FELLOWSHIP
WORDS
:
RICHARD
ARNELL
PICTURE
:
COURTNEY
HAMILTON
))
))FELLOWSHIP
As is the case for many an artist working in the wasn’t to signal any creative malaise though, for one It’s hard to describe but, way back, since I first did
underground music scenes, a living cannot be made by man has always been a key supporter of Darren’s tracks on Xpressive, I was making drum & bass but
beats alone and so Darren Hickey AKA Fellowship likes sound (“he’s the main guy I deal with”), and with there were a lot of garage influences. When I say
to split his time between the studio and graphic design. ‘Mombassa’ b/w ‘Quartz’ he made his debut on Fabio’s garage, I mean US garage with really good vocals, but
Not that you’d really know it though, for despite Creative Source label. in those days it wasn’t working so well.
Defunked’s somewhat irregular release schedule, there
always seems to be a fresh Fellowship slate in the This affiliation has since been sealed through further “I’ve grown up listening to garage, the real deep
shops, but as he admits, “the design company has singles and a contribution to the ‘Liquid Funk’ LP with American stuff, that’s what I love, and that’s the sort
been taking up a lot of my time in the last three months, ‘Divided Soul’, while a new single entitled ‘Hysteria’ has of the sound I want for Defunked. The music that
but that’s all gonna take a back seat soon so I can get just been added to the Creative Source release people like Carlito & Addiction are making is exactly
back on Defunked and the music.” schedule. During this time the Fellowship name went what I’m after for the label, and there’s not that many
on to grace labels like Moving Shadow and Audio people doing it to be honest”. But there are enough
And it’s the music that we’re most concerned with here, Couture (‘Vision’ and ‘Muthafunker’), Hard Leaders to put an album together and, following Carlito &
for our dancefloors have certainly been feeling some (‘Sidewinder’) and Phuturistic Bluez (‘Delusions’), but Addiction’s next single, ‘Perfect Combination’, a label
fine Fellowship cuts over the past twelve months; but as the years rolled on and musical vibes changed compilation is the end-of-year goal. “It’s gonna be a
first let’s turn the clocks back to the mid-90s, a time everything seemed to say to Darren, re-launch the CD mixed by Addiction, about 15 tracks, and then the
when jungle was already moving in its many different label. And so Defunked was born. six strongest will come out as three twelves. The line up
directions and our man first started running record should be really good, Marcus Intallex is gonna do
labels. Together with his brother Jeff and Daz Ellis Although only four releases in, Defunked has certainly something, John B, Total Science, Rikki Blue... virtually
(AKA Undercover Agent), they blazed their way made an impression, with each track being battered by everyone that I wanted.”
through the scene with the Juice and Splash sound, the likes of Fabio, Frost, Hype, Bryan Gee, Addiction
Darren collaborating with Daz as M.T.S., and while he and Marky, and these cuts have created a very strong Before that though, Darren has himself found time
enjoyed making tear-down tracks like ‘Hard Disk’, he identity for the label. From the breezy summer vibes of to contribute to a compilation, with a remix of the
freely admits that, “I was trying to make tracks for Juice the opening twelve from Solid State, ‘Pure Funk’, sensational ‘Dark Flower Remedy’ featuring on the
and they were coming out too musical.” through to Carlito & Addiction’s masterful ‘Supergrass’ ‘Playaz 4 Real’ album. “That’s an old track, but
and Fellowship’s current release, ‘It’s A Mystery’, there Hype always loved it,” recounts Darren. “Him and Zinc
The solution was for Darren to set up the Xpressive is something of a Defunked sound being shaped. both said they’d love to put it out on True Playaz,
label, home to the melancholic masterpiece ‘Remotely “Definitely,” agrees Darren, “and I’ll tell you why.” so Hype said to me do a harder mix and I’ll put it on the
Blue’, but, as he explains, the musical climate of the album. He’s actually gonna release it as a double
time was soon to dictate the destiny of this imprint. “You know how quickly things change. A while ago we pack with the original, then I think Zinc’s gonna do a
“Remember when all the musical stuff got a bit too had the 70s funk influence with the wah-wah guitar and downtempo remix and he’s gonna get Marcus Intallex
jazzy and a bit too laid back and mellow. I think the double bass, and don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to do a mix as well. I’m not sure when he’s planning
everyone lost sight of it working on a dancefloor. I know to just follow trends, if a song’s good I’ll put it out, but on doing it...” but when it drops, you sure know it’s
I did with Xpressive, and it all went belly up”. This the fact is there’s a sound that I’ve been wanting. gonna be worth the wait.
36 KNOWLEDGE
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