Swayzak: The Ransom Note Mix
So, this one is a little special and occurred somewhat by chance…. Swayzak is now the one man project of David Brown but for a long time was built upon a powerful partnership with James Taylor. The duo were perhaps two of the most unsung heroes of dance music in the nineties, amassing a reputation based upon quality and delivery as opposed to hype and drama. Their sound would go on to inspire and influence a generation right up to the present day and this is still very clear by those who continue to volunteer remixes of their work. As referenced previously Swayzak is now the sole responsibility of David Brown following an amicable seperation from James in 2011. Since then he has released music on the likes of Curle, Ellum Audio and the Swayzak run record label 240 Volts.
This month marks the release of a two part album, a retrospective collection of music recorded across the last twenty years, some heard and some not. It features remixes from prolific figures such as Mathew Johnson, Apparat and more. It truly is a homage to a sound which Swayzak can completely call their own.
Listen to a new all vinyl mix recorded by David Brown below…
Please introduce yourself… Who are you, where are you and what are you?
brun (my mum calls me david) in montreal canada right now , international layabout music producer ….
What does your music sound like? Can you draw what you think it sounds like for us (an image from the old internet is acceptable)?
deep , techno , minimal tinge but not that minimal if i could draw it would be most like a bad meme of a woman with a cat on her head .
Where was the mix recorded?
at home in my living room
What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?
at home perhaps in the supermarket queue or maybe a long tube ride
What should we be wearing?
east german army flecktarn trousers
What would be your dream setting to record a mix: Location/system/format?
direct to nagra tape deck from linn sondek lp12 ( no pitch control ) naim amps in
Which track in the mix is your current favourite?
pete namlok – subharmonic atoms . its a short track so i re-edited it .
What’s your favourite recorded mix of all time?
live at the social andrew weatherall heavenly records just takes me back .
If you could go back to back with any DJ from throughout history, who would it be and why?
john peel i missed my chance to meet him though he was a major inspiration
What was your first DJ set up at home and what is it now?
rega planar 3 belt drive turntable + 4 channel realistic mixer + aiwa cassette deck + Nad amp ! technics 1210 with modified Rega arm thats all
What’s more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?
the starters set the mood, but end of the day its good to drop a killer at the end .
What were the first and last records you bought?
first – probably jimmy osmonde or darts . last – ATV – action time vision 7”
If this mix was an edible thing, what would it taste like?
deep fried sushi from peru
If it was an animal what would it be?
large eared grey rabbit
One record in your collection that is impossible to mix into anything?
the associates – party fears two . i played it at fabric it cleared the floor
Upcoming in the world of…
remix coming out for john grant !
Anything else we need to discuss?
on the road
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