The Red Bull Music Academy UK Tour calls in at Glasgow this weekend, celebrating the city's club culture with a series of events, live shows, radio broadcasts and assorted what-have-you. Eclair Fifi, an in demand DJ with residencies at Rinse FM, BBC Radio 1, Hoya:Hoya and Paris Social Club under her belt, is appearing at A Night With LuckyMe at The Glue Factory on Sunday - we asked her for her reflections on the Glasgow clubs scene.
Tell us about a track/artist that was an early inspiration for you to become a DJ
The names I remember earliest were Kevin Saunderson, Derek May, Robert Hood, Cajmere and Juan Atkins... My mum and dad had cassette tapes of their sets recorded live from a club called Pure that ran from the early 90s to mid 2000s (ran by Brainstorm and Twitch of Optimo). I didn't fully know what a DJ was until I was a tiny bit older but those names were still prominent with me when I first got my own turntables and started collecting vinyl. This track is one of my earliest and happiest memories of when I first heard dance music.
Tell us about the earliest DJing experience you can remember
My earliest experience properly DJing in front of people was down in London on a pirate radio station called InterFace Radio, I was about 16 and pretty scared. It was in front of a ton of MCs and DJs that were way older than me, I think I pulled it off though!
What’s been the best thing that’s happened on the Glasgow club scene during your career?
Watching so many of my friends grow from DJing in tiny clubs to performing at sold out shows to crowds of thousands, I’m so proud. The amount of talent that comes from Glasgow is incredible and it’s still happening.
... and the worst?
I can’t think of anything that bad about the Glasgow scene, maybe it’s because i live in Edinburgh and only see the good sides to Glasgow when I come through. I’m sure if I lived there I’d see a few faults?
What’s the most recent track/artist you got really excited about?
The Principe crew from Portugal have got me real excited recently, known about them for a little while but still excited about their new stuff just as much as the stuff I heard a couple years ago.
What’s the best club space in Glasgow?
After years of the Art School’s club space being shut, its new space is one of my favourite places to play or put on my own night now - the way it’s been built you can adjust EVERYTHING from the height of the booth, the lighting rigs, etc.
How does Glasgow compare to other cities on the global club scene?
Glasgow is one of those cities that just constantly bursting with talent, each generation keeps inspiring the next one so it keeps growing and growing. It’s also one of the few cities where you can play pretty much what you want and everyone is so open-minded.
How does Glasgow benefit from inclusion in the RBMA Tour?
ANY city would benefit from the incredible artists that are passing through! If it inspires even one kid to go make music or put a group of friends onto a newer artist, that’s worth it alone.
Eclair Fifi plays A Night With LuckyMe alongside Jacques Greene, NAKED and Mykki Blanco at The Glue Factory on Sun Mar 29.
Check out our other RBMA interviews with DJ Milktray, Harri and Nightwave.