Legendary DJ, producer and co-founder of Ram Records, Andy C spent most of his set at SW4 disrupting the Clapham vs. Ibiza vibe with a set of high tempo drum and bass classics. We caught up with him afterward to talk about the records he’s excited about releasing and where you go next when you’re already at the top of the business.
Daniel Willis: Hi Andy, how was your set?
Andy C: Yeah it was great thanks, I really enjoyed it. It’s book-ended my UK summer festival season nicely. The weather came out nicely after it was tipping it down yesterday. And I had to miss Creamfields this weekend as well so I’m glad to be playing here. SW4 has been a fantastic festival to drum and bass and RAM over the years, and they’ve even put us on Main Stage this year which is fantastic. It was a beautiful vibe and a massive crowd loving their drum and bass so all together it was an absolute pleasure.
DW: Excellent, glad to hear it. Thinking about RAM, the label’s probably older than a lot of people here. Is that a strange thought? Have the crowds changed massively over the years?
AC: That’s a bloody good point actually! You know what, I’m extremely privilege d and very very proud that RAM is that old. In that sens a lot of people have probably grown up with d’n'b and liked what we do from an early age. It’s an amazing source of pride for me but there’s also so many people behind the scenes and such a fantastic team in the offices working full time, as well as a great roster of artists, so we’ve been really blessed. You only ever as good as you’re team and the artists you’ve got so we’ve always tried to sign the right people at the right time because as well having the right tunes you have to have the hunger and the right work ethic.
Chase & Status are an absolute testament to that because within a few years of signing them I’ve got a gold disc on my wall and half a million record sales and that’s a beautiful thing. What we need to do now is be a platform for these artists to go and reach for the stars. We’ve got the Wilkinson album coming out later this year and that will be massive, and I’m just really proud of the whole thing. But I’ve also got to put it down to the fact that Ray and Jim and the guys in the office are fundamental d’n'b heads to the core, and because of that it’s really exciting times.
DW: South West Four is a bit of a different vibe to most drum and bass gigs as it has a reputation for getting in the big EDM names. What do you offer to this audience?
AC: Well for a start I only got 50 minutes so it’s bloody hard work! So much harder, I’m telling you, to play short sets than it is to play long sets. in Toronto I played four hours, two and a half in California and I was in the mood for that kind of set. I put thirty tunes that I want to play in my set in just last week, add that to 20 odd years of music and it’s very vry hard to condense it. In the end you just look at the crowd and go with it, the sun’s out and they’re hear to have a good time so you play the mood. But for me it’s about building peaks and troughs into the set and setting the mood, it’s not all bang bang bang which you kinda get with short sets. But it was a challenge and we got the party tunes and the emotive tunes in too so I had a good time.
DW: Is there a big difference now you don’t use vinyl?
AC: Well excess baggage is a lot cheaper and I know all of my tunes are going to turn up! I always had to spend so much time choosing what records not to take, so from that respect I love Traktor because it allows me to play longer sets and sets in even weirder places because I don’t have to carry all the vinyl.
DW: If you had to pick three tracks you want to play in every single set, what would they be?
AC: Absolutely anything by Wilkinson off the upcoming album which is out in October. I finished tonight with a track called ‘Half Light’ which is a beautiful track which encapsulates the feeling and emotion of a night out to me. You’d have that, something from June Miller, Rene LaVice has got some absolute crackers out at the moment. 3 tracks is really hard, it’s impossible, I’ve jut done a remix of the latest Chase and Status single and I even forgot to play it in my own set! It’s called ‘Count on Me’, it’s a great one and I forgot to play it.
DW: We’ll have to look that one up then! This might be even more difficult…..three songs you never want to play?
AC: Hmm well there probably wouldn’t be any to be honest, but timing wise you have to get it right. You can’t just drop tunes willy nilly, which some DJs do, but I’m built to have a reason for a tune to get played. it’s like putting a jigsaw puzzle together and I know that sounds really contrived and bullshitty but I swear to god that’s how my brain works. Tonight I just didn’t play enough tunes to be honest!
DW: Well seen as you seem so excited about it, can you tell us about the new Chase & Status record? We saw a bit of their highlights back afterwards from Glastonbury and they seemed to do really well out of it.
AC: Yeah I’ve watched that set and it was fantastic, and I’m really excited for the new record. Going up against the Stones at Glastonbury is no easy task but I think they absolutely smashed it. I’m very very proud of what those guys have achieved and Brand New Machine is gonna be huge as well.
DW: And finally, what’s been your favourite gig so far this year?
AC: Well Glastonbury was absolutely amazing, playing in front of 80,000 people on the Friday night is one, from an emotional standpoint, is one I just look back on and think how privileged I am and how much the scene has progressed. It was phenomenal on the Arcadia Stage and I just think about that and wish I could do it again.
DW: Excellent, Thanks Andy!
AC: Nice to meet you, thanks!
