Video version: https://youtu.be/fJWJgieaZN4
From hosting parties as kids on two home hifis in a small west country town to playing some of the biggest clubs and festivals in the world, schooldays best friends Nick Halkes and Andy Smith have enjoyed amazing careers both individually and together. Here they talk about remixing , touring and so much more as they prepare for the release of the third instalment of the Reach Up Disco Wonderland compilation series on BBE that Andy compiles.
As schooldays best friends Andy and Nick ran a mobile disco together and hunted for bargain 12 inch vinyl in their childhood home town of Portishead near Bristol. At this point they had no idea that Andy would supply beats and tour the world with Portishead before one of the top 100 djs in the world nor that Nick would go on to set up the XL and Positiva labels becoming one of the UK mst respected dance and electronic music industry executives.
Reach Up launched more than five years ago at London basement venue The Waiting Rooms and soon after appeared at Carl Cox’s night at Space, Ibiza where they played for three seasons on the bounce and then also began packing out their monthly London residency at Peckham’s South London Soul Train (hosted at the legendary Bussey Building).
Following the 2017 release of the Reach Up Disco Wonderland compilation on the renowned BBE Records, Volume 2 was released in 2019. Andy and Nick’s re-edits of two tracks on the 2017 Reach Up Disco Wonderland comp were just the start. Nick’s collaboration with Full Intention, both to release original music on Midnight Riot and remix State of the Nation feat the Jungle Brothers, gained support from Purple Disco Machine, Dimitri from Paris and Roger Sanchez.From there a chart topping Nick Reach Up remix of Hideaway by De’lacey followed and a Nick Reach Up collab with Birdee and vocal legend Barbara Tucker that scored coveted daytime Radio One play in the UK whilst hitting top 3 on Traxsource. An invitation to remix Mel C took the Nick Reach Up sound into new territory whilst a rework of Body Work by Hot Streak also took off. Most recently Nick was approached to remix the Kylie single Magic taken from her album appropriately entitled ‘Disco’ and in October 2020 had 4 remixes of his simultaneously in the Music Week Upfront Top 20. In the time that all this was happening amongst other achievements Andys re-edit of Will Sessions & Amp Fiddler feat. Dames Brown – Lost Without You notched up a tune of the month accolade in Mixmag.
Despite having much to look back on Reach Up’s monthly radio show on the award-winning Soho Radio features regular guest mixes from the likes of Full Intention, Jumpin’ Jack Frost, Young Pulse, Danny Rampling and more showcasing the hottest new music along with classic and more hidden gems from back in the day. Despite knowing each other for decades maybe this is still just the start for Nick and Andys Reach Up Disco Wonderland adventure?!
