A furiously funky – and occasionally sweetly soulful – journey today, from one of the earliest, longest-serving and most prolific artists on Warp Records: beat-maker extraordinaire, Nightmares on Wax.
From the rave-edged thumps and breaks on milestone debut album ‘A Word of Science (The 1st & Final Chapter)’ back in 1991, to the laid-back hip hop fragments of ‘Smokers Delight’ to his much-lauded ‘Late Night Tales’ compilation and much more beyond, Nightmares On Wax (AKA George Evelyn, sometimes known under his DJ name, E.A.S.E.) has been a key player in various strands of electronic music over the last 25 years. Though his legacy stretches far further, the timeless, Quincy Jones-sampling ‘Nights Interlude’ and its heady synth strings – which have soundtracked a million smoke-filled, hazy nights over the years – are enough to guarantee NOW his place in the history books.
And seeing as 25 years seems a nice number to look back upon, he’s put together an all-encompassing retrospective of his work, entitled ‘N.O.W. Is The Time’, celebrating a fruitful career indeed.
For his exclusive Clash mix, NOW gets seriously, intensely funky. And then some. Starting off with laid back soulful sounds, the mix works its way through a Latin-grooving Diana Ross rework and a few slow-burners, before locking into a series of furiously funky cuts that could raise the dead long enough for a quick dance. It’s a selection that explores both vintage goods and modern interpretations of funk, with uplifting, housier and disco-driven sounds featuring heavily in the second half of what proves to be an upfront mix that refuses to be ignored. Here’s the man himself to explain more.
“This mix I have put together really connects and represents the funk side of what I do. I’ve included what I consider to be some of the top guys in the game when it comes to the re-edits and re-rubs business. The likes of Fingerman’s ‘Your Love’, Rayko’s take on ‘Enjoy Your Life’ to Larse’s ‘Love is the Answer’ all connect the dots for me musically when it comes to the foundation of clubbing. [It’s] been termed more as disco now [but], for me it more represents the soul and funk side of things. Also, from a British point of view, these influenced and inspired the jazz-funk era, which I picked up from my sister, who used to compete in weekly jazz-funk dance competitions and bring home 12”s that she occasionally won on the evening. These have obviously ended up in my record collection now – the likes of Earth, Wind & Fire … starting off this mix gives you an insight into my groove, my thing, ya know! Mixed with love. Enjoy!”
Listen to it now… Grab it HERE.
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Tracklisting:
1. Earth, Wind & Fire – Devotion (Live)
2. Minimatic – Hello, I love You
3. Collen & Webb – Downside Up
4. Fingerman – Your Love (Edit)
5. Keep Schtum – Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me
6. Disco Boogie Classics – Leg Over (Uptown Edit)
7. Larse – Love Is The Answer (Original Mix)
8. Satin Jackets – The Hustle
9. Nicholas – Slick Groove
10. Rayko – Enjoy Your Life (Edit)
11. Windy City – Chicago (Kon Edit)
12. Teniente Castillo – Fight For What You Love
13. Gino Soccio – You Move Me
14. Riff Clichard – Through With Love
15. Pays Bass – I Feel Good (Disco Mix)
16. The Legendary 1979 Orchestra – Fools Like a Winner
Words: Tristan Parker
– – –
‘N.O.W. Is The Time’ is released on Warp Records on 16 June. Nightmares on Wax will be DJing at Rough Trade East tonight (June 12th) to celebrate the upcoming release of the album. More details can be found here.
Nightmares on Wax will also be playing the following UK dates:
August
9 Beacons Festival
29 London Fabric
September
27 London Double Denim Disco
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