https://beat.com.au/british-techno-heavyweights-bringing-otherworldly-seladoria-to-australia/

Ahead of Seladoria’s next adventure in Australia in April, Selador bosses, Dave & Steve spoke with Beat Mag in Melbourne about how the concept was formulated through lockdown and how much they’re are looking forward to getting the show on the road..

Beat Mag: Seladoria isn’t a new concept, can you tell us a little about the online live streaming events you have held over the last year or so?

Dave: Yes, Seladoria as a concept was something we’d been working on for a while but unfortunately just as we planned to launch, Covid hit and we were forced to put existing plans on hold. So we thought the best thing we could do throughout lockdown, to get the idea out there, was to showcase the concept through live-streams. So once the initial restrictions lifted and we were allowed to hire a studio, Steve & I set about recording, filming and streaming exactly what a Seladoria event would look and sound like. It worked really well. Check it out on my YouTube channel and you’ll get a better picture.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g1fu4qgWsE&t=3683s

Beat Mag: When did the idea for Seladoria come to you? Was it early on in the pandemic, or was it an idea that grew over time as things really started to drag out?

Steve: Like Dave said, we had been formulating the concept for some time. Way before Covid in actual fact, but what the pandemic allowed us to do was to realise some of those ideas and focus in on the fine details and get everything in order ready to unleash as soon as we were allowed. It felt like we were waiting forever to get out there into the real world with it but we did finally manage to launch at E1 Club in London last last year and now, this trip to Australia is the beginning of much more to come this year.

Beat Mag: Where are you hoping to take people on this adventure you’ve prepared for them?

Dave: We wanted to create an events concept that was truly memorable. A return to that old maxim of clubbing being something of an escapist adventure, where you go down a rabbit hole and come out the other side the morning after wondering “did all that really happen”? So yes, the visuals are very much a part of that. They’re intended to sync with what we do musically to provide a sensory experience that will live on in the memory.

Beat Mag: You’ve described Seladoria as an “an aural and visual adventure for a post-pandemic world” with the beats centred around your renowned Seladorian style, what are the type of visual effects people can expect to experience?

Steve: As previously mentioned, the livestream that you can catch on YouTube gives you a good indication of what to expect. The words ‘mind-bending’, ‘trippy’ and ‘otherworldly’ all spring to mind though.

Beat Mag: Steve Parry and yourself are leading the charge, but what can you tell us about some of the guests you’ve invited?

Dave: Yeah, we have a core of artists on our roster that have contributed regular to the label over the last 9 years and wanted them to be a big part of what Seladoria was all about. So very happy that two of them could join us for the Australian dates. Darren Emerson obviously needs no introduction. He’s a long time friend of both Steve & I and I’ve been working alongside him a lot as part of 3D DJs together with Danny Howells, and Claire Spooner aka Just Her has been parti of the Selador furniture for a long time now. She first appeared on the label back in 2013 and continues to go from strength to strength so yes, delighted to have both of them touring with us. On top of that, we’ve also got local hero Jamie Stevens joining us for the Melbourne party and likewise, Steve Marx in Sydney. Baicaaly, we don’t think you could be in better hands!

Beat Mag: The livestreams have looked and sounded amazing. How excited are you to see it all go down in a live setting with a live crowd?

Steve: Yeah, of course that’s the ultimate goal. It is a live concept after all so to actually get out there and do it for real in the nightclub habitats for which it was created, is something we’ve been building towards for the past two years.

Beat Mag: Can we expect a visit from Harvey, the enigmatic Rabbit King on the night?

Dave: Of course, he will be there leading us all a merry dance. He’s the perfect ringleader!

Beat Mag: What is it about Bourke Street Courtyard that makes it an excellent venue for an event like this?

Steve: We’ve not actually been to BSC before but trust our team and all our friends there on the ground in Melbourne who tell us it’s a great venue for what we are wanting to achieve. We know it is one of the oldest venues in Melbourne with a unique look, real character and a big clubbing heritage so very much looking forward to adding our own little piece of history to that.

Beat Mag: Do you have a shameless plug for those out there interested in coming along?

Dave: Come take a trip with us to the Naughty Forest where a kaleidoscopic world of sound and colour will engulf you, nourish your soul and then spit you out the other side. After this, there’ll be no turning back! Or something like that anyway! Hahaha