Tweet
Afro-house producer Auntie Flo breathes all manner of Afrobeat rhythms and general refreshing vibes into a unique and genre-spanning DJ podcast this week. Well-known both for his own diverse tunes and for hosting forward-thinking club nights in and around Scotland, Flo – Brian D’Souza – took some time to chat to Clashmusic about his mix and wider musical projects.
Clash: Give us a bit of background on yourself and your music:
Brian: I’m Glasgow-born and been collecting records since I was 15. My mum is from Goa, via Kenya, and my dad is 100% Weejie [slang term for someone from Glasgow, kind of… Clashmusic]. I’ve been producing for almost ten years but only started really focusing on it seriously last year. However, instead of pushing more into production at that time, I started a music design company called Open Ear Music, which I still run today alongside DJing and promoting various club nights in Scotland.
Clash: Tell us about your mix:
Brian: I wanted to put together a mix showing the full range of music I play, so the mix has a little bit of everything: old classics from the likes of Kerri Chandler, Doug Lazy and Strictly Rhythm; afro house from Ifefe Iku; kwaito from Culoe De Song; UK funky from Breach; South American jams from Matias Aguayo and Diegors, some unreleased Auntie Flo tracks, and new tracks forthcoming on Huntleys and Palmers.
Clash: Is there a set process for you when putting together a mix?
Brian: I’m really particular over how I make mixes and found this one difficult to do as there wasn’t a set theme – I like to set boundaries otherwise I’ve just got too much music to play! Throughout the mix I try to find tunes that fit perfectly with each other – so perfectly that they almost create a new song that moves the mix away from being just a linear selection of tracks. Creatively, I think this is one of the most exciting things about being a DJ. Examples in this mix include the Linkwood / Doug Lazy tracks working so well together, with Lazy’s rap almost working like an a cappella, and also the Diegors / Mamacita tracks or Breach with ‘Oh My Days’.
Clash: You’re also involved in a lot of club nights around Scotland…
Brian: My main focus at the moment is the Highlife night that I run with Andrew from Huntleys and Palmers. Highlife started as a result of our shared passion for seeking out new music from unusual parts of the world – outside of the normal western EU / US diaspora. Not your typical ‘world’ music, the stuff we play is rooted on modern dancefloors, perhaps with a fresh or unusual take on classic genres such as Chicago house or Detroit techno. We were especially taken by stuff on Matias Aguayo’s Comeme label, but also the sound of kwaito, which mirrors UK funky, as well as straight-out Afrobeat, shangaan, cumbia, kuduro, champeta and more.
Clash: Is the Glasgow underground electronic scene still as strong as ever?
Brian: Glasgow is definitely as strong as ever, the level of knowledge of punters constantly amazes me. It means you can put on some really underground stuff and people are still up for it. I don’t know of any other city in the UK that you get the passion, knowledge and supportive scene that we have in Glasgow.
Clash: What tracks are you currently enjoying playing in live sets?
The first proper Auntie Flo live set is this Friday in Glasgow. I can’t wait to drop ‘Highlife’ and ‘Oh My Days’ as they have become Highlife Glasgow anthems! No-one quite knows the words to the track ‘Highlife’ but it still gets an amazing sing-a-long.
Clash: Tell us about your upcoming album:
Brian: It’s called ‘Future Rhythm Machine’ and it’s a mini-album – only eight tracks. It’s very important that it is listened to as a whole, as the eight tracks all show a different side to the Auntie Flo sound. Unlike the singles, which are made for the dancefloor, the album is a bit more of a home listen, with moods and tempos changing drastically throughout – from 100-160 BPM. I’m just finishing off the final track at the moment, and hopefully the finished album will be out in early 2012.
DOWNLOAD THE AUNTIE FLO DJ MIX HERE
(right click and 'Save as...')
Auntie Flo DJ Mix Tracklisting
1. Auntie Flo - I Want To Blow Your Mind (Forthcoming Huntleys & Palmers)
2. Afefe Iku - Mirror Dance (Yoruba Soul Mix) (Yoruba)
3. Black Motion - Banane Mavoko (Dub Mix)
4. 100 Zulu Warriors & Roland Clark - 100 Zulu Warriors (Culoe De Song Mix)
5. Afrobuddha meets Kakatsitsi Drummers - Obame (Dub Mix) (Round In Motion)
6 Capablanca & T. Keeler - No Hay Ritmo (Gomma)
7. Auntie Flo - He Makes The People Come Together (Forthcoming Huntleys & Palmers)
8. Kerri Chandler - Bar A Thym (NiteGrooves)
9. Reality Check - Fantasy (Strictly Rhythm)
10. Alejandro Paz - Cumbia De Lejos (Forthcoming Huntleys & Palmers)
11. DJs Pareja - La Risa (Forthcoming Huntleys & Palmers)
12. Matias Aguayo - Dance Machine (Kompakt)
13. Breach - Man Up (Ramp)
14. Auntie Flo - Oh My Days (Huntleys & Palmers)
15. Linkwood - From The Vaults (Prime Numbers)
16. Doug Lazy - Let The Rhythm Pump (Atlantic)
17. Diegors - Unga (Comeme)
18. Mamacita - No Eres Tu (Forthcoming Huntleys & Palmers)
Check out the previous episodes of our Dj Mix Series on iTunes HERE or individually on ClashMusic.com HERE
Podcast home: http://www.clashmusic.com
Read more about + download this podcast
