Frank De Wulf - People In Motion
Available from Beatport: bit.ly/DRDLT003-BP
℗ & © 2011 Darkroom Dubs
"We are delighted and honoured to have the opportunity to re-release two of our all-time favourite records on Darkroom Dubs. Both really shaped our love and appreciation of electronic music when we first heard them at The Arches and the Sub Club. It's wonderful to be able to give both tracks a fresh audience. The crowd reaction recently to both has been tremendous, everywhere from Club 69 to the Panorama Bar. The tracks date from 1993 & 1991, respectively. Frank De Wulf's, "People In Motion" is a track that still gives me a special thrill every time I hear it and it's now been lovingly re-mastered. With DJ HMC's, "Life Support Systems" the original DAT tape couldn't be located, so we had to search out a mint vinyl copy. Luckily Andy Pirie, who does the Melting Pot parties in Glasgow and a passionate audiophile, owns a seriously high fidelity turntable and was kind enough to record it digitally for us and our mastering engineer, Mathias 'Show-B' Schober, added that extra oomph! We both hope you enjoy the tracks as much as we do." (Craig, Silicone Soul)
"DJ HMC is one of the forgotten pioneers of techno. Before most of the world even knew what techno was, he was making records that sounded better than anything else, and in Australia to boot. 'Life Support Systems' was a bona fide classic at Pure, a club I did in Edinburgh from 1990 - 2000. It also became a classic at Optimo and featured on our 2nd mix cd. It will still be a classic 20 years from now. Timeless!" (Twitch, Optimo)
Frank De Wulf was always into music with a strong, original sound and rhythm, no matter the genre; from new wave, dance and electro to European and American experimental, post-punk. With Kraftwerk and The Art of Noise, two of his major influences. The fresh, energetic and layered electronic sound was something he aspired to, by creating his own music as well as through DJing. When his work began to be noticed around 1985, he was asked to do a show by a more ‘dance-oriented’ radio station, called ‘SIS’.
At the time, he was DJing regularly at two of Ghent’s dance café’s. It was the perfect way to hone his skills and since he was still at school, these gigs brought extra money. He was saving to buy a Yamaha S7000 sampler and an Atari 1024 computer. The new beat movement had just begun and he felt the need to create music rather than just mix. He began to produce his own music, with edits and remixes of existing tracks.
One of his first releases was the 12-inch, "Acid Rock" with his alter ego, Rhythm Device on Music Man Records. It became a big hit and is now a much sought after classic. He then started work on several tracks with beats, mixes and samples from international dance hits and newly created sounds that were too experimental at the time to be released as 'A-Sides'. But eager to release them, he decided to name them (the now legendary) 'The B-Sides', releasing four volumes on Music Man Records.
Due to their success, he travelled the world. It was a remarkable period, meeting other artists and DJ’s, who were all starting their musical careers, such as Joey Beltram, Moby, Derrick May and Sven Väth. All bonded by a great appreciation for each other’s work. Also, Renaat, the owner of R&S Records, kept him inspired and focused. Renaat's' energy, drive and a strong belief in quality electronic music were a major influence. He began his own record labels, giving him more creative freedom to release his own tracks. He also remixed The Shamen, Erasure, The Orb, Jam & Spoon, Orbital and Biosphere. More recently he founded "GRID", a post-production company specialising in visual effects and motion design for commercials, video clips and films.
DJ HMC was an early protagonist of house and techno in Australia. Based in Adelaide, he was one of the main players behind the legendary Juice Records, which firmly placed Australian techno on the map. A true underground hero of a time where techno was faceless and the most important factors were the sound of the Roland and the cut on the acetate. Releases such as, "Phreakin", "Southern Cross", "Dirty Acid Trax Vol.1" & "The 100% Juice EP" (from which "Life Support Systems" was the lead track) demonstrate why the analogue rawness of the overdriven TB-909 and TB-303, remain cornerstones of modern contemporary electronic music.
Artwork by Dave Beazley.
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