Secluded is the more sinister, rough ‘n’ ready alias of Glasgow based DJ and producer Hans Bouffmyhre, releasing exclusively via his own self-titled Secluded imprint.
His latest outing as Secluded brought his Heat Seeker EP to life, a four tracker which includes two excellent remixes from Jay Clarke.
We spoke to the Scottish techno artist about the new EP, what’s coming from Secluded in the coming months and how exactly this project differs from his other work. Grab the full interview below.
Hi Stephen, how’s things going up in Glasgow at the minute?
Things are going great, thanks! I am keeping myself busy and enjoying the challenge of trying to maintain a good work/life balance now that I have a wife and a young son. Trying to get as much time in the studio as possible, in amongst family commitments and other work.
We’ve been enjoying your Heat Seeker EP quite a bit, talk us through the original tracks, how did they come together?
When I make a Secluded EP I always look to create a catchy chord sequence, to sit on top of some heavy beats, keeping the overall vibe quite stripped down and pumping.
And Jay Clarke brought two remixes to this one, why two? And what was your reaction to receiving his final versions?
I’ve been wanting to get a remix from Jay for a while, as I’ve been loving his stuff. He sent me two versions of the remix asking me to pick a favourite to release, but honestly it was hard to decide and I really liked them both, so we decided to release both.
Tell us about Hans Bouffmyhre and Sleaze? How do those projects differ from Secluded?
I started releasing music as Hans Bouffmyhre at the very beginning of my career in 2006. Sleaze Records is my label and it’s been going strong for over 10 years now. Secluded is an alias I started a few years back to explore a different sound. Secluded is a bit more raw, stripped down with chords and sometimes a bit more groove. Hans tends to be more intense and banging techno, but to be honest both styles can blend well together.
So far the Secluded label has released tracks exclusively from yourself (excluding remixes), are you planning on changing that in the future?
The Secluded label was created purely as a platform to release my own productions, sometimes with some cool remixes and edits by other artists I admire. I think this concept works well and I’m happy with the way it’s going.
Can you let us in on any of your summer plans? DJ sets? Releases? Remixes? What’s in the works?
In terms of releases, my next Secluded EP is going to be out in August. It’s called Untitled Basement Dubs #2 and features five unreleased original tracks from the archives. I also have a new Hans Bouffmyhre EP called Restructured coming out on Sleaze Records in July.
And before we go, Glasgow is known for being a pretty unique city on an international level, what makes it home for you?
Glasgow is a great city and the music scene in particular is very strong. There are also many other things I love about Scotland as well, the fresh air, the scenery and the fact all my closest friends and family are here. That makes it home.