Jamie Barber & Steve Wilkinson (Filling the Gap, Hard Times, Stereo) – ‘Grandpa’s Party – Kerri Chandler (First Steps, Sfere – 1999) / “Earth People – Dance (Kerri Chandler Mix)” – (Champion – 2002)

“The Track: We are casting our minds back to the early 2000′s and a small basement club in Leeds, The Atrium, the night ‘Filling The Gap’. For 5 years this was the hang out for soul boys and real deep house heads across Leeds & Yorkshire who weren’t looking for the ‘boom-boom’ but just more of a groove and a feeling. The track in question, ‘Grandpa’s Party’ one of Kerri’s lesser played numbers on the Sfere album ‘First Steps’ summed up for us the essence of a great house track, old school sampling of Black Ivory’s Mainline, a kick, a groove and most important of all Kerri’s Grandpa on the vocal! 2am was usually a good time to take the roof off with this bomb!

The man: We first met Kerri around the same time when playing at Hard Times at The Space in Leeds, one of the friendliest, warmest and most caring guys you could wish to meet. After avidly collecting his tracks since day zero it was great to finally meet and befriend such a gent. Kerri is always happy to share music and spread the word! A true gent and also a keen fellow skateboarder….Deep!

As this track is so deep there’s no link anywhere in the net (proper old school) so as an alternative and another ‘Filling the Gap’ classic we extend our love to Kerri’s subtle yet devastating re-rub of ‘Earth People – ‘Dance’. Same vein: a loop, a kick and a groove. Simple effectiveness.”