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The Soulfuric Brain Tappert

Author: michelle pirovich
Thursday, January 23, 2003
Longevity in any industry isn't easy, but in music it's particularly hard. With countless singles being released every week, trying to get noticed can be a daunting task. Brian Tappert broke through this barrier and experienced such success with his reworking of Stevie Wonder's 'All I do,' going under the guise 'The Cleptomaniacs' it made Tappert a household name.

Of course reproducing those elements that deem a hit a classic isn't as easy as simply repeating the process. 'There are so many tracks that have one or the other but few get them all right.' Brian though it seems has managed to overcome invisibility, with the singles 'Numero Uno,' 'Let's Get Down,' and 'Give it Up' solidifying Tappert's reputation as an accomplished producer.

Originally from New Jersey, Brain Tappert works under many an imprint. It was under 'Jazz-N-Groove Productions' that Tappert got his first taste for producing the soulful house to which his name is now synonymous. The cuts 'Better Way,' 'We Can Make it,' and 'Ya Hey' all landing spots with Suburban, Bassline, Strictly Rhythm, and AM: PM.

From there, accompanied by long time friend John 'Julius' Knight the 'Cleptomaniacs' emerged and success again became the reward for the pairs ability to produce classic dance floor winners.

The 'musical sophistication' of 'Urban Blues Project' and Tappert's most respected label 'Soulfuric Recordings,' according to Tappert himself comes from partner and co-owner Marc Pomeroy. Between them they have created the poignant Donna Allen's 'Deliver Me' and Michael Proctor's 'He is the Joy.'

Playing in Melbourne this weekend, Tappert also loves to leave the studio behind and get onto the decks to share his passion for those soulful sounds that make you move.

You produce under many guises, is it part wanting to have several identities or is there a perfectly logical reason to this-

Its a little of both...many times its for contractual reasons, sometimes because the name fits the project, and also because I like to collaborate with others and each name has some relevance to the people involved.

The 'Cleptomaniacs' have enjoyed wonderful success, what track are you and John most proud of and why-

I love all of the tracks John and I have made and remixed but I would have to say Kathy Brown 'Give it up.' For me it was a great collaboration and had a bit more substance than many of our other tracks.

Your newest label Soulfuric Recordings is doing extremely well, to what do you attribute its success-

Thanks for the compliment; we tend to think of it as more of a work in progress. I would have to say the main reason is that we have been blessed tremendously; it's most definitely a spiritual thing. We also try extremely hard to keep the quality level up on all of our releases. This has been no easy task over the years and continues to be our focus.

2002 saw more releases than ever before, plus we took over the manufacturing and distribution process. Soulfuric Recordings is definitely a team effort. Each of us, Marc, Sheldon, Megan and myself have our own responsibilities. I think of it like a table with 4 legs…remove any one of them and the thing tips over. We also have a great family of producers who make records for us like John Knight, Copyright, Jask, Axwell, and Richard Earnshaw.

Marc Pomeroy has worked with you for a considerable amount of time both on the 'Urban Blues Project' and now 'Soulfuric,' what does he bring to the music and the labels-

Marc is an extremely gifted writer and musician. He brings a musical sophistication to our productions that are truly unique. We started U.B.P. as an outlet for our productions in 1995 with the release of 'Deliver Me' which is being re-released with Joey Negro, Jask and Hardsoul remixes later this year.

You do amazing things when you breathe new life into a track. Can you explain to me briefly the process you go through to remi
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