Ethan Hull - Interview and Mix
Ethan Hull just supplied one of the greatest mixes we have heard on Beyond Sector 12/12, we spent a few minutes chatting about the selection and his amazing record collection . . .
Tell us something about yourself and the mix you've recorded...
I'm a DJ and collector of all things analog and obscure. To me music is a daily adventure to learn, explore, and challenge yourself to find something new and unknown. The mix I recorded is truly made from records that I have cluttering my DJ area. Records that I'm not ready to file away for whatever reason. I just hit record and let it flow. As a DJ this is fun to do. Not overthink it too much. Just start playing and see where it goes. So that's what your hearing. Something off the cuff and spontaneous.
Wow! Was it really improvised? It flows effortlessly. Can you pick out a couple of your favourite tracks from the mix?
Thanks so much. Yeah it was totally improvised. You can probably hear that in a few spots but again it's fun to let the music flow. I would have to say one of my favorite songs from the mix at this time is the last song on the mix, "Flying Saucers" by Captain Torkive. That song has such a beautiful feeling to it. Incredible bass that carries it along and lighter cosmic textures on top. An all around perfect tune. Eddie Hooper's "Tomorrow's Sun" is also a beautiful stepper of a tune. Perfect any time, day or night.
Some library records exchange hands for large sums of cash, can you give us an insight into this tight knit world of collectors and do you have any tips/labels for people on a budget?
The library community certainly is a fairly tight knit community for the most part though the past couple of years it seems to be getting much more popular. Some records are starting to exchange hands for really extreme prices. "Zoo Folle" by Giuliano Sorgini is one that comes to mind immediately. Like a lot of other people I was first exposed to Italian and European library music by the Easy Tempo series in the late 90's. The overall mood and slickness of the music really stuck with me. It has now grown into a full obsession. I have a great deal of contacts in Europe that help to connect me to the sellers and dealers of these albums. It is definitely a community all it's own.
My tips for buying on a budget would be to check out some of the labels that are doing straight repress' of some of the classics like Lorenzo's Sonor Music Editions. Hands down he is putting out some of the best stuff there is. He just re released Puccio Roelens "Research For Sound" which is from front to back an absolutely incredible record. Also Marco Dubba's Cinedelic imprint has made a huge comeback lately.
Really impressed with those reissues which truthfully, I don't buy many of as far as library LP’s go. Other than that for originals check out some of the Bruton library LP’s. There are a bunch of good cheapies in that series. I'm still missing quite a few of those myself.
I think I'll make do without the "Zoo Folle" after checking it on Discogs! I first heard about you after I stumbled across one of your mixes on Soundcloud. Can you tell us about Rendezvous and the horror connection? I've always been interested in Italian Horror but never an obsessive, any recommendations apart from the obvious?
Rendezvous is a monthly night that takes place the second Friday of every month at the Hyperion Tavern in Los Angeles. Rendezvous was started about 6 and a half years ago by Alfonso Carrillo and the idea was to combine music and film together. Play soundtracks and library records, show obscure films, and celebrate the great culture behind Cinema. I was asked to DJ the night a few years back and was blown away by what this group of people were doing.
Everyone is truly passionate about the music and films and very welcoming to anyone that comes. They have created something that is completely unique and very different than anything else going on in L.A. nightlife. As far as the horror connection goes I know that Alfonso loves those films. Horror is something that brings about strong emotions. Most people will either love it or hate it. People that love horror movies have a ton of passion for it. Alfonso has that passion so I can only assume that giving Rendezvous that horror theme was only natural. The night is also sponsored by the best soundtrack label out there Death Waltz. Finders Keepers Records, Severin Films, and Mondo Macabro are also sponsors.
My recommendations for some great Italian horror films would be Mario Bava’s Blood and Black Lace which has one of the best giallo killers ever. The film also has a great psychedelic look to it. Andrea Bianchi’s Burial Ground is another one. Here we have very resourceful zombies crashing a group of jet-setters weekend. If you haven’t seen Pieces then do that immediately. It’s actually Spanish and was directed by Juan Piquer Simón. This is the greatest Grindhouse movie ever made in my opinion. I can watch this film over and over again.
For more mixes follow Ethan here: https://soundcloud.com/lethalethan
