Editors letter First and foremost, I would like to say a massive thank you to those of you who helped my vision come alive. Thank you to Emmanuelle LY for your drawings have helped my words come to life. Thank you to graphic designer Lukas Zabek, helping the vinyl sleeve and the fanzine come alive colours and design. And a thank you to Gillian Fewins, for guiding me along with way with editing. The support MadTech Records and the artists involved have showed with this publication have meant the world to me and reminded me every day why I am doing this. For The Love Of Music, I think, offers a different kind of reading material and creates a unique relationship with music. I invite everyone with open arms to the event, which is to be held at the end of May. If you love Mad Tech then you will not want to miss out. The very first issue is about what music can do for us. How it can make us feel and why it means so much to many of us. But it’s also to show appreciation for MadTech Records. Without a doubt, Kerri Chandler has inspired many different artists from his unique soulful style, to his labels and I hope I can give something back to you fans. I want you to remember exactly why we follow our favourite artists across the globe and I want you to remember why we love the music we do. And lastly, a small tribute to Mr Frankie Knuckles. A true pioneer to house music and has had a massive influence on artists and music today. He has influenced Kerri enormously, and it a real treat to be able to write his story. For The Love of Music opens its arms to everyone. If I can encourage you to buy a piece of music after my reviews, I’ve done my job. If I can get you to think of music differently, I have succeeded. Each piece of writing is personal to me and I hope you can gain a lot and reflect from on it.
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Smith
For the very first issue of For The Love Of Music, the spotlight is on MadTech records. I wanted to get inside the record label and speak to them about the workings of this beautiful empire Kerri has created. It started in 2012 as an output for more darker and techier sounds of house music. Madhouse Records is the parent label and has been in hiatus for almost 10 years from 2002 to 2011 due to other priorities and commitments. The label was revitalized in 2011 with new releases and whole new website. Madhouse became predominantly an outlet for Kerri Chandlers music and tracks from his producer friends as well as tracks he came across through his extensive DJ experience. The sound of the label was rooted in Deep and Soulful House, instrumentals but on the whole, full of deep vocal tracks. The first release on the label was a 6-track sampler entitled “A Basement, A Red Light & A Feelin’” which showcased some of the artists and releases and sold excess of 100,000 copies on vinyl alone. So what makes this label tick? Who and what exactly are the drivers behind it? I was luckily enough to find out.
How many people work at MT HQ? There are six of us who at the label in total. The roles are A&R, Label Manager, Event Planner, PR, promotion team, Lawyer and Accountant If you were to describe the label in three words, what would they be? We consider our selves to be forward-thinking, professional and unique w
In my opinion, music is one of the few, if not the only tools, which we use to take us back to a certain place or ear in our lives. It feeds our emotions and takes us back to times we’d rather forget, or times which we could live over and over again. It’s a nostalgic device, which is one of the main reasons why I love music so much. I can escape the real world and re-live some of the best times I have ever had. The attachment that every single person has with a certain sound of music is so unique. As soon as music takes you to a place or time, it stops being a piece created by one person and becomes a milestone in your life. Remember the song you listened to at that stage in your life? That’s what I’m talking about. Music has the ability to make us cry, smile, or in many cases, make us love. There are endless definitions of what music is. Perhaps your definition is: a series of beats and pulses, which make you progressively tap your foot as you work, or perhaps it is something you debate. Two people with conflicting views make for a scorching disagreement, and nothing will preoccupy you like it. Over the past couple of years I’ve witnessed many contretemps surrounding a certain genre of music, these arguments have started some of the most interesting disputes and will no doubt go on to shape the history of music. Music does the talking for us, it has certainly helped me start and form many friendships and numerous conversations. In many cases it connects the world and the people in it. With music we share something very personal, our lowest lows and many of our highest highs. I cannot face a day without music, and I’m certain, neither can you.
For some they slip into a blacked out world with only their thoughts and headphones for company. It creates the perfect thinking environment, the right song to reflect your current mood and what could be better then that? Listening to music alone has been regarded as one of the nicest pleasures in life. It creates the perfect opportunity to unwind and you can take time to fully appreciate what you are listening to. Sometimes, there are no words. Sometimes it’s remembering that feeling you once had, that place you once went to. Being able to listen to music on completely on your own, in your own home, can be somewhat of a mood enhancer. Perhaps to many of us a way to diminish. Maybe for some, a way to disregard all social interaction and this is the time we look forward to at the end of our busy day which nobody to argue: ‘that’s not music you’re listening to, its noise.’ We have only our selves to please and our selves to think about in this place. Listening alone to music is maybe just what we need after a long day and it gives us every way and opportunity to allow ourselves to become antisocial.
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This is a tale of different cities and one house music godfather who helped shaped them in the early 1970s, 80s and 90s. This year house music lost one of its most important faces, American disc jokey, Frankie Knuckles. We want to take you on one of music’s longest journeys, the history of house music starring some of the greatest names and clubs in the business. Frankie Knuckles became an inspiration to so many DJs and created the club scene as we know it today. He died at the young age of 59 and played at Ministry Of Sound, London every Saturday.
with ‘Your Love’, better known in the UK as the backing track for The Source’s hit remix of Candi Staton’s You Got The Love. Alongside imports, Knuckles began playing fresh edits of disco tunes that were already a few years old. Frankie Knuckles soon became something of a god to gay and black males in Chicago. The crowd were predominately gay and black and they were joined at around 4am by dancers from Broadway, whose high kicking and twirls would cause dance-offs around the floor. Disco came out of the underground by 1977 and the whole world was captured by Saturday Night Fever. People were so eager to get the latest sounds that they heard in The Warehouse nightclub in Frankie Knuckles is known for remixing tracks by Michael Jackson and Chicago, the style of music soon became known as ‘house.’ It was about old Whitney Houston, as well as his own songs. Francis Nicholls was born tunes. The rarer the better. In Chicago, only record stores such as Importes on January 18th 1955 in New York. He learned his craft in New York Etc., State Street Records, JR’s Music shop and Gramaphone Records were City, where he was mentored by club DJ Larry Levan while studying tex- the primary suppliers of this music. Quickly DJs became more creative with tile design at the city’s Fashion Institute of Technology in the Seventies. their mixing; teasing out the sound, manipulating the records, bringing clips His story starts at Chicago, where he was a resident at The Warehouse night- in and out and this is how we got to know ‘house’ today. In the 80s, Frankclub. For its first couple of years, The Warehouse was one of Chicago’s wildest ie became the first dance music superstar DJ and more famous residencies discos, but it wasn’t until 1979 that it began to embody a distinctive scene. in NYC followed, at seminal clubs such as the Sound Factory, where FrankFrankie’s distinctive style was taking his favourite funky disco grooves snip ie would preach to his disciples from Saturday night through to mid-Sunand edit them to create something new. You maybe more familiar with this day morning, with his trademark gospel vocals, tough basslines and beats with ‘Your Love’, better known in the UK as the backing track for The Source’s programmed to make you a better dancer than you ever imagined possible. He went on to play at worldwide clubs such as the Hahit remix of Candi Staton’s You Got The Love. Alongside cienda in Manchester and Delirium in London. His imports, Knuckles began playing fresh edits of disco tunes that were already a few years old. Frankie Knuckles soon be“I'm gonna miss your humour sound, style and culture trickled its way into London and all over the North. It fed into the 1980s Northcame something of a god to gay and black males in Chicago. most of all. Rest in peace, ern Soul all night culture perfectly. Some of the bigThe crowd were predominately gay and black and they were joined at around 4am by dancers from Broadway, whose Frankie Knuckles. Your love gest nightclubs have been inspired and modelled on for music started us all.” different clubs around America; Manchester’s Hacienhigh kicking and twirls would cause dance-offs around the da’s club design was based around a clubs in New York. floor. Disco came out of the underground by 1977 and the Frankie went on to DJ for parties at Sauer’s, Pyramid, whole world was captured by Saturday Night Fever. People Kerri Chandler. Annex 2, The Smart Bar and Metro. Acid house turned were so eager to get the latest sounds that they heard in The Knuckles from a local legend to a real star, although one Warehouse nightclub in Chicago, the style of music soon became known as ‘house.’ It was about old tunes. The rarer the better. In Chicago, who never really had a hit of his own, his biggest success in Britain, the subonly record stores such as Importes Etc., State Street Records, JR’s Music shop lime Whistle Song, got to number 17 in 1991. He was one of the opening DJs and Gramaphone Records were the primary suppliers of this music. Quickly at the major London venue Ministry of Sound (which had been inspired by DJs became more creative with their mixing; teasing out the sound, manipulat- Paradise Garage) and in 1987, when the Power Plant closed, Knuckles played ing the records, bringing clips in and out and this is how we got to know ‘house’ a four-month residency at Delirium, a club night held at London’s Astoria. He today. In the 80s, Frankie became the first dance music superstar DJ and more was later signed to Virgin Records, where he remixed or produced such artists famous residencies in NYC followed, at seminal clubs such as the Sound Facto- as Mary J Blige, Janet Jackson, Pet Shop Boys, Diana Ross, Luther Vandross ry, where Frankie would preach to his disciples from Saturday night through to and Toni Braxton, and won a Grammy for best remixer of the year in 1997. mid-Sunday morning, with his trademark gospel vocals, tough basslines and Inducted to the Dance Music Hall of Fame in 2005, Knuckles also had a Chibeats programmed to make you a better dancer than you ever imagined possible. cago street named after him in 2004, on the former site of the Warehouse club. Frankie Knuckles is known for remixing tracks by Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, as well as his own songs. Francis Nicholls was born This story is the blueprint of how and what we know to be club culture today. on January 18th 1955 in New York. He learned his craft in New York The cities, the people, the attitudes and the music, they all played a key role. City, where he was mentored by club DJ Larry Levan while studying tex- Frankie Knuckles became a true pioneer of his time and did something brand tile design at the city’s Fashion Institute of Technology in the Seventies. new in the clubs of Chicago. Rest in peace, Frankie. You will never be forgotten. His story starts at Chicago, where he was a resident at The Warehouse nightclub. For its first couple of years, The Warehouse was one of Chicago’s wildest discos, but it wasn’t until 1979 that it began to embody a distinctive scene. Frankie’s distinctive style was taking his favourite funky disco grooves snip and edit them to create something new. You maybe more familiar with this