Process Part 191. Me.

I'm the latest mixmeister to be featured on Modyfier's "Process" mix series. It's been great to be asked to contribute to it. Here's some back story.

Like anyone who has got the nod to man the decks for this wonderful series, I spent more than a little bit of time thinking about what direction my contribution should take. I eventually thought I’d contribute a l mixtape. It’s been years since I’ve made a compilation of this nature, probably the first since I bought my Technics and CDJs. Having said that, the methodology behind this approach isn’t too dissimilar from the way I program my radio shows, something that I’ve been doing for more than five years now in Cambridge, UK.

The records I chose for this mix could have been very different, and I’ve wrestled with choices ever since I knew I was going to do the mix; but, as is so often the case, everything seemed to be hastily assembled in a matter of moments despite my carefully-laid plans. I’ve owned some of these records for a long time now and it’s no exaggeration to say that some of them are in my head for a time every day, but it’s been a while since I’ve played most of them. Consequently, getting them out of their boxes and laying eyes on them properly was like a reunion with old friends.

So these tracks have definitely been influential on me, but so have many others and they only represent a particular dimension through which I have consumed music. As far as the mix itself is concerned, as said before in spite of having it on my mind ever since I got asked to do it and wanting to plan it with military precision, it pretty much took care of itself once I found myself surrounded by the music. Like a lot of DJs, probably most, I rarely plan what I am going to play when out in a club or a bar, things come together and you react to the crowd. Mixing at home is completely different. I always have a direction in mind and like peaks and troughs, darkness and light. I like my mixes to be a mass of as many contrasts as possible within the house/techno template. It would be wrong to say there’s absolutely no spontaneity, but when recording a lot of thought goes into the shape and construction of the finished product. I’m definitely not a “big tune” person in that I don’t pepper sets with standout tracks, preferring instead highlights to be patiently built up over a reasonable period of time. Time is also very important. The longer the better, but if operating within strict confines, which is the norm, then I like symmetry and shape. Thankfully, after having done this for a while now it seems to happen quite naturally.

In any case, I threw all of these conventions out when putting this selection together and feel liberated by the experience. It came through a software crash, which would have annoyed me a lot if I’d been mixing more conventionally. Many thanks to Rayna for giving me this opportunity and the idea to reacquaint myself with my past. Oh, and just for the record, every bit of this mix was off vinyl. That’s just how it happened.

01. Introduction – Lightnin’ Hopkins (Charly)
02. Calling Miss Khadiju – Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers (Blue Note)
03. Ja Funni – King Sunny Ade & His African Beats (Island)
04. Degi Degi – Don Cherry (Horizon)
05. A Love Supreme/Acknowledgement – John Coltrane (MCA)
06. Black Satin – Miles Davis (CBS)
07. Last Tango In Paris (Ballad) – Gato Barbieri & His Orchestra (United Artists)
08. Two Sevens Clash – Culture (Joe Gibbs)
09. CB200 – Dillinger (Island)
10. Back To The Old School – Just-Ice (Fresh)
11. Put Your Filas On – Schooly D (Flame)
12. Strong Island – JVC Force (B-Boy)
13. Poetry – Boogie Down Productions (B-Boy)
14. Follow The Leader – Eric B & Rakim (MCA)
15 Mountains – Prince (Warner Bros)
16. Knife Slits Water – A Certain Ratio (Factory)
17. Somewhere Between Distance & The Impossible – Experience Chris Nazuka (Classic)
18. Movement – Ron Trent (Prescription)
19. Jailbreak – Paradox (Ronin)
20. Hard Life – Hard Life (Underground Resistance)
21. Sex In Zero Gravity – Red Planet (Red Planet)
22. Humana – Millsart (Axis)
23. Always Crashing In The Same Car – David Bowie (RCA)
24. You Did It, You Did It – Roland Kirk (Fontana)