When brothers Simon and Rob Lee formed Faze Action back in the mid-‘90s, there was no easy – or necessary way to classify them. It was the era of the nascent “chill-out” and “downtempo” vogues, a glorious era for British electronic music that wasn’t your typical dancefloor fare – early Groove Armada, Nightmares On Wax emerging as a serious talent and so on. Indeed, the freshness of this music that drew on classic soul, funk, reggae and disco music and more was, in the case of Faze Action, derived from the fact that they had a musical hole that needed filling. “I was working at a record shop in the West End with Pete Herbert (Reverso 68)” recalls Simon, the elder of the two. “By this time I had developed a love of disco, but I couldn’t find new music I wanted to play, so I spoke to Rob who was heading off to Japan and we decided to go into the studio and make Disco Motion.”
“I had decided to give up music as I had been in a lot of groups, and they were all full of people that wanted to be rock stars before they did any actual work” continues Rob. “Basically I couldn’t find anyone dedicated enough to make a real go of things. So I decided to move to Japan and become an English teacher. Simon had wanted to make a record for a while and he wanted me to help him. I guess I kept putting it off because I was a bit sceptical of the whole idea. But as I was off to Japan, we decided it would be a bit of fun before I went. Simon couldn’t find any records that he wanted to play out, so we made the records that we wanted to hear.”
This love of disco has always been at their core – long before it was the “in” thing to do – as exemplified on their breakthrough track In The Trees, with its rolling beats and bassline and summery groove. Then there’s the somehow life-affiriming, infectious energy of the African influences they frequently draft in, like on the classic Kariba with erstwhile collaborator Zeke Manyika, soulful vocals, tinges of broken beat, house grooves and more. Recent remixes of Metronomy and Da Lata blew us away with their gorgeous, euphoric disco-meets house tingles, and to be on such rude form after some 13 years is very impressive if you ask us.
What did you guys grow up listening to? Would you say you wear your influences on your sleeves?
S: I Guess for me I started with James Brown, hip-hop, the rare groove scene in the late ‘80s, I listened to Giles Peterson, Norman Jay…they were a huge influence on me at the time. I kind of came of age around this time so the acid house thing was happening as well.
R: I grew up listening to everything. I mean everything. The Beatles, Prokofiev you name it. Our parents were big music fans. Obviously at the time we were growing up, disco was absolutely huge and so it also influenced us. Later we would be influenced by the rare groove scene. We would listen to Gilles Peterson and Norman Jay on the radio.
When did you get initiated into clubbing? Was it a shared experience?
S: My mates were always talking about clubs in London. The Wag in Soho seemed to be the most famous, and the hardest to get in to. Eventually I got tickets for us for NYE 1988 so that we would all definitely get in - which was my real first clubbing experience. Other clubs we all went to included Dingwalls which was a big one for me, and a night called Acidity which was more on the acid house tip
R: Simon discovered clubbing first as he was the older one. I was always practising the piano. I was really into jazz and funk and would play along to Simon’s records. Later he took me to Dingwalls on a Sunday afternoon with Gilles Peterson and Patrick Forge DJing. That was huge for me as I was only 14 at the time. We saw The Brand New Heavies, James Brown and Charles Earland. This is all around 1988.
You’ve played everywhere from Vietnam to Sweden…what’s the most random place you’ve ever played?
S: Well for me they have all been good but I think the one in a Water Park in Hanoi , Vietnam has to be up there, I think we were the first western band to play there for 10 years, so the reaction was amazing…plus rats the size of dogs
R: All the shows have a random factor to them as you never know what to expect until you get off the tour bus and see the venue for the first time. For me one of the most random shows was in Tunisia. We were booked to play this old theatre in the centre of Tunis. We didn’t know at the time, but women and men weren’t really allowed to dance together back then. When we started to play, everyone got up and started dancing. The authorities were a bit perturbed and needless to say, a riot nearly broke out. Later the theatre owner said that he was less worried about the rioting punters than the vibration from the sound system. Apparently some of the old theatre fixtures were wooden and very old.
One of your biggest tracks, In The Trees, was revived last year by Carl Craig amongst others. What’s it like hearing someone else mess about with one of your musical babies?
R: These days it is always a pleasure to hear how someone else uses your music. The Carl Craig remix has had a big impact and we are very happy with the result.
S: It’s definitely a pleasure to hear how someone else is going to interpret your music and I like Carl Craigs mix - it works very well and it had a big impact.
Speaking of which, who have you had the most fun remixing in the year?
R: Honestly I have enjoyed them all. It’s great to be asked to do a remix. You really feel like you are being valued. So you also feel some sense of responsibility not to disappoint.
S: It’s always a pleasure to be asked to do a mix. It means someone likes where you’re coming from and they are into what your doing. They are good because you have to come up with ideas quickly and make decisions on what works in a short space of time .
The whole nu-disco sound has really come into its own this year, with you guys producing some of the tastiest stuff in the general milieu. Who have you been influenced by in that area?
S: Everyone from The Idjut Boys to Reverso to DJ Harvey to Todd Terje to Lindstrom to Steve Kotey - we are always looking for old and new music to inspire us.
R: I listen to Reverso 68, LSB, Idjut Boys, Steve Kotey, stuff on Ambassadors Reception, Force of Nature and all the re-edited stuff. We listen to a lot of old music still. Space, Ganymede, Moroder, Vangelis, Voyage…
You worked with African musicians on tracks like Kariba – are you pleased to African music being incorporated by producers and DJs from around the world (e.g. Radioclit, Buraka Som Sistema, people playing DJ Mujava’s Township Funk, Damon Albarn’s ongoing work with musicians in the continent)?
R: Yes. There is such a lot of great music from Africa. People like it. They should be given the opportunity to hear it.
S: African Music for me is connected to most dance music in some way. The more people hear it the better
Have you always done things your own way, or have you had to work under the pressures of record companies for extended periods of time?
S: Sure we have worked under deadlines but labels generally leave you to get one with the job.
R: We have had the pressures of working with record companies in the past but we have never capitulated (if that is what you mean). Mostly the record companies see the value in what we do and leave us to deliver.
You’ve got a live show in the pipeline once again I see – tell us all…?
R: Yes, doing it live is the ultimate in any kind of performance for me. This time we have the pleasure of working with Mary Moore, who was touring with Groove Armada in the early days. Zeke Manyika is back as well. We did a small show in Cargo a few months ago just to test it all out and the reaction was just over whelming. We will be playing in Istanbul to see in the New Year. Next year you will see us touring quite a bit to promote our new album, which will be out in the spring.
S: Being involved in the live show is a great experience for me - in particular the recent one at Cargo. We are looking forward to playing more
If you could orchestrate a super-group of your favourite musicians of all time to jam with, who would you include and why?
R: I have been lucky enough to play with some of them already. As for the ones I haven’t had the pleasure of yet….. Harvey Mason (drummer). I just want to play that groove from Johnny Hammond’s Fantasy. Jaco Pastorius (Bassist) highly respected all over the world. Ryuji Sakamoto. He really has a feel for everything from classical to electronica and pop music too. Jimi Hendrix. Just to see if I can keep up.
Of musical trends of the last few years, what are your feelings on….
Dubstep?
Nu-rave/electro?
Minimal house & techno?
Bassline house?
S: Dubstep is growing and is very interesting…but for me if it’s a good record it gets played regardless of genre.
R: I don’t really know much about any of the above genres. I know what they are supposed to sound like generally but I’m more interested in the individual tracks. If it is a good record then I will play it.
Faze Action play in AKA at Need2Soul’s last ever party at The End this Saturday 13th December in London. Check www.need2soul.com for more details.
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