‘In Their House’ is a new monthly mix and interview series from Defected. Launching November 2010 and featuring some of the world most prolific DJs and producers, the series will be made up of an exclusive mix plus an in-depth interview with each artist.
Launching the series is Melbourne-based DJ and producer Nathan G. Nathan has been instrumental in putting the Australian house music scene on the global map and has made waves recently with a string of high-quality productions and remixes. With releases on labels such as Salted Music and Om, Nathan recently launched his own Luvbug imprint, and his track ’88 Keys To Love’ from the Melbourne Shuffle EP hit No.1 spot on the Traxsource download chart, catching the attention of all the right people on the way there.
Nathan G is a fast-rising talent, and it is with pleasure that we present him as the first DJ in the In Their House series.
Check out the mix and interview right here (tracklist at end of feature):
In Their House #01 - Nathan G by Defected Records
So how has 2010 been for You so far? What have been some of the highlights?
2010 has been a very eventful year so far…full of music plans coming to fruition, travel, some new collaborations and great change. It’s been amazing ! It kicked off for me with our Australian summer and two new original releases. The first, the Melbourne Shuffle EP which Miguel Migs signed to his label Salted featured my cut '88 Keys to Love'. I was on a mission when I went about making this (which took about 2 weeks of perfecting the arrangement). The early 90's sounds had been edging their way back into my world for some time and so I felt a big fresh piano house tune was due to rip open the flood gates! History really played a part in this tracks simple creation and when my music mate Jeff Craven messaged me to say me he was at a party with Frankie Knuckles in Chicago who was actually playing 88 Keys, I realised it really had reached right back to the source ! As Jeff put it – there’s no greater honour than Frankie spinning it, especially with the spirit of this tune arising directly from my early influences from house music.
Soon after that, Large Music released my studio collab with the one and only Byron Stingily 'No Limit'. This took a year from the time Byron was in the booth writing with us in Melbourne, to my trip to Chicago to visit the label, to Mr V and Reelsoul remixing the song right through to the release hitting the stores. It was probably one of the most all encompassing but satisfying projects I've worked on and it came out just before the WMC in Miami which really helped set the tone for the kind of year I was hoping to have. Both of these tunes really left me with a great sense of purpose for the rest of year.
Developing my label Luvbug Recordings further this year has also been challenging and rewarding too. I've discovered a greater interest to be involved in all aspects of the creative and development process of running a label too and I feel this has encouraged deeper relationships with others I already work with. There's a greater understanding and appreciation that occurs when you have experience of all aspects of what is needed to make it work. I love it! And to top off the year thus far – to have Mark Farina place some funds into my account for one of my productions instead of me donating to Mushroom Jazz once again was a really nice and unexpected turn of events! I'm looking forward to that MJ7 release in November. So now I’m just gearing up for my next music trip to the States this week which is always a blast, plus another big Summer is upon us in Oz!
Tell us about the house scene in Australia…how does it compare to the scene in Europe or the US?
I think at the time when the rest of the world is freezing or under snow we are rocking our summer, so the majority of the talent from across the world tour here and perform all under the one big roof. It can offer unprecedented accessibility to leading acts and producers given we only have a population of 25 million. It leads to many an interesting disco BBQ let me tell you! If only the neighbours knew who were dining next door I'm sure they'd be quite surprised.
In my experience with house music I think there are ebbs and flows wherever you go in the world. Hopefully by remaining a resident here in Oz I will continue to contribute to our home grown scene expanding both here and into other parts of the world. I guess for ages now the term ‘house’ in Australia has had many and varied interpretations – some a little dubious – however it seems to be slowly coming back around to its original roots again. I can't comment on everyone's taste but those that are real house music followers here are educated and very passionate about it. There has always been a strong educated following especially out of Melbourne, but in a true house sense we may have seen this shrink a little in numbers over the last few years…certainly not in vibe though ! If there is a party or event with a real house DJ in town then it can often be talked about for weeks afterwards. With house music, a lot is dependent on the stage it’s given and in recent times in Australia, festivals have dominated the scene and that in turn has affected nightclubs and bars which were always predominately driven by house music. Having said that though, the festival scene has grown the size of our overall music scene and brought a broader awareness of all electronic music to
newer generations - a lot of this music having solid roots in house.
Nowadays, quite a lot of music is cheaply produced and instantly disposable…what do you think makes your productions stand-out?
Essentially I'd say it's taking a slightly more musical approach towards making house music as a producer and composer. Arrangements are always something I spend considerable time with. I'd say collaborating all those years of engineering and honing my skills in the studio have certainly helped things along. Being able to work with the caliber of artists I've been fortunate to work with now has also fueled more of my passion for the many genres of electronic music, and with house music being the main style I produce and release, this has allowed many different influences to play a part in the creative process and in the success of evolving as an artist.
Tell us about the mix…how and where did you put it together? What hard/software did you use?
It was recorded here in Melbourne on Pioneer CDJ 1000's and a Allen & Heath Mixer…which I think sounds great. I recorded the mix live via Steinberg Nuendo software which I find really hassle free for recording DJ mixes on. The accapellas were then overlayed after on separate tracks so I could treat them to some additional fx and a little re-arrangement for overall flow and impact.
Can you tell us about some of the highlights from the mix?
I'm happy with how the mix came out as a whole but I really liked the accapella choices in the mix. The accapella of ‘When the Morning Comes’ was itching to be laid over something slightly darker and moodier and the Kerri Chandler dub of ‘Love No Limit’ had been on my mind for a while for something like this as I'd been playing it out. So to marry this with Amp Fiddler’s vocals gave a nice contrast and I think helped transport the feeling of the song to another place.
I included my new Luvbug reconstruction of Iz & Diz's classic 'Down 4 U' which is due out soon as well as ‘Inner Spirit’ and ‘Hands Up for the Count’ from my latest Future Proof EP on Large. I wanted these three to be featured here too as they have been played heavily in my club sets recently and are a reflection of my current deeper sound. I've also included a couple of exclusives forthcoming on Luvbug 'Blur the Line' and 'Paper Doll' which I felt suited the mood of the mix and I love the closing tune from Alain Ho. First did a gig with DJ Yellow at the now legendary Freakazoid club in Melbourne back in 2000 and have been into many of his sounds over time. The vocal and phrasing of ‘On & On’ just seemed to swing and connect with this really well especially as the timing of the of this is very different. I always look for things like this include and transpose. It really embodied the emotive quality of ‘Season's Change' and I felt like they belonged together; a warm touch to end the mix with.
What did you try to do with the mix? Is this a reflection of what you play live?
Yeah, this is a good reflection of what I play live at the moment. My long standing Saturday Residency I perform at in Melbourne is very much in this direction; main room, deep house, some distinct accapellas and a little on the jackin’ side of things. Of course I'm all for software when producing original tracks and music, but I'm a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to recording DJ mixes like this in a studio situation and believe its vital to try and capture that flow and spontaneity you create on a club or venue system with an audience. Especially with house mixes…I still love to hear a mix and feel that flow and mood move around and have a live nature to it.
What do you hope to achieve, professionally?
It's been so rewarding to get further recognition and continued support from respected music peers and audiences from all over the world, so for the moment I would love to just continue on this current path and hope to reach as many new sets of ears as time goes on especially as my ideas and sounds continue to evolve creatively. I've been fortunate to work with some real house music legends already but I still have a decent wish list of Artists and Writers I'd like collaborate with on songs someday in the not too distant future too. Robert Owens, Roy Ayers, Mr V, Peven Everett and Monique Bingham to name just a few!
Anything else you’d like to tell us…?
I would simply love to say a massive THANK YOU to everybody who has supported my music, especially this year. That continued energy, effort and enthusiasm make it all worthwhile and that never goes unnoticed. Looking ahead I can tell you there are a lot of cool surprises in store for release in the first part of 2011 plus of course more Luvbug Recordings releases and a few new signings to the label on the way. I've also been putting my musical skills to the test and experimenting with a few styles outside the house realm with some well respected artists and collectives from London for a distinctly different project which is all I can say for now. So as they say "watch this space...."
www.myspace.com/nathangaustralia
Mix tracklist:
1. Nathan G & Blackfrog - Back to the Future (Accapella) [Salted Music]
2. Joey Negro presents Akabu - Heatwave on Mars [Z Records]
3. Nathan G - Cosmic String [Luvbug]
4. David Durango - Supernature (Matthew Styles Remix) [NRK]
5. Nathan G - Hands up for the count [Large Music]
6. Audio Soul Project - Have it All (Dub) [Fresh Meat]
7. H.O.S.H - Cash The Chord (NTFO Remix) [Diynamic]
8. Nathan G - Paper Doll (Luvbug Deeper Vocal) [Luvbug]
9. Nathan G - Blur the Line [Luvbug]
10. Andre Crom & Luca Doobie - Verve (Original Mix) [Off]
11. Vernon & DaCosta - Wishing [Great Lakes Audio]
12. DJ Sneak - Magnetic Mind Book [Oomph]
13. Iz & Diz - Down 4 U (Nathan G Luvbug Reconstruction) [Homecoming Music]
14. Nathan G feat. Alexander East - Thang 4 U (Nathan G Future Re-Vision) [Luvbug]
15. Andre Crom & Luca Doobie - Snake Seven (Chris Carrier Remix) [Off]
16. Nathan G - Inner Spirit [Large Music]
17. Kai & Kyle - Love No Limit (Kerri Chandler Dark Instrumental Mix) [Toolroom]
with Alton Miller & Amp Fiddler - When The Mornin Comes (Accapella) [Defected]
18. Huxley - Shapes [Neurotraxx Deluxe]
19. Alain Ho - Seasons Change [Rebirth]
with Erykah Badu - On & On (Acapella) [Motown]
