Take Ten: Destructo
Take Ten: Blanck Mass
Take Ten: Enzo Siragusa picks the tracks that have inspired him
Crazy P pick ten tracks that influence their sound
Crazy P were originally called Crazy Penis when they formed in Nottingham two decades ago, but they lopped off the ‘enis’ after a few years of mischief-making due to a desire to be taken more seriously (to get away from the knob gags, basically). Originally signed to Manchester deep house label Paper Recordings for their first two albums, they switched to Shiva Recordings for the breakthrough ’24-Hour Psychedelic Freakout’ and ‘A Night On Earth’ albums, before switching to Ralph Lawson’s 2020 Vision for their subsequent two long-players.
02. Jan Hammer Group ‘Don’t You Know’
“From the album ‘Melodies’, from back in the Jan Hammer Group days — it’s a real stand-out track from this album. The sound palette is awesome, blending a lush analogue arpeggio bassline, synth strings with more organic textures of Rhodes and live drums. The chord progression has some nice jazzy modulations but the track remains groovy and soulful nonetheless.”
03. Tornado Wallace ‘Voices’
“Taken from the superb ‘Lonely Planet’ album from 2018. This track shares some of the textures on our new album, the lush airy pads, marimba percussion, shimmering chorus-drenched guitars, reminiscent of Talk Talk’s ‘East Of Eden’ and Roxy Music’s ‘Avalon’. It’s a sublime track conjuring up beautiful ’80s tropical landscapes.”
04. Connan Mockasin ‘Charlotte’s Thong’
“Maybe not a direct influence but this has been on repeat for me ever since it came out. It’s beautiful, simple reputation brings a tear to my eye every time I hear it. Connan’s such an interesting, unique artist, on every level — the production, guitar playing, the vocals, the writing... as a guitarist I find him fascinating, such a great loose style. Love him!”
05. Alan Braxe & Fred Falke ‘Most Wanted’
“There’s a fair bit of arpeggio and general analogue business going on in the new album, and this is another example of lush analogue textures but with the dancefloor firmly in mind. Taking the main riff and some of the beats from K.I.D’s ‘Don’t Stop’, and laying a beautiful pad chord progression over the top, it’s simple but oh-so effective!”
Danielle Moore’s picks:
06. Cameo ‘Just Be Yourself’
07. A Certain Ratio ‘Won’t Stop Loving You’
“A Certain Ratio have always been an inspiration as they manage to melt indie into disco and create something unique and continue to make it relevant today. It’s punky edged and driving, and this next song for me is the perfect indie-pop song. I’ve seen them live regularly recently and they create such a wonderful energy together that it’s hard not to come away with positivity. Musically, they are incredibly versatile and talented!”
08. Grace Jones ‘Nipple To The Bottle’
09. Tom Tom Club ‘Genius Of Love’
“Tom Tom Club achieve this wonderful song with a simple layered vocal with harmonies... it’s wonderfully conversational, soulful and subtle and the bassline is a perfect rhythmic drive. It’s so hooky and memorable. Definitely would have tried to emulate this sound vocally at some point. Performance-wise, I love the fact they all look like they’re having a bloody good time. Not taking themselves too seriously whilst retaining ultimate professionalism.”
10. Prince ‘Hot Thing’
Take 10: Josh Wink picks the tracks that have inspired him
Rebekah talks the top 10 tracks that inspired her: LISTEN
Rebekah Teasdale first earned her techno stripes on the dancefloor at Que Club in her home city of Birmingham in the 1990s, dancing to DJs like Dave Clarke and Richie Hawtin. She now shares a bill with jocks of this calibre, having built up her rep steadily in the preceding years. Here, she talks us through the ten tracks that have most inspired her...
WE TALK SHIT ROBOT'S TOP 10 TUNES
Marcus Lambkin, aka Shit Robot, has his third ace album on DFA out this month — ‘What Follows’. It follows 2010’s ‘From The Cradle To The Rave’ and ‘We Got A Love’ a couple of years ago, but unlike those previous two pieces of work ‘What Follows’ is a lot more analogue. “I wanted it to reflect my DJing style a bit more — less pop, less disco, more machines,” says Lambkin.
10 TRACKS THAT INSPIRED GTA
10 TRACKS THAT INSPIRED BLOND:ISH
Canadian duo Blond:ish have found a home at Kompakt and Get Physical of late, their discerning club sets having taken them around the world in recent years after they first teamed up in the late noughties following a chance meeting at the Miami WMC.
Their madcap Blond:ish parties in Montreal are what gave them their name, and since leaving their home city they've won many admirers around the globe.
10 TRACKS THAT INFLUENCED JOSH BUTLER
Fast-rising producer/DJ Josh Butler is one of DJ Mag's current favourite house music producers, with recent tracks like 'Rebirth' and 'Miss You Less' nestling in as staples for warm-up sets by various DJ Mag Allstars over the past few months.