Catalogue Number: GU002
Release Date: February 1997
Buy it from: Beatport
At the time we made this, my favourite records were “Downtime” by Elliot Eastwick, Miles Hollway & Si Brad, “East End Trax” by Paul P. Flynn (DJ Q) (OR “Prescription Every Night” by Heaven & Earth – same sample!) and “Son of A Beatnik” by Taxi C.A.B.
Its always a bit weird making records when you have a very strong influences. You want to make something just like your favourite things but there’s something in me that stops me just copying someone elses style. So we ended up with this weird, 70s sampling groove that has lots of lovely pads over it. Hardly the cut-up disco that those guys were making so well.
“Cantina Scene” refers to this scene from the first Star Wars movie. I was imagining a Jedi world where bars in Pirate City play deep house. Stupid I know.
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“Aquaman” was inspired by my friend Marc McCabe (who later went on to run the respected Under The Counter label). At the time I was doing the warmp-up set for Gareth Sommerville at Yip Yap (La Belle Angele, Edinburgh). Marc used to come with me from Glasgow and we’d hang out at the club once Gareth had started. Some nights his capacity for partying would be on superhero levels, only matched by his love of deep music. Hence Aquaman. This track has the kind of moody, wandering bassline that used to get the floor started at Yip Yap. And that meant Marc left the DJ box and headed to the floor. Good times.
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What the papers said:
“A slice of prime deep house that follows a path between Mr. Fingers and Slam.” Update
December 4th, 2009 - 1:50 am
Hi Kevin,
Just wanted to pass a note after all these years to say how awesome the Glasgow Underground releases were and still are. I was working in the electronic music section of a department store in the late 90s, and the mix CD that was on the special edition of GU Volume Two was given a hammering, and people loved it, we sold shitloads! By the time I got around to buying one myself, all of the special editions were gone, so I got a normal one, which I’m listening to today. The last three songs are truly amazing, ‘Orbium Celstium’ is truly from another planet, that track is so full of atmosphere.
Anyway, thank christ (from a consumer’s point of view) for online shops, as I have finally been able to get my hands on the track that used to sell all of the GU Vol 2s, Idjut Boys & Quakerman’s ‘Radio Rage’.
Is there any way we can buy Glasgow Undergound Volume 1 and the limited edition Volume 2? If not, that’s OK.
Anyway, sincere thanks for giving me so may great memories (GU tunes are right up there for me with Paper Music’s ‘Downtime’ you mention above), and I hope that you’re still doing stuff that you love and it involved great tuneage.
Craig,
Melbourne, Australia