Andy Chatterley – The boy has done good, really good…
So Andy, firstly, big up’s for your new tune ‘Access The Future’ which yet again you notched up another Radio 1 Essential New Tune after your summer smash ‘I Can See Stars’. Tell us about the tune…
“I wrote ‘Access To The Future’ after producing quite a few minimal / techie tunes in the month before I made it and I just wanted to do something that smashed it out and rolled along with a massive-no-holds-barred breakdown. I generally approach producing from a ‘what do I want to do today in the studio?’ sort of approach and then as the tune developes, figure out how it’s going to work best on the floor. ‘Access To The Future’, at least in my sets, does some serious damage to the dancefloor. It’s getting a joint release on Forensic / CR2 on 1st Decemeber 2008.”
You record under so many different moniker’s – Skylark, Edison, LSL, The Droids, Buick Project (with Nic Fancuiulli) – talk us through how each one works and the different sounds you make with them?
“Strangely, it sometimes seems that if you step outside the specific genre you are known for being in, it confuses people. Personally I love to write and produce so many different kinds of music. I am currently producing an album this month for an artist called Theoretical Girl, we have been recording orchestras and brass sections (amongst other things) at my studio in Islington. Having so many aliases allow me to have these different outlets without worrying too much if an Edison track will be too far removed from a Skylark track or whatever. I also like collaborating with people in the studio, it’s so useful to have a sounding board and bounce ideas off each other. You get a different perspective, but more importantly, a different influence depending with who you’re working with. Nic and I started working together about 11 years ago. Skylark started to get noticed I guess around 2003/04 with a track we did called ‘Thats More Like It’ on Credence (and then CR2). Quickly followed by some solid remixes of Chiapet, A Studio, Tears For Fears amongst others.We started the Buick Project because labels kept on expecting us to remix everything in exactly the same style and sound as the last Skylark remix, so the Buick Project was our ability to take it in a different direction. It was our Buick Project remix of Tiefschawartz feat Tracey Thorne ‘Damage’ that we found ourselves Grammy nominated in 2007, which was nice! Interestingly 2008 is the first time I decided to release tracks under my own name, after so many years or producing under aliases or in some cases for other people, not quite sure why it took me so long to make this step, but anyway here I find myself with an essential new tune, so better late than never…”
Your musical influences include Derek May, George Harrison, Sasha, Iggy Pop, Adam Beyer, Sebo K and David Bowie. Quite a diverse selection eh? Who was the first musician who REALLY got you into this crazy dance world?
“I listen to so much music – Steely Dan at the moment in my non dance soundtrack. I think there are so many amazing dance tracks around at the moment though and I think production is better than ever with so many brilliant producers around right now. However in answer to your question, I went to my first rave in 1989 as a teenager (who definitely shouldn’t have been there) but had the youthful energy to stay up all night dancing and I heard ‘Strings Of Life’ for the first time… and that did it for me. That one track hooked me into a lifetime of repetitive beats, so thank you Derrick May.”
Your first label in 1994 you called Sperm Records – err explain the name please…
“I was young! No actually, Richard Schiessl – the guy I started the label with, came up with the name (no pun intended). The thing about the name is it really stuck (no pun intended), I would phone up DMC for instance and say “Hi it’s Andy from Sperm Records” – the first time you would get a surprised person on the other end of the phone, but the second time you would always get straight through to editorial cause they would remember you. Without fail, every single review we ever had anywhere for any of the 30 odd releases (no pun intended) had a double entendre or a reference to Sperm. Comments like…’Sperm unleash another tasty platter’, ‘Sperm come up trumps once again’, ‘A 12 inch release full of Sperm’ were some of the ones that stick in my mind. In all seriousness though, we had some good releases that caught the moment of dance music back then, notably Yum Yum and Boomerang – and yes they were aliases…”
Your Union of Numbers is quite incredible, releasing a new track every single week on Beatport covering a different slant on electronica from deep house to techno – what have been your favourite tunes?
“I love the idea that I can produce something and then have it available on line the very next day for people to get hold of. The basic premise behind ‘Union Of Numbers’ is to produce a track one day and release the next via Beatport every week up until the end of 2008. Each new release has a numerical title. It started on ‘One’ and ‘Eight’ that has just been released . ‘Six’ and ‘Three’ are the ones that really work for me at the moment. The whole concept is basically writing an album over three months but releasing it track by track. Yes, it’s another bloody alias, but it really has its own sound already and I am happy with the production.”
What has been on your ipod in 2008?
“Paul Ritch, Steely Dan, Air, Roxy Music, David Bowie, Adam Beyer….”
Grammy nominated for Buick Project’s remix of Tiefscwarz, producing stuff for The Pussy Cat Dolls, playing synth on Kanye West’s album, remixing the likes of Muse, Kylie, Underworld, Justice v Simian, Blondie, Armand Van Helden and Deep Dish… who have been the coolest artist’s you’ve worked with, who were you most honoured to work with, what piece of work have you thought ‘Andy that was something to be proud of’ and who would you like to do remix for?
“Wow loads of questions in one….
Coolest artist: That’s a really hard one, because what makes someone cool? But in many ways probably Kanye West.
Most Honoured: Marco Pironi from Adam & The Ants (Guitarist and Co-writer) – I got to know Marco a bit a few years ago, so I asked if he would be up for coming in the studio and remixing Ant Music with me, he was. It was a brilliant moment for me cause Ant Music was the first 7 inch I ever bought and I was sitting in my studio with all the original parts remixing it with ones of it’s writers.
Something to be proud of: Let you know when I do it! – I think trying to get better and writing better music, never being satisfied is the thing that drives me on. I was proud being Grammy nominated and think it’s a good remix, but still have a way to go.
Remix: The Beatles – that would be amazing to have a commissioned remix by The Beatles.”
Your label Saved Records that you co-own with Nic has seen some great 2008 releases and parties… tell us about your Saved year…
“2008 has been brilliant for Saved, the label really got on track this year, a solid set of released from Matt Nordstrom, Joel Mull, Skylark, Steve Mac etc but I think 2009 in going to be just as good, just bigger with a lot more global Saved Session parties to boot…”
What was spinning in Singapore Morocco and Poland like?
“It’s a great privilege to get to go and play internationally. Zouk in Singapore was brilliant I loved it, hopefully be back there in 2009. DJing gives you brilliant perspective on what works on the dancefloor and what doesn’t. For me at least, it has become an important part of the production process, to be able to road test tunes. I guess I will always be a producer first and DJ second, but they are both equally as important to me. It’s an amazing feeling rocking a floor, especially if it with a tune you just made the week before!”
What does 2009 hold for us from Andy Chatterley?
“It looks like it’s going to be busy. Lots of tunes, lots of production, lot’s of DJ gigs, lots of travel and hopefully and more importantly, lots of fun.”
“Thanks for the questions Dan…”
