As one of electronic music's defining characters prepares to release his latest musical endeavour, Defected's Ben Lovett has a few words with the unique Mr. C.
“It’s about having a right laugh” Mr C, electronic ‘artist’ extraordinaire, opens. “That’s what has kept me motivated and excited about music all these years. I just want to go out and have a great time with my friends and the people around me, and get proper spangled; the music is central to that. That’s what keeps me going.”
And Mr C – real name Richard West – is still going, strongly. It’s clear within seconds of opening our phone interview that he’s as engaged and relentlessly enthusiastic about his craft as he was during those early-Eighties days when he first started out. It follows, then, that there’s a new studio album to talk about, his fiercely resurgent Superfreq label and a wealth of remixes and gigs. To the casual outsider, it is 10 years since Mr C last released an album and five years since Superfreq, relaunched in January, last piped up with original material. He has been pursuing other commitments during that time – chief among them, in-depth acting courses and meditational teaching, both in America – but the music has always remained paramount.
“The music never stopped, not one fucking bit” he urges. “I’ve still been hosting Superfreq parties all over the world, DJing in my own capacity everywhere, producing tracks for other great labels like Get Physical and Wagon Repair and remixing.”
Nevertheless, Mr C’s new album, Smell The Coffee, has taken him something like three years to finalise; was it a difficult creative process? “Not really, I just didn’t want to rush things” he replies. “That said, I thought I’d finished it about a year ago and that it was the bollocks. I presented it to a few key labels and each of them only really liked a couple of tracks, not the whole thing. That made me sit back objectively and see what more I could do. I realised the album was only good; now it’s at the next level. It’s awe-inspiring.”
Smell The Coffee blends everything from rapturous acid house and smart, dark techno to mesmeric spoken word space-out, killer off-kilter electro and rich 112 BPM ambient soul. Featuring Mr C’s own vocals, as well as those of Soul II Soul and The Shamen vocalist Victoria Wilson James, it’s a gloriously diverse bag of electronic tricks - difficult to pin down but loaded with the kind of intensely positive spiritual energy and understanding that has defined his music career to date – underground club bangers through to mainstream outpourings via The Shamen.
“I’m really happy with how it has turned out” he confirms. “It’s totally unique in every single way. But then I’ve always made music for me; music that celebrates life, is innovative and, of course, sounds great. I don’t care what anyone else thinks or does; if I did I’d be a copyist and there are too many of those today. I’m an artist, a DJ and producer who wants to share information and feelings with people. That’s at the heart of it.
“20 years ago, as a young music-maker with an ego the size of a bus, I would have cared about the things going on around me and how they affected my status. Today, I still have an ego the size of a van maybe, but I can put things in perspective. I don’t need to over-hype myself or the artists on Superfreq; we have our goals and as long as there’s a good, strategic publicity engine behind us then that’s all I need.”
Smell The Coffee is a concept album, taking a tongue-in-cheek pop at the rave community who, in Mr C’s eyes, choose to languish in their comfortable, escapist club bubble rather than harness the power of their global community to bring about mightier world change. How serious exactly does he feel the problem is? Does it really matter if today’s dancefloors are more rhythm than reason?
“There are lot of shit young copyist producers out there now but some really talented, intelligent ones making a difference too...way ahead of the older generation,” he balances. “I mean I’m still spending a lot of money each month on records from new artists I’ve never even heard of before, and I’m a seriously anal record buyer. Their stuff is innovative, clever, spiritual.... At the same time, whilst a lot of electronic music is instrumental it still makes people want to dance and be part of a community, and that is human evolution in itself. It’s not on the records, but that love is powerful.
“That said, I think the global community can do more. It’s why there are more vocals on my album and a greater level of messaging - I’m telling people to ‘wake the fuck up and take things to another level’. I’d like to see other DJs and artists incorporating more vocals in their music. I’m an elder statesman now and it’s my duty more than ever to share information with those following me; it’s a big fucking responsibility.”
Mr C began musical life at the age of 16 as a street rap MC, playing popular breakers’ clubs in London before supporting established pirate radio DJs Jazzy M and Jasper The Vinyl Junkie. He soon progressed to MC support for 4-4 stalwarts ‘Evil’ Eddie Richards and Colin Faver and work on Kiss FM, as well as recording his first track (deep house), 1987’s Myster-E, on Richards’ Baad! imprint and, the following year, promoting his first seminal acid parties (including those under a certain railway arch on London’s Clink Street).
Since those early days Mr C has maintained a firm and direct influence on the international dance scene, founding key labels Plink Plonk (1992-2002), End Recordings (tied to his, Layo and Douglas Paskin’s legendary club of the same name, 1995-2009) and Superfreq (launched off the back of The End’s monthly Saturday night alongside Luke vB, 2004), enjoying mainstream success with Scots ‘indie dance’ outfit The Shamen (throughout the Nineties), remixing everyone from Inner City to Ian Pooley, producing a debut solo album, Change (2002) and several impactful EPs for his own labels alongside Get Physical, Alola and Wagon Repair, and building a relentless jet-setting presence as both DJ and promoter – Moscow to Miami and everywhere in between.
“I have always been an innovator” he boldly exclaims. “I have always been one step ahead of the scene. I was playing house at Clink Street before the acid revolution kicked in; then I was onto deep house whilst everyone else fixated on acid; when people hit deep house I was already onto tech-house and absolutely killed it at Subterrain [one of his classic End nights]. Then came Superfreq which was more minimal and again massively innovative for its time. Over the years I’ve allowed myself to stay ahead because I’ve followed my heart; that’s where the good music originates. The bad music comes from the brain because you start thinking about trends and convincing yourself that you should be copying them.”
What’s next, then, beyond Smell The Coffee? Lots, lots more it seems. A double-disc mix for Alola (one disc C, on disc Alola founder Omid 16B) arrives in May, giving way to a detailed plan of action for Superfreq involving more far-flung parties {“I really want to smash it this year”) and two label releases (one vinyl, one digital) per month - Mr C already has releases in the can to last the next 12 months. “It’s going to be an amazing, mother-fucking year” he beams. “There are cheeky, naughty new EPs due from Jordan Lieb, Joint Custody, Dance Spirit and Class B Band. I’m working on some new material with Omid, there’s a new deep house EP from Affie Yusuf and I as Indigo Kidz and debut solo material from my missus, Xo Chic.”
That’s ignoring several remix commissions (including Satoshi Tomiie) and further EPs from Brett Johnson, Motorcitysoul and Jay Tripwire. “You need to keep working if you want to get on” he adds. “I wrote about it on my website the other week, all these techno-sauruses bitching about having no work. You can’t live off your past you’ve got to push on. I’m not just furthering myself but helping the new kids out there; it comes back to my passion for helping others and sharing this celebration of life on the dancefloor. People forget that’s what our music is; the opportunity to escape, resist and remodel programmed society.”
Elsewhere, Mr C is steadily building an acting portfolio, which already includes a cameo in one movie and a lead role – the Devil – in another planned for 2014. The labours of a six-year method acting course, completed in 2009, are starting to bear fruit. “I’m setting the bar really high and things can change quickly with the film industry in LA [where he’s based] but things are looking great and I’m feeling fucking great. All this compliments the music; both art forms are about conveying messages, themes and psychology. Ultimately, I’m the master of my own destiny; I’ve been meditating since I was 17 so I know what I can achieve. I’m going to be A-list Hollywood; I’ve got the integrity and technique... I’m taking as much care as I do with my music.”
It’s easy to write a radical assertion like this off, Mr C’s self-confessed ego seemingly running wild during the final few minutes of our call. But his is an ego driven by creative fervour and pure, simple belief rather than vanity or affectation. Mr C is aiming bigger than ever but off the back of his achievements to date, why not?
“I’ve released myself; I feel no pressure of expectation” he concludes. “I’m entering my twilight years as a DJ and maybe as a producer; who knows how I’ll feel in 5, 7 or 10 years time? I see that as the opportunity to take a huge step up. Many of my peers would play it safe but I want to fucking smash it with some totally new shit while I can. Bam! I love LA... I moved there three years ago. It suits me...the quality of life, the people, the weather, the affordability of property... it’s all great. It’s the perfect base for everything I’m doing now. People often ask if I miss The End, or the even older days but I don’t. I fully appreciated what they were at the time because I’m someone who has always lived in the moment. I don’t dwell on the past or on trying to solve possible problems in the future. I’m in the moment, totally fucking inspired by life and evolution.”
Words: Ben Lovett
Mr C’s new album Smell The Coffee is released by Superfreq on April 22.
