Interview / Logan Fisher / Tryouts For The Human Race – By Kristan Caryl

Taut, tight talk conducted by Kristan Caryl.

Logan Fisher might not get the headlines of some of his peers, but for more than 30 years, he has been a quietly important force in the UK’s underground. His early days were spent as a resident at the legendary Gardening Club in Covent Garden, London, where he ran the hedonistic Betty Ford Clinic, hosting guests such as Andrew Weatherall, Darren Emerson and Richard Fearless. He then went on to curate the cult club night, Bumpy Capers, at the much-missed Plastic People in Old Street, a venue which became renowned for its sound system and welcomed a mix of hometown and international talents as well as one of the most diverse crowds in the country at that time.

Fisher has always been more interested in putting on good parties for good people with good music rather than chasing the personal spotlight. He spent years living in Bucharest at the start of the 2010s and has released music as Haules Baules on his label of the same name. Dark chugging disco, electro, house and acid are the core tenets of what he plays these days, and are also the sounds that define his latest party, Tryouts For The Human Race.

With impeccable sound and a no-nonsense ethos, Tryouts has fast become a beacon for an eclectic crowd of outsiders seeking a true escape from the hyper-curated modern club scene. It’s a grassroots party that has grown through word of mouth that hosts largely in London, but also around Europe. Later this year there’ll be events in Leeds, Brighton, Margate, Todmorden and on June 20th, Tryouts will host a stage at the Wildwood Festival in South Cambridgeshire.

Ahead of all that, I chatted to Logan about sold-out nights, his anti-fame philosophy, the evolution of his craft, and why, despite everything, he still believes the best parties are the ones done from the heart and not for the balance sheet.

What was the catalyst for starting Tryouts?

The catalyst was stumbling across the venue. I’d just reconnected with an old clubbing friend of mine, Dave Gadsden, and we’d pulled off a rather fun, infamous party in a squatted mansion in Camberwell. That got the juices flowing, and when I found our current – secret – venue, we thought we’d give it a go. There’s no mission statement as such, just a focus on a party. No posing, no wannabes, just an unapologetic desire to have fun without recrimination.

The party has really put you in the spotlight. What’s that like after so long in the trenches? Do you enjoy the extra ears, or does it bring added pressure?

I’ve never really chased the spotlight, fame doesn’t interest me at all. However, I have gained some sort of recognition amongst a small group of people who seem to respect what I do. It’s not like I’ve sat in my bedroom waiting for things to happen, as I have a career in design and art direction. I guess Tryouts is an amalgamation of the two, getting to play the music you love whilst growing a brand around it.

It’s proven a huge success and you have taken it all over Europe. Does its success scare you? Are you mindful of keeping the original values as the brand grows, and how hard is that?

Haha, that’s very kind of you to think that. Success is relative, I guess. I mean, I still don’t have a DJ booking agent, and we certainly don’t do this for the money, cause we don’t make much from it. We will always keep it small and select, that’s the only way to keep the soul of it intact. If 300 people walk away from our party with a grin on their face and a glow in their heart then that’s success enough for us. I think we’re a bit too niche for ‘big money offers,’ but we have turned down some big-name DJs who wanted to play because we didn’t think they quite fitted with our aesthetic.

Why do you think people have responded so well to the vibe of Tryouts?

Possibly because our idea of a good party is that of an escape. Somewhere you can go and really let your hair down and be yourself. With the growing desire to document your every move, we provide a safe haven from that. Also, we don’t take ourselves too seriously on the surface, but on the flip-side we obsess over the fundamentals. The sound at Tryouts is incredible, as are the lights and lasers, which are manned by our lighting supremo, Selvin Cooper. We’re always looking to improve the party. At the last one for example, we brought in a second Void rig and stuck it at the back to give a uniform sound to the whole dancefloor. We operate on a word-of-mouth basis. This ensures we have the right crowd in there, which is fundamental to its success.

You’re returning to the Wildwood festival this year. What is it that you like about Wildwood?

I admire Vicky’s underlying passion for the festival. It’s guided by the heart, not the bank book. Great location, well curated, just the right size, lovely, lovely crowd. We share the same ideals.

Are you a self-critical person? Do you look back and assess your performances in the booth, or do you leave them behind the moment you’re done?

Critical to a point. If I feel I’ve done my best, that’s the best I can do. You learn something every time. Sometimes it feels effortless, other times you really have to work at it. A good set for me is when you’ve figured out what resonates with the audience in front of you, then slowly guide them to something hopefully fresh and new.

You’ve released music only sporadically over the years. Why’s that?

I kind of got frustrated with producing in the past. DJing and producing are two different things, and I didn’t feel I had the skillset to create exactly what I wanted. There are too many DJs who feel the necessity to put out tracks to raise their profile, yet 90% of them are terrible. Saying that, after 15 years jumping in and out of Ableton and getting to grips with synths, there may be some music coming in the not-too-distant future.

What’s been your highlight of the year so far, and why?

With regards to Tryouts, there hasn’t really been one particular moment that stands out, but the fact that our last run of parties has all sold out in about 15 minutes makes me proud that clearly we are doing something right.

Logan Fisher is hosting a Tryouts stage / take-over on Saturday June 21st, with assistance from Manfredas and Neil Diablo, at this year’s Wildwood Festival. Happening between June 20th and 22nd, you can find more details on the whole weekend, and purchase tickets, here.

A huge Thank You! to The Insider, Kristan and, of course Logan, for the interview.

As a nice bonus Logan also sent us a short list of top Tryouts tunes, which will give you a taste of both the party and what to expect at Wildwood:

Niev / MarioKarlos