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Music

Say Hello to the Ladies of Too Slow to Disco

To celebrate the release of another batch of beach friendly yacht rock bangers, we've got an exclusive mix from DJ Supermarkt.

Here at THUMP UK, we're big fans of DJ Supermarkt's Too Slow to Disco compilation series, because, while we really, really love disco, we love sittng around and "taking it easy" even more. Which means his immaculately curated selections of yacht rock, cosmic Scandanvaian balearic, and 70s LA-borne AM radio friendly gems is completely and utterly up our alley. We should have grown up in the Bay Area rather than Bristol, really.

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Still, we can't radically alter our own biographies like that, so the past will remain the past, and we can enjoy the present as soundtracked by Supermarkt's BBQ-ready compilations. Lo and behold, just as the seasons change, another one's emerged. This time round, he's probed into the world of the ladies who are too slow to disco. Featuring the likes of Carole King, Rickie Lee Jones, and Carly Simon, it's an essential listen for anyone with the remotest interest in music that sounds like a day at the beach. But a proper beach. Not one of the shitshow-with-pebbles-all-over-the-place we have here. A real beach.

To celebrate the release of the compilation, Supermarkt's also put this exclusive mix together for us. Check it out below, along with an interview with the man himself.

THUMP: What inspired you to start the Too Slow series in the first place?
DJ Supermarkt: I was an electronic DJ for ages and got so bored, tired and frustrated with playing music in the big rooms, that I decided to take an official 'crisis' meets 'drama' break and stop for a while. I went to the countryside in the south of France and was lucky to find work in a small winery, which sounds like a cliche, but that's really what happened. During that time I dug really deep into that Westcoast sound, because I needed music to soothe my soul. It worked fine with me and kinda saved my life. During that time I shared my first mixtape of that mellow music and called it "Laurel Canyon". It sounded like a fake 70s L.A. radio show with commercials, a weather forecast, news etc. Lots of people really liked it, and some—especially of my one-dimensional DJ-colleagues—actually hated me for going there. I knew instantly: Love and hate! That meant I'd found something!

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There are some big names on the new compilation but why not enlighten us about a few of the lesser known ladies of the Too Slow universe…
The lesser known acts on all three parts of Too Slow To Disco definitely have the best stories to tell. Some of my favourites…

Evie Sands had a hard time in the beginning of her career, when a song was stolen out of the studio and released by somebody else, and later her record company went bankrupt…

Lyn Christopher recorded one album with studio musicians Peter Criss, Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley, who later formed a band better known as Kiss. Shortly after the release her record company got into trouble and repressing stopped. That was until when, in 2008, she accidentally heard a song by LL Cool J and 50 Cent on the radio, based on a sample of her track "Take me with you". She soon found out that her track has one of the most sampled basslines in hip hop history.

Franne Golde recorded three albums in the late 70s, which didn't take off, but later wrote songs for other artists, that EVERYBODY knows and loves: "Don't Look Any Further" by Dennis Edwards, "Nightshift" by Commodores and lots more!

Tell us about a time when you wished time itself had gone too slowly…
Through the years I had the courage to actually not hide the fact that I am a very slow person. Often wish I could have found out earlier. So time passing slowly happens to me a lot. I really enjoy it and need it to be creative! Red wine helps me to slow down, too.

Can you tell us a little bit about the mix you've put together for THUMP?
It is a mix that combines new electronic slomo daytime disco music and edits of late 70s & early 80s West coast/Balearic/Yachtdisco. As with all my mixes, this should make you smile and enjoy a slow dance on a rooftop in the sun.

Finally — where does the Too Slow series go next?
I have found enough great, forgotten Westcoast tracks to fill the next 5 volumes. But I am pretty excited about a new sideproject idea connected to that sound. But it's still a secret….. Sayonara!

The Ladies of Too Slow to Disco is out now. Head here for more information.