An integral body behind the current Fuse ascent and a founder at tastemaker label initiatives like Moscow Records, Moss Co. and Arkityp, UK artist Archie Hamilton is a man on a mission and one very much in control of his rise. His consistently spicy cuts along with a well honed capacity to dictate the dance-floor flavour has made him a highly sought after talent ever since rockin’ into the spotlight in 2015. No longer the new kid on the block, he’s embraced the opportunity before him, taking to developing his own imprints while maintaining a key role at London’s iconic party brand and label Fuse. This week, following an appearance at The Secret Garden Party, we caught up with Archie to nab a sitrep on 2017 so far and a full taste of his new remix for Voyeur on legendary UK imprint 2020 Vision…
WWD: Where in the world are you right now and what happened last night?
I’m at home in London. Last night I got back from The Secret Garden Party! I played on Thursday on The Drop stage, which was great. Then I left and played gigs in Zurich and Basel and came back to the festival for the Sunday!
WWD: The Fuse residency at Amnesia in Ibiza is a massive achievement for everyone involved. You’re up on the second instalment on August 16. What are you most looking forward to about it?
Seeing the main room full of friendly faces, and FUSE fans old and new. We always manage to have the most amazing vibe in there – we’re very lucky to have such a great crowd!
WWD: A return to Sonus Festival is coming on August 22nd. Your set back in 2016 was a special moment, somewhat of a tipping point for you. How has your perspective changed since then and what can we expect from you this time out?
It certainly was a special morning. I don’t think my perspective has changed much, although perhaps I have had a bit more experience playing stages of that size. The only difference will be that now I know what works there, I have had a year to make music and prepare for it so I will be well equipped!
WWD: With the development of the Moss Co. imprint in addition to Moscow Records and Arkityp you must have your hands full. How do you approach moving your focus between the different projects?
I certainly have a lot on my plate, but I am pretty well organised and I have my systems in place to manage the work flow. I am also lucky to have my friend Aston who helps manage Moscow Records and Moss Co., as well as Rossko and James who run Arkityp with me. The concepts of each are different too, so it’s easy to differentiate when working on them.
WWD: The label world is becoming increasingly competitive in the electronic music space. What are the key ingredients in your special sauce for creating something that can stand apart from the noise?
That’s a very difficult question – I don’t think there is a special sauce! The landscape is constantly changing and people are constantly getting into different trends. Of course the most important thing is that the music is of the highest quality and it’s also important to be individual and have something different. The concept is also extremely important; people like to buy into methodologies and ideas, whether it’s beautifully presented in a hand-drawn sleeve or hand stamped in a disco bag. The hardest part is sticking to your guns whilst still remaining constantly exciting with every release!
WWD: You’ve just remixed Noha on his new EP for Moss Co. Where did the relationship with Noha begin?
I had been following him and his label Nabuco for a while and loved his track Cables on Cabinet, so decided to get in touch. He sent me loads of great music, but Cat really stood out. I said I’d love to release it, but we needed some more tracks to go with it so he sent some more tracks including Loopo Di Mare, which I thought suited Cat really well. Finally we discussed a remix and he very sweetly asked if I would like to do it which, funnily enough, I had wanted to do all along. The rest is history!
WWD: Up next, remixing once again, you’re making an appearance on 2020 Vision. We hear it’s somewhat of a family affair?
Yes I’m really happy about this project. Not only is 2020 is such a heritage UK label and it’s an honour to be a part of it, but also I am remixing Voyeur; one of whom is my cousin Benson Herbert! I’m really happy about this as we got into music together from a very young age, but for some mad reason have never made anything together – but that is about to change!
WWD: When did you put remix together?
Only a couple of months ago – I absolutely loved the parts so I was able to work very quickly; I have an obsession with acid bass lines and also the pad/synth parts were amazing to work with so I think I managed to have a first draft done within about 6 hours. I tested it a few times – at Gottwood, Sonar and various other club gigs and adjusted the levels as necessary and we sent it to master. Quick turnaround!
WWD: Can you share any of the upcoming plans for Moscow & Moss Co.?
Next up after my EP with Enzo, I have a record with my cousin Benson, remixed by 100Hz, which I am very excited about! And next on Moss Co. we have an amazing record from Tatko, which is an alias of a very good friend of mine – I’m interested to see if people can work out who it is…
WWD: In the grand scheme of things, what would make for a great second half of 2017 for Archie Hamilton?
Well it’s looking pretty good already to be fair. My summer is packed with some really exciting gigs and tours; Ibiza, Sonus Festival, The Dominican Republic, MDRNTY Cruise, Australia, the list goes on… The missing piece of the puzzle is my US visa, which I should have very soon, so a nice trip to The States towards the end of the year would be great!
Voyeur’s ‘Witchdoctor’ EP is set for release on July 31st via 2020 Vision Recordings.