Dave Seaman Interview

For Dave Seaman, a name virtually synonymous with heavyweight labels like Renaissance and Global Underground, congratulations are definitely in order, with 2005 bringing a new house, marriage, and fatherhood. And that's on top of a blistering schedule for his Audio Therapy label and Across Borders project, a venture that allows this progenitor of the progressive sound to do something he is best loved for: bringing together the most diverse and stimulating talent from around the globe. We grabbed a few moments with him before his last set at Womb.

> Interview : Matt Cotterill (HigherFrequency) _ Photo : Mark Oxley (HigherFrequency)

HigherFrequency (HRFQ) : Thank you for your time Dave, we appreciate it very much...

Dave : Your welcome.

HRFQ : and ...six months since you were last here.....is that right ?

Dave : yeah...was it six months.....mmm end of November....yeah so you are not far off.....good, moved house, which took loads and loads of time up.

HRFQ : Where have you moved to....?

Dave : : to Newark, just near Nottingham, so we moved into a new house, 'cos we were living in rented apartment for a while, and all my stuff was everywhere in boxes, so actually got a bit organized now and yeah....I'm getting married....

HRFQ : Oh! congratulations!

Dave : And my fiance is pregnant so...

HRFQ : Oh! congratulations twice!

Dave : yeah it's a big year this year, but it's all good, it's all exciting!

HRFQ : Well, onto your label, Audio Therapy, and the Therapy Sessions, can you tell me, are there any concepts that you brought to that project ?

Dave : Well, the idea was, I had done quite a lot of CD's before, with Renaissance and Global Underground, so on and so forth, we started the label about 3 years ago now, so it was time to do a CD series revolving around Therapy.

The idea was there are other people involved in Therapy apart from myself, Like Phil who did the last one, Phil K, and I got Luke to do this one, and there a few others I look after, Infusion for gigs, Lexicon Avenue and Pete Gooding, people like that, and the idea was to have a bit of a showcase for the people who are involved in the agency and the label. So yeah, Phil was the first one and Luke's the next one and we will continue to do it as a series, it gives other people a chance to get on the CD game.

Dave Seaman Interview

HRFQ : We heard that there were some more eclectic influences, especially on your CD, some funk and rock, what can we expect?

Dave : well it's all progressive house to me really, I find it more and more difficult to explain genres these days, all the lines have become so blurred I think. I mean yeah, my CD starts off a bit housy, it's got some sort of TwentyTwenty Vision stuff on it, some more, Silicon Soul is on it, then it goes into slightly more electro-y tinge things, a FC Kahuna mix on there and then some James Holden, and then it gets more into where Killer Huertz was, sort of rocky progressive sound into full on progressive stuff in the end. But it is all progressive house to me, I mean I've got records in my box from DJ Gregory and records in my box from Funk Da Void, which is sort of funky French house into Techno, but it's all progressive to me.

HRFQ : It's interesting that a lot of artists don't like the label 'progressive house' these days, it's almost like a swear word, I mean, what's your take on that ?

Dave : I think thats true, it's become like a dirty word almost, but progressive house isn't really a genre to me it's more of a spirit really, it's about main room dance music, you know house music that is electronic based and is always pushing forward a little bit, you know it's not by numbers, you know it's always trying to do something a little bit different and twist things around a little bit, thats the progressive spirit to me, to actually define 'progressive house' as a genre, which people do as the "dum da dum da dum" that sort of boring 'ploddy' sound, well of course that boring, and 'ploddy' 'cos that is what it is ! But it is a bit unfair to say that progressive house is just that really.

HRFQ : Is there anything in the pipeline for Audio Therapy ?

Dave : Yeah, I mean, I am really pleased with the way we have got over the last 6 months, and we are a bit consolidated as label now, we got a label manager in, Scott Dawson, who is sort of running things now, and we got the releases sorted for the next 6 months right up until October, some real 'Crackers', some consistent quality releases coming up, the next 5 or 6 releases.

HRFQ : We will look forward to that. The other thing we have been reading about is the Cross Borders project, it sounds very exciting, you know, to get these artists and producers from...

Dave : .....a certain country or city......yeah......

HRFQ : and you started with Greece. Can you tell us the story behind what brought you to that idea ?

Dave : We were just getting loads and loads of material form Greece to start with, and we had signed a few things already, we had signed a track from Tone Def and Stel had done a lot of stuff with us and we had had mixes from Nick and John Nolgalis and so when we got more and more stuff, with the Wooden Swords thing, we thought well we could do sort of an album of Greek stuff, and that progressed and we thought of Germany, 'cos we got loads of stuff from Germany, and we thought we could do this as a project a couple of times a year, and focus in on a place. It's great for us to get to work in that territory and become known with the people there, also it is allowing people in that territory to consolidate as scene together and it allows a lot of press interest and media interest and you know they can all sort of stand together and unify, I think there needs to be a lot more unification rather than people coming up in their own direction. Dance music needs to pull together a little bit rather than be fighting and squabbling amongst ourselves.

Dave Seaman Interview

HRFQ : I mean it's a good concept. A suggestion for the next one....Japan!

Dave : Yeah I mean we will probably do one, for sure, I mean it's the same everywhere I go, I get handed at least 5 or 6 CD's from most gigs I go to and I usually find some good stuff on there, and now there is such a strong base of producers coming out of so many different places, people that are well known and also it gives a chance to those people who haven't had any releases coming out and they can get a track released alongside some of the bigger names, and it gives them a stepping stone you know, a springboard for their career.

HRFQ : Anything about your set tonight, will you be playing anything you have encountered on your work with the project in Greece ?

Dave : Maybe......maybe yeah.....I haven't really thought about it yet.....ha ha I mean I have only just got here, i think I have only just woke up half an hour ago so I'm still coming round! Yeah, we did Shanghai yesterday and we didn't finish until six and we had to get on the flight at nine this morning, so I went to sleep when I got here for a little while. I have got some stuff with me so possibly I might play some. I mean, we are still trying to finalize what the exact releases will be, we are after about eight tracks for each cross borders project. So, we are still trying to finalize those final eight, but maybe, probably.

HRFQ : You are recognised as pulling together a lot of new talent, you have had your eye on Australia, I mean you have had Phil K, Infusion, Luke, and I think you have been quoted, "Melbourne is brimming with talent ". Have you got your eye on anyone else over there at the moment ?

Dave : Yeah, there is always stuff coming through from Australia, I mean I was there last week for a couple of weeks, and I have a lot of stuff to wade through again from there, there is always stuff coming through from Australia, considering how many people there are in the whole country it's amazing how much quality music comes out of there. And I have done for a long time, I started with Highland, and Digby and Oliver and stuff we put out ages ago, we've been putting out a lot of stuff, and we will continue to do so, if it's good music and we come across it then we can find some space to release on the schedule then I'll do it then, obviously.

HRFQ : Aside form all that, any other projects that you have got in the pipeline ?

Dave : Well, as I say, apart from getting married and having a baby which is kinda taking over a lot of stuff at the moment, I am working on another single for myself, trying to do some more studio work this year, do a little less touring, I have been touring for a long time and as I say with the family matters coming forward, I want to spend a bit more time at home this year, and that allows me to spend a bit more time in the studio and get some music made, I haven't made enough music over the last 2 or 3 years, so I want to concentrate on that a little bit, but you know, we will be touring this CD for another month or two and before you know it the year will be over!

HRFQ : When is it due ? (the baby)

Dave : September

HRFQ : Maybe around the time you finish ?

Dave : Yep...

HRFQ : Well, Dave we would like to wish you all the best, and all the best for your family and your career

Dave : Thank you.

End of the interview

Party Report : The Therapy Sessions feat. Dave Seaman & Luke Chable @ WOMB (20/03/2005)
Interview : Dave Seaman Interview in Tokyo (04/05/2004)