staff profile

Greg 'Wizard' Fleming

Staff Profile: Greg 'The Wizard' Fleming Each issue we're going to introduce you, one by one, to Miloco's wonderful array of staff. A veritable smorgasbord of handsome, pretty, funny, delightful, civic-minded, predominantly well groomed, insightful, dexterous and oh-so-talented individuals, it's a wonder gathering them together under just one roof is legal... This November we took an intimate brass rubbing of the man they call Greg 'The Wizard' Fleming, and discovered a whole host of gubbins about his Australian touring, Rolling Stones collaborating, Grime-coated existence...

MILC: "What do you do here at Miloco?"

GWF: "I work here at Miloco as an engineer/producer but mainly come down to play pool, table tennis and check out the sky TV."

MILC: "How long have you been at Miloco?"

GWF: "10 Years."

MILC: "You've worked with a whole host of artists, from The Sex Pistols to The Chemical Brothers, Placebo to X-Press 2 to name but a few...of which are you most proud?"

GWF: "I'm pleased with the work I've been doing lately for The Rolling Stones with Ashley Beedle. Haven't got to meet the band yet though!"

MILC: "Which artist and/or producer would you most like to work with in the future?"

GWF: "Hard to say [as] there's thousands of people out there that I could learn a lot from but wouldn't know about. I find that there's enough fresh talent coming from the UK to keep me interested on this side of things, especially with the growth of the UK urban scene right now."

MILC: "How did you come by the name 'Wizard' (and do you like it & use it in 'normal' life)?"

GWF: "Yeah, I'm actually the love child of Gandalf and Grotbag and there were two people called Greg at school so I got nicknamed 'Wizard'"

MILC: "Your album with Deekline (Breaks, beats and blondes) was described by Rolling Stone as follows: "At last an original urban UK act to rival the big guns of R'n'B and Hip Hop in the USA" - quite some review! How successful has the album been and are there plans for a "B, B & B Part 2?"

GWF: "Yep we had some great press for that album, people really liked the album and it created a lot of interest for us in the industry. This has been great because album no 2 has become eagerly awaited; however good press doesn't always sell you lots of records. Without a big marketing budget and a bit of muscle (as all the majors have) or a lot of luck it's hard to let people hear about your music. However me and Nick (deekline) always saw the album as a stepping stone to better things and as far as that goes the album has been a huge success for us both. Album number two is currently Under Construction."

MILC: "I saw you got to Number 1 in the Australian Dance charts - do you perform live and have you headed down under yet?"

GWF: "Yep, we were there for all of January this year and are back November 25th to December 10th for more gigs. There's a cool scene in Australia and a lot of experience to be had DJing and performing. It's great to get on the circuit and meet other DJ's and producers from all countries. Luckily for us our style of music is particularly suited to outdoor festivals in hot countries! Full of bikini clad ladiez...mmmm..."

MILC: "Do you have any other projects on the go or planned for the future?"

GWF: "Well the next D&W album is taking up pretty much most of my spare time in between now and Christmas. I'm just concentrating on that one thing right now. There have been a couple of remixes for Stereo MC's and also the Stanton Warriors that I'm finishing up this month too."

MILC: "...and how do you see these projects in relation to your continuing producing/engineering work?"

GWF: "It's all the same to me. I'm keen to get stuck in with a track whether it's my own production or someone else's. For me it's about being creative both with sounds (the engineering side) and also exciting with the programming...Working at Miloco keeps me up to date with new artists/bands and also the studio technology, while having the time to experiment with my own material helps get my name out as an artist/producer so that people know what they are going to get if they want to work with me...I think that in this industry it is important to have variety in order to keep your ideas fresh and somewhere like Miloco is ideal for this due to the clients that regularly use the studio."

MILC: And a few other questions...what was the last film you saw at the cinema (was it any good)?

GWF: "Sin City. Thought it was a load of shite - looks great though."

MILC: "What's the last book you read/what are reading now?"

GWF: "The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera."

MILC: "What was your most recent holiday destination and what did you do there?"

GWF: "Miami - saw friends and played at a few parties...oohhhh yeeaahh."

MILC: "What are you doing next weekend?"

GWF: "Mind your own business!!"

MILC: "What's the worst behaviour you've ever witnessed in a studio?"

GWF: "Probably not a good idea to answer this one."

MILC: "Staff knob of the month. Of all the switches, buttons, effects and tools at your disposal during recent Miloco sessions, which single one has given you most satisfaction?"

GWF: "The one on the kettle."











Greg 'The Wizard' Fleming was talking to MILC in the autumn of 2005 © Milc@Miloco 2005

For a look at Greg's full CV click here, and to read a recent Future Sound article featuring Greg and his wizardly ways, click this way.