“It’s your record. You discovered it…You love it for the feelings it conjures…
Thirty years ago some now-forgotten musicians cut that record. Without them this brilliant song wouldn’t exist. But without you – a DJ – that record would be in a bent cardboard box in a basement…
This is the thrill, and the compulsion, of DJing. This need to share music, and to constantly find new music to excite people with, this is the primal force of DJing.”
Bill Brewster & Frank Broughton
The Record Players (DJ Revolutionaries)
Welcome to the Cookie-Dough Guest mix where we invite some of favourite DJ / Producers to answer a few questions and dig deep into their collections and put together a mix of their favourite records.
For this episode we have invited our old mates Liverpool DJ and production collective Autocycle to spin some of the records that have influenced them over the years.
Their recent edit of Anita Baker ‘Sweet Love’ featured in Greg Wilson’s top 20 edits of 2014! Good skills…
Nice one Autocycle!
Ste & Terser
Tracklist
1. Empty Heads feat. Dynamite MC – Shake [YesKing mix]
2. Midnight Runners – Mint
3. Instant Funk – Got My Mind Made Up [Ziggy Phunk Groovin edit]
4. GL – Won’t You See [Gerd Janson dub mix]
5. Ccccchaves/Phunktastike/Future Feelings/Julian Sanza – Funky Dancefloor [Julian Sanza Space Disco mix]
6. Ronnie Jones – Video Games
7. Grooveman Spot – Spacium
8. Syreeta – Can’t Shake Your Love
9. Ilya Santana – Big Foot [Rayko mix]
10. DJ T – Funk On You
11. Gazeebo – Gushing Climax [Moist mix]
12. Disco Inferno – Squarewave
13. Smith n Hack – Space Warrior
14. Instant Funk – The Funk is On [Autocycle edit]
A few words from Autocycle…
“The funk is gonna get you yet” With the word ‘funk’ being mentioned in several track names and artists, kind of gives it away. It’s what Autocycle are all about, and our roots cross a spectrum from hip hop, disco, soul and beyond, all firmly with an eye on the dancefloor and kicking it on a big system. We use loops in some mixes to do something different with tracks you might have heard before, and hopefully create an element of surprise in terms of what might come next, whilst maintaining the sound we’re looking for.
The opening track we first heard on a Crazy P mix and had no idea what it was. We tracked it down and it’s up there with our most played tracks over the last couple of years, just never got it into a mix. Finally heard it out and about on a boat party in Croatia earlier the year, not surprisingly played by Crazy P. Bought a massive smile to lots of faces! Always try to use a mixture of edits, older stuff alongside recent releases. Tracks like Ronnie Jones’ Video Games add that element of humour and fun that reminds us not to get too serious about music. Grooveman Spot’s Spacium is just filth, pitched up a bit to work with the mix, but what a groove! You’ll notice the intro loop of Syreeta used over the top, and then using effects to leave the vocal to ride on it’s own before dropping into the actual track. Probably not a mix many others would do, but takes you from filth to wild disco abandon, and we’ve purposely let the Syreeta track ride out longer than most on the mix as it’s a classic, but really lights things up. Things go more into heads down spaced out bass heavy territory through the second half, lots of video game inspired samples, giving a nod to elements earlier in the mix, perhaps most prevalant on Smith n Hack’s beast that is Space Warrior – a track that takes us back to club nights like Bugged Out and similar North West nights where we cut out teeth and clubbing memories started. We finish with one of our own edits, a funk laden guitar wig out, nice way to bring things back to the funk roots to end on.
Q&A What was the first record you bought that made you realise that you wanted to be a DJ / Producer?
Ace of Base ‘all that she wants’. Do we even need to explain why?
What record makes you most nostaligic?
There’s so many, and for a multitude of reason too. rave wise all of get a bit gooey kneed for josh one contemplation, just the perfect house record really and so versatile for a DJ as well, you can play it at any time in a set.
If we look back at the sets we’ve played over the past couple of years together, martinez brothers ‘funk you up’ and rory phillip’s remix of maximum balloon ‘groove me’ have been big anthems for us in that respect.
We’re big fans of the theme from midnight cowboy as well, some poignant studio moments with the lights down low to that bad boy.
What is your favourite end of night record?
Again there’s a lot than qualify for this really. We’ve closed a set with Carole Kings ‘it’s too late’ before though, and it completely worked. Be hard topping that.
Do you have a guilty pleasure records?
We feel horrific about everything in our collection if we’re being honest, but we have a particularly disgusting obsession with saxophone inflicted pop music. ‘Baker Street’, ‘Careless Whisper’ and The blow monkeys’ ‘this way’ are all stone cold anthems in our eyes.
What is your most treasured piece of vinyl?
camp lo’s first album uptown Saturday night. Fantastic album and an amazing Marvin gaye homage cover.
Welcome to the Cookie-Dough Guest mix where we invite some of favourite DJ / Producers to answer a few questions and dig deep into their collections and put together a mix of their favourite records.
For this episode we have invited the man behind Chew Rubs (Tom Vine) to spin some of the records that have influenced him over the years.
His recent releases on Midnight Riot have had us grooving on at Cookie-Dough HQ!
Nice one Chewy!
Ste & Terser
Chewy Rubs Influentials and Essentials
Originally from the West Country, now based on the South Coast, I’ve been DJing and producing music for over 22 years and have never lost the desire to find the next hook or endless groove. Recent success has come from edits of past Disco and Funk gems…scraping the surface of a few house classics too, under the names ‘Chewy Rubs‘ and ‘TV’, with releases for labels such as Midnight Riot, Los Grandes, Handshakes, SuperBreak and my own side project Chewy Records.
I started taking editing seriously back in 2000 when I worked in London. Berwick Street and its long list of, at that time, fine record stores was around the corner and the majority of time and wages were spent there. Amongst Jeff Mills finds, I picked also up some inspirational gems like the Automan series; a never heard before edit of T-connection DWYWD; Greg Wilson’s Credit to the Edit vinyls and whatever imported Prins Thomas and Lindstrom I could get my hands on. Some of which feature in this mix.
As you can imagine, there are so many tunes to choose from and this mix, although on the up-beat side, reflects the styles and groove that influenced me over the years. Lets call it Part 1, as I’m not sure I can resist a Part 2….big shout to the Cookie Dough crew…
Tracklist
1. Salsoul Orchestra – Ooh, I Love It (GW Credit To The Edit)
2. Loose Joints – It’s All Over My Face
3. T-Connection – Do What You Wanna Do
4. Sylvester – Do You Wanna Funk
5. Steve ’Silk’Hurley – Jack Your Body
6. The Fog – Been A Long Time
7. Joey Beltram – Energy Flash
8. Lil Louis – French Kiss
9. L.F.O – L.F.O (Leeds Warehouse Mix)
10. Kariya – Love U 4 2Nite
11.Theodore Dereese – Player (Derrick Brown Edit)
12. Meco – Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band
13. Sheila B.Devotion – Spacer (Pete Herbert Dub)
14. Lindstrom – I Feel Space
15. Session Victim – Dark Siena
Q&A
What was the first record you bought that made you realise that you wanted to be a DJ / Producer?
Joey Beltram – Energy Flash…..never fails, ever since the first time I heard it. One of the most inspirational tracks I own.
What record makes you most nostaligic?
The Fog – Been A Long Time…..Takes me back to the early House days in a barn at Wickton Court, Herefordshire…fine times.
What is your favourite end of night record?
Sheila B.Devotion – Spacer……Lots of set finishers to choose from but this always makes people smile. Although I didn’t finish with it on this mix.
Do you have a guilty pleasure record?
Sylvester – Do You Wanna Funk….My guilty pleasure is soundtracks and this one from the classic 80’s flick ‘Trading Places’ shares a special place in my heart.
What is your most treasured piece of vinyl?
Meco – Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band…..This is the first 7” piece of vinyl I ever owned and still own. I played it to death back in the day so I did a little edit for this mix.
Cookie-Dough Guest Mix 16 with The Sol Power All-Stars
Welcome to the Cookie-Dough Guest mix where we invite some of favourite DJ / Producers to answer a few questions and dig deep into their collections and put together a mix of their favourite records.
For this episode we have invited Meistro and DJ Stylus from Washington DJ and production collective The Sol Power All-Stars to spin some of the records that have influenced them over the years.
Their remix of A La Memoria Del Muerto has had us grooving at Cookie-Dough HQ!
Nice one chaps!
Ste & Terser
MEISTRO
01…Johnny Osbourne…Give a Little Love
This tune has all of my favorite reggae things on one track– Johnny Osbourne, backed by the Roots Radics, produced by Henry Junjo Lawes, engineered by Scientist, and recorded at Channel 1 Studios.
02…Frankie Paul…Worries in the Dance
Frankie Paul on vocals, but otherwise it’s the same lineup as the previous track. I didn’t put a straight Scientist dub on this mix, but his engineering and production / sound design style is a huge influence on my production. One of the best ever.
03…Toyan…Spar with Me
Another with the same Junjo Lawes, Roots Radics, Scientist line up. This time with the criminally underrated Toyan.
04…DJ Nut Nut…Special Dedication
I was a big jungle head in my late teenage years. I was especially into earlyish ragga and jump-up tunes with hip hop samples.
05…Remarc…In Da Hood
This tune was on Diesel Boy’s mix CD, Drum and Bass Selection U.S.A., which I listened to soooo much back in the day. Perhaps the greatest Drum and Bass mix of all time?
06…No I.D. (featuring Dug Infinite)…The Real Weight
No I.D.’s LP “Accept Yourself and Be Your Own” is an overlooked classic.
07…Bahamadia (featuring K-Swift and Mecca Star)…Three the Hard Way
Bahamadia and DJ Premier. A super tough banger from her amazing 1996 album “Kollage.” This was in heavy rotation in my high school days.
08…De La Soul…Intro
De La comes out the gate swinging with some straight-up East Coast raps on this intro to the Stakes is High LP. It’s a very “un-De La Soul,” tune, but doing the unexpected is what makes them so great (for nearly 30 years now holy shit).
09…DJ Krush featuring Black Thought and Malik B…Meiso
DJ Krush’s smokey, blunted jazz production still sounds fresh 20 years later. And Black Thought is just one of the illest ever on the mic. Another one from my highschool vaults.
10…Kenny Dope…Get on Down
Kenny Dope has been a HUGE influence on me. He’s one of the very few that can rock so many styles with total authority — funk, reggae, house, disco, hip hop, he can really do it all really really well. A true legend.
11…Mary Clark…Take Me I’m Yours
I’ve held down a 10-year residency at the Wonderland Ballroom in DC and this is always a go-to tune to get the room going. Affirmation that it should have been a hit.
12…Younger Generation…We Rap More Mellow (Joey Negro remix)
At the right moment, this song just cooks a dancefloor. Joey Negro’s subtle touch adds so much but the original character of the track remains completely intact.
13…Shina Williams and His African Percussionists…Agboju Logun
Such a tight, fonky groove. Someday I’ll find this elusive 12 inch.
14…Tony Allen with Afrobeat 2000…N.E.P.A. (Dance Dub)
I can’t think of another afrobeat tune with such a pure 80s dance-production sound. Dub effects seal the deal.
15…Quantic & His Combo Barbaro…Un Canto a Mi Tierra
This is one of the all-time Sol Power sure shots that we always play at our parties. Quantic is so unbelievably prolific and combines the traditional with the modern better than anyone.
16…Fruko y Sus Tesos…Descarga Espectacular
The best Salsa comes from Colombia and the best Colombian Salsero is Fruko.
17…Four Tet…Love Cry
Four Tet’s twisted production, knocking drums, and sense of composition is always inspiring.
18…Ben Westbeech…Hang Around (Karizma’s Deepah 1ne Remix)
I love me some Ben Westbeech, but I really picked this tune because of Karizma. I HAD to put at least one Baltimore house producer on the mix. Baltimore is often overlooked as a big house music town, but for such a small city, it’s DEEP with unbelievable talent, has a very distinct sound, and has inspired many (including me)…Karizma, Spen, Teddy Douglas, Crystal Waters, Ultra Naté…so many legends.
19…Michel Cleis…Mir a Nero
His drums man…If mine ever sound half as good, I’ll be happy.
20…Kenlou…The Bounce
There’s already a Kenny Dope track on here, but I just had to include a Masters At Work tune. Greatest house producers ever and their tunes still sound so fresh so many years later.
STYLUS
01…Poor Righteous Teachers…Easy Star
This is one of my fave jams that I never get to play from one of the most underrated golden era hip-hop groups. PRT has hits like “Shakiyla” and “Rock Dis Funky Joint” but the real treats are in their album cuts. R.I.P. Tony D.
02…Steely Dan…The Fez
If I had to make a holy trinity of my favorite bands of all time, Steely Dan is either Jesus or The Holy Ghost.
03…Michael Jackson…Dancing Machine (Daniel Crawford remix)
Because there’s Jackson DNA in almost everything I do as a DJ. And D. Crawford is a beast.
04…Os Tincoãs…Deiza A Gira Girá
My first Brazil trip was a bucket list experience for me and the highlight was visiting Cachoeira in Bahia, discovering this vocal group from that town and tracking down their music. They’re long overdue for some Sol Power edits.
05…A Bossa Elétrica…Sob A Luz Do Sol
Staying in Brazil with a sexy Roy Ayers cover. This one pretty much has a permanent slot in my Sol Power warm-up sets.
06…Gilles Peterson’s Havana Cultura Band…Think Twice (4hero Remix)
Great remix of a great cover. And we’re still in Brazil.
07…Donald Byrd…Think Twice
Because you gotta throw the o.g. in there. R.I.P. Fonce Mizell.
08…De La Soul…Simply / Simply Havin’
This mix clearly didn’t have enough De La Soul. Meistro and I share that level of fandom.
09…A Tribe Called Quest…Footprints
De La and Tribe like peanut butter and chocolate.
10…De La Soul…Breakadawn (Altered Tapes Rework)
This rework tackles an already perfect tune and matches its original brilliance.
11…Erykah Badu…The Cell
The toughest Badu joint that seemingly no one acknowledges. McNasty filth for the b-boys and b-girls. I’m toprocking while writing this.
12…Trouble Funk…So Early in the Morning
As a native of Washington, DC, go-go music was the earliest and most enduring musical influence on me outside of what I heard in my home. My heart still essentially beats to a go-go pocket.
13…Rare Essence…Body Moves
Trouble and Essence were the direct inheritors of the go-go legacy that Chuck Brown created. “Body Moves” is from the boogie funk era of the music. Shoutout to everyone that ever rollerskated to this.
14…Jungle Brothers…Feelin’ Alright
Completing a Native Tongues trifecta with a selection from my fave hip-hop album of all time, the J-Beez sophomore effort Done By The Forces Of Nature.
15…Wilson Das Neves…Tema Para Elizeth
Snuck back to Brazil. Because horns.
16…The Jackson 5…The Mirrors of My Mind
Another for the breakers.
17…Herbie Hancock…Chameleon
This album is on the shortlist of those that changed my life.
18…Ruben Blades…Plastico 2007 (Nauts Borica Vox)
Using a Panamanian salsa (and Sol Power) classic to transition into a mini-tribute to one of my favorite production crews and eras of electronic music of all time. Big ups to Afronaught and Bugz In The Attic.
19…Bugz In The Attic…Intro
When that West London sound broke and really got popping, you couldn’t tell me it wasn’t the funkiest, most innovative thing happening in dance music. I still feel that way when I go back to their stuff.
20…Dego and Kaidi Tatham…Dealt A Bad Hand
I borrowed this record from a friend and played it over and over until the sun rose. Took me years to track down my own copy. I miss Co-Op.
Q&A
What was the first record you bought that made you realise that you wanted to be a DJ / Producer? Meistro: It wasn’t a record, but a mixtape — Q-bert “Demolition Pumpkin Squeeze Muzik” was a huge inspiration and really sparked my interest in DJing (although I never got too into scratching). That tape, a couple Mix Master Mike tapes, and then the whole late 90s indy hip hop movement really got me into it. There was suddenly all of this music only available on wax — I needed the music and I needed a turntable to play it. Figured I ought to save up and get a full set up and do something with the 12”s I was accumulating.
Stylus: I started poaching records from my mom’s collection before I started DJing but what made get into it was “Live at Union Square” on DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s He’s The DJ, I’m The Rapper. I was hearing wizardry with no clue how Jeff was doing it, but I was determined to find out.
What record makes you most nostalgic? Meistro: Tough question — there are a lot of records that remind me a of a time and a place and they all have a lot of nostalgia for me. But I have a very clear memory of making a pause mixtape off the radio and catching Afrika Bambataa “Planet Rock.” I was probably about 9 or 10 and this was years after it was released. But it was the first time I had heard something like it and remember being confused, fascinated, and completely captivated by the sound. It was only years later that I actually learned what it was and its significance, but I’ll always think of making that radio mixtape when I hear that song. Other nostalgic records for me are Lee Perry-era Bob Marley, De La Soul through Stakes is High, Tribe, Paul’s Boutique, Buju Banton – “Til Shiloh,” Wu-Tang 36 Chambers and Forever…so many.
Stylus: Everything on T.T.E.D. or D.E.T.T. Look ’em up! Also the first records I bought doubles of to practice my skills. Jeru’s “Come Clean”, “Return of The Crooklyn Dodgers” and D&D All-Stars “1, 2 Pass It”.
What is your favourite end of night record? Meistro: Oh man, so many. Lately it’s been Open Sky Unit “Sunshine Star” or Popcaan “Everything Nice” or Captain Planet featuring Brit Lauren “In the Gray” or Calypso Rose “Calypso Blues” or…
Stylus: Like my partner, too hard to pick just one. Carl Craig’s “People Make The World Go Round” (Slum Village Mix). “The Charade” by D’Angelo might have the new top spot. Donny Hathaway’s “The Ghetto”. Also EW&F’s “Fantasy”, the long Shelter version.
Do you have a guilty pleasure record? Meistro: I don’t feel one lick of guilt, but Fleetwood Mac “Rumours” gets lots of play in my living room. Pop perfection.
Stylus: All the cheesy New Jack Swing joints that aren’t the well known hits.
What is your most treasured piece of vinyl? Meistro: I don’t get too attached to single pieces, but if I had to pick one it would probably be my copy of Fela Kuti “Sorrow Tears and Blood” I found in Nigeria in 2009. That or one of the Scientist LPs on Greensleeves (I can never pick a favorite). These are much easier to replace than OG pressings of Fela, but I listen to them a lot more.
Stylus: The Os Tincaõs record I used in this mix. More about that in the tracklist. My first record I ever owned is also special, a Melle Mel 12″ I won in a dance contest around age 7 or 8. And my grandfather’s copy of Coltrane’s “Giant Steps”.
Cookie-Dough Guest Mix 15 with Sean Martin (Butterfunkradio)
Welcome to the Cookie-Dough Guest mix where we invite some of favourite DJ / Producers to answer a few questions and dig deep into their collections and put together a mix of their favourite records.
For this episode we have invited Sean Martin from Butterfunk Radio to spin some of the records that have influenced him over the years.
Nice one Sean!
Ste & Terser
Tracklist
First Choice – Let No Man Put Asunder (Danny Krivit ReEdit)
Amp Fiddler – I’m Doin Fine (Moodyman Mix)
Willy Washington pres Paula Ralph – Ain’t No Running Away
Vivian Green – Fanatic (Francois K & Eric Kupper Mix)
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On (1200 Warriors ReMix)
Sessamoto – Moody (Joey Negro Classic Club Mix)
Jocelyn Brown – Believe
Simon – Free At Last
Glen Lewis feat Mjojo and Bongani – Life Everlasting (Dennis Ferrer’s Passion of C Dub)
Kings of Tomorrow feat Julia McKnight – Finally (Danny Tenaglia’s Time Marches On Mix)
Celeda – Be Yourself
Lil Louis – French Kiss
Lolleatta Holloway – Love Sensation (Marshall Jefferson ReEdit)
Greetings, and thanks for listening to my guest mix. When Ste & Terser were promoting and holding residence in Liverpool, Cookie Dough was one of the best gigs in town. So to be asked to put together an ‘influences’ mix for them was a real pleasure…… but being given just 90 minutes to cram it all in was a bit unfair!
Whilst I would probably admit to having very eclectic taste, my real influence has always been house music, in all its guises. And over the years this has naturally led me to discover disco which continues to have a massive influence on me today… but first and foremost, house has been the key influence on how I DJ and produce music. So that’s why you’ve got a house mix, sandwiched between two Salsoul gems, including the odd needle skip, crackle and hiss (apologies, its all from vinyl).
A lot of what I produce is now mainly centred around editing my favourite disco tracks so the mix starts and ends with two classic edits. First, Danny Krivit’s rework of ‘Let No Man Put Asunder’, and finally with Marshall Jefferson’s Re-Edit of my favourite disco track, Love Sensation.
I never play any set without at least on Moodyman tune in there, and his production doesn’t need any introduction from me… we all know how good he is, but his remix of Amp Fiddler’s @I’m doin Fine’ is Kenny Dixon Jr at his best.
Delve a bit further into the mix and you’ll find my homage to the Southport Weekender and a few tracks that take me back to some amazing times at Pontins. Among notable tracks from Willy Washington and a Joey Negro rework of Sessamoto, one tune in particular captures the soulful house style that epitomised what I was playing at the time, and was purchased from a great little record shop in Liverpool called Xfade Records. Sadly, Xfade is no longer but Francois K and Eric Kupper’s mix of ‘Fanatic’ by a lesser known RnB artist called Vivian Green has never left my bag. Listen out for the vocal hook around 4 minutes in… it’s a killer
Then there are the more ‘well known’ selections. Believe it or not, Defected released some decent tunes back in the day! From Eric Morillo’s Subliminal Sessions compilation, Jocelyn Brown’s ‘Believe’ was one of those tracks that I just had to include (so many memories are attached to that track; clubs that I heard it in, friends that I danced with) and this was quickly followed by Simon’s ‘Free at Last’ – a Martin Luther King speech, along with the heavily delayed door slam sample would leave a bit of a mark on me, as would Kings of Tomorrow and Julia McKnight, with the dub version supplied by Danny Tenaglia proving to be the winner. There was a really cool use of a phaser effect on the vocal that would mould how I record vocals myself.
This all leads to a couple of tunes that are what you might call desert island discs. The first is a tune that thanks to Ste & Terser has finally made it onto a mix. Celeda’s ‘Be Yourself’ with it’s hypnotic bass heavy groove and vocal that cuts in after 3 minutes, takes the roof off every time. It is for me, the best deep house record. And like a classic car that never gets taken for a spin, I have to confess that I’ve never mixed with it. I just play it every now and then, in the interest of keeping it as fresh as possible. The second tune is Lil Louis’ ‘French Kiss’. I accidentally listened to this tune on a tape, given to my friend at the time by his sister. We were 8 years old. Needless to say we loved it! Years later I would buy a repress of the tune on a B side of Josh Wink’s ‘How’s your Evening So Far’ and it had to be on this mix. In a way, it was the first house record I ever listened to…….
Best wishes, Sean Martin (Butterfunkradio)
Q&A What was the first record you bought that made you realise that you wanted to be a DJ / Producer?
Josh Wink – Higher State of Consciousness…. The first record that was listened to over and over again….. without doubt the one that pulled the trigger.
What record makes you most nostaligic?
Shaun Escoffrey – Days Like This (Spinna Mix)
What is your favourite end of night record?
Alan Smithee’s rework of Natalie Cole’s, Tell Me All About It
Do you have a guilty pleasre record?
Christina Aguillera – Beautiful (FUG remix)
What is your most treasured piece of vinyl?
All my vinyl is treasured.
