Kevin Saunderson in the 80s (click for more)

Detroit techno founder Kevin Saunderson, hinted that he’s considering retiring from full time DJing when he’s 55, this week, revealing that he’s already started building a thriving hair care empire.

“Outside of music I’m kind of an entrepreneur, I like doing other things,” the 47 year old grandfather and father of four kids told the Independent.

“I have a chain of hair salons,” he revealed, “there are about 23 stores in America and that’s growing.”

Chicago School of Shoe-making- click for more

42 year old Chicago legend Derrick Carter also hinted that he’d been thinking about life after DJing via his Facebook Band page last month, proudly posting a photograph of a custom made pair of blue and brown loafers.

“I know it’s meant to be a music page but I’ve been going to shoemaking school and just finished my first pair,” the Classic Recordings legend declared.

“I’m proud of them so I’m sharing! — at Chicago School of Shoemaking,” he added.

The School itself offers two day courses including Basic Tie shoe to So You Wanna be a Cobbler.

“We are dedicated to teaching the art of hand-making shoes to promote self-sufficiency and sustainability. Our goal is to empower all people to enjoy a satisfying and liberating experience around the art of footwear construction,” the School says on their own Facebook page.

“Now people who’ve always dreamed of making their own shoes can learn this valuable skill and craft. Please spread the word!” they add. (http://on.fb.me/txLtM5 )

Whether either DJ ever actually stops performing remains to be seen, a point legendary New York manager Judy Weinstein recognized in an interview with (ironically long defunct) British Magazine One Week to Live in 2007.

Chatting about her Def Mix stable of 40 and 50 something stars including Frankie Knuckles, David Morales and Satoshi Tommie she said none were even close to stepping aside.

“We laugh because a lot of the younger DJs, they were always like: ‘When are the old ones gonna’ retire so we can get a break, back in the 70s and 80s . . . and 90s,’ she told One Week To Live.

“And the older ones, they’re not going anywhere. This is what they do. And until their last breathe, they’ll still be doing it, because the real ones- they last forever,” she laughed.

http://bit.ly/ykMLEq  (the future of DJing?)

http://www.mohawksrock.com/ (Happy customers?)

http://bit.ly/14dmd8 (Kevin Saunderson documentary)

Jonty Skrufff: http://listn.to/JontySkrufff

Skrufff Editor-in-chief Jonty Skrufff is also the international representative for the Sochi Winter Music Conference, which takes place next weekend in Russia (February 9-12)

Elite Music Management; click for more

James Bullock (Elite Music Management, UK) The Key Questions

Starting his nightlife career as a club promoter in Liverpool, James Bullock joined Elite Music Management almost seven years ago and today handles bookings for the likes of Luke Solomon, Derrick Carter, Max Cooper and X Press 2.

With previous experience in business and marketing (he also manages Derrick Carter) he describes his Elite role as ‘breaking down the agent Vs promoter divide of misunderstanding’ as well as keeping his DJs busy, on top form and happy.

Skrufff (Jonty Skrufff): How did you end up doing what you do today? Did you fall into it or start off with a clear vision?

James Bullock: “In a way, it’s both. Since I realised I wasn’t going to make it as a professional footballer, I’ve always wanted to be creative or work with creative people.  I felt drawn to the arts and then focussed more towards music.

I organised a couple of raves with my friend on his farm when we were kids.  Then I legitimised that a little by promoting a range of events in established venues.  Out of this experience I came to know Paul Wells, owner of Elite Music Management, who gave me a job as an agent, and I’ve worked on that ever since. My career makes much more sense retrospectively, it would have been very difficult to strategise these experiences.”

Skrufff: How big a role has luck played in your life/ career?

James Bullock: “I’ve worked really hard to be this lucky. It’s taken a lot more faith than luck to be here today.  Some people would say I’m lucky to manage Derrick Carter – but he wouldn’t want to work with us if Luke Solomon and Gene Farris hadn’t given him their recommendations.  Relationships and reputations are incredibly important.”

Skrufff: What’s been the hardest obstacle you’ve had to overcome?

James Bullock: “As an agent/manager, we work with people from all over the world, all of whom live in a vast array of cultures and with different expectations, so that always throws up a myriad range of challenges every day.  Understanding and relating with people is something I always want to get better at.”

Skrufff: What’s been the biggest mistake you’ve made?

James Bullock: “I’m sure Paul could answer that for me! I haven’t double-booked a DJ in a while (laughing).”

Skrufff: How superstitious are you?

James Bullock: “Not at all – my life is way too jazz to find any patterns . . . what worked yesterday never seems to work today.”

Skrufff: What advice would you offer someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

James Bullock: “Don’t, just enjoy making your own footsteps. Love your feet, love your walk, and choose good people to share the journey with. Having said that, I’m always looking for people to join our journey, so I do welcome fellow-travellers.”

Skrufff: What has been your greatest achievement?

James Bullock: “Getting Derrick Carter to reply to an email is pretty good start! Building a roster of exceptionally talented people who I really enjoy working with.  I’m so glad I persevered through the early years when money was tight. But by the end of this year, I hope my greatest achievement will be that our dog is trained (laughing).”

Skrufff: What’s the meaning of life?

James Bullock: “Enjoy the journey, love and be loved.”

Skrufff: What are your expectations about Sochi: what do you hope to achieve/ experience from the conference?

James Bullock: “I have no idea, so I can’t wait!  Bring it all on.”

http://www.elitemm.co.uk

Jonty Skrufff (Skrufff.com)

Skrufff chief Jonty Skrufff is also the international representative for the Sochi Winter Music Conference, which takes place next weekend in Russia (February 9-12)

Ralph Simon (click for more)

Ralph Simon (Mobilium International) The Key Questions

Leading mobile entertainment strategist Ralph Simon advises stars including Madonna, U2 and Lady Gaga on their mobile strategies, reflecting his status as one of the world’s top experts in mobile technology and the music business.

At Sochi he’ll be delivering a keynote presentation demonstrating the possibilities for mobiles, apps and new media platforms with a specific focus on the Russian market and connecting internationally and the opportunities that exist.

SWMC (Jonty Skrufff): How did you end up getting so involved in mobiles and technology?

Ralph Simon: “My passion for trying to be right at the intersection point of music, technology and lifestyle usage and being in San Francisco and Silicon Valley in the early 90′s made me realise that this was the way of the future.  I could see that mobile devices were changing lifestyles in Korea and Japan, and that it was only a matter of time before the rest of the world would get “mobilised”.”

SWMC: How big a role has luck played in your life/ career? (what’s been the luckiest break that’s happened to you?)

Ralph Simon: “I have never believed in luck. It might have a place in developing urban mythologies, but I have always found that one’s passion and hard work count for almost everything.  Someone once said that “work” was the dirtiest four letter word in the English language – if you love what you do then it is never work, but, in my experience, hard work comes with the turf.

Here’s one lucky break – I heard that movie producer Michael Douglas was going to be in Paris and wanted so badly to get the soundtrack of the movie.  I flew to Paris, and hung around the reception area of the grand hotel – saw Douglas, buttonholed him and got a meeting that led to us making a major hit song and global chart topper – “When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going”.”

SWMC: What’s been the hardest obstacle you’ve had to overcome?

Ralph Simon: “The hardest obstacle has been people’s indifference to the growing and fast emerging mobile movement world wide.  Creative and content companies were reluctant at first to enter the mobile area, and it took countless meetings, urgings and public pronouncements to get people to come on board.”

SWMC: What’s been the biggest mistake you’ve made?

Ralph Simon: “When I first moved to San Francisco in 1991, I auditioned a young 12 year old girl singer and her two cousins and passed on signing them to my new record label.  The girl was Beyonce Knowles.”

SWMC: How superstitious are you?

Ralph Simon: “I am not superstitious. I prefer to believe in spiritual linkages and connective tissue than superstition.”

SWMC: What advice would you offer someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Ralph Simon: “Get a good understanding of basic coding. Get to appreciate the art of being a DJ and also what it takes to really work the DJ Culture.  Always keep an eye on what is happening in the leading trans media markets and countries world wide.”

SWMC: What has been your greatest achievement?

Ralph Simon: “Helping to develop great young songwriters, producers, artists, sound architects and musical thinkers.”

SWMC: What’s the meaning of life?

Ralph Simon: “128 BPM.”

SWMC: What are your expectations about Sochi: what do you hope to achieve/ experience from the conference?

Ralph Simon: “I am so excited about coming to Sochi.  I believe that Russian dance music and Russian creatives are amongst the best in the world. They need to get their expertise and prowess seen and experienced around the world.  I am sure that there must be a Kaskade or Tiesto or David Guetta like talent in Sochi and in Russia these days.  How can we find them and introduce them to the global world markets?”

http://www.mobilium.com/

Jonty Skrufff (http://skrufff.com )

Skrufff chief Jonty Skrufff is also the international representative for the Sochi Winter Music Conference, which takes place next weekend in Russia (February 9-12)

Todd Burns, Editor-in-Chief Resident Advisor (click for more)

Todd Burns (ResidentAdvisor.Net): The Key Questions

Todd Burns is editor-in-chief of electronic dance music portal Resident Advisor (RA), overseeing all editorial output created by its team of over 100 active international contributors. He visits SMWC to speak on the Media Matters panel (Beyond Web 2.0- the future for dance music media).

SWMC: How did you end up as Editorial boss of Resident Advisor, where did it all begin?

Todd Burns (Resident Advisor): “One day, I told myself that I wanted to be the second best electronic music writer in the world. (Next to Jonty Skrufff.) I’m still working on it.”

SWMC: How big a role has luck played in your life/ career?

Todd Burns (Resident Advisor): “It’s been pretty much the defining feature of my life and career.”

SWMC: What’s been the hardest obstacle you’ve had to overcome?

Todd Burns (Resident Advisor): “My lack of talent.”

SWMC: What’s been the biggest mistake you’ve made?

Todd Burns (Resident Advisor): “Thinking that I had a bit of talent. Don’t let your ego get in the way!”

SWMC: How superstitious are you?

Todd Burns (Resident Advisor): “Have you ever seen Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets? It’s a little bit like that.”

SWMC: What advice would you offer someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Todd Burns (Resident Advisor): “Watch out for cracks in the sidewalk. (pavement).”

SWMC: What has been your greatest achievement?

Todd Burns (Resident Advisor): “Establishing personal relationships with international DJs and producers of course. Getting close to fame is what it’s all about!”

SWMC: What’s the meaning of life?

Todd Burns (Resident Advisor): “42 according to Douglas Adams. Who am I to disagree?”

SWMC: What are your expectations about Sochi: what do you hope to achieve/ experience from the conference?

Todd Burns (Resident Advisor): “I’m not sure what to think about the conference, as I haven’t been. But what I’ve heard from Jonty leads me to believe that Russians are very serious about their electronic music. I hope to change that a little bit.”

http://residentadvisor.net

Jonty Skrufff (http://skrufff.com )

I’m DJing again in Moscow tonight, making my debut at Arma 17. Click HERE to listen to my latest DJ mix  (or on the Mixcloud players on the right for recent Germany Calling radio shows).

Leading Ibiza club promoter Danny Whittle was ‘sick in his own mouth’ when he heard of TV impresario Simon Cowell’s plans for a ‘superstar DJ’ X Factor style talent show, he revealed this week, and vowed that Pacha will have nothing to do with the concept.

“How likely is it Pacha would get involved? We wouldn’t, it has nothing we would want,” said Danny.

“What impact will the show have on club culture generally? None at all,” he predicted,“Certainly not the side of club culture that actually matters.”

Handling Pacha’s bookings since the late 90s, Danny helped David Guetta and more recently the likes of Swedish House Mafia and Luciano become bona fide international stars off the back on weekly residencies at Pacha though predicted established DJs will have little to fear from Cowell’s contestants.

“They will just create some shit DJ who will probably make a fortune playing in shit clubs,” he suggested.

Danny Whittle on Ibiza-voice (2004 interview): WHAT IS IT DANNY WHITTLE DOES EXACTLY? - Brand Director? Musical Director? Content Director?”) click for more

Details of the show emerged via a press release Simon Cowell released in which he promised it will ‘capture the incredible rise of the DJ phenomena’ and discover ‘the world’s greatest DJs’

“DJs are the new rock stars,” the multi-millionaire TV presenter declared, “It feels like the right time to make this show“.

Underground tech-house type Danny Howells was as unimpressed as Danny Whittle about the show, telling Skrufff he was ‘pretty repulsed’ when he heard about it.

“Hasn’t he done enough damage to music as it is? I can’t see how this would be entertaining either – I don’t think the X-Factor fans are gonna’ be flocking to this and I won’t be giving up Corrie (Coronation Street) to watch it,” he said.

“He’s obviously seen the rise of the pop DJs, and as a result this will be nothing at all to do with music. It will be about pretty boys who have marketability and play lowest common denominator shite, like the pop DJs who are already polluting the world. If it would throw up a new DJ Shadow or Grandmaster Flash, it would be interesting. But you know that isn’t going to happen,” said Danny.

Danny Howells; click for more

Unlike Danny Whittle, however, Howells predicted the program will have a wider impact on wider club culture.

“I dread to think what it will do actually, but I think we already live in an age where the word “apprenticeship” doesn’t seem to exist,” he pointed out.

“This show will just reinforce that and we will see more pop DJs come out of nowhere with a great “light show” and gimmick and who, hopefully, disappear just as quickly.”

“Looking at it positively “ABBA rose to prominence after being in a talent show (Eurovision Song Contest), so you can’t dismiss the possibility of someone talented coming out of this. But I really don’t think they’ll be looking to find a new David Mancuso or Larry Levan.

They’ll be looking for someone who looks good being papped (photographed) on a jet-ski, who can tell an engineer which Electro Sample pack to use, and who knows how to raise his arms into a Jesus Christ pose. I rarely get booked alongside those guys, sadly,” he sighed.

“Anything to add? Where do I apply?” he laughed.

Danny Whittle concurred.

“Can I enter?” he chuckled, “I have some records and I could be called “Danny Double Dex”.

click for more on Dave

British techno legend Dave Clarke was similarly unimpressed.

“What’s my reaction to this story? Disbelief followed by resignation,” said Dave.

“The fact is, the art of the ‘DJ’ has been denigrated in the commercial light to such lows that this was inevitable. Too many commercial DJ’s worry about image and many feign “performances” so that it either enables their light jockeys to have a strict programme at best or it’s feigned because of a lack of real time talent (a lot of ‘producers” don’t even make their own music; this has been true for 10 years or more). “

“Smoke and mirrors have always been around . .  .BUT . . . does X-Factor or any of the other shite have any effect on cool music?….Not at all. So aside from the pride in being in an industry that for all intents and purpose didn’t really exist when I started except as a dream, an aspiration this DJ TV thing it is just a direction that was inevitable for the marketing people to follow.”

Dave’s expectation of the show’s impact on wider club culture fell somewhere in between the two Dannys.

“The commercial clubs will fall over themselves to feature this shite, but then they never followed the underground anyway,” Dave predicted.

“Certain magazines will no doubt push hard to be part of this to validate their “polls” but mostly I have always found the term “Club Culture” an oxymoron in 90% of cases in the commercial world. Go to Ibiza and show me the “Culture”, it’s more about “Vulture”.

“What impact on superstar DJs?” he sighed.

“There are two types of DJs ; those that care and represent a belief, an integrity and those that care only about money and fame, the term ‘superstar DJ’ is a lazy term by lazy journalists,” he grumbled.

“I can’t wait to see all the fragile ego past-it DJ’s trying to line up to be a “judge“,” Dave concluded.

“I also bet there will be some shite intellectually challenged hacks phoning up now to see if they can be involved.”

http://bit.ly/cu0uiL  (Simon Cowell in action on X Factor)

http://daveclarke.com

http://bit.ly/AkbTuu (Danny Whittle on Ibiza-voice (2004 interview): WHAT IS IT DANNY WHITTLE DOES EXACTLY? – Brand Director? Musical Director? Content Director?”)

Jonty Skrufff: http://listn.to/JontySkrufff

Ohm Hourani & Dany Fares, Imperial My Ass: click to listen

Skrufff Top 5:

1. Adam Beyer, Rain, Radio Slave Berlin Summer Remix, Truesoul Records          
2. Mario Ochoa, Chronos, Great Stuff
3. Ohm Hourani & Dany Fares, Imperial My Ass, Casbour Records
4. Da Fresh, Lucky Number, Freshin’
5. D-Formation & Tini Garcia, Cuban Petit, Beatfreak Recordings

3: Ohm Hourani & Dany Fares, Imperial My Ass

(Casbour Records)

4: Da Fresh, Lucky Number

(Freshin’)

Click to listen

5: D-Formation & Tini Garcia, Cuban Petit

(Beatfreak Recordings)

Click to listen

Seems lika long time ago now, but still sounds good…..

Hybrid Symphony; click to listen

Distinctive Records founder turned synching specialist Richard Ford chatted to Skrufff this week about some of the strategies behind his success and said ‘constantly thinking about where you want to go’ and going out as much as possible are key factors.

“I’ve met people in the most unlikely places, and had amazing deals come together without even realising it, but it’s always come from being out there, not sat in an office all day,” said Richard.

“One example was being randomly played a demo on a cassette at Midem which had a catchy chorus melody. We bought it for pennies on the spot, asked Phunk Investigation to remix it and 6 months later it had become a National top ten UK hit. About 6 months after that George Michael rang up and asked to sample it for his forthcoming single – the track was ‘Flawless’ by The Ones.”  

Richard Ford

The Londoner helped popularise the likes of Way Out West, ILS and Hybrid in the late 90s, selling over 300,000 of Hybrid’s albums and landing them four Hollywood soundtrack commissions including one with Bladerunner director Ridley Scott. However, he was candid about the key role fate played.

“When we originally put out ‘Symphony’ by Hybrid we pressed 500 copies, gave them to our distributor and got 440 back,” said Richard.

“A few months later Lee Burridge was in a record shop looking through the bargain bin and came across it. He played it at a gig just before Sasha came on who asked to borrow the record. He then started to play it at peak time in his set, the record became their biggest hit, sold over 100,000 copies worldwide and was licensed countless times,” he said.

DJ shadow's Endtroducing

The mysterious mechanics of the music business were further exposed by trip hop pioneer DJ Shadow this week, who in a fascinating interview with GQ Magazine recalled turning down an Apple sponsorship offer in 1996, earning zero royalties from heavy BBC use of his music and not much more from touring.

“In 2003 I had just done a worldwide tour that grossed over a million dollars. I personally netted $2,000 [laughs]. There’s something not right there,” said Shadow/

That’s the reality that a lot of people don’t see. It’s distasteful to talk money stuff but I was sitting there going ‘F*** I need to make some money.” (GQ Magazine:

DJ Shadow’s new album The Less You Know The Better is out. Richard Ford appears at Russia’s Sochi Winter Music Conference in February where he’ll be presenting on Synching (alongside Sony Playstation supervisor Duncan Smith and Pitch & Sync’s Alex Lavery).

Jonty Skrufff: http://listn.to/JontySkrufff

Trainee Investment banker J Dahmer: click for more

Leading City of London financial expert Brian Basham blamed the banking crisis on amoral psychopathic bosses, this week, quoting extensively from Clive R Boddy’s new paper ‘The Corporate Psychopaths: Theory of the Global Financial Crisis’.

Writing in the Independent, the senior financial PR and financial journalist recalled discussing with a ‘senior UK investment banker the most successful banking types we know and what makes them tick’, telling him top traders tended to ‘conform to the characteristics displayed by social psychopaths.’

“To my surprise, my friend agrees,” he said.

“He then makes an astonishing confession: “At one major investment bank for which I worked, we used psychometric testing to recruit social psychopaths because their characteristics exactly suited them to senior corporate finance roles”,” he revealed. (Independent; http://ind.pn/s42ZB8 )

Mr Boddy’s new ‘bankers are psychos’ study was published less than 2 months after Swiss researchers reached similar conclusions after compared traders with psychopaths in prison.

“Naturally one can’t characterize the traders as deranged,” prison boss Thomas Noll told Der SPIEGEL in November.

“But for example, they behaved more egotistically and were more willing to take risks than a group of psychopaths who took the same test.” (Der Spiegel: http://bit.ly/pfex7Q )

Similarly amoral and reckless corporate chiefs also featured heavily in an article written by Top British commentator Max Hastings this week, following revelations that equally egotistical ex Prime Minister Tony Blair paid just £315,000 in tax last year on his business turnover of over £12million last year.

Notoriously egotistical and reckless ex-Prime Minister turned multi-millionaire ‘consultant’ Tony Blair appeared in the British press again this week after details emerged of how his secretive web of companies paid just £315,000 in tax on turnover of over £12million.

Dancing Tony- click for moew

Top British commentator Max Hastings summed up the revelations succinctly in an article in the Mail, appositely headlined ‘Tony Blair’s tiny tax bill and the foul stench of fat-cat greed’.

Headlining his article appositely ‘Tony Blair’s tiny tax bill and the foul stench of fat-cat greed’ the erstwhile editor of the Daily Telegraph and Evening Standard was deeply unimpressed.

“When we see unbridled greed grip the entire corporate culture; and when the men in suits seem happy to keep driving their yachts full speed through seas bobbing with the human and financial wreckage of the European economic crisis, something must give,” Mr Hastings suggested.

“Insult is added to injury by seeing Tony Blair’s snout buried in the trough of bank consultancy fees, jetting around the world pocketing millions while the British people whom New Labour steered over a financial cliff struggle to regain solvency.” (Daily Mail: http://bit.ly/xpC9vs )

http://bit.ly/k786Jd (Journal of Business Ethics: Clive R Boddy: “The Corporate Psychopaths: Theory of the Global Financial Crisis”: ‘The very same corporate psychopaths, who probably caused the crisis by their self-seeking greed and avarice, are now advising governments on how to get out of the crisis . . .’)

http://bit.ly/2pLvwU (Enron sociopath employees caught on tape, CBS news)

Jonty Skrufff: http://listn.to/JontySkrufff