So Many Tears...

April 1st.
April Fool's Day.
Surely that's what the post on Facebook that greeted me this morning was?
A sick joke.
It couldn't be true, could it?

Then as I made a cup of coffee, readying myself for work, people who knew him started to post their condolences and memories of the Godfather of House, and it started to sink in. Frankie Knuckles had died at the age of 59.
The posts were coming thick and fast now. This wasn't a joke. He really was gone.

Despite hailing from New York, Frankie's name is synonymous with the city of Chicago, the birthplace of House, and quite rightly so. You see, despite being able to clearly see the links, the genetic similarities, if you will, between House & Disco, the evolution didn't happen on it's own. Today saw the passing of one of the orchestrator's of that very evolution. He didn't coin the term "House" himself, but rather the people who came to hear him play at The Warehouse used the term to describe the varied sounds that were played there. Later it became the term for the raw, drum machine based edits that Frankie would play. The rest, as they say, is history.

But that wasn't the case with Frankie Knuckles, he carried on and was/is still relevant in a scene he helped create over 30 years ago. He was playing in Miami just last week, where some friends of mine were lucky enough to catch one of his last performances. "He was ace as usual." was the verdict.

Loved the world over, proven by today's constant outpouring of love over various social media sites, his relevance is unquestionable. There is now a campaign to try to get, "Your Love", Frankie's signature tune to number one on the UK charts. 7 hours in, and he's made it to number 24. If you love dance music of any kind, you're in the man's debt, so go spend 79 pence and let's give him a fitting tribute, eh?

I only heard him play a couple of times myself. Once at Pacha, Ibiza, many years ago, but more recently at Electric Elephant in Tisno, just last July. Chris Duckenfield had played the opening set and had everyone dancing, but when Frankie came on, the place erupted. Dancing in the open air, surrounded by old friends, new friends, best friends, the atmosphere was electric. Happy smiling faces wherever you turned. A night that will stay with me for a very long time. In fact, the photo that appears at the top of this post was taken at that very night. I've spotted my friend Chris, and I think, further back, myself, arms aloft, having the time of our lives. Fantastic times!
His set consisted of his own remixes of current, at the time, records, some stuff I hadn't heard before that night, and some older tunes that I used to play in Ibiza. Real feelgood, crowd pleasing stuff. Smiles as far as you could see.
Frankie's "Tears", which had been reissued in 1999, with remixes by Full Intention and an accapella, that evreybody felt they needed to play over everything that year, was the first promo record I was ever given as a working DJ. Great memories, and hearing it immediately transports me back to Kanya. Magic!

He'd apparently been ill for some time, but to lose Frankie Knuckles at the age of 59 just seems tragic. The show of love and admiration that has flooded out from all corners today makes you think. "What will you leave behind?" Maybe it'll be the spur some people need to push on with their dreams, to not settle for second best. I'm certainly going to try...

So goodbye Frankie, and most importantly, thank you...

House Is A Feeling...

DJs...

Just people playing other more talented people's music to some, legendary figures to others. The truth is, in my opinion, somewhere in the middle. At least if they're doing it properly.

A good DJ can control a dancefloor, through the music. They can read a crowd and play accordingly. Probing the edges of the collective taste, and introducing something new to the mix and gauging their response. Push too far, and they clear the dancefloor, but if they get it right... Well, that's where the magic happens.

The debate of where a DJ's standing or artistic merit, isn't one I want to get into here. I'm far too close to the situation to be objective. No, something occurred to me today, whilst listening back to one of my own sets, that has pricked my consciousness previously.

Before I get to that, but don't worry, I will soon, let me explain something. Playing live in a club, or even when recording a set, I don't tend to hear everything. Now that may sound odd, especially talking about sounds, but sometimes after a set in a club, I'll rarely remember everything I've played. It's just so easy to get caught up in the whole thing, and act instinctively to the the crowd. Without a crowd to react to, recording a set has it's own difficulties, and the concentration that goes into it can blind you to certain things. And therein lies my point.

As I was listening back to a mix I'd just completed, which I've shared with you below, hearing the tracks I'd selected, it was apparent that they suited my mood and thoughts of late. Now this isn't the first time this has happened. I've noticed it in other mixes I've recorded, although I couldn't tell you if it happens when I play live, but I imagine it does. Something I'm feeling finds it's way into the mix, almost subconsciously. I use other people's, and sometimes my own, but more on that another time, to convey how I'm feeling at the time, while also trying to make people dance. It's not something I think of doing at that moment, but my emotions seem to dictate my track selection. On realisation, it always astounds me. I also find it reassuring that I'm investing part of myself in what I do.

As Eddie Amador's track, "House Music" told us, it's a "soul thing."

Parklife 2014 by Curtis Randles on Mixcloud

Ooooooh... Aaaaaah...

Fireworks. Fireworks. Fireworks...

They can be pretty polarising.

You either love them or hate them. They're spectacular and exciting, or a massive waste of time and effort.

I've generally, apart from a very few occassions, fallen into the latter camp. Until tonight.
Tonight, I kind of "got" it, I was touched, not by the fireworks themselves, they were for the most part pretty average, but by the experience.
Now I know, some people just like the actual fireworks, and I'm not about to knock them for that, but for me, they facilitated the feelings that gripped me this evening.
Looking around the field, people watching, if you will, it struck me. A sense of togetherness. Not as a crowd, but small clusters of people, even as small as a couple.
I was there with the midgets, the name I use to refer to my two children, surrounded by people in their own groups of various numbers, and suddenly I noticed.

It's about that shared experience, being out in the cold night air, wrapped up as best you can against the elements. Sometimes catching the look on someone's face illuminated for that second in the the flare of the firework. When it's the face of the person who you've chosen to share this with, it can be magical. There was a face I was hoping to see tonight, but didn't.

I guess there's always next year...

My Favourite DJs of 2012 Part 4: Aaaah Bisto...

Female DJs tend to get a bad rap, but a lot of them bring it on themselves. But don't take it from me, here's what Ibiza veteran DJ Clara Da Costa has to say on the matter:

"All of the female Dj´s I know well are really cool...........what is not cool is the whole glamour girl Dj thing........AND...I have not judged books by covers...if you know what I mean. I have checked a few links out and it seems they all play commercial noise using something or other to sync their mixes. Are there glamour boy Dj´s doing the same thing !!!!!! Oh and if you book me....I might wear a funky hat and smarten up sometimes but what I really wear is good old fashioned HOUSE MUSIC and jeans :o)"

 You see Clara, formerly known as Miss Bisto, eats, drinks, sleeps and breathes House music. No gimmicks, just honest to goodness House. You don't get to be such a well respected DJ in a climate like Ibiza by flashing the flesh and playing the latest big hits. 
 
Ask any of the island DJs and they all know Clara, for both her music and her sunny, but no nonsense disposition. She welcomes people who love the music, not fly by night, fame hungry wannabes.

A true champion of the underground, Clara presents her "Jack's House" show on the highly regarded Ibiza Sonica radio station, every Friday 5pm till 6pm (GMT), featuring guests from the world of House Music. You should check it out...

Clara Da Costa Jacks House Gems 13/04/12 by Clara Da Costa on Mixcloud

My Favourite DJs of 2012 Part 3: Mes'd Up

Until my girlfriend went to the Miami WMC in 2011, I'd never heard of DJ Mes, but she was so impressed, and her taste in House music is so good, I had to check him out.

Luckily for me, earlier this year, he was booked to play at South in Manchester. A small venue on a weeknight. Ace! So, we headed down and were blown away. There wasn't a huge crowd, but the atmosphere was brilliant. Mes had just unleashed his new single, "Love Affair", which he finished the night with. The crowd went wild. It's one of my favourite tracks of the year, with a clever use of samples and a rolling, infectious groove. I've played it out myself many a time this last year. We had chance to speak to him too, and he's a very friendly, down to earth guy.

Don't just trust me though, he rubs shoulders with House heavyweights like Sneak, Phil Weeks, DJ Dan and Mark Farina. If that's your bag, you've probably danced to tunes from his hugely popular Guesthouse label.

So, if like I was, you're unfamiliar with DJ Mes, check out the links and the mix below and get Mes'd up!

My Favourite DJs of 2012 Part 2: Feel My Bicep...

I'd been following a blog called Feel My Bicep for quite some time. The DJ duo Bicep, who run it, would constantly unearth musical gems I'd never heard of, but loved all the same.

Then their productions started. Their sound is that of classic House, without sounding dated. A fresh new slant on yesterday's legacy. I'd downloaded a few of their mixes and vowed to see them in person.

That became reality when I visited Croatia for Electric Elephant, and there they were on the bill. I informed all of our party that I'd be going to see them when the time came. A few came with me, despite not having heard of Bicep. The low slung, slow House grooves won them over and they're now a firm favourite amongst my friends.

We were lucky enough to catch up with them again at this year's Warehouse Project in early December and they didn't fail to deliver the goods again. With that in mind, I'm extremely exited that I'll be able to check them out again on New Year's Day, again at the Warehouse Project.

So give yourself a workout and click the links or watch their stunning performance for Boilerroom TV, which you can find up there, above the words you're reading.

Taps aff!

My Favourite DJs of 2012 Part 1: I'm A House Gangster...

Well, the year started off with a bang in the shape of two of House music's heavy hitters: DJ Sneak and Phil Weeks back2back at Sankeys, Manchester. What a night!

I'd spent many a long night dancing to Sneak's locked-in, jackin' House grooves in the past, but had never managed to catch Mr. Weeks in person. I'd been playing his records for years, hammering the dub of this particular monster regularly, back in my Ibiza days.

Let me tell you, I was not disappointed. Sneak and Phil tore the place up, despite starting their set at 3AM. Luckily that fact meant only the die hard House music fans were left and there was plenty of room to dance.
Their energy and enthusiasm for the music was infectious and fed through to the crowd. The atmosphere was that of being at the best house party you can imagine. Strangers felt like friends, like family. Everybody there for just one thing: The music.
 
Check out the link below to hear the first hour of the set that night.