DJs have had to do a lot of things in order to make money during the pandemic. Steve Lawler charged people $31 to tell them their latest record was crap. Sterling Void had to...
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The gangster mentality in house music – and why Detroit’s Carl Craig is the perfect example of this protectionist mindset
Carl Craig is upset. He’s not saying that in entirely straightforward terms, but that’s the message. The likes of Michael James, Annabel Ross, Ellie Flynn and others – not to mention myself – have...
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As Defected release over 140 tracks from Todd Edwards archive tomorrow, a pertinent question – are they repeating the mistakes the majors committed with house music in the 1990s?
Let’s start this piece by being kind. Simon Dunmore is a man who has done much for dance music. From his early days at Cooltempo to being A&R at AM:PM all the way to...
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Danny Rampling claims he cares about freedom – so why did he do a joint gig with his wife in human rights abusing Dubai?
Last Friday, I had another post up about Danny Rampling, pointing out how his views seem to do a 360 whenever it suits him. He was originally supportive of lockdown, claiming those who disobeyed...
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The question everyone’s asking as Sterling Void puts out a brand new remix for D Records – who REALLY made it?
Were you starting to think that I’d forgotten to keep an eye on Sterling Void? Not a bit of it. Sterling Covid, as I call him around here, is sadly on his second wave...
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Derrick May’s latest gig: Speaking at the Detroit Historical Society – but what would he make of just being another relic?
You’d imagine that a society with a name sounding as prestigious as the Detroit Historical Society would know a little bit about, well, the history of Detroit. It turns out that they don’t know...
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909 is the name of the machine, not its price! The depressing yet predictable tale of how Derrick May sold a stolen Roland drum machine to Frankie Knuckles to pay his rent
Derrick May is a master at telling stories. He’s remarkably good at it. Whether it’s because he genuinely believes they’re true or just because he knows he has a fairly charismatic personality, I don’t...
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Disunited kingdom: Confusion as England hopes to reopen nightclubs on June 21st… but the devolved nations don’t even have it in their plans
The dance music press are, if nothing else, lazy. Hence why if you follow them, you might be under the impression that when Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he wants nightclubs open again by...
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You’ll have to eat soup in the rain for another 2 weeks! Sacha Lord loses his case against the government to reopen hospitality more quickly
Last night, I published this piece about Sacha Lord’s legal case to allow hospitality to open indoors – that’s bars, restaurants and so on – earlier than the May 17th date currently planned for...
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He sure is taking a long time to fix his sink! DJ Sneak’s day of freedom from Traxsource slips further away
Since January, this blog has been helping DJ Sneak to keep to his vow. He effectively made it his New Year’s resolution to have all his music removed from digital stores. And I thought...
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What IS going on? From absent judges to temporising government lawyers, Sacha Lord’s case to reopen indoor hospitality earlier mired in delays and dithering
I haven’t been entirely complimentary about Sacha Lord on this blog. I’ve previously condemned the way he rewarded plague rave DJs and I’m not especially a fan of his conduct on social media either....
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History was made in Liverpool at the weekend – so why did Yousef choose such a tried and tested lineup for this very special event?
It was going to sell out. There was simply no way that this event would even have one ticket left for it. You could have literally anyone on the bill and the clamour would...
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As Mixmag gets a pat on the back from The Drum, managing director says they don’t “shy away from telling the truth” – but is that REALLY so?
I see that Mixmag won some awards last week. Good for them. It’s always nice to be told you’ve done something good, although I find it highly curious how media organisations seem to want...
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Shake your lettuce! The heartwarming story behind the lead track of my new EP, out on May 17th
You might have noticed a banner appearing at the top of this website in recent days, and wondering what it’s all about. Well, it’s the title of my new two track EP, soon to...
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So, how DOES Mixcloud work out who goes where in its charts? You’re wiser than me if you know the answer!
It appears that Mixcloud aren’t keen to talk to me about Derrick May. They said that “the appropriate staff” would look into this and take action. At the time of publishing, May’s page on...
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Noel Clarke, accused of sexual harassment: Bafta suspension. Derrick May, accused of sexual assault: Nothing happens – so what’s the difference?
Noel Clarke, an actor for many years, is accused of groping, sexual harassment and bullying by no less than 20 women. Bafta respond by suspending his membership of the organisation and his outstanding contribution...
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