Copyright are the latest in a long list of acclaimed artist to be invited to create an In The House mix compilation for Defected.
Sam Gavin Holt and Gavin Mills have careers in dance music that filter all the way back to the illegal party days in Gav’s case and northern club meccas like Cream and the Haçienda in Sam’s. But – as any Defected fan will know – they’re busier than ever right now; touring, producing and keeping more than a keen eye on their newly-relaunched label, Copyright Productions. And by sticking to what they like and what they know will rock a crowd, they’re still packing in the crowds, from Europe to Asia and back again. In Simon Dunmore’s words, Copyright “…house heroes. They’ve been producing great dance music for over a decade, making music from their soul and staying true to their roots. They rock the party time and time again!”
Part of that is down to Copyright taking their responsibilities seriously. They consider lazily downloading the top 100 from a website and playing them out as an affront to their profession. A perfectionist agenda and eye for detail means the duo are always on the prowl for moments in a set that will make it stand out; that could be a brand new track that flips people out, a classic or an unknown gem.
“That’s the art of DJing,” Gavin says. “All this technology is trying to make it easier, but it can dumb everything down. The laptop mixes for you, and you can just grab all the tracks from a website that everyone else is playing – but you have to break out of that.”
“People will say our style is more soulful,” says Sam, “but we say that we play songs. It’s not about banging beats with us. Everything has to have that funk, have that soul...even if it's an instrumental or a trackier cut. When I went clubbing, it was the Saturday night anthems that caught my attention. Those American house tunes of the ’90s were big-ass songs, anthemic, with huge choruses. Not many people make songs any more, they make tracks. So by definition, that’s our niche.”
2011 has already reaped a bumper harvest for Copyright. Three Copyright Recordings releases have bagged a Traxsource number one, including the riotously bouncy tribal freakout ‘Tomorrow’ by Kent boys KORT. Copyright continue to put out their own productions on Defected and their very own ‘I’m All Yours’, featuring Nuwella Love, showcased Sam and Gavin’s versatility. This is the deepest, dirtiest recording yet. Acid squiggles, a dungeon-deep bassline, driving rhythm and Nuwella’s naughty vocal gymnastics have already secured its status as one of the biggest house tunes of the year.
These are the kind of beats you’ll find soundtracking Copyright In The House – songs, albeit backed up with addictive tribal rhythms, afrodelic beats and latin grooves. Four months of chin-stroking, debate, negotiation on the track listing and then onto the mix itself has produced two expertly-crafted CDs that represent the Copyright credo.
It’s an album which required extensive special edits and layers of effects added to the original mix with the aim to create a ‘live’ vibe. Creating the mix has also afforded Sam and Gavin the opportunity to go a little deeper, for example Hot Natured’s ‘Forward Motion’; a track which Copyright have never played out, and yet has become one of their favourites on the album.
Elsewhere, the mix flows from the slick, urgent groove of Steffi’s ‘Yours’ to the rolling bass of Taras van de Voorde’s the game, taking in fresh cuts from acts like Benoit & Sergio, Tom de Neef and Frankie Knuckles along the way. There are also two brand new tracks from the boys themselves in the form of ‘Yali Yo Kweli’ featuring Andre Espeut and ‘Story of My Life’ with long-term collaborator Imaani, both of which show Copyright at their imaginative and addictive best.
Ultimately, this is an essential collection for any Copyright, Defected or house music fan, and one that although different from their live sets, captures that same energy and vibrancy that is apparent when seeing them perform. “You’ve got to try and bottle that feeling” Sam muses. “but it’s not strictly like a club experience. We want people to enjoy it in the car and at home. It’s a different beast.”
Copyright In The House Hong Kong ’11 is out 29th August
