Ben Martin (aka Ben Coghill) is a stalwart of the Glasgow club scene. As the founder and head honcho of new label High Sheen, he’s been responsible for some of the city’s key releases over the last few months and has been getting a lot of love from the likes of Mary Anne Hobbes, Rob Da Bank, Sinden, Toddla T and 2 Bears for his efforts.
Recent releases include the much-hyped Lovers’ Rights EP and a string of tracks from electronic patchwork specialists Mia Dora.
Ben is a self-confessed electronic junkie and over the past decade has become a regular fixture on the Glasgow’s club circuit, spinning an eclectic mix of house, techno, 2 step, eighties funk and slept-on party classics.
He also works at Elastic Artists, a London-based booking agency with an international roster of more than 300 live bands, DJs, producers, composers and visual artists. In his day job, Ben looks after a diverse roster of acts including DJ Food, Debruit, Cooly G, Neil Landstrumm and Drums of Death.
We caught up with him to learn about his musical past and learn what the future has in store for Glasgow’s thriving electronic scene…
What are your first musical memories?
My mum and I singing Neil Diamond's Forever in Blue Jeans together with the top down in her old MG convertible as she drove far too fast up the motorway. My first album was The Simpsons Sing the Blues on cassette which unbeknownst to me at the time featured the mercurial DJ talents of Jazzy Jeff on a few tracks. I credit that as being my introduction to hip-hop. I just had to wait a few years before stealing my sister's Beastie Boys CDs to realise that's what I was into. Wait… I mean I was into MF Doom and Boards Of Canada from the age of eight. Honest.
What first got you into DJing?
I've been at it for 14 years now and in that time I have had some free flowing influences and I still stumble across music, parties and DJs that continue to 'get me into DJing' to this day.
To start with it was probably Jazzy Jeff's scratches on Bart Simpson's Deep Deep Trouble, I just didn't realise it at the time. Fast forward 10 years and the super cool underground US hip-hop that soundtracked the skate videos my brother and I used to watch probably tipped me over the edge into wanting to try it for myself.
DJ Food and DK really piqued my interest with their Solid Steel mixes and then Optimo blew it all wide open for me when I first went there all those years ago. I have DJed all over UK and Europe as well as even further afield, but these days I feel like I have reclaimed it as a hobby rather than having to rely on it as a job which is OK by me.
You’ve been doing stuff in Glasgow for a while now - how did it all take off for you?
It just sort of happened. I was into DJing, I played some house parties, got asked to do some sets in small clubs and bars, started a radio show on Subcity Radio at the university and it just kind of went from there.
I always wanted to work for myself and do things my way so when it dawned on me I could put as much work into music as I could a real job and get paid for it I decided to give it my all.
After almost 10 years of promoting clubs in Glasgow and DJing all over the place I decided to refine my approach and focus on artist development in a variety of ways. As a DJ, promoter, agent and label guy I have basically lived my whole adult life vicariously through other people's music but always supported it along the way as best I can. I'm ok with that though, no one needs to hear the music I may or may not have in me.
There’s been a lot of hype about Glasgow’s electronic scene over the past couple of years, with Hudson Mohawke, Numbers, LuckyMe, Rustie - what’s your take on it?
Yes indeed, they've done some amazing things and really shone a light on the Glasgow electronic scene which is a fantastic thing although there's so much more to it than just those guys.
I'm not surprised by the hype though as Glasgow is such a great place for partying and in many ways it's a beast that cannot be tamed. It just needed set free and that's what has happened. It's brilliant to see my friends, colleagues and countrymen take that energy to the far flung corners of the world.
No wonder we're shite at football but great at music – it rains 200 days a year here!
Who’s doing really exciting things at the moment?
There's so much coming out of Glasgow that gets me excited and it never seems to let up. My personal favourites are the Dixon Avenue Basement Jam guys whose less is more approach to their label really strikes a chord with me. The music they have released in the last year has been incredible and some of the best going, from Glasgow or otherwise.
Optimo have been my favourite DJs since I was 20 years old and got mad with it in the Sub Club for the first time. They remain so to this day and their new Optimo Trax label treads somewhat similar ground to DABJ in terms of the music and general aesthetic but as with everything they do, they always blaze their own trail and never let me get bored of what they're up to.
As far as specific producers go Doubleheart, Mia Dora, Soosh, Dam Mantle, Lovers Rights, Mirrors, Jasper James and Golden Teacher have all released some amazing stuff over the last year. I work with lots of them which might make me seem biased but the reason I work with them is because they're so good at making my head, ears and feet happy.
Why did you set up High Sheen?
Well, at the time both Sam and I DJed and promoted quite a lot in Glasgow and I saw this as a natural next step especially as DJing and promoting were things I was beginning to leave behind. I always get sent lots of demos from local producers and the best bits tend to rise to the top. We found ourselves with some amazing unreleased music made by friends of ours and figured we could do a good job at putting it out.
One day I sent Sam a text saying, 'Do you want to start a label with me?’ He replied, 'Definitely' and we took it from there. Also, being a club promoter I was clearly a sucker for pissing money against a wall in the name of music. Everyone in the business knows that the best way to do that is to press a load of vinyl records by musicians nobody has ever heard of and put them out there, for only you lot to seal our fate. I couldn't pass up that opportunity.
Was there any support or funding available to you or did you do it all off your own back?
We get some support from our distributor ST Holdings which we are grateful for. We also received a very small grant from O2's Think Big initiative but the rest has come from digging deep into empty pockets and relying on the good nature and generosity of some talented friends who have helped us along the way.
How’s it going?
When we set up the label my main personal goal was to release music on vinyl that I stood firmly behind regardless of sales or what other people think of it. So in that respect it's going brilliantly as I love every release we've put out and they take pride of place on my wall as well as my turntables.
The response from DJs, radio, websites, blogs and people at home has been encouraging too. People seem to like it which is great. It's more of a hobby for me than anything so I try to be as relaxed about it as possible otherwise it just becomes like the rest of my work. Some people play golf, others buy clothes, some people play backgammon, others climb mountains. I press up records on behalf of musicians I believe in and want to give a platform too. It can be a stress but I love the whole process from first hearing a rough draft of a demo to designing artwork to receiving the test pressings before walking into Rub A Dub to see it for sale on their shelves.
Being someone who's whole life has revolved around music but without any discernible musical talent of my own, it's great to be able to contribute to the world's rich musical tapestry in a tangible way.
People have said there’s a big DIY aesthetic in Glasgow – would you agree?
Definitely, it's a real have a go city in so many ways and it never ceases to amaze me how talented and productive this sodden place can be. It just never lets up but is small enough to keep itself in check. If you pay close attention you can get a great handle on the scene as a whole but without being bored of what it has to offer such is the consistent output the city has to offer. Also, everyone in Glasgow is a comedian, has something to say and definitely knows the answer to any question you are about to ask so it's not surprising that we want to do things our way or not at all.
What kind of influence have people like Soma and Optimo had on the local scene?
Their influence is huge as they remain connected with the local scene entirely yet operate from an international platform. They've all proved themselves through being consistent and continually in touch with their own fans as well as developing what they to make new ones. It's no wonder Glasgow has such a ‘dae it yersel’ approach when these guys have shown us all that it's there to be done and done well.
Would you say the music community is fairly integrated or quite segregated?
I don't think it's really seen that way in Glasgow, people are just people regardless of what music they're into. Something JD Twitch once said that stuck with me was he doesn't think there's a particular Glasgow sound but there's definitely a Glasgow approach to making music. I think that stems from the way people take influences from so many places and blur the lines between the best of all worlds. Music is there to be enjoyed in all its forms and Glasgow is a city that embraces that attitude.
What are you working on at the moment?
Personally I am enjoying working with my roster as an agent at Elastic Artists, helping to develop their careers and throw my support behind producers and musicians who make music I can't get enough of. All of which I count as my friends so it's quite a luxury as far as jobs go. Having worked in music in a myriad of ways, I have come to realise that this is the role I was made for. I get to stay true to myself, work hard and develop what I do on an international scale so it makes me very happy indeed.
As far as High Sheen goes, we're working hard behind the scenes on the next run of releases. They're coming together and we'll be sharing them soon enough.
