Keep on Groovin'

Q. When and why did you start Ultragroove and how did it come about? As I recall you were involved in Truth and then Yip Yap prior – did they serve as the foundations for the night? Who was originally involved?

A. The original team line-up was Colin Cook and I DJing, with Frazer McGlinchey on promotion duties. Ultragroove was started in October 1999 as an outlet for Colin and I to play the kind of music we were into at the time; I was playing a lot of gigs that just weren't doing it for me and I wanted to do something that was closer to my heart. There was a real gap in the market around this period as nobody was doing the all-encompassing house thing; nights were on the whole specialised but not that special, whereas five years later everybody had cottoned on to the vibe of playing house next to disco and techno. We were equally inspired by stuff like François Kervorkian's Wave Music, Basic Channel, and a lot of disco; our first flyer promised true house music and future disco (which sounds very quaint now).

Obviously, we played a lot of the better end of straight-up New York House too, but it really was a case of us moving away from what we had been known for as DJs through the nineties. Truth be told that sound had hit a creative wall some years earlier and it just wasn't doing it for us any more. I was going to Body and Soul in New York at the time and that was a massive inspiration for me, as was Faith in London. One Faith party in particular cemented the idea of me starting my own night again, as I wasn't really feeling DJing in the same way I had been in my teens/early twenties and was seriously contemplating hanging up my headphones.

A month or so later we found out that La Belle Angele had a free Friday night; I had a lot of good history there – Yip Yap had finished only a couple of years earlier, after a four year stint and from conversations I'd had, people were desperate to party in that venue again. So when the chance of a slot came up Colin and I jumped at it.

It's fair to say both Yip Yap and Truth served as foundations for Ultragroove, in as much as it was at those clubs that I learned how to DJ and the good memories people had of those nights definitely helped in getting Ultragroove off the ground. I think Truth in particular inspired a lot of DJs to run their own nights around town in the ensuing years.

Ultragroove is now a one-man show, Colin finished up after we left La Belle to go to Cabaret Voltaire in 2003 and Frazer said his farewells at the 10th Birthday in 2009. The first few weeks of doing everything solo were pretty weird, but I'm into the swing of things now and it’s a case of business as usual.

Q. Having run for over ten years Ultragroove’s become one of only a handful of Scottish club nights that has lasted for this length of time – what inspires you to keep the night going and why do you think it’s remained popular for so long? What’s the ethos behind the night?

A. My main inspiration is the energy that is created on a good night; there is a lot to be said for seeing music you love being enjoyed by others. There is nothing like that moment when it all clicks into place; we had Linkwood and Fudge Fingas playing earlier this month and everything about the night just felt right. Regarding Ultragroove's popularity, I'm not sure why it has lasted when so many other nights have come and gone - probably a combination of tenacity and experience, in terms of organising the night. I'm a music geek, but can translate that into a party setting, something that seems to be sadly missing from so many underground nights.

Q. Unlike many club nights you get to utilise two rooms – are you glad to have this opportunity? How do you program the separate rooms, musically? Do you think having the two areas has added to the night’s success and if so why?

A. Sometimes it can be a bonus having two rooms, we've had guests like Al Kent, The Unabombers and The Blessings play in there and we’ve also thrown label parties with Firecracker and Salsoul and it’s really worked well as a counterpoint to the main room. Other times, especially during the summer when the numbers aren't so clever, it can be a bit of an albatross. In saying that, Cunnie, Lel & Carina and The Blessings have had it absolutely rocking recently.

Q. How do you feel the night’s evolved over time, both musically and in terms of the clubbers you attract? Is there still a number that come who were there at the start?

A. When we started it was all our mates and their mates that came down. As things progressed less of our mates came down regularly and those that did generally moaned that "It's a bit young", but it reality it isn't - the majority of our crowd has always been early to mid-twenties. Musically, the night is still based on playing a broad church of house based sounds, although this began to feel a little anachronistic when minimal was in full swing a few years back. However, we stuck to our guns, which I glad about.

Q. You’re booking policy seems to focus on bringing in local talent as much as booking established ‘name’ DJs – how do you decide who to book from both camps?

A. The booking policy is really just down to what I'm feeling. We get sent a lot of demos for up and coming talent, and I listen through them all. If I think the DJ fits in with what we do then I book them. Regarding the booking of bigger names; they are a reflection of the records that are in my box at the time.

Q. Unlike more recently established house nights that perhaps focus on a particular strand of house music, from my knowledge you like to encompass a broader range of styles from across the house spectrum – is this a fair assessment and do you think this music policy has aided your longevity?

A. Both Colin and I have roots in hip-hop, soul and funk, and in Colin's case, jazz, which definitely informed our choice of records. When I first started going out I would hear a variety of styles played back to back, we wanted that ethos, but framed within the energy of house, though I appreciate this may sound contradictory! We wanted that variety of feelings and vibes, call it what you will, throughout the course of the night. I agree; the music policy has been the club's strongest suit from day one. We were always open to new sounds, but there had to be a modicum of soul in there, not the obvious kind of SOUL, but something that stirred us. Also the change in the vibe was important, not just one long smooth blend of bland music but the idea that you wanted the crowd to think, “What will they play next?” and have them excited by that idea.

Q. What is the state of the current Edinburgh club scene and where do you think Ultragroove fits within it?

A. The general consensus was that 2009 was a nightmare for most promoters in the city, and even midway 2008 you could see that things were awry in terms of the numbers being attracted by previously rock solid clubs – we took a few really heavy hits on guests ourselves. The first few months last year were sketchy, but since then our crowd has begun to swell again, which may be because we are now the only regular house night in the city but also be due to our re-examining the door price, which I think has definitely had a positive effect.

Q. What are your favourite memories from the 250 Ultragoove nights you’ve had? Any particular ones stand out?

A. There are literally too many to mention, but Derrick Carter playing at Easter a few years back was pretty special. I warmed up, and it was all I could do to hold the vibe back, the atmosphere was crazy and when he finally came on it was just mayhem for the next two hours. Our third birthday brings back a lot of good memories too. We did a wee Thursday night party with Metro Area playing live, as part of a whole weekend of stuff. It was their first ever UK gig and judging by the ticket sales, they were obviously not as well known as we'd hoped. It was clear that it was going to be a quiet one and even though we took a bath, it was one of the best things we did. To this day hearing the intro to 'Muira' gives me goose-bumps, and a sense of, albeit misplaced, pride. Other than that, the 10th Birthday was very special – to hit that landmark doing two maybe three parties a month was a definite achievement and something that all concerned can look back on as a job well done.

Q. What are your future plans? Is it a case of you just continuing to do what you are doing or are there any special parties you still like to throw? Also, are there are any guests you’d like to have play that haven’t already?

A. I always hate this question, I couldn't tell you what I'm doing next week to be honest, although I am itching to get back in the studio, its just finding the time that’s the problem! Guest-wise, I've always wanted François Kervorkian to have play at the club, but financially I think that’s a non-starter. On a more realistic note, Holy Ghost, Osunlade and Ben Klock are all names that I'd like to see at Ultragroove at some point

Q. Finally, you’ve got Todd Terjé guesting for your 250th outing – what motivated you to book him for this auspicious occasion?

Terjé is somebody who has played for me a couple of times before, and I really enjoy the sense of playfulness and fun that comes across in his sets. He played Ultragroove for the first time last year and was spot on. I think he enjoyed the chance to play house, disco and techno and not just disco all night, so in that respect he is an ideal guest for us.