9.3.07

London Elektricity


No posts for over two weeks, then two in a day. Can you tell it's Friday?

Ok London Elektricity have been the only drum & bass band worth talking about in recent years. Tony Colman is an eccentric genius that somehow managed to pull together, esteemed jazz singer - winner of BBC Jazz Awards no less - Lianne Carroll, with human drum machine, the Jungle Drummer who is capable of reaching 160 bpm (that makes him sound like a car), as well as MC Wrec and keyboardist Landslide, and silken voiced house hero Robert Owens. This band tore up festivals, clubs and beyond for over three years, and took d&b to parts it doesn't reach. namely more mainstream, band focused audiences. Unfortunately the band is no more. But the Tony's brand of euphoric, fast soul music is still around. Nevertheless their home, the label, Hospital Records is arguably the prime example of how to run a small independent record label in 2007. Their catalogue's available on iTunes and as you will find out they won an award for Best Podcast last year. They're not complaining about falling record sales and the Internet piracy destroying their revenue, Hospital is embracing the futre and is miles ahead of the pack as a result. Maximum respect to label co founder and label manager Chris Goss, who runs a very tight ship.

It's fitting that Tony's photo is of him in Japan as this interview, which appeared in Newcastle Metro on Thursday March 8th, was conducted while he was on tour in Japan. Tony is the guy in the camo jacket (ho ho ho).


LONDON LEKKY

Since its inception in 2003, drum’n’bass band London Elektricity has been a breath of fresh air: its brand of ‘fast soul music’ - or breakneck breakbeat oozing musicality and feeling – garnered fans beyond d’n’b and their breathtaking live shows at festivals including Glastonbury and the Big Chill meant London Elektricity soon became dance music cult must sees.

However when London Elektricity arrives in Newcastle tonight, it will be Tony Colman, the brains and producer behind the band, DJing… London Elektricity the band, is in fact, no more.

‘With London Elek live we were living on borrowed time - each musician in the band put their solo careers on hold to do it, and we toured for over two,’ explains Colman. ‘It was an amazing period and we decided to stop while we were at our peak.’

Colman, co-founder of Hospital Records, is busy enough with DJ dates, thinking about a new album, and recording free podcasts, that in much the same way as London Elektricity, live have become a cult phenomenon, beating off Radio 1, Zane Lowe, Kerrang and The Zutons, to scoop a Digital Music Award for best podcast last year.

‘That was really funny - I started podcasting last May and it's never been that serious - just me droning on about my week and playing left field musical drum’n’bass,’ recalls Colman. ‘It was weird to get an award for what is really just a pirate radio show that you can download. Mind you we get around 100,000 downloads a month now so I'm reaching a lot of people who live in unheard of parts of the world.’

In many ways Hospital Records has led the way in embracing new technology and were the only drum’n’bass, and one of very few dance music labels available on iTunes, three years ago. And the label’s not resting on its laurels either, and has begun recording videocasts to download also.

Colman and Hospital would undoubtedly be classified as early adopters of new technology. Nevertheless, Colman is firmly old school and militant when it comes to embracing new technology in the DJ booth.

‘I love vinyl pure and simple: it's more fun to play and it sounds much better, so it's more enjoyable for the crowd,’ says Colman. ‘I took a survey recently of d’n’b fans online, asking them if they had the choice, would they prefer their favorite Djs to play A) vinyl B) cd C) laptop and it was about 98% in favor of vinyl.

‘Some DJs are moving away from vinyl because it's too heavy to carry and more expensive (like that's a problem for A list DJs,’ continues Colman. ‘But they just make the rest of us look better: I think the paying club audience deserves the best so I play 100% vinyl and dubplates.’