Mo’ Wax — Where Are They Now: Federation (1993)
Mo’ Wax was a record label started by James Lavelle in 1992, which closed about ten years later. Initially they released 12" singles and licensed a compilation from Japan of Japanese Hip Hop, until 1994 when they began releasing albums of their artists original work. While some of these artists such as DJ Shadow, DJ Krush, and Money Mark continued releasing music after Mo’ Wax closed, others have seemingly disappeared from the music scene. In this series I will look at each artist on Mo’ Wax and try to find out where are they now…
Federation were a group who formed in 1991 when they contributed the song Life So Free to the Bristol charity album Hard Sell. Si John is credited as writing and producing the song, with Julie Lockhart providing vocals. The band would be expanded to include Alex Swift on bass, and later featured members Danny Tomlin, Giles Luckes, Rob Merrill, and Trevor Francis, and at one point expanding in to a nine piece band.
In 1993 Life So Free was released as a 12" single by Mo’ Wax which was followed by their Remix E.P. released the same year, also on Mo’ Wax. This second release featured remixes of songs from the Life So Free 12", with contributions from Underdog (Trevor Jackson) and Portishead.
Federation next released their debut album Flower To The Sun in 1994, which became Mo’ Wax’s best selling release so far, reportedly making £10,000 profit. James Lavelle later explained:
“The first profit Mo Wax made was on Federation’s album Flower to the Sun. Before then, we kept afloat by international distribution deals to places like Japan.”
While the album sold well, and helped keep Mo’ Wax alive, Federation’s live band Acid Jazz sound was at odds with the new Mo’ Wax sound in 1994 which was leaning more towards hip hop infused instrumentals, in what became known as Trip Hop. Perhaps this is why Federation’s next album was released on a different label.
Earthloop was released in 1995 in Japan on Jazz Not Jazz Records, a label which had collaborated with Mo’ Wax on several releases. In February 1996 the album was given a release in the UK by China Records, while their singles were released by Indochina, a sub label of China Records.
The album was reviewed in the March 1996 issue of Muzik, who awarded it 4/5 and wrote:
“Bristol’s finest funkers take us on a mystical journey of spacey breaks, driven strings, haunting ballads and the proverbial drum ’n’ bass, all joined together with Nineties jazz funk. It’s a real melting-pot of songs, but you know what? It works just fine. Another example of us Brits leading the way.”
For the next album, 1997’s Headspinz, Federation moved to Cup Of Tea Records and away from their live Acid Jazz roots and towards a more studio production, in what their label described as “Dirty beats, bass heavy grooves and drum and bass with a jazz attitude.” This new sound was a welcome change, as described by one eager fan who posted online in 1997:
“Federation produced an album for Mo’Wax called ‘Flower To the Sun’ …which
was a rather noodly a-j affair...Now they are signed to Cup of Tea records and have just produced a rather brilliant new album called ‘Headspinz’. I must admit that it’s made me totally re-think Federation as a band… I’d given them up for dead before. The new one’s kinda dark and abstract, but still maintains good vocals and rapping. Very unique sounding.”
Andy Jones reviewed the album for Future Music and wrote:
“As usual with this label, you don’t know what to expect on first listening but even more so with this release as the styles flip and fold from track to track. There’s hip hop, jazz, and some laidback breaks to kill for. In fact everything goes yet, for the most part, everything gels. The really slow atmospheric stuff is the best, although there are also plenty of memorable hip hop moments. It’s not always easy but this lot’ll try anything, mix it into a jazz fusion then record it, and for that fact alone they ought to be given their due.”
Federation members Si John and Alex Swift further explored their more electronic, drum and bass interest in 1998 with Finger, a new musical project for the pair which released an album and 12" single on Milk Recordings, a sub label of Cup of Tea. The press for their debut album was neither overly positive or negative, with the album given 3/5 by Canadian publication Voir, and elsewhere the project was described as “fairly generic for its time and place, the duo making up Finger at least knew how to make everything sound enjoyable, if not truly notable, and sometimes that’s all one needs.”
In an interview published by Bristol Sounds in 2001, Si John discussed a new album by Finger as being a “deep and dark string based album…predominately a soul based thing” with house and soundtrack references. The group were represented by Decibelle Music Agency which further described Finger as,
“SOUL, BEATS & GROOVES — New project from Roni Size/Reprazent’s bass man, Si John and vocalist, Onallee + Reprazent’s Rob Merrill on drums and homegirl, Clarri T on vocals. Funked up beats and raw, soulful songs. The 4 piece live act is a mix of live instrumentation and new technology.”
In his interview with Bristol Sounds John mentioned the project featured vocalists Clarri Thomas aka Clarri T, and Tracey Bowen aka Onallee, two Bristol based singers. Songs from these sessions featured on the Decibelle compilation Up ’n’ Comin Atcha (Vol 1.), released with an issue of Bristol’s Venue Magazine on March 30 2001. Two Finger songs were featured, with Ordinary Exile featuring Onallee, and Rest Of Me featuring Clarri T. Both featured production by Si John and Alex Swift, and when he spoke to Bristol Sounds Si John called the album like “nothing else out there at the moment.”
In 2002 Decibelle closed, and the new Finger album never materealised, though an unreleased song Feel The Dawn was featured on a charity compilation in 2020. Decibelle’s closure followed that of Federation’s label Cup of Tea Records, which closed in 1999, and apart from Finger’s appearence on the previously mentioned compilations, neither Finger or Federation have released anything since 1998.
Of the Federation’s original members, Julie Lockhart appears to have disappeared from music since The Federation’s second album, as she does not appear credited on their third release at all.
Si John (aka Simon John) contributed bass to Roni Size / Reprazent, with their most recent album released in 2008, followed by a live album in 2015. He is also the co-founder of performance and event space The Forge Bristol with Silkie Lloyd.
Alex Swift has contributed to Massive Attack, as a remixer, writer, and a member of their live shows. On his Twitter he has teased a new release under his Language moniker, who last released music in 1992.
Update 29/8/2020: In August 2020, Dan Delor left a comment with an update on several members of Federation. The article has remained unchanged, but his comments are posted below:
Paul ‘Axe’ Ackerman (drummer) is a Foley artist and producer, having done sounds on many notable films and TV shows including the Harry Potter series. Julie Lockheart is now an established Producer and Company CEO of Locksmith Animation after several years working at Aardman’s Animation.
Gary Ealey (Vocals, Decks and Rap) joined forces with Scott Hendy (Bocca 45) to create Malachai and release the album ‘Ugly Side Of Love’ in 2010 to critical acclaim. He also co-produced several Videos of songs from the album with local film-maker and Artist Steve Phillips (Meboid) and has made a popular series of humerous Hip-Hop musings under the guise of Stepasaur.
Rob David (Drummer) and Dan Delor (guitar) after guesting with various artists including Massive Attack and The Blue Aeroplanes, built their own studio in the centre of Bristol and have beeen writing songs and music for TV and Film ever since under the name Bunnkersonix. Along with composing they run a music Publishing library ‘Lucky G’ with Giles Luckes, the band’s original keyboardist, who also works as an experienced TV editor.
Anders Olinder (keys) has become a legendary performer on the UK Jazz scene, playing with the likes of Tony Remy, Pee Wee Ellis, James Morton, Gary Alesbrook, Celestine and Andy Compton.
Si John, Rob David, Dan Delor and Gary Ealey (aka Stepchild) also played in Bristol band ‘The Mighty Ging’ during the Noughties
