While most DJs will assert that a track by Derrick May, or an obscure house tune on Trax converted them to dance music, the tune that originally got the rest of the population going had to be Positive Education . Straightforward in structure, yet devastating in effect, the track still packs a stronger punch than most contemporary floor fodder.
Created by a mysterious Glaswegian bunch called Slam (aka Stuart McMillan and Orde Meikle), on their own Soma stamp, Education was a defiant rallying call for the Scottish dance scene, which for too long had been ignored by the foppery of the English.
Fast forward five years, and Scotland and Glasgow in particular is remaining cool amid the glare of media attention. While Glasgow s Sub Club was ten years old last winter, Slam recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of their residency at the Arches. During the half-decade since Education appeared, Soma has grown to become the most respected techno label in the world, culminating earlier this year in a compilation album for their 50th release.
With universal acclaim for both their dynamic DJ sets, and subsequent recorded output, including their sophisticated long-player debut, Headstates, the Slam duo have taken the next logical step and are playing live for the first time this Summer. With Slam s second ever live date pencilled in for Dublin, their home from home, mainman Stuart McMillan talked to Digital Beat about the imminent Scottish invasion.
I m really excited about it all. It s going to be a bit nerve-wracking though, he says in a soft Scots brogue. We re not really into the whole idea of just playing a load of DATs. Coming from a DJing background, it s important that we give the audience a real performance. There s a lot to be learnt from DJing and translating that to playing live, like knowing how to work a crowd. We re gonna do different versions of our tracks: Positive Education like you ve never heard it before! We aim to make our mark and stand out with our live show, and although we always take our time about things, it s coming together quicker now. At the same time, we ve never felt compelled to rush things.
Sloth And Apathy
This desire for the highest standard has meant that the frequency of output by Slam and Soma has often been mistaken by many for sloth and apathy. Who can forget the unfair Lazy Scottish Bastards tag the duo were given by the English music press before the release of the follow-up to Education ? Stuart explains that their no-bullshit attitude has ensured that quality is always maintained.
We tend to upset people because we don t put out stuff we don t personally like on the label. Soma ranges from Ashley Beedle to The Surgeon, every type of music we re into.
While Soma s back catalogue includes some of dance music s greatest producers, the imprint s owners can be found proclaiming their love of music every Friday night at the Arches, as Stuart and Orde s sets move seamlessly from deep American house into the irressistible rhythms of Detroitean future funk. Although the night has earned its reputation on the strength of Slam s residency, Stuart is adamant that when he plays abroad, there is only one other European city that has the same spiritual devotion to clubbing.
Dublin, like Glasgow, is one of the last few places where there is a vibe and spirit left. The club scene goes right into the infrastructure of the music being made. These are the kind of places where there is fuck all else to do, and creativity in all spheres is high. Slam celebrated its fifth birthday recently, and the club is always busy. Because it has strong residents like all the great clubs before it, there is a continuity. The crowds are interested in the music myself and Orde play, and unlike London, where clubbers aren t as focused, we don t have to rely on guest DJs to make the club work.
normal cheesy bullshit
With some of the most exciting producers on the label hailing from Glasgow, the combination of high unemployment levels, boredom and a love of American dance music has had a deep influence on much of the work on Soma. McMillan agrees that the Motor City, with its equally redundant factories and shipyards, is the main source for inspiration, but not imitation.
Aside from the normal cheesy bullshit, techno is the type of music people go for most in Glasgow. Although Detroit is the influence, we do our own thing with it I went there recently, and it wasn t what I d expected: I played at this rave full of white kids and the only black people there were some of the other DJs. We have taken the funk element from Detroit music, and that is something that is so important to us. The tracks may be harsh, but are also funky, and almost a contradiction.
The beauty of techno is that although it is programmed by people, it s really the machines that make the music.
Who better to let control the machines than Slam, Scotland s greatest musical export?
Slam play the Red Box, Dublin, with Stuart McMillan and Billy Scurry on June 28th.