Domu: No major discoveries. I have an OK collection of Jazz-Funk. I need more Brazilian and Afro Beat records. I buy a lot classic Detroit records that I missed, a fair bit of hip hop, old and new. I think I only have around 3000 or 4000 records, but I find it hard to keep on top of these, so any more and I’d be lost. I just trim away things which I don’t like or need anymore. I still thank God some of the first old music I got was Weather Report, such a wealth of sounds and breaks on these LPs. Loads of early Domu came from sounds from the 70s LPs of this band. I always check anything on ECM, the German jazz label which was home to Keith Jarrett, etc. And have most of the LPs from my favourite groups like Pleasure, Earth, Wind and Fire, and Mizell Brothers Productions.
Emmerald: What other artists and experiences have influenced the styles of music you make?
Domu: From my youth, my love of hip-hop gave me a love the original breaks, so that put me into the classics of Jazz and Funk. From there I was in a band which got a bit into Acid Jazz and live music around ‘94, so I started checking Brazilian and Afro music around that time. Later on, I started getting into Detroit techno and then House, then Disco. Also now I hear some folky funk elements that I’m starting to get into. My biggest influences are 4hero, Kaidi Tatham, Azymuth, Stevie Wonder, early Dillinja and Photek, Jay Dee, Theo Parrish.
Emmerald: What was the name of the band you were in ’94? Did you release any cds/albums/8-tracks?
Domu: Only demos from the time. We were called The Collective Unconscious, all the guys and girls from the band make up my mainstay of musical contributors, like Robert Marin was the bass player, and I do Bakura with him now. Daniel Vacchio was the drummer, he does Vaceo. Nicola Kramer was vocalist etc.
Emmerald: You are one of the more prolific dance music artists today. What other projects are you working on now? And speaking of Nicola Kramer, what's up with the nix album?
Domu: The Bakura LP is finished and will be out in Japan in August on Village Again. The songs will come out on separate 12” for the DJs on Especial. If any U.S. label would like to pick this up, then go ahead and contact me from my website www.dom-uniqueproductions.co.uk. The Nix LP is long overdue to be finished. I hope this summer I
can do it. Future remixes to be released include Daedelus, Mark De Clive Lowe, Phuturistix, Teddy Rok 7 and a few others.
Emmerald: You've got quite a few different monikers, Sonar circle, Bakura, Domu, Umod, Rima, etc., are each
of those reflective of you working with someone else? How do you manage all of those different voices as you’ve got everything from jazz to hip-hop going on.
Domu: As you say, it is merely to give an identity to a project which has someone else in it. I can’t call everything Dom N Dave, or Domu and Marin; they all need a reference point. And the fact they are so different means I can do any style of music and not be criticised for changing my sound too much. If I start getting into rock, which is doubtful, but that would require a new name too.
Emmerald: And since we’re on that, can you break down your various projects by name and collaborator?
Domu: Rima = Domu and Volcov ( Enrico from Archive and ISOUL8 on Neroli Bakura = Domu and Robert Marin;
Yotoko = Domu and Shifty; Sonar Circle = Domu and Jaimie Norman; Umod is me; Zoltar is me._z_dancemusic_z_);
