Tokyo-based British DJ/producer Matt Lyne, aka A Taut Line, coruns the record label Diskotopia, with Brian Durr, aka BD1982. A Taut Line's melodic broken house, garage and techno productions are just as influenced by the Chicago jazz and postrock scenes as by the 1980s Chicago house scene. Meanwhile, Greeen Linez, a joint project Lyne has with Hong Kong In The 60s member Christopher Greenberg, unites early '90s dance music with '70s and '80s jazz funk. Keeping in mind the variety of music Lyne has been exposed to, we took a look inside his record bag.
Opening Number: Mim Suleiman — "Hebu" [Running Back]. Maurice Fulton-produced futurist-Afrobeat taken from the East African singer's album "Tungi." Just a very solid, stoic start to a set that I've taken to recently. Although if I want to begin slow and build, I'll often kick things off with something like Patrice Rushen's "Remind Me" or "Mambo" by Wally Badarou.
Golden Oldie: Mr. Fingers — "Can You Feel It?" (The original instrumental version) [Trax]. This 1986 deep Chicago house tune is unmistakeable; although often imitated nothing else quite sounds like it. Simple yet powerful, melancholic yet rapturous, it all depends on your mood when listening to it. I remember Chris Greenberg (from Greeen Linez) and I used to dance around his family's living room to this for hours when we were 10 or 11 years old. Still play this out from time to time, and very often outside the clubs, there are times when nothing else really sits better.