Lightspeed Recordings is a an amazing record label started by Adelaide’s prodigal son – Agent 86. Recently their Late Night Tough Guy Edits EP shot to the top of the Juno disco charts. We chat about the label, edits and the early Adelaide house scene.
Winston: How did Lightspeed records begin?
Agent 86: I was running a few parties last year, that were new disco orientated and I guess I was kind of moving in that direction as a DJ for a while. My productions were also on that disco tip. After doing a few parties I thought maybe I could expand it by putting out my own music. After talking to a few people it seemed like a good idea to make a label to put out any sort of music that I really dig. It’s on the disco tip at the moment, like everything that I do it’s not limited to one genre. For the time being the disco scene is probably what I’m feeling and that’s the direction that Lightspeed will be taking for the immediate future.
W: How did you get HMC (AKA Late Night Tough Guy) involved?
A: I DJed with him back in Adelaide in the 1990s, we have been friends ever since. It was really just a matter of having a chat to him; he was producing and doing edits and when I told him about my plans for Lightspeed he was really into it.
Tom and Alex of Kids With Guns are pretty awesome guys. They like gin and tonic and love amazing music. They don’t mix well with hay fever tablets or South Rakkas Crew fans. Catch them at Adults Arts Club the new Thursday night at Sugar , starting the 15th of October.
Pilooski – Love Is Wet
Metro Area – Miura
Woolfy Vs. Projections – Neeve
Pink Floyd – Another Brick In The Wall (DJ Agent 86 Remix)
Faze Action – I Wanna Dancer Read the rest of this entry »
I have deep reservations about the “mash-up”. Innately gimmicky a mash-up can be truly sublime like 2 Many DJ’s Magnificent Romeo. However, it can go horribly horribly wrong especially now that everyone can torrent Ableton in 30 minutes.
fortunately Cosmo Black’s combination of the Rapture and Black Sabbath errs on the Radio Soulwax end of the spectrum and not the “I’m sure Prince and Justice will sound good together even if it isn’t synced properly”.
I have always had a soft spot for Teenagersintokyo. Fortunately unlike alot of amazing Australian bands they haven’t been criminally overlooked and are getting a bit of attention. At the moment they are living their probably impoverished dreams recording their debut album in the UK. They are signed to Backyard records with Chromeo, The Gossip and err … Similou.
They go for this great middle ground between post punk and pop music on Isabelle – the first single from their work with David Kosten, who produced Bats For Lashes.
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Woolfy is pretty amazing. I’m not going to going into a hyperbole like I did on the Onion Interview, even though it was well deserved. Suffice to say if you like electronic music or just good “indie guitar pop” check out his new album If You Know What’s Good For Ya!!!
Woolfy is DJing tonight at the Edinburgh Castle Hotel in Adelaide.
Winston: Do you consider yourself part of an international “cosmic disco” scene or do you just do what you do without any outside influence?
Woolfy: I look at myself as an international DJ cause I probably get more of my gigs overseas. When I think of myself as part of a crew I think of myself as part of my LA crew and a couple of heads in New York. Like Eric Duncan, Harvey and all the Sarcastic (Disco) guys. Basically that’s what I see myself as fitting within a family of DJs. I have heard incredible things from people like Todd Terje and Prins Thomas. To be compared to those guys is amazing.
Winston: How did you first get into electronic music?
Quarles Baseden and Amélie de Bosredon are Jupiter. To write like the NME they have the enchanting vocals of Sally Shapiro combined with driving energy of Fred Falke. Hopefully my lazy comparison doesn’t put you off as these guys are amazing. Their debut 12” Starlighter comes out Monday (the 14th) and is already out digitally with a cool remix by Bottin.
Winston:How did you guys first get interested in electronic music?
Jupiter:We were more into rock initially, and we didn’t feel so attracted to house music but when Daft Punk started getting big around 96/97 we changed our minds. They were all over the place in France, there was no way you could miss them. And upon hearing their first few singles, you couldn’t help but fall in love with the mix of influences and the novelty of their sound, so we could say that Homework first got us into electronic music.
W:What made you start Jupiter and how did you two meet?
J:We met on holiday through a mutual friend, but we hated each other at first. But we both happened to be studying in London the following year, and we somehow bounced into each other and had a very different feeling than the first time
At first we were making electro-folk music, with no apparent reason as we were both really into electro, funk and disco. I guess we both played guitar and wanted to get into electronic gear slowly but surely, and it was the best way to do it. Anyway, we quickly realised we had way more fun playing the sort of music we most enjoyed listening to, which sounds pretty logical now hahaha
The Loin Brothers are a pretty sweet act to coming out of Sydney. So far they have released Heavy Helmet a space-y Moroder-like jam. They are playing Saturday the 5th of September at Sugar, which is probably worth your while dropping by to check out.
Winston:How did you guys first get into electronic music?
Saliva: I think the first time I heard synthesizers in music was listening to “War of the worlds” when I was about 8 or so, and was always intrigued how the space sounds were made. When I was a bit older I used to hang out at a studio this country and western band had set up. (the town i grew up in had a population of about 150, so I took what I could get One of the guys brought in this little Korg synth and let me play around on it, and I think from there on i started obsessing about them.
Silvio: An intersting question to answer for me as there are few tunes that I like that are purely electroinc. There is usally a live intrument component to the stuff I like. I got into dance music say 12 years ago tho and have not turned back. Nothing Earth shattering really, just found myself at a dance party, dug the hypnotic grooves and got my dance on.
Personal Message Unit / wink wink , nudge nudge. Anything with Parrot noises, Monkey Squeals and general “Jungle Percussion” is dope. The H.I.T.S 12 is a winner and we received one at AAC a short time ago in celebration of a new Australian break through.
We are playing Jacques Renault and Canyons edits tonight in honour of their recent visits this winter. Come and see us if your in Limbo from 2-5am. Tony Mitolo has a David Essex ” Rock On ” edit that is prime time and lets hope he drops it tonight.
( Look out next week for his debut post and speaking of uncomfortable debuts….. Check out Davids microphone- stand ad libs )
Jamie is Playing Huntleys & Palmers Audio Club this friday night at the Horse & Groom in Shoreditch, along with stellar guests including Andy Blake and Ali Renault from the Dissident stable, no C&A live this time just him playing records. They asked him to put a mix together to help promote the party – It’s being hosted on the Allez Allez blog, home to lots of tasty earworms, and the selection is a mostly house affair – some new, some old..
Forthcoming releases
Sidwho? – Vote Bowie for President / Violet Run – TWHE / Sept
C&A – Beat N Path / Low Noise (inc Brennan Green remix) – Tiny Sticks / Oct
Sidwho? – Same Game (C&A remix series, pt 3 of 6) – TWHE / Oct
Already out there
Truck – Radio (C&A remix series, pt 2 of 6) – TWHE – buy vinyl
C&A – Television Train / Suburban – DFA – buy mp3 & wav / vinyl
Many more….. head to www.twhe.co.uk and subscribe to their mailing list
Our New York friends behind Galaxie (Alison Childs (Donuts) and DJs Lovefingers, Justin Miller (DFA), and Jacques Renault (Runaway)) have been putting on some of the best shows in the city for the last few months. Inviting bands, DJs, sound and video artists, filmmakers, designers and artists of all kinds to perform together in one space has seen the Big Apple appreciate dance parties from the best in their game.
Over the weekend Galaxie invited our own Australian buddies Canyons to the party due to popular demand along with DJs SPUN (founder of Rong Music & curator of PS1 Warm Ups), Tommy Moye, and Galaxie’s own Justin Miller & Jacques Renault. Check out more of Galaxie’s inspiring parties with ever evolving exploration of danceparty, film screening, performance, and delicious edible treats here.
