There’s no denying how influential Fleetwood Mac has been on the state of music, especially their seminal album Rumours, which reached its 40th anniversary this year. We’ve all taken to the album in varying ways, looking to it as inspiration for our own projects or as comfort needed in trying times. Regardless of what we turn to it for, Rumours and Fleetwood Mac have been and will continue to be some of the most influential facets in music of all time. It’s on this basis that Fleetmac Wood exists.
An interesting concept never really done before, Fleetmac Wood is a remix project and party including various DJs and fans who share a love of Fleetwood Mac. The party project isn’t meant to be a tribute, but more a dedication and celebration of it all by editing and remixing songs from the band’s extensive catalog. Its roots started down in an East London basement back in 2012, after a launch party for the release of a remix to "Dreams" by Psychemagik. Nothing has been the same since.
The Fleetmac fun is coming for its third time to Holocene on April 1, so we wanted to dig a little deeper into the project and how it’ll focus on Rumours specifically. We extended a couple questions to one of the DJs playing the Holocene rave, Lisa Jelliffe aka Roxanne Roll…
What made you decide on Rumours as the album to finally take on?
Rumours is the ‘gateway’ drug for Fleetwood Mac fans. Since we started the remix project in London 2012, we’ve never made it the focus before as it felt too obvious and there is so much more material in their back catalogue. As the 40th anniversary of Rumours, it felt like the right time to acknowledge what a perfect album it is and give it a proper birthday party. It’s a four hour event so we play lots of other Fleetwood Mac tracks but around midnight we have a celebration and play exclusive remixes of Rumours tracks starting with Side 1, track 1.
As far as the musical approach taken to do the remixes, what was the inspiration behind it? Why a rave/club approach?
As DJs, dance music is a genre we love and have played for a long time and combining old with new feels perfectly natural. Most of the edits and remixes we play have a disco-leaning and a Balearic sensibility. Rock is a genre that was created to be played loud and danced to, it’s just that people are not used to hearing it in clubs. People really dance hard at our nights and lose themselves in the music. Because they have so many emotional connections with the songs, it’s a joyful release. It’s musical therapy.
What do you feel Rumours has done for the music world? What has it done for you personally?
Apart from creating a 40 year soundtrack to millions of lives, I think it’s helped women in music. Here’s a rock n’ roll band to rival The Eagles and The Rolling Stones that is not just men. Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie are both talented musicians and songwriters who stayed true to themselves and became world famous rock stars. It’s the multi-perspective songwriting that really gives Rumours depth. There’s a lot of authentic stories being told through the music.
Which song is your favorite remix and why?
There are loads of amazing ones and our friends Psychemagik have made some classics, but the one that I am excited to play right now is a new edit of "Silver Springs" that I created. I was really nervous to work on it as "Silver Springs" is my favourite Fleetwood Mac song. It famously never made the original vinyl and became a B side to "Go Your Own Way." I was never going to better the original but I think the feeling is still true to the song and it has gone down well at recent parties.
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Portland is such a Fleetwood Mac town that this rave party is sure to sell out quickly, so if you want to dance the night away to some remixes, purchase your tickets for April 1 Holocene show quickly here.