We’re half way through a four-day week and we all know the Easter bank holiday is set to be big. Kicking things off on Thursday here in London is Mega Mega Moda; the marriage of two of the capital’s most banging week night parties Mega Mega Mega (formally at Plastic People) and Moda at The Macbeth. The line up is undoubtedly too big for the small venue, but that’s what its all about isn’t it? With this spectacle of London’s finest fast approaching, we spoke to Tom Staar who, as we mentioned a few weeks ago, is becoming critical to this Thursday night scene. We asked him a little bit about Moda and his own ever-expanding music production line. This is what he had to say…
We’ve been keeping a keen eye on Moda and love the sounds coming out of it. Can you briefly tell us how you got involved with Moda and your history with the label?
I originally set up Moda with Jaymo & Andy George three years ago as a club night in our home town of Lincoln. Since then we have expanded to doing events across the UK and Europe. We now hold regular events at the 1600 capacity Engine Shed in Lincoln and they are always a sell-out. We are also just about to embark on regular parties at a huge venue in London, and we’ll be doing weekly parties throughout the summer in Ibiza. Moda has since become more than just a club night and last year we decided to set up Moda Music to showcase fresh new music from ourselves and others that we feel are really making an impact in the scene.
Can you give us a clue as to what’s coming up on Moda? There must be some stuff brewing for the summer season…
As far as the label goes we have my EP which is next out, it should be dropping around the end of March. It has already had massive support from Annie Mac and others on Radio 1 and has been licensed out to four or five compilations already! After that we have the jewel in the crown of Moda Music, Fenech-Soler, with a new single. This too has had big support on Radio1 and even daytime plays already. This band are absolutely awesome and really are destined for great things this year. Also in the pipe line we have an EP from Jaymo & Andy George that I have been working on with them for what seems like ages, just can’t rush perfection though!
The Mega Mega Moda line-up was released the other week – how did all that come about? That must be your biggest London Moda yet?
We’ve had three sell-out parties already at The Macbeth and we wanted to do something special for the last one. Jaymo & Andy have been good friends with Hervé & Sinden for a while and I’ve just started work on some collaborations with them both in the studio. We felt the time was right to team up on an event as theirs are always huge too. It will be our biggest London event to date.
Apart from the obvious difference in size, how do you think The Engine Shed compares with The Macbeth nights?
Obviously there are a lot of differences between the two parties as the venues are totally different. The Macbeth being a small almost pub-like 400 capacity venue and The Engine Shed, on the other hand, being a huge warehouse type affair. One thing that always is the same though is the atmosphere, it’s great playing at the Moda events because the crowd are always so up for it, it’s just constantly going off which is great!
We’ve seen that you’ve got some very exciting collaborations coming up – Doorly, Style of Eye, Hervé, your Moda boys Andy and Jaymo – when can we hear some of this? What sort of productions are you working on with them?
I have one collaboration already done with Hervé. It’s turned out how you’d expect- a good half way point between his stuff and mine. We plan on doing a few over the next few months, at least two of which will be released on Moda Music. The Style of Eye collaboration is almost done too. It’s a track from his forthcoming album that he started, sent to me, and I’ve finished off. Sinden is spending a few days in the studio with me at the end of this month with a view to doing an EP for Moda Music and I also have one other MASSIVE collaboration in the pipeline but can’t really say anything else about it for now – it’s a big step up for me and am really excited about it.
As well as the collaborations and original Tom Staar material I spend most of my time producing/engineering for other artists. I’ve been producing Doorly’s and Jaymo & Andy George’s stuff for ages now, the majority of the stuff they have had out has been co-produced by me. I also produce for H2 who have just had an EP out on Popof’s Form label and loads of other more housey acts like Prok & Fitch, Filthy Rich and Darren Emerson.
We love the big basslines coming out of the Tom Staar camp at the moment. Do you always go for a heavy bass vibe?
The stuff I’ve had out so far has definitely been very bass-orientated, it’s what’s working in the clubs right now though and I think it’s obviously a massive part of my current sound. When I’m DJing I play a lot more techno influenced stuff along with my own productions, I think you’ll see this coming through in a lot of my future productions.
Have you got any mixes coming up for people to listen to?
I’m currently working on a new mix tape that will be available exclusively through our Moda website next month. On the DJing front we have the Mega Mega Moda party at the Macbeth on Thursday 1st April and another huge event at The Engine Shed at the start of May. If you can’t make either of them we have our new Moda London event starting at the end of May which really will be something special, insane line up and totally mind blowing production.
Do you get much time to go raving yourself? Where have you been able to get to recently?
To be honest, I’ve not really been out that much recently. I did go to the Ed Banger party at the Coronet a few weeks back which was wicked; great venue and totally rammed in there. Normally when I go out I tend to go to more techno-based nights to see people like Dubfire, Adam Beyer etc., it takes me back to my days living out in Ibiza where I have done three summers!
We’re fast approaching the summer season now (finally!), what are you looking forward to in 2010?
I’m looking forward massively to the continued rise of Moda this year and also getting myself out DJing a lot more. I’ll be out in Ibiza a lot for the Moda parties, which I’m really looking forward to as I do miss being out there over the summer…
Tickets are only available on the door for Mega Mega Moda so get down there early and see Tom for yourself. Their predictions of total road block are bound to be pretty accurate!
Mega Mega Moda have released a brand new Tom Staar Mixtape ahead of Thursday’s event. Here’s a link to the mix and below is the tracklist:
Voodoo Chilli – Love Songs
Riva Starr – Dance Me
Fenech-Soler – Stop & Stare (Jaymo & Andy George Rmx)
Groove Armada – Look Me In The Eyes (Urchins Rmx)
Cassette Jam – Just To Be Near You (Tom Staar Rmx)
Laidback Luke & A-Trak – Shake It
Basement Jaxx – My Turn (Tom Staar Rmx)
Style Of Eye – Other Planets
Cirez D – On Off (Sebastien Leger Rmx)
Tom Staar – Two Tone Simms
Vitalic – Flashmob (Popof Rmx)
