If you’ve been into dance music for a while, then you’ll understand. If you’ve listened to any of the Transitions series of mix compilations, then you’ll know. And if you were lucky enough to catch any of his sublime sets at the Future Music Festival then you’ll surely agree, that there’s nobody in the world who’s managed to master the craft of DJing better than the UK’s John Digweed. An old hand he may be, but over the last 12 months he’s had just as much energy behind him as a hot up-and-comer: he’s been playing storming sets around the world, shifting truckloads of his mix CDs and punters have been downloading his live sets like there’s no tomorrow. There’s just as much love out there as there’s ever been for Señor Digweed.
And In addition to jetting around the world like a man possessed, Digweed has also been prolific with his mix compilations as of late: he’s put out a whopping four volumes of Transitions within the past year and a half alone. But the time has come to bring the series to an end (in its ‘current guise’ at least), but you can be assured that Transitions vol. 4 will be wrapping things up with the signature sense of style that his fans have grown accustomed to. While it’ll show up in your CD player as having ten tracks, he spent so much time in the studio editing and layering the tracks over one another that at final count, there’s more than 20 tunes crammed into the running time.
“It’s a response to the fact that live club sets are ten-a-penny these days,” John says. “Be it podcasts or illegally recorded downloads, clubbers have more access to traditional club sets than ever before. As a result, compilations have to raise their game and offer something completely different. So I worked 22 tracks into a 70 minute mix, looping, editing and layering. There are very few segments where a mix is taking place and, when they are, you frequently find that there’ll be 3 tracks playing simultaneously. In short, it is deliberately unlike anything you’ll hear me do in a club, or on my radio show of the same name.”
And it’s the sort of release which illustrates again that while he’s been known as a DJ that plays ‘progressive’ house, it’s his ability to stay abreast of underground house in all its shades and flavours that’s allowed him to stay at the top of his game. ITM’s Angus Paterson talks to John about his Transitions CDs, the Future Music Festival tour and where he stands in 2008.
Hi John, this is Angus from inthemix in Australia. It’s great to get a chance to speak with you, even though it’s not over the phone! Are you well?
Actually no! I’ve just been wiped out with a nasty stomach bug. I wouldn’t mind normally, but I am currently on the Spring Tour of the US playing 5 gigs a week! Still, the show must go on and I’ve been soldiering though it. I am feeling much better now I am pleased to say.
First things first, me and many others are still reeling from your visit to Australia in March for the Future Music Festival. I saw your set in Sydney, and you played just as the sun was setting. I was there with a lot of other avid fans who also use inthemix, and the general consensus was that it was quite an extraordinary performance. What do you remember about that Sydney gig?
I remember being thankful I wasn’t playing earlier. Sven Vath, Roger Sanchez and I had all been rotating our play times throughout the tour and I’d come to learn the early slots in mid-afternoon weren’t received as well due to the baking sun and intense heat. Because the Sydney crowd was so good I would have been gutted not to have had the best of them, but fortunately, like the sun set, everything seemed to come together perfectly. Thanks again to all who attended and made it so special.
What was really different about that tour was that it was a chance to see you in a really different context. Other times I’ve seen you play have been in a club where you played over four hours or more, but this was a short two-hour festival which set meant that it was quite driving and bangin’ from the outset. This really was an amazing novelty for me and a lot of fans, how did you enjoy it?
If I am being honest I do prefer to do longer sets, but you’ve got to be realistic when it comes to festivals; in those tented or outdoor arena environments, two hours is optimum I think. It’s a great opportunity to drop your peak timers and a few classics, which I don’t always get the chance to do in clubs. Like warming up, it’s a totally different approach and mind set.
In Sydney, you closed your set with your own classic Heaven Scent. The fact that this choice took everyone by surprise is a reflection of how unpredictable you are as a DJ, I think! What inspired you to whip that one out?
As above, you’ve got to mix it up at a festival. I’d never play a full set of classics, but the occasional, well selected record at the right time can have devastating results.
From my perspective, it seems like you’ve had a really amazing 12 months where more than ever before, you’re been seen as one of the most consistent and accomplished names in the business (if that was ever in doubt). Has anything in particular stood out for you?
I’ve been delighted with the past year, which was crowned by jumping 5 places to 3 in the Top 100 poll – a very satisfying conclusion! I think this was the result of a number of factors: my radio show that’s now syndicated to over 30 stations worldwide with an audience of over 2 million listeners; the Transitions album series; my single Gridlock and, of course, the 100 or so dates I did around the world in 2007!
Something of yours that made a really big impact last year was your ‘Warehouse Project’ set, which was recorded for BBC1’ Essential Mix but it’s been circulating over the internet ever since. For many it’s considered one of the best live sets anybody could get their hands on; was that gig a memorable one for you, and how do you feel about so many of your DJ performances circulating around the internet in this fashion?
You expect Essential Mixes to be shared, even before streaming and digital, dance music fans have been recording them to tape for repeated listens or further copies for their mates. You have to go into something like that with you eyes wide open. However, recording of live sets without permission is a real problem. The thing that gets me is it’s always done on the quiet with hidden wires and equipment, so the culprits know they’re in the wrong and shouldn’t be doing it! It wouldn’t be so bad, but they always seem to get it to as many P2P or blog sites within 48 hours of the gig too – I can’t remember how many times I’ve fired the computer up on Monday to be greeted with a host of links from my set from that Friday or Saturday! Don’t get me wrong, on one hand I am aware it can help promote you as a DJ, but on the other, it represents a huge loss of control. For example, why would anyone want a 3 or 4 hour live recording doing the rounds when they have just released a compilation? Or to refer back to the EM, why would you want another live set out there when you’ve effectively just broadcast to the world? And that’s before you get into the download debate about all the individual track copyrights the pirates are infringing. I am always really hot on checking the technical set-up now to try and ensure this type of thing doesn’t happen too often, or at all, but as you point out, it’s very hard to stamp out all together. Clubs need to be vigilant though, I tend to find DJs across the board aren’t going back to venues if they’ve been illegally recorded, so the onus is on club owners to ensure dodgy sound engineers or technicians don’t effect their business in the long run.
Tech house and minimal have obviously been two of the biggest movements in dance music over the past few years, and these are sounds that have fit in very well with what you do as a DJ. Do you think the techier side of house will continue to dominate in the short term, and is there any truth to the claims that as a whole, strong melody is returning to underground dance music?
If you look back over the history of dance, cool, deep house music in all its subtle shades has always been there. I don’t think this is going to change anytime soon.
Lets talk about your Transitions series of mixes. For fans, it’s been fantastic to have all these mixes released in such a short time frame. If volume 4 is the last, how do you feel about them all in hindsight?
We’ve always said this is the last of the Transitions series in it’s ‘current guise’, which infers there are going to be more. I am not making any promises, but I am aware it’s been the best part of 5 years since I’ve released a double compilation and there is a growing demand for me to do another as a result. Keep an eye on johndigweed.com for future info…
Volume 3 in particular was very, very well received. Were you ever tempted to retire on a high note?
Nope.
The most notable thing about volume four is all the layering and editing that went into it. Tell us a little bit about the process of putting that together?
Transitions 4 is a response to the aforementioned fact live club sets are ten-a-penny these days; be it podcasts or illegally recorded downloads, clubbers have more access to traditional club sets than ever before. As a result, compilations have to raise their game and offer something completely different. So with Transitions 4 I worked 22 tracks into a 70 minute mix, looping, editing and layering. There are very few segments where a mix is taking place and, when they are, you frequently find that there’ll be 3 tracks playing simultaneously. In short, it is deliberately unlike anything you’ll hear me do in a club or on my radio show of the same name. However, you can’t just mix away for mixings sake, there’s a fine line between creating a fluid, well programmed set and a mega-mix, a pitfall that all who use new technology are susceptible to and have to avoid. I hope I’ve achieved this on the comp, but I guess only time will tell…
Thanks for your time John, and dare I ask: when will you be back in Australia again?
It’s too soon to say right now as I’ve not been long back from Future Music Festival. Again, keep an eye on johndigweed.com for future information!
Transitions volume 4, mixed by John Digweed is out now through Renaissance/Stomp.
Arclite says...
Nice interview Angy. The Sydney FMF was a helluva gig from Diggers. Interesting how he doesn't get drawn into talking about genres whereas Sasha doesn't mind so much...
coxdigweed says...
all transitions are brilliant something you can never get sick listening too. Rad interview Angy , the man is a genius
omgROFL says...
good interview angus, nice work mentioning heaven scent