Black Echoes

Jerry Butler: The Iceman Cometh, Yet Again

Profile and Interview by Roger St. Pierre, Black Echoes, July 1976

IT WAS deejay George Wood who originally tagged Jerry Butler "The Iceman" because of his on-stage cool and it's still an especially appropriate nickname, not ...

Stylistics, The: The Stylistics: Style Wars

Interview by David Toop, Black Echoes, August 1985

DAVID TOOP talks to the world's greatest soft soul harmony group – THE STYLISTICS ...

Rockin' Sidney, Denise LaSalle: Rockin' Sidney and Denise LaSalle: The Toot Toot Route

Report by Mike Atherton, Black Echoes, July 1986

Sidney Simien spent part of 1984 recording new songs at his home studio in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Unremarkable as this information may seem, it was ...

Various Artists: King Tubby’s Fast Car (Serious Business)

Review by Penny Reel, Black Echoes, May 1990

THE MAN WHO own the Serious Business record label also drives a gleaming scarlet Mercedes-Benz sports car bearing the famous registration number JAH 50N, or ...

Derrick May: What Is Techno?

Interview by Kris Needs, Black Echoes, September 1990

FOR SOME reason, I'd half expected renowned Detroit techno demon Derrick May to be the quiet, retiring sort. ...

Primal Scream: Screamadelica (Creation)

Review by Kris Needs, Black Echoes, September 1991

IT'S SAD when people's preconceptions and filo-friendly phobias dictate that a review has to start by defending its very presence but there will be readers ...

Grid, The: The Grid: Boom At The Top

Profile and Interview by Kris Needs, Black Echoes, September 1991

MUSICAL BARRIERS are currently falling faster than Russian statues. Exciting crossovers are making it often redundant to use terms like house, hip-hop and soul while ...

Andrew Weatherall, Jah Wobble: Inner Vision: Andrew Weatherall & Jah Wobble

Interview by Kris Needs, Black Echoes, February 1992

An out-mind experience with the extra-dimensional Andrew Weatherall and Jah Wobble, the man for whom the expression "raving mad" was invented... ...

Larry Heard aka Mr. Fingers: Larry Heard: House Music's Most Mysterious Pioneer

Profile and Interview by Kris Needs, Black Echoes, February 1992

LARRY HEARD has always been the most low profile of the original house music pioneers. Although his name has graced some of the deepest, most ...

Robert Owens: Bob's Full House

Interview by Kris Needs, Black Echoes, May 1992

"IT'S PAIN!" For a second Robert Owens assumes the tortured persona which electrifies his performances. The lower lip quivers, the huge eyes cloud and he ...

Lil’ Louis: Lil' Louis: French Kissing In New York

Interview by Kris Needs, Black Echoes, September 1992

LAST JANUARY, during a particularly action-packed week in New York City, I was invited to experience one of the infamous Wild Pitch parties by D.J. ...

DJ Pierre

Profile and Interview by Kris Needs, Black Echoes, February 1993

DJ PIERRE IS in fighting mood these days and, having seen the scope for his legendary house music trailblazing die in Chicago and narrow in ...

Teddy Dan: United States Of Africa (Rootsman)

Review by Penny Reel, Black Echoes, December 1994

IT IS CURIOUS how, having lain dormant in reggae music throughout the length of the Eighties, Rasta ideology should once again be making its presence ...

Mellow down the Mix

Memoir by Penny Reel, Black Echoes, January 1996

Penny Reel at the pool table meets a man from creation. ...