New York: nowhere else in the world is multiculturalism more on display than the city where over 130 languages are spoken. The musical landscape of the city is no less diverse, and the duo of Runaway (Marcos Cabral and Jacques Renault) could easily be one example of the “melting pot” theory. Cabral is a longtime fixture of New York’s techno scene, working at both Sonic Groove and Satellite Records (both sadly long since closed) and getting his production start on Traum’s Trapez sub-label. Jacques Renault meanwhile cut his dance music chops in Chicago as a drum and bass DJ and buyer for Gramaphone Records before relocating to New York and meeting Cabral. The two distill their diverse musical lineages into house tracks as Runaway, producing hits such as 2008′s piano-led “Brooklyn Club Jam” and last year’s “Indoor Pool.” The latter launched Throne of Blood sub-label Let’s Play House, the new label arm of Renault’s series of parties thrown with Nik Mercer, and as a pair, Cabral and Renault run On The Prowl, a platform for both themselves and friends, as well as the edits label Party Breaks. LWE caught up with the Runaway boys to talk about their individual projects, New York’s party landscape, and dude apartments filled to the brim with records and drum machines. Cabral also contributed our 117th podcast, a sterling hour of analog house both new and old.
Check Marcos Cabral podcast for Little White Earbuds by clicking here.
How did you each get into house music originally?
Jacques Renault: I first started music playing classical music. I grew up playing the violin and then the viola, then started getting into jazz and punk rock. I always recorded with the four-track, playing all the instruments, and then it wasn’t until 1997 that I discovered dance music. I saw DJing as something I could do on my own and I dabbled with recording dance music throughout college. I didn’t really get into it until I bought Ableton. I knew Marcos [Cabral] from the record shop; we met at Sonic Groove, and I’d go to his shop every week. I knew he had done a couple techno records, and I knew he knew the program, and I was like, “Hey, I bought Ableton. Let’s work on a couple things.” And the first couple songs were our first couple records. Then it just kind of went from there.
How about you, Marcos?
Marcos Cabral: I started collecting records when I was a kid. My father’s a record collector, and he would take me to buy records like once a week. So I started probably when I was, like, seven or eight, going to the store and picking out a record once a week. And then by the time I was 14 or 15, I had a summer job at a Catskill resort, and I started DJing there at the teen disco. It was maybe 40 people in a tiny room. I would play hip-hop, house, and freestyle — like New York Latin freestyle — and from there, I guess by the time 1991 came around, we started going to parties in the city. We started going to raves: Limelight, N.A.S.A. (which was The Shelter). For those couple years, I was super into raves, you know, raving on the weekends, going to the Manhattan clubs during the midweek. So going out a lot. And then I started getting more serious about DJing. Up until that point, I never had turntables at home, aside from one turntable. But I think a bought a turntable — a pair of [Technic] 1200s — in maybe ’93? And even when I bought them in ’93 I felt like I was too late. [laughs] But I was like, “Ah, I’ll just buy it anyway. I’ll play around at home.” From there I eventually moved to the city and started working on music, working on techno. I produced some records for the German label Trapez, which is in Cologne. And then from there my tastes started changing, and I became more into house, disco, and became a little more open-minded, musically. I’ve always wanted to work on music since I was in high school. I think back then I thought about hip-hop and sampling. And then it became more dance oriented later on.
So then the two of you met at the record store.
Marcos Cabral: Yeah, I was working at Sonic Groove, and Jacques was a customer.
Jacques Renault: We were friends for years, and then we didn’t start producing until 2007.
MC: Yeah, it’s like common interest in music.
So it’s safe to say that vinyl seems to be pretty important for you guys.
MC: Yeah, definitely.
JR: Oh yeah, definitely.
What are the particular reasons that makes you so drawn to it?
MC: For me, it sounds better. That’s the biggest thing. I mean it is a pain in the ass to carry, compared to a USB stick or CDs, but it does sound better, and since I’ve been playing records for so long, I’m super comfortable with it.
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Artist
Andy Ash
Title
Get Loose
Label
On The Prowl Records
Catalogue
OTP13
Format
12″
Release Date
26/03/2012
Track List
A1. Get Loose
A2. You Show Me
B1. Love Me Straight
B2. Love Me Straight Deep Space Orchestra Remix
Marcos Cabral and Jacques Renault’s latest On the Prowl 12” features the return of Andy Ash, the man who dropped “Another World” with them last year (OTP007) as well as a grab of edits on OTP Party Breaks way back in 2010. As is to be expected with the talented, young producer, the EP is all groovy, bouncy, high-octane house with a hardy injection of disco glitz.
“Get Loose” is what its name implies―an elastic, fidgety whirl of dancey guitar strums; a heavy bass that pans in and out, mimicking the experience of opening the door to an underground club; and a playful keyboard melody. “Love Me Straight” is a spacier affair, with a lounge-y pulse and hypnotic synth hook that creeps in, out, and around your ears. The Deep Space Orchestra remix amps up the bass of the original, making the entire track sound like it’s being played under water. And “You Show Me” is a perfect example of Ash’s trademarks all coalescing into one big pile of shuffling dance floor fun―you can almost see the swirling disco ball lights through your eyelids and feel the smoke machine juice snake into your nostrils.
Stream Andy Ash “Get Loose” and get your copy here.
Artist: Pitchben
Title: Stand Up Remixes | Runaway Remix
Release date: vinyl; 17.02.2012 / download; 16.03.2012
Tracklisting:
Side A
1. „Stand Up“ (Runaway Remix) (8:21)
2. „Stand Up“ (Original) (4:41)
Side AA
1. „Stand Up“ (Tiger & Woods Remix) (7:48)
2. „Keep Giving Me Love“ (Sportloto Digamma Remix) (6:02)
Digital Bonus Tracks:
„Stand Up“ (Runaway Remix Dub) (8:00)
„Friday Night“ (Original) (4:31)
Info:
It’s the 80s. A young boy is growing up to the soundtrack of Electro Funk, drawing influence from the likes of Jackson, The Whispers and D-Train and developing a genuine passion for music. Around 20 years later in November 2011, this boy is releasing his debut album “Pitchslap” on Compost Records.
The debut album have reached premium respect and massive props from press and party folk, went straight into the top 10 at Beatport and RA charts as well as was voted as best „disco“ newcomer in 2011 in DJ Mag and Trax.
Finally the first remix package is ready to emphasize the quality, sexyness and extravagance of Pitchben’s discotheque. Tiger & Woods, Runaway (the companion-flagship of Marcos Cabral and Jaques Renault) and again Russian supertalent Sportloto delivering slick shapely remixes of the stand out tunes „Stand Up“ and
Pitchben’s superb coverversion of D-train classic „Keep Giving Me Love“ .
Pitchben | Stand Up (Runaway Remix) by compost