inthemix | Features | Steve May: Whaddyamean Its Suppa Tigga Rigga

Only 23 and having already achieved so much, Steve May is a well known name in the EDM world. With songs released on labels such as EQ Grey, Coldharbour and AVA Recordings, Steve speaks about his past and future, revealing an insight into how it all began for the young Melbournian and where it’s leading him.

Back from Shanghai where he recently played alongside Jimmy Van M, Steve recounts the gig as a “pretty weird experience.” Comparing the nightclub to Queensbridge, he describes a huge dance floor filled with tables and chairs, with all those tables and chairs containing peoples heads bobbing and drinking to the tunes, add a small dance floor in front of the Dj booth, “That’s what it was like” says Steve, “The gig was cool fun!” Looking back Steve makes a summary of his main performances from this year, “Sunshine People, Starzz in Auckland, Interview(s), Obsession(s), Private Function(s), a few crazy things at Altitude on a Sunday morning too.” Steve has also assisted Interview’s Ben Evans in the promotion of Andy Moor’s Melbourne appearance this year.

Having been into a variety of different bands like Offspring, Pennywise, Living End and Blink182 – Steve was attending events likes the Big Day Out until his brother turned 18 and began listening to Renaissance and GU CDs, “Once I had discovered EDM, just listening wasn’t enough – I had to get involved.” At the age of 16 it all changed for him when he began stealing his brother’s CDs and investigating EDM, clueless as how to produce this genre of music at the time, Steve settled on Djing, purchasing himself a pair of 1200’s. While underage he got the opportunity to play at a nightclub, where he met Ivan Gough and got talking about production. Commencing Djing in 1999, Mr May only began producing around 2001/2002, for which he now says wins for him, “It’s a pretty cool feeling if you are playing and have a full room of people going off to the stuff you play.” Regardless of who plays your song, seeing a room of people going off to your track is an even more elated feeling for Steve. When he started, Steve was producing simply by playing around whenever he could, even now maintaining a full time job he explains, “I just sit down and do stuff when I feel inspired, or have a few days off, after work for a few hours.”

With peers like Luke Chable and Ivan Gough, I had to ask Steve how it was that he came to meet them. “It was at Casey’s nightclub in Hawthorn. That’s the Hawthorn club I was talking about before,” says Steve. He explains how his first contact Carl Q, was the one who introduced him to many of the people he is friends with now, including Ivan. “I met Luke at Casey’s when he was playing,” explains Steve, “I’ve been pretty lucky to have someone like Lukey Chable around to tell me how it really is. He’s always been helpful, been blunt and honest on tracks and offered the best feedback, advice and shown me lots of mad little tricks.” He adds that at the time Luke only had one release and was working with Ivan on Traveller/Quest productions, “The Trav/Quest sound was one of the most influential sounds to me at the time so it’s all pretty funny how we ended up being mates.”

Steve May’s first release ‘Open Day’ was released on EQ Grey in 2004. Steve retells how Tom, from the label, always gave good feedback on his demos and on the one “Before ‘Open Day’ he pretty much said I was super close to a release and to come back and see him as soon as I finish another record.” Just before leaving Canada for a year he set about finishing a track he could release before he departed. Asking Luke to help him finish a song, Luke told him it was fine as it was fine as it was, a week later Steve had signed a record contract for ‘Open Day,’ and 6 weeks later he was informed that Hernan Cattaneo wanted to use his song for his new Renaissance CD, “I was staying in a hostel in Lake Louise, Canada, with no one I knew and no one that knew this sort of music, so I was just peaking in my own little world with excitement.” Strangely or not, all of Steve May’s releases, thus far, have been on different labels, “Well each release I believe has been a different sound, or the previous labels I had released on weren’t interested in that style any more.” He adds that he is happy with the current labels he is involved with and will continue to work with them in the future. The most recent Steve May solo production to be announced is ‘Lost On Leicester,’ which know will have ‘Game Plan’ on the flip side. Set for a release some time next year, Steve explains the title comes from the street he lives on, “Getting from tilt bar to home for example after an Interview party and Matty Promo pouring jaegermeister down my throat can be a challenge.”

Whilst Andy Moor was in Melbourne, Steve and Andy have begun a track, “We started something, and it’s maybe about 1/3 complete.” He admits that after Andy had confirmed his Aus Tour they had intentions on working on something. No doubt they have plans on completing it once Steve uploads the project and does some work on it, “(I’ll) send Andy the parts so we can start swapping bits back and forth and get the track finished.” Having also recently collaborated with Damien Heck on their new tune ‘Pacific Air,’ Steve says he can’t remember how they got in touch, “We have been randomly talking shit with each other over msn for ages.” He explains the song was in fact an unfinished piece by Damien that he couldn’t finish and instead asked Steve to collaborate with him on, the result was Steve’s ‘Stopover in Micronesia Mix’, which he made extra parts for that helped Damien finish his mix, “Then we both had 2 completely different mixes and smiles on our faces with the result.” Enquiring as always about these strange titles, Steve May recounts the story of how Damien and him were attempting to conceive a name for the tune, the theme they were after was “water, beaches, sun, sand and islands.” With the Pacific Ocean being the main stretch of water separating Australia and Canada, there isn’t much in between, lest a few islands. “I thought that a stop over in Micronesia would be pretty cool if I was on my way to Canada in a long tail boat,” explains Mr May, “Hence ‘Steve’s Stopover in Micronesia mix was born. Look on a map, it’s kind of in between Australia and Canada if you took a detour maybe.” ‘Pacific Air’ will be the release after Andy Moor & Orkidea’s ‘YearZero’ and should be available in early 2007.

Continuing the discussion on collaborations, Steve confirms that he and Damien will be working together again, “Damien’s musical knowledge is awesome and I learned a lot from him.” Another producer Steve has worked with is DJ19, one of the pioneers in the Progressive scene in Japan, he organises the Park Parties and manages 19Box Recordings. When Steve was over in Japan the two got together and made a couple songs, “I’m not sure on release dates.” He also comments on a hopeful project with Luke Chable, maybe this summer! Also working with some of the locals, Steve has a dark and driving track with Obsession’s Scott Bateman, inspired by Sander Van Doorn, yet only at 128 BPM, “Scott assures me it sounds mad played at 136.” He also mentions a tune that he started with the promoter when he was in Shanghai; about half done once moved onto his desktop he has hopes of completing it. Final mention goes to Sean Quinn, “Quinny and I have been talking about doing some work for ages too, but we never get around to it, but the intention is there!”

One of the biggest moments in Steve May’s career has been Armin Van Buuren playing Steve’s ‘The Lamb Chops Whaddyamean Its Suppa Tigga Rigga Wigga Remix,’ of James Holden’s ‘A Break In The Clouds,’ at Two Tribes 2006 in front of a crowd of 5000. The remix is produced from the Main Mix and the Ambient Version, “I just took the best bits of both mixes, did some stuff to the bassline and rearranged the tune.” And what’s with the remix name? “The Lamb Chops came about from many super funny moments in Amsterdam with Luke when he was based over there and I was staying with him for a couple of weeks,” he explains, the rest of the title comes due to Steve’s overuse of the plugin Supertrigga, “In a very obvious way.”

Dreams and aspirations are a big driving force for many young producers and DJs, Steve May tells that, “On my first demo, I had no bio so I just said that a goal was to play at some of the biggest clubs in the world. I never actually thought people I idolised back when I was 16/17 would actually know who I am, and certainly ever include any records I have written on their CDs.” Djing has taken Steve to many places he wouldn’t have ever gotten the chance to visit, “It’s sort of like a hobby with some pretty mad benefits and I didn’t start out with the intention of getting to where I am.” With the possibility of a gig in Ibiza, he admits “It would be awesome to get over there next season and play to bronzed bodies in bikinis while I’m slamming exotic drinkies and taking in the view from my villa… or something like that.” Playing both locally and internationally, Steve discusses the benefits of both for him, “It’s great playing to a local crowd that’s up for it because all my friends can come along and have a boogie and plenty of drinkies as well,” he explains. Whilst overseas he isn’t ‘Steve the DJ from around the corner,’ as he puts it, he is generally the headlining act, “So the parties have a totally different take and the crowd are there to see me.”

Steve May’s sound can be best categorised by the room in which he is playing, in the main room you would expect Driving Progressive and also Trance inspired music. Playing in the side room, Mr May explains how he goes for a more Minimal and at times, Electro influenced sound, it also “…depends on who is running the party and what vibe I’m getting off the crowd.” Witnessing the May live, people would notice he has a certain knack for working up the crowd. He explains his belief that if the DJ is getting into the music they are spinning, then why shouldn’t the crowd, “If the crowd is reacting well to the sounds, it kinda fuels the excitement and the set.” For Steve the biggest highlight so far has been Blend-Forty-3 being played by every DJ he has looked up to, from Sasha all the way to Paul Van Dyk and getting it licensed to numerous different CD compilations, “Yeah, that tune has opened up a lot of doors.”

With a lot other DJs also into graphics design as well, Steve May is also giving it a shot, “I have always liked the way visuals and sounds can work together. I’m almost getting to the stage where I can get my musical ideas from my head to the screen, but am totally incompetent with getting what I see visually from my head to the screen.” One of the attractions for Steve is the ability to grab people’s attention, even with simple graphics, doing a part time course in Graphics Design next year, Steve says “Its just something I have always wanted to be able to do,” he adds that at some point in the future he would also like to work in the video games industry, doing something with sound.

Being friends with some of the most well known people in the EDM scene, Steve was bound to have at least one story he could share. He retells, “The night of Two Tribes this year I was at work (I work in a ski/board/skate shop) and I got a call from Armin asking if I was coming along, he would love to meet,” playing the next day at a recovery gig with Luke, he explains how Armin had wanted to come down but couldn’t make it, instead he got a call asking him to come for drinks with Markus Schulz. Having been tired after the recovery gig Steve admits he wasn’t looking his best, “My mate Drew and I went down and had drinks and chilled with Markus and Armin for the afternoon. It was pretty funny. Nice guys!” Steve adds, “I have plenty of other funny stories, but they don’t really need to be mentioned.”

With his career just beginning Steve May is a name that’s still growing in notoriety and 2007 is a year to look forward to for him. With more tunes, collabs and remixes on the way, he concludes by saying “Hopefully you will get to see more of me as a DJ in 2007!”

You can catch the May at:
Interview 1st Birthday 20th January at Brown Alley