A stone-cold travesty of opinion Matos! Still, passionate subjectivism rules as far as I'm concerned so I'm down with the premise...
― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 16:18 (twenty years ago) link
Unless you're talking about a microhouse producer who has just started in the last year or two, I think it's terribly difficult to pinpoint who took what from where. In Akufen's case, his '00/'01 releases wouldn't have been out of place on Kompakt; if anything, he was developing nuances in his style at the same time. You have to consider that some of his earlier releases were on Trapez and Perlon, two labels that have made the style what it is just as much as Kompakt.
Besides, someone who picks up a Kompakt 12" at random these days has about a 1/4 chance of hearing a track that resembles anything on My Way. Several other labels are more confined to that type of sound -- again, some have released Akufen tracks. With the way Kompakt has branched out in the last few years, I find myself using them as an adjective a lot less these days -- almost never, actually.
(None of this has anything to do with Edwards, so I apologize. I really enjoyed reading the article, if that helps.)
(Why couldn't the Akufen pictured in Matos' article be placed in that Pixies video to hack up Frank Black?)
― Andy K (Andy K), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 16:58 (twenty years ago) link
― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 17:01 (twenty years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 18:01 (twenty years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 18:03 (twenty years ago) link
― Andy K (Andy K), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 18:07 (twenty years ago) link
― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 19:08 (twenty years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 19:12 (twenty years ago) link
my life is a shambles
― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 19:14 (twenty years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 19:19 (twenty years ago) link
― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 19:20 (twenty years ago) link
what then? :)
― Chip Morningstar (bob), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 22:35 (twenty years ago) link
With Akufen, I couldn't really get past the first few tracks on the album, which (admittedly on a superficial listen) sounded like bad IDM circa 1995.
― Ben Williams, Tuesday, 22 April 2003 23:13 (twenty years ago) link
That is the single best thing to happen in a long time. If Todd Edwards can get out of his speed garage-beat rut, then we have a lot of wonderful music to look forward to. Maybe I should start going to church.
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 00:33 (twenty years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 04:46 (twenty years ago) link
― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 04:49 (twenty years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 04:58 (twenty years ago) link
― Andy, Wednesday, 23 April 2003 05:34 (twenty years ago) link
haha
― Chip Morningstar (bob), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 09:03 (twenty years ago) link
I listened to Never Ever Far again. Think its a great track, obviously. But I'm really not hearing anything much 2-steppy about it. There's the 4/4 pulse, and the barest hint of a melodic bassline. The drum pattern shuffles along, sure, but I wouldn't exactly call it "intricate" and it doesn't do anything to break up the pulse. And it just plods along unchanged for the duration of the song. I think his rhythms are quite downbeat, actually.
Whereas I then put on Rewind, to take a completely random example, and I hear a rhythm that's much more ruptured, with lots more internal breaks, micropulses, microedits... there's just so much going on. And that's not a particularly adventurous 2-step track. There's not really any dub elements going on in it, for instance, which bring a whole extra level of beef and disorientation on 2-step tracks from early (Double 99) to late (James Lavonz).
For me a lot of the best 2-step outshines Edwards--whether you agree with that or not, I think it's hard to dispute that there's a lot more going on in the music than what he brought to the party. All I'm saying is, I think the James Brown-Ohio Players metaphor is a tad overstated... I never liked the Ohio Players much, either!
― Ben Williams, Wednesday, 23 April 2003 10:39 (twenty years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 18:34 (twenty years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 18:41 (twenty years ago) link
― Ben Williams, Wednesday, 23 April 2003 18:44 (twenty years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 18:46 (twenty years ago) link
so i dug out the akufen record and it's really good! i was too quick to dismiss it.
― jess (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 19:59 (twenty years ago) link
I sorta agree with Ben - I luv Todd Edwards but mostly for reasons quite different to what appeals to me re UK Garage. Although his remix of Hakan Lidbo's "Walk Away" sounds amazing in the middle of Pure Garage III.
― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 25 April 2003 04:49 (twenty years ago) link
― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Friday, 25 April 2003 04:54 (twenty years ago) link
Anyway - Matos, great article! But why the Akufen bitching (other than him receiving accolades that Todd should've got)? In your blog entry you rightfully claim that the big difference is that Todd is about melody/harmony/texture while Akufen is about rhythm... and then you write:"Akufen's message boils down to "look how weird and cool the radio blips I picked up are," "But ain't that kinda missing the point? Surely, Akufen message rather boils down to: "look how FUNKILY I've arranged these weird and cool radio blips"? His stuff is deliciously sharp and TIGHT, basically, the most wonderful brain aerobics, calling your synapses to get on down and boogie.
"Full On Vol.2" is great, but it suffers a bit from bad sequencing, making it even more hermetic and uninviting for the uninitiated - I prefer post-"Saved My Life" Todd to the old school Todd, but tracks like "Radio Thing" and "Push The Love" did stir up the flow of "Full On Vol.1" in a good way, and their ilk is sorely missed here.
The mega-wonderful 1xtra mix I pimped in the post way above is still something I think all Todd-heads should check out, and if you want more Todd R&B jams, click 'ere:http://www.johnclew.fsnet.co.uk/cheekyrnb.ram
― Mind Taker, Friday, 25 April 2003 17:20 (twenty years ago) link
Actually, having already written it up in print, I must say I disagree with you re: the sequencing of Full On 2--I think it's much better done than the first one, the first couple tracks are kinda blah but then each track keeps upping the ante; my two favorites are the last two tracks, always a good sign. Also, to me his absolute peak is the Mantra "Away" remix, which is '97 I believe--his remixes are at least as good as his originals, probably a bit better. It's gravy gravy gravy as far as I'm concerned, but as my man Andy pointed out last night, he does seem to be getting a bit more M.O.R. as far as his source material and effect both.
Also, that thing you linked way upthread (haven't checked out yr new link, will try to later) sounded good, but basically like Todd-of-old with clankier beats--not that big a difference, really.
― M Matos (M Matos), Saturday, 26 April 2003 01:02 (twenty years ago) link
It's a half hour mix that's got half the tracks off "Full On Vol.2" put together in a way that beats the album's sequencing as far as I'm concerned, with a few oldies thrown in (in this context "The Praise" sounds soooo much better than ever)... it just goes up and up, culminating in the indescribably gorgeous remix of Space Cowboy's "Crazy Talk" - one of his best in ages. Unfortunately still unreleased, and no-one knows when it will hit the streets.
That Mantra remix - fuck yes, what a jaw-droppingly awesome tune. I agree that his remixes are often beter than his originals (and considering the business practices of i! Records, I'm not holding my breath for a best-of remix comp in foreseeable future, sigh). Tim's right about the Hakan Libdo dub too, and I'll also add to the list his (along w/ Sunshine Bros) remix of Somore's "Refuse" that hardly anyone ever mentions, but is truly heavenly.
― Mind Taker, Sunday, 27 April 2003 14:28 (twenty years ago) link
― Mind Taker, Sunday, 27 April 2003 14:34 (twenty years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Sunday, 27 April 2003 16:45 (twenty years ago) link
project for the future (i.e. when/if I get a better PC w/d/l and burnign capabilities): make that T.E. remixes comp myself.
― M Matos (M Matos), Sunday, 27 April 2003 23:53 (twenty years ago) link
― JC Lew, Saturday, 28 June 2003 19:50 (twenty years ago) link
― Chip Morningstar (bob), Saturday, 28 June 2003 20:49 (twenty years ago) link
― JC Lew, Sunday, 29 June 2003 23:07 (twenty years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 14 September 2004 19:47 (nineteen years ago) link
(along with a bunch of other amazing stuff)
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 14 September 2004 19:49 (nineteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 14 September 2004 20:09 (nineteen years ago) link
― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Tuesday, 14 September 2004 20:18 (nineteen years ago) link
― etc, Wednesday, 15 September 2004 05:57 (nineteen years ago) link
― m. (mitchlnw), Wednesday, 15 September 2004 08:07 (nineteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 1 October 2004 19:14 (nineteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 1 October 2004 19:20 (nineteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 1 October 2004 19:40 (nineteen years ago) link
― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Friday, 1 October 2004 20:08 (nineteen years ago) link
Gah.
― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Friday, 1 October 2004 20:09 (nineteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 1 October 2004 20:11 (nineteen years ago) link
new track by Poolside featuring Todd on vocals:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw9vdNjqBjM
― Spencer Chow, Thursday, 9 July 2020 20:41 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UxY5LonBIc
Todd in Romford, 2003
― saer, Thursday, 4 February 2021 19:19 (three years ago) link
Entire back-catalog being re-released tomorrow on streaming services!
― Spencer Chow, Thursday, 6 May 2021 16:43 (two years ago) link
140 tracks (!!!)
― Spencer Chow, Thursday, 6 May 2021 16:44 (two years ago) link
super cool
― John Cooper of Christian rock band Skillet (map), Thursday, 6 May 2021 18:22 (two years ago) link
been having some moments with his rinse show lately
sweet! still rock the 3 volumes of full on regularly!
― brimstead, Thursday, 6 May 2021 19:48 (two years ago) link
Amazing (but I hate lyric videos)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ues0MCCfaF8
― Spencer Chow, Thursday, 27 May 2021 18:19 (two years ago) link
Wonderful new profile feature herehttps://djmag.com/longreads/rebirth-todd-edwards
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 10 July 2021 14:26 (two years ago) link
thanks ned, great read!
somehow i've never seen the romford video before, what a magical moment, i can't stop watching itthe intro (which todd calls "preposterous" in the interview, lol) is like a long lost Avalanches track
― scanner darkly, Sunday, 11 July 2021 18:44 (two years ago) link
he posted a really sweet tribute to the man he's been with for 7.5 years on facebook today. <3 <3 <3
― Linda and Jodie Rocco (map), Thursday, 5 August 2021 15:13 (two years ago) link
ugh this sounds amazing
https://soundcloud.com/mixmag-1/hardrive-deep-inside-todd-edwards-remix
― the cat needs to start paying for its own cbd (map), Wednesday, 27 July 2022 01:32 (one year ago) link
holy shit this is the best thing he's done in a minute, it's fucking beautiful
Hardrive - Deep Inside (Todd Edwards Remix)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sgwSl20HKQ
― the cat needs to start paying for its own cbd (map), Friday, 29 July 2022 02:54 (one year ago) link
that bassline is >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
― the cat needs to start paying for its own cbd (map), Friday, 29 July 2022 02:56 (one year ago) link
is it new tho? Spotify has it as a 2009 release
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Friday, 29 July 2022 05:50 (one year ago) link
Yeah I just googled and it's new. Man I would love to hear this out.
― death generator (lukas), Friday, 29 July 2022 14:07 (one year ago) link
Such a great remix
― Tim F, Monday, 1 August 2022 00:24 (one year ago) link