“Cheerful funny young couple in love fighting with pillows” – iStock
Whether you side with it being a sentimental cash cow or chance to appreciate those closes, there’s no denying that Valentine’s Day brings out the beset emotional bangers from the woodwork. A good Valentine’s mix is only achieved if love is on your mind round the clock, which maxes Alex Intas a highly-qualified candidate. The Melbourne based DJ, Crown Ruler affiliate and Worldwide FM regular recently finished a two year stint in London where he worked for Brownswood Recordings by day and raided the capital’s dollar bins for RnB b-sides by night. His finds have been channeled into the Love High project, a loose amalgamation of romantic interests covering parties, mixes and maybe some merch and releases down the line. His 60 minute selection of 90s obscurities covers RnB is all its finely-balanced glory; precariously teetering between G-funk swagger and molten cheese but undeniably funky and unashamedly libidinous.
Let’s be honest, we’ve all heard our fair share of Valentine’s Day mixes. How did you approach this one and why should we spend time with yours on this most sacred of days?
This mix really just reflects the stuff I’ve been collecting recently. I spent the last few years living in London. Whenever I went digging 90s R&B was always the fun, cheap stuff I’d come up with in the pound bins. Soon enough I became hip to an entire genre of Indie R&B that I think is still relatively slept on in trendy digger circles. The mix consists of some indie rarities and slept on commercial releases – single B-sides, remixes etc.
In my humble opinion it’s the sexiest form of soul music. The production is fat, the attitude is Hip Hop. Smoothed out music with the slickness. But you shouldn’t spend time with my mix. Go put on “Let’s Get It On” and listen to it front to back instead.
Any standouts you wana give special mention to?
It’s all standout music to me. I’ve been heavily feeling an artist Damian and his album “199Sex”. CD only on an independent imprint. He was one half of the duo Damian Dame who were LaFace Records’ first signing and probably well on the trajectory to stardom. That ended due to tragedy and his only follow up was this album. A musician not just a singer. He wrote and arranged a lot of it too. Killer right through. Smoove’s “Smoove With A Ruffness” is an underground classic. I rinse that album a lot.
Rumour has it there’s more to Love High than just a mix name. What’s it all about? Anything on the horizon we should look out for?
Love High is just a title for all the bits I want to focus on related to this music I love (It’s also a dope Jeff Redd tune). Late 80s, early 90s stuff. I’m sitting on a couple of releases I hope to re-issue. Just waiting for the right timing but hopefully LH001 before end of 2020. Expect more mixes, some stepper parties (if you live in Melbourne), clothing, prints.. I’ve been collaborating with my good friend Sean Bate who is an incredible designer. End of the day it’s all just some fun. I’m not too serious about the business of it. I just hope there’s a couple of others out there who maybe find this stuff and have the same connection as I do with it.
We hear you also go by the name Romantas. Love seems to be a pretty strong theme to your musical output. What is it about salacious music that gets you going so much?
I think love is kind of the whole point to life? I’m a bit of a dreamer. I guess this stuff just triggers all of that shmaltz in my head. Don’t get it twisted I like music of all kinds. Jazz, House, whatever.. but Quiet Storm is definitely the shit. Blame it on my mum blasting a lot of Luther Vandross & Anita Baker in the home when I was a child.
And finally, any Valentine’s Day tips for any non-believes or those just looking for a fresh approach?
“What the world needs now, is love sweet love”.
