Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Ryan Hunn


A 22 year-old who spends too much on records and not enough on bills, Ryan Hunn started working for Manchester record labels Players and Estate Recordings at the age of 19, starting with jobs that no-one else wanted to do. Throughout this time Ryan did the odd bit of work at gigs for Mr. Scruff and RSL before being asked to produce a radio show, which was started to promote the newly founded sister label, Vox Pop 45s. The show grew rapidly and was broadcast worldwide on five internet channels and featured guests including Quantic, Mr. Scruff, Monk One and DJ Emskee, Natural Self, Jon Kennedy, Rob Luis, Nostalgia 77, Andy Votel, Hugo Mendez and Miles Cleret, Treva Whateva and many more. Remember the name because he may just be starting to write his own chapter in the history of music in Manchester but with a knowledge of music that belies his age and the ability to challenge and entertain dance floors in equal measures all over the country the future is looking very promising for this jazz maverick.

Read the interview here.

Ryan has also been kind enough to upload his latest mix for all of you to enjoy. You can get it here. This mix will be appearing soon on Cosmic Disco but we've got it as a little teaser before it takes it place amongst all the great mixes that are on the site. Don't sleep on this as it is seriously dope.

TRACKLISTING

1. William Onyeabor- Body & Soul (Wilfilms)
2. Level 42- Love Meeting Love (Polydor)
3. Edmund Sylvers- Have You Heard The News (Casablanca)
4. Chazz- Dancing Shoes (QT)
5. Darryl Douglas- Holding On (Kon's Edit) (BBE)
6. Harvey Mason- We Can Start Tonight (Arista)
7. Aretha Franklin- Get It Right (Arista)
8. Shirley Lites- Heat You Up (Melt You Down) (Meltdown Mix) (West End)
9. Pacific Express- The Way It Used To Be (Mountain)
10. Manzel- Just For You (Dopebrother)
11. Christy Essien Igbokwe- Rumours (Afrodesia)
12. Maze- Right On Time (Capitol)
13. The Originals- Down To Love Town (Soul/ Motown)
14. The Hamilton Movement- She's Gone (Soul Beat)
15. Jesse Anderson- I Did It Again (Land Of Hits)
16. Winfield Parker- I Wanna Be With You (P & L)
17. Jewel- Paradise (Lotus Land)
18. Casual- T- Hands Off (Version) (56 Hope Road)


Ryan is also one of the heads behind Hoya:Hoya which will be taking over the coveted last Saturday of the month slot at the Music Box previously held by Manchester institution the Electric Chair, and on the opening night it'll be Ryan playing all night long in the main room with Jonny Dub doing the same in the Shack. It promises to be yet another floor-filling night with some truly tremendous guests lined up and if it is anything like their other venture Sketch City then the atmosphere will be effervescent and the tunes firing!



Ryan is a DJ who has that rare ability to seamlessly segue between styles with ease by joining those dots that connect jazz to broken beat to dubstep to house to disco to techno to soul to funk and at the same time break those records that ultimately has everyone bouncing off the ceiling to (and scouring the stores the next day for). His September 2005 mix is probably one of my favourite mixes ever and it still gets a run out at Casa Casual* when i'm in the mood for a little inspiration.

His previous residency at Common was unfortunately on the same night as my radio show but invariably I'd come down before and/or after to have a listen to his selections of which I spent most of my time asking, 'What's this one called?" Hopefully Hoya:Hoya will raise his profile even more because we need more Djs like Ryan out there.



Catcalledmorris, Andy Peek and Ryan Hunn at one of the Last Rites BBQs in Manchester.

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