Melbourne-based producer Jamie Stevens is set to headline Loosekaboose's next installment, going down at Civic Underground in July.
Stevens is probably best known for his role as one-third of Infusion. Over the years, the outfit have reached heights that very few Australian electronic acts have, taking their mixed bag of progressive house, techno and breaks to the UK for slots at fabric and matter, while being regular guests on the European festival circuit. But it's the band's studio work that grabs the greatest amount of attention, with their 2005 album Six Feet Above Yesterday - which took out 32nd place on our Top albums of the '00s poll – standing as the group's most recognised achievement.
Away from Infusion, Stevens has developed a varied sound. His productions are equally at home on powerhouse labels like Bedrock Records and Get Physical Music as they are on smaller Australian imprints. Lately, it has been those local Australian labels that have been hosting the bulk of his production, with Chameleon Recordings signing several of his techo-oriented tracks.
Fellow Melbourne resident Markojux will also be making the trip north to Sydney for Loosekaboose, making his live debut in the city. That night, local DJ support will be provided by Claire Morgan, Jay Smalls and Loosekaboose resident Trinity.
We recently caught up with Jamie over e-mail, where he let us know about what he's been up to lately, the current Melbourne electronic scene, and that there may be a new Infusion EP on the way.Infusion have always seemed to have a busy touring schedule. Do you find yourself particularly eager to get back into the studio for your solo work after so much touring with the guys?
I think it's more a question of balance and inspiration for different modes of writing. With Infusion, we haven't had anything majorly concrete to focus on studio-wise of late, so I spend a majority of time working on solo remixes, my own upcoming single, and some work on the new Chameleon label from Melbourne. I do take my laptop on the road when we do Infusion gigs, so I work on stuff that way too. When I get home I just want to get those sounds running through my monitors! It's not so much looking forward to not being around the boys during my own studio time, it's just a different mode of inspiration and sonically in a different space.
Can we expect to hear anything new from you soon?
Yes. I'm working on some more remixes for different people. One is just about to come out for Mario Zar which has a deep and wonky vibe flowing through it. Another is something I'm working on for Continuum on Subsonic, and I'm working on my new single for Chameleon as I mentioned before. Steve Ward and I have also worked on a couple of big tunes that just need a bit of a tidy up and they're done. They're rocking and we're both really proud of those.
How have you been finding the Melbourne electronic music scene lately? Labels like Chameleon, Pinksilver and Haul have been doing a good job flying the flag.
This is so true! The talent here just seems to shine more and more, and all those labels, plus others, just keep raising the bar. Guys like Steve Ward, Christian Vance, Continuum, Mike Callander, Mic Newman, Mike Buhl, Andy Hart, Markojux, Lewie Day, Child, Craig McWhinney, Uone, The Smashbang guys, and loads of others too. There are just so many inspiring producers in this city, and I'm really proud to be around these people.
It has been a while since you've played a DJ set in Sydney. Do you keep an eye on what goes on in the city music-wise?
I hear things from friends who play up there and see bits and pieces about various nights, and there seems to be a lot of small, regular night with amazing vibes. But it's hard to get a sense of how everything is going up there without being there in person. It seems to be picking up again from the different reports I hear.
All Night Sun Light has now been out for almost one year. Have any plans been made to get back into the studio with Frank and Manuel?
We're definitely going to work on something in the very near future. It will most likely be in some sort of EP format. It's easier and faster to tackle both conceptually and logistically than a whole new album right now. It'll be great to get back in there, experiment and see what happens when we return to our darker club inspiration. We also still have some really hot remixes of the last album to get out in the meantime.
Finally, could we please grab your current top five?
Sure thing! In no order, I'm currently really digging:
Andomat 3000 – Sigrun [Four:Twenty]
Marco Piedimonte – My Machine (Roberto Capuano Remix) [Overdrive Muzik] Pierce & Jerl – Gimaee [Suara]
Phonogenic & Sasse – Slam Dat (Dub) [VIVa MUSiC]
The D.L.O – Zumbon [Swan Music]