Words by Art Jefferson
Photography by Roberta Schmidt
Having played in the biggest venues around the world and released records on some of the most respected labels in the house and techno scene, you can say that East Yorkshire-raised DJ and producer wAFF has done quite alright for himself since truly storming the industry in 2012. With a solid reputation for unleashing bona fide dance floor scorchers, wAFF has rapidly become one of the top artists of choice in the business.
Whilst many fans may affiliate wAFF’s entry into the electronic world with his song ‘Jo Johnson’, his hand at music began long before, initially perfecting his craft on software such as FruityLoops. Fast-forward a decade later, his Rainbows EP released on Jamie Jones’ Hot Creations label created a tidal wave of a buzz, propelling the Hull native instantly into the psyche of ravers and DJs alike.
With the title of club night promoter also under his belt, wAFF established the popular club night Koala which featured an array of guests including Matt Tolfrey, Jordan Peak and more. The party proved to be a smashing success in Hull. He eventually brought a taste of Koala down to Ibiza for a couple of seasons, putting on a number of boat parties which were also hits.
With a long line of dates throughout the summer including various festivals, wAFF is as busy as ever with his remix of Groove Armada’s ‘Final Shakedow’ out now on Moda Black. If a good party is truly about lifting people with music and creating an exciting atmosphere, then wAFF is one of the DJs and producers at the front of the movement.
It’s been stated that you have a true passion for software and technology. Out of the various pieces of software that you have used over time, which one have your warmed to the most and why?
wAFF – Well I wouldn’t say a true passion, I just think it’s mint (means well good to anyone who’s thinking what is mint), ha! I love technology when it comes to anything music or not music, anything that takes us more into the future I love it. For software, I’ve just been using it for so long that it’s like a second language to me, although I actually am getting a bit sick of it. I’m just about to buy some new hardware and give that a try as I need some new inspiration and motivation with music which I get every now and again, but I just feel I need to bring something new to the table to keep me interested and excited, which I’m sure it will!
You have cited artists like Loco Dice and Marco Carola as influences. Was it listening to those guys that actually inspired you to want to produce tracks as a teenager or did you get the itch beforehand?
wAFF – No, I was making music years before I even knew about them and before I knew about the music scene I’m into now. I used to use Dance E-jay when I was proper young and had no idea what music was, but it was when I quit dance and performing arts college that I was so bored at home with nothing to do that I just downloaded a production software called FruityLoops and started messing around with that, I realised I had such a passion for music and making music. I used to make really shite electro that was mental and just really mad tunes for years and all my mates used to think it was crap. I used to drive everyone mad at parties playing all my music really loud and I’d always get told to stop playing it and it was rubbish, ha, but I never cared I just loved it and thought it was wicked, then that slowly got me into the minimal scene then techno, and then to where I am today. But it was when I first came to Ibiza and seen the likes of Marco Carola, Loco Dice, Luciano that I really started to focus on my sound and what I wanted to do.
In my opinion, your releases are sure shots for the dance floor. Were you raving at an early age, because you seem to have perfectly studied what it takes to move the crowd?
wAFF – Thank you, and yeah I was proper raving when I was about 15/16 and a lot as well. I always used to be at all the clubs in sunny Hull (a city in Yorkshire, that’s actually not sunny) and I’d always be on the stage or podium sweating my titts off just in love with the music, then when I went to Ibiza I did 3 seasons from 2009 to the end of 2011 and I’d go to every night, and I was really so tuned deep into the music. I had a knowledge of production and just studied every element and layer to how music was made and what created the best energy, what got people really going and what created emotion. I would just get my head down and dance from start to finish, but analysing each part of each track and I’d have this amazing memory through the whole night where I’d pick, lets say a vocal from on the track, then the bass line from the next, then the hi hat arrangement from the next and so on till my mind was so full of ideas and inspiration. I’d then go straight home from the club and sit and create all these ideas I had going through my head from the whole night, and I’d end up with about 5-10 tracks done or very minimum started within the space of a couple of hours, not even exaggerating. I was really making that many all the time and each time I’d just learn something new, try new things, fail with others and it just moulded me into the producer I am today.
Your Koala club night was quite successful. What prompted you to start the night and for those who are looking to start a club night, what advice would you give them?
wAFF – Well it was just good fun for Hull where I used to live as there was nothing at all going on there with underground house music until recently. So me and 2 of my good mates Matt Thornton and Lil Phil, we just wanted to have a laugh and have a good party with the music and dh’s we loved. It wasn’t anything big at all, we were successful but we only did it for a couple of years until we decided it wasn’t worth doing anymore, but it was great. It created good contacts with artists and brought a lot of people together. I’d say to anybody that loves music and thinking of starting a night to definitely go for it, the problem is now there’s so many of them it’s a lot of competition so it’s difficult I guess depending where about your living etc. For me it was Hull, there was nothing going on so it was great and easy. I’m no promoter and I have no idea how to properly run a big successful night but when we did Koala it was just wicked fun and really helped me become a better DJ and practise playing, and to also try out new music and styles of yourself to figure out what you want to play.
Your first EP was released through Hot Creations, which seems like the perfect home. How did that relationship with Jamie Jones and Lee Foss at the HC label come about?
wAFF – I just sent ‘Jo Johnson’ to Richy Ahmed as I’d briefly met him in Ibiza and he loved it, sent it to Jamie, and Jamie was playing it so much straight away, I guess he just loved the tune and offered me a record deal with Hot Creations along with ‘Rainbows’ and ‘Jeyda’, and pretty much very quickly from there I was playing with them all the time, and I had become really good friends with everybody, and now their like my family. I travel the world with them and I share my best parts of my life with them so it’s such a blessing to be taken into their lives so closely!
Considering that you do have this love for software, I would imagine that you’re always working on music wherever you travel to. Has there been any song that you’ve released that was inspired from being in a particular city anywhere around the world?
wAFF – Rem…well I don’t get inspired by places really, I have done something when I was in Thailand before or if I’m on a beach I might make something that’s quite Arabic or dreamy that I’ve never released, but usually I don’t get inspired by things or places, like I don’t look at something and think “wow, yeah that boat is really nice I’m gonna make a tune”, ha! I just get bursts of inspiration at random times. I have been to other places in the world and made some amazing music from being there but I couldn’t put it down to that place. I have a track coming out on Drumcode this year called ‘VibrationZ’ which I made in Italy years ago and I was really high on life when I was there, had a wicked gig and came to my hotel and made ‘VibrationZ’, which is one of my favourite tunes I’ve made in recent years. You know what, I’ve just written all that and it could all be bollocks, ha! I probably have been so inspired by places, maybe I do but the honest answer would be…I actually don’t know and I can’t remember, haha!
You’re playing loads of festivals this summer including Electric Daisy Carnival. Can you describe the feeling of being on stage in front of thousands of people, all going mental to your set?
wAFF – It’s such an amazing experience when your playing good and you’re really in a zone, and you have that many people in front of you enjoying ‘YOU’, it’s sometimes overwhelming. It’s amazing and an experience that I can’t imagine, and don’t ever ever want to get old! It’s so different to clubs when your at festivals, and sometimes it’s better, sometimes it’s not because it’s so different it’s hard to say, but there is a very special energy at festivals that really picks me up and makes me love life even more than I do.
I recently just played We Are Festival on the Paradise stage back to back with Patrick Topping and the vibe of our stage was unreal. It was completely packed right from the word go and we both just had such a mint time, also because the speakers are so huge and loud every drop of a tune just boots off and the place was rocking. Yeah, it’s a very special thing and I never want it to end : )
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