club Pulkvedis Peldu 24/26, Riga, LV
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genre: Nu’Jazz, Latino, Drum’n’bass, House, Folk, Rock and everething yiu can emagine!
Listen to latest release from Afro Art Records.
Paul Murphy – “The Trip” album on myspace
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What they say about Paul Murphy.
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Gilles Peterson:
“Paul Murphy is the original Jazz Messenger. He opened the door to an alternative way of Djing. The rest is history.”
Ashley Beedle:
“One of the biggest influences on the music I play today. A true innovator. Good to see him back.”
Rainer Truby:
“A true legend and a major key figure in this whole jazz/dance and beyond-movement. I wish him good luck for his future productions and I’m curious to hear them ….”
Norman Jay:
“Probably one of the most respected and influential freestyle jazz DJ’s of his generation …. Period!”
Eddie Piller:
“I) the unsung hero of the British Jazz, ii) the originator of the British Jazz rebirth, iii) a nice bloke etc. etc.”
Paul “Trouble” Anderson:
“Paul Murphy is a “JazzieFunk Double Disco” It is great to have you back man, long overdue. Respect in the musik from me to you.”
Bob Jones:
“I love the idea of the combination of Paul Murphy’s jazz roots brought bang up to date for the new millenium for the whole new audience that’s just waiting out there.”
Jonathan More:
“When Paul played at the Meltdown parties I ran he would play the most frantic fantastic out there funky jazz I ever heard. A revelation in revolutions.”
Ben Chapman:
“The Old bastard has been around for years, and his class maturity shines through. About bloody time.”
Ricky Morrison:
The man, as ever is a complete natural. Ten years away and comes back with the most original productions. Class!
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Interview:
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PAUL MURPHY : MURPHY’S LAW
Words by Céline. From www.indamixworldwide.com
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Paul Murphy is a generous, passionated and impredictable DJ, as notoriously demonstrated last summer at Paris OPA where we’ve had such an unforgettable experience. Dancehall, jazz, house, soul… 4 hours of continuous mix with almost every tune like a discovery to many dancers at the club. Producer/remixer, his own records are played by the biggest names. Back from a European tour, he’s on his way to release both an album and a comp. Should he ever come next to your door, check him out, you won’t regreat it…
Hi Paul. What have you been up to recently ?
I’ve been DJing around Europe in what might be taken as a forlorn & hopeless quest to visit every Country in Europe. But I’m not doing too bad as I now only have a dozen or so to go : Czech Republic, Slovakia, Albania, Moldova, Cyprus Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Bulgaria, Luxembourg (never even been through it), Ukraine, Romania are the biggies… Malta, Andorra, Monaco & San Marino are gonna be tough although I did go on a day trip to Liechtenstein ! And I’ve spinned in Kosovo and thats only negotiating to be a country. It’s almost an obsession but a magnificent one I think. ..And I’ve been working in the studio again after a two month break.
Could you tell us how did you start your career ?
Which career ??? I’ve never really had one. I’ve been a DJ, worked in dead end office jobs, sold wine, waited tables, tended bars, managed a restaurant and a couple of nightclubs, ran a record label, owned quite a few record shops, (which did very badly financially), clothes shops too, (which did very well financially…lucky for me), washed dishes in restaurants (a low point), been a professional film extra (I was an ambulance man in Batman, a dead Viking in Erik The Viking, a French Knight in Henry V & a whole host of backgrounds in TV programmes like Inspector Morse) been unemployed several times & unemployable several times more. But I digress, the DJing started (probably, I’m getting too old to really remember accurately) in the very late 1970’s. I can’t even remember the reason I started doing it but it must have been a good one. But now of course I’m running a record label Afro Art Records, a job I really love doing.
Who were your first inspirations?
Musically ? Lying in bed, stricken with some childhood disease (I think it was Hepititas or what we called Jaundice in those days), listening to Pirate Radio (the real pirates who lived in ships on the sea) playing Len Barry “123”. Like taking candy from a baaaby. I knew then that the life of a bricklayer was not for me.
A word on the Spiritual South project you’re having with Marc Woolford…
Spiritual South (although I’d love to take the credit for it) was not me. It was Danny Lewis who was the studio mastermind behind all the releases like ‘Green Gold’ & the remixes of ‘Jazz Room’, ‘Happy’ etc etc & Mark Robertson . I did write ‘Jazz Room’ along with Marc Woolford though. Alas, the Spiritual South that did all those wonderful records are no more as Danny has been snapped up to a major deal by Defected Records of London. He’s releasing a record called ‘Ballistica’ next year. I gotta tell you, it’s absolutely fantastic. I only wish that we could have released it on Afro Art & I can pay it no finer compliment than that.
While listening to your productions, we feel the strong influence of Latin and Brazilian music. How did you get introduced to these sounds? Did you travel in South America ?
HMMM. Like a lot of people I’ve travelled. All over the world… But mostly in my head. If you really listen & look, you can be influenced by almost anything from anywhere.
Also, what is your position at Afro Art Records?
Tenuous. Well sometimes anyway. But I seem to be like an old & retired sheepdog these days, always has his favourite piece of the floor & everyone works around me. I can ask no more.
We’ve played together last summer in Paris (a great party!). I started my selection with Edwin Starr’s classic “War”. A track which has seemed to to disturb you a bit. How come ?
I’m living in a country (United Kingdom) where, much to my chagrin, I suddenly find myself involved in a war. Both 5000 miles away in Iraq & in places so familiar as to be almost part of my daily existence. ie the Underground system , bus system.. A record that was seen as an abstraction, that was written over 30 years ago about another place, another country, another time, another war. And suddenly, with its very hard hitting although simplistic lyrics, it really became relevant. I never even dreamed that I’d see a repeat of mistakes made in the war in Vietnam all those years ago suddenly becoming a daily reality & I’m watching the same kind of news items on TV. It’s like a waking nightmare & I’m finding that music, films, books are just becoming un-. Un-? I can’t explain it ! I just can’t listen or watch certain things.
There are a loads o’great DJ’s in UK, could your give us your top 5?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. hard. But the most influential dj’s (for me anyway) have been Charlie Gillett (still on BBC London), Chris Hill (older than Jesus Christ by now), Mark Roman (an unknown East London legend), Benny Wilson (who practically invented mixing & the mixtape) & that guy at the youth club when I was a kid. Never knew his name, but he started me off.
You have an album in the shelves, could you tell us more about it ?
Well it’s part of all the kinds of music that have infected me along the years, but it started off as a journey I made a couple of years ago, a trip around India. That’s why its called The Trip. I saw things I never expected, did things I certainly never even thought that were possible for me to do. One of the songs was written about my favorite bar in my favorite city ‘Budapest Chachacha’. I did a version of the theme from my favorite film (Seven Samurai), I wrote a tune about a friend (‘Mr Cosmic’), I did a jazz tune (‘Herbie Mann’) & there are a few others too. I got my idea for the cover as well as for the label too. So I’m just gonna release it next year & see how it goes. If it sells, it sells. But I’ve done it.And I’m also working on a compilation, my first for 20 years. Its called Afro Arthouse… We’ve got people like Glyn Bigga Bush, Diesler, Mod’x, Jung Collective, Shannon Harris, Peak doing funky versions of the themes from films like Goodbye Lenin, The Wicker Man, Underground, Get Carter, Withnail & I, 2001, 5 Deadly Venoms & more. All original versions too, no remixes !
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The Story
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PAUL MURPHY was first bitten by the DJ bug in the late 70’s when he was promoting a club night “The Kingswood Club” and the DJ didn’t turn up due to inclement weather.
A string of Chitlin Circuit gigs followed till the big moment finally arrives with the opening “JAFFAS” at “The Horseshoe”, Tottenham Court Road W1. The club was the first to mix jazz with the infant Jazz Dance scene. Guests included British acts such as Morrisey Mullen, Paz, Breakfast Band, Gonzalez and the legendary Heath Brothers (on the night of the Brixton Riots!!).
Further mishaps and adventures followed including a year running a shop (Fusion Records) in Clerkenwell and promoting a concert at the “YMCA” featuring Brazilian singer/pianist Tania Maria.
Other gigs and clubs Paul Murphy has played include: “The Electric Ballroom” Camden Town, also Paul started the now legendary “Jazz Room” Brighton, (still going after all these years!), “The Wag Club” Soho W1, “The 100 Club”, Oxford Street, London W1, “The Comedy Store”, London W1 and The “Sol Y Sombra”, Charlotte Street, London W1.In 1984 to 1986 Paul ran Palladin Records which released the now seminal Venceremos by London based collective Working Week. He also released LP’s by Tommy Chase, Jimmy Mcgriff and Phil Upchurch amongst many others.
Paul Murphy was also the first WIRE Magazine DJ of the Year in 1985.
Eddie Piller of Acid Jazz rediscovered Paul in Ireland after his mysterious disappearance from the club scene at the beginning of the 90’s. Paul took up his offer of a residency at the much missed Blue Note club in London’s Hoxton Square. This put Paul right back in the spotlight and Paul is now managing and A & R’ing at Afro Art Records, the London based label founded by the X-Press 2’s Ashley Beedle.
Since then Paul has released several singles and has been involved in many of the other Afro Art releases amongst which are Unitedeye “Far East Of The West”, High Fidelity “Cream Of Beats” Cubalooba “Cubalooba” and the latest Unitedeye single “Big Chief” which was immediately licensed to the “Big Chill” Enchanted Garden compilation and the “Dope on Plastic” compilation and is also the theme tune for “Wanderlust” a TV programme on RTE Ireland. “Soul Call” another of Paul’s releases was used for the Clothesshowlive 2004 ad on UK TV Channel 4.
Pauls releases of “Ska East of the West” and “Big Chief” featured on many playlists including top New York dj Joe Claussel (Body and Soul), Boris Dlugosch (Sing it Back/Moloko), Tim “Love” Lee, John Stapleton (Dope on Plastic).
Pauls “Jazz Room” single has been one of his most popular releases so far and was not only one of Afro Arts biggest sellers but also was charted by over 100 djs and has featured on over 30 different compilations and a new remix by current Afro Art high flyers Spiritual South has been unleashed & is now one of the BBC Worldwide show top records of 2004.
Paul has remixed and produced many varied projects including Neon Heights, Solar Apple Quarktette, Robin Jones, Tito Heron, Kid Loco for the Cocteau Twins label and Ashley Slater formerly of Freakpower. Pauls single “JAZZ ROOM” THE SPIRITUAL SOUTH MIX was number One in Gilles Peterson’s chart (BBC RADIO ONE WORLDWIDE) and was the summers smash hit!
Pauls debut album “The Trip” has released in 2006.
He is currently on his quest to dj in every European country this year.
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Discography.
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High Fidelity – ”Cream Of Beats” (Afro Art Records) UE 001
Unitedeye ”Far East Of The West” (Afro Art Records) UE 002
Unitedeye – ”Big Chief/Sambana” (Afro Art Records) UE 003
Cubalooba – ”Cubalooba/Raggalooba” (Afro Art Records) UE 004
Paul Murphy/Marc Woolford Project – “Jazz Room/Latin Jazz Room” (Afro Art Records) UE 006
The Man – ”Question?” (Afro Art Records) AFR 009
Unitedeye – ”That Beat” (Afro Art Records) UE 008/UE708
Paul Murphy – ”Soul Call” (Afro Art) UE009 May 2003
Paul Murphy – ”Seven Samurai / Budapest Chachacha” (12″) (Afro Art) 2006
Paul Murphy – ”The Trip” (album) (United Eye) 2006
Paul Murphy – ”The Trip / Withnail & I” (12″) (Routine Jazz, Japan) 2007
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Remixes & Productions.
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Ballistic Brothers – ”Prophesy Reveal” Parts 1 & 2. (Afro Art) UE 005
SuPaFiX – ”Barrio Nuevo” (Afro Art Records) AFR 008
Dance Freak – ”Slap Da Freak” (Afro Art Records) AFR 010
Neon Heights – ”Cannonball” (Afro Art Records) AFR 015
Tito Heron – ”King Of Dreams” (Afro Art Records) AFROTITO 1
Frogsnatcher – ”Dream Rabbit” (Afro Art Records) AFR 020
Robin Jones – ”Mozambique Callejero” (Royal Palm) RPR 007
Kid Loco – ”A Little Bit Of Soul” (Bella Union) TBR Sept 2002
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orch. – ”Skarada Dub” (Afro Art/Avex) TBR Sept 2002
Mighty Quark – ”Los Feenos” (Play UK) TBR Sept 2002
Ashley Slater – ”Husband” (Plush) TBR May 2003
Frogsnatcher – ”Dirty Bird” (Afro Art) TBR April 2003
Solar Apple Quarktette – ”Berwick Street Mode” (Furtherout Recs) May 2003
Soundtrack – ”Withnail & I Remixed” (Nanny Tango) Who knows???
Secta Chameleon – ”Try” (?) 2004
Paul Murphy/Marc Woolford – “Jazz Room” THE SPIRITUAL SOUTH MIX c/w ORIGINAL (JAZZ MESSAGE ) May 2004
MOD’X – ”THE QUEST (Paul Murphy Remix)” (Iceandspice Records) Dec 2004
PEAK – ”Get Carter” (Paul Murphy’s Go For A Curry mix) (Afro Art) 2005
QUARTETO MAGRITTE – ”Malanotte Due” (Paul Murphy remix) (Afro Art) 2007
SAMP BROTHERS & OUTBOUND – ”Alcoholic Drinks” (Vodka mix by Paul Murphy) (Afro Art) 2007
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