The Compound Two
Part one: Talking with the Spacey Space

Straight from the Compound social club, ITM’s Drexciyan got a chance to chit chat with two of Melbourne’s local DJs of the electronic world – Spacey Space & Boogs.

Part One: An interview with Patrick Donlon aka: Spacey Space. A man not held down by genres or labels, playing diverse sets of funky electronic beats and rhythms all around this funky town.

D: Where do you think the term “house music” came from?

SS: Probably from Frankie Knuckles’ club “warehouse” in Chicago, which opened in 1977.

D: In your opinion who do you think the greatest pioneers of house music are?

SS: Knuckles, Ron Hardie, Hot Mix 5, Jamie Principle, and Jesse Saunders all have some claim to that title. I did not buy my first house record until 1993, so I am no expert.

D: What kind of “house” do you play? Examples?

SS: I tend to think of what I buy in terms of the producer rather than the genre. Genres are problematic in music because everyone has their own understanding of the terms…......and besides, I like Moodymann but I find some “deep house” boring.

D: Do you think there is a general ignorance to the type of house you play in Melbourne? – I feel that when most people here refer to house, they are referring to the more club style progressive house with lots of female vocals, – saying this though; yes it may be house, but there is only a very small group of punters here in Melbourne who really love and get into the “deeper” stuff…......e.g.: Carl Craig, some of the German stuff on playhouse or WARE…Isolee, Ricardo Villalobos etc

SS: Yes of course, but I don’t really mind. I like female vocals now and then anyway. Besides, I am not sure Carl Craig or Isolee would refer to their own music as house.

D: What were you listening too when you were 15 years old?

SS: Mostly Hip Hop by that stage I think. Schoolly D, Justice Justice, B.D.P. AND P.E. plus more commercial stuff like Beastie Boys, Run D.M.C and LL Cool Jay etc.

D: Who have been the biggest influences in your music tastes?

SS: Friends, Family, Countdown (& PBS & JJJ UNTIL 1990)

D: Are there any other styles of music that you get into?

SS: I like everything from country Rock to R’N’B to Glitch. I don’t like the Beatles though. They Fucking suck!

D: So can I assume you like a bit of hi NRG and Trance?

SS: Sure. Donna Summer “I FEEL LOVE” IS Hi Nrg and I could find some trance track I like.

D: Question I have to ask for myself…. electro you a fan?

SS: I AM AN ELECTRO NUT!!!!

D: How did you get into electronic music?

SS: ASKii (Adam Milburn) asked if I wanted to help make tracks at his studio.

D: What does your record box mostly consist of? Any favourite labels, producers etc?

SS: Really depends on the gig that the bag was packed for. At the moment my DJ bag was packed for an early set at compound and a thirtieth birthday party that I played at after the compound set. For compound – labels like DNH, Soundsignature, KDJ, Peacefrog and for the Golden Oldies party, plenty of Nu Groove and Fresh records were paced, even though I didn’t really play much of that stuff on the night.

D: I believe you have a passion for producing…can you tell us a bit about that?

SS: I’ve been making electronic dance music for about five years, and in my own studio for about 3 of those five. I have released tracks on Independent labels under the name IG-88, WORLDSPACE, AND SPACEY SPACE. Check the north-south Hi comp. For the latest stuff though it’s been pretty old now as I have been playing live more lately, but not recording much. I don’t really know what has inspired me really to make stuff rather than just consume it.

D: What made you want to start to produce your own music?

SS: I used to make abstract paintings. Sound was attractive because it was even more abstract.

D: What can you tell us about performing live?

SS: I have performed at Lounge, Revolver Upstairs, Centriphugal, Honky Tonks and Gamma Space. Performing live is very different to Djing for me though I am just starting to get my head around it. For live sets I use an AKAI MPC 2000XL (OF COURSE!) Plus outboard gear including a NORD MICRO MODULAR. My next live gig is at Revolver 17.09.01. I run a PRO TOOLS SYSTEM in the studio for my less dance floor friendly stuff.

D: How different is producing and recording music to performing live?

SS: My musical background is as a DJ. The Djing of recorded music was the traditional way that a DJ performs. Taking machines out of the studio and into a venue is more like what a band does, and I have had trouble adjusting. Studio recording can be done over weeks but performing is immediate. All in all it’s very different.

It is generally much more intense to play live. You are responsible for pretty much everything people hear and how they hear it. Heaps more stuff can go wrong. If people are aware that you are not Djing, which is what they tend to expect, they listen differently and respond differently, partly because they know they ain’t gonna hear their favorite song unless you wrote it of course!

D: Is there a live/DJ set by any local/international that sticks in your head above all the rest that you can tell us about?

SS: Most of my favourite acts have never toured Australia. However I was totally blown away by the Aphex Twin’s DJ set in the bush outside Melbourne about five or six years ago. He is/was probably a decade ahead of most electronic dance producers.

D: Can you give us a rundown of who you would like to see reach our shores?

SS: I would have liked to have seen certain Hip Hop acts tour at their prime, like Schoolly D or Mantronix. Plus plenty of acts that came up during the 90’s like Drexciya. Or Maurizio. Or Kenny Dixon Jnr. Or The Wizard!! There are so many…

D: What are your future plans with music?

SS: To keep programming and to do a couple of live sets and start recording stuff later in the year.

D: You play at Compound @ Lounge every Saturday night, what can people expect to hear from you there?

SS: LOVE, on three decks

Catch Spacey doin his thang every Saturday night at Compound @ Lounge.

And for that extra special booty flavour, catch Spacey and the rest of the compound clan when Compound presents Formation 03 on August 25th with a 100% live act from Melbourne Meccano technician – Voiteck.

Spacey is also playing live @ Research and Development at Revolver upstairs on September 7th 2001 with Declan Kelly, Richard Campbell & Boogs