What’s in Moodymanc’s DJ box?

What’s in Moodymanc’s DJ box?

9 December, 2009 | 8.29AM

• Written by: Zack Rico
• Filed under: Music News: 2020 vision, dj box, moodymanc, tsuba

Manchester’s Danny Ward loves drums. It’s more of an obsession really. He can talk for hours about legendary jazz drummers like Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, and Billy Higgins, even though he has never seen any of them play live.

In the early 90s when every club kid pined to be a DJ, Ward played percussion at club nights such as Back To Basics in Leeds, where he showed that live drums from creative hands could actually improve a DJ’s groove.

It was in Leeds that he first met DJ Ralph Lawson, who released two nu jazz albums by Ward on his label 2020 Vision. Even the name of his alias, Dubble D, rolled off the tongue.

Both his 2005 debut ‘Reachin Out’, and 2007’s ‘Playin’ Out’ combined free-flowing jazz grooves (played mainly live by Dubble D) with soulful melodies, downtempo rhythms, and house samples, and helped foster the label’s distinct jazz-laced electronic sound.

When Lawson needed a drummer for his band 20:20 Soundsystem, he didn’t have to look far as Ward had already played for groups like Chapter And The Verse, Gilad Atzmon, Jim Mullen, Rae & Christian, AIM, and The Pharcyde.

As Ward got deeper into house music, he created Moodymanc as an outlet for his deep and soulful house productions, and it is this alias that may make Ward a star of the dance music world yet.

Whilst the improvised drums and jazzy grooves of his Dubble D alias were no less than brilliant, they weren’t exactly DJ friendly, which cannot be said of his Moodymanc productions that have so far reached leading deep house labels Baker Street Recordings, Outils du Connaisseur, and Tsuba.

With his latest funk filled house 12” ‘Omlette’ having just dropped on Steve Bug’s Dessous, we asked Moodymanc for a peek inside his bountiful record box. As expected, we found plenty of drum fun.

Favorite set opener?

Moodymanc ‘Preacher’ (Bum Bum Drum Dub)

This has a guaranteed lock it down groove that mixes with anything and wipes the slate clean....plus I always get a perverse thrill from hearing my own voice on a big system, hahahah! Shh! Don’t tell anyone!

Trippiest record?

Radio Slave ‘Orchestrating Maneuvers In The Dark’

At the moment possibly Radio Slave’s ‘Orchestrating Maneuvers’. I love the locked on chunky groove, and free jazz drum breakdown - very tasty.

Killer vocal track?

Dennis Ferrer ‘How Do I Let Go’ (Charles Webster’s Club Mix)

Oooh, I have lots, but at the moment I find myself re-visiting Charles Webster’s mix of Dennis Ferrer ‘How Do I Let Go’ - one that never fails!

Mr Webster is a master at bringing the soul for me. A genius with vocals, and what a great vocal. This is a fantastic tune!

Bassline weapon?

Worthy ‘Surdo’

Worthy ‘Surdo’ is a deceptively simple track which sounds absolutely brilliant!

If you didn’t know it already, a surdo is a Brazillian bass drum that plays the role of bass in samba.

The record that will never leave your box?

Rhythim Is Rhythim ‘Strings of Life’

‘Strings Of Life’ - I’ll never forget the first time I heard it and it still raises the hairs on my arms every time I hear it!

Oldie that everyone has forgotten?

DJ Duke ‘Tribal Journey’ (Sun Mix)

I don’t know if it has been forgotten completely, but the Sun Mix of DJ Duke ‘Tribal Journey’ is another fail-safe record for me. The drum production is simply rude, and proper rough. People never fail to lose themselves in the groove.

One more tune of the night finisher?

Sylvester ‘Over And Over’

What can you say about this? It has a fantastic vocal, great musicianship, awesome production and it’s completely uplifting. Now, where’s the party?!

Secret weapon only you have a copy of?

Frederico Mancini & Moodymanc Vs. Angie Stone ‘Bone To The Stone’

This is a bootleg, very deep, very dark. Watch this space.

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