DJ duo Slam have made their mark in the Scottish music scene and beyond! With their own music careers, successful label 'Soma Records,' regular parties 'Maximum Pressure' and to top it all off annual festival 'Riverside' which bring all the hottest up and coming DJ's all together on the banks of the Clyde. We managed to catch up with them before Riverside 2019 to find out the secrets to their success.
Tell us how Riverside Festival came about and how it has evolved
over the years?
'It was initially inspired from a series of outdoor parties we co-promoted with
Electric frog in the lane at SWG3. When it became available to look at using
the Riverside Museum grounds, we all jumped at the chance. Each year has
become stronger and bigger than the last. And it's set in such a unique and
iconic space for Glasgow. This year we've added a new stage area and the
production and infrastructure have been continually tweaked throughout.'
Who are your top acts to keep an eye out for at Riverside
2019?
'We're really pleased with this years line- up, in general, some
amazing acts are playing that rival any festival anywhere in the world.
It's hard and perhaps unfair to just pick one or a few artists from the
line up because they're all there because we want them to be there if
that makes sense. There are many new exciting faces worth checking
out this year though.'
You are known for your legendary warehouse parties under your club
night ‘Maximum Pressure’ which will be hosting a stage at Riverside
2019 this year. How do you choose the lineup and what criteria do you
look for in a live DJ?
'We start with a wish list of who we want, then obviously whether or not that
artist is available or not. There are many factors at play to make the line up
happen. We are always trying to bring fresh talent to the table and interesting
collaborations as well as established names. Luckily the festival is now quite
established and agents and artists want to get involved which helps to make
the choices a bit less complicated.'
As DJs yourselves, you’ll be playing a back to back at Riverside
which we can’t wait for! After many years in the game, how do you
keep your sound fresh and progressive?
'Yes, we're playing back to back with Daniel Avery. We've been talking to
Daniel about doing some form of collaboration for some time now, so
we're excited to finally be doing something with him this year. In terms of
keeping things fresh, I guess running the label and in general and
sourcing and producing new music is what gives us a fresh approach.
It's just something that seems important for us to do.'
Electronic music can be labelled (especially in techno and house) as
‘just noise’ or ‘all the same’ yet it is a highly successful genre
internationally. What do you think it is about electronic music that
engages people?
'I personally like noise haha. Yeah, I think its a very primitive tribal thing. it's
probably the most natural thing in the word for humans to dance together to
monotonous tones, people have been doing that for thousands of years.'
Soma Records is another of your creative outlets which has been
highly credited for it’s long term stance in the music industry,
something many 90’s born independent labels have struggled to do.
What do you think in today’s industry is key to running a successful
label?
'I think its still passion and consistency, and a lot of hard work to get your
vision across to others. Obviously, the industry has changed a lot over the
years and I think it's important to keep at the forefront of those changes,
which are and have been changing all the time.'
Having spoke to local, startup DJ’s, there’s a clear lack of support
in the Scottish music scene in electronic compared to other genres at
that level in terms of blogs and magazines etc. Why do you think this
is?
'Not sure, possibly things are delocalised and much more global these
days with social media being one of the main sources for peoples
attention. I think there is a different approach to someone starting now
than before. One of the reasons we initially started Soma School was to
give newer electronic producers an insight into how to achieve their goals.
I think we have a wealth of talent here in Scotland certainly something we
have tried to represent at our parties in Glasgow and with the Riverside
Festival as well.'