Zone-Magazine-Wally-Lopez-Issue-040

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Thanks for taking the time speak with us today! What were the highlights of 2023? Personally and for your Labels? Thanks for having me! Yeah, things continue to be nice and busy both in the studio and with gigs as well as on the label side. I’ve been playing a hardware based Jimpster live set since the pandemic, both on my own as well as with drummer Andy Gangadeen. We’ve got to play some great festivals and clubs including Gilles Peterson’s We Out Here and Berlin’s best deep house club Heideglühen. Both of these sets have been highlights and it’s really nice travelling with a friend for gigs for a change. It’s definitely more stressful and more effort playing live shows but the payback and satisfaction after the set is worth it and people really seem to appreciate the live element. In 2022 we started a 3rd label called Cyphon Recordings which is already 10 releases in and focusing on Detroit inspired electro and 90’s UK techno/IDM/electronica. It’s been amazing to set up another imprint and the response and support has been much stronger than we imagined. What was the music that inspired you most growing up and how has that influenced the music that you produce today? I was lucky enough to grow up in a musical family with my dad being the drummer in a jazz funk band called Shakatak and my mum being a jazz vocalist. I used to go into the studio when Shakatak were recording and to pass the time I’d grab a synth or drum machine that wasn’t being used and plug in some headphones and mess around on them. At the same time I was getting into breakdancing and starting to collect the Streetsounds Electro compilations so I guess this period around 1983/84 was when everything came together and the seeds were sewn. How did you start out as a DJ? What music got you into the dance scene, what did you start out playing? I think I got two turntables and started learning to mix records around 87/88. The decks were just hifi decks but had pitch control of plus/minus 3% so as long as the records were fairly close in BPM you could get match them up. Around this time I was listening to a lot of On U Sound releases so dub reggae, Mark Stewart, Gary Clail and Tackhead as well as EBM like Nitzer Ebb and Front 242 and industrial and experimental noise and electronica stuff from Meat Beat Manifesto, Renegade Soundwave, Throbbing Gristle and Skinny Puppy. I remember when Renegade Soundwave’s Space Gladiator and The Phantom came out and blowing us all away and signaled our entry into clubbing and discovering house music. I think my first proper gig was around 1991 in my hometown of Braintree, Essex and going by the name DJ O.D! Strictly hardcore! Was there/is there anyone who is still, or who has been, particularly influential in your musical journey? I grew up in a small village an hour from London but we were lucky enough to have a bunch of older lads who were obsessed with good music. One of those was Peter White whose sister worked at Mute Records and would bring home tapes of upcoming releases which Peter would play to us. Getting to hear this stuff ahead of release and sometimes even hearing demos or rare remixes and stuff which would never be released was a real buzz. He went on to create a great label called Space Kat around the early 2000’s, a label I followed religiously so you could say he’s been a constant source of inspiration for a very long period of time. What have been your personal favourite moments in your musical career? Gigs, Productions etc The majority of my most amazing moments in music are from my time spent touring with a live band called The Bays. For about 6 years from the start of the 00’s we got to play some crazy gigs that I’m so grateful to have got to experience. Several Peel Sessions at Maida Vale, Glastonbury and some other big festivals in Japan, Holland, Sri Lanka and Brazil. If I have to pick one highlight it would have to be getting to play with Herbie Hancock joining us onstage at a sold out Barbican. Still can’t believe that happened to be honest. What has been the best concert/ event you have ever been to. Whether you have played there or not? Miles Davis at Wembley Conference Centre in November 1986 playing tracks from Tutu. I was 13 at the time and getting obsessed with synths. Seeing Robert Irving III with his vast racks of keyboards was the moment that made me think, I’d like some of that please! What music do you normally play at home these days? Mostly soul and jazz both old and new. Rainer Trueby has a Facebook group called Soul Gliding which I discover a lot of great older stuff through. 26 ZONE-MAGAZINE.EU
Tell us about the clubs you like to play in? and what do you prefer, festivals, clubs, bars? I’m happy to get to share music anywhere there’s a nice crowd of open minded music heads but generally the more intimate and close up the setup is the more connected you feel and therefore brings out the best in terms of taking more risks with selections. Tell us about your next projects. When is the next release? And what else are you excited about for the labels this year? I’ve just finished a Jimpster EP for Nu Groove which I’m really excited about and that should be dropping after summer. Also got a remix for a great South African artist called beatsbyhand which is just about to come out on Stay True Sounds. I’m currently in the studio working on a collaboration EP with Berlin based producer Philippa which will most likely be our 300th Freerange release coming out around November. And we’ve also reached another milestone on Delusions Of Grandeur hitting our 100th release with a brilliant new EP from Session Victim called Screen Off. Favourite gigs of 2023? I always love playing in South Africa as it’s a very different experience to anywhere else and the energy levels are always off the scale. I’ve also got my monthly night at my wife’s venue Acanteen here in Essex called Jimpster Invites. We had some great nights last year with Aroop Roy, Atjazz, Terry Farley, Crazy P, Mood II Swing and Sean McCabe all joining me. Special shout to Heideglühen in Berlin for two amazing live shows and to Louie Vega and Anane for inviting me to play live at their Ibiza residency at Chinois which was another special night. And what are the gigs you are really looking forward to in 2024? Jimpster - Birdhouse LP Osunlade - Momma’s Groove (Jimpster Remix) Swell Session - Prepared To Go (Jimpster Remix) Jimpster - Headspin Franc Spangler - Fight The Feeling Freerange Top 5 Marcel Wave - Holton (Serafin Remix) King Kooba - San Salvador Switch - Get On Downz Blackjoy - Untitled (Kerri Chandler’s Bigga Remix) Salvatore Freda & Volta - Western Spaghetti If you were stuck on a desert island and could only take 5 records with you, what would they be? David Sylvian - Brilliant Trees, Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays - As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls, Grace Jones - Slave To The Rhythm, Kraftwerk - Computer World, George Duke - The Aura Will Prevail. Where do you see the future of Electronic music? Any particular trends you see moving forward? Personally, I’m not really into new trends or genres. I’m pretty old school and happy to continue digging for older music I’ve missed and following the original pioneers of house who continue to impress whilst staying true to the roots of club music. Thanks Jamie, great chatting to you! Looking forward to catching up with you again in June for Amor Andalucia! Thanks for having me and see you in the sunshine! Black Coffee just invited me to play his night at Hi, Ibiza in August which should be a blast! I’ll be heading over to Spain to play Stuart Patterson’s Amor Andalucia which I’m really looking forward to. It’s a really solid line-up including Terry Farley, Ronnie Here and Dave Jarvis as well as a host of brilliant local DJ’s. Can’t wait for that one! Also got some more US dates in San Francisco and Detroit coming up soon. What are your own top 5 records that you have produced? And your top 5 that you have released on the label?
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