It’s really no secret anymore that the Melbourne electronic music scene is bursting with an abundance of very talented DJ’s and producers. The international success enjoyed by the likes of Infusion, Nubreed, Phil K and-probably most noticeably-Anthony Pappa, illustrate this point quite emphatically.
For a relatively small city situated at the proverbial arse end of the world we do alright for ourselves. All of the aforementioned names will tell you that the size of the local Melbourne scene-still very ‘intimate’ in the grand scheme of things-is one ingredient in the recipe for success. If there’s one thing that binds the Melbourne scene together it’s the close knit community that is it’s backbone. From a local punter’s perspective it’s when you start to know almost everyone who frequents your favourite night, and from a local producer’s perspective it’s about sharing and critiquing ideas with your peers, pushing each other forward collectively, all with a healthy amount of rivalry thrown in of course. But for its vibrant scene, community and very deep pool of talent, Melbourne is situated a long way from the rest of the world. For any budding producer or DJ with the ambition to rise to the top of their craft, there will eventually come a time when they must leave the comfort of home and seek out further opportunities abroad.
For quite a number of years, while keeping his feet firmly planted on home soil, Luke Chable had managed to carve out a rather impressive reputation as one of the brightest young producers around. Any producer who can lay claim to the fact that their first record has had four sold-out pressings and was licensed to eight compilations can probably be assured that they are stepping off on the right foot. More recently however, it’s his solo production work that has really pushed Luke into almost a class of his own. Grab almost every progressive compilation worth it’s salt over the last 18 moths and you’d be just about certain to find a Chable production on there somewhere. From his remix of Steve May’s Open Day (Anthony Pappa; Balance 006 on EQ), to The Sheppard (Renaissance Presents Hernan Cattaneo) or the cleverly named Melburn (Dave Seaman; Audio Therapy) his records have an uncanny knack of finding their way into all the right record boxes.
Having achieved all of this it by the beginning of 2005, it was perhaps always inevitable that the time would soon come for Luke to base himself in a closer proximity to ‘where the action is’. With no doubt in anyone’s mind as to his abilities in the studio, throughout last year it was Chable’s DJing ability that started to become apparent. As is sometimes the case with those who start their careers as the one’s making, as opposed to playing the music, Chable copt his fair share of criticism for his early DJ sets, but come late 2004, after supporting Sasha and James Zabiela on their Australian tours, there would be no questioning of his ability behind the decks anymore. After being invited by Dave Seaman to put together his first mix compilation (Therapy Sessions 2), including a world tour to support the release, the timing seemed perfect to relocate to Eurpoe in February-specifically Amsterdam-for the busy summer party season.
While spending time away from friends and family might have been “very difficult at first”, playing to sellout crowds in cities such as London, Dublin, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Toronto, San Francisco, San Diego, Honolulu, Mexico City or Monterey went someway to ease the home sickness. Hooking up with friend and collaborator Phil K to finish the long awaited artist album for their Lo-Step project for some of the time in Amsterdam meant he could at least he had a little bit of Melburn on the other side of the globe; and launching his own label (Trojan Recordings) in between his busy production and DJ schedule meant that there wasn’t really that much spare time to do anything but focus on music anyway.
While it’s been a more than worthwhile experience, this month Luke Chable is coming home. He’s not sure how long for, but he’s been more than looking forward to it. As another Melbournite once said to me, the best thing about leaving this city, is having to return home to it again. In Luke’s case, he’ll be retuning with not only his reputation as one of the leaders of the ‘next wave’ of DJ’s and producers firmly entrenched, but also a record crate packed to the brim with tasty treats he’s collected along the way. Lucky for us I guess.
Catch Luke Chable at Private Function this Friday 28th October. Check ITM whatson for more details.
