After nearly two years of presenting the finest in house and techno from across the world to Brisbane audiences, Subtrakt founder Rikki Newton and his partner in promotion Adam Swain have yet to run out of steam. This is of little shock to those who know them both and each Subtrakt event resounds with their enthusiasm and passion for providing a unique musical experience which is without question, a little deeper than the norm. Rikki Newton has graciously taken the time out to chat with ITM about Subtrakt’s history and development in the lead up to it’s second birthday celebration at Bar Soma featuring Poker Flat/Dessous boss Steve Bug.

What was the first point at which you acknowledged the need to establish your own event?

It was around the time that my musical tastes started to change slightly and I began to develop an interest in the techier side of house and even started to get into some techno. Up until then I’d been playing more straight up house and also a lot of deep house at venues like Family, Alhambra, Press Club etc. So once I started getting into this deeper/darker sound, I felt the need to start my own night so I was able to play this music that I obviously wasn’t able to play at the venues that I was playing at that time.

Has the Subtrakt concept changed at all since it’s inception? How did you arrive at a specific music policy?

I don’t think so. From the get go we basically wanted to showcase the local talent in Brisbane, to which there is plenty, whilst putting a lot of emphasis on programming the night correctly from start to finish. This we still stick to, whether we’re hosting an international or putting on a locals party we always like to build the night by having the right DJs playing the right music at specific times throughout the night.

Adam and I have very similar music tastes, hence the reason we decided to form the Subtrakt partnership. So it was actually quite easy for us to come up with the music policy we have because we both like the same artists/labels etc. and have the same philosophy about how a night should be run.

What do you feel Subtrakt brings to the Brisbane clubbing landscape which sets it apart from other events?

I think Subtrakt brings an innovative and fresh sound to the Brisbane scene as well as an enthusiasm that is second to none. We’re very passionate about the music we push and we hope that people see this passion and enthusiasm and continue to support what we’re trying to achieve.

Since getting into promotion you’ve been a strong advocate for nurturing local talent, how do you balance that against booking internationals and what does each individual bring to the table creatively?

I think showcasing local talent is extremely important because that’s what keeps the scene alive and what helps build Subtrakt. And some of us aren’t getting any younger either so even more reason to look at what younger talent is coming through. When we book an international we always have at least one local guest on the bill as well so at every Subtrakt event we will always showcase what Brisbane DJs have to offer. Every DJ/artist has his/her individuality that is expressed through their music. So even though Adam and I have very similar tastes in music, we still bring something different creatively to our sets. If you’ve ever seen Adam DJ you’ll see that he has more enthusiasm behind the decks than anyone I know.

With ever more international acts visiting our shores how do you avoid over-saturation and maintain quality control?

I guess you have to be really selective with who you book. There’s so many crews now bringing internationals to Brisbane and with Drop and Logic boys booking similar acts to ourselves, it does make it difficult not to over saturate. Unfortunately you can’t do much about what other crews are doing, however, we’re all good mates so try to keep on top of when each others parties are happening and who’s booking who. So we try to organise our events around each others and if possible, not to have our night on the same night or weekend as another. As far as quality control goes, we only listen to and book quality so that’s never an issue. Haha!

In terms of programming will you ever make a push towards booking live acts or are you preferring to place emphasis on DJs?

To be honest we haven’t really had the opportunity to host a live act at this stage so that’s definitely something we will consider in the future. I guess a lot of it comes down to who you’re offered and from memory I think we’ve only been offered one or two live acts. We’re only relatively newcomers to this game so I’m sure it won’t be too long before you see a live act at Subtrakt.

How important has Bar Soma been to the Subtrakt in a more creative sense? Would it be a different event were it to be held a different space?

I’m not sure whether Subtrakt would be going at all if it wasn’t for Bar Soma. I’d say we’d still be putting parties on but nowhere near as regularly as we are currently and possibly not booking the internationals that we are. I think a lot of praise has to be given to Nick and Jodie at Bar Soma for supporting the underground scene in Brisbane and supporting all the crews that host events at the venue. This ongoing support has been incredibly important to allowing us to run the night how we do and book the artists that we do.

When we first came up with the concept of Subtrakt we wanted to find a venue that suited the music that we played so something that was relatively small, intimate and atmospheric space with friendly staff, both bar and door. Everything that Bar Soma provides. It just feels like a second home really. I wouldn’t want Subtrakt to be anywhere else, it wouldn’t be the same.

How do you strike and even balance between educating and entertaining your audiences?

I think that’s the advantage of running your own night is that you can play whatever the f*ck you want. The good thing about Bar Soma is that you’re hardly ever confronted with stupid requests like you would in a big club so I think a lot of Bar Soma’s clientele are educated to a degree. In saying that, you are always there to entertain the dance floor. Probably my biggest influence Ben Watt is often quoted saying “the dance floor never lies”, which is so true. So you always have to be mindful of the fact that if the music you’re playing doesn’t have people on the floor then you have to compromise and get people dancing. Once they’re up you can then experiment and take some risks.

How instrumental has building relationships with DJs and promoters been to the overall success of Subtrakt and which of those if any have most stood out over the years?

Apart from the relationship we have with Bar Soma, the next most important relationships you create are those of the touring agents/promoters and fellow DJs in the scene. As mentioned previously, Subtrakt work closely with crews such as Logic, Drop, Kana and Therapy so I’d have to say our relationship with those crews would be our most valuable. It’s so important to stick together and support what each other are doing to continue to build each others events.

Where do consider Subtrakt sits in relation to the larger Australian house and techno scene and how would you like to see it develop over the years?

I think right now we’re relatively small, and even unknown to many, compared to what else is going on around Australia but this past year we have had a few people take note of what we’re doing which has been a nice surprise. Having someone with the profile of Steve Bug playing at our 2nd birthday on Nov 6th obviously helps build the event and this is what we want to continue over the coming years. It’s a gradual process so we’ll continue plugging away and doing what we believe in and hopefully that will bring bigger and better things for Subtrakt.

Though you’ve mostly been a presence as a DJ/promoter do you see yourself getting into production at some stage?

Oh, what I would do to have more time on my hands. I would seriously love to get into production at some stage and I think it’s a matter of time before I do. I’m a terrible procrastinator so I’ve just gotta get off my arse and find the time cause I have some pretty talented people around me that could show me a thing or two.

Is it the way forward for the Brisbane underground dance music scene at large to see more DJs moving into production or is this not so important?

I guess it’s up to the individual and what you want out of this scene. If you want to make it your profession then it’s essential to produce and get signed to labels which then leads to the bigger gigs and obviously the financial reward. I can only see it being a positive thing for the Brisbane scene as a whole to see more DJs producing. If more DJs move to production which then leads to getting signed to labels then it’s going make people take more notice of what’s happening here in Brisbane, whether it’s nationally or internationally. And we are starting to see this now.

Catch Rikki Newton at Subtrakt pres: Steve Bug, this Friday November 6th at Bar Soma in Brisbane.