This week’s Five on Friday comes from Ganghaus, the Scottish duo of Rob Murray and Mike Lindsay. Two school pals who reconnected after lockdown and turned a hut, a decent record collection and a shared love of the music into one of the more enjoyable stories to come out of the scene north of the border. Here’s a little on both of them before they take you through their five.
Rob Murray got into DJing in the early nineties, back when it was all vinyl, battered record bags and every spare penny spent in the record shops. No internet, no socials, no Shazam. If you wanted a tune, you went and found it, and half the buzz was digging through the crates at Sleeves in Kirkcaldy for the one record nobody else had. Everything revolved around the Scottish rave scene: pirate radio, all-night parties and long drives to pick up records, with sets at Calton Studios and The FUBAR alongside the likes of Tom Wilson, ZBD and Technotrance. Then life happened. The records went into storage and the decks gathered dust, but the music never left. After lockdown it all fell back into place when he hooked up with Mike again, and thirty-odd years on, Rob still gets the same buzz from reading a floor and dropping the right track at the right time.
Mike Lindsay is the newer arrival to the DJ side of things, getting involved after Covid with Rob. Music has been a lifelong passion, so disappearing down the rabbit hole in search of new tunes has never been a problem for him. He is a familiar face at events around Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow, with NSA the standout on his calendar across the year. When we asked him for his 5 on Friday he was slightly taken aback but game for the challenge, which, given the thousands of records the pair have between them, was always going to take some whittling down.
Five on Friday with Phin
1980 Recordings just released Ready For Work by Alejo Martin
Rob Murray Five on Friday
Johnny Aux – Supersonic (Chez de Milo Remix)
A Ganghaus favourite! Chez de Milo takes Supersonic somewhere much darker, turning it into a proper acid workout. I love how stripped-back it is, just letting the acid and trippy textures do their thing. It’s one of those tunes that keeps everyone’s properly locked in.
Ebi – San
This one just gets better every time I hear it. There’s nothing over the top about it, everything sits exactly where it should. The percussion is spot on and the groove just keeps pulling you in. It’s one of those tracks that sticks with you long after it’s finished. Pure class.
Toydrum – Know One Will Ever Know (Richard Norris Remix)
I played this in my recent guest mix for Mark Cooper’s brilliant radio show, The Social, and it sat perfectly in the middle of the set. Richard Norris has done a cracking job of keeping the feel of the original while giving it his own twist. It builds nice and slowly without ever overdoing it, and before you know it, you’re completely drawn in. If you’re into deep, psychedelic electronics, this is well worth checking out.
DJ Fix – The Dial (ft. Gbar)
This is pure after-hours business. The bassline is filthy and heavy, perfect for a Ganghaus night! I can imagine this sounding massive in a sweaty basement or warehouse at three in the morning.
Airsine – The Duchess (Original Mix)
Airsine is one of my favourite producers and this is another belter. I love the mood right from the start. The groove rolls along nicely while the dubbed-out sounds and hazy electronics keep evolving all the way through. It’s one of those tracks that sneaks up on you without ever trying too hard.
Mike Lindsay Five on Friday
Baby Ford – Oochy Koochy.
This track was one of my early favourites. The pounding bass (the record came with a damage to speaker warning), and the acid sounds driving the track really got me going on the dancefloor. It also had that dirty filthy sound that I like to hear in a hot sweaty room.
Red Axes – Pad Yoga Raga.
I loved the whole Trips series they did, however this is a track (1of 2 in this list I enjoy going somewhere else to). The whole track building with the sitar, flute, tabla, harmonium and mellow acid sounds just gets me. I do like Indian sounds blended with electronic sounds.
Headman – Be Loved (Daniel Avery Divided Love Mix)
The second of the two tracks I just got away to. Dark, slow and hypnotic again.
Tronik Youth – Tunnel of Hate (Rigopolar mix)
This is a builder. And when it drops you get that big rush on the dancefloor. I ran out the loos in a club to the dancefloor for this once. I will leave that there.
Justin Strauss (Annie & The Caldwells) – I Made It
Moving away from the darker electronic to a more soulful dance track. My first hearing was Sean Johnston playing it in his Convenanzas Alfos Set. Dancing alongside my partner Carla this track gave me one of those moments you get on a dancefloor.
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