Electronic Hector's House
The Hectors Mixtape ~ Stuck Fereo (Eyeangle Records) | [THM020]

📼 The Hectors Mixtape 📼
[THM020]
Stuck Fereo (Eyeangle Records)

1) Tell us about yourself….. 
I’m [Stuart Cairns] a telecoms engineer, live in Bathgate with the Mrs and our one-year-old baby boy, Hamish! Love my football, cars, burgers, and Southern Comfort.

2) How did you get into music and DJing?
Was a big rock fan when I was younger, then around 1994 I got into dance music, particularly house and happy hardcore, which my bigger cousin introduced me to. I also learned to play the violin when still quite young. By 1998 I was trance daft, and wanted to take up DJing, which I did using my Acoustic Solutions Homemix system, which only allowed pitch shifts of 1% at a time! It was good to learn on crap equipment, as when I moved to vinyl and on to proper CDJs it was pure luxury. I started producing around this time too (Yamaha DJX and Dance eJay 2!!!), but put that aside until about four years ago, when I took it up again properly. I’ve gone through all genres of dance music, but only ever really produced house, and very much still learning. Biggest achievement to date is Danny Howard playing a track I wrote a couple of times on his BBC Radio 1 show. I also played at Cab Vol for Hectors a year or so ago, but it was my first night out since my wee son was born, and I’m beyond embarrassed to say I got a bit too drunk and royally arsed it up, and not really had the confidence to DJ out again since. Great experience, regardless.

3) Who/what are your favourite DJs/producers/labels?
Always been a huge Ferry Corsten fan, he single-handedly turned me from Happy Hardcore to Trance, which in turn gave me more of a chance to DJ. Eric Prydz has been a big inspiration due to his refusal to bow to his commercial success. Way too many influences to mention, but I have particular respect for artists who take the time to give you a wee Facebook like if you tag them in a mix which contains their music, or reply to a comment, message or track you’ve sent them - Dennis Quin, Danny Howard, Low Steppa, Dub Jamz, Dirty Secretz, to name a handful. In terms of labels, the dream is a release on Toolroom or Defected - I’ll settle for my one release so far, though, which was a remix for Liam Doc on the mighty Eyeangle Records!

4) Tell us about your mix…..
I originally put it together purely for my own enjoyment - happy, summery house music which brings back good memories. I actually put a fair bit of planning into it, and struggled to whittle it down to only an hour.

5) What are your future plans?
I’d still love to get back into DJing properly, but it’s been impossible over the past year with my son being so young. He’s a bit more independent now, so I’m slowly getting more time to produce a bit more too, which I’m really enjoying again. I did run a club night in Bathgate for a while, but house music is NOT what the locals want, so I sacked it hahahahahahaha. The Mrs and I used to go to Ibiza twice a year, and it would be nice to think that I’m still young enough to return when the wee man’s older and we’re comfortable to leave him with family for a long weekend at least.

6) Anything else you want to mention…..
I reckon I speak to Susan Boyle through my work at least once a month. Genuinely. She’s absolute quality. 

Mix tracklist:
Laszlo Dancehall - Gave Up
DeMarzo - Draw A Line
Detroit Swindle - The Make Up
Riva Starr - Can You Feel Sunshine
Kelis - Bossy (Stuck Fereo Remix)
MK feat. Alana - Always (Route 94 Remix)
Offaiah - Trouble
James Benedict - Where To Go
Lee Walker - Freak Like Me
Weiss - Feel My Needs