London: after hours with poolsideconvo
by Caspar Curtis-Mackenzie
London producer and DJ poolsideconvo fuses moody post-dubstep textures, UK garage/house grooves and intimate after hours atmospheres into a sound he describes as “photographic”. His MNRCHY mix captures that hazy in-between - the walk home at 4 a.m., the conversations that blur, the beauty in the come-down. Cas caught up with him to talk about the city that shaped him, his obsession with 35mm photography, and what really keeps London’s nightlife alive.
Give us a song that gives you instant London nightlife nostalgia
Too many to choose from but for the club its either Swims by Joy O and Boddika or the DMZ remix of Cays Crays by Fat Freddy’s Drop. Both classics and many many shapes have been cut to these tunes
For the night bus home it’s got to be Deadboy’s Fireworks edit - this one transports me back to 4am on many many hazy mornings.
Talk to us about the image on your MNRCHY T-shirt, it has a strong London feel to it.
I’ve got a bit of an obsession with shooting on 35mm and always carry a camera around. Im not a great photographer by any mean but a lot of the images I use for single and EP art. This one was taken on a winter day in London - it was a day of biking around with really no aim - just hanging out. Aimlessly hanging out is something you do less and less of so this shot brought back good memories
How do you feel your early experiences growing up in London shaped what you do today?
It definitely shaped my sound and guided me in the direction I felt most aligned to, going to see dubstep DJs like Skream and Mala early on and following that strain of music as it fractioned - allowed me to hone in on my personal sound. But what I do now is so fully shaped by the experience of going out, and the journey on each specific night out, and although my sound is definitely club influenced, I’m really interested in soundtracking those moments in between the club, be it the journey to and from and the after party come down sessions so I would say that is my main takeaway from my London experience.
Photo taken by poolsideconvo - featured on his limited edition tee.
Having lived and worked in London, what do you think people outside the city misunderstand about its club/cultural life?
The misconceptions about Londoners being cold and standoffish could be proved false if you met your average raver in a club on a Friday or Saturday night. Contrary to popular belief we are pretty friendly to each other albeit under the influence.
You’ve said your name “poolsideconvo” is about late nights, early mornings and conversations you barely remember. Do you feel like it’s important to cherish those memories?
Absolutely. I’ve seen some beautiful mornings coming out of clubs in the early hours when London is deserted. When else do you get that? You’ve gotta have balance and You can’t have the up without the down. My ethos is this: make peace with it and live in it. Know it’ll pass and move on.
poolsideconvo & friends in London.
What influences do you think of most when making music?
One of my main influences is Burial’s Untrue, how visceral and specific to London that album was. This is something I’ve tried to continue - I like to think of my tunes as photographic and like some of the images I take on those deserted early mornings I want it to take you to that place and really feel like you’re living in it. I’m also working on finishing a bunch of tracks I wrote while living in Sicily - I want people to feel the sun and spirituality in those tunes for example.
Have you ever put on your own parties? If not, any plans?
I’ve put on a few release parties. One at Cafe 1001 on Brick Lane and one at Dona Bar in Stoke Newington. Planning a kind of lounge/social space for people to listen to tunes that might not be full on club tunes. A pre party space if you will - details tbc.
National Theatre, London by poolsideconvo.
What area of London do you reckon is a hidden gem for a good night out these days?
Not many hidden gems these days but I do love Hackney Wick - Colour Factory has a really cool warehouse feel.
If you could pick one London venue (past or present) and throw a dream set there, where would it be and why?
Would have to be Cable or SE1. So many memories from these clubs back in the day. When SE1 shut down there were a few squat parties in there which were incredible.
Are there any venues or cities around the world you’d love to perform in?
An obvious one but panorama bar would be a dream come true.
London train ride by poolsideconvo.