This week Stanton Warriors: Sessions Volume 3 came out in the U.S!
Just in case you forgot... Stanton Warriors blew onto the scene with their Stanton Sessions Volume One and totally flipped the script on dance music as we knew it. The compilation became one of the best known of all time because of it's cross genre splicing going from 2-step garage, to breakbeats, to house, and everything in between. It was made in their bedroom but the attention they got was so immense the mixtape was released to massive critical acclaim and made them underground heroes almost overnight. Unlike some of their contemporaries they have survived the collapse of genres they were seen as being part of and have continued to innovate, releasing an artist album along side Stanton Sessions Volume 2 and kicking out singles with the likes of Twista and Sway.
The new comp, Sessions Volume 3, released on their Punks Label is nothing short of perfect, further cementing them as dance luminaries alongside names like Basement Jaxx and the Chemical Brother (both which they have done remixes for). From the fresh sounds of Yo Magesty's "Club Action" to the classic energy of "Saturate" by Chemical Brothers Sessions Volume 3 delivers in a way that few dance compilations do in this day and age. It has rarely left my CD player in my car since I got it, and it seems as soon as it's taken out I find myself putting it right back in.
Now that are lucky enough to see this comp hitting our shores, after a scorching sold out set of U.S. tour dates, you've gotta check this one out! if you aren't acquainted with the sounds of this dynamic duo this new comp is a good place to start and will no doubt leave you hungry for more.
A few weeks back I had the pleasure of speaking with Dom from Stanton Warriors... I've decided to give the interview to the fans of Arcadia in little bursts as a feature over the next few days along with little slices of Stanton media to get you excited about this monumental compilation... let's go for it!
Dom: Where are you?
I'm in a fancy little place called Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Dom: Is that where the Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx hang out?
Ummm, *laughing*, I'd say they're probably a couple hours away hiding somewhere.
Dom: I like those dudes, they're pretty cool I think!
ISoA: First off I have to say the new Station Sessions is fantastic. There were songs I recognized that got me excited but there were some things I wasn't as familiar with as well that kept my attention. When you have a sought after mix like this do you painstakingly prepare a track listing or do you just say "yup, sounds looks good" and record it?
Dom: Painstaking with a capitol "P". I think most dance music compilations are made in 74 minutes. I think most people just mix it up like anoy old DJ set. Every track on there has been either remixed, re-edited, or touched up some way by us so it was almost like doing an 'artist album' the amount of time we put into it; it takes a lot of energy and a lot of time. You wanna make the tracks mix themselves but you also want to make them work with each other and structure the mix. Across a period of time, DJ wise, we could try it out test out it live and it did take a lot of time.
ISoA: Were there any previous versions of the mix, things you decided to take out or to add?
Dom: We did quite a few runs on it. We took some tracks out, put some tracks in. But to be fair is a representation of our DJ sets up to this point this year; we've played a lot of big festivals and parties all over the world and it's a representation of all that really. Any people who have been out to our gigs over this year they would have heard a lot of these tracks they liked what they heard at these gigs... UNFINSIHED
ISoA: Anyway you cut it it's fantastic as usual so thank you for that! You guys have become one of the biggest names in dance while a lot of names that emerged at the same time have mostly made fools of themselves and fallen by the wayside. What would you say is the key to your longevity?
Dom: Ummm, we work fucking hard. We never rest on our laurels. We always try to push on and improve. Also production wise we try to originate and not duplicate. There's so much shit and so many people who copy other people and just repeat the same old sounds. I think that happens with a lot with house people. You've always gotta keep pushing the envelope, and to do that that takes quite a lot of work. And with the DJ sets we take sounds from all over the shop, it's important to be very fresh and new... not jsut sit back 'Ok I'm a big DJ now so I'll just play whatever'! It's also very... we try not to just put things together, otherwise people won't be interested and won't come to your gigs. We kind of out there to start with, we don't fit into things. we're not techno djs, we're not drum and bass djs, we're not really breakbeat djs. We're out there doing out own thing. It's quite hard to keep it in any scene when you're out there doing your own thing.
ISoA: People often use the term 'breaks' when they talk about your music, and while that may be part of what you do, I think that's an extremely reductionist view point. What's your standpoint on the issue? Does it bother you?
Dom: Yeah actually, it does...
And that kids is the end of part one! Part two will be up quickly as I don't want to leave you hanging! Here's something to tide you over!
While I'm at it I might add their last Fabriclive 30 mix was off the HOOK... you for sure wanna check that.
I'll see what other goodies I can get you... keep checking back :)
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