Why?

I'm tracking down photos, videos, mix tapes and memories of that time and posting them on this blog. It was a fantastic period in my life that I shared with so many. Having not even thought about it for 12 years the sudden rush to pay my respects and share is overwhelming. Please feel free to contribute and enjoy.

George


Saturday, February 25, 2012

The Angel Has Landed



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Back in the summer of 1995 a certain Angel Moraes released a record that so blew our tiny minds that we set about doing what ever we could to track down this New York producer/DJ and book him to play. The record was called “Welcome To The Factory” and it’s barely contained euphoria, rumbling bass, hypnotic trajectory and beauty encapsulated everything we thought Tribal Funktion was and what we wanted it to be.

If you know what I mean!

It was the deepest fucking thing we’d ever heard!

So we booked him and he came from New York and changed the way I, and many others played house music forever.

He was not the only one. In time Cajmere, Mark Farina, Gemini, Sneak, Eric Rug and a good few others did the same. And previously Danny Tenaglia had literally altered our DNA (more about that WITH download of Mr Tenaglia’s legendary set at TF in the next couple of months) but Angel played like he was at home. A belonging! And a nicer guy you’d never meet!

I’m in the process of tracking down the recording of that first show at Tribal but in the meantime here is his second appearance at the club. A three deck juggernaut. Angel Moraes at TF, 25th of May 1996, Part One. Another incredible night! He tore the roof of the Venue, spread his wings and took us all along with him.

And thanks to Nicki Forrest for not only tracking down this recording but for keeping a copy of an interview Angel did for DJ Magazine in 1995. This is what he said.

“Tribal Funktion....if anyone in New York is reading this, get over to the UK and check this place out! Great vibe man, it made me feel like I was at a basement party back home. I was getting some pretty strong flashbacks….an awesome experience”.

In 2001 he released a record called Tribal Funktion.

We miss those times too Angel.

George

Monday, February 20, 2012

Frosty J


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Tribal had four different stages in it’s eight year life. Born at Moray House, some serious development at the Blue Oyster Club before Thursdays and then Saturdays at the Venue. One of the constant’s throughout was James, Frosty J!

There from day one as a Moray House regular, Frosty’s ability to balance inventive deck skills with a knack for putting a smile on everybody’s face was first shown in the back room at the Blue Oyster. Alongside Harry, Joni Lyle, Gmac, Steve King and an array of smoke machines, Disney super 8’s in reverse and a grand bifta or two, Frosty led the way.

Which leads me to the second mix for you to download. Frosty J circa 1996, The Cooler era and his uncanny knack of mixing accapellas with instrumentals and giving you the party you would never get anywhere else.

There’s plenty more to come, some words, some mixes, some photos and a video made of TF by Kristina Glitters from 1997. So enjoy Frosty and feel free to get in touch with your own shizzle.

One more!!!!

George

Monday, February 13, 2012

It Was Twenty Years Ago Today



The first blog post comes courtesy of Tribal regular Oly Findlay. Cheers for popping this cherry Oly!


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At its height, when it had fully formed as a nightclub, strutting into TF you entered into a peculiar social mix. Posh students, plumbers, transvestites, dentists, uncle Peach, the unemployed, lawyers, doctors off duty police, hibs casuals (also off duty mostly, you hoped), psychopaths, politicians, pimps (all true by the way).

Maybe Mitsubishi's did help them from having differences with one another on the dance-floor, but like all the best clubs on the remote and tiny little ball that we live on, it was all about the music. Music that was other-dimensional, or like music that had been made in another galaxy. Or like music that didn't even sound like music at all. Music that still sounds great today. I'm happy to report that a lot of the young team these days love hearing those tunes. That's if you can find them on YouTube (and that's if you can remember what they were called).

Wouldn't have missed it for the world!

Oly Findlay

And the first Tribal Funktion blog share is Chicago's DJ Cajmere on the 3rd of August 1996.

Much more on the way. Enjoy