Speak to Orlando Higginbottom, AKA TEED, about his decades- long relationship with electronic music and words like love, obsession and addiction, soon litter the conversation.
Born into a musical family—his father is an esteemed organist and choirmaster— the British artist spent his early years becoming both a classically trained pianist and singer, and a jungle and drum & bass fanatic. He'd often skip school to be first in line to nab the latest promos at his local record shop in Oxford. After years of bedroom tinkering, his sharp ear and all-consuming passion bore fruit, with releases on popular 2000s labels like Greco-Roman, Play It Down and later Polydor. By then, of course, he was Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs—a project that began as a private joke, and definitely wasn't meant to last beyond a couple MySpace uploads. But it blew up, and soon he was taking his brand of vocal dance pop to clubs and festivals the world over.
Los Angeles was always a popular stop on tour, and in 2015 he made the bold decision to move there full-time. For more than a decade, the City of Angels has been his home and place of work, where he's developed into a full-blown studio producer as well as a solo artist. It's also where he's discovered a different kind of nightlife: new sounds, tempos, energies. Indeed, LA acts as a kind of muse on his long- awaited DJ-Kicks, which sparkles with all the colour and charisma of a Californian sunset. Or, more accurately, the pre-game before a big night Downtown.
I was thinking a lot about what Americans call pre-gaming, which is such a funny phrase, he explained. It's that feeling of putting on a fun mix before you go out, while you're getting ready and having a drink. That was my flag in the ground in my head while I was making it; how I imagined people would listen to it.
This carefree vibe dominates the mix, which after a short beatless intro dives head first into a pumping house bassline. That track, Everybody by Casino Times, is one of several exclusives, alongside tunes by Joe Goddard, Austin Ato, Jacques Greene and Oscar Farrell. According to TEED, he knew instinctively that he didn't want a mix that took seven tracks to get going. In preparation, he relistened to a bunch of classic DJ-Kicks—Tiga, Erlend Øye, Honey Dijon—and quickly realised that big, soulful and house-y was the way to go.
I wanted to do something uptempo and clubby, he added. I felt very strongly about that straight away. I just want people to put it on and have a good dance.
Tracklistings
CD
01 oliver - Coastal
02 Casino Times, DUANE - Everybody! (House)
03 TEED - Never Seen You Dance (DJ- Kicks Version)
04 Junior Sanchez - Move (Dub)
05 Convertible - Like The Rain
06 Yu Su - Foundry
07 Hercules & Love Affair ft. Hips & Lips - Crossed Lines
08 Margaux Gazur - Agata
09 Decius - More 2 Luv
10 TEED - Please Don’t Go
11 Ode To 97 - First Day In Time (Tigerskin’s Alternative Mix)
12 Dennis Ferrer feat. K. T. Brooks - How Do I Let Go
13 TEED - Persuasion (DJ-Kicks Version) 14 Jump Source - Sad Salad
15 The Martinez Brothers - Tree Town
16 TEED - Another Day
17 Chloé Caillet & Nyra - B Good (Shanti Celeste Remix)
18 Tiga & Hudson Mohawke feat. Channel Tres - Feel The Rush (Johnny Aux Remix) 19 Austin Ato - Waiting Room
20 Oscar Farrell - This Was Yours
21 Alexander Skancke - Alright Alright
22 TEED - Under The Metal
23 David Vunk - Purple Light
24 Joe Goddard feat. Findia - Collide
25 D.H.S. - I Am Your Control
26 Jacques Greene - Lily Pad
27 Malibu - Spicy City
LP
A1 TEED - Never Seen You Dance (DJ- Kicks Version)
A2 Chloé Caillet & Nyra - B Good (Shanti Celeste Remix)
A3 Casino Times, DUANE - Everybody! (House)
A4 TEED - Persuasion (DJ-Kicks Version)
B1 Jacques Greene - Lily Pad
B2 Joe Goddard feat. Findia - Collide
B3 TEED - Under The Metal
B4 TEED - Another Day
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for looking at our listing, below are a few points to consider before making a purchase:
- All records we sell are Brand New - pre-orders will normally come sealed but if you are purchasing in stock items, please note the copy may have been unsealed for display in the shop. Please email straight after purchase to enquire if this is of importance to you.
- Orders won't ship until all items are released, so keep this in mind when purchasing multiple pre-orders or a mix of in stock and pre-order items.
- The 'Product' page will show the most up to date info we have with regards to the item and its release date, but this information is subject to change so check in with us if you have any questions.
- We unfortunately don't offer tax/vat outside of the UK via the website so please keep in mind that when the items arrives in your country you may be liable to pay a further charge before delivery. (all UK orders the price you see is the price you will pay). Please also note that we are unable to adjust the declared value on items sold internationally.
