Tristan da Cunha in Residence (Back To Basics)

Image: Tristan da Cunha

Back To Basics is the longest running club night in the UK. Set to celebrate its 24th birthday in November of this year, the Leeds based institution has welcomed some of the biggest names in dance music to various locations in the city since it's inception onto the scene all those years ago (check out the mini documentary on it below).

The club night prides itself on its strong accumulation of residents, including Ralph Lawson, James Holroyd and Denney who have all represented Back To Basics with pride, showcasing the best in house music. Another mainstay which has become a staple part of the club is Tristan da Cunha, who began his residency at the club when he was just 21 years old.

To follow up the first edition of our new feature series on resident DJs with secretsundaze's Giles Smith, we've quizzed Tristan, who is also one half of DJ and production duo Dungeon Meat with Brawther, to talk about the first time he played at Back To Basics, his role as a resident, his favourite moments and more ahead of the club's next event. 

Why do you think that the role of a resident DJ is so crucial to a successful club night?

If you look back at all the main clubs and parties that were influential to us today you can see one thing was a common factor - they all had resident DJ's that shaped and defined the sound and atmospheres giving each party their unique vibe.

Dave Mancuso at The Loft, Larry Levan at the Paradise Garage, Nicky Siano at the Gallery, Frankie Knuckles at The Warehouse, Ron Hardy at the Muzik Box, Jellybean Benitez at the Fun House, Tony Humphries at Zanzibar, Timmy Regisford at the Shelter, Junior Vasquez at The Sound Factory.

There was Francois K, Danny Krivit and Joe Clausell at Body & Soul, Danny Tenaglia at Twilo, DJ Harvey at Ministry Of Sound, Danny Rampling at Shoom, Greame Park and Mike Pickering at the Hacienda, Greg Wilson at Legends, Unabombers at Electric Chair, Craig Richards and Terry Francis at Fabric, Dom & Harri at Sub Club, Giles and James at secretsundaze and of course Basics originals Ralph Lawson, Huggy and James Holroyd.

These are just selection of DJs I would call proper residents and I'm sure if I thought harder and longer I could come up with loads more names and I apologise if I've missed off anyone worthy of being listed above. 

Anyway, my point being you can see how much these DJs shaped the scenes they were on and the impact they had on the history of what we call 'dance music'. I think this in a way answers your question, a proper resident DJ creates the music policy, defines the sound, builds a rapport with the regulars, makes and breaks records taking them from obscurity and turning them into 'anthems'.

They tell a story and have a dialogue with the people who come week in week out . They are the musical pillars that hold up the roof of their musical churches , they set the standards for the guest DJ's who come to play. They live it, breath it and do it for the love out of a pure passion and obsession for the music, the art and the 'craft'. 

What do you think your duty is as a resident?

Well, the only real 'duty' is to help everyone get loose and have a good time, but I suppose there are various other important factors. One of them is being a good ambassador for the party, dropping the ego and being on dancefloor level with the rest of the people that come to release their inhibitions and have it out.

It's important to be a dancer before you become a DJ I think, work from the ground up. This way your understanding of the party is much better and creates a much deeper connection with the audience. It's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice. Always have time for people that are interested in what you do and remember without the dancers there would be no DJs. 

Another very important aspect of being a resident is being a good musical 'filter'. Digging and searching for the best music you can possibly find across the board, not just sticking to one style or genre. Filtering through the sea of mediocrity and battling with the tyranny of choice.  

It's important to look in places not everyone else does and find some lost hidden gems or have some upfront music no one else has in order to stand out amongst the crowd and give yourself a bit of musical identity. You won't get any credence for playing the latest beatport top 10. It's all about music from the heart not the chart.

I think as a resident DJ it's also very important to be versatile and be able to go in different directions musically. This means you can keep things interesting and also be able to adapt to the different guest DJ's that come to play. It's important to set them up just right or to be able to follow them and keep some kind of flow. A good resident should be able to warm up nicely without haste, rock a peak time set and close the night with some stone cold killers. 

Tell us about the very first time you played at Back To Basics...

First time I played Basics was New Years Eve millennium 1999/2000 at Mint Club in the back room. I was 20 years old. James Holroyd and Paul Woolford were also playing with me. I was shitting myself as Back To Basics was sacred ground so it was a huge thing for me to be doing. I must have done something right as I'm sat here writing this 15 years on. How time flies,  I can remember it like it was yesterday. 

How do you think that you represent the club night and its music policy?

I don't really know how to answer this apart from I just do my thing and try to do it the best I can. Same as I've always done it. I have many different shades to what I do just like basics has in its musical ethos. One foot in the past and one in the future. It's just as much about playing a killer new club weapon as it is about dropping a classic that brings everyone together.

For me what's so good about having a residency and a good crowd is you have a bit more freedom to explore the different sides of my record collection depending on how I'm feeling, where I'm playing, which room I'm playing, what time of night my set is or who the guest is. My main aim is to create a good atmosphere on the dance floor whilst playing some stuff they've never heard before and dropping some basics favourites. It's a party at the end of the day. Let's have some fun and lose it. 

For a long time the resident DJ was overshadowed by the headline act but the scene has come to appreciate and acknowledge again, with many club nights adopting well known residents for series. Why do you think it's changed?

For me a lot of the time the residents overshadowed the guests in terms of performance and selection . A lot of the time the residents names are really small on the flyer making them look unimportant or just a support for some BIG headliner. In my eyes they are just as important and integral. I love how Fabric always put Craig and Terry's names above all the guests on the line ups. That says a lot to me about how much they value their residents and shows people that they are just as important as the guests who share their DJ booth. 

I'm not sure why things have changed though. Unfortunately these days it's difficult for promoters to throw parties and just have their residents play all night which is how it used to be. Now it's all about big names big fonts and big tunes which is a shame as new residents don't get a chance to hone their craft with long sets. They play for two hours maximum, get the party bubbling then have to get off to make way for the guests to come on.

The general public seem to be more attracted to who's headlining rather than whether the venue , sound system or the vibe is any good. Dave Beer was saying that with the new Basics nightclub (that is imminent), he didn't want to even announce the guests which I think would be a great thing to do. Get people coming down for the residents and the vibe and have the guests as a surprise bonus rather than the main feature. This would be very healthy for the party as it attracts real music lovers and vibe merchants that separate from the herd. 

I'm a bit suspicious about these big name DJ residencies as essentially they are just playing the same kind of sets they would if they were a guest in any other club, smashing it out with hands in the air. It's still all about bums on seats as well, not necessarily about the music and putting the 'art' in party. 

I was very happy to see the new club Phonox in Brixton announce Jasper James as a resident as it seems they are approaching this more in the traditional sense of a residency and building up something with the DJ and the crowd week in week out. I look forward to seeing how this develops and hopefully more clubs will follow suit. These parties with ten headline DJ's playing for an hour or so each have never been a good thing in my eyes and I hope to see them fade out in favour of a less is more approach. 

What track in your collection always sets the tone for the night at Back to Basics?

Gosh I always find these kind of questions impossible as there are so many tracks and also very dependent on how I'm feeling. A real Basics house classic though that always set's the tone is 'Hypnodelic' by Francois K. Timeless house music that ticks all the boxes for me.  

How do your sets differ from when you're playing as a resident to when you’re playing headline gigs?

It just depends on where and when I'm playing a lot of the time. As a resident you often start the night off with an empty room, so I play different tempos and styles to create a certain mood and ease people in and slowly build it up. At the end of the night you can do a similar thing and drop some classics or a few odd curve balls to send everyone home with a smile.

Headlining is usually coming on to a packed dance floor and people want to have it out and get down to business, so you have to provide a certain level of energy in the music you play and keep them moving. I feel lucky to have a residency though as I would hate to have to play headline slots and peak time music constantly. It's nice to be able to express different sides of me and a residency really gives the freedom to do that. 

What has been your favourite moment playing as a resident DJ at Back To Basics?

Another absolutely impossible question to answer as I have 15 years worth of very hazy moments. So many highlights as I've got to play alongside nearly all my inspirations and build relations with them and one of the best crowds in the world. What I love about basics is that it's still rocking and giving me the same thrills as it was when I first started.

I'm still having moments all the time when I play and that doesn't look like it will ever change especially with the new club on the horizon . Our new home opening will certainly be a 'favourite moment'. 

Tristan Da Cunha plays Back To Basics' event on Saturday 5th September along with Adam Shelton at the Wire in Leeds. 

Like this? Try Naughty club tackle with Dungeon Meat

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