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Date
of Interview:
14 October, 2001
Contributed by:
James Belias
 The weeks are organised and a schedule is set. One day Alton Miller might go through old records and rediscover long obscured bombs, and try to get the weekend's set organised. He'll try to fit in some studio time too, and go for some "full-on" production work. He will also spend time on the phone taking care of business, for forth coming tours. But today, is vacuuming day and I feel this interview is disrupting the Detroit legends routine.
Like Alton's week, his career is also well balanced in terms of DJing and production work. "If I have a good set on the weekend then I'm hanging to get back into the studio. I play dance music so I think about dance music. What I play, is also what I want to come out of the studio. If I didn't DJ, I don't think I would be able to make the music.
Miller draws upon the vibe he stirs up on the dance floor and when he plays to a packed house and his set truly reaches people, his goal is achieved. "That energy that I get from the crowd from having a good set and having a good time is important. I just try to bottle it in, and bring it back to the studio so the feeling comes through to the other end".
Millers own production in the past has given him acclaim from both music aficionados and critics alike. His second release 'I Like Having You' is considered a house classic worldwide. Over the past few years, Miller has recorded both singles and EP's for various independent labels, such as his The Rare Source EP for BPM. His 12" titled "Ease Your Mind" is a perfect example of his style, described as soulful house with a heavy percussive emphasis. This 12 incher combines smooth musical stylings through tight tribal percussion a smooth bass and vocals to die for.
"I'm kinda slowing it down a bit, and making it all a bit more experimental. I'm moving away from trying to make that perfect club record. So it doesn't have to be 124 on the floor banging the fuck out the whole time. I'm now a bit wiser and more mature. I like to hope there is a progression in the skills too, you know what I mean?".
A self-confessed studio perfectionist, Miller strives to achieve dance-floor harmony, delivering the masses from chaos and achieving a musical order so rare though idyllic.
"There is a moment in the set when you're on fire and it's all beautiful. That is always when I'm playing my favourite pieces in my box. I like to emulate this in terms of studio work. I think it's more the energy from the crowd that I get from the people".
Essentially, when Miller is playing to crowd he is taking all the different ideas, vibes and feelings from the records in his box and moulds them into his own feeling and the point he is getting across. "I find it harder to create DJ-wise, than in the studio because I'm playing somebody else's records. When you are playing your own music, like a horn or a piano, then its you and its all you".
Miller's career has had so many twists and turns, musically, as can be expected from someone who has charged all over the planet for 15 years. Since co-founding Detroit's seminal club The Music Institute, Miller has been in global demand. He will be bringing his timeless set down to Melbourne for the first time.
"The typical set these days is a bit more concentrated. Right on the point and not too diluted. Heavy rythms and baselines. You know, always moving and all over the place. Of course, I still play some classics here and there but it's always a musical journey for me. I like to start at one place and end at the other. I like to play for five hours. There is so much I want to say and so much to get across".
Truth Events presents Alton Miller, spreading the love and bringing his truly unique take on house music to Melbourne. |
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14th Mar 10
The Story So Far...
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