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HEADPHONE HOOKAH
LOUNGE
A DEEP HIT OF THE BEST OF ELECTRONICA
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Wes in his store in 5 Points
CONFFESSIONS FROM WES REED’s
THERAPY SESSIONS
by Max Michaels
Originally from North Carolina, Wes Reed had been collecting all
different styles on vinyl since he was 14, but it wasn't until the age
of 19 when he put them to good use. With a lack of DJ-driven nights in
his birthplace, he moved to Florida in '97 where he began to hone his
DJ skills in the state where the culture was thriving.
"I couldn't believe there were so many DJs," admitted Reed. "[It]
seemed to me with all these DJs, there would be loads of great nights
with quality music and mixing, but that wasn't the case." Having been
collecting records for 5 years, it only made sense for him to try his
hand at it.
"I saved up and bought a pair of used 1200s. Having been a longtime
fan of various forms of electronic music, when I heard Goldie's
Timeless album with its soulful yet futuristic sounds, it really
inspired me to want to play and push drum & bass. That's how the DJing
portion of all of my career began for me."
Since then, Reed has spun at parties in Berlin, London, Chicago,
Philadelphia, New York City, Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, Orlando,
Gainesville, Charleston, and Savannah. But where it all really began
was right here in Jacksonville. After DJing for a couple of years and
having met up with a few other like-minded DJs, Wes found that there
really weren't any significant nights or events where the types of
music he played were really being pushed. Even if there were, it was
in some tiny room with poor sound and lighting. He started Furtive
Communications in June of '99 as an event/clubnight promotions
organization to do something about that.
He threw a few one-off events at Evolution & Jack Rabbit's. They were
successful, but he was looking for something much more consistent.
"The main objective at that time was to promote the music that we all
loved and try to spread it to a wider audience in this area," Reed
said.
Therapy was born in late July/early August of '99 at Fat Kat on
Tuesdays. The first international DJ to play the night was a drum &
bass/gabber DJ from The Netherlands, Eye-D in January of 2000. A
couple of weeks later they had Sage from San Francisco. Many other
great DJs and shows followed over the years including Planet Of The
Drums, Blame, Spirit, Terry Lee Brown Jr., Jackal, Three and Exzakt.
Reed is also quick to add Trip Theory & DJ Rap as the worst of his
chosen lineup. "What a nightmare! Honestly, the locals nights have
been the most fun for me since there's nothing to worry about but good
tunes and good times. We used to do an old school night called REWIND!
that was always a blast; it would probably be fun to bring that back
soon. The birthday nights are always some of the most interesting
nights as well. Electro.Shock Therapy is always a blast, which we also
do once a month."
The promotion bounced around weeknights and that affected the scene
both in positive and negative ways.
"Having been originally on Tuesdays," Reed said, "we had a really
difficult time making that night work as we weren't really that well
established in general at that time nor was the club. We moved to
Thursdays and that was much more successful. I teamed up with Kinetic
of Extatic Grooves and we did Gruv Therapy on Fridays which featured
tech house, house, progressive, and drum & bass starting in January of
2001. That went well for a few months and then we all made a mutual
decision and Kinetic left. I made a go of Fridays for a while at the
time, around June of 2001 but there was too much pressure to pack the
club and the headliners were costing us way too much, so we moved back
to Thursdays."
Frustrations with the Fat Kat eventually lead to Wes' unexpected move
to the Marquee Theatre in July of 2002. "That lasted all of one week"
he lamented "then I took a three-month break." During the fall of
2002, Reed brought THERAPY back to the Fat Kat temporarily on
Thursdays and quickly relocated back to Fridays. In the club world it
is difficult enough to just a get a night going, more or less have to
contend with the promotion moving nights or even clubs.
"Every time there's a night change," Reed said, "it takes people a
while to figure it out and work it into their routine. Weekend days
are always tough because there are so many other different random
things that go on, but weeknights are tough because everyone has work
or school or whatever. It's a catch 22."
The night now is considerably less focused on one particular style
than it is on quality music and a good time. House, drum & bass,
electro, breaks, electroclash, and progressive are all spun. The
current residents in rotation include Shawn Mancini, Trevor Rockwell,
Jacob Smith, Nemesis, Matt Caulder, Larry Banks, Lab3, and Infader.
Where will he take THERAPY in the future? With the state of the
economy, Wes and crew have decided to focus a lot more on events
promoting local/regional headliners with lower covers and lower drink
prices. Though they still plan to bring a lot of the popular acts that
people want to see, such as Planet Of The Drums, they don't want the
people that come out and support the night to have to shell out $10
every week because there is always some headliner that they may or may
not be interested in.
"We're working on a lot more progressive/house acts as well as various
other styles like hard house, electroclash, etc. so there will
definitely be a lot more offered than just drum & bass," Reed said.
Also keep on the lookout for some possible new club nights and events
that we're working on.
Even more importantly than the night itself, where does Reed feel the
future of electronic music is heading? "I suppose that is THE question
at the moment," Reed said. "From my perspective, it's been interesting
over the last few years. At the moment, electronic music [sales wise]
certainly isn't at its peak but the music industry in general is in a
state of crisis. The direction I see things going are a lot more
crossover, electro-rock type music becoming a lot bigger. Within the
drum & bass community specifically, it's constantly evolving and
changing ... hard to say what the next trend will be or how long it
will last. So long as there's quality music being made, I'll be
happy."
Corey aka "Sleazemore" at the decks
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REviews:
Bedrock Breaks
Fractured...
Compiled & Mixed by Hyper
If there is a double disc breakbeat release that I can recommend to
the masses so far this year then it would have to be this one. Now,
there are plenty of amazing breaks out this year and there are more to
come I'm sure but I've got to wave the flag here. Hyper does an
outstanding job of flawlessly mixing wax from many names in electro
and melodic breaks while adding a few of his own creations to top it
off. Honestly, I'd have to say that his own recordings are as good as
the major players included. This is a double disc so you have plenty
to listen to so you can make your own opinion. The only negative
feedback I have is that the first disc has a small drop in energy in
the middle. Shit, if that's the only thing really wrong then go for
it....what do you have to lose?? You know I love to give you listings
of who is featured so here we go.........Meat Katie & Christian J,
Uberzone & Rennie Pilgrem, Terminalhead, Oakenfold, Timo Maas, Proper
Filthy Naughty feat. Jo Morgan, Soul of Man, General MIDI, Blame, and
of course Hyper. If you know the quality of music coming from the
Bedrock label then this is no different. Quality double disc.
-Rick Lutz
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DJ Spooky with Mad Professor
Dubtometry...Narration by Lee "Scratch" Perry
Thirsty Ear Recordings
This full length album by DJ Spooky and Mad Professor takes the
elements of jazz and hip hop live instrumentation and mixes it up with
tripped out electronics. I know that sounds wild but when you listen
to this disc then you'll know where I'm coming from with this. This
one has all the trip hop styling but isn't just a trip hop album. Its
is produced by DJ Spooky but he is accompanied by a full band that
helps bring all the right ingredients together. The other artists
involved help round out the feeling of this 17 song mix. You'll find
J-Live, DJ Goo, Alter Ego as well as the narrator Lee "Scratch" Perry
adding they're own personal style to this ruff edged and eerie
sounding album. This one is for anyone open minded to hybrid styles of
beats and jazzy interludes.
-Rick Lutz
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Timo Maas
Music for the Masses 2
Kinetic / Hope Recordings
Producer and Remixer Timo Maas has become a very recognizable name
throughout the music world in the last few years. He has worked on
over 85 productions in just a three year span. Most people have heard
Timo and probably don't even know it. This second release under the
title "Music for the Masses" shows you even before you listen that he
is making moves and working with artists all over the musical
spectrum. This is a collection of some of his most recognized remixes
to date....we all know that there are plenty more where this came
from. The style is predominantly progressive house but at the same
time its just all around dance music. When you remix a range of
artists like Garbage, BT, Moloko, Kelis, Placebo, and Fatboy Slim your
going to get a different sound no matter what you do. It even includes
an exclusive track from Timo himself in this called "Unite". That's
the facts jack...check it out.
-Rick Lutz
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Naked Music presents...
Lost On Arrival
Naked Music / Astralwerks
Here we have the newest release from Naked Music which features some
new talent as well as old favorites. It is a bit of a departure from
previous discs but it offers a fresh, new take on this particular
blend of dance music. To put it best, it is a well rounded 17 track CD
which includes dirty electro meshed with dub house which is quite a
sound. There are elements of atmospheric breakdowns and driving beats
that keep you locked in throughout from beginning to end. For all of
you out there who aren't really into the old four on the floor but
enjoy anything that's funky then I recommend giving Lost on Arrival a
shot. For the rest of you who already know of the label and the music
involved....it is the best overall release that this series has to
offer. Here is a brief listing of featured acts included in the
mix...........
DJ T, Daniel Wang, Themroc, Ray Mang, Chicken Lips, and Trentemoller.
Two thumbs up without a doubt!
-Rick Lutz
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Urban Junglist
DJ mix by Aphrodite
Spun Records
Aphrodite has been a driving force in the drum and bass scene for many
years now. In fact, there isn't a soul in the drum and bass scene who
doesn't know the name. (like or dislike) He has consistently brought
forward in your face beats and DJ skills that keep him in the
forefront of the dance club community. This CD isn't a major departure
from his previous work but should be commended in the same right. The
mixes are on and the flow of the CD is steady. Aphro keeps his darker
take on drum and bass a style that keeps CD's like this in regular
rotation in listeners stereos all across the globe. Within the 20 song
mix you can find dubplates from DJ Phantasy, Cobbz, Gurley & Mayhem
feat. Amma, Shroomlab and Polarity, Urban Shakedown feat. Debo
General, U.K. Apachi & Shy FX, and Peshay. Obviously this isn't all
that is included but it should give you some insight on who you can
expect to hear. If you have his previous mixes then you should have no
problem adding this into your collection worry free.
-Rick Lutz
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Nick Warren
Reykjavik
Global Underground #24
Global Underground has been responsible for some of the best DJ mixes
of recent years, with each two-disc compilation designed as a
retrospective of a recent set in locations from Buenos Aires to Moscow
to Miami. Last month Nick Warren came up to bat for GU024,
masterminding a departure for the label with a mix straight from the
cafes and clubs of Reykjavik, Iceland.
Selections from the first CD were played in one of Reykjavik’s most
popular cafe-bars, and I was surprised by the downtempo vibe that
emanated from the speakers like so much coffehouse smoke. A former
Massive Attack tour DJ, Warren has had time to accumulate a collection
of classics that are almost deemed ‘easy listening’ by today’s
electronic standards. He beautifully places familiar sounds by Boards
of Canada and Burufunk next to the sort of tracks that only privileged
DJs get to hear first, if ever. Such is the mixture of delicate
strings and head-nodding rhythm in "Nobody’s Home" by German producer
Ulrich Schnauss. Warren makes a seemingly unprecedented move by
actually mixing records at three spots on the disc, letting them play
over and into each other, and never losing the album’s sense of flow.
Most of the songs, like Yunx’s "Thinking About Your Next Move", are
minimal enough to lend themselves to a nice blend. Near the end we’re
treated to a dreamy breakbeat threesome (tracks by Momu, Mastermind,
and Justin Simmons) that is possibly the loveliest nine minutes of
music I’ve heard all year.
Disc 2 is an assemblage of sizzling, contemplative trance. Starkid’s
"Crayons" and Dream Traveler’s "Headpusher" are melodic without the
synth-heavy obnoxiousness that so much trance falls victim to.
Vector’s "Rise", the hands-down gem of the album, is a steady
dancefloor bump with fuzzy vocals reminiscent of Underworld. It’s
absolutely poetic and commands feeling, a lyrical stance I find rare
in electronic music.
What I really love about GU releases are the liner notes. I’d never
have known about Schnauss’ album "Far Away Trains Passing By", that
Reykjavik translates into "Steamy Bay" and that it’s a place where
"Everyone comes back for the same reasons they left. The closeness and
intensity of this small community." Sound familiar? Warren’s Reykjavik
selections are a great new soundtrack for everyone who wants a
vacation.
- Rachel Shimp
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