Following on from Aaron’s remix of ‘Making Music’ by Chungking which stood up well (if not exceeded the 4 Hero remix on the a-side), the keen eye of Dom Servini’s Wah Wah 45s label nabbed Aaron to remix ‘I Don’t Know’ by Capstone. The original came out as a 7” as a perfectly formed (2min 28sec) soulful funker with moody horns (see original Hectic review below links). Aaron took the original into broken-shuffle-boogie territory, some added keyboards, trumpet and touch of Herbie Hancock vocoder. Longer and jazzier than the original, it’s an improvement in my book and was released a couple of months ago.

His first proper DJ gig was a booking to appear at a Jazz night in Johannesburg, South Africa. Nowadays, appearances tend to be closer to home with regular slots at ‘You Need This!’ in addition to ‘THIS 2’

But that Dom doesn’t hang about and quickly goes onto release Aaron’s debut single this month called, ‘Man Troubles’. ‘Man Troubles’ is his tribute to Mark ‘Trouble Man’ Pritchard (of last year’s Time out of Mind album on Far Out Recordings) and it’s got that feel to it. Gilles Peterson was playing this as a white label last summer on his show. Aaron tells of his surprise when he went to Jazz Café Picnic last year, that he suddenly realized that GP had been playing ‘Man Troubles’ in-between Nitin Sawhney and Zero 7’s sets.

So what is Aaron’s background? He was born in 1979. His Mum is from Goa and his formative years were spent on the farmlands of Cambridgeshire. His parents were supportive of his musical ambitions and he learnt the piano and drums before moving onto the French horn when he was 10. He started getting into house music as a youngster as his cousin was a DJ. He thinks the first record that he bought was De La Soul’s 3 Feet High And Rising. Clearly inspired by the use of samples, he got into computer-based music programming, initially on an Atari before moving onto Cubase. This helped his computer skills and he now crams web site design into his CV.

After school, he went to study music at Westminster University where Kevin Mark Trail was on the same course in music production. Kevin (now signed to EMI) co-wrote ‘Eastern Eyes’ on Nitin Sawhney’s ‘Human’ album from 2003 and you can here Aaron’s remix of this on the Soulblender website. Aaron tells me he’d like to work with Kevin in the future on a soul-oriented project and would love Eska to be involved also (there’s an interview with Eska is the current edition of Jazzwise).

On the other side of the ‘Man Troubles’ 12”, is a track called ‘Jelabi’. A pounding brokenness beat dominates and it “was the track that got people onto the dance floor,” when he recently played it at the re-launched Monday night ‘That’s How It Is 2” (sans Gilles) at Bar Rumba, Shaftesbury Avenue. And it’s not only the beats that get your attention, there’s the deep synth, Rhodes and dreamy strings. It is already getting support from Mr. Peterson and Benji B (Radio 1), Kevin Beadle, Mad Mats, the Bugz In The Attic, Co-Op and CD-R crews.

He’s also got admirers the other side of the Atlantic. King Britt apparently spotted that Louie Vega was playing the remix of Mood Therapy’s ‘Mango Love’ (R2 Records) at a club in New York. You’ve probably also heard, Zap Mama’s big tune, ‘Bandy, Bandy’ with Erykah Badu [the opening track on the Luaka Bop sampler album]. Disappointed by the Carl Craig Remix on NY’s Giant Step label? Try the Aaron Jerome Remix for a far superior approach and join Aaron’s many new fans like Mr. Scruff, Patrick Forge, Ashley Beadle, J. Da Flex (Underground Knowledge @ 1Xtra). And there’s even more remix work planned, such as, Radiohead’s ‘Paranoid Android’!

He is also getting a name as a DJ in London after, bizarrely, his first proper DJ gig was a booking to appear at a Jazz night in Johannesburg, South Africa. Nowadays, appearances tend to be closer to home with regular slots at ‘You Need This!’ in addition to ‘THIS 2’. He is also one of the top producers at Tony Nwachukwu’s CDR night, which has led to a track earmarked for the future compilation called ‘Burnt Progress’, 12 new tracks from 12 artists and a page on each in the accompanying booklet.

And guess what, Nitin Sawhney is back at the Jazz Café Picnic this year at Kenwood House (10th July; with Louie Vega by coincidence). This time, you might hear Aaron’s remix of Nitin’s ‘Journeys’ which features the vocals of super cool Victor Duplaix; again, check Aaron’s web site. His remix of Nitin’s ‘The River’ came out on V2 last year on the double CD, ‘All Mixed Up’. There’s a fair range of styles from the other remixers including Seiji and Bugz In The Attic, Quantic, Freeform Five and London Elektricity.

So you can see that Aaron Jerome is prolific in his production of “future Jazz, nu-soul, house, electronica, downbeat, broken beats and other soulful deepness.” Prepare to be impressed as there is going to be much more soulblending finding its way into your ears soon.

Links:
Aaron Jerome www.soulblender.co.uk
Aaron Jerome — ‘Marrakech’
If…Music Residents Jean-Claude, Aaron Jerome and Spencer Lowe @ ‘You Need This’ — Plastic People, 147-149 Curtain Road, London www.ifmusic.co.uk Wednesdays 9.30-2am £2
Nitin Sawhney www.nitinsawhney.com
Jazz Café Picnic 2005 Hampstead 10th July & Twickenham 14th August www.meanfiddler.comwww.r2records.co.uk
Gilles Peterson :: Tracklisting 22/08/04: Sa-Ra Live In Session “Aaron Jerome - ‘Man Troubles’ (White)”
CDR “The night of ideas and tracks in the making mixed from recordable CDs and other digital media” www.burntprogress.com
Chungking — Making Music (4 Hero & Aaron Jerome Remixes) Cat. No. PR12GUT59
Brainstorm / Capstone — The Uptown Felaz / I Don’t Know Cat. No. Wah7008
Brainstorm / Capstone — The Uptown Felaz (Hint’s Futureboogie Remix)/ I Don’t Know (Aaron Jerome Remix) Cat. No. Wah12005
Aaron Jerome - Man Troubles /Jelabi (Wah Wah 45s - WAH12006)

Gerry Hectic’s 3Hedz Review, December 2004.
VARIOUS — ‘BRAINSTORM / I DON’T KNOW’ (WAH WAH) RATING 4/5
Not too sure when Dom Servini let this 7” out but Capstone’s ‘I Don’t Know’ brews. The band are Simon Little (keyboards & bass), Russ Knight (drums) and Will Holland (guitar) so Quantic/Catskills vibe; touch of the Baker Bros. It’s not long so be prepared to rewind lots. The a-side is more Sharon Jones funk theme tune instrumental from Hungarian 7-man(!) band, Uptown Felaz. If you see it, buy it, as it’ll be collectors’ item for sure. Rumours of remixes by Hint (Ninja) and Aaron Jerome (who is a tip for new name of 2005 already).