Todd Edwards
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borderpolice
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MATT MAson
BROADSIDE
I just found this transcript of an interview I did with Todd in March 2003 for RWD. Thought it might be of interest...
So tell us about the new album?
It's a collection of some of the singles I've put out since the last 'Full On', some of the 'New Trends' tracks and some fresh stuff with different elements coming through. I spend a lot of time on sampling, on average I spend about a week just gathering samples and a week or so building a tune. Even when it's something like a remix I put my all into it and it can be very draining. I know I was blessed with a certain amount of talent. But it's not just me. I'm doing it for God. I believe God is using me as an instrument to spread love, I'm not in control. I don't want to force it down anyone's throat, I try to keep the positivity out there and keep the message there, but it's subliminal. It's only there if you need it.
Was it always a conscious thing to put spiritual messages in your music?
Yeah pretty much from the start. From my mid twenties, when I was 27 I guess, I got bolder with it. I'm proud of who I am and my relationship with God. It's not about preaching to people or making them follow rules, it's about having hope, having a friend and someone to turn to. The messages I put in tunes like 'Shut The Door' are very religious, very personal, but you don't need to hear that to enjoy the tune. I'm trying to put something positive back, there is so much hostility in the world, in the clubs, and what with the war building up...
Talking of clubs you were recently over here for EZ's 4 by 4 event. How was that and what did you think of the scene in the UK?
4 by 4 was brilliant. It was very humbling. I was... beside myself. I knew I had a following in the UK, but being in New Jersey you don't realise... I have friends in Jersey who like dance music but here I'm just Todd! It was very re-affirming. The garage scene in the UK is really interesting. There is definitely a power there, there is so much energy it borders on hostility. I went to a few clubs with EZ, and we saw some fights even break out. There are two types of energy, spiritual energy and hostile energy, I saw a bit of both in the UK but in both cases the DJ interaction was there.
Your music is so inspiring to so many. What music inspires you?
Recently it has been soundtrack music and orchestral music. I love sampling orchestra. Orchestra has chord changes that really change, that doesn't happen so much in dance music. I don't like doing the same thing. I've always said Mark Kitchen (better known as house producer MK) was a big inspiration, a lot of '70s music, disco, pop, everything inspires me. I'm not sure what genre the music I make is, I don't think it's my place to say where I fit in. I don't consider myself a house producer, even R&B and hip hop influence me, I don't know if you could tell but the Beckon Call remix was influenced by stuff Timbaland and the Neptunes are doing.
You get bootlegged a lot. Does that bother you?
It kinda sucks that people are stealing, I work hard, it's not all about the money but it's not really fair. It's also a form of praise though, if someone thinks my stuff is worth the risk of pressing up that's good, when you stop getting bootlegged is when you've got a problem!
A lot of it is down to your stuff not getting an official release. Like the 'Fully Loaded' project and several mixes which have only come out in Japan etc. Why does that happen?
Fully Loaded just got really complicated, what with everyone having their own really tight schedules as individuals; I don't think anything will be happening with that this year. With things like Bonnie Pink and M-Flo, who knows why people do what they do, just because you're a record exec it doesn't necessarily mean you know what the right thing to do is. But what are ya gonna do?
What is your favourite piece of studio kit?
The Akai S6000, it's a quality sampler, it's not without its bugs though... Also the Ensoniq EPS sampler which was the first one I ever used, it's a keyboard sampler with a really good swing feature. I bought it for $1400 and built an entire studio with the money it made me!
What can we expect to see from you in the future?
I want to do some more singing like on Beckon Call 2003 and Face to Face (with Daft Punk). I have a whole bunch of tracks that need vocals, plus I have some very interesting remixes on the horizon. 2002 was a very inspiring year for me, I felt I made some really good tracks and I'm looking forward to DJing more after New years Day. It looks like it will be a really good year.
So tell us about the new album?
It's a collection of some of the singles I've put out since the last 'Full On', some of the 'New Trends' tracks and some fresh stuff with different elements coming through. I spend a lot of time on sampling, on average I spend about a week just gathering samples and a week or so building a tune. Even when it's something like a remix I put my all into it and it can be very draining. I know I was blessed with a certain amount of talent. But it's not just me. I'm doing it for God. I believe God is using me as an instrument to spread love, I'm not in control. I don't want to force it down anyone's throat, I try to keep the positivity out there and keep the message there, but it's subliminal. It's only there if you need it.
Was it always a conscious thing to put spiritual messages in your music?
Yeah pretty much from the start. From my mid twenties, when I was 27 I guess, I got bolder with it. I'm proud of who I am and my relationship with God. It's not about preaching to people or making them follow rules, it's about having hope, having a friend and someone to turn to. The messages I put in tunes like 'Shut The Door' are very religious, very personal, but you don't need to hear that to enjoy the tune. I'm trying to put something positive back, there is so much hostility in the world, in the clubs, and what with the war building up...
Talking of clubs you were recently over here for EZ's 4 by 4 event. How was that and what did you think of the scene in the UK?
4 by 4 was brilliant. It was very humbling. I was... beside myself. I knew I had a following in the UK, but being in New Jersey you don't realise... I have friends in Jersey who like dance music but here I'm just Todd! It was very re-affirming. The garage scene in the UK is really interesting. There is definitely a power there, there is so much energy it borders on hostility. I went to a few clubs with EZ, and we saw some fights even break out. There are two types of energy, spiritual energy and hostile energy, I saw a bit of both in the UK but in both cases the DJ interaction was there.
Your music is so inspiring to so many. What music inspires you?
Recently it has been soundtrack music and orchestral music. I love sampling orchestra. Orchestra has chord changes that really change, that doesn't happen so much in dance music. I don't like doing the same thing. I've always said Mark Kitchen (better known as house producer MK) was a big inspiration, a lot of '70s music, disco, pop, everything inspires me. I'm not sure what genre the music I make is, I don't think it's my place to say where I fit in. I don't consider myself a house producer, even R&B and hip hop influence me, I don't know if you could tell but the Beckon Call remix was influenced by stuff Timbaland and the Neptunes are doing.
You get bootlegged a lot. Does that bother you?
It kinda sucks that people are stealing, I work hard, it's not all about the money but it's not really fair. It's also a form of praise though, if someone thinks my stuff is worth the risk of pressing up that's good, when you stop getting bootlegged is when you've got a problem!
A lot of it is down to your stuff not getting an official release. Like the 'Fully Loaded' project and several mixes which have only come out in Japan etc. Why does that happen?
Fully Loaded just got really complicated, what with everyone having their own really tight schedules as individuals; I don't think anything will be happening with that this year. With things like Bonnie Pink and M-Flo, who knows why people do what they do, just because you're a record exec it doesn't necessarily mean you know what the right thing to do is. But what are ya gonna do?
What is your favourite piece of studio kit?
The Akai S6000, it's a quality sampler, it's not without its bugs though... Also the Ensoniq EPS sampler which was the first one I ever used, it's a keyboard sampler with a really good swing feature. I bought it for $1400 and built an entire studio with the money it made me!
What can we expect to see from you in the future?
I want to do some more singing like on Beckon Call 2003 and Face to Face (with Daft Punk). I have a whole bunch of tracks that need vocals, plus I have some very interesting remixes on the horizon. 2002 was a very inspiring year for me, I felt I made some really good tracks and I'm looking forward to DJing more after New years Day. It looks like it will be a really good year.
I'm doing a bit of research on Todd the God at the moment so thought I'd bump this up a bit.
Terror Danjah from Down Under's question appears to be unanswered and I wonder if there is a tendency to avoid a discussion of what is actually happening rhythmically in dance music criticism even in the work of Simon Reynolds & Kodwo Eshun. Kodwo starts More Brilliant than the Sun with a criticism of those who think that analyzing the groove kills its bodily pleasure but there doesn't appear to be much talk of things like tempo or time signatures.
I'm not familiar with this language myself but I wonder if someone with a better grasp of music theory can explain what it is that makes Todd's 4/4 style so infectious? I'm guessing its got something to do with syncopation and semiquavers...
Terror Danjah from Down Under's question appears to be unanswered and I wonder if there is a tendency to avoid a discussion of what is actually happening rhythmically in dance music criticism even in the work of Simon Reynolds & Kodwo Eshun. Kodwo starts More Brilliant than the Sun with a criticism of those who think that analyzing the groove kills its bodily pleasure but there doesn't appear to be much talk of things like tempo or time signatures.
I'm not familiar with this language myself but I wonder if someone with a better grasp of music theory can explain what it is that makes Todd's 4/4 style so infectious? I'm guessing its got something to do with syncopation and semiquavers...
Logan Sama
BestThereIsAtWhatIDo
Yes he is. Born again.
'No Scrubs' was finally released on i! last year I believe.
He has a new album out on CD now as well
'No Scrubs' was finally released on i! last year I believe.
He has a new album out on CD now as well
Yeah, the No Scrubs (Dub Mix) is on Full On 3 which came out last year:
http://www.irecordings.com/releases/release.html?idRelease=352
Possibly the weakest in the series though. I thought a compilation of his remixes would have been better but its maybe too costly in terms of licensing for I Records to do it...
http://www.irecordings.com/releases/release.html?idRelease=352
Possibly the weakest in the series though. I thought a compilation of his remixes would have been better but its maybe too costly in terms of licensing for I Records to do it...
mistersloane
heavy heavy monster sound
There's a good thread on beat science here Mr H, not especially with ref to Todd Edwards but it may help
http://www.dissensus.com/showthread.php?t=6569&highlight=producer
i think its more the way the tracks work and the melodic content that make them so catchy. lots of different samples cut up in a lively fashion... regular variation on the loops or sample arrangements creating movements every 8/16 bars. the melodic disco bass lines switching up and down in conjunction with the samples. his basslines are GREAT.
the timing in the drum beats isn't really any different to a lot of house producers, but the use of crunchy, lo-fi samples pitched up or down a bit is distinctive. simple tight punchy sound accentuates the swing.
his stuff is kind of under-produced but it has so much character and is so distinctive that it works really well.
lazybones
f, d , d+f , p.
owen , could you upload that locked on mix again please?? woudl be very grateful indeed, finding it very hard to get some quality mixes of edwards stuff and i've just got the bug.... !!
love this stuff so much ... big fan of 2 step (old and new) , dubstep , bassline and villalobos , false , 0 etc so this is rather a nice..... to say the least
love this stuff so much ... big fan of 2 step (old and new) , dubstep , bassline and villalobos , false , 0 etc so this is rather a nice..... to say the least
Chuu
Well La Di Bloody Da
I'm not Owen but I re-upped these on DSF and they're still alive, get em while they're hot:
Streaky v Todd Vol1
Streaky v Todd Vol2
Streaky v Todd Vol3
TRACKLISTING
Streaky's Todd Mix Part 1
Dunno tracklist.
Streaky's Todd Mix Part 2
The Belvoed "1000 Years From Today" (Todd Edwards Dub Mix) - East West Records UK
The Sample Choir "Feelin' Lonely" (Todd Edwards Mix) - Nervous Records
Mantra "Away" (Todd Edwards Mix) - Ultra
Todd Edwards "Rite Now" (The Soul Party Project EP) - Grassroots
Todd Edwards "Saved My Life" (Original Mix) - i!Records
Nicole "Runnin' Away" (Todd Edwards Mix) - Locked On
Todd Edwards "Winter Behaviour" (Original Mix) - i!Records
St Germain "Alabama Blues" (Todd Edwards Dub) - F Communications
Todd Edwards ft Nicole P "FOT" (People Join Hands Version) - i!Records
Utah Saints "Power To The Beats" (Todd Edwards Street Soul Dubified Mix) - Echo
Todd Edwards "Saviour Tonight" - i!Records
Hakan Lidbo "Walk Away" (Todd's Tell Someone Dub) - Loaded
Todd Edwards "Shut The Door" (Open Up Vocal Remix) - i!Records
Nio "Do You Think You're Special" (Todd Edwards "Think So Vocalised Dub") - Echo
Todd Edwards "Walk With Me" - i!Records
Todd Edwards "Hold On To Me" (Main Mix) - i!Records
Bonnie Pink "Sweet" (Edwards Extended Vocal Mix) - Warner Music Japen
Todd Edwards "Moved To Tear" (New Trends Sounds Part 3) - i!Records
Space Cowboy "Crazy Talk" (Todd Edwards Spiritual Dub) - Southern Fried
Streaky's Todd Mix Part 3
The Messenger "End This Hate" - Nervous
Lenny Fontana ft Carole Sylvan "Everything You Do" (Todd Edwards Vocal Dub) - Kult Records
Todd Edwards "Radio Thing" - i! Records
Heavy Weather "Love Can't Turn Around" (Todd's Love Turned Around Mix) - Pukka Records
Todd Edwards "Dancing For Heaven" - i! Records
JTR ft Xavier "Just Gets Better" (Todd Edwards Underground Version) - Multiply
Todd Edwards "Shut The Door" (Original Vocal Version) - i! Records
Moloko "Pure Pleasure Seeker" (Todd Edwards Pleasure For Dub UK Dub) - Echo
Todd Edwards "A Song For You" - i! Records
Todd Edwards "You Came To Me" - i! Records
Utah Saints "Power To The Beats" (Todd Edwards Power Chord Mix) - Echo
Todd Edwards "I Hear Him" (Listen Remix) - i! Records
Todd Edwards "Do You KNow Why?" - i! Records
Todd Edwards "My Family" - i! Records
Boniface "Cheeky" (Todd Edwards 'Time Like No Other' Remix) - Colombia
Richard Les Crees "The Sign" (Sunshine Bros The UK Sign Remix) - i! Records
Paul Johnson "She Got Me On" (Todd Edwards Club Remix) - Promo
SHOUT OUT TO STREAKY FOR THESE, ULTIMATE BADMAN!!!
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swears
preppy-kei
Two remixes of the last Justice single up on his myspace: http://www.myspace.com/toddedwards.
I always sort of suspected their edit-crazy style was influenced by him, even indirectly.
I always sort of suspected their edit-crazy style was influenced by him, even indirectly.
Just got on a bit of a Todd binge for a few hours via youtube. Man.... Not much to say about this guy besides that he's really really great. Really intense vibe and emotion in these tracks not to mention the ill ill technical/musical dimension.
For the non-musicians: what he's doing is really hard. Finding, chopping and combining all those disparate samples is not easy at all. A lot of people think that working with samples is easy, which it is if you're taking whole loops from a piece of music and chopping/playing them against each other. Bringing together different pieces of music in different musical keys and tempos is really hard to do well, and boy does he.
For the non-musicians: what he's doing is really hard. Finding, chopping and combining all those disparate samples is not easy at all. A lot of people think that working with samples is easy, which it is if you're taking whole loops from a piece of music and chopping/playing them against each other. Bringing together different pieces of music in different musical keys and tempos is really hard to do well, and boy does he.
Chuu
Well La Di Bloody Da
Yet in his crazy love "save your crys" remix the vocal is apparently saying "murder christ"
conflicting messages Todd, what do you want from us!
