Planet of sounds

Gregory Ferguson is laid up with a bad cold. A state of affairs that, while no doubt a drag for the lad, works out quite well for us. Over the last few years, as Jupiter Ace, he’s proven himself to be one of the most restless and inquisitive musical forces in town – releasing acclaimed dance tracks, establishing club residencies, touring Europe and remixing the likes of Fatboy Slim. So when an opportunity to pin this fella down presents itself, you can’t really pass it up.

Especially when he’s so eager to talk about a new project that’s occupying his time at the moment. One that’s seen him emerge blinking from behind the decks to take his place at the front of stage.
For the last three years, during rare lulls in the business of hammering out monster house tunes, Gregory has also been working on a more low-key, song-based set of songs. Having gathered enough together to see a distinct personality emerge, in the last six months, he’s taken things up a notch – recruiting a band and, just as significantly, coming up with a new name – AJ Suzuki.
The jump from banging techno to winsome electro pop may seem an unlikely one, but as far as Gregory is concerned, it hasn’t proved that risky a leap.
“It’s still me writing the songs,” he says. “So there’s a consistency of tone I think. I mean there’ve been times in the past when I’ve come up with a new tune and patted myself on the back at how huge a departure it is, only to go and play it to someone else and they go - oh, that’s so you. I think I’ve a melodic bent that’s common through the pseudonyms. And I’m a shameless crowd pleaser. I want to write music that reaches and entertains people. I’d always be looking to create something that gets a reaction. I think that’s reflected in the way I produce things. I like crisp sounds, colourful soundscapes. So, yeah. I think you can tell it’s the same person involved.”
Mournful dirges have never really been Ferguson’s bag, so he’s perfectly correct in stating that a certain strain of up-for-it positivism can be can be heard coursing through the songs of both Jupiter Ace and Suzuki. But that’s not to say he arrived at his new direction without taking the odd wrong turn.
“It took me a while,” he admits. “I was floundering for a bit. The sound actually came about through the song ‘Jump Start’. I was trying to write a Jupiter Ace album but sat down and thought ‘What do you actually want to do right now?’ And I wanted to write songs, basically. I tried not to think too much about it, and then ‘Jump Start’ appeared, and it kind of crystallised my intentions. That was the sound I was after.”
Even though the mixture of flourishing keyboards and spry guitars makes it inevitable, we’d prefer not to invoke the spirit of Nu Rave, so let’s instead point out the very obvious debt that AJ Suzuki owe to The Human League, or even more recent, and less celebrated, acts like Clor or The Notwist. Closer to home, their melding of the pristine and the melancholic places them firmly alongside the likes of Oppenheimer, Cashier No 9 and Clone Quartet: the class swots in the current Northern school.
“I’d actually agree with that,” Gregory nods. “I’ve known all those guys for years and we’re all coming from a similar place. I’d say what we all, broadly speaking, share in common, is an open-mindedness. We’re not hung up about the whole dance/indie thing and I think we all enjoy a good pop tune. I’d say, especially with us and Oppenheimer, we’re not pretending it’s not a synth. We have a taste for pretty raw, honest sounds.”
With ‘Jump Start’ due to be released next month on iTunes, and plans for the well-received session for Rory McConnell’s show to be given away free through their website, Gregory hopes A.J Suzuki will spend the rest of 2008 introducing itself to people. You get the feeling, however, that more than anything (and no doubt a legacy of all those years spent working on his own) he’s itching to get out and about with his band.
“Absolutely,” he enthuses. “I’m really looking forward to playing gigs and travelling and everything that goes with it. I was in my first proper band when I was 18 and the other guys weren’t as committed as I was. It was a bit of a nightmare, actually. I was always having to drag them away from their joints and chips to go and practice. I’ve been round the block a bit since then, and because I’ve had a bit of success with the Jupiter Ace thing, it meant that when I advertised this time, I ended up with a higher class of musician. It’s been great. We all just get in a room and get on with it. We share similar tastes, so there isn’t any time wasted trying to convince people to do something they don’t want to do. I’m having a great time.”

A.J. Suzuki will be supporting Chrome Hoof at The Spring & Airbrake, Belfast on March 29