10 Tracks Showcasing 10 Years of Livity Sound
INTERVIEW WITH PEVERELIST — PLUS BONUS HODGE PLAYLIST
Ahead of our Origins x Livity Sound event this coming Saturday at Corsica Studios, we chatted to Peverelist, the Bristol-based visionary behind Livity Sound. The label has become one of the UK's foremost protagonists for cutting edge underground electronic music. Hodge, one of the artists on the stacked lineup for Saturday, has put together a killer playlist showcasing 10 years of Livity Sound. Enjoy!
Hi Tom! How are things in Bristol at the moment?
Great thanks, feels like things the club scene is back on track, lots of great events kicking off and a bunch of music coming up on the label that i'm really excited about.
Can’t believe it’s been 10 years since the first Livity release! Pev, how did the label come about? Where were you / what were you doing when you thought of starting it up?
There wasn't really a plan, I knew from experience that you just had to start and see where things go, planting a seed and see what grows. If you think about it too much and plan ahead too much, you're just setting traps for yourself, it's best for things to develop naturally, especially at first. I'd been doing a bit of music with Joe (Kowton) just for fun, we had similar ideas about music and what we were interested in. I was keen to start a new label and it made sense to try putting out some music we'd made, I didn't have a plan past a first release. Then I happened to reconnect with Craig who I had met a couple of times before, we hung out a bit and he played me some of the tracks he'd been working on and it all seemed to piece together and it flowed from there, just doing one record at a time.
What parties inspired Livity back in the day?
I've never really thought about it, I guess DMZ / Subloaded / Dubloaded, FreeRotation, St Paul's Carnival, and all the jungle raves I used to go to Drive By, Deep n' Dark, Mutiny.
Did you know what kind of sound you wanted the label to have back then?
I don't like getting bogged down in genres, I just think of it as the music I'm into, but if the origins of a UK sound was a fusion of US House & Techno, US Hip Hop, and Jamaican Soundsystem culture, then I guess it's along similar lines, there's definitely a lot of scope there. Focussed on dance music but not exclusively.
The Livity family has grown across Bristol, London, and elsewhere now! How do you feel it’s evolved?
Yeah, it's fully international now which is great, that's what it's all about, making connections and building the network. I've met so many amazing people over the years when travelling for shows.
Must be nice to feel the label has an identity - everyone sorta knows what they’ll get with a Livity release but you still keep on doing something different and inventive each time. Who’s up next in line on the release schedule?
Yeah, expect the unexpected! Next up is a collab EP from two of my favourite artists Azu Tiwaline and Al Wootton. It's fully epic.
It’s the first time you’ve taken over the South London venue that everyone knows and loves! 5 words to describe what sounds we’ll be hearing there next Sat?
Lilting, sonorous, raucous bleeps & gurgles.
You’ve both played at Corsica before but separate to Livity. What’s your best memory of the club?
Wow, I've been to so many parties there over the years, always had one of the best soundsystems in London. I've seen Surgeon, Regis, Courtesy, A Made Up Sound, Actress, Kirk Degiorgio, Ben Sims, Elgato, Beneath, too many to mention, great memories! Can't wait to get back.
Interview by: Alicia Steanson
Playlist by: Hodge