The man heading up one of our coolest dance labels
“My upbringing I would like to think was as normal as any other kid really. The only odd thing might of been that my father drove Harley Davidson in the 80’s and used to sometimes ride me to school on it! So that used to get a lot of attenion lol. And I was lucky enough as a child to meet a few celebs and maybe run in line of few of my fathers photos!”
Who were the early artists you were listening to that helped you fall in love with music?
“My father was a complete music junkie growing up so that rubbed off on me and my brother. He would play everything from Jean Michel Jarre to Bob Marley to Bob Dylan. Especially loud on the weekends, and it would fill the house. Then my older brother used to bring back cassettes of what was cool at the time early NWA, Ice T, Guns n Roses, Public Enemy, early rave and drum n bass compilations. But the first cassette i remember buying myself was Bobby Brown’s first album lol.”
Tell us about your first foray into the world of event organising back at school…
“I remember organising the school disco’s at secondary school and telling the teachers I HAD to DJ. I did it by pausing the songs in the right place on cassette and CD’s. I was so excited it wasn’t even funny! Then in college me and my best friend started doing the odd nightclub party which friends would come to. But event organising is tedious so I tended to leave it for a few years until me and John Woolf started the Blowout parties at Bungalow 8.”
Has your brother ever regretted leaving his set of decks in his bedroom when he went off to college – did he ever pick up the art of DJing?
“I don’t think he’s ever regretted it, I think for him it was like a fad. I know a lot of friends who had decks but never became DJ’s. Some people just liked buying records. He’s never got into DJing, he got into photography which took him to live in LA for 5 years, he’s back in London now.”
At what point of your life did you decide you wanted to have a career in music?
“I’d say when I was around 14. Growing up I was always fascinated with the liner notes on albums and who produced what, who sampled what, reading magazines like VIBE, The Source, Black Beat, Mixmag, DJ Magazine etc. Once the vinyl addiction took over one genre led to another and I was beginning to have a great collection of records which i knew could rock a party. So it kind of just clicked that I wanted to DJ and eventually make music. I was spending every spare second buying records and travelling to record fairs and far away shops to buy one 12″! I was more than dedicated. I do miss those days because now with Serato, Traktor etc everyone thinks they can DJ. Back when it was just about vinyl you had to LOVE it and literally live and breathe it.”
What was your first big break?
“My big break came in a few stages. When I left college I luckily got a job at Concept Music (a small indie label run by Max Bloom), it was around this time I got in touch with Femi Fem and started nagging the hell out of him to let me do a guest set at Rotation. So eventually I think my persistence paid off and I got to DJ a few times at Rotation before Subterranea closed down. I remember being so nervous the first time playing there and literally being the only white guy in the club lol. Around the same time I met Jeanette Calliva through my father one night at a DKNY party on Bond St. I randomly rang him as I was in town and he said come. I overheard him talking with Jeanette who was saying she was having a big birthday bash at the Mayfair Club. Me being Young and fearless said I was a upcoming DJ and got her details. Funnily enough she rings me the week after because Femi Fem couldn’t make it and she asked me to cover! So from DJing her birthday I started playing the Mayfair Club (which is now a Nobu) and the brand new Chinawhite, which at the time was the first major exclusive club in London. I was warming up for guys like Dom T, Sam & JC, Sinbad. The saying right time, right place couldn’t be more true! Its also worth mentioning that around this time I also met a young Nick House (owner of Rose, Mahiki, Whisky Mist etc) and DJ’ed a lot of his early events, so we kind of came up together. Roger Michael and Tim Wade were guys I worked for early in my career.”
As well as your cool as fuck Nod Factor label, you have also over the years been found at a variety of different clubs, one being the whole private members club circuit at places like Chinawhite, Movida and Boujis. How experimental / upfront can you be DJing at these places?
“I think it depends on the DJ. I love breaking new music and am never afraid to play something even if I know no one in the room has heard it. The trick is to sandwich a new track between two records they do know. But you would surprised, a lot of DJ’s I know warm up with the most underground deep house, nu disco music around and once it gets busy most clubs are playing big room house, electro, tech house and the odd hot hip hop, R&B record. So the balance is good. The members clubs get a bad rep for the wrong reasons but musically places like Boujis and Chinawhite love good music, you won’t be hearing Cheryl Cole or Justin Bieber ever.”
You are an ambassador for Red Bull and have entertained crowds at the Monaco Grand Prix party three times – who were you rocking on the dancefloor?
“The Red Bull Monaco parties are crazy. The last few years it has been myself and Erok (a great DJ from Miami) playing them back to back. Everyone from actors like Gerard Butler to catwalk models to Russian billionaires are there partying! Its a hot ticket of that weekend.”
What is your current top 10 you are spinning?
“In no particular order…
B. Traits – Fever
L-Vis 1990 – Tonight
Hollis P Monroe – I’m Lonely (Subb-an Remix)
Vanilla Ace – Futurama
Lykke Li – I Follow Rivers (Sam Young Remix)
Tyga – Rack City (Grandtheft Bootleg)
Justice – On n On (Rick Rubin Remix)
Bingo Players – L’Amour
Sam Young – Savanna Dance
Roxy Music – Love is the Drug (Todd Terje mix)
“The labels came about because I could see that the digital revolution was happening and it would of been a cool way to put out my own tunes. Then word got out and lots of DJ’s and producers started sending me tracks. But unless you are a huge act like a Guetta or part of SHM making money from digital sales is tough.”
What are the big releases coming up from you…
“I have another three releases coming out this year on Maquina Music, a few remixes and originals on Nod Factor also. Look out for the Boujis 10th anniversary mix album with CR2, that will be out once its done.”
You have remixed the likes of Tiesto, Mark Knight, Cassie and Timo Maas – what tune did you have the most fun reworking?
“The best remix I had fun doing was actually the Lykke Li ‘I Follow River’s’ bootleg remix as I had it all mapped out in my head before I made it. I think being a club DJ helps so much because you can hear what will or won’t work on the dance floor. The Tiesto and Mark Knight ‘Beautiful World’ remix should be out at some point this year also.”
You have DJ’d for the likes of 50 Cent, Naomi Campbell and Justin Timberlake – do you ever get starstruck?
“It depends on how much I like them. Naomi is lovely, such a sweet lady. Prince William and Harry are both pleasant lads with a good taste in popular music, Brandon Flowers from the Killers was funny, I was playing a bootleg of ‘Somebody Told Me’ and he asked me where he could get it. A lot of times the celebs are roped away in VIP and not coming to hang with the DJ!”
What has been the strangest record request one of these A-listers has ever asked you to play?
“Serena Miller was once at Boujis and wouldn’t stop asking me to play rock music like White Stripes and Guns n Roses. The funniest was Paris Hilton who sent a flunky to ask me to play her new tune which was terrible! This was around the time she ‘hated’ dance music so I do find her new project quite amusing!”
Have you ever walked away from one of these events thinking, ‘right, I won’t be playing for that arseole again’…
“Not yet. I’ve had my run in’s with rude hosts and drunk guests but you just have to get on with the gig and rise above it.”
We come back to yours after the club, what is the Sam Young Back To Mine 10 you spin us to carry on the groove? I am a massive rare groove and 90’s R&B fan, so it would probably be the following tunes…
Patrice Rushen – Remind Me
Debarge – Need Somebody
Bobby Caldwell – Can’t Say Goodbye
Faze O – Riding High
Don Blackman – Heart’s Desire
Jodeci – Alone
Bill Wolfer – Call Me
Jeffree – One Last Chance
Al Di Meola – I Can Tell
Roy Ayers – If You Love Me
Brilliant ten Sam! What is the greatest record you have ever played to a dancefloor?
“That’s probably the toughest question for any DJ, but I would say any remix of Faithless ‘Insomnia’ still works in any occasion.”
What one artist out there would you love to sign to Nod Factor?
“Prince, I’d stick him in the studio with Daft Punk, Justice, Maceo Plex, Solomun, Art Department and say don’t come out until I have an album!?”
What has been your most satisfying release on the label to date?
“I’d say Rosie Gaines ‘Closer than Close’ 2010 did very well for the label. Got some nice Radio 1 plays and reactions.”
And finally Sam, I am getting married in June – any chance your dad could pop down and take a few photos?
“He’ll take the pictures and I’ll DJ, a family affair!”