What’s in the DJ’s Box: Steve Bug

What’s in the DJ’s Box: Steve Bug

19 September, 2008 | 11.21AM

• Written by: Ben Raven
• Filed under: Music News: bugnology, pokerflat

The Pokerflat boss and all round DJing master reveals the records that rock his world and your weekends.

Minimal underground house may be everywhere these days but at the end of the 1990s, it was an almost unheard of scene.

Steve Bug is one of those DJs whose been grafting at his art from the beginning.

When Germany was obsessed with hard techno, he struggled to find gigs to complement his style of music and almost gave up.

Luckily he stuck by his guns and the world woke up to the great records he was championing, and now he’s one of the artists at the top of the underground house ladder.

He has a lot of reasons to be there of course.

His Pokerflat label is a mainstay of forward thinking electronic music and his own productions feature in some of the great landmark, genre-defining tracks of this decade.

His ‘Loverboy’ track is a classic of the genre, particularly his 2004 ‘Rebugged mix’ which proved to be one of the year’s biggest records.

Next up from him is another installment in his excellent DJ ‘Bugnology’ mix compilation series.

Luckily he’s decided to share some of the great secrets from his sets with you, so get digitally digging as he reveals the records that set his DJ sets on fire.

Favorite set opener?

At the moment it’s My My ‘Everybody’s Talking’ on Playhouse.

It starts off with percussion and no kick, you can mix it in still have a break before the low end kick hits in and best of all it works after harder tracks as well as after deeper tracks.

Secret weapon that only you have a copy of?

It wouldn’t be a secret anymore if I would name it here!

But one track that I get amazing responses from the crowd and pretty much only I have a copy of right now is a Stephan Hinz track on Audiomatique, coming out soon.

Trippiest record?

Markus Enochson & the Subliminal Kid ‘That’s a lot of
Bait.’

I played it the first time on a boat party in New York.

The booth was completely dark and I was just turning from housier stuff into more techy tunes when I put this one on.

This track is so trippy, but in a dark, evil way, eerie yet still a really good way.

Killer vocal track?

Roberto Rodriguez ‘Be Somebody’ on Buzzin Fly.

I’m not really into vocals but I totally love this one.

Even though it’s kinda deep if I play it at the right moment it can really be a highlight.

Bassline weapon?

That’s gotta be Kink ‘Traffic.’

A killer old school-like acid bassline track with some nice twisted breaks.

It rocks every place from a small club to a big festival floor.

The record that will never leave your box as long as you live?

Mr. Fingers ‘Can You Feel It.’

It represents the beginning of house for me.

A lot of people have good memories about it and the time it was released.

There is no other record that comes even close.

The track you always get asked to play that you don’t mind playing?

After all those years a lot of people are asking me to play ‘Loverboy’ again and actually at the moment I enjoy playing it sometimes.

Oldie that everyone else has probably forgotten?

VDT ‘Strange Is The Music To Make Love To’ on Container Records.

I just found it in my record collection the other day.

I haven’t recorded it yet to play it out but it’s one of those deeper Detroit-ish sounding records that has a lot of time and may be hard to play today because everyone seems to be in a hurry when it comes to dancefloors.

Get out of jail card?

I try to play at clubs where people appreciate my music, so I don’t really need a get out of jail card and somehow I would never end up playing something that I don’t like just to please the people.

I want people come to listen to what I have to give to them.

Your ‘one more tune’ end of night finisher?

It depends on the night, but I like to play classics at the end.

Rhythm Is Rhythm ‘Strings of Life’ for example is a classic end of night finisher for me but playing it awakes a lot of emotions.

I don’t really like to close a night with a hard, rocking tune, I’d rather send people home with a nice melody.

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Steve Bug’s new mix ‘Bugnology 3’ is out now.

[Picture credit: Lars Borges]

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