Gleaming passion shines through from experienced Irish producer

Irish house and techno producer, Michael Lovatt, has been exploring and experimenting with electronic music since he bought his first sampler as a young teenager. Finding the roots of his inspiration in 80’s electropop, edm, and the 90’s burgeoning house and techno scene Michael has performed and DJ’d in various clubs across Europe for over 15 years including being a resident in Dublin with the infamous Hospital crew and has ran his own afterhours night, Onassis. With releases on various international record labels including Dublin Express (IE), Echodeluxe (BR), Melonsound (DK) and with a recent move to Berlin we were happy to grab an opportunity to get Mike’s angle on music…

WG: Hi Mike, first of all thanks for taking the time to speak to us, we’re very excited to catch up with you since your move from Dublin to Berlin. Obviously the Irish perspective is very much an angle we would like to approach. So if you’re ready I’ll crack on with the questions?

Mike: Cool, thanks – fire away!

WG: So as well as the new Gleamer EP coming out on June 17th through Melonsound, tell us a bit about what you’ve been working on lately or things you have in the pipeline.

Mike: Been busy making tunes for most of the winter, I locked myself away during the long dark winter and just concentrated on music. I have another 2 EP’s coming out after this one. Next up is a broken tech EP on UK label Ricochet called Attractor, that’s out on July 22nd, after that there’s a deep house EP coming out in September on Science Label.

WG: Besides producing, what else is keeping you busy at the moment?

Mike: Mostly producing and a bit of DJing. Right now I’m working on a 116bpm deep house remix for a Berlin band called Noblesse Oblige. I’m loving the sub 120bpms.

WG: How do you think the Irish music scene is faring at the moment?

Mike: Pretty good generally, there’s lots of great talent around, if it can express its potential locally is another story, there sadly still doesn’t seem to be a very good support network for electronic music in Ireland. Internationally we’re doing really well though, Matador, Sian, Chymera, Mano le Tough, John Daly, considering what a small country we are that’s pretty impressive in my book.

WG: We’d completely agree, it’s a productive time for Irish electronic music. Who is your artist or artists to watch this year?

Mike: It’s a long list, theres so much great music out at the moment. I love Deep Future he’s signed to Gruuv Records in the UK and released a track this year called “You Need It“, proper deepness, and he’s from Sligo.

WG: What’s the most memorable set you’ve ever played?

Mike: McGruders, nothing like it, and some of the Hospital nights in Wax back around ’06-’07.

Note from author: Wunderground remembers a certain editor being refused entry to the famous McGruders Mixed Salad all day parties back in the day; there was some mischief involved…

WG: You moved to Berlin recently – tell us a bit about the move (thinking behind etc.); also how are things going in Berlin now / what advantages have you experienced in terms of
influences / opportunities since moving over?

Mike: I love it, just being here in this aesthetic, walking down the street looking at the architecture. More importantly music wise theres such a high standard to strive for, its a very creative city, very inspiring. The winters are bit long and cold but Berlin is a very ‘free’ city to live in, you can be whoever you want and do pretty much whatever you want as long as your not bothering anyone else. Its very relaxed, live and let live kinda place, you can drink in public, etc. Oh yeah and they have a real summer!

WG: How would you describe your production style / how has this evolved over time and how do you keep up with the contstantly changing genres / fusion of styles?

Mike: I gave up trying to “keep up” a long time ago, I just love deep and funky music, both house and techno, the dirtier the better. For me its a an emotional thing, I’m trying to recreate a moment from my past, from a great party, from a great night, a great high. You get closer every time, but you never quite get there…

Dance music, house, techno, whatever you want to call it has shaped my life. I was 14 in the summer of ’88 listening to the KLF and 808 State, it changed me. For the better. There was an honesty and a thirst for the new. I feel really lucky to have come of age in the time I did. I saw some of the worlds best DJs in their prime, Digweed, Sasha, PVD, you name it, and before it all became commercialised. I’m very, very grateful for that.

WG: What are your big tracks of the moment?

Mike: Graymatter – Sweat (James Walsh Remix)

Traumer – Sofa (Original Mix)

and Ghosts on Tape, Ramon Tapia, DeMarzo, Detroit Swindle, Organ Grinder & Chesus, Boddika, Kyodai…

WG: So getting back to your own productions and particularly the Gleamer EP, obviously here at Wunderground we are interested in the fact that it’s an all Irish affair; can you
tell us how the release came about and the other producers involved?

Mike: Yeah I’m really proud that the EP is all Irish. The remixes are by two very talented Irish producers whose work I admire, Johnny Trotter from Sligo and Andrew Hosey from Dublin. Definitely worth checking their music out.

I made both tracks last year when I first arrived in Berlin and was kinda homeless, sleeping on friends sofas and such. Gleam was the name of the street one of my friends lived on. Robyn recorded her vocals a few months later and sent them over to me. I’ve been working with Robyn for the last 2 years, we meet in Dublin through mutual friends, we did a track together last year called Born Deep which was also released on Melonsound.

Robyn’s from Limerick originally, she’s a fantastic singer I love her style and tone of voice, she’s a member of Patrick Kelleher and His Cold Dead Hands band and also has her own solo project Catscars.

WG: You were running the Onassis boat parties in Dublin; any plans to re-kindle these in Berlin?

Mike: Yeah that was fun. Actually I just started Onassis again last week, had the first night here in a small bar. I’m still new here, the thing with Onassis was the guests always, cause I knew pretty much every DJ in Dublin, we’ll see how it goes, hopefully it will continue and I’ll start getting guests over.

WG: Cheer for talking to us Mike, all the best.

Keep up to date with all of Michael’s releases through his website: http://www.michael-lovatt.com/