Jonas Lion können wir ruhigen Gewissens als alten Bekannten bezeichnen. Viel lieber aber sogar als guten Freund. Denn der Belgier hat nicht nur im Juni 2011 bei unserer ersten Ashore-Party in der Panke gespielt, uns schonmal ein splendides Mixtape zusammengezimmert, nach Antwerpen in die Zomerfabriek eingeladen oder uns musikalisch bestens im Trixxter sowie Bohnengold unterhalten, sondern ist uns zu all dem auch außerhalb der DJ-Booth stark ans Herz gewachsen. Leider sehen wir uns viel zu selten, dabei wird es wieder mal allerhöchste Zeit, egal ob in Berlin, Antwerpen oder wo auch immer er oder wir uns eben gerade rumtreiben. Bis dahin gibt’s jetzt erstmal 3 Kurze mit Jonas samt ein paar kurzer Worte vorab von ihm selbst. Prost!
Ok so, first thing you got to know about me and my relation with vinyl is that I am not a vinyl DJ. However, I buy that stuff relentlessly and usually my trips abroad revolve around vinyl stores. Even though I find digital DJ’ing more convenient, I still feel I do not really ‘own’ the music if I don’t have it on wax. Every month a substantial amount of my salary goes straight to online and offline record stores – against the advice of many, but I don’t really care. Here’s three records that I’ve bought just this past two weeks:
Various – Church Volumes 001 – Church (2015)
My good friends from the Church-gang have been giving stellar house and techno parties in London’s Corsica Studio’s (and other places before that) since five years. However nowadays it seems they are putting more of their energy in the development of their strong record label. Their ’Church Volumes 001’ is a mini compilation EP with four different producers they are close with. Project Pablo’s opening track always works to ease my chaotic mind during busy weekdays. The slow build-up and the simple, melancholic construction just works perfect. This Canadian is also responsible for one of my favorite albums this year.
Rizzla – Iron Cages (feat. Odile Myrtil) – Fade To Mind (2015)
This got out a couple of months ago already, but it just arrived at my door the other day after months, so it counts right? The eclectic LA-based crew/party/label Fade to Mind (associated with its UK counterpart Night Slugs) doesn’t churn out tunes very often, but when they do, it’s often spot on (they launched Kelela’s career or re-issued the Ballroom classic “Icy Lake” ). This very limited (100 copies) vinyl release debuts the NYC-based producer Rizzla. It really draws from so many different styles at once: cheesy pop, R&B and current US club music. It’s violent (police sirens, dark lyrics), but optimistic (that guitar riff from Ultra Nate’s “Free”) at the same time. Afterwards I read that ‘Iron Cages’ refers to “the relief of breaking out of the abusive sociological relation that is underlaying American racism”. So yes, quite heavy for a ‘club tune’. But it got my attention – and now I play it all the time: both in my sets or at home. Basically it’s unlike any other record I’ve bought this year.
Chaos In The CBD – Midnight In Peckham – Rhythm Section International (2015)
I think I’ve bought the very last available copy of this one. Rhythm Section has been my favorite labels this year and I didn’t skip any of their ten releases since they started in 2014. In many ways this is my favorite house record of the year. All four tracks are so solid: a perfect modern update of the original American deep house sound, without sounding like something we’ve heard a thousand times before. The subtle, layered groove of “Observe” or “Midnight In Peckham” really has something timeless. I’m sure that in twenty years I will stumble upon this record again by accident, with a big smile and some nostalgic memories of house music from this age.
Der Belgier Jonas Lion (“pronounced the french way!”) kann ruhigen Gewissens als Aktivist der Antwerpener House- und Bassmusikszene bezeichnet werden. Er ist Teil der Level.01- und Untitled!-Crews, veranstaltete schon unzählige Partys mit, legt regelmäßig auf und arbeitet bei Hello Play, einer Plattform rund um die elektronische Musikszene von Belgien.