Joe Morris - Clandestino - Ask the DJ

DJing for almost twenty years, Joe Morris is a true professional when it comes to handling a pair of decks and his exceptional and versatile talents have led him to play clubs and festivals all over Europe. His love for music and talent as a DJ soon turned his attention towards music production. His style favours a contemporary deep house sound while dipping into the past for inspirations, most notably Chicago house . As a DJ and producer he has released tracks out on the labels - Paper, El Diablos Social Club and IsItBalearic.

Joe is known as one of the most respected promoters at the heart of the Leeds music night scene running the night Clandestino alongside Nick Smith and Iain Mac. Joe has been responsible for booking acts such as Erol Alkan, Todd Terje and Simian Mobile Disco long before they became established.

Alongside his DJing and producing He also finds time to write regularly for Movement magazine.

Here's Joe's answers to our 'Ask The DJ' acid house questions...

1.What was your first acid house moment?

It wasn’t something that I experienced directly as I was just a little bit too young to be there but I can remember when the first acid house parties were happening in Blackburn in 1989. You could hear the sound systems playing all night and still going strong on Sunday morning and that’s when I knew something different and exciting was happening that I wanted to be a part of.

2. Favourite club/night ever?

Basics at the Mint Club between 1998 – 2002 was probably as good as it gets.

3. Best acid house debauchery moment?

I’m not one to name check DC10 in Ibiza as it’s not really my cup of tea but the first time I went there in the early 2000s it was and still remains one the edgiest clubbing experiences I’ve ever been in. The atmosphere was bordering on dangerous and it felt that anything could happen at any moment and sometimes did which made it wildly exciting. There was a very heavy gay presence at the time which really added to the mix but there were pockets of people all over the club just totally vibing and doing there own thing; you’d see all sorts of very debauched things going and you were lucky to make it back if you went to the toilet. So anyway in answer to the question it was very, very acid house. Just people from all backgrounds having the time of their life which is of course what acid house is all about

4. Guilty pleasure always in your box?

Depends what you’d define as a guilty pleasure I suppose but Michael McDonald – ‘Sweet Freedom’ is usually lurking in there. It’s almost a sort of proto-house track, great use of the Roland 707 drum machine.

5. Guilty pleasure not in the box!?

Dire Straits – ‘Money For Nothin’. I have actually been known to play this a few times at the end of a set, its gets a very mixed reaction you wont be surprised to hear. The production on it is great though.

6. Give us one of your favourite and hard to find records in your collection?

Its an EP by a little known band called Witch Queen which was actually put together by Gino Soccio in 1979. Its got this mad but totally awesome disco cover of Free – ‘All Right Now’. It’s actually not that hard to find to be honest, but I’m proud that I found it as its a pretty obscure record.

7. Biggest DJ fail / clear the dance floor moment?

Apart from the classic taking the needle off the wrong record whilst still playing (which I actually did the other week for the first time in about 15 years), there was an after party in London once where I couldn’t find my headphones but thought I could still play perfectly well without them. Needless to say the first mix was a disaster and totally killed the vibe. I didn’t carry on after that. Another time I was playing after Greg Wilson and was so pissed that I tried to play my first record while he was still preparing his last tune and I totally cut his mix out. That was deeply embarrassing actually…

8. Favourite labels?

From the top of my head some of my current favourite labels are International Feel, Ene, Emotional Especial, Love on the Rocks, IsitBalearic? and Parkway Rhythm

9. Favourite producer / producers?

Morgan Geist, James Murphy, Coyote, Todd Terje, Lindstrom. Too many to mention really. Non-house wise I’d like to mention Quincy Jones, the late great Martin Hannett, Brendan Lynch who does a lot of Paul Weller’s stuff and of course Nile Rodgers.

10. Who to watch from the new school?

Man Power, Ess O Ess, Khidja, Craig Bratley and err Clandestino.

11 Current favourite track?

Mark E – ‘Magazine’ is getting the most plays at the moment, but an honourable mention goes to Ess O Ess – ‘Baboon’. Brilliant track.

12. Favourite acid track

Adonis - Rockin down the house