Sam GreenwoodDjango Django’s Dave Maclean has gone back to his Scottish rave roots and created a new house music alias, Hugo Paris.
Django Django’s Dave Maclean has gone back to his Scottish rave roots and created new house music alias Hugo Paris. He’s teamed up with New York House Icon, Roland Clark on this track, who wrote the lyrics during New York City’s Black Lives Matter protests. The result? An absolutely beautiful, uplifting and authentic house track with a message of unity.
Dave Maclean (Django Django) has long been bubbling up in the electronic underground. Known amongst discerning music lovers for his eclectic DJ sets, today he makes his first official foray into the scene under a new DJ and production alias called Hugo Paris and drops his first single ‘Music Saves The World’. Teaming up with a true classic house icon, Roland Clark, this killer collaboration is a homage to the 90’s New York House sound – a raw, sun-soaked, four to the floor jam that spreads a much needed message for our present times of love, unity and the healing power of music. “I am rhythm, I am love, I’m the answer, I am music” – just some heartfelt words from Roland Clark, who wrote these lyrics in fellow pioneer Todd Terry’s studio during the BLM protests in New York City. ‘Music Saves The World’ is a reflection of complex emotions, a positive message told through uplifting melodies; a call for unity through music. Just a hint of what’s to come from the Dundee born and bred crate-digger, Hugo Paris’ first single marks the birth of an exciting new project reflecting Dave’s myriad of musical influences and rave roots, packaged up into feel-good, infectious house music.
Speaking on the Hugo Paris single, Dave says:
“This track was made late one night at my house, when the lockdown had just started in London. I had a productive few weeks of making music late at night, working on ideas that I just hadn’t had the headspace to tackle for a while. Roland Clark, especially his Urban Soul tracks, came to mind early on; once I put the chords down, I could just hear him straight away.
Roland wrote the lyrics holed up at Todd Terry’s studio during the BLM protests in New York. He poured all these powerful and complex emotions into the track, reflecting his experience with a positive message that really lifted me when I heard it back, and will hopefully do the same for others.
The influences for the production really go back to the mid 90s, when I was playing a lot of Strictly Rhythm and MAW records. I’ve always loved the New York house sound; from DJ Duke’s Power Music, to the deeper sounds of Junior Vasquez. This track is a love letter to those records, and to my time as a Scottish teenager discovering house music.”
Better known for his role as drummer and producer for acclaimed indie four-piece, Django Django – a band blurring the lines between sun-kissed psychedelia, indie rock, and electronic sounds – it’s clear to hear Django Django have been heavily inspired by club music over the last eight years. Fans of Mercury Music Award nominated band’s last three albums, can attest to the fact they will make you dance.
Maclean’s encyclopaedic knowledge and love for electronic music is rooted in his youth and heritage – a clear progression after being immersed in Scotland’s inimitable party scene. Growing up in Dundee, Scotland in the ‘90’s; he was buying house 12’s from 23rd Precinct, DJing and running club nights, making beats on his 4-track, and sneaking under-age into some of Scotland’s legendary raves. Juggling life on the road and in the studio with Django Django, and other exciting projects, Dave still finds time to DJ all over the world, recently playing a pre-lockdown tour across Mexico. 2020 sees the old flame rekindled, as Dave returns to his true love for 90’s club music as Hugo Paris.
Speaking on the Hugo Paris project, Dave says:
“I started DJing and making hip hop, dancehall, house and techno beats on a sampler and 4-track in the mid ‘90s. My love of house and techno can be traced back to buying records from 23rd Precinct in Dundee, and Strawberry Bizarre in Perth. I remember walking into Strawberry Bizarre aged 14; they were playing Frankie Bones’ “Bones Breaks” 12” and I thought, this is the kind of music I want to make. Ten years later, I pivoted slightly to produce what would become the Django Django debut album, and this Hugo Paris project picks up where I left off.”
Check out the brand new Hugo Paris & Roland Clark track ‘Music Saves’, which was released today. You can pick up the tune and stream from various locations here.
As well as the brand new track and alias news, Dave has picked out, shared and wrote a few lines about 10 of his favourite classics and rarities, Relief Records tracks. From vintage Green Velvet, DJ Sneak and Boo Williams, to a firm favourite of ours, Paul Johson. These are 10 fantastic tunes. Enjoy.
Boo Williams ‘Cloud Burst’ – This was the very first 12″ i bought on Relief. I ordered it through ‘Hard to Find Records’ catalogue (life before the internet!) knowing nothing about the label. I was immediately in love with the sound and the artwork and everything about it.
Green Velvet ‘I Want to Leave my Body’ – What can you say about ‘Flash’ it’s such a seminal track and I never tire of it. I actually first came across Flash when ‘Open’ released a double 12″ of remixes and later i bought this 12″. I still play it a lot maybe not as much as ‘Flash’ but like most things on this label it still sounds amazing now.
DJ Borris ‘Apacalypse’ This EP is totally off kilter and it was a bit like discovering some weird old experimental tape loop music from the 60s. It’s got all the minimal, experimental nuttiness that defined a good Relief track.
Lester Fitzpatrick – ‘Frantic Frenzy’ Lester released an EP on my Kick and Clap label and this sums up how good his productions are. It’s straight up hard jacking mutant space funk. Coming of the back of DJing a lot of industrial hardcore stuff like Lenny Dee, when I first got this I’d be pitching this up and up every time the kick drops out !
Baby Pop ‘Deep Techno’ This is one of the few 90’s Relief records I don’t own simply because it’s always too expensive when I see it. I’ll get it one day!
Melvin Meeks – ‘Drip Drop’ I absolutely love Melvin’s records, I have some really mad experimental stuff by him. You can hear Thomas Bangalter’s ‘Trax on the Rocks’ in a lot of these records. It’s got the 808 4/4 clap and a weird off beat synth squelch, signature Chicago sounds of the era.
DJ Sneak – ‘Stupid Dog’ This shows Sneak’s versatility as a producer. It reminds me of some of CZR’s harder edged stuff and it’s like a bit like a Rotterdam Records track pitched down! One for later in the night when you want to push things!
Gemini – Klonopin. Wow this still sounds so fresh and that’s the thing about this label, they were so ahead of the game. I love house records that just jam on one loop like this and let the percussion and filters ride it. A genius producer and great 12″.
Paul Johnson – ‘Soft Spot’. Another release that has all the perfect elements of a Relief record, this is very influential stuff here. the heavy swing and the jabbing, rolling one pitched synth stabs – all that was needed to send dancefloors into a frenzy! This is the true definition of a track.
Jellybean – ‘What the Fuk’.. I remember when this came out i thought it was ‘Jellybean Bnitez’ and told people it was ! (again – life before the internet) … It’s actually Glenn Underground which makes sense listening to those elasticated, future-funk arpeggiated synths and lush strings. it’s actually a lot jazzier but still has that edge. Love the Roy Ayres style solo at the end too.