Like so many other elements of the music industry, Renaissance hit tough times and late last year they filed for bankruptcy. There was an outpouring of emotions from the dance world for a label and club that has been so seminal. The label started in 1993 when it was spawned by the club night from Mansfield, England.
Geoff Oakes started the night with a firm focus on creating an aesthetic reaction to the rave scene of the time. Opulence and classicism replaced neon and modernism. It was a bold move but it was a huge success. The club and label have supported some of the biggest DJs and producers in the world; Dave Seaman, Sasha and John Digweed are just a few. Fortunately, after some time in the wilderness, Oakes has regained control of the company and they have plans to get back into the events business plus introduce new talent and sounds. However, kicking off with the familiar face of Dave Seaman is a great place to start.
The label is close to Seaman’s heart, as highlighted by his statement about his new mix for them, “After a brief adjournment during a difficult time over the last year, it’s so good to have Renaissance back in the game just in time for their 20th anniversary next year. I’m very proud to be the one asked to start this next chapter in the Renaissance story. I’m the only DJ to have been with them from the very start, through thick and thin, and this is my 12th album for them.”
It’s great to see that Seaman’s Masters Series mix has a local component. It includes Australian artist Mike Callander’s new track, The Blinding Light & The Darkness. Seaman is no stranger to Australia, having been here many times and even, as he explains on the line from the UK, having almost moved here.
“I have a lot of friends in Australia so catching up with them is high on my list of things to do. I’ve said many times before, it’s my favourite country in the world, so it’s always a pleasure visiting.”
“The quality of life you guys have down there is hard to match anywhere in the world. I could quite happily live on Chapel Street in Melbourne. In fact, I very nearly did so. I put an offer in on an apartment there around 2002 and was very close to completion when a plot of land in Ibiza came available and I opted to buy there instead. It was the worst decision I ever made. Ibiza turned into a money pit whilst the Australian apartment has since quadrupled in value! You win some, you lose some.”
Of course, on the music front Seaman has been winning for some time now but his focus is always squarely on the future. He maintains and fuels his passion by searching out new sounds and talent all the time. “It’s all about the music really. And the fact that our scene is constantly moving forward and evolving never gives me chance to grow bored. If I get a glut of really hot new tracks in one batch, I’m like a little kid again. That excitement to get out and play great new music never really fades.”
It’s a sentiment that is reflected in Seaman’s approach to his mix for Renaissance. “I believe each album should try to capture the time of which they were made. So this compilation is strictly 2011!” he says in his website statement about the mix.
I ask him to elaborate, “It’s my 28th compilation and was another labour of love. They all are. There’s so much time, patience, care and attention to detail that goes into these things that I really hope shines through when people hear them. It’s a world away from a live set. These albums will be the death of me. Either that or moving house!”
This tour marks Seaman’s return to clubs in Australia after playing the festival circuit last time he was out here. He agrees that it’s a great chance for him to connect with his audience more intimately. “For sure. I can produce music, make mix albums and record radio shows but nothing compares to actually getting out there and playing live to really connect with people. That’s the frontline. Nowhere to hide.”
The radio show that Seaman refers to is his Radio Therapy series. Utilising his website and Soundcloud Seaman has been able to reach a worldwide audience directly. The times have changed drastically since Seaman started out from a technology and sharing standpoint. “It’s incredible to think that the iPod is only 10 years old isn’t it?! We’re living through one of the biggest developments in human history- the digital revolution – and we’re still only in the very early stages of that.”
It’s a change that has spread from promotion to the tools of production and performance. “From a DJing point of view the digital age has brought many positives,” he reflects. “For instance, I can now very easily make my own unique versions of tracks giving me chance to stamp my own identity on the music I play. I could receive a track from the other side of the world while sitting in a hotel room and make my own edit and be playing that out the same night which is something that would have been unthinkable not so long ago.”
Seaman sees the situation as a double edged sword. The ease of distributing and making music creates a devaluing effect in some ways. “But equally, there are some negatives,” he says. “I think music is so much more disposable now which can’t be a good thing whichever way you look at it.”
Seaman is a household name for more than just his DJ skills. He has produced artists such as Pet Shop Boys and Kylie Minogue – he co-wrote and remixed her hit Confide In Me – and he has remixed countless acts including U2, David Bowie and New Order. It’s a unique talent that Seaman can oscillate between the underground club vibe and the pop hook appeal that his career has demanded. It’s also a blessing that has kept him extremely relevant over the years.
Seaman tells me that his year has been hectic on a personal level as much as preparing the Masters Series mix. “We’ve moved twice this year actually. I swear I’m never doing it ever again! They’re going to have to carry me out of our new place in a coffin!! Actually, in all honesty, the only place that would ever get me moving again would be to Australia. Maybe later in life, once the all the traveling & DJing has calmed down a bit.”
So when things have calmed down does Seaman have any plans to do retrospective reissues or compilations? “Not at the moment. There’s so much going on in the present and in the future, I find it very hard to find time to look backwards. Maybe one day. When I’m writing my memoirs perhaps!” he laughs.
