Lee has gone full circle with his sound since he started his career. Starting with a love of trance back in the 90s only to go on to make his mark in hard house, lasting 8 years at the forefront of the genre between ’96 and ’04 only to return to his trance roots more recently. 2006 saw Lee completing his transformation from hard house guru to well respected trance pusher when he left tidy to solely dedicate his time to producing for his own label, Digital Remedy, just finding enough time to DJ round the world!

Lee’s tunes and mixes have made their way onto many compilation CDs, radio shows and into multiple DJ boxes with appearances on Galaxy, Gatecrasher albums as well as the main player, Radio 1!

So after that monster intro…. Welcome Mr Haslam. How are you today?
Lee: I’m good thanks. I have been really busy in the studio doing remixes for Alter Ego and Monster Tunes which are out this month as well as finishing a really strong track with BK called “Sticks & Stoned” which I am hoping will be a real big hit on Riot! DJs like Jules & Sander Van Doorn have picked it up already. I think when people hear it, it will certainly take them by surprise… make sure you check it out! Digital Remedy is also about to release its 1st birthday album which I have mixed, as well as a four track remix EP which is made up of label remixes from Michael Dow, Guy Mearns, Nenes and Digital Remedy remix competition winner, Laura May. They both hit download stores on October 29th so I am very excited about that. It’s been a whirlwind year for me and the label, changing people’s perceptions of me as a DJ and producer has been a hard and long journey but I feel like I’m getting somewhere now.
Further to all this I have just got back from a short tour in Australia and a well deserved holiday with Amber in Mauritius which was badly needed!

This is a bit of a double whammy interview for you, we want to grill you about Lee Haslam BUT it’s also a chance to ask you about the soon to launch Slinky record label… So here goes!

SLINKY RECORD LABEL:
What were yours and Slinky’s reasons for starting a Slinky record label?
Lee: As soon as Amo bought into the brand it was a discussion that we had straight away. In the past Slinky had a label and had some fine releases and we wanted to bring that back. Globally Slinky is a huge brand, and with it’s own label we can continue to push the name in places like Asia, Australia and the US not only with singles but also via our albums. My hope is that we can work with promoters in these territories as well as tie in the local record labels so we can release domestically released albums, soon I hope we will be able to buy things like “Sander Van Doorn Live from Slinky Hong Kong”!

After your time as label manager at tidy is it good to be doing your old job again with Slinky? Are you feeling “reet at ‘ome laddie”?
Lee: LOL, You’re a nutter Alice. To be honest, I never stopped doing my job since I left tidy. I had 9 amazing years there and learnt so much but the time had come for me to move on and do my own thing, it was a decision I didn’t take lightly! I wanted to change my own DJ & production style but this was proving very difficult to do when I was at tidy as it was so synonymous with hard dance; hence my reasons for starting my own label. To do this job for Slinky as well is a bonus. And I get to work with Amo again, he and I have always been close and we share the same views on most things so it’s a real honour.

What style music will the Slinky label release?
Lee: Whatever we want really. Amo and I chatted about this when we started and the one thing we really like is that we are not tied to one sound. Amo and I share the same view on this, we would like Slinky to represent itself as Positiva does, just releasing good dance music, not genre specific.

How often will the label release tracks?
Lee: It all depends on what is about. There is no pressure like there was at tidy to have two releases a month and to earn X amount each month. We can release 1 a month or one every 6 months, it doesn’t really matter. As long as it represents the brand well, it’s what Slinky is about and that it is of the highest quality, cutting edge and a hit in the clubs.

So the first release on the Slinky label is a track called ‘Dreams’ by Lost Witness… tell us more?!? What, where, when etc?
Lee: Yeah, ‘Dreams’ is a very big record. Obviously Lost Witness need no introduction at all as they’ve had a few Top 40 hits in the past… and who knows, this one may follow suit! It’s been Judge Jules’ ‘Tried & Tested’ and is getting hammered already by Armin, Oakenfold, Ferry, Halliwell & Van Dyk so we have certainly got off to a flying start!!
The track itself comes in 6 mixes; the original, an FKN Remix, Frase Remix, Danilo Ercole Remix, an original instrumental and a superb house remix from Nicola Fasano & Steve Forest. There is certainly something for everyone and with its release on October 22nd I think we have timed it just right, especially now the name Slinky in club land seems to be on everyone’s lips. This will certainly push us forward even more so make sure you buy it!

What is forthcoming for release on Slinky records?
Lee: To be honest nothing at this stage. Releasing records too close to Christmas can always be difficult so Amo & I need to sit down and do a spot of A&R’ing and get the plan for next year straight. If it’s possible I would like the label to have an even stronger second release and possibly of a different style… but you will have to wait and see!

Will the Slinky releases be available on vinyl or just download?
Lee: “Dreams” will be available on both although the vinyl only features the original & FKN Mix. We will see how the vinyl goes over the next few releases and decide whether or not to continue doing it. These days it’s so hard to make it work as so many DJs now play off CD. Most labels are now struggling to sell 500 copies which is a sobering thought when you consider in tidy’s hay day we were selling 20,000 copies with little effort, so you can really see what damage done file sharing has done to the scene.

What are the future plans for albums?
Lee: As I mentioned earlier I want to do overseas albums but the UK market is something I want to hit hard next year too. I have plans for a triple CD album which hopefully will come out in the March/April of next year. I am currently confirming the DJs to mix it and again the album will cover the full spectrum of Slinky, with trance and hard dance.

Will Slinky lovers be able to get ringtones and wallpapers from the label?
Lee: They will indeed. Obviously Richard Skaife works in the mobile market on a daily basis and he will be sorting all this out for us so every release will be available as ring tones. There’ll also be exclusive wallpapers available soon!

SLINKY SILLY:
What was your most ridiculous job you wanted when you were a kid?
Lee: When I resigned as a Nursery Teacher in ‘96 and started working on the DJing I needed to get a part time job to cover the bills. I worked for 6 months at Safeway in the bakery dept. I not only baked the bread at 4am but also had to stand and roll doughnuts in icing sugar. A very depressing job and everytime I feel down I think of that and how lucky I am… I soon snap out of it! Urrrr, Lee I said ‘wanted’ not ‘had’!

Out of the October line up (Judge Jules, Marcel Woods, Alex Kidd, John Askew, Kym Ayres) who would you most like to:
a) Spoon? Jules (Slinky: Really?)
b) Make a track with? Marcel Woods
c) DJ with? Jules
d) Go on a night out with? Kym

What’s your favourite pudding and why?
Lee: Bread & butter pudding… reminds me of home!

If you could swap your lovely lady Amber D for another celebrity lady for a week, who would it be and why?
Lee: I wouldn’t!

What’s your favourite trance track of 2007, where would you most like to hear it and when? (Paint us an ‘ickle picture Lee!)
Lee: I don’t mean to sound big headed but the mix Guy and I did of “Sound Of Violence” sticks out in my mind. It’s the track I have got the most reaction from with Jules playing it on Radio One 6 times! I remember talking to Marcel Woods and he said he was going to play it at Dance Valley right on the sunset… I never found out if he did but I would have loved to have been there if he did… Sounds like the perfect place for that track.

What’s the best way to spend a rainy day?
Lee: Work probably… I am a workaholic I am afraid but if I got the chance to have a day off then obviously it would be great to spend the day with the wife and go out for a meal or something.

Slinky Quickfire Round:
- Afterparty or Bed? Bed
- Slinky or tidy? That is a cruel question
- DJing or Producing? Can’t choose, they are both important to me
- North or South? I am a Northern lad … Sorry
- Looks or Personality? Personality
- Arse, Legs or Tits? Tits
- Pink or Brown? I am a bloke, what do you think (Slinky: Meaning????)
- Comfort or Fashion? Comfort
- CDs or Vinyl? CDs

And that is definitely all we have time for… Catch Lee @ the Slinky record label launch on Friday 12th October 2007 at Liquid in Portsmouth.