The Market Place / Mandingo

by Stephen Whitby

The Market Place is a song written about my time in Asia, this time when I was in the Middle East, even though it was penned on Koh Samui. The markets and souk’s of the Gulf States were incredible sights, and I have fond memories of those wanders in the souks. The song became a snap shot of how life is in the Souk’s and Bazaars of Arab countries and how similar the setting, the people and the social contact is in market places, Cafes and Coffee shops all around the world. It's only the setting that's different, the only real difference being the Hookah pipes the men are smoking in those Arab coffee shops. Musically, it was a hard song to produce and mix, as it had to be just right to make it work. The drums were the hardest things to get right as I recall….

Mandingo started off as a project I had at College in 2013 and became my first Techno - like tune. It was part of the Iraq trilogy originally planned with The Market Place and another unnamed tune, which I have held back because it was no longer relevant politically. The plan was to make a political statement against sanctions in Iraq, but there are no more sanctions, so it will take another form in the future. I think it’s docile enough to win over a few older listeners and get them to listen and enjoy some of the great sounds today’s artists and DJ’s are producing.

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The Market Place is a song written about my time in Asia, this time when I was in the Middle East, even though it was penned on Koh Samui. The markets and souk’s of the Gulf States were incredible sights, and I have fond memories of those wanders in the souks. The song became a snap shot of how life is in the Souk’s and Bazaars of Arab countries and how similar the setting, the people and the social contact is in market places, Cafes and Coffee shops all around the world. It's only the setting that's different, the only real difference being the Hookah pipes the men are smoking in those Arab coffee shops. Musically, it was a hard song to produce and mix, as it had to be just right to make it work. The drums were the hardest things to get right as I recall….

Mandingo started off as a project I had at College in 2013 and became my first Techno - like tune. It was part of the Iraq trilogy originally planned with The Market Place and another unnamed tune, which I have held back because it was no longer relevant politically. The plan was to make a political statement against sanctions in Iraq, but there are no more sanctions, so it will take another form in the future. I think it’s docile enough to win over a few older listeners and get them to listen and enjoy some of the great sounds today’s artists and DJ’s are producing.