Interview with StripBack Records Graeme Lloyd & Fabian Chi

Interview with StripBack Records Graeme Lloyd & Fabian Chi

27 December, 2008 | 5.37AM

• Written by: jukeboxpr
• Filed under: Music News : stripback records

StripBack ethos is good solid club music from a mixture of established producers and new talent.

Their sound is everything from tech house to more progressive and minimal beats.

*Exclusive Interview with Graeme and Fabian of STRIPBACK RECORDS!*

StripBack ethos is good solid club music from a mixture of established producers and new talent. Their sound is everything from Tech house to more progressive and minimal beats. Striving for quality and freshness. Born out of London underground club scene, a partnership between established and new talent, Graeme Lloyd and Fabian chui, passionate about music, the intention is to smash every dance floor and release unique dancefloor orientated music. In the space of two releases Stripback has recieved support from some of the worlds biggest djs and has been featured on dj magazine.

Cutting his teeth in the London club scene has set Graeme Lloyd up for a highly successful career seeing him play at huge clubs both in the UK and internationally including the legendary Turnmills and The Cross, Pacha, Egg and Ministry of Sound in London as well as Amnesia and Bora Bora in Ibiza. With a sound he describes as ‘twisted techno house with a driving, progressive edge’, he’s become a firm favourite with clubbers and fellow DJs alike.

Newcomer to the scene, Fabian Chui, has only been DJing for a year, yet has already played gigs at Londons biggest clubs and shared the booth with such DJ legends as Tim Sheridan, Claude Von Stroke and Eddie Halliwell. His dedication and creativity has already seen him head successfully into the studio and produce material far beyond his DJing age. The future is looking very bright indeed for this young talent.

We caught up with the guys to get the lowdown on StripBack and it’s latest release, ‘Footprints’…

How did you both first get into DJing? Who or what inspired the decision?

Fabs: The usual story, loving the music! I actually only started djing two years ago, so Im just a baby and have been fortunate enough to play at some ofLondons biggest clubs. I went to Subbass and thats where I met Graeme. Once you mix your first track you are hooked, and the natural progression is to create your own music.

Graeme: I have been Djing for a bit longer, I was a dancer worked with Bands like All Saints and Robbie Williams. Then I worked for Tall Pauls band Camisra started going to Turnmills to watch him play and this inspired me to learn to mix. I then became part of Strike (U Sure Do) and that got me even more into DJing, working with guys like Andy now part of the Plumps and Matt from the Freestylers.

Why and how did you start up Stripback records?

Fabs: To showcase talent, from our own tracks to other artists. What’s great is it gives you control over when, where and how to release your material. Approach artists with unsigned tracks we love, and say here we are. We love the track, we want to help launch it and get you out there to signing more established dj tracks and remixes like Luke Branaccio mix of Graemes tune. To build a sound we believe in and is unique in the marketplace full of digital labels. Its much more involving on the business sense and you have to be more entrepreneurial and that can take away some time from being in the studio, but its a great buzz building the brand.

Graeme: I think that says it all really, well said Fabs...?

What’s been a highlight since you began the label?

Fabs: I was honestly shocked at the support we got from djs, djs I looked up to, and I am continually inspired by. Not that I thought the track didn’t deserve recognition, lol. Receiving great feedback from them and knowing they are playing the track on dance floors around the world. Thats a great feeling.

Graeme : I think for me it is seeing something through from beginning to end. Going into the studio to make a track, then promoting it, doing the press and releasing. I would agree with Fabian, the feedback on the tracks has been superb, finding out that Dubfire rates your work is pretty special. Having one of my tracks featured on IDJ mags summer Ibiza CD was pretty cool.?

Who would be your ultimate dream signing and why?

Fabs: That’s like asking me if I was a football manager with millions and millions who would I sign? The guys whos track I love listening to, who play amazing sets, Dubfire, any of the Swedish House Mafia lot, Dirty South, Laidback Luke, Funkagenda.

Graeme : Gazza!!?

You have a new track out, Footprints, how long did this take to produce from start to finish and how would you describe it?

Fabs: It was a collaboration. What’s great about producing is having a few mates around and just jamming ideas out, it was me, Alex Blanco and Jon Woo. Footprints was the outcome. It was done over several sessions. Id describe it as a cheeky groover, great to chug along to and dance away to with a surprise big room breakdown from left field.

Graeme : The remix I did I wanted to take the track off in a different direction and one that would suit my sets. I wanted to give it a more progressive big room feel. I love Fabian’s tracks, and he gave me some great sounds to work with.?

What equipment do you both favour using in the studio and why?

Fabs: Logic, macbook pro, mackies to monitor, apogee sound card.. All in the box at the moment. Would love to buy an outboard synth some time soon but thats a bonus, synth plugins do a fantastic job.

Graeme: Logic all the way, I have 4 macs in the studio running Logic, Ableton and Reason, but tend to use Logic more than anything else.?

What do you think to the house scene at the moment compared with 3 years ago? What trends can you pick out that you like and which that you dont?

Fabs: Well everyone knows the whole heap of clubs that have closed. Its a shame, I dj’d at many of them, they will be missed. But I like to look positively and think it’s just a cycle and new great clubs will come from the ashes. With the explosion of the scene, you get more promotions on, some better then others. Trends wise, theres always new flavour of the month, like the nu rave or bassline sound. Its all great, I like variety. Your ears never lie, if you like what you hear, you dance!

Graeme : I totally agree, some great clubs have gone, but new ones will appear. The digital world has changed music, there have been downsides to this, but there are a huge amount of upsides. We have never had this much access to music, and there is some amazing stuff out there. I think Toolroom have got it spot on, the way that they do things is inspiring. They have really taken the bull by the horns and embraced a whole new era.?

Which records old and new do you still enjoy playing? And which would you love to remix?

Fabs: As dirty as my sets are I do enjoy a bit of cheese! Eighties classics, Nineties, classic trance, garage, funky house, movie soundtracks! I’m part of I:AM now with Hannibal, hes a mate and another dj and producer, we decided to do a dj/production project, I:AM was born. We have been doing cheeky bootlegs remixes of classic trance tracks. Basically taking what we love and dirtying it up, big time so we can play it out!

Graeme : I love it when I play at Gallery and can drop a few new mixes of older Gallery classics.
The man with the Red Face remixes this year were amazing, and there is a tech house remix of my all time fave Delirium (Silence) which I just love.

Im not gonna tell you which tracks I want to remix, as some one will read this and do it before me....LOL?

What do you have lined up for the next year at the label? Any exciting plans?

Fabs: Shhhh its a secret!! Lol. We have in the works the next release by Graeme. Early feedback has been very very good. That’s the most important thing, releasing quality material. Then we have stripback parties well be doing in London, signing new artists, pushing the label out there as much as possible! Basically hard at work in the studio and promoting the label.

Graeme : Next year is all about building the profile of Stripback, we have some really good materiel ready to go. The reaction from the dancefloor when I drop the upcoming releases has been amazing. My next release is a track called Waveform and there are some tasty remixes. We are also going to be hosting a label night in the new year.?

Catch Graeme Lloyd and Fabian Chui at Ministry of Sound tonight as Gallery hosts their xmas party. You can also see Graeme at Ministry of Sound on New Years Eve. Currently on release from Stripback is Fabian’s ‘Footprints’ with remixes from Graeme Lloyd, and check out RocknRoll Graeme Lloyd’s first release on the label with a corking remix from Luke Brancaccio.

Find out more about StripBack and their new release ‘Footprints’ at:

stripbackrecords.com

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