It appears that various musical influences surfacing throughout McMillan and Meikle’s multi-era life have all uniquely collaborated to help shape the present face of Slam and that of the duo’s sound searching record label - Soma.
Born in the mid-sixties and growing up in the seventies with the John Peel show, the duo report their appreciation of punk and being introduced to reggae, electro and early hip hop through listening to the show.
Establishing themselves as Slam in Glasgow through the late eighties, Soma record label was started independently in 1991 with a few releases each year, putting out music that they really believed in. 100 releases on, Soma have maintained their underground cult status yet gained the respect as one the worlds best house and techno labels. Now the driving force behind Glasgow’s underground house and techno scene, Slam in conjunction with their respected record label Soma have together built Slams’ much deserved international DJing reputation. The high profile phenomenon of the duo’s dedicated musicianship, perseverance and experimental flamboyancy, has impressed London’s ‘Fabric’ to the extent where Slam now follow their childhood hero; John Peel, in the Fabric CD series.
Meikle: "We’ve enjoyed playing fabric so much that we are going to be doing 4 gigs a year now as a kind of Slam residency. They’ll be 5 hour sets so we can build up and take people on a journey: it’s like that at fabric, with the system in there and the reaction from the dance floor you don’t want the set to finish"
I acquired Slams’ advanced promo copy of ‘Fabric 09’ two weeks before the release date on March 3rd when my first impressions of the CD weren’t particularly satisfying - perhaps because I wasn’t listening live while bouncing round in Fabric like a speed snorting pill popper on a stolen pogo stick ~ hopefully next time though! However, it has grown on me somewhat, oozing a smooth rush of up-beat body music, exemplified through McMillan and Meikle’s swiftly accurate all hands on decks approach. An almost aesthetic vision is uniquely built through the resonance of the CD featuring Slam’s dub of Ladytron, kickin through with Danilo Vigorito’s deep spacey vibrations, appearances from Oxia, Envoy, Tony Thomas and the final seal of approval from my favourite mix on the album: the irrevocable exquisite concoction from ‘Underground Resistance’ hailed ‘Inspiration’.
McMillan: "This CD reflects our DJing sound in Room 2 at Fabric, starting deep and getting gradually more intense towards the end"
Ripping in beats and hurling down grooves, ‘Fabric 09’ is a motivating spectrum of quality techno orientated sounds which will only compliment Slams’ international eminence, of which will be displayed on their tours of America, Japan, Australia and Europe this year.
Reviewed by Euan Macleod
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