Reworks and Rewinds Erol Alkan on the remixes, re-rubs and re-edits that have kept kids dancing for almost 20 years Photogr ap hy: phil sh a r p / writ er: r ee f younis
If you spent any amount of time bouncing around London clubnights in the late nineties and early noughties, the hard truth is that you spent at least one Thursday, Saturday or Monday dancing, drinking and partying to Erol Alkan. From Afterskool to Candybox, Blow Up to the Barfly, the capital wasn’t short on nights mashing up artrock, post-punk and various other guitar-based sub-genres into indie discos: Erol (alongside 2ManyDJs et al.) changed that. Now, this isn’t another love letter to Erol’s lost nights at Trash or Durr (plenty of those knocking about) or a sentimental reflection on an electroclash scene that’s become equally loved and derided in hindsight
as the Hypem generation; it’s an ode to the bangers, the rollers and the constant surprises Alkan has been mashing, twisting and reimagining for over a decade. Now 43 years old, there’s a relentless longevity to both the man and the music. The majority of the nights and venues have faded out and fallen away to make room for the next wave, but Erol’s influence endures and his forthcoming ‘Reworks Volume 1’ release is testament to that. A compilation of remixes and reworks spanning 13 years, amongst the 20 tracks there’s the sawing brutality of his ‘Love From Above Re-edit’ of DFA 1979’s ‘Romantic Rights’, the beautiful Spektral Rework of Klaxons’ ‘Golden
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Skans’ and his accelerated take on New Order’s ‘Singularity’. It’s a reminder of the variety, consistency and curation that’s always characterized him as more than a traditional DJ – and a point Erol’s keen to make in conversation. This isn’t a random selection from his substantial remix bank (there’s 40+), each one is there for a reason; each one has a story, from how it was created to how it lived out in his sets and beyond. For Erol, this release was never about any finger-in-the-air celebration of a loosely defined scene; it’s a collection of himself and a representation of his creativity outside of playing out, producing and making good on his promise: keep kids dancing.