You’ll know him (and his curly haired locks) as one of the main men behind Infusion, the country’s most successful live electronic act. And while we can look forward to the release of a new album from the boys later this year, in the meantime Jamie’s got a few other things on the boil… Mainly, in addition to a series of DJ gigs where he’ll be putting to work nearly a lifetime of experience in electronic music, he’s got his Dieb Audio record label project – which amazingly, is already delivering impressive results. He’s got a number of solo records due in 2008, and one of the remixes dropped by the label last year somehow managed to make it onto John Digweed’s massive Transitions 3 compilation!
And while Infusion is still very much a high priority for Jamie, he’s enjoying branching out into other areas. “The past year or so I’ve gotten back to my hobby of record hunting… In that way, my recording buying, Infusion album making, solo remixing, track making and DJing has all been informing each other and it’s been a really exciting time for me!” As if that wasn’t enough, he’s also into graphic design, photography, poetry and who knows what else. Does this make him Australia’s dance music renaissance man? Yeah we think so. ITM finds out what we expect from Jamie when he’s taking a little bit of a break from his Infusion duties.
Infusion is one of Australia’s best dance acts, backed up by two ARIA awards and a bunch of Australian Dance Music Awards. Why are you venturing solo?
I just have an urge to explore other musical avenues alongside my work with Infusion. Why? It’s nice to have an alternative avenue for these quirky, very selfishly produced ideas. I decided to start doing remixes for smaller, independent labels that I feel inspired by and it started me thinking about all kinds of other sounds that wouldn’t otherwise work if it went through the Infusion process. I’m super excited and happy with the new Infusion work we’ve created for the new album and in that process, realised it works a lot better when all three of us are involved at every level and we all agree with every aspect at the end of the day. So yes, I can get ideas in there and allow them to be turned into an Infusion monster, but I found I also like to spend a bit of time on my own little ideas selfishly alongside all this every now and again. The thing is, Infusion is my #1 priority and always will be, but I think it’s really healthy to have these creative outlets for the ideas that don’t get used or don’t gel.
As you were growing up did you always think you would be in the music biz, or was there a little fireman waiting to join the brigade? What began your love of tunes?
First of all I wanted to join then army, then I wanted to be an astronaut and then I wanted to join the design world. Graphic design was where I thought I was bound to pave a career. Music was always there and was always extremely passionate about it, but I never dreamed of making it my career. My love of ‘tunes’ was an extension of the type of music I listened to as a kid; atmospheric electronica, soundtracks, 80s bands 12” remixes, all those crazy Depeche and New Order remixes… That sort of thing. In 1988 a friend of mine who was DJing at the time, and he lent me crate after crate of vinyl week after week to sift through and it was there I discovered this amazing world of acid house and ‘all things club’, but I don’t think I actually realised the world in which this music ‘belonged’. Clubs didn’t even register until much later. This music just had this incredible hypnotic, otherworldly quality that really grabbed hold of me and I bought my first synth after years of making ‘bleep bleep’ music on a Commodore 64. But it wasn’t until I went to university to study fine arts that I started to study art and sound, and I became obsessed with the possibilities. Career wise, I didn’t take Infusion as a viable option until 2002!
You’ve been all around the world and played at some of Australia’s and the world’s biggest clubs and events, where has been your favourite gig thus far?
To pick a solitary gig in a 12-year history would be impossible. But the highlights for me would be Perth at Ministry in 2001 and Amber in 2006, Buenos Aires in 2004, all the shows at Fabric London, the Roskilde festival, the Big Day Out tour in 2005… There are so many amazing highlights for me and it’s absolutely incredible that I get to experience it all!
It seems you travel constantly with your band-mates, write and produce your own music, and yet you always have so much gun-ho energy when you perform. How do you manage to balance everything?
Well that’s the key right there. Balance. It’s hard with my label Dieb Audio because the guys I co-run it with live in Greece so I’m up at all hours having meetings after all my Infusion work is done. There is just so much I want to do within my own creative headspace that I really have to balance it. Keeping a good schedule is something I’ve learnt to do over the years. Without that I’d be lost!
And now you have your own record label and are starting some solo adventures! What big plays are on the cards for Jamie Stevens in ‘08?
It’s obviously going to be a very busy 2008 with the new Infusion album coming out as well as my new label that I mentioned earlier. I set this label up with my mates Stel and John Dalagelis who I met through Dave Seaman. We’ll be launching Dieb Audio in the next couple of months and because there are three of us in charge, it makes it much easier to balance all the administration that comes with running a label. Over the past couple of months, I managed to fit in a few solo remixes and a couple of solo productions. One of those mixes, remix of Solead’s Giddy Down ended up on John Digweed’s Transitions 3 compilation which was very exciting and I have a few more tracks appearing on compilations over the next couple of months. The solo tracks I have coming out are Keep Her Space on Dieb Audio and We Can Hold On on Unfokused.
How do you find playing solo DJ sets compares to playing live with the band?
It’s very different in some ways but still, it’s playing music to people so… I love doing both but I’m not about to try and make a serious career from DJing. I only do it because I love playing music to people. It’s nice not having the pressure of thinking that a career as a DJ is my be all and end all, so it dispenses with the ‘competitiveness’ somewhat which is great! Playing live is something that is too much a part of me and I love that being my incredible career. I like feeling that DJing is just playing your favourite music from your record collection to friends when they come over. And that’s why I love it: I’ve always loved playing newly-discovered music to people (even though it was the cause of taunts and abuse when I tried playing my acid house music to an art class that only ever listened to Poison and U2). So yes, I think it’s that sense of sharing this music that I find satisfying as a DJ, whereas playing live is a real performance and has a collaborative, creative process that is irreplaceable for me. I thrive on that.
Do you prefer one over the other?
I get a different kind of buzz from both. It’s really hard to top the feeling of playing in a band, as I said, but at the same time DJing forces you into a different mindset that I do find challenging. If I was forced to choose just one outlet, it would certainly have to be to play live with my friends.
Will you be busting out the same type of music, or is this a chance to explore a more personal style?
The whole purpose of doing these solo ventures is to give me that psychological ‘freedom’ to try something different. I’m loving really experimenting and getting more leftfield with what I do and working in a way that you just can’t do as a band. In return, that’s brought a whole renewed slant on the elements I bring to Infusion, which is awesome! The past year or so I’ve gotten back to my hobby of record hunting and collecting and I’ve been loving discovering such an array of brilliant house and techno, just as I used to years ago when i began getting into this type of music. In that way, my recording buying, Infusion album making, solo remixing, track making and DJing has all been informing each other and it’s been a really exciting time for me!
Speaking of music style, yours can be described as very imaginative and original. I understand you’re into many forms of art; does this cross over into your music?
Very nice of you to think of it as imaginative and original! I know it would sound a tad pretentious to say that other forms of art do cross over into my music, but dammit it does! I am an avid photographer and as I mentioned before, I’m still heavily into my graphic design. I love hearing sounds in my head whenever I look through design books and well layed-out magazines. Words from books and poetry have rhythmic and evocative qualities that I play around with too. I love looking at Bill Henson photos and Bill Viola installations and hearing soundscapes from, and then run into get to the studio to get it all out! It’s virtually imperative to be influenced by life outside music, otherwise there is a fear of music eating itself. Novelists are often heavily influenced by music and painters are usually heavily influenced by… alcohol? Just joking.
In your opinion, what qualities make a great track?
I’m going to assume you’re just talking about club music. That is a very hard question to answer. As soon as I think I’ve found what I think makes a great track, then it no longer applies to the next one that I find as great, if not greater. It would be easy to just say ‘originality’, but then there is some music that isn’t so much original so much as extremely well executed. At the end of the day, the way I judge if a track is great is if it’s difficult to put your finger on exactly why you like the music. I like to the think it’s that music which comes from the correct intent of simply making good music, and not music simply to fulfil an economic need. It’s a very complex subject that applies to any art, so I think it should all come down to the eye or ear of the beholder. At the end of the day a great track either makes my eyes glaze over and my jaw gently drop, or makes my eyes squint and I say “phwoar!” Hahaa!
Where will we find you spinning records solo? Any chance of a country-wide tour?
No chance of a country-wide tour, no. Just little gigs here and there when I get the chance. We’ll have a big Infusion show travelling around the place this year and that will take a lot of time. I have a few gigs coming up but the main one I really can’t wait for is the Interview Vs Push Boat Party on February 8th which will just be insane!
Finally, your label Dieb Audio has some exciting new releases coming out this year. Is there anything you would like to plug that ITM fans should keep an eye out for?
Indeed! We have so much great music set to come out this year: tracks and remixes from Deepchild, Tiger Stripes, Chris Fortier, Smith & Selway, Hipp-E, DJ Yellow and some of my solo productions… Just a lot of quality music ranging from cool, jackin’ tech house to groove-saturated techno! So far we have some awesome support from Digweed, Dubfire and Justin Martin to name a few so of course we’re pretty damn excited to get going!
You can catch Jamie Stevens DJing at the Interview Vs. Push Boat Party on Saturday 9th February, tickets on sale now from ITM.
rolinconnection says...
awesome !
mr shay says...
AND a friggin legend of a guy to boot!
Danikan says...
Gotta say, Jamie is one of the most intelligent, talented, yet nicest people in Australian dance music. The man is an all-round star and I can't wait to catch Infusion on their next tour!
samwiseb says...
would really love to catch one of his dj set's sometime soon. no gig i have been to so far has come close to beating infusion live at prince of wales.
robbz_69 says...
dam it hurry up and come to syd again, infusion play waaaay too little!!!
Maksta says...
Ambar 06 was seriously one of the best gigs i have ever been to!!
Pigman says...
Woteva.
Lady Lou says...
Such a great interview. I'd have to say, I don't know ANYONE who has such an over-active left AND right side of brain. The man has so much talent.
middyjones says...
yep crankin
Suspekt says...
what a champaroo. Sounds so down to earth... specially for someone so legendary. His solo productions do it for me WAYYY more than the infusion stuff... should be interesting the new album though! Bring it!
Jacques De says...
haha, I remember seeing Infusion play at Stomp @ UC in Canberra in 2002. Jamie was down having a dance next to me and next thing he's up on stage playing, Brilliant Punter and performer!!
sam serene says...
Woot!