For those familiar with our national Guts, Charlie Wilder aka Captain Planet is his Californian counterpart. A hasty comparison for a quick explanation. Listening to his fifth album, "No Visa", released at the end of June by Bastard Jazz Recording, we also discover differences. Sometimes his music sounds more like a dance hit than rare Afro-Latin groove. And he refuses nothing. He can do as much with reggae as with Arabic music. You have understood it: it is without borders that the digger and Dj have been composing for more than fifteen years. His trademark, he calls it gumbo funk. In addition to the interview below, we advise you to listen to “No Visa”, via the audio player. Dope Thirteen tracks with summer vibes.




Top 5 new releases
- Branko “Nosso”
- Koffee “Rapture” Ep
- Burna Boy “African Giant”
- Sault “5”
- Guts “Philantropiques”

Top 5 oldies
- Bob Marley & The Wailers “Talkin’ Blues”
- Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited “Shumba”
- Fela Ransome Kuti & The Africa 70 “Roforofo Fight”
- Mulatu Astatke “Ethio Jazz”
- Willie Colon “Lo Mato”

Your first experience to Djing?
My first big party was in high school, probably when I was 17. My friend's parents were leaving town so we rented a huge sound system and charged like $5 for entry just to cover the rental costs. The rest of the night is pretty blurry, but I loved it enough to know that this was something I really wanted to continue. My first real DJ job was in the Lower East Side, NYC when I was 20. I did every Friday & Saturday night at a sleezy lounge run by an old Greek guy with a big cocaine habit. I would take a taxi with 2 huge crates of vinyl on Friday, leave them overnight, and lug them back home at around 5am on Sunday mornings. I think I only made $100 per night at first, and the taxi's alone were probably like $40. It was a real labor of love in those days haha.

Your favorite lockdown livestream?
Catching Omulu (from Brazil) on Zoom was the first time that I really saw the potential to throw a big party on Zoom, that was very inspiring. I mostly tune in to my friends like the Subsuelo Crew here in Los Angeles and Clubhouse-Global.com which is curated by my friend Jasmine Solano.

Your favorite « No Visa » Lp track?
That's tough because of course I love them all! In my DJ sets I have been playing «Mi Poni» ft. Zuzuka Poderosa a lot and getting a great reaction. When I'm just hanging out and chilling, I would say that « Fly Where You Want » ft. Jesse Royal always feels nice to put on.

Mp3 or vinyl?
Vinyl.

The favorite vinyl of your collection?
Very difficult question, I have around 5,000 records, and this is after I sold several thousand last year to make my collection smaller- just the ones I love! My African records from 70's and 80's are probably the ones I put on most often. Tabu Ley, Verckys, African Brothers International or some lesser known names.

Your favorite record store?
Ameoba in LA, and A-1 record shop in NYC. Of course I always love thrift stores and flea markets too.

The Dj that puts you crazy systematically?
Gilles Peterson was one of my earliest inspirations and he still digs up amazing music, old and new. Nickodemus is always one of my favorites. My friend here in LA, Sumohair, is also a great DJ and producer and he always turns me on to great new sounds.

Your favorite website?
www.mixtaperiot.com, my music blog of course ! Haha, also Discogs for digital record digging.

Your favorite female Dj?
My friend Jasmine Solano, one half of the group Electric Punanny, is amazing. She kills it with dancehall, reggae, afrobeat, hip hop, and her energy is always on point. I also love Natasha Diggs for the deep funk & soul cuts.

Your favorite bar-club in Nyc?
Just depends on the night, I usually care more about the music and the people and vibe than the actual club. House Of Yes in Brooklyn is pretty cool thought, generally always a good party going on there.

To dress, a pair of?
All tie dye everything.

What you learned while Covid-19 lockdown?
Reminded of how lucky I am to have my family, my health, and our little home in Los Angeles with a garden and home studio. My quarantine has not been lonely at all !

Djing or beatmaking? I can't possibly choose. I started making beats so I could have the best music to play in my DJ sets. I love seeing the immediate reaction to music when I Dj, but I also need the outlet of expressing myself by making music, otherwise I go crazy.

Your favorite hardware?
I use a combination of ProTools and Reason, with lots of plug ins and virtual instruments, but my music would be nothing without the help from my musician friends who contribute guitars, horns, vocals...

Party on a human scale or big venue?
If the big venue has an open mind and is willing to go on a journey together, then that's the best. But often it's easier to get that type of interaction on a smaller scale.

What are you preparing for 2021?
Hugging my family and friends ! Travelling again. Playing music in a club with a real crowd. Hopefully my kids can go back to school and we can have some childcare too.

Which job would you like to do if you weren’t a Dj?
Painter or visual artist. Maybe when I get older I will pick up my paintbrushes again.

Interview by Dj Coshmar / Photos (c)