Groove Armada Interview: London Calling

Image: Groove Armada

Groove Armada are one of Britain's biggest dance music exports. After entering the charts with mainstream crossover tracks like 'Superstylin' and 'I See You Baby', they became a household name. These days they're at home with the underground - recently releasing the Fabric Live 87 compilation, following on from their LP on Jaymo & Andy George's Moda Black label.

The duo, composed of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay, are Londoners through and through and have spent the vast majority of their career playing to crowds in clubs like Tobacco Dock, Fabric and also festivals like Glastonbury and Lovebox (the latter of which Groove Armada founded).

We caught up with one half of GA, Andy Cato, to find out a little bit more about the elrowCity concept which will see seven major DJs take control of Space's Terrace to bring a little bit of their hometown magic to Ibiza. 

You guys are set to host your own room at Space Ibiza as part of the elrowCity concept this season. How were you approached about it and what were your initial reactions to the idea? 

We've played on the Space Terrace on Sundays for 15 years. When we began, the 1210s were on the bar, it closed at midnight and you could touch the wheels of the planes overhead. Things changed over the years but the Terrace remained a special place for us.

We’re already part of the elrow team having played a lot of their parties last year so when they asked about going back to the Terrace one last time before Space closes its doors, there wasn’t much time needed to think it over. 

You'll be representing our capital city. Talk us through your relationship with London, what were your early clubbing experiences there?  

My first London clubland experiences were at raves in industrial estates around the M25. When I moved down here, I was in Clapham North and Club UK was the scene of some of the best and wildest nights inside a licensed venue that I’ve ever seen.

My first big DJ gig was at a night called Rude in SW1. It was me and Mark and Adrian Luvdup. By the time GA started, we were playing at TummyTouch parties in what where then the disused warehouses of Shoreditch. We were at the opening of Ministry and of Fabric, which makes the return of our Fabric residency all the more special. 

Have you got a good tale of mischief you could tell us from your early raving days? 

One man’s mischief is another man’s jail term. 

How do you find London's clubbing scene is at the moment? How have you seen the parties develop over the years? 

It goes in waves. From small raves in disused buildings, to the golden club era of Turnmills, Bagleys, The End, SW1, Ministry, Fabric, Heaven... and back down again now to the smaller basement vibe. Musically there have been years when house has been pushed to room 2 by the new style on the block. But house is timeless and always comes back. 

In regards to production at the event, do you have any ideas as to what you'd like to incorporate into the party to reflect London clubbing? 

The best aspects of London clubbing are not complicated or expensive. Great sound, near darkness, and a diverse crowd of nice people (and enough ladies toilets).

You guys are playing at the Opening Ceremony for elrow at Space Ibiza. How do you feel about the club's transition in ownership? Surely 2016 is going to be one of the biggest and best seasons to date? 

What’s certain is it’ll be the last. Whether or not it can go out on the highs of the 90s remains to be seen. We’ll be giving it our best shot. Change of ownership in Ibiza is everywhere. You can either dwell on the fact that the old magic has been lost, or on the fact that you can still find it if you know where to look. 

How important do you think parties like elrow are to the scene currently? It seems as if clubbers are really taken by this sort of themed set up, do you think that in some ways crowds are getting bored with the typical warehouse set up?  

You could probably do an interesting study as to whether a few years of EDM breakdowns and screens has decreased concentration spans enough to make it impossible to get lost in a groove in a dark room with no need for confetti, CO2 or stilts. But this isn’t the place for it. 

Aside from London, what other cities have made a big impression on you over the years when it comes to clubbing? 

New York, Amsterdam, early 90s Leeds, Nottingham and Manchester, St Petersburg.

Last up, what other plans/projects for the summer have you got lined up?  

These days I lead a double life between a farm and the dancefloor. So if it isn’t the Space Terrace, Fabric or Rotterdam, it’ll be livestock and cereals. Though there’ll be some time set aside to tweak upcoming releases on Hypercolour, Snatch and Sony.

2016 is also the year we made it into the Fabric Live series, with our edition, number 87, available to soundtrack your summer from the end of May. 

Catch Groove Armada hosting the elrow Space Terrace on Saturday 4th June for the opening party and also on 3rd September.

Tickets for the elrow Opening Ceremony are available from the box below.

Check out other upcoming Groove Armada gigs. 

Tickets are no longer available for this event