Articles - Interviews

“Paris has always been a city orientated more towards glitter and money than the real core of music. Rock & roll has always been big in Paris and jazz but as far as techno is concerned, apart from three or four underground places, Paris is empty. Nightlife there is more about having models and the right fashion people in the club rather than playing good music and people going crazy for it.”

20 years after establishing himself as France’s first superstar DJ, Laurent Garnier remains one of dance culture’s most opinionated, outspoken characters, whether chatting about his birthplace or the latter-day clubland celebrity of the same name.

Articles - Interviews

Paul Taylor: Still Hooked On (Pacha) Classics (interview)

“The closest I came to quitting DJing was the moment I proposed to my now ex-wife when I said I would retire from this wonderful job at the age of 30. But I just couldn’t do it.”

Two and a half decades later, 52 year old Brit Paul Taylor remains at the top of the DJ tree, principally due to the long running success of his still massively popular club brand Retro. Also an established resident DJ at Pacha Ibiza, he’s a natural choice to compile the super- club’s first ever ‘Classics’ compilation, a job he approached with gusto.

“I have tried to create a mix that spans a classic house sound that also incorporates recent years,” says Paul. ‘I’m aiming to put into Pacha Classics what I perceive the people desire from a night out in one of the world’s greatest clubs- it’s a challenge that I absolutely love and I rise to it.”

In practise, he delivers a greatest hits style triple CD selection ranging from New Order’s Blue Monday to Bodyrox’ Yeah Yeah and Spiller’s ‘Groovejet’ though all carefully collated and sorted, he insists.

“It was not as easy compiling this CD package as most people would probably think. Sure it’s pretty easy to recall the biggest dance tracks over the past twenty years but this is Pacha we are talking about,” he explains.

“It took me time to analyse the brand’s history and its massive contribution to the dance world. In addition to this I made the decision to make a definite split between the three CDS; pure classics for the first, more obvious ones for the second and recent classics for the third. Each album has its own unique presence.”


Skrufff (Jonty Skrufff): You’ve done a few of these retro comps before including three called Retro for Eddie Gordon’s Neo Records, what makes this one different?

Paul Taylor: “The Retro comps I did with Neo are much different to this project. Retro is a completely different sound- sure there are a few crossovers on both projects but I have developed the unique Retro sound over the past 20 years, I’ve been playing for Pacha with both concepts for three years now and musically they are definitely different. The way I see it, Pacha Classics has a modern twist on what is determined as a classic, whereas with Retro there are tracks that I have discovered over the years that are really underground tunes that others would never conceive to be a classic- both concepts work really well for that reason.”

Skrufff: I know you’ve been doing retro nights for many years: what do you make of the Sunday Times declaring recently that a ‘middle aged club revival . . . is happening across the country’?

Paul Taylor: “I’m really happy that you asked me this question-, when I read that particular article I found it to be slightly flawed.  
Firstly, my night Retro is a house classics concept which was established in 1989, which makes us 20 this year. We have seen a consistent increase in figures throughout these years proving us to be one of the UK’s longest running dance brands. We attract clubbers from all age groups, and I must say I haven’t recognised any middle age club revival; it’s always been there actually, just perhaps unnoticed and not reported. This may be due to the fact that editors and writers of trend setting media companies never want to report on a scene that looks backwards.”

What also makes us unique at Retro is that we are not an ageist institution. I’m 52 this year and our 40 plus customers are still coming out; obviously some prefer certain venues. However we also have a loyal youth following who are so into the history of house music and all that it stands for. In fact, at some of my events there are two generations of the same family out together. There might be a revival for some DJs and promoters and it may be perceived as a trend but as far as I’m concerned it never went away. People may also be turning to classic house music because there’s so much mundane music that’s out there at the moment.”

Skrufff: In the same article DJ John Kelly said ‘This is about nostalgia, the crowd does not want anything new’: how much is that an issue?

Paul Taylor: “John Kelly is an old stalwart of this scene- a bit like myself although I’m a damn sight better looking (laughing). Like me he’s a realist. Of course people get nostalgic, it’s human nature, people will always look back to the ‘good old days’. I slightly disagree with this point though because music is about memories and you can be 35 and still have a great memory of an era say from the early 2000’s.”

Skrufff: Gilles Peterson said this week: [because I’ve been doing it for 25 years, I’ve appealed to lots of generations of clubbers. So some 40-year-old will complain that I didn’t play Massive Attack and some younger person will complain that I didn’t play a Flying Lotus track,’ how much of an issue is it, trying to appeal to different generations simultaneously?

Paul Taylor: “I have huge respect for Giles Peterson and his analysis is good though I don’t tend to hear those kind of comments because I have created and concentrated on promoting my brand Retro rather than myself as a DJ, People who come to a Retro event know what to expect, the sound keeps evolving and incorporating new music. There are some newish tracks on this Pacha compilation, very deliberately: a classic can be a classic as soon as it needs to be.”

Skrufff: How do you manage to avoid getting bored of playing oldies week after week, month after month, year after year?

Paul Taylor: “There are two reasons really, the first one being that there are so many classics out there to select from. I quite often delve right into my collection and re-discover tracks. Obviously there are certain ones that people like to hear – this is just part and parcel of the job but I don’t get bored and secondly although my DJing does predominately involve playing classics I am always looking to play a future classic, it keeps things fresh no matter where I play. I do also run a night called Lovefunky where I play new material which I love too and it does add variety to my week.”

Skrufff: How much do you find older audiences reacting differently to younger crowds (eg less people on drugs? People more self-conscious?  
Or more conservatively dressed?)

Paul Taylor: “I don’t really notice too much of a gap, all people of all ages dress differently, whether on drugs or not. However I do find the more mature clubber will place themselves in quieter areas of the club whereas more youthful clubbers will usually gravitate towards the centre’ of the dance floor. Perhaps some venues lend themselves to a younger audience too though I’m a firm believer that music transcends all ages.”

Skrufff: How much are DJ requests an issue?

Paul Taylor: “Requests can be a problem for me especially as people have their own favourite half a dozen tracks and the mobile phone issue, people holding up phones with track names written in, becomes annoying. However I do take time when I can to absorb peoples’  
requests. Each person has indeed made the choice to travel and come to the event therefore they deserve a response from me when requesting a track.”

Skrufff:: You’ve been DJing for 28 years: have you experienced any
(many) periods when bookings have dipped and you’ve considered giving up? Have you ever had to struggle with depression: while having to present a happy face to clubbers?

Paul Taylor: “That’s; a pretty deep question- of course I’ve been involved with flops and failures during my career, everybody experiences these at some point. Fortunately the success outweighs those nights you would rather forget. I’ve not considered giving up; I just keep moving on; things are always changing, I’ve never experienced a serious decline though I do tend to take charge of my own destiny; I’m good at adjusting, I suppose.”

Depression is a serious subject; I believe that everyone is born with a gene that either prepares you for the lows or not as the case may be. The prospect of having to deal with it I honestly believe is down to fate. I am one of the fortunate souls who is unscathed in that department. There have been times when I have certainly been stressed though not really the job but rather the workload sometimes leaving me feeling too tired. But that’s an issue everybody experiences in any job and I just deal with it and smile. I always remember I am in a privileged position- doing what I love doing the most.”

Skrufff: Dance music started out as quite a revolutionary force: how much could it retain that side given the chaotic times we’re living in?

Paul Taylor: “Yes I was part of that of that revolution back in the hazy day’s house music. But come on, people have been dancing in some form or another for thousands of years, if you have a heart beat then there must be a drum involved at some stage. I have experienced two major downward economic spirals prior to the one we are in at the moment and in many cases dance music has pulled people through. It brings people together and lets them forget their dilemmas- without wanting to sound cheesy; it’s true.”

Paul Taylor; Pacha Classics is out now on New State Recordings.

Article by Jonty Skrufff (Skrufff.com)

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Articles - Interviews

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With James Zabiela’s blog telling tales of being stopped by Russian customs and quoting Roy’s seminal death line from Bladerunner ('The light that burns twice as bright, only burns for half as long (and you have burned so very brightly Roy)', his Tweets might be expected to be similarly exotic though he admits other issues are of greater importance in practice

Articles - Interviews

Tell us about your productions.  Where do you get your inspiration from?

Everywhere may sound like a cliche, but, thats the truth. The streets, films, philosophy, science fiction, collaboration, and always from the club, the dancers and the dj tradition/culture. 'Captured' on Soul Heaven is a perfect example.  Writing lyrics to that melody, was inspired by the vocalese jazz tradition of writing to complex instrumentals. There's a group called Quite Sane, that was a big influence. And the song is a lost-love song, inspired partly by an Araki photograph of his cat, and also the writer Brian Massumi's ideas on the power of memories. I always want to learn something when I work. What I learn may not be new to the whole world, but so long as its new to me...

Is London really that exciting?  Tell us about how the scene has changed there.

Yes, London is always a buzzing ball of energy. It's hard for me to say how the scene has changed, because there is not one scene, just an untold number of overlapping scenes that are constantly being born, shifting, dying, reinventing... so every person has their own scene, you find the things you love most, and live there. But sometimes there are moments when you can't find that perfect club, a time when that thing you love most is between dying and reinventing. As a teenager and in my early twenties I loved the Paul 'Trouble' Anderson nights, amazing soulful house music all night, and all these fantastic guests like Michael Watford and Barbara Tucker. And at the same time there was what Gilles Peterson was doing. In both cases the energy of the dancers really inspired me. Then there was Coop, and broken beat, which was so exciting. And again, a lot of dancers made that club their home. Nowadays, for me at least, it feels transitional, like the next great thing hasn't yet arrived, but is coming. Musically there's always brand new hybrid forms and a lot of things at once. The UK Funky House with people like Donaeo and Fuzzy Logik, the "beats" scene of Floating Points and Dorian Concept, the massive Dubstep world and great people like Benga,  and house music is more popular than its ever been, so people like Phil Asher, and Simbad and Karizma, Osunlade, and Dennis Ferrer, everybody knows who they are, which is great for the scene, but sometimes you need those smaller clubs too, and some space to dance! Which also requires great spaces with great sound systems, that invite you on to the dance floor.

Is this your first trip to Asia to perform?  If not how do you think the scene in Asia compares to the scene back home?

Yes it is my first ever trip to Asia and I'm very excited!


What do you have in your pocket right now?
 

Nothing interesting. Keys, money, phone, fluff.


What does Soul Heaven mean to you? 

Soul. Family. Integrity. Openness. Opportunity... Since I first started talking to Fleur and Soul Heaven its been a fantastic relationship. All the team are really great people and I love them. They have managed to make something very successful without changing or compromising the core offering of soulful music. We see often in music where people get successful and see how they could be more "successful" if they compromise the music. Soul Heaven is never going to do that.

What were the first and most recent records you bought?

The first records that I remember, when I was a young boy, were, Tommy Boy 'Greatest Beats' compilation, Michael Jackson 'Thriller', the soundtrack to 'Breakdance The Movie', and Now Thats What I Call Music Volume One. Most recent, the Lil Louis album. Too many to mention really, does what I get sent count? I'd buy them if I wasnt sent them anyway. See www.bopstar.tv <http://www.bopstar.tv>  for a huge list of stuff I've been buying and playing. Nathan Adams and Zepherin Saint, and Jose Carretas, both on Tribe records, the Mark De Clive Lowe remix of Yameen featuring Lady Alma, Shake The Dog featuring Monique Bingham, the Phlash and Friends album... its a list that goes on forever.

What are your views on the global soulful house scene?

There is so much great music right now! From Nomumbah in Brazil, to Black Coffee in South Africa, to Opolopo in Sweden, to many of the original US heads like Glenn Underground, and the songwriters like Monique Bingham, Tamara Wellons, and Sacha Williamson, and never forgetting the incredible Peven Everett, and Louie Vega on top form right now... its very inspiring. And the house dance movement has taken root with a lot of young dancers, on it seems all continents. The most soulful stuff, is the stuff that I love, and that hasn't been as popular with the mainstream as the techier sound in the last few years, but there's still plenty of us that champion that real soulful vibe, the "beautiful" stuff, even if we're a minority. If Soul Heaven has its way, the beautiful music will be the next big sound. If not, it doesnt matter too much. The beauty is there for us regardless.

What have you heard about the nightlife scene in Hong Kong and what are your expectations?
 

Actually, I haven't talked about it with anyone! So I have no preconceptions as such! I am very curious now!


Will you experiment with the food and try dishes like chicken feet in black bean sauce?

Most definitely! I'm a very fussy eater at home, but rice and steamed fish is a favourite food for me, so I think Cantonese food and me will get on very well anyway! And I will try anything once!

If you’ve not been to Hong Kong, do you hope to see ninjas and Bruce Lee look-alikes flying across buildings?  Or will you settle with tall steel and concrete structures with massive basement vaults?

I'll be most disappointed if there are no flying sword-wielding ghosts or tree demons to contend with! I guess no one dresses like the women in 'In The Mood For Love' either??! Now, back to my castle, time for tea, dont you know!

Articles - Interviews

What are you expecting from the second time playing in Hong Kong?

Big things! Pav & I both said that last time we played Hong Kong it was possibly one of THE BEST Hed Kandi gigs full stop. It had it all. Everything just seemed to fall into place and the Hong Kong crowd are so responsive it was like a dream come true. It went right off so hopefully this time around it will be just the same if not better.

What do you love the most of representing Hed Kandi globally?

Playing the music I love in every corner of the globe at some truly amazing venues to different crowds and cultures really does make me feel very lucky. When a gig goes well there is nothing more satisfying. From the age of 16 I always wanted to be a DJ and I can safely say I’m living the dream!