The Editor: Hi Tim. Hi Jez. How are you both?
Utah Saints: Both well, thanks for asking! At the time of typing just on our way back from our SugarBeat Club night In Edinburgh last night to Leeds, for SugarBeat Leeds. last night we had D.Ramirez play, and he was wicked, really rocked the place!
The Editor: You’ve probably heard this question a million times! But how did the two of you meet?
Tim was wearing his chaps back to front -Jez pointed this out to him, the rest is history!
Utah Saints: DJ Tim had a (now legendary) underground house night in Harrogate that he was resident at and built up himself, on a Friday, Jez had a funk/electronic night on the Saturday in the same club -we started checking each other's nights out, and we both had been making tracks under various guises, so we decided to do track together. that track was "What Can You Do For Me" four months later we were on Top Of the Pops and that track sold 175000 copies in the UK -right time, right place.....!
The Editor: Your first performance, where did you play?
Utah Saints: As Utah Saints, (another now legendary night) Streetrave in Ayr Pavillion in Scotland.
The Editor: And your last , Wasn’t it at the Sugarbeat club. How was that?
Utah Saints: Last night at our SugarBeatClub night in Edinburgh -Scotland again -always been a very special place for us, Scotland -wonderful crowd, everyone on the same level, just about quality music -our Sugarbeat night is a mix of breaks and electro -very little if any house music, and the energy is brilliant.
The Editor: Sugarbeat is your own club night how did it all start?
Utah Saints: We've always promoted club nights as well as make music and DJ -in the nineties we put on nearly every international "rave" DJ from Pete Tong ,Carl cox , Oakenfold etc down. The we stopped for a while and about five years started SugarBeat as a reaction to sterile clubs -our nights when they go off are like a cross between a band gig and a DJ set. We started with just us playing, and as we got busier started booking guests and bringing in up and coming DJs as well. 5 years on and we have a some very talented residents including Toni Jarvis and Mooqee, and have had some amazing inspiring guests, from D Ramirez last night to Krafty Kuts, Zane Lowe, Peter Hook (New Order), Stanton Warriors, High Contrast, Soulwax (2manyDJs) Eddy Temple Morris, DJ Zinc, DJ Yoda etc etc
The Editor: Apart from your own! Which clubs do you like going to?
Utah Saints: Any that play a variety of music -Spectrum in Nottingham, Chibuku in Liverpool,VeryVeryVery wrong indeed, 0Culture and Supercharged in Brighton, The Big one in Buenos Aries, and SugarBeat Snow in Val thorens and Chamonix -without wanting to sound cliched, it's the people who come who make the club really -in Leeds we have one disco light and a killer sound system -that works as a party -when it goes off it is very special!
The Editor: You’ve sampled some great artists. What has their feedback been like on the tracks?
Utah Saints: Generally good -they have to like it otherwise they wouldn't clear it -we are still as far as we know the only act to clear a Kate Bush sample, a Metallica sample, and a Tuvan throat singer sample -we feel incredibly honoured!
The Editor: What equipment are you using at the moment. Does it also vary depending on whether you play in a club or play at a festival?
Utah Saints: Yes, we can (and have to sometimes) work on two decks , right up to taking two laptops ,effect units and using two DJ set ups i.e. 4 c.d. players, and four record decks, depending on budget and time/space. We are really feeling the DJ set up now, especially as we can now make our own versions of tracks to play out , so we are always experimenting and a lot of our set is totally unique to us.
The Editor: It’s pretty hard to define what you do as you do everything! you make music, remix and DJ. If you were to fill out a form and it says ‘occupation’ what do you put down!
Utah Saints: And promote and produce as well..Deep down we are DJs and musicians -depends who we are talking to how we describe ourselves.
The Editor: You’ve made lots of wicked records, worked and performed with some great names and Sugarbeat’s going well. What else would you like to achieve?
Utah Saints: Thank you, that's very kind of you. We fell out of love with music for a little while , but by working with the amazing DJs and musicians that come through Sugarbeat, we have rediscovered our passion! We would still like a number one record, and to start our own SugarBeat festival, and to score a movie, and produce more bands and start another label and maybe a publishing company -we check out everyone that adds us on myspace -there is some great music out there if you look for it!
The Editor loves Utah Saints. Thank you. x
Utah Saints: Thank you -we love everyone apart from three people so far, not bad for 15 years in the music business!