The third Friday of every month, DJ Andrew Schireson (aka Dretraxx) hosts Body Worx, an old-school techno, house, and UK garage night at Temple Bar.
Schireson says the playlists of the groundbreaking Detroit radio DJ The Electrifying Mojo shapes his sets at Body Worx. "The music on Mojo's show would have unapologetic dance tunes well blended with what was up and coming and underground in Detroit. It helped a lot of people cross over the mainstream barrier," he says. "I try to put emphasis on going 'back to the basics' in terms of house and techno and weave it into deeper or more interesting things. Body Worx will hopefully serve as a lesson on Detroit and even Midwest techno and house history — where the roots are planted and where they branches are growing."
We asked him to share some of his choice cuts, presented below for your enjoyment. (Check out more info about the event here.)
First would have to be the Mayday remix of the Inner City classic, "Good Life". It's a bittersweet Detroit techno turned house anthem oozing with creamy stabs.
Another Body Worx staple is "It's A London Thing" by Scott Garcia. It features a massively smooth bassline and complementary bubbly organ sprinkled throughout. When I think of the UK Garage genre as a whole, this song immediately comes to mind.
I always end up playing "Revolution 909" by Daft Punk. This edition of Body Worx is going to get "back to the basics" in terms of what got me interested in house and techno. "Revolution 909" is excessively drum heavy and is by definition a floor filler. The kick on the track is a perfectly compressed TR-909 kick and tucked perfectly between scattered high hats and an endlessly cool bassline. When one references "jackin' house," this is tops.
Sagat's "Funk Dat!" is the perfect mix of house and short-lived the "hip-house" genre. Sagat rap-complains about his tribulations (such as being handed flyers on the street and ugly girls approaching him in the club) and announces his frustration after each trial. "Funk Dat!" contains the rawest break laid over some simple silky chords. By the end of the song, everyone on the floor is shouting "FUNK DAT!"
Anumberofname's techno-defining hit "Sharevari" always gets pulled out of my record bag during the night. The song encompasses everything so dark, mysterious and sexy about Detroit techno. A bulletproof track that should be a must know for any Detroiter. I found this badboy on wax a few weeks ago for a total steal and I plan to play it until it turns to dust.
