Description
A legend who experienced the golden age of the NY underground scene firsthand and has enjoyed deep ties with Japan for over 40 years presents four exquisite edits, refining modern soul and psychedelic funk for the dancefloor.
DJ Nature, who performed under the name Natureboy, associated with Major Force, and was initiated into the scene by Larry Levan and others, meticulously reconstructs the Mr Bongo archive.
DJ Nature is Milo Johnson from Bristol. He came to Japan in the 1980s as a member of Buffalo, led by Ray Petri, and shared in the dawn of Japanese dance music with the Major Force crew before moving to New York in 1989. Immersing himself in the underground house and deep house played by pioneers such as Larry Levan and Tony Humphries, he launched the prestigious Ruff Disco Records in 1992 under the name Natureboy. After spending many years at the forefront of the underground, he finally makes his appearance with Mr Bongo's 12-inch edit series.
On this release, he infuses the raw sensibilities of deep house and jazz fusion, his musical roots, to elevate four tracks into dancefloor-ready versions. Side A features an ultra-rare 1986 Chicago modern soul pressing, P.J. City's "Straight Forward (Non-Stop)". Showing respect to the original, he extends the track with such a natural flow that it feels as though you are listening to an alternate take from the original studio session. Next, the Cuban psychedelic funk of Grupo Los Yoyi is skillfully looped, gradually building the tension until the energy reaches a boiling point.
On side B, the 1982 electronic disco track "Sound On Sound" by Antoniou is transformed into a high-speed, peak-time cosmic boogie whirlwind. The final track, "Dust" by Marxist Love Disco Ensemble, retains its original distinctive sound while being polished into a club track that is easier for DJs to work with. These luxurious edits draw out the best qualities of each track, backed by over 20 years of record collecting experience. Enjoy a release with a solid low-end presence and the exquisite timing that only someone who knows the dancefloor inside out can create.
A1. P.J. City – Straight Forward (Non-Stop) (DJ Nature Re-Edit)
A2. Grupo Los Yoyi – Del Copacabana A 34 (DJ Nature Re-Edit)
B1. Antoniou – Sound On Sound (DJ Nature Re-Edit)
B2. Marxist Love Disco Ensemble – Dust (DJ Nature Re-Edit)
Stepping up next in our Mr Bongo 12” Edits series, we’ve invited another legend of the game, DJ Nature, to craft a special EP of signature edits. Following editions by Dan Tyler and Nick The Record, Luke Una, and Danny Krivit, DJ Nature selects four prime cuts spanning modern soul, psychedelic funk, boogie, and leftfield disco, giving each his trademark tweak for today’s dancefloor.
In 1989, Bristol-born DJ Nature moved to New York, a city where he knew his raw and textured aesthetic would be more appreciated at the time. He immersed himself in the NY scene, frequently attending underground house and disco clubs to hear pioneers such as Larry Levan (The Choice), Louie Vega (Sound Factory Bar), and Tony Humphries (Zanzibar). That same year, being surrounded by a wealth of underground dance music, DJ Nature set up an export company to supply the Japanese market. “I have had a connection with Japan for over 40 years, beginning when I visited as part of Ray Petri’s Buffalo fashion house as a DJ. From there, I linked up with the Major Force crew and others,” he explains.
Having already been a record collector for 20 years, DJ Nature launched his own label, Ruff Disco Records, in 1992, releasing productions under his early moniker, Natureboy. Since then, Nature has gone on to become an underground DJ/producer legend himself, touring the world and releasing records on esteemed labels such as Golf Channel Recordings, Jazzy Sport, Hot Biscuit Recordings, and Futureboogie Recordings.
Reflecting his love of raw, independent disco, jazz fusion, and early house music, DJ Nature has chosen four tracks from the Mr Bongo archive that he felt had club-ready production ripe for an edit. First up, is an extended rework of the ultra-rare Chicago modern soul/disco joint ‘Straight Forward (Non-Stop)’ by P.J. City from 1986. Staying true and respectful to the original, DJ Nature tweaks and extends it so it feels like a longer take lifted from the original recording session. Next is a sublime version of Cuban band Grupo Los Yoyi’s 1977 track ‘Del Copacabana A 34’. Here, Nature extends and enhances the song, looping the more driving, hypnotic, spacey sections to let the energy brew and bubble to boiling point.
On the B-side, DJ Nature revamps a lesser-known gem from the Elite Records catalogue. Originally produced by Andy Sojka, Antoniou’s pulsating 1982 electronic disco groover ‘Sound On Sound’ is transformed into a peak-time cosmic boogie whirlwind. Rounding off the EP, he turns to the mysterious Marxist Love Disco Ensemble’s 2022 album ‘MLDE’, re-editing the quirky leftfield disco winner ‘Dust’ into a more DJ-friendly club track.
