Nov 11, 2010
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We have now come to the end of the Todd Edwards guest blog series for Asian Dan. He has shared with us some of his favorite House tracks that have helped shape his sound, a sound we all know and love.
Thank you Todd for taking the time to put together these post and sharing the music you love with us.
“Another great example of MK’s dark and moody tracks is his remix of the Pet Shop Boy’s “Can You Forgive Her?” (One of my all time favorites!)MK’s influence became more than a third of the ingredients of what I do. I tried immitating his style with my remix dub of “Love Me Tonite”by JD Braithwaite. I became very fascinated with use of vocals.”
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Oct%202010/Can%20You%20Forgive%20Her%3f%20(MK%20Remix).mp3]
Pet Shop Boys – Can You Forgive Her? (MK Remix)
Oct 28, 2010
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Before MK, vocal samples were very straight forward. They were used as hooks, a few words looping. MK opened new doors for vocal use, and I explored the different ways you could use vocals in tracks. The track “The Praise” on my Nervous ep The Sample Choir was highly inspired by MK’s sound. Even my secondary sound known as the Sunshine Brothers was actually born out of emulating MK’s remix of Bet Midler’s “To Deserve You” My music exists because of his influence. Do yourself the favor if you haven’t already, look at his full discog and get all of his work.
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Oct%202010/32%20To%20Deserve%20You%20(MK%20Mix).mp3]
Bette Midler – To Deserver You (MK Remix)
Oct 14, 2010
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This week Todd brings us a classic House track from Marc Kinchen aka MK. It is a dub track of MK’s remix of Nightcrawlers’ “Pushing The Feeling”, a classic track and sample you will all recognize.
It was the catchiest hook I ever heard. What was it saying? Nothing. It was put together by sampling bits of the vocal and constructing a new pattern of cut-up vocals. GENIUS!!! Aside from one of having one of the biggest remixes of the time, MK (Marc Kinchen) went on to do what he does best for artists like Celine Dion, Bet Midler, Masters At Work, The B 52’s, and Jodeci to name a few. Here is another example of an artist with a signature sound. He had cut-up vocal hook runnings, along with some great keyboard playing. MK used piano, organ, and synth sax sounds to create melodic hooks with dark basslines to finish them off.
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Oct%202010/02%20Push%20the%20Feeling%20On%20(The%20Dub%20of%20Doom).mp3]
Nightcrawlers – Push the Feeling On (The Dub of Doom)
Sep 30, 2010
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A continuation of Todd Edwards’ stroll down memory lane, as he looks back at the important Sound Factory moments and tracks that shaped his music.
After Sole Fusion, Little Louie played MAW’s dub of Barbara Tucker’s “I Get Lifted” with those wah-wah filtered organ chords running under Barbara Tucker’s vocals. That night I went home inspired. In two weeks I made four tracks, “Dancing For Heaven, Stronger, FOT, and most importantly “Saved My Life”.
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Sept%202010/03%20I%20Get%20Lifted%20(The%20Bar%20Dub).mp3]
Sep 23, 2010
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Todd Edwards reminisces about another one of his favorite Sound Factory Bar x Master At Work memories. This is a track that definitely needs to be heard in the club.
I owe MAW for one my most note worthy tracks. It was a while since I had been to the Sound Factory Bar. I went, and heard some of the most inspiring tracks that I had heard in a while. One of them was Sole Fusion’s “Bass Tone. The drums crashing in that track!!!! Amazing! What an impact those drums had echoing in the club!
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Sept%202010/03%20Bass%20Tone.mp3]
Sole Fusion – Bass Tone
Sep 16, 2010
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This week Todd dives into one of his favorite club memories at the Sound Factory Bar back in its heyday. Yet another classic track by Masters At Work.
MAW feat.India “Can’t Get No Sleep” The best memory at the Sound Factory Bar…India performing “I Can’t Get No Sleep” Every producer knew when this song was being mixed in during a dj set from Kenny Dope’s recognizable drum snare (Like a banging hollow plastic tub, that’s what I thought it sounded like) It wasn’t until that familiar Sax riff came in that everyone recognized the track and cheered. But to see India perform it live…goosebumps!!!
You may or may not know the song, (though I don’t see how you wouldn’t) but halfway through the song India sings the phrase “You’re the one I’m thinking of” sliding the last note upwards with a crescendo, and the mood of the track goes really deep and jazzy. At that moment the crowd went NUTS!!! As if we all were hitting that note with her. The cheers were so loud. I know anyone that was there that night cherishes that memory. I know I do.
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Sept%202010/14%20I%20Can’t%20Get%20No%20Sleep.mp3]
Masters At Work – I Can’t Get No Sleep feat. India
Sep 10, 2010
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Yet another installment of guest posts from Mr. Edwards, this time a lovely remix by Masters At Work of Bjork along side the tune that it inspired, The Sample Choir “Feeling Lonely”. Hope you are all enjoying and learning from this House music history less from Professor Todd.
Masters at Work’s Bjork “Violently Happy” Dub, another of my favorite MAW productions. It is Taken or influenced from an interlude by Kool And The Gang, the musical riff is one of the catchiest and most uplifiting used in an MAW dub. Once again, Kenny Dope’s use of hard snares and reverb drive the track.I attempted, once again, to emulate their work. This attempt came in the form of my track “Feeling Lonely” on The Sample Choir EP…I didn’t come close. 😉
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Sept%202010/02%20Violently%20Happy%20(MAW%20dub).mp3]
Björk – Violently Happy (Masters At Work Dub)
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Sept%202010/07%20Feelin%20Lonely.mp3]
The Sample Choir – Feeling Lonely
Sep 2, 2010
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Here is the 2nd installment in ” Classic House Tracks According to the Word of Todd” by the one and only Todd Edwards. This week it is a track by the Chicago-House DJ/Producer pioneer, Lil’ Louis.
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Todd%20Edwards/lil%20louis%20-Club%20Lonely.mp3]
Lil’ Louis – Club Lonely
Lil’ Louis is an extremely innovative producer. His track “French Kiss” was a very deep house track which slowly went down in tempo until the whole track came to a complete stop, while a woman simultaneously is moaning to a point of climax. It sounds even better than it reads. Even though that was a ground breaking track, it is his other brilliant work that inspired me.
The track is called “Club Lonely” It starts out with a deep bassline and synth chords. Then another layer of synth chords come in complimenting the first. Then, a saxaphone pattern comes in on top of that. And if that weren’t enough, a beautiful song on top of that. But the peak of this song is the chorus. The harmony that was created for the chorus is one that inspired me like no other. I definitely learned to layer music from this song. If you listen to my Sunshine Brothers work, you will here some of that influence, especially “Like A Fire”.