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Features
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| Mindbenderz talk ‘Lord of the Rings’ and fishing, as well as the creation of their new album ‘Celestial Gateway’! | | Iono-Music artists One Function, Eliyahu, Invisible Reality and Dual Vision talk Robert Miles, kids, dogs and vinyl, while we chat about their current releases! | | Luke&Flex talk influences, the Irish rave scene, why Flex wears a mask and Play Hard, their new EP out now on Onhcet Repbulik Xtreme! | | Lyktum expands on his new album ‘Home’ – talking about his love of storytelling, creating new harmonies and the concept behind his musical works. | | Pan talks getting caught short crossing the Sahara, acid eyeballs and tells us Trance is the Answer, plus shares his thoughts on his latest release 'Beyond the Horizon' - all from a beach in Spain! | | Miss C chats about living with the KLF, DJing in a huge cat’s mouth, training her brain and the upcoming super-duper Superfreq Grande party at LDN East this Saturday, 16th September! | | NEM3SI$ - I Live for the Night – talks superficiality, psychopaths, and bittersweet success, ahead of a plethora of evocative, emotional, and passionate upcoming melodic techno releases! | | Psy-Sisters Spring Blast Off! We talk to DJ competition winner ROEN along with other super talents on the lineup! | | Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! | | Shyisma talks parties, UFO's, and Shotokan Karate ahead of his upcoming album 'Particles' on Iono-Music! | | SOME1 talks family, acid, stage fright and wolves - ahead of his upcoming album release ‘Voyager’ on Iono-Music in February 2023! | | The Transmission Crew tell all and talk about their first London event on 24th February 2023! | | NIXIRO talks body, mind and music production ahead of his release 'Planet Impulse' on Static Movement's label - Sol Music! | | Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project | | The Psy-Sisters chat about music, achievements, aspirations and the 10-Year Anniversary Party - 18/12/22! | | A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden | | Earth Needs a Rebirth! Discussions with Psy-Trance Artist Numayma | | Taking a Journey Through Time with Domino | | New Techno Rising Star DKLUB talks about his debut release White Rock on Onhcet Republik! | | PAN expands on many things including his new album 'Hyperbolic Oxymoron' due for release on the 14th April 2022 on PsyWorld Records! | | Psibindi talks all things music including her new collaborative EP 'Sentient Rays' on Aphid Records, her band Sentience Machine and 10 years of Psy-Sisters! | | N-Kore talks Jean-Michel Jarre, unfinished tracks and fatherhood! | | Celebrating International Women’s Day and Ten Years of Psy-Sisters with Amaluna | | A Catch Up with John Phantasm ahead of his upcoming set at the Tribal Village 4 Day Outdoor Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022! | | 'The Maestro that is Tristan talks barn owls, Shazamming and keeping it Psychedelic ahead of his upcoming performance at the Tribal Village 4 Day Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022! | | DJ talk with Psyrenzo ahead of his debut set at Tribal Village, the Steelyard this Friday 14th January 2022! | | TENZO aka Overdrive talks freely about launching his new act which will be showcased at Tribal Village, Steelyard on 14 January 2022! | | A long overdue catch up with JourneyOM ahead of his next Tribal Village party this Friday 14th January 2022 at the Steelyard, London! |
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Get Closer to Luke Slater
Reported by Joanna McEwen
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Submitted 16-04-07 09:30
Flamboyant, creative and always challenging, Luke Slater has bended and warped sound to his own and others’ inspiration since he first began to produce electronic music back in 1989. From hard, edgy techno and driving electro to disco punk and ambient, his many aliases, including Planetary Assault Systems, L.B Dup Corp, Morganistic, Translucent, Clementine and Luke Slater’s 7th Plain have defined and redefined the broad genre of techno possibly more than any other artist. Reviled as much as he’s lauded for his innovation, Luke Slater’s journey from a Croydon record store to global techno idol is one of talent, risk taking and determination to follow his own path.
Starting as he meant to continue, Luke’s first release, Freebase, with now long-time collaborator Alan Sage, brought the new sound of Detroit techno to a surprised UK music scene. Numerous EPs followed on labels such as the legendary D-JAX, Peacefrog, Soma, R&S records, Positiva, GPR and Riche Hawtin’s Novamute and Mute, including, among many others, a remix of Madonna’s Power of Goodbye. Albums developed from his first forays in the early nineties under the aliases of 7th Plain and Planetary Assault Systems (with Alan Sage) to his groundbreaking Detroit-influenced Freek Funk in 1997 under his own name, Wireless in 1999 which helped define the emerging sounds of electro and breaks through to his most contentious offering of Alright On Top in 2002 which sparked the beginning of his live venture into electro pop. Together with mix compilations, the latest being the newly released Fabric 32, the founding of his own digital label, Mote-Evolver, and residencies across Europe, including Barcelona's Nitsa, Berlin's Berghain, Petrol in Antwerp and Villa Rouge in the south of France, Luke Slater continues in 2007 to develop and promote his personal take on electronic dance music.
On the 20 April, Luke is booked to play at the very first instalment of Closer, a techno party giving leading DJs and producers an opportunity to play their music to clubbers in the up-close-‘n’-personal atmosphere of a warehouse. The event provides the opportunity to hear just why Luke Slater continues to be a leading light for techno and electronic music; the following interview is a glimpse into the creative force behind the music.
Hi Luke, thank you for making the time to do this interview.
You first came to the public’s attention in the late eighties but your musical calling began much earlier with the support of your parents. It’s a bit odd repeating your history back to you but in a nut shell, you were brought up in a musical environment through listening to your Dad’s Big Band record collection, sporadically attended piano lessons, were given permission to bang away on a drum kit from the age of 10, given your first set of decks (well, disco console) at the age of 14 and allowed to take your parents piano apart to see what would happen when you detuned it by removing various strings and recording the result on your dad’s old reel-to-reel . I take my hat off to your Mum and Dad! Did you, or they, ever have a vision or hopes of where all that tinkering would take you?
No never. I was lucky in one respect that they kept the door open for me. Actually I was diagnosed as a depressive years ago - before I was writing - to my surprise. And though I’m still not convinced I am, I can remember severe obsession spiralling into delusional euphoria then crashing to horrible depths from an early age - though strangely I find the lows can be quite inspiring to me for writing. And these swings were what they coped with, my parents I mean. I don’t think they understood but I must have come across with full-on conviction to an idea. Music has just been one thing I feel close to always though sometimes more than I would like as I find shopping mall music almost pushing me to nausea sometimes…as in fact I do shopping malls themselves.
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The next stage in your development as a musician was forming a band with a friend as the drummer. The absconding of said friend and so the demise of your band provided you with your first synth, a Prophet 5, an 808 drum machine and the realisation that there was another totally different way of making music – through technology. Musical influences at that time were GrandMaster Flash, Planet Rock, Malcom McLaren, Marly Marl and The Elene Brothers. What was it about the new sounds coming from New York that inspired you so much?
It was just so raw. It made sense in the world where pop songs talked about love which was not really on the agenda at 12 years old or so. Originally rappers rapped about the beats, the mc, and the DJ. It also had a dark cold edge to it which I could relate to straight away. Cities have always been a source of inspiration to me though
With New York being turned into “the safest nightclub in the world” by the Mayor’s new legislation and with London and the UK seemingly not far behind in its need to clamp down on everything considered remotely rebellious, it seems the only way to live outside of these tight confines is through the music and events like Closer. When you’re making new tracks do you consciously think “today, I am going to push some boundaries” or does it just happen and you’re as surprised as the next person to the outcry they can cause?
There is already another punk ethics evolution happening. Inspiration is foremost for me and I don’t find that in over gentrified controlled societies bleached clean from any human frailties and misgivings. It’s our differences that make us human.
Your Alright On Top electro pop album was considered a huge anomaly to your techno fans when it was originally released. However, you’ve continued to explore the route of song based music with your new live band and have even begun to take the role of lead singer. How is this exploration affecting your techno productions and DJ sets?
Yeah I can be unpredictable. Guilty as charged. But I know my limits. Also when I get an idea I get obsessed by it, the possibility of creating something that can only exist for one moment. (haha.) I think my roots are in DJing and electronic music and pushing those boundaries forward and introducing new ideas .
As much as you’re enjoying the live element you’re obviously still smitten with the possibilities technology offers us by taking back artistic control and setting up your own digital label, [b]Mote-Evolver. Paul Oakenfold has previously stated he doesn’t download music because the quality of the music isn’t good enough to play in a club and that “there’s no bottom end to it” (though this was back in 2004 so, in fairness, he may have changed his mind!). Would you agree that downloading music digitally affects the quality of the music?[/b]
Depends what you download, what format. MP3 is not as good as WAV but even WAV files do not sound like vinyl .Vinyl is vinyl, that’s that. I burn wav files and use vinyl to DJ because I like that way of playing. Ultimately if the track is shit it will sound like that on anything and visa versa, you can’t polish a turd.
Are you changing the way your engineer your tracks to accommodate this change in medium?
No
With all the choice available these days, what equipment do you use to engineer your tracks?
Stuff to do the job I want which is surprisingly modest
The format in which your music is available for download is broad, including MP3, WAV, AIFF, AAC as well as 12” vinyl. What’s your stance on musical copyright and the latest attempts to protect intellectual property on the internet?
The internet is still one of most free-to-speak places despite slight censorship. Mote-Evolver doesn’t use DRM or any other crippling protection. However if you illegally share our stuff I’ll just send the boys round.
Are you still providing vinyl as a format because you yourself use that to mix with?
I like the sound of it. And I like the art
You recently streamed a live set from your studio on the multiplayer online role game, Second Life, and have been quoted as saying “I want to try and replicate the feeling of the clubs I play at in the real world”. Can I ask how on earth that is possible?!? (not being a player myself). And how many people did you attract for your first ever virtual gig?!
We filled the club and the ‘overspill’ club as well. It was a great success though complete panic beforehand as I somehow had to manoeuvre myself virtually behind the decks in Second Life yet at the same time manoeuvre myself behind the decks in real life. Tricky. And it was fun. I know people were gathering in their abodes for the event in places. A sort of Thursday night house party in many houses without the coat checkout. I had the event on another computer next to the DJ booth at the studio so I could be there head wise. I played a four hour set. It was surreal, different, and novel but nothing beats playing in a real club or festival with real life.
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Continuing our existential motif, one of your latest projects was composing a piece of music under your 7th Plain guise for the Straat Berlin Ballet company, to be performed at the Berghain Club in Berlin where you hold a residency (another one of those dark and sleazy clubs we love so much – what a perfect setting for a ballet!). I thought the 7th Plain moniker might be meaningful and had an enlightening few minutes researching it - The seventh plane is the divine plane or The Source. It is the highest mental plane which is the plane of pure Spirit or pure Mind. When producing under 7th Plain are you conscious of trying to create a piece of music from a deeper inner space or is it more descriptive and down to the fact your 7th Plain style is more ambient and trance-like?
Yes I know what the 7th plain is. I have been I think there and try to write music to show it. The ballet piece is very dramatic. It’s a difficult piece and I love it. Ambient music has always had depth for me rather than light hearted fluffy stuff. It’s a short 15 minute journey of several pieced together full tracks.
Your image back in the ‘real’ world is as changeable as your music – from cool geek to your current style of glam disco mod [see pic for more clarity!]. Would you say your personal image reflects the music you are currently immersed in? Do you think the flamboyance and humour expressed through your live music has begun to translate visually as well?
I think lately I’ve been really enjoying being who I am. And part of my character has always been not to take everything too seriously but take the music seriously always. I think flamboyance is great thing and also eccentricity, stuff of gods. I won’t be tamed by dictating powerlords’ brain washing. I need it for gads sake just to survive.
You’re certainly not a man to be tied to one style. From the ambient sounds of Mauve Violin off your X-Tron album being played on John Peel’s show in 1994 to having your remix of the Egyptian Empire’s classic rave anthem The Horn Track included on Gatecrasher and Frantic Euphoria albums in 2004. I think out of all the things you’ve done this surprised me the most (though I’m not surprised, I’m surprised). Did you ever attend any raves yourself?
I played a lot of early raves yes but originally I was a clubber and really still am. If I want some trees and grass I get a large stick and go and find a forest to explore. There some great ones in the south.
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I know you’ve played at many festivals over the years, including Tribal Gathering in 1996, where you played alongside Colin Dale, your original work mate back in 1986 at the My Price Record shop in Croydon and again fellow DJ at the up-coming Closer event. That’s some history. Having been part of the dance music scene for over two decades it’s interesting to see how much shared history you have with other well-known DJs – another example being your residency in 1987 at the legendary gay club, Troll, in the SoundShaft alongside Trevor Rockcliffe. Do you think part of all of your successes is down to a determination to not have a 9-5 job?!
Absolutely spot on. I just like the lifestyle. It ain’t for everyone but it is what I do with passion I just love it.
I’d like to quote you now: “Festivals are great and big raves are great sometimes, but you know, there is nothing like doing smaller clubs and like really getting that vibe”. I know exactly what you mean. What can we expect from you at the Closer event on the 20th? Though I’m not sure ‘expected’ is the right word from a man who’s based his career on the unexpected!
I’m looking forward to it.
And to finish, knowing how much you enjoy recording sounds from everyday life, what has been the most unexpected sound you’ve managed to include on a track and which track was it?
We did a special piece for the much missed and great John Peel years ago. Alan and I were writing away in one room in the house where I had the studio, same studio My Yellow Wise rug was made. In the bedroom opposite the owner of the house was sleeping and around 4am in the morning his radio alarm went off and suddenly we could hear this faint distant Hotel California playing, we got a mic hooked up and tracked it to his bedroom door where we recorded it though the door, with a slight schoolboy giggle because he was still snoring and laid it over part of the track we were doing and dubbed it out. Really gave it this drift over to the USA feel for a moment. I think John appreciated it. I hope so.
Thanks, Luke. It’s going to be a real treat to hear you at Closer on the 20 April. Now we’ve just got to wait to discover where it’s being held...
See you there.
Photos courtesy of Luke Slater and Kinetic Am management. Not to be reproduced without prior permission.
Closer - with LUKE SLATER
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On:
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Friday 20th April 2007
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At:
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In a warehouse somewhere in Shoreditch
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From:
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Midnight to 7am
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Cost:
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Very Limited £6 tickets / £8 /£10
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Ticket Info:
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Very limited early bird tickets £6 + b/f / standard tickets £8/£10 + b/f
Ticketweb: 08700 600 100 / www.ticketweb.co.uk
Info: 07814 179946 / 07957 112723 / www.myspace.com/politburoevents
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Buy Online:
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Click here to buy tickets
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More:
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Closer – unrestricted, unrestrained techno…
Warehouse location, London – Friday, 20th April 2007
Location to be revealed seven days before the event / 00:00-07:00
Closer is a new event designed to do exactly what it says on the tin. It’s about techno in its purest, rawest sense – unrestricted, unrestrained – delivered by its finest practitioners up close and personal… and the setting? We’re talking a warehouse space somewhere in Shoreditch, Funktion 1 sound and one hell of a party from midnight to morning.
Techno in its many shapes and guises has become the leading international language of the dancefloor from beach festivals in Brazil to the underground sound of Europe’s coolest clubs. The scene’s leading DJs are in such demand on the global circuit that we barely get to see them here in the UK and that’s usually confined to the bigger clubs and festivals. All well and good, of course, but there’s nothing quite like dancing to techno in one room where the lights are low, the atmosphere is intense and you can see the whites of the DJs’ eyes!
Closer aims to bring back that special vibe. The inaugural session and first in a series of very special parties takes place on Friday, April 20th with Luke Slater at the helm. A perfect choice he is too and as well as being one of the true geniuses of the techno scene, the chances to hear him play in London are few and far between. Joining him will be a cast of London’s finest including Colin Dale, Jon Rundell and Steve Strawberry:-
Luke Slater: musical and technological innovator, and man of many guises – Planetary Assault Systems, Clementine, Morganistic and the 7th Plain to name a few. Both as a DJ and a producer, Luke Slater has always been at the forefront of redefining the techno blueprint winning support from across the electronic music spectrum. Recent projects have included a ‘Fabric’ mix CD and the ‘Head Converter” EP, the Mote-Evolver independent online music distribution portal and a live DJ set on the Second Life internet-based virtual world. Combine that with a packed DJ and production schedule, and you have a true maverick with 15 years of dancefloor vision behind him.
Colin Dale: London legend and one of the most respected names around, Colin Dale has always stood by his musical guns. From his beginnings as a resident at the Knowledge night with Colin Faver through to his pioneering Kiss FM radio show and inspirational compilations like ‘Abstract Funk Theory’ and Abstrakt Dance label, this is a man who has techno running through his veins infused with his own special blend of machine funk.
Jon Rundell: label manager of Carl Cox’s Intec Records imprint and something of a wizard behind the decks, 2007 looks like being the year when Jon Rundell really comes into his own. Currently on tour with Carl Cox in Australia, his recent ‘Dirty Disco’ EP has proved he’s more than cut his teeth as a producer too.
Steve Strawberry: coming up from the London underground and the man behind the excellent Tilted Disco parties, Steve Strawberry is a man you’ll be hearing a lot more over the coming months because of his incendiary turntable skills. You can expect all kind of action as he throws in three decks and an 808 drum machine into the mix.
Closer is keen to support new talent also and getting the party started right will be Matt Panik playing back-to-back with Stakker and Dimitry playing back-to-back with Mutant from the Tuned and Injury Time crews respectively.
The line-up is not the only the thing that’s out of the ordinary about Closer – the location is pretty damn special too. Expect one arch of music in a warehouse location somewhere in Shoreditch, award winning Funktion 1 sound with extra Funktion 1 bass bins, and the same production standards to be found at parties like ISSST and SLAANG (all three are Politburo events.) The location will be revealed online at www.myspace.com/politburoevents seven days before the event.
Closer is the techno party the London faithful has been crying out for – unrestricted, unrestrained and like no other. This is your chance to get Closer with Luke Slater – accept no substitute, this is for one night only.
For more information contact Paul Jack 07814 179946 / brainless66@hotmail.com
Matthew Duffield at Politburo HQ 07957 112723 / matthew@seditiondjs.com
Closer in association with Politburo www.myspace.com/politburoevents
Web links
Luke Slater – www.lukeslater.com / www.myspace.com/thereallukeslater
Colin Dale – www.myspace.com/abstraktdance
Jon Rundell – www.myspace.com/jonrundell
Steve Strawberry – www.myspace.com/stevestrawberry / www.myspace.com/tilteddisco
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Other Features By Joanna McEwen:
Ticon the matter seriously
Riding the frequencies with Hertz
The Many Faces of Paul Maddox
Axel Karakasis Gets Proactive
Proactive Gets Dejavoo!
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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Comments:
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From: dimitry on 16th Apr 2007 09:37.52
Awsm party on the cards, see ya all techno heads on Friday!
From: paul jack on 16th Apr 2007 10:14.35
its going to be flippin awesome i tell ya!
From: Neil English on 16th Apr 2007 18:31.13
Cant Wait!!!
From: Lx on 16th Apr 2007 20:27.31
he'll get it
and so will we 
From: Neats on 18th Apr 2007 14:25.55
looking forward to this!! 
From: Will Frantic on 19th Apr 2007 16:46.15
Its going to be some night! Ever since I heard his albums on React I was hooked!
From: Neats on 23rd Apr 2007 10:56.34
Was good to see him at Closer but thought he would of been more technical on the mixer, bit dissapointed
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