M&A #14: Hamish OOX
Hamish has been key to the Cambridge dance scene’s
development over the last few years. He helped host Deptford Northern Soul Club
a while back and has since regularly put on his own raucous OOX nights. The OOX
DJ collective has steadily expanded, while the night has spread its wings to London
and Bristol, even starting up a record label of the same name. Hamish has recently
moved his operation to the capital, and this final OOX night of the year is a massively
significant one for him as he cements his place as the up and coming
disco DJ to look out for, by going b2b with renowned disco, jazz and psych connoisseur,
Harri Pepper. Get a feel for Hamish's vibe here, as he jams out a few of his recent finds and old favourites.
How did you record
the mix?
The mix was recorded
with a single turntable plugged into a Pioneer DDJ SX2 Controller- so the
tracks alternate between vinyl and mp3. I am saving up for a second turntable
but it may be a long wait!
What were you trying
to do with the it?
I was just improvising
rather than going for anything specific. There's some new downloads I wanted to
test out and some records that were cluttering up my desk.
How do you dig for
records/find new music? Do you have a specific process?
Youtube is such a great
tool. I like old music and so much of that isn’t available via streaming
platforms. I discover something I love on Youtube, write it down on a post-it
and then hopefully I stumble across it in a record shop. If I simply have to
have the track, then Discogs is the next port of call!
Is OOX in Cambridge coming to a sad end on Monday?? What
have been the highlights of running it? What would you say you’ve learned?
Oh no! We are not done
yet! Cambridge will always be the home of OOX. We will be kicking off a new
series of exciting parties in October with some brilliant DJs that haven’t been
up to Cambridge yet!
A major highlight for me
is whenever I hear kind words from the people that come party with us.
I’ve learnt that the
timing of a night is super key to attendance. This is hard. I need a crystal
ball so I can just chill the hell out and concentrate on the important stuff.
How did your b2b with Harri Pepper come about? What have
we got to look forward to on Monday night?
Harri Pepper and I met
not long ago when he sold me some records in Cosmos (Hackney) where he works.
Our taste crosses over a lot. We haven’t played together before so I am not
sure what to expect! I’m just bringing as many records along as possible and we
can see where it goes. Harri is a seasoned pro and a regular at major festivals.
I’m sure I will pick up lots of tips and tricks.
It’s sure to teach me a
lot about how the mood and energy of the crowd can be manipulated over a longer
timeframe. Can I make people close their eyes, spin, put their hands up,
embrace, get low? That’s the work of a DJ who is really worth their salt.
There will be a lot of
experimentation with tempo, syncopated rhythms, key changes- I’m super excited.
What is your musical
guilty pleasure?
Dolce Vita - Ryan Paris
What is the last song
you listened to?
Save The Overtime For Me
- Gladys Knight & The Pips
Who is your favourite
producer/performer at the moment?
A Boy From Outer Space
What is your go to
tune to bring a party up/banger?
Keep On Jumpin’ -
Musique
What was the best
party you’ve played?
Weirdly I had a great
time at Queens’ Bounce last year. Weird because I had to run off the stage
twice because I was feeling sick. The crowd just really wanted to dance and I
love playing in the open air. Looking forward to this May Week!
What have you got
planned for the future?
I’m now based in London
which is opening lots of doors musically. The DJ collective is growing and we
will be throwing regular parties in the city. We have played some gigs in far
flung places such as Leeds and Bristol too!
So. Things to keep an
eye on: more OOX radio shows, our next series of parties alternating between
London and Cambridge & the launch of our very own record label- OOX Music!
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