A moment with Paddy, the director of Club Serotone.
Paddy leads us through the bustling creative process of his club nights. He is the club’s director and works with his friends and DJs James and Thomas. Serotone started as a group of five friends, who whilst going out, gathered around a shared passion for electronic music. Eventually, they realised: “we could do it ourselves”. They wanted to bring a new angle to Glasgow’s nightlife. Their name, Serotone, is a play on serotonin, the happiness hormone, capturing the joy of going out together. The drive was also to build a sense of community around these infectious sounds.
P: “It’s a community that you build on the dancefloor, because you might not ever see these people again but you are all one on the dancefloor.”
The city played its role as Paddy describes Glasgow:
P: “Vibrant, ever-growing, everyone wants to be a DJ, starts their own club nights. It’s a melting pot of culture. One of the ways you can picture Glasgow is through its nightlife.”
Instead of chasing the highest BPM, Serotone builds energy gradually as the night goes on; the music takes over. This built-up tension has its roots in the 90’s club culture. Their sound conveys this vision, it’s mainly dub techno, deeper house. In Glasgow’s saturated nightlife with so many possibilities they go against the flow, tracking the sound to its roots. Behind this talented use of music, their objective is clear: “Our goal is if someone comes to our night and doesn’t like our music we will try as hard as we can for them to leave and like it”. They recently rebranded with a more minimalist visual identity. Each night sounds different, but the same energy runs through all of them. As the idea popped up while going out, Paddy, Thomas and James attend a lot of nights to hear other sounds. The three of them choose the DJs, always looking for new artists with a focus on local talent. Everyone adds layers to the nights, and commonly the ideas happen alongside a couple of pints.
P: “We try to make every night unique. We come from the same roots, but we don’t know which way it’s gonna grow.”
With the current economic state, one of the first industries to take the hit is hospitality. Some can’t go out as much as they used to and so when the end of the month gets tight, dancing comes after groceries. But the Glaswegian scene won’t be brought down that easily. Even in tougher times, there’s resilience in the air. According to Paddy: “No matter what we’ll keep on trying, trying and trying then something will click eventually”. It would seem that his mindset is deeply rooted, in a city built on a strong musical heritage, and the scene keeps growing: “Glasgow is never gonna stop, the electronic music scene is ever expanding. Regardless of how tough it can get, we will always go out.”
And in such times, keeping on trying is a political act. Society can impose its codes, but not in this place. Clubbing is a form of political expression when everything pushes you to stay home, but you answer the call of the night. As Paddy mentions: “Outside the club not everything is great, the world, it’s not all good. But in the room it’s very hot, sweaty and dark and loud. A lot of your other thoughts become secondary.”
At times when everything is recorded and labeled, letting go for one night without caring what others think has never been so powerful.
P: “I know on several occasions I’ve danced like an idiot, I feel like people sometimes try to be nonchalant but people should let go.”
Far from following the trend of glitters and poses, Club Serotone stays true to its spirit: be whoever you want and enjoy the sound. “Well, our motto is moving minds and bodies on the dance floor.”. He explains further: “Without the crowd we are not there.”
Nonetheless, no one speaks about it better than Paddy himself.
LC: Do you see Club Serotone as more of a party, an artistic project?
P: “I see Club Serotone as – almost selfishly – a passion project because I’ve always wanted to project this music and give people who deserve a chance, to show how good they are, like Thomas and James.”
LC: How do you want people to feel when they leave Club Serotone?
P: “Tired, wanting more. We want them to think these guys know what they are doing. The main thing is: I want them to feel a bit better than when they came down the stairs.”
LC: What’s next, any plans to expand, collaborate, or evolve the concept?
P: “We definitely have plans to grow. I have this almost delusional thought that we could do something people will remember for the rest of their lives.”
LC: What’s the soundtrack to your perfect night?
P: “There’s gonna be three songs: for the start: ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ by Massive Attack. For the middle, I’m gonna give one of Thomas and James’ tracks : ‘Judgement Domenic Capello’s late night mix’. And then for the end of the night:’Le problème Frenchtouch’ by Le Mézigue.”
Despite today’s challenges, Paddy carries an optimistic vision for nightlife and his passion for music is contagious. Talking with him felt genuinely inspiring. His love for Glasgow and its music scene runs deep, and his drive to create something meaningful with his friends is both humble and human. Serotone is more than a party, it’s a project built on love.
If you want a taste of what a Serotone night feels like, follow: @clubserotone on Instagram. And for a visual glimpse, check out: @keesh__meesh, whose art perfectly captures the spirit of the night.Interview faite pour le University of Glasgow Guardian.
Lucile Coulombe
Image Credit: From @clubserotone Instagram by @indiesleazeforever
