Seth Troxler Talks

Music

Seth Troxler is a very busy man… one minute sitting in for Mr Tong on Radio 1 on a Friday night with a Mr Jamie Jones, the next he's off tearing apart DC10 at his Visionquest residency, thenonto a full blown Italian tour and out into the Black Rock Desert for Burning Man… or not as you'll find out… tough life eh? In amongst all this and him never having time to draw breath, we managed to get a few breaths of his oxygen and an insight into the mind of one of the biggest stars of the moment…

Greetings, Seth. First up, I’ve read interviews with you in the past where you’ve said that a key principle you live your life by is going into things without expectations or preconceptions. Will you be applying this principle to your eight hour set at A Night With….? How much prep is involved in a set and how much is just feeling it out?

Funny question, I do tend to try and not look toward the future, however I'm a total planner. For A Night With… I'll be doing a lot of prep. It's an amazing series and a great oppertuinity for me to spread my musical legs. Early hours I feel will be the best as that's when I'll be deepest in my record collection (not house)

I recently met a retired drug dealer from Hong Kong who told me he’d once played a house party for thirty two hours straight. I didn’t believe him. What’s the longest DJ set you’ve played to date?

It's hard to say but maybe 16- 18 hours – maybe more. The sun came up and went back down so it was a long time…

With such a long set, are you planning on having a colostomy fitted or have you got a few special extended versions in the bag, to cover toilet breaks? If so, what would you say is the greatest ever ‘toilet break’ track?

Well I have a few Ricardo edits that will more than do the trick. Also I have a secret weapon: A bladder of steel which is funny as I easily get food poisoning and much have to sh&* every 10 mins. I can hold weeing for ages.

You were born in Kalamazoo in Michigan, which is a great name for a place and which sits geographically between Detroit and Chicago. Would you say that’s a pretty good representation of your own sound – between Detroit and Chicago?

Yeah it's the perfect representation, it's funny I would say it's moving even further from Chicago to Detroit the older I get.

You said in an interview in 2008 that you felt dance music was in a ‘stale spot’ at the time, and that the music needed to be made into ‘art’ again. How do you feel about dance music’s health in 2012, are you hearing ‘art’?

I think it's an amazing period, loads of vinyl on labels making great timeless records with loads of incredible concepts. I'm actually in the process of starting a new label with Craig Richards to do just this. Exciting times

There’s a kind of geographically shifting zeitgeist within dance music, be it New York in the late seventies, Chicago and Detroit in the mid/late eighties or Berlin in the early nineties. Where do you think is the most vibrant place at the moment for progressive electronic music culture?

It's hard to say. A lot of kids in the uk are coming up right now dreaming, believing but honestly the whole world is in a time of rejuvenation for dance music enthusiasm, (creepy voice) "We're everywhere".

What do you think it is about Detroit that makes it such fertile ground for great music?

Hardship, Hustle, History. I think defines it all.

You’re off out to the Nevada desert for Burning Man again in 2012, how does it rate as an experience and do you end up getting all-out naked cosmic-shaman out there?

Actually I've just decided not to go. Sadly too much on but yes we do all end up getting nude having a cosmic hippy orgy and dancing under the stars In the shadow of a giant flaming statue of Prince Arthur

Loft studios, the venue for A Night With…sits up against Kensal Green cemetery, a Victorian graveyard said to be haunted by a young, long dead women called Elsie. Rumor has it she is sometimes spotted by the DJ booth in the loft, asking the DJ if they’ve got any Cole Porter. Have you had any supernatural experiences yourself?

Actually yes. You're having one right now I'm not even here. Wa ha ha ha ha

When was the last time you wept and why?

I have very hard troubles crying and sadly can not remember the last time i wept. Yet I did shed a single tear at my mate's wedding recently. Tears of joy.

In your minds eye, how do you see Seth Troxler aged 50?

Retired and having a BBQ restaurant. I think the latter is happening very soon however so keep your eyes peeled.

You’ve become a political figure in the UK, what with being recently invited to discuss the immigration policy at heathrow on the BBC. We could do with someone like you. What are we going to do about the NHS and will you be running for London Mayor in the future?

Funny I don't think so but we'll see maybe when I'm 50

If you could book anyone, wether dead or alive, to play an eight hour set at A Night With…who would it be and why?

Ron Hardy I think, he's one DJ I've always wanted to to see and If I could see him play I reckon this would be the perfect setting.

You’ve a very stylish dress sense, what style can we expect you to be rocking at A Night With…? Maybe a few wardrobe changes throughout the night, a la The Oscars?

Maybe it's a good idea I was thinking comfort as that's the main point of fashion. I won't say too much of leave some space for imagination 🙂

Finally, can you name eight tracks for us, one to represent each of the eight hours you’ll be playing at A Night With…?

Next week…

A constant commitment to touring affirm that Seth will undoubtedly bring a healthy dose of his distinctive character, an impeccable selection and a sense of unbridled, hedonistic fun to his mammoth 8 hour set.

Joe Evans

A Night With… Seth Troxler happens on Saturday 15th September 2012 @ Loft Studios, 77-81, Scrubs Lane, NW10 6QU

£10, £12.50 Advance Tickets already sold out.
The last £15 ones left on R$N here.