Influences: Paul Thomas Revisits Five Records That Shaped His Journey Ahead of Godskitchen Birmingham
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Godskitchen returns to Birmingham this Bank Holiday weekend for its first UK show since 2022, bringing the iconic brand back to the city where it all started with a huge day and night takeover across the Digbeth Trianglem including Luna Springs, XOYO Birmingham, Night Owl, and the O2 Institute, formerly known as The Sanctuary - IYKYK.
Among the names returning is long-standing resident Paul Thomas, a DJ whose relationship with the brand stretches back through some of its most influential years.
For many clubbers, Godskitchen was where scenes collided and sounds evolved. It moved through trance, progressive, breaks and house while introducing generations of fans to records that would become part of dance music history. Paul was there through much of that evolution, both behind the decks and on the dancefloor itself.
Ahead of his appearance this weekend, he looks back at five records that played a defining role in shaping both his sound and his wider journey through electronic music.
Sasha – Xpander [Deconstruction]
"Seeing Sasha play at Godskitchen in Birmingham in late ’98 for his Global Underground: San Francisco tour was a pivotal moment for me in my direction. Up until that point, I was engrossed in the huge trance boom that had taken the UK club scene by storm at Godskitchen, Gatecrasher & Cream. Seeing Sasha play that night changed what I wanted to hear and play overnight, a much slower, textured sound but still keeping the heart-tugging melodies and emotion. A few months later, he started playing Xpander, a track that epitomised that same sound. It is without doubt my favourite track of all time."
Bedrock – For What You Dream Of [Stress]
"Up until 1996 I wasn’t really aware of electronic music, having grown up through the Brit Pop era with Oasis and Blur dominating the music scene here in the UK. Then I watched Trainspotting and this track stood out for me above all the other amazing tracks on that soundtrack. It’s the track that made me interested in electronic music in the first place and made me dig for more and more in my local record shop. While it has probably aged a little bit compared to some of the other tracks on my list, it’s still a track you could play in your sets even now."
Push – Universal Nation [Bonzai]
"The first ever trance track I bought. Up until 1997, I was finding my feet in the electronic world, listening and buying lots of different styles and particularly the 'pumping house' sound that was big in my hometown of Birmingham at the time. Then I discovered Universal Nation at a record shop, which instantly struck a chord with me. Trance wasn’t really a defined sound in 1997, and I guess at the time this would have been classed as techno, but it had that tough, dark emotion that Belgian and German producers were starting to become known for at the time. It’s the track that pulled me into what became the trance scene and the first genre I actively sought to be a part of. By 1999 and through the influx of the lighter Dutch producers, trance lost its raw edge for me, but this is a track I have never got bored of listening to."
Hybrid – Symphony [Distinctive]
"When I first broke through as resident for Godskitchen in the mid 2000s, it was as a breaks DJ having forged my own successful breakbeat events in Birmingham, and my interest in the genre stemmed from this track. Hybrid were the masters of broken beats, loaded with the heavy emotional, almost trance-like sounds that already inspired me. To tell you just how iconic this track is, take a look at the track listing for Sasha and Digweed’s Northern Exposure 2, a masterpiece of layered mixing with tracks featuring for only two, three or four minutes, while Symphony is played out for the entirety of its glorious 12 minutes."
Nalin & Kane – Beachball [FFRR]
"When I think of the most magical times I have had in Ibiza, in particular on the Space Terrace, this is the first track that springs to mind. Nalin and Kane are my all time favourite producers and I could have picked any one of the singles or remixes for this feature, as they’ve all had a huge impact on me and been a big inspiration, but I have chosen the first track I ever bought of theirs. It’s a track that was in a genre of its own, like many tracks that were made in this era, and that was the beauty of Nalin and Kane’s music. It never felt forced, never followed a formula and always seemed to fit in with a broad scope of DJs. They always kept their own sound and vibe throughout, something I have always tried to keep in mind in recent years especially."
Looking across Paul's choices, there is a clear thread running through them. None were selected because they simply worked on a dancefloor. Each one marks a turning point. Discovering electronic music through Trainspotting. Falling into trance during its formative years. Moving towards progressive sounds after seeing Sasha at Godskitchen. Finding a home in breakbeat culture.
There is a nice symmetry in revisiting those moments now.
This weekend, Paul returns to the city and brand that helped shape much of that journey as Godskitchen comes back home to Birmingham.
Paul Thomas
Godskitchen
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