As many of his generation were, Sheffield lad Chris Duckenfield was massively and irrevocably affected by the late ’80s acid-house craze which swept through the coolest British clubs. After bopping about at Sheffield’s Jive Turkey parties, Duckenfield bought himself a still hard to come by pair of Technics and set right about making a noise. Sheffield’s vibrant illegal party scene at the end of the eighties introduced Chris to a different style of music and DJing altogether; he was hooked.
Cutting his production teeth with Warp subsidiary Nucleus in 1991 Chris went on to forge an enduring partnership with studio engineer Richard Brown and together under the Swag moniker they released a series of Eps and an album on Junior Boys Own to heavy acclaim. After the pair formed their own Primitive label in 1999 they released the album Felony Funk with the likes of Mathew Herbert and even Bjork calling on their studio remix skills.
With a swathe of other labels under his belt and a DJ pedigree to match his production skills, we are delighted to have him back in the Subbie booth.
As a true brother in arms it’s also entirely fitting for him to make an overdue Subculture reappearance as we continue to celebrate 20YSC !
We caught up with Chris for a quick natter about Subculture, Residents, The Steel City, warehouse parties, record distribution and cleaning up crap…
1. Do you have any standout memories of your own Subculture experience? Why do you think the night has lasted 20 years?
I’ve been a good few times as a punter and a guest, over the last 15 odd years, I think my first visit was the most memorable. It was kind of pre-internet age, and we were in Glasgow for a Music In The City event I think, all a bit blurry. I’d heard about the place, of course, and was expecting something special. Now it would have been pretty easy for Harri & Dom to treat the collection of A&R idiots and music hangers on they had in that night with the contempt they deserved, and play Nick Berry records (as Elliot Eastwick had done with such aplomb earlier in the evening somewhere else) or just toss it off, but they didn’t, it was a masterclass in building a vibe, then having the whole place hanging on every change and shift. Caps were doffed, and we journeyed back to South Yorkshire with smiles and fond memories. Every subsequent visit has been just as special, so many good times, meeting new friends and just generally laughing a lot and dancing. What more could you ask for ?
2. What’s your thoughts on the role of the resident?
It’s certainly more ‘me’ than being the air-punching, floodlit main event that guest DJ’s became!
Not that I’m happier always being the bridesmaid mind, but it’s true to say most of my return gigs as a guest, have been at clubs helmed by outstanding residents. Without them at the controls, guiding the musical direction and feel of the night, I guess I wouldn’t have a place there to do what I do. I enjoy that sense of partnership a residency gives you as a DJ, the opportunity to play early, late or whenever and know a crowd intimately enough to play around with their expectations and preconceptions.
I recently took up residency at the Hopeworks warehouse space in Sheffield, it’s been fantastic to be involved, to tailor the music around a diverse range of guests & still manage to put my own stamp on the musical identity of the place. It’s no coincidence that the clubs which prevail through thick and thin, and fall in and out of favour and weather changing fashions all have remarkable resident DJ’s at the controls.
In an age when ridiculous fees and grasping agents – who treat the clubs which enable their careers with contempt – are the norm, I think the penny is dropping (again) with clubbers that a quality resident is worth far more, in every sense. It’s also worth noting the ones who do it best often resist the transition to airport departure lounges & boring PR initiatives But, you know – horses for courses. Nightlife is a broad & bumpy battlefield.
3. You were telling me you’re busy now with family life. Are your still managing making tunes along the way and if so, how often? As well as playing records and being a cool dad, are you still actively involved in your ‘All Ears (Distribution)’ business?
Well, it obviously does change things quite dramatically.
Cleaning up crap, crying, tantrums and sleeplessness are all part and parcel of it – and parenting is tough too !
I’ve never been able to schedule studio time and perform to order really, so with a more 9 to 5 style day job and a little one to take care of it gets kind of pushed down the list. I’ve always just pottered musically anyway in all honesty, sampled a load of bits and stashed them, then gone and assembled them later. So I’m still doing that, but there’s a lot more midfield play, and a lot less finishing these days. Plus there is a huge amount of amazing music around, so I’m very aware that if I’m throwing stuff into the ring it needs to be up there with the best of the rest.
I kind of got away from the more traditional approach a long time ago (running a label, using one artist name etc, etc) and adopted a more reactive approach, doing one-offs or small series, so I’ve put some stuff out, but not made a fuss about it or even put my name to it. It generally sells far better!
Here are a some outputs from Chris as part of production groups or collaborations:
All Ears (Distribution) has been a lot of hard work, but we’re in a good place now, largely thanks to a resurgence in the format & us having stuck to our guns in terms of quality over quantity. We’re trusted and have a great group of 30 or so regular labels we work with, all with a huge amount of passion and commitment to what they do, as well as lots of one-offs and specials. I’ve always peddled music in one shape or another so I enjoy it immensely (most of the time!) and realise I’m very lucky to earn a crust doing so…
4. Your role in the industry has been prominent for two decades. Who have been your biggest influences musically throughout this time?
Forever shifting, while staying quite familiar, to sum it up I guess. I love discovering things both old and new, and it’s that that keeps you going – just knowing that you’ll never know it all doesn’t ever dissuade you from trying. In terms of inspiration, it comes from many sources. You can hear a tune you know quite intimately in a whole new light, depending on context. I think knowing your classics is a good place to start, like anything creative, an understanding of the best of what has gone before is the best foundation for freshening up your ears for the future which, thanks to the internet and our ever-growing interconnectedness is changing at an unprecedented rate, all very exciting.
5. Your home town Sheffield is renowned for it’s post industrial musical heritage which is up there with any city in the UK and boasts an impressive array of innovative and successful bands and artists over the years. Do you have any particular favourites and have you ever bumped into any of them down the local pub?
It’s a great place to live actually, and there’s always been a great deal of musical innovation and trailblazing going on here, but due to a bedrock of working class guilt, nobody ever makes too much noise about their output, down the pub or not!
6. We have enjoyed a few weekend raves at Hopeworks, Kabal and the likes – is the after party / warehouse scene still going strong down there?
Absolutely! It’s a city whose nightlife is built very much on our large student population and in the last couple of years they’ve been less and less inclined to all look the same while settling for the 50p a shot and Top 40 routine and far more interested in subculture and going their own way.
(IMAGE RIGHTS: Tillate.com)
This has brought back a vibrancy and freshness that we’ve been missing for a while. A lot of interesting stuff happening again, and I’m happy to still be a part of it!
7. You recently recorded your own exclusive 20YSC mix for us. Do you enjoy digging out some old classic for special occasions?
Surely, I tend to prep a lot for gigs, and have never really gone to play anywhere with the intention of doing what I did the week before
In a world where predictability is king, this can obviously work against you! That’s why I stepped back from the ‘Saturday night treadmill’ of new gigs and concentrated on revisiting places I knew I had a lot more freedom in. I’m very aware that it’s entertainment, with a huge responsibility to soundtrack people’s hard earned weekends as well as you can, and that process as well as joining the dots between old and new is the bit that keeps me doing what I do.
Being one of the UK’s true gentlemen of house music, Chris recorded this absolutely exclusive “20 Years of Subculture” mix as a birthday treat for all of us…
£10 Advance Tickets for this event are available from RA & Tickets Scotland. More will also be available on the door from 11pm.