(As featured in Bonafide Magazine, July 2015)
Cam Bianchetti is one of Australia’s most revered electronic music exports. Long before he established himself as a master of the classic disco and pop edits that have made his Late Night Tuff Guy alias synonymous with heady dancefloors and peak-time anthems the world over, Bianchetti was earning his stripes producing tough house and techno as DJ HMC. Rightly regarded as the ‘Godfather of Australian Techno’, heavy 90s cuts such as LSD, 6AM and Phreakin quickly garnered HMC national and international acclaim, and placed the Adelaide native firmly on the global radar.
Bianchetti’s output as Late Nite Tuff Guy is a firm step away from the harder, pistoning styles with which he first made his name, but his decades of experience show in his tasteful re-workings of classic disco and pop jams. His ability to truly distil the essence of an original song into a refreshed dancefloor cut has meant that LNTG edits have worked their way into the record bags of some of the titans of the scene; Jackmaster, Jeff Mills, Bicep and Todd Terje are all strong supporters of his perfectly poised reimaginings of tracks that other artists wouldn’t dare touch. We caught up with Bianchetti in the midst of his five-month European tour to talk influences, Australia and editing the classics.
How did you first get into music, and dance music in particular? What were some of the first records that were really formative in developing your taste?
Music was always being played in the house when I was growing up. My father brought over a collection of 45s when we migrated to Australia from Italy. I remember playing those records all the time, until I was old enough to buy my own. The first 12″ single I ever bought was Dance Dance Dance by Chic. The Rodgers and Edwards sound has always stayed with me and I think their productions sound fresher today than ever before.
Move forward 10 years, I remember buying a record called Baby Wants To Ride by Jamie Principal. Although I had amassed a big collection of house music by the time I heard this particular track, it was definitely the one that made me want to produce house music.
You were producing and playing much harder styles of house and techno in the 90s and early 00’s as DJ HMC, so much so that you’ve been dubbed the ‘Godfather of Australian Techno’. Why did you decide to make the transition to Late Nite Tuff Guy and a much more disco and soul-orientated sound? Was it a natural change for you to make?
It was never a conscious decision to set out and create a new alias, it really was something that happened naturally. I took a break from techno and house music and DJ-ing in the early ’00s and found myself listening to a lot of soul, funk, and disco, in particular, music that lifted my spirit, music that touched my soul. I fell back in love with Earth Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and of course the music of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards.
Is LNTG your main focus now, or do you like to keep your other projects going too?
I have just started up a new techno/house label called Reflector with which I’ll be releasing remastered DJ HMC classics. The first 12″ was released 2 weeks ago, with digital following soon. I’m very excited about having my back catalogue released digitally. I’m also in the process of mastering an electro EP, heavily influenced by Kraftwerk and Drexciya. It will be released on reflector sometime down the track.
How did you get into editing tracks? What songs are you drawn to in particular?
Again, something that just happened naturally. I’d been making music for many years before I recorded my first edit. When I finally decided to go back to DJing I wanted to play all that soul, funk and disco I’d been listening to, so I decided to quantise tracks and beef them up so I could play alongside house tracks without losing that energy and drive.
How do you go about approaching a classic track – what’s your creative process? How do you strike the balance between maintaining a song’s original character and adding something genuinely new?
I absolutely love the challenge of editing a classic. There are many different ways I approach an edit, it’s difficult to put into words. Two things are always in my head… 1. have fun and 2. don’t bastardise the original.
What track is your favourite to play out to a dance floor, and why?
I Get Deeper (LNTG Rework). Without a doubt it will set any dance floor on fire!
What do you listen to when you aren’t listening to dance music, in your down time?
I guess soul music, classic r’n’b. Stuff like Al Green, Earth Wind & Fire. I love some modern r’n’b and soul like Jill Scott, and D’Angelo.
You are in the midst of a big European tour at the moment – what are some of your favourite places to play? You held that Ibiza residency last summer. Do you think LNTG suits a particular environment best?
I’m a club DJ. Always have been always will be. I’ve played at some great festivals over the last three years and my residency in Ibiza was an amazing experience but I’ve always preferred to play a club with 200-300 people. An intimate environment, where I can see people’s smiles, look in their eyes and really connect with them. Dublin, Galway and Glasgow are all amazing places.
You launched your label Tuff Cuts in 2013 – what prompted you to do so and how have you found the experience?
I just thought it would be nice to have my own label and release whatever I liked. 15 years ago it might have been more of a challenge to run a label out of Australia but now of course with the Internet the world has become much smaller.
What’s on the horizon for Late Nite Tuff Guy?
I’d love to tour the U.S. in 2016. I’m working on re-applying for a work visa. When I get home from this tour I’m hoping to finish a LNTG original LP. It’s been in the works for a couple of years now but with my heavy touring it doesn’t leave me much time in the studio these days. I’d love to have it out by this Christmas. And of course I’ll be back in Europe next summer.
Anthony Prodromou 