Long-renowned for his boundary-pushing beats, Kormac is an Irish DJ, producer, and composer whose genre-bending career spans hip-hop, big band, electronica, orchestral composition, and film scores.
Earlier this month, he unveiled the single Hazy, the ninth release on his Always The Sound imprint and an integral part of his new live show, which blends live electronica with custom 3D visuals.
Hazy was inspired by Kormac’s formative years, as the young DJ and producer immersed himself in Dublin clubland. “I started DJing very shortly after I started going to clubs,” he says. “At the time Dublin was small and blaggable, full of weekly nights with residents who really knew their craft. We’d move between venues – my first real exposure to proper house music – and the best parts were often the moments on the street in between.”
With that in mind, for the latest #MyRecordBag, Kormac shares ten tracks that defined his Dublin clubbing memories.
Nuyorican Soul – I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun (4 Hero Remix)
“I first heard this track when Damien Lazarus opened with it in front of about 20 people, DJIng in-store in, the now defunct, Outlaw Records. The most amazing take on the Rotary Connection classic.”
Slam – Positive Education
“One of the first tracks I ever learned to mix with. Massive thanks to my buddy Graham for teaching me about cueing up records and getting things in time! Still so huge. I was in an edit suite with a bunch of people working on a new series the other day and they had this in as temp music. Timeless.”
Jeff Mills – The Bells
“I still remember the first time I heard this in a club. It was in The Kitchen in Temple Bar. My friends and I had discovered it on his Live at ‘the Liquid Room mix CD and we were obsessed with it. I still have this record…”
Switch – A Bit Patchy
“This one resonates as it spanned genres and I remember hearing it in loads of different clubs/contexts. Everyone from the techno guys, the house DJs, hip hop heads and people who played across the board – like myself – smashed this. It just worked everywhere.”
Adam F – Brand New Funk
“I’ve a very clear memory of Fabio opening with this before it came out. Brought the house down. It had that rare thing of being really vibrant and not too heavy, but still had enough energy and intensity to make a real mark.
DJ Die – Clear Sky
“This one’s here cause I hammered it everywhere I played for about five years during my drum n’ bass days. A classic from Bristol.”
Congo Natty – Champion DJ (99 Mix)
“I popped this one in for my pals. This tune reminds me of the journeys in, the journeys home, the excitement! The roughest jungle from Congo Natty with the most hooky ragga vocal.”
Mr Scruff – Whiplash
“Mr Scruff was among the biggest influences on my early releases and I saw almost all his early Dublin shows – and some others in London and Berlin. I loved his aesthetic and the way his music, and his DJ sets, took in a huge variety of tempos and styles, yet were unmistakably him.”
Quantic Presents Flowering Inferno – Cuidad del Swing
“A kind of continuation of the above. I used to pop rap acapellas over this all the time. That piano hook is insane.”
Marshall Jefferson – Move Your Body
“One of the first big name DJs I ever saw play in Dublin. And nice to finish with a classic…”
Thanks to Kormac for his selections. Hazy is out now on Always The Sound and can be downloaded/streamed here.
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