"I'm back using vinyl" Catching up With Alan Fitzpatrick

We’ve taken great pleasure in sharing in Alan Fitzpatrick’s journey since we first introduced him on the blog about 2 years ago now, first interviewing in the wake of his first artist album for Adam Beyer’s Drumcode Records at the beginning of 2011. Ever since he’s maintained a consistent progression in his sound through his own label 8 Sided Dice, being part of the Drumcode family and changing up his DJ set up as a matter of course to keep his week in week out DJ sets fresh. He’s back this Saturday so we took time to catch up with him again and find out how his return to vinyl has been the latest thing to refresh his experimental and diverse technical approach to playing out. Hey Alan good to catch up again, what’ve you been up to since we last spoke to you on the blog? The last time we spoke was just before Adam Beyer and I played Room One between Christmas and New Year and I am sure anyone who was there that night won't mind if I reminisce about that a little because it was quite simply an amazing experience. It was so much fun to play on that sound system and the vibe in the club was incredible - totally packed and everyone was going for it. It was the first time either Adam or I had played in that room and we both cannot wait to get the chance to do it again. Elsewhere, I'd say the first half of 2013 has without doubt been the busiest period of my career so far. I have been touring all over the world including two trips to South America and three tours to USA and I have released quite a lot of music with a new EP for Drumcode called 'In The Beginning', a track for James Teej's label, My Favorite Robot, and a collaboration with Jon Gurd for Paul Ritch's Quartz label plus remixes for Adam Beyer, Ben Sims, Renato Cohen and Markantonio. Somewhere in between all that I managed to find the time to build myself a new studio, which has been an ambition of mine for quite some time. Now all I have to do is find some time to actually sit in the studio and make some music! You can expect another Drumcode EP before the end of the year plus I have remixes coming for The Advent, Nicole Moudaber and the classic Stevie V track, 'Dirty Cash', which is getting a re-release after the summer. Oh, and I also just celebrated my 30th birthday so I am looking forward to being bought a few drinks this weekend when I get chance to catch up with all my London friends at fabric! So we’ve noticed that you’ve started playing around with your set up with a move to vinyl – how’s that influenced they way you’ve been playing? To be clear, I'm still predominantly DJing with the Pioneer CDJ 2000's but I have started playing vinyl again alongside my usual digital set up and I have also added a BOSS reverb pedal to enhance the way I can manipulate sounds within my set. But yeah, I am back using vinyl and I am really enjoying it. I am finding so many great records that it just makes sense to me to play them in the format that they were intended. I started out DJing with vinyl many years ago and I miss it, so for me it is an exciting move to introduce some vinyl back into my sets, both from a musical perspective and for my own personal preference. It has influenced the way I play in some ways, such as being more relaxed about just letting a record play instead of being tempted to layer in other tracks or effects or move onto the next mix quickly, but really it is all about having extra ammunition to enhance my performances as well as keeping things exciting. I do like to regularly add or take away elements of my DJ set up so as to keep my mind fresh and encourage myself to experiment. When you are DJing every weekend it is easy to fall into routines and that doesn't feel right to me because I want my performance to always be unique and dynamic. Has it meant you’ve been able to put yourself in other situations away from the peak time? I have a naturally broad taste in music, both personally and in terms of what I feel I want to play in clubs. I've never just been interested in peak time techno, there have always been elements of deeper or more experimental stuff in the music I like, but I guess I have become known for a certain style from the records I have made and this reputation follows you. As I have become more established promoters have given me the opportunity to play longer sets, maybe sometimes being the only act on a line up, and so I have had the chance to play the full range of music that I want to. This confidence in me as a selector and not just a guy who turns up and plays the hits has encouraged me to experiment and I guess this has in turn given me the confidence to introduce vinyl back into my set up. I have played quite a few events like this so far this year at venues such as Lehmann Club in Stuttgart and The End Up in San Francisco but the best example of this is the residency that I was invited to take at Jaded after hours in London. I have played two shows for them so far this year and they will both go down amongst my most enjoyable gigs of the year. Playing 5 or 6 hours on a Sunday morning is just perfect for me to really showcase my sound by running through all the styles and genres I want. To be honest, I love a good after hours so to be able to be in control of the music at one of the most respected after hours events in Europe is a great honour for me. The other place you can hear me experimenting with this broader style is the DUB sessions podcasts I have made, where I will play ambient or experimental or dub Techno. I have published four sessions on my Soundcloud page and they have proved really popular, as well as being loads of fun for me to make. What’s it like been going back to crate digging when getting your sets together, what kind of music are you picking out that you weren’t before? I think any DJ will tell you that since digital formats became the primary source of music and most music became available online, finding music that is fresh and unique has become harder. Nothing stays exclusive for long anymore, even promos or unreleased tracks. People seem to be able to get access to playlists really easily and they can tick tracks off of their want lists just by searching online. So even the tracks you get sent personally soon become common knowledge or the occasional hidden gem you discover never stays secret for long. The appeal with vinyl, particularly the limited edition or vinyl only releases, is that availability is often finite. When it is sold out it is sold out. If you missed it you missed it, or you have to really hunt it down or part with over-the-top money to get it. This keeps some tracks really exclusive and this is a big appeal of the format to me. It keeps my sets different from other DJs and keeps the whole process of searching out music exciting. I also find that I am digging out a lot more forgotten classics and B-side tracks from my home collection that I had not heard for years in order to keep my sets as exciting and dynamic as possible. I would urge every DJ to not just play the music that is fed to you via promo pools etc. I think a huge part of being a professional DJ is finding music that not everyone has. Can you pick out for us a mini playlist of your five favourite tracks you’ve uncovered recently that are fuelling your sets this summer? Sure, I can reel off a few tracks that I am playing, some new, some old, but I won't tell you all the old stuff. Some are real hidden gems that I worked really hard to find so they are staying secret! 1. Human Resource - Dominator - Barrow Boy Mix 2. Xpress 2 - Musikism 3. Royal House - Ben Sims Edit 4. Session Restore - Screen - Alan Fitzpatrick Mix 5. Aphew Twin as GAK - Gak 4 You’ll be playing Room Two again on Saturday, how do you envisage your set being compared to previous visits with your new DJing approach in mind? I am really looking forward to Saturday. It is always a very busy night when I play fabric, which means a lot to me as not only am I playing on home soil but also in one of my favourite all time clubs, but for this weekend I am looking forward to it more so than normal because this is the first time I have headlined Room Two with the closing set. I am aiming to keep the room booming for as long as possible so everyone can look forward to a really memorable party. Of course I will bring some vinyl and I will play some vinyl and I hope to record the set so it can be streamed via Fabric First and everyone can get to check it out in the days following the weekend.