DMC checks in with one of the biggest House producers and remixers the world has ever seen…
King Unique hit the floor running in 2001, claiming the title of Undisputed Remix Champs by scoring five Essential New Tunes in five months on Pete Tong’s BBC Radio 1 show. The King Unique sound has been in constant demand since, appearing on dozens of remixes including King Dong sized floor-fillers such as Underworld’s “Two Months Off”, Planet Funk’s “The Switch”, Mutiny’s “The Virus”, Jamiroquai’s “You Give Me Something”, Luke Slater’s “Nothing At All”, Foremost Poets’ “Moonraker” and Baz’s “Believers”. Most recently King Unique have reworked LA rockers The Killers’ “Somebody Told Me”, Dirty Vegas’ “Walk Into the Sun” and Chable and Bonicci’s “Ride”.
So firstly, the name King Unique. Where did that come from Matt?
“Ha. Well myself and my old partner Matthew Roberts couldn’t decide on a name. We were signing to Defected and Simon Dunmore kept calling us and saying what is your fucking artist name? It was Matthew’s brother who came up with the name, he’d just seen a Latin street gang film where the gang’s leader was King Unique. So we thought fuck it, King Unique – cool.”
A massive new tune swinging out on John Digweed’s label Bedrock ‘Bedrock’ – 20000000 Suns and Feniksas. So, why, hook up with JD and his label?
“John’s been a big supporter of KU for the last few years and I think Bedrock has been one of the best labels of the last couple of years. Plus everyone on Bedrock has great hair like me so it was a natural choice. ‘2000000’ Suns was an early guess at the mass of the black hole that has been found at the centre of our galaxy. I heard about it while I was recording the track and it instantly made me think about those old house music clichés of unity and oneness. It’s an inescapable fact that at a molecular level, all of us, you, me and every single person, animal & object that has ever existed on this planet are all going to ‘meet again’ (in the best traditions of Vera Lynn) in that black hole – along with a few hundred billion other stars and their planets. We truly will be one.”
You have travelled the world twenty time over, which has been the best country you have rocked? I think we know the answer…
“Well this new has tune has taken a little while to finish – about 7 years, in fact! It was originally written in 2003 for an album that was never released, and ended up forgotten on a dusty hard-drive. Last summer I found an unfinished copy on my old laptop – and by unfinished I mean the track literally stopped halfway through. When I heard it again I thought it sounded pretty good, a little time capsule of techno from the days beforem minimal, but I didn’t really consider releasing it – until I played it to Ignas (the promoter of Exit Club in Lithuania). We were talking about classic big room tracks on the ichat , so I told him I had one that nobody had ever heard and sent him a copy. And he liked it. Really liked it that made me think seriously about releasing it. I took it back to the studio, finished it and passed a copy to Fergie and John Digweed – John asked to sign it and Ferg asked to remix it – so I said “yes” twice That’s how the tune finally made it out of the laptop and became Feniksas – reborn in Lithuania, and re-titled to say thank you to the Lietuviai for bringing the tune back.”
What did your parents think of your career choice?
There was a lot of good grace. They didn’t say nothing to be honest. They helped pay the bills when I was in my twenties and when suddenly I turned 30 and started making the money, I knew they were proud of what I was doing.”
The big tunes spinning out your box right now?
Solomun – “Cloud Dancer (Manuel Tur Instrumental Mix)” (Diynamic)
Tumbling beats and fuzzed up Detriot synths all over this tune – packs a much bigger punch than the initial deep vibe suggests.
King Unique feat. Natalie Arnold – “7 Hours” (Unsigned)
Eight years since we last worked together on Watkins “Black a.m.” I’ve hooked up with singer Natalie Arnold once more. “7 Hours” is a beautiful piece of music and a huge club track; reactions when I play it out are fantastic. Talking to a few labels about this one.
T.Hofmann & Cornholio – “Partenza” (Parquet Recordings)
Echoes of the groovy early stuff from Bodzin & Huntemann, ramped up with a snarling big-room production sound. Dark techno funk.
Ripperton – “Random Violence” (Green Records)
Love this – tranquil & hypnotic, looped cut-up piano chords set against clusters of percussion and subtle guitar glitches. Perfect track to reassure the early morning casualties.
Secret Cinema – “Glad Chord” (GEM)
This tunes all about the warmth – lots of it. Warmer than buttered crumpets eaten on the surface of the sun in fact.
King Unique – “Feniksas (Fergie Remix)” (Bedrock)
I’ve asked Ferg back to remix the latest single; after his fantastic mixes on “Hinode” and “Dirty” he raises his game even higher with this thunderous techno spine-shaker. Staggering moment when the bass drops in.
Phil Kieran – “Dirt (Psycatron Remix)” (Cocoon)
Menacing menacing stuff – warped stabs and metallic clanks soaked in Phil’s trademark distortion. Expertly rewrapped by Psycatron into another peak-time killer.
Tim Richards – “Synthetic Soul (Fiord Remix)” (Curfew)
Next release on Curfew sees three of the finest acts from the far side of the world delivering tech-house fatness. Tim Richards’ “Synthetic Soul” comes with remixes from rising stars Fiord & Jamie Stevens, whose recent offerings are in danger of eclipsing his day job as one third of Infusion.
Antix & Embark – “Lost & Found” (Iboga)
This is one of those tracks that’s perfect to start a festival set with – epic and relentlessly rising music set against a very slow paced beat. Lights the fuse without setting off the bomb.
Holy Ghost! “OnBoard Instrumental” (DFA/XL)
Insanely uplifting euphoric New York disco/boogie/punk vibes. If you’ve been enjoying the space-disco vibe that Danny Howells has been bringing on his Dig Deeper label lately you’ll love this too.
Best club’s you have ever played?
“Exit in Litthuania and Yellow in Tokyo. Unbelievable. Both”
Explain the love for Lithuania…
“Well basically the people there are like the English. Good people, take care of themselves, but once they get into a nightclub it’s like a Jekkyl & Hyde situation – they just let go. In the UK, the real good looking girls are seen at London’s R&B clubs, over there, the beautiful girls are dancing in hard Techno clubs.
Greatest DJ you have ever played alongside?
“Dan, we get to the club ten minutes before we get on and the other DJ is just about to fuck off. So fuck knows!”
You moved around a lot as a kid to many different towns and cities – you’re now up in North Wales and recording amazing tunes in a tiny village – what’s it like up there?
“Well these places are invisible really, no one around, just head space. I love it”
What one artist you haven’t worked with before, would you like to get into the studio and make music with?
“Van Gellis in his 79 / 80 period.”
One album you would never sell?
“New Age of Earth by Ash Ra – it’s brilliant for calming the kids in car, it’s like space music. I have a two week old, two year year old and five year old and it send’s’ them right off. Subtle melodies, loops and loops, a blueprint for prog, harmonies played on synthesizers… brilliant.”
You hail from Chester though I believe, a plethora of very important artists are from there. Lottie, who was Chief Bridesmaid at my sister’s wedding, the K Klass Boys and I think the big boy of Cream and Ibiza Darren Hughes was from this beautiful city… who did you rock with back then?
“Well to be honest, I was going to a club on a Tuesday which was guitar led, Matthew was going to club’s with a Chicago / Detroit sound booming out.”
So what happened after the split?
Well Matthew, who was one of the first residents at Cream, just decided he wanted a change in his career. I had a good think about things and realised that it was the agents and managers who were taking all the money. So I thought I’d turn it on the head, so these days I just pick who I want to work with, no stress, make my own bands’ and just make music.”
Best piece of your own production?
“Wow, I don’t know. I am really proud of my remix for UNKLE, just finished a track called ‘Seven Hours’ featuring Natlie Arnold today… and of course the new EP…”
