Deetron is nearly too excited to speak about his new mix album for fabric – fabric 76. Nevertheless, Defected’s Ben Lovett manages to prise a few words out of the Swiss superstar.
Deetron’s recent mix for Fabric is, he claims in the album’s official press materials, the most fun he’s ever had in the studio with a compilation, but he’s struggling to find the right words to elaborate on that as our phone conversation begins.
“I’m really happy about it, I really, really enjoyed doing the mix” he finally utters. “Ultimately, I picked the music I liked, regardless of genre or background. It was my favourite music. There were obstacles. Like most compilations, there were some songs I couldn’t clear, but I’m proud of the final result. A lot of the tracks are quite far apart in terms of genres but the atmosphere is consistent, and good, across the whole mix. There are a lot of harmonic similarities...the overall vibe is strong.”
fabric 76 came about after months of casual talking between the London club and widely-respected artist, real name Sam Geiser. He was determined to release something. Geiser’s end product is mind-blowingly expansive, in all the right ways. Classic Chicago grooves from DJ Sneak and Gemini, and those from Detroit heroes Kevin Saunderson and Galaxy 2 Galaxy, rub rhythmic shoulders with everything from Marcel Dettman and Function’s punchy 4-4, Afefe Iku & Osunlade’s mesmeric tribal percussion, the space-y outpourings of stylist iconoclast Caribou and pop-pronged IDM of Thom Yorke super-group Atoms For Peace. There’s even room for a Four Tet collabo with grime heavyweight Terror Danjah. Variety is very much Geiser’s spice....
“Some people are disillusioned with the compilation market, I get that” he acknowledges. “They see the impact, the frequency and benefit of things like podcasts. They also see a number of compilations re-treading the same ideas and tracks. But Fabric has one of the best names for compilations; they’re one of the last credible compilation makers standing, for obvious reasons. I wanted to work with them; I poured my heart and soul into this mix. I wasn’t just going through the motions. I wanted to make the best possible record I could, a record making total sense to me. I think it works really well, the twists, the atmosphere....”
As epic a listen as fabric 76 is, Geiser views it very differently to his output as a touring DJ. “I tried to keep things as spontaneous as possible, as I would when playing Fabric or somewhere else, but clearing tracks does unfortunately take time and there’s always a considerable element of planning. In a club, it’s the moment that counts; those unique moments between DJ, audience and a certain record being played. You build around such things. But with a compilation, it is fundamentally different. It’s about building something that lasts much longer and across a number of records. The passion I have when mixing records in a club is the same as it is when I’m in the studio but you do approach compilations differently.”
So do they still have a genuine place in the market? “The criteria of a compilation album is key; the project has to mean something” he responds. “But I don’t really care about the market or the financial incentives for doing a particular mix album. As I say, it just needs to make sense to me as an artist. When mix albums are done well, like the fabric ones usually are, they make a strong, physical, tangible statement. They say something really powerful for people.”
Geiser, based in Bern, Switzerland, has actually scaled back his DJ commitments over the past two years or so; this reflects a desire to spend more time in the studio. “I am taking it easier now” he confirms. “I’m not doing the 10 gigs per month any longer. I want the time to make music, to remix, to write albums. I’m also thinking of family time. But that isn’t to say I don’t love playing out.”
Indeed. Geiser still has a long and winding string of gigs ahead, including stops next month in Barcelona (for Jamie Jones’ Paradise party there, 12 June), Strasbourg (with Carl Craig, 14 June) and Glasgow (27 June). The day after Scotland, comes fabric 76’s launch party and then, in July and August, sets in Amsterdam, Croatia and Ibiza (the latter for Carl Cox’s Music Is Revolution series). Deetron’s world remains breathlessly non-stop.
“The gigs I play are always good” he enthuses. “Maybe I am more selective these days but the crowds are generally younger and the turnouts better than ever. I notice that particularly in London. The younger crowds are generally more savvy; they’ve done their research. It means a better atmosphere. In general, I think that it is a really healthy time for our underground scene.”
How, then, does Geiser pick his bookings? What specifically is he looking for before grabbing his passport and hitting the runway? “For me, it’s largely down to having been DJing for 15 years now and knowing a lot of the right people” he says. “There are always new clubs and festivals, but knowing the right people and promoters allows you to pick the right parties whether they’re established or not. You just know the people who have the right experience and ability to put something special on.”
Geiser will make a handful of appearances in Ibiza this summer. With Cox at Space, for one but before that – next week in fact – with Hot Since 82, Uner and Andrea Oliva at Ushuaia Beach Hotel gathering ANTS. Later on in the season – 02 September - he plays Defected’s Tuesday night In The House residency at Booom. “What can I say about that [Defected]? I’m really looking forward to it and to Ibiza in general” he beams. “There are several great parties on the island now. Ibiza is such a beautiful, unique location; a beautiful backdrop to play against. Such things are one of the nice parts of travelling.”
The Swiss-born Geiser has lived in Bern throughout his entire career. The early 1990s welcomed his first, promising forays into DJing (a mix of hip-hop, house and techno), after which he started producing weighty techno for imprints including Dave Angel’s Rotation, Carl Cox’s Intec and cult Ghent set-up Music Man. The subsequent patronage of Jeff Mills and Robert Hood cemented his growing status.
In more recent years, Geiser has compellingly remixed Marco Bailey, Steve Bug, Osunlade and Hercules & Love Affair, dropped powerful singles I Cling (2007), Let’s Get Over It (2008) and Each Step (2010, with Seth Troxler), and ably navigated two albums – the first, 2006’s Twisted, fusing Detroit drive and mellow accessibility with considerable success; the latter, last year’s stunning Music Over Matter, blending the same ingredients but with even wider appeal, sharper edge and, ultimately, greater finesse – a perfect balance of populist sheen and gritty credibility.
Such is Music Over Matter’s sustained momentum that Geiser will be releasing another track from it, Rescue, this July. The release will include new Fred P remixes. Meanwhile, there are new Deetron remixes on the way for No Artificial Colors (Reach, on PMR), FCL (Can We Try, on We Play House), Gorgon City (Here For You, on Black Butter/Polydor) and Wallflower (Say You Won’t Ever, Defected). The latter, a bitter-sweet love song originally released with magnetic Larry Heard remixes in January, is already enjoying a gusting second wind in promo form.
“There are no specific plans yet for a new album” Geiser stresses. “After Music Over Matter I promised myself that I would take a break from that sort of intensive project by concentrating on interesting remixes. That’s what I’m continuing to do right now.”
That said Geiser is on the verge of launching a brand new label – his first. Attempts at confirming a name, first releases, even general stylistic direction all prove fruitless. What can he say then?: “It’s pretty much ready to go but I’ve delayed it for the moment. It’ll offer another independent outlet for my material but that’s it for now.”
New projects like record labels can certainly help keep a long-term artist engaged but there has to be more. What is it driving Geiser forward in 2014, after so many years on and around the dancefloor? “Music is never a routine, every new thing I do needs a completely individual approach” he clarifies. “When I’m making music I will get writer’s block on a fairly regular basis but that’s natural. In those situations I simply let the music rest and come back to it later, refreshed. I think I have a good balance between my career and personal life. And with the music, I’m incredibly passionate. I’m a real music lover and have been that way since day one...that will never change. I love to dig out new music, immerse myself in new sounds, play and talk to new audiences; all of it is still so exciting.”
Does that extend to the wider electronic scene? “The whole scene is commercially high level these days and I would think that will probably need to cool down at some point” he offers. “Musically-speaking, there’s nothing truly ground-breaking right now. It’s all variations of variations but, look, a lot of that is still good. I just think the overall scene will need to cool down at some point, artists moving from their original career entry points into other, different sounds...into sounds less fashionable perhaps. It’s not so great when artists only ride on the wave of others before them. That said, where dance music has become so commercial now it’s encouraging a wider range of people to try it and listen to it. There’s a lot of attention on making money and courting media but the scene is drawing more people in. Not everyone will stay interested but if only a few find their own entry points and stay with us then that will be a great, great thing.”
Words: Ben Lovett
fabric 76, as mixed by Deetron, is out now. An official launch party, featuring Deetron alongside Craig Richards, Redshape (live), Will Saul, Terry Francis and Slam follows on 28 June – check www.fabriclondon.com for more.
Wallflower 'Say You Won't Ever' - including Deetron remix - is out 14 July on Defected Records
