can't believe that this classic is almost 30 years old :(

Liquid

Taken from DJ Friction's weekly BBC show.
You'll be able to grab this as an exclusive from Beatport on Sunday 22nd Sept. 
Then 7th Oct on iTunes and all general stores from 22nd Oct.

Press Release:
Lasers blazing, sub-guns locked and loaded, John B’s influential imprint Beta Recordings returns with an almighty bang.

Responsible for unleashing early releases in the careers of now-household names such as High Rankin, Camo & Krooked and Xilent, John flexes his A&R muscles once again with this latest double-damager from Dexcell.

Their pedigree more than established by way of killer releases on the likes of Titan, Breach and Destined, ‘Close Your Eyes’ is set to take the trio to the next level. Armed with a spine-melting synth hook and coated in the demonstratively emphatic vocal urgency of Katies Ambition, ‘Close Your Eyes’ has already been subject to sizzling spotlight attention thanks to BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra airtime from Friction and Metrik respectively. More attention is set to be pledged from across the board as Beta have also commissioned a super-sassy, super-sexified UKG rub. Deepening the vibe without diluting the impact, it’s a well-polished two-step treat that joins the dots between the tempos with true authentic London garage sophistication. Close your eyes… And it could be 1999 all over again!

Cat. No. BETA 040 
Barcode: 5051142098139

CLICK HERE TO BUY

Dexcell Ft. Katie's Ambition - "Close Your Eyes" (Friction BBC Radio One Rip) OUT NOW

Andy C - Workout (Annie Mac Special Delivery + Interview)

out now - http://po.st/AndyCWorkoutiT 

Beatport - http://po.st/AndyCWorkoutBP 
Trackitdown - http://po.st/AndyCWorkoutTID
DNBA - http://po.st/AndyCWorkoutDNBA


iTunes

Andy C - Workout - out now

I did this one back in 1996 for Mercury Records. The Fugees were signed to Sony Music, but had contributed a track to an upcoming Mercury Records film soundtrack called, "When We Were Kings". The film is about an historic boxing event in 1974 in Kinshasa, Zaire, Africa. It pitted the undefeated world heavyweight champion George Foreman against challenger Muhammad Ali. This remix uses samples of Muhammad Ali quotes at the intro - I did another 'Extended Mix' that used more quotes throughout. When I find the DAT I will convert & upload it :).

The key to getting this one right is initial ARRANGEMENT. 
The Radio Promotions guy at Mercury Records came to me asking my advice about a Fugees track that was getting no love at radio (as a promotional/preview copy). It was too long (just over 5 minutes) and it didn't have a proper hook - like a 'pop' radio record usually does. Sony tried to block Mercury from releasing it as a single, as The Fugees had just blown up with their breakout cover of "Killing Me Softly". Since Sony had no rights to the track, Mercury were free to use however they wanted. The only trouble was that radio wasn't in love with it in its current form.... 

I went back to the vocals. Laid them out, edited verses from  the various featured rappers, clipped into a SONG FORMAT... i.e. Verse, Bridge, Chorus, Verse, Bridge, Chorus, MIddle 8 etc. I utilised a Lauryn HIll  sung line (Juice Newton's "Angel In The Morning") as the chorus hook - copied & pasted that. The music/bassline sample that creeps in and out of the track was lifted from ABBA's "The Name of the Game". I always thought it was odd that no-one had sampled the Swedish super group before. Turns out, there was a good reason... 

ABBA members/writers, Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson, flatly refuse clearance for samples, no matter who you are. In this rare case, they loved how the music was used and agreed worldwide clearance. This was a first back in 1996. It wasn't until 2005 that they allowed another ABBA sample to be used - "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" for Madonna's "Hung Up". The producer and creator of that single is also (coincidentally) a British guy - Stuart Price aka Thin White Duke, Jacques Lu Cont, Les Rythmes Digitales. 

So, here's how it turned out... Ali intro/background chant/LH singing the build "blocks on fire".. C'mon! > kick straight in with the ABBA groove; cut straight to main chorus hook - Lauryn Hill singing "Angel In The Morning" - you have to grab radio DJs & show producers ears immediately; follow with clipped raps from Wyclef Jean, Q-Tip, Lauryn Hill; then into the "Blocks on fire" sung bridge; back into the "Angel In The Morning" sung chorus; Verse 2 is spliced from raps by Pras and (saving the maddest for last) Busta Rhymes; bridge, chorus/bridge to fade. DONE! Result: #.3 on the UK Singles Chart and minor, but significant, hit in the USA. The down side for me was that I didn't get a proper 'printed' credit on the retail CD. I've seen it labelled as UK Mix, European Remix, Radio Edit etc. I was gutted at the time, but I was just a kid and I wasn't as business savvy at that stage of my career.

When I listen to it now, I realise how brutal the vocal cuts were. Some not subtle at all. The audio quality sounds a bit rough N ready/wooly. I wouldn't do it in quite the same way now. But, that's the thing of it. You do what you think is right at the time. Shout out to the tracks' original producers - Lauryn Hill & Wyclef Jean. Mix engineer - Warren Riker and Executive Producer – David Sonenberg.

The Fugees ft. Q-Tip & Busta Rhymes - Rumble In The Jungle [Mendis Radio Mix]

De La Soul - Buddy

Pete Rock Feat CL Smooth Lost Boyz Keith Murray A Tribe Called Quest & Gang Starr - 90s Cypher

WHO DO YOU BELIEVE IN? (PRODUCED BY JOHNNY J)

The Very Best Of Brand Nubian

Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down (2006 Remastered 12" Version)

Get in the car, windows down, shades on and ride out to this.

De La Soul - Breakadawn

De La Soul - Buddy (Remix) feat. Jungle Brothers, Q-Tip, Monie Love & Queen Latifah

Question Mark Asylum - Hey Lookaway

Let Me Ride

Q-Tip-Renaissance Rap remix feat. Busta Rhymes, Raekwon, Lil' Wayne (Jamandahalf.com)

Tech N9ne - In My Head (with lyrics)

Get it from iTunes now: bit.ly/E-S-R-R

Me and stef (riva starr) were out vinyl shopping in williamsburg, brooklyn earlier this year when we met this dude ranting in the street about some 3 day bender he had been on (and possibly still was....) we hooked him into our serato and chopped him up into a tune. I just wish we’d caught his full name.......
Norm x

Beatport: http://btprt.dj/19UM5le

De La Soul - Buddy

TheProf

Recent comments

is.real.bold

Patrice Bogoss

DJ DAVID

VincentB

Related tracks