Getting two Detroit legendary producers, DJs Anthony “Shake” Shakir and Claude Young, together in Shake’s dining room to talk about the seminal label they started in 1994 together called Frictional was a surreal experience to say the least. There was a schoolboy type giddiness and enthusiasm alive in the room and laughter ricocheting off the walls. The energy from their synergy was truly a driving force, making the label large in the underground globally.
It was truly a hang on to your hat type experience with two global titans of Detroit electronic music going off on wild tangents about the who’s who of world’s electronic music producers, humming the basslines of tracks, talking about where samples came from, tour stories, shit talking and the like.
As our discussions progressed I could not help but think that our fun session at the dinner table was peek into how the music on this label began, except it was at Shake’s mom’s house on the Westside instead and there were a lot more people around.
The living room, in essence, was a lounge of sorts for nerd out sessions. Shake’s mom would make food and friends would kick it. The guys from the group Strand also known as T.H.D (Brian Bonds, Brian Boyer and Kenneth “Kech” Harrington, Martin Bonds) were frequent visitors. There were lots of others. DJ extraordinaire Terrence Parker, Lenio Purry (who went on to produce tracks for Mary J Blige, Queen Latifah, Paulina Rubio), Kenneth “Kenny Flav” Dickerson (who produced tracks for the r&b groups Link, Silk. also Queen Latifah, Babyface and more), Marc (MK) and Scott Kinchen (to name a few) would also come by. All went on to do great things musically.
It wasn’t all lounging though. Track work was done in the back room studio. Gear, from instruments, drum machines and synthesizers to samplers and digital audio tape players (DAT) were back there. Almost always the setup would be different as they brought over new toys to experiment with. It was a great time in a young, Detroit underground scene.
Young, who worked feverishly on music in Shake’s back room as well (including his tracks on Frictional #1) in those early days, became friends with Shake in the early 90s when he was looking for promo vinyl at the Metroplex studio (Juan Atkins’ label.) Young was looking for promotional records to play on his radio show and the two hit it off instantly.
“We started it (the label) as a friendship thing,” Young said. Shake added his famous tagline “I like records more than I like people…” They both were making their own tracks and they needed an outlet, thus Frictional was born.
The Begin EP was released in 1995 with Young taking one side and Shake taking the other. This was a definitive record for both producers. “March Into Darkness” was “quintessential Shake,” Young shouted out. “Your shit resonated.” Young’s tracks on the flip “Changing Factors” and “Second Experience” are also timeless classics.
Shake described Young’s tracks as “grandiose, clean and sci-fi” and Young called Shake’s fondness for redlining his recordings as “Shake levels” and that “people love that kind of dirty saturation.” Shake laughed and added “turn the drum machine on and do your shit.”
All seventeen releases from 1995 to 2007 are true quality and books can be written about the experiences that came with each release. Although they paint a picture of Detroit at that time, the records definitely stand the test of time. In 2009, Rush Hour re-released select tracks on a compilation called Frictionalism.
Most records are Shakir’s production, but many other producers were featured including Strand, Lenio Purry, FBK (Kevin Kennedy), Scarrelly Moe (09) and Splits & Slits.
Shake’s favorite two Frictional tracks are “Like A Dream” and “Simpatico” (both on Songs for my Mother, FRCT 10.) Simpatico is a party rocker while “Like a Dream”, as the name says, is spaced out, trippy and beautiful. Some additional fan favorites (aside from FRCT 01) are “Live For Friction” and “Breathe Deeper” (FRCT 02), “Electron Rider” (FRCT 04), “Frictionalized” (FRCT 013), “Detroit State of Mind” (FRCT 08), and Strand’s “Fourth & Go” (FRCT 012), but listen in and choose for yourselves.
Always appreciative of the support, Shake says “I just learn to say thank you…you like it, I love it… Nobody needs a record. It’s not food. It took me my whole life to learn that.”
Written by Vincent Patricola (DEQ issue 15 May 2019)
Until 1938 Vienna was an important center for the development of modern dance. The exhibition explores the “Kosmos Wiener Tanzmoderne”, which was shaped by dancers and choreographers such as Isadora Duncan, Grete Wiesenthal, Gertrud Bodenwieser and explores the Nazi era, the persecution and displacement of female artists.
Theater Museum : Lobkowitzplatz 2, 1010 Vienna, Austria
#deep house#jazz#house#afro#jazz fusion
Caruso – Souvenirs – deepArtSounds
Painted Pictures – Sweet Melody – Minimalsoul
Malik Alston Trio – Jazz Files – Minimalsoul
Javonntte – Skiptomylou – Ten Lovers Music
Painted Pictures – Promise Me Love – Minimalsoul
Anthony Nicholson and Mark De Clive-Lowe – Another Story – Local Talk
Malik Alston Trio – Woody – Minimalsoul
Jose Rico featuring Anthonius – Hola Zulu – Ten Lovers Music
UR Mike Banks / Tresor’s Carola Stoiber & Dimitri Hegemann
| Elektro Gönner | Mariahilfer Strasse 101/1 (Schulhofpassage), 1060 Vienna, Austria A monthly rendez-vous for vinyl enthusiasts, uniting Austrian independent electronic music labels, second-hand sellers and a distributor. Get a chance to not only buy old & new forward-thinking music without genre limitation, but also get to know Locals, DJs, Labels and Producers in person. ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃ Ein monatliches Treffen für Vinyl-Liebhaber oder Neugierige, dass österreichische unabhängige elektronische Musiklabels, Second-Hand-Verkäufer und einen Vertrieb vereint. Eine Chance, nicht nur alte & neue zukunftsweisende Musik ohne Genrebeschränkung zu kaufen, sondern auch, um Einheimische, DJs, Labelbesitzer und Produzenten persönlich kennenzulernen. GÖ for vinyl, GÖ for love ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃ MSR Distro | Minimalsoul™ www.minimalsoul.com |
| Elektro Gönner | Mariahilfer Strasse 101/1 (Schulhofpassage), 1060 Vienna, Austria A monthly rendez-vous for vinyl enthusiasts, uniting Austrian independent electronic music labels, second-hand sellers and a distributor. Get a chance to not only buy old & new forward-thinking music without genre limitation, but also get to know Locals, DJs, Labels and/or Producers in person. ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃ Ein monatliches Treffen für Vinyl-Liebhaber oder Neugierige, dass österreichische unabhängige elektronische Musiklabels, Second-Hand-Verkäufer und einen Vertrieb vereint. Eine Chance, nicht nur alte & neue zukunftsweisende Musik ohne Genrebeschränkung zu kaufen, sondern auch, um Einheimische, DJs, Labelbesitzer und / oder Produzenten persönlich kennenzulernen. GÖ for vinyl, GÖ for love ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃ MSR Distro | Minimalsoul™ www.minimalsoul.com |
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LASTER Floor
– D.j. Maaco aka D.I.E. (M.A.P. Records / US)
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– PHILIPP HAFFNER
https://www.instagram.com/philipp_haffner/
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Ash Lauryn’s biography starts off by stating she’s ‘doing it for the culture’, completely summing her mission to highlight black underground culture. Through her NTS show and blog, Underground & Black, Ash brings awareness to her experiences navigating the dance music world as a black woman and most of the music she plays is black American music – her RA podcast is a showcase of black producers across generations, both established and newcomers.
Originally hailing from Detroit, Ash now resides in Atlanta and is very much an active member of the dance music community. She hosts Expressions parties alongside Stefan Ringer and is a resident DJ with Atlanta’s Deep South collective. Ash also hosts Underground & Black parties at famed institutions such as Movement Festival and Bossa Nova Civic Club. Capturing the world with her emotive DJ sets, some of Ash’s gigs this year include Tresor, Flow Festival, Secretsundaze, Elsewhere and The Hydra at Printworks this weekend. Ahead of her Printworks set, Ash provides an insightful guide to Atlanta, covering all grounds with the best food, dancing, and music spots as well as highlighting her favourite local DJ.
A monthly rendez-vous for vinyl enthusiasts; uniting Austrian independent electronic music labels, second-hand sellers and a distributor.
Get a chance to buy old & new forward-thinking music without genre limitation. Also get to know Locals, DJs, Labels and/or Producers in person. Elektro Gönner | Mariahilfer Strasse 101/1 (Schulhofpassage) 1060 Vienna, Austria | *Weather permitting; we’ll be OUTSIDE with the music!
Everybody In The Place – by Jeremy Deller