WHO When Clive Henry and Justin Drake come together as Peace Division, it’s not only deep-house devotees who listen. One of the UK’s most innovative DJ/producer duos, Henry and Drake have created groundbreaking tracks since 1994 and have continually received accolades from movers and shakers like Danny Tenaglia, Derrick Carter and Steve Lawler.
Since their 2000 debut album Junkyard Funk, which has sold nearly 15,000 copies and is considered seminal among records made using mostly sample-based instrumentals, they’ve appeared on numerous instalments of house music’s staple compilation series Global Underground and are well-known for floor-filling remixes like their ‘06 rendition of Trancesetters’ “Roaches” as well as their own compilations on NRK Records.
The duo got their start in the early ‘90s at London’s infamous Full Circle Sunday club night after Henry cut his teeth DJing his own parties with Rocky from Xpress 2 and DJ Lofty. Around the same time, Henry started up in the studio with David Hedger under the alias S.A.S. and released “Amber Groove,” which Tony Humphries played three times during one of his appearances at Full Circle. Together and individually, Henry and Drake’s discographies make up an essential chapter of house-music history — to which they’ve just added an EP for 8-Bit Records, along with singles for Crosstown Rebels and Tsuba and a remix for Dogmatik Records. I spoke with Clive Henry via email.
WHAT “Deep, groovy, tech-inspired house,” says Henry.
WHERE Sat, Nov 22 at Footwork (425 Adelaide W.)
FAVOURITE RECORD OF ALL TIME “That’s too difficult to answer! From my early hip-hop years I’d say ‘Planet Rock’ by Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force, ” says Henry.
FAVOURITE RECORD RIGHT NOW TV on the Radio, “Halfway Home.”
FAVOURITE WEBSITE RIGHT NOW “Newsnow Tottenham Hotspurs. Tottenham are my soccer team and I used to be a season-ticket holder for a long time until it got impossible to go, due to my DJ schedule,” says Henry. “This website collects any news about the club every five minutes, from every source possible.”
DIGITAL OR ANALOG? “Digital. I was analog for years but thanks to the ineptitude (or thieving staff!) of two well-known airlines, I lost two boxes of records within six months last year. Friends who were using Traktor or Serato convinced me it was the way forward and would put an end to the stress of losing records.”
WHAT IS VITAL TO YOUR DAILY ROUTINE? “A good sleep the night before!”
WHAT GLOBAL ISSUE CONCERNS YOU MOST RIGHT NOW? “It was the American election. If McCain/Palin had been voted in it would have been another four years of Bush-inspired darkness, which the world could do without right now!”
WHAT IS THE LAST GREAT FILM YOU SAW? There Will Be Blood.
WHAT ACTOR WOULD PLAY YOU IN A BIOPIC? Will Smith.
WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW? Snowblind by Robert Sabbag.