Underground London party brand, Kubicle is set to bring the glitz and glamour of Rio Carnival to a new home this month with the announcement of their latest London party extravaganza, “One Night In Rio.” A collaboration with Miguel Campbell’s celebrated Outcross Records and headlined by the man himself, “One Night in Rio.” will light up iCan Studios on February 28th.
The brainchild of Liz Mendez and Sonia Anderson, Kubicle is famed for its cutting-edge music policy and extravagant dress code, hosting eclectic, intimate parties in the capital since 2005. A real treat, “One Night in Rio” corresponds with the release of the “7 Years of Outcross Compilation,” and the event will be held in association with Love Support Unite, who will be selling their Lovespecs to support Tilinanu Orphanage in Malawi. On the brink of what’s set to be one hell of a party, we sat down with Miguel to talk all things Outcross, his illustrious career thus far and his big plans for future. Buy tickets here.
Your label Outcross Records is set to team up with seminal London party brand Kubicle next month, tell us how the collaboration came about? I have been friends with the ladies who run Kubicle for a few years now and they’ve always supported me. The music I play also suited their parties very nicely, and so we have been wanting to make this collaboration happen for some time. With our imminent 7 years of Outcross anniversary compilation, now seemed the perfect time to make this happen.
Titled “One Night in Rio,” we’ve been told Kubicle will bring Rio’s colourful carnival vibes to a new London home. Do you have anything special in mind for the unique night? I have played for Kubicle lots of times at different venues, and the girls always put on a great event and create a unique atmosphere at their parties, so I can only expect bright colour and glamour! Our music on the night will reflect this, and the Outcross DJs have lots of unreleased music to play, a lot of which will be released on our label this year.
The Kubicle party coincides with the release of the 7 Years of Outcross compilation, out on Feb 17th. With such an impressive release catalogue, how did you select the tracks that made the final cut? When selecting the tracks that made the compilation, I wanted to be sure to encapsulate the classic sound of the label, and capture the essence of our recent releases. Whilst doing this, I thought it was important to play tracks that were found to be favourites. Not just favourites of mine but favourites of the whole Outcross Family. I also thought that this was a good way to introduce listeners to some of the tacks on our label that may have been missed.
What is the ethos behind Outcross Records and what inspired you to start the outfit in 2006 with your production partner Matt Hughes? At the time I set up the label, the boom of digital labels was happening and releasing on successful labels was just a dream to us. Most of the popular labels that I had contact with were releasing minimal tracks, however I knew that we could create our own platform to release our music in the style we wanted. At the time we had very few fans and supporters, but hey, you can't stop the funk, and so we just kept on making music and putting it out there.
You have a strong relationship with Hot Creations, your album Back in Flight School was their first ever LP, what do you think are the defining factors that have made the label so successful? I think there are many reasons why Hot Creations has become successful. But above all of them, I think it’s down to passion and hard work. The music released has played a massive part in the success of the label. As real music became a part of the popular house music scene again, the tracks selected for the label were perfect representations of a cutting edge, melancholic style that was being championed on the dance floors, and this continues.
You’ve been in the production game for some time now, and your track “Something Special” was arguably the biggest song of 2011. What are your thoughts about the ongoing rise of mainstream house music and the Stateside EDM phenomenon? I really don't give this a second thought at all. But my first thought is that I really enjoy house music, and if more and more people are beginning to enjoy it too, whatever it's guise, that can only be a good thing.
You’ve travelled and DJed all over the globe, however you are originally from Leeds, a city with a strong underground music scene. Where is your favourite place to play? Where do you feel most at home? There are lots of cities that I enjoy playing in, but if I had to choose a favourite, I would have to say Paris. I always enjoy arriving in Paris and seeing my friends there, shopping, dining and hitting the clubs early! I always love playing on home ground in the UK, and I always feel really at home in Mexico. The people there are so nice, and whilst my Spanish is not great, I always get along everywhere I go and I always enjoy spending time with la gran familia!
You’ve always been a lover and ardent supporter of the French Touch sound. In light of Daft Punk’s Grammys sweep, which artists would you recommend to listeners only just discovering the scene? Some of my favourite records are on Roule & Crydamoure, the two respective records labels of Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (aka, Daft Punk). Other artists I would check out would be: Cassius, Alan Braxe, Fred Falke, Break Bot, Super Funk.
Finally, what can we expect from you in 2014? What are you hoping to show fans that they haven't seen before? This year I will be releasing new music, and I'll continue to focus on touring. My residency on Radio FG is also something that will continue throughout the year. I’m enjoying working with several artists at the moment and so a few collaborations and new releases on my label are in the pipeline.
Buy ticktets to Kubicle Presents: Miguel Campbell & Outcross Records For One Night In Rio Here: