Despite the fact that few can spell Holmar Filipsson's name correctly, many in the house music community have come to recognize his distinctive style and musical sensibility. The Iceland-born, Brooklyn-based DJ and producer is a vital member of the New York City club scene, having ushered in a new appreciation for house music in the Big Apple as a long-time party organizer and rocking many a satisfied customer as a DJ. He's also one of the mad geniuses behind Crack & Speed Recordings.
Described as "music for the Tuesday morning after-party", Crack & Speed is
the soundtrack for a party that's gone on way longer than it should have. The label was hatched from the collective minds of Holmar and Silver Network label boss Jef K after an extended weekend of debauchery and music in New York, but it quickly developed into a valid concept for a label: what would producers come up when freed from the constraints of making typical, predictable house music?
The results have been quite curious, ranging from Freestyle Man's haunting
"Baby Wants To Ride" and John Howard's here-comes-the-morning "Sunshine" EP to the party-pumping "Texan Connection" EP from heralded newcomers DJ Spettro and Scott Pace. Holmar made his debut on wax with the "Star Spangled Banger" EP, teaming up with Freestyle Man and Olivier Spencer to form Mr. Negative. The track was one the labels' weirdest, mashing up Jimi Hendrix's version of the national anthem with some DJ scratches and a tongue-in-cheek spoken word. 2003 featured more tracks from Scott Pace, remixes of Mr. Negative from the Freaks, Joshua and Freestyle Man, and Holmar's collaboration with Olivier Spencer as "The Spencer Filipsson Experience". In later years, releases from Chloe, Instant Noodles and Jerome Pacman have kept the "crack juices" flowing. As it has already earned praise from some of the more distinguished DJs and producers in the house/electro scene, Crack & Speed will continue to expand and evolve as more people join the (after) party.
The label is one of the few that can do justice to Holmar's DJing style. Touching on all the disparate dots of house music, Holmar can easily handle peak-hour at the club or the come-down session the next morning. He fits together classic New York and Chicago house and disco with West Coast psychedelia, cutting-edge techy electro sounds from Europe and all the bleepy and bloopy analog weirdness you can handle. It's weird, it's unconventional, and it's earned him DJ gigs from San Francisco to St. Louis to Paris to Nottingham, Brussels, Rio De Janeiro, Medellin and Moscow. He's most happy playing for open-minded crowds who have a sense of humor about music, dancing and partying.
Some of his most memorable gigs have been in his home base of New York City. Holmar was one of the founders of N'Ice, the monthly Friday night party at NYC's Baktun and later Centro-Fly that was instrumental in opening up the ears of New York City to the new house music underground. Over a three-year run, N'ice hosted DJs including Diz, Marshall Jefferson, Roger Sanchez, the Wicked Crew, Maurice Fulton, David Alvarado, Eric Rug, Miles Holloway and more.
Holmar is currently working on several music projects at the moment. As mentioned before, he is one third of Mr.Negative; who's singles "Better Than You" and "Evacute" on Tiefschwartz' label Fine Records have wreaked havoc on dance floors all over the world. Mr. Negative is due to release two e.p's this fall. One on Manthraxx, Holmar's and Oliver's new imprint, as well as Freestyle Man's, Moodmusic Records and their debut album will follow in the beginning of next year.
Holmar's other endeavor is with Greg Oreck a fellow New Yorker that now resides in Paris, France. Together as "Thugfucker" they released two underground hits last year. "Bodyshaker" on Moodmusic and the sexually charged "Pocket Rocket" on Music for Freaks. He's also launching another imprint "Thugfucker Records" with Greg this fall with exclusive new tracks from their vault. Also, they have two new releases out this fall on David Duriez's, Brique Rogue imprint, on Germany's "Was Not Was" and remixes out on Marseille's Tombone and NYC's Coco Machete.
Holmar's first two solo releases are out September/October on Dirt Crew Recordings and Crack&Speed.. |
