Let Howie B fix you up a feast of raw funk, smoky soul and low-slung hip hop, as the production maestro delves into a catalogue of the music that shaped him.
Over the years, Howie Bernstein has produced tracks for and worked with such luminaries as Björk, Massive Attack, U2, Tricky, Soul II Soul and Everything But The Girl – to name but a few – weaving his distinctive, ghostly beats into countless crucial tracks and contributing an early instalment to the esteemed FabricLive series along the way.
With such a track record, Bernstein is well-placed to piece together a fascinating DJ set, which is exactly what he’s done for Clash. It’s a nostalgic journey that finds the producer exploring the music he grew up on in Glasgow, taking in scratchy funk from ‘70s Brit-funk outfit Cymande, an epic soul trip from Motown collective The Undisputed Truth, mind-shifting brilliance from Miles Davis and a laid-back number from Missy.
Here’s Bernstein explaining more about his selection: “These songs represent the music I listened to when I was growing up in Glasgow. A complete mix of styles and sounds. For me it shows the colours that are on my easel when I can compose, remix and produce. I’ve included some other songs too, which I love and felt fitted this wee mix. The Natural Essence song that I mixed a few years ago represents what I mean. There are elements of funk, elements of punk and a wee bit of folk too. My new album, ‘Down With the Dawn’, also has all these colours and a wee bit more. Anyway, this where I’m coming from, I hope you enjoy the trip…”
Listen to it now… Grab it HERE.
Right click, 'Save As…'
Tracklisting:
1. Pere Ubu – Over My Head
2. Cymande – The Message
3. The Undisputed Truth – You Make Your Own Heaven and Hell Right Here on Earth
4. Miles Davis – Black Satin
5. Unklejam – Love Ya
6. Missy Elliott – The Rain
7. Cymande – Bra
8. Natural Essence – Overthrow (Howie B’s Clicky Sticky Essence Remix)
9. Siouxsie and the Banshees – Israel
10. Karen Dalton – In My Own Dream (Alternate Mix)
11. Laura Nyro – Wedding Bell Blues
12. Plastic Bertrand – Ça Plane Pour Moi
Words: Tristan Parker
– – –
‘Down With the Dawn’, is out now. Find it on iTunes here.
