Influences – Laura Jones

Dexter is taken from the album Alcachofa; it was one of the first records I ever bought and is one of my favourites still to this day. If I ever heard an amazing track on a night out, I’d make it my mission to find out the title and used to annoy the hell out of the DJs playing (sorry). I thrived off discovering new tracks and this was one of my most mind-blowing discoveries. I remember feeling really smug when it arrived in the post as it was the first double EP I ever bought and it felt like all my Christmases had come at once. To find other amazing tracks like Waiworinao on there was a massive bonus too.

This track totally sums up the summer of 2005 for me, the year that I graduated from University and spent my first and only season in Ibiza. The first time I heard it, it literally blew me away and I’ll never forget being at one of the many Cocoon after-parties down at Cala Llonga beach (now Dave Piccioni’s lovely restaurant Amante) and hearing Richie Hawtin play it along with Gabriel Ananda’s Sussholz and loads of other Ibiza gems. It was one of the best days ever and the summer fully cemented Mathew Jonson as one of my favourite producers.

The Piano was one of my favourite films as a child. I remember watching it for the first time and being mesmerized by the film score, so much so I asked my parents to take me on a hunt for the sheet music that next week and had my head in it for months on end. I was only 10 or 11 when the film came out so I probably shouldn’t even have been watching it but then I guess having older sisters has it’s plus points every now and again.

My amazing friend Duncan who is sadly no longer with us introduced me to this incredible record. We were at Below around 7 years ago and the moment I heard it, I remember clambering over the DJ booth about as fast as my legs could possibly carry me to ask him what it was. Later that night he gave me a CD with that and a few other tracks and I was so touched, it literally made my night and year. My boyfriend still has a very amusing video of me sitting on the train back to Leeds the next day with headphones on, that blasting out as loud as I could possibly get it, eyes closed with the biggest smile on my face loving life. RIP Despo, you inspirational soul.

Arthur Russell is probably my favourite artist of all time and such an inspiration and although I picked this out, his whole back catalogue remains to be the most listened to and loved music I own. If I could wind the clock back or if I’m ever lucky enough to travel back in time at any point, I’ll be going straight to New York’s underground dance and disco scene in the 70s and 80s and jamming with Arthur Russell in the studio, even though he wasn’t supposed to work too well with other people, I’d have to make it happen and maybe pop in to Paradise Garage whilst I’m there too.

Twin Peaks played a pretty influential role in my childhood, both the series and the soundtrack. It was again, something I probably shouldn’t have been exposed to at such an early age either but go the big sisters once again.
‘Go’ by Moby samples Laura Palmer’s Theme from the Twin Peaks score and has to be one of the greatest crossover rave anthems. It is something that I never tire of hearing, at home or on the dancefloor.

I spent the 3rd year of my uni degree studying in Madrid. Four months in I split up with my boyfriend at the time and remember going to FNAC, the Spanish music store and buying a whole heap of music, amongst which was this amazing compilation and I pretty much listened to it on repeat for the whole time I was away. It’s one of my favourite compilations still to this day along with others in the series. It introduced me to the Souls Of Mischief track ’93 Til Infinity’ which even though I’d been in to hip-hop for a while totally slipped through my net.

Easily one of my favourite techno tracks. It was first released in ’97 but had a second lease of life in the mid 2000s. I heard Ricardo play it in room 1 at Fabric the other week and it totally took me back. It’s dark and sinister and hypnotic and on that sound system sounded insane.

I used to find myself at Back To Basics many a weekend in Leeds in my early days of raving and was really drawn to the classic acid house that I used to hear the residents playing each and every week. When I discovered Trax Records, I spent hours trawling back through the back catalogue and this is a particular favourite and one of the many that has inspired me and never leaves the record bag along with Grooving and House Girl by Mike Dunn. Face It by Master C & J, Lack Of Love, the list goes on…

Consequence is someone I’ve only come across in the last few years. The whole album ‘Live For Never’ is amazing but a particular track ‘From A Distance ft ASC’ has become one of my favourite tracks of all. I pretty much have to lie down and close my eyes whenever I listen to it because it’s so powerful and emotive I can’t actually function doing anything else. There’s very little music that has that effect on me, it’s such a special track and along with Burial’s debut, the album opened up my mind to the world of the more stripped back dubstep.