RESIDENTS OF BUTTOPOLIS: DETROIT GRAND PUBAH

Following a chance meeting while working in a Michigan restaurant Andy Toth (aka Dr. Toefinger) and Mack Goudy, Jr. (aka Paris the Black Fu) began forging their own route through the Motor City Techno scene under the name now eponymous with quirky-minimalism, The Detroit Grand Pubahs. Utilising Toth’s drumming experience and Mack’s Djing prowess they developed a unique production style, combining silly lyrics and minimal production, and the perpetual floor-filler ‘Sandwiches’ was an early result getting picked up by both Throw and Jive Electro Records. While ‘Sandwiches’ was being hungrily rinsed by Dj’s across the globe The DGPs toured their own live show, complete with live drums and saxophones, and soon built themselves an international reputation as both deft producers and an unforgettable live act.

After an acclaimed appearance at Detroit’s first ever Electronic Music Festival to a packed-out crowd in May 2000, the Pubah’s released their first full-length LP, ‘ Funk All Y’all’, with tracks such as ‘One Hump or Two’ and ‘Involvement Fluid’ proving they were here to stay, and not just one-hit-wonders. By the time ‘ Galactic Ass Creatures from Uranus’ was released 3 years later the Detroit Grand Pubah’s were as part of Detroit as the Penobscot Buiding and a dilapidated car factory, still playing live, still DJing, and using their well-earned status to promote the music they enjoyed.

Fast forward 5 years and the DGP crew may have lost the Dr, but gained the dextrous talents of a certain Mysterious Mr O, and who better should Matrix Music ask to supply the fourth mix in their ‘Detroit Connection’ series than this booty-bouncing pair of 4/4 affiliates. Filling the shoes of fellow Detroiters DJ 3000, DJ Godfather and Kevin Saunderson was a comfortable position for the matured Pubahs to find themselves in, and rather than perform a regular DJ mix of the tunes fuelling the Motor City’s clubs, they (unsurprisingly) put their own spin on things. The Pubahs conceived it as a semi-live mix or ‘enhanced DJ set’, a mix with live elements (sax and vocals) plus live music made on the fly during the process of mixing. With subtle saxophone parts contributed by the talented Domgue (who can often be seen live on stage with the DGPs), and featuring an un-released track, ‘Blacula’s Drack’, The Detroit Connection Part 4 has a distinct whiff of Grand Pubah…

Paris the Black Fu took some time out to talk us through the their evident butt fixation, and the world of Motor City musical madness :

Hyponik.com: So Mr Fu, if you could name one tune or sound that turned you on to Techno, what would it be?

DGP: I would have to say that song would be Shari Vari by A Number of Names.

H: How exactly do you use your position of influence (poobah = a person in high position or of great influence)?

DGP: I use it to get people to drink with me when I’m on stage or just feelin lonely. I use it to get people to tell me how great I am, you know… Like the FORCE except the force I use is whiskey, rum, tequila, vodka and visuals of bouncin, rollin, clappin butts to throw them off their game and into the realm of FU.

H: How would you describe your sound in 5 words?

DGP: I can do it in three; 1. Nasty 2. Elementary 3. Raw. Wait I guess I will use five since you asked - 4. FU FUn FUnk and 5. Sweaty Butt.

H: If you could see one act before you die, who would it be?

DGP: Man I would have to say Kate Bush.

H: What do you think of new music performance technology such as the - do you try and incorporate different technology into your studio, or stick with one set up?

DGP: I haven’t been in the game all that long but I can tell you that I LOVE ANALOG. The gear, the gear, the gear. Compressors and EQ’s and Synths I love’em. I do use plug ins and what not so I guess you can say that I incorporate both.

H: What’s your view on vinyl vs CD vs Serrato?

DGP: Mr O likes to use both vinyl & Serato. Preferably Serato over CDs, gotta keep the 1210’s. With Serato you can use it the same way as playing records. Just a preference, he prefers playing with turntables over a CD player. Also with Serato you get to take more music with you so you have more scope to try out different styles, or experiment during a set. We were playing at the Batofar in Paris last week and Mr O was DJing techno, but the crowd didn’t seem into it, so he managed to switch things up into dub, then drum n bass and got the party rocking. Could never have done that if he didn’t have Serato as he would never normally go to a gig with such different records as that.

H: Finally, which town party’s the hardest?

DGP: Buttopolis, where else?

The Detroit Connection Pt.4 (Various Artists) mixed by DETROIT GRAND PUBAHS is released on Matrix-Music on 29th February. The Detroit Grand Pubah’s latest artist album is called NUTTIN’ BUTT FUNK and it was released on their own DeTeleFunk label in 2008.