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Andy Cato talks Café Mambo 2008!
28/05/2008
Andy Cato, perhaps better known as one half of Groove Armada, couldn’t be a better choice to take charge of Café Mambo 2008, the first in the illustrious series without resident Pete Gooding at the helm. The two-disc CD boasts such names as LCD Soundsystem, Finley Quaye, J.J Cale, Band of Flys, Weekend Players, The Brian Jonestown Massacre (it’s true), Groove Armada and, of course, Andy Cato. Here Andy gives us a personal perspective of his choices of eclectic and Balearic beats inspired by the sunsets of and culture of Ibiza.
 
What does it feel like to be doing a solo project?
 
Pretty natural. Whilst Tom and I sometimes team up on the turntables, a lot of DJing is done solo.
 
Why did you decide to move to Barcelona? Do you miss anything about England?
 
Mountains, sea, weather, food, those small cold beers, a social way of life. I miss mates, family, and sitting inside when it's raining with a cup of tea.
 
What was life like before you formed Groove Armada?
 
I can't really remember. In the last ten years, we've played live to more than 6 million people around the world, put together 8 albums of different types, DJ'd in most clubs you can think of and checked out every after party we could find. I've lived on boats and in 3 different countries and worked in studios all over the world. So what happened before all that is a bit of a blur. I lived in Brixton, and things were going pretty well with another band until the van got stolen with all the gear in it.
 
What’s you relationship with the magical island of Ibiza? Explain a little about what it means to you.
 
As of this year, I've been going there for 20 years. The first time I went there, it was only because it was the cheapest holiday I could find. It was an18-30 thing, though I'm not sure how that worked as I was 15 at the time. I spent my time in the West End of San An. It was a time when lads went out in crisp shirts and I remember a girl getting her iron back from some boys across the way and shouting down the hotel corridor "the f`***ers pissed in me iron".
 
Since then, it's got better. It's become a second home, with friends all over the island. There's nowhere else I've found that has so much variety of life and beautiful things in a such a small space. It's a special place too - as people have latched onto [it] since the dawn of time. Did you know, for example, that the soil on ibiza can't support any plant or animal which is dangerous to mankind? Things are going on over there...
 
We know its paradise in Ibiza, so tell me what your average day in paradise is… what’s your Ibiza routine?
 
Depends on the night before. If it's daylight when I get to bed, then the routine is a few hours sleep during the really hot bit, before heading off to somewhere like Es Torrent for the afternoon. A cold beer or two, fresh fish, some Rosé, and bit of hierbas always gets things back on track. Then across to Mambo to DJ or listen to [music] and watch the sunset. After that and a brush up, it's off into Ibiza port to see mates at The Rock or Match bar. I'll probably pop in on Duji's bar too - a tiny treasure in the backstreets. After that, it's off into the night. This usually involves a club or two, a lot of dirt tracks followed by a villa party, and a bit of walking about in the morning sun trying to get home.
 
Ibiza is a crazy place if you want it to be – can you give me an experience you have had that you would not be able to have had anywhere else?
 
Where else can a typical night involve eating a barbeque cooked up by a local fisherman, seeing one of the world's finest sunsets, DJing at one of the world's best clubs, and ending up dancing in a villa with Kylie and Sienna?
 
You’re used to playing at stadiums across the worlds, does that mean that small parties are very rare for you now?
 
They are, although whenever possible, we'll do free parties, boat parties or beach parties to keep that side of things alive.
 
How did you get involved with Mambo?
 
I don't remember how I met Xavier (the boss) and his sons. Probably going down there with my mate Simeon and Djing for Pete Tong's radio one broadcasts. Anyway, they're family now and their spirit is what makes the place special.
 
Why are you so fascinated by chillout music?
 
I'm not. Most of my DJing happens at 3 in the morning on the worlds biggest dancefloors. What I love is the power music has to transform an experience - to make it really special. This applies to sunsets or peaktime dancefloors.
 
What’s it like to play sunset at Mambo?
 
Imagine being with your best mates, playing your favourite tunes, with a cold beer and one of the world's finest views.
 
The term Balearic gets banded about everywhere these days, but what does Balearic music mean to you?
 
When I go out to DJ in Ibiza, the record box will have a massive anthem alongside Chris Rea, or an up to the minute Beatport obscurity alongside dubs of Findlay Quaye. House tunes spanning twenty years. That's what it means to me.
 
What was your plan with the Mambo compilation, how did you put it together and what tracks are the highlights?
 
I wanted to capture the magic of the place - that last hour when the sun falls into the sea, and the first hour after, when the night begins. That's why I needed two CDs. The sunset hour features that Balearic blend that takes in JJ Cale and Coldcut, LCD or Jose Gonzalez, alongside classics that a lot of people might not have heard - Morgan King for example. Getting these things to flow takes work, and it's something that I've had a lot of practice at in the Mambo hotseat. CD2 is that kind of locked in groove which lets you move through the decades, the ups and the downs without losing that hypnotising house music core. I could keep this going all night long.
 
Do any of the tracks included in your mix trigger any particular Ibizan memories for you? Were you there at the beginning?
 
Well I was there in '88, which is nearer the beginning than most. Tunes like Last Rhythm take me back to big moments on the old Terrace with the plane so close to your head you could touch the wheels.
 
Can you see yourself spending a lot of time in Ibiza when you are old and grey?
 
I can't ever imagine not spending time there. There's nowhere better to be old and grey.
 
Are there any up and coming acts or DJ’s you can give us a heads up on?
 
Well, joining us at our Fridays in the new Lovebox room at Eden are the like of Brodinski & Yuksek , Herve, 8 Bit Boy, Mok and Toof, Rub and Tug, Horsemeat Disco...  Words: Toni Tambourine