Andy C + Red One

In the heart of downtown Osaka, Japan, Club Triangle is one of the hottest nightclubs in town and, with prime location and amazing interior design, it attracts artists and DJs from around the world. At the beginning of June, Club Triangle celebrated its third anniversary by inviting two of the globe’s most respected DJs, Ram Records’ own Andy C and Red One, for an unforgettable evening. What makes Andy C and Red One such a treat is that they are two of the three founders of Ram Records. What’s more, Andy C’s amazing skill and Red One’s business wizardry are what gained the label international respect. For those unfamiliar, the most prevalent music style to come from Ram Records is Jungle Drum and Bass (JDB). JDB has been around for over 15 years and has a history so deep and colorful that it could illuminate the darkest part of any ocean. It is no wonder that Club Triangle’s event coordinator, Mr. Toyo, chose Andy C and Red One for this special event. The real question that remains is how the Japanese public feels about Jungle Drum and Bass. Although JDB pioneers Grooverider and Fabio first made landfall in Japan in 1993, JDB remains a mystery to most Japanese music patrons Club Triangle had many musical genres to choose from for their party. In Japan, hip-hop holds the most influence over today’s youth. Groups like Orange Range, Dragon Ash, Soul’d Out, and B-Dash all crowd the popular NHK program “Music Station.” If you were to play a track from Andy C’s critically acclaimed Nightlife: A Drum and Bass Odyssey you would probably receive more looks of confusion than anything else. But despite this lack of exposure, Mr. Toyo believed in JDB enough to take that chance, and there is nobody with more charisma and experience to educate the untrained Japanese ear than Andy C. Andy C, born Andrew Clarke, comes from the United Kingdom, where JDB originated. Due to the media’s lack of knowledge and erroneous reporting, most people believed that JDB was merely just a “black male phenomenon”, despite people like DJ Rap, who is neither black nor male and has astonished audiences worldwide with “wicked” beats. This brings us back to Andy C, who, going against the media’s stereotype, is a white male with short, brownish-black hair. Andy C, and his curly, red-haired associate/friend, Red One, have been knee-deep in the scene since its infancy. In Japan it can be tough to find a music store that carries albums from the Ram Records label. This poses one of the largest problems in exposing Japan’s youth to Jungle Drum and Bass. One way to get records or CDs into the stores is to tour. Andy C and Red One, both being smart business men, understand the importance of a good show, so when the clock struck 11:30 on that hot summer night in June, our heroes entered Club Triangle, ready to give Japan a reason to stock their shelves with more of the Ram Records catalog. To get to the DJ booth, Andy C and company were forced to walk across a dance floor filled with sweat-covered JDB enthusiasts. Once the headphones hit Andy’s ears, the crowd began to close-in on the stage. His set began slowly, getting the crowd to bounce a bit, but after a few minutes, and some quick finger maneuvering, Club Triangle became a madhouse. As the beats per minute increased, so did the power and intensity of the crowd. People were dancing with such passion and vehemence that the heat from their bodies caused those on the second and third floors to become drenched in sweat. The green-like acid rain effects turned Club Triangle into The Matrix and Andy C into Neo. He had complete control over everyone on the floor and, with Red One standing behind him, seemed right at home. This was the view from the DJ booth, but the vibe from the middle of the dance floor was that of the center of a storm. Mosh pits broke out, sweat was flying, and the green, red, and blue lights stimulated every sensor in the body. It was truly astonishing to see how deeply the Japanese audience got into the music. One could hear the word, “yabai!” being shouted in 10-minute intervals (the word “yabai” is Japanese slang for “awesome!”) Knowing how reserved Japanese audiences often are, it was fascinating to see so many people cut loose. Once Andy finished his set there was only one person talented enough to keep the vibe going, and that was Red One. Red One did not miss a beat as everyone in the audience dug deep within themselves to keep up with the music. The energy kept rising, and even Andy C could not stop himself from bouncing up and down. As the lasers and flashing lights continued to add to Red One’s mystical journey through the core parts of inner space, Andy C looked at the animated audience, then at me, and said, “this is the real shit.” By the time Red One finished his set the audience was like Jello. Despite being drenched with sweat and having dazed looks on their faces, everyone was smiling. Both Andy C and Red One could not have gotten a better reaction from the crowd. So how do the Japanese view JDB? The Japanese people who live away from the city and mostly listen to J-Pop have a hard time understanding JDB. They think it sounds like “a bunch of noise” despite its presence as shopping center and supermarket background music. The people in the city, however, who are more exposed to foreign styles of music, tend to have a more open-minded approach. When Japanese people listen to foreign music they often do not understand the lyrics, so their attention is drawn towards the vibe and energy of the song. JDB does not often focus its sound on lyrics, but rather on the energy, so Japanese people who are into music pick up on that instantly. This was proven during Andy C and Red One’s set when everyone in the club, mostly Japanese residents, rode the wave of music like professional surfers dominating the gigantic waves on Hawaii’s “Pipeline.” They loved what they were hearing and when time Red One played his last record the dance floor was still packed. Andy C and Red One are proof of the scene’s positivity. They travel across oceans to spread their unique sound to people who are desperately eager to hear it. As a child in school we are taught to never give up and follow our dreams. Through pirate radio, raves and parties, and true perseverance, JDB entrepreneurs, including Andy C and Red One, had their dreams of creating something special come true. Such are the kind of inspirational stories we should be telling our children at bedtime.