Ahead of this Saturday’s Signed Up event, with the Weapons of Desire DJs on the decks at The Imaginarium, we spoke to Nigel Rogers aka Perseus Traxx…
Imaginarium: What’s the story of, and inspiration for, Signed Up?
Nigel: The whole idea behind Signed Up… was a few of us wanting to create something small and intimate initially for local people that didn’t want to travel too far from West Yorkshire; all of us were constantly being asked where we were playing locally and ironically we weren’t so it seemed to make perfect sense.
The first Signed Up saw people travel from the likes of Newcastle, London, Scotland, Brighton, Wales and The Midlands to see us all. Setting up the Signed Up.. group on Facebook meant we were contacting people directly, almost cherry picking at the time and getting them “Signed up” for a small fee just meant that we knew everyone (well most) who were coming and as the song goes “If you’re names not down…” you know the rest. That said, we acknowledge not everyone uses Facebook so we’ve gone a little wider with the invitation this time round, opening it up more but still hoping to keep that family feel while expanding so more people can come and dance and understand what actually is going on with local artists and record labels.
Imaginarium: Tell us a bit about the DJs playing at this party…
Nigel: As well as a little bit from myself, Alex and Toni will be playing. They record as Auto Sound City and have releases on Damo B’s Emotec label, as well as Chicago Bee, The North Remembers, and of course Weapons of Desire. They also teamed up with Al Bradley to release a fundraising record under the title “Music For Ukraine” which was released on Al’s 3am Recordings. I think it’s quite fitting especially given the fact that Leeds has always been home to the largest population of Ukranians in the UK.
We’ve asked Al to come and play as they’ve done the release together, plus he an all round good egg, so I’m really looking forward to hearing him. 3am Recordings has been going on for over 20 years now and he’s a regular at the Imaginarium so it’s a no brainer really. Our other guest is Stu Crosbie. He’s based in Brighton and came to our last party. He was also the last vinyl release on Weapons of Desire. He runs two labels, Dark Arts and Novac Music, and both are incredible. There’s a form of precise experimentalism which he nails perfectly, giving a familiar, yet futuristic vibe on Dark Arts, very Millsian in places I’d say. His releases as Bespoke Cutter on Novac Music, are far quirkier and cover an amazing sonic range. The tempos and feel all vary; Stu does what he wants and what he does is fantastic, and we’re pleased he brought that to Weapons of Desire with his “Seven Dials” release, a 5 tracker which really veers away from what people may expect, while delivering some solid freak outs; so we’re really chuffed that he wants to come and play. You can check out digital and buy physical copies via the Weapons of Desire Bandcamp page.
Imaginarium: You’ve collaborated with Alex (Alex Handley, WOD founder) before. Do you guys have any other collaborative projects in the pipeline?
Nigel: Time is always difficult for me. It got to the point working with Alex that we could just get a few sounds right, then use a combination of a quick jam recorded to stereo and or multitrack, and move on to do any edits later down the line. I think the last time we did much we were joined by Craig (Stainton) who was back in York for a bit from Barcelona. He usually records under the name Mantra and Myriadd and over the years we’ve gelled really well recording under the name Nite Vision, with our first release coming out as a double 12” on Boe Recordings. Craig was involved with the last Northern Powerhouse release a few years ago and after we recorded some jams last time, he was quickly on the case editing them, though so far we’ve not done anything with them unfortunately. I think we’d look to getting a few more and seeing if anyone wants to put them out.
In a similar way to how things click into place with Alex and Craig, I’ve done some work with Nicola Loporchio from Bari in Italy. He records as Nico Lahs, and Cosmic Garden, with releases on his own Cosmic Rhythm label as well as other including Hotmix Records, Royal Oak and Hot Haus Records. I had a gig out in his neck of the woods a few years ago, but it was cancelled at the last minute, though I still had the flight tickets so went out and stayed in a flat attached to his studio. I was in a bit of an odd place in terms of mental health, at the time, but we got lost in music and recorded a few tracks which haven’t seen much light over the years, though he got in touch a few months back to mention that quite well respected DJ and producer was talking about a possible release. I’m not naming the person in question as I don’t want to jinx things, but he expressed that they work for a really “international feel”. It great fun making them, jamming ideas then I’d rapidly arrange things and we’d move to the next track. Hopefully that project “Visions of Amnesia” will go somewhere in the near future, but if not I’ll probably look at getting a couple cut for personal use. They definitely have a summer, Italian House feel to them. I learned a few lessons while making them which I applied to my process when I got back to the UK, but my own issues and a return to the colder North of Europe added a different angle. That said a few of them ended up being released on Distant Worlds a little later so they weren’t all doom and gloom.
Imaginarium: Why did WOD choose The Imaginarium as a venue?
Nigel: The Imaginarium is the perfect place. A safe space, not too big, run by amazing people that ultimately share the same vision. Somewhere people could catch up over a drink or go upstairs and get those dancing feet going; you could even have a conversation with the mannequin at the top of the stairs (well if you’re anything like Alex). My days of promoting things are in the past so I have to admit a nervousness when it comes to putting anything on as I’m out of practice and feel stresses quite acutely, so the size of venue, and also input and support from yourself [Roya] has been very gratefully received. There’s a crowd there who like good music, and it’s good to be able to connect with people on that smaller, local level without it all just being an exercise in simply filling a big dark space.
Imaginarium: Are there any other projects you’ve been working on recently?
Nigel: I’ve written a fair bit of music on some basic machines at my better half’s place and took a week recently to help prepare them for a live set, but was annoyed to realise that out of the context where they were written, they just don’t feel like the gel for me. I’ve been using some different machines and learning a bit about them so had to start fresh for a live show at the Imaginarium in May. That’s been the main focus. I posted a video of a practice jam on my Facebook page and Rennie Foster, who’s music I’ve loved for some time and who actually remixed one of our Nite Vision tracks for Weapons of Desire, said he’d happily play it out. With that in mind I got it recorded properly (not holding a phone to video it this time) and sent it over to him. He then asked if he could release it on his RF label, so he did a remix and I’ve sent over a couple of additional tracks, so they should be coming out on his label sometime in September, which is quite heartening. The Weapons Of Desire back catalogue went digital on 17th of February and a month later they released a collection of my music under the title “Plastic Drums & Transistor Funk” on Weapons on Digital, Ten tracks of me going back to basics with just a 707 and an acid box with some effects. Their Bandcamp page is good direct support.
I really enjoyed getting back to the rawness of basic machines, just using an acid box and 707. They’re basic spanks for club use, with a few effects and I found the simplicity to be a good way of clearing my head a bit. Thanks to the wonderfully talented Jeroen Böhm (who is currently putting out some amazing music on Aroy Dee’s brilliant M>O>S Recordings label, as well as Dolly, and in 2019 on Purewaxx with the ever excellent Marcus Paulson (also with a relatively recent, and very strong release on M>O>S Recordings)) I was recently included on a double 12” from 030303 Records in the Netherlands. Their “Various V” release includes a wealth of extraordinary music and is available on vinyl and digital now through the usual channels.
My remix of Marcela Dias Sindaco’s “Missão Controle” for the Gated Recordings chaps’ “BEIJO ELETRICO REMIXES” 12″ alongside Radioactive Man, Dip Shim, Max Wheeler, and Not Even Noticed., was released recently and is currently available through Juno. I also did some music for them while I was staying near a neolithic proto-farming settlement in the Lake District a little while ago which should hopefully come out on 12” a bit later in the year. Until then you can check out on the remix I did on YouTube, and if you want to support the label, you can hear the other remixes and buy the wax from Juno amongst other places.
I pressed up some old bits I did as Soul Force with my friend Bob, about 15 years ago. I do small runs of 10” lathe cuts using the name Vanity Gamble, as that’s exactly what it is and had hoped to get those out into the wild, but unfortunately the track durations and loudness were too much for the format and while I was checking them out in Plant & Deck, I found skipping on everything, so I’ve knocked that one on the head for a bit, though you can still check out the music that doesn’t skip, on YouTube.
Hopefully the tracks I did for a Weapons of Desire double 12” will be out a bit later in the year, but at the moment, my main focus is preparing live bits for May’s show with Derek Carr (at Imaginarium, more news soon..). I’m at a point where I’ll likely be swapping out machines as I try to make my rig more compact and efficient. I’ve been using an Elektron Rytm which can handle a lot by itself, and last week picked up a Digitone so that the MPC and the MKS-50 (rackmount Juno) can be replaced and ultimately sold on. I’m pleased with the results so far and have had fun generating tones and patterns to record at a later point. I think my only issue with the Digitone is the resolution when the scale is droppdropped down for a longer time period. Some of the ability for precision goes, but I can work around that.
Imaginarium: You seem to take inspiration from a wide array of sources. What and/or who has sparked your interest lately?
Nigel: It’s difficult to say. Most of my machine use has been about learning functionalities and performing an admin side to things. There’s not been a lack in creativity but more tests to see if the machines can work with the way I like to work and operate in a friendly way for me, before I push things out a bit more and get into some sampling and synthesis. I’ve had to rapidly learn FM synthesis, or at least the variety available on the Digitone, which seemed daunting at first but is user friendly and quick to grasp. I’ve been going out with an old camera, made in the DDR and picked up cheaply from eBay recently, taking pictures around town and familiarising myself with film photography. I think the aim there is to create a large archive I can dive in to at a later point. I like the idea of having some of the images scanned at a high resolution then maybe creating some silk screens to reanalogue the image reproduction. I had hoped to get some image projection projects underway, repurposing old projectors and retrofitting them with LED arrays to project home made psychedelic oil wheels, but that’s fallen by the wayside a little. I have some basic 3d decoration designs in mind for use in The Imaginarium, and they should work out easily enough if I can find some additional hours in the week. My mind is often fizzing with ideas, but getting the time and energy to put them into practice once I’ve got my day job out of the way, can be very difficult.
Imaginarium: You are possibly the only person I know who has eaten the fruit of a cheeseplant. Is it actually delicious, as the name (Monstera Deliciosa) suggests, or is this a lie?
Nigel: It is. No doubt. The fruit is shaped like a cob of corn/maize, and covered in tiny hexagonal cells. When it ripens these expand and you can knock them away and get to the fruit inside. If you have to force them, that part of the fruit isn’t yet ripe so you should leave it for a bit. The fruit on the cob part is shaped like corn kernels, but bigger, juicy and soft. They’re sweet and there is a peppery type taste from some of the elements found in there. It’s not the sort of peppery fragrance from black pepper that you’d cook with, but these tiny flecks which are potentially more of an irritant and spiky in the same way as nicorette gum. I got some on my hand and could feel them rather than taste them. Every so often in the fruit, there is a seed from which you can grow a new plant. Their name is no lie, they are Deliciosa!
Interview: R Brehl
You can buy tickets for the party here.
You can also listen to a new mix from Alex Handley, and one Nigel did for us last year on the Imaginarium Mix Series.