Bintus – Influences

This made it onto my first compilation tape I made off the radio around 1983, and had just got my first walkman so listened to this endlessly. The atmosphere, instrumentation and sonics are embedded deep into my loaf, and continues to fire the imagination. My neighbour and I proceeded to obsess over his albums, learning to play lots of the melodies on our various budget keyboards we had begun collecting. It reminds me of Juan Atkins for some reason. Unlike some of his stuff, this track stands up over time and is probably one of my fave ever tracks, along with the next one.

“Style of the street” – what a perfect thing to acknowledge in a track title, especially for the era. The ‘UK Electro’ album on the Street Sounds label which contained this track was sound tracking visits to local youth clubs around ’84, where everyone was of course trying to break dance. The whole album was great and highly influential to me both because of the content, and the brain being ‘softer’ and more programmable when young. But this was the magic track for me – sincere and highly atmospheric. Musically it has that timeless thing to me because it’s such a tune. The ‘brass’ sound stabs are one of the best sounds ever created and I couldn’t resist copying the Flanged scratching in a track years later.

This isn’t really about one track. More drumming and rhythm in general as its a part of where I’m coming from influence / inspiration wise, and Stewart ‘King of the hi hat’ (and splash cymbals) Copeland was the one. Check the little hi hat and syncopated splash fill at around 3:10. I had a couple of other drummer friends at school and we would naturally always disagree about the best drummers. They favoured people like Neil Peart and Billy Cobham etc. who were technically more varied – but I didn’t care and battled on for the cause, as no one else sounded like him. Actually one of those guys came up to me years later and said you were right about Stewart Copeland. By this time I had started appreciating lots of other drummers but he still remains my fave.

One of the best things I was ever introduced to was The Fall. Here’s a sub 30 min documentary featuring an on-form Mark E Smith, who is the greatest lyricist I’m aware of. (Sean Ryder, another Manc is also up there, and I would have included Happy Mondays if this list was longer.) I have one story about Mark E Smith. We (Chrome Hoof) supported Von Südenfed (Mouse on Mars with Smith on vocals) at Heaven in London. There was some confusion about the rider. We didn’t know it was to share, and as the twelve of us turned up early to gigs for the lengthy set ups needed, we caned the food which we thought was just for us, before going to the pub. When we got back all the booze had been drunk. Just before Smith went on stage he was being harangued to put out his cigarette backstage (the smoking ban had just come in in the UK) The official couldn’t persuade him, so she called a bouncer to help enforce. Smith wasn’t having it, and there was a funny little dance with the bouncer following Smith pacing around saying “put your cigarette out”. It was obvious who was in charge. He finished his ciggy, then lit another one on stage a few minuets into the set.

Musically opposite to the Fall in a lot of ways. A few people I was around played me Magma tracks over the years but this is the piece that pulled me into the inescapable gravity of their brilliance. To play this complex music straight through, live for 40 mins I find incredible. I love music that twists and turns but still flows and Vander & co. are probably the masters. Another good contender for best band in the world, and melodically perfect for my tastes.

This is the one I picked from a load of hardcore rave tracks, which really kicked things off for me club culture wise. I Have never overtly tried to make a ‘rave’ track..there are so many absolutely killer ones from the time and haven’t had any interest in trying to re create that sound. Plus excitement is captured in the music and production if its of its time. This was a perennial at a club I used to go to. As soon as the first couple of distinctive bass notes came through the PA, people knew what was coming, and though raving hard already, it would be like a ‘roll your sleeves up and get down in an even higher gear’ moment… It had to be mixed out before the jazzy bit comes in though.

My mate Thomas Maier who I lived with in the mid 90’s came from Bavaria to London to study at St. Martins. He had a great record collection and introduced me to so much good stuff. Liaisons Dangereuses, Palais Schaumburg, Andreas Dorau etc. but this is my pick from those times. I went on to buy a lot of Prince Charles & the City Beat band since then and their hit rate is excellent. This sleazy synth funk had everything – synths high on squelch, slap bass, flute, beautiful vocals, but above all the insane level of groove. I used to open up DJ sets with this quite a lot and was always watchful in case anyone took offence to the celebratory nature of the subject matter – you never know right? But groove beats popularity, so there.

This is a spine tingler for me. My older brother had this 12″, and it certainly accelerated my crossover from Indie to dance music. I first heard it out loud in 1991 I think, at one of those house party’s that get completely out of hand where loads of local unsavoury characters start turning up, and telling their mates to come down. Its got that otherworldliness about it, that I also think the JMJ track has that kicked this off.

Got to have an Acid track, and this is the pick as it’s pretty much perfect. I bought so many cheap acid house comps when it was pretty unfashionable – around ’93 I suppose. Any record with ‘acid’ in the title basically. I thought everything would be as good as this one, and it turned out about 30 % are 🙂