A new language for 2020, ‘Lockdown’ and ‘Social Distancing’, a pandemic that took over the world, and mass gatherings in the UK were cancelled en masse (sic). This of course meant that Notting Hill Carnival didn’t happen.....

For many years, I have been afforded the pleasure and honour of playing a set at the legendary KCC & The Rocking Crew Soundsystem, now based at Wornington Road. This site is THE spot for House Music at Carnival, thousands gather, a proper party. There is no room for error, track selection has to be on nothing less than top drawer. Classics mingle with edgier new rhythms, but the energy has to be kept up. 

The whole set up is led by brothers Keith and Mel Franklin, part of the true and unwritten history of House music in this country, long before the falsehoods that have been commonly told. They have long waved the flag for the music, and deserve to be amongst the biggest DJs in the world. Playing a set in front of these two is always daunting, however at the same time it’s such a an incredible feeling when they have entrusted me to hit the Technics and now Pioneers over the years. 

This set is made up of tracks that I had building in the months prior to the cancelled date. I had planned to start at a higher tempo than I had done over the last few years, and less of the ‘obvious’ classics. Of course, the signature tune of my last few years is still here ‘Mind Ur Step’, however this time as a dub. The plan was was to lean on the techy side, and the odd deeper vocal, building up to a tempo for DJ Spoony to then grab the baton. 

I hope this set finds you in time, and that it feels ‘Carnival’ to those who know that feeling, and to those who want to understand. There are no edits, no after production, all mistakes have stayed, as they would on the day. This goes out to the Rocking Crew, they know what they want, they know how to party.

The ‘Missing’ 2020 Notting Hill Carnival Set (To KCC & The Rocking Crew With Love)

A FunkSoulLover......With that 4/4 shuffle.

The ‘Missing’ 2020 Notting Hill Carnival Set (To KCC & The Rocking Crew With Love)

Mr Tony Nanton