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Selections: Shannen SP

In this series, Selections, we invite DJs, producers and label heads to dig into their digital crates and share the contents of their collections. This week, Shannen SP spotlights amapiano, footwork, Asakaa drill and more

Shannen SP’s sets collate music from the vanguard of African and Afro-diasporic electronic music. From amapiano and gqom to kuduro, footwork, UK funky and rap...

As we enter a new decade, the ways in which we define electronic music styles are rapidly changing. Chal Ravens explores the etymological evolution of...

Bickering over genre definitions is a time-honoured tradition in dance music. One of the weirder etymological developments of recent years is the changing meaning of...

Inspired by the Midwest American raves that first got her hooked on dance music, Chicago’s Eris Drew wants to bring a psychedelic communal energy and...

Autumn has arrived in Berlin, all bright and crisp. Eris Drew opens her windows and the air cuts through the scent of lavender inside. There’s...

Special studio edition of hipster headphones de jour.

AiAiAi's original endeavor into the headphone market was very well received by the hipster DJs and fashion-conscious music lover. Even Stevie Wonder was spotted with a pair perched neatly on his head.

UK label Scuffed Recordings has earned its reputable status with a roster of artists producing tactile, club-focused beats. As it expands further into live events...

Vinyl is more popular than it’s been in years, and wax-only labels are seen as some of the best in dance music. But is our...

We're still deep in the midst of a resurgence in vinyl culture. Vinyl sales continue to rise year on year, up 12% in 2018, and vinyl-only...

Wild Rumpus is just that: an insanely fun, out-of-control party on wax...

The brainchild of DJ Cosmo (Colleen Murphy) the Boston-born, New York raised, London dwelling disco / house music legend, and infamous leftfield guitarist Gary Lucas, who's played with Captain Beefheart, Lou Reed and Jeff Buckley, they make the kind of funky psychedelic rhythms that can only emanate from maverick minds. First single 'Musical Blaze Up' traverses the dub country route, while new cut 'Purple Somersault' is a bizarre and brilliant collision between cranked Kraut-rock drums, wigged surf guitar and scratchy funk. DJmag beckoned Murphy away from her surf board for a minute to talk names, grooves, and grand plans…

So why the name Wild Rumpus?!

"It's from a children's book called 'Where the Wild Things Are' by Maurice Sendak which I loved as a kid and which I read to my daughter. There is a great part of the story where the little boy and his monster friends are about to have a manic dance party underneath a full moon and it says, 'And now let the wild rumpus start'. It just had to be used."

It seems to be quite an unusual hook up, between you Cosmo, and Gary Lucas. How did you come to be working together?

"Gary and I have been friends for nearly 20 years and have talked about working together for ages. I used to do a few different radio shows on WNYU in NYC and had him up when he was relaunching his solo career in the late '80s. As most people in the UK know me for being a 'dance' DJ, many may think it is quite an unusual collaboration. However, most people don't know that I was first and foremost a rock chick and founded the first psychedelic / progressive rock show on my radio station and I was a huge Captain Beefheart fan before house music even existed!"

You seem to have a diverse taste - one minute dubbed out beats and rhymes, the next Krautrock surf music... Is there a grand Wild Rumpus plan?

"Wild Rumpus is about fusing different styles but in a way that works. It's also about having fun and being irreverent. And finally it's about being different. I spend a few hours at the record store and find that 99% of the music to which I am subjected to is derivative. It's so boring. Gary and I both have musically diverse backgrounds and we are able to use our musical heritage in a unique way. This is all music we love!"

What's a 'Purple Somersault'?

"It's a 'term' my daughter came up with. Her favourite colour is purple and 'purple' has also become an adjective that means something that is 'the best'. She likes being flipped upside down and would ask us to help her do an orange somersault, a black somersault (very sinister), a yellow somersault (happy!), etc. But the best was always the 'Purple Somersault'. Also, as this is a surf tune, the somersault refers to the somersaults one does underwater after a wipe-out."

Is there an album in the works? What can we expect?

"There is an album in the works. We have a lot of Gary's guitar tracks that we have recorded and now it's up to me to put it all together so I have quite a job in front of me. Gary is the most original guitarist and can do anything. When we're in the studio it's just so easy but the problem comes with the editing and arranging as sometimes there is almost too much! All I can say about the album is that it will be diverse but always psychedelic and soulful."

What's next for Wild Rumpus?

"Right now we're getting our live show, The Wild Rumpus Experience, together for the summer. We have performed in some wild places including India and are hoping to for some of the UK festivals. We work with visual artist Rob Rainbow who works with The Light Surgeons and Nitin Sawhney amongst others and have also worked with percussionists and a poi fire dancer! We have a show that reaches people on many dimensions so the visual element is really important. We just want to do something that is a bit different."

On Cue is our flagship mix series, celebrating the pivotal DJs and producers whose influence has shaped the world of electronic music, both in their...

As Ethiopian Records, Endeguena Mulu’s vision for electronic music recontextualizes tradition. With a view to evolving the sounds of his home country, the Addis...

Syncopated club rhythms, radiant vocals and frenzied breaks from Paris-based purveyor of international club sounds, Jaymie Silk

Jaymie Silk’s Fresh Kicks mix whirls with colour and ferocity. Syncopated club rhythms, with flourishes of gqom, UK techno and Jersey club, dart through broad...

The industrial sounds of the UK

The industrial sounds of Tough Luck Records come under spotlight in our UK Underground label focus

Denon strikes again with another new media deck, the SC2900, in an attempt to break the stranglehold Pioneer have in the DJ market

Not content to go after Pioneer’s crown of top-flight media player with their fantastic SC3900 alternative to the CDJ2000, Denon hits out again with their new SC2900 player, aiming to put the cat amongst the pigeons at the Pioneer camp.

 

In this series, Selections, we invite DJs, producers and label heads to dig into their digital crates and share the contents of their Bandcamp...

In this series, Selections, we invite DJs, producers and label heads to dig into their digital crates and share the contents of their Bandcamp collections...

Collage of artists included in DJ Mag emerging artists feature for march

The latest and greatest DJs and producers rising to the top this month. From tripped-out rap and laid-back house to rapid-fire breakbeats and more, here's April 2022's list of upcoming talent you should be keeping track of

London-based An Avrin might have failed his sixth-form music tech course, but he’s been on a successful run with music ever since, with releases on...

Can Numark’s N4 controller deliver a welcome surprise and bring pro control to the entry level market?

Numark’s N4 controller is a slightly strange bit of kit as it brings four-deck control, as well as a host of high-end features, to a...

With the pro DJ headphones market more crowded than ever, we investigate some of the latest and greatest cans that money can buy...

There was once a time when every self-respecting DJ would don a pair of the then-ubiquitous Sony MDR-V700DJ headphones. These silver cans sounded great, and...