Andy Hughes Tribute - 07.01.2009
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I got some devastating news this week. My friend Andy Hughes sadly died at the weekend. He was someone who had an enormous influence on my musicality and my studio engineering. Furthermore large sections of the UK music community won’t know what a luminary they have lost - a completely overlooked producer / arranger / programmer / writer of class and flair.
I met Andy in 2002 when he was helping set up my fathers new studio in 2002. I had gone along for the day with the sole purpose of meeting, in my opinion, the most talented guy from the orb as he was showing Dad how to use his new logic set-up. It would be true to say I was in awe - Orblivion is one of my favourite ever albums. Not only did I learn more that day about being a professional musician than my entire time at University - I also met a kind, fun and inclusive musician. Towards the end of the afternoon we made a song together and then went off for a Nando’s.
A couple of weeks later Andy called me and invited me up to his studio in Brixton. It was incredibly exciting for me to visit Andy’s studio - next door to the Basement Jaxx (who he introduced me too) showing me lots of Mac music tricks that I still use on a nearly daily basis. I would play him something I had been working on and he would offer advice - and then he would blow my demo out the park with his latest and greatest steaming out the studio monitors like champagne on crystals.
The strangest thing happened what turns out to be the last time I saw Andy - I was waiting in the car for my girlfriend to finish work in Soho and was chatting to some people who were smoking outside their office nearby. I decided to give Andy a call as we had seen each other just before Christmas and had discussed starting a film and tv sync catalogue. As his phone rang - who should walk round the corner but Andy fishing his phone out his pocket to answer my call. He was actually on his way to have a meeting with the people I had been chatting too!! An insane coincidence made doubly bizarre that at the time I was living in Brighton and Andy was living in Rochester! As it happened he was early so we had half an hour in the car playing each other some stuff and making plans. He really liked my Psychogenic material and I don’t mind telling you I’m still chuffed (and will always be) with his comments on that. Andy played me some of his latest which as ever bounced out the speakers with sparkle and wit.
Much of Andy’s best stuff remains unreleased - most probably still sitting on his hard drive so I will be making noises at the funeral of some way of cataloguing his work for posterity. I’ll miss you mate - if your reading….
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