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Music

Crate Expectations: Nightmares on Wax

Electronic music wouldn't be what it is today if it wasn't for George Evelyn. Dive into the mind of the famed producer before the release of his anticipated compilation.

Like most people, DJs and producers have specific songs tied to events throughout their lives. In Crate Expectations, we extract a playlist from their memories to tell their story. This week's subject: Nightmares on Wax

What's the first song you ever loved?
Nightmares on Wax: The first song I loved and bought was Third World's "Cool Meditation." A very cool record to have as your first I know, but something just clicked with me and I needed to get it. I first purchased it on 45 but now I have it on 12'' of course!

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What are the first two songs you ever mixed together?
"Planet Rock" by Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force with Newtrament's "London Bridge is Falling Down." These two songs were part of an epic time in my life: breaking, popping, searching for this new kind of sound. The opportunity to mix these on two of my friend's turntables was next level and the beginning of this ongoing adventure.

What's your worst guilty pleasure song?
"Toto" by Africa. I've always loved the chord change in this song, with the perverted idea of sampling it someday, but that has never happened. There is just a dope-ness about this track.

What song have you had on repeat in the last month?
"Sango" by Especial. I just love this guy's production and approach. His whole album Rocinha 2 is fantastic—got me hooked!

Which track of your own do you like the most?
"Les Nuits" and its story changed my life. From being able to sample the original "Summer in The City" by Quincy Jones back in 1990 in the pure sample based track "Nights Interlude" to adding keys to the version "Night Introlude." The orchestrated adaptation "Les Nuits" really measures the progression of Nightmares on Wax through the 90s.

Which track of your own do you hate the most?
I wouldn't use the word hate because I never do really. So I would have to go with "dislike" instead in this instance. When the orginal demo of this song came about it sounded pretty amazing but somewhere along the trippy process of making the song, it lost its magic. The hi-hats sound like a type witer which is one of my main gripes.

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Which track off of the upcoming NOW IS THE TIME compilation is most special to you and why?
"Mind Eye." In putting the compilation together I rediscovered this song, so when listening to it, it was somewhat like my first time ever hearing it. I immediately said to myself "this is great!" and i'm usually never that easy on myself when it comes to big-ing up my own music. It just sounds fresh and uplifting!

What's the last song you want to hear before the lights go on?
Colonel Abrams's "Music is The Answer." Classic dance music track that just says it all lyrically and also went huge when I played it at the closing party of my Wax Da Jam Ibiza event in the summer of 2012. Such a highlight!

Pre-order 'N.O.W Is The Time' before its release on June 17th via Warp Records!