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Frazer Campbell: A Counterfeit Soul

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We had a chat with producer, DJ and label boss Frazer Campbell.

he passion with electronic music was cast back in the early 90’s for Frazer where he developed a love for D&B and classic house music. Having floated through various genres, Frazer firmly cast his main DJing preference to thoughtful house music due to its inspiring grooves, captivating soul and subliminal message. Having DJ’d for over 20 years with a little time out in the early 2000s he continued to develop as a DJ but also as an artist.

In 2013 Frazer started releasing productions on labels spanning the globe in Europe, USA and Colombia. 

The London based producer has been on flying form of late and is set to release Counterfeit Soul Vol.2 on one of his own labels Counterfeit Soul in the coming weeks.

We thought we’d put some questions to the man himself, here’s what he had to say.

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M.F.S: Observatory Share An A-Z List of Favorite Producers

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M.F.S: Observatory are quickly earning a reputation as house music titans – no real surprise considering they’ve repped a slew of in-the-know and genre-defining labels such as Flashmob, Roush, W&O Street Tracks, Alphahouse and Little Helpers. However, it’s their work at their own label, Observatory Music, for which they’re really beginning to gather steam. Following on from the exceptional sounds of the exceptional sounds of the ‘Observatory R’ EP, they return here to the label courtesy of the simply titled S EP. Featuring no less than 5 upfront techno and tech-house cuts, this is the type of colorful electronic music of the type that’s most definitely been made with the dancefloor in mind.

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Digging Deeper with Amy Root

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Lynn – the debut EP from burgeoning Netherlands-based producer duo Amy Root – came out on November 9th, via Reflektor Records. An exquisite collection of original productions from friends Lukas Amer and Sjoerd Huissoon, the three-part opus combines tight, emotive beats and exhilarating harmonies with diverse global influences to noteworthy effect.

Drawing inspiration from the likes of Jon Hopkins, Bonobo and Jamie XX, the Lynn EP explores multiple world music cultures within a familiar, yet exciting framework. From Japanese drums, Bulgarian choral music, South African percussion and more, the enigmatic duo brings their music to an exciting and surprising new way of experiencing dance music.

Amy Root’s inaugural EP comes shortly after Amsterdam Dance Event 2018, a week which saw the pair debut their sensational new live show at the Melkweg on October 18th and Into The Woods festival on October 19th.

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Interview: Moments of Clarity with Eelke Kleijn

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Following on from an incredibly busy summer which saw Eelke Kleijn sell out his DAYS like NIGHTS event series debut in North America as well as make his first ever Burning Man appearance playing from the iconic Mayan Warrior art car, the talented Dutch producer has now released his ‘Maschine’ EP. Out now via his own imprint, the two tracks “Maschine 1.0” and “Maschine 2.0” mark the final two singles off his highly anticipated ‘Moments Of Clarity’ album due for release on DAYS like NIGHTS on November 16.

As Kleijn gears up to drop his third album from his 15 year career, the variety of music that has already been released borrow from his background as a progressive deep house DJ as well as his work scoring Hollywood blockbusters such as “Rush,” “Parker,” and “This Means War.” From dancefloor anthems like “Punta Cana” and “The Calling” to the synth-pop inspired “Drive,” Kleijn also acknowledges the need for balance by including downtempo and ambient tunes such as the LP’s title track, “Moments Of Clarity,” drawing on his training as a classical pianist.

After returning to his home turf on October 20, Kleijn’s DAYS like NIGHTS teamed up with All Day I Dream guru Lee Burridge at Amsterdam Dance Event in The Netherlands as the two highly-respected labels and event series joined forces for the second time. Looking ahead, Kleijn will head to Istanbul in Turkey on November 22 to play at Zorlu Studio followed by a ten-hour open-to-close set at Amsterdam’s legendary Thuishaven on December 1.

We decided to catch up with him to discuss all of this and more as the year nears to an end.
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Fabrizio Lapiana Discusses Latest “Shoegazing” EP on ARTS and 10 Years of Attic

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Fabrizio Lapiana delivers another piece of his art, following his instinct and the research of a sweet spot that seems like is always working when emotions are needed on the floor.

ARTS, the label that was chosen for this latest EP release, is one picked with much purpose. A well-known fixture on the contemporary Italian techno scene, Lapiana’s musical career started in his hometown Rome where he began collecting vinyl and DJing in the early ’90s. In 2008 he launched his own imprint, Attic, which quickly expanded from hosting just his own work into also releasing other artists fitting his personal definition of techno.

It’s on Attic that we can find plenty of Lapiana’s releases, but also on other respected imprints such as ARTS, Figure Jams and M_Rec Ltd, to mention a few. His productions are often dark and hypnotic, yet at times they have brighter melodious elements, with each of these components smoothly entering as the tracks unfold.

With Lapiana’s forthcoming four-tracker on ARTS entitled Shoegazing scheduled for release on November 2nd, we took the opportunity to sit down for an all-around chat to discuss the EP, his relationship with ARTS and Emmanuel, the 10 year anniversary of Attic, his studio inspirations and more.

Enjoy the read and make sure to check out the snippets from Shoegazing from the SoundCloud player below.

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Thor Rixon On Latest “Michele” LP: “This Album Is For My Mom; An Album That She Can Dance To”

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Thor Rixon is a very talented South African producer and multi-instrumentalist that has just released his second studio album entitled Michele, after his mother.

Signed to Get Physical, and having spent a lot of time in Berlin over the past two years, Rixon is a musician in the broadest sense of the term, always extremely involved in all aspects of the artistic process.

Enigmatic and industrious, Rixon has taken South African electronic music and performance and molded it, revved it up and dressed it down. He has spent considerable time soaking up Berlin, performing extensively around Europe and South Africa, collaborating with a range of diverse artists, and generally pushing sonic and visual envelopes.

He brings a very unique energy and inventiveness to every project he creates, whether it be in music, film or otherwise. Each of Rixon’s performances are unique, incorporating improvisation and live instrumentation. Grass-fed live sets are characterized by spirited performances; Thor consistently delivers quality productions matched with masterful mixes. This multi-instrumentalist brings a dynamic performance to every atmosphere.

We took the time to speak to this talented artist about this latest LP, which you can stream and buy HERE, as well as his relationship with his mother and future plans.

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Digging Deeper with Nandu

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The first LP release for Connected comes from Nandu and as with his previous release, Another Jam EP, One Mans High Is Another Mans Anxiety is a unique genre-crossing palette containing elements from deep house, house, Afrohouse, electronic techno and beyond brought together in Nandu’s original style.

One Man’s High Is Another Man’s Anxiety draws inspiration from Nandu’s roots in Jazz, Rock, Pop and even Salsa. A natural musician, and one who is never bound by creative restraints, he seeks to inspire and draw on the imagination with his compositions. Creating sounds that take you from South American beaches to bitter Nordic winters; from the theatrical deep jungle to sparse and unsympathetic urban ambiances, Nandu creates unparalleled soundscapes within his music.

Over the last three years, Nandu has built a key following and glowing reputation for himself with a line of cutting-edge releases on labels such as Constant Circles, Azzur and Rebirth, as well as forming his own imprint entitled Calypso Chili in 2017. He also holds down a residency at the Culture Box club in the Danish capital, running his own party titled ‘Into The Wild’ which hosts the likes of Manu Le Tough and Re.You. Now he takes to Connected to house his next album which is a project from the heart and is a true composition by a true musician. An emotional trip; an intricately crafted soundscape that makes just as well for bedroom listening as it does on a big sound system. Nandu has created an intelligent journey of music that’s is not to be missed.

You can find One Man’s High Is Another Man’s Anxiety on both digital and vinyl.

We sat down with Nandu for a chat to discuss the album, anxiety, his production process, and future dreams.

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Sense Traxx Brings House and Disco to ADE 2018 Alongside Rawsome Recordings and Refuge

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As the summer comes to a close, all eyes turn to Amsterdam Dance Event to continue the party and as usual Sense Traxx will be throwing their house, disco and good times into the mix. Joining forces with both Rawsome Recordings and Refuge, each label will be showcasing their residents, friends and special guests, and you can join them at Huis van lemand Anders on the 18th October.

After hosting Franky Rizardo, Sidney Charles, Demuja, DJ Caspa, Kevin Over, Kalyde and Illyus & Barrientos in the space of 12 months, it’s been a mammoth year for the Essex-based imprint, who haven’t shied away from making themselves known on a global scale. They’ve showcased two Ibiza events, day and night parties in their hometown of Southend, as well as three shows in the capital at Shoreditch platform, which coincidentally featured as the weekend club pick in the London Evening Standard.

On the music front they’ve gained industry support from the biggest names in the business: De La Swing, Amine Edge & Dance, Pirate Copy, Latmun, Horse Meat Disco and many more. Hosting music by the likes of Todd Terry, Kalyde, PEZNT and Nelson is now something of the norm for Sense Traxx, not to mention their next release by Mike ‘Agent X’ Clark & Angel – A, which brings some serious disco heat to the dancefloor.

Ahead of the event, for which you can find full info HERE, we had a quick chat with organizer and label boss Simon Birkumshaw to talk about ADE, recent happenings with the label and the showcase happening this Thursday, Oct 18th!

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Digging Deeper with Eskuche

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Eskuche is an artist who’s certainly emerged as an act to watch on the American house front.

He cut his teeth for years in the New York underground, breaking into the scene with brute force alongside his former collaborator Nu Sky and a signing on Lee Foss’ then-nascent imprint, Repopulate Mars. Since then, he’s made the bold choice to focus on his solo work, working tirelessly in the studio to perfect his craft and landing heavy support from Jamie Jones in the process, with a signing on Hot Creations and a performance at New York’s Paradise party at the end of September. The artist had just wrapped up his third season living in Ibiza prior to then, where his skills got him recognized by the Ibiza Talents crew and a subsequent residency at their outdoor parties at El Patio.

We sat with Eskuche following his debut Robot Love EP on Desert Hearts Recordings, the label branch of the exploding boutique festival brand of the same name from the West Coast. He fashioned a refined three-tracker for the label, bringing a different favor of tech house into the mix. We picked Eskuche’s brain on his relationship with Desert Hearts, his current goings-on, finding his way artistically, and more.

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Q&A and 6AM Guest Mix: Chris Kalaylee

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Chris Kalaylee is a hometown hero in New York City, and has been busy honing sound in the studio over the past few years. Having already shared the DJ booth with some of the greatest talent in electronic music we invited him to provide this week’s 6AM guest mix!

Chris is now ready to bring his own music to the masses. Released on leading US imprint Uprise Music, “Problem”  a powerful statement of intent, and a striking debut, now available on Beatport here.

Chugging along on a 4/4 beat, the sinister looped synths and chunky bass notes combine with a heavily pitched-down vocal to create a dark, brooding atmosphere, juxtaposed by an optimistic spoken word vocal before building to a break of truly epic proportions. One for the basements, ‘Problems’ is a cut above the usual house fare, and marks Kalaylee as one to watch for the future.

Enjoy his guest mix and our exclusive interview below:

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