Huge new ‘In Love’ tune, a No. 1 Remix…a superb end of year for Scotland’s finest
Interview : Dan Prince
Graeme welcome back to DMCWORLD, where in the world are you right now?
“Hello and thanks for having me! I’m up in Scotland right now on the west coast. It’s nice to come up here, get away from it all and get writing on some new tunes.”
Well you have the Buzz Chart office jumping through hoops again, this thanks to your new belter ‘In Love’ which smashed into the No. 3 spot this week. Talk us through the tune…
“Glad to hear it and I’m totally made up that it charted. The reaction so far has been brilliant. I think it’s pretty much your good old big room uplifting banger but done in my own style. I rediscovered the Peanut Butter sample a couple of years ago and really wanted to create my own take on it. I originally did a more nu disco influenced version but decided I wanted to go even bigger with it so came up with the club mix – can’t wait to play it out.”
Right gotta kick off with this question. You were round your Aunt’s house when you were a nipper and started to go through her record collection one day bored…where you found some Roni Size and Goldie!! Fuck me, if I went through my Aunt’s record collection I’d find some Des O’Connor and Elvis Presley. What’s her story???
“Yeah that’s right. She has always been quite into dance music and was telling me about going to see Layo & Bushwacka at the The End in London back in the day. I have a cool Auntie (she’ll be reading this!).”
You appeared in Beirut a couple of weeks ago, what did you make of that little Lebanon adventure?
“Yeah I just got back from there actually. Really interesting place to visit. Lovely people. The drive from the airport to central Beirut is a little nerve racking, as the main road cuts through an area which has Hezbollah on one side, and Sunni Muslims on the other. Fortunately they weren’t firing rockets at each other during my stay…”
Interesting to see you are a Nitro Circus fan…how far does your liking of Travis Pastrana and his crew go, you a big motor cross stunt rider???
“My other half was involved in bringing this to Russia so I was hearing lots about the show. I wouldn’t say I was a huge motocross fan before it, but the stunts they were doing were really impressive (ever seen an adult ride a kids trike down a 30m ramp and do a backflip before?).”
The US seems to be high on the agenda for you and your music, big shows and tours out there…?
“Ever since I started out I’ve always had a really strong fan base in the US. I think something with my music just clicked there and I always love going back to play shows. I did an awesome tour with The Twelves a couple of years ago. Loved playing The Webster Hall, Avalon, Lure, etc. “
An interesting article you drew attention on your Facebook site this week, ‘Repetition to Redundancy’ – Ten More Songs That Sound Exactly The Same/Your EDM’. I know you aren’t a fan of EDM but recognize that any form of dance music bringing in new fans cannot be a bad thing, but what is your opinion on these kids making No. 1 on their laptops in a few hours?
“I think all power to them really, if they can create something people want to hear then why not? The thing that concerns me is that while these tunes are super hyped, whole swathes of amazing dance music are basically ignored by some of the new EDM press which has sprung up. The quality of music on the more commercial side has gone way down in the last couple of years. There’s a lot going on in the background and the “EDMization” of dance music is starting to look a bit like what happened to hip hop. Being turned from a legitimate art form into a purely commercial entity. I hope it’ll be strong enough to resist that as variety has kept it strong.”
You are a massive fan of the 80s – your facourite album comes via the Stone Roses, you love a good 80s edits and synth and you even had the whole 80s pastiche thing going on in the ‘Through The Night’ video. So from that decade, your favourite…
Film
“’Big’. Childhood classic.
Pop song
“Icehouse ‘Electric Blue’. It’s not that well known over here but has everything you want from an 80’s stadium hit.”
Producer
“Trevor Horn.”
Now that the dust has settled, how do you feel your latest album ‘Human Touch’ has been received, and how far do you think it has helped people to forget about our world which you claim is “a world of celebrity worship, constant communication, paranoia and division”?
“So far the reviews have been really good, although it won’t be released till early next year now. I think people get what I was trying to do. For me, dance music has always been about creating something uplifting, or hypnotic, basically stuff to make you feel great and forget all the nonsense going on. It’s not so much of a pop album and there are no featured vocalists. I wanted it to be a pure electronic trip. Recently it’s all been uber-cool house music or EDM bangers getting all the attention, and I slot right between these opposites so I think it’s refreshing to hear. I was really inspired from seeing Orbital at Warehouse Project. The atmosphere, vibe, music and whole experience was amazing and I wanted to capture that feeling.”
How did you cope with the initial touring and remixing schedule after ‘Heartbeats’ came out, was it a shock to the system or did you take it in your stride?
“It did take a little while to adjust to that. Compared to how much some guys are touring now though, it was nothing. It was pretty cool to get to do so many remixes of big acts. Goldfrapp – “Rocket” is my personal favourite from that period.”
What is on a Grum rider at a show in 2013?
“Oh I’m really laid back about riders, I think it just asks for some gin/tonic and beers.”
The new album is more contemporary than ‘Heartbeats’, it’s obvious to see you were more interested in creating good dance music than relying too much on nostalgia. What do you put that down to, your heavy DJing diary perhaps?
“It was partly down to the DJing, yes. The album worked great in a home listening environment but I always felt it lacked a bit when I was playing some of the tunes out. It’s quite hard to plan a really immersive DJ set around what are basically pop songs. I would also say I felt like I had “done” the 80s thing and it has ran it’s course now for me. I think it’s way more exciting to try and come up with something new and draw from a whole range of different influences.”
We were on the dancefloor at The Ministry of Sound last month where you appeared alongside DJ Sneak – very cool. Where have been some of your stand out gigs in 2013?
“Ministry has to be one of my favourites! I was playing 3-6 which meant I could be a proper DJ cliché and go on a real journey with my set. Had an awesome gig at Wanderlust in Paris earlier this year too. It was also great to be back in the US for a tour – I should be back again next year…”
What is the current top 10 you are spinning…
1.Grum – In Love (Club Mix)
2.Guy J vs John Digweed & Nick Muir – Heaven Scent
3.Japanese Popstars – Out Of Nowhere
4.Jimpster – Porchlight and Rocking Chairs (Kink Remix)
5.Martin Garrix – Animals (Grum Remix)
6.Hot Since 82 – The End
7.Foals – Bad Habit (Alex Metric Remix)
8.Fehrplay – Indigo
9.Darren Emerson – Hotdog
10.Beataucue – Aeropolis
You claim you know a little Russian, so without using Google Translate…” Какая ваша любимая запись 2013 года?
“I’m afraid it’s not that good so I will admit I did Google Translate!! So in answer to your question, my favourite track of 2013 is…Henry Saiz’s ‘Reality Is For Those Who Are Not Strong Enough To Confront Their Dreams’.”
“I wanted to do something more interesting and use these samples to write my own music. I think it’s magical when you can turn something obscure into a catchy riff or hook.” – tell us about some of the weird places you’ve found something weird that you have used in your music?
“I’ve got a Godley & Creme sample in a tune off the new album…it’s been transposed into a completely different setting. There’s also something in there which I won’t name that has been reversed, don’t think anyone will spot it…”
Who are some of the producers you are giving high fives to at the moment?
“I’m loving Alex Metric’s work as ever…Russ Chimes has done some great stuff this year too. Fehrplay and the Pryda Friends guys have come out with some great tunes in the last year. On the more underground side, Guy J and Henry Saiz have been great discoveries for me.“
You have created some stellar remixes over the years including the likes of Goldfrapp and Lady Gaga – we loved your Martin Garrix rework by the way! What is your remix policy, do you have to like the tune to take it on and what is your initial process on day one when getting your teeth into your work?
“I don’t really have a policy. It’s more a case of listening and understanding what I can do with it. Of course there are some instances where I just can’t think what I would do and have to say no. But other times there have been tracks I didn’t actually like but realised I could turn it into something completely different, and good. I tend to load up all the parts and decide which I don’t want to use. I try to make it as simple as possible to work with so I can focus on transforming the original into my own vision. Less clutter in the project makes it easier for my brain to relax and focus on listening. Some remixes take a day, some can take a couple of weeks and it’s always unpredictable.”
Another great quote from you: “ I think what most defines me is a good ear for emotion and melody. I always like to think my music has a certain class and feeling to it. My production is generally more about warmth than being too clinical.’ Discuss…
“eople always tell me they can tell if it’s a “Grum track” straight away. I think I must approach music creation in my own weird way. One thing people always comment on is that I always use the piano roll to write all my music, not a keyboard. I think it sort of makes you consider geometry while you’re writing which can create an interesting and different result. I’m hearing a lot of supposed big room music now which basically has no proper bass. The bass, drive and groove of the track is an important consideration for me, even when writing more big room tunes and I think it’s something which sets me apart from the pack.”
And finally, what is coming out next from you studio wise…
“I just finished up a remix for Mason and another for Digitalism which should be out soon. I’m also working on the club mix for the follow-up single to ‘In Love’ which is also sounding great. There’s loads to come!“
http://www.twitter.com/grummmusic
