Basic Soul Unit – Influences

Music

Basic Soul Unit has been dropping quality records over the last decade. With previous releases on Ostgut Ton, Crème Organization, Mule Electronic and Versatile, his next aural excursion sees him join up with Dekmantel in the form of Under The Same Sky which is set for release on 12th October. To celebrate what is sure to be another batch of hypnotic, funky goodness, we asked him to provide us with a selection of sounds that have inspired him over the years. Here's what he had to say about his picks;

"For this selection, I focused solely on songs that I felt directly influenced my sound and approach to production. I’ve always strived to create tracks that move you on the dance floor but that also touches your soul. As I grew up through the evolution of dance music from the late '80s to present, I’ve absorbed and been inspired by a wide spectrum of sound (though I tend toward the soulful side of things). Consequently it’s probably unsurprising that a lot of these tracks cross genres and sounds. However, one thing that runs through all these works for me is a sense of deepness, soul, groove and funk."

Under The Same Sky is out on 12th October via Dekmantel.

LISTEN

Mr Fingers Ammnesia (Original 12" Mix)

Probably the artist that has influenced me more than any others, I could’ve picked any of 10 or 20 other tracks. However this one I think encapsulates all of the qualities I love about a Larry Heard track. It’s a perfect blend deep soulfulness juxtaposed with a jacking bassline and rhythm.

Mr Fingers Ammnesia (Original 12" Mix)

Probably the artist that has influenced me more than any others, I could’ve picked any of 10 or 20 other tracks. However this one I think encapsulates all of the qualities I love about a Larry Heard track. It’s a perfect blend deep soulfulness juxtaposed with a jacking bassline and rhythm.
Aphrodisiac - Song Of The Siren (Atlantic Mix)

A sparse bassline layered with pads, waves and bird sounds, dreamy vocalisation, this is one of the first house songs I heard where the atmosphere and mood was emphasised over melodies.
Dove Song - Nicolette

Although it came from the Rave/Breaks related label Shut Up And Dance, I would hear this mixed in House sets at clubs and at after hours parties. It went beyond genres and crossed over into different scenes. Rather than just looping a full bar of a break, the samples were chopped and rearranged into a mad, tricky and jagged rhythm. Nicolette’s idiosyncratic vocal also complimented the sound.
Nuyorican Soul - The Nervous Track

A recurring theme in a lot of my picks is the ability of the artist to work beyond genres and create something unique. You probably think of great vocal house or dance floor bangers when thinking of Masters At Work (which I also love) but this was one instance where they went deep and also used a percussive syncopated beat (some would say proto-Broken Beat).
Cousin Cockroach - This Ain't Tom & Jerry

Bad Bwoy bassline and beats from the 4Hero don. This proves that Broken Beat wasn’t just jazzy keys and vocal flavourings. The scene was a mash up of everything from soul, disco, funk, to house, techno and beyond but with a London twist. I listen to and play a lot of styles so the music coming out of this scene was right up my alley. Also I think the beat experimentation and chopping makes sense from the fact that many members were part of Dego’s seminal Drum n Bass label Reinforced (which he ran w/ 4Hero partner Marc Mac)
New Sector Movements - Voonga Vonge

Another one from the West London camp. IG mixes a soulful vibe with an Afrobeat feel at house tempo. An antagonist to the dark feel of the track before but all coming from the same family tree. A lot of deep house DJs would drop this as well.
Jazzanova - Caravelle

In parallel to what was going on in West London, Berlin and Germany through Jazzanova and Compost were similarly mixing up vibes. To me this is forward thinking Jazz Dance. Maybe my drum programming is not as intricate as this but I think I took away the approach of new ways of looking at old things.
Theo Parrish - Lights Down Low (This One Mix)

Theo is an obvious influence especially on some of my earlier work. It’s not just the stuttering beats with swagger and soulful jazzy vibes but also in the way he chops up the sounds and messes with them. This particular one has a jacking feel and roughed up drum sounds juxtaposed with melodic synth and bassline; something I identify with as I’m always trying balance the heavy and dark elements with the light elements in my work.
Anthony Shake Shakir - Fact Of The Matter

Another inspiration from Detroit. He has more bouncier affairs than this but there is always a darker and deeper mood to his output that still makes it cerebral. This one has a tough stuttering beat that offsets floating pads and undulating synths. As you can see it’s a recurring theme for me this balance of rough and delicate.
The Sun God - Relics & Artifacts

For me, Jamal Moss stretches the limits of the Chicago sound to its edge and even beyond. Besides intricately evolving, yet organic melodies, the noise, distortion and cosmic feel of his tracks add another dimension to the jacking grooves. This was the first song I’d heard of his work. When I did my tracks for my EP on Mathematics (his label), Jamal pushed me to really explore and take the tracks further. I may not have continued in the exact direction of that EP but I took his words from it and tried to explore and find my own voice.