Sometimes I want to get back to my roots and play some more downtempo soulful music which influenced me in my formative years. I sometimes feel like I have forgotten these roots through being immersed in the epicentre of electronic dance music here in Berlin. This show from last month is 3 hours long as I had the opportunity to have an extended radio show so took full advantage. I hope you enjoy my walk through memory lane..

Smugglers Inn Podcast Soulful Special 09/05/13

1 – Mode Selector – From Somewhere And Nowhere (Styge)
2 – Nemoy – Slow Chicks (Bonzzaj)
3 – Ed Townsend – If You Can’t Take Me Higher (Curtom)
4 – Madlib – Steppin Again (Blue Note)
5 – Onra – Don’t Stop (All City)
6 – Dabrye – The Stand (feat Wildchild) (Ghostly)
7 – Freddi Hench and The Soul Setters – Funky To The Bone (Reprise)
8 – Daru and Reggie B – I Was Wrong (4Lux)
9 – Spacek – Eve (J Dilla Remix) (Blue)
10 – Lone – Fly Fire Rainbow (Dealmaker)
11 – The 8th Day – Rocks In My Head (Invictus)
12 – NT – Distances By Air (Natural Response)
13 – Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes – Where Are All My Friends (CBS)
14 – The Headhunters – Mugic (Arista)
15 – Red Nose Distrikt – More Sunshine (Kam Rework) (Netgroove)
16 – Air – Soldissimo (EDC Remix) (Solid)
17 – Jneiro Jarel – N.A.S.A (Kindred Spirits)
18 – Kamal The Abstract – Feelin (White Label)
19 – Shape Of Broad Minds – There 4 Me (Lex)
20 – Augustus Pablo – East Of The River Nile (Ocho)
21 – Vicki Anderson – Super Good (People)
22 – Blacka’nized – Future Generations (Yush)
23 – Dr Who Dat? – Beat Rock (Lex)
24 – Dr Who Dat? – Brazilian Thought (Lex)
25 – Red Nose Distrikt – Diesel (Kindred Spirits)
26 – Neon Fusion – The Future Ain’t The Same As It Used To Be (Laws Of Motion)
27 – Benny Sings Red Nose Distrikt – ABCDEFG (Dox)
28 – Jazzanova – Let Your Heart Be Free (Dub) (Sonar Kollektiv)
29 – Linkwood Family – Miles Away (Firecracker)
30 – Funkadelic – Soul Mate (Charly)
31 – Ralph McDonald – Jam On The Groove (Alpha Omega)
32 – Leroy Hutson – Get To This (You’ll Get To Me) (Curtom)
33 – P’Taah – The Crossing (Ubiquity)
34 – GB – Someday (Sound In Color)
35 – Grover Washington Jr – Knucklehead (Alpha Omega)
36 – Freddie Cruger – On My Way (feat Linn) (Swedish Brandy)
37 – DJ Rels – Song For My Lady (Stones Throw)
38 – DJ Rels – Moonride (Stones Throw)
39 – Prince Jazzbo – Good Things (Motion)
40 – Trinidadian Deep – My True Love (Future Vision)
41 – Cai – The SInging Of…. (Out Of The Loop)
42 – Arch Tight – Chase Scene With Zero (Public Transit)
43 – Nutmeg – Bicycle Kick (Neroli)
44 – Sinden – If I…. (Loungin)
45 – Deyampert – This Is The Dance Track On This Album (Sonar Kollektiv)
46 – Theo Parrish – Moonlight (Sound Signature)

Here’s the latest Smugglers Inn Podcast with an amazing guestmix for the Parisian discofunkdeephousetecho maestro DJ Leandre. I first met Leandre in Paris in 2010 through Brawther and I was immediately impressed with his unbelievable record collection and refreshingly anti-industry approach. He makes small run private press singles on his label Voulez-vous which he gives to selected DJs, so his music is not readily available to the public. I was lucky enough to be given 4 cds of his personal edits 4 years ago and they have served me incredibly well. I actually wore them out and had to ask for them again recently. I remember when I played at Disco Not Disco in Belgrade in 2010, I played the last hour of my set with pure Leandre tracks as there was no point playing anything else. More info on Leandre can be found here.

I am really glad to get a guestmix from Leandre as I really respect his taste and knowledge of rare, funky music. He has a sound and this mix is very representative of this. No tracklist. No blending. Just straight up tunes and some lovely classical interludes. Rest of the show is the usual up to date heat.

The Smugglers Inn Podcast 22/04/13

1 – Jesse Futerman – Theme From The Love I Lost (Cdr)
2 – Anika – Yang Yang (Stones Throw)
3 – Kab Driver – Wesley Slipes (Reset Industries)
4 – King Knut – A Lil’ Soul (Musique Large)
5 – Third Culture – Gonna Track You Down (Knox Remix) (My Favourite Robot)

DJ Leandre Guestmix

No Tracklist

End Of DJ Leandre Guestmix

18 – Kelpe – Haunt (Drut)
19 – Cosmic Kids – Higgs Boson (Throne Of Blood)
20 – DJ Leandre – Adventure (Cdr)
21 – Mr Beatnick – Parallax Scroll (Don’t Be Afraid)
22 – Leif – Circumstance 4 (Ornate)
23 – Bantam Lions – No Going Back (Scenery)
24 – Calculated Chaos – Amazon Grime (Cdr)
25 – Rick Wade – Detroit Suspense (Holic Trax)
26 – Adam Elemental – Lonely Planet (Runtime)
27 – Mouth – Ponies (Second Chance Remix) (Cdr)
28 – Dass – Ten Shins (Untzz)
29 – Geiom feat Terrible Shock – 2 4 6 (Desto Remix) (Well Rounded)
30 – SVT – Basement Sweat (Work Them)
31 – Chicago Damn – Let Your Body Rule (Chicago Damn)

Every once in a while I get tired of trawling through 200 shit promos to find the 20 or so good tracks which make up an average Smugglers Inn show so I decided to do a live mix special. I have really been enjoying playing in clubs recently and I often think it’s a shame to have so many good records from the past lying semi dormant in my collection, so I pulled a load of stuff out and mixed it live. It’s mainly house but it does get a bit more rugged at points.

It was a lot of fun so I will do a few more shows like this in the future..

Smugglers Inn Live Mix Special

1 – Move D – Hurt Me (Compost)
2 – Spirit Catcher – Rise And Shine (Rotax)
3 – Domu – Drift Away (Neroli)
4 – Rick Wade – Rome Ext (Harmonie Park)
5 – Oblique – Sugar Slow (Foundation Music)
6 – Johnny Dangerous – King Of Clubs (King Street)
7 – Move D – B1 (Workshop 13)
8 – Larry Heard – Black Oceans (Black Market)
9 – Sound Stream – Inferno (Sound Stream)
10 – Mix Mup – Nothing More To Say (Mikrodisko)
11 – Ejeca – Pushed (Bicep Remix) (Tusk Wax)
12 – Da One Away – Trash The Junk (Main Squeeze)
13 – Ron Trent – Morning Fever (Prescription)
14 – Moonstarr feat Tash – Monopoly (Public Transit Recordings)
15 – Brandt Brauer Frick – Bop (Pepe Bradock Remix) (K7)
16 – Peter Grummich – Jupiter (Innerbird)
17 – Roman Rauch feat Precious K – Reminiscin (Smugglers Inn)
18 – Suga Bullit – Live And Direct (The Forgotten Mix) (Parkway)
19 – DCNT – Irvine (Platte International)
20 – Andres – Take Off (Moods And Grooves)
21 – Boogymann – Soulintroduction (Superhuit)
22 – Duplex – Damn Dark Wind (Field Recordings)
23 – DVS1 – Evolve (Hush)
24 – DJ Spider and Phil Moffa – Oracle Octaves (Sublevel Sounds)
25 – Shingo Suwa – Inhaled Deeply (Merkur Schallplatten)
26 – Ennio Morricone – Le Foto Proibite Di Una Signora Per Bene (Alex Attias Mustang Mix 2) (Compost)
27 – Appointment – A2 (Appointment 002)
28 – Mike Dehnhert – Granulat (Fachwerk)
29 – Jimmy Edgar – Uniform (Citation) (Warp)
30 – Matias Aguayo – Argento (Soul Jazz)
31 – Studio Pankow – Heidelberger Platz (City Centre Offices)
32 – Don Williams – Vector Dance (Art Less)
33 – Ettiene De Crecy – Hold The Line (XL)
34 – Ibex – The Last Laugh (Planet E)

You may remember late last year I featured an interview with one of my all time deep house heroes Rick Wade. Rick is someone who I always admired from afar for his stripped down and funky production aesthetic and smooth yet banging DJ sets. I first heard Rick play at a Sud Electronic party in London in 2008 and he smashed the shit out of the subterranean African Restaurant basement venue in Clapton. He was super friendly with smiles for everyone and he took the time to talk to me and my mates who had traveled down from Nottingham to see him play. Fast forward to 2010 and I am in Tokyo launching my Early Years album and Rick is playing the night after me at Dommune which is the biggest live stream club in Asia. I hung out with Rick and Haq (artist on all the UR records) and it was great to meet him again in such a far away place.

Bizarrely, the next time we met was also in Tokyo directly after the Fukushima earthquake in 2011. The atmosphere was one of hushed fear and we were both aware that most foreign DJs had cancelled their gigs there due to safety fears. One of my proudest moments was when I spotted Rick in the crowd at Module during my set – I bought so many of his records over the years so it was great that he had come to hear me play. We both had a laugh about meeting in Japan 2 years in a row. Rick was over in Berlin in December to play at Watergate and he stayed at my place for a few days. It was so amazing to hear all his behind the scenes tales of Detroit. I took the opportunity to interview Rick and he got deep on several subject. As you will hear, he really knows how to tell a tale. This is the second part of the interview and Rick talks about his early musical memories, the feelings he tries to convey in his music and the hilarious tale of how he first got to know Theo Parrish. Take it from me…this is pure dance music history gold.

The rest of the show is the usual mix of brand new music. Enjoy!

Smugglers Inn Podcast 12/03/13

1 – Apple and The 3 Oranges – Give You A Ring (Now Again)
2 – Spaced Out Family – Antigravity (Squaring The Circle)
3 – Phil Gerus – Tahiti Love (Dharma)
4 – Nicole Willis And The Soul Investigators – Light Years Ahead (Timmion)
5 – Duppy Gun feat I Jahbar – Spy (Stones Throw)
6 – Glenn Astro – Together (Big Bait)
7 – Zomblaze – Stratosphere (Chi Recordings)
8 – Lay-far – Re-Mystery 11 (JD Records)
9 – Mos Howieson – Genosha (Haul Music)
10 – Strange U – Klaatu Barada Nikto (Eglo)
11 – Skymark feat Lady Blacktronika – Use Me (Nsyde)
12 – Rick Wade – Unknown (Cdr)

Rick Wade Interview (Part 2)

13 – Pause – Falsey (Reso Remix) (Plexus Records)
14 – Andrea Sartori – Grand Prix (Extended Dub Mix and Bonus Beat) (Slow Motion)
15 – Bones and Money – Black Diamond (Strict Face Remix) (Tuff Wax)
16 – Zanshin – Low End Fairy (Affine)
17 – Deepchild – I Woke Up And You Were Smiling (Alland Byallo Remix) (Thoughtless Music)

Smugglers Inn returns with an awesome German wave mix from Leipzig based DJ/collector Esclé.

I first met Esclé when he booked me to play at his Nacht party in Munich in 2011. We’ve kept in touch since then and it’s great to get such a fresh guestmix from him. His mix is focused on rare pieces of the early german punk funk and new wave scene from the early 80′s and contains some proper obscure, freaky shit. Just the way we like it.

Esclé is involved in several cultural projekts in Berlin, Leipzig and Munich. At the moment he is touring with “Bohemian Drips” for the “Conny Plank ReWork Sessions”. Info on their next party can be found here.

The rest of the show is of course brand new music from a variety of sources…..

The Smugglers Inn Podcast 21/02/13 with Esclé Guestmix

1 – Mo Kolours – Bomptious (Shafiq Husayn Remix) (One Handed)
2 – The Greg Foat Group – Girl And Robot With Flowers Part 5 (Jazzman)
3 – Blackula – A Darker Shade Of Noir (Bad Mojo Version) (Bear Funk)
4 – Vex Ruffin And James Pants – Space Tom Test (Stones Throw)

Esclé Guestmix

No Tracklist

End Of Esclé Guestmix

16 – Area – Cecentric (Wave Music)
17 – Blacksmif – Gavelock (Paradise Club)
18 – Marshall Jefferson Vs Noosa Heads – Mushrooms (Frits Wentink Remix) (Shifting Peaks)
19 – Dom 877 – Do It Right (Klic Remix) (877 Records)
20 – Ambient Jazz Ensemble – Jazz Face (Simbad Snowfall Remix) (Here And Now)
21 – Rick Wade – Ancient Tongues (Landed Records)
22 – Hot Coins – Blizzard (Sonar Kollektiv)
23 – KMFH -Untitled (Cdr)
24 – Kyodai – Moving Breaking Part 2 (Local Talk)
25 – Mouth – Untitled 2013 (Cdr)
26 – Shane Berry – Akaforme (Max Ulis Remix) (Thoughtless Music)
27 – Rhythm Plate – Lean (Original Mix Pt 2) (Pressed For Time)

Welcome to the first Smugglers Inn podcast of 2013. I hope everyone is having a great start to the year so far. My Hot Coins album was released last week on Sonar Kollektiv so I played a few tracks from that on this weeks show – the rest is all brand new hot stuff so I hope you dig it.

The Smugglers Inn Podcast 03/02/13

1 – Julia Holter – You Me Both (Live) (Leaving Records)
2 – Hot Coins – I Ching (Sonar Kollektiv)
3 – Letherette – Wecko (Ninja Tune)
4 – Blackula – Blood Supreme (Prague Symphony Orchestra Version)
5 – Mo Kolours – Promise (One Handed Music)
6 – Hot Coins – The Only Way (Sonar Kollektiv)
7 – Urulu – Be There (Dirt Crew)
8 – Max Essa – Pow Wow (Valley Sound)
9 – Miles Davis – Black Satin (Hot Coins Edit) (Rack’em Up)
10 – Area – Cellicos (Wave Music)
11 – Jacques Renault – Back To You (Paradis Remix) (Throne Of Blood)
12 – Hot Coins – New Beat (Sonar Kollektiv)
13 – Randee Jean – You Got It (Arttu Remix) (Clone Royal Oak)
14 – Enescu – Syncopated (UTC Limited)
15 – Dass – Chillin’ (Untzz)
16 – Hugo H – The Same (Lumberjacks In Hell)
17 – Stark Reality – All You Need To Make Music (Now Again)
18 – Hot Coins – Foxxy (Sonar Kollektiv)
19 – Leon Vynehall – Untitled 017 (Well Rounded)
20 – The Greg Foat Group – Girl And Robot With Flowers (Part 1) (Jazzman)
21 – Glen Astro – Feelin Me (Wot Not Music)
22 – G Marcell – Naphrobiac (Plan B)
23 – Clientelle – She Knows (Tipping Point)
24 – Hot Coins – Gang Banger (Cdr)
25 – Myztical – Koni (Kevin McPhee Remix) (Nicz Records)

2012 was a great year for underground dance music and I really enjoyed playing many of the tracks in this best of 2012 podcast at mad parties all over the world. That was my remit really for this year – I wanted to include tracks which have intense personal memories for me. I can clearly remember some of the totally off the hook DJ experiences of last year when I look at the tracklisting for the show. Opening with Bed Stuy Beat at 10am on a sunny July Sunday in Berlin midway through techno legend Woodys legendary 40th Geburtstag. Watching the dancefloor detonate to Burrowing by VVV at Mad Racket in Sydney in September. Testing people with Benga Benga all over the place and it NEVER failing.. I played it between heavy techno tracks at 8am in places and everyone still got it. Tender Leaves destroying Pratersauna in Vienna at 6am…

As ever a massive thanks to all the amazing producers who contributed their time and talent to 2012. Without their dedication there would be nothing decent to dance to, so please join me and salute them. Massive thanks to everyone who booked me last year too – and of course to everyone who bought my records, tuned in to the radio show and came to see me play. I am truly grateful and wish you all an amazing 2013!

The Smugglers Inn Best Of 2012 Podcast

1 – Homeboy Sandman – I Do Whatever I Want (Stones Throw)
2 – Mo Kolours – Banana Wine (One Handed)
3 – Kab Driver – Hares Gap feat Brian Greene (Airflex Labs)
4 – Soul 233 – Hand In Hand (Boe)
5 – Chicago Damn – Raw (Chicago Damn)
6 – Franklin De Costa – Purple Train (Cdr)
7 – Adrien De Valentin – Bumper Speigiel (Dharma)
8 – Debukas – Knowledge (2020 Vision)
9 – Mr Beatnick – Sun Godess (Don’t Be Afraid)
10 – Neon Jung – Delirium Tremens (Magic Wire)
11 – Carlos Nilmmns – N’oublions Pas (Smugglers Inn)
12 – Motor City Drum Ensemble – Space Cadets (K7)
13 – Conforce – 24 (Clone Basement Series)
14 – Raffertie – Brevity (Ninja Tune)
15 – Chairlift – I Belong In Your Arms (Gerry Read Remix) (Cdr)
16 – Arttu + Jerry The Cat – Nuclear Funk (A Made Up Sound Remix) (Clone Basement Series)
17 – Blacksmif – Microweight (Blah Blah Blah)
18 – Downtown Party Network – The Other Side (Best Kept Secret)
19 – James Duncan – Bed Stuy Beat (Spargel Trax)
20 – EnaWadan – Reborn (Tuff City Kids Acid Mix) (Sonar Kollektiv)
21 – Ajukaja – Benga Benga (Cdr)
22 – T Polar – Crossroads (PM Dub) (Rebirth)
23 – VVV – Burrowing (Other Heights)
24 – Frits Wentink – Marygohorse Two (Triphouse Rotterdam)
25 – Placeholder – Don’t U Know (Jacob Korn Remix) (Space Hardware)
26 – Red Rack’em – Chirpsin (Ramp Recordings)
27 – Erdbeerschnitzel – Tender Leaves (Mirau)

I never really considered how easy it is to actually have guests on the Smugglers Inn until recently. I live in Berlin, I am friends with quite a few really good DJs and producers who are always passing through the city… So why not meet up, press record, have a chat with them and include it on the show? So a month or so after featuring my first ever guest on the show (DJ Spider) I am really pleased to have the second interview on the show with the mighty Rick Wade.

Rick is behind some of the best deep house (and techno check out Prime Time) to come out of Detroit. He’s calmly been releasing high quality, melancholic yet smooth bangers since 1994 on labels such as Harmonie Park (his own imprint), Moods and Grooves and Yore. Rick is also a highly skilled DJ and I have been lucky enough to hear him play at some super dope parties over the years including Sud Electronic in London, Dommune in Tokyo and Watergate in Berlin (last week). I can’t stress how much Rick has influenced the current crop of house producer and I certainly wouldn’t have written tracks like Picnic and my remix of The Revenge if Rick hadn’t paved the way all those years ago. As we spoke for over an hour, I cut the interview into 2 chunks so I will broadcast the second half (which contains a hilarious story of how Rick met Theo) in a future show soon…

I want to say a big thanks to Rick for taking the time to talk about such in depth subjects and if you want to hear some of his current thoughts check out this brand new interview on teshno.

The Smugglers Inn Podcast 12/12/12

1 – HE3 Project – The Massage (Family Groove)
2 – Weedy Of 40 Winks – The Blue (Project Mooncircle)
3 – Trunoys – We Been Waitin’ (Lovemonk)
4 – Psychemagik – African Fever (CDR)
5 – Das Volt – Cruising (Late Night Audio)
6 – Timothy J Fairplay – Ferox (Tiago Remix 1) (Astro Lab)
7 – Rick Wade – I Do Believe (Harmonie Park)

Rick Wade Interview

Rick Wade Mix (Taken Ricks Mix Show on Detroit 95.5 FM from 06/11/10)
No Tracklisting

16 – Benjamin Brunn – May B (Third Ear)
17 – Recloose – Electric Sunshine (Andres Remix) (Rush Hour)
18 – Blacksmif – How The Fly Saved The River (Blah Blah Blah)
19 – The Cyclist – Visions (Leaving)
20 – Geiom – Rhode Rage (Frijsfo Beats)
21 – Seetheroad – Business End (Bergerac)
22 – Turtlez – I Want To Fly (Spandex Flapping Remix) (Scrufix)

So here’s the latest Smugglers Inn Podcast which features a great guestmix from Liverpool based producer Bantam Lions (aka Mike Carney) who’s the first release on Stu Robinsons new Scenery Records label. You can hear the title track One To One (which is out today) in the show and enjoy the eclectic mix from Mike who does a great job of reflecting the ethos of the radio show while representing the different strains which influence his production.

Elsewhere on the show you can hear brand new heat from Erdbeerschnitzel, Frits Wentink, Marcus Marr, Phil Gerus plus more from the brand new Bergerac release by Seetheroad and the new Hot Coins single…

The Smugglers Inn Podcast 29/11/12 with Bantam Lions Guestmix

1 – Phil Gerus – If Music Be The Food Of Love (Sonar Kolllektiv)
2 – Positive Flow feat Heidi Vogel – Children Of The Stars (Tokyo Dawn)
3 – Deft feat Om’mas Keith – Asthma (Space Hardware)
4 – Kulpowicz & Niemen – Song For Mohindar (MaciekSienkiewicz Cut Out) (Very Polish Edits)
5 – Phil Gerus – Finding Nash (Sonar Kollektiv)

Bantam Lions Guestmix

6 – Bantam Lions – Destiny (unreleased)
7 – Austin Cesear – Peralta Palace (Public Information)
8 – Actress – Harrier ATTK (Nonplus Records)
9 – Band Activity – Hawaiin Reason (Stadt Moers Records)
10 – GSD – Blood Will Run Things (unreleased)
11 – S.T.L. – Too Slow (Something In The Sky)
12 – Parrot Society – Sweet Step (Stadt Moers Records)
13 – Jeremiah Jae – Raw Tape$ (Brainfeeder)
14 – Best Available Technology – Twisted Ladder (unreleased)
15 – Pink Floyd – Main Theme (EMI)
16 – Laurel Halo – Wow (Hyperdub)
18 – Jameszoo – Emper Hyacinths (Kindred Spirits)
19 – Kutmah – Warm Like The Sunshine (Poo Bah Records)
20 – Huerco S – Hiromis Theme (Opal Tapes)
21 – Madlib Beat Konducta – Floating Soul (Stones Throw Records)
22 – Moondog – Dragon’s Teeth (Honest Jon’s Records)
23 – Sun Ra – Advice to Medics (Universe)
24 – Dynooo – Waved (Triple You Tapes)
25 – Templeton – Convergence (Stadt Moers Records)

End Of Bantam Lions Guestmix

26 – Gerry Read – Gibbon (Fourth Wave)
27 – Bantam Lions – One To One (Scenery)
28 – Marcus Marr – The Music (DFA)
29 – Medlar – Govern (Wolf)
30 – Hot Coins – Freestyle Lover (Sonar Kollektiv)
31 – Frits Wentink – Marygohorse Two (Triphouse Rotterdam)
32 – Chicago Damn – Raw (Chicago Damn)
33 – Tibalt – Midnight Travellers (Dharma)
34 – Hot Coins – Geek Emotions (Jacob Korn Extra Workout Mix) (Sonar Kollektiv)
35 – Erdbeerschnitzel – Separate Spaces (Mirau)
36 – Moon B – Untitled 4 (Going Good)
37 – Seetheroad – The Miserablist (Bergerac)