Getting To Know… Steve Hart
feeder: Hi Steve, it’s a pleasure to chat with you today. How are you?
Steve: Likewise! I’m doing well, thank you.
f: Please tell us a little about your musical background.
Steve: I’ve always enjoyed music; from a young age, I remember my mother was always tinkering on the piano, which I think was what caught my attention. I took lessons throughout my school years and still enjoy playing classical pieces. Throughout my childhood, I enjoyed listening to a vast array of musical styles, but I always gravitated back to classical piano. In my teens, I was introduced to House Music and really enjoyed the big piano riffs in old-school rave music, which I started to collect on vinyl, even though, at that point, I had no intention of DJing. But after a few years, I was staring at this large, fabulous record collection and thought maybe I should give it a go.
f: When did you start making music did production or DJing come first for you?
Steve: DJing definitely came first, but I started to delve into the music production world soon after I started getting regular DJ gigs. I was working as a computer programmer for a bank at that point, which I did enjoy but it wasn’t overly stimulating…. I was much more into playing instruments, mixing House Music and now figuring out how I could incorporate more of myself into my DJing. I bought a computer and audio interface and started playing around with Logic Pro. From that moment, I was hooked, and every spare moment I had I spent putting together my own songs.
f: Who did you listen to growing up, and do they influence your music career at all today?
Steve: Man, I listened to anything and everything growing up. From classical piano (I listened to Richard Clayderman albums A LOT) to Jazz & Blues (I loved Nina Simone & Ella Fitzgerald’s voices in particular), 90’s Grunge like Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Live, to just straight-up radio Pop. I listened to everything which I think gave me a real appreciation of just music in general and not a particular style or artist. I feel like I’m influenced by all of these artists and styles in many ways, but probably the main thing that has stuck with me is a great vocal performance – I especially love the real “diva” vocal sound of early House Music.
f: What was your first release?
Steve: My very first release was called “Change” and was released on Vicious Recordings. I put together a demo that I was quite happy with, and eventually, I showed it to a fellow music producer friend, Kam Denny. He thought it was great and helped me mix it down, and we sent it to Melinda Appleby, who added the top line. it was signed by Vicious Recordings and peaked at #12 in the Aria Club Chart, which to me was quite astounding for the first record I ever released.
f: Which of your own tracks was the biggest labour of love to create?
Steve: I think it was definitely the first track I released, “Change”. I have the sheet music melody tattooed on my arm. I think there will always be a special place in my heart for my first-ever release just due to it being such a milestone, both personally and professionally.
Outside of that, it would probably be the track I created with Amy Pearson called “Bad Boy”. This, again, was a milestone moment for me both personally and professionally, as it marked my return to funky house music production. Previous to this, I was a resident DJ at a “super club” where I played in the main room, which had a capacity of 1200 people, so I was writing a lot of “big room” music, which I did enjoy, but it was not necessarily the style I really loved. So when I moved on from that club, I got back to making the music that I really loved, and “Bad Boy” was the first record I released, going back down the funky house path. It was also the very first release on my own label, Shoosh.
f: You’ve just released your new collaboration with Clio (aka Danielle Bellas), ‘Whateva U Want’, on Shoosh Records. How is it all sounding?
Steve: HAHAHA, I’m a little biased, but I think it’s sounding GREAT!!! I really hope everyone else digs it as much as I do. It was really fun collaborating with Clio – she’s ultra-talented and has such a lovely tone that I knew I was going to get a great vocal from her before we even discussed the project. I’ve been playing the original in my sets for quite a few months now, and I really enjoy watching people react to tracks they have never heard of before. This one always gets heads bopping, toes tapping, and even some hands in the air!
f: How did the collaboration come about with Clio, and will you be working together again in the future?
Steve: I would love to do more records with Clio in the future! We were introduced by a mutual friend – Bec Caruana, from Platinum Artists. I’ve been working with Bec and her label/agency since COVID-19, and I really wanted to work with some new vocalists. So, when she suggested Clio, I jumped at the opportunity. It’s just felt right as Clio’s previous releases are my type of music – we both love that Disco / classic House sound, so it happened all quite effortlessly and organically, which, to me, is the best way for collaboration to come about.
f: What’s the inspiration behind the song?
Steve: For the instrumental, it was definitely inspired by that classic House sound – a really funky bassline and big pianos. I wrote the song in the summer and tested it out at the Beach Club I play at from November to March here in Australia, so those “beach feels” are definitely in there as well. For that sultry hook, “whatever you want”, I haven’t actually asked Bec or Clio for the meaning behind that one, hahaha….. I wanted an amazing vocal, and that’s EXACTLY what I got!
f: Random Soul has also delivered some remixes; what did they bring to the table?
Steve: YES! I’ve been a BIG fan of Random Soul for a long time. Every record/remix they do has such a vibe, so it was very exciting we were able to get them on board for a remix. They sent back a straight-up classic house dance floor weapon of a remix that I LOVED the first time I heard it. As much as I want to play my original all the time, I now play this mix every now and again, too!
f: You’re based in Australia; how is the house scene there these days, and who should we be on the lookout for?
Steve: Personally, I think the house scene in Australia seems to be thriving. You may have to do a bit of searching, but there are always venues supporting this style of music, so there are some really credible experiences out there to be had. And the crowd is much more educated these days, so it’s much easier and enjoyable to play to a crowd who isn’t just looking to hear what they listen to on the radio. There’s a huge number of artists, both established and up-and-coming, who are doing great things musically right now. My personal favourite artist, I think you should check out if you haven’t already, is Sgt Slick – an AMAZING producer and a hell of a nice guy.
f: What can we expect from a typical Steve Hart DJ set?
Steve: I do try to cater my sets to the venue/crowd I am playing in, so I guess they can be a little different depending on that. However, I love going on a bit of a musical journey through my sets, so you’ll generally hear some really funky House right through to some bumpy, gritty, funky Tech House as well. I like to change it up a bit so the set doesn’t feel like the same style for a long period of time. But there are always great vocals and even some classic old tracks every now and again, and I love it when an old record is reimagined into something new and cool, so I love incorporating some of that stuff, too – TSHA remix of “Sunday Shouting” by Johnny Corporate is ticking that box for me right now!
f: What’s been your biggest achievement in the music industry so far?
Steve: I’ve been lucky enough to play some pretty big gigs and festivals here in Australia and O/S over the years (Stereosonic, Future Music) and play lead-up sets for some of the biggest names going around (Axwell, Dirty South, Tommy Trash, Timmy Trumpet, Nicky Romero, Will Sparks to name a few), so those are all nice memories! But I would have to say hitting the #1 spot for 2 weeks on the Aria Club Chart here in Australia with my track “Twenty-Five Miles” under my Kuhl Kuhl alias is probably my biggest achievement.
f: Which dance track holds the most precious memories for you?
Steve: I have so many tracks that mean a lot to me. The one memory that I always come back to, though, is seeing Layo And Bushwacka play live at a Two Tribes festival in Queensland many years ago. I was enjoying being a punter for that festival, in the front row with over 10000 people in the crowd behind me, when L&B dropped one of my all-time favourite records, “Love Story”. It was such a great moment experiencing such a big crowd go nuts to a song I already loved so much – it was very musically motivating.
f: Who are your top 3 current producers?
Steve: Mousse T will always be one of my current but also all-time favourite producers. I might have played some of his records more than he has, hahaha. Jamie Jones I’ve liked a long time, but one of his latest tracks, “Groovin” with Jazzy, has become a favourite of mine. I love his radio show, Hot Robot Radio, and I just like his musical vibe in general I really dig. Mike Dunn also deserves a shout here. Everything he does is fantastic, and his housey style is perfection for me. There’s always a Mike Dunn record in my sets, which is straight-up quality house music.
f: What else is in the pipeline for Steve Hart?
Steve: I have another original record, and I’m just finishing up with the incredible Joanne. We are just re-recording her final vocal this week and she has delivered an AMAZING “diva” vocal, so I’m ultra excited to finish up that project and get that out into the world. I’m also in the middle of a collaboration with an ex-Adelaide, now Queensland producer (and good mate of mine), Flash 89, which is another classic house-styled record that we are about to start looking for a vocalist.
I’ve also recently been doing some remixing again. Bec Caruana has done a cover of “Take Your Praise” by Camille Yarbrough (made famous by the Fatboy Slim version “Praise You”), which I’ve remixed into a bumpy piano house groover. I also have a remix for Mark James’ track “Time For This” on the Two Tribes label dropping next month, which is one of my favourite remixes I’ve done to date.
Steve Hart & Clio ‘Whateva U Want’ (Incl. Random Soul Remix) will be released on Traxsource promo & streaming on July 19th / Worldwide August 2nd 2024 on Shoosh Records.