/2013/09/mop-mop-isle-of-magic-agogo) includes collaborations with Funk legend Fred Wesley (on trombone) and British poet Anthony Joseph. “Kamakumba” from this LP was included in a Summer top 5 selected by Phil Mison, and that`s how we heard about them. An EP featuring a remix of “Kamakumba” by Gilles Peterson`s favourite producer / engineer, Simbad has just been released (http://www.agogo-records.com/releases/remixed-tropical-reconstruction). Horny outsider Soul. A Rogers Nelson Madhouse Jazz serenade. Machine Funk. Late night land cruising. Robotic metronome orchestrations and Ravi Shankar meditations. Tropical reflections remixed. Free reeds vibrate. Basslines groove. King Sunny Ade`s Ju Ju. An African slide and Black Ark genius. Genius from Planet E. Broken beats segue into Loft classics. (http://testpressing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/310-MOP-MOP.png) Download (http://testpressing.org/audio/310_Mop_Mop_Mixtape.mp3)

Sergey & Alexander, Simple Symmetry (http://testpressing.org/2013/10/simple-symmetry-glenview-thats-a-steal) from Moscow, Russia, with P-Funk roots and “Incredible Adventures In Khazar Khaganate” on Glenview. Remixed by Lee Douglas & Lovefingers, The Stallions, and remixing Linda Mirada (http://testpressing.org/2013/07/reviews-promod-19-07-2013) on Love Monk. With sessions on Redlight Radio (http://soundcloud.com/redlightradio/simple-symmetry-on-rlr-public), inspired by the musical melting pot of Bar Simachev, and a label called That`s A Steal (https://soundcloud.com/simple-symmetry/simple-symmetry-lipelis?in=simple-symmetry/sets/simple-simmetry-edits) on the way. Beach Boys shreeks and twisted Folk climaxes. Nick Nicely nightmares and Marvin Gaye Moogs. The Suns Of Arqa and seven angels. The heavens set ablaze. Bobby Brown. The one with the “Hawaiian Home” not the one married to Whitney. Roky (Erickson)`s visions, Sky (Saxon)`s visions and mad prophetic winds. Obeah, Zazou Biyake and hypnosis through Hari Krishna finger cymbals. Get those mushrooms dried and at the ready. (http://testpressing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/309-SIMPLE-SYMMETRY.png) Download (http://testpressing.org/audio/309_Simple_Symmetry.mp3)

Frank Gossner`s (http://testpressing.org/2013/11/frank-gossner-voodoo-funk) career as a DJ began 1994 in Berlin with parties held to celebrate the re-release of the Soundtrack to Jess Franco`s “Vampyros Lesbos”. Frank took this party all over Germany and eventually in 1996 to New York where it continued for a further 4 years. Returning to Berlin in 2000, Frank started the Deep Funk night “Soul Explosion” which he ran for five years. At that point he took a plane to West Africa, to dig for records in countries like Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Benin and Nigeria. There he hosted a radio show in Freetown and various club nights in the Guinean capital Conakry. His numerous adventures are chronicled here (http://www.voodoofunk.com). Back in New York in 2009 Voodoo Funk was born, re-releasing the solo album by Pax Nicholas (of Fela and the Afrika 70 fame). The Lagos Disco Inferno compilation followed, then a retrospective on Ghanaian band The Psychedelic Aliens, and LPs by Marijata, the Freedom Family, Orlando Julius and a series of Nigerian Deep Funk 45s. Frank is currently residing in Costa Rica and working on an undisclosed new, non-music orientated project. Heading out at a horny Highlife clip, and charged with sexual urgency, Afro Boogie fever is on. Please come shake your body. (http://testpressing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/308-VOODOO-FUNK.png) Download (http://testpressing.org/audio/308_Voodoo_Funk_Slow_Down.mp3) (http://testpressing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/slowdown.jpg)

The Café Del Mar is one of those places that is slowly passing into mythical status. Years before Ibiza got developed and commercialised the Café stood on the beach with the music playing along to nature and the sunset. As we all know Jose Padilla was the DJ and he sold tapes from the DJ booth. We were lucky enough to borrow some to record and are finally getting the time to upload them. If you have never seen the video below filmed one summer in 1992 by Martin The Poet then have a look. You can see the sign in the DJ booth of cassettes for sale and here is tape number one. Classic sounds from Jose Padilla. (http://testpressing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/307-JOSE-PADILLA.png) Download (http://testpressing.org/audio/Cafe_del_Mar_1.mp3) Massive thank to the very kind Chris for lending us his cassettes.

Here is number two in mine and Phil Misons bi-weekly radio show. Starting off with the new Mondo twelve and then off and playing across the board things we like. Hope you enjoy. (http://testpressing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/TP-RADIO2.png) Download (http://testpressing.org/audio/Test_Pressing_Radio_2.mp3)

Brian Not Brian is one of the chaps (alongside the mysterious Sal Z) behind Brixton-based record label Going Good. Brian is a long time DJ, music lover, worker in one of London's finest record shops & now label owner. His label Going Good has been supported by us here at Test Pressing towers with the label running from the lo-fi box beating of Moon B, to the new age hardware explorations of the Aquarian Foundation & the electronics of the shadowy Anom Vitruv amongst others. Brian made this mix to be listened to late at night or early in the morning. Have to say it has gone on loads in our office as well with the design massive properly getting it. Its space music with bass and beats where applicable and a fine sound it is too. It was selected, manipulated & recorded on the hill, October 2013 and is dedicated to - Polo, Ceasar & Dodger. (http://testpressing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/306-BRIAN-NOT-BRIAN.png) Download (http://testpressing.org/audio/306_TPMIX01.mp3)

Guitar-led big band sunshine. Scallywag Jazz. A Jackson Five-esque break. Miles Davis-like Funk. Yargo`s Yoruba. Manazanera`s smooth groove. 3 Mustaphas 3`s gypsy fusion. A Scandinavian belly dance. Johnny Dynell remixed back to his roots. A Talking Head gone solo (a track that has since worked for both Weatherall and Moonboots). Sade`s Shoom. Superfly guy Mark Moore does a (J. Saul Kane) Depth Charge. Barry Manilow takes the Kid`s coconuts. Carmel gets all Anne Clark. Love & Rockets do their best Chuck Berry. The chap they used to call Duke does The Doors. Gilles P and Chris Bangs invent Acid Jazz. It sounds like a live band playing Adonis` “No Way Back” accompanied by Pharoah Sanders and copious cocaine. Andrew Eldritch`s comic book Burroughs stomp. Machines, Methedrine and wild boys. An Italian diva sings of love in Spanish. Dark obsessive Northern. Soul. Leo`s job was to play cool and interesting music from midnight `til 2 AM in the open air Amnesia. His sets moved across genres and tempos, aiming to include everybody and exclude no one. For the regulars, who knew what was coming when the gear kicked in and Alfredo went on, the anticipation was already there. Leo`s job was to build on that anticipation, so that when the time came the place would go off like a hedonistic explosion. Some of Leo`s warm up records would be transported like a code to London, where they would cause raised eyebrows from the uninitiated, amidst the Rare Groove and Def Jam, and silent nods of recognition from those who had spent at least part of their summer on the White Isle. Amnesia`s success was due not only to the millennia old magic of its location but also the musical communication between the club`s two residents. Two friends building a night, a night that created a movement, to crescendo and climax. The waiting was an important part of it. Leo`s was the art of making them wait. (http://testpressing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/305-LEO.png) Download (http://testpressing.org/audio/305_Leo_Mas_Amnesia_Warm_Up_1988_PT3.mp3)

(http://testpressing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/304-RALPH-VON-RICHTOVEN.png) Ralf Von Richtoven is and was A DJ but he was also the Executive Producer of Saâda Bonaire. Ralf had the records, taste and the ideas that inspired the Saâda sound. As the release of the new Saâda Bonaire compilation nears we got in touch with Ralf and asked him to do us a mix of the music that he would have been playing in the clubs back then. Here is the first one on a reggae tip. Here's the tracklisting:- Sylford Walker: Burn Babylon Barrington Levy: Under Mi Sensi Gregory Isaacs: Night Nurse Max Romeo: Chase The Devil Linton Kwesi Johnson: Five Nights Of BLeeding The Paragons: On The Beach The Abyssinians: Satta Massa Gana Lee Scratch Perry: Colt The Game Wayne Smith: Under Me Sleng Teng Led Zeppelin: D'Yer Mak'er Mike Melody: The World Is A Disaster Gegory Isaacs: Miss Claudie Burning Spear: Marcus Garvey Errol Dunkley: OK Fred Jacob Miller: Dock Of The Bay Jonathon Richman: Egyptian Richman Misty In Roots: Judas Iscariote Linval Thompson: I Love Marijuana Errol Walker: In These Times Third World: 1865 (96 In The Shade) Grace Jones: I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango) UB40: Madam Medusa (http://testpressing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/304-RALF-VON-RICHTOVEN.png) Download (http://testpressing.org/audio/304_Saada_Bonaire_Influence_Tapes_The_Reggae_Selection.mp3)

Beginning with the end-of-the-night. I only ever heard Less Stress` “Don`t Dream It`s Over” at Gosh, the Flying party at Dingwalls, way before the vinyl was ever released. Sound system culture and Crowded House. Did they win? One for everybody who saw the walls going up and just fucked off. Jack and the Thailand posse. The Miles Davis sample at the start of “Bomba” was a call to arms / the dancefloor for “Weatherall`s Army”. I`d be at the bar with my long-suffering girlfriend and when its fanfare sounded, she`d roll her eyes and say, “Off you go”. And off I went. I think Andrew usually followed this with A Homeboy, A Hippie & A Funki Dread. Stories of Wobble announcing his resignation from Public Transport over the loud speakers of the Tube train he was driving. The Invaders Of The Heart were brilliant live. Eve Gallagher did a P.A. at Gosh. I`m pretty sure Deee-lite did one too. Gosh was where I met Bobby Gillespie, my barely recognisable rendition of “Velocity Girl” provoking a huge grin and head thrown back laughter. Saint Etienne cover The Field Mice, and get remixed by Pete Heller. The music here has been touched by the hands of Weatherall, Farley, and Rampling. This was the point when records began to be Balearic by design rather than by accident. Deep Joy did a P.A. “Fall” was one of the last tunes I played, to usher in a new year, on the night I died the first time. Two hits of modern Soul and a House track that became a modern Soul classic. An update of a Bob Jones` Shoom Northern revival that still sends a warmth from the bass of my spine to my temples. A nervous relay. A chemical memory. I hate Hate, but don`t you know I love Love. (http://testpressing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/BOYS-OWN-1990_Autumn_part1.jpg) Download (http://testpressing.org/audio/303_Boys_Own_Autumn_1990_PT1.mp3) “Boy`s Own. The Complete Fanzines 1986-92” is published by DJhistory.com and can be purchased directly here (http://www.djhistory.com/books).