1. What keeps you motivated after being in the game so long?
Changing styles I think. There are a few parts to making music or maybe stages. First of all you hear a style, a genre or whatever it is. Then you are chasing that style down, slightly missing the point. Then you are making music which is similar but different. After that you have a clear idea of how that genre works and you can give it your own twist whilst also finding the ultimate way of doing things. Following that you can explore almost every possibility before becoming slightly stuck. You have created the great piano riff or vocal anthem, made the hard tune, got the ultimate freeform riff, found the right hi hat at the right eq with the right length and the lighter or heavier clap or snare sound that other sounds cant quite beat for energy, function or sound. So then its time to do something else.
So over the years I did hardcore, breakbeat hardcore (1997 ish and No Triks era), Nu Energy (Elektrik Kingdom), more hardcore, hard house, hard trance, breakbeat (slower stuff, had a fluke hit with Peacemaker 'Crisis'), lots more hard trance (that is where I first really felt I had explored the extent of the genre for me). After Hard Trance I started CLSM when the scene was in really bad shape but the hard trance was flying for me, but I had got bored with Hard Trance. Then mainly focused on the media angles of hardcore and hard dance DJ Mag; Radio 1 then in 2006 the Sky Tv show 'Underground'. Following that I explored TV advertising: a TV advertised download album compilation. Then Hardscape (hard dance at hardcore speed) and opposed that with the breakbeat stuff. I started the mastering service last year and now full circle back into making hardcore and doing a bit of a UK tour really.
So, the short answer is changing things around!
2. Is there anything different now than a few years ago when you were last involved?
People talk about themselves and other people more, quite often about things that don't exist. For instance I read "I dont care if the style I am doing isnt in fashion, I am doing it anyway"- Nobody was stopping you! I think now, despite the talk; the music is at its most exciting. I have spent most of my time avoiding the term freeform as it usually meant quite crappy unfocused music which was messy but now DJ's like A.B. play whole sets of non shit freeform- its surprising and great and on some of the bigger line ups.
3. Is there any artist in hardcore who you're really liking at the moment? Up & Comers or Established-anyone?
Doh! I kind of answered in question
I would say A.B- as a DJ. Chris Fear has that good vibe at the moment but also the worldwide producers JD Kid and the trance (they call it freeform) Andy Dee-I would like to see or rather hear more from. I hear the AoS productions keep getting better, I like the Jungle from Abyss
and there are a bunch of people who I will forget now and then remember! Like Jakazid.
4. What really got you into production? How did you start? What gear did you use?
I got into it as soon as I could. I was a DJ first then got onto a midi box with Notator (predecessor to Logic i think) then a tracker program on a PC followed by the Man From Uncle studio in 1995 with Stu J and UFO, into my studio from 1997. Early days in the Man from Uncle studio; We had two Akai S950's (you could time stretch), a JV90 keyboard (like a 1080 but with keys), a real 303, a real 909, & a real 808! Then my studio started very basic with an Akai S900 with 1 mb ram, Yamaha CS1 and an amazing thing called an MR-Rack by Ensoniq which had a dance expansion.
5. What's some simple advice you'd give to any up & comer in hardcore?
Do something fresh. Learn how to produce then take it in your own direction and remember you will make rubbish tracks, accept the feedback as you put the music out there. Take it onboard but don't waste time being upset about the feedback- use it!
6. What's your personal favorite VST?
Probably Audjoo Helix. There are a few things which are odd and wrong about it, its also a little tricky to use so it gives a different sound set to what other people use and has a nicer bass than Massive; but due to the slightly awkward tweaking of it keeps too many people from understanding it.
7. What direction would you like to see hardcore go in?
All directions I think. On Friday I played for Thumpa's Rebuild event, I played new stuff but from across the board and despite being a freeform event more towards the kick drum stuff it was a piano track that went down best... but only because the night had already gone in so many different directions already, It's probably the most diverse hardcore line up ever.
8. What do you think it will take to bring more followers of hardcore music?
Well, More cross pollination of the music. I think there is little to none at the moment. Some degree of credibility helps(not too many rip offs and remixes, however those are a part of hardcore). The biggest problem is people in the scene waiting for somebody else to help them. I recently saw some DJ's moaning about a new event 'Together we Rise' for not booking certain DJ's. The event is new and the DJ's themselves doing their thing in their way. They saw what they wanted to do and did it. So i think the message is to get on and do it, rather than wondering why they are not booked for x or y event. The music wont spread by being on exclusive CD's. The music wont last if the energy isn't in the right place. The music will grow if a few good producers make and promote their music well.
