Ghosts On Tape – 10 Favourites

Als Resident Advisor vor 3 Jahren Ghosts On Tape den baldigen Durchbruch attestierte, da wurde noch vom »tropical booty« des in San Francisco lebenden Produzenten Ryan Merry geschwärmt. Es folgte eine im September beendete Veröffentlichungspause von drei Jahren, in denen Merry sich Fertigkeiten an anderem Equipment anfertigte und seinen bisherigen Sound umkrempelte. Mit einem Yamaha SU-700 Sampler aus den 1990er Jahren (genau, der mit der Floppy Disk) begann er die dunklen und ominösen Felder von klassischem Haus und Techno zu erforschen. Nebenbei gründete er zusammen mit Low Limit von Lazer Sword, Rollie Fingers und Discos Shawns im Januar 2010 die Partyreihe »Icee Hot« im 222 Hyde’s Club in San Francisco. Hier konnte Ghosts On Tape als Gastgeber nicht nur Helden wie Anthony »Shake« Shakir« und Juan Atkins begrüßen, sondern auch die Sounds so diverser neuer Künstler wie oOoOO, Balam Acab, Shortstuff, DVA, Ben UFO oder John Talabot begutachten. Seine soeben erschienene 12" kann von diesen Studien berichten, sowohl von denen am neuen Gerät als auch mit denen im Club. So entstanden zwei Tracks, die zwar nichts mehr vom »tropical booty« früherer Tage in sich tragen, aber dafür von großer Kenntnis von Techno und House damals und heute berichten. Und genau dieses Wissen zeigen auch seine ausgewählten »10 Favourites«.
»Nature’s Law/No Go« ist übrigens auch die erste Veröffentlichung auf dem aus der Partyreihe hervorgegangenen Label Icee Hot Ihr folgt im November eine 12" von Lando Kal, der an dieser Stelle ja auch schon mal ran durfte.
1 – »Fingerprints Of The Gods« by Hieroglyphic Being
taken from the 2×12" »So Much Noise 2 Be Heard«, Mathematics 2010
Find it at hhv.de*: 12inch Clangy, rude acid business from the Chicago madman. Hieroglyphic Being is one of my favorite producers because he just doesn’t give a damn. His records are wild and free and definitely not »easy listening«. A necessary escape from all the »safe« house music out there.
2 – »Groove A ›K› Ordingly (Deep Order Dub Mix)« by Karizma
taken from the 12" »Good Morning EP«, R2 2010
Another clangy and rude one, this time from Baltimore’s Karizma. This one drives everyone (including me) wild in the dance, every time. When that bassline comes in three and a half minutes into the track, it’s all over. So bouncy and energetic, yet so deep. Basically everything I want in a track. Karizma is one of the all-time masters of innovative house music rhythms.
3 – »Prehistoric African Caverna« by Da Fiucha SK
taken from the 12" »Misplaced Instruments EP«, Yeloshadz Records 2010
I know absolutely nothing about this artist (or artists?), other than they are from South Africa and they made this record that is totally weird. Nine and a half minutes of cavernous (hence the title), bassy, tripped-out polyrhythms. It sounds like the future and the past at the same time. On the right soundsystem, this one will make you delve deep into parts of your mind that you’ve never been to.
4 – »665 1 (DJ Spider remix)« by M-A-E
taken from the 12" »665 EP«, EDEC Music Outlet 2012
Find it at hhv.de*: 12inch This track also falls into the »deep, yet banging« category that I love so much. I usually get someone asking for a track ID when I play this out, so you know it’s good. All three mixes of this tune are great, but this is the one I find myself reaching for the most often.
5 – »Help Myself« by Lando Kal
taken from the forthcoming 12" »Let You in The Sky/Help Myself«, Icee Hot 2012
OK, shameless plug for my own label here, but even if I weren’t lucky enough to get to release this record, I would still include it. Sassy vocal samples, swirling chords, a bubbly bassline that just pops in at the right times, and a surprising mood shift halfway through the track. »I just can’t help myself« from playing this one every chance I get.
6 – »Basement Trax« by Mike Huckaby
taken from the 12" »The Tresor EP«, Tresor 2012
Find it at hhv.de*: 12inch With a title like »Basement Trax,« this track is clearly going to have my attention. It lives up to its name. A simple, but deadly techno tool that is much different than the sophisticated Detroit house sound that I usually expect from Huckaby. It’s basically a track that I wish I would have made.
7 – »Tribute« by Moodyman
taken from the 12" »The Day We Lost the Soul EP«, KDJ 1995
A stone-cold classic from Mr. Kenny Dixon Jr. I’ve been starting some of my sets lately with this one. Grown and sexy, but still has that signature Moodymann toughness. His tracks never sound dated, which means I’ll be playing this one forever and ever.
8 – »Billy Green Is Ded« by Wbeeza
taken from the 12" »Peckham Fly/Billy Green Is Ded«, Third Ear 2012
This would be the closest to »filtered disco« that I’ll ever come to playing. Just a great effective soul loop that gets the crowd pumped. I didn’t even notice that it uses the same sample as that goofy ’90s rap song »I Wish I Was a Little Bit Taller« until someone pointed it out to me after a gig. I like this use of it better.
9 – »Don’t Take It« by Armando
taken from the 12" »Don’t Take It EP«, Let’s Pet Puppies 2007
Apparently this track was lost in the vaults somewhere for years before finally being released in 2007. So glad someone found it and shared it with the world. I’m a sucker for empowering spoken word vocals, jackin‘ Chicago drum machine rhythms, and slinky acid basslines. This one has it all. So raw and amazing.
10 – »Box Energy« by DJ Pierre
taken from the 12" »Acid Trax Volume 2«, Trax 1988
Possibly one of my all-time favorite acid house tracks. Incredible how fresh and vital it sounds damn near a quarter century after it was made! To me this is the gold standard of 303 + 808 tracks. I don’t think it can be done better than this. Deadly.