Riffs

The First and Latest Albums Bought by Aston Harvey, producer and keyboard-player with The Freestylers

Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick - Ian Dury and the BlockheadsI remember how on the b-side there was a track called "Dirty Bastards",and it sounded funny to me, an eight-year-old - there were no parental-guidance stickers in those days. I thought it was quite a quirky track. My parents listened to rock and roll tapes, so it was probably important to be different from that, and this had a disco flavour, and, of course, his cockney accent - I went to a public school. Music started meaning more to me from the age of about 13. I was never really into those popular bands like Duran Duran, or U2. They just didn't appeal to me, although I did listen to early Human League, Wham! and Culture Club. The electro thing changed it for me - it was different and new; Africa Bambatta, Soul Sonic Force. That led on to the underground sounds and I started doing DJ work when I was 16. I even got a job as an assistant engineer in order to learn how to use the equipment. I thought I could make tunes easier if I knew exactly

Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick - Ian Dury and the BlockheadsI remember how on the b-side there was a track called "Dirty Bastards",and it sounded funny to me, an eight-year-old - there were no parental-guidance stickers in those days. I thought it was quite a quirky track. My parents listened to rock and roll tapes, so it was probably important to be different from that, and this had a disco flavour, and, of course, his cockney accent - I went to a public school. Music started meaning more to me from the age of about 13. I was never really into those popular bands like Duran Duran, or U2. They just didn't appeal to me, although I did listen to early Human League, Wham! and Culture Club. The electro thing changed it for me - it was different and new; Africa Bambatta, Soul Sonic Force. That led on to the underground sounds and I started doing DJ work when I was 16. I even got a job as an assistant engineer in order to learn how to use the equipment. I thought I could make tunes easier if I knew exactly what the equipment did. It was all a bit of a rollercoaster, snowball effect.

When The Music is Over The DoorsI know a few Doors tracks, but I wouldn't say I was a great fan. But there is a story behind this one. My friend is a cab-driver who always takes me to the airport, and whenever I get into his car, without fail, that track is always on. I would go away, and it would be the track that stuck in my head, so I finally bought it. It starts off psychedelic, goes mad in the middle, then chills out towards the end. It's very innovative for the late-Seventies. It tells a story, rather than just banging all the way through like a lot of house tracks. It has a begin-ning and a middle and an end, and yes, it does bear a certain relationship to what we do. And you can just picture Jim Morrison singing it, probably off his head. There aren't really many lyrics, just a chorus repeating "when the music is over, turn off the lights". It's quite haunting, moody.