As Untidy Trax enters a new chapter with its releases, it launches Bassix, a new album series exploring the finest in the tougher side of underground house music. Sam Townend has mixed the first album and tells us what it is about…
This is a fantastic album Sam, how did you go about selecting the music for the album?
Thank you! The music almost selected itself. We have been sent so much good new music from producers all over the world that the compilation formed very naturally. I’ve included some big hitters from the last year or so as well but this album really is all about new music and showcasing fresh sounds and producers.
Todd Terry has a track on the album. This is a sign that Untidy is heading in the right direction towards a new audience. Was this possible because of your relationship with him?
I do know Todd from working with him on Tuff London stuff but the track was just licensed from his label. I wanted to include a track from him on this as he’s been very influential to me as a producer. Although a lot of his stuff is on the more house tip, the vibes and the drums of his records always make you feel good!
There is a great selection of music on the album. Do we finally get to hear some of the productions to come from Tidy Pro students?
You do indeed. We’ve got Andy Naylor who’s signed a double track EP for Untidy with the lead track ‘Funky Pills’ being featured in the mix, and then we have Mark Butcher with his banger ‘Lick It’ which is released as an exclusive single with the album. It’s so good to see new names coming through.
Did you produce new music especially for the album?
I did. The two tracks I have on the album are called ‘Breath Work’ and ‘Lip Reader’. I’ve been playing them on the weekly Untidy Radio shows and they seem to have gone down well, so I thought I’d put them on here. There’s also the track called ‘Where Did You get That Picture?’ which is taken from my forthcoming Untidy EP which is due for a release in May.
Who else can we expect to hear on the album?
We’ve got big hitters such as Alan Fitzpatrick, Todd Terry, Tall Paul, Eli Brown alongside new talent that we’ve signed to Untidy such as Zander Club, Drew Dabble, Undergroove, ZAW, Rawkus, Hayz & Rick James and more! There’s also some stalwart names from the Hard House scene such as Adam M, Ross Homson, Lee Pasch and Jas Van Houten all featured.
The line between Untidy and Untidy UX is so fine now, how does it feel to see this fresh Untidy sound gain the momentum it has in such a short space of time?
It’s taken me by surprise t perfectly honest. I am loving seeing the momentum grow and everyday my inbox has new music in there from a range of producers! It’s just an exciting time for house music that’s harder!
Can you tell us three tracks from the album which stand out for you and why?
Undergroove – Yeah Yeah: this was sent to me by a brand new production duo from Scotland that i am tipping for big things on Untidy! Absolutely banging.
Zander Club – Spank The House: Scheduled for a full release on Untidy later this year, Zander is doing it for me with a mixture of disco house meets big room hard house.
Lee Pasch – Bass Playaz: This just bangs! amazing to have Lee back on the Tidy labels and this is the lead track taken from his forthcoming Untidy EP!
I doubt this will be the only Bassix album… are you able to say who is lined up to mix forthcoming albums?
We have plans for many more Bassix albums and i am intent on pushing new talent with the label. We have big plans for Untidy but i guess you will have to just wait and see what’s in store 🙂
