SLACKER
Slacker is DJ and producer Shem McCauley. Shem was known as DJ Streets Ahead in the mid-Eighties when he was one of the UK¹s leading scratch mix DJs. His skills earned him the first live mix on radio in the UK (with Tim Westwood on pirate LWR) and deck battles at the legendary Hammersmith Palais, aswell as production work with Professor Griff (Public Enemy) and Tim Simenon (Bomb the Bass). Studying in Brighton, Shem made records and ran clubs with Norman Cook, and played acid-house sets at warehouse parties hosted by Carl Cox. He soon became a much in-demand remixer, working on James Brown, Roxanne Shante, Was Not Was, Digital Underground and many others. He toured with the She Rockers and Bomb The Bass in Europe, and with Norman Cook¹s Beats International in Africa.

Shem formed Ramp in the early 90s with musician Simon Rogers, enjoying success with the club classics ŒRock the Discotek¹ and ŒStomp¹ on the Loaded label, as well as plenty of remixes for D:Ream, Grace Jones, Sister Sledge, Armand Van Helden, Strike, Yazz and Boy George to name just a few. On his own Shem slowly became Slacker, eager to offload some of his darker samples and capture the atmospheres he'd encountered on trips to Goa and Thailand. First came ŒFeel Space¹ and ŒJukebox In The Sky¹, then ŒFlying Baby¹ - all critically acclaimed underground club hits. His third single ŒScared¹ was a powerful, atmospheric house groove that captured the current mood perfectly, and generated a huge buzz even though for five months only one copy existed - in the capable hands of DJ Sasha. By the beginning of 1997 it was a top 40 hit. 'Your Face' was the follow-up, then 'Psychout', and more remixes for the likes of Prodigy and Locust.

In 1998/9 Shem took time out for a return to his first love, the decks. He began regular DJ tours around the world to promote the Slacker sound. He set up his own label, Jukebox In The Sky records. Remixes followed for BEDROCK/BREEDER/THINK TANK/ANDY LING/JUNKIE XL/TRANCESETTERS/ADAMSKI and most recently MOBY's 'In This World'. Slacker's 'Looky Thing', then Head Honcho's 'Walls of Jericho', both released in 2002 on Jukebox In The Sky, received much positive attention. New material is lined up for 2003, with the single 'A Million Dreams/Slip N Slide' first off the block, then a new Head Honcho in early May.


with Stereolab Residents Big Al and Brad Copeland
(www.readymix records.com, www.bradcopeland.ca)

Stereolab
Club Stereo
858 Ste Catherine E
Montreal, Quebec
2am-10am

Did anyone go to this?
How was it?

Yeah, Sean and I went, it was awesome!

I'll let him give the review though cause he's a big fan of Slacker.

___________________
meh

Slacker fucking RULED.

Before going to this show I had never really heard of Slacker as a DJ. I've been a fan ever since I heard Scared back in about 99 I guess when I first started getting into this thing, and when Looky Thing came out I snatched it up as quickly as possible, and still play it to this day (fuck is that track good).

Anyways, we showed up at around 3:45, but we couldn't get in because Kate was, uh, having some difficulty walking, hahaha. After chilling out at the McDonalds for a little while Kate regained her balance and ability to stand up, and we headed off to Stereo at 4:20 and hit the dance floor immediately. Slacker's set was fucking WICKED. For starters I was incredibly impressed by his mixing, which was a pleasant discovery (but unsurprising now that I've read his bio), and his tunes just ruled. I didn't recognize a hell of a lot of the shit he played:

Sander - Sacred
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (Danny Howells remix?)
Michael Jackson - Billy Jean (Bushwacka dub mix??)
Slacker - ? (his new production, can't remember the name)
Subway Baby - Tribes of Khan Gala

That's about all I can remember off hand, but shit, his set was absolutely killer and it's a shame I didn't recognize more tracks, as I'd snap up any of the stuff he played in 1.23 seconds. I literally had no complaints about Slacker's set and would give it a 10/10.

Brad played really well afterwards too, was a great night!

I am also a fan, shitty that I couldn't make it to Montreal....next time I guess.