Archie Hamilton has firmly established himself as one of the scene’s most sought-after young artists.
His labels Moscow Records, Moss Co. and Arkityp garner support from the highest echelons of house and techno, as have his own releases and remixes on much respected labels like Fear of Flying, Fasten Musique Concrete, Be Chosen, Pleasure Zone, FUSE and his own imprints.
In recent years, he has managed an increasingly busy touring schedule, playing the best clubs across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australia week in, week out. Among the most notable of these are his regular appearances at global event brand FUSE, London’s fabric and Ibiza’s Space and Amnesia, as well as leading international festivals like Sonus, We Are FSTVL and Found.
2015 was a breakthrough year for Archie, with his hit tracks Mind Blank and Troublemaker propelling him into the limelight. The summer saw the launch of a new project with fellow FUSE London resident Rossko, ‘Arkityp’ hosting 5 events across the summer season at Ibiza’s Underground Club.
2016 saw Archie take a big step on the Island with a residency at Amnesia with FUSE x Hyte, developing Arkityp into a record label with a hit debut release and finishing the year by entering Resident Advisor’s Top 100 DJs poll.
How has your 2017 gotten off to? So far so good…?
Yes, it’s been a great start. I spent half of January on tour in Argentina and Chile, which gave me some good time to reflect on 2016 and plan for the year ahead. I have also found some time to write some new music, which I am very happy with – I work in a frustrating manner whereby I either sit for months banging my head against the wall, or I get a week where I write five tracks with my eyes shut.
You placed in the “Top 100” of Resident Advisor’s top DJs of 2016. What are your impressions of such polls? Do you put any weight into them? Does placement on such a list actually help your career?
There’s no doubt that it put me in the spotlight, so I can certainly be thankful for that, but I don’t think polls or ratings are definitive. Music is subjective, and I don’t think it can be judged in such a way.
Coming into your own in London, how would you advise others to break away from the competition in such a highly competitive market? I’m from NYC, which is the same…everyone does everything, so you really need to separate yourself from the pack outside of just pure “talent”. What are your thoughts?
Good old-fashioned hard work, I’m afraid there’s no shortcut! I think it’s important to make or play music that’s original and individual to you as an artist, and delivering that in a pure and honest way. It’s also important to get out and about and build your support network. If you are the kind of person that doesn’t like to leave the studio, it’s likely that you never will. I also think that building and developing your own platform is very important; signing music to ‘big labels’ just doesn’t have the effect that it used to. You’re much better off putting your time and energy into developing your voice as an artist with something brand that people can interact with that you control. Apart from anything it’s incredibly rewarding!
You started, as many do, as a raver and moved into a DJ and industry professional. Does nostalgia ever affect your outlook of the current state of dance music? Meaning, it is undeniable that business ultimately affects artistry and one’s impressions of something when younger. Have you ever found yourself cynical of the industry as a result of “standard industry practice”?
Absolutely! As much as the landscape is different now, nothing will ever be as good as your perception of early raving experiences, but I think that is probably the rose-tint of hindsight. We (FUSE) as a collective are very lucky because I think we keep that spirit of innocence when we work together. We have all come from the dance floor, and none of us approach anything in music with a business focus.
How do you see Amsterdam? As we are based here (what gave it away?), do you see Amsterdam as a city in the “best of” conversation for electronic music?
I love Amsterdam; it’s one of my favorite cities in the world. From what I have experienced it is a shining example of open mindedness, liberalism and acceptance that many other cites could learn a lot from. It is certainly one of the best cities in the world for quality clubbing experiences – Hyte have been producing some amazing events there. I believe the focus has been on techno for many years. Although it seems that in recent years, house and minimal is become more popular.
What about Ibiza 2017? Any big plans there this summer that you can talk about?
I don’t think I can go into specifics, but suffice to say bigger and better! I can say that I will play the Hyte Pre Opening party at Amensia on May 31st as well one of Carl Cox’s only two parties on the island this season at Privilege on July 11th. More details soon…
Aside from something music based, what are you personally looking forward to for the rest of 2017?
I am finally moving back into London. When I quit my full time job in 2013, I moved home to the countryside to keep costs down. The downside of this has been that I have been literally living out of a suitcase ever since, so I am very happy to finally have my own space in the city and I can feel more settled. Maybe time to start work on an album…