In 2016, London bass hero and Cheap Thrills label boss Hervé (a.k.a. Josh Harvey) released a musically adventurous double album, Hallucinated Surf, on Skint Records, featuring collaborations with Zebra Katz, Meridian Dan and Steve Mason. Around the time of the release, we asked him to share his musical influences, which include the likes of Aphex Twin, Brian Eno, Snoop Dogg and The Cocteau Twins.
Hervé just released a new single from the full-length, “My Love” feat. Phizzals, brandishing remixes by KC Lights, Maximono and Ryuken. As he readies new endeavors for 2017, we reconnected with the low-end maestro and asked him to look back on his favorite wonk/wobble/fidget/bass house tunes.
Speaker Junk – “Scratch Up The Music”
The beginning of what people called wonk/wobble, I suppose (as well as being under bass/fidget bass umbrella). The first record Trevor Lovers and myself made (sometime in 2005, released 2006) just after he left Switch. Started an avalanche of remixes (the first being for Basement Jaxx) and tons of gigs! Never been released on digital, but will release in 2017 on Cheap Thrills.
Switch – “A Bit Patchy”
Some might choose “Get Ya Dub On,” but I think that was still very much a house record. This was a big musical curve ball though. I remember sitting in Dave’s studio in 2005 (May?!) getting calls from mates in Ibiza to tell him ‘A Bit Patchy’ was being played.
Voodoo Chilli – “Look What You’ve Done To Me”
On the original CD-R of 9/10 tracks I gave to Dave and also Trev back in the day. It did really well and had this kind of fidget/funk/Basement Jaxx vibe. I was living in Italy in 2004 and found the vocal on a record that was in the apartment I was staying in! It ended up going out on mine and Trev’s then label, Speaker Junk Records. Dave had been away a long time in America, and when he returned he signed it and re-released it on Dubsided. He also signed all the stuff we had been working on to Dubsided.
The Count and Sinden – “Beeper”
I met Sinden through Dave (Switch), and we got on really well. We decided to make music together, and in October 2006 he crashed at mine for the weekend and we made a four-track EP, last track being “Beeper.” It took off straight away and got The Count and Sinden rolling in a big way. I was now juggling gigs/releases/remixes of three successful projects: Hervé/Speaker Junk/The Count and Sinden. It was a bit crazy. Despite being more garage/hip-hop/jungle bass vibes, it kind of become a bit of an underground anthem around the world for the fidget/wonky/bass house scene.
Kidda – “Under” The Sun (Hervé’s Ain’t No Sunshine Mix)
One of a few remixes I did that went on to be the main mix of the single and probably my most requested remix. I still get videos of crowd reactions from DJs playing it. What do you call all this stuff we invented? Bass-heavy house? Wobble/wonk? Fidget? I have no idea! But it was and still is enormous fun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDi8qDRnc-8