Andrew Weatherall

Andrew James Weatherall (6 April 1963 – 17 February 2020) was an English musician, DJ, songwriter, producer and remixer. His career took him from being one of the key DJs in the acid house movement of the late 1980s to being a remixer of tracks by the likes of Happy Mondays, New Order, Björk, The Orb, The Future Sound of London and My Bloody Valentine.

Andrew Weatherall
Weatherall in 2009
Background information
Birth nameAndrew James Weatherall
Also known as
  • Lord Sabre
  • Meek
  • The Chairman
  • Our Kid
Born(1963-04-06)6 April 1963
Windsor, Berkshire, England
Died17 February 2020(2020-02-17) (aged 56)
London, England
Genres
Occupation(s)
Instruments
Labels
Associated acts
WebsiteRotters Golf Club

His production work on Primal Scream's album Screamadelica, adding samples, loops and creating a revolutionary mix of hard rock, house and rave, helped the record win the first ever Mercury Music Prize in 1992 and become one of the most celebrated albums of the 1990s.[1][2]

Biography

Andrew James Weatherall was born on 6 April 1963, in Windsor, Berkshire, England, to Robert Weatherall and Carol (Spires) Weatherall.[3] During his teenage years, he started going to Funk & Soul Weekenders and disco parties. After leaving the local grammar school, he left home at the age of 18, and worked in a variety of jobs including on building sites, as a carpenter and moving furniture.[4]

He moved to London in the late 1980s; his record collection and his musical knowledge is what brought him requests to DJ at parties.[1] Terry Farley hired him to play at the Trip club, Weatherall playing mostly northern soul and indie records.[4] Weatherall started writing as a freelance music journalist (using both his own name and the pseudonym "Audrey Witherspoon"). Together with Terry Farley, Cymon Eckel and Steve Mayes, they started Boy's Own, initially as a fanzine commenting on fashion, records, football and other issues.[5]

Weatherall's DJ career started to take off when he met Danny Rampling at skater Bobby's (Bobby Collins) party that he played at in Chapel Market, Islington, and Rampling invited him to play at his club night Shoom.[6] Farley and Weatherall became regular Shoom DJs, playing the upstairs room, and also at Paul Oakenfold's Future/Spectrum nights and Nicky Holloway's Trip. They also did their own parties and started a record label under the name of Boy's Own Recordings.[6] Along with Pete Heller (who was also a Shoom DJ), engineer Hugo Nicolson and singer Anna Haigh, they released two singles as Bocca Juniors on the label, "Raise (53 Steps to Heaven)" and "Substance".[5][6]

Weatherall's first studio work was alongside Paul Oakenfold on the club remix of "Hallelujah" for the Happy Mondays.[7] Other remixes followed, notably "World in Motion" for New Order, "Loaded",[5] a hit remix of Primal Scream's earlier track "I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have",[7] and the widely acclaimed 'A Mix of Two-Halves' version of Saint Etienne's cover of Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart".[6] His remix of My Bloody Valentine's "Soon" was ranked at number 1 in NME's list of "The 50 Best Remixes Ever".[8] He produced Primal Scream's album Screamadelica.[9][10]

In 1992, Weatherall left Boy's Own, which changed its name to Junior Boy's Own. He formed the electronic music trio The Sabres of Paradise in 1993, starting a record label under the same name.[5] The Sabres of Paradise released three albums between 1993 and 1995.[11] In early 1996, after shutting down Sabresonic, Weatherall and Keith Tenniswood became Two Lone Swordsmen, signing to Warp.[11] His production of Beth Orton’s album Trailer Park helped establish the mix of hip hop and electronica that became trip-hop.[4] He set up the Rotters Golf Club label in 2001.[12]

Weatherall produced for such artists as Beth Orton, Primal Scream and One Dove, and remixed the work of Björk, Siouxsie Sioux, the Orb, the Future Sound of London, New Order, Manic Street Preachers, My Bloody Valentine, James and many others.[13] He produced the album Tarot Sport for Fuck Buttons to "vast acclaim"[6] and assisted the Twilight Sad with the production of their third studio album, No One Can Ever Know.[14][15]

In 2006, he released his debut solo EP The Bullet Catcher's Apprentice,[16] followed by his debut solo studio album A Pox on the Pioneers in 2009.[17] Both were released on his Rotters Golf Club imprint.[16] His music has soundtracked commercial advertisements for vehicles; Weatherall's "Feathers" was used for the Volkswagen Tiguan in 2007 and Two Lone Swordsmen's "Shack 54" was used for the Ford Fiesta in 2009.[18] In 2013, the Asphodells, formed by Weatherall and collaborator Timothy J. Fairplay from Battant, released the album Ruled by Passion, Destroyed by Lust on Rotters Golf Club.[19] On 1 July 2014, Weatherall began hosting a monthly radio show, Music's Not For Everyone, on NTS Radio in London. In 2016, he released a studio album Convenanza,[20] as well as a remix album Consolamentum.[21] In 2017, he released a studio album Qualia on Höga Nord Rekords.[22]

Weatherall cited humour as an important component in his musical ideology.[23] He was known as the Chairman or the Guv'nor, among many other titles conferred upon him.[24]

Death

Weatherall died on 17 February 2020 at Whipps Cross University Hospital in London, aged 56. The cause given was a pulmonary embolism.[7]

Selected discography

This lists works on which Weatherall appeared directly.[14]

Studio albums
  • A Pox on the Pioneers (2009)
  • Ruled by Passion, Destroyed by Lust (2013) (with Timothy J. Fairplay, as the Asphodells)
  • The Phoenix Suburb (and Other Stories) (2015) (with Nina Walsh, as the Woodleigh Research Facility)
  • Convenanza (2016)
  • Qualia (2017)

Compilation albums
  • Nine O'Clock Drop (2000)
  • Machine Funk Specialists (2002)
  • From the Bunker (2004)
  • Fabric 19 (2004)
  • Sci-Fi-Lo-Fi Vol. 1 (2007)
  • Watch the Ride (2008)
  • Andrew Weatherall vs the Boardroom (2008)
  • Andrew Weatherall vs the Boardroom Volume 2 (2009)
  • Masterpiece (2012)
  • Consolamentum (2016)

EPs
  • The Bullet Catcher's Apprentice (2006)
  • Kiyadub EP (2017)
  • Merry Mithrasmas EP (2017)
  • Blue Bullet EP (2018)

Singles
  • "Unknown Plunderer" / "End Times Sound" (2020)

References
  1. Pattison, Louis (17 November 2007). "Lord of the dance party". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  2. Petridis, Alexis (25 February 2016). "Andrew Weatherall: 'Anyone can make music. What a double-edged sword'". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  3. Carmel, Julia (21 February 2020). "Andrew Weatherall, D.J. Who Broke Down Genre Barriers, Dies at 56". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  4. Sweeting, Adam (18 February 2020). "Andrew Weatherall obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.
  5. Larkin, Colin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 1238. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
  6. Petridis, Alexis (17 February 2020). "Andrew Weatherall:lone swordsman who cut new shapes for British music". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  7. Savage, Mark (17 February 2020). "DJ and producer Andrew Weatherall dies". BBC News. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  8. Anderson, Sarah (20 July 2011). "The 50 best remixes ever". NME. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  9. O'Hagan, Sean (23 February 2020). "Bobby Gillespie remembers Andrew Weatherall: 'He was a true bohemian'". The Observer. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  10. Caldwell, Noah (18 February 2020). "Andrew Weatherall, Champion Of Underground Music, Dies At 56". NPR. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  11. Turner, Dave. "British DJ and producer Andrew Weatherall has died". Mixmag. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  12. Clarke, Patrick (17 February 2020). "Andrew Weatherall RIP". The Quietus. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  13. Muggs, Joe. "Andrew Weatherall's 30 greatest remixes". Fact. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  14. "Andrew Weatherall credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  15. Brine, Harris (30 November 2011). "Twilight Sad". The Journal. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  16. McKeating, Scott. "The Bullet Catcher's Apprentice review". Brainwashed. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  17. Brailey, Louise (23 September 2009). "A Pox on the Pioneers – review". Fact. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  18. Kelly, Emma (17 February 2020). "DJ and producer Andrew Weatherall dies aged 56 from pulmonary embolism". Metro. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  19. Fiona Sturges (21 February 2016). "Andrew Weatherall interview: 'If I'd carried on, I'd be on life support'". The Independent. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  20. "Convenanza by Andrew Weatherall". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  21. Ryce, Andrew (9 September 2016). "Andrew Weatherall remixed by Red Axes, Solar Bears on new album". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  22. "Qualia by Andrew Weatherall". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  23. Bergen, Andrez (December 2002). "A Complete Rotter". Daily Yomiuri. Yeah, humour's very important. If I didn't see everything as a complete joke, I would've been locked up years ago. I would've gone completely insane.
  24. Twitch, JD (17 February 2020). "Remembering Andrew Weatherall, A Lifelong Maverick". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 23 February 2020.

Further reading
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