This post is also available in: Nederlands (Dutch)
Australian artist Andrew Armstrong, a.k.a. Daddy Squad, fell in love with ambient dance music. On landing his FIRST GIG, he admits: "Sometimes, lying pays off."
“I remember the exact moment I first heard house music. I swear, I remember the exact moment and location when I first heard house music! I was in my family car, stopped at a traffic light in my hometown, Perth, when Theme from S-Express” came on the radio. I always listened to this alternative station. The moment I heard the track, I went nuts. I wondered how on earth they had created that music! Years later, I realized those artists had simply sampled a few loops from Rose Royce’s B-side. I eventually met Mark Moore from S-Express in person. But at that moment in the car, he launched my lifelong love for dance music.” (laughs)
Lying through my teeth
“My first dance music release was probably recorded on a four-track recorder. But to use that thing, I needed turntables. And that brings us to my first gig. I was about nineteen at the time. To get a slot at a rave, I lied through my teeth to the promoter and told him I was an ambient DJ. The truth? I had never DJed in my life! But he created an ambient area for me at the next event. By the way, raving was still an unknown concept in Perth back then. The police had no idea what a rave was or what to do about it. So we didn’t have to party in fields or anything. Our raves were held in warehouses and nightclubs that we rented out for the night.”
Hardly any connection
“How did I end up in ambient music? Probably thanks to my parents. They often listened to Steve Reich, Jean Michel Jarre, and The Art of Noise. It was a natural evolution for me. Plus, at the time, it was pretty exciting music. Sure, I loved raving, but above all, I was a hardcore ambient collector. Back then, Perth, Western Australia, had very little connection to the European or UK dance scene. I had to inspire myself in every way. So, I’d go to a record store, ask what they had, and tell them what I was looking for so they could order it for me.”
Super stoned ravers
“Back to the gig. That was the first time I ever saw two turntables that you had to operate simultaneously. Oops. And I had to play for four straight hours in the chill-out area! I was super nervous, but I don’t think it showed. Luckily, the crowd consisted of seriously trippy, super-stoned ravers. Even if I dropped a record too late, no one would have noticed. They were all just vibing.” (laughs) “I even remember some of the tracks I played that night. Aphex Twin, The Orb, Durutti Column, Psychick Warriors of Gaia, and Pete Namlook all made it into my set.”
No beatmatching needed
“Thankfully, playing an ambient set isn’t that hard. You don’t really need to beatmatch. That made it way easier than doing a short club set where everyone has their own perfect mix in mind. I just went with the vibe. And it worked out! I was thrilled with my set afterward.”
Chill-out area
“No, I have no idea what the rest of that rave looked like. I was stuck in the chill-out area all night! It was filled with cushions and glowing lights. I do remember that the promoter was super excited and introduced me to a few radio stations afterward. He really supported me. Nowadays, there’s a Facebook group of people who raved with us back then, and some still remember my sets from that era. That’s pretty cool to read.”
THE ambient DJ
“Before long, I was being asked to play more and more radio shows, including one on an independent station in Perth called RTRFM. That was where you could hear all the dance music shows. Probably still can.” (laughs) “I also started getting booked for more raves. Slowly, I became known as THE ambient DJ you wanted in your chill-out area. It was, in a way, my first ‘career’ in music. I’m still friends with that promoter, and I’m still DJing, so I guess lying sometimes pays off.”
Reading minds
“What I learned from that first gig – and what I’ve applied to every gig since – is that you always have to watch the crowd. How are people reacting? Don’t prepare your set! Sure, have a few ideas in mind, but your best bet is to learn to read the audience’s minds.” (laughs)
Complex Italo-disco
“After that, I started making music myself – lo-fi electro. I did that for a while. I was also part of a drum ’n’ bass project that recently got reissued on vinyl. I even had a short detour into big beat before diving deep into breaks. After that, I joined the band Monarchy, where we made indie-electro-synth-pop. Now, I’m back as a solo producer, mainly working on Italo-disco. To me, my music makes perfect sense, but maybe it’s a bit complex for some. One of the biggest hardcore DJs from Perth back in the day is now producing disco under the alias Dr. Packer. So, I guess I’m not the only one who’s been on a musical journey.”
“Recently, I released my first single as Daddy Squad, “My Magic Number“, a collaboration with Dita Von Teese. I’m totally ready to hit the clubs again and throw a great party. No more ambient areas, but I still love a good rave!”
This interview with Daddy Squad is originally published in October 2021 on This Is Our House.
Who is Daddy Squad?
Daddy Squad is a project of Andrew Armstrong (ex-Monarchy) where he explores all things Italo Disco, but bringing in elements of rave, breaks, house, disco.
This Daddy Squad project includes collaborations with burlesque superstar Dita Von Teese, synth pop legends Zoot Woman, italo disco bears Hard Ton, and house pioneer S’Express. Remixes came from Lauer, Chinaski, Reznik, Hifi Sean, Franz Matthews, Boys’ Shorts, Vhyce, Renato Cohen, and many others. Daddy Squad’s tracks have been supported across the spectrum, and in a short time he has made a name for himself as a prolific producer, and one who isn’t afraid to push the boundaries.
He’s performed as Daddy Squad numerous times in Madrid (El Sotano, Sala Sol, MyPleasure), London, Paris, Barcelona (Nitsa) as well Australia and to festivals across Europe. As half of Monarchy, Daddy Squad was responsible for ten years of shows and releases, from Coachella, Folsom Street Fair, endless festivals across Spain such as BBK, Low Festival, Arenal Sound, LoveBox London, through to tours to the US, Canada, Mexico, Ukraine, and through all of Europe. Andrew has also written for or collaborated with the likes of Charli XCX, Blondie, SIA, Violet Chachki, Dita Von Teese many times, and remixed artists such as Kylie, Kelis, OMD, Jamiroquai, Lady Gaga and others.
Now 100% independent, Daddy Squad runs his own label, managing all aspects of it from licensing, artwork, through to commissioning remixes and has a prolific output of material that is turning the ears of many DJs across the globe.
More Daddy Squad?
More FIRST GIGS? Click here!
