Project Description

Interview with
JAMES ASH
(Rogue Traders)

(October 2020)

Interviewer – Dave Bruce

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Original member of multi-platinum selling group Rogue Traders, James Ash’s musical journey comes full circle with the release of: Right in The Night.  With his return to Vicious, James takes his formidable studio skills and wraps them around the classic 90s Anthem: ‘Right in The Night,’ originally made famous by Jam and Spoon.  Slinky four-to-the-floor beats, subtle melodies and a moody, female vocal, reinvent this for today’s ears, again showing off James’ production finesse.

James explains what drew him to remaking the classic track: “When I began DJing, ‘Right in The Night’ was the biggest tune in the world.  Over the years, I’ve always wanted to return to it and honour the original with my own take on it.  You could say this record is 27 years in the making.  But it also has a clear eye to the future and I hope to bring this song to a whole new generation of fans.”

Vicious released the Rogue Traders’ debut album and top 10 single: ‘One of My Kind’ back in 2003 when they were a DJ-based, production duo.  Rogue Traders then evolved into a massive crossover pop success with the addition of lead singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte.  The rest, as they say, is history and what a history it is! Over 1 million records sold, 6 x ARIA Platinum Records, 5 x ARIA Gold Records, 6 x Top Ten Singles in Australia, plus a UK #3 Single with ‘Voodoo Child.’ At one stage Rogue Traders had four out of the top 10 tracks on the iTunes chart! Collectively James’ productions have over 15 million Spotify Streams and 9 million YouTube streams!

Vicious welcomes James Ash back not only to the label where he began his journey, but also to dance floors (real/virtual) worldwide!

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Have you always wanted to be a musician? Was there a specific moment growing up that made you realise you desired this path?
> My older brother was part of a breakdance crew, so I used to tag long but never danced. I proclaimed that I was the DJ in the group – before I even knew what that meant! The big moment was the early nineties when a whole generation of producers who grew up with simple home computers suddenly had the means to make a record. It was a real watershed moment where everything felt possible.

Why do you think people have resonated with your music throughout the decades?
> Wow, I would be humbled if it has. Look, I have always tried to do things that feel current, but also add a spin on it. You can see that idea personified with ‘Right in The Night.’ But going further back to tracks like ‘Voodoo Child,’ I was loving the energy of house, but wanted to inject some punk energy too to create something exciting. To be honest, I credit Basement Jaxx as the trailblazers here. They use house music as the jumping off point to make something else.

Since you started your career in the growing days of Aussie electronic successes such as The Presets, PNAU, and Van She; how do you find the industry has changed in particular with the global boom of electronic dance music pushing electronica into the mainstream?
> It’s almost unrecognizable now. But I would say the principle difference now is that all music is international. Of course this is due to the internet, but back in the 90s we would go to record shops and hope that our relationships with the owners would give us prime access to the next shipments. Certain areas had different sounds, but now anything can come from anywhere – which is amazing.

In the last decade, artists have found strong successes in side-projects to their main works, such as Empire of the Sun from PNAU as well as Michael Di Francesco’s largely successful Touch Sensitive; both of which have explored very different sounds to their original style. How have you found your creative muse develop over time as part of your solo projects?
> I think as artists, we always want to express lots of things. Rogue Traders was an amazing project for me that allowed me to explore pop music through the lens of dance. But sometimes you need to go in other directions, too. I’ve worked on film sound tracks, rock albums, sound design for horror movies – even TV Commercials. All these things allow you to keep the other areas of your creativity fresh. Right now, it feels right to return to the source for me, which is club culture and DJing – that direct physical connection of music to body.

How do you find the new wave of artists and how would you suggest a new Aussie DJ or producer cuts through to a local audience?
> I would say it comes down to what I said earlier – look at what is working, then find a way to put your own angle on it. Over time you will become more confident in standing out more and more from the crowd.
> I’d also say that when writing a track, don’t be afraid to make tons of mistakes and throw shit away. That is how you learn, and there’s no real shortcutting this process. When writing an album of 12 tracks, I’ll normally have 40-50 demos to choose from. That’s the real secret to finding gold.

Now that the new single is out, what’s next? Is there an EP or album in the works?
> I have about three or four tracks lined up, so we will see how that goes. I’d love to do a solo album, that would be something I’d be keen to explore – but as I am kinda old school I’d want to really make something special where all 12 tracks work as one piece.

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How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted or influenced your producing this year?
> I think the positive way it has impacted me is that when you are making music that’s sole purpose is no longer to rock a dance floor, you are freed to express a wider range of emotions. That’s why ‘Right in The Night’ sits at a slower 118 bpm, and doesn’t necessarily reach for the rafters like some other bigger records. I can aim for the heart first.

How do you envision the eventual return of shows in the industry? Do you think restrictions will compromise the overall experience?
> Of course they are bound to. But I think whatever and however it returns, there will be enormous gratitude, and demand.

In the hopes that normality begins to return, where do you see yourself in a year’s time?
> I’d love to keep making records that can move a heart and a dance floor. That emotional resonance is what I’m keen to double down on.

If you could collaborate with any music artists, dead or alive, who would you choose? And why?
> I would co-produce with the almighty Brian Eno, and get Phil Oakey from the Human League on vocals! What a weird record that would be… Weird electronica with the voice of 80s pop. It would be an utterly indulgent mess.

What is the best thing about performing to a live audience? What’s been the career highlight so far?
> Live audiences are something special. It is a shared communal experience. I am not a religious person, but there is definitely an elevation that you feel when music is played at loud volumes amongst people who can share that joy together. It’s transcendent. It’s reassuring. It’s hopeful and joyous.
> As for career highlights, it’s not about huge crowds, it’s about little moments. Catching a face in the crowd eye to eye and sharing a connection with a human you may never see again.

Finally, a few questions for some quick answers –
FAVOURITE:
Album – The Pearl – Brian Eno & Daniel Lanois
Artist – Doves
Movie – Dawn Of The Dead (Original)
Place to visit – Switzerland
Venue to play – Albion, Melbourne
Food –  Indian
Drink – Kingfisher Beer
Person in History – Christopher Hitchens
Tattoo – (If you don’t have one, what would you get?) – I would get one that says ‘I will never get a tattoo’

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Check out JAMES ASH below
Instagram  | Twitter 

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VICIOUS RECORDINGS
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AMNPLIFY – DB