Equivalent to the product of three and five, one more than fourteen, four more than ten. A brief period of fame that a person enjoys before fading back into obscurity and also the number on our office door. AAA rated electronics from Mark, chanson from Julie, outlaw-anarchism from Ruairi and a tribute to America’s favourite bandy-legged retard from Andy.
Evelyn Evelyn are the Neville sisters from a small town outside Seattle, Washington. Conjoined at the side they share 3 legs, 2 arms, 3 lungs, 2 hearts and 1 liver. Master musicians, together they play guitar, piano, accordion, ukulele and drums. Christened Eva and Lynn in later life they decided they preferred to be addressed as one person. Their first foray into show-business came in 1996 when they appeared as part of Dillard and Fullerton’s Traveling Circus. This taste for performance, circus and the slightly macabre remains a feature of their solo work.
Having left the circus at the age of 19 they were discovered by Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley. Immediately transfixed by the raw and completely genuine sound of the sisters Palmer and Webley tracked them down and persuaded them to work with them and went on to record a 3 track in 2007 and more recently an album. Their sound is Americana meets the the big top via freak-show carnival. The self titled ep is scheduled for double release next month on 11records and 8ft records to coincide with an American and European tour. The album has been engineered and orchestrated by Webley who has given the whole thing a much larger and more fleshed out sound than that of the sisters’ earlier work. Guests on the record include Weird Al Yankovic, Frances Bean Cobain,Neil Gaiman, showing just how much support the sisters are receiving. Their 2007 release Elephant Elephant, which features a fantastic cover of Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Appart, sold out it’s 1111 copies in no time; the album looks set to do just as well with the 3 London dates of the tour already sold out.
Along side the album and touring, Evelyn Evelyn are also set to feature in the literary world; Cynthia von Buhler is creating a graphic novel based on the life of the twins for Dark Horse Books. With such a strong marketing campaign behind them it wont be long before the sisters will be joined by more fans.
The crew are reunited after a jungle trekking, island hopping, volcano hunting adventure. This weeks audible indulgence is the best yet, from proto-punk and pyche-rock to mariachi beats and Anatolian freak-folk. Good stuff, enjoy.
With Valentines day fast approaching, DJ Mo’Funk has provided a mix which in his own words “might be good for readers of the blog to grab a listen before it’s lovin’ time”. Having just completed his first season as a regular at We Love… Space alongside partner in crime Mr Doris, Australian funkster DJ Mo’Funk (Mo Nunez) has continued on the path to a endless summer by relocating to his hometown of Sydney. In the last few months there has been quite a few happenings; a few tours across Asia and Oz with The Cuban Brothers, some highly coveted support slots throughout the New Year period with the likes of Grandmaster Flash, Crazy P, Kenny Dope and a host of others. As this coming weekend is a very special day for all lovers across the world, Mo has decided to put together a unique lovers DJ mix, something he has never done but has always fancied putting together one day, this week seems very fitting to make something like this happen! Comprising nothing but slow-jams and booty beats this will make Valentines Day just a little bit more adventurous.
Over 50 tracks in this one including Teddy Pendergrass, Erykah Badu, Prince, Marvin Gaye, Outkast and everything in between. The mix is presented by fashion and style blog HauteToday.com. The photo credit goes to Bree Kristel Clarke.
Just another manic Monday, I wish it was Sunday, ’cause that’s my fun-day. You can raze those lunes blues with some rocking lo-fi garage stoner-surf from Ruairi, some pretty balearica from Julie and some unapologetic classic rock and hip hop from Andy.
Like Captain Lawrence Oates of the Terra Nova expedition, Julie is not here and may be some time. Ruairi and Andy are left like Captain Scott to forge forth boundaries of office tunes, just as the antarctic explorers did with huskies and ponies.
A crucial part of the We Love… residents team Alex Wolfenden has been entertaining the Space crowds for many years. With all his sets this past summer taking place on La Terraza his mix of house classics old and new has set the stage for many a memorable night. At his summer long Cafe Mambo residency Alex takes the chance to showcase a different side to his musical tastes with sets journeying through chill out, classic rock, ambient techno and beyond.
Having migrated south for the winter to the sunnier pastures of Australia, Alex has found time along side working on the Acid Mondays project with Garry Todd and Dan Ward to answer our 11 questions. He has also provided an exclusive mix for We Love… available for free download here
Is there one book that you have read that has been life-changing for you?
I am not a big reader but one book I did manage to read was the biography of Quincy Jones. It is a inspiration for life not just music and is a must read for anyone.
Did your parents encourage you to work in music?
I was never was encouraged to work in music but I was never stopped. We used to have a piano in the house which I learnt on and when I was growing up I played different instruments from guitar, saxophone, drums but could never choose one, I even have a grade 4 in trumpet.
How did you begin to work professionally in music?
My first professional gig in music was when I used to go on tour with Yousef as Moral Officer and I got flown around Europe to do it, i was just 18. While doing this I did everything from warm dj, do the visuals, and start the odd food fight or two. But realistically it was playing in the Annexe in Cream in 98/99 where I used to play the warm up set. This is where I learned my trade. It was a magical time and a place that changed my life.
How do you apply your past experiences to what you do today?
I have had so many jobs from delivering booze, bar work, even a fairground attendant. Djing around the world of the last 10 years has opened up my eyes, but the job that gave me the most important life experience was when I got payed £1 an hour for 40 hours a week in a nursing home. This job helped me get my first decks. I met so many amazing people who had some unbelievable life stories, and the funniest characters which taught me so much about real life.
Where is your current studio and what is it like?
My studio is my pride and joy, I have been colleting hardware equipment for the last 9 years. I have Emu sp1200 sampler which used to be DJ Sneak’s, Emus 6400, Akai S300XL. I have a juno 9 classic synth and a Yamaha O1V digital desk I don’t want to list off all my equipment as it’s quite boring for most people and I can’t give away all my studio weapons but i have just bought a 501 Roland space echo’s which warps up anything played through it and linked up to my Vocal Harmonizer I will be making some twisted futuristic sound for my tracks this year. I lesson I have learned is it’s not what you have its what you make with what you’ve got. And as if I’m gonna tell you where it is!
The Wolfen-dos and Wolfen-donts
How much have you had to consider marketing issues since embarking on your career and how has that affected your creativity?
The technology available to music producers and dj’s has advanced so much over the last 40 years, as back then studio time was so precious and would cost lables thousands of pounds, needing lots of people to work them. Where as now you can make a hit record on a plane with a computer, some software and a pair of head phones. This together with the power of the web such as myspace and youtube has shaped the creativity of all up and coming artist. Even though times change marketing issues still have the same principles as you should contantly keep pushing your skills to like minded people, keep intouch with music trends past and present and it should always be about the quality of what you are making not about the quick buck.
How would you describe your work?
Like painting musically swans in space.
Who were your teachers?
From 94 to 99 I never missed a Cream in Liverpool and DJ’s like Roger Sanchez, C J Macintosh, Steve ’silk’ Hurley, Justin Roberson Green Velvet, Derrick Carter, Paul Bleasdale, Danny Rampling, and seeing the uk debut of Juniour Vasquez, and Daft Punk.
Your home is burgled but fortunately the culprits are caught and your possessions returned to you. What would you deem a suitable punishment for the burglars?
Lock them up in a container in Liverpool docks with Celine Dion’s greatest hits on loop.
You have to make one species of animal extinct. Excluding insects, which species would you make extinct?
There’s enough of that going on without me joining in
If you could spend one week in any period of history, which period would you choose?
1969 - 15/08/1969 in fact the 14/08/1969 i would need a day to get ready…
What better way of following We Love… Space on sundays than with Acid Mondays. Acid Mondays are Dan Ward, Garry Todd and long serving We Love… resident Alex Wolfenden. This week saw their debut release, aptly titled The First One, go out on 2020Vision. Described by 2020 as twisted excursions into percussive, sprawling, sleazy house music; we have to agree. A release from a relatively young outfit that sounds as succinct and together as some of the longest serving production teams. Being based in Ibiza over the summer months the Balearic influence is clearly visible in The First One whereas I Married A Pineapple represents a more trippy excursion into house. With 2020Vison’s reputation not just for putting out great music but also music which stands the test of time we’ll have to wait a few years to make sure that Acid Mondays have managed to maintain the level which they have reached with this first release.
The First One is available on beatport and direct from 2020Vision where you can also find an Acid Mondays podcast available for free download which alongside some of their own production features tracks from Spencer Parker, Ricardo Villalobos and may more.
Julie goes all twee-pop, chanson and electro. Accusations on Andy’s persuasion are put to bed. And Ruairi hopes that someone will actually listen to his choices this week. Everyone else is off fighting baboons apparently.
Andy is harking back to some summer highlights for his selection this week. Julie goes vintage and sophisticated. Ruairi balances cascading classical and electronic chords with some rip-roaring 60s rhythm and blues.
