Fast and furious is the musical mindset of Seclusiasis’ honchos Dev79 and Starkey. Last summer while shooting the breeze with homeboy .rar Kelly, the trio came up with the concept to take their usual 140-150 BPM forays into the 160 BPM realm. A few months later the idea has been realized into a brilliant compilation. Simply titled 160, the 10-track collection takes the label’s ethos to the next level while presenting an international array of producers including Holland’s Subp Yao, China’s Howie Lee, North America’s Darren Keen and Spain’s BSN Posse.
We’re thrilled to world premiere Keen’s six-minute mega mix of the comp and present an exclusive conversation with Dev79 and Starkey about the release out on December 8.
When did you both develop a need for speed?!
Starkey: I just liked the concept of showcasing music around a given tempo because as a DJ it’s something I think about when I’m constructing my sets.
79: Well, I’ve been diggin’ ghettotech and upper tempo club music for many years now. But with 160 vibes specifically, I guess the last couple years its been creeping stronger and stronger into my listening habits and DJ sets.
With deep house now back in fashion, what inspired a compilation with faster BPMs?
79: Deep house isn’t something you’re likely to hear from our labels, whether it’s in fashion or not. Trends have never been a super direct concern of ours. We’re way picky and we dig what we dig. Of course we’re into being fresh and current, but the trend of the week is not our game. I’m not sure what the exact inspiration for 160 was —we came up with the tempo themed compilation series concept in general and then 160 just seemed like the obvious bpm to kick off with.
Starkey: Yeah, I agree with 79. I could care less about deep house. And we’ve always been involved with things left of center with Seclusiasis and Slit Jockey Records, so I’m not really concerned with what’s in fashion.
“Trends have never been a super direct concern of ours. We’re way picky and we dig what we dig. Of course we’re into being fresh and current, but the trend of the week is not our game.”
How did you both go about culling tracks for the compilation?
79: Some stuff was from demos we had from people and some came from reaching out to friends and associates asking them to be involved. Also one of our label accomplices, Teddy .rar Kelly, came across Darren Keen and brought him to the table.
Starkey: To be honest, I kind of let 79 and .rar Kelly contact most of the people on this one since they both have more of a connection to playing faster stuff out in their sets. I just listened through things with them and gave my input from a musical perspective. They smashed it though… it’s a great collection of tunes.
Where do you plan to go from here? Are you planning a sequel comp?
Starkey: Yeah, I’m into this. Was joking the other day that we should do 45 BPM next. [Laughs.] But in all reality, you’d think that it would just end up being all screwed up sounding stuff, but it wouldn’t. That’s the beauty of this type of thing. The diversity from the different producers is what makes it so great.
79: There’s def more in the series to come. We’re still deciding which tempo will be next so just wait and see.
Any other projects in the work for both of you?
79: Always projects in the work! We’ve got a Darren Keen EP coming out in the beginning of 2015 on Seclusiasis and the Choice Cuts 4 compilation will be coming early 2015 on Slit Jockey Records. I’ve got two Dev79 EPs I’m wrapping up at the moment. Starkey and myself just had our collab remix of Aquadrop come out on Top Billin this week and my remix of DJ Pound came out on Saturate Recs this week as well.
Starkey: I’m working on my next album which will be out in 2015. My remix of Warsnare will be coming next month as a Seclus Jockey free download. Also, I did a remix for The Glitch Mob that will be coming out sometime soon as well.