When's The Last Time Music Made You Cry?
Sometimes it just hits so hard you can't help but blub...
Welcome back to Music Is The Answer, a newsletter run by myself Marcus Barnes.
I really don’t know how regular this is going to be, but my aim is to get something out at least once a month. Hold tight, and I’ll keep doing my best. I have LOADS of ideas for the newsletter; interviews, thoughts, opinions, music and artists I’m keen to showcase. It’s all a matter of balancing out my time (the eternal battle) and making sure there’s space to keep this lovely little space of mine replenished with my input.
This issue features a couple of LP recommendations, a story about a live set that touched me deeply, an interview with the peeps behind amazing AR app This Cover and lots more… So read on.
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Larry Heard Sparked My Tears Of Joy
So I’m hardly unique in the claim that Larry Heard made me cry. The guy’s been making heartfelt house music from day one and has undoubtedly touched the lives of millions with his timeless creations. It’s very much a given that he has elicited tears from more than a few people in the 30+ years he’s been making music. However, I want to tell my story and share a moment that demonstrated the power of music, setting, history, memory and simply being with the right people. All of the elements were in perfect balance to take me to such an emotionally overwhelming peak, that I actually shed tears of joy.
I’m not afraid to admit that I am a very emotional person. My ability to acknowledge and regulate my emotions is still a work in progress, which means they usually manifest themselves as anxiety due to my natural propensity to suppress them out of shame. Why am I being so open about this? Well, firstly, I think it’s important to share my experiences in the hope that others who feel the same realise they’re not alone. Secondly, to acknowledge it’s an issue that I am aware of and continue to work on. But also to emphasise that the moment I’m going to describe here was very VERY unusual for me.
In December 2017 I interviewed Larry Heard for Mixmag, ahead of the release of his album Cerebral Hemispheres. As part of the piece I was invited to Polaris Festival in Switzerland, a mountain-based event in snow-covered ski hotspot Verbier. At the festival Larry would be performing a live set with vocalist Mr. White. My interview with him was a special one, I found him to be a humble, dignified man whose demeanour belies his outstanding contribution to the canon of house music. I was looking forward to catching him perform live, not knowing what to expect and I didn’t really give it much thought, which, with hindsight is a bit strange considering what I’m about to explain…
On the day Larry performed I attended a lovely press lunch, meeting the other journalists on the trip and their friends. Afterwards we went for a mountainside walk, taking in some breathtaking panoramic views, sun blazing and vibes very high. I was in awe of the magnificence of nature, stunning it was. Truly stunning. Larry played a sunset set, and I have to tip my hat to whoever curated the lineup and timetable because it was The. Perfect. Time for it. Impeccable. The dance floor was half empty when he started, the music a mix of old and new, with Mr. White hosting - acting like a hype man when necessary and keeping the energy bubbling up nicely.
Now, the reason I say it’s strange that I didn’t think much about what the set might entail is that I had Larry’s LP Love’s Arrival back in the mid-2000s. It was a staple of my collection for ages, I listened to it (and The Best of Robert Owens) on repeat when I lived in Manchester in 2004. Somehow I’d forgotten all about this until I found myself singing along to the some of the tunes Larry performed, initially bewildered at why they were so familiar. Until the penny dropped.
The sun was setting over the mountain tops, I was vibing with the lovely crew of journos, interacting with randoms in the crowd, totally captivated by the music and losing myself in every note. From ‘Deja Vu’ to ‘Praise’, ‘The Sun Can’t Compare’ (our whole crew sang along to this) through to the closing cut, ‘Can You Feel It (Robert Owens Mix)’, it was one classic after another, and it touched me deeply.
So much so that when those first few ‘doo-doo-dah-dah’ lines from ‘Can You Feel It’ played, I was so overcome with joy that I burst out crying. I feel emotional even writing about it now. That’s never happened to me before or since, and it was absolutely magical. Bear in mind I was stone-cold sober as well.
I told him afterwards, I can’t remember how he reacted. Unforgettable memories.
When's the last time music made you cry in this way? I’d love to hear your stories.
Bless Your Soul Kenny Hawkes
So this year has been another rough and tumble series of heavy-hitting episodes in my life and a couple of weeks ago several things happened at once that were very challenging. In the midst of all of I was going through the late Kenny Hawkes appeared to me, via his track ‘Dance For Me’, and invited me down a rabbit hole of his mixes. Through that week the mixes were an anchor, keeping me teetering on the very cusp of sanity.
I said it on my radio show (see further below) and I’ll put it into writing here… bless your soul Kenny Hawkes. The mix below has been particularly cathartic and helpful, I’m still banging it out every day now.
RIP Kenny.
DLTM Archives 001: Danny Daze
A few years ago I launched my own website called Don’t Lose The Magic. I was tired of being beholden to release dates, editors, and anything else that influenced my ability to explore and write about the things I wanted to. The aim was to create a bunch of articles, mixes and so on, all tied together by a particular theme and then release them all at once as an “issue” of Don’t Lose The Magic. I did a few issues before the backend got hacked and the webmaster was unable to salvage the site.
Fortunately I managed to retrieve the whole thing via the amazing Wayback Machine. This first interview is a personal one with the ever brilliant Danny Daze.
I’ll be posting lots more from DLTM, along with highlights from the huge archive of interviews from my blog for The Independent…
Album Recommendations
As much I claim I’m not an album person, there are more than a few LPs that have touched me over the years and I use this newsletter to share my recommendations once in a while.
Larry Heard - Love’s Arrival
After the story above of course I must recommend Love’s Arrival. This album kept me company when I moved from London to Manchester in 2004. I have very fond memories of living alone in a lovely flat in the centre of the city, this album playing at top volume, filling the lounge with positivity. At the time I was a fervent atheist and found the religious themes in his songs uncomfortable, yet still the music spoke to me on a deeper level. It’s only now, nearly 20 years later, that I’m able to aceept and enjoy the pure beauty of his lyrics too. I could have this album on all day long and not get bored - and have done many times.
I lent my original version to someone and never got it back, which was a bit gutting. Earlier this year I’d been playing it quite often on YouTube and decided to explore Discogs and see if it was available. Found a good quality version and bought it on sight. So now I have it in my possession again… No one is borrowing this one, I’m going to treasure it for the rest of my life.
Curawaka - Call Of The Wild
My cosmic buddy Kim Booth put me onto this LP, as she’s been working closely with the collective. As someone who’s partaken in medicine ceremonies over the years and spent some time learning about the many indigenous tribes of South America, I really enjoyed the music on this album. It has a nourishing quality to it, there’s an innocence and purity that shines through. Spirituality and connectivity to nature/our planet/one another are essential to our core happiness. The music on this album soothes, it’s therapeutic - it has the power to remind us of our true nature.
I’ve been playing it a lot this week, while I process the difficulties of the last few weeks. It’s filled my new home with good energy. Beautiful and grounding.
Interview: This Cover
A little while ago I came across an outfit called This Cover, via Instagram. I follow a few vinyl-related hashtags and I believe that’s how they popped up on my feed. This Cover create animated versions of album covers using augmented reality, a novel and excellent concept that caught my attention straight away. I dropped them a line and we spoke via email, where I conducted the following interview…
Netil Radio - 2nd December 2021
My final show of the year was a very cathartic two hours (and five minutes!) of fun and great music. The week leading up to the show was savage, but somehow I made the time to put a playlist together. I have a very vivid memory of digging for tunes, compiling my preliminary list and having a very good feeling in my gut.
I moved house on the day of the show, I was exhausted; mentally, physically and emotionally. Part of me really didn’t want to travel all the way up to London (I live outside the city nowadays), do my show and traipse back to my new place late at night. But a bigger part of me knew it would be good for me, and that part of me - my intuition of course - was absolutely correct. I thoroughly enjoyed the show, I felt cocooned in the studio, very present and aware throughout, invigorated and alive. Happy.
It was a special one and a great way to end the year.
Protest Music
My friend Mimi and her group Awkward Moments have recorded this protest song with Ghost Culture, and it really resonates with me. She’s a very talented person, with a wicked sense of humour, mischievous ways and a beautiful soul.
It’s called METACURSE, and it’s a triumph. Big love to Mimi and all the crew.
RA Exchange Playlist
I’ve recorded a few interviews for Resident Advisor’s Exchange series over the past year, so I’ve compiled them into a playlist for your listening pleasure.
There are some very insightful chats with several key proponents of London’s club world, who’ve been sorely overlooked up until now. Proud to have played a part in given them their dues and sharing their stories.
I also spoke to the team behind HE.SHE.THEY, the amazing brand that embodies many of the core ideals of modern-day rave culture with an emphasis on celebrating gender diversity.
Many more to come next year, so hold tight and enjoy these ones for now…
That’s it for now…
I’m not really one for end of year lists anymore, last year I took time to celebrate my own writing and list all the things that had helped me get through the woe of 2020. I won’t do that this time, but I will wish everybody all the best for the festive break and hope and pray that we see some improvements in the current situation next year.
Much love to all.
One Last Tune!
To see you into 2022 here’s an absolute classic remix by the mighty LTJ Bukem.
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