Euan Gemmell is an exciting new up and coming DJ breaking onto the Scottish Electronic Dance Music scene. Playing a general ‘Big Room’ sound, primarily based on Trance and Progressive, his music style is also influenced by Techno and House sounds which can often have a darker, techy edge to it.
2011 saw him play his first set in a club and since then, he has gone from strength to strength, launching his own club night ‘Hybrid’ and being asked to play at a number of club nights across Edinburgh and West Lothian supporting established DJs Craig Wilson (Colours), Tommy Mulligan (Redbox Records), Ross Dixon, Stephen Zaccardelli, Digital Gravity, Jamie Drummond (Spinnin), Audio Tech (Controversial Records) and Slikk Mick to name a few..
He is a resident at Edinburgh club night ‘Sample’ and co-runs ‘Hybrid’ which is fast becoming one of Edinburgh’s hottest nights. He is booked to play a set at top West Lothian club night ‘Club Sesh’ @ ‘room at the top’ in his hometown of Bathgate in the next few months!
With music production in his sights for this year also, 2012 looks set to be a HUGE year for one of Scotland’s brightest new underground Dj’s.
Check out and ‘like’ the official DJ page on facebook for access to club photo’s, gig dates, new tracks, downloadable mixes and more info.
First of all, define your style and tell us a bit about yourself.
My sound is primarily trance, with a lot of house and techno influences. I don’t like to pigeon hole myself into one particular style. Basically, if I like it….I play it!
How did you get into Music? Take us right back to the young days of Euan?
From as long as I can remember, I have always loved dance music. I used to go round to my older cousins and listen to whatever he was playing at the time, DJ’s like sash and compilations like now dance! I was hooked. Throughout secondary school, my preference was House music and I used to love making cd’s with new songs on them to take to house party’s. I used to love the satisfaction I got from hearing people say “whose cd is that?”. Maybe this was an early indication that I wanted to be a DJ! It really kicked off for me though in 2006 when I was at room @ the top in my hometown of Bathgate. Mauro Picotto was playing the main room and I walked into the room as ‘Iguana’ was being played, I remember it completely blew me away and from then on my interests gradually shifted more from house music to trance! I couldn’t get enough of it!
How does it all begin when you start producing your mixes?
Peace and quiet from the girlfriend always helps! Haha! Before a gig or demo mix, I make a shortlist of tracks that I like, then I listen to them individually and space them out in an order I think will work. Then I test them out in a set and I’ll change the order or swap tracks in or out of the mix if they don’t fit. Even if it’s my favourite track of the moment, if it doesn’t tie in with the other tracks well enough, then I will leave it to the side! I think that the choice of tracks you play and how they fit in with the overall feel of the set is very important.
What’s your ultimate direction? Are you seeking fame and fortune?
I am currently in the process of learning to produce my own tracks and remixes and will hopefully have my first track/remix finished this year!
Do you like to work alone or with other people?
I prefer to play alone as I can fully concentrate on the task at hand without worrying about getting in someone’s way….or them getting in mine! Although some Dj’s can pull it off to great effect, like fellow Edinburgh duo 2 Twisted! On a promotional level, I think it’s good to have at least one other person to bounce ideas off, and get feedback from as in most cases, two heads are better than one! Having a good team of people around you is also paramount to your overall success and helps things run a lot more smoothly towards your goal.
Who is your dream artist to work with?
My dream artist to work with, from a producing point of view, would have to be Marco V. He is a legend in my eyes and one of my biggest inspirations. He has been around for so long and is still consistently in the top tier with his productions. Another artist I get a lot of motivation from is the UK’s Gareth Emery. I think he is setting the benchmark for UK DJs and producers just now.
What is the best piece of advice anyone has given you?
I met Richard Durand at coloursfest this year and he said to me “play what you like”. This left quite an impression on me and has helped to mould the sound I want to be associated with me.
What do you like the most about people hearing the music you play?
I enjoy seeing other people happy and enjoying my sets. It’s why I do it. There is no feeling like rocking a crowd and watching their reaction when you drop a bomb on them and watching them go wild!
What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Probably making the transition from being a bedroom DJ to a club DJ. Actually getting the confidence to play in front of a paying crowd was one of the most nerve racking things I have done! Also with having my own club night “Hybrid” in Edinburgh with Louis Clark and Stewie Anderson, the promoting side of running your own night is HUGE. It takes a lot of time and effort, not to mention cash to successfully pull off a night people will remember and want to come back to.
What’s your Best/Worst gig?
My worst gig so far is probably my first! A lot of my mates were there and I was so nervous about playing for the first time in a club. Whilst mixing in a track, I accidently hit the cue button on the deck that was playing, stopping the music dead!! There was a couple of seconds of silence before I realised what I had done and restarted the track! I tried to pass it off later as my remix of Delerium-Silence but people were having none of it!
The best gig I have done so far is our second Hybrid night @ the lane, Edinburgh. There was just such a good atmosphere and all the DJ’S played out their skin that night! 2 Twisted were our guest DJ’s that night and told us afterwards that it was one of the best gigs they had done as well!
What’s your dream gig?
My dream gig would be playing a top trance night in Ibiza such as Armada in one of the top clubs, Amnesia or Space would be my top picks! The line up would probably include Marco V, Armin Van Buuren, Sander Van Doorn and Gareth Emery. On home shores however, playing a set at the arches or coloursfest would also be a dream come true.
What music do you listen to and enjoy?
I listen to quite a lot of different stuff, primarily dance music though. Trance, Tech Trance, Progressive, Progressive House, Tech House, Techno, House, Minimal, Balearic, Chillout….it really just depends on what mood I am in! I also listen to a lot of podcasts from both big name and local DJ’s.
What’s your all-time favourite song?
Ooooffffttt, that’s a tough one! One of them anyway would be Sander Van Doorn’s remix of Direct Dizco by Club Scene Investigators. It reminds me of my first lad’s holiday in Ibiza in 2007 which was messy to say the least. I could fill a book on that one, let alone an interview! HAHA
How can fans-to-be gain access to your music, mixes and and information on upcoming Hybrid nights?
‘Like’ my DJ Page on facebook @ www.facebook.com/pages/Euan-Gemmell for all my latest downloadable mixes, tracks from my sets, gig dates, club night photos and more…
You can also follow me on Soundcloud @ soundcloud.com/euangemmell
For news on upcoming Hybrid events, check out ‘Hybrid Edinburgh’ on facebook.
Do you have any tips for other young DJ/Producers who want to succeed?
Speak to people who are already doing what you want to do and listen to their advice. Go to events and speak to the promoters/dj’s on the night before or after their set. Speak with them on social network sites, send them links to your tracks/mixes. Be persistent without annoying people and try and remember that you are not the only one asking them to listen to your mix, there are lots of budding dj/producers trying the same things you are. Market yourself professionally and treat yourself as a business. Create a sound that you want associated with you and stick to it, don’t jump from David Guetta to Hard Dance just to please someone on the dance floor. If a promoter knows what he is getting, you have more chance of being booked. Most importantly though is learn to mix well, then you are more confident at playing out in clubs and you will enjoy it more!
We’d like to say a huge thank you to Euan and the hard work put into this interview & his MASSIVE mixset. Keep up to date with what Euan is upto by following him on Facebook & Soundcloud by clicking the links about.
If you’d like to have an interview on ZeroSeven, promote you’re music or even a club night, get in touch with us by clicking the contact us link at the top of this page.
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