London Elektricity Interview 2014

London Elektricity, A.K.A Tony Colman is not only the brains behind Hospital Records, he’s also the only international Drum & Bass DJ still spinning vinyl. Oh, and he’s extremely
witty. This DJ, producer and businessman has reserved time to play in Australia at the end of the month, so we caught up with him to talk all things music, Hospitality and – hamsters?

Hi Tony, how have you been?
I think it’s safe to say that 2013 has been full of challenges – capped off nicely with a 2.5 metre stage fall in Moscow. I’ve just recovered from the concussion and honestly – good riddance to 2013, bring on 2014!

Where in the world has your music taken you to recently?
Mainly Asia, the former USSR and Europe. Due to my various mishaps, my touring schedule has been somewhat hacked to pieces this year!

Ouch! It’s been almost three years since you gave us your fifth studio album, ‘Yikes’; is album number six anywhere on the horizon?
It’s at the sketch stage right now. I can’t say when the beast (or the beats) will emerge kicking and screaming into this world of ours though.

How would you say the sound you produce has changed over the last two decades?
I’m more technically aware than when I started out, but I sincerely hope that is not at the expense of the content, which can often be the case.

There are constantly new Drum & Bass artists on the scene, some of which are signed to Hospital Records; does new talent keep your own music fresh and do you feel a touch of healthy competition when a new act arises?
The best and most satisfying part of my job as Hospital boss is to discover new talent, nurture it and give these new producers a real career in the music business. That’s why, unlike almost every other Drum & Bass DJ who has their own label, I don’t hog the headline spot on our club nights – I
give it over to whichever particular artist has their album out at that time. For me to insist on always being top dog would hold them back. I think it’s essential to be happy and confident enough with your own status to do that.

Who’s on your radar at the moment in the industry?
Etherwood – I discovered him a year ago and championed his music for months. I signed him in March, stuck him in the studio and when I got back from my Japan tour early July he had the bones of his album done. We released the album in November, and it’s blowing up. He’s such a cool dude – very laid back, and he sings on his own tracks – really well – which is rare in Drum & Bass!

Do you get flooded with links to tunes from budding artists?
We do. We divvy the tunes up equally between all 12 Hospital staff members, we all shortlist the best three and they go into a pot to be whittled down to the very best ones. We then either try to sign the best ones or we compile a Democast – which is the Hospital Podcast special edition, just made up from demos.

What’s your process in signing an artist? Do they have to fit a certain brief?
No – quite the opposite. They have to not fit any existing briefs we have – in other words, they have to surprise and delight us. Music is a very emotional thing, and the one thing we look for is music that has a big emotional impact. That’s part of the reason I keep DJing – to witness that first hand.

Hospitality are always touring together; is it important to have that branding and unit of artists together?
It is, and we have strength in depth in our squad now. Some people brand Hospital as having one certain sound – partly because for a couple of years our biggest artist was Netsky. Before Boris blew up, people branded us as the sound of High Contrast, and before that it was London Elektricity. But this is all bull – we have a massive range of Drum & Bass artists now, from S.P.Y to Fred V & Graphix – and everything in between. The key thing is that our artists are team players and not primadonnas. If anyone turns into the latter, they are politely shown the door.

You’re returning to Australia in January; what are you expecting from the gigs and what have you got in store for the crowds?
I expect myself NOT to get drunk before I play of course, and I do expect a full hamster run complete with transparent tunnels, water chutes and a miniature hot air balloon backstage of course, but part from that I expect nothing and hope for anything funny to happen. Gigs are not life changing events, they are meant to be fun. I’m not that DJ who
is so insecure he has to pretend to be really cool and look really pissed off all the time; I’m a short-sighted man ageing moderately gracefully who happens to be lucky enough to be able to travel the world playing brand new, beautiful Drum & Bass. And I will have a lot of that in store when I come.

How do you get thousands of people pumped and carry them through the night?
I don’t know. I get so absorbed by the music, I kind of go a bit mental – When I DJ, I’m like a kid running riot in a toyshop. At least, that’s what my mum reckons.

How do you anticipate a gig? Does it still excite you?
I get very nervous before every show. That’s partly because I still play records, and being the only international Drum & Bass DJ still doing that, I never quite know what condition the decks will be in! Also, I need the nerves to create the adrenaline, which then helps keep me going. I’d hate to do all this travelling if the performing itself was not exciting!

Have you ever had any strange or unusual requests on your rider?
Only the hamster set up, but I don’t consider that at all strange. One promoter stupidly put chinchillas in my dressing room. I took them home and my wife now has a rather stupid looking furry hat.

You’re a vinyl-only DJ; is this just your personal preference or do you think they beat any other medium?
It’s my weapon of choice. Recently I’ve done a couple of shows where I had no choice but to play from a USB stick, and although I can appreciate the convenience of doing that, i.e. it’s piss easy, it’s nowhere near as much fun as playing records.

What do you think of a lot of DJ’s who now have a desk full of macbooks?
It’s entirely their choice. I don’t judge anyone on their method of delivering beats to a hungry crowd, even though, clearly, real men play real records.

Are you influenced by the same things as you were 20 years ago?
My biggest influence is this massive yawning chasm in my life waiting to be filled. I’ve worked tirelessly all these years to fill it, but I’ve only recently started learning that it will never ever be full, and no matter how much music I create and shovel into it, it will always look empty to me. That said – the answer is yes. I am influenced by the sheer beauty and madness of music. This year, an album came out that truly inspired me – Frederick Robinson on BMT music. It’s aweinspiring, and it is Drum & Bass.

You’re the Daddy of Drum & Bass, but are you still learning new things and making new discoveries about yourself as an artist and the music you produce?
All the time. I have a new track of mine I’ve just finished, called ‘Snow Angels’ which is featuring on our forthcoming album Hospital: We Are 18 – and to get the chorus hook right I abused my position as DJ at Hospitality in Brixton, London, and did an impromptu recording session with the crowd. So there are 3000 hapless souls singing their hearts out on that track.

Whilst you’re over in Australia will you have time to do or see anything else?
I wish! It’s an in and out weekend visit. I’ve learned that if you travel around the world quickly and don’t hang around, you can sidestep jet lag, as long as the travelling is timed right – when I play in Oz, I’m basically playing at 3pm in the afternoon UK time so it can be more relaxing than playing at home. Well that’s my glass-half-full way of looking at it anyway!

What’s in the plan after Australia? Any exciting things for everyone to look forward to later in 2014?
Yes indeed – including the debut release from the Sydney Drum & Bass artist, Royalston, on our Medschool label. We kick the year off with our ‘We Are 18’ album which features new work from all our artists, then after Royalston we have album releases lined up from Fred V & Grafix, Metrik, S.P.Y, Logistics, Bop – and that’s all in the first half of 2014! Should keep us occupied.

By Charlotte Mellor