Evolutionary: Alan Fitzpatrick

You mentioned a few of your tracks that have done particularly well on beatport, now I know you are an avid vinyl collector so how do you feel about the digitalization of the industry?

Well I have mixed feelings on it as my studio is now completely digital. I love the fact that now millions of dollars of equipment can be condensed into my laptop and that making music is more accessible than ever. That said there is now a lot more shit out there than ever before and it’s getting harder and harder to sift through. Back in the day you would be able to go to your local record shop and there was a great deal of knowledge there that you could tap into. Your local record shop would have guys who worked there who knew what your were into and would hand your 15 records on arrival that you go through and pick out the stuff the wanted. There is such a thing as art through limitation. 

In regards to the beatport stuff I’ve never set out to ‘get a beatport number 1’. The fact that three of my tracks have gone to number one is just that people liked them and bought them. Of course I’m flattered by that but do I care if people buy or illegally download my tracks? In all honesty not really. I’d rather people hear or play my tracks than not hear or play them at all. As an artist you should want as many people to experience your work as possible and if that’s by beatport then great if it’s by some dodgier means than fine. I just want my stuff out there for people to enjoy and once its out there it is all the more publicity for me to play shows in different places. I appreciate support from fans in all its formats. I do think it is a shame that vinyl isn’t as prominent as it once was and not as integral a part of DJing culture amongst younger DJs. I mean I’m only 30 and I think my generation was the last of that. I still try and play vinyl with friends fairly regularly and think it’s a great way to get into DJing but things change and change is often a good thing. One of the biggest changes has been the commercialization of warehouse events. There was a time where they were illegal raves in abandoned spaces, run by a local bloke on a need to know basis with a couple of big mateys on the door and another couple of mateys selling beers out of boxes. If you look at warehouse parties now with their international bookings, professional bars, staff and advertising with massive sound sytems they seem a world apart. Only people themselves can decide whether they think that is for the better or the worse.

It’s interesting to hear such a frank admission on attitudes to piracy particularly from someone who has their own label. What will we be seeing from 8 Sided Dice in the near future.

I think it is important people support artists they like in some capacity whether it be by playing there stuff to a fresh audience, going to see them live or giving them the small percentage of what is paid to them by online retailer that’s upto them. In regards to the label, it has sort of been on hiatus as I slightly feel out of love with the whole process of running a label and so decided to take a break from it as it is a lot of work. That said I’m starting a new imprint called ESD which sort of continues the work of 8 Sided Dice but with a much different sound. I didn’t want to entirely discard the 8 Sided stuff hence why it is called ESD and the catalogue numbers will continue on but people will notice a very different flavour to its output.

Sounds interesting. Outside of the new label what else does the future hold for Alan Fitzpatrick? 

Well there is a load of new material on the way. You’ll be seeing a few EP’s from more and an album on the way. There will also be some interesting collaborations, I’m sure I’ll be working with Adam again in the near future,  I’ll be hooking up with Dave (Reset Robot) and Jon Gurd for some collaborative work and I’ll be working with Soma’s Gary Beck as we’ve been threatening to do that for a long time now and look to be finally be getting round to it. So I’ll see how all that goes, you never know if something really clicks in the studio perhaps I’ll do an extended work with one of those guys under a joint name you’ll have to wait and see. I’ll also be continuing to DJ and hopefully see you guys at a club near you soon!

You can catch Alan in London alongside Adam Beyer, Joseph Capriati and Nicole Moudaber on the 26th October for Drumcode’s Halloween Party at Great Suffolk Street Warehouse.