Groove Junkies

MoreHouse, Swank, Om

05.22.2007 ::: Words by Andrew Reid, Pics by Photog

They DJ, they write, they produce, they remix... Evan Landes & Parrish Wintersmith collectively known as Groove Junkies, have crafted a style influenced by soul, funk, r&b, jazz, gospel, and latin rhythms. Pumping grooves, uplifting lyrics, and undeniable hooks are the signature elements that define Groove Junkies sound. Born and raised in New York and Detroit respectively, Landes & Wintersmith have methodically gained support from a legion of fans throughout the global dance community via their consistent quality of work and an unbridled passion for soulful house music.

GJ’s live club sets have showcased their collective talent on an international level at some of the hottest clubs/festivals throughout the world. As headliners they've played to packed venues from the North of England in Manchester at the extremely popular Angel Deelite Party, to the South in London at state of the art hotspot Neighborhood (formerly owned by Ben Watt). Featured guest appearances at Craig Barlett's slammin' Lamerica Party in Wales, world renowned EL Divino in Ibiza, as well as stops in Australia, Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland, Norway, Barcelona, Mexico, and various cities throughout the US, have bolstered their reputation amongst clublands elite DJ's.

Most recently their Om Summer Sessions Tour in 2006 found them performing at various venues and stages around the world such as The Electric Daisy Carnival and Deep in So. California, DNA in San Francisco, the F.I.N.C. 2006 Festival in Acapulco, and Pacha in Ibiza with their friend and mentor Frankie Knuckles. Their recent nomination for "Breakthrough DJs" at the prestigious Ibiza DJ Awards held at Pacha in Sept. 2006 offered well deserved recognition of Groove Junkies exceptional DJing skills, and impeccable programming ability.

From the release of the first record “Inside My Soul” on Landes' MoreHouse Records label in 2002, GJs could claim in their legion of support legendary DJ's such as Frankie Knuckles, Louie Vega, David Morales, Ben Watt, Brian Tappert, and Tony Humphries to name a few. Moving from strength to strength on each release, subsequent original GJ's productions that have rocked dance floors throughout the world include chart toppers such as "Deeper", "Gonna Get By" PT 1 & 2, “Oh Lord”, “Midnight”, “Didn't I Bring You Love”, “Sunshine” (Sol Brillante), “Music's Gotcha Jumpin’”, “Just Groovin’”, “Devotion” PT 1 & 2, “Dr. Feelgood”, and Paradise”. GJs have have garnered numerous #1, Top 5, and Top 10 honors on the DJ Mag Hype Charts with their original productions, and were nominated for “Breakthrough Producers” at the House Music Awards which were held in London in late 2005.

Remix projects include their recent treatments of Leela James “Good Time” on Warner Bros., Pussycat Dolls smash hit “StickWitU” on A&M, Frankie Knuckles feat. Jamie Principle "Because Of Your Love" (as featured on FK’s Dub J’s Delight Album) on Definety Records, Jay J feat. Latrice Barnett “Love Is” on Ultra, Richard Earnshaw “Inside & Out” on Duffnote, and both Chuck Love “Soul Symphony” & Samantha James “Rise” on OM Records. Previous remix projects include Frankie Knuckles feat. Nicki Richards “I've Had Enough” in 2005, and “Matter Of Time” in 2004, their hugely successful remix of Ben Watt's “Lone Cat (Holding On)” on Buzzin' Fly Records.

Many of their original productions, and remixes have been licensed for compilations such as Ministry of Sound’s “Sessions” and “Ritmo de Bacardi”, Defected’s “Connected”, “Wax Wars”, and “In The House” series, Hed Kandi’s “Disco Kandi” and “Stereo Sushi” series, Om’s “10 A Decade Of Future Music” and “Sessions” series, Frankie Knuckles “Armani Exchange Mix”, and Seamless’ “Bargrooves” series.

Consistency, growth, and versatility both in the studio and in live settings have afforded the highly sought after duo many unique opportunities ranging from Guest DJ sets for world renowned Tiffany’s Jewelers 40th Anniversary Party in Beverly Hills, and Casio/G-Shock in Hollywood, to remixing the Duke Ellington standard “Caravan” for the acclaimed “Upstairs At Larry’s” project. Their unforgettable set on the 2004 Detroit Movement Festival’s main stage proved to be pivotal in showcasing GJs ability to rock a few thousand rain soaked hardcore electronic dance enthusiasts with their own brand of hybrid soul/funk house. Later that year they were commissioned to do their first guest mix for Seamless Recordings. Their Bargrooves “Mimosa” mix still stands as one of the most successful compilations in the series, putting their deft programming skills on full display. Most recently in the summer of 2006 GJs applied their DJing magic again on two mixed compilations - “Om Summer Sessions”, and “Afterdark/Los Angeles” on Kinkysweet (their fourth now in a two year span). Both compilations, while different in their approach, served as bold follow-ups to GJs critically acclaimed “House of OM” Mix in 2005, which received “Compilation of the Month” status in numerous trade publications and worldwide critical acclaim. GJs forthcoming mixed comp.

“Late Night with Groove Junkies”, available now on the ultra hip Swank Recordings imprint, promises to deliver on all fronts. Groove Junkies are constantly raising their marketability by taking time from their hectic schedule to appear as guest DJ's on various international radio shows such as Roger S’ Release Yourself Show, Ministry of Sound Radio, & Hed Kandi Radio in the UK, UDM in Switzerland, Radio Italia in Italy, Radio 1 in Norway, The Move on XM, and KCRW & Power Tools on in their hometown of Los Angeles.

Nocturnal:Last time we talked you were on your way to debut at Pacha in Ibiza . What was that exepreince like? Anything lined up for the 2007 season?
Evan:It was a very surreal moment. We were invited to play by our good friend Frankie Knuckles, who closed the night after our set at the Def Mix Party. The place is massive, and the energy was intense. There were people literally hanging off the rafters, and we did our thing. I knew we had a tight set when Frankie came into the booth and gave us each a big hug, and thanked us for making his job that much easier that night. It was truly our pleasure. All the folks that looked after us were amazing hosts. It’s a top venue, and we’re hoping to get back there this summer.

Nocturnal: What message do you try to provide with your music? How would you describe your sound?
Parrish: I know this may sound cliché but I’d say we try to convey peace, love, fun, and all the positive forces the aforementioned items encompass. We even attempt to tap into the spiritual consciousness of people with certain tracks we play. I‘d like to think we also help folks forget about their problems for a little while… lighten things up for the few hours they have with us and hopefully give them something to take home and remember. As for our sound, well…it embodies all our musical influences from over the years (jazz, soul, funk, gospel, rock, disco, afro, latin, the synth/electronic driven sounds of the 80s, & everything else in between) to the present, hence the GJ sound.

Nocturnal: Your latest mix CD, Late Nite with Groove Junkies - on Swank, is a wealth of wonderful, smooth and sexy house music. What did you try to convey with this mix? What gems should we look for on the comp?
Evan: When we conceptualize any mix we always try to take people on a little mini journey, and tell a story via the lyrical content of the songs and tracks we use. I think the opening phrase on the first cut by Mr. V sets the tone when he says “Stop…Put Your Drink Down”. It’s about getting lost in the music, blowing off some steam, and getting your party on. The mix takes a few twists and turns along the way, touching on a variety of soulful house styles, and various lyrical content. I think the end result is a very positive, uplifting 74 minute workout for your mind, body, & soul. Our fans can expect some of the freshest tracks from the hottest artists, and producers on the planet - such as Dennis Ferrer, Ce Ce Peniston, Kenny Bobien, & Jay J. We’ve also included a few upfront heaters from our MoreHouse imprint, such as TC Moses’ “Free Your Mind”, Indeya’s “Music’s Gotcha Jumpin’ 2007”, and a new GJ original titled “Get Deep, Go Undaground” feat. Robert Max that we signed to Swank. Be on the lookout ya’ll. There’s some serious heat on this mix!!

Nocturnal: What singles on MoreHouse and/or remixes should we be expecting from you in the near future?
Parrish: We are ecstatic about our current MoreHouse single, “Groove Junkies feat Indeya – Music’s Gotcha Jumpin’ 2007”. The original release from 2005 was very well received by the international dance music community at large. “Jumpin’ 2007” pulls out all the stops with killer remixes by Jay-J & Liquid People pres Danism. We’re even gonna go a step further by releasing a PT 2 of this heater. The PT 2 release will feature a remix by a talented young brother out of New Jersey by the name of Mike Hirsch (aka M Sol). Don’t sleep y’all.
We’ve have a multiplicity of things in various stages. There is a forthcoming new MoreHouse
joint that will feature the one & only Solara. We’ve just finished tracking vocals on a new project with a singer who goes by the name, Morrison. Not only that, but we will be finishing up a remix on Morrison that is slated for release on Swank Recordings. That one is entitled, “Shine On”. We’ve just finished a remix for our good friend Mr Mike (MapDance Records, Switzerland) entitled Miles Numan “Tropical Paradise”. It doesn’t stop there either y’all! We’re extremely excited to announce the launch of our monthly syndicated radio show, “MoHo Stereo” which officially aired April of 2007 on various networks & websites worldwide.

Nocturnal: What are your production weapons of choice? Mac/PC, software/hardware?
Evan: We use a Mac G4, outfitted with Logic Pro. A few of our plug-ins of choice are the Waves bundle package, Akoustic Piano (we’ll never want for real piano sounds again!), Hammond B4, & Guitar Amplitude. We still also love & utilize the Roland 3080 module for certain sounds. We do our best to keep up with the shifting trends in technology, but to a point. If you’re not careful you can easily get lost in it all because the turnover of new product never ends. As for other ‘weapons’, We still feel nothing takes the place of a good song, lyric, melody, & arrangement (and a slammin’ track to go with all the above).

Nocturnal: As the digital revolution continues to grow, how do you see it impacting our industry going forward?
Parrish: For the past five to ten years or so, the digital medium has impacted the music industry at large - even the majors. It’s forced us all to change our business model. I think there’s really no debating the facts – the digital realm is the present & future. In terms of vinyl, the digital medium has brought about a domino affect. From manufacturers to distributors to record shops and right on down the line – there are fewer of each. It’s definitely having an impact on the old way of selling music, although there still are the purists out there who like the feel, and warmth that vinyl offers, and would never have it any other way. One thing about the digital revolution is that it is so accessable, and does seem to have a lot of people listening to music again. There are tons of listeners out there with discerning ears who are tired of being limited to whatever mainstream media is forcing down their throats. The digital world gives them choices and options. There are hundreds of thousands of folks – I would even say millions – that really love the music of our scene. The KEY I believe, is to bring about global awareness so that folks will know where & how to purchase this music either digitally, or on vinyl

Nocturnal: In your opinion what other producers out there are really pushing boundaries or making a big impact on our scene?
Evan: There are some serious cats out there whom we have deep respect for, and also feel are making an impact in this scene. Among them are: Dennis Ferrer, Hardsoul, Jay-J, Spen, Grant Nelson, Joey Negro, Liquid People, Danism, Jimpster, Ame, Fudge, Meme, Timmy Vegas, Rasmus Faber, Andy Caldwell, Quinten Harris, John Julius Knight, Alex Alvirez, ATFC, Axwell, & two young fellas called the Martinez Bros. There are a host of others who fit this description as well. Be on the lookout for an up and comer from Jersey named Mike Hirsch (aka M Sol). Homeboy is baaad!

Nocturnal: As have most, you're hooked up on MySpace. How have you utilized that community to further your reach? Have you stumbled across any old faces you had lost touch with?
Parrish: Needless to say, MySpace is a wonderful promotional & outreach tool. We do our best to include all pertinent info regarding us & MoreHouse Records within our page, We strive to take full advantage of blogging our friends with all the latest MoHo/GJ news & updates. We keep the audio player fully stocked with samples of our latest projects. One of the cool attributes of MySpace (among many) is that it’s a vehicle of reciprocity in that, as much as you are seeking people out, there is a great amount of people looking to reach you as well. In actuality once a visitor hits our page - provided they navigate it thoroughly - they will get a really good grasp on what we’re about. That said, we hope to continue adding to our audience as a result of taking advantage of all that MySpace has to offer. In response to your question of ‘old faces’, we definitely have come in contact with some over the course of time. It’s a blessing to receive the various responces from folks the world over. It’s very humbling actually. Everyone, please stop by and check us out at: www.myspace.com/morehouserecords. God bless you all out there and we thank u for the love and support .

Nocturnal: Lastly here are some quick shots:
Nocturnal: CD, Vinyl, or MP3?
Evan: CD.
Parrish: Ditto.
Nocturnal: What's more likely... vinyl making a comeback or a non-trance DJ being rated #1 in the DJ Mag poll?
Parrish: I’m not confident that either will take place.
Evan: Vinyl making a comeback.
Nocturnal: Favourite travel destinations for vacation?
Parrish: Australia & Ibiza.
Evan: Various countries in Europe, Australia, and Mexico.
Nocturnal: Favourite travel destinations for performing?
Evan: Ibiza, and the UK.
Parrish: Ditto.
Nocturnal: Favourite venue in the world?
Parrish: Pacha – Ibiza.
Evan: Ditto.
Nocturnal: Most indispensable item you travel with?
Evan: Passport & cds.
Parrish: Ditto.
Nocturnal: Most embarrassing performance moment?
Evan: Having the sound system at the National Hotel in South Beach go completely out during the first mix of our first set ever at WMC years ago. It wasn’t cute. In our defense it happened 3 times the next day at the National at the Defected Party as well.

::: Related Links

::: www.morehouserecords.com

::: www.myspace.com/morehouserecords