In preparation for the return of Mr Jacques Renault to Plastic People this Friday (November 20th) alongside Melon and Tensnake (Live) here's a recent DJ mix he did for Polaroid to download! Jacques is one half of Runaway and a solo artist in his own right and has been touring non-stop in 2009 hitting Japan, Australia, Indonesia and Europe! With Runaway remixes for Roland Appel, Mugwump and LCD Soundystem being a permanent fixture in DJ's bag all year as well as his own remixes for Brooklyn's very own Chairlift and Australian outfit 'The Canyons', 2009 has definitely been a great year for Mr Renault!
Craig Smith & Graeme Clark have worked together in the studio for almost a decade, producing deep, underground house music and exploring long forgotten funk and dusty disco dubs. Recent studio output has featured on the much sought after L.E.S.S. Productions label aswell as Jisco Music, Instruments Of Rapture, Soul Heaven and Delusions Of Grandeur. With a debut album due in 2010 and their highly anticipated DJ mixes receiving widespread appreciation, the duo are stepping out for a few special appearances in the coming months.
In preparation for Melon's debut performance at Warm @ Plastic People in London next Friday (November 20th) where he will be playing alongside Tensnake (Live) and Jacques Renault, Peder Clark caught up with him for a quick chat!
You were a successful DJ for years before you started producing as well - why did you decide to move in this direction? What advice would you give to DJs who want to start producing? Do you think your DJing helps your production?
This is not completely correct, I started producing and playing in bands when I was 8 years old but waited for about 20 years to release something! It was more the other way around. At the age of 16 I started going out and needed money and as I had explored about everything I could do with my equipment I sold it all. Not long afterwards I started to miss making music terribly and found a quick solution in mixing records, which I also already did at a young age at school parties. Personally I think DJing and producing are two complete different things, sure it helps if you know what's going on on the dancefloor to produce club records, but there's more music to be made...
You've run many many parties in Amsterdam - who have been some of your favourite guests, and have you any particularly interesting anecdotes to tell...?
It's hard to pin point out one guest to be honest, all of my guest have been carefully selected and are friends or became friends, which made most of the nights special, 'cause there's bonding in the booth. But if I really have to... I must say that the Ratio? Easter parties always have been very special!
You scored quite a big hit with "Nitzi (In My Mind, So Fine)" - were you surprised by it's success? It's not a very obvious record, it's quite subtle...
This is a very special and personal record for me, made with a lot of emotions about losing somebody, so it was quite a surprise indeed that it went so well. Also kinda weird that other people experienced it on a complete different level of emotions and sometimes even the same. I remember one night in the Weekend club in Berlin where I played with Tobi Neumann and where I dropped it and the whole crowd went silent and closed their eyes, this was such an amazing moment and the biggest compliment ever (I still get goosebumps when I think about it). I guess it's easier to make everybody scream with there hands in the air and this was the opposite, ‘til the bass line dropped in!
Who do you see as your contemporaries, both locally in the Netherlands, but also internationally?
San Proper, Nuno Dos Santos, Patrice Baumel, Doc Martin, Innervsions, Seth Troxler, Tom Trago, Rush Hour, etc... some by the music they make, some by the vision they have.
Whatever happened to the next parts of the Four Seasons release? I really enjoyed Spring and Summer!
Thanks! It has been a while indeed, but as this project isn't really time bonded… I'm not in a rush and it should be good! But part 2 is almost done and should be hitting the stores this winter (I hope ) with remixes of Nuno Dos Santos and TJ Kong & San Proper.
Five records that are in your bag at the moment?
San Proper - Keep It Raw (Perlon) Georg Levin - The Better Life (Georg's Piano Dub) (BBE) Nicolas Jaar - El Bandido (Wolf + Lamb) Tuccillo - This Time (Delusions Of Grandeur) ATFC - I Called U (The Conversation) (Defected)
A record that's been in your bag for the last five years?
Several, some records grow on me and although there's lots of new music coming out I can't get rid of them and I keep on playing them till they become a Melon trademark hahaha! But one of them is definitely the Motorbass album [“Pansoul”]. Although it doesn't get played often anymore, it's always with me.
One of your secret weapons (if you want to tell us...)?
Hmmm, several this year, but I can reveal my secret weapon of last year's summer: Roberto Rodriguez “Ride”. This one has a completely different effect on the dance floor than when you just hear it at home or on the headphones in the record store. Don't know why but I think many people neglected this one as it seems to be very cheesy when you listen to it for the first time but when played out loud it's a complete dance floor killer!
Future plans for Melon? Future plans for Ratio?Music?
Taking the label to the next level and release more than one record a year hahahaha... Besides that releasing an album, probably not really a dance album but an album with lots of different music that made me the man I am today. And see what the possibilities are to make this album into a live show with a real band instead of on my own with some gear, this is one of my dreams to accomplish. Obviously continuing playing and organising Ratio? parties all over as this is something that I still love doing and gives me lot of energy!
Download an exclusive DJ Mix by Melon (Ratio ?) right here:
Don't forget you can catch Melon in Amsterdam this Saturday (November 14th) at his very own Ratio? residency at the superb Trouw club where he will be playing alongside Innervisions' very own Marcus Worgull!
If you can't make that then make your way down to Plastic People next Friday (November 20th) to see Melon alongside Tensnake (Live) and Jacques Renault. Some £8 advance tickets are still available but be super quick!
We are super excited about 6th Finger AKA Dan Evans and Rick Prior. All we can say is watch this space in 2010 for some superb music and much more! In the meantime to wet those taste buds here's their killer track "Truckin'" to have a listen to on soundcloud:
Here's a brand new mix from the latest signing to the Warm Agency/Management Roster....Softwar is the name and they are definitely ones to watch out for in 2010! You might have heard one of their tracks on the Warm Radio Show. Direct from Sydney this duo have some absolute killer audio gems in the pipeline so watch this space for more news very soon! Mix track listing to follow soon...
