It’s been a couple of years since Canadian house head Luke Fair last showed himself in these parts, but this month he’s back in our midst for a club tour. Having kicked things off in Sydney, Fair is gearing up for another big weekend. To set the mood, he passed this exclusive mix over to inthemix (scroll past the Q&A for the tracklisting), and also answered a few questions about what’s got him buzzing in 2011.

So, you’re here in Australia. Can you tell us a bit about the extended set in Sydney, and where you were able to go with it?
I had a really good time. I got to play some deeper stuff at the start that I haven’t been able to play out much, as well as a few classics thrown in towards the end. The crowd was great and responded really well which made the time fly by really quickly. Some longer sets can be painful if the crowd isn’t into a lot of the stuff, but this certainly wasn’t one of those!

It’s been a few years since we last saw you here. How do you think you’ve changed as a DJ?
Not too much has changed. I’m still very house-based. My live sound is maybe a bit techier now, but that’s a by-product of the stuff that’s available. I’m still spending hours and hours going through new stuff trying to find those secret weapons and I’m also editing most of the stuff I play to some extent. I’m also still on boring CDs! Most places I go the other DJs are on software, but I like the tangible aspect of CDs and beatmatching, even if it sounds a little less perfect. I like the organic feel of it.

As ever, there have been a few trends in house that have been coming and going in recent years. Do you think it’s an inspiring time now, with plenty of interesting talent?
Yes, I do. I think music right now is really great. I’m also loving the old school vibes in a lot of the new music and the disco resurgence. I’m also finding a lot of great melodic tech-house. There are a lot of artists that I wasn’t into a few years back but are now incorporating the sounds I’ve always loved. A few years back, when minimal was everywhere, was a very hard time for me to find stuff I liked.

Some of the tours that your fans here with remember fondly were to promote mix-CDs. Do you still think there’s a place for mix compilations, or is podcasting and radio shows more where your mind is at?
I’ll certainly do a compilation if someone asks, but there are so much fewer compilations out there now that it’s much tougher to get one. The state of the industry with file-sharing and digital sales has really hurt the mix-CD market. I could be wrong here as I’m not in the CD business, but I think there is very little profit in it for the label due to licensing costs, and most of the revenue comes from the actual DJ tour.

Podcasting is so much quicker and cheaper, and allows you to put out compilation-worthy mixes for free whenever you want. There is a lot of creative control from the music you choose right down to including graphics if you decide. I think graphics are key; especially with all the displays on MP3 players because it gives you a visual association with each mix.

When you’re producing, what’s the one element you’re always looking to get right?
For me, it’s asking myself if I’d buy the track in a store if I heard it. It’s a short answer, but it’s the main factor that lets me decide if I’m done. I’m not a very good engineer or anything like that, so I sort out the technical stuff just by comparing it to stuff I’ve bought. I’m more concerned with the creative aspect because at the end of the day, that’s what matters to me. I don’t not buy a track if I think the hi-hat isn’t EQ-ed properly, for example. I know the engineering is really important but it’s not my focus.

Tracklisting:

1. Edu Imbernon – Vitange (Los Suruba mix) – Darkroom Dubs
2. Shahrokh Sound of K. – Old Score – Compost
3. Jozif – Jus You – Wolf + Lamb
4. Shonky – Oasis – Culprit
5. Simon Baker – Grey Area (Burnski and Robert James) – 2020 Vision
6. Sara Galli and Matteo Matteini – Confident (Scope) – Hotfingers
7. Martin Brodin and Dumb Dan – Gamma Ray (Balaeric Version) – MB Disco
8. John Tejada and Arian Leveste – Western Starland (J Tejada 2011 mix) – Whatpeopleplay Records
9. Mythical Beasts – Communicate (Alphabet City) – International Feel
10. Scope – The Nerve Centre – Night Drive Music
11. Milton Jackson – Milton Jackson – Studio Apartment
12. Stel – Last Night On Earth (Manik) – Moodmusic
13. Rainbow Arabia – Boys and Diamonds (Hardmix) – Kompakt