‘WORKING WITH MUSIC MAKES YOU A COOL GEEK'

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Paradise Regained

Rising Scottish house star Milton Jackson discusses deep house, geeks and why he's not the new Mylo with David Pollock

H respectable national label, who’s getting attention in the pages of Mixmag and on dancefloors around the world, but just don’t. whatever you do, go proclaiming Milton Jackson to be ‘the new Mylo’. Or ‘the new Calvin Harris’ for that matter.

‘I really respect what they both do,’ says Milton, aka Barry Christie, choosing his words carefully, ‘but it’s a lot more mainstream than the music I make. l’d describe them more as pop music, you know? While I’m into the underground scene, and I’d rather be thought of alongside guys like Alex Smoke and Slam’. Which is still pretty good company to be in.

Originally from Bonnyrigg and now based just outside of Glasgow, Christie's latest lease of life through a deal with Jimpster‘s Freerange label (his new album Crash will be enjoying its Scottish launch party here) comes after an earlier recording career.

e’s a young Scottish producer signed to a .

Now 28, his first release came at the age of 20 on {7 Stevie Sole’s Tronicsole label and continued through i

records for labels Black Vinyl and Glasgow

out from the likes of Laurent Gamier, Tom Middleton and Roger Sanchez.

combination of geekish obsession and the,

predominantly deep house sounds he would absorb 5

while he was out. ‘I think you have to be a geek to do this,’ he says, ‘because you have to know how certain software works and what it does. Working with music

makes you a cool geek. though. rather than just a complete geek! ‘Back in those days, of course, being able to make

my own tunes was all so new and exciting to me; l’d literally go along to the Honeycomb, listen to what Gareth Sommerville was playing and then try to recreate that sound on my computer when I got home.

I’d usually fail miserably, but it still taught me a lot.’

The lure of geekdom almost finished his career in

music for good, though. In 2004 he went off to get a day job: ‘Mmm . . . thing. Quite dull. I kind of thought I should just get a proper job though, you know? I’m glad I didn’t

it was sort of like a database ,

follow it through.‘ This holiday in real life lasted for two years. and forms a kind of prologue to Christie’s current career, when past collaborations with Freerange artist Tom Szirtes. aka Shur-l-kan, brought Underground, as well as professional nods and plays

him to Jimpster’s attention in 2006. Now travelling virtually every weekend to Europe,

Japan and Australia on DJing jobs, Christie needn’t

The Milton Jackson name has been there since day i one, quite literally. ‘It was on the day my first EP was going to press,’ he says. ‘I had to come up with an i alias really quickly, and was [eating through a bunch I of old records when I spotted this name; Milt

Jackson, on the cover of his Sunflower LP. So I changed that slightly, and after that it just stuck’.

Inspired by nights at Edinburgh’s Honeycomb and ; Glasgow’s Sub Club. Christie thrived on a:

worry about another day job. ‘People used to be DJs first and then producers,’ he says. ‘but it seems to be

the other way around now. Promoters are more keen

if you already have a name.’ Milton Jackson has had his for eight years it’s good to see it getting some

USC.

Tronicsole hosts the Milton Jackson album launch at the Admiral, Glasgow, Sat 21 Mar.

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:2: Ind of Subclty 106.6 FM Party Celebrate the end of the station's latest broadcast with a party in a secret location, starring Detroit booty-bass ambassador DJ Assault (pictured). Buses leave from the Ivy, Glasgow, Fri 20 Mar.

*5: Boombox Two nights of hard house and trance to celebrate the 'box's second birthday. Above 8. Beyond (20 Mar) followed by Judge Jules and Matt Hardwick (28 Mar). Potterrow, Edinburgh, Fri 20 Mar 8. Sat 28 Mar.

2%: Ska Dance Craze Nothing gets the blood pumping like some knees-up ska action. Bombskare, Esperanza and Big Fat Panda provide the live music. lhe Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Fri 20 Mar

2%: Super-fly Ninety-six months of soul, funk, rock and more, all condensed down into one big eighth birthday bash. Woodside Social Club, Glasgow, Sat 21 Mar.

ti: Optima (Espsclo) Glaswegian artist, director and sound designer Konx-Om-Pax (Warp/DFA) presents 'Display Copy', a one-off visual installation. Sub Club, Glasgow, Sun 22 Mar.

>l< Huntley It Palmer’s Audlo Club and Curious Curious Pilooski, the man responsible for the ubiquitous remix of Frankie Valli's ‘Beggin' as well as unexpected reworkings of Del Shannon, The Pointer Sisters and more. Stereo, Glasgow, Fri 27 Mar.

>r. Messenger Sound System Bowing down to the master with a Lee 'Scratch' Perry tribute special of righteous dub. The Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Sat 28 Mar

>l< Shift The minimal house and techno night pulls up in its new home, with Glasgow producer Gary Beck (Slam, Edit Select) guest-starring. Pivo Pivo, Glasgow, Sat 28 Mar.

19 Mar—2 Apr 2009 TIIII LIST 3