SPEEDY J (Producer)
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Standing in a noble position overlooking the cities harbour and with views
of the two hi-tech bridges that link the islands that make up Rotterdam,
Jochem Paap (aka Speedy J) house stands out like Gene Simmons at an Aphex
Twin gig. Resembling a rubiks cube spun on it's axis and splonked on a tubular
base on one of it's corners, Speedy's house could be comfortably described
as bizarre. Without a straight wall in the house, his home is at odds with
the otherwise architecturally bland surroundings of a city made up of straight
tree lined streets and block buildings. Speedy's studio, cocooned in the
upper floor, is surrounded by banks of antiquated analogue equipment that
wouldn't look out of place on a 1970's Open University broadcast. The music
of Speedy J reflects his surrounds, angular, distorted, not of this world.
Thank God Jochem doesn't live in a Barrett house.
With a burgeoning interest in the rapidly developing electronic sound of
the early 80's, Jochem consumed and appreciated the textures and structures
relatively modern genre. Taking this intial interest further, Jochem began
experimenting with sounds using a selection of primitive equipment. I recorded
my first little tape experiment around 1982 Speedy fondly remebers. The
sounds and structures were very primitive. They were tape loops compiled
from tiny samples of other peoples music. Steppingsideways into parallel
genres, Speedy explored his interest in hip hop and electro by collaborating
with a couple of local rappers and taking his musical interests along the
logical route of developing a DJing career, a step whichled to the birth
of his current moniker due to his wizardry on the decks. Speedy reputedly
could scratch faster than a cat with a dose of fleas. 1987 saw Speedy beginning
to take his early dalliances rather more seriously. With the acquistion
of some relatively advanced pieces of gear, Speedy was liberated from the
constraints of his previously primitive equipment and begun to churn out
a string of instrumental tracks that were to set the tone and act as a template
for the later Speedy J sound which he has honed over the past decade. The
explosion of the electronic sound and the growth of dance music through
the late 1980's and into the 90's saw Speedy team up with the Canadian connection
in the form of Richie Hawtin and John Acquaviva who were pioneering the
techno sound via their +8 label. Speedy signed up to join the likes of Fuse
and Cybersonik to unleash a salvo of uncomprimising techno cuts which fused
a catalogue of off the wall effects with layers of non symetrical rhythms
and drum patterns. The single Pullover was one of the earliest globally
successful techno cuts
Even in this early incarnation Speedy stood out as an innovator, an individual
not prepared to compromise his own idosyncratic approach. Speedy explains
My music is not an attempt to get stuck in using house and techno beats
in the same way as everybody else does. 1993 saw the releases of the much
applauded debut album 'Ginger', an album which by current Paap standards
sound tame and restrained, yet one which at the time stood out as a leap
forward for the techno sound with it's space age effects and rapid fire
drum rhythms, yet Speedy seemed rather distrurbed by the overall feel of
the album commenting On 'Ginger' I tried to get everything clean as possible,
but on reflection it sounded too produced. I think I crushed the life out
of it. The sound of Speedy was further refined on his follow up LP, 'G-Spot',
an album which traced a similar path of abstract beats and non wordly effects
Clearly the industrial funk of his current direction was only bubbling under.
Speedy, it seemed, felt restrained by the expectations and demands of the
scene and people that surrounded him. Without the mental constraints and
assumed parameters that seemed to border his sound, Speedy's music now possesses
the potential to expand and explore in formerly uncharted directions. 1997
see's Speedy, the Plus 8 seasoned veteran, fulfill a desire to construct
sounds and beats that seem to defy all assumed genre boundaries and wind
their way through hard hitting industrial dub funk soundscapes. A contemporary
free zone, as original as King Tubby, Throbbing Gristle and Faust. An innovator,
explorer and electronic alchemist, Speedy has reached the much promised
pinnacle of his sound, destroying all his assumptions in his path and emerging
with an album 'Public Energy No. 1' which weaves a horror tinged soundtrack
of it's own. Scary stuff from a little fella from Rotterdam.
Dripping with atmospherically charged organ washes, the album weaves it's
way through a series of disjointed beats and industrial sound effects. Like
the sound of Scunthorpe steel work blast furnaces being constructed by Stockhausen,
the album is dense, abstract, disturbing, yet ultimately rewarding. Drawing
on very little for influence, the album sets it's own musical agenda, at
times funky, at times industrial and in places distinctly dubby, full of
echo chamber effects and gradually receding soundstabs reminiscent of Scientist,
yet distinctly Speedy J throughout. The appeal is ultimately it's originality
and ability to start with a basic blueprint, that of a modern day dance
sounds, and drag it screaming and kicking into a distinctly different dimension
Like the psychedelic pioneers of the 1960's who took beat music to a different
world, Speedy J has taken his take on dance music beyond any simple genre
boundaries into a slanted fucked up universe. All very bizarre from a character
who, on the surface appears calm, together and focused. Perhaps the orange
juice contains more additives in it over there
With a live show that builds and squirms towards a deafening disjointed
finale, Speedy J possesses the ability to take the sound of schizophrenia
on the road. With a long history of live performances through his days playing
the Megadog tours and his European festival work, Speedy looks set to return
in 1997 on the back of the album release. A single Ni Go Snix to introduce
the album, is an equally alien release mixing industrial strength hip-hop
beats with warped washes of distorted synthetic sound is a soundtrack to
your worst nightmare. Expectations it seems, are something Speedy is not
ready to bow to. Distinctly different, the funk takes Mr. Paap to a new
level where folks will either run for cover with their fingers plugging
their ears or hail Speedy for what he is, an innovator of the highest order
capable of taking the electronic sound into the next millennium.
Taken from Clark Warner from Plus 8 Records -Check our links page for the
official Speedy J Web Site |
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