Your sound traverses house, techno, Detroit... what sound gets you the most excited these days?
Yo! The sounds of complete silence and screams in the dark get me feeling the vibe these days… Aside from screams, I let my subconscious do its thing when I'm listening to new music or demos for my label. I love such a broad spectrum of music and I play all kinds of genres, however alot of people I know say I have a very certain sound and all the stuff I play makes sense together even though in my opinion is quite varied. So I think it must be a certain x-factor that makes sense to my subconscious which gives new music a rite of passage into my DJ sets or record label catalogue.
What's new outta your lab... any remixes, originals you can tell us about?
Well, I've been working on a really nice sex toy called the ‘Autoblow 1000’, which is ‘cuming’ along nicely. Aside from that I have a SHIZZLE load of new tunes! A couple of originals with Carl Cox, Secret Cinema, Alexander Kowalski, Oliver Lieb, Diego Hostettler, Anri, Ray Kajioka and some I did with Jamie Stevens a couple of years ago, which are finally about to see the light of day. My remix for Chicago legend Paul Jonson is about to come out and I've just been asked to remix Secret Cinema's epic tune on Cocoon called ‘Jazz Me’ for his ‘25 Years Of Secret Cinema‘ compilation. All very exciting.
Do you have plans to record/ release your own artist album?
For the past four years I have gone on long tours to Europe, so I haven't had a chance to keep a consistent release schedule. I have so many great tunes for an album, but I think I need a good two years of solid releases before I seriously think about putting my first one out. I also haven't come up with a special concept yet, so it will definitely take a couple more years for me to nail that.
Melbourne’s underground electronic scene is one of the strongest in the world... what creates such a perfect landscape for the scene to grow and explode there?
There are many factors that make Melbourne what it is today, but for techno and related genres we can thank Richie McNeil and his Hardware parties for putting blood, sweat and tears into growing an incredible scene here. If it wasn't for him in the ‘90s, I honestly don't think we would be in the place we are at the moment.
Summer is just around the corner. You look to be a busy man... do you enjoy the warmer temps when playing out?
Man! I LOVE to get naked! So any chance I get to strip off you will see it. I just feel happier when it’s warm and I'm naked… you know?
You have your own electronic-music academy that mentors young Victorians in the art of production... how did the academy come about?
Well, I remember when I was a kid and there was literally NO ONE to go to to learn how to DJ, make music, or even mentor you in relation to the industry, so I painfully taught myself everything i know today. I was also a pretty wild kid, but music was the thing that gave my life meaning and a reason to stay on the straight, so ever since I hit an international level with my music, I've wanted to help kids straighten their lives out by getting passionate about music. It’s also nice to know I am doing my part to grow the music scene in our beautiful country too.
How much joy do you receive passing along your knowledge to the next generation?
I love it as much as I do making music. When I see a student of mine super excited about making their own music and actually doing well in a musical career I feel really happy that I was a positive influence on their life journey.
On that tip, electronic music is no longer the young brother of music in general... with the 30-40 years of EDM history, and with 2-3 generations of producers etc, what else is left to explore within the electronic genre?
I think there will always be new sub-genres and different things happening within music as a whole, this is a question that shouldn't be focused on too much I think. The best thing for producers to do is write what comes from their heart and try to stay away from directly jumping on trends and things will always be good.
Do you like to listen to non-EDM music? Does that influence/ inspire your own work?
I regularly listen to bands like Brian Jonestown Massacre (the guy behind it is a straight-up genius), Radiohead and also cats like James Blake and Jamie Woon. All that stuff reminds me that I need to keep pushing the envelope with my music.
Your own label, Chameleon Recording, showcased earlier this year at the Amsterdam Dance Event... how did that go?
It was phenomenal! Even up against some big brands we did well, but just for us to have an opportunity to hold a label party at ADE was pretty special to be honest. Chameleon has always been about pushing different artforms and this was was the first time we had showcased what the label was about as a whole... Featuring our core musical artists alongside our other passion for visual art. It was really exciting for us all to feature installation art, nude bodypainting and full-scale canvas painting alongside the music during the party and I could see everyone was blown away by the concept which really added to create a really special vibe!
You've collaborated with the likes of Carl Cox and Nile Rodgers... who would be your dream collab?
Shit that’s a hard one; Carl was literally one of my first heroes back when he released his ‘F.A.C.T.1’ CD in ‘94. So it’s a big honour to be in the position I am in at the moment with him…. However, a collab with Satan would be pretty cool.
Your live show incorporates live instruments, which does set you apart of the standard DJ set-up; bringing these elements into the mix, what does that add your performance?
I think the live keys, vocals and drums alongside Ian Chaplin (from Tonelab) on sax and Eddie Hale on guitar give a complete third dimension to what people would expect from a ‘modern day’ techno performance. I've always been a massive fan of Underground Resistance and what they did back in the day was absolutely incredible with the jazz element to their performances so they where definitely an inspiration for what I like to do on stage.
You’re playing Earth Frequency's 10th anniversary show... will you be packing anything extra for the trip north this summer?
Yeah man, I'm F’n pumped for this one actually. I will have a shizzle load of brand new music never heard before and some hot women with me up there so it will be an all round musical orgy!
For an underground, dance festival like Earth Freq to make a decade is quite an achievement, particularly considering how many music festivals don't survive the first 1-3 years. Any words you'd like to relay to Paul Abad and his team?
This is an incredible achievement to say the least…. Especially in a place that doesn't have a big scene. Anyone who has the balls to pursue something like this in a location like this and pull it off… not to mention pull it off for a decade is on the next level of AWESOME in my book. Paul and crew… I invite you all to get naked with me at the festival so you can see my appreciation for all your "hard" work. I love you all! Ward.
Steve Ward plays Earth Frequency Festival, which takes place at Ivory’s Rock from the 13-16 February, 2015. Steve also plays the Chameleon Radio Xmas Special at Rubix Fun House in Melbourne this Friday, 5 December. As well, you can catch Steve at Subsonic Music Festival, which takes place 5-7 December.
