Since moving to Los Angeles, Richard West aka Mr C has started to preach what he has practiced nearly all his life, and what has been the back bone to his success — positive thinking, spiritual development, the powers of meditation, creative visualization and all that good stuff . For the past 18 months, he’s been teaching and holding workshops in human consciousness and awareness. His latest album ‘Smell the Coffee’ released through his own Superfreq Records, is all part of his ethereal crusade. “It’s a concept album, basically saying ‘Come on, wake up, it’s time we sorted shit out here’,” he concedes. Superfreq turned 11 this year and the celebrations are already booked till September, with a tour of the UK, Europe and America secured, and EPs being released digitally and on vinyl. DJ Mag cops a chat with Mr C, a dance music dignitary, producer, rapper, popstar, DJ, club boss, label owner no less…
Words: HELENE STOKES
The track that really sums up your childhood?
“I was a huge Abba fan, it was my guilty pleasure, I still am. So let’s say ‘Dancing Queen’ by Abba sums up my childhood because it’s disco, it’s uplifting even though it’s tragic, as are all Abba songs, they’re all tragic. I just loved that whole sort of upbeat, disco attitude as a child so it kind of shaped my musical tastes which were to come, which were disco. “My mum was great, she used to listen to Barry White and The Stylistics and The Commodores, so I was into soul and disco kind of stuff as a kid. I listened to what my mum listened to, and that also shaped my musical preference. I’ve always been into black music. But Abba was like my guilty pleasure even as a kid.”
The first record that you ever bought?
“It was ‘Instant Replay’ by Dan Hartman. I love that. The extended 12 inch version is still stoked and it still sounds amazing today. It was the 7 inch version that I bought and I have a clear memory of buying. I bought it at Chapel Street Market in Islington. It was just an awesome disco record and I was a disco baby.”
The most embarrassing record in your collection?
“I don’t know because I’ve always had the best taste in music imaginable! I just don’t really have any embarrassing records. I really can’t think of one. Oh maybe, do you remember that ‘Shaddap Your Face’ record? I did get that record, I think I was about 12, but it didn’t last long, but I did own it. “I’ve got about six thousand records here in Los Angeles, and I’ve got about eight thousand in London, but I’ve sold about five or six thousand records since I moved to LA in the last three years on Discogs. Even though these records are amazing, they’re never going to get played, and I was selling some for around £100. I might as well sell them to someone that’s going to use them.”
The track that’s guaranteed to make you cry?
“’Close To You’ by The Carpenters. It reminds me of my mum. I’ll always sing along because I love The Carpenters as well, and that would make me cry. I lost my mum six
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years ago to cancer. So that will always bring a tear to my eye.”
An album that you’re currently into?
“‘I really like Francis Harris’ album that he brought out on Scissor & Thread. It’s a listening album, it’s not a dance music album. It’s by Francis Harris, not Adultnapper, Adultnapper is his techno name. It’s been out about a year now, it’s one of those things that you can put on at dinner parties, it’s got ambient, jazzy overtones. It’s so gorgeous and so emotional, every track on it is an absolute winner. So that album does something for me always.”
The most valuable record in your collection?
“I’ve probably got bundles of records that are worth a lot of money, because I’ve got all the original house tracks and all the original techno tracks. The first release on Trax, DJ International, Metroplex, Incognito… and I’ve got no idea what they’re worth, so I couldn’t answer that question.”
Would you be able to answer it in a different way, as in the record that there’s no way you could ever part with it?
“Probably my favourite album ever, it was a mini EP by Gwen Guthrie called ‘Padlock’ on Garage Records. Gwen Guthrie is so amazing, her vocals, it’s just pure garage, early ‘80s garage disco, everything about it is amazing. It was produced by Sly & Robbie, it’s mixed down by Larry Levan. It’s a sick album.”
Your all-time favourite track of all-time?
“I’m going to go for ‘When We Used To Play’ by Blake Baxter. It was released in 1987 and it’s an absolutely amazing record, the bassline, it’s only got a short vocal at the beginning of the track and then it’s instrumental. It’s really Detroit techno at its finest. It’s good, trippy, electronic, techy, it’s got to be my favourite track ever.”
Mr C
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