In August 2013, UK based imprint Opal Tapes released a cassette album ‘Body Issues’ by a mysterious producer called Patricia. ‘Body Issues’ presented 7 raw post-techno/house tracks that, if you’re a fan of Huerco S and Terekke, you really need to check out. Tracks such as ‘Josephine’, ‘Four Fingered‘ and ‘Melting‘ amalgamate an array of pulsating bass hits with swirling streaks of melody and acid tinged stabs.
Fortunately, Patricia is coming to London on Friday 28th March to play his debut live performance for VENT at Birthday’s in Dalston. Ahead of the show, Patricia speaks for the first time about his international tour and expectations for his show in London. Patricia has also created a YouTube mix tape for you to stream.
Who are you and what’s this international tour all about?
My name is Patricia. I’m from Chicago, but currently live in Brooklyn, New York. I’m preparing to embark on a small tour starting in North Africa and continuing through various European cities. I’ll be playing two shows for Inverted Audio affiliate VENT, one in Cairo, and another in London.
I’ve never been to Egypt, and my only experience of London has been within the confines of Heathrow airport, so I’m looking forward to both dates. In terms of the London show, I’m excited for the opportunity to play and I’m hoping for a warm reception. I try not to have too many expectations for what’s to come. I want to approach this tour with an open mind, and not psych myself out too much.
Tell us about the mix tape you’ve compiled for Inverted Audio?
For this playlist, I tried to compile a group of songs that have somehow impacted my musical development. They serve as a general example of my taste beyond just dance music. The order bears no significance whatsoever.
This track used to play on the radio in Chicago all the time when I was younger. I remember my dad being particularly fascinated by the vocals, and I can still picture him singing along in the car. This was probably the earliest example of dance music that really burrowed into my brain, something about the repetition spoke to my young mind. I never tire of this one!
I mean, come on… A master at work. Richard D James (not to get too familiar) is such an inspiration, anyone who claims otherwise is either fronting or clueless. I’ve definitely spent ample time getting lost in his body of music. **Disclaimer – not too sure about the fan-made video, but hey it doesn’t have commercials.
One from the hazy days when my friends and I first discovered marijuana. This guy’s real name is Hopeton Brown, he was one of King Tubby’s disciples. At one point, he was also the head engineer at Channel One (not to be confused with Studio One), a studio that released a lot of great reggae records. This song is just the tip of the iceberg, the Scientist discography is massive, and there are a lot of jams to be found.
Steve Pointdexter – Work That Mutha Fucker
I think this one speaks for itself. Huge fan of Steve Pointdexter over here.
Detroit Emeralds – Do Me Right
Both my parents are from Michigan, and my dad grew up in Detroit. He was a huge record collector growing up, and when I got turntables, I was lucky enough to inherit his collection, which is pretty staggering. I acquired easily several hundred records from him, and there is little to no pulp to be found. This is one of those overlooked LPs that he turned me on to, such heat!
This hits two birds with one stone. I love DJ Premiere and Jeru The Damaja. I remember trying to buy a Jeru CD when I was 13, but due to the parental advisory, I wasn’t allowed to. In the end, I begged a teacher I was close with to buy it for me. I used to listen at night on headphones, trying to memorize the lyrics, and it drove my sister crazy. Can’t speak enough about DJ premiere’s production style, that guy just knows what he’s doing.
Funkadelic – Can You Get To That
George Clinton is a genius, so it was hard for me to narrow it down to a single song. I love this one for so many reasons, but mainly because it’s just plain good. I like the use of all acoustic instrumentation, the vocal harmonies are incredible, and the message is on point. Not to mention there are 11 people performing this song! I used to listen to this on repeat.
I cannot overstate my love for 80’s electro, and this is an obvious classic. Electro heralded my entry into the dark downward-spiral that is my gear collecting. When I first got my 808 (acquired well before the prices soared), all I wanted to do was go Bambaataa on everyone!
Being from Chicago, I’ve got a soft spot for acid and Trax records. I love the simplicity of this one, not to mention that bassline! I like hearing the 303 chug away sans squelch, this track just moves. A bit of a downer, but good music is typically honest.
I studied a good amount of music history in school, which made me a fan of the emotive power in classical music. Erik Satie in particular, really makes me feel some things. I chose a pretty obvious example of his work, but this one goes deeper than the ears for me. Satie served as a precursor to minimalism and repetitive structure in composition, two concepts that have really informed my approach to music, and the tone of his work has definitely been a big influence for me.
Patricia plays live at Birthday’s for VENT on Friday 28th March 2014. Further info and tickets can be found here.
Discover more about Patricia, VENT and Opal Tapes on Inverted Audio.
PatriciaOpal TapesDeep HouseHip-HopHouseVENT