MFSB how does it feel to be in your 40th anniversary year of indamixworldwide?
Not of indamixworldwide, Gary, but rather indamix. Feels like this all started yesterday, although it also at times gives me the feeling this sounds like the Middle Age, when remembering my very first gig in a club back in… 1974
DJ Spinna with MFSB
So you used to be a musical journalist for Coda Magazine, any highlights from your time spent there?
Coda Magazine which, for some time, happened to be the leading mag in France in terms of Electronic Dance Music, but not only. I started as a reviewer at the end of the 80’s when back from UK where I’d lived for a year for mag called De La Dance as a wink to… De La Soul, then switched 2 years after to Black News, then to Coda Magazine back in 1995. I’ve always considered music as a whole, exposed to almost everything, as long as it was groovy, be it acoustic as its most advanced (progressive) electronic forms.
My highlights from this period as a journo? My meeting with Nile Rodgers and the late Bernard Edwards for the release of the last Chic album back in 1992. The one with Barry White who honored and graced me with his friendship from then. Not to mention Guy (Teddy Riley and the brothers Hall) at London’s Hammersmith (the Labatt’s Apollo then). Will Downing, Mica Paris, Omar… Carl McIntosh, Jazzie B and Maxi Priest who I happened to meet at a same table during the final of a DMC World Championships at Wembley Arena. The late Guru. But also Randy Muller who I happened to meet incidentally during the Winter Music Conference in Miami. Roy Ayers, who I first met in Miami too with Nuyorican Soul. Gil Scott-Heron who I got introduced to after a concert at NYC’s S.O.B. Femi Kuti, both in NYC and Paris, and the list seems like endless since. I’ll never forget neither the first time I saw Kenny Bobien singing live who got me into tears at a place where I happened to meet Mel Cheren of the Paradise Garage who would so to say adopt me as his nephew soon after. And neither will I forget when Freddy Sannon (Shelter Records) got me to see the very last vinyl factory in activity somewhere in NJ state…
Tell us about the rise & fall of indamixworldwide. com
It all started from a column – Indamix – which I initiated on Coda Magazine, dedicated to Garage and (soulful) House Music. Many people overseas who were receiving it told me it was cool although they’d like it to be written in English as opposed to French for a better understanding. So I started sending them a translated version in English via email. Then a friend of mine who was a neighbor created a website and asked me about a name to put on it. I naturally came up with… Indamix although it was the name of a XXX rated website. So I added worldwide to it, as a wink to Gilles Peterson’s famous radio show of the likes and that was it.
He was the webmaster and I was the editor, but he relocated to another place and left me the keys of the whole, although I was a total newbie in terms of programming.
I wanted to work on a more elaborated system but didn’t have a single clue, so I started learning languages such as Xhtml, java, css although never found a way to put everything into form. I then decided to put Indamixworldwide.com on hold…
Who has given you the inspiration to still be in the music industry 40 years on?
I wouldn’t see myself doin’ anything else. I started as a DJ, I worked either as a technician either as a presenter for various radio stations. I’ve turned myself into a journalist. I’ve released compilations for various labels. I’ve always felt the need to share what I thought to be the best.
MFSB started from a DJ background, do you ever see yourself, going back out there & spinning again?
Very much so. To me, there’s nothing like the direct contact. Meeting a crowd, warmin’ them up and getiin’ them into your own game with the will to have them havin’ one of these times… And even more when comin’ to jam together with other people. I couldn’t forget that night during a festival in the South of France when, together with Kerri Chandler, Dennis Ferrer, a bunch of Cuban percusionnists and a Jazz saxman, we’ve ended up blending vibes like a live orchestra… Same feeling when I happened to spin a few times accompanied by Sammy Figueroa who was Miles Davis and Chic’s percussionist. As many communions that saw us speakin’ the same language although hailing from different parts of the worl, havin’ different cultures, backgrounds and experiences. I still have the same emotion when remembering this…
What are your three favorite Disco/ Soul jams of all time ?
It all started from a column – Indamix – which I initiated on Coda Magazine, dedicated to Garage and (soulful) House Music. Many people overseas who were receiving it told me it was cool although they’d like it to be written in English as opposed to French for a better understanding. So I started sending them a translated version in English via email. Then a friend of mine who was a neighbor created a website and asked me about a name to put on it. I naturally came up with… Indamix although it was the name of a XXX rated website. So I added worldwide to it, as a wink to Gilles Peterson’s famous radio show of the likes and that was it.
He was the webmaster and I was the editor, but he relocated to another place and left me the keys of the whole, although I was a total newbie in terms of programming.
I wanted to work on a more elaborated system but didn’t have a single clue, so I started learning languages such as Xhtml, java, css although never found a way to put everything into form. I then decided to put Indamixworldwide.com on hold…
Who has given you the inspiration to still be in the music industry 40 years on?
I wouldn’t see myself doin’ anything else. I started as a DJ, I worked either as a technician either as a presenter for various radio stations. I’ve turned myself into a journalist. I’ve released compilations for various labels. I’ve always felt the need to share what I thought to be the best.
MFSB started from a DJ background, do you ever see yourself, going back out there & spinning again?
Very much so. To me, there’s nothing like the direct contact. Meeting a crowd, warmin’ them up and getiin’ them into your own game with the will to have them havin’ one of these times… And even more when comin’ to jam together with other people. I couldn’t forget that night during a festival in the South of France when, together with Kerri Chandler, Dennis Ferrer, a bunch of Cuban percusionnists and a Jazz saxman, we’ve ended up blending vibes like a live orchestra… Same feeling when I happened to spin a few times accompanied by Sammy Figueroa who was Miles Davis and Chic’s percussionist. As many communions that saw us speakin’ the same language although hailing from different parts of the worl, havin’ different cultures, backgrounds and experiences. I still have the same emotion when remembering this…
What are your three favorite Disco/ Soul jams of all time ?
Tricky
question to say the least! I’ll then speak in terms of meaning, with no
specific order…
Inner Life featuring Jocelyn Brown – ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’, as it’s a constant sign of hope.
The O’Jays – ‘I Love Music’, as it tells about what I’m expecting from music.
The Isley Brothers – ‘Go All The Way’, as I never wanted to be emprisonned into any specific genre of music…
Inner Life featuring Jocelyn Brown – ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’, as it’s a constant sign of hope.
The O’Jays – ‘I Love Music’, as it tells about what I’m expecting from music.
The Isley Brothers – ‘Go All The Way’, as I never wanted to be emprisonned into any specific genre of music…
How do you see your future?
Hmmm, another one… But I suppose I’d like to come up with a radio station and spread the idea of… Indamix!
sets
a genre or theme for their daily or weekly show & post to the live Facebook
followers taste, with topical comment about the news or weather. Each selector
comes from a different part of the world, hence the name, indamixworldwide,
with different no only languages, but musical taste & popularity from
country to country. Each selector is chosen & tested on a test page, to see
if they have a superior musical taste & knowledge, not only this, they have
to fit in with the indamixworldwide formula & family.
The
indamixworldwide page has been running everyday for the past three years, it
has a weekly chart, single of the week, plus it does promotions for upcoming
new releases & it's all free of charge, all indamixworldwide ask is that
you support the page.
Which
DJ changed your life?
In
no specific order, Kerri Chandler, with his spontaneity, Ron Trent, with his
aptitude to come up with blends makin’ you go mental. Joe Claussell, for his
subtlty, Glenn Underground, for the fascination he manages to create both on
his compositions and mixes. And also José Padilla who, with his sunset mixes in
Ibiza, embodies the idea of hedonism…
Ultra Nate with MFSB
Here is the link below to the Facebook action.
Are there any plans to start a Radio Station?
Definitely, although I need the right partners to fullfil this dream…
Are you still looking for selectors to post on the page
Anyone willing to share her/his love for music and people while edutaining them is more than welcome.
If
you could only take three songs to a party what would they be?
Here we go for another round, huh? Alright then, same as previously, because of their meanings…
Chic – ‘Everybody Dance’, as a starter.
Romanthony – ‘In The Mix’, as its title speaks for itself, although it also could be ‘Bring U Up’…
Joe Smooth – ‘Promised Land’, as there’s nothing like inspirational music to get you higher…
Here we go for another round, huh? Alright then, same as previously, because of their meanings…
Chic – ‘Everybody Dance’, as a starter.
Romanthony – ‘In The Mix’, as its title speaks for itself, although it also could be ‘Bring U Up’…
Joe Smooth – ‘Promised Land’, as there’s nothing like inspirational music to get you higher…
Thanks
very much for your time MFSB, I would like to say, here's to the next 40 years...
Likewise, Gary. Although I do hope we won’t have to wait until then to meet up and have a couple of drinks, as a starter of course!
Likewise, Gary. Although I do hope we won’t have to wait until then to meet up and have a couple of drinks, as a starter of course!
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