Manchester house guru A Guy Called Gerald is having a hard time with the DHSS. You see, despite his quirky 'Voodoo Ray' being a cult groove all over the country, Gerald hasn't actually earned any money, because the distribution company, Red Rhino, has gone bust.

"They keep interrogating me, asking how much I've received, and they don't believe all the Red Rhino thing," moans Gerald from a phone booth in Hulme, a down and out district of Manchester where "you can't walk in a straight line because of the dogshit".

Mind you, now that his debut album, 'Hot Lemonade', is finally in the shops maybe he'll be able to move to a better area, or at least buy himself a poop scoop. 'Hot Lemonade' is full of moody settings and sonic soundscapes, a new age house album that dips and soars through different energy levels.
Surprisingly it doesn't include 'Voodoo Ray'.

"Yeah, I just wanted to move on, and not keep going back to things. I don't want to be remembered just for that track. I think Manchester house is a lot more mature in that sense, because house music has been around longer in this area. We're always trying something new."

Gerald has also become something of a hit in New York, where 'Voodoo Ray' has been selling by the crateful. There's also. a tinkly piano remix by New York DJ Frankie Knuckles.

"I'm going over to do a couple of gigs, but I may stay there and disappear for a while, to get the dole office off my back. I've only got 20 quid though."

Poor old Gerald. The next time you bump into him in a club, lend him a fiver will you?

[Author: Tim Jefferys]