Clubbing Magazine

To get an interview isn’t as easy at it seams and when you get the runabout by one of the most prominent DJ´s around Darren Emerson of Underworld fame – I have to tell you the story.

Back in 2003, shortly before the Roskilde Festival I agreed with Darren Emerson´s management to do an interview with him at The Roskilde Festival, where he was to have an Underwater night gig. The day arrived and we meet about 20.00 and I said hello to Darren and his manager and we agreed to hook up a bit later. A colleague of mine came and told me that Darren had cancelled his radio interview, but at that time I still believed that I had an agreement with him. The time went by and it was time for Darren to enter the stage, I talked to him shortly and we agreed to speak after the gig. He went on stage and it was a fantastic set he did on stage – a night that the punters at The Roskilde Festival will remember for a long time. Well you can guess what happen after – he didn’t want to do it. So we agreed to do it by phone later in the month. The days, weeks and months went by and his management was still positive in getting him to do the interview – but nothing happened.

In 2004 I came in contact with another management and my belief in getting the interview was reignited. We began talking about the interview, I was asked if I could mail the questions, and we agreed that I should do an interview with him, when he was coming over for the Tuborg Green Beat gigs in September 2004. But the day before, I was told that he wasn’t available for the press. Back to the drawing board and many emails back and forth to the management, telling me that an interview was scheduled and then cancelled. I also send questions for Darren again but nothing happened. One of the last email I got said “I’m afraid Darren is unable to do interviews at the moment... please see attached for a generic interview he has done”. So here we are – I have done over 100 interviews in the 5 years that I have worked with the club scene and never have I got the runabout like this. I perfectly understand that Darren Emerson is highly regarded, but that he can’t take time out to do an interview with me for The Roskilde Festival and for Clubbing Magazine I can’t understand. What we are left with is the generic interview – so here you go.

When and why did you start Underwater?
- I started Underwater in 94, the reason being because I was in Underworld and also wanted to start-up a label. It started off as a hobby, with me putting a couple tracks a year out from people I had met around the world touring.

How did you pick the logo/the label’s original artwork?
- The original artwork was hand-drawn sketches and stencils of the Underwater baby (his name is Stan), King Neptune and some mermaids… as time went on we dropped the sketch look and Neptune and the mermaids and just used Stan – making the design a bit fatter and more bold and making him into the Underwater baby you see today! I’ve still got about 5,000 sleeves sitting in my garage at home too – need to do something with ‘em…

How did you pick up T-World “Anthem” – the label’s first release…
- I was playing with Bjork in Iceland (with Underworld) on the Saturday and on the Friday DJ’d with two Icelandic guys called Biggi and Buckmaster (aka T-World). They played me their track, we got talking and I signed it… I then met up with them a few years later as Gus Gus and signed them again!

How did you pick up people like Eddie Wolf, Short Fiction, Percy X, Publiq Space, Cliff Hanger and Meeker etc.?
- Eddie Wolf is actually Darren Price who was an old friend and used to DJ with us when I was in Underworld, Percy X is Tony Scott from Glasgow who is signed to Soma and the other guys were people I just met from travelling about. You get to know a lot of people.

What was the original musical style of the label’s initial releases?
- It was techno verging on tech house… I think we were actually one of the first labels to put out tech house back then.

What would you say was the release that really kicked Underwater off?
- T World – obviously! It’s the one that everyone still loves. That and Meeker I think – and Timmy of course.

How many releases have you personally had on the label?
- I had the Ned Flanders thing, which was a very fast jazzy techno record, H20 – deep, deep music, and now this… Only Three.

Why did Underwater go off the boil from 96 – 2000.
- Coz I was in Underworld and Underwater was more of a hobby; it wasn’t a proper business then like it is now. We (Underworld) were touring a lot and 96 was when it all really started kicking off for the band, so Underwater had to take a bit of a back burner… When I left the band I decided to focus a lot more on Underwater and Amy Thomson came on board to run the label with me.

What would you say the style of the label is now?
- Good quality music, and that really is it. I look up to labels like XL that put out good quality music of all types. There’s going to be a lot more variation of music next year on Underwater. Most if the stuff we put out will still be dance based but I want more Indie stuff on there too (Pnau is definitely a kick off for different vibes on the label), not just house and techno. We need to get that statement over.

What do you think about making it to the 50th?
- It’s cool. I think we’re still quite respected, as long as we keep putting out good music I’m happy.

Why this release?
- I’ve been writing a lot in the studio (in between touring and Ibiza etc etc), working on my album and these are four that I like and thought would be cool for the release, I’m not trying to make a big smash hit, I’m just trying to put out some nice music…

What have you got planned for the future with the label?
- We’ve got new signings from Pnau, which is a great Ozzie band I picked up and a different sound for Underwater. We’ve got the new Sharam Jey album which kind of hits up a bit more of the electro angle , Schmoov on the deeper tip, a Greg Churchill album, Paul Jackson album, bits and bobs from Emerson and a great track from Eyer and Chopstix called “She Loves It” – I reckon it will be a big club-hit. Very dirty, got a vocal kind of like The Streets.

What have you personally got planned for the futur?
- Just writing and putting out my album, it’s been hard trying to fit it all in between touring, doing Ibiza and running the label but I’m hoping to get it done soon ready for an early release next year… I might take it on tour with a live band you never know… endless possibilities… We’re doing Underwater at Pacha again next year and I’m doing a lot of travelling as usual. I’ve just done a Pnau mix for the label and am finishing off my remix for Prodigy’s “The Way It Is” which will be their third single from the album I think… plus picking up more stuff for Underwater and having a bloody good time.

The 50th release - Emerson’s own “H20 050”. “Chicago Mousse” kicks off with an elastic base, a slick guitar lick, and mixes it up with oriental-style synths laid over old skool piano stabs… “Beats In The Box” does what it says on the tin, “Detroit Music People” is a deep (deep) and subtly sexy track that eases into your system, creating a blissed-out mood and “Saturday Night” is a disjointed mish-mash of beats, stabs and grooves. The 50th release WILL NOT be included on Darren Emerson’s forthcoming artist album.

Intro and live photos: Christian Almind, Interview: nn + Darren Emerson