Talking to: Wavezd
Ahead of his live stream this Friday 4th September at 8.30pm on our Instagram channel, we caught up with Wavedz, Bristol-based DJ, Producer and resident at the stalwart venue of the Bristol clubbing scene: Lakota. As well as being bloody lovely, he plays Disco, Lo-Fi House, Acid House, Techno, Electro & everything in-between, and his own music is definitely worth keeping an ear out for as well. Those of you who were at our launch party in January will know we are all in for some beat-heavy aural joy on Friday; he promises to bring us some sunny vibes to help us get through until that hallowed time we can all be on a dance floor again.
So, as those who were there will know and remember, you played at Everyday’s launch party.
Yeah, I think it was one of the best events of the year to be honest. Have you tried any of these post lock-down events - like the ‘new normal’?
I haven’t, I have just been to the pub. Some of the stuff Lakota have been putting on looks pretty good, but I haven’t got around to it yet to be honest, it seems like the ‘new normal’ events would be a bit sterile.
Yeah, there've been some great artists on at Lakota over the last couple of months; I just find the atmosphere a bit strange to be honest. The licensing makes it so difficult, starting and finishing so early. I don’t know why that is, because other venues stay open much later. It's a shame, it is such a tame version of what we know and expect. I miss it; I miss it intensely.
It is so important, nightlife culture, it is kind of why I became a DJ. Everything that drives night culture; going out, meeting new friends, I just remember being 18 I knew that was exactly what I wanted to be involved with.
When did you start DJing?
I was 18 when I started learning, then from age 19-20 I started taking my learning a bit more seriously. When I was around 22-23 I started getting sets at clubs and stuff, and then I thought potentially something else could happen.
Where have you played? I know you have a Lakota residency.
I have a couple of events arranged with them coming up. I mean, if you look at the DJs they have playing at the moment, everyone is so desperate to play out; they have had Eats Everything twice in two months which is just crazy, and they have had to diversify loads as well. Opportunities are a bit more limited for us residents at the moment, but hopefully that will pick up again.
I have played all over Bristol really, Blue Mountain is a place I used to play at a lot. I don’t know if you have seen the news that it is closing forever. This is the real closing this time, the actual closing! It’s such a shame for Bristol to lose it as a venue.
I know! It’s been on the music scene here for so long. I remember it was the first club I went to in Bristol when I was 16.
So many people in Bristol share that experience. Especially for DJs, it's a really important venue, because that is where so many of us got our first sets. And those sort of venues are very much few and far between now, like Timbuktu, which we have lost, and that is a real concern of mine.
Where is your favourite venue you have ever played?
I would say Lakota. Some of the nights there I have played have been ridiculous. In particular I played a night with Fjaak; the second I was asked to play that I was over the moon. The night was amazing, it was sold out, it was a wicked crowd, a great set, that was probably my favourite night there; my warmest memory. I used to go out to Lakota so much when I was a student, so to become a resident there is a dream come true really.
So, you went to uni in Bristol?
Yeah, so I am from London originally, I came here to start university at UWE kind of aimlessly with no direction, and fell in love with Bristol. I can’t imagine being anywhere else now really.
Well, I am lucky I am from Bristol; I went off to a few places to check there was nowhere better and there wasn’t…
Yeah, you are so lucky! That’s my fear though; with all of the venues closing across the city I wonder if my time in Bristol is coming to an end, but I look at other cities and wonder where is going to be as good!
What about your hometown London?
I wanted to get out of the rat race! There are loads of good events going on there, but it has a bit of a vicious attitude in general.
What do you do with yourself apart from DJing; what is your everyday slant?
In my day job I work in marketing, other than that I produce my own music, so I spend a lot of time on that, and learning music theory, trying to do it the right way. I also like to get out into nature a lot, that is a kind of cycle, so when I get out that is when I really want to create a piece of music, that is my routine. I have just spent some time in Devon recently, and Bristol is great for that, we are only a couple of hours away from places like Devon and Cornwall.
Are you a vinyl junkie? For the Instagram takeover are we going to be seeing you playing vinyl?
Yes definitely, if the setup can take it! I love to collect vinyl, but I really don’t have the funds at the moment, I kind of stopped buying vinyl in March, my collection stopped then really. It’s gone dormant, my Discogs list has gone up into the 100s, just waiting for the world to get back to normal so I can turn loose. So I would say, I am becoming a vinyl junkie.
What sort of things do you like playing? Obviously you play techno, but do you dive into other genres as well?
Yes, definitely! I would say a broad spectrum, I don’t really touch drum n bass or jungle, as I don’t really like those genres. It's a difficulty living in Bristol that, but I think I have found the venues and corners where I can survive without it. The thing is I have been to, and played at, so many great house and techno events here, so I know there is a scene for it, so promoters need to get more on it. It’s out there! I have seen it!
I love playing disco, and Detroit house, going back to its roots. It depends really what a promoter asks of me, but in my own time I start with disco and finish off with the heavier stuff. I love electro as well, I have really eclectic tastes, especially as a DJ. I think that is a really good thing, being able to dig into different things and keep people on their toes.
What sort of genres are you making when it comes to your own music production?
I think it’s house music, but I don’t really know, it is my own take on house music. One genre I really love, which I should have mentioned just now, is acid house; I am a huge huge fan. It's such a fantastic genre. The more I discover of it, the more I learn about the British history of acid house. It makes me love it even more. I like to use a lot of 303 and acid elements in my own music. It's my own take on house, but I don’t like to call it house, because that does a disservice to actual house beats.
I have just put a track out which has been received better than I thought it would, and I am writing some stuff for a Scottish label for an EP which is kind of acid-focused.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
I am really digging a lot of shit that my friends are putting out at the moment; there is a producer called Litherland who is putting out a lot of good stuff, a friend of mine called Burno puts out a lot of good music.
Have you heard of Red, Sophie Redmond? She is great, Joe Litherland, Remi Wanless, Gutter Kiid, there’s a few people. DJ wise I am exploring a lot of darker, older mixes, like Deckmantel stuff; it has been getting me through lock-down, keeping my fingers crossed for when we can have proper events again in a real way.
Who are your heroes?
I would say Ross from Friends. Ross from Friends really inspired me to get into production. I was always into music but listening to him really pushed me to try and do something like that. I hold him in a special place.
How do you find new music?
Fortunately, I have a weekly residency on the radio station Vandelay Radio. We get sent quite a lot of promos and stuff; the music comes to me in a lot of ways.
What are we going to hear on your live stream for us then? What can we expect?
The set I played at the Everyday launch party was well received, it got a lot of people moving, so probably a similar vibe to that. A lot of bright upbeat house music; smiley music, nice music.
What is coming for you next?
So, the last few weeks of August I have had three small socially distant events to play at, so it’s good to have something in the calendar even if they are limited in capacity. Whilst I am excited to be getting back out there and playing again I am kind of avoiding playing at the larger parties and illegal raves and waiting for when the time is right really, whenever that may be.
And I am hoping for some governmental support for the industry, that would be nice for the venues that are struggling at the moment. I have been speaking to a few people, and if that doesn’t happen there will be problems in the longer term.The music scene matters to everyone right?
I think everyone is realising, just how important live music and clubbing was to us as human beings.
Definitely. I know a lot of my friends who didn't engage much with my music have definitely engaged with it more over lock-down; as an outlet, as something to listen to. We are all missing it.
Have you done any other live streams?
Well I have my live radio show every week, I have been ticking along with that, I did a live stream with Lakota for their birthday party which was loads of fun. I am really looking forward to the Everyday one, it will be loads of fun.
And we agree; bring on Friday night. You can listen from 8.30pm on our Instagram page here.
Follow Wavezd on Instagram and Facebook, listen to his new tracks and mixes on Soundcloud, and watch out for his newest release on Spotify coming soon. Wavezd has a weekly Saturday night residency on Vandelay Radio; you can listen back to some of his shows on his Soundcloud channel.