Reflections from Movement 2009: Interview with Steve Bug
(First posted in June 2009, Interview by Rustin Bergen)…
Over the course, Steve Bug has collaborated with several world-class producers and DJ’s including Richie Hawtin (Minus), Josh Wink (Ovum) and Mathias Tanzman (Poker Flat). His most recent release, Collaboratory (Poker Flat, 2009) is a full length artist album by Steve Bug collaborating with Cle, Paris the Black Fu (one half of the Detroit Grand Pubahs), Cassy, Virginia, Simon Flower, Donnacha Costello and Gigi. An aural treat, the album is a hip-shaking, smooth mix of electro-house tracks infused with deep, pulsating bass, silky vocals, sirens, bells and more… “Swallowed Too Much Bass” and “Month of Sip” will make you want to turn it up a bit (more)!
The crew from Madison Music Review were fortunate to catch Steve Bug for a brief interview at Hart Plaza, the permanent grounds for Movement 2009 – Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival. Here’s what Steve had to say…
You play all over the world, primarily in Europe, though not so much in the US. What do you think of Detroit?
Obviously, it’s kind of like a dead city but in a way I kind of really like the vibe. It’s really nice. Every time I came to play, I liked it… always enjoyed it. I think people really appreciate good music in Detroit and it is great to play here.
Do you also do Winter Music Conference? How would you compare the Detroit scene to WMC?
Ya, I do. I mean, WMC first of all is in Spring Break, so it’s like a totally different thing… in Miami… I mean we all know it’s a completely different city so the vibe is kind of different.. (pausing).. I don’t know… Winter Music Conference is like a lot of people trying to put out parties, label parties all around and so a lot of things going around. It’s not like one spot where you can meet everyone. Like with this Festival (Movement) where you have the festival area.
Of course, you have more and more parties going on after wards, every year. But still, during the daytime, there is nothing else happening so everyone is coming down to the festival and that’s what I really like about it. And also, I think it kind of limits the lineup so it’s not like every label. It’s a limited lineup… which I prefer because you can check out more people. In Miami, it is sometimes too much. You can’t make it to all the events. It’s just too much at times. Here you can just walk over to the other stage.
On to your labels, you have Poker Flat and you also have a deep house label. Do you want to tell us more about that? Do you have new releases? How is it working out?
Yes, Dessous and Poker Flat have been running for 10 years now and Dessous is kind of having a revival right now. I remember two years ago we were trying to find people who were like doing great deep house music. And there was almost no one doing it. And even people who were doing deep house before, they all started doing whatever minimal or kind of different music. And then right now there is a big comeback of deep house I think and we got a lot of good demos. And on the label, the releases are better than ever before and I really appreciate all the music that is coming out.
And with Poker Flat, we just celebrated the first 10 years. This was the first label we founded. It has been such a long time, but you really don’t feel it… time is passing by so fast. It feels more like five years instead of 10. But as I said, like for most labels, I think the times are very good right now and I am really looking forward… we’ve got a lot of new signings and there’s a lot of new stuff coming up.
This is a question to you as a producer to learn how the industry works. It’s not as corporate (such as the R&B industry) – very independent labels, individuals starting stuff up, grassroots kind of stuff. When you hear a new track from someone you have not heard as yet, say it’s a deep house track that you are looking for your label, do you call them up and say you gotta do something for us. How does it work?
That’s a difficult thing. For me, I always want to keep the label special and not sign on anyone that does music anywhere else. But on the other hand if there is music that I really like or an artist I really like, I sometimes start to get in touch. But mostly you are in touch anyways, as it is such a small scene in a way. Your ways are gonna cross one day. And then you start talking. And… I don’t know… if you have something in common, it is always going to happen that things come together.
For example, with Trentemøller it happened like this. He pulled out this track on Naked Music and we played together and I told him “man, I love this track, it was pretty great. I would appreciate it if you ever want to send (me tracks)”. Usually I just give people the opportunity to do it, I don’t ask. I tell them if you want, you can send it in. So he finally sent some stuff, and it was obviously not for Naked Music. He said it is totally different music. Now I expected it was deep house and I was searching at this point for someone who was doing great deep house music. But that was totally like more Poker Flat-ish stuff and so we had to release him on the other label. So it was kind of all right in a way. So sometimes things like that happen, of course.
So you have a pretty regular touring schedule, a playing schedule, a pretty packed season. Especially in the summer I bet. And you do Ibiza this year as well or have been in the past?
This year I only go two or three times to Ibiza. I was doing way more, like four years ago when I was doing Cicoroco Monday nights and then Cocoon on Monday. I was there pretty much every second week then. And after the summer, I was like, it was too much. I kind of stripped it down to just a few gigs because it takes too much energy.
Where in that schedule do you get time for production work? To work on a new track do you kind of free flow or set up a schedule?
Pretty much until I got here, I was every day in the studio in Berlin. Usually when I come back from the weekends (DJ’ing), Monday mornings I start doing some label work. And then I go over to the studio around after lunch and then I stay as long as … until dinner. Sometimes I skip dinner. And then I do some more label work in the evening.
What kind of label work?
I have a partner who is running the office and we have people working there, of course. So I am taking care of the artistic side, listen to demos, e-mails, stuff like that.
So what do you have planned for the rest of festival? Are you playing other gigs?
I might play an unannounced gig tonight and then it’s pretty much it for here this year. And then I go to El Paso, TX, play there on Friday. And then it’s Miami. After next weekend, starting Thursday it’s Atlanta, Washington and New York and then I am back home.
Well, this has been awesome. I really appreciate your time. It has been great talking to you. Thank you Steve Bug.
You’re welcome.
Links of interest:
http://www.stevebug.com/
http://www.pokerflat-recordings.com/index2.html
http://www.dessous-recordings.com/index2.html
http://www.audiomatique.com/index2.html
Steve Bug music available on Amazon
Pictures from Steve Bug’s set – Main Stage, Movement 2009
