Hed Kandi. What do you think?

[ME]

Hmmm

Having grown up in West London around the Ealing area, I remember when Mr Doyle and his brother used to run clubs in Ealing and the surrounding area.

At the time they used to be frequented by a certain Mr Brandon Block and a Mr Jay Kay.

I can honestly say that Mark Doyle is in it for the Music and if him and Andy Norman weren't involved with Hed Kandi they would still be playing in small venues with a up-for-it crowd and enjoying it.

When back to love first came out it grew slowly, read the sleeve notes and see what I mean.

Mark Doyle and the Hed Kandi ethos just happened to strike a cord with a clubbing public who grew a little bit older than used to be acceptable and said 'its ok to still go out when your 25-30' or in my case a bit older still, and here's the type of music we like because we're the same age as you.

Don't knock it just because it's becoming successful, its all done for the right reasons, because they love the music.

The other thing is they seem to employ DJ's who think the same way, no pretentions just normal people who like to play good music to a good crowd.

I stayed at Es Vive this year and met a few of them, it was mentioned before on this post, they will chat and they will have a drink, and they will even buy you one back if you're nice to them.

See you all at Pacha on the 22nd November.

 

[lil' Joey]

ME. You have hit the proverbial nail on the hed. People DJing because the love it. Not the band wagon DJ's thrown out ten a penny. Everytime i go to a hed kandi gig, dj's are willing to chat, have a drink (and even share theirs, cheers Mr Jones) and have a laugh with you. They dont put a beefy bouncer on the booth enterance. They enjoy the night as much as the paying public do. And as i have said before, isn't that what clubbing is all about. Having a good time with your mates, new and old. I so want to become a hed kandi dj, i love the music they play and the crowd to play to. So Mr Doyle if youreading this, help me out will ya.

 

[N8]

Have you notice how everyone else is trying to copy the Jason Brooks style artwork.

why,

who else has a similar artwork?

Loads of sh1t cheesey similar albums.....

 

[macdonsj]

Now, the Hed Kandi music style isn't exactly my fave but......

Have heard the cds - good to listen to

Not been to a Hed Kandi night - heard good reports tho

In summation, Hed Kandi are to be applauded for putting on great nights up and down the country without resorting to

a) "Superstar" djs
b) Changing to music policy to a more "popular" variety.

Definitely Hed Kandi is a very good thing for the UK & beyond

and if the Hed Kandi people wanna pop guesties in the post to me for the Colours night next month then the praise would definitely be amplified

 

[ED CASE]

Is'nt overated and nothing special kinda the same thing

 

[G Kandi]

Up until now I've been a Voyeur on this forum. It gave me the low down on the Ibiza scene before my first visit this year for the opening parties and its cool to come back on every now and then to see whats cooking.

I thought I'd pop my forum cherry by responding on this Hed Kandi issue.

Its plain to see - by the amount of text typed on here - that Kandi has really shaken things up in the clubbing universe, especially in the last 12 months. I for one totally applaud what they have done and are continuing to do.

The whole clubbing experience has for me always never been about going out and munching your way through an obscene amount of Jack and Jills so you can 'really feel the music'. Battery Farm Clubbing has never floated my boat.

Clubbing should be about going out and losing yourself for a while - escaping if you will, hearing some top quality tunes and dancing with a smile on your face. I've found that you can only do that with Kandi.

Their nights are truly amazing. Its an absolute event from the minute you walk through the door. Pascha in London really amplifies the vibe and the main room is dipped in disco juice. If this is what Studio 54 was like back in the day then bring it on. The only bad point is that they may fill it up a tad too much but I've always liked a bit of space to boogie in!

El Divino was never on the same page as London but I was greeted by friendly Kandi staff - a change from the baboons at Space and Pascha - and as I walked onto the Balconies I realised why Kandi chose to play here. After his set you could not get Matt Collins off the dancefloor! The last time I saw that was when Paul Trouble Anderson took over from L L Vega at a Garage City night back in 1998.

Where I personally think the Kandi music/vibe generates from is the song. Remember that my fellow 'clubbers'? 90% of the stuff they play is verse, chorus, verse, bridge, chorus. Some may call it cheesy but I don't think this is a bad thing. Much better than getting your ear drum perforated from a Van Dick/shiT-iesto tweek of a computer programme. You call that crap music? Absolutely soulless in my opinion!

The compilations, through their many guises are great and I agree that they benefit from Brooke's artwork. Although they are about to release their first mixed cd, World series I think its called, having un-mixed tunes on them really sticks 2 fingers up at the rest of the dance music scene and is nothing short of ground breaking. Not sure that the last couple have had totally full length mixes on them though as heard a much longer version of 'Mysterious Vibes' played by Kerri Chandler @ Pinup, but I can live with that.

Anyway enough of my rumblings, I've got to go and get a new Bucci bag for the next Kandi instalment on the 22nd.

One love

 

[nish]

what a first post

 

[Kang]

Re: Hmmm

Having grown up in West London around the Ealing area, I remember when Mr Doyle and his brother used to run clubs in Ealing and the surrounding area.

At the time they used to be frequented by a certain Mr Brandon Block and a Mr Jay Kay.

I can honestly say that Mark Doyle is in it for the Music and if him and Andy Norman weren't involved with Hed Kandi they would still be playing in small venues with a up-for-it crowd and enjoying it.

When back to love first came out it grew slowly, read the sleeve notes and see what I mean.

Mark Doyle and the Hed Kandi ethos just happened to strike a cord with a clubbing public who grew a little bit older than used to be acceptable and said 'its ok to still go out when your 25-30' or in my case a bit older still, and here's the type of music we like because we're the same age as you.

Don't knock it just because it's becoming successful, its all done for the right reasons, because they love the music.

The other thing is they seem to employ DJ's who think the same way, no pretentions just normal people who like to play good music to a good crowd.

I stayed at Es Vive this year and met a few of them, it was mentioned before on this post, they will chat and they will have a drink, and they will even buy you one back if you're nice to them.

See you all at Pacha on the 22nd November.

I think you are right about the older crowd. As a jazzfunk/soul girl in my youth I really enjoyed the first Hed Kandi cds because I remembered those tracks the first time round when I was in my teens and still have them on vinyl and was excited to hear them being played out again and I think because my boyfriend and his mates use to see Mark play locally it's all the more fun, you know "I remember when ..."

The one criticsim I do have is that the cds are being banged out so quickly that we aren't really hanging around for the next one - there is definitely a case for overkill.

We went to our first Hed Kandi night in Ibiza this year and I have to say I expected the night to be a bit like a cheesy club at home - glad to say I was wrong! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. There was a great party atmosphere and it was a really good start to our holiday (albeit I found El Divino a bit on the bright side) - so much so we are all going along to our first Kandi night in London on 22 - in fact I've recruited all the lads to come along too 8)

 

[Kang]

G Kandi - enjoyed reading your post - it's great when you see DJs enjoying their own music set. Your post reminded me of see Paul Trouble dancing along to Young Hearts, Kings of Tomorrow - just the best!

 

[G Kandi]

Hey Kang!

That dude sure knows how to dance! He'd always slip in a cheekey shuffle behind the decks when he used to play at the Loft in Camden.

 

[Charlie5]

I went to Hed Kandi at Pacha in London in the summer and was sorry to say I wasn't that impressed
Music started off as really good, and just went downhill during the night, they ended up playing crap chart dance stuff towards the end!!!!!!
Semed to be a bit of attitude in there as well!! Much prefer "Dusted"!!

 

[Kang]

I went to Hed Kandi at Pacha in London in the summer and was sorry to say I wasn't that impressed
Music started off as really good, and just went downhill during the night, they ended up playing crap chart dance stuff towards the end!!!!!!
Semed to be a bit of attitude in there as well!! Much prefer "Dusted"!!

I went to a few dusted nights last year and really didn't like it - found them far too young and so the club emptied by 2ish - is it still like that?

 

[Charlie5]

I went to Hed Kandi at Pacha in London in the summer and was sorry to say I wasn't that impressed
Music started off as really good, and just went downhill during the night, they ended up playing crap chart dance stuff towards the end!!!!!!
Semed to be a bit of attitude in there as well!! Much prefer "Dusted"!!

I went to a few dusted nights last year and really didn't like it - found them far too young and so the club emptied by 2ish - is it still like that?

I've only been to a couple of nights and really enjoyed the music. Didn't think the crowd was young - I'm 27, and the crowd did seem to be made up of older people. I suppose every night can be a bit different.

 

[Kang]

When we went the crowd was much, much younger than 27. It was almost like all students were back home for Easter and let out!
Maybe we'll give it another go. The other thing we noticed was that it was very light in there compared to other nights in Pacha.

 

[lil' Joey]

Up until now I've been a Voyeur on this forum. It gave me the low down on the Ibiza scene before my first visit this year for the opening parties and its cool to come back on every now and then to see whats cooking.

I thought I'd pop my forum cherry by responding on this Hed Kandi issue.

Its plain to see - by the amount of text typed on here - that Kandi has really shaken things up in the clubbing universe, especially in the last 12 months. I for one totally applaud what they have done and are continuing to do.

The whole clubbing experience has for me always never been about going out and munching your way through an obscene amount of Jack and Jills so you can 'really feel the music'. Battery Farm Clubbing has never floated my boat.

Clubbing should be about going out and losing yourself for a while - escaping if you will, hearing some top quality tunes and dancing with a smile on your face. I've found that you can only do that with Kandi.

Their nights are truly amazing. Its an absolute event from the minute you walk through the door. Pascha in London really amplifies the vibe and the main room is dipped in disco juice. If this is what Studio 54 was like back in the day then bring it on. The only bad point is that they may fill it up a tad too much but I've always liked a bit of space to boogie in!

El Divino was never on the same page as London but I was greeted by friendly Kandi staff - a change from the baboons at Space and Pascha - and as I walked onto the Balconies I realised why Kandi chose to play here. After his set you could not get Matt Collins off the dancefloor! The last time I saw that was when Paul Trouble Anderson took over from L L Vega at a Garage City night back in 1998.

Where I personally think the Kandi music/vibe generates from is the song. Remember that my fellow 'clubbers'? 90% of the stuff they play is verse, chorus, verse, bridge, chorus. Some may call it cheesy but I don't think this is a bad thing. Much better than getting your ear drum perforated from a Van Dick/shiT-iesto tweek of a computer programme. You call that crap music? Absolutely soulless in my opinion!

The compilations, through their many guises are great and I agree that they benefit from Brooke's artwork. Although they are about to release their first mixed cd, World series I think its called, having un-mixed tunes on them really sticks 2 fingers up at the rest of the dance music scene and is nothing short of ground breaking. Not sure that the last couple have had totally full length mixes on them though as heard a much longer version of 'Mysterious Vibes' played by Kerri Chandler @ Pinup, but I can live with that.

Anyway enough of my rumblings, I've got to go and get a new Bucci bag for the next Kandi instalment on the 22nd.

One love

G Kandi i could not agrre with you more. Well said

 

[IBIZALISA]

I went to a few dusted nights last year and really didn't like it - found them far too young and so the club emptied by 2ish - is it still like that?

Been to quite a few of them lately, and every time I've been had an excellent night, didnt seem too young in there to me either. I find Pacha does empty sometimes quite early, but if you got Rob Marmot playing the last set, that genuinly seems to work

 

[djchewie]

my 2 pence worth...

ok, way back in time (well 2 yrs ago), my idea of clubbing was trance, hard house, progressive... fine at first... but after doing the same old every other week for 2yrs, it got kinda bored and i noticed that there is a hell of a lot of pretentious b****cks going on too, with people going to clubs just to be seen cos some mag has said so...

then, whilst rummaging through the sales at hmv, i came across some compilations which has some wicked artwork and really stood out from everything else... was disco kandi 5...double cd... 24 tracks... £7.99... bargain! (i do shop like a woman!)

took it home... played it... and loved it!

since then ive got all the disco kandi, disco heaven, back 2 love, nu cool, beach house and stereo sushi cds...

call me odd or a freak for wanting to get them all, by ever release has a few tracks on it that i want! - why? cos i bought cd decks! - used to buy mix compilations, ok, some are good, still buy the odd one now and again... but now i can mix to a reasonable level, id rather make my own 80 min cd than spend £15 - plus its much more fun!

as for the Kandi nights, been to 2... took me over a year to find time to get my arse to one... was in brighton, while visiting a mate... hatty lovehearts and mark doyle... top night! - even had time to have a bit of a chat after, something which doesnt happen much these days with DJs... went to the last kandi party in ibiza... and that too was complete opposite to the crap i witnessed at cream closing... who in my opinion offered no value... a mostly aggressive crowd...

cheers Hed Kandi for putting a smile back on my face!

 

[mambobirdette]

my 2 pence worth...

ok, way back in time (well 2 yrs ago), my idea of clubbing was trance, hard house, progressive... fine at first... but after doing the same old every other week for 2yrs, it got kinda bored and i noticed that there is a hell of a lot of pretentious b****cks going on too, with people going to clubs just to be seen cos some mag has said so...

then, whilst rummaging through the sales at hmv, i came across some compilations which has some wicked artwork and really stood out from everything else... was disco kandi 5...double cd... 24 tracks... £7.99... bargain! (i do shop like a woman!)

took it home... played it... and loved it!

since then ive got all the disco kandi, disco heaven, back 2 love, nu cool, beach house and stereo sushi cds...

call me odd or a freak for wanting to get them all, by ever release has a few tracks on it that i want! - why? cos i bought cd decks! - used to buy mix compilations, ok, some are good, still buy the odd one now and again... but now i can mix to a reasonable level, id rather make my own 80 min cd than spend £15 - plus its much more fun!

as for the Kandi nights, been to 2... took me over a year to find time to get my arse to one... was in brighton, while visiting a mate... hatty lovehearts and mark doyle... top night! - even had time to have a bit of a chat after, something which doesnt happen much these days with DJs... went to the last kandi party in ibiza... and that too was complete opposite to the crap i witnessed at cream closing... who in my opinion offered no value... a mostly aggressive crowd...

cheers Hed Kandi for putting a smile back on my face!

Loved ya mix by the way hun, ive been sent a few from ppl pff ere & i have to say that so far yours is my fave. Played it fri night while i was gettin ready to go out. I can see me playing it for a while too.
xx

 

[djchewie]

Loved ya mix by the way hun, ive been sent a few from ppl pff ere & i have to say that so far yours is my fave. Played it fri night while i was gettin ready to go out. I can see me playing it for a while too.
xx

thanks for yr kind words, im glad u enjoyed it!

 

[*Saffy*]

Blimey ... why didnt I see this post till now?

I'm going to sneak back onto another board now and cut and paste


" There is a danger that todays Dance Music will disappear up it`s own arse (like Northern soul did).
Honesty not snobbery should prevail - we like to party , we like good music ,we like a drink and we like to take drugs.

Let`s celebrate the fact we can go to our obscure nights , and let`s revere the latest big name DJ , and let`s keep arguing about which mix is the best - BUT let us never forget we are here to party and have a good time , our music gives us something that rock fans and pop fans never have - we will always appreciate a good vibe and always look for something new.

Hed Kandi deliver the total party vibe ! "

Wise words .. there's room for us all ...