Sinchi & Friends 46 is Iron Blu – dj, producer, promoter, label boss who has been a the forefront of the scene for many a year. He is renowned for his wide ranging and experimental musical tastes / selections. We’re big fans and also love his regular show on Intergalactic fm, so delighted to welcome him to the series. Hear more from the man himself below…
Introducing
1) Who are you?
I am Mick Clarke aka Iron Blu. I run the label Flight Recorder and will be introducing a new vinyl only label soon (well, when when I get TPs back from the plant). I broadcast on Intergalactic FM.
2) What have been your highlights from the last 12 months?
Playing out live in Spain and the Intergalactic FM festival, release on Frigio and my LP on Per Musica Ad Astra.
3) What do you have lined up for the coming year?
Releases on MinimalRome, Ombra International, Electunes, In The Dark Again, Magic Waves
Music
4) Which track in the mix is your favourite right now?No particular one but the Savage Hymn track is well fierce.
5) What is your favourite track of the last 12 months?
Any track from the Tzusing LP on LIES.
6) What is the last record you bought?
Broken English Club – The English Beach LP
7) Who or what are your biggest musical influences?
Cabaret Voltaire
8) Do you have a ritual before you start playing or straight after?
Make sure I’m not intoxicated beforehand as this is bad form. After it doesn’t matter!
9) Who is your favourite DJ? Not including yourself 😉
No favourite, but I rate people who use creativity in their selections, folk like Trevor Jackson, I-F, Ron Morelli.
10) Tell us about 2/3 DJ’s / Producer’s we may not know but should be looking out for?
Auto Sound City, Northern Powerhouse
Opinion
11) Best advice for anyone coming into the scene, either as a Producer, DJ or Promoter?
Stick to your guns and if someone says you can’t mix this out of that just say ‘watch me!’
12) Do you think the gap between the mainstream and the underground is getting closer or further apart? Is this a good or bad thing?
No different imho. But with social media I think that underground artists are easier in contact with each other and this is a healthy thing for the underground.
13) What’s your opinion on the importance of roots , traditions, respecting originals and sources? Should all music be open source and open to editing or do you think cultural and artistic misappropriation is an issue?
Respect is the watch word.
14) Due to developments in technology and software, there is so much which can be done to change a track to the tiniest detail, how much do you use this in your sets? Can too much technology be a bad thing?
As regards DJing I’m old school and like vinyl but I do embrace the digital side of it as there is so much good music released in digital format only. (I used to be precious about format but that went out the window ages ago). Lets face it vinyl is a niche market now and CDJs in a club is the norm.
Quickfire
15) Favourite art besides music? Books
16) Favourite writer / scientist / painter / philospher? Jon Savage (writer)
17) Favourite out of genre music? Slade.
18) Favourite film score? Aguirre Der Zorn Gottes by Popol Vuh
19) Favourite bit of kit? TT-303
20) Secret studio / DJ trick? Oxford Inflator
21) Guilty Pleasure? Berlin School/Krautrock
22) One piece of music you can’t stand? The shite that is played on mainstream radio!
23) Favourite way to unwind? Read.
24) If to live in a lost civilization or culture, which one would it be? I’d go back to the 1960s.
25) Blissful ignorance or harsh reality? Hmm…….hard one that!
26) What makes you smile? My sweetheart Karen.
27) Ultimate aspiration in life? Just to continue to play out live and maybe more DJing.