There's not many people that're as integral and vital to the development of US dance music culture than Doc Martin. The West Coast's dancefloor champion, he helped bring the dubby, groove-led sound of the West to the wider population at large. At a time before digital downloads, superstar DJs and corporate sponsorships, Doc's sole focus was to bring the sounds of an emerging, fresh and underground culture to the party. Highly praised for his jaw dropping technoical skills and his ability to read any crowd (better than they know themselves, even), there's more tha enougb reasons that top-name figures cite The Doc as a long standing inspiration. He's heading over to London to play with another legend of the US scene - DJ Three - this Friday at the basement of Duke's basement in East London for Ubermax's second birthday; read on as we talk the past, present and future of DJ culture and house music.
Tickets to see Doc Martin available here.
Doc thank you so much for joining us. You've seen trends and fads come and go in house music and electronic culture. What's been your favourite period in the evolution of house music, since you first came to immerse yourself in your own West coast sound? Such a hard question. The late 80’s cause of the innocence of it all. I was just excited to help bring a new style of music to San Francisco at that time. Analog tracks at that time were mindbending. Also the early 90’s because that’s when I got to first come to England,and Europe. Such Clubs as MOS,Full Circle,Back to Basics,and the Early Cream nights were mindblowing. So many good memories to name here.Fabric,Yellow(Tokyo),Sound Factory (NYC) ,and even Sublevel(LA) still hold a special place in my heart. This could go on, and on.
Nowadays, dance music seems very structured and linear - almost a 'proper way' of doing parties, of releasing records, of Djing to particular crowds - but back in the 90s you guys were doing something new on the West Coast, and had fun seeing where you could take it. Should people worry less about the marketing and business aspect of it, and just have fun and belief in the music? Is that not the essence of house music anyway? When money becomes the focal point, It pretty much sucks the art out of things.I think it’s good to think outside the box. If your not enjoying what your doing, maybe it’s time to do something else : ). I respect promoters who book many types of things instead of looking to a top 100 DJ’s chart, or hiring the same DJ’s that play everywhere. There are tons of promoters worldwide who really care about the music still, and that’s a positive!I think that before you would show up with a box of records,and this is what you are getting for the night. The crowd 9 out of 10 times would get into it, and maybe experience something new.
Your sound was distinctly different from that of Chicago and had a much more percussive, tribal flavour to it - where did that aesthetic come from and how did it represent the attitudes and feelings of the West Coast? I think back then it was a dubbier sound. People in other cities were playing the A sides to records. We were turning the records over and getting into the dubs. Our programming was different. It was based on groove. Letting the music take you places. Then when you dropped the vocal people would go crazy.
Grab Tickets to see Doc Martin Here.
There was a lot more Djing involved. Extending intros, remixing songs with 2 records. Playing cuts that other people may have missed. On the West coast people go out to dance. The biggest misconception about the west coast is that we are into just one sound. In the early days we would buy records from New York , Chicago ,Detroit, London,Italy. Since there wasn’t an Internet nor did any of these places realized that we were in to dance music, we had to figure it out for ourselves.The best thing that I learned was different moods, and rhythm’s would affect people in different ways. We would tend to play Dubs, or vocal mixes that didn’t get played anywhere else.Mix in 80’s records,or anything else to push the groove along.
Did the sound ever break out from the confines of the West and affect those in say, NYC and Chicago? Or did they take a while to warm up to the sound once they had been introduced?Its hard to imagine a sound being specific to a geographical location or circumstance these days (thanks to the internet), but all music has to start somewhere, and be born at a certain place, right? I went to Chicago to play for the first time in 1991 at The Shelter.I was playing a mixture of records from Chicago,Detroit,and New York. It was a whole different world to me.I don’t think things were lost in translation to much at all since all the early house records were based on rhythm tracks, and such. I met a lot of very cool people who I’m still friends with to this day.New York was a crazy beast indeed. I went to play for Frankie Bones Stormrave,Save the Robots,and Disco 2000 in 91 as well. Dj’s in NYC. Didn’t understand why a promoter would hire someone from Cali. My sound at that time got coined as Space Garage.I was like whatever as long as people are dancing I’m happy with that.I still play in NYC on a regular basis. In Detroit the forefathers have always showed love.I think now the west coast sound has come full circle with all the heavy Bassline/Acid/Tribal infused Music coming out at the moment.
You cut your teeth on the West Coast scene and are widely regarded as one of the true stalwarts of US house music alongside your contemporaries - even though the underground had seemed particularly sub-cultural for years. How do you feel now that house music is a bigger, more commercially viable thing at the moment? I think that it’s great that the whole music scene has gotten bigger in the states.The underground scene still thrives in a big way. I think that it’s good that in cities where there isn’t a big underground scene, people still can go to out to hear good music.The kind of house that is commercially viable is still the same crap that it was before,now they just are calling it house. Saying that other people are breaking through and our having a go at it now. There will always be an underground(Thank God) to keep them honest.Even in places like Vegas we have been able to come ,and make a mark on it.So I would say things are good at the moment.
Over the years you've donned many guises and monikers, particularly Sublevel, Blakdoktor, LADM and Doktordub, What have been the reasoning and ideas behind these different alter egos - to allow for different musical sounds and styles, or for more personal reasons? The alter ego’s are either because of different collaborations, or vibes. They all are a part of the music I love whether it’s Deeper , Trippy, or funky. I think it’s good to not be so obvious with your music. Not everything has to have your name plastered all over it. Sublevel has been there through it all. Still going strong!!!
Furthermore will you be revisiting the Sublevel project? And what's happening with the Sublevel Recordings imprint? We haven’t gone anywhere.The whole catalog is here http://sublevelcalifornia.com/bass/store/digital-downloads/. We are Releasing anew single in the next few weeks Blakdoktor feat lillia The Challenge on record.We’ve had Just us remixed by Asadinho,D’Julz,and Jay Tripwire that will be up next on record. Plus we are working with some local talent to keep that leftcoast thing flowing. The Sublevel parties are in their twelfth year keeping the underground strong.Are clothing line with stussy is still happening as well. Check it all out here.
Grab Tickets to see Doc Martin Here.
You've played pretty much everywhere in the world (including a residency here in London at fabric) and your gig schedule is still looking very busy - what are your thoughts on London's clubbing scene, particularly over the last ten years? I’ve seen London rise from the early 90’s to now. Even though some of the older faces will say that it’s not as good as it used to be. I find it still to be as raging as it ever was. I wished that I got to play here more, but scheduling is not allowing this at the moment. With Europe, and the States taking a huge bite out of my schedule at the moment.
You'll be stepping up with DJ Three for the first time at Ubermax on September 27th; how do you think your sounds shall blend together? considering you are both considered the "DJ's DJ", do you think there may be some explosive tensions behind the booth? I met Three 20 years ago, and we’ve been kindred spirits ever since. Every time that we play together it’s usually something special. I suspect it to be a very explosive night in a moltiv cocktail type of a way….
Give us a slight clue of your selection at Ubermax; will you be digging for lost classics, surefire favourites or current tracks? or a mix of the above? All of the above, plus a kitchen sink.
You;ve also released a bucket of tunes spread across a plethora of labels across your career; how do you feel about the modern trend of being able to produce tracks in days, rather than months-It doesn’t bother me as long as they are quality. Sometimes it would take weeks to do 1 song. Sometimes you could do 3 in a day depending on the vibe on that session.DJ Pierre told me that Photon Inc- Generate power was done in a couple of hours on a session for the hip hop group K9 posse.We never did tracks just to get gigs. The excitement was to actually create something that people could enjoy, or maybe even play out. To create a sound, so when the record came on you would say oh that sounds like the new _____ record.
Finally, you're not just considered an important figure in the development of house music, but also have a rep for being one of the most humble, approachable and down to earth characters in the game. How, then, do you feel about this hotshot 'superstar DJ culture'? Do you think these guys have essentially lost their way when they let glitz and glamour become involved?-I don’t know if they lost there way or not.I remember a lot of American DJ’s were going to Europe in the 90’s and coming back sounding just like the European DJ’s.I think it’s good to pick up on sounds and incorporate them into what your doing. That was in the 90’s now information is shared worldwide so it would be hard not to be influenced to some degree. Before the Internet every part of the world had there own sound going on. Now it’s a big melting pot which isn’t a bad thing at all.I’m the type of DJ who likes to be at the party before his set to soak up the atmosphere. Not show up 5 min before his set.You will find me walking around the club, on the dancefloor ,meeting people ,not in the vip lounge sipping champagne. That’s just me though!
Ubermax 2nd Birthday
Duke's Bar, London
Friday 27th October
Line Up
Doc Martin
DJ Three
Sigmund K
Dan Beaumont