Guest Mixtape and Interview: Clifford

Clifford moved from one of the rainiest countries in the world (Scotland) to probably the rainiest city in the galaxy (Cologne) in order to study a rather dry subject: physics. His record collection seems like some form of compensation: Warm beats, tons of soul –  and a huge amount of sexeyness! Clifford may not have been a DJ for a long time, but don´t let yourself be fooled by that: The man is a walking encyclopedia on funk, italo-disco and house – the kind of guy that actually makes you feel ashamed when you have a chat on music with him. He proves his great taste in his monthly radio-show “Fife Trax” on 674FM. We now have the special honor to present his ALAAF and KICKIN´ Guest-Mix – a straightforward and raw house tape, which is nevertheless: funkey as hell. Thank you, Clifford!

What was your initial idea or roadmap for the mix?
Since you’ve mostly heard me playing disco in Köln, I wanted to take the chance to bang some house out. I picked out around 50 of my absolute favourites and played around until something resembling a coherent mix appeared. I wander into some tougher Chicago acid/909 territory which maybe isn’t everyone’s taste, but hopefully they’ll hold on till the happy ending.

Can you tell us something more about certain tracks you selected?
I think it’s worth knowing who produced a few of the tracks here, for example Wayne Gardiner, Rheji Burrell and Ben Cenac. I would say these guys made some of the most beautiful house music there has ever been, back when ‘deep house’ actually was emotionally deep. I think those 3 are from New York/NJ but you’ve got a few Chicago legends in there too: Parris Mitchell, Tyree Cooper, Thompson & Lenoir, Joe Smooth of course. I don’t mean to disrespect the modern electronic scene or to sound clichéd, but the ‘85-‘95ish period was on a different level, in my opinion at least. I guess this opinion is (unintentionally) reflected in my selections for the mix – aside from the Restoration track, everything is pre-1995.

What does the House- and Club-scene in Scotland look like?
Scotland as a whole is maybe a bit quiet but Glasgow makes up for it. I’m just looking right now at what’s on this weekend… Pearson Sound, Matthew Herbert, Space Dimension Controller, DJ Sprinkles and (funnily enough) Lena Willikens. And it’s like this nearly every Friday, Saturday night – you’re spoilt for choice. Not just the names but the clubs themselves are excellent, usually with the typically friendly Glaswegian atmosphere. There’s even an italodisco scene! I do miss it…

You´re doing a radio show on 674FM twice a month called “Fife Trax”. Would you tell us a Little bit more about that?
It’s amateur radio, done for the love of it. If I only ever got to play bar/club music I’d go crazy, but on there it’s whatever I feel like, be that New Wave, italo or militant techno. There’s also a good community within the station. I’ve already learnt quite a lot from the other show-hosts, many of whom have been playing and record-collecting for 20+ years.

All in all: Does Cologne treat you well?
It does, it does! I chose to study here because I found the people to be more open and warm than in other German cities, and I think this was right. As for music, yes I miss Glasgow but there’s a lot happening here too, plenty of talented DJs and musicians. Plus, Köln has the better record shops, thats an important point! Wenn mein Deutsch besser wird, würde ich vielleicht gerne hier bleiben…

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Mixtape and Interview: Felix Bold

felix mixtape

Although Felix Bold is one of ALAAF and KICKIN’s founders, things have become a little quite around him lately, since he recently moved to Offenbach to study acting at “HfMDK”. Only on special occasions, Felix packs his recordbag with pure goodness and heads back to his hometown Cologne. And obviously, he´s still got it!  If you’ve been around at our first ALAAF and KICKIN’ Sunday Groove this year, you know what we’re talking about.
After 8 months of waiting, he is now back with a wonderful new mixtape! Shakespeare and Tschechow are fine, but right here Felix will keep it hardcore with straight forward beats, heavy bass lines, soulful chords and beautiful vocals – briefly: House-music!

What was your initial idea or roadmap for the mix?
I wanted to create a Mix that is nice to listen to in various Situations. I imagine people listening to it on their earphones in the train, alone at home while doing other stuff, or with friends while chatting and drinking before a Party etc.. In the best case, this mix should make you wanna dance or just move some body parts – or at least snap a finger (depends on where you are).

Can you tell us something more about certain tracks you selected?
Every Track has a little story behind it. Some of them I bought at the beginning when I started to buy records, like The Rick Wade Song – „Can you feel it“ or „the Warning“ by Logic. The last track, I bought a couple of weeks ago on a fleemarket in Frankfurt and the track „No parking (on the Dancefloor)“ I recently discovered in the record shop next to my flat in Offenbach.
The track Process by Portable i dedicate to my roommate and good friend David who is a big fan and always happens to be in the first row when Portable is playing.

You´ve been fortuned enough to become a student at the „HfMDK Frankfurt am Main“ last summer and therefore you had to give up parts of your personel interests such as digging for records and beeing a DJ. How do you feel about that?
At the beginning of my acting studies there was no question about it because I just didn’t have the time and money to even think of djing. I couldnt focus on anything else than my studies . But now that I’m in my second year I’m getting more and more used to the requirements of it and so I have more space for myself . Thats nice because I really started to miss listening to new Records or djing with my boys in Cologne. Now it’s more a question of money. But which student doesn’t know that?

How is living in Offenbach? As a fulltime actor do you still have time to go out once in a while?
In my first year in Offenbach/Frankfurt we (me and my fellow students) used to drink and dance at privat partys or at the famous „Trinkhallen“. They also have nice radio-stations or cheesy Best of compilations. But of course I went to the Robert Johnson Club a couple of times. I mean, that club is always worth the journey.

It’s been 8 months since your last mixtape for Alaaf and Kickin’. Would you say that your musical taste has changed in anyway since then? Is there something new you have discovered for yourself?
Definetly! I think my taste is always changing because of the new artists I get to know and the new musical experiences I make. And I don’t mean just electronical music. Going to Dimensions Festival this year gave me the opportunity to discover a lot of amazing artists, that were completely new for me. I love that!
For example Max Graef, who is as well feautered in this Mix, I disvovered through my friends from Aroma Pitch who invited him to their monthly Cologne Sessions.

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ALAAF and KICKIN’ Sunday Groove III – Recap

Seems like the weather gods had mercy with us this year: Three open-air parties in Cologne without any rain – not everybody gets that lucky.

It was probably the last day of this years summer at ALAAF and KICKIN’ Sunday Groove III. Despite the hectic Goa-sounds coming from the charming party next door, the mood was very relaxed. Jannis and Hugo started out playing mainly Jazz, Funk and Disco – Simon and Paul intodruced the four-to-the-floor base drum – then Jules set the place on fire. In the end the AK crew was probably more drunk then most of the guests, enjoying the wonderful support by all the fantastic people on the dance floor. If you had only as half as much fun as we did – halleluja!

We´d like to thank everybody who supported us through the summer: Till and Mathis from Etepetete for the logistics, Aroma Pitch, Tobias, Sven, Paul and Jules for their wonderful music – and especially all those who came down to hang out, drink, dream and dance with us!

We hope you are ready for some sweaty winter club-nights with us! We´ll keep you posted!

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THE DO!! YOU!!! BREAKFAST SHOW

charlie bones

To me there is nothing better than having breakfast while enjoying some great music. So listening to Charlie Bones THE DO!! YOU!!! BREAKFAST SHOW on NTS Radio quickly became one of my everyday morning-habits.

From 9-12 a.m. every workday, Charlie´s selection of Funk, Soul, Jazz and everything nearly related is making the wakeup calls a lot easier.
So for everyone who wants to start their day with good vibes and some proper musical education, this is the show to listen to! You can always expect to discover some amazing stuff you probably never heard before.

http://ntslive.co.uk/

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Guest Mixtape and Interview: Lion Berner

lion

Lion Berner is a man of culture: A connoisseur of literature, poetry, philosophy and of course: wonderful music. Lion grew up in Cologne and you can feel the influence of the city’s musical tradition in the way Lion structures his sets, building it slowly up to the peak-point. But also his second-home Berlin is in there, represented by edgy, deep and experimental sounds. His style totally matches our philosophy that a DJ Set not has to be all about the 4/4 kick-drum, but about playing whichever kind of music you want as long as it adds a part to the story you’re trying to tell. In his ALAAF and KICKIN’ Mixtape, Lion takes us on a journey deep into the history of electronic music in all its forms and colors. Thank you Lion!

What was your initial idea or roadmap for the mix?
I think it was basically that I wanted to put some records together that I really like at the moment. From Ambient over Techno to House, spiced with a little Electro Wave. I tried to combine different tempos and moods, the way it seemed to make sense for me.

Can you tell us something more about certain tracks you selected?
The intro track is a wonderful Ambient piece by Gigi Masin, one of my favorite Ambient artists. I couldn’t afford buying one of his old records until luckily Rush Hour released a compilation this year with some of his best works back from the 80s until now.
The fourth track in the mix is a super hypnotic track by Gunnar Haslam from his album Mimesiak. I really love his quite minimalistic but really deep and hypnotic approach.
The second last track is a timeless tune by Juan Atkins, like most of his work. Unbelievable groove and harmony.

The warm-up set is the ultimate discipline! – Do you agree?
Not necessarily. It’s definitely a big challenge to get people ready for the night and I think warming-up gives you the biggest freedom musically, but playing a really good peak-time or afterhour set can be just as exciting and challenging.

Would you say that your love for literature and other arts based on storytelling is influencing the way you structure your DJ-sets?
No. To me music is a totally different way of expression than literature or fine arts. I love all of these, but the way I perceive them and how they make me feel is very different.

What kinds of music, besides electronic music, do you usually listen to? Any specific artists?
Generally saying I just love to explore as much new music as I can.
Besides electronic music I’m really into different Jazz styles from classics like Coltrane, Miles, Mingus to freaky stuff like Sun Ra or Pharoah Sanders to modern classics like Pat Metheny or Marcus Miller. I love Blues, Soul, Funk or oldschool Hip Hop just as much though.

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Mixtape and Interview: Jannis Hannover

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As a DJ, Jannis Hannover is barely legal. Being only 18 years old he can already look back to gigs in clubs like Studio 672, Roxy Club, Reineke Fuchs, Chalet in Berlin as well as countless open-air and bar-venues in the area of Cologne. His record collection spreads from Bill Evans to Drexciya and his DJ-sets impress through their fascinating mixture of Soul, Funk, Afro-Jazz, Detroit- and Acid-House. Since he graduated from high school this spring, he spends his days either at the piano, in the record-shop or in front of Ableton-Live. We see a bright future ahead (and are secretly hoping that this kid will make us all rich one day). Check out his laid-back 60-minute mix, keeping on the spirit of the last ALAAF and KICKIN´ Sunday Groove.

What was your initial idea or roadmap for the mix? 
Actually I wanted to make a sort of easy listening mixtape, but after the first tracks it just hit me, so the mix gets kind of rough in the middle.
I had recorded a quite similar mix about 3 weeks ago after spending a weekend in Berlin. Obviously I found a lot of nice records there, so when I was back home I just hit the record button and tried them out. When I recorded it again I just changed 3 or 4 songs and now the mix contains about 6 tracks I got at OYE and The Recordloft.

Can you tell us a little more about some tracks you selected?
“No Disrimination” by Tony Allen (8:58) has quickly become one of my favourite records. I’m a big fan of African Music and when I listen to the recordings of guys like Tony or Fela Kuti at home I often can´t help myself to start dancing and singing.

Another track I want to mention is “Sound Drome” by Gene Hunt (25:32). It has been rereleased last year on a Rush Hour Compilation honoring the infamous Muzic Box. It’s a massive clubbanger and I can’t wait to play it on a heavy system somewhere!

For your age you have a very diverse taste of music – how come?
I guess one of the most essential moments in the development of my musical taste probably was when my brother showed me a lifemix of Theo Parrish and Emlie Omar playing at the Soul Spectrum party at Djoon, Paris. It contains 5 hours of Funk, Jazz and Soul and it hit me right away! Before that I was mainly listening to bad electronic music, so it was something totally new to me. Since then I grew a specific love for Funk and Soul as well as for genre-hopping DJ’s.

You´re only 18 but already live a pretty wild nightlife. Do you get any trouble at home?
Haha no, when I tell my mum the time I got home the last night she always pretends to be shocked, but she is kind of inconsequent and actually never tells me when to be back, so it’s really relaxed at home. I think by now she just got used to it.

You just graduated from high school. What are your plans for the future?
I still don’t know the exact plans, but I’m sure that I definitely want to do something with music, because it’s the only thing that really catches my interest at the moment. I´m a big fan of Jazz music and at the time I try to improve my piano-playing, but I’m still searching for the right thing to study in the future.

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ALAAF and KICKIN’ Sunday Groove II

Since our first Alaaf and Kickin’ Sunday Groove has been such a blast, we were really excited about this one, and looking back we can say that we once again had a super-lovely time. Even though the weather forecast was not very promising all week, Petrus came to his senses and blessed us with many hours of sun and seeing so many beautiful people hanging around and enjoying the music must have made him really happy.
In the evening after the theater-performance next door was over, we turned up the volume again and Tobias Thomas and Sven Howland quickly managed to fill up the dancefloor and made us dance deep into the night.
We once again want to thank everybody who came down and supported us with their donations and beautiful vibes. Special thanks go out to Till and Mathis from Etepete for the perfect organisation and of course to Sven and Tobias for playing a wonderful 4 ½ hour set. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

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Guest Mixtape and Interview: Sven Howland

Sven Bild!

This months Guest-Mixtape comes from one of Cologne’s top young-gun’s: Sven Howland. Sven was about 4 years old when Tobias Thomas and Michael Mayer were about to turn Cologne’s nightlife upside down with their legendary TOTAL CONFUSION party at Studio 672. Now, 16 years later, Sven is a resident DJ just at that party and has played alongside great artists such as Motor City Drum Ensemble, Barnt, Thomas Fehlmann and many more. Sven carries on the idea of the Cologne-school that a DJ-set should mainly be about telling a story, taking the audience on a musical and emotional journey. For his ALAAF and KICKIN’ Mixtape he has chosen some beautiful melodious and spherical as well as some deep and percussive tracks for you to dream, dance, love.

What was you initial idea or roadmap for the mix?
I started by getting all of my current favorite records out of the shelve. Then during the process of recording, I spontaneously added some songs which I did not consider in the first place. So it became a mixture between some of my current favorites and some lovely b-sides.

Can you tell us more about some of the tracks you selected?
There are two tracks in the mix that I especially like to listen to. One of them is “Silver Chalice” by Golden Teacher (Optimo Music). The mixture of wild drums and synth sounds creates a real special flavor.
Then there is the Roman Flügel Remix of DJ Kozes “Amygdala”. I think that Koze produced the best album of the last year – and just recently the Roman Flügel Remix was released. The track is building up very slowly and creates an incredible aura in the process.

You´re only 20 years old but have already been a resident at one of Colognes most prestigious partys TOTAL CONFUSION for two years. How did it get to this early knightly accolade?
It all happened really fast. I had just recorded and uploaded my second mix “Howland”. Shortly after it Tobias Thomas commented on the mix and said he really liked it, which of course made me very happy. Right after that I received a mail from Tobias in which he asked me if I would like to play at the annual Karneval-Open-air party at Aachener Weiher. I had never played in front of a big crowd before that day, but then I was just like: What the hell! Well, seems like it has been the right decision.

How did Cologne and the KOMPAKT label influence your musical taste?
Already at the age of 16 I used to sneak in at the TOTAL CONFUSION party at Bogen 2 which was always really special to me back then. I discovered something totally new and fresh there and these experiences definitely had a huge impact on my musical taste. Another important influence where the guys from Aroma Pitch with their openair parties (the infamous Sun Wanted) and then, later on, at Cologne Sessions.

You´ve already played a lot of warm-up sets and therefore had the chance to hang out with some great artist. Is there anybody who impressed you not only as an artist but also personally?
Danilo (Motor City Drum Ensemble) and Thomas Fehlmann really impressed me. I had a very interesting conversation with MCDE when we had dinner before the party – he is a very open and friendly person.
In case of Thomas Fehlmann I was just stunned by the energy and the passion of the man. Being 57 years old he still puts on a live-show which blasts you away!

 

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Theo Parrish’s Methods of Movement

theo parrish

Variety in the term of track selection should be one of the main criterions for a Dj set and there are not many Dj’s left that comply with that duty. Theo Parrish clearly is one of them.
So for those who didn’t knew that already, I just want to share a mix, that in my opinion gives a perfect example on how to combine beautiful soul-jams with pure House and Techno roughness, going from A to B and back, not worrying about any boundaries of genre.

Released on a mix cd in the year of 2000, Theo blesses us with one and a half hour of pure listening pleasure. So just lean back and enjoy the madness!!!

Check the mix here:

Theo Parrish – Methods of Movement (cd-r / 2000)

Tracklist:

Undisputed Truth – Sandman
Tullio De Piscopo – Stop Bajon
Lil’ Louis & The World – Funny How U Luv
Outside – The Plan (-kton Mix)
Level 42 – Love Meeting Love
Skyy – First Time Around (Larry Levan Remix)
First Choice – Love Having You Around
Luther Vandross – Never Too Much
Tony Allen – Hustler
James Brown – Give Me Some Skin
Joe R. Lewis – Love Mystery (Of Love #2)
Kenny Dixon Jr. – I Like It (Sherard Ingram’s Mix)
Erb – The Weekend
Leron Carson – China Trax
Theo Parrish – Reaction To Plastic
Incognito – I Can See The Future
George Benson – The World Is A Ghetto
Two Tons Of Fun – Make Someone Feel Happy Today
One Way – Do Your Thang
Rufus & Chaka – Any Love
Slave – You And Me
Reuben Wilson – Got To Get Your Own
The Isley Brothers – Live It Up

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Mixtape and Interview: Simon Hein

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Simon Hein actually wanted to become an engineer but then his parents asked him to get a save job so he started DJing four years ago. We’re very happy he did, since Simon brings in a well needed portion of roughness into our gang. Being the most friendly guy you can imagine, Simon lives out his evil side behind the turntables, dropping raw and powerful underground tracks from labels like L.I.E.S., Wild Oats, Don’t be afraid and so on. His affinity for mathematics shows up in his precise mixing-technique and his very original mode of sorting records (via BPM!). Simon will make you sweat this Friday at Etepetete Beatgekitzel in Cologne. As a lil’ amuse-gueule check out his fantastic 60-minute mix: ALAAF and KICKIN’ No. 16!

What was your initial idea or roadmap for the mix?
I wanted to create a mix that sounds grounded, motivating and really electronic. So I selected about 30 new and relevant records of which I thought they would meet these requirements. During the recording I decided spontaneously which ones to use and in which order to put them. In the end the mix got somewhat rougher than intended, so I think you can enjoy it most while working out or driving on the Autobahn.

Can you tell us more about some of the tracks you selected?
The first track I want to mention is called ‘The Life Beyond This World’ produced by G Strings (25:00 – 28:30). It’s a really strong piece of hypnotic Ghetto Tech. The bass is constantly punching you and makes it very hard not to move. ‘Warning! This Music Is Very Motivating! Beware!’ is printed on the cover. Yep, I’ll sign that! MGun’s ‘The Race’ is an evil beast (46:30 – 50:30). You need the right attitude for this one. Otherwise it will probably scare the hell out of you if you listen to it on a big sound system. After all that rough stuff I wanted to end the mix with something nice. Urban Textures ‘Voltaic’ is 5 minutes of pure bliss (57:00 – 1:02:16).

Your first mixtapes (back then as DJ Schwimmbutz) sounded much different from the sound you’re playing today. How would you evaluate your development as a DJ?
I would say that DJ Schwimmbutz was just beginning to recognize how big the diversity of electronic music or house music is. I used Virtual DJ to put these mixtapes together. It was just fun. Then my roommate Tim brought along an old record player and I started to collect some vinyls. Meanwhile we headed to the Cologne Sessions once a month, which definitely influenced my taste in electronic music a lot. So I got to know more and more about house music. Throughout this process I accumulated several records of which I’d say retrospectively: This is quality.

You’re studying engineering at RWHT Aachen. Most people would probably say that maths and constructing are a complete antithesis to House music. Would you agree?
I think one of the basic ideas behind house music is that it’s made for everyone. I wouldn’t say that you can’t be into house music and engineering at the same time. Kerri Chandler once said that he probably would have become an engineer if he wasn’t a DJ. And he is not the worst one, is he?

What was your greatest experience as a DJ?
My greatest experience was probably last summer, when Hugo and me performed at a beautiful open-air party at ‘Schräge Wiese’. I wasn’t expecting much but then the party turned into quite a nice rave. I played about 10 hours and from a certain point it felt like I could play whatever I like. Everyone had a good time.

Who was the last DJ that really impressed you with his performance?
I think that was in fact DJ Yogo from Tel Aviv at Cologne Sessions. He blew the crowd away with some really powerful house music.

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