Teed – DJ-Kicks

Speak to Orlando Higginbottom, AKA Teed, about his decades- long relationship with electronic music and words like “love,” obsession” and “addiction” soon litter the conversation. Born into a musical family-his father is an esteemed organist and choirmaster- the British artist spent his early years becoming both a classically trained pianist and singer, and a jungle and drum and bass fanatic. He’d often skip school to be first in line to nab the latest promos at his local record shop in Oxford. After years of bedroom tinkering, his sharp ear and all-consuming passion bore fruit, with releases on popular 2000s labels like Greco- Roman, Play It Down and later Polydor. By then, of course, he was Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs-a project that began as a private joke, and definitely wasn’t meant to last beyond a couple MySpace uploads. But it blew up, and soon he was taking his brand of vocal dance pop to clubs and festivals the world over. Los Angeles was always a popular stop on tour, and in 2015 he made the bold decision to move there full-time. For more than a decade, the City of Angels has been his home and place of work, where he’s developed into a full-blown studio producer as well as a solo artist. It’s also where he’s discovered a different kind of nightlife: new sounds, tempos, energies. Indeed, LA acts as a kind of muse on his long- awaited DJ-Kicks, which sparkles with all the colour and charisma of a Californian sunset. Or, more accurately, the pre-game before a big night Downtown. “I was thinking a lot about what Americans call ‘pre-gaming,’ which is such a funny phrase,” he explained. “It’s that feeling of putting on a fun mix before you go out, while you’re getting ready and having a drink. That was my flag in the ground in my head while I was making it; how I imagined people would listen to it.” This carefree vibe dominates the mix, which after a short beatless intro dives head first into a pumping house bassline. That track, “Everybody” by Casino Times, is one of several exclusives, alongside tunes by Joe Goddard, Austin Ato, Jacques Greene and Oscar Farrell. According to Teed, he knew instinctively that he didn’t want a mix that took “seven tracks to get going.” In preparation, he relistened to a bunch of classic DJ-Kicks-Tiga, Erlend ye, Honey Dijon-and quickly realised that big, soulful and house-y was the way to go. “I wanted to do something uptempo and clubby,” he added. “I felt very strongly about that straight away. I just want people to put it on and have a good dance.” CD TRACKLIST 01 oliver – Coastal 02 Casino Times, DUANE – Everybody! (House) 03 TEED – Never Seen You Dance (DJ- Kicks Version) 04 Junior Sanchez – Move (Dub) 05 Convertible – Like The Rain 06 Yu Su – Foundry 07 Hercules & Love Affair ft. Hips & Lips – Crossed Lines 08 Margaux Gazur – Agata 09 Decius – More 2 Luv 10 TEED – Please Don’t Go 11 Ode To 97 – First Day In Time (Tigerskin’s Alternative Mix) 12 Dennis Ferrer feat. K. T. Brooks – How Do I Let Go 13 TEED – Persuasion (DJ-Kicks Version) 14 Jump Source – Sad Salad 15 The Martinez Brothers – Tree Town 16 TEED – Another Day 17 Chloe Caillet & Nyra – B Good (Shanti Celeste Remix) 18 Tiga & Hudson Mohawke feat. Channel Tres – Feel The Rush (Johnny Aux Remix) 19 Austin Ato – Waiting Room 20 Oscar Farrell – This Was Yours 21 Alexander Skancke – Alright Alright 22 TEED – Under The Metal 23 David Vunk – Purple Light 24 Joe Goddard feat. Findia – Collide 25 D.H.S. – I Am Your Control 26 Jacques Greene – Lily Pad 27 Malibu – Spicy City LP TRACKLIST A1 TEED – Never Seen You Dance (DJ- Kicks Version) A2 Chloe Caillet & Nyra – B Good (Shanti Celeste Remix) A3 Casino Times, DUANE – Everybody! (House) A4 TEED – Persuasion (DJ-Kicks Version) B1 Jacques Greene – Lily Pad B2 Joe Goddard feat. Findia – Collide B3 TEED – Under The Metal B4 TEED – Another Day