JAMES HOLDEN: PAGAN POST-TECHNO
BORDER COMMUNITY HEAD HONCHO JAMES HOLDEN IS THE LATEST ARTIST TO GRACE THE DECKS AT !K7 WITH HIS OWN EAGERLY ANTICIPATED DJ KICKS MIX. WITH TRACKS FROM THE LIKES OF LEGOWELT, KIEREN HEBDEN (AKA FOURTET) AND MOGWAI, THIS IS AN ALTOGETHER ECLECTIC MIX JOINING THE DOTS BETWEEN EXPERIMENTAL ELECTRONICA, KRAUTROCK, AMBIENT AND TECHNO. THE MIX INCLUDES A BRAND NEW TRACK BY THE MAN HIMSELF AND IS ALREADY BEING DUBBED ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT MIX ALBUMS OF THE YEAR.
AGENT2 spoke to James to find out more:
Hi James. Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to AGENT2. We’ve been really excited about the release of your DJ-Kicks mix. How would you describe the feel of the mix and what does it mean to you?
I find it quite hard to describe well…. but, I really feel the most happy with this out of all the mixes I’ve recorded. It turned out nice I think – the way it feels so coherent whilst also being made up of such disparate things. What it means, I guess is a suggestion for a sound – a way of looking at things where all this stuff belongs together. Pagan post-techno or something.
The DJ-Kicks series have become somewhat legendary. How did you choose which tracks to include and was there much deliberation?
A lot of deliberation, but mostly in the process of collecting a long list of ’maybes’. The actual choosing from that list and mixing was pretty easy. I think that what’s legendary about the series is the breadth it covers, so that just made me feel quite free and relaxed about just filling it with what I love.
Over the years, you’ve managed to create a sound both in your productions and mixes that is distinctly unique. Where does this sound derive from? Is it an expression of your personality?
Isn’t all music in some way that? I guess so though, I’m quite stubborn. But also I don’t think i would’ve had the strength to spend 10 years fighting to do something that doesn’t quite fit in without the support of everyone at Border Community – both the artists and the people behind the scenes. I think that’s probably the most important influence on where we’ve ended up.
The long awaited ‘Triangle Folds’ is your first production in four years. Can we expect to see more releases in the near future.
I wouldn’t say ‘near’… I’m touring so much for the CD that my synths are going to need a good dusting by the time I next get to play with them.
Your Summer schedule looks pretty crazy with the tour taking you all over the world. Does your music translate well abroad and is there a particular country that you look forward to playing in?
I’m not looking in my google calendar at the moment, out of fear, so I’ll take your word for it! I like quite a lot of different places, for different reasons. It changes, some countries have only taken to me in certain sections of my career, whereas some have always got what we were trying to do. Recently I’ve been quite enjoying my Italian trips and I’m really looking forward to going back to Japan, but really almost everywhere has some cool people who I enjoy playing to.
You’ve remixed the likes of Madonna, New Order and Depeche Mode to name but a few. Is there any artist or a particular track that you would love to get to work on and give the Holden treatment?
No, not at all – I’m so sick of remixing now! I’m taking a break from it…
Your label Border Community puts all it’s releases out on vinyl, a format that seems to face an uphill struggle in a world dominated by digital technology. Do you believe vinyl still plays an important role in the music world or are you an advocate for the digital movement?
I like everything digital brings, the democratisation (though the scene hasn’t quite evolved to deal with that yet), the environmental benefits, the wonderful things you can do DJing with a laptop, but at the same time i still buy a lot of vinyl and record it into the computer because it does sound better (or at least different – depends what you like). I’ll be sad if vinyl ever goes, the magic things a good cut does to the sound are completely unfakeable. I like when we can make a record a beautiful artifact. I think there are still plenty of people who want to own things like that.
Well thanks for your time James. Best of luck with the album – we love it! Have a great Summer.
Words Dan Howell
