Freaks was originally the brain child of Bournemouth’s Justin Harris and London based, Luke Solomon. They began recording for Phono, home of Herbert and Swag, and their first few releases, which came in three parts, saw them journey through filter disco (The Shrunken Head), quirky mid tempo house (Journey’s Through Happiness), and minimal techno (The Milwaukee Stance). The guys continue to release Freaks material on their new Music for Freaks imprint. Earlier this year they released a digital version of their single, Boiling Point, featuring remixes from Derrick Carter.
LCD Soundsystem / Get Innocuous
This is a great example of modern dance music that has captured the past so well for me. The beats are reminiscent of Carl Craig’s Paperclip People records and vocals that owe a great deal to David Bowie. It made me like LCD in a very different way, and it made realize that they meant business.
Arthur Russell / Wax the Van
Us Freaks have a great passion for mid-tempo weirdness and Arthur Russell was a great inventor of just that. A man that sang and played and who had his ear very close to the ground, yet refused to be caught up in any passing fads.
Look out for the wonderful new film. It’s inspiring.
Nine Horses / Serotonin
David Sylvian can do no wrong in my books. But teaming up with one of the founders of Can was a major deal for me. The entire album sums up my taste in music. So beautifully produced, and so wonderfully odd and daring. It’s a real masterpiece in my books.
Talking Heads / I Zimbra
If only we could be that good! A great inspiration to the band and a song that reminds me of my childhood. It was only later on in life that I had realized that this was such a pivotal New York disco record. It affirmed for me that I was in the right job. A song built up out of sounds based around Dadism. Genius.
B52s / Dance This Mess Around
Yet another band that always makes me feel young again, and taken from one of the albums I have probably listened to more than any other in my life. I love the quirkiness of everything they stand for and relate to their left of centre ideals. Records like Planet Claire and Mesopotamia have been a part of dance music history, but this to me is the real gem. Do the escalator!
TV on the Radio / Golden Age
A new one on the list and one of the first songs in a long time to really blow my mind. I love how they look. I love their New York references — ESG, Liquid Liquid, and the like. And I love the production and the song. Absolutely wonderful and funky to the tee.
Adonis / No Way Back
A nod to my dance music roots and a record we have covered and made a part of our own shows. Made by a now Chicago veteran who was formally a bass player in a funk band, this record has the stripped down and simple elements of what makes a great dance record. A bassline that carries the whole record and a vocal that speaks about those hedonistic dancefloors. Acid house’s opus for me.
Q Lazarus / Goodbye Horses
Probably my most cherished vinyl possession and one of the most valuable records I own. It’s on the list because it is quite simply a beautiful piece of electronic music. It reached its claim to fame when it was used in Silence of the Lambs, and more recently used in Clerks 2. It never achieved a commercial release, and it gained a vinyl release in Japan. If you can track one down, be prepared to pay a small fortune.
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