The title to this track is perfect because when you see psychedlic french girls doing aerobics with LSD trails to deep grooved electric boogie, what else can you say but "Oh Yea!"
You can thank Andrew Field-Pickering and Ari Goldman and their new project Beautiful Swimmers released on Future Times Records for that little mind melter. "Oh Yea!" is one of the singles off their first recently released 12". The flip has the track "Swimmer's Groove," another favorite that we played on Turntable Lab Radio a couple of weeks ago. We invited them to play with us this friday at APT, so I thought I'd introduce myself.
I called Andrew and asked him what he was up to. "A whole lot of chillin." I thought that to be kinda funny, because throughout our conversation he also told me about his solo project as Maxmillion Dunbar, how he co-runs Future Times Records, his relationship with People's Potential Unlimited and how's he's a rapper in the group Food For Animals. I don't know about you, but that sounds like a whole lot of workin' to me.
He's lives in Silver Springs, Maryland and from how he described it, I was almost ready for a vacation. Mainly because they have plenty of two of my favorite things in life: lots of records and time to enjoy them.
The scoop is, there's a lot of wax floating around DC and Maryland's flea markets and small stores that are leftover wreckage from their Disco/Gogo/Boogie era made by local artists that never quite reached success. So although most of it carries an essential soul element, a lot of it was really bad. Beautiful Swimmers is kind of a search and rescue team designed to find the good parts, re-organize them and build on the golden ideas that were stuck in a bag of cheese.
In fact, Andrew tells me if he hears a really good part in a record, he'll truly hope that it will get really bad at some point so he can actually have the liberty to use it in a song. So in a way, in a world of shameless sampling, they're producers with virtues and I have to respect that. It kind of reminds me of that saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" It shows through their music as well. The result is a sound that's carries a obscure soulful groove with a bumping dance feel.
Similar vibes can be found on his label he co-runs, Future Times Records. which also put out a Rhythm Based Lovers 7" and Maxmiliion Dunbar(also Andrew). Both are getting a lot of "wolf-ears" from fans of the new boogie brigade.
Which then brings me to PPU. They're those three little diamonds that have been popping up on some of the best, rare disco and boogie represses of the year. The letters stand for People's Potential Unlimited which fits perfectly because not only does the founder, Andrew Morgan, find the music and re-releases it on vinyl, he licenses each and every one from the original artist. So let it be put to rest - they are no bootlegs and the shit is for real! Check the Beautiful Swimmers' edit of "Message In The Music" by the Initals that we played on the radio show a while back. So good.
When I asked Andrew about Mr. Morgan, he tells me about his ridiculous connections in the game: He became friends with Stones throw's Dam-Funk back in the day by supplying him with some rare boogie vinyl. One time when Dam was playing a party with him and Andrew put on a jam that made him freak out. "Oh Shit, you have that!?!?" Dam asked. Andrew turns and replies, "Yeah, I have all of them." Which means like ALL 45 copies that exist...in the world. Now that's deep.
It's no wonder, together with the Swimmers they keep that DC/Maryland connection strongly paved with some rare soulful-ass funky music. Can't wait to hear some of that in NYC.
Fun Fact: The name Beautiful Swimmers is really showing their love for Maryland in the highest regard. There are books in the local stores titled "Beautiful Swimmers" that show you where the best lakes, swimming and fishing are. Also the scientific latin name for Maryland's beloved blue crab literally translates into "Beautiful Swimmers." Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
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