Buzzin’ Fly – Hits 50
A big week for Buzzin’ Fly as it sees their 50th single release, an apt title ‘Bright Star’ courtesy of Hamburg’s Stimming (chalked up Track of The Year in iDJ in 2008 for his ‘Kleine Nachtmusik’ belter), Folk/Jazz vocalist Julia Biel and head honcho Ben Watt – one of dance music’s great’s. It was seven years ago that this seminal, underground label started kicking the shit out of dancefloors around the world with Mr Watt’s best selling ‘Lone Cat’ in 2003. The label has simply continued to exude amazing tracks ever since, Justin Martin’s ‘The Sad Piano’, Darkmountaingroup’s ‘Lose Control’ and Martin Eyerer’s ‘Southern Soul’ have seen me jigging round my living room with a big smile on my face on many a late one. There has also been some superb and defining remixing provided by some real heavyweights such as Radio Slave, Charles Webster and Ame & Michel Cleis on some of the label’s track’s – my favourite, the latter on my big pal Spencer Parker’s ‘The Beginning’ – but I would say that!
So it’s the Golden Anniversary for the label, with their 50th release. Can I just say, that magazines have remarked in the past about the brilliant artwork on album and single releases for the likes of The Happy Mondays and Primal Scream – the work however that John Gilsenan at IWANT has done over the years should be up at The Tate. No wonder he’s won awards for his work for Buzzin’. I would cover my house with his work, if I could afford it. This release is extra special, the 12″ will be an omately-designed, strictly limited deluxe collectible gatefold edition, pressed on 180gm heavyweight vinyl. I’m grabbing one of them…
Ben Watt – The man with the Buzz
Hi Ben. Nice to hook up again. A born and bred Barnes, London boy – what music were you listening to growing up that sent you into dance music, DJing, producing and nightclub management?
“My dad was a jazz musician and bandleader, he brought a lot of musicians into our home who would all sit around playing cards and listening to music into the small hours. I also had a lot of brothers and sisters from my mum’s first marriage who were all around and they had a wide range of tastes. Santana, Lou Reed, Simon and Garfunkel – lot’s of mainstream 70s albums. I then got into my own musical taste, Post Punk early eighties stuff mainly. I remember going to the first ever Joy Division gig in London, I’ll never forget that. It was only in my thirties that I started to DJ. I was working on Everything But The Girl’s ‘Walking Wounded’ album with Howie B and he turned around to me one day and said, “you should be a DJ, you’d be great. So I started.”
So how did you hook up with your infamous Buzzin’ Fly artist/designer John Gilsenan?
“Well when we launched Cherry Jam in 2002, I was looking for a graphic designer and web site person. A friend at Rough Trade recommended this guy who had just come out of college, we just hit if off and are still great friends. John has worked with all of our projects ever since. His imagery and vision is just brilliant.”
What’s coming next from Buzzin’ Fly?
“A new Mademoiseile Caro and Franck Garcia album in April – their first album was really well received by the likes of The Times, DJ Mag and Clash Magazine. And we have Tracey Thorn’s new album coming out on our sister indie imprint, Strange Feeling in May.”
Back to your dad, well, he was a VERY famous Scottish jazz bandleader – served in the Royal Air Force before working with some very big names and winning an Ivor Novello Award for the song ‘Overdrive’ with his band. What did you think of your father’s career as a kid?
“Well, he had an amazing, if quite short, career. He recorded two albums for Parlophone Records, ran the Northern Dance Orchestra for a bit, and had his jazz orchestra on the radio every week – this was just all before the Rock n’ Roll days – but his heyday was mainly before I was even born.”
Did you find it difficult entering your career into music with a dad with such a great career behind him?
“I think having a father in the limelight, you’ll always have a thought in your head – ‘what’s your dad thinking about what I’m doing with my life – both an inspiration and a pressure perhaps’.
Buzzin’ Fly – 50 in the bag. Best signing you ever made to the label?
“What a huge question. Well, the first Rodamoal single was important. We basically we got three artists for the price of one – Rocco, Manoo and Darkmountaingroup’s Alex Santos. We signed Justin Martin’s first ever tune. Early Stimming stuff. Ame’s first big remix. And more recently Michel Cleis’s remix for Spencer Parker.”
The big record you are spinning at the moment?
“Tough one that too. I’d say the new ‘Body Pop’ Nelski remix by Radioslave.”
Best club you have ever played at?
“Notting Hill Arts Club back in the Lazy Dog days. Plastic People on Curtain Road in London and always, The Terrace at Space, Ibiza.”
So a big player on the London scene part owning Neighborhood in Ladbroke Grove, London and Cherry Jam just up the road too, two great venues…what went wrong?
“There were three partners, always a dangerous number as everyone will have different ideas on how to move forward. The first year of it all was brilliant, but then I thought it was best that I walked …”
Your book you wrote ‘Patient’ – I have a library of hundreds of books – yours though is amazing. Details of your battle with the very rare life-threatening auto-immune disease (hurg-Strauss Syndrome). Some great accolades for your book from the likes of The Sunday Times and New York Times?
“It took me six months to write after a long time in hospital. It made me understand that life changes. A very traumatising part of my life, obviously. But by expressing it, it helped me come to terms with it.”
