Relighting the Fuse for dance music in East London

FOLLOWING a difficult year for London clubland, this year has kicked off in a big way with fabric reopening and new venues like Printworks setting the cultural landscape alight.

As part of the continuing positive outlook for clubbing in London, this Saturday one of the capital's success stories return to the venue where it all started for them at 93 Feet East in the heart of Brick Lane as Fuse launch a series of daytime parties with their label Infuse. Fuse were integral to the area before blowing up globally and propelling the resident DJs into clubs all over the world. This will be the first time they have returned to 93 Feet East in almost 5 years.

Fuse resident Seb Zito leads the charge this weekend, making his first appearance in London since Fuse's New Years Day rave. He's joined by Ferro, one of the label's most prolific artists with cuts including 'You', 'Are', 'Your Mind' and 'Semma' and Odd, the rising producers behind 'Making Moves' and Roll Da Beats'.

We caught up with resident Seb Zito for a chat ahead of the launch this weekend. Check out a recent mix from him below.

How do you rate the clubbing scene in London right now? After a wobbly year last year with the threat of closure to fabric it seems like things have really bounced back with the opening and huge success of Printworks, and other clubs and spaces thriving.

I'm not much of a clubber these days as I’m always on tour, but from what I see & hear, London is thriving in its own restricted way. Obviously we have lost a lot of major venues through closure etc. but I think as a capital we have adapted well to the change. I think the warehouses have been improving throughout the years and we're also seeing a lot of new small venues pop up across the city. I think as long as there's a thirst for electronic music, there will always be a party happening.

How important has Infuse been to the success of Fuse and you guys as DJs? Enzo Siragusa's career as sky rocketed particularly. Do you think it's important for a DJ collective such as yours to be backed up by a label and themselves as producers?

The Infuse label has opened the doors for DJ’s and producers outside of our crew; it’s an extension of Fuse so to say. As DJ's we're receiving some amazing music which obviously helps with our sets and performances, which i guess also helps with the brands’ success so it all works hand in hand. The label is another way of spreading the sound - everything is so accessible now, we can reach all corners of the globe. Of course from this comes gigs and over time we become more established as producers and DJ's, so having a label certainly helps to achieve this.

How would you describe the difference musically between Fuse and Infuse parties?

Sound-wise, Fuse is definitely a London sound heavily influenced by our musical roots growing up in the city, with beats and baselines taking priority, Whereas Infuse is slightly more European and somewhat melodic, but there's also a crossover in styles which links the two together. Infuse will be a Saturday daytime event so the vibe tends to be different from a Sunday, and gives those that work on the Monday a chance to experience our vibe. The venue is more intimate so as a DJ we can pretty much play what we like and go maybe that little deeper than say at Village Underground. Ultimately it’s a rave and people will be going mad for sure.

How has the success of Fuse inspired the label?

As DJ's we get to tour our sound around the world and of course with this comes a form of adaptation to each DJ'ing environment which then inspires what we create musically. So I guess the success opens our minds to alternative styles and sounds which is then reflected in the label’s output, but ultimately we always stay true to our London sound.

Can you talk us through some of the guests you have appearing at the parties?

This Sat we have OdD, two very talented local guys from London who share the same love and sound. They're the full package, DJ's, artists, label owners and now fully deserved residents. Ferro has been a friend and supporter since the early stages of Infuse and again another talented DJ & producer. When I think of inspiring artists these 2 are up there with the best and I know that they're going to smash this coming Saturday.

What releases are coming up on Infuse?

Next up is Jack Wickham's Kotone EP, followed by Karousel with a remix from myself, and an excellent EP form Subb-An. All the EP's will be vinyl only, which will be a first for the Infuse label, so excited to see how that takes, considering we've always covered both markets.

What made you choose to return to 93 Feet East?

We have great history at that venue and for me its the perfect environment for a daytime party. You have the outside area for those who want to socialise and chill and of course that amazing red room to rave. We know the management and we certainly know the sound after moulding that place back in the day, so it was an obvious choice really. Plus people have been wanting a proper rave there since we left so it makes it that little more exciting.

You've reconfigured the booth and sound system at 93 Feet East especially for these parties. Can you tell us more about that?

The booth was always a little awkward and detached from the crowed so we wanted to centralise it, bring it down and make it more intimate. There's never been a proper monitor system in that room, back in the day we used the old Mackie system as the monitors, so now we're installing new d&b speakers. It was also pretty difficult to play records as the booth was made out of wood and we had one of the main speakers directly above us so the reverberation was pretty terrible. With the new booth we have isolated the areas for the turntables so playing vinyl will be a breeze. We're trying to create the perfect environment for the DJ which in most cases is always the last priority. Think about it, if the DJ is comfortable and relaxed then they're more likely to perform and provide sets that stand out.

Why does daytime raving feel so naughty?

Hahaha, it’s never felt naughty to me, it’s always felt pretty natural and normal in my eyes. I guess in society we're meant to be out shopping and drinking coffee in all the generic shopping centres but to me that's not normal and I reckon most people that go out during the day feel the same.

Who are your biggest influences as DJs and producers?

I’m massively influenced by my past and the one era that stands the test of time was at the early stages of the garage scene. DJ's like Norris Da Boss, EZ, Special K etc and producers Tuff Jam, Todd Edwards, New Horizon, all lend a hand to the way I play and produce today. Giles Smith from Secret Sundaze also plays a big influence in discovering artists that have helped me mould my sound today. And today being part of a crew means that I don't have to look far for inspiration and help. I admire all our artists and I think we all influence each other in a positive way. Internal influence is certainly the best and I don't have to look much further from the crew.

What are your current Top 5 tracks?
1)Karousel- Jungle Heat
2)Koko- House Weekend
3)Fabe- Balanced Diversity remix
4)Joseph Williams- Second Quarter
5)OdD- In The Dog House