Influences: Pbr Streetgang

TOM:

I picked this record up in Berlin. I didn’t know much about James Mason at that time, in fact I still don’t know a huge amount about him now! However the first time I listened to this piece of music I was just like ‘wow’ – It left me speechless! Some records have the power to flood your senses with an array of emotions… the hair stand up moment! This did it for me! I can listen to this track over and over again,and every time get taken away to an amazing place in my mind. It’s an ambient disco delight that always moves me!

TOM:

I grew up listening to 80’s music. I loved it! It was bold, unique, sometimes pretty bad if we’re honest. Cameo’s, Word up was in essence a pop record, put I feel it crosses the boundaries into electronic dance music. I definitely had more appreciation for funk, electro funk, and synth based music after hearing it – and what a front man! This record is cool – I still like playing it at parties!

TOM:

I’ve always been a big fan of the Cure. Robert Smith was a fascinating character, someone who just didn’t conform, the perfect icon for me whilst going through the school years. Out of all his mater pieces, Lullaby is my favourite. Still sounds fresh to this day. The Cure I love you!

TOM:

Probably the record that sums up the 70’s underground disco movement in New York the best! Unfortunately I wasn’t old enough, or didn’t know about the Paradise Garage until it has passed – but I can safely say that place, the music, it’s ethos, vibe, people, is where I take a large amount of my inspiration and ideas today. Larry Levan in control of what was the first real underground nightclub. If only I had a time machine!!!!

TOM:

Over the years I’ve always had an interest with collecting ‘nu disco’ records. The true pioneers of the scene boil down to three artists – Todd Terje, Prins Thomas and of course Hans Peter Lindstrom. These bunch of Scandinavians carved a cool little niche for themselves around fifteen years ago, and never looked back. Lindstrom’s back catalogue is pretty varied and vast. Some of his music is actually pretty left field, which I love! All these acts have some form of influence on in my DJ carrier. Closing Shot is one of Lindstrom’s latest tracks – It’s simply brilliant! Everywhere I play it, it gets a great reaction!

BONAR:

To be honest there are so many Prince records i could have chosen as well but this is great. With out doubt Prince is THE single biggest musical influence I’ve ever had or will have. From about the age of 7-8 i idolised this guy, he was my gateway in to so many other styles of music.

BONAR:

Being the youngest in my family by a long way, in 1991 while my older brother was up in Manchester being a regular at places like the Hacienda and Bowlers, 9 year old me with a huge feeling of FOMO was left to make do with watching ‘The Word’ with Terry Christian, ‘Dance Energy’ with Normski on TV and doing the ‘Running Man’ in my living room for hours on end. There are a dozen other tracks i could have picked from this time that I really obsessed over, and this is probably the most naff of them, but it still reminds me of how I felt when I was that age, wanting desperately to go to all these amazing places and dance all night. Moral of the story, just be careful what you wish for in life.

BONAR:

I’m a big sucker story setting intros and this a great one. I first heard this as the opening track on my friends Renaissance mix CD by Fathers Of Sound. The vocal is amazing the production is so cool and smooth without being over polished and the back half of the track turns into a brilliant dub / bass guitar workout.

BONAR:

As a relatively drippy 16 year old, probably not unlike many others at that time I’d sit in my room on a Friday night listening to Pete Tong’s show and write down every track I liked then the following morning go into my favourite little store at the time, Vinyl Matters in Birmingham, try and buy them, usually to be told it wouldn’t be out for a couple of months. This was one of those records and the wait for it to arrive would make its eventual purchase all that much sweeter. Vignette aside this was really influential track because this began my love affair / obsession with Body & Soul and essentially the kind of music that was played there. I’ve been lucky enough travel and go to some incredible parties, and even got to DJ a few times with one of its residents Danny Krivit, but this the one party I always regret not being able to go to.

BONAR:

I could say that whole Metro Area first album had a huge influence but the biggest by a way was Miura. Rolling on 4 years to 2001 this was a time when I was out DJing in Birmingham every weekend a couple of residencies under belt at busy clubs which was great but the feeling was nagging away in me that I wasn’t really happy with the music I felt I ‘had’ to be playing at them it wasn’t really being myself. One afternoon I was in my favourite record shop (at this time Depot), I picked a copy of this up and it sounded incredible, but nothing like the music I could ‘get away with’ playing at my residencies in Birmingham. Fast forward a few months and my friends Andy and Jules had invited me to stay with them in Ibiza for a few days, forgoing the usual Sunday night pilgrimage to We Love @ Space they insisted we got an early night so they could take me to a place I’d never been before, DC10. Needless to say I was blown away, early that Monday morning I heard Loco Dice warming up the Terrace and after about an hour of music he played Miura. I have to admit tears rolled down my face as I had this wonderful feeling belonging in a place I’d never set foot in before. It was the realisation that there was more out there for me if I just trust in the music I really believe in. It was a real turning point record.