Harvey McKay Interview

Having previously played at some of the biggest clubs in the world including Space Ibiza, Space Miami and Fabric, Harvey McKay is finally coming to Melbourne for his debut show. With this in mind, we thought it would be a great time to get to know the techno heavyweight.

Soma Quality Recordings is one of the biggest techno and house labels to come from Scotland. What has been your experience recording for the label? Have you had much contact with Stuart McMillan and Orde Meikle? Being from Scotland yourself, what can you say about the label’s ability to embrace your music style?
Well, the name Soma speaks for itself. It’s been around a long time and has been at the forefront of electronic music in many forms. They really are all a great crew. I know Stuart and Orde (the members of Slam) well and they are both sound guys who really know their stuff. They supported me right at the very beginning of my career and really picked me up from obscurity and I will never forget that. It’s been a long hard slog since then but it was because of their reputation and respect they commanded that people started listening to me.

Glasgow’s underground scene is big on techno, there’s no doubt about that. Was there any defining moment in a club when you realised that techno was what you wanted to play?
It was not in a club moment that I realised this; it was in my mate’s bedroom at the age of about 10 with a set of decks and a bag of vinyl that I knew it would be a passion for life. 25 years ago – my god that long!!! That’s depressing…

As a signee for Drumcode, Soma, Cocoon, Trapez, 8 Sided Dice and Saved, do you approach recording for each label differently, considering that they represent different sides of electronic music?
I make music first, then I have a think about who it might fit with. But you tend to find that labels start getting behind you and supporting your sound, so they get into what you’re making rather than looking for something from you that fits. It’s not always the case, but that’s the way I find it works most of the time.

It’s known that you are one for experimenting with sounds, but even with the use of equipment it seems! Can you tell me about the track ‘Nano’ that you made on your iPhone? Have you considered contacting Apple because that would be great marketing for them?
That’s a really great question – I’ve never been asked that before! I just wanted to see if it could be done to a playable standard, and it was pretty easy. The synths in it are really good, and I imported some drum hits I like, and used the drum machine and sequencer to program in the drums. I was amazed at how good the end sound was, the master didn’t sound that much different. As for marketing, that’s not why I made it to be honest; it was more for fun, and that’s why we play with gear/sequencers/VST in the first place right?

You’re just about to embark on your first tour Down Under, are you looking forward to playing in Australia? Have you heard anything about Australia’s nightlife in the past?
Yeah, I have heard lots of positive things that I’m really excited about it – but not looking forward so much to the flight to get there as I have a 22-hour-and-40-minutes direct flight right after two gigs in Holland! I also have two of my best mates who now live there so it’s a triple whammy! I get to see them, explore Oz and play some shows. Yeah, I’m really looking forward to the whole experience.

Is there anything you want to do while you are in Australia? Unfortunately, we’re moving into winter so the beach is out of the question.
As I mentioned, my mates live there so I have the benefit of them to take me about the place and show me all the cool and tourist spots. I always find rather than looking places up to go visit, it’s always best to have people who live there to show you the ropes, rather than the usual go-to spots. But it’s never too cold for a BBQ and beer, right? My girlfriend is also a massive dog lover and I’m sure she’d appreciate some pictures of Australian dogs.

If you had a chance to edit any of your earlier releases now, would you? Would you say that your style has evolved over time?
No. First off, I would not touch them, I like them today as much as I did then and am proud of the music I made back then. I feel if that’s not the case you’re not approaching music with the right attitude. I put so much heart and work into those tracks, and I think it still shows. But yeah, they sound very different and are a world away from what I do now, but that’s not a bad thing, and I would not change them. In fact, I still have a listen to the old stuff every now and again and it puts a smile on my face, even though they don’t fit in my sets anymore.

By Isabella Olivieri

Catch Harvey McKay at Royal Melbourne Hotel on Friday 5th June