Harri’s 10 Essential Sub Club Delights (LV Legends)
With a brand new Ep, Whim!, out under his Manakinz alter-ego, a collaboration with Max Raskin, Sub club’s Harri has shown once again why he is one of the most successful DJ/ Producers that the UK underground scene has produced. Manakinz is a collaboration which has borne much fruit with classy releases on Let’s Play House, Future Boogie, Monologues, Refuge and Mitchell Street and their new EP is right up there with their best releases to date.
Whim! features no less than 7 sublime cuts, you can check our premier of the brilliant Fall into a trance from the EP below and and you can grab the EP HERE
To celebrate we asked Harri to contribute to our Legends series with a selection of tracks from across his career which have helped define his own musical taste and have done some serious damage on the Sub Club dancefloor.
As you might expect, it’s a sublime selection of tracks and Harri also gave us a bit of background to his selections and to the Sub club’s success across the years.
Harri’s 10 Essential Sub Club Delights (LV Legends)
Hi, Harri from Sub Club in Glasgow here. Myself and my DJ partner Domenic Cappello, have DJ’d almost every Saturday for the last 30 years at the Sub Club. “A tremendous achievement for a pair of dysfunctional lunatics”, says Dom’s mum.
A bit of background, I first played at this venue when it was called Lucifers around 85/86. I got the gig as one of the then residents, Ewan Dale was going on holiday. I was then approached by a local character Gerri McLaughlin, who asked if I fancied doing a night together. We did, we played early house, reggae, James Brown, Soul, Jazz, Latin, northern soul and everything in between. In 1987 Lucifers was bought over and became the Sub Club. I played the Sub Club (amongst other places) on an occasional basis until 1990.
In 1990 the owners offered myself and the Slam duo, Orde Meikle and Stuart McMillan, a Saturday night residency. We called our night Atlantis, and thrived until 1994. New owners took over again. Orde and Stuart moved on to do their own mega successful Soma label and Pressure nights.
In 1994 the new owners offered me the Saturday night. I recruited Oscar Fellone and Domenic Cappello. The night was called Subculture. Oscar left after a couple of years to pursue his own successful Mish Mash nights in both Glasgow and London. Thirty years on, Dom and I continue to do our thing.
Also, around this time, I was asked by Ade Fakile to be resident DJ at Plastic People in London. Plastic People started out as a small basement on Oxford St. Kenny Hawkes (The Dark Lord) and myself played every Friday night here for seven years. Both the Sub Club and Plastic People had great sound systems. We played 120 to 126ish BPM house music.
Alongside the DJing I have produced music under various pseudonyms. Some moderately successful, some not. Around 2000 I stopped making music for a bit, I had plenty of DJ work between residencies and travelling. I also had two young children to support.
In the last three four years, I’ve gradually got back into making tunes with my multi-talented pal, Max Raskin. We make music under the name Manakinz (The name Mannequins had already been taken) We have a lot of fun and work pretty quickly when we find the time.
My job here, is to select 10 tunes from my DJ career and give you a wee bit of background to each. This list would change on a daily basis… depending on what pops into my head. I’ve not really included much stuff that’s been released more recently. I get to play amazing new tunes every week. Today, I wanted to share stuff I feel might be a wee bit overlooked.
Blaze – Moonwalk
From London label Nuphonic, an amazing UK label that also released ESG, EP Sample credits don’t pay our bills. If you get a chance, go see ESG live. I saw them in Glasgow on Sunday, they’re still amazing. For me this still sounds fresh, proper spaced out jazzy tech. Lovely for warming up at both Sub Club and Plastic People, timeless.
Clive Griffin – I’ll be waiting (Red Zone Dub)
Clive Griffin was a UK soul vocalist, think his voice might’ve featured somewhere on this. Although only 112BPM, this packs a mighty sonic punch. David Morales at the top of his game. At this stage in his career he was churning them out. So much so, he asked me the name of one of his own tracks, when we played together.
Daphne – When You Love Someone (Groove Instrumental)
Somewhere in the same ballpark as Blaze Moonwalk. Stunning production from Danny Tenaglia. At this time the hottest DJ around. Oscar had played with him in the states and insisted we brought him to Glasgow. It was the Glasgow’s house version of the Sex Pistols at The Freetrade Hall in Manchester. Stunning.
DJ Camacho – Renegade (Shelter Anthem Remix)
First time I heard this, Kenny (Hawkes) played it at Plastic People. It blew my mind, over nine minutes long and worth every second, produced by Joe Claussell. Superb tripped out dubby house, that still slays floors today. Bless you Kenny X
Reel Houze – The Chance (DJD’s Limited Edition Dub Plate)
This one clocks in at ten minutes and fifty seconds, I like value for money 😉 another epic tripped out dubby house masterpiece. Mid nineties, I made a DJ mix for BMG records and put both this and the DJ Camacho tracks on it. Still love and play both today. Check that mix Subculture – A House Music Experience HERE 😉 DJ D, Domenic Dawson made loads of amazing tunes, go check.
DJHMC – Life Support Systems
Raw minimal techy groove, that does what it needs to do. DJHMC later went on to become the Late Nite Tuff Guy. He made some other belters under his DJHMC moniker. Wish he would remaster and rerelease them. Get the finger out Cam.
Vivian Lee – Music Is So Wonderful (Dub Is So Wonderful)
This was a big tune for myself at Beatbox in Lucifers in 1986. Although there were later mixes of this, the 1986 version still sounds the bestest and freshest. Last time I looked, it was only 99p on Discogs, grab yourself a bargain. At over 10 mins, it’s less than 10p a minute. Stupidly cheap for amazing art.
Byron Burke – String Section
Lush AF strings and bass. Telford played it the other week at Subculture and it still sounds amazing. Never fails to get the heads interested. Especially this head. Hopefully yours too.
Hugo Moya – Move
Banging Chicago house that works every time, hasn’t aged, or aged well. Seemed like Hugo Moya only made a couple of Eps and a remix of Cajmere/I need you, which is also excellent. Wonder what he’s doing now? Gimme a shout if you’re out there Hugo.
Raymond Castoldi – The Solo
Another long tune, for the bladderly challenged spinners… Clocks in at an epic 10.56. This was also on my legendary BMG compilation, that I may have mentioned earlier, insert link 😉 If you don’t like this, sorry, we can’t be friends 🤷♂️
For more info on Harri, Manakinz and the Sub Club please check:
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