What is on your stereo at the moment?
BAGGY: James Last – Voodoo Party. I found it on Salford Market for pennies last week from a French guy who has recently started a stall there (Thursday’s & Sunday’s). Especially rewarding as I’ve been hunting it down for a couple of years. This is why I get up at 8am I the morning in the pissing rain to dig around scummy markets.
NILES: Jenny Wilson - Love and Youth.
3 records that changed your life. Why?
BAGGY: Pink Floyd – Meddle. There are loads of records I could mention throughout my teenage ‘Stoner’ period but this one stands heads and shoulders above the rest. From the masterpiece that is ‘Echoes’ to my personal favourite ‘Fearless’, this Prog-Rock sound pretty much sums up what I was listening to when I was 14-18yrs of age.
Ashford & Simpson – Solid. For no other reason that it’s my missus’ and my ‘Song’ and we have jokingly decided it’s what we’ll play as our first song if we ever get married (Been together for over 11 years!). It gets a random airing in the Ashton household whenever we feel like a bit of a dance. The B-Side to this 12” is a serious Disco burner!
Kraftwerk – Autobahn. The 1st Kraftwerk album I bought which was my personal year zero when it came to my love affair with electronic dance music. I can’t really expand on what numerous other people much more qualified on the subject have said hundreds of times before me. Pioneering stuff indeed.
NILES: I can't honestly say that any records have 'changed my life' however these are very important to me...
Suede - Killing of a Flash Boy (Suede were the first group that I was really 'into' - this track reminds me of meeting my girlfriend, getting wasted with my friends, bunking sixth form, drinking cider and looking cool)
Daft Punk - Da Funk/Musique (Daft Punk, Cassius, Etienne De Crecy et al are the single biggest musical influence on my career as a DJ to date. This started that love affair. I had literally heard NOTHING like this when someone put it on after a night of angular posing and glam rocking down the Mud Club).
Phil Weeks - Mi Casa/Paul Woolford Casa Musica Remix (A tune about your night club with a remix specifically given the name of the night produced by your two favourite guests - happy times).
What are you looking forward to?
BAGGY: Manchester City’s remaining second half of the 2007-08 football season, Snowbombing 2008 (If we finally get booked!), Hercules & Love Affair’s album, spending 3-4 weeks of summer on a beach, spending the summer without having the disappointment of England’s over hyped expectations at a major football tournament only to get dumped out at the early stages, the impending recession so I can bargain hard to buy my first home and finally plucking up the courage to cut my hair to a length that befits my profession.
NILES: Going to see Justice at the Academy in February, going to Crufts in March, summer, my holidays, payday and my dinner...
What couldn’t you live without? Why?
BAGGY: First and foremost my girlfriend/cat/family & close friends for obvious reasons. Not far behind is my ever-burgeoning record collection. A can of Red Bull in the morning, Jaffa takeaway in Rusholme and Armstrong’s Fish Bar in Prestwich, Playstation 3, Apple MacBook Pro, Serato Scratch Live and my cheap car that is the most reliable piece of machinery ever manufactured. (Saab 900s, 1995, 165000 miles and going!).
NILES: My girlfriend, for obvious reasons really. I'd like to say music or art but I'm a simple creature.
Most memorable gig?
BAGGY: Stone Roses at Manchester Apollo in December 1995. (Turned out to be their last ever Manchester performance). My mate (For legal reasons shall remain nameless!) used to play for Manchester Utd. Youth team at the time and he used to get x2 complimentary tickets to every Utd. home game. After one particularly in-demand game he stood outside Old Trafford and touted his tickets for cash (Very risky considering he was still in his Utd. suit), the resulting exchange financed the tickets for this gig. We actually purchased the gig tickets from another tout – The irony! I remember Maddox had taken over as drummer from Reni and a member of the crowd passed forward a huge home made flag to Ian Brown that read ‘Reni Lives’ which he proceeded to swing around for the rest of the gig to the adoration of the screaming fans. I don’t think Maddox minded tbh. Ian Brown was awful (As ever) but John Squire more than made up for him as he was in amazing form.
The Rapture at Academy 2, Manchester in 06. I’ve never quite seen a band manage to perform whilst being so totally and utterly twatted on stage. They actually only played for about 30 mins as they blew the house system twice after which I almost instigated a mini riot by hurling abuse at the roadies as they aimlessly tried to fix the sound system to the embarrassment of the people with me. What music I did hear that night was ace though and I was for one evening at least I was ‘Down with the kids’.
Phoenix at Academy 3, Manchester, end of summer 2007. Niles introduced me to this fashionable French outfit and after witnessing them perform in a tiny (And very hot) 150 capacity upstairs room where they played using 2 drummers. They proceeded to blow me away. Amazing live band that are best mates with Thomas Bangalter and regular support act to Air. I was hooked from this point on. Oh yeah, one of them is shagging Sophia Coppola so you can hear their music on the ‘Lost In Translation’ soundtrack – I think that is referred to as ‘Taking one for the team’.
NILES: Les Rhytmes Digitales at Reading Festival. Really great live performance of the DarkDancer Album. I saw a few dates on this tour but the festival vibe was definitely the best.
Who/what are your influences?
BAGGY: My mum for bringing me (And my younger brother) up single handed whilst holding down 3 jobs and giving us everything we asked for as kids. I think she did an amazing job considering. My various football managers at junior football level who kept me on the straight and narrow as an unruly teenager and finally local DJ and life-guru Peter Masters for inspiring me to open my ears to all kinds of music (Helped me ‘rediscover’ some amazing music I’d dismissed in the past) as well as teaching me how to ‘DJ’ and generally being everything a good pal should be. Musically I try and take influence from everything I hear whether it’s the background music in a film or advert, a new mix someone has passed onto me and of course personal recommendations. When I was younger I tried to pass myself off as guitarist in several dodgy art-school bands where we took influence from your standard classic rock groups/artists but one good friend who I used to jam with around this time was always putting me onto ‘Alternative’ music which looking back had quite some influence. This chap is called Dominic Buckley and he is the drummer in a local band called ‘The Daywalkers’. Dom also goes under the moniker of Dom Kreep AKA ‘Kreeps’ and has had successful releases on such labels as the sadly now defunct ‘Output’ record label. His stuff is awesome.
NILES: Musically my influences are the music that I play, Jazz Funk, House, Boogie, Disco, Soul, Punk, Techno...DJ-wise - Derrick Carter, DJ Sneak, Cassius, Darshan Jesrani, Derrick May, Jeff Mills - locally Bucky, Krysko, Moonboots & Boardman & Mr Scruff have all influenced me.
What is the best and worst thing about the city that you live in?
BAGGY: Best things – Manchester City F.C, being big enough a city to make it feel like a major metropolis whilst being small enough to walk around in an hour or jumping in a car and 20 minutes later be at a mates/family members house anywhere within the region, city centre living, the weather, the friendliest/most helpful locals in the country with the best sense of humour, the cultural/sexual diversity, Coronation Street, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution & the computer, a fantastic University (Biggest student population in Europe), it’s rich musical history that influences you regardless of whether you realise it or not and being able to get out into the countryside in less than 30 mins.
Worst Things – Manchester Utd. F.C, the weather, house prices (Especially the now saturated state of residential developments that in 20 years could be the city’s future slums), Affleck’s Palace closing down, not enough green spaces/parks within the city centre and Scoucers invading the city (And the Trafford Centre) at the weekend to do their shopping. I’ve heard Liverpool is getting it’s own Primark soon so this will no doubt lower the Scouse footfall in the city! ;-)
NILES: I live in a town, Bury. The Best thing is the world famous market - the home of black pudding. The worst thing about Bury, well, I've only been there 4 months and I've yet to find anything wrong with it. *Simon – I am from Bury so this is another reason why it is one of the best things!
Given the accelerated pace of modern culture, what are we due a revival in?
BAGGY: 1980’s Cock-Rock and massive power ballads (Taken from film soundtracks) that crossover into the charts and stay at number 1 for over 14 weeks.
NILES: Lights Alive picture maker. Google it.
Hero? Why?
BAGGY: My mother for the reasons described above and also Diego Maradona. In my dreams of making it as a professional footballer I would’ve pretty much modelled myself on Maradona. Not his playing style (Yeah, right!) but more his extra curriculum activities. George Best turned up about 2000 degrees. He’s also the scorer of the best ever World Cup goal as well, possibly the best goal ever? Maybe. Legend, end of…
NILES: Honestly, I don't really have a hero. I have people I admire in the world of sport and music and film but I don't have a hero. Massive respect for Thomas Bangalter, Guy Manuel De Homem Christo, Christian Bale, Robbie Fowler, Alex Gopher, Steve Coogan, Bob Mortimer, Pepe Bradock, Kenny Dalglish, Phillipe Zdar, Etienne De Crecy, AIR, Vic Reeves & my dad.
Is there anything else that you feel that we should know?
BAGGY: Simon could/should have been a professional footballer (Division 3 level anyway ;-). Was almost lynched whilst working on ‘Beachbombing’, Barcelona in 2004, currently works as an event manager for the city’s largest exhibition/conference centre whilst being an avid Manchester City fan he also has an unfashionable 80’s style hair-cut that his devilishly good looks enable him to carry off. He is 30 years old and is partial to oriental food and even more partial to oriental women. (Have eyes for only one oriental woman though! ;-)) Oh yeah almost forgot – Cosmicdisco.co.uk will probably take over the running of the Internet at some point in 2008.
NILES: I played 'Thug 2' in a documentary about Transsexuals. I won the art award in infants and juniors and was allowed to keep the trophy. I am a champion Public speaker.
Baggy's The Aviator Mix
TRACKLISTING
1. Space Rocket Take Off – Out of This World. Atmospheric Sound Effects From The BBC Radiophonic Workshop [BBC Records – 1976]
2. Pink Floyd – Echoes [Harvest - 1971]
3. Ash Ra Tempel Feat. Rosi – Bring Me Up [Kosmiche - 1973]
4. Francis Monkman – Trouble Spots [Bruton – 1979]
5. Kraftwerk – Metropolis [Capitol – 1978]
6. Giorgio Moroder – Night Drive (Reprise) – [Polydor – 1980]
7. Ganymed – Hyperspace [Bellaphon -1978]
8. Edgar Winter – Do What [Blue Sky – 1979]
9. Arpydys – Funky Bass [Polydor – 1977]
10. Dave Grusin & The NY/LA Dream Band – Countdown [GRP – 1983]
11. Azymuth – May I Have This Dance? (Concede-Me Esta Danca?) [Milestone – 1982]
12. Mandre – Third World Calling (Opus III) [Motown – 1977]
13. Brian Bennett – Discovery [Strut Comp – 2001]
14. Ultravox – Dislocation [Island – 1978]
15. Simple Minds – League of Nations [Virgin – 1981]
16. Faust – It’s A Rainy Day Sunshine [Polydor – 1972]
17. Can – Moonshake [United Artists – 1973]
18. John Keating Inc. – Love’s Theme [EMI – 1974]
19. Space Rocket Landing – Out of This World. Atmospheric Sound Effects From The BBC Radiophonic Workshop [BBC Records – 1976]
Download it here.
For more information on Baggy, Niles and Bucky you could always just read this older post here or visit their superb website here.
They have done a superb interview with Wally Badarou who produced a bit of Fela's later work amongst a huge catalog of work, and it is absolutely essential that you read it as it is probably the best interview that I have read online or in print for quite a while. Read it here.
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