Forge (Stu Turner) is one of the good guys–an upbeat fellow with a penchant for producing, and it’s a pleasure to welcome him to TROVE.
Forge is Stu’s latest project in what has been a lengthy and fruitful career in dance music, having produced tunes for over 15 years. To better understand the evolution of Stu’s tastes, let’s take a step back in time.
“I’ve always been big on electronic music from all ends of the spectrum. The very first album I bought was Fat Of The Land by The Prodigy and the very next one Mezzanine by Massive Attack…so turbo to trip hop.”
When Stu was in his 20s, Sydney/Eora’s Kings Cross was his playground, where he ran amok at clubs when the precinct was in its heyday. “I absolutely rinsed the Cross back then, I’d sneak into Happy Hardcore parties underage. I even lived in the area for the better part of a decade”.
Soon enough, Stu was running his own party at the now-defunct Ruby Rabbit called The Dark Room—essentially an art exhibition that would shapeshift into an electro and nu disco night. This is what first led him into DJing, and as he tells it, “I just learnt to DJ so that I could play to open and close the nights. I soon realised I much preferred this to promoting.”
From here, he settled into his newfound love in a big way, spinning tracks across venues in Sydney/Eora, Australia and the globe under various aliases.
Currently, Forge is the focus–a project where Stu draws inspiration from many artists and genres. He shares, “I’m trying to incorporate all my favourite elements into a club-ready format. I’m influenced by artists like Aphex Twin, Burial, Josh Wink, and Deetron. Just last week, Forge unveiled his new single, “Jokes” (via Bad Parrot), a heaving and haunting journey. Plus, there’s an unreleased track, “Push”, which is not far away.
Until then, let’s hear what Stu’s been grazing on when he’s not in the studio.
So I thought I’d ease into things with potentially one of my favourite records in my collection. Deep and hypnotic but still so musical, it’s one of the most perfect tunes of all time, IMO. Just strap in and listen to the whole thing, and if you vibe, go listen to everything else So Inagawa has done. I came across this one on YouTube, and I’ve never navigated to Discogs faster. If you check out my Like A Dream EP, you’ll definitely hear the influence.
This was the soundtrack of my very first visit to Berlin. The groove’s infectious, and that stab is welcome to play on a loop in my head for hours. Simple and effective house, it’s an XL yes from me.
This tune will never, ever get old for me. Ever. Like ever, just listen to that bassline. How could it?? It’s impeccable, crazy deep, and I have never felt a hihat have the impact that it does in this tune. I wish I could tell you where I first heard it, but I guess that’ll remain a mystery to both of us.
I’ve found myself dancing between 4 to the floor and breakbeat, and for the longest time, trying to figure out which would be my sonic home. If you’ve listened to my last two releases, you’ll know I still haven’t made that call, but this is one of the finest examples of broken beat, without a doubt. There is so much energy through the relentless perc. I’ve closed more than one set with this track.
I’m such a sucker for lofi house, it’s one of my favourite ways to spend a Youtube rabbit hole deep dive, and I know this tune is no secret but it’s such a prime representation of it, minimal elements and a perfectly used vocal sample. Stunning.