Name Freeform Five
Location London, UK Occupation Producers. remixers. dance music moguls. Sounds good, hit me with your info stick and beat me with the details Brought together through friendships formed at various educational institutions as well as clubs and parties, Freeform Five are, in fact. a four piece production outfit celebrated for their exhilarating brand of dance music which knits together a range of different music styles. Influences of hip hop. soul, disco, acid house and pop are all part of their effective electro—pop-house formula.
So, it’s a dance music band of sorts? Who’s the lead singer and where’s the crazy one with the maracas? There are actually three vocalists with main man Anu Pillai looking after the production as well as the numerous Freeform Five remixes he's done for artists including The Futureheads, Pink and Justin Timberlake. Pillai appears to relish this cross genre remix challenge: ‘I'm very lucky that a lot of the mixes I get are because the band or the record company like what I do. If you've got a track and you just want a 4/4 kick played behind it, then I'm not the person to come to.‘ However, it‘s not always that easy, Pillai‘s working of The Killers didn’t seem to float the boat of Flowers et aI — “They wanted something off the wall and that's what I gave them. Perhaps it was just too off the wall, but, hey, shit happens.’ Brendan Flowers? Who cares what he says, have you seen the guy’s facial hair? What’s on the cards for the 25th then?
Pillai's DJ sets can vary depending on where he's playing. but with Berlin's intimate basement vibe perfectly suited for some sleazy electronic action, Freeform Five are sure to hit us for six regardless. (RJ Mclnnes)
l Freeform Five guest at Stereotype, Ber/in, Edinburgh, Sat 25 Nov.
34 THE LIST 16—30 Nov .9006
TECHNO LFO
Seismic at Glasgow School of Art, Fri 17 Nov
This night is a bit of a coup for Glasgow techno barons Seismic, in that they’ve managed to procure one of Britain’s leading techno originators for the occasion. Having seen the style emerge in Detroit at the end of the 805, LFO — and in particular their groundbreaking track of the same name — helped draw the blueprint for minimal, bass-heavy electronica that sounded somehow not of this world when it first dropped at the end of that decade. It’s a quaint and interesting fact that the robotic vocal sample on such a milestone track was created using an old Amiga.
Formed in Leeds, LFO were originally a duo comprised of university mates Mark Bell and Gez Varley. Their bedroom crafting had already resulted in the demo of ‘LFO’ (which was originally released on the nascent Nightmares On Wax) when it was played out at a nightclub in the pair’s home city. As luck
HOUSE. SOUL ELECTRO INDIE BAMBOO’S FOURTH BIRTHDAY Bamboo, Glasgow, Sat 25 Nov
In November 2002 Bamboo opened its doors for the first time. Four years on it celebrates its birthday with a night hosted by the people that made it what it is, residents. the Bamboo All Stars. When Bamboo first opened its aim was to provide students and 'discerning' clubbers with three rooms of music that cut across as
diverse a range of musical styles as possible. Bamboo has
remained true to its roots. but like all the other long running nights
in the city has evolved as musical trends and styles have changed.
Geoff M, DJ and one of the club's promoters explains, ‘R&B and hip hop styles became and still remain so popular that we have made it a permanent feature in room one. The lounges music has developed from more laid back soul, funk and jazzier vibes into electro, rock, pop and indie to cater for current tastes.‘ The club has played host to many a big name and Geoff has many fond memories, ‘some of the guest DJs have been fantastic at our Season of Sound events. Jazzy Jeff’s technical skills. Ron Carroll singing, rapping and DJing, meanwhile Joey Negro. Hardsoul. ATFC. Kerri Chandler, DJ Spen, Dimitri from Paris. Defected in the House and Fedde Le Grand have all absolutely rocked the club till
5am,‘ he recalls. What is the secret of Bamboo's success? According to Geoff, ‘keeping things fresh and interesting by
embracing new trends in music and utilising all modern forms of
promotion and communication.’ (Sandra Marron)
would have it, in attendance that night were Warp Records founders Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell, and so LFO ended up transferring their talents to another soon-to-be-seminal label.
It’s been a long association so far, with 2003’s Sheath the latest LFO album to appear on the imprint. In that time the duo have become one, with Varley leaving in 1997 to start a project named Feedback and Bell forging on as LFO. In the intervening six years Bell also helped produce Bjork’s Homogenic and Depeche Mode’s Exciter albums (3 pair of worthy additions to a CV that already included LFO’s classic Frequencies), and Sheath has been praised as a record which strips techno back to its original, hip hop influenced roots.
It might be a tempter to describe this appearance as a trip down memory lane. Perhaps better, though, to acknowledge it as another chapter in the career of a man who helped forge modern electronic music in this country. (David Pollock)