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.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/437141
music as a promotion. So if you've got the time and the energy to go to the studio and spend all that time to produce tracks to branch other things off it, then I respect you for it. Because you're not making no money out of selling that stuff and some young kids through the block… I'm not gonna mention no names but an artist that's on my label thought he was literally going to buy a car out of releasing digital projects. You don't make that kind of money like we did back in the day. It's not that time anymore, at all No no no, things change and you've got to adapt to what's going on today. I've mentioned who I kind of like and the stuff their doing. I respect everyone who is in music and who is trying something different, trying to push the barriers because that's what music is obviously about. You worked with Alesha Dixon of Misteeq, her career has taken off since then, did you see the potential in her back then? It was quite funny because I did that with a guy called DJ Faith [aka] Gavin Mills, who I have to say has been one of the best ever persons I've worked with, I know I did Tuff Jam and other things but working with Gavin was just one of the best things. Because obviously we were responsible for Misteeq to have their first ever single. But Alesha, we needed some extra vocals at the beginning [sings] 'it's the remix Misteeq tell me Why'. They, their management sent down Alesha and I have to say Alesha Dixon is exactly the same person. Before this track came out, remember there was no Misteeq they had a single, they had an R&B track and they wanted a garage mix. Me and DJ Face did it but they sent Alesha down, she is the same person today as she was back then. She hasn't changed, fame changes people but it hasn't changed her. She's still got the same crazy laugh, same crazy madness, and time for everyone. She's just brilliant! So did we see it in her? I think when she left and then we finally got to meet the girls, we did say if anyone, this girl band never made it but there is one person that will make it and that's her. And that was just because of her personality, she was always gonna do well so I'm happy for her. I actually saw her, I DJ'd at the MTV EMA Awards in Glasgow a few months ago, and I saw her then. And do you know what it's kind of pleasing to see someone still doing well whether it's TV or whatever. She's branched out… Yeah! Not for trying too hard, it's just that everybody is just drawn to her, even Simon Cowell! So good on her, she was always gonna do well from day dot, whether or not it was music or whatever she chose to do, she would have been successful. I sound like a proud father now [laughs]. I guess you have started to answer my next question which is, who has been your favourite artist or producer that you've worked with over the years? Yeah, Gavin Mills. I think because, don't get me wrong all the things I did in Tuff Jam were fantastic, at the forefront of the scene. Every producer, remixer, whatever seems to want a chart hit. You want that chart hit. So if I have to look at, sit back and look at all the things we've done, the remixes. Usher, En Vogue, all these things that I have been involved with, with Karl or Gavin or whatever. I have to look at the one that pushed a barrier, pushed a sound and got into the charts, responsible for getting the girls an album deal as well it would have to be Misteeq –Why. So the person that I worked on with that was Gavin so if I have to look at that project. But not forgetting my time in Tuff Jam because I had a brilliant time with Karl, we made some fantastic music, fantastic remixes and made people see garage of whatever people called it back in the day, underground house, speed garage, whatever… they made them see it in a different light because even the Americans were playing stuff. I remember when we did Usher- You Make Me Wanna, that remix, they were playing that version on the American radio. That was a great remix! One of my favourites to this day! Thank you, it's one of my favourites as well! I go on YouTube and I still hear it and I still can't believe we got to remix his first ever single. Gavin Mills was the engineer on that as well. So if I had to pick one out of the many, and you lot always ask me to pick one, that's the one. Misteeq, and Usher for different reasons. I have to say for him being who he ended up being and the way that remix came out as well. For his first every single to go to number 1 worldwide, in 70 something different countries. Being involved in that was great but Misteeq – Why, I would think. Good choice, I was wondering what do you listen t on your days off, when you're just chilling? What's your soundtrack? There's two things. One, if I am in my car, because I'm involved in music all the time, I never listen to music. I listen to Talk Sport! [laughs]. Talk Sport and that's it, that's all I listen to! But if I've got my girlfriend in the car, and I'm thankful that my girlfriend is into that music because if she's in the car we listen to Rare Groove. Old classic rare groove, I'm talking about proper rare groove not the commercial stuff, even though I love that stuff as well. Don't get me wrong because you know it's the commercial stuff that pops because it's popular. People have to distinguish between commercial and popular. So proper rare groove stuff and even her 10 year old little boy is into it as well. That's the way you do it! That's the way my mum got me into it as well, passing it down. Exactly! That's how my parents got me as well. So Talk Sport on my own, and when I'm with my girl, my girlfriend, we listen to rare groove. And the good thing is we both have all the music that we want, on her phone, my phone, my car whatever. So that's my chill zone if I have to listen to things. I'm getting you to choose one again, if you could go back in time and eradicate one song from the history of music what would it be? what's the song that did my head in? [pauses] no, can't say that one… I was going to say this song right, only because I was with my parents in St. Lucia once and it was number 1 just forever and it was all they played in the clubs, in the houses there. Remember that Robin Hood song Everything I Do? Only because when I was in St. Lucia that was getting played on repeat, I'd go to a club, I'm thinking you've just played reggae now you're playing Everything I Do. It's just like, because it's number 1 everywhere. I would love to say a garage track but I don't think I should, because the guy who made it I'm very good friends with and I just think I really don't like that track every time I hear it in the club. Erm, that's a hard question. I know, people usually say something like The Cheeky Girls or something like that which got played and played. There's been worse than The Cheeky Girls, there has been worse! The one I've given would be the one because it was so painful, I was there for six weeks and imagine walking around the corner and you hear the birds then all of a sudden you can hear it coming out of someone's house. It was painful, I must have heard it about 50 times a day. You know the words, you know the words involuntarily. Yeah, I think it got to the point where I was putting cotton wool in my ears. But yeah I would choose that one because even when I hear it now I just laugh. So my next question is of you could play a gig anywhere in the world, and we know that you play in Ibiza for example, but anywhere, any spot or corner of the Earth - where would you like to play? It's so obvious for me to say St. Lucia but I'm not going to, I go there quite a lot so not that one. There are two places I'd love to play and I haven't played yet. I haven't been to Australia, was meant to go once but a certain person I was with didn't want to go. That's too obvious but we didn't end up going so I would say Australia and Miami. Miami is cool! Not Miami sorry Hawaii! That's it, I've DJ'd in Miami, sorry, Hawaii. I know certain people have DJ'd in Hawaii and I really want to go there DJ and find out what it is all about. DJing in paradise, I like it! Yeah, if you think about it you haven't got a picture in your head of a club in Hawaii. Everywhere else you have a picture, don't you? But Hawaii you just can't picture club life. Loads of people have DJ'd there I know Carl Cox did New Year's Eve there a few years back and things like that. But because I can't picture it in my head I want to DJ there. We always want a buzz, we always want something different and DJing in different clubs I don't' like the same old same old. Don't like the same old line ups or anything. So something like that would be quite challenging and quite pleasing, hopefully anyway. So erm Australia/New Zealand for obvious reasons that I haven't been there but Hawaii because I can't get it in my head. I need to get that in my head before I retire one day. Finally, we at Guestlist know you are playing at the legendary Back to 1995 on Boxing Day which is going to be massive… Can't wait! Have you got anything special planned, a little exclusive to tell the people what they can expect? Yeah it's quite funny at Back to '95, because me and Karl did so many great tracks, if I'm allowed to say that, they normally get played at Back to 1995 so if I'm paying the later set, they all get rinsed [laughs] so I see the DJ looking at me going oh yeah just gonna steal your tracks. So that's cool that's a compliment, that's what they are there for, that's great, I'm happy. So for this one I'm digging out the mixing that me and Karl never put out or gave to the major labels Wow, going into the vaults! Yeah there's a lot of them, there's a lot. I did a vinyl gig and I haven't played vinyl for so long, I did one last week in Switzerland. So I had to go through my whole collection. I've just moved house as well, so that was awkward. But I found my box, so from now until boxing day I'm gonna be going through those and digging out the Tina Moore mixes that never came out. Usher stuff that never came out, all of these things that never came out so it's gonna be quite interesting. I'm really looking forward to it actually, not for just that reason, but that is what I think they should be looking for, exclusive dubs! And on that exclusive note, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to talk to me. Thank you for having me, I've looked forward to this interview. You've been great thank you so much. 7 17 Issue70 / 2014 HOUSE/ TECHNO guestlist.net " 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." TOP 10: MATT JAM LAMONT PRODUCTIONS/REMIXES 1. 'Feel My Love' - Matt 'Jam' Lamont Presents The Jam Experience 2. 'Why' Matt Jam Lamont & DJ Face Remix - Mis-Teeq 3. 'Love Shy' Tuff Jam Vocal mix - Kristine Blond 4. ' Just Gets Better' - TJR feat Xavier 5. 'Gabrielle' Matt Jam Lamont & Scott Diaz Remix - EMKYU ft DBB 6. 'Testify' Tuff Jam 2 in 1 Dub- U.B.P Presents Jay Williams 7. 'You Make Me Wanna'- Usher 8.'Don't Wanna Work No More' Tuff Jam Dub - Sprinkler 9. 'Klubb Conektion' Key Dub - Tuff Jam 10. 'Tumblin Down' - Tuff Jam ft Xavier Follow @ MattJamLamont