NOCTEN: "The music never stopped calling me back"

Graham Laverty, known as NOCTEN, is a UK-based DJ and producer with over a decade of experience in the underground house and techno scenes. His musical journey began in the late '90s, drawing inspiration from the dark, tribal, and progressive sounds of that era. Artists like Sasha and Steve Lawler influenced his early work, helping him develop a distinctive sonic identity. In 2010, he released his debut EP on Steve Mac's sMACk label, followed by several releases on respected underground labels, earning support from DJs such as Nic Fanciulli, DJ Sossa, Adam Shelton, and Joseph Capriati. After a hiatus, Graham returns with a new project and alias, NOCTEN, launching his label, WLD Records (We Love Drums), next month. The first release on WLD is "Glutton For Punishment", a peak-time, 909-driven club track that showcases the raw, percussion-heavy sound he aims to make synonymous with the label. With WLD, NOCTEN continues to push the boundaries of underground dance music, bringing his signature energy and vision to the scene.

Many artists go through periods of reflection and renewal. What motivated you to pick up your music again and create a label that reflects your artistic vision?

I think the time was right to come back. I had to take some time away due to stuff going on, but it felt like unfinished business, and then you start getting the itch for it — hearing new music, listening to old records, and giving some thought to, if I came back, how I would want to do it. This is what led me to WLD, as I wanted to have control over the sound.

The label means I can release music without chasing trends or thinking about what others are doing. This aspect is really important to me: drowning out the noise and focusing on releasing the sort of music that I want to play when I DJ, or when I’m in a club, what I want to hear. Which for me, always reverts back to underground, raw, percussive house music — which is where WLD came from. It’s an acronym for We Love Drums.

Every label has a unique approach to collaborating with artists. What is your philosophy when it comes to supporting and guiding the artists on WLD?

It’s about finding artists who fit in with what we’re doing. If they fit the ethos of the label, and I like what they do, then I want to give them a platform to grow and express themselves.

There’s lots of music released these days, which is great, but it can feel a bit throwaway. So the plan is to focus on quality over quantity — planning releases no more than every 4–6 weeks, with each release getting a full promo campaign and DJ tastemaker. I’ve worked with some great labels and have seen the bits that add value — straightforward communication, properly promoting releases, and backing the artist to make the music they want to make and try new things, without worrying about whether it’s likely to chart or fit the latest trend.

Every project carries a vision for change or evolution. What is WLD’s goal within the current music landscape?

The main goal is longevity. When I look at labels I love, they establish themselves over a long period — but more than that, they establish their sound, which isn’t necessarily about genre. Rekids are a great example here — some of what they release leans more towards house, others towards techno, but it always makes sense as a Rekids release, and the quality never drops.

My only real goal is to establish WLD as a label where you know what you’re going to get. And while we might push the boundaries musically over time, it will always remain solid, underground club records that DJs can rely on and look out for.

Alongside this, I want to support a collective of artists who share the vision to achieve their goals too — using the label as a platform — and have some fun along the way. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?

DJ edits are often a way to showcase a personal interpretation of music. What drove you to share these versions with your audience?

The DJ edits have been really fun to do. It started with an edit of X-Press 2 AC/DC, which I did purely because I fucking love the record.

I remember being in clubs when I was maybe 18 and hearing it — the drop is so distinctive — and when I got the vinyl, I played it to death. I made the edit to play in my own sets, but then when I shared it with some friends, and then online via the label page, the reaction was insane. I even had Lisa Loud reach out about it, who I used to see play regularly at Shindig around the same time, so feasibly she could have been someone I heard play the record nearly 25 years ago. 

It then dawned on me that these edits were a great way to share my music while we’re building up to WLD001. In the building phase, it gets a bit boring talking about the music that’s coming — it’s a lot more fun to share music for people to hear.

Another edit that had a strong reaction was Harry Choo Choo Romero Beats Volume 2 (later re-released as I Want Out, I Can’t Believe). The record reminds me of some friends going to Ibiza around 2001 and coming back saying, “This tune was everywhere.” We went into a record shop in Newcastle at the time, and they had some copies on promo. Again, I hammered it for ages, but over the passage of time it became a little underrated, so it seemed perfect for a new edit.

These are all available on my SoundCloud for anyone that wants to check them out.

The first release of a label is always significant. What does WLD001 represent in the context of your career and WLD’s overall vision?

WLD001 is the start of an exciting new chapter. It sets the tone for the new label and the project — it’s a 3-track EP and all the tracks have a slightly different vibe, with one thing in common: they’re all percussion-heavy, underground club records. The title track ‘Glutton For Punishment’ shows my love affair with 909 drum machines — a late-night club record with heavy drum patterns that’s a perfect starting point for We Love Drums.

The sound of the records we release will define WLD. I try to avoid pigeonholing the label into one of the many subgenres that exist now. Music is about a sound and a feeling. It’s hard to sum that up in words, but I’m looking forward to the music doing the talking for us — to show what WLD is really about.

Follow NOCTEN

Instagram

Soundcloud