“We wanted to showcase some of the artists that are producing their own stuff,” explains the excited veteran Coleman. “Many of these artists frequently appear in ARIA, Beatport and iTunes charts as well as on commercial radio. A party is great way of hearing their music and the music that inspires them.” Located in the heart of the CBD, on the corner of Lonsdale and Swanston St, the intimate Wah Wah Lounge is the ideal hot spot for this special event. “It’s a great venue that has been running for 8 years now. Many of the artists playing at the Producer Party have made a name for themselves at Wah Wah and also when the venue was as Two Floors Up. It seemed very appropriate that we have the first party here.”
The Producers Party is the perfect opportunity to lose your shit, in a non-violent, non-grotesque way of course, under the guidance of some of Melbourne’s craftiest sound rebels. Among them is the man who is no stranger to the club circuit, Mr. Out My Bitch himself, T-Rek. Joining him will be dirty electro deviant Chardy, fellow filth enthusiast Silversix, South African-born house maestro Ryan Riback, the eclectic John Baptise and enough other names to write a phonebook, if people still used those. The names and most importantly the sounds are intertwined with Suckmusic and the ever-healthy local scene. “Most of the artists booked for the night have contributed to the site in some form whether it be a DJ mix, promo or release on the label, but they haven’t been booked to play for this reason. These guys in our opinion are doing cool and interesting stuff in dance music that’s why they were booked to play. I think people can expect to hear a diverse range of dance music that reflects the music attitudes of Melbourne producers. I’m sure there will be a lot of unreleased tracks tested out on the night too.” The man himself will even be taking some time out to get behind the decks. “I have been spending more time in the studio since the label started,” the producer-DJ says. “I became inspired by all the music that was being sent to us. I have done three remixes of original tracks that have come out on the label, and have some well overdue originals soon to be released as well.”
The logistics of such an event would appear to be somewhat of headache but for Coleman it’s proven to be anything but. “I thought it was going to be a nightmare to be honest, but all the artists have been really positive and up for the idea. Some of these guys have a hectic schedule and it was great to see all but two turn up midweek for a photo shoot to promote the event.” Good thing it’s been such a breeze, as the Suckmusic crew is looking to make this the first of many parties. “Definitely [looking to run more]. There are a many local producers that we would like to showcase at future Producer Parties.” Obviously having almost a decade of experience under your belt can’t hurt either. “You have to keep your finger on the pulse because musical trends develop so quickly. As an A&R executive I tend to follow my commercial instinct a little more and worry a little less about artistic sensibility. I would like to think that if I develop an interesting repertoire for the label, showcasing a diverse range of dance music and dance artists, the artistic sensibility will remain credible.”
With the avenue of the internet and so many new club nights springing up the competition for labels and artists has increased, something he’s closely aware of. “There has definitely been an increase in the amount of labels and artists. I think that to become successful you need to network and collaborate rather than look at your peers as a competitor. It’s healthy to push each other creatively and to acknowledge what other artists and labels are doing in the industry.”
Having an open ear and open door for budding talent, the A&R man is exposed to brilliance and dross. “We’re getting a lot of stuff sent to us, and yes, a lot of questionable stuff,” he jokes. “Unlike yesterday when you would have to go through stacks of CD’s it is a little easier to preview them quickly. We listen to most tracks that get sent to our Soundcloud page. It’s so quick to listen to tracks this way.” With the less-than-stellar submissions however comes some great finds, kind of like digging for records. “We have discovered some very talented artist through the site and have gone on to release tracks they have sent in.” Still a schizophrenic artist at heart he says to expect a whole lot more genre-bending craziness from Suckmusic in the future. “We house, we tech, we club, we deep, we pop, we techno, we electro, prog, bounce, minimal. Yeah, we Suckmusic.”
