Breaks
Trackitdown chats to Superstyledeluxe about their brand new mix album and early release on TID!
To crown SuperStyleDeluxe’s busiest year yet, the pair are celebrating finishing their first LP, which is about to drop on their own fast-developing label, The Payback Project. Having gathered their experience from nearly a decade of DJing and releasing records, Dan Holmes and Neil Simons, the duo behind the act and label, have crammed their combined knowledge into a series of all-legal mix-tapes. Spring 2007 sees the release of ‘Breakbeat Flavour’, the first from the ‘Sugar Coated Stylus Pops’ series. Ready to attack 2007, armed with a laptop, a stack of vinyl, and an independent attitude that’ll never die, it’s payback time!
TID: How did the two of you meet?
SuperstyleDeluxe (referred to as SSD from here onwards): I first met Neil through a mutual friend who thought it would be good for us to hook up. As at the time I was deejaying and writing tunes and was looking for a potential music partner. We got on well and soon started collaborating with each others ideas.
TID: When did you become SuperStyleDeluxe?
SSD: SSD was actually born before I met Neil and was done as a series of mix tapes Titled SuperStyleDeluxe and ran all the way to Volume 5. I would then sell them at my local club night called Stump Juice in Wolverhampton, where I was resident. It then obviously stepped up a gear when Neil jumped on, we worked together for about 2-3 months before getting signed to Hamburg’s Lounge Records to where we are at the moment.
TID: You now have your own label, Payback Project, which has doing incredibly well and has gained massive support. Why did you decide to launch your own label?
SSD: I actually never really intended to start a label and was actually offered a distribution deal from Intergroove on a passing meeting regarding a mix album I was looking into. It then took about a year of steady thinking and searching to obtain the right roster before any tracks were released and now it’s a big part of what I do.
TID: What have you learnt about running a label and what advice would you offer anyone thinking about launching a new label?
SSD I think the most important thing about labels these days is having a tight concept that every day people can relate to by making it accessible to the masses and also holding down a tight game plan. It’s real important to have varied artist roster in terms of production style so that each artist is almost like a character and has his or her own individual quirks that reflect through the music. This then helps to build a fan base for your artists and eventually the label.
TID: Do you both work on solo projects still or do you focus on your joint ventures?
SSD: Just the joint venture really. SSD hasn’t got to where we want it to in terms of sounds we make it’s still developing and mutating. I spose the time to switch to other projects is when we are done with this one.
TID: You have a brand new album out which we are very excited about! Can you tell us a little more about the project and what we can expect?
SSD: The album is called Sugar Coated Stylus Pops and is an honest reflection of where SSD came from. We could have just nailed a straight 12 tracker artist album. But then that wouldn’t be a true representation. So really it all boils down to the early days of the mix tapes and the debut SSD album has to evolve from where it started. We have some exclusive SSD tracks on their as well as licensed bits also an element of what can be expected in the clubs lots of turntable tricks and a big ol Party! This is only Volume one so more Vols are in the pipeline possibly landing in 08.
TID: As we are now firmly in the digital age, have you experimented with any computer based DJing programs?
SSD: Nope I actually still use vinyl, in fact as far as I know I am the only Breaks DJ still using purely vinyl. We are looking to build to a bigger show in the near future that will include a computer but also ones & twos!
TID: I hear you are re-launching your own website?
SSD: What can your fans expect to see on that? We will be launching the Payback Project site very soon, it’s basically a hub for where fans or every day Joe’s can come in and have a flick though, get interactive or buy some cool stuff.
TID: Will you be touring with the launch of the new album? Where can we come and hear you play out?
SSD: We have a large tour scheduled from the UK – Europe – Australia & Asia that is actually running now and finishing in August. We have had pre tours on this album running since Jan that has covered UK, Ireland, French alps, Germany, Russia & China. We are aiming for the U.S and North America for September onwards.
TID: After the launch of the album, what will be next for SuperStyleDeluxe?
SSD: After this album we will land a new single which is featured on the album called Dappa Fresh. Then a few remixes I think before an album of past and unreleased singles.
TID: As a final question, we’ve always been intrigued as to where your label name came from and why your label logo is a chainsaw?
SSD: Ha Ha.. Yeah that’s a bit of an odd one, it completely contradicts itself. It was originally called the Payback project meaning everyone on the Label gets treated equally and then it has the angel of attempting to give something back to the music buyers/ dance floor (decent tunes). But then the logo came in and suited the name so it could also mean we are gonna brutally murder you all “It’s Payback Time”!! So I’ve pretty much given up analysing it now and let peeps make their own mind up. I spose the fact is it could mean anything so if the music bizz goes tits I could become a loan shark or pleasant banker.. hahaah.
Featured Tracks:
| Sugar Coated Stylus Pops (album) - EXCLUSIVE (55:41) | |||||
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Artist: SuperstyleDeluxe Label: The Payback Project Genre: Breaks Release Date: 2007-05-02 
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