Behind The Scene Interview with Acid Steve
Acid Steve
Acid Steve is a DJ/producer/promoter running the acid techno label Avinit Records and the techno label Pounding Warehouse Recordings, with releases on labels including Stay Up Forever, Getafix, [RE]SET, Acid Lab, and Alliance Digital. Since emerging from London’s free-party scene with Every1Sound he has held residencies at Stay Up Forever’s legendary Nuclear Free Zone and later Smash Techno at Club 414, as well as running the Avinit Warehouse events in London.
He has taken his mix of acid techno and techno into warehouses, clubs and festivals across the UK, Europe and South America. All while staying committed to the free-party scene where it all began, playing for underground sound-systems whenever possible.
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Behind the Scene was created to give a voice to the London’s finest underground talents and bring them to light to inspire more people to join our underground culture and the sacred world of Techno. In this episode we have the honour to interview Acid Steve:
What was your first set-up as DJ? How has your setup evolved over the years and what are the most important pieces of gear?
The very first was my dad’s old double tape player. As a kid I used to play a tape on one player, then record bits of it using another blank tape, loop it, chop it up, play different bits of the tape to make remixes.
Few years later got my first decks, belt drive Gemini XL500 and Gemini mixer. Looking back they were the most important pieces of gear, teaching me to mix with the pitch rather than touching the platter.
Then got some Vestax but soon after realised everywhere had Technics so I managed to get a pair of 1210s which I still have today, along with XDJs now for playing digital. Plus a Pioneer 750mk2 because well, Pioneer mixers are more fun than A&H (sorry A&H fans you know it’s true).
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Any plans for the future? What do you have coming up?
Doing a massive techno and acid party on 7 May, Tonight We Rave – you’re all invited of course.
Tonight We Rave
It’s the second party of my new promotion (Avinit Warehouse) and am linking up with ALNA and her promotion/record label Out of CTRL. ALNA played at the last party and smashed it, she’s released on my label Pounding Warehouse, and she’s run plenty of techno parties as well.
Her techno sound and background is different to my acid techno sound and background, so Tonight We Rave is about that crossover between the techno world and acid world.
We’ve got UK techno legends like D.A.V.E. the Drummer and Jerome Hill, artists who’ve released on my labels like Tik Tok Taylor, Rats on Acid, Jack Majic plus underground rave/festival/club DJs like Syber Simon, Irene Fo, Terminatrix, Eyezak and Method 1.
The last party was full-on, with a wicked crowd who always bring the vibes, so this one is going to be full-on as well, with fat soundsystems, lighting, lasers and all your readers as well hopefully haha.
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How did you start making your own tracks? What made you begin electronic music production?
DDR a legendary acid producer invited me to visit his studio and learn some of his magic. That led to the launch of my acid techno label Avinit Records in 2011. Since then I spent studio time with more legends like Geezer, Sterling Moss, and more recently had some D.A.V.E. the Drummer tutorials which led to me relaunching my techno label Pounding Warehouse.
What does your studio look like? What gear do you typically use?
I live in my studio, so it looks a bit like a home and a bit like a music studio haha.
I use Logic Pro, software gear I probably use the most include Battery 4, Vacuum Pro, Sylenth, FabFilter Pro Q-3, Audiorealism ABL3. Externally I use a TB03 with MXR distortion for acid, just added an old Boss mixer for overdriving as well, also a Behringer Crave, often CV/gated to the TB03’s sequencer for mad mental sounds.
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What can we expect from you within the next year? What projects are you currently working on? Any releases planned?
Buzzing to announce that the next Pounding Warehouse vinyl is done. On one side will be an acid techno track from Chris Liberator and Sam DFL, and one track from me. On the other side will be a techno track from DDR, and a track from Marcio M and Tiago Santos. That’s out in the autumn.
In the meantime Pounding Warehouse 009 will be out on digital in the summer. That has a techno track from Nihilist and an acid track from me.
I also have another track coming out in April for [RE]SET, a remix of label owner Stefano TT’s track. I’m not sure how much I am allowed to say about that though, there are other remixes including 1 from my old comrade Bad Boy Pete and 1 from I.S.L.A. who is part of the [RE]SET crew and rising fast in Brazil.
I’m also doing a track as part of an NFT project for a famous London crew which I think is launching in the summer. Not sure how much I can say about that one either now I think about it.
Can you tell us about your latest release?
Latest release is a remix of Hippies and Ravers which came out on Benji 303’s 303 Alliance label. The original is one of my favourite from that label, so I was buzzing to be asked to remix it. It’s got samples talking about Castlemorton “achieving the dubious honour of being Britain’s largest ever illegal rave party”, so its spirit is very acid techno.
Acid Steve
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What do you think about the underground electronic music scene in London?
There’s so much good techno music being made at the moment and I’m happy to hear it banging out in London. Best of all, much of it is at least 140bpm so I can play it with my stuff haha. Along with the music, the very underground and word-of-mouth parties are alive and kicking.
Also it’s great to see clubs like E1 bringing well-known names, and Fold hosting nights from people like Stay Up Forever and Hydraulix, mixing up Fold DJs and crowds with their label artists, keeping things evolving. So there’s a good mix, with the more accessible scene where some of the people get introduced to techno, before some move into discovering the underground scene.
The electronic music scene definitely needs more underground venues though. These places are so important for new artists, I was lucky to have a couple of residencies at club 414 (before gentrifying developers uprooted the people who’d built it up over 30 years), where I learnt loads from doing warmup sets, closing sets, trying new mixing techniques, testing out tracks I’d made at home.
There also seems to be more crossover in the London parties I’ve been to or played at over the past few months. In terms of musical genres, been hearing techno and acid and trance and hard house in one night, or drum and bass and breaks and oldskool hardcore.
That mixture is where London’s electronic music scene gets its energy from I think. Locals, people coming from other countries and places, people living outside the system… everyone bringing their own music, ideas and attitude. We all have to make sure that continues, despite the best attempts of this government and its offshore funders to ban, commercialise or convert it into luxury flats.
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Acid Steve
Does your music fit in the sound of London? How do you take advantage of that? Do you have any obstacles and difficulties with that?
I hope it fits the part of London where you have to seek it out. It’s not for everyone, but if it’s for you then it’s 100% all in and you can do/bring/add whatever you want to it. Plus the music is proper global as well, so I also hope it fits with people I know and have played with/for around Europe and beyond.
I guess that’s been an advantage, whether that’s in Ireland (I’m there in April with Bad Boy Pete) where crews like Annaghtek, Lord Backlash and Interruption are doing big things. Or Brazil (where I’ve done a couple of releases for Stefano TT’s [RE]SET label. Or Poland (where I’ve played for Robak’s crew). Barcelona (where I’ve played and/or released for Acid Lab, Acid Resistance, Acid Corp) And of course the UK, where there’s lots with the same sort of DIY attitude, such as Landed Festival (I’m there in July with Birinight, OB1, Aggie Acid Line and Bassline Ben, A.P. and the SUSS twins all who’ve all released on my labels and played at my parties), the Midlands (Collide parties has artists who’ve been on my labels like Benji303, Jack Majic), Rude Awakenings where I played (they also had Tassid of the SKUXX label who is on the first Pounding Warehouse vinyl release with Eski).
As for obstacles/difficulties, only really with venue getting closed, or sound systems getting impounded.
Otherwise I’ve been lucky to have had support from people in Stay Up Forever (especially Chris and Aaron Liberator) and Loud by Design (Rachel Rackitt’s agency) with DJ bookings, production advice, event/promo support.
Through to soundsystem crews like Hackney Sounds, Malfaiteurs, Stinky Pink, Atomik, KSS, and especially Every1Sound where it all began. Without them I’d probably have stayed playing at home, too nervous to play out, like I was when I first got my decks. Luckily I got over that and am here now talking to you, looking forward to upcoming gigs, releases, reuniting with people after lockdown, making new connections, and basically being ready to MAKE SOME FUCKING NOISE!!!
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Check Out The Latest Tracks from Acid Steve
This was a really inspiring interview! Thank you for your valuable time Steve, it was great to have you here at Underground Talent. All the best to your future and your music!
You Find More About Acid Steve Here:
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Avinit Records
For Bookings & Press Contact:
bookings@acidsteve.com
We are happy to announce our new series of articles My TOP 5 Albums & EPs, with Brazilian Techno artist LuizFribz leading the way. The purpose of this column is to enable the artists to share their taste with the world, while promoting the best quality of music simultaneously.
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