Charlie Bennett (Bodyhammer)- The ‘C120 Vol1’ Ransom Note Mix

 
Music

Charlie Bennett has ace records.

That's all about you need to know.

Okay, we'll tell you a little more about this upstanding gentleman. Charlie Bennett is an aural expounder of dancefloor discs both obscure, odd and kinetic. He used to run finely programmed parties called tothebone (which still functions as an outlet for a radio show) and Beyond The Clouds and is one of the residents at the excellent Body Hammer.

It was as a direct result of said hammer of bodies that this mix came into creation. Charlie had been playing records at the BH takeover at Bloc early on Saturday morning. He had not put his head to the pillow after said takeover. We got talking in a crowd late into the Saturday afternoon. We discovered he had put us together a fine selection of African dance music for the site previously. We thought we should rekindle this aural love affair… and here is the result. A 2 hour mix recorded on a C120 cassette, hiss and all. It is quite fine.

Let's get it on… then chat to Mr Bennett.

Please introduce yourself…

Who are you:

I’m Charlie Bennett. A record collector and sometime DJ. I used to organise parties too, but retired three or four of years ago to spend my earnings.

Where are you:

Still in bed.

What are you:

Jaded.

Where was the mix recorded?

At home in south-east London.

What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

Driving a convertible Ferrari along Peru’s desert coast with a black jaguar in the passenger seat. Condors soaring high above you in a cloudless sky.

What would be your dream setting to record a mix:

At home. Exactly as it is now, but with a record assistant. The first thing I’m going to do when I hit the big time is hire a record assistant. Like the one at 3.20 here

.

Anyone that’s been DJing over 20 years should automatically qualify for one.

Which track in the mix is your current favourite?

The first one, ‘Reality’ by Cloud 7

What’s your favourite recorded mix of all time?

Maybe Dave Mothersole’s ode to DJ Laurent for Bleep43.

Or Gemini at Deep In The Flowers. Spencer Kincy aka Gemini Live @ Deep In The Flowers, Dallas – 27-07-1996

If you could go back to back with any DJ from throughout history, who would it be and why?

Gemini. The best house DJ I’ve ever seen.

What was your first DJ set up at home and what is it now?

First: 1 x Aiwa Hi-Fi turntable. 1 x Realistic belt drive turntable with variable pitch. 1 x Realistic mixer. 1 x Fender valve amp.

Now: 2 x Technics 1210s. 1 x CDJ. 1 x Vestax PCV-275. 1 x Luxman valve amp.

What’s more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?

Track you start on.

What's the best thing about afrobeat? Have you got a favourite beat?

The Gbedu drum. It’s a bit like a Nigerian kettle drum. Not all afrobeat bands had them. Fela Kuti’s did and it sounds huge on his recordings. I don't have a favourite beat.

Aside from our Wil, who's the strangest person you've ever bumped into at a festival/gig?

Graeme Le Saux at freerotation. Pretty sure it was him. 

If you were hosting a Come Dine With Me style dinner party only for people called Charlie/Charles, who would your 3 guests be?

Parker. Darwin. Manson.

What were the first and last records you bought?

First record was Foul Play – Music Is The Key from HMV in Richmond. Last one was Javier Bergias – Eclipse from Stuart Leath in Herne Hill.

If this mix was an edible thing, what would it taste like?

A C120 cassette tape.

One record in your collection that is impossible to mix into anything?

Adrian Lenz – Cover Me In Oil. Got nothing within 20 bpm north or south of it.

Upcoming in the world of Charlie Bennett?

Easter eggs.

Anything else we need to discuss?

Nah.


Charlie Bennett can be found on Twitter here.

tothebone radio and podcasts can be found here.