Interview || Rest and Be Thankful With Stephen Kirkwood

When it comes to Electronic music in Scotland, there is one artist that has been ascending at an exponential rate and that is Stephen Kirkwood. We caught up with Stephen Kirkwood for an interview

At 17 years old his first involvement in the Music Industry was by launching 'Culture', a successful club night which specialized in forward thinking Trance music in the central belt of Scotland. Stephen gained invaluable experience throughout the years thanks the success of Culture, and with high-profile bookings such as Scot Project, Jordan Suckley, Mark Sherry and many more, Culture is still widely regarded as one of the most successful small nights in Scottish club history.

As word of Culture spread so did Stephen's reputation as a quality DJ. His unique yet versatile take on progressive Trance and driving Techno proved to be a serious hit on the club floors, and resulted in key guest appearances at high Profile events such as Rectify, Inside Out & Goodgreef with repeat performances at the world-famous Arches in Glasgow. His crowd pleasing sets haven't went unnoticed either with him being included in Scotland's Vestax DJ top 20 poll for the 3rd time in 2013.

Not wanting to be confined to the realms of DJing, Stephen has also established himself as a respected music producer. His studio adventures have seen him feature on some of the scene's most renowned labels such as Spinnin', Lange, Aria, MLXL and Goodgreef. His productions being regularly supported by the finest names in Electronic music with Sander Van Doorn, Ferry Corsten, Gareth Emery, Dash Berlin, Andy Moor, Sean Tyas and Lange all cited as fans of Stephen's signature sound. His heavy hitting Tech-Trance workout 'Mars One' also found its way onto Ministry of Sound's esteemed 'Trance Nation' compilation, further cementing Stephen Kirkwood's rightful place as a serious contender in Scotland's burgeoning music scene. 

With his productions gaining momentum it wasn't long before Stephen caught the eyes and ears of respected producer Stuart Langelaan. He was quickly snapped up as A&R for Lange recordings and Stephen is involved in record signing helping to pave the way for one of the most forward thinking Trance labels in the scene today. 

Hello Stephen!! A big welcome to think IN electronic , Thank you for taking time out to do this interview with us. It’s a huge pleasure.

1.      How are you doing? And what’s your favorite place in Scotland?

Hello! I am great thanks! Massive thanks for getting in touch! My favourite place in Scotland, now that is a serious question for me, I have so many! But one place springs to mind and that is the 'Rest & Be Thankful' its a place about 2 hours from my home I regularly visit, its breathtaking mountains and climate would leave anyone speechless, so much so I made a track dedicated to it!

2.      On that note what does a cool day in the life of Stephen consist of doing?

My day consists of waking up around 9/10am, heading to my local coffee shop, getting a pot of Scottish tea (the most important part of the day) firing up the laptop and getting through a mass amount of emails, be it stuff from Lange Recordings, or from other artists, or from the many other projects I have on the go, I always need to spend some time in the morning clearing my virtual desk, its the only way I can get stuck into the rest of the day. After that I head to the studio and start working, when I say work, its hardly work because I enjoy it so much! So my day usually consists of music making, some exercise, and walking my dog.

1.      This is a staple TIE question, what is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear South Africa?

Excellent question! I have always admired South Africa, I have 2 friends originally from there and one thing they say is that its a beautiful place, from the seas, the landscape to the sky at night, being a avid space enthusiast it generally sounds like my idea of heaven!!

2.      Can you tell us a little more about who you are when you not making music?

When not making music I do many things, I run a radio show with some friends every Sunday evening discussing topics ranging from Science, Technology, Politics, Futurology, Music and loads more, we have guests on from TV, Universities, Schools etc and we aim to bring an alternative radio show to the people of Glasgow and Scotland. It is going really well and its forever growing bigger and better, its sort of Scotland’s answer to the Joe Rogan Experience in the USA, if you haven't watched/listened to Joe Rogan you should certainly check it out! I also love hill walking, driving, playing piano and working with youngsters to help them discover their potential. I am also a member of the Glasgow Astronomical Society, everything to do with our universe totally blows my mind, the thought that we are even here on this planet as smart talking monkeys is incredible, the whole thing just fascinates me.

3.      You started your journey in music at the tender age of 17 when you started your own club night called Culture. What prompted you start Culture and how did you ensure it turned into a success?

Yes I did indeed, however I was involved in music from even younger, I played electric guitar and drums from 10 years old, 17 was when when I got my first ever gig in a town called 'Clydebank' which is on the River Clyde, after playing at this night for the first time I instantly wanted to do something on my own, something with my flavour to it. I noticed that there weren't any local dance music nights in my local town of Dumbarton. So I sat down with a pen and paper and scribbled ideas, how the flyer should look, who to book to play, where and what size of sound system I’d need, banners, flyers, posters, the full works! I didn't have much money but I had the passion to make it work. I got the local press involved, bigged up the night at every opportunity and hit every single shop/chip shop/ burger place with flyers and posters. The only way to make something a success is to pour your heart and soul into it, and it worked. After booking some of the biggest DJ's in the world to play  I fast made good producer/dj friends, guys I still speak to every day, Mark Sherry, Mallorca Lee, Will Atkinson, Michael Paterson and the list goes on, running Culture was my apprenticeship in the scene and set me on course to where I am today as a producer.

4.      When you started out DJ’n how did you decide on the direction and style of music that you wanted to play?

I was first into hardcore believe it or not, legends like Scott Brown, Hixxy, Gammer, Neo Cortex, Des Mitchell all influenced me early on, I initially started mashing acapellas into hardcore using a program called Acid Pro, I used to create mini albums and sell them in school for £2 I think I sold 10 or 20 'albums' if you can even call it that haha! After the hardcore scene calmed down I was drawn into trance and electro, Mauro Picotto, old Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, Marco V, Lange, Marcel Woods, Chris Lake, Deadmau5, Sander Van Doorn all doing wonders for me growing up into the dance music world, as my musical taste changed it reflected on my DJ sets, from Hardcore, to Trance, then to electro and techno, I played everything from 120 bpm to 140 maybe even 150bpm DJ RUSH techno! The truth is I have always loved all styles shapes and sizes, I can never under stand a DJ who never changes BPM during a set, its totally lazy and lacks creativity. A DJ set is a journey, and if done right is one of the most magical things on the planet.

5.      You started out as a DJ and the next step was obviously producing. How did you learn to produce and how long did it take before you were confident with your own work?

Yeah that's exactly right, naturally being into music in a big way before I started Djing probably helped me into production, doing they edits in school with acapellas and using Acid Pro gave me a very small head start, and it was only a matter of time before I picked up Ableton and started learning. I am completely self taught and I'm extremely proud of that. I have however worked with some of the industries biggest producers, doing that was an invaluable experience for me, taking bits and pieces of knowledge from other people is key in this game. I'd say I am only JUST starting to enjoy my own sound, its an art and it takes time like any other creative industry, but with enough dedication and effort anything can be achieved.

6.      What kind of responses did you get to the first demo you ever sent out?

Haha, well I am sure you can imagine! I actually sent Mark Sherry my first tracks and to be fair to him he never shot me down, he always had good advice for me and told me to keep at it, I owe Mark a lot and I regard him highly as a good friend. Me being so young he probably seen/heard some potential, but listening back to my first few tunes I am horrified, dry bits of percussion from a vengeance minimal sample packs and badly mixed kick and out of key off beat bass samples, all the while thinking it sounded excellent, strange how bias you end up with your own work at any level!

7.      Your sound is an amalgamation of trance and tech. How would you describe your sound and would you consider changing it?

I love both, but personally I feel the 'uplifting trance' sound has been and gone a few times in 1998/99 and in 2007/08, what we are going through in trance just now has already happened in my opinion, it doesn't do anything for me anymore, standing around with your hands up for a while waiting on a drop is a thing of the past for me. I always need to be evolving musically. However I’d say its still a good thing, the trance scene is really thriving again and that can only be positive. Guys like Will Atkinson are dominating with  a very diverse quality to his sound which I love and he has been releasing quality production after quality production, I am proud to also call him a good friend! I am out there to do something different though, and having such a vast arsenal of influences over the years at the moment I find my sound slotting right in between the darker realms of techno with the melodic edge of trance, and the groove of disco/deep house at times. To answer if i'd consider changing the answer has to be yes, I am always evolving and I feel if an artist was to never change their sound they shouldn't be doing what they are doing, music is an expression of feeling that should connect with people as they listen, different styles for different moods and situations, thats what I love about it.

8.      We read that Lange is one of your favorite artists and someone you look up to. What went through your mind when you were asked to remix A different Shade Of Crazy for We Are Lucky People Remixed?

He is, he has been a pivotal figure in my journey so far, from hearing 'Follow Me' and some of the earlier stuff on his label I was seriously hooked, he is one guy that I'd say is at the top of his game, I don't think there is anyone that can touch him when it comes to persistence, track after track, he is truly a dance music legend and will continue to be for many years to come. I speak to Stuart every day, but when that personal email came through to remix for him I nearly inhaled my morning coffee!! I was on the phone to my friends and family telling them all the news, I was so happy, its something I dreamed of happening when I first started helping him out as A&R. I just hope he likes the job I done for him! 

 9.      The remix is absolutely insane, are you happy with the way it turned out or would you change anything about it? What was the inspiration behind it?

I must say I am delighted with how it turned out, I felt a bit of pressure initially, but after settling my mind I put everything into it, the 'We Are Lucky People' album has been on many times in my car while cruising around the mountains in Scotland, and to actually remix a track from that album is a huge achievement for me. The track itself was a dirty beast of a thing, its massively iconic and that hook has enough strength to sink a ship! So I wanted to retain that power as much as I could, but with adding my own techy touches and trancey elements. The track isn't out yet as I write this, so I am hoping it goes down well, I know for sure it will rock the dance floor though, I have tested it already! ;)

10.  You are also A&R at Lange Recordings, what is it like working for one of the best labels in the trance scene, and what do you look for when signing a track?

Its a massive honour, again being able to work with Stuart and the team every day has really helped me get my teeth into the scene, I have admired the label for years and to now play a key part is fantastic! The thing I enjoy about Lange Recordings is how versatile it is, very much like myself. When looking for tracks we can take anything as long as it hits the spot, tech trance, progressive trance, types of house, it just depends on what lands in our inbox on that day, we have some amazing music coming out over the next few months, you need to keep a sharp ear out for new stuff from Tempo Guisto, Noah Neiman, Lee Osborne and of course ME!

11.   In your opinion what are some of the characteristic needed to make it in the music industry?

There is such a mass amount of music out there, its honestly incredible and also very hard to stay relevant and fresh. I'd say carving out your own style is most important these days, its something which I am in the process of doing and I feel its the only way people will turn their head away from the mass amounts of similar sounding music. Being yourself without sounding to clichéd is very important, at the moment the scene is filled with people trying to copy others, using engineers to create their tracks with no intention of learning the craft themselves, injecting money into a career rather than passion, music is a beautiful thing, but some people see it as a way of feeding their ego, its a dirty game sometimes, but I really try to stay clear of it all, and just do my thing. Like anything that is the best way to approach life, be yourself, stay positive, never give up, and be nice to everyone on your way up, as you might just meet them on your way back down....

12.  The ongoing debate. What makes trance so special and is trance dying out?

I sort of touched on this one, trance certainly isn't dying out, its getting stronger, I just feel personally I am a little tired of the current 'uplifting' sound, but that's the beauty of music, things are always changing and I have faith trance will continue to change and progress into different genres. You don't get the euphoric feeling from any other genre apart from trance so my guess is that feeling will only continue in many different guises.

Stephen Kirkwood Best:

1.      Best Track: Sander Van Doorn - Daisy

2.      Best producer: David Parkinson

3.      Best Movie: Signs

4.      Best Moment: Musically – Landing a track on Ministry of Sound! (Thanks to Lange)

5.      Best Application: My notepad

6.      Best invention: Piano

7.      Best celebrity: Joe Rogan

8.      Best country: Scotland!

9.      Best scent: log fires burning on a crisp Scottish winters morning, or bacon and coffee brewing.

10.  Best sound: Wind and Rain hitting a glass roof

What can we expect in the coming months from Stephen Kirkwood .Do you have any last message for you fans..

Yes, thank you all for reading, I hope you found it interesting! I hope to come to South Africa one day and play an extended set for you all, it would be a dream for me... In the coming months you can expect a load of new music, I am working on an EP for Outburst Records, I have some new Lange Recordings tracks, some stuff I can't mention yet, and as ever you can count on serious techno infused trance from all angles..... If anyone wants to get in touch, catch me on twitter – www.twitter.com/stephenkirkwood.

Thank you so much for doing this interview with us. We hope to see you guys playing in South Africa soon   Layla and Yasmin