AC SLATER: THE ELECTRO RAVE REVIVALIST

Hipster Overkill got together with a DJ/Producer named 'One of 6 artists to watch in 2009" by Beatport.com.  Big Brooklyn bass maestro AC Slater, who brought us sub-melting tracks like "Jack got jacked" and "Vertigo", pauses to talk to HipsterOverkill.com.

Questions by MC Shawn Lucas

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scroll down to download 2 mixes by AC Slater

MCSL: I want to thank you for taking the time out to talk to us and everything. 

So... I gotta ask man.. What's it like being on both [Extra] and Americas Best Dance Crew?

AC: Haha, wrong dude man

MCSL:  Yeah?...   What?   (To DJ Tru)  Hey I thought you said we were interviewing Mario Lopez?

DJ Tru:  No.  AC Slater, the DJ AC Slater

MCSL:  Oh, not the saved by the bell dude?

DJ Tru:  No. the DJ

MCSL:  Oh….oh, what's going on AC Slater the DJ dude?

AC:  There you go

MCSL: There we go, now we got the right one, so you had nothing to do with Zack and Screech?  And you can't hook me up with lark Voorhies?

AC:  Nope, I mean, I am a fan, but I don't know those fictitious characters personally.

MCSL:  Lark Voorhies is the shit though.  So anyway man, what's been going on with ya?  The Trouble and Bass thing, Party Like Us Records, you got a lot of stuff popping off right now.

AC:  Yeah, it's really busy.  I put a lot of work in last year, it's kinda coming into light now.  Started my label, Party Like Us Records.

MCSL:  With B. Rich and Udachi ?

AC:  Yeah, B. Rich and Udachi are like two of my best friends man, and we have been doing music for a while together.  I needed an outlet to release some stuff that didn't get released a couple years ago, so I was like, you know, I'll just start a digital label.  I figured while I was at it, they could do some releases on there as well.

MCSL:  Nice.  So is this more geared towards your production, the remixes, both?

AC:  It's actually, you know, I don't really have that much of a plan for it.  It's kinda like a little project I was doing, but I think less original productions by me after these first two releases, and then just close friends and try to expose some producers that I like who aren't getting it yet.

MCSL:  So what's been in the pipeline?  Was “Vertigo” the most recent release?

AC:  That's actually on a different label.  The first release is out, it's "Party Like Us", which is the namesake of the label.  It has like 4 remixes, and the second release in coming out at the end of March, in a couple weeks, and that's (called) "Banger", which was on the blogs in '07, but never was released.  I got “Drop the Line”, Tittsworth, Clark Able, and B. Rich on the remixes, it's actually really solid.  After that we got a new producer called Bolthands from NY, like weird, drugged-out, techno-y kinda stuff.  It really cool.

MCSL:  Yeah, I've noticed that you all are very into the revitalization of bringing the old school rave feel back.  Now did that have anything to do with the name P.L.U.R., Party Like Us Records, the old moniker of Peace Love Unity Respect from the old hay-days of rave-days?

AC:  You know, it was kinda like a happy coincidence.  When I wrote it out and it said P.L.U. I had to put Records on the end, it had to be done.

MCSL:  It had to be done indeed!  Now you got your start pretty much in the rave scene, right?

AC: Yeah, I was doing Hardcore, UK Hardcore, Happy Hardcore kinda stuff…

MCSL:  No Rotterdam kinda stuff.

AC:  We put our own spin on it.  I had a label called "Pitched Up Recordings", and I did that for years and kinda got sick of it.  Over the years it kinda got really stagnant

MCSL:  I think we all did.  I was there in early-mid '90's in the Baltimore rave scene, Pittsburgh, NY, and Philly, and yeah it kinda got stagnant after a while.

AC:  Yeah, same formula over and over, and a couple years ago house music and club music started to get really exciting, so I just kinda fell for it, so I just quit the raves cold turkey.

MCSL:  Personally I've noticed that there has been a huge resurgence of the electro/breakbeat sound, and I know for myself one of the reasons I'm so into it is because I have a heavy background in Hip Hop as well, and it seems to be the happy between Techno and Hip Hop.  It's got that kinda funk and soul to it, and I know that you’re an old school Hip Hop head as well.  Did that have a lot of influence in the sound you're making now?

AC:  Yeah, I think it's always had an influence.  Even when I was doing Hardcore, I would include a little Hip Hop sample.  That was a huge part, for me, growing up and getting into music.  It was one of my favorite styles.

MCSL:  Who were the big Hip Hop people you were into at that time?

AC:  You know, early '90's, Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul…

MCSL:  The whole Golden Era?

AC:  Exactly.  Stuff here and there, just all the classic stuff was huge to me.  I was also into going back to the rave thing.  I was into the old school rave stuff like Prodigy, all the old '92 kinda stuff.  To me it's the perfect music, and that stuff's definitely influenced by Hip Hop as well.

MCLS:  Nice!  So Beatport's got you on the on the “6 to watch in 2009” list.  Were you number six, were you number one?  How do they even come up with six?  Isn't it generally like a Top Ten?

AC:  Yeah, it's a little weird. 

MCSL:  I don't really understand a top six, but Beatport is pretty much the main source for our genres of music, so that has to be pretty flattering.

AC:  They really have taken notice of me in the last six months.  I've noticed them pushing me on the site.  It's amazing and really cool.  I think it's a big help.  To be on their radar is really cool.  I'm really happy about that and appreciative.

MCSL:  So what do we got coming up?  You're on the Jack Beats tour now, right?

AC:  Yeah, we're doing a few shows together.  We'll be at Trouble and Bass on Friday (March 13th) in Brooklyn.  I'm actually an official crew member now.

MCSL:  Awwww shit!  Did you get the chain and everything?

AC:  (Laughing) Yeah, it's like my inaugural set.  So it'll be good.

MCSL:  Nice!

AC:  We got Jack Beats and Institute tour coming through as well.

MCSL:  You going down to Winter Music?

AC: Yes, definitely , but only for 2 days though.

MCSL:  Are you doing the whole jet set off from there to SXSW as well?

AC:  Actually SXSW is the week before the WMC.  I'll be in Miami on Tuesday (24th) and I have to leave on Friday (27th).  My sister's getting Married!

MCSL:  No shit?  Congratulations!  So who is spinning the reception at AC Slater's wedding?

AC:  I'm not sure.  Maybe someone else with a "Saved by the bell" name.  My Mom wanted me to [spin], but my sister said I didn't have to.

MCSL:  They wanted you to [spin]?  You can't spin your own reception!

AC:  I don't want to have to spin.  I want to party.

MCSL:  Yeah!  That's not gonna work out.  But... I'm sure if you did a crazy pimped out mash up of the chicken dance, and did something like take it back to Rotterdam/Happy Hardcore days and do a little chicken dance like that... you might have the next hit!  That could be the biggest banger in Austria!

AC:  Exactly, the DUBSTEP wedding!

MCSL:  THE DUBSTEP WEDDING!  You know what, if you do a Dubstep wedding... I'll come and MC it for you!

AC:  (Laughing)  Thank You!

MCSL:  Cool man.  Well definitely thanks for your time.  It was great to talk to ya!  Why don't you go ahead and plug all the stuff where our listeners and our viewers can find you online and get some of your mixes.

AC:  Ok.  Myspace.com/theacslater.  Nightshifters EP is out now and is available on Beatport.com.  Rock it out!!  EP is out [too].  Party Like Us #2  BANGER coming out March 30th.  I'm actually doing a full length album for Trouble & Bass, should be out I think the end of this year, or maybe early next year.  I'm not sure yet.

MCSL:  You already started production on that?

AC:  Yeah, it's gonna be pretty crazy.

MCSL:  So are you going all over the place, or sticking to the Electro sound?

AC:  All over.  A little bit of everything, but heavy on the Electro stuff.  A lot of guest vocals.  I think it will be good.

MCSL:  A little Hardcore chicken dance and Dubstep wedding in there?

AC:  Maybe not this time.

MCSL:  [That should be a] side project.  Well, look forward to doing it up with ya.  Thanks again for talking to HipsterOverkill.com , and I will be up with you soon.

AC:  Alright man.