Our crew is expanding! Today, Nick Halkes joins iamCrü as a contributor and we’re absolutely chuffed about it. Nick’s career in electronic dance music is nothing short of amazing. One of the founders of XL Recordings, Nick signed The Prodigy (does it get any cooler than that?). He later set up Positiva and signed countless artists to the label. Nick continues to manage an impressive roster of electronic talent. He also DJs and produces under his Nick Reach Up guise. A trailblazer himself, Nick is also behind the chart-topping Deezer Original podcast series Trailblazers: electronic pioneers. Over to Nick…
Whilst last year was very difficult for many, it provided an unusual opportunity for us to dig further than usual into books, film and podcasts in search of inspiration and knowledge. My podcast listening certainly grew and I enjoyed learning from Desert Island Discs, Song Exploder and the like.
I co-present a Deezer Original podcast series called Trailblazers: electronic pioneers, developed with my partner behind the mic Eddy Temple-Morris. The vision behind Trailblazers: electronic pioneers is to create an archive of knowledge – a spoken history of dance and electronic music. We talk to the key people that made, played and supported the music through an amazing period of its development. While that sounds like a rather worthy goal, one of the other aims in putting the podcast together is just to have interesting and entertaining conversations with people we like – opportunities for a bit of a laugh.
Well, Trailblazers: electronic pioneers is over 20 episodes deep now and fortunately it’s delivering on all fronts. Through interviewing our guests, I learn from every episode and hope to keep doing so for many more years to come. Here are some life lessons either learned or reinforced after speaking to our podcast guests…
Lesson 1: Put yourself in environments that increase your chances of getting lucky
In his episode, Mute Records founder Daniel Miller explained he once found himself at a gig at an East London pub where the support band was about to come on. Daniel had the choice between disappearing off for a bite or checking them out. He thought he’d listen to their first song. It was great so he stayed for the second – also great! By the end of the set Daniel was really impressed and interested to sign the band. He did and the results were life changing, as the band went on to sell millions of records. The band was Depeche Mode. This is a classic example of right place, right time. Daniel would have missed out without that openness to check out something hitherto completely unknown to him.
Lesson 2: Put in the work
Before he found fame and fortune, super producer Trevor Horn played bass in a cabaret band in the Midlands’ city of Leicester, in the UK. Amongst its jobs, the cabaret band provided support to the big stand-up comedians of the day. Meanwhile, superstar DJ Paul Oakenfold sold jumpers in a department store. Though whilst inauspicious starts, both made it work for them. Horn served an important musical apprenticeship and Oaky sold a jumper to Mel Medalie, who ran a record label and gave young Paul a break.
Lesson 3: Prepare for disappointment and setbacks
All of our trailblazers have experienced lows as well as highs. DJ Fresh talked of his struggles with mental health and a brush with Cancer. Reggae legend David Rodigan was shunted into a dark corner of the Kiss FM schedule and felt forced to walk away. R&S Records founder Renaat Vandepapeliere found himself on the surgery table once due to a heart issue. Following an operation, he swiftly checked himself out of hospital and went straight to a busy club! So, I guess it’s all about how you bounce back.
Lesson 4: Ask questions and seek inspiration
A certain relentless spirit binds our trailblazers. After pioneering musically, Tom Middleton is now pioneering in sleep science. Not content with his work as a DJ and artist, Mike Pickering hunkered down as an A&R man and broke Kasabian, Calvin Harris and more. From disco to hip-hop to alternative, Arthur Baker talked through his ongoing quest to keep discovering exciting new music, whatever the genre. Mary Anne Hobbs remains committed to relentlessly spreading the word as a broadcaster after her years as a journalist. These trailblazers don’t give up – they keep searching and they keep working.
Lesson 5: Don’t attempt interviews worse for wear
Radio DJ legend and reggae champion David Rodigan explained how, many years ago, he conducted an interview with a pioneering reggae artist whilst, ahem… a little the worse for wear. Alas, fits of giggles made the recording virtually unsuitable for broadcasting. Never again, he vowed, and learning from his error the ultimate professional hasn’t made the same mistake again.
Other guests to feature on the Deezer Original podcast series Trailblazers: electronic pioneers include: Norman Jay, Justice’s Xavier de Rosnay, James Lavelle, Goldie, Fatboy Slim, Gary Numan and more.
Main photo: Tim Schnetgoeke
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