Slam (band)
Encyclopedia
Slam are a producer/DJ
duo from Glasgow
, consisting of Stuart MacMillan (born 1966, Glasgow) and Orde Meikle (born 1964, Oxford
). They are co-founders of Soma Quality Recordings
. Their music style consists of house
and techno
.
track on DJ Segun's late night show on Radio Clyde
. During a brief stint PRing for Club Eden, Sleepman secured a Saturday night at Glasgow's Tin Pan Alley, which was to become the home of Slam. Prior to the launch of her musical career Dot Allison (future musical collaborator) worked with the PR team, and DJ Harri was a regular guest on the turntables.
Slam then quickly launched a Friday night at The Sub Club called Atlantis. Black Market still kept its own musical identity throughout the Summer of Love, playing an eclectic mix of musical genres.
Shortly after, Tennent's Lager’s marketing agency approached Slam with a sponsorship deal to tour Scotland's clubs over a period of two years. The tour ultimately led to Slam's residency at T in the Park and increased their nationwide profile.
Slam have released numerous singles
since the mid 1990s, their best known being "Positive Education", "Eterna" and "Lifetimes". They co-founded Soma Quality Recordings
in 1991, along with label boss Dave Clarke. More recently, Slam Events was launched - a subdivision of Soma that deals mainly with the promotion of Slam and Slam nights. Slam are currently the resident DJs at Pressure, a monthly event promoted by Soma and Slam Events which occurs on the last Friday of every month at The Arches
in Glasgow. They also have a residency at the Sub Club in Glasgow at another Soma and Slam Events night called Return to Mono. They have also been resident DJs at Fabric
in London. For the last 10 years Slam have curated and played in the Slam Tent, at T in the Park
, and they have appeared on BBC Radio 1
's "Essential Mix
" six times between 1994 and 2008, as well as appearing at Bestival
in 2008.
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
duo from Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, consisting of Stuart MacMillan (born 1966, Glasgow) and Orde Meikle (born 1964, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
). They are co-founders of Soma Quality Recordings
Soma Quality Recordings
Soma Quality Recordings is a Scottish techno and house label co-founded in 1991 by the electronic music duo Slam...
. Their music style consists of house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
and techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
.
History
McMillan and Meikle's first real club event was a weekly Thursday night called Black Market, in the Glasgow club, Fury Murrys. They played a mix of house, funk and rap. In early 1988, they were approached by Steven Sleepman (aka Steven Workman), after he heard his first acid houseAcid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
track on DJ Segun's late night show on Radio Clyde
Radio Clyde
Radio Clyde is a division of Bauer Radio based in Glasgow, Scotland. They currently operate an FM station and an AM station from studios in Clydebank West Dunbartonshire.- History :...
. During a brief stint PRing for Club Eden, Sleepman secured a Saturday night at Glasgow's Tin Pan Alley, which was to become the home of Slam. Prior to the launch of her musical career Dot Allison (future musical collaborator) worked with the PR team, and DJ Harri was a regular guest on the turntables.
Slam then quickly launched a Friday night at The Sub Club called Atlantis. Black Market still kept its own musical identity throughout the Summer of Love, playing an eclectic mix of musical genres.
Shortly after, Tennent's Lager’s marketing agency approached Slam with a sponsorship deal to tour Scotland's clubs over a period of two years. The tour ultimately led to Slam's residency at T in the Park and increased their nationwide profile.
Slam have released numerous singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
since the mid 1990s, their best known being "Positive Education", "Eterna" and "Lifetimes". They co-founded Soma Quality Recordings
Soma Quality Recordings
Soma Quality Recordings is a Scottish techno and house label co-founded in 1991 by the electronic music duo Slam...
in 1991, along with label boss Dave Clarke. More recently, Slam Events was launched - a subdivision of Soma that deals mainly with the promotion of Slam and Slam nights. Slam are currently the resident DJs at Pressure, a monthly event promoted by Soma and Slam Events which occurs on the last Friday of every month at The Arches
The Arches (Glasgow)
The Arches is a bar, arts venue, theatre, live music venue and nightclub in Glasgow, Scotland, which first opened in 1991. It is a not-for-profit organisation...
in Glasgow. They also have a residency at the Sub Club in Glasgow at another Soma and Slam Events night called Return to Mono. They have also been resident DJs at Fabric
Fabric (club)
Fabric is a nightclub in London, United Kingdom. It was voted number 1 in DJ Magazine's "Top 100 Clubs in the World" poll in 2007 and number 2 in 2008, 2009 and 2010...
in London. For the last 10 years Slam have curated and played in the Slam Tent, at T in the Park
T in the Park
T in the Park is a major British music festival that has been held annually since 1994. It is named after its main sponsor, the brewing company Tennents. It was originally held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire but since 1997 has been held at a disused airfield in Balado, Kinross-shire...
, and they have appeared on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's "Essential Mix
Essential Mix
The Essential Mix is a weekly radio show on BBC Radio 1 currently broadcast between 03:00 and 05:00 Saturday morning. Originally broadcast on 30 October 1993, The Essential Mix features contemporary DJs and music producers of electronic dance music....
" six times between 1994 and 2008, as well as appearing at Bestival
Bestival
Bestival is a four-day music festival held at the Robin Hill country park on the Isle of Wight, England. It has been held annually in late summer since 2004. The event is organized by DJ and record producer Rob da Bank and is an off-shoot of his Sunday Best record label and club nights. The initial...
in 2008.
Discography
- Snapshots (SomaSoma Quality RecordingsSoma Quality Recordings is a Scottish techno and house label co-founded in 1991 by the electronic music duo Slam...
, 1995) - "Positive Education" (single) (SomaSoma Quality RecordingsSoma Quality Recordings is a Scottish techno and house label co-founded in 1991 by the electronic music duo Slam...
, 1995) - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#44 (2001) - Headstates (SomaSoma Quality RecordingsSoma Quality Recordings is a Scottish techno and house label co-founded in 1991 by the electronic music duo Slam...
, 1996) - Past Lessons/Future Theories (Distinctive Breaks, 2000)
- Alien Radio (Soma, 2001)
- Alien Radio Remixed (Soma, 2002)
- Slam in America (DMCDisco Mix ClubDisco Mix Club is a DJ remix service founded by Tony Prince which began as a radio show in 1981 on Radio Luxembourg in the UK. Prince helped popularise a new style of DJ mixes using the turntable as an instrument. DMC started operating as a remix service in 1983. They started producing remix...
, 2002) - Fabric 09: Slam (FabricFabric (club)Fabric is a nightclub in London, United Kingdom. It was voted number 1 in DJ Magazine's "Top 100 Clubs in the World" poll in 2007 and number 2 in 2008, 2009 and 2010...
, 2003) - Year Zero (Soma, 2004)
- Nightdrive (Resist, 2005)
- Ekspozicija 4 (Explicit Musick, 2006)
- Human Response (Soma, 2007)
External links
- Soma Records profile
- Slam Events
- [ allmusic profile]