Steve Miller aka Afterlife is without doubt one of the world’s most renowned DJs and producers of electronic chill-out. Working from Ibiza and Cornwall he has established himself as a true leader in his musical genre, a man that specialises in spacey, beautiful music that takes you somewhere special.
Steve, you’re renowned for making down-tempo chill-out styled House music, why did this become your preferred style?
“I just think that real chill out music has the broadest canvas an artist can have to work creatively. There’s no specific instruments, anything goes as long as it gives a good vibe and enhances the atmosphere. Older House tracks now seem to have been put in the ‘chilled’ house genre yet when they first came out they were main room dancefloor fillers. It’s an interesting change of perception I suppose.”
How would you describe your sound?
“I get asked that and it’s difficult for me to explain. What people have said in the past have been things like warm, blissful, lush, melancholic, uplifting and soulful.”
So you were probably the busiest DJ in Ibiza last year, playing on every beach and sunset bar available. How did it all begin?
“Well I’ve been producing for a long time now, I come from a Jazz/Reggae background and began engineering and learning my production techniques with the legendary Karl Pitterson.”
Tell us about your new album ‘Electrosensitive’. What can we expect?
“A few surprises for sure including the marvellous Sharon Musgrave singing the house track ?Fantasy’. She was the lead vocalist on the classic Bassomatic track ?Fascinating Rhythm’ which is one of my all time favourites. Juanita Grande also on a Parisian dubby tune called ‘Far Away’. There’s more songs, fatter beats and bass, even a bluegrass tech house tune called ‘National Dobro’ which Chris Coco has already remixed into a real smoker.”
You have collaborated with artists including K-Klass, Cathy Battistessa and of course Chris Coco who you recently released a taster E.P called “The Normalites”. How does this project differ to the sound that you and Chris are known for?
“The chemistry in a collaboration always brings out new vibes if the writers have an open mind. With ‘The Normalities’ it’s dubby, trippy, poetic and brings out the Gonzo in us.”
Tell us about your first Afterlife gig…
“Ha! It was at The Glade Festival in 2000, put it this way, they weren’t expecting chill out, but they loved it.”
What are your true feelings about Ibiza at the moment?
“Ibiza is a special place not just because of the clubbing scene but because the native people (Ibichencos) are very tolerant of different cultures which has led to an island full of interesting people doing interesting things. Every musician I know has been changed by going there so I think the spirit of the island is good for artists. I can’t wait to go back as I have not been there since 2004. I have heard tales of over commercialism but I think it’s just another phase of greed. I believe the island can look after itself, it’s been a party island for over 2000 years.”
So many chill out DJs would love to have your lifestyle, what advice would you give them to help them break through?
“Only play what you love and stick to your guns, that way you can develop your own style and have a lot of fun along the way. I think it’s very important to make your own records to understand how records get made and to have longevity.”
What gigs are you looking forward to for the remainder of the summer?
“Put it this way, they will all be outdoor! WiFi makes me ill screaming headaches, dizzy, horrible. I’ve had to turn down loads of gigs in Europe for that reason. I will be playing at Café Mambo which is a favourite and Kumharas as well as some ad-hoc outdoor gigs around the island. I also have a residency at The Cove in Cornwall where I live, playing on the terrace overlooking the sea. Going back to WiFi, interesting to see that there is a huge petition by the locals to get rid of it as so many people are complaining of ill health and the usual symptoms since it was turned on. I mean, how can Glastonbury of all people WiFi the whole town?”. www.glastonburynaturalhealth.co.uk/WhyWi-Fi.html
The new album has already been hailed as your best piece of work to date. Would you agree?
“Yes I would, it’s difficult to stand back and be objective sometimes but, having listened to it in a few public places it really stands up as a strong piece of work.”
What do you think production wise has been your biggest achievements?
“Dan, achievements are not something I have given any thought to before, but personally here goes…
– Always being given a free hand to remix so many other great tunes with no compromise.
– The Simplicity album. It did amazingly well considering it was made on 100mhz PC (yes that is not a typo) and some crappy monitors, I had to render every single reverb along the way as the computer would crash otherwise.
– Playing keyboards backing Lee Scratch Perry live at Dingwalls.
– Learning to stay fresh and improving the quality of my productions especially over the last 3 years which has become the album.
– Sometimes someone will contact me and tell me how one of my songs saved their marriage, helped them through dark times or just helped their children sleep better.”
