Chillifunk front-man Lofty, was in the thick of London’s house music scene in the 90s. From manning the counter in Flying Records in Kensington Market, and Soho, to being one of the residents at infamous London Flying Parties, from Full Circle to Bora Bora in Ibiza, Lofty brings Chillifunk back to life with Tom Davidson. About to drop a tribute album to close friend and DJ Danny Rowland, we get the chance to catch up with this legendary DJ and producer on the week of the release.
Thank you for taking the time to talk Lofty it’s a real pleasure.
You’re welcome appreciate you asking us.
The Flying Record parties back in the day was you, Rocky, Dean Thatcher, right? How good are your memories of those days?
The Flying parties were actually started by Charlie Chester, Karen Dunn, Dean Thatcher, and Brandon Block. We were all part of the DJ line-ups, and I started off as playing mostly warm up sets at places like Soho Theatre club and Venus in Nottingham.
The warmup DJs set the vibe gradually building the room to the point around midnight where the baton was handed over to the next DJ. Each had their roll in taking the crowd on its journey eventually coming to those magical end of night records where the lights came up and everyone was smiling, dancing, clapping, and cheering with the customary chant of “one more “ hoping for another record as they didn’t want the night to end in a sweaty Soho basement.
There were many good memories such as Dean Thatcher playing records like The Waterboys – Whole of the moon, The Smiths – How Soon is Now and the amazing Andy Weatherall, Hugo Nicholson collaborations on Primal Scream – Come Together and Loaded. The crowd would just go nuts! Amazing records which connected with so many.
You heard soul, house, disco, techno, hip hop, Balearic, pop and beyond. It was where you heard records dropping for the first time or a dip into someone’s vaults that blew you away. We all made new friends from all walks of life that remain so to this day some 30 years on.
Two of the biggest events were Ibiza ‘90 and Rimini ‘91 where Charlie and Karen took over 200 clubbers from the UK, overseas to the dancefloors of Europe’s hottest destinations with the Flying DJs playing alongside the likes of the legends Alfredo and Claudio Cocceluto.
Flying was a family and that was from the head doorman Ali to the guestlist girls, DJ’s and most importantly its loyal die-hard crowd whom without it would not have been possible.
You are also all ran Flying the shop. Were you there when it was in Kensington Market?
I was yes. I am lucky enough to be the only person who was there on day one and the day the shop closed. I really am grateful for that. I took over from Dean once he became busy with his production and Band the Aloof who got signed to London FFRR records. Max and Jo Mills ran the mail order side of things and did an amazing job of offering a unique, friendly service with loyal customers from all over the world. Max went on to A&R one of the most successful independent label’s Slip and Slide Records.
When did the shop move to Soho?
We moved twice. The first time around 1996 to Beak Street and then to Dean Street a couple of years later where Catch A groove Records originally was. The shop then was taking on a new crew of younger vinyl hungry staff who really did give the shop a new energy. The additions of guys like Antoney Cox, Andrew Baker alongside Michael Hall from Kensington Market days bought in new customers and friends who would stay late hanging out on a Friday and Saturday listening to records, having a few beers, and leaving with a carrier bag of tunes.
Who used to come in the shop back in the day?
We had so many DJs, producers and promotors that worked in the shop in the Kensington market days so you could find them behind the counter. Ashley Beedle, Rocky, Clive Henry, Phil Perry, Brandon Block, Scott Braithwaite, Glen Gunner, Mark Wilkinson, Keith Mathews to name just a few.
We had the likes of Paul Oakenfold, Fabi Paras, Danny Rampling, Dr Bob Jones, David Holmes, Phil Asher, Slam, Alfredo, Boy George, Snap, Doc Martin and many more gracing the counter.
A highlight for me was when Marshall Jefferson called the shop to speak to me about one of the records we made. I still remember Rocky handing me the phone telling me who it was, and I thought he was winding me up until the American accent on the end confirmed it was true!
How long were you there for?
Over 15 years. 1990 till 2006.
What were the labels run out of Flying?
The original labels from the early days were Cowboy Records and Volante. X-Plicit Vinyl and Chillifunk came later.
Chillifunk started while you were at Flying, how did the label begin?
It actually started before that. I was working at Flying at the time which is true. It started with Ben Mitchell and Chris our manager, and me when we were Boomshanka (Cowboy, Slip n Slide). Ben had a studio at home in his small living room in West London which left no space at all for anything else to fit in there and drove his neighbours crazy. We got friends like Diesel, Danny Harrison, and Bob Jones in to work on projects under the names of DSL, The H-man, and East West Connection. It was a family affair, and it built the foundations and ethos going forward.
Chillifunk Records has been out of the limelight for some years. Why did it go to sleep, where have you been, and what made you kick start the label?
When we closed Flying Records in 2006 the label started to slow down. Vinyl and physical product sales were declining fast, and music basically became free with Napster etc and DJs, producers swapping tracks via laptops and CDs being burnt. I had three young kids and had to pay the bills. I did the knowledge like quite a few other people from the music side of things and became a qualified London black cab driver. During covid Tom and myself reconnected and I started helping him with his Four Four Soul label. From there I had the idea to relight the Chillifunk flame, and together we started to put the catalogue together and digitize it with the help of our good friend and producer Werner Neidermeier.
I’ll bet there’s a lot of great stories from your time working with Bob.
Bob came more on board as we moved into the Flying Records era. We carried on writing and producing as East West Connection and started regular guest slots as The Chillifunk Sessions at clubs like Fabric and The Soulsides in Cork, Ireland incorporating musicians and vocalists in our sets. Bob is one of the all-time legends and had amazing stories that held a captive audience wherever he went. We were so blessed to have worked with artists like Terry Callier who performed as an unannounced guest at our East West Connection live Jazz Café gigs in Camden Town. Terry took the roof off alongside our amazing band led by key board maestro Mr Neil Cowley.
Chillifunk is you and Tom these days, right?
Bob is no longer involved as he’s taking things a bit easier these days. His spirit is still with us, and we love Bob. Tom has bought a new energy and dynamic alongside his experience in the studio. Tom has worked in the past with Bob and I on EWC, Snowboy and the Latin section, The Interns, Phil Asher, and Nathan Haines. We came back with new remixes of the EWC – ‘Once I’ve been There’ end of 2020, which was release number 73! We are now up to 95 so over 20 releases with more to come.
Tom and I are on a mission to make as much of our back catalogue available to people that may not ever of heard of us and our artists’ music. Also, a big thing for us is releasing new music from friends, new friends and brand-new artists who are at the beginning of their journey.
What was the first Chillifunk release?
DSL – Enfusion CF001 (remastered and re-released earlier this year). Written and produced by Diesel (X-press 2), mixed by Ben Mitchell featuring keyboard player Pete Z. It’s a Latin piano led hypnotic house groove programmed on the famous MPC drum machine giving it that swing and feel.
What was the most recent one prior to the upcoming comp?
In September ‘Tkolai feat Mustapha – Why’ with remixes by L & T Project and Rude Boy Rupert. The original came out in 2000 and is a beautiful piece of Afro, Jazz, and House with a stunning vocal. The album will be re- released in 2024. Ruperts broken style mix is great, and the L and T mix is deep soulful house.
What do you think was the biggest CF release – the one that made the biggest impact?
I think the EWC feat Eugene Hideaway Bridges cover of The More I Get by Teddy Pendergrass and the Nathan Haines – Soundtravels album co written and produced by the late great Phil Asher which included records like Earth Is the Place. I think those two records got a lot of love.
What other records were highlights for you personally?
Too many as we loved all the records we released. Each day would bring something different to mind. At the moment it’s great revisiting the Tkolai album and it’s due for a rerelease 2024. There are remixes of Zouk to come. It’s a beautiful album which is still fresh 20 years later. Taha, Nic and the crew did an amazing job.
How much do you think the music industry has changed in the time you’ve been away, or do you feel the fundamentals remain the same?
The industry has changed with various technology and new ways of doing things. For us, it’s very much the original principles when it comes to the music. Unfortunately, it’s not so easy for artists and labels to make an income in this digital age. Spotify and alike pay such little in royalties, vinyl is so expensive to press so it’s a challenge to break even.
We do everything in house, and we have to be creative by doing skill swaps and remix swaps as an example. We have a studio where artists come to record which is a big advantage to be able to get new up and coming talents onto the label. It’s back to the hustle of the early days.
Danny Rowland & Friends. A project stacked with quality from the past, filled with a lot of passion and emotion. Tell us about Danny Rowland.
Danny (above left) was a great friend to Keith Mathews (Flying Records) who played a huge part in putting this project together. He was everyone’s friend. Keith and Danny met at Slough centre around 1989 which was an early rave party. I met Dan out and about at clubs like Flying, Full Circle. Dan came to me in the early 90’s with some tracks which we released on X-plicit vinyl which you can find on this record. That’s when we really became firm friends.
‘From Beavers to Bora Bora.’ Tell us about the album title and its meaning?
The Beavers housing estate is in Hounslow West London where Danny was from. He loved Ibiza and Bora Bora was one of his favourite places to go so we made the connection. He loved House music and that made a fitting strapline “It’s a house thing.”
Tell us about the different collaborations on the album?
Brett was Danny’s friend from school days and from the Beavers estate in Hounslow. Danny J Lewis was a good friend and mentor to Danny and Brett and was also from Hounslow. Lol Graves is from Gravesend in Kent where Danny moved when he met his wife Nicky and raised a family with Henry their son.
Tell us about the history of Sarkastic Smile?
This one took Keith, Tom, and I by complete surprise we didn’t know it, we hadn’t heard it and we fell in love with it we don’t even know who the singer was. We had no stems nothing just a finished track. We actually want to recreate this and then remix this with Danny J Lewis next year.
Who are all the people that have played a part in this album, as I know this is a real team effort?
Keith Mathews, Tom Davidson, Stephen Morgan (Sleeve design), Spencer Broughton and all at Prime, Sharon Andrews at Shine Promotions, Danny J Lewis, Paul Marshall, Phodis, Lol, Brett Taylor’s family, and Nicky.
When you started to make this album, what was your original intention?
We really wanted to pay homage and create something for the friends and families of Danny and Brett, a kind of memorial for them both. And it’s mushroomed and seems to be growing a new life and hopefully this is just the start of the story as we get it out and into people’s ears, hearts and onto the dance floors. Danny would love that.
Do you feel you have met those intentions?
I think we have, and I can’t thank everyone enough who has made this possible. Keith and Tom really put in so much work to make this happen.
What are you most proud of with the album?
That Dan’s wife Nicky and Son Henry as well as his family and friends have something really special to be proud of and to be able to remember him by. The beauty of the digital side of music as it will always be there, and a new audience will discover this music and keep it moving on.
What do you think Danny Rowland would have to say about this album?
I think he would be over the moon and so proud. He would shine the light on the others that he made the music with for sure. He would say to me that he was happy I got Keith involved in the studio side of things as we had a chat that I can remember clearly. He would be wanting to remix it and edit it and perfect it. We do feel like he’s guiding us pulling the strings giving us the push and kick at the right moments to get it over the line. We think he would be very proud.
What do you most remember about him, what is his legacy?
I remember Dan for being kind, positive and upbeat, funny, supportive of others. He loved a chat and was interested in how people were doing. Even when he was not well, he still was Dan. He loved Music with a passion and his legacy will be that he was and is still loved by so many people.
What else has Chillifunk got cooking in the kitchen?
We have new releases from Rude Boy Rupert, Elbert Phillips, Martha AB, Tkolai, Gianluca Pighi and Heidi Vogal, STARCHILD, Soulful Edge, Sandy Mill, compilations, artist albums, reissues and a brand-new young singer songwriter called Evie.
Thank you for your valuable time Lofty.
You’re welcome. Thank you!
buy Various Artists – From Beavers To Bora Bora It’s A House Thing https://www.redeyerecords.co.uk/vinyl/167252-cflp021-various-artists-from-beavers-to-bora-bora-it%E2%80%99s-a-house-thing
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