Soma Records is also known as Soma Quality Recordings and that name says it perfectly – It’s quality, which has been nurtured for 25 years. The first release of the legendary Daft Punk, Numerous releases by Silicon Soul, Deepchord and many more made Soma one of the main recording establishments in the world.
Stuart McMillan & Orde Meikle, AKA Slam – the producer-DJ duo who established the label in 1991, told us how they are going to celebrate the 25 years of Soma and gave us a glance at some very good news.
Slam, Soma Interview:
Hi guys, thank you for finding time in your schedule to talk to us. So, how has the last year been?
It’s been a really busy year for us. We launched the track Series offshoot on Soma which has exceeded our expectations with thankfully great support. We’ve been busy as well remixing Truncate, Planetary Assault Systems, and Dax J as well as our own productions. Lots of touring. And were just about to drop our new album Machine Cut Noise.
Your label Soma is entering it’s 25th year of operation. What can you say now, after all those years, did you expect to be where you are now when you started the label?
Never really thought about it to be honest. The label is just part of what we do. We all put a lot of passion into it; Glen, Darren Dom and Rossie everyone who works at the label all share the same vision!
Sometimes people get what we do, sometimes they don’t! We just try to release music we believe in. Right now is a great time for techno in general, though. And it’s great to be a part of what is happening now. engaging lots of great new producers and exciting music.
It’s more the process of how we look for music that has changed the most. Everybody thinks that digital browsing makes your life easier. For us, it just makes it harder because now we still feel we have to listen to everything.
Slam, Soma About the 90’s:
You’ve been around the UK electronic music scene since the very beginning. What was the best about the first years of house and acid music in Europe?
I suppose the best thing was the rawness and the fact the music was new. That’s something we look for in music now. But to be honest we don’t really get that nostalgic about those kind of things because we’re always searching for that fresh sound we heard in the beginning.
Do you have something to tell about the 1994 riots against the Section 63 which basically made not even partying, but also having a birthday get-together impossible? Were you among those who suffered from the law?
Haha that’s a long time ago. Nothing has changed much on that front. The authorities still don’t or won’t understand the culture! Look at what happened with Arches in Glasgow and now Fabric in London both being closed.
Maybe things never will change! Maybe it’s better they don’t! I take it by this you mean the criminal justice bill?
I seem to remember something about repetitive beats which is such a middle-aged understanding of what the music portrays! The only difference now is that the parties and festivals are now legal and then most weren’t, which kind of added to the excitement initially.
Is there anything left now from the rave culture of the 90’s?
Yes of course.Things are better now if you ask me. People tend to get too nostalgic about that period but what’s happening now is equally as exciting – if not more exciting!
We have become good at forming an opinion on a piece of music very quickly. So sometimes you miss things but again that’s what makes hearing a great DJ nowadays more interesting because you may not hear the same set of tracks twice from any given DJ.
Slam, Soma About Music:
How did your musical taste change in 25 years? Were there artists that introduced you to something you didn’t expect to like?
It’s more the process of how we look for music that has changed the most. Everybody thinks that digital browsing makes your life easier. For us, it just makes it harder because now we still feel we have to listen to everything. We’re getting a bit better now, though. We’ve had to set out our own filters up that say maybe a record shop provided before. The guy behind the counter maybe knew your taste etc. So now we look at our favorite producers and favorite labels etc But the criteria is still essentially the same. We look for music that excites us and has something fresh to say! Sometimes that might be an old record that sounds fresh now, that maybe didn’t have relevance at the time.Other times it’s listing to hundreds of new tracks but it’s never a chore when it’s something you love so much. We have become good at forming an opinion on a piece of music very quickly. so sometimes you miss things but again that’s what makes hearing a great DJ nowadays more interesting because you may not hear the same set of tracks twice from any given DJ.
Making music has become like some sort of addiction at the moment haha. A lot of the time we just make tracks for ourselves to play in our sets., Then we play them for six months, then share them with everybody when we eventually put them out. That’s how the Soma Track Series came about.
We look for music that excites us and has something fresh to say! Sometimes that might be an old record that sounds fresh now, that maybe didn’t have relevance at the time. Other times it’s listing to hundreds of new tracks but it’s never a chore when it’s something you love so much. We have become good at forming an opinion on a piece of music very quickly. So sometimes you miss things but again that’s what makes hearing a great DJ nowadays more interesting because you may not hear the same set of tracks twice from any given DJ.
Slam, Soma About Future:
What are your personal musical plans for the nearest future as Slam?
We still have lots of new music to release. We release more music now than we ever have done! Making music has become like some sort of addiction at the moment haha. A lot of the time we just make tracks for ourselves to play in our sets., Then we play them for six months, then share them with everybody when we eventually put them out. That’s how the Soma Track Series came about. Most of those tracks like Take You There -Make You Move and Bang The Box started as kind of bootlegs.
We are also thinking about another album which will be slow in tempo.I don’t wanna use the word ambient but it will be nice to do something a bit more esoteric and less dance floor orientated for the next one.
What can we expect from the label?
Lots happening with the label. There are two new Soma Track Series planned that we have done. One at the end of the year and one at the beginning of next. we have a new Slam single prospector which is planned for January. A new Charles Fenkler single and album. A new ep from Tensal plus we have just signed Rebekah to Soma as well. So expect an album from her next year too.
What are your plans regarding the 25th anniversary of Soma?
There will be a series of singles which will cumulate in a vinyl collectors box set with exclusive tracks with some of the people who have inspired us in the past providing brand new music, A couple of which are the biggest names in techno namely two people from Detroit but we can’t really talk about that right now! And a new generation of producers remixing from our back catalog – tracks that maybe meant something to them. It’s more a celebration of where we’re at now rather than a nostalgic thing!
 
