It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Stopmakingme. He has the rare ability to be able to turn a dancefloor into a screaming mass while still being able to cause goosebumps with his out-of-club mixtapes. His influences are vast and diverse, and it comes through in his mixing and productions. The world agrees with us, and he’s very quickly climbed to the top of his game: as resident of Fabric, running Kill Em All with the Filthy Dukes, and most recently he’s just started as Erol Alkan’s Phantasy Sound label resident DJ, playing their club nights and presenting their radio shows.
Most importantly, his Wrapped in Plastic EP comes out 22 November on Kill Em All records, and you can download two tracks below. We caught up with him to talk origins…
Obviously indie music and the Soulwax, DFA, post-punk stuff has all been a big influence on you, but was it always that way? Was that a parental thing? What phases did you get through to arrive here?
Well, I became obsessed with Michael Jackson and Prince when I was very young. Then I guess The Prodigy were the first band I really loved – I went to see them play in Bournemouth with my dad when I was eleven. As a teenager, metal and rock music (but none of the wanky stuff!) was everything to me and I still love it now, Queens Of The Stone Age and The Smashing Pumpkins remain my favourite bands. I would record Mary Anne Hobbs’ Rock Show every week on my minidisc player and it was from there I discovered her Breezeblock programme. A pivotal moment came when I found an old episode with The Chemical Brothers talking about all their influences and it opened my eyes to the way in which club music is affected by everything. The proceeding few years were unbelievably exciting as I tried to listen to as much stuff as possible from all over the place. So yes, by the time I was 18 I was a full blown indie boy who loved Felix Da Housecat and Death In Vegas as much as The Strokes and New Order.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
I don’t feel guilt about liking anything but I guess some would call Wow by Kylie a guilty pleasure. What a record, though!
What was your golden era for clubbing? I think for me it was 2006 when we were going to Trash on a Monday at The End, it always felt like an adventure…
Living in Bournemouth, we envied Trash and Our Disco so much! (as well as Fabric and Bugged Out). I was just a bit too young. I also would love to have experienced the height of The Paradise Garage, Music Box and The Hacienda. Living now isn’t so bad, though!
When you interviewed Erol Alkan he mentioned curveball tracks, and that’s something in a set that I particularly love – like Busy P dropping the Glee theme tune. Do you have one?
The best ‘curveballs’ are ones that still fit into the overall feel of a night, I love that idea of ‘club music’ which doesn’t come from the usual places. When Doves Cry and Once In A Lifetime always find a way into my sets and I don’t think I’ll ever tire of either.
In the same kind of vein, do you have a golden track or mix that you always return to for your own listening?
Tiga’s DJ Kicks is great, Erol’s One Louder CD from 2003 and the Trash sets on his podcast, Nation Of Shopkeepers by Filthy Dukes, Cut Copy and Ewan Pearson Fabric CDs, In Flagranti’s mix for BlahBlahBlah, Ladytron’s Softcore Jukebox compilation, Justice recorded live at Our Disco, the first DFA boxset… Basically anything that has an eye on more than the standard 4/4 house routine.
My favourite club track is Geht’s Noch by Roman Flugel. I could listen to that loop all day.
One of my favourite things about you is that you and Tim (Filthy Dukes) are so enthusiastic about other people’s records, which is completely infectious on a dancefloor. Who is your ultimate ultimate musical hero?
That’s the best bit about DJing: sharing music you love with other people. Musical heroes? There are too many. Josh Homme, Kevin Shields, Bowie, Beck, Kim Deal, The Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk…
Before Kill Em All it was Sixty Million Postcards and we used to buy records from you at Pure Groove, so it’s obvious it’s most definitely in the blood. Was there ever a plan b? If you weren’t working in the music industry what would you be doing?
I have no idea. I studied English and Film at university so I’d probably be an unemployed publisher by now.
This is your first EP but you’ve been remixing and working on tracks for a while I think. How did Wrapped In Plastic come to be? Was it through many incarnations or a studio epiphany?
I feel quite a few things have come together, coupled with the fact that I now have access to some amazing analogue equipment. I also learned to relax! When I first started making dance music I was trying to make noisier club tracks that I thought would sell on Beatport, simply because I didn’t know what I was doing or where to start. It was a good moment when I realized I could (and should) make odder stuff that was influenced by more than one corner of my record collection.
K and Big V?
Two of my best friends (and not a drug reference)
So you’ve got Deadstock 33s on the remix package, a current favourite? Justin Roberson was great playing with you guys at The Lock the other week.
It’s a total honour to have Justin do a remix for me, he’s a legend in our world. His Deadstock stuff made me totally rethink what I wanted to be playing as a DJ. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s nice how there is lots of big club music emerging which doesn’t directly come from the standard dance world. I think the next year will be really exciting.
So I’m always hearing that you’re finishing tracks or in the studio at the moment, is an album coming, or more EPs, remixes etc?
Definitely two more EPs already lined up, some music with Mr.Robertson we’ve been working on together plus loads of remixes. There’s also a brand new project I’ve just started work on which sounds totally different.
I think it was a past interview I read with you that drew my attention to the excellent Jac The Disco, so thanks! Who are your ones to watch for 2011?
Remute, The Deadstock 33s, Punks Jump Up, Ajello, Retro/Grade, Gesaffelstein, the continuing genius of In Flagranti, the return of Chicken Lips, the new Filthy Dukes stuff, Matt Walsh, Rory Phillips, The C90s….
Bands: the new Death In Vegas record, Outer Limits Recordings, Factory Floor, Selebrities, 2:54…
Stopmakingme – Discuss (192kpbs)
Stopmakingme – Hot Pepper Sauce (192kpbs)
Buy the Wrapped In Plastic EP in its full 320 glory from Monday, and catch Stopmakingme playing at Counter Culture this Friday with Justin Robertson and Punks Jump Up.
