For this month’s trip down musical memory lane, we hear from Sheffield-based sonic traveller and multi-instrumentalist Yarni.
The first record I bought…
The first actual record I bought was ‘V.I.P’ by Jungle Brothers, a re-release from HMV, after my aunt introduced me to them as a child. The first tape was a double-tape release for the 1998 World Cup! I had no idea what it was called but it had Sergio Mendes on it!
My first gig…
Oasis in Finsbury Park with The Charlatans and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. A minibus load of us went to the gig from Woodhouse and the driver crashed the van, so one of the lads had to hold the door closed all the way back to Sheffield.
The first song I performed…
When I was at school, me and three mates formed a band which would eventually become The Field. We started out by performing covers and I reckon it would have been ‘20th Century Boy’ by T-Rex.
A song I wish I’d written…
Not sure where it came from, but I’ve developed a love of 70s soft rock or “Yacht Rock”, as some call it. With that in mind, I wish I’d written ‘How Long’ by Ace.
I first fell in love with music when…
Watching the film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels introduced me to so many different genres of music. I bought the soundtrack and started exploring the different artists that featured on there. From E-Z Rollers to James Brown, via The Stooges, it has it all!
One song I can’t get out of my head at the moment…
‘Aaj Shanibar’ by Rupa. I’m not much of a lyric man and I’ve absolutely no idea what she’s singing as it’s in Bengali, but I love it! I recently picked up a 7-inch repress of this on bright pink vinyl. It looks and sounds amazing
A song that reminds me of a specific place and time…
I remember coming in the house after doing a spot of garden-hopping with my mates and switching on NME TV. There was this scally walking down the street with a Burberry shirt on and I instantly gravitated towards it. Turns out it was the video for ‘Let’s Push Things Forward’ by The Streets. I really did think he was pushing the boundaries of music and finding a middle ground between indie kids and UK Garage. That will always be marked as a turning point for me.
Loping hip-hop jungle, airborne house grooves and cerebral dancing aplenty – Albers EP by Yarni is out now on Sound Records.
