Andrea Parker (left) in conversation with CDR’s Tony Nwachukwu.
This year’s Meltdown festival celebrated the legacy of James Lavelle’s Mo’Wax label - a legacy that was examined in depth through a series of Ableton-sponsored conversations between CDR’s Tony Nwachukwu and a number of musicians and producers.
A classic release from the first golden era of trip-hop, Andrea Parker’s 1996 release “Rocking Chair” combines eerie strings with deep beats and haunting vocals to form a track that sticks to your ears long after it’s over:
Aside from contemporaries like Portishead and Tricky, you can hear Andrea’s influence today on a new crop of acts like A/T/O/S, who are going back to trip-hop’s mysterious origins. During Meltdown, Andrea sat down with Tony from CDR to discuss the making of “Rocking Chair”, her love for analog synths, and more:
You may not know Sie Medway-Smith by name, but you’ve certainly heard his midas touch behind the boards. From Depeche Mode to Princess Superstar, Sie’s decades-long credits as a producer, arranger, and remixer run the gamut from superstars to cutting-edge artists.
While discussing his illustrious history as a producer with Tony from CDR, Sie reveals that he now does all his mixes “in the box”, with Ableton Live. In response to those who doubt that you can mix with Live, Sie responds: “I find it to be the best thing I’ve come across...ever”. Learn more about Sie’s past, present and future in the interview:
Stay tuned for a final piece from Meltdown featuring the Heritage Orchestra, who reinterpreted Goldie’s Timeless. In the mean time, watch more interviews from Meltdown in our first installment.