Nick Harris - Resident Advisor EX.092

Nick Harris talks 15 years of NRK Music, from the early days right up to the present day decision to retire the label.  On this special Resident Advisor Exchange interview, Nick discusses his future plans and new labels, as well as reminiscing over a decade and a half of running one of the world's most consistent deep house labels.

Download the RA Exchange here 

Forever Underground 3CD out now

NRK's parting shot, the triple CD 'Forever Underground (Artifacts 1997-2012)' is out now.

Not many record labels can lay claim to a 15 year stretch, but NRK Music has been a consistent and trusted source of the finest deep house and tech house music for the last decade and a half. Set up in 1996 in Bristol, UK, NRK Music quickly delivered a hefty slew of releases from the off from artists like Ian Pooley, François K, Dimitri From Paris and Nick Holder, and have never looked back since. Now with over 170 single releases and 45 albums, plus the mix compilation series Back In The Box, The Lab, nite:life and Deep Sensations, NRK prepare to celebrate it's 15th, and final year in the business with “Forever Underground”. 

 A 3CD package, “Forever Underground” collects some of the finest moments from the label’s career to date, and showcases the variety of sounds and trends within the house music scene over the last 15 years. CD1 features such hi-lights as Quentin Harris’ epic “Let’s Be Young”, the sensationally deep Charles Webster mix of Shara Nelson’s “Go That Deep”, Blackjoy’s awesome disco jam “Moustache” and Foremost Poet’s legendary call to the dancefloor “Moonraker”, plus truly memorable deep house cuts from Nick Holder, Sirus and Twisted Pair. 

 CD2 continues the delve into the NRK catalogue, opening up with perhaps one of the defining deep house records of our time, François K’s “Time & Space”, swiftly plucking another bomb from the vaults in Tom Middleton’s remix of Kerri Chandler’s “Bar A Thym”. The underground vibes continue with the luscious King Britt remix of “Innocent”, Nick Holder’s classic “Summer Daze” and DJ Q’s pounding and hypnotic “Superclique”. Throughout it’s 15 year tenure, NRK have always reflected the evolving sounds of electronic dance, and the trio of tracks that round off CD2 are some classic, analogue techno sounds from Paul Woolford, Ed Davenport and the legend that is Carl Craig, confirming that NRK has been a label that stands by quality underground music, regardless of the many sub genres out there. 

 CD3 is a bonus mix CD from NRK founder, DJ and producer, Nick Harris. With not an easy task to pick out a CDs worth of 170 releases and upwards to 700 tracks & remixes, Harris deftly programs and mixes some of the standout tracks from over the years along with various Dub Mixes, Bonus Beats and underground goodies from the vaults. And so, along with many of the catalogue favorites, Harris pulls out tracks and remixes from Spencer Parker, Pete Heller, Kings Of Tomorrow, Trackheadz, Joey Negro and Chris Lattner, creating the perfect mix to encapsulate NRK’s forward thinking music policy and ear for an underground dancefloor bomb!

The 3CD is now available from the NRK Shopify here

Digital download album will be available as from Monday 21st May 2012.

SLIM TV interview with Paul Woolford

Global Communication - Live In A Library!

Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard, AKA Global Communication, get busy in support of their upcoming Back In The Box compilation on NRK. But for one special appearance, the chaps will be asking for silence and the very best of order, as Global Communication take to the live stage in the historical surroundings of the British Library, London.

Tom and Mark will be performing their landmark album "76:14" on June 17th, as part of the "Late At The Library: Out Of This World" festival. Support DJs on the night will be Radio 1's Rob Da Bank, and Jon Hopkins, plus a live performance from The Radio Science Orchestra. The event, at the British Library Entrance Hall, London, starts at 7.30pm til 11pm.

Global Communication will also be spreading some electronic love over the summer months at Glade Festival, Sonar and Big Chill festival. Meanwhile, their entry into the Back In The Box series gets released on May 30th, with a jaw dropping double CD of Detroit and European techno goodies from the likes of Derrick May, Carl Craig, Juan Atkins, Aphex Twin, 808 State and Kevin Saunderson.

More info

Global Communication announce details for Back In The Box

NRK Music's much revered retrospective compilation series, Back In The Box, returns in May with a double mix compiled and sequenced by one of electronic music's most enduring pairs. Not just Back In The Box, but back together, Global Communication, AKA Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard, reunite following a 15 year hiatus to lay down a collection of genre and era defining Techno and Electronica.

Following on from previous Back In The Box entrants (Dave Clarke, Joey Negro, DJ Sneak and Louie Vega), Global Communication dig deep into their record collections to revive forgotten gems, lost classics and personal favourites. A true connoisseurs compendium of records that helped shape the Global Communication sound. Concentrating on the early to mid 90s period of electronic music, their Back In The Box mix spans the downtempo atmospheric sounds to the cutting edge Detroit techno of the day.

A closer inspection of the mix reveals a journey of two halves, where the wildly experimental sounds and sparse, industrial techno dance beats meet the more reflective and intricate delicacies of the ambience and light breakbeats of electronica. Disc One focuses on the more dancefloor orientated sounds, opening up with a headstrong fusion of some of Detroit's finest music, courtesy of Jay Denham (Fade II Black), Derrick May (here with Steve Hillage's System 7), Kevin "Reese" Saunderson, Carl Craig's BFC project and Anthony "Shake" Shakir, interrupted for a moment by Detroit's possibly first, and only, adopted techno son (just popping over the boarder from Canada), Richie Hawtin, here with a F.U.S.E. classic. The mix picks up a pace with the hardcore assault of Lory D, Neuropolitique and DHS before heading for cruising altitude, with a clever re-pitch of Speedy J's classic "De-Orbit" and then heading into more melodious waters with gems from Flux, Balil, Florence, States Of Mind (Hawtin again) and touching down with some blissful techno from Robert Leiner.

Disc Two delves deeper into the electronic underworld, and whilst the BPMs drop, the intensity of the music never let's up. Detroit once again is represented heavily, but showing another side to it's often heavily guarded face. Rare cuts from Yennek (AKA Kenny Larkin, here remixed by Carl Craig's Inner Zone), Octave One (Never On Sunday), Reel by Real (yep, the one sampled by one LTJ Bukem for a d'n'b classic) and that man Carl Craig (Psyche & Urban Tribe here, Global Comm hugely indebted to this man) display more intricate possibilities to the sound, whilst a track from the 'Godfather Of Techno', Juan Atkins, ensures that the Bellevue Three are all here, present and correct (that'll be Atkins, Saunderson and May). The UK cannot be underestimated in this genre either, and fine cuts from our own 'Godfathers' (808 State) are sequenced with UK's As One (Kirk Degiorgio), Balil, Stasis, and the one who broke on through on his own terms, the uncompromising Aphex Twin. Ending the mix with the beautiful ambience of The Irresistible Force (remixing Sven Vath's Barbarella) and Global Communication's Incidental Harmony, the Back In The Box journey is one that transcends continents, tempos and quite possible brain cells as well

Back In The Box is released on a mixed 2CD, DJ friendly unmixed 2CD, 12" vinyl samplers, and digital album. Legendary scribe, Kris Needs, supplies the linear notes on the CD packaging. Release date: 30th May 2011.

Global Communication - Back In The Box (Mixed)

CD01

1) Fade II Black : The Calling (Reprise)

2) System 7 & Derrick May : Altitude

3) Reese : Just Want Another Chance

4) BFC : Galaxy

5) F.U.S.E. : Technotropic

6) Shake : Sonar 123

7) Lory D : Sickness (Sounds Never Seen)

8) Neuropolitique : Mind You Don't Trip

9) DHS : Number 9 Bad Acid

10) Speedy J : De-Orbit (TM Outer Limits Salute Repitch)

11) Balil : Nort Route

12) Florence : A Touch Of Heaven

13) Flux : True Feelings

14) Reload & E621 : Ptyzh

15) States Of Mind : Audio Q5A

16) Robert Leiner : Aqua Viva

CD02

1) Link - Intro (The Labels)

2) Ismistik - Flow Charts

3) Yennek - Serena X (Carl Craig Inner Zone Remix)

4) Psyche - Elements

5) Never On Sunday - The Journey

6) As One - Amalia

7) Aphex Twin - Tha

8) Stasis - Point Of No Return

9) Balil - Whirling Of The Spirits

10) 808 State - Sunrise

11) Urban Tribe - Covert Action

12) Link - Places of Origin

13) Model 500 - Infoworld

14) Reel by Real - Surkit

15) Ross 154 - Mayflower

16) Global Communication - Incidental Harmony

17) Barbarella - Barbarella (The Irresistible Force Remix)

Back In The Box minisite

NRK Music present...Remixology

NRK Music present...Remixology, a collection of classic remixes from the NRK vaults. The art of the remix is deftly handled by some of the biggest names in electronic dance, as original tracks are deconstructed and reconstructed to offer a uniquely different take.

The remixers include Carl Craig, Octave One, John Ciafone, Julien Jabre, Prins Thomas and Radio Slave, all coming through with their interpretations of tracks from the likes of Kerri Chandler, Nick Holder, Foremost Poets, Blackjoy and more.

Hot Lizard - The Theme (Carl Craig Remix)
Jamie Anderson - Time Is Now (Radio Slave Panorama Garage Mix)
Blackjoy - Moustache (Prins Thomas DiskoMix)
Nick Holder - Paradise (Salt City Mix)
Q-Burns Abstract Message - Innocent (King Britt Scuba Remix)
Quentin Harris - Let's Be Young (Julien Jabre Remix)
Kerri Chandler - The Promise (Fish Go Deep Vocal Dub)
Kris Wadsworth - Crushed (Tevo Howard Remix)
Nick Holder - No More Dating DJs (John Ciafone Dub Mix)
Foremost Poets - Moonraker (Magik J Back To My House Mix)
Rocket - People (Chicken Lips Remix)
Terra Deva - Fresh Start (Joshua House Mix)
Akabu - The Way (Octave One Remix)

Out now on Beatport & Traxsource and all other reputable download stores.

Purchase at Beatport

00Deep - A Review Of The Decade - 2008

2008 saw some more inspired single releases on NRK Music. Originally released on Italian Rebirth label, NRK picked up the rights to the sublime "Go That Deep" by NuFrequency feat. Shara Nelson. Championed by DJs across the board, from Laurent Garnier to John Digweed to Giles Peterson, this deep vocal house record featured the unmistakable voice of ex-Massive Attack collaborator Shara Nelson, and included mindblowing remixes from Charles Webster.



Another inspired re-release came in the shape of Foremost Poets legendary "Moonraker". the infamous spoken word cut that had a reissue on Junior Boys Own was dusted off again for NRK. This time, remixes from Magik Johnson and Spencer Parker breathed new life into this track, and was championed by Pete Tong and many others.



Other single releases in 2008 came from Spirit Catcher's chugging tech-funk of the "Brain Candy EP", a return to the scene for Scotland's DJ Q and his superb "Superclique", some great remixes of Nick Holder's "Time" from Dixon's Wahoo and Manuel Tur, a re-issue of the classic "The Theme" from Hot Lizard (AKA Charles Webster) with new mixes from Charles to go with the original mixes and Carl Craig mix from back in the day, the retro-house vibes of Osborne's "Ruling (with King Britt remix) and new singles from Kemistry, Matthias Heilbronn and Chymera. Some great singles in 2008 that showed the breadth of sound that NRK deal in.



Coast2Coast continued to release great contemporary Dj mixes from Peace Division, Charles Webster and X-Press 2, whilst Back In The Box welcomed the "Baron Of Techno" himself, Dave Clarke, to plunder deep into his box of tricks and mix up an incredible audio journey back to those days sweat soaked warehouse walls and sleazy underground Chicago house.



NRK's Nick Harris also got in on the mix album game, compiling and mixing a "past and present" selection of Winter Music Conference tunes for "Miami Underground", and a label retrospective "Deep Sensation 2", the follow up to "Deep Sensation 1".

Exclusive news of Spirit Catcher's Coast2Coast mix

Belgium’s Spirit Catcher inject some futuristic minimal grooves into the Coast2Coast series with an accomplished blend of tech-soul & future funk from the likes of Carl Craig, Johnny D, Jerome Sydenham & many more… Available from mid-January, Spirit Catcher's C2C mix is the 9th compilation in the series that has so far had stellar contributions from Âme, Kerri Chandler, Miguel Migs, X-Press 2 and Charles Webster and others.

Spirit Catcher have carved out a solid name for themselves over the past few years, with releases on labels such as Freerange, 2020 Vision, SAW Recordings and Mood Music, as well as blistering live sets across the globe. Their unique sound of disco flicked, driving techno house has rocked crowds all over Europe and into South America and Australia, and of late their sound has taken on a more energetic pace.

The Spirit Catcher Coast2Coast offering reflects the varied influences of Jean Vanesse and Thomas Sohet. Respected producers such as Carl Craig and Jerome Sydenham represent musically alongside leaders of the new school, Johnny D, Daniel Stefanik, Peter Dildo, Moodymanc and Johnjon.

An energetic mix, but with plenty of depth and soul, Spirit Catcher’s Coast2Coast comes with a bonus unmixed CD, a must for all CD-DJs and those who like to bulk up their iPod with some choice dance cuts. The double CD is out on January 26th and will also be available as a digital album. Full tracklisting to be announced soon....

H.O.S.H. - Steppenwolf (Jerome Sydenham Mix)
Johnjon - Meanwhile (Kollectiv Turmstrasse Remix)
Matthias Tanzmann - Swim (Peter Dildo Remix)
BLM - Nacho
Motorcitysoul - Fantasy (Daniel Stefanik Remix)

Christian Prommer's remixes of Hot Lizard available exclusively on Beatport

German electronic artist, Christian Prommer, has remixed the classic Hot Lizard production, “The Theme”. Prommer is well known for his output on the labels Compost and Sonar Kollectiv, his highly percussive Drumlesson project as well as his involvement in the groups Fauna Flash, Truby Trio and Voom:Voom. On “The Theme” however, Prommer goes solo for a smooth and pulsating remix; utilising elements of the original mix and the classic 1995 Carl Craig remix with some dramatic strings and shimmering hi-hats.

Prommer's remixes of "The Theme" are available now exclusively on Beatport alongside the Original 1995 Carl Craig remix. A 12" release, featuring Prommer's mixes, and the 19965 Love From San Francisco remix, is available now from the NRK webshop.

Christian Prommer Remix