Dj Cosmo, Usa - The Official Interview

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"Carl's Garage and House Website"

Dj Cosmo, Usa - The Official Interview

Dj Cosmo
November, 1997

Name: Colleen Anderson Murphy

Address: New York, USA

Age: 29

Occupation: DJ/Record Pool Director

1.Who or what had the greatest influence on what you listen to today? Was through listening at a early age to the Radio to a particular sound or artist.

Or was it by being forced to take musical lessons that influenced your choice?

There hasn't been a singular influence on what I listen to as I listen to a great variety of music, a fraction of which consists of what is termed "dance music". As a child I played organ and piano, sang in the chorus and was a complete radio addict. I got my first transistor radio at the age of 7 and still remember the song that was playing when I first turned it on: Silver Convention's "Fly Robin
I'll always have a soft spot for that one. At the age of 14 I got my first radio show on my 10 watt high school radio station - this stint lasted four years.

I played a wide spectrum of music which included sixties psychedelic, fifties rock n'roll, funk, new wave, Electro, early rap, punk rock and anything else I felt like throwing on. Freeform,
noncommercial radio was an outlet through which I could express myself by sequencing and programming music. I still do that today.
My job at a record store starting at the age of 16 also helped broaden my musical horizons as I associated with people passionate about their diverse musical backgrounds.

2.Who was your first musical hero?

This will be pretty typical from a white girl from the suburbs but my first true musical hero with whom I was obsessed was David Bowie.

3.If you are a DJ/Producer what was the first club that you played that allow you to gain vital experience to that is invaluable now! Is it still there and have you gone back to play there from time to time?

I would have to say The Loft in New York. The first time I went there I was musically transformed. I had never heard underground dance music like that before! The Loft started in 1970 (2 years after I was born)and is still running today. I went in 1991 and fell in love with the music and the atmosphere. Set in David Mancuso's home, The Loft had its own style of music which did not always conveniently sit within the realm of "dance music". You would hear Jah Wobble, Was Not Was and Barrabas next to Tamiko Jones, Crown Heights Affair, and Dexter Wanse next to Code 718, Manuel Gottsching and The Orb. It was beautiful and deep.

David and I befriended a year later and he played on my radio show.Soon after he asked me to play "one on one" with him. It was definitely a dream come true as David did not allow many people to play with him - one reason being the fragility of his set up (his handmade cartridges are $2000 a piece and you cannot backspin with them!). Anyways, I guess he liked what I played and how and when I played it because later on I was doing whole nights by myself or long sets on my own.

This experience is still invaluable to me because it taught me many things about choosing music (will it be a classic next year?), programming (how songs work next to one another) getting on the same vibe and trip as somebody else (being able to do "one on one's" or "tag teams" and not getting wrapped up in your own ego) and truly creating a vibe.

The Loft still exists albeit in another location and I do visit now and then.

4.Being a DJ, what would you considered to being the music that you like playing the best.
Garage ( Vocal House ) Deep House ( Jazz/Fusion - Funky instrumental
House)

The Sunday Scene type of House Music ( typified by the London Underground,Freek Fm and Magic FM pirate radio scene in London. Rough basslines with girlie vocals on top!!)

Please don't take this personally but one of the things that really annoys me about the British scene is all of the names tagged on everything. What the hell is Sunday scene music anyways?

I love good vocals sung with feeling, on key and not about stupid thing like "come on and get up" and "take me higher", endless skatting because the vocalist doesn't know of anything better to do and other nonsense.Some of my favorite vocals come from Fingers and Ten City which should give you a general idea of the vocals I like. One of my favorite vocal house records of all time is "Tears". Current vocalists I really like are Corrina Joseph, Jephté Guillaume, India, Kenny Bobien and Kim English. My two favorite "House" lyricists at the moment are Lem Springsteen and Roland Clark.

I guess my other specialty is "deep house" although some people call what Junior Vasquez plays "deep house" and we definitely do not play the same type of music at all. I also really love jazzy house as long as it doesn't sound like its trying to copy all of the other jazzy house records of the moment. Basically I like things with great basslines imaginative drums, percussion and rhythms, lush pads, inspired solos and if there is a vocal - something with substance (please!).

5.Where do you play now?

Are you a resident DJ, or do you work Freelance?

I have a few residencies which include:"Club 89" a live mix radio show on WNYU, 89.1 FM every Tuesday night "Freshly Baked" at Ludlow Bar with Nigel Hayes of Guidance Records every Wednesday night."Majika" at the System with DJ Nicolas of Pacha, Ibiza every Thursday night.289 Lounge/NV every Saturday and Sunday.
I also do guest appearances in NYC such as "Body and Soul" with Francois K.

6.Have you traveled abroad to work?

Yes, I have traveled to many cities in America including Boston, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Chicago and Atlanta. I used to do Silk City in Philadelphia with DJ's King Britt and Dozia Blakey - I really love playing with them because we all have pretty much the same musical sensibility. The only other country I have DJ-ed in was Japan. My favorite club there was a place called Precious Hall in Sapporo, Hokkaido. It reminded me in some ways of a Japanese version of The Loft - the people could go real deep. I finished off my 11 hour set with John Coltrane. Need I say more?

7.What is the scene like in your country?

Is Garage and House music becoming more acceptable, that within recent years saw music's like (Techno, ACID or Hard-core being the main musical staple diet) (if this does not apply to you do not answer!!) Or if you are an American (- Hip and Rock music being the musical staple diet of the masses)

Hilarious!

You are certainly right about America but you forgot the other musical staple - country music!I don't know if we will ever see house music become more acceptable in the U.S. but if MTV embraces it as they did hip hop, then anything is possible. However, I'm sure they will only embrace MTV-type music which I'm sure will be that Hi-Energy B.S. I doubt the kind of music I like will be widely accepted but I don't really care.

8.Who's' had the greatest influence on you within the World of Garage and House music?

Larry Heard, David Mancuso, Francois Kevorkian, Tony from the Zanzibar days (pre-Ministry of Sound), Ten City, Irma, Masters At Work, Joe Claussell, Mood 2 Swing, Kenny Bobien, and the list goes on and on...

(8a)What do you think of other country involvement within the music of Garage and House music?

Such as France (Shazz and ST. Germain), Germany
( Mousse T, Boris Dglulosch, Tonka) and England.
? (Grant Nelson, Ricky Morrison, Norman Jay, Paul "trouble" Anderson, Karl"tuff enuff" Brown, etc )That was the domain of the Americans during the early 1990's.

Music is global - I'm glad to see other countries getting involved in house music. Music is not owned by anybody - not a country, a city, a gender, a sexuality, a race. It may represent some of these things but is not owned by it.

9.Who, if given the chance would you like to work with in the World of House and Garage music?

Masters at Work, Don Carlos, Derrick Carter, Kerri Chandler, Grant Nelson, Shazzz..who??

All of the artists you just mentioned sound pretty good to me! Lets add Larry Heard supposing he does get back into music, Joe Claussell, Francois K, Mood 2 Swing, Carl Craig, Global Communications,.......

10.Who do you rate as one to look out for in the future? Who should we keep an eye out for!

From your own country? DJ/ music artist/s producer - King Britt - he's all three - DJ, Music Artist, Producer

From what you have heard or seen from abroad? DJ/ music artist/s producer - ?

10a.Are you a person who prefers to work using samples, or is more comfortable using real vocalists, and real Instruments?

Does it worry you to hear more and more people using samples, instead of going for the "Human Touch".

Samples are great when used tastefully and creatively. I don't need to hear another excessively long obvious disco sample. Enough is enough!But samples can really work well sometimes. I think the new Ballistic Brothers album is a case in point - very well done!

I also welcome the re-introduction of live instruments back into the house arena.

11A. Are you at peace with the press. Do you constantly worry about being misquoted.Or do you have a good relationship with the press as a whole?

You could be paranoid and tape the interview on your side as well (By the way, I'm keeping a copy of this - ha ha!!). I don't really know yet as I've just been interviewed a few times recently and have yet to see the articles in print. I'll tell you later!

12. Are you planing to Tour Europe soon.
Or do you have a to hectic a schedule at the moment?

I'll be in England in December to spend Christmas with my boyfriend and his family. Its more of a vacation but I will be doing at least one gig with Glen Gunner of Streetcorner Symphony at the Dogstar on Monday,December 22.

13. If you have heard it what do you think of the sound coming from England called the Sunday Scene?
Better known across the world now as the Speed Garage? (Only apply if you have heard some of it!!)Is it getting up your nose.!!!
Or is this the backside that was need for Garage and Deep House to be taken seriously by all concerned. For instance, Garage and Deep House has been labeled "Always Bridesmaid" never the "Bride".

Has Speed Garage has placed Garage into that bracket?
What are your views on this emotive subject!!!

I just don't think about it.

14.Do you Own a Label?

If so what sought of styles of Garage, are coming from your label.

No but maybe someday and it would be a variety of music.

15. New York seems to have dried up in places to go for Soulful House and Garage recently.

But is there a change in the wind? Will this change?

Have you been to the Body and Soul club recently for instances?

Well I'm going to Body and Soul today, I went last week and I'm playing there next week. It is one of the only good parties for soulful house and garage. As far as change is concerned, only The Shadow knows...

16.Your mix show? How did this come about?
It seems to be getting bigger and bigger!!
Are they many shows like your in New York?

I was the program director of this radio station while I was in college and I was asked to come back 5 or 6 years ago. At the time I was collecting records from the early Loft and Paradise Garage era so I came back with a classics show. Then I got into house music, learned to mix, bought 1200's and started doing the house show. On 89.1 there are 4 house mix shows. Then there is DJ Disciple on WNYE on Thursdays, Tony Humphreys on Hot 97 in the week early Sunday morning hours. I believe that's it for deep, soulful house music. I'm not including all the hard Latin styles, hi-energy and hard house shows that are on the airwaves.

Thanks for taking part in this interview.
Hope we can do it again some time?

Thanks Carl!

This Interview is of the responsibility of
Dj Cosmo(USA) and Carl Brown (England). Any part of this Interview that you would like to use then you will have to gain the permission of these 2 parties to do so. This is copyrighted.

carl@garage-music.com

What is Garage? || What is Deep House ||
What is Speed Garage? || What is 2-Step Garage

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