Archie Hamilton has firmly established himself as one of the scene’s most sought-after young artists.
His labels Moscow Records and Moss Co. garner support from the highest echelons of house and techno, as have his own releases and remixes on much respected labels like Fear of Flying, Fasten Musique Concrete, NG Trax, FUSE and of course his own imprints.
We recently had the chance to speak with Archie Hamilton about his latest release with Enzo Siragusa as well as his recent projects.
Electronic Groove: Hi Archie thanks for the time to chat with us. Congratulations as you were included on last year’s Resident Advisor Top 100 poll. How do you feel about this achievement? Were you expecting to be included there?
Archie Hamilton: Thank you! It was a bit of a shock to be honest; I definitely did not expect it. It really put me in the limelight this year and brought a lot of new ears to my music so I am certainly thankful for the recognition, but I don’t think charts are definitive. Music is subjective and should be judged as such. That said; please don’t forget to vote again this year!!
EG: You just released a new EP with Enzo Siragusa on your own label, Moscow. What was the inspiration for this one?
Archie Hamilton: We wanted to make a record that showed a real meeting point of both of our styles which I think is very evident across the record, especially in ‘Transcend’. We began working on the tracks around the time that we began our collaboration with Hyte at Amnesia, so we thought it would be fun to make a terrace banger in ‘Ricochet’. Finally ‘Dubinnovation’ came from our roots playing at after parties in London!
EG: Now that we mention Moscow, what was the reason to create your own imprint?
Archie Hamilton: It’s difficult to get noticed when you’re getting started as a producer, and we were having difficulty getting music signed to the right labels, so we thought it would be a good idea to start our own imprint. We started in 2009 as a platform to release our own music and music from friends, with an onus on quality over quantity, and are lucky enough to have released some really great records. We started Moss Co. in 2013 as a platform to release more experimental music. From now on Moscow Records will primarily be an outlet for my own productions, collaborations and music from close friends and Moss Co. will be for music that we find from looking for music from artists from outside the family.
“We started in 2009 as a platform to release our own music and music from friends, with an onus on quality over quantity, and are lucky enough to have released some really great records”
EG: Are you working on new productions, can you give us a sneak peek of them?
Archie Hamilton: I have a ton of stuff coming up actually. A few remixes first, for Noha on Moss Co. on mid-July, Voyeur’s Remix on 2020 Vision on end of July, Cosmjn on Abartik in September. Then I have a collaborative EP with my cousin Benson Herbert from Voyeur on Moscow Records in September with at amazing 100Hz remix, one with Enzo and Subb-An on FUSE in October, and finally a new solo EP towards the end of the year.
EG: You grew as an artist with the London’s crew, FUSE. What are your thoughts about this group of people?
Archie Hamilton: I love working with the guys; they are a pretty inspiring bunch. We also have a very collaborative relationship and everyone has their own unique style and background, so there are loads of different influences from the journeys each of us have taken to get to where we are. We all have our own spaces but gravitate around a central hub in Enzo’s studio, which is an amazing place for us to hang out and make music together.
EG: How’s your summer agenda looking like? Ibiza? Croatia?
Archie Hamilton: Summer is looking busy! FUSE joins forces with Hyte at Amnesia again – I played the pre-opening party a few weeks ago, which was great. Next up I am playing for Carl Cox at Privilege and then I have 3 more dates with FUSE at Amnesia. Sonus Festival in Croatia in August is always a highlight of the summer – very excited about that one. We are doing the FUSE after-party on the Tuesday again; with a bit of a twist this year (can’t say too much), and I am also playing on the Jesus Loved You boat party with Valentino Kanzyani on the Wednesday.
EG: Most of a DJ’s life is full of touring, hangovers, no-sleep and alimentation disorders. How do you manage this kind of situations?
Archie Hamilton: I am a lot better than I used to be! When the gigs started to increase I started to think long–term, and about my health. The hangovers aren’t so bad as I don’t really party that much any more, and if I do I pick my battles carefully! I make sure I sleep between gigs and flights, even if it’s for an hour or so, as it makes a huge difference. The hardest part of travelling is eating well; I still haven’t figured that one out yet. The loneliness is definitely an issue too, but I watch movies and box sets to beat that!
EG: What’s the one possession you won’t go on tour without?
Archie Hamilton: My laptop to work on music and my iPad to keep me entertained!
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