Different tastes

04/11/11 12:18
(http://www.klassa.bg/)

by Petar PLAMENOV

15 April (Friday) 2011
Ashley Beedle & Todd Terje
Start: 20:00
Entrance:10BGN
Sofia Live Club
Address:
Sofia, 1 Bulgaria Square,
NPC, subway with the fountains
Working time: 20:00–07:00
Nr seats: 270
Mobile: 088 833 11 93

There is two new discs today featuring the presence of British DJ and producer Ashley Beedle. Beedle has worked his hands on all sorts of tracks and worked with all sorts of folks, and these CDs display both. The first, which came out at the beginning of the month, is the 2nd in the Inspiration Information series from Strut Records. For those of you not familiar with the series which shares the same name as the famous Shuggie Otis album, it teams up diverse artists creating new music drawing upon both of their experience. The first volume, which came out in October of last year, featured Amp Fiddler and Sly & Robbie. This second volume teams up Beedle with roots reggae songwriter and singer Horace Andy, who has also done a fair amount of work with Massive Attack.

Ashley Beedle became one of the U.K.'s most celebrated house producers in the late '90s as Black Science Orchestra. Born in Hemel Hempstead, England, in 1962, Beedle began DJing during the acid house explosion of the late '80s, but was turned on to disco as well when he heard Norman Jay DJing obscure tracks on the pirate station KISS FM. After he joined long-time friend Rob Mello and John Howard as Black Science Orchestra, the trio reworked the Trammps' "Where Were You (When the Lights Went Out)?" into their debut single "Where Were You," released on Junior Boy's Own.

Ashley has always been the loving pulse of the London music scene – he brought house music to Notting Hill Carnival and produced one of the first British garage tunes. His initial production as Black Science Orchestra on Junior Boys Own broke him internationally. X-Press 2’s massive hit, ‘Lazy’, an inspired collaboration with former Talking Head David Byrne, and other number one hits has meant X-Press 2’s albums have traveled the globe. Ashley’s remixes have ranged from pop and rock bands, little house labels; hip hop mixes, house mixes; as a solo remixer, and as part of X-Press 2. There really are too many to mention, though Elton John’s number one hit ‘Are You Ready for Love?’ and Bob Marley’s ‘Get Up Stand Up’ spring to mind. But then don’t forget his moments with The Streets ‘Weak Become Heroes’ and Bent’s ‘Always’.

The music of new project was recorded in an intense five day writing and recording session and is certainly influenced by Andy's rasta beliefs. Besides new originals, the pair also puts together a cover of Bob Marley's Hypocrites and, even more interestingly, the Rolling Stones' Angie. Ashley's mix starts with a Dells' song and then pulls in a filling mix of soul, funk, and disco, with only a few tracks that might be common knowledge - the previously mentioned Dells cut and one from Isaac Hayes. The King Britt mix takes on a worldly flavor, with a much more diverse mix of genres and feels to it.