John Digweed Interview
So how are things in the world of Bedrock and John Digweed?
Things are great at the moment; the label is firing on all cylinders. We are having a great year. We’d had some fantastic releases and the profile of the label seem to be at its best for quite some time. The club night Bedrock we just do a couple of nights in London, the birthday and at Easter. We have been doing nights around the planet. We did one in Mykonos and we have one coming up in Bulgaria and we also hold Bedrock arenas at Global Gathering and of course we have SW4.
What have been your highlights of the year so far?
Highlights would be the first time I have played in Belarus at a big festival there; they have an amazing crowd reaction. That was definitely one of the best gigs I have done this year.
Bedrock 12; It’s the first time your night has taken place at the Brixton Academy. What made you choose this venue? You have played here before right?
Yes I have played Brixton before. I did an after show party for SW4 a few years ago. All the greats have played there so for the 12 birthday we wanted to do something really special. It’s the biggest production we have done. We wanted it to be something memorable for the fans.
What do you remember about that night? It was with Sasha if we remember rightly?
Yes it was. Last time I played here it was great. The venue is really good. You have the balcony where you can look over the stage and see what’s going on down there. Then obviously the dance floor for the people who want to get in the thick of it!
Does it make you feel proud to see that Bedrock is still a prominent on the capitals clubbing calendar?
Yeah, obviously you work hard with something over the years you want to see it do well and maintain. I think our fan base has been very loyal. People know when they come to the night it’s going to be quality music, good DJS and a friendly up for it crowd which is what most people want. They want to go out and see a smiley face in the room.
What makes the Bedrock crowd so special?
I think the fact they are very open minded they want to listen to good music. They trust my judgement with the line ups and the people we have perform for us so I think that’s a testament of me being the man behind it. I try to be creative with the line-ups and who I think should play and try to bring something new and diverse to the lineup each time we put on a show.
What night would you consider as your most favourite Bedrock night?
I’d say one of the birthdays when we had Rabbit in the Moon play. It was the first time they had ever played in England. They put on a fantastic show. And for the people that hadn’t seen them it was a pretty mind blowing experience. So from that aspect that’s one of the nights that stick in my memory.
What were your original aims of the night when it first started?
The aim for the night was just somewhere for me to play on a regular basis and to invite my favourite DJs to come and play alongside me. And it just grew and grew. The reason we chose a Thursday night is that I really wanted to bring a crowd out for this night. I didn’t want a crowd that was going out on a Saturday night already so you had to make the effort. I think people made the effort and that really showed with the energy on the dancefloor.
How do you think your sound has progressed over the past 12 years?
I think I have tried to move with the times. I don’t think I jump on the bandwagons I just play music I like in a way that suits me. So I take the best of techno records I like and the best of tech-house, deep house and the best of progressive if it sounds good. For me it’s about not trying to play one sound, it’s about listening to all aspects of music and putting that into a set.
Carl Cox is the very special guest at Bedrock12. Please give us your thoughts on Carl.
Carl is a definite legend. One of the very few DJs to carry that legendary status. He has pushed the boundaries musically over the years and it’s a great please to have him play on the night. I think people are really going to enjoy it. He really brings the party every single time.
Bedrock records have been extremely busy in the recent months what releases are upcoming?
We have a new release from Nick Warren which is due out at the end of October. Nick Muir and I have a new track coming out called Satellite. There is a new track from Pete Heller in the pipeline as well. All in all the label is ticking over and has a good array of diverse artists coming out.
Are there any producers that youd like to work with that you haven’t had the chance to?
At the moment the schedule for remixes is so tight Nick and I have just remixed a band Mr Fog. We have also just done a remix for Tom Middleton which is out soon. We got another project we have worked on with a really well known producer which I can’t say about yet which is coming out pretty soon. But production wise I’m just happy working with Nick.
Is there a record that you just can't stop playing in your sets right now?
I’d say Chemical Brothers ‘Swoon’ (Boys Noize Remix). It’s just a great end of set bouncy, up for it track that’s probably my end of night record. As for a track I can’t stop playing I’d say Vincenzo’s remix of Mutant Clan’s ‘On And Amp’. It’s just a great bouncy, summer vibe track.
So what can we expect musically from John Digweed in the next 12 months?
The radio show on Kiss celebrates 10 years in September so I’m really excited about that. The label will have more releases. More remixes with Nick and more shows across the planet.
Finally what can we expect from John Digweed at Bedrock 12?
A night of forward thinking music and a few classics thrown in for good measure to give the fans a big thank you.
