For the second instalment of ‘Yet Another Music Blog speaks to….’, we’re proud to present DJ, producer, label owner and absolute gent, Craig Bratley. Craig first came to our attention when ‘Birdshell’ rocked dance floors up and down the country for the best part of last year. Mr. Weatherall championed the record, featuring it in his sets for much of last summer, and he even included it on his Masterpiece compilation for Ministry of Sound.
For those unfamiliar with Craig’s work, we highly recommend that you check out his SoundCloud page. Here you’ll find some incredible mixes, which should give you a pretty good idea of what he’s all about. One that we particularly like is a mix that he recorded a while back for El Diablo’s Social Club. Check it out below:
Craig was kind enough to answer a few questions and talk to us about what he’s got planned for the future. We’re pretty excited to say the least, and can’t wait to get stuck into some of his new material.
The Interview:
YAMB The whole slow-mo sound is exploding across the country at the moment, yet listening back to your past mixes, you’ve been playing this out in the clubs for some time now. Where did you first encounter this sound and where would you say the ‘scene’ started?
Craig I think the slower stuff has been around a long time. When I first started going out, the tempos were a lot slower and I think its just a reflection/extension of early Acid House, New Beat, Balearic, Italo etc.
I probably started buying/focusing more on the slower tracks in about 2008. You tend to slow down as you get older : )
There are a quite a few labels, producers, and DJs pushing the sound now and I think Andrew and Sean from A Love from Outer Space have also been responsible for bringing a bit more attention to it.
YAMB I read somewhere that your first exposure to house music was at the tender age of 15. How did that come about?
Craig Some friends took me to an under 18s night, which was probably the closest you can can get to a club experience at that age. They didn’t use to sell alcohol and as a few of us looked a bit older, we would buy our own and drink it as we were walking down there. One night in there hearing tracks like Test One, Strings Of Life, Force Legato etc. and that was it.
It wasn’t long after that I started going to over 18s nights and full on raves!
YAMB What came first for you, DJing or production?
Craig DJing. I think I got my first decks when I was about 16. Some nasty belt drives with no pitch control I think.
YAMB At what point did you first realise you could get your productions out there into the record shops?
Craig I went to study music production and it was in the last months of the course that I met Justin Drake from Peace Division. Actually, when I say met, I mean started pestering. I sent him a couple of tracks and he signed them to a label he was starting. I think that was in 2002.
YAMB I can’t avoid asking about the Birdshell EP. Did you expect it to achieve such huge success? It was epic!
Craig Thanks. I don’t think you ever think anything you do is going to do that well. To be honest, I’m probably my own worse critic. I think most producers are.
YAMB Timothy J Fairplay’s latest EP, ‘How the Machine Was Built’, is soon to be released on your Magic Feet label. What are your expectations with this record and how did you end up working with Tim?
Craig I’m hoping this release will help raise the label profile and help set the ethos behind the label. I got in touch with Tim and asked if he had any unreleased material. About a month later he sent me a file. I uncompressed it thinking there would be an EP in there and there was enough for about two albums!
YAMB What’s next for Magic Feet?
Craig The next release is a label sampler. There is a track on there by one of my friends from back home, a track from Paresse, and a new producer called Kepier. There is also a remix I’ve done on there.
After that there is another release by Tommy Awards, which comes with a fantastic remix from Coyote, the guys that run the Is It Balearic label.
YAMB Are you busy working on any of your own material at the moment?
Craig I’m currently working on material for the label. I’ve also got a track coming out on Bird Scarer, Andrew Weatherall’s new label, and a track on Is It Balearic.
You can hear a preview of the forthcoming IIB release here:
YAMB Vinyl or digital when you play out?
Craig I would say its about 80% vinyl at the minute.
YAMB When was the last time someone requested a track and what was your response?
Craig There’s always one – it’s usually, ‘have you got something I can dance to, something I know, or anything good?’. I usually just tell them I’ll play it later.
YAMB If you could banish one track to hell for all eternity?
Craig There are soooooo many tracks that should never have been made. You could probably start with that Gangdam Style, or whatever currently sits at number one in our charts!
Massive thanks to Craig for taking the time to talk to us. Anyone in the Leeds vicinity needs to get their asses down to the A Love From Outer Space pre-party on November 16th, where you can catch Craig doing his thing at the Outlaws Yacht Club.
Craig also added:
“If anyone has any material they would like to send for the label, or If any one would like me to come and play a few records at their local hostelry, they can get in touch at info@magicfeetmusic.com”.
