Steve Bug: “It’s quite interesting to see that young kids feel or want to have exactly this sort of sound…” Interview by Ruth Bailey

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Held annually each April, Record Store Day is now a global phenomenon. Vinyl is the coolest of the cool once again but for one busy DJ/Producer and Label owner housed out of Germany the international day of recognition for vinyl nearly spelled disaster.

Somewhat of a techno and dance music legend among the German stable, Steve Bug is known for his tireless efforts to enhance and ensure the genre of House remains live and current. From his beginnings in the early 90s it’s his production and propensity for developing the sounds of  trance, acid house, techno music coupled with his love for playing live that saw his rise to prominence. Initially via residency on Spanish party island: Ibiza back in 1991,  it seems since then and throughout the duration of these years to the present he’s been a solid and prolific recording artist of diverse yet soulful synonymous styles encased by the broad House genre.

Early 2015 has seen him focus on a new EP, Coconut Paradise put out on his label – Poker Flat Recordings. Unfortunately for Bug  his timing to conclude production meant scheduling for pressing of the vinyl version would coincide with this year’s Record Store Day.

“Record Shopping Day took so much time at the pressing plants, and we were told we would have to wait 80 days until my EP could be produced. That was terrible news, no one wants to wait nearly one year in work days especially when there is one track that is kind of a summer anthem then you don’t want to have to release it in September or something,: he offers half jokingly.

“It’s like so many people try to be part of the Record Shopping Day then they’re all doing exclusive material and so the pressing plants are overrun with orders.”

Artists are collectively forced to confront the rapid changing dynamics of the music industry and for Bug while there is good times and bad times, the age of digital does mean that sales for artists have declined and that vinyl is still less popular than it used to be. New ways of improving on what he’s always done need to be discovered and for him a hark back to his origins is important in the music he himself produces.

“I think to produce to a great track still or something at least – it has to have some of the original early days otherwise it’s not the same type of music. Sometimes it might be a certain groove or a sample that someone is using but for me it has to have at least some of these elements.”

He explains the full circle of music that is produced from it’s roots.

“It’s quite interesting to see that young kids feel or want to have exactly this sort of sound and it’s a really good thing as it brings back the roots to people who have forgotten about the roots because they joined only a few years ago – they got into minimal for example and then they kind of missed out on certain origins of this type of music.”

Still it is difficult to predict what will overcome Bug when he takes to the decks tonight and this weekend throughout his Australian tour, of Melbourne, Sydney and Perth but one thing he can be sure of is that the atmosphere and experience will drive his choice of tracks.

Recalling where he drew his inspiration for his 2014 tune: Pelican Glide,  he tells of a sweet spot in Ecuador that drove his passion to create the piece of music which elicits ideas for him as he hits Australian shores.

“Mainly I use moments from experiences to inject into my music. I had this vision, I was at Montanita (Ecuador)  at the Lost Beach Club  (a place where I go to play quite often and this place has such a relaxed positive vibe, it’s a surfers beach, I mean and it’s growing but a lot of Equadorians go there and on the weekend a lot of people leave back to the city and there is not that many people  even the beach is not the nicest, it’s rather dirty, that’s maybe what I like about it, it’s kind of crazy and that is what I like this place is that this track shows what my mood was like at this time thanks to this place, I wasn’t creating it at this place, but it was transportation from the studio from there.”

So which does he prefer, performing live or producing?

“Oh I think it’s the music in general – all parts come together. For me it’s not that one part works without the other, it’s great to DJ and play music and I love it, but it’s great to play other people’s music  out and to be in front of the people but it’s also great to be in the studio working so even if you don’t ever finish it, working on music is great and again sitting at home and listening to demos of other people’s track compiling albums or something like this, I love every aspect of this.”

“It’s simply my dream job, it’s one big job, I like everything about it.”

Steve Bug performs the following dates:

Friday 29th May – Brown Alley, Melbourne

Saturday 30th May – Imperial Hotel, Sydney

Sunday 31 May – Geisha Bar, Perth

Coconut Paradise is available through Poker Flat Recordings now.

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