John Digweed Interview to Progressive-Sounds

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Progressive-Sounds: With 2005 started by an appearance at Fabric, followed by small intimate parties in London to promote the release of your Choice compilation and more recently a small intimate Bedrock night at Herbal, would you say the year so far has been an interesting contrast in terms of the size of gigs you have played, and how would you describe the feeling of playing at this smaller venues compared to Fabric or some of the bigger festivals you have more recently played?

John Digweed: What we've done in London with the smaller parties has been something different to the Bedrock club night really. I don't want people to think we've downsized. When we do Bedrock parties they're going to be big and bold though obviously they're less frequent than they were 2 years ago.
The small parties started with the Choice launch. I really enjoyed that and the fact that it was free and people came and had a good and relaxed time. That's why we wanted to get a party in at Herbal and also showcase some of the stuff we've had recently like Jon Lisle's album, the Weird Continental Types and for me to play some forthcoming stuff from the label. I've done quite a few festivals all over the world this year. They are something entirely different. Not so intimate, but when they go crazy they're mind blowing to watch from my side of the decks.

Progressive-Sounds: When compiling the 'Choice' album, how long did the process of deciding what tracks to include and the overall direction of the album take to decide and how did you feel to be asked to be part of the series, bearing in mind some of the other legendary DJs that have featured previously?

John Digweed: I was very proud to be added to the list of DJ's who have done this series. The names are outstanding. It was a massive task to get from 25,000 plus records down to about 30 and I probably spent about 6 weeks sorting the tracks and re-arranging what was going to go on there. I did make life a bit easier for myself though by fixing a direction for it from the outset. I didn't want anything on there that would give people chance to say 'that's an obvious choice' and also I wanted it to reflect the diversity of the music I've grown up in. I was very happy with the outcome.

Progressive-Sounds: With the debut Original Series compilation by Desyn Masiello receiving widespread critical acclaim and being touted by many as one of the mix compilations of 2004, and the recent volumes from Jonathan Lisle and Luke Fair also receiving equal accolades, has the feedback for the series so far been better than you expected, and can you give us an indication of where can we see the series going in the next few months?

John Digweed: Yes, I've been really pleased at the way the Original Series has been received as these guys are not hugely well known and it's a very tricky thing to do bringing these albums to the foreground. All 3 albums though have been really well received in the press and in the stores. I think the best thing I can say about them is that they are a genuine reflection of each of the unique styles of these guys and they've turned in great mixes. Hopefully we'll have more of the same in the future.

Progressive-Sounds: Coming up shortly, we have the next album in the Layered Sounds series which you have a+r'd. With the Bedrock brand ever growing and the amount of artists on the roster ever expanding, did you find you the second album has allowed you to expand more upon the foundations of the first, and would you consider making some of the artists' downtempo works available as individual tracks?

John Digweed: Really this is the 4th in the label compilation series, following on from the Foundations series and then Layered Sounds 1. With the Layered Sounds compilation though we introduced the downbeat mix CD and it was really well received last time around so we've kept the format. It also allows us to really get across the diversity of the music we're dealing with. The last year has been great in terms of the artists I've been able to bring to the label and the music we've released so I had a good list of stuff to choose from. We may well make the individual downbeat tracks available to download soon, but at the minute though we're keeping them all in the mix to download.

Progressive-Sounds: As a DJ you always search out the obscure tracks, but at the same time manage to uncover new talent, be they producers or DJs, and showcase them in some way, either in your sets, on your radio show or at your club nights. For example, last year you not only had Seattle DJ Chloe Harris to provide a mix on your Kiss show but then subsequently invited her to play at the 6th Birthday party which was one of only a few Bedrock parties held all year. Then we have to consider on the label you have focused on upcoming artists like Dousk and Derek Howell who both put together great EPs for the label, and it's clear that you are always encouraging new talent to grow in some way. Amongst the many that you've helped in the past few months, what was it in particular that drew you to these three individuals?

John Digweed: I think the same can be said for all 3 artists in that I see what they're doing and like it and ultimately like to bring them into what we're doing at Bedrock in one way or another. I don't just hear a track and sign it and that's that. Through DJ'ing and spending a lot of time on computer I get to either meet, or listen to, or DJ with guys or somebody sends me their material and then we start to talk direct and I get a picture of what they're doing all round. I know that these guys and girls are working hard to get somewhere and that they're into what they do and enjoy it and by bringing them to Bedrock in one way or another more people will get to find out about them.

Progressive-Sounds: In the studio, the past few months saw you work with your studio partner Nick Muir on projects for Quincy Jones and The Music, both of which took a step away from the dancefloor slightly, much like your work on the Spiderman Animated series previously. Do you feel these projects have helped you and Nick develop further as a unit, and now with Nick's recent solo commitments out of the way, can you give us some information on the new Bedrock single that is rumoured to be released soon?

John Digweed: These different projects demanded slightly different things and it was really a conscious thing to steer it away from the dance floor. With the Quincy Jones material for example, you could never have turned it into something like that without making a real mess of it. But it's also why we do things like this to let us do something a bit different and broaden our experiences. Nick and I do have a new single out, it's called 'Santiago' and will be released nearer September though you'll hear it quite a bit this summer with any luck.

Progressive-Sounds: Pole Folder's long anticipated album 'Zero Gold' marked the Bedrock label's first foray into the world of artist albums. Obviously such a project requires a considerable amount of time and extensive nurturing to ensure the end product is as good as it can be, but as someone who DJs around the world, produces and remixes, hosts radio shows and promotes club nights, do you find being 'hands on' with such projects difficult at times, and what are your own thoughts on the album and how it has be received by the Bedrock faithful and music fans in general?

John Digweed: I was really happy with 'Zero Gold' and proud to have it as the first artist album on Bedrock. This is the ultimate album for delivering surprises. When I first listened to the finished album it was a long way from any expectations I had had apart from in it's quality and just got better and better with every listen. That's part of why I like it so much, I know it's a great album because it always lets you hear something new in it every time it goes on.
The reaction in the press has been fantastic. I think absolutely everything I've read has not just said 'it's ok' but the reviewers have loved it and what's really pleasing is that I think a lot got the ideas that Pole Folder is trying to convey. There's a lot of thought, time and energy gone into this album and I think it's important people hear that in the music.

Progressive-Sounds: The technological advancements in DJing seem to be occurring at a rapid rate these days, first with the advent of CDJs which has totally changed the way many play, and now we have not only Pioneer's DVJ player but many DJs such as Sasha are now using Ableton. What percentage of your sets would you say is now CDR as opposed to vinyl, and do you see yourself incorporating some of the new technology into your sets in the near future?

John Digweed: I've used Ableton and have to say it's amazing technology. It's a difficult balance to make really. The development of the whole scene goes hands in hand with the development in technology and you can't just sit on things and let them stagnate saying you like the way things are so that's that!
Personally, I play a lot from CD these days. It's practically easier and the sound quality is unaffected. I have a soft spot for vinyl but not for carrying 150 records round an airport! I'm not sure what the future holds but at the speed of development of these things expect more to come in the future.

Progressive-Sounds: Staying with technology for a moment, and one thing that springs to mind is the fact you have made the Bedrock catalogue available digitally to buy from the Bedrock online store and also sites like Beatport. With the digital download market still in it's infancy, how do you feel this market will develop in the months to come, and has taking a step into such territory proven to help the Bedrock label reach further without taking away the vinyl format too much, or do you see it as an outlet to offer additional remixes or exclusive tracks by some of the artists on the Bedrock roster?

John Digweed: Offering downloads was designed to cover both these bases really. The digital market has exploded in the last 2 years and you can't avoid it or close your eyes to these kinds of developments. By offering the catalogue in this service it gets it to people who will never buy vinyl and likewise vinyl is still popular in part because there are a lot of people devoted to their record players and don't have iPods or computers. That said, it seems nobody doesn't have an iPod these days so the move to digital was fairly straight forward! Also, as you mention, it allows us to quickly and easily get out some interesting exclusives and bits and pieces that may take a few weeks to get exposure to on vinyl.
Progressive-Sounds: Finally, 2005 has already brought us singles from such established names as Pole Folder and Luke Fair, in addition to exciting new projects from Terry Grant and The Weird Continental Types, but what else can we look forward to for the second half of the year on the Bedrock labels?

John Digweed: Layered Sounds 2 is out soon and I think it's the best in the series so far because the quality of the music and the diversity and depth of the label has never been better. We've got singles coming up from Hernan Cattaneo and John Tonks on the breaks imprint and a new artist called Gutterstylz who is great, plus the new Bedrock single. Maybe some club stuff and who knows what else. You'll have to watch this space!