The man from Defected delivers the sumptous ‘Whenever I Try To Leave’ EP via Falk Records
Interview by Dan Prince
Greg – a huge welcome to DMCWORLD…where on planet earth are you today?
At my flat in Wood Green after a long day spent trying to convince people to write pleasant things about our events and releases, with varying degrees of success.
What was the first piece of music you heard this morning after rolling out of bed?
Nils Frahm’s ‘Says’ is my alarm at the moment, but I guess that was technically before I rolled out of bed so it would be Anderson Paak’s album ‘Venice’. It came out nearly a year ago now but I missed it the first time around and now I’m completely obsessed. Try listening to ‘Miss Right’ without smiling, basically impossible.
It takes a mighty fine release to put a smile as wide as the one Buzz Chart supremo Guy Garret was wearing last week, but by jove you’ve done it sir! Please talk us through the history and sounds of your amazing new EP ‘Whenever I Try To Leave’…
Well, that’s very flattering to hear. I actually made all the tracks on the EP quite a while ago, maybe a couple of years, so the details are a little hazy. I’ve always found it much more appealing to make house music with somber sounds rather than main room bangerzzzz(zz), pretty much everything I make ends up sounding a bit sad. I’m really quite a happy person though! Although I’m sure a few of my colleagues would disagree. Critics (and I’d have to agree with them) would call it ‘house music to fall asleep to’. I prefer pillow house, and when that becomes a thing I’ll gladly claim credit for inventing the genre. In terms of the specific sounds, it’s 90% samples, some of my own voice (I think) and quite a lot of reverb.
PS. Guy – stick us in the Buzz Chart yeah??
{http://soundcloud.com/wearefalk/sets/falk015}
Have to ask you about your musical skills, we are loving the tinkle of ivories. What is your earliest musical memory from your childhood?
My earliest musical memory was being given a bright yellow turntable and a copy of the War Of The Worlds soundtrack, which completely blew my mind. I’ve tried to learn various instruments over the years but have been completely terrible at all of them. It took a long, long time to record the piano for this EP.
When did dance music first appear on your radar?
I remember getting copies of the Now compilations when I was a kid and always rewinding the dance records, things like SL2 ‘On a Ragga Tip’, Urban Hype ‘Trip to Trumpton’ the Shaman, Prodigy, stuff like that. Really commercial records, not that that really mattered at the time, I didn’t know the difference. I was way too young to be involved in any kind of scene, but I raved pretty hard in my bunk bed.
What came first, Pizza Hut in Bath or Karanga?
Ha ha, Pizza Hut! But I know which one I have fonder memories of today! Karanga was pretty much the only night that catered for dance music in Bath and it was trance heavy. Is trance due for a comeback? That would be fun.
So tell us your story, you are now one of the most important staff at Defected Records, you are involved in your own label, we’ve all been wowed with your DJing skills down at Glitterbox…how did you go from homework to amazing club work?
I started interning at Defected more than 8 years ago, after deciding life was too short to cold call people to try and sell them virus software, which was one of the more depressing jobs I’ve had. Eventually, over time Simon has been kind enough to let me DJ at some of the Defected and Glitterbox events, for which I am extremely grateful. I fucking love DJing, and don’t get to do it as much as I’d like, so to be able to play at Ministry of Sound and various other places has been a fantastic experience. Along with a colleague, Simon Dawson, we do the For The Love Of House room at Ministry, and occasionally record a guestmix for the Defected Radio Show: again, something I love doing. Working at Defected has been great, and something I always wanted to do. I bought their first ever record, and dozens after that, so it was always an aim of mine to be involved.
So if anyone’s doing a shit job they hate and want to do something else, do everything you can to make that happen. As I said, life’s too short to be miserable because of your job. Fuck that.
Are there enough hours in the day for you to fit all of the above and a new family?
In short, no there aren’t. So something has to suffer, and at the moment its making music. Falk have done a fantastic job with this EP though. It’s very motivating to have people like something you do enough to invest their own time and money into it, so it’s definitely given me the kick I needed to get back into it. Who needs sleep anyway?
What does your daughter Esme think of your music, any head nodding going on yet?
Well she’s only 5 months old, so she’s not exactly a fan yet. She likes me singing to her, but only cos she thinks it’s funny. But no, I can’t say she’s ‘into’ music exactly. She was actually sick on me when I was working on some music the other day – read into that what you will.
Nice little big up the Groove Armada guys gave you for your music – who though are the first superstar producers you check to see if they’ve liked your productions?
I honestly can’t imagine any superstars paying much attention to anything I made, let alone liking it. That Groove Armada said lovely things about my record is of course incredibly flattering, but I’m not chasing their approval. When I’m making music, I’m actually more concerned about what some of my friends would think. Often I have a couple of people in mind, depending on what I’m making. But mostly it’s for me, otherwise what’s the point?
What are the five big tunes in your box this weekend, please give us a few words on each…
Considering I’m not DJing anywhere this weekend and don’t have a particular theme to worry about, this is just a list of some of my current favourites
– Mick Jenkins – The Alchemist
Ridiculously good production from Lee Bannon on this.
– Lawrence – Dawn 808
New release from one of my favourite labels Smallville that typifies their understated, evocative approach to house and techno
– Haiku Salut – Hearts Not Parts
This much focus on sound design can sometimes mean the record itself loses purpose – not the case here.
– Donato Dozzy – Casandra
Well, he’s just the master really isn’t he, and this is a personal favorite of mine.
– Chevel – The Windrunner
Metallic aggression, scary as fuck.
Your anthem of the summer?
Has this summer had that many anthems? While it’s by no means been a bad year musically – quite the opposite – I can’t think of many that qualify as ‘anthems’. Let’s go with Detroit Swindle’s remix of Seven Davis Jr. ‘Friends’ – that’s about as big as they come.
What are your thoughts on Ibiza as it comes to an end for another year, it has been the busiest, the hottest and probably the most musically diverse for a while…?
Has it? I’d say it was the year where there was more tech house per square inch than ever before! I’m biased of course, but I’d say that Glitterbox was one of the few nights that offered something different. Ibiza is probably always going to be dominated by whatever’s newest in house and techno, and so it should be, but I’m not sure it can really be celebrated for its diversity, not at the moment at least. There are still so many DJs playing for various promoters, clubs etc.. not as bad as it was a couple of years ago, but it still happens. And while that’s great in one sense, it does in some cases make some of the night barely distinguishable from one another. I’m not hating on Ibiza, it’s a pretty fucking amazing place, but if you like anything other than house or techno, you’re probably going to be disappointed.
The Top100DJs is just around the corner and yet again the results may have bean leaked. Garrix, Hardwell, Avicii, Guetta all nestling in the top 10…who would be your 5 leading DJs of 2015…?
This is a hard question, as I’ve barely seen anyone this year: it’s been far from a prolific clubbing period for me. So to answers this question I’d have to base it on mixes that I’ve heard online, and while I’ve listened to plenty of them, I don’t think that’s really a fair reflection on a ‘best DJ’ nomination. Can I just say that Conforce is consistently incredible, Francis Harris plays records like he’s my own personal selector, and Ben UFO epitomizes everything a DJ should be and leave it at that?
A piece of vinyl you would never sell?
That War of the Worlds vinyl I mentioned earlier, although to sell it I guess I’d have to find it first. Other than that, I have about a thousand old trance vinyl that despite knowing I’ll never, ever play again, I don’t think I’d ever consider getting rid of.
The best Defected tune of 2015?
Kings of Tomorrow ‘Burn So Deep’.
An up and coming producer to keep our eye on 2016…
There’s a guy called Route 8 who made this fucking beautiful record called ‘The Sunrise In Her Eyes’ this year, it’s so good. If he continues down that path it would make me very happy.
Not many people know this, but Greg Sawyer is really good at….
Doing that thing where you blow a Malteaser up in the air and then catch it in your mouth.
What is coming out next from you studio wise?
I’m working on a remix for Falk, plus there’s another EP coming with them, early next year I think. I’m also working on some stuff for a label I absolutely love, Silent Season. All their output sounds like it was made in a damp forest, so I’m trying to get out to my local park for inspiration.
The best club night you’ve been to this year?
This year my clubbing has been pretty much non-existent, didn’t even make it out to Ibiza – oh the shame! I am very much looking forward to the Modern Love night later this year though – seeing Andy Stott live has been on my wish list for quite some time, so that should be excellent.
And finally, gotta ask – what was that hang-gliding post on your Facebook page all about earlier this summer? Only Fools And Horses?
Only that, after 30+ years of life, I finally found out it was hang-gliding, rather than hand-gliding as I’d thought previously. Who knew such errors could last such a long time? But I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who’s an idiot.