Here's another free giveaway in the run up to Kill Em All at FABRICLIVE on September 3rd. It's kind of a double celebration as Kill Em All Records prepares for a brand new release on Monday 24th August: the club stomper that is Hidden Cat's 'Get With It.' The track has had big support from the likes of Erol Alkan, Hey Today!, Toddla T, Mumdance, Matt Walsh and Deepgroove and its the third release after singles from We Have Band and Plugs a few months ago.
The package includes remixes by Portuguese duo Photonz ("the most exciting prospect in house music right now" - Kill Em All) and Savile who turns in a beautiful electronica version under his own name Gianpaolo Dieli. To top it off, there's a remix by one of the hottest young names in club music right now, NT89, and you can download a 320 mp3 of this floor destroyer exclusively from here.
Listen to the whole package via the Soundcloud widget below and check the promo mix by Hidden Cat himself striaght after...
Kill Em All takes place at FABRICLIVE on 3rd September with Four Tet, Boy 8-Bit, The Glimmers, Filthy Dukes, Joe Goddard (Hot Chip), Egyptian Hip Hop (live), Factory Floor (live), Jamie xx, SBTRKT, Paul Chambers (live), Stopmakingme, Riotous Rockers, Casper C & Alvin C.
This Sunday the duo of Bearweasel will be hitting WetYourSelf for their debut performance down here. The duo comprised of Dean Muhsin and Louisa Page spent their time growing up feasting on the likes of DJ Sneak, Stacey Pullen and Sasha and you can catch their releases on much lauded labels such as Tsuba, Classic, Soma, Brendon Moeller and 8-Bit. To mark the debut Bearweasel have put together this exclusive promo mix and who better than Dean from Bearweasel himself to sum up the mix's intentions...?
"I’m still recovering from last weekend, so I wanted to do a nice, warm, trippy mix to ease people towards the weekend and my first appearance at WYS! which I’m really excited about."
BLM & Pawas “Waiting Game” – Sudden Drop
Cally “Wake Oops” – Fear of Flying
BLM & Pawas “Waiting Game” (RNDM Rmx) – Sudden Drop
Enola “Lost in Shibuya” (Quarion Rmx) – Initial Cuts
Andre Lodeman “Dark Edge” (Dairmount & Marco Bernadi Dub) – Room With A View
Milton Jackson “Falling (Loop Mix)” – Dark Energy
Bearweasel “Styly” – Tsuba
Ahead of their set in Room Two this Friday the Ulterior Motive duo have given us the green light to pre-empt their performance with a recording of their set down here last month; a fresh insight into their take on current drum & bass.
For more info on the duo check out our Introducing feature on them we did recently here (it'll open in a new tab so you can just press play and keep the mix streaming in the background).
Dub Police head honcho and fabric fam member Caspa steps up this week with the release of his new single 'Love Never Dies' with Mr Hudson. Vocal or non vocal is the question? Which version hits harder? You decide.
We've got the video's for both below. Make sure you watch our listings page for next installement of Dub Police hitting FABRICLIVE shortly!
Ever since we heard the news that the newly launched sister brand to Cecille & 8Bit labels, air london is soon to take over Room Three; we’ve been doing cartwheels listening to Argentina’s Alejandro Mosso’s live set on the brilliant airpod series, which comes fifth in line to major players Robert Dietz, Nick Curly, Kreon and Alex Celler. The airpod series boast a rare quality of ‘slightly off-centre musical compositions stitched together by the cosmopolitan crew of DJ's known collectively as 'air london;' Mosso’s offering bursts with warm, melodic club bounce and latino grooves, some of which you may have heard from his productions on high high-profile labels, Sushitech, LoMidHigh and Alphahouse.
Playing alongside London’s favourite pair, Alex Celler and Anthea, the dazzling trio are going to have the crowd leaning in with anticipation from the start and for those who want to hear more from Alejandro, a new release from him is coming out on air london in November plus remix packages on the Igloo and Trapez imprints are on the way too.
Kill Em All resident Stopmakingme has made a brand new club mix for Erol Alkan's record label, Phantasy Sound, which you grab below for the price of a couple of mouse clicks. The mix is coupled with a piece about why Chilly Gonzales' 'Take Me To Broadway' means so much to him as a DJ which you can read here.
It's all in celebration of the two great men teaming up for the next release on Phantasy Sound: Erol's re-work of Gonzales' 'Never Stop' (out 06/09/10)
Parisian duo, Masomenos are masterminds of the electronic music scene. With Adrien de Maublanc in charge of the production and sound engineering and Joan Costes taking reign of DJing duties and graphic design; their creative flair can be heard mainly on their own label, ‘Welcome to Masomenos.’ Catching the eyes of high profile names such as Ricardo Villalobos, dOP and Raresh, since 2006 the pair have been particularly prolific , having just released their last full-length, ‘Costes Presente... The Third Eye’ in May of 2009. And to those who love distinctive artwork with a strong story element in their music, then make sure you check out the whacky cartoon critters on their imprints vinyl sleeves; a true collector’s item- they bring a smile to the fabric office with each release.
As we get ready for their performance in Room One this Saturday as part of the Tyrant takeover with Lee Burridge and Deepchord feat Echospace (LIVE), the funky minimal techno duo have given us a two hour long promo mix to set your tail feathers shaking and get you hyped for their upcoming longplayer entitled ‘Balloons’ which is set to blow up the underground circuit this Autumn.
Posted in Jobs on Friday 13th August, 2010 by Mackaveli
Wer'e currently on the hunt for an office intern over here at fabric. We're after someone to aid us in our Press, Promotion and Record Label Departments. You'll need to be proficient in Microsoft Office, Word and Excel, have a love of social networking, written editorial experience, superb time management skills and have a big enthusiasm for the music we represent at fabric.
The position is for a fixed time period of 3 months.
To apply or to obtain more information please email us your CV and covering letter.
With nicknames like ‘3 Deck Master’ and ‘The Human Ableton’, you know you’re in for a treat of technical wizardry when you get the chance to see Ben Sims. Someone who can truly claim to have seen things come and go and come round again in the world of techno, Ben is a DJ of legendary status who has toured the globe delivering his funk driven techno and house that is the trademark of his DJ sets. On August 28th Ben will be joining Ben Klock and Russ Gabriel in Room Two for a star studded line up that also features Carl Craig, Sebo K, Alex Celler and many more. The man has kindly found a few minutes of his time to answer questions on what life is like in the shoes of Ben Sims…
So Ben, describe your day so far…
Friday 30th July: Spent the morning going thru digital promos and sorting my records etc for this weeks gigs, started the weekend travel by flying out of London City airport to Frankfurt (i'm playing NATURE ONE tonight, then over to Holland for ROCKIT festival tommorow) and now I'm waiting for room service in a hotel. Pretty typical Friday.
You started DJing aged 10. I’m guessing that you must have a pretty huge collection of vinyl stored somewhere, how do you stay on top of all the music? Are you very methodical about collecting?
Most of my records are in storage as I can't fit them all in my apartment but i'm regularly going back and forth with bags and changing my selection at home. Hopefully sometime soon I can have them all in one place as I often buy doubles because I can't find a particular track or I just forget I already own it; I'm not as organised as I'd like to be. I'm still a vinyl junkie though and always have a wants list on me, my desire for new or rare records for my varied sets and tastes is showing no signs of fading after 25+ years.
What was your dream job as a kid?
To be a DJ or work in a record shop, preferably both.
Who were your early inspirations and what inspires you today?
I was hugely inspired by UK soul/funk legend FROGGY (R.I.P) as a kid, he was one of the biggest DJs in the country at the time, the first guy to use pitch controlled Technics for mixing and luckily, he also did the school discos at my junior school as his then wife was a teacher there. So that really gave me the bug, seeing someone that talented and respected at a young age, it definitely started my lifelong obsession with the art of mixing. After that I searched for tapes of US DJs like DJ CHESSE, CASHMONEY, RED ALERT, LATIN RASCALS, AFRICA BAMBAATAA etc and recorded mix shows off the radio at home from guys like RICHIE RICH, COLDCUT, HARDROCK SOUL MOVEMENT and anyone mixing up rap, soul, funk and disco. These days I’m inspired by many different DJs, mostly techno or house, but in general guys whose sets are individual, have their own sound, who really put their heart and soul it and don't just follow trends, people like DERRICK MAY, JEFF MILLS and THEO PARRISH are always great to hear as it's always refreshing and always more than just a couple of hours of music, you can hear history and years of dedication in their sets that is sadly lacking in many DJs.
What have you noticed that’s changed most about clubbing, club culture and techno as a genre in recent years?
Well, if you stick around long enough you tend to see things come back around, a revival of this, a new version of that, fads and phases come and go but for me techno is essentially the same as it’s always been, just a new audience embracing it.
The clubbing generation definitely seems to have changed a bit, these days it’s more about the DJ than the individual tracks played and everyone seems to want to stay up for days! Fuck that, haha…
Back in April we posted on fabric director Keith Reilly's guest editing of the most recent edition of .Cent Magazine - please refer to the exuberance of the original post here - well the .Cent team have uploaded some footage of Keith and .Cent's creative director Jo Phillips discussing how the collaboration came to be, the importance of being part of a creative community and what it is that sets .Cent apart. Keith also shares his experience of .Cent's unique guest editorial process and describes the emotional moment when he finally received the completed issue.
The Kompakt signed Aksel Schaufler, probably better known as Superpitcher, is on the verge of unleashing his second album for the Cologne based label. Entitled ‘Kilimanjaro’ – meaning mountain of the evil spirit - it follows on from the German producer’s 2004 LP ‘Here Comes Love,’ his collaborations with Michael Mayer under the Supermayer moniker and steady remix work, subverting the minimal tag and its stolid connotations.
We’re proud to be hosting the album launch party in Room Two this Saturday where Superpitcher will no doubt preview a lot of new material alongside performances from Sascha Funke (who did a mix for the occasion just last week) and label mate Tobias Thomas and we’re stoked to be able to offer you lucky readers the chance to scoop one of three 12”s Kompakt have kindly provided.
To be in with a chance of owning the remixes of Superpitcher’s ‘Rabbits In A Hurry’ – done by Roman Flugel and Its A Fine Line, aka Ivan Smagghe and Tim Paris – drop us an email to this address with Superpitcher 12” giveaway in the title.
The work of Romanian producer Cosmin Nicolae - either as TRG or under his updated Cosmin TRG moniker - has to date been incredibly varied. Given his knack at production and his attention to detail, he’s managed to let his music evolve ahead of the trends. Possessing the very first release on the much lauded Hessle Audio imprint (Resident Advisor’s label of the month back in Jan 2009 and a label whose stock has only risen since with a slew of quality releases from the label’s core producers, Ramadanman, Pangaea and Joe) Cosmin has consistently flaunted different styles, releasing across a plethora of respected labels (Tempa, Soul Motive, Immerse and the afore mentioned Hessle).
Switching up from the 2-step loaded bump of early releases like ‘Put You Down,’ ‘Move Dis’ and ‘Decisions’ to a more 4x4 orientated style that’s slowed itself up a little while keeping the celebrated toughness he always manages to harness, he changed his name, prefixing the trio of initials with his Christian name around the time of his second release on Tempa, the ‘Now You Know EP.’ Seemingly signifying a switch up with the updated artist name and title of the EP, he displayed a new style across the EP, giving his music a more insistent pulse that more than hinted at a love for house music’s regularity.
Keeping an element of brutality in his punishing kick drums, Cosmin’s music seems to effortlessly straddle the divide between multiple styles, applying pressure both in dubstep and mid set in UK funky raves; something that’s not gone unnoticed with publications like FACT musing heavily about his unpredictability. With his debut live set, the very first time he’ll perform live, on the horizon Friday next week we caught up with the producer to find out what we can expect and grab ourselves an awesome taster mix, which you can download for keeps after the jump.
What’s the scene for underground electronic music like in your native Romania?
Dance music has been quite surprisingly healthy given the rather bleak circumstances it had to evolve with. There are loads more producers around these days which is great, and the club nights are still brimming with enthusiasm. The scene can be a bit quaint but it’s seductive at the same time, one thing is certain though; some of the nights here are cutting-edge and up there with most of the trendy cities up there.
How did you get into that type of music yourself?
Just like anyone else I suppose, taking my parents' records and tapes and hunting for new sounds. I've always been into electronic music of all sorts and although it wasn't easy to get hold of music in pre-2000 era, I tried to look for fresh sounds and experiments.
Can you recommend the sort of styles/producers you are listening to and enjoying currently?
I can't really stay focused on a single style at the moment, but I think the mix I did for you showcases what I'm into these days; a sort of organic, dusty, futuristic vibe. I'm into stuff like Actress, Four Tet, the Frozen Border records, STL, KiNK, updated house, techno from Modern Love artists to Robert Hood or Dettmann and loads more.
After early releases on Hessle Audio and Tempa, you’ve flipped up your sound a little of little, persuing more of a 4x4 shuffle. Was this something you’ve always done? Was it a conscious decision to change direction?
I was doing 4x4 stuff even before my first 12" came out on Hessle, it was pretty formulaic though. I kept working on it in the background and over the last couple of years I became more and more into it. More so than my dubstep/garage, I just became less and less enthusiastic about that sound and couldn't really vibe with it anymore. It had nothing to do with the genres per se, just my compulsion to diversify and look for something new. I did change my name to signal a shift in the music, at the same time I liked the sound of my own name better than the 3 initials. It just makes it more personal.
You are performing your first ever live show down here on the 20th. What’s the set up? What can people expect?
The set-up is fairly minimal, I don't play any instruments but I'm pushing a lot of buttons and trying to look cool. I'm performing and re-interpreting my own material, 90% of which is brand new and there are some bits that nobody's ever heard so it should be an interesting experience. The clues about the sound are, again, in my FABRICLIVE mix. It has its artsy moments, but its all dancefloor material and I can't wait to play it out.
A man of many hats, Casper C is somebody who's built up a reputation the old-fashioned way, both by warming-up/warming-down and playing at peak time on all sorts of dancefloors, from his own 'era-defining' Blogger's Delight alongside the likes of Optimo, Justice and Simian Mobile Disco, to the definitive indie-dance club he co-curates, AITBF, to his former weekly T Bar residency, High Horse, where the guests were of the deeper variety.
This High Horse promo-mix gives a taste of Casper's dark side, taking us on a live mixed journey of house, techno and even a taste of the Taxi Driver soundtrack. Travis Bickle would be proud!
As ever, we'll be expecting the unexpected when Casper joins Jamie XX, Joe Hot Chip, Fourtet and more in Room One at the Eat Your Own Ears and Kill Em All presents night on Friday 3rd September.
Bernard Herrmann - Taxi Driver Soundtrack
Redshape - White
Jackmate - Carrier
Lost Heroes - Bambatta
Kenny Larkin - Glob (Kenny Larkin Remix) / Josh Wink - Freakapella
Ame - Fiori (Dixon Beat Edit)
Roman Lindau - Sonnerie
Itamar Sagi - Selio
Martyn - Miniluv
Ben Klock - Many Too Many (Ben Klock Remix)
Ross 154 - Kaoz
Moodymann - Dem Young Sconies
Gadi Mizrahi - She Don't (Lowtec Remix)
Prusumer & Tama Sumo - Flow Figure
Lil' Tony - Mona
Wbeeza - A116
Abe Duque - A1
Schatrax - Misspent Years (Silicone Soul Remix)
Dexter - 1992
Samuel L Session - Off The Chain ft Elbee Bad (The Drums)
Maetrik, Sabb - Marinda
Ramadanman - Glut
Scott Ferguson - Minimal Emotion
Oni Ayhun - OAR004-A
Roman Fluegel - Brian Le Bon
Oneohtrix Point Never - Emil Cioran / Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets
This Sunday the WetYourself trio are pleased to welcome Tsuba Records boss Kevin Griffiths. A DJ for over ten years Griffiths has cemented his reputation as a selector and as a label boss he’s successfully carved out his niche within the world of deep, sexy underground house music; in fact his Tsuba label is the second most charted UK label on Resident Advisor.
To celebrate the occasion he’s put together an extra special promo mix for WetYourself which features a new production from him alongside tracks from Daniel Wang, Sascha Dive and Tsuba signings Mic Newman and Hector.
Sascha Dive 'Tribute to the night' (Deep Vibes)
Nekes 'Pump It' (Oslo)
Kevin Griffiths & Justin Drake 'Rogers' (White)
Mic Newman 'Not Enough Sleep' (Tsuba)
Mic Newman 'Dynamite Willie' (Tsuba)
The Gathering 'In My System' (Jef K System Mix) (Silver Network)
Patrick Specke 'Hoola's Dancin' (Desolat)
Daniel Wang 'Not Feelin It' (Rush Hour)
Nekes 'Apartment 4.4' (Loveletters From Oslo)
Nick Harris 'Pony Trekkin' (NRK)
Hector 'The Blue Zone' (Tsuba)
Gavin Herlihy 'Think' (Cadenza)
Omid 16B 'It Doesn't Have To End' (Tsuba)
Changing his name in an attempt to free himself from the expectations of a legion of loyal DJ Clipz fans – or to avoid the all seeing eye of the law if his following delve into social paranoia is anything to go on – Redlight has already secured a powerful handful of highly vocal fans, with dubstep producers Skream and Rusko, BBC 1xtra’s Mistajam and Radio 1’s Annie Mac all singing his praises. With a new blend of club friendly UK music – feeding as much of the ominous bass weight of dubstep as the skip of UKG or the vibes of UK funky – he’s already released on the Digital Soundboy label and his next single, which features a vocal collaboration from Ms Dynamite, ‘What You Talking About?,’ is dropping later this month via Chase & Status’ fledgling MTA imprint.
But no matter what the success – as his recent tenure as one of 1xtra’s ‘In New DJs We Trust’ DJs attests to - you simply cannot suppress Redlight’s inquisitive side. Questioning society as much as he studies filter operations of bass frequencies we asked him to revive our High Fidelity list feature ahead of his Room One slot on the 20th August, and he picked his top 5 CIA conspiracy theories, complete with further reading on each...
Freeway Ricky
"The real and original Rick Ross. This guy was the ultimate G, or at least he thought he was until he realised his coke supplier turned out to be the CIA! He's still in prison now, whilst one of the main men involved in his whole operation has his own TV show on Fox News..."
"Did the CIA help NASA beat the Russians in the space race by faking the moon landing in a TV studio which was then watched by millions all around the world? Who really gives a fuck?"
"Did the CIA help to kill them? Did they try to stop the two powerful black icons becoming too influential? Or did they just take offence to Big's classic ‘The Ten Crack Commandments’?! Or maybe Biggie's bid to take over their favourite Krispy Kreme outlet was a step too far..."
Today is our day curating Mixloud, for their Celebration of Curation er... celebration... an initiative in aid of the site's 1st birthday which features daily mixes/shows from people like FACT, XLR8R, Bleep, Data Transmission, Serato, Drowned in Sound, Drum & Bass Arena and so many more.
"As we approach our first birthday we want to showcase some of the biggest editorial voices around, who we have been proud and honoured to have worked alongside in the last 12 months," Mixcloud state in the campaign's gumpf. "Everyday throughout August we will have an exclusive Cloudcast from our pick of the best curators and now we invite you to start scrolling down and checking out what they have come up with."
Check out Mackaveli's mix for the occasion at the link below or stream it on the widget embedded.
With an astounding heritage within drum & bass, a plethora of successful labels and releases that span the entire spectrum of the scene and appear on pretty much every iconic d&b label there is, the Total Science duo of Jason Greenhalgh and Paul Smith are a bonafide success story. First getting together to produce music in 1994 under the Funky Technicians moniker they’ve never looked backed, maintaining their outlook and production style to this day; still releasing consistently great music after 20 years in the game.
Spinning in Room Three next Friday for the Critical Sound takeover, we tracked them down through label boss Kasra, who managed to persuade them to let us package their July mix up alongside a snappy Q&A.
So, for those that don’t know, can you briefly introduce yourself and what you do?
We are Total Science; two old men from Oxford UK who have been producing and playing drum & bass and other various forms of electronic music for the past 20 years. We also run C.I.A Records and all its subsidiaries.
Kmag published a YouTube chart recently chronicling your productions over the last 20 years. With such a lengthy period in the game what have been your highlights?
There has been so many highlights over the years, from getting our 1st 12”s on big labels like Metalheadz, Goodlooking and 31; also getting to remix classics like Krust’s ‘Jazznote,’ Doc Scott’s ‘NHS’ and Wots My Code ‘Dubplate.’ Oh and... getting to fly round the world getting hammered can't be sniffed at either.
You’ve released on almost every important d&b label going what do you feel have been some of your biggest achievements?
For us our main motivation is that we just love making music and for it to have become our way of life, as it has ,is the greatest achievement we could have ever imagined.
Is there anything that you believe has been inherently yours sound wise throughout your career? How do you think your sound has the sound changed with the times?
For us it’s the attention to detail we attempt to add into each track. We are also known for our use of breaks which we always spend a lot of time developing and tweaking. Our sound has always developed and changed along with the advancements of technology and musical enlightenment.
Tell us a bit about how the hook up with Critical came about? Was it just off the back of the ‘Redlines’ single? What can we expect from your slot at the fabric takeover?
We first recorded a 12” for the label in 2005 under one of our other aliased, Funky Technicians. Since then Karsa's developed the label into one of the top 10 d&b labels around, so we thought it was about time we did him a Total Science 12”.
On the night you can expect a various selection of what we consider is the best drum & bass around right now with a few of our classics thrown in for good measure.
What other projects are coming up from you, production wise? More on the CIA label?
Release wise we have two 12”s with S.P.Y coming out in the near future on Metalheadz and Subtitles respectively . We also have the Break remix of ‘Redlines’ to come on Critical after the summer. On the production tip we have been really hard at it and have lots of new material ready to drop.
For C.I.A we have 12”s lined up from Calibre, Lenzman and ourselves . We are also working on a various artists LP entitled ‘Tuned In 2’ which is planned for release early next year.
Can you tell us a bit about the mix you have put together for us and what you wanted to showcase with it?
The mix is simply a quality slice of what we are feeling in d&b at the moment.
At the tender age of fourteen, Nicholas Jaar’s Christmas present from his father was Ricardo Villalobos’ ‘Thé Au Harem D’Archimède.’ Sold by the CD clerk as the ‘most forward thinking electronic music album’ of the time, it was here that Nico’s passion for complicated music first began, obscuring the boundaries of minimal, tech house and techno. Ever since, the Chile born but New York resident has been a burgeoning talent right under our noses, rubbing shoulders with Wolf + Lamb at their infamous party house The Marcy Hotel, his debut ‘Student EP’ from the labels’ HQ had Seth Troxler naming him "one of the most talented minds dance music is about to see develop.”
At just nineteen years old, Jaar is currently working on his Clown and Sunset label which champions the sounds of like-minded cutting-edge new artists from different corners of the world and has a ten track compilation coming out this autumn which we can’t wait to get our hands on. While Jaar’s releases appear on dance music labels, his music bends and crosses many genres, and it’s impossible to put his sound into any neat little box. So with this in mind, we decided to catch up with the bright young producer and get him to shine a light on some of his favourite records of all time. He also passed us exclusive rights to a download of his 'John The Revelator' track which you can grab via the widget below...
Maayan Nidam’s music has found fans in high places since her first release under her Miss Fitz guise, ‘Drifting On’ was released on Jay Haze’s Contexterrior imprint. The Israel born Berlin resident he’s put records out on numerous labels – including Perlon, Freak’n’Chic and Wolf + Lamb - under numerous names – including Miss Fitz and Laverne Radix – and she’s hitting Room One this Saturday alongside Craig Richards, Seth Troxler and Nicolas Jaar. Ahead of her slot she put together a podcast exclusive for the Hybrid Life website; so to bring it to you we packaged it up alongside a neat little interview...
You released your debut album last year that features a number of Cuban instrumentalists; you seemed to have travelled a lot, would you say different cultures have influenced your work?
Definitely! I pick up ideas from everywhere. The more I travel the more I notice the similarities between different cultures but also the different expressions they take. This doesn't show directly in my sound, (I wont add a Japanese gong after visiting Tokyo) but it stirs the ideas I have, so for example you could recognise it in my mix of different genres or in the subtleties of movement and buildup.
In a relatively short space of time you've amassed an impressive portfolio, with releases on Perlon, Freak n Chic and Wolf + Lamb. It must be reassuring to gain such support early on in your career?
I don't think working in the studio for over a decade would count so short of time. However, my first releases grabbed the attention of some big heads in the scene and some artists; and for them I hold much appreciation. That gave me a lot of confidence to do my own thing instead of following the charts.
How did the moniker Laverne Radix come about? How does Laverne differ from your other aliases?
Laverne was born in Detroit a few years back at the Tesh by the infamous Lee Curtis (although Seth claims credit for it as well). Laverne is simple. The tracks she makes don't take her much of anything. She gets in the studio, breaks out a kick and a snare adds some magic and boom, you got a lil' something something.
Under my own name there's independence in the music, it's more personal, not really bound to any patterns.
Tell us one thing about yourself that no one knows?
I'm a big fan of the old scienterrific series, Cosmos. I think Carl Sagan is the coolest thing to have walked this Earth (and that fake Mars). I’m also in love with David Attenborough's voice. Love going to sleep with him narrating a Planet Earth DVD in the background.
Your latest EP on Wolf and Lamb is 'Greatest Tits' - did you have anyone particularly in mind?!
‘Greatest Tits’ is a pun on greatest hits (which was the original name of the EP) and those who don't live under a rock would know that 'tits' is also slang for something lovely.
To get a bigger picture about you, which three records best describe you?
I change with the seasons so I can tell you that right now I'm feeling like heavy beats & freaky pads...
Stuart Geddes stands at the frontline of the underground music scene, his secret weapon- an intimate knowledge on providing one-night musical extravaganzas, selected for a very special crowd. As a label-owner, producer, DJ and promoter, you will most likely recognise Geddes for his successful Mulletover parties and the London grown murmur imprint which has layed down releases from high profile artists, Matt Tolfrey, Glimpse, Bearweasal and Simon Baker. Not to mention welsh lad, Tom Demac’s latest offering 'Crewcuts & Curls' which has been hailed as murmur's strongest release to date, featuring as it does, reworks from Jamie Jones, Wolf + Lamb and Luke Solomon.
Taking over the intimate surroundings of fabric's Room Three this Saturday, Geddes will be showcasing the talents of the murmur presents nofitstate collective, championing the deep, profound and organic sounds of Meat and Tom Demac (LIVE). But before we lose our heads and feet in ‘no fit state’ (with little persuasion needed), make sure you check out Geddes words on the highs and lows of running murmur, the current state of East London’s underground music scene and why he believes Argentinean food is some of the best in town.
For those that don’t know talk us through the philosophy behind your underground house and techno night, murmur presents nofitstate...
Nofitstate is the chance for me to do something smaller and intimate where I can show my musical tastes on a wider spectrum.
You formed your record label murmur with David from Air London in 2008. Talk us through some of your highlights from running a successful label that has featured high profile artists such as Matt Tolfrey, Glimpse, Bearweasal and Simon Baker...
For me the highlights have been when something special happens, when a remix is delivered or I sign a track and I'm like 'wow' - I can't wait for other people to hear it. We got off to a good start with our first release 'Some People' by Rekleiner (my project with Audiofly). When we made that record I knew it was special...
Sis remixing 'The Thoroughfare' off the back of 'Nesrib,’ Damian Lazarus loved it and featured it on his Lazpod.
Finding Tom Demac and releasing 'Crewcuts & Curls' which has been my favourite release to date. Tom really has been our main act, we've bonded really well and have an understanding of what to expect from each other.
Lewie Day 'That's The Thing' featuring a Lee Curtiss remix. I suppose what fuels my enthusiasm is knowing when I’ve made an A&R decision that works. Admittedly I've made some mistakes along the way but that's part of the course of running a label I guess.
How important do you think collectives are at the moment in establishing identity for labels?
I think its massively important, most labels doing well have a collective behind them, it's something I strive for with murmur but find it difficult to achieve. Most labels want to be touring and playing in the best clubs in the world, to do that you need a family around you. Most producers have their mind set on working with one or two labels and to keep loyalty is difficult. Going forward I'd like to extend our roster, our stable mates have been Tom Demac and Mic Mewman so far.
You’ll be showcasing the talents of Tom Demac and Meat, both members of the murmur label on Saturday 7th August in Room Three at fabric. Tell us about how you met the two producers and what they’ll be bringing to the floor this weekend, alongside yourself...
Over the years I've always found it hard to really enjoy live sets I think it takes a special producer to nail a live show, Tom is definitely one of those acts, full of energy and charisma. Meat I've known for a long time and regard as one of my favourite DJs (he does own Freebase in Frankfurt so has pick of the bunch when it comes to gems), whenever we're together I'm always hassling him for his secret weapons. Musically it’s all about good house music.
Tell us about Tom’s remix package out on murmur this summer, ‘Crewcuts & Curls’; it’s been hailed as one of murmur’s strongest releases with reworks from Jamie Jones, Wolf + Lamb and Luke Solomon.
‘Crewcuts & Curls’ remix package was fun to put together, all three remixes were great and it was difficult to decide who got the A side! Wolf + Lamb taking it deep for the morning sessions, Jamie to the dance floor and Luke's for the heads.
We’ve been scratching our heads wandering, where you pulled the name ‘No Fit State’ from. Can you let us in on the story?
We've all been there... ;-)
How would you describe the current state of the underground party scene in London and how does it compare to other parts of the world where you play?
London is still going strong with some great parties happening but in my opinion it's getting harder and harder for promoters to do something special. The venues just aren't there anymore, especially in East London. With there not being so many 'venues' anymore everyone wants to do a warehouse party, and these parties aren't as underground as they used to be. When we first started Mulletover things were proper underground then, little warehouse parties here, there and everywhere. As Shoreditch and the surrounding area increased in popularity the venues that once held host to special, secret parties have now been developed and disappeared. Wherever you go there's always an underground but for me London is still unique with what we offer, people here know how to have a good time. In Europe I think there isn't such an underground scene because house and techno is accepted by the masses.
What makes for the ‘right party’ in your eyes?
The soundsystem is soooo important together with the people, followed closely by the choice of venue, and whatever else makes a party flow ;-)
What kind of music do you listen to in your spare time, and what other artists are you digging at the moment?
Currently on my playlists are Air (the folk band from the 70s), Carole King, Denis Wilson, ESG, John Martyn, Phoreski, Trus 'Me and Dixon’s ‘Temporary Secretary’ mix
Tell us about your upcoming murmur gigs and releases. Any big and breaking plans for 2010?
Gig wise we have a party planned 2nd October with Tensnake and Gerd Jenson, then another in November with Dyed Soundorom and The Revenge. Forthcoming on vinyl we have a nofitstate sampler featuring Claire Ripley 'Slow Loris' (Solomun Remix), Geddes & Mic Newman 'Rework' (Chopstick & TIll Von Sein Remix) and Tom Demac 'Slip Slop Slap'. In the pipeline Sir Ashkenson & The Fabulous Teti – ‘Don Do Dat’ and something from a young guy from Australia called Andy Hart.
Finally, what’s your favorite way to spend a day in London away from the studio and the darkness of a club?
Buen Ayre has got to be a contender for the best restaurant in town, great little place with meat being the staple option (not recommended for Judy ;)) and Parrillada Deluxe for two washed down with a bottle of red works a treat but doesn't leave much room for anything else.
Catch Geddes at the murmur presents NOFITSTATE Room Three takeover alongside Meat and Tom Demac (LIVE) this Saturday.
