Ally Tropical | Soundcloud | Instagram | Resident Advisor
Originally hailing from Glasgow and now long settled in London, Ally Tropical is one of the many vital cogs that keeps London ever-evolving music scene ticking. As the editor of the Ransom Note for over a decade, he’s been a vital force in championing emerging artists and overlooked corners of club culture, a mission that mirrors the ethos we hold close here at Truants. His roots trace back to Glasgow’s rich club culture, from formative nights at The Arches and Optimo nights at Sub Club, to an enduring love of leftfield sounds and the messier edges of dance music that still inform his open-ended approach today. Beyond the written word, Ally’s perspective carries through to his work as a DJ, curator, and label head with standout mixes for Melbourne Deepcast, DJ Mag, and Trushmix over the years, alongside three releases on his own label Pleasant Life. A true London hero, he’s quietly shaped the scene through community-driven residencies, parties, and his long-running LYL Radio show.
For the second episode of Season 3 of our Truancy Sessions mix series, Ally delivers an emotive hour that drifts through downtempo, ambient, piano solos, psychedelic house and new age steppers, weaving together sounds from The Durutti Column, Stone, Pacific Spirit, Edwin Schimscheimer, KZA and more. It’s a mix he tells us that channels the warmth of summer and the shifting moods of the seasons as the sunny days get shorter. It’s a mix that for sure will cause reflection and conjure up a beautiful unhurried sense of feeling.
You’ve been in London a while now but you were born in Glasgow right? Can you tell us some of your favourite early memories that maybe involved music? Did it shape the way you relate to music at all? “I’ve lived in London for eleven years now which is quite scary as when I first moved down from Glasgow I wasn’t sure how long I’d be here being honest. I’d assumed a few years at most perhaps.Glasgow is still important to me but I can’t say I’m as connected to it in the same way that I’d like to be but I guess that’s the nature of things – you can’t be in two places at once.
Growing up in Glasgow I was surrounded by music, whether it was playing in bands or hanging out with friends or trying to blag ID to sneak into clubs and pubs underage. I think as a city Glasgow has always been associated with dance music in one way or another and it kind of becomes a rite of passage for most young people at some point to go out and experience that – whether they knew what it was, loved or hated it is another thing.”
So was Glasgow where you did most of your formative clubbing experiences? Can you tell us about some of the first parties you were going to and the DJs you were seeing? “Yeah it was, for me it was a bit of a wild combination of things and in some ways I think that’s probably what’s informed a fairly broad taste in music. There were nights like Pressure at The Arches where you’d see people like Vitalic and Felix Da Housecat, then there were the Optimo parties on Sundays at Sub Club in which you’d spend the remnants of the weekend listening to punkier, leftfield sounds.
I used to go out a lot as a student as well, which I think was very much of a time because who runs club nights on a Tuesday these days or can dare afford to? But back then there was always as much on midweek as there was on the weekends. I also spent a fair amount of time at Nice N Sleazy’s at 12th Isle parties, Huntleys & Palmers, Subcity, Numbers, Stay Fresh and a bunch of other things. I think one of my favourite nights was when the Deadly Rhythm guys invited over Pepe Bradock, he plays so infrequently that I remember that being really special and think it said a lot about how good Glasgow was as a city for club culture during the late 2000’s and early 2010’s.”
So can you tell us about your move to London? What were the first few years like? Were you just absorbing a lot musically? What parties do you remember from that initial era too? “In some ways I think I missed out a little on some of what people describe as the ‘essential’ London years as far as clubs go. I never made it to Plastic People and being honest I had f**k all money to go out to clubs when I first moved down. The people who I’m friends with now are the people who remain some of my closest friends and the parties we had at our old Ransom Note office were pretty incredible – we had the likes of Andrew Weatherall and Daniel Avery playing in our tiny little office in a flat in Shoreditch which would overspill into the street outside and takeover the neighbouring pub. I remember thinking those were the coolest nights ever at the time, I’d just turned 21 and thought I knew everything but in reality I was way out of my depth and just mad excited to be there. In the present I really value the residency we have at The Social, everyone there does it for the right reasons and it feels like a home away from home.”
What’s been your experience like from being the editor of Ransom Note? I imagine it’s been a major influence on your tastes over the last 10 years? Fave moments? “Editing a magazine is hard work, let alone a magazine which is inherently for itself and the sheer love of it rather than commercial gain. I think people think it’s more of an operation than it actually is when in reality it’s just a group of stubbornly minded folk who do it for the love of it.
Culturally speaking it’s opened my eyes to a lot of things, some good, some bad. The ‘industry’ side of club culture and dance music is pretty toxic. Ransom Note has always been a pretty good place to attract those in it for the right reasons and as a barometer to weed out those seeking another sort of fame or bullshit. Music wise, my inbox gets battered. Sometimes this is amazing, sometimes it’s brutal and it makes me want to shut my laptop and listen to nothing ever again. My tastes are as all over the place as ever – it depends on the weather, mood, day, time or moment.”
Could you talk about the evolution of your DJing over the years? Has your focus or approach to what you play and how you play shifted over the last decade? “I’d say it’s been pretty fluid. I tend to go through phases of things and dip in and out of certain sounds – in some ways that’s a good thing as it keeps things interesting but I’m sure it probably makes things difficult as well as I wouldn’t say I have a ‘sound’ as such. People love knowing what to expect and sometimes I’ve turned up and played something they definitely didn’t expect, let alone want. I guess that’s part of the ‘fun’. At the moment I’m enjoying playing longer sets, perhaps a little less directly club focussed, I guess that offers the best in terms of options for me.
What have been the major London musical changes in the DJ scene since being here in the city? Ransom Note and Truants started at pretty much the same time so we’ve probably seen a lot come and go! “Everyone’s a DJ. I mean everyone….
In the past ten years it’s been funny watching people try to out slow each other only then to bring the tempo up to as fast as possible. Trends come and go and I guess it’s important to try and stay connected to what you actually like rather than bouncing on the next big thing.”
You have a regular radio show on LYL, can you tell us a bit about how you approach your shows and the way you collect and organize your playlists? Is it a constant search for new music for you? “I’ve been on LYL Radio for well over five or so years now, I can’t actually remember how long it is to be honest, probably more. Being honest I find doing remote radio quite hard, the lack of direct communication can make it difficult and as such I kind of approached it in a way which was more akin to a mixtape or a soundtrack. I guess the shows are a reflection of where I’m at musically at any given time of the month and that can be as broad as anything. I actually put together a playlist a little while back of some of the music I could find from the shows I’ve recorded, as much for myself as anything else – it’s over 24 hours long if that’s your thing.”
If you had one day to take a fellow artist on an adventure around where you live, where would you go and why? Are there any specific cities you’ve always admired or wanted to experience? “Abstract! To be honest we’d probably end up going for a few pints, I like Skehan’s in Nunhead even though I’m nowhere near it, The Cross Keys in Covent Garden or The Social. As for an adventure, I found myself walking home through Tower Hamlets cemetery the other night. There’s a surprisingly large community of folk who hang out there after dark.”
What sort of other hobbies or interests do you have outside of electronic music? Are there any books, films, shows or other things you’ve seen or been reading/watching that you might want to share? “Doodling…”
Could you describe the process of creating this mix? Was there a specific message or feeling you wanted to convey? “I guess I wanted to record something which would remind me of summer. This was recorded just as the seasons were about to change and I’m not always the best at dealing with the darker months. Summer was incredible this year and there were a lot of lovely, special moments. I’m conscious this maybe isn’t the most club focussed mix Truants has ever featured but perhaps there’s a space for this too.”
Last, usual question from us, what was the last thing to put a big smile on your face and when was the last time you had a proper dance? “I got married this year, I’m pretty romantic at heart and my wife makes me smile. I last had a proper dance at Glastonbury, Land’s End with my pals.”
You can download Truancy Sessions S03 E02: Ally Tropical in 320 kbps on Patreon here. Your support helps cover all our costs and allows Truants to continue running as a non-profit and ad-free platform. Members will receive exclusive access to mixes, tracklists, and discounts off future merchandise. If money is tight however and you’re desperately after any ID, please leave us a comment over on the Soundcloud link and either us or Ally Tropical will get back to you :)
