Interview With Compressor Live (By Tara @ Parallel Pr)

London-based Aussie-Greek James Compressor’s new tracks are some of the best full-on psy trance we’ve heard in a long time here at AntiworldHQ — and we’ve got our ears to the ground. Blending tough, euphoric, driving psy with funky, hip-grinding basslines and the odd mind-bending sample, most importantly, it’s always uplifting and well-produced.

But there’s more to Compressor than the forthcoming album: James and co-producer Dan’s tracks like ‘Distortion Disco’, ‘Relativity’ and the dancefloor killer ‘Ratio Dividers’ have been rocking free parties for many years now…. Having cut his teeth on the vibrant free party scene, he’s taking over the main stage after Infected Mushroom at We Love Infected 001 on Saturday 9 August for a live set of his new tracks.

James first started playing the drums in metal and electro industrial bands in Australia at the tender age of 13, progressing to bass, guitar and keyboards as well as singing lead vocals. His ear for good music has since taken him to some interesting places, with tracks on Transient and Twenty4Seven Records and his own artist album on the way — to be launched at Astrix & Friends 004 on Saturday 4 October. In the meantime, the countdown to We Love Infected 001 has begun, so we decided to see how his live set was coming along…

How did you first get into making music?

I started when I was about 13 and I picked up the drums. The logistics of a drum lit in a flat — well it’s too much kit, so I moved into guitar. And the guitar seemed to move me, so I started to teach myself that. Music was always a big part of life in whatever shape or form so as soon as I picked up an instrument I was addicted. At the beginning I learnt off friends who were playing and from other people. Then I bought a few books and started leaning to play tracks from the artists I was listening to at the time.

I started DJing when I was 16 in a club in Australia called Narcissus. I was DJing industrial, basically experimental, metal with machine, rock/metal with electronic sampling… but with the crossover and the rest of the band without losing its edge. I used to play stuff like Ministry and 9 Inch Nails.

So what got you into making psy trance?

The first party I went to was SBK from Germany. What’s progressive now was then full on! At the time psy trance was a little bit slower. It was the first time I’d heard music that was intricate. I’ve got a good ear and it kind of helps if you don’t have any theory background.

The first time I did some computer-based music I picked up a programme called ‘Orchestrator’. I’d got sick of being in bands and waiting for five people to turn up. So the software was an opportunity for me to do that myself.

That was the first time I started using software and then I moved to London in 2001 and started writing music under the name of Hyperion with Dan and another guy Lawrence. We had a few good sets but it was still quite a progressive vibe. It wasn’t as powerful as what Dan and I would have liked so we soon split and formed Compressor.

Why did you come to London?

I moved from Australia to Greece in 1999 and I lived there for two years. I came to London to visit a friend and saw the university they were at and where I was at wasn’t that interesting. The amount of info like MusicTech and SoundonSound wasn’t available. The tutorials taught me all about production…

That was one of the reasons I decided to move — in Greece the technology was there but not the information. I decided to stay in Europe and London seemed like the Mecca for music and music production… and the subcultures!

How did you and Dan meet?

Well we were in a project called Hyperion. He literally started talking music to me and he found out I knew to play guitar, so I played guitar on a couple of tracks. Me and Dan went our own way and got together. But we’d always go our own ways then get back together and teach each other the things we’d taught ourselves!

So you and Dan were together for how long?

2003–2007. We split because we lived too far away from each other to make it work and we had too many things going on in our separate lives so distance became more an issue.

I was the one who was in London so I spent a lot of time trying to get the Compressor stuff out there, so we agreed I’d carry on the name. We’re glorified geeks really! Computers software and cracks really… I really enjoy playing on CD decks. Otherwise you lose playing to the crowd.

We still want to write music together and there’s no hard feelings, it was all very calm, peaceful and mutual.

Your music reminds me of early Lab4 or Prodigy.

The most important thing for me is that it has to be powerful and aggressive.

Would you make the live set more live? You obviously don’t have drummer syndrome…

Absolutely! I’m going to try and do something like that for Astrix and Friends, add something a bit more theatrical to the point of being silly... remember my background is industrial and new metal! I’m inspired by anything I feel is good but that’s my roots and where I’ve spent most of my time musically.

What have been your career highlights so far?

A recent highlight was a gig in Vienna, Austria. Theye were expecting 400 and they got 800. I was supposed to play a 1-hour live set and ended up playing an hour b2b with Materia, my live set and a DJ set at the end of the party. It was in a planetarium and had an outdoor area as well as an indoor area!

Playing with Julien from Digital Talk at Acid Monkey almost 2 years ago is another highlight. Acid Monkey NYE was a major highlight, the biggest underground party I’ve ever seen in London and it was so hot and so crowded but not a single person had a bad time there.

The other highlight is the Digital Hive parties. When they first started, the guys basically rejuvenated me in the psy trance scene. For the last two years they’ve scrapped the floor, their underground parties went from having 20 people in a basement and now they have 2000 people with a new DJ playing every time. It was very difficult to get new names on line-ups before.

Where do you want to take Compressor? Do you have any major goals or ambitions?

My goal is basically to keep writing music that makes people move. To play to bigger crowds at festivals. Definitely finishing the album. To write some music with some other artists that I respect.

I’d like to play to huge crowds like Tiesto does. I truly believe that this music can do this without losing its integrity. There’s a neat balance but that’s ultimately what I’d like to do and provide the entertainment.

What have been your favourite gigs over the years, nationally and internationally?

It’s still the most recent New Year’s Eve at Acid Money here in London. Internationally, I’m sure playing Universo next year will blow that out of the water!

What DJs and producers do you admire the most?

Absolum, Christophe is someone I really admire, especially as the last compilation he released is still one of my favourite CDs. I’d play every single track in my sets if I could! Astrix and GMS for their ability to provide pressure. Every time their tracks — whether you like them or hate them — work on a crowd.

I really like Julien from Digital Talk and Headroom — Adam. He’s only been writing music for a couple of years but he’s had some good help! The guys from Hydraglyph, I’d love to write some music with them! Dimitri for me is one of the DJs that always knows the kind of music to play at which time and he’s a really nice guy. Xerox & Illumination. There’s loads of other people but of the top of my head those are the names that stand out the most.

What other projects do you have on the go?

I’m started a project with Vince from Savage Circuit. We’ve both got an industrial background so quite excited! I think if we do a few tracks together we can do something quite good. I also want to do another tune with Julien (Digital Talk).

I was doing my own project as Esion. I’m going to keep the name and use it but the sound is going to become the Compressor sound. You know we used to do prog as Hyperion, because when we were three one of the members wanted to slow things down — but me and Dan always wanted to take it up! I’ve learned loads from Dan and I’m sure he’s learned loads from me. I like some prog a lot but I need something that’s going to smash you in the face!

What was the best advice you’ve been given since you started out?

None really! I got no real advice from anyone and didn’t look for it necessarily. I don’t think there’s any specific set of advice you can tell someone, you’ve got to find it out for yourself!

You’re basically self-taught as far as production goes. What software and do you like to use in the studio?

Yes I’m basically self-taught with a lot of reading and a bit of studying! I got into music production purely to be able to deliver your sound completely and have more control over your own music.

I’ve used Logic software for seven years and use Cubase as well, but not as much. I like to go back and forth between them. The biggest piece of hardware I use is Acess Virus TI and endless plug ins for effects — there’s a list a mile long!

Your years in production are about to all come together in the form of your first artist album. How’s it going and what’s the general idea behind it?

It’s been 4-5 years in the making already. There are tracks on the album I started a long time ago and even though they were only half finished I put them aside until I had better production skills and the ability to deliver. I had to learn to get the most out of the best ideas! So they were left aside until I felt I could get the most out of the ideas and concepts behind those tracks. I didn’t want them to finished prematurely and wanted to be able to write the tracks to their full potential. Other tracks are more recent and have only been done over the last couple months.

‘Ratio Dividers’ is the big Compressor hit and hoping I can salvage the files on my broken laptop so can remix it for the album. It’s funny cos me and Dan hated that tune as we’d listened to it so many times! But post perspective, we’ve now seen what it can do to dancefloors! We’re basically glorified computer geeks!

There’s something about the London underground scene. The people in the scene have got me where I am and if it wasn’t for their support... well there’s no other scene anywhere in the world!

Is there anyone in particular you’d like to shout out to — underground or elsewhere??

Anyone and everyone who has helped along the way and supported us or me.

What do you say to those in the underground who reckon psy trance is getting too commercial?

The thing about psy trance and one of the things that keeps me there is that the music is intelligent. As well as being dancey it can have the most upper-commercial cheesy side of things — like Astrix or Infected — but it can also have the darkest most twisted stuff. The scene can sustain both sides and all in-between, you can have your cake and eat it too! I love all kinds of psy trance and when I play, I’m in a place where I can see if people want to hear darker, more melodic or more underground.

I don’t think there’s such a thing as “too commercial”! I think psy trance should hit the roof of the underground, purely because even if it does there’ll still be an underground and that’s always going to be sustainable. Variety is the spice of life, right! The beauty of psy trance is it’s always in leaps and bounds, it constantly keeps you interested. It’s still a move forward. Look at hard house and a lot of today’s techno — if you don’t count minimal tech, the scenes have stayed stagnant.

But at the moment, other than Enrico’s parties there’s no one else other than the underground.

You’re headlining We Love Infected 001 next Saturday 9 August. Why do you love Infected?

Classical Mushroom got me into psy trance, because it was the first time I’d heard dance music written by a qualified musician! That’s the other thing about psy trance, it always feels you can mix anything into it, jazz, rock... hard trance, can you mix funk into that?! I like music that’s intricate and you can hear someone’s put effort into!

And a couple of Compressor quick fire questions:

Mac or PC?

PC but to be honest with you they’re both equally as good and as bad each other. I’ve used PCs all life but was forced to buy a Mac for Logic. I’ve built PCs all my life so I at least know how to fix them!

Britney or Christina?

At least Christina can sing!

Vinyl or CD?

Either or. CD is easier to carry tho!

JD or beer?

Scotch actually but JD if I have the choice.

Interview reported by Tara (Parallel PR)

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