Tag Archives: House
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TONE CONTROL – Illusion (Theo Parrish Remix)
King Theo has landed! You can bet 12 years ago when WOLF Music started the label, they never thought they’d be welcoming certified royalty Theo Parrish to lay down a remix on a release. And what better track for Theo to work his magic on, than the deep depths of Tone Control’s 2008 classic – ‘Illusion’.
Buttery, soulful deepness, ‘Illusion’ has it all, hitting you right in that soft spot – pure eyes closed business. Late night, early morning, peak time, take your pick. It was an instant classic when it was released, with Theo regularly drawing for it at his legendary Plastic People residency.
Now sit the man Theo down in the studio with the stems for a track he clearly loves and what do you get? A slice of Theo genius no doubt. His ‘SS Translation’ clocks in at nearly 10 minutes, building, twisting, and turning in a way only Theo knows how. Restructuring and re-layering the elements to squeeze every last drop of emotion out of Tone Control’s track, Theo’s delectable bass synth playing, at times haunting keys and fresh drum programming give a rawness and punch to the cut that channel that inner Theo spirit in style.
Flip it to find Tone Control’s mix of ‘Illusion’, Simon Finnegan and Marcus Harris’ biggest hit that’s still played today by the likes of Kyle Hall, Jay Daniel and Kerri Chandler. In fact, who better to talk this track up than Kerri himself, with a quote from back in the day:
“…It is one of my favorite songs. Even the way the song is put together is honestly what house is all about for me. It’s got every element I love in one song, dope bass line, a different deep vocal, the sounds are hot (drums, even the way he made them swing, that Rhodes) all of it… Everyone I play it for they freak out about it.”
All in all, this 12 is a must-have for those that like to get down! Listen / Buy here via Phonica – out 13/5/22
We spoke to the team behind this project just before release day…
Please introduce yourself to our readers.
Hi, we’re Simon Finnegan and Marcus Harris from Tone Control.
When did you first release Illusion?
We first released “Illusion” in 2008, on our own label, Tone Control Music. The music and lyrics are written by us, Simon and Marcus. The vocals are performed by James B. Coleman – we recorded them in our then living room-studio at our flat on Pentonville Road in King Cross. The Rhodes are played by Andy Badderly. The siren on the second chorus appears courtesy of Islington Police.
Who was playing it back in the day? How did it become such a cult classic?
It was played by loads of DJs. The original 12” represented a few UK producers, and each mix had its place. Our mix, the original, was picked up by Kerri Chandler, Tony Humphries and later, Theo Parrish.
How did it feel when you found out Kerri Chandler loved it?
Simon: I was at Southport Weekender, dancing in the Power House (a room for ~2,500 people) at about 6am, when Kerri played it. It blew my mind. I ran around telling everyone, “its our track”!
Marcus: I was in bed and received a very early morning call from an excited Simon telling me the good news. I was chuffed as I love Kerri Chandler’s music.
So Theo Parrish played it at Plastic People. Were you ever there when he played it?
Simon: Yep, a few times. We used to go there regularly for his residency – as it really was the best club, and had great sound. In fact, I was there the night Marcus met his wife… and their eldest son is called, Theo!
Marcus: All true! Theo was indeed playing the night I met my wife. Simon had persuaded me to come out and I am now very glad he did!
How did you hook up with the Wolf Boys?
Simon: I met Matt and Stu around 2004 at Southport Weekender – I remember giving them demos and mixes on cd – as you did back then. In fact Matt helped me get one of our projects on to an early digital download store, and I regularly listened to Stu’s mixes that he posted on the Southport Forum – we had a similar liking for a broad range of styles.
How did you make the Theo Remix happen?
Simon: It’s been really nice, working with Stu and Matt – We were discussing potential remixers, and I mentioned that Theo used to play it regularly, so Stu reached out to him… the rest is history
What did you think when you first heard his mix?
Well, we’re big fans, so the first thought was, “this is classic Theo!” While also being chuffed that he kept and highlighted some nice parts from the original, while adding his own jazzy keys…
If you didn’t get Theo Parrish to remix it, who else would you have got to do it?
We both love the Detroit and Atlanta sounds. We discussed producers like Kai Alce, Stefan Ringer, Kemit. From the UK, artists like K15, Dego.
What does Tone Control have in the pipeline?
After several years hiatus for kids, bereavement and life, we’ve been back in the studio recording again. With a growing collection of instrumentals, we have some sessions lined up with James B. Coleman and other musicians and vocalists we’re fans of, so keep ’em peeled for more Tone Control sounds.
WOLF MUSIC PRESENT TONE CONTROL’S CULT CLASSIC ‘ILLUSION’ REMIXED BY THEO PARRISH RELEASED 13TH MAY.
The Round Up Pt. 8
Hot new remix business from the Dam Swindle / Heist Recordings boys, here’s what they’ve got to say…
‘We’ve had the pleasure to release music by some amazing artists in 2021 and with The Round Up part 8, we’re bringing you remixes of some of our label regulars such as Fouk & Makèz and present you some fresh faces that have made a huge impact on the scene in recent years such as New York disco dons Jkriv & Peter Matson, Colombian house royalty Felipe Gordon. Completing the package are Parisian house aficionado Marina Trench and Lore of the Samurai, an alter ego of a rather prolific and well-known house producer.
Jkriv & Peter Matson have taken on Fouk’s undercover hit ‘Money’ and have turned the acid-nu disco of the original into a bubbling funk affair, complete with guitar licks and new synth licks. Makèz take the jazz-funk vibe of their debut album ‘City of all’ to give a whole new perspective on Marina Trench’s track ‘Wake up’. The vocals -courtesy of French-Algerian singer Sabrina Bellaouel -, jazzy horns and synthy noodles are layered on a mellow broken beat that form an altogether dreamy effect.
Staying in the broken beat realm, we’ve got Fouk re-imagining Lore of the samurai’s track ‘Justifice’. Warm pads, cowbells and arpeggios turn this funk-fueled tune into a deep and soothing house track. Marina Trench’s remix of Felipe Gordon acid monster ‘Highly corrosive acid’ sees her adding her own vocal chops and adding an infectious house groove. On the heady end of things, we’ve got Felipe Gordon delivering an extremely smooth rework of Jkriv & Peter Matson’s track ‘New Friend’. Closing the package is Lore of the samurai with a classic house take on Makèz’ album title track ‘City of all’ where a beefy Moog-like bass leads the way with the energy of a thousand clubbing-starved ravers.
We hope this package gives a nice twist to another great year of releases on Heist. Play it loud and dance like nobody’s watching.
Yours Sincerely,
Maarten & Lars’
Released 11/2/22 via Bandcamp – listen / buy via link below…
Lady Blackbird – Lost and Looking (Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy Cosmodelica Remix)
Foundation Music is a project between seasoned A&R man Ross Allen, and long-time collaborator Andy Thompson. Going back to the 80s, they met when Andy sold Ross records out of Holborn’s City Sounds. With a shared love of Black Music of all persuasions, these twisted soul boys bring their wide-ranging skills and contacts to the table, seeking out hidden artists and tracks that lurk about in the fringes.
Foundation has presented some killer releases over the last year from London’s Bruise, KDA, Baltimore’s DJ Oji, with more gold in the pipeline from Crooked Man, Greg Foat, and New Jersey’s Foremost Poets. Lady Blackbird is the LA based chanteuse, born Marley Munroe who took the radio airwaves by storm last year. Once in a blue moon a singer comes along that stops you in your tracks, Lady Blackbird is one such talent. This force of nature released her debut single on Foundation, with remixes that followed by jazz and house heavyweights Bruise, Greg Foat, Ashley Beedle, KDA, Calibre, and face of the moment Emma Jean Thackery.
Dubbed by Gilles Peterson “the Grace Jones of jazz”, her album Black Acid Soul dropped in September 2021. Lady Blackbird has received glowing reviews in The Guardian and in the New York Times. A headline act at Gilles Peterson’s We Out Here festival last summer, she performed live on Jools Holland, and played London’s 100 Club, with her much anticipated Round House date planned for this month. ‘Lost and Looking’ is a cover of Sam Cooke’s sparsely arranged original, where Lady Blackbird builds the track with her haunting vocal that floats over percussion-less bass, and sparkling piano notes performed by Deron Johnson. On this version Foundation Music bring onboard Classic Album Sunday’s originator, co-founder of the Lucky Cloud System parties, presenter of Worldwide FM’s Cosmodelica & Balearic Breakfast, and David Mancuso protégé, Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy. This connoisseur of sound recently showcased her remix chops on Roisin Murphy’s incendiary single ‘Murphy’s Law. The much respected selector this time turns in her ‘Cosmodelica Remix’, where ‘Lost and Looking’ is muscled up for the dancefloor, with demon bassline, funk fuelled bass guitar, and cosmic acid lines. There’s also a dub for those who prefer a more stripped down but equally pumping affair.
Diogo Strausz – Emancipação Extended EP
Following on last year’s standout 7” release from Diogo Strausz, Razor-N-Tape now reveals the incredible extended mixes of the original pair of tunes, along with a strikingly beautiful remix of the title track by the inimitable Ron Trent. Originally conceived by the Brazilian producer to be long form songs that showcased the deep musicianship of Strausz and his cohorts, extended organ and piano solos and instrumentation now stretch out in all their jazzy glory across one side of a heavyweight 180g 12”. On the the A-side, Ron Trent takes Emancipação positively interstellar, with added instrumentation and mounting percussion that builds toward a soulful and hypnotic peak, the way only he can do!
Shipping out on or around January 14, 2022 – Buy / Listen here
The Nearest Faraway Place got a chance to talk to Diogo about this superb new collaboration recently…
Please introduce yourself to our readers..
Hello, my name is Diogo Strausz. Originally I’m from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil but I used to live in Paris until last year. Today I’m based between Paris and São Paulo.
What are you up to today?
Today I’m studying the best way to back up my live set setup. I deeply wish I had something less boring to share with the NFP readers.
Talk us through your new release a little..
We’re releasing Ron Trent’s remix of my track Emancipação, it’s an honour to be remixed by this legendary guy. Along with that we are including the extended versions of my tracks ‘Emancipação’ and ‘50 anos em 5’ in the EP which is coming out in Vinyl on ‘Razor N Tape’ by my good friends Aaron Dae and JKriv.
Is there a process of production that you follow when making a new track?
Most songs I wrote came unexpectedly when I was distracted. So, I keep my ideas recorded on my phone for developing them later. Also, I normally try to separate the kinds of decisions I have to make, if I need to get into the mindset of creating, developing an existing draft or doing sound design, mixing etc…
Who would you love to see playing this track?
I would love to see it in one of Ron’s sets.
Where is the best place to listen to it?
I think it will be better appreciated on the dancefloor
What was the last piece of kit that you bought?
I recently bought a Poly D. Really amazed by what it can do.
If someone wanted to get to know your taste, what album should they listen to?
Azymuth – Light as a Feather
What advice would you give to other young producers in the studio?
We’ve been asked to perform many tasks in the studio compared to older generations. My advice is to do one at the time!
What have you got coming up in 2022?
Apart from this release, I have some new music coming out in April. Also, my live set is up and running. Ready for venues and clubs. Looking forward to crossing paths with the readers of NFP on the dancefloors.
Jungle Fire – Atómico EP
Hard to believe it’s been 3 years since Jungle Fire first graced the RNT catalog, and now the west coast boys of summer are back with a 5-track remix EP of varied Latin soul funk vibes, reimagined by a stellar cast of remixers. On the A-side, Colombian juggernaut Felipe Gordon takes Atómico fully nuclear with a stomping bass-heavy house remix, and JKriv goes elektrik with his Elektrikossa dub that sprinkles dubbed out and acid elements over a pulsating rubbery groove. On the flip, turntablist Nu-Mark delivers a punchy breakbeat take on Atómico, Jungle Fire member Patty B goes full-on boogie vibes with his Snake In Da Bronx Dub of La Kossa, and the record winds down with the dubby halftime flavor of Samual Miles‘ remix of Biri Biri. Whether in the open-air club, block party or rooftop, this record is the sound of summer 2021!
Released September 17, 2021 – Listen & Buy via Bandcamp here or player below…
MANUEL DARQUART – KEEP IT DXy
The new school meets the old school. Riding those crystal-clear waves off the back of their standout EP for WOLF Music, New Zealand duo Manuel Darquart double down with this 10-inch remix package containing a classic reworking from the master of dream house, Don Carlos and a sleazed-up street soul workout from themselves.
No introduction is needed when you see Don Carlos’ name in the mix. A legend of the Italian dream house movement that has influenced so much of what we’ve heard since, not least the productions of the Manuel Darquart guys. A dream (house) matchup some might say.
Step one, Carlos sprinkles his magic on ‘Keep It DXy’ switching up the drum programming and adding those Balearic flurries that add a considered dose of dreaminess to whatever he touches, think summery sweeping strings and echoing synth stabs.
On the flip the Manuel D guys go full sleaze, weak at the knees for their ‘Sleazy Sunday Mix’. Imagine a street soul, Balearic lovechild and you’re on the right track. Start suppin’ a margarita and you’re getting closer. Sun-lounger on the sand, Adriatic in front of you, last night’s euphoria still a buzz in the brain and you’ve hit the spot.
Out on 10” VINYL & DIGITAL – RELEASED: 20TH AUGUST 2021 – Listen / Buy here
Not My Day – Quinn Lamont Luke & Alex From Tokyo
Quinn Lamont Luke is back again, just one month since his last release, the sublime ‘Don’t Run Away’, this next track on his own El Triangulo label is ‘Not My Day‘ – another top quality addition to your collection from the New York and Oaxaca Mexico based musician, songwriter and producer.
Not My Day bounces along beautifully with some cheeky synth action and an uplifting 90’s feel. The stellar Tokyo Black Star remix c/o Alex from Tokyo takes you deeper and dubbier, into late night acid chug territory, with tougher beats and a stabby synth, softened by Quinn’s vocal crescendo coming in to make some summer dance floor memories.
These trackshad previously appeared on an extremely limited, vinyl only release on Alex From Tokyo’s World Famous label in 2016. Seeing the digital light of day for their first time now, the release comes along with a luscious “retouch” by Tokyo Black Star of Quinn’s cover of the Lil Louis classic “Club Lonely.”
Out now, listen and buy via Bandcamp link above and here.
Ground Plane Aerial – Elusive Maneuvers EP
Mysterious Copenhagen producer ‘Ground Plane Aerial’ has adopted a new name for a new project, the first releases on his own Theorama imprint. Ground Plane Aerial is the latest incarnation of the mysterious man behind the highly regarded Paxton Fettel project. With countless releases under his belt on much respected labels – including Delusions Of Grandeur, Kolour LTD, Apersonal, and regular home Greta Cottage Workshop – the new nom de plume is an exciting new vessel from where he intends to advance his odyssey into house-inspired jazz-funk futurism.
This new two tracker sets out his stall in fine style with a pair of driving, guitar and piano lead stormers, just add sunshine and friends for guaranteed dancefloor heat. He’s managed to combine timeless jazz sensibilities and emotion with contemporary production values to dazzling effect. Out 30/7/21 – Buy and listen here via Traxsource.
The Nearest Faraway Place 