There’s a good possibility you’ve heard of the Edinburgh born, London resident DJ, producer, crooner, self confessed music nerd and remarkably dapper man about town George Thompson aka George Demure. Over his career that’s spanned from DJing and promoting house music at Edinburgh’s emporium of house, Tribal Function under the name The Plastic Avengers during the mid 90s through to his transformation to sharply dressed and even sharper witted crooner under the name George Demure. As the latter he’s been one of the names that have popped up in the most discerning of musical places; from boutique disco label Tirk in ’06 with the sleek and moodily anthemic ‘New Confrontation’ to his release on the somewhat legendary Output imprint through to his cameos on the likes of Flash Atkins releases and re-rubs on the DefDrive and NonStop labels, most notably his re-rub of Spektrum’s club and radio banger ‘Don’t Be Shy’. Then of course there are his albums. Idiosyncratic nuggets of Demure delving into nooks and crannies of the musical gamut, from nods to Bowie and the Beatles through to synth pop, Beach Boys, Morricone and the odd handshake with Motown.

 

If you didn’t know him before, think of this as an introduction. Welcome to the Demure Universe. It’s dapper out there.

 

George Demure is one of those individual’s whose demeanor is both disarming and revealing. Married to embroidery loving fashion designer and media darling Laura Lees (who also tends to create embroidered covers and art direct the sleeves of his releases), just entering his first few months of fatherdom and about to release his next album ‘The Drifter’ on the sub-label of Process Records, Mahuta, no wonder he’s seems incredibly at ease. Not something one would generally expect from someone whose last LP, Boomtown Medalliion, had been released over three years ago. But then again, Demure seems to be a different type of gent.

 

“Heaps has been happening between the two records. Laura and I had a beautiful son. Sid. He's two years old and a charmer. Somehow I managed to record the new LP whilst being a house husband. No easy task but a mighty pleasurable one.” And the new effect of having a child on his work? “Well, Sid does unavoidably have an influence on my work and that’s a good thing. As for the new label, They bought the rights to my last LP and all the Output material including DK7, Abe Duque, Toob et al so it made sense for me to move with, especially as so many other new things were happening. I just tagged along. ‘Don't mind if I cut in do you’? I asked. They were happy to oblige!”

 

Having spoken to Mr Demure a few years back, he, by his own admission is rather prolific constructing innumerable tracks over the years to be finished. One could then assume that The Drifter would be a collection of b-sides and otherwise dusted off tracks from the vaults released in a new context. As it happens, this isn’t the case. The new experiences of the past years have meant he’s produced new music whilst older pieces have been augmented to show his new viewpoint on life. And it’s quite a move - from the darker, moodier electronic infused model baiting fodder of his earlier material which sat comfortably next to Detroit boy Jimmy Edgar’s Colour Strip LP and Colder’s sex drenched glacial electronipop to the newer sound, all analogue warmth, and organic twangs.

 

 

Unfortunately, the one thing to hit the back burners was his Djing. A Google search for The Plastic Avengers reveals there’s still a number of Edinburgh faithful harking back to the days of  Tribal Funkion and The Plastic Avengers sets. Unfortunately Demure, due to time constraints and the shift of the house sounds from the popular deep soulful house sounds to the jackin’ Chi-Town swing meant what was once something special and exemplified by the Tribal Function became all too suddenly commonplace.

“I spent most of the 90's DJing and it felt very special and niche to me back then. Less so by the turn of the millennium so I put DJing on the back burner for a while and became 'Demure' so to speak. It's still with me, house, when the moon is right and the tunes are hot but I don't play nearly as much as I used to”.  But like one who’s seen the light, once on the subject, he can’t stop gushing. “I used to live for the mix, the blend. I still get the urge, especially when I hear something truly inspirational. Actually, now that you mention it, I did recently hear a house tune that blew my tights off. 'Tender Places' by Baker Ustl. Estonian geezer. Track it down. But it’s not all over for my mixing mind. Still have The Demure Diaries podcasts where I get to mix it up. It's where I DJ most. And sing a bit too. Putting eclectic beside electric. I've just finished one for Allez Allez and do them regularly on Jellycast. I'm planning a new podcast series called 'The Five Oh Seven Oh Show' that will consist entirely of music made before I was born. No singing. Just nerding.” 

 

Spiffing. A nerd on the inside, creating a rather idiosyncratic but thoroughly interesting sound wrapped in razor sharp tailoring on the outside. Drifting hasn’t sounded so good for a very, very long time.

 

 

The Drifter is out on Mahuta Records now. Check out his podcasts here.