The Mag
On the Record... Ryan Elliott
We speak to Spectral Sound's Ryan Elliott about the music with which he surrounds himself...
This week sees the release of Document, a CD compiled by Ryan Elliott to showcase the best of Detroit label, Spectral Sound, over the last ten years. Spectral is the dark and more dancefloor orientated sister of Ghostly International run by Elliott and Matthew Dear and is home to the likes of old schoolers Audion and James T. Cotton and more recent stars Seth Troxler and Lee Curtiss.
Elliott is known as someone who joins the disparate dots between abstract minimal and sunshine house in one of his deftly weaved sets, so who better to ask about the music which has sound tracked his life?
First record you bought...
Michael Jackson - Thriller. I remember loving everything about it. All the songs, the gatefold album, the artwork (MJ with the baby tiger, etc.)
Last record you bought...
Jus Ed vs. DJ Qu - Real House Music EP - on Underground Quality. I’m a huge fan of DJ Qu, Fred P, the whole current New York house thing.
Record you wish you'd written...
Any of the Wolfgang Voigt - Studio 1 records these are my all time favorite techno releases..
Record which makes you happiest...
Radiohead - OK Computer. It was from a very new/changing point of my life.
Record which makes you saddest...
Same - Radiohead - OK Computer.
Record you put on for sexy time...
Anything by Sade. I absolutely love her music.
Record you'd reach for (when DJing) if the dance floor was empty...
IMetro Area - Miura. If I play this, and I’m still getting no reaction, there’s nothing I can do further.
Record you couldn't live without...
Robert Hood - Trade. One of my best secret dj weapons.
Best set closing record...
Blunted Dummies - House For All. Matthew Dear and I did a 12 hour set in Detroit a long time ago and it was a very special moment for me. We closed with this track, and I’ve done it a few times since when the night felt close to the same.
Best after party record...
Anything Perlon. For me, one of the most influential house labels of all time.
Record you had your first kiss/dance to...
Salt n’ Peppa - Push it. Middle School, Middle America. Magic
Favourite non-electronic record...
Anything Johnny Cash. So dark.
Record which had most influence on you...
As a dj, all of the Jeff Mills releases - even still. There is absolutely no one like him,
Your own record you are most proud of...
I’m not really a producer, but I am proud of my Osborn - Bout Ready To Jak remix on Spectral Sound.
Current favourite record...
Vincent Halliburton - Something I Feel - on Rush Hour. Detroit’s Rick Whilite curated an EP for Rush Hour of hidden gems. The is one of them. Killer Killer groove.