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Issue70

Monthly newspaper and online publication targeting 18 to 35 year olds. The ultimate guide to the hottest parties, going out and having fun. Music, fashion, film, travel, festivals, technology, comedy, and parties! London, Barcelona, Miami and Ibiza.

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16 Issue70 / 2014 HOUSE/ TECHNO guestlist.net A pioneer, respected DJ, an accomplished producer/remixer, label / A&R manager and radio presenter, Matt 'Jam' Lamont has been an intrinsic part of the UK Dance scene from its very inception. Ready to headline the legendary Back to 95 Boxing day special, we speak to the man himself about the re insurgence of Garage in todays scene. INTERVIEW Matt 'Jam' Lamont Who is Matt Jam Lamont, to his mother, to his fans and to himself? that's a question that I can't answer… I don't know how to answer that question without being.. it's hard to talk about yourself in that kind of vein. I can only presume who I am to other people, I suppose. I don't know It's a hard question, I suppose I get asked this question a lot and I still can't answer it. You know I presume they see me as a producer, DJ, that has been at the forefront and beginning of a scene back in the early 90s.. underground house turned into garage which turned into speed garage, call it what you like by the media. but I don't know Matt Jam Lamont, the DJ. Started DJing back in the early 90s, came from Luton to London to find my feet, to find my place in the music scene, and I was lucky enough to do that. Was at the forefront of the British, UK sound of House and Garage. How do you think garage music and music in general has changed since you started your career in the 90s? God [pauses]..everything changes, I suppose that it was my time in 1991/1992 and then it was someone else's. You know, every year new people come through. Every year people adapt a certain sound and make it their own. Like garage, garage went through certain developments, making progression from the US sound into a UK sound and then certain people came along and made that sound change through time. So in the change, I would presume that when we had it we took our influences from the US and over the years it has changed from US 4/4 sound to people like Wookie coming in and developing it into kind of bass, with MJ Cole making it very musical like we did back in the day as well. And then the sound changed once again and it's like a tree, so many branches came off garage. We then had the MC influences, coming into the early 2000s. The kids had to have their say, so if we take it to today, I suppose you have people, especially from last year, you have Disclosure developing the sound. They've said in their interviews that their influences come from the garage sound and the house sound, and they have created their own. You've got people today, like Chris Lorenzo their called Cause and Effect from Birmingham, creating their own kind of sound with the influences of house and garage. You got a young guy called Predator from Boy Better Know, who is making a lot of 2 step garage, house, and he has developed that into his own as well. He's doing a gig tomorrow at Fabric Live! Yeah, he's brilliant! I'm into his sound, I have to say at this moment that he is my favourite producer. That was my next question, we are seeing a resurgence of UK garage and its influences on sound so I wanted to get your take on it, what do you think? I love it! I love it! I play new music, I play new music, I play old school music but the majority of my sets is new music. So I have to and I want to play everyone who is coming through. I don't want to be stagnant and stay playing the same thing all the time because that's just not me. So with the likes of Predator coming through, DJ Q now making more of a garage thing as well, I kind of like his sound as well. Hers new school people like Low Steppa, like I said Cause and Effect really like their kind of sound as well. Shadow Child, there's all these people coming through, most of them have been around for quite a while but they've just changed their name, developed another name for another sound. But, I would say those kind of people are the ones that I'm into at the moment and I'm playing a lot of their stuff. A guy called Friends Within as well.. there's a lot of stuff about. Coming back with that house and garage influence. So when people say to me I can't find any music, I just kind of laugh because it's not true. If you are happy playing old school don't make excuses that you can't find new music. There's too much new music out there. Right! And it's so fast, quick and accessible Exactly! It's falling on your lap all the time. So don't use it as an excuse because you want to play the same stuff all the time. But yeah there's a lot of good stuff out and there will continue to be good stuff out there. So which artists do you respect and admire? Boy, that's a hard one… I respect everyone who makes music because [pauses] especially today because, you know, you're making music to progress some other sides because unless you've got good money behind you, you're not gonna make a lot of money out of it. You're using your Interviewed by: Lateesha Osbourne

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