Lee Curtiss

Detroit-based Lee Curtiss' name has been bubbling away under the surface in deep house circles for the last few years, with releases on labels such as Dumb Unit, Get Physical and Wolf + Lamb. However, it’s in the last 12 months that his hard studio work has really begun to pay off. His status as a solo artist was cemented last year, with his Black Door EP on Spectral Sound grabbing Mixmag's techno tune of the month. Meanwhile, this has been mirrored by his collaborative output as part of Visionquest (with Seth Troxler, Ryan Crosson and Shaun Reeves). 2010 has seen him playing Fabric, WMC, DEMF and Ibiza, as well as a host of other dates around Europe and the States. For the first time, Australian and New Zealand audiences will be getting their taste of Lee live as he drops by for a quick fire set of dates later this month.

Pulse: The move to Europe is one that many coming up in the US scene take; tell us how it worked out for you. Was it easy? Lee Curtiss: I actually still technically live in Detroit. I have a house in Grosse Point, which is where my studio is, though recently I haven’t been home as much as I like. I have been spending loads of time in London and I may move here some day but at the moment I’m just managing to balance living between the two cities without sending myself too crazy. London is definitely one of my favorite cities in the world. I have tons of really close and amazing friends there and they really know their music and how to get crazy. I love all different styles of music and can play everything from techno to disco and even pop music in London and the people always seem to stay with you.

A great deal of mythology, even romance surrounds Detroit, at least for those living outside. What's it like to be there and where do you see it heading? Economically Detroit is a disaster but musically it is still a major source of inspiration. I think it will always be that way.

As part of Visionquest, you recently remixed Tracey Thorn's Swimming. How did that come about? We've been friends with Ewan Pearson for years and he remembered Seth telling him how much he liked the Marine Girls, so when he produced the album, he was kind enough to give us a shot at it and I'm really thankful that he did. That remix shows, as a group, what direction we are moving in, trying to push our sound forward and break away from the confines of what seems to be the norms of electronic music right now.

When do you find yourself most inspired to make your music? What are the essential elements of a Lee Curtis track? Inspiration lays behind a woman's eyes… a delicate balance between primal rhythms and cosmic melodies. I honestly make music purely to make girls shake their asses.

Matthew Dear rated your live show so highly that he signed you up to represent Spectral Sound. How has that been and how do you go about preparing for your live sets? Live sets for me now, take weeks of preparation. I like to have as much new material as I can for each live set, each one needs to be special and memorable.

What have been your favourite parties/clubs to play? The DC10 and Circo Loco parties I've played have been amazing this summer. Aside from that, playing for Judy at Fabric in London is always a total pleasure.

Musically, who has been floating your boat lately? After the Tracey Thorn remix, I've been getting back into some of her older stuff, mind blowing, and Fleetwood Mac again. I have also recently rediscovered my love of Suede.

You'll be touring Australia and New Zealand next month, what are you looking forward to about the visit? It's one place that I've always wanted to go to since I was a little kid. My aunt lived Down Under for six months and came back with a tape of INXS KICK and Vegemite. You can only imagine how cool I have made it out to be in my head already.

"Inspiration lays behind a woman's eyes… a delicate balance between primal rhythms and cosmic melodies. I honestly make music purely to make girls shake their asses."

What first drew you to Alland Byallo's hair?  Man, YouTube…. you just wait and see what we do with YouTube. We haven't even started yet.

What are Seth, Ryan and Shaun like as housemates? Imagine a zoo with no zookeepers and all the gates are open…

If you could hang with anyone in history for an afternoon, who would it be? I would like to go back to ancient Egypt when the aliens gave humans consciousness… that must have been a sight.

Where is home to you? As I have said lately, I feel like a homeless person with money. I consider myself a high class transient.

Lee Curtiss AUS / NZ tour dates:

17.09.10 | Melbourne ‐ Blow Your Own Way @ The Mercat
18.09.10 | Auckland – Under Suspicion
22.09.10 | New Caledonia - Transit
24.09.10 | Wollongong ‐ Excursions
25.09.10 | Sydney - Name This Bar

Listen to Lee Curtiss on Pulse Radio

Lachlan Holland