Wolf Music
Wolf Music
13-07-17
By Pavliné
SWEAT is back at Superstore for another round of proper house music, disco bangers and tropical nonsense! For its third edition at Dalston Superstore, it seemed a natural fit to invite two house and disco fanatics whose record collection and knowledge is rivalled by few: Wolf Music! Stuart and Matt have been DJing since 2009, which also saw the inception of Wolf Music Recordings, one of the UK's most influential house labels of the decade. They’re talking shop, favourite disco tracks and answer THE classic Superstore question asked by SWEAT’s resident Pavliné!
Hey guys! We can't wait to have you join us for SWEAT! Tell us a bit about Wolf Music and and what drove your impulse to create your own label?
S: I'd been involved in various musical endeavours before I met Matt but had never run a label. I thought, at least if it fails we'll have some records to give out to our friends for their birthdays/Christmas/wedding presents! Luckily it didn't, and we're still riding that wave.
M: I was already running a label when the opportunity to work with Atmosfear Dancing in Outer Space came up. It’s an all-time favourite of mine and I couldn’t pass it up. I knew that what I wanted to do with it didn’t suit the current label so I decided to start something new. I asked Stu to join me and that something new went on to be WOLF.
If you had to choose one record to represent Wolf Music, which one would it be?
S: That's a tough question, as over the past eight years styles and artists have shifted. However I think we've stayed true to the sound we set out to represent, quality house music. We're also around 60 releases in so there's a lot to choose from! I'm going to pick something from 2013, Medlar's debut album Sleep. In my opinion an absolute masterpiece. You can listen to the whole album with the accompanying video by Letty Fox here.
M: I’d have to agree with Stu on this question. The album is a real melting pot of sounds that all make sense when listened to as a complete piece.
You recently celebrated eight years of Wolf Music. What can we expect from the label in the year to come?
S: Hopefully we'll be able to realise our dream of launching a range of branded fidget spinners.
M: To keep pushing the sound and culture that we identify with, and to buy that second super-yacht from the spoils.
You recently published a vinyl-only mix of soulful house. What was the idea behind this? Can you tell us a bit about your relationship to vinyl records?
S: The idea behind the mix was to showcase records from the golden era of soulful house, a sound that doesn't get as much love as some other sub genres of house music. Matt & I have also played this style of house in our sets amongst more deeper cuts so we decided to take the time to dig into our collections to expose people to records that Matt and I class as classics.
The fact it was a vinyl mix was more the fact that Matt & I own those tracks on vinyl. Of course vinyl holds a special place in our hearts and we continue to push the medium through the WOLF releases and when DJing. I wouldn't call ourselves vinyl purists though.
M: I don’t often hear DJs playing good vocals in clubs and this was a chance to show people they need not be afraid – there’s loads of amazing vocal tracks that still bump.
What can we expect from your set at Superstore?
S: I'll most likely be rolling through with a bag full of vocal house & ecstasy disco
M: Pure Drama
Can you think of a track that would fit the tropical and hedonistic aesthetic of SWEAT?
S: Me'Shell Ndegeocello If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night) (Mad Sex Remix). Lil louis helping Me'Shell throw shade from '94
M: Stu’s gone house so I’m going disco. Bobby Womack's I Feel A Groove Comin’ On
'cause I do too…
Now for the classic Dalston Superstore question, which is: if we had a time machine ready to take you to any dance floor, past present or future, where would you like to go and why?
S: I guess the easy answer would be to watch Larry Levan at Paradise Garage but I'd quite like to go back to last weekend at Love International to make sure I could leave the dance floor before Young Marco played Alphaville's Forever Young and killed my vibe.
Pavliné: I love Young Marco but Forever Young, ouch!
M: I’d like to see Siano at his Gallery peak. Before disco was called disco and the DJ would play whatever would move the floor. Then if there was still juice in the time machine I would go catch Ron Hardy bringing down the walls at the music box.
Forever Young though…
Catch Wolf Music at Sweat this Friday 14 July from 9pm-3am at Dalston Superstore!
Wolf Music