The word protégé is a promoter’s cliché, often used to hype up acts lacking the pedigree to do it for themselves. Very often, they are lesser DJs or producers whose accomplishments are often lamentable, never to be heard from again in 12 months time. However, from a city that has given rise to such Australian icons as Sean Quinn, Kasey Taylor, Anthony Pappa and Phil K, to have a talent so promising as to be considered a protégé is rare, which is what makes the career of Melbourne’s Chris Meehan so exciting, as he quickly establishes himself as a force to be reckoned with both here and abroad. With an uncommon dedication and commitment to perfection, he is forging his own place in Australian dance music history. On the eve of his first ever Adelaide visit, Chris takes time out of his busy schedule to let us know what he’s up to and what surprises he’s got up his sleeve.
Hi Chris, first up thanks for taking the time to talk to us today.
Chris Meehan: “Thank you. “
Over the past couple of years you’ve really started to make a name for yourself as both a dj and producer locally and abroad. What was it that first convinced you this was what you wanted to do with your life?
CM: “I was a late bloomer actually and didn’t even touch a turntable until I was 24. Before that I was just a punter. The “Mansion” made up my mind for me, the Saturday nights were inspirational for me and it was there I decided I wanted to be a jock.”
Melbourne continues to be at the cutting edge of the progressive scene around the world, with Luke Chable, Jono Fernandez, Infusion, Nubreed, Kasey Taylor and now obviously yourself really making a mark internationally. Which leads me to the question, is there something in the water?
CM: “I don’t think so. We’re lucky enough to have all these great producers living here and the best thing about it is we’re all quite close and good friends. We all hang out from time to time and even if there’s no direct input into each others productions, I think we all bounce off each other and benefit from the “melting pot” we’re lucky to have.”
With so much talent, is there any one person who has had the biggest influence on your career thus far?
CM: “I’d have to say Kasey Taylor, he’s been a mentor to me and our relationship has been a huge influence on my life. I use to pester him while he was playing and eventually we became friends. He saw something in me and the rest is history I suppose.”
You and Kasey Taylor also seem to have a very healthy partnership going on. What is your role with Vapour Recordings and how did you get involved?
CM: “Kasey’s profile at the moment is really starting to gain momentum and he is pretty much booked solid this year. With all his time away he asked me to take care of the label when he’s on tour. So I’m responsible for the day to day running of the label, admin etc and assisting him with sourcing new material. At the moment I’m spending a lot of time forming relationships with other labels and working out ways we can push our sound to a larger audience, through release swaps and even remix swaps. For example, we have just done a remix swap with (the label) SOG Chrome. Greed remixed our tune Between the lines and in return Kasey and I remixed Greed’s Tea in the Sahara.”
Along with your original works together, you also have a few remix projects on the go. How has your sound developed over these past few productions?
CM: “Our time in the studio of late has been completely taken up with remix obligations and our last 3 productions have all been remixes. The Greed remix we did for SOG with the vocalist from Gentle Rain, followed up with a Sumantri track called Imagination for Vapour and lately we’ve been up to our necks in an Evolution remix for Electric Music People called Been Too Long which uses the vocalist from D*Note’s Shed My Skin. All three are vocal tracks and Kasey and myself are both very happy with the way they turned out. Our productions have really gone from strength to strength I feel and our understanding and rapport is only getting better. I think you can actually tell in the work. We are on the same wave length (most of the time) and now that our heads are around the sound in the studio, our productions have blossomed.”
And a European tour in the pipeline too. What more can you tell us about that?
CM: “Yeah, the tour is very exciting. I’ll be meeting up with Kasey in Portugal and playing the country’s largest electronic music festival on July 10th. Infusion and Dave Seaman are on the bill also, so that should be huge. From there we’re off to Turkey and a Vapour tour with Murat Uncuoglu taking in 3 cities, one being Istanbul. Sweden and Russia from there with Parham Shafti, the UK and then home. It’ll be my first tour so I’m very excited.”
You have also gone from resident at one of the country’s top nights (the old Q Sunday’s) to a fixture at most of Melbourne’s major events. What gig in particular can you look back on as being the highlight of your career?
CM: “I’m lucky enough to have many highlights and even though I’ve played with loads of internationals, the Qbar Sundays are my biggest highlight. One time in particular when the residents apart from Kasey and myself were away and we played vs’s the entire night would have to be the biggest. The vibe was incredible and I don’t think I’ll ever forget that night.”
Now pretty clichéd, but what are top 5 tracks that have inspired you the most?
CM: ” 1. “Struggle for Pleasure” Minimalistix
2. “Apollo Vibes” Pole Folder and CP
3. “Cirque Music 2” Cirque Music
4. “Winds of change” Sunday Club
5. “Dope quarter” Tyrell and Supercreep“
With so much having been made of the so-called ‘death of progressive house’ in the media at various stages the past couple of years, things have generally become a lot more positive these past few months. Where do you see the scene headed the rest of 2004 and beyond?
CM: “Wow, this topic is always in the back of my mind but I will try and keep this brief. “Progressive” means change, so I believe the music will continue to evolve and the scene, I believe past its “dark days” (which I personally enjoyed) is almost “fresh” again and is returning to it’s underground roots where I believe it belongs. It will always be a force within the dance music scene, the amount of quality work from all over the globe surfacing and the young people making it shows that progressive is alive and well.”
Finally, on the eve of your first visit, what can the Adelaide crew look forward to from a Chris Meehan set?
CM: “I’m so pumped for this gig. It’s always my goal to entertain my audience and at the same time try to introduce them to something new. I’ll be playing what I believe is the greatest reflection of my idea on quality progressive house. There’ll be a little of everything, old, new. It’s all about the groove. I can’t wait.”
You can catch Chris Meehan playing at Fabric’s Dirty Double Header Vol. 1, Friday May 28th at Garage, followed by Vol. 2 with America’s Chris Fortier Thursday June 3rd at the same venue. For more information check out ITM Whatson or fabricadelaide.com.
