The Pondering Blonde

Mr Spencer- C-Smoothe Interview

Groove Bar, Johannesburg’s favourite house club, has been delighting party people around the city for several years with its funky flavour and infamous five floor bashes. The newly renovated venue is like a rumpus room for revelers, granting you access to the deep, funky and electro floor of your flavour- getting you into the groove in just about any which way you fancy! 2007 sees the super club finally taking its long awaited leap into album releases with the launch of its very first, self titled, club album. Expertly mixed by Groove Bar’s most popular resident DJ; C-Smoothe, the album delivers a slick dose of its hottest, happening house right inside the walls of your very own home! In the mix of it all, C-Smoothe tells us about the album, the club and exactly what you can expect to find in a C-Smoothie!

Tell me a about the Groove Bar album, what can one expect to hear?

I’ve given the album a sexy combination of feel good funky house, something that can appeal to everybody!

What kind of people will like the album?

Groove Bar attracts an up-market, but unpretentious crowd, who are more than willing to shake booty to any good house that meets their ears, we’ve basically packaged, onto disc, one hot night at Groove Bar- and most party-goers, whether you’ve been there or not, will get a good jam out of it!

How long have you been a resident at Groove Bar?

This is the 3^rd year I’ve been part of the Groove Bar family and I’ve seen the club grow from strength to strength, starting from only one dance floor, to two regular floors and a massive outside area for those big nights.

You recently went on tour to Ibiza, how has that shaped and added to your DJ career?

It was such an incredible experience! It was more of a holiday than a proposed ‘tour’ as such and I was very fortunate to get the opportunity to play at the mecca of electronic dance; from catching Morillo at Pacha, to the residents on the infamous Terrace at Space, then sipping cocktails at Bora Bora, it was INSANE I tell you! And I’m lucky to be hitting The White Isle again this year!

You returned with the fires fueled at full force, how was your first gig back at Groove Bar after your party vacation?

It was really an experience to play, being inspired for 3 long weeks by worlds best spin doctor! A lot more thought was injected into my set planning and track selection and I just had a whole new energy behind the decks

Which has been your favourite Groove Bar event to play?

Most definitely the KISS events! They always seem to attract an enormous crowd of people who are always up for a big one! The events so far this year have seen me share the decks alongside Mickey Slim and Mike Monday as well as local legends Lady Lea , Ryan Dent and Brett Jackson to name a few .

How are your plans for house education going? – Are you playing what the South African audience needs to hear?

I am definitely exploring a few boundaries and trying to incorporate cutting edge sounds into my sets. I like to play stuff that is not as often frequented whilst keeping the sound as individual as possible.

On the production front, have you had any personal releases since “Understanding Sex” was released on Lady’s first album, Catch Me If You Can?

I have had another release titled “Kingsize” alongside Jon S (PimpSquad), whom I produced Understanding Sex With, it was track listed on the Natural Groove album. I have a number of projects in the pipeline, but all in due time!

Lastly, What do you put into a C-Smoothie?

A tot of Madness splashed over a glass of groove served with a slice of debauchery should sum it up!

The Groove Bar album, mixed by C-Smoothe is now available at all good music stores! For a dose of good, vibrant funky house, be sure to get your hands on a copy!

Done Blonde Interview with Mike Monday

The Monday Madness has only just begun; Mike Monday’s music profile boomed in 2005 when his quirky, experimental sound made his name a sought after symbol of ‘shit hot shit’ in the Dance Music Industry! Long tipped as one of Europe’s most up-and-coming producers, and a real remixing magician, Monday’s peaking success was imminent. His tracks are commonly flipped onto decks by every big name in the biz and his presence is demanded in some of the world’s smallest corners.

Always the adventurer; Monday jumps at the opportunity to set new cities alight with his infinite sound and contagious energy; finding himself in strange places like Kazakhstan and, our very own, South Africa. In town for a ‘One Night Only’ performance before dashing to Germany, Mike Monday had just enough time to chat over a hearty South African steak and play an immeasurable set that left an impression on the dancefloor, only he can return to fill.

How did you get into the EDM industry?
I did music at University and was actually a Saxophone player; I played in a couple of funk and jazz bands in clubs in and around London. I was always involved in club music. At the time, in London, in was pretty impossible not to be into it, the music and the scene then was just amazing! I was living with a guy who bought some equipment and we made a track together and it became quite big at the time. I didn’t intend on doing this, it just sort of happened, so I just thought I’d give it a go!

Are you currently in the production of a new album?
Yes, I’ve just signed with Om Records in the US for the second album. I think it’ll be coming out early next year.

What are your plans for the European summer?
Well, I am playing in Ibiza a couple of times at some smaller private parties, and then basically traveling all over the world, to wherever it’s happening! I have a few dates coming up in Germany, which will be interesting as I’ve never played there before, and much of the music at the moment is coming from there…

What is the strangest country in the world you have played in?
I played a couple of gigs in Kazakhstan… and the scene there is actually really, really good! Its probably one of the best places to play- and it’s so not ‘Bortat’

How does the party/ club vibe differ from country to country?
Its amazing, but, all over the world dance music has had a massive revival these past few years, partly due to the internet, but people are essentially all the same, doing the same kind of thing, whether your in Kazakhstan or China, people want to go out and have a good time! It’s incredible to have the opportunity to go to these places and play.

You were scheduled to play in Israel a while back, and cancelled, what happened?
Well, I was talking to my agent and he told me he’d looked on the internet and saw that the range of the missiles in Israel is only 50 miles. And I thought, the fact that he’d looked on a website to see the range of missiles, means I probably shouldn’t go there right now! I mean, I’m not going to save lives; I’m just going to play some fucking records! So I thought, let’s just leave it for a while!

Your radio show on Push Radio aims to expose new underground talent. Who is a notable name for us to look out for in the future?
One of the guys who’s really doing it is Tommy Four Seven in the UK. He’s only 20 years old and he’s a great DJ. There’s some other guys called Bigger Than Jesus, and they’re fucking amazing! The music they are making is just incredible! It’s really important to me to do whatever I can and get them out there. I don’t know how they even think of some of the stuff they come up with, it’s brilliant!

What inspires you and how do you incorporate this into your music you?
Anything inspires me. Inspiration is a very strange thing. One time I had a dream and, it’s a bit ridiculous but, there was this music playing and when I woke up I wrote down what I heard in my head! I knew exactly how it was meant to sound and it was so easy I actually thought I was copying someone else! I made the track and had to send it to about five of my mates and say “Is this another tune?” I’ve been producing for 13 years, and that’s only ever happened to me once, so it’s not ‘the usual’! The track is called I Dream of Ducks.

You’ve got some very interesting track titles, how do you go about ‘naming’ your music?
I think it has something to do with the English sense of humour. I usually end up in these ridiculous situations, like after a night out, with a group of people and there’ll be a joke or something really random said and I’ll think, “That’s actually a really good name for a track!”. I sometimes think people in dance music are a little too serious and at the end of the day, let’s just have a laugh! If I was given a pound for every time someone asked me what a ‘Boondoggle’ is…

Lastly, is Monday your favourite day of the week?
Absolutely! Monday is usually the day I sleep and rest. If it’s been a particularly good weekend, in which case, I’m still out, then it’s definitely the best day of the week!