DJ Seaman an enlightened muso of many talents
Joseph Mangga, Contributor, Jakarta
Last Saturday famed British progressive house DJ Dave Seaman was brought to Jakarta, compliments of Club Centro located at Dharmawangsa Square, South Jakarta, and the Singapore-based Funk Guru agency.
Prior to his show we were able to speak with Seaman -- a 35- year-old Yorkshireman who has been a major force within the UK dance music scene for over 15 years -- not only as a DJ, but also as record producer, remix artist and the founding editor of Mixmag magazine.
When asked what he's been up to, Seaman described how he just finished setting up a new DJ agency and record label called Audio Therapy.
"We've finally got Scott Dawson (from) Global Underground working full time (as) the label manager. There's going to be quite a lot of material coming up in the next year or so. We've got an Infusion single, a Group Therapy single, which is my own project. Group Therapy is a good moniker because it means I can work with other people, but it all comes out under one collective title.
"(My) next remix collection will be The Therapy Sessions Vol. 1 coming through Renaissance. I've done one CD and DJ Phil K from Melbourne's done the other."
Things have been a bit quiet with Brothers In Rhythm -- Seaman's former legendary two-three man production team, which released numerous tracks through DMC and Stress records throughout the 1990s.
Besides being responsible for huge "epic house" club hits like Peace & Harmony and Such A Good Feeling, they cranked out remixes for a long list of pop artists such as Sting, Lulu, David Bowie, Alanis Morrissette, Art of Noise, the Pet Shop Boys, Blur, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Seal, Garbage, Take That, M People, Placebo and Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
"We haven't done anything as Brothers In Rhythm for ages," said Seaman. "Steve Anderson's so busy doing a lot of pop stuff at the moment (as musical producer for Kylie Minogue) and Alan Bremner is doing his own stuff as well (as Loafer, and as the other half of Freefall with Aussie DJ Anthony Pappa)."
Within the team, Seaman brought to the studio sensitivities similar to what DJ Darren Emerson contributed to the famed electronic dance music group Underworld.
"(I brought in) the club aspect, really, because Steve doesn't ever really go out to clubs, although musically he's a talented genius. Alan's the engineer, but he can also program as well."
We asked Seaman which Brothers In Rhythm productions he was the most proud of.
"My personal favorite mixes are probably Here Comes The Rain Again for the Eurhythmics, Your Loving Arms for Billie Ray Martin and Horse's Careful. I'm most proud of Confide In Me (for Kylie Minogue) obviously, because to write it and for it to be an international hit, that's probably the most fulfilling all-around project that we've ever worked on."
But make no mistake about it: The reason why nearly 1,500 people were crammed into Club Centro last weekend to hear Dave Seaman's three-and-a-half-hour DJ set had absolutely nothing to do with Kylie Minogue or Brothers In Rhythm.
Over the last five years, Seaman has released seven highly acclaimed remix collections of progressive dance music -- most of them 2-CD compilations on the Global Underground and Renaissance labels -- that have made him one of the most popular and in- demand globe-trotting DJs of all time.
Although only ranked 40the in the current DJ Magazine readers' poll, he is considered by many to be one of only a handful of truly great and timeless DJs.
We asked Seaman what he did in a previous life to deserve such a prosperous and enviable lifestyle.
"I don't know? It must have been pretty bad! (laughs) No, not really. My karmic debt was that I abused my freedom in my last life. But I've probably repaid that already, around my early 20s (i.e. while with DMC Records and Mixmag)."
As noted in The Jakarta Post interview with American DJ Jimmy van M last month, an unusual air of mysticism and spirituality seems to run through many of those involved in the global dance music scene. We asked Seaman if anything mystical had ever happened to him in his life.
"Ohh . . ., yes! (both he and his girlfriend start laughing uncontrollably). My mom's a spiritualist minister, so I've grown up around this since I was (very young). (So) I've heard stories and seen stuff, seen things happen that I shouldn't necessarily have seen. Things that are far way way way beyond coincidence."
He went on to discuss the strange parallels between modern club culture and ancient religions that use some form of chanting or hypnotic music, combined with dance.
"(Clubbing) is almost a religion, really. Its very similar to a lot of ancient tribes -- the Red Indians, the Druids -- gathering together, getting high, dancing and celebrating life to primitive tribal rhythms. Music is the key, that's the elixir.
"I think people listen to music on a completely different emotional level as to how they communicate with words. I honestly don't think you could have a major religion without music. (House music) is a very exciting pocket because of the communicative aspect.
"It's a worldwide phenomenon that I think needed to happen at this time in the human race, and (its potentially) effecting its evolution."
But Seaman is quick to admit there is another area of spiritual devotion that occupies a space almost as holy as house music for him.
"Soccer, yeah! Now that's a religious experience! But I'm a Leeds United man, unfortunately (i.e. the club's only won three league championships and one FA Cup in its entire 100-year history)."
Considering the decline in the British dance music industry, including the recent closure of major clubs like Cream, and the demise of Mixmag and Ministry magazines, we asked Seaman about his predictions for the next two to three years.
"(The scene's) gone back down underground again. Its all fashion cycles, so this little lull in the media is their problem. Let them deal with selling their magazines. People will continue to go out, get into an altered state and let loose and dance. It's a human instinct, its natural. It will go on for thousands and thousands of years, way after we're gone under the fence.
"So I think it's good that the whole UK (scene) grew so bloated. It was like everybody (was) along for the ride, turn up with a couple of banners and one DJ and take as much money out of the people as (you can). It just wasn't what the scene was all about."
In describing this period of transition, Seaman refers back to the infamous late 1970s implosion of the Sex Pistols, and the UK punk rock scene in general, that was largely self-inflicted by greed, egotism and overcommercialization.
"Never mind The Great Rock 'N Roll Swindle (i.e. the failed Sex Pistols movie, that gave 10 lessons on how to rip-off the public); it's The Great Acid House Detox that's going on at the moment. Let's shed our skin, get rid of all the hangers on, all the people who didn't really care about the scene who (were) just along for a quick buck.
"The people who really care will go back to basics, to being creative and install some fresh energy into the scene. And there will be new young people, new generations. And we'll get a lot more cross-pollination of different cultures and genres of music in the years (to come)."
And we're all up for that!