Big Love for the Ministry

20 July 2006

Seamus

DJ/producer Seamus Haji grew up a five minute 12" remix away from seminal south London night Ministry of Sound.

Now he's the man behind the clubbing institution's latest and long-running Sessions album, and very humble about it.

He told Club Mix: "I can clearly remember first coming to the club back in '92 and how I dreamed of playing in the main room 'Box' on that awesome Richard Long sound system - the very same sound system that once filled the Paradise Garage, the club that the MOS was based on.''

Yep, Seamus appreciates his dance music history, and is now just happy to be playing out his own role in clubland folklore.

"In the early '90s, I can remember dancing to Larry Levan at the MOS and, sadly, attending the tribute night held for him shortly after that when he passed away.''

These days he is regularly rubbing shoulders with the greats in DJ booths all over the world, largely because of his productions for his own label, Big Love, and remixes for many other artists. And there are plenty of examples of both on this album.

This weekend he teams up with Tony Humphries - a New York DJ/producer whose promotions and productions since the early '80s have provided a benchmark for people like Seamus - when they both play at The End for the latest Milk N 2 Sugars party.

Indeed, it was early MOS Sessions albums from the likes of Humphries and David Morales which inspired Seamus to get into the business himself. Later, another American superjock Frankie Knuckles would include Seamus' own track, Race Of Survival, on his Sessions album.

"I was chuffed to bits."

Now based in Brighton, he has carved out a niche as one of the UK's leading DJs, remixers and producers - particularly in the last two years with production partner Paul Emanuel. Their track, Take Me Away, hit the Top 50 back in January without radio or video!

But it seems all roads will always lead back to the Ministry of Sound for Seamus.

"I grew up in Camberwell, so to be able to literally walk down the road to hear all my DJ heroes under one roof was incredible. I guess even back then I thought it was fate that I might eventually play at the club. Former resident CJ Mackintosh putting my name forward to play there also helped!"

With no less than 15 exclusives or unreleased tracks on his double mix Sessions CD, Seamus delivers a cutting-edge funky, deep and tech house mix. Highlights include the exclusive Funkagenda Remix of Seamus' own version of the Indeep classic Last Night A DJ Saved My Life, and the hotly-tipped Play To Win from K3 (aka Paul Harris, Steve Mac & Radioslave). There's also the Spirit Catcher remixes of Satoshi Tomiie's Glow, plus other Haji and Emanuel remixes of club classics Do Want It Right Now by Degrees Of Motion and Duke's perennial So In Love With You.

Following gigs in the last two weeks in St Petersburg, Marbella, Amsterdam and Ibiza, Seamus' schedule over the next few weekends begins with that MN2S gig at The End on Friday and then takes in Kaflauten, Zurich (Saturday), Taka Puna, Sheffield (July 29), the Loveland Festival, Amsterdam (August 5), the Wildfruit Pride Party, Brighton (August 6), Mykonos (August 8) and back to Ibiza for MN2S in Ibiza (August 13).