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    • ClubTheWorld
      Gatecrasher catch up with Ferry Corsten, ahead of his 3 hour set at the Gatecrasher's 15th Birthday event, at their spiritual home in Sheffield.
      GC: Described as the "architect, pioneer and instigator" of trance, what are your thoughts on the scene as a whole?
      Ferry: Trance has come a long way since it’s heyday in the late nineties. It has gone through a phase of progressive, harder , electro and it looks like it’s slowly going back to it roots. In my opinion, if done right, trance is the most innovative music genre out there.
      GC: With numerous Dutch Gold awards and UK Top 40 hits for your productions, which are you more, a DJ or a Producer?
      Ferry: -In the beginning, I used to say that I was more of a producer than a DJ. I was lucky to break into the scene through the success of my own music productions in the late nineties. However, due to that success, I was able to release a number of compilations called Trance Nation with Ministry of Sound which kicked off my career as a DJ. After all these years, I would say that I am definitely both… a producer and a DJ. I spend just as much time (sometimes even more due to travelling ) DJing as I have sitting in the studio late at night to finish a track. The difference nowadays, is that I work on my productions a lot on the road as I do not have the luxury to wait to get home to start on a track.
      GC: With such a hectic schedule, how does Ferry Corsten unwind and relax?
      Ferry: When you´re really busy, you really get to enjoy the simple things in life. I am so happy when I get to come home, hang in my own couch, sleep in my own bed, and eat a great home cooked meal.
      GC: What is your current top 5?
      Ferry: 
      1. Masters & Nickson ft. Justine Suissa - 5Th Dimension (Daniel Kandi Bangin' Mix)
      2. Off Key - Showdown (Ali Wilson & Scott Attrill Remix)
      3. Re:Locate & Menno de Jong – Spirit (Paul Miller 2008 Rework)
      4. Embrace – Embrace (Ferry Fix)
      5. Solarstone - 4Ever
      GC: What piece of advice would you give to any DJ aspiring to be the next Ferry Corsten?
      Ferry: I always tell people to trust themselves and to follow their own path. You can be successful in copying other people but you can have success and earn a lot more respect if you do things in your own unique way.
      GC: Which DJs do you predict to be hot for 2008/09?
      Ferry: I’ve been pretty impressed with the last productions and DJ sets of Bart Claessen. He’s been putting out some real powerful productions and remixes. Casey Keyworth "Breakfast" has been travelling with me on a couple of tours now and I’m very impressed with his DJ skills and of course his productions.
      GC: You have played for Gatecrasher on numerous occasions, most recently at the Gatecrasher Resurrection at Magna in March. You will be back to headline their 15th Birthday Event back in their spiritual home of Sheffield. Why do you think Gatecrasher have continued to be successful after so many years?
      Ferry: Gatecrasher has continued to be successful after so many years because they have managed to work with the times. Whereas a lot of brands have fallen off the map or are struggling to keep up with the way big shows are produced nowadays, Gatecrasher has persevered.
      GC: You have always had a special relationship with the crowd at Gatecrasher. What makes it so special?
      Ferry: I guess because Gatecrasher was one of those clubs that helped make trance music the success . it is today. I was looking at a Gatecrasher Classic CD a few months back and saw how many of my production contributed to that classic CD.
      GC: What can the Gatecrasher crowd expect from you at the 15th Birthday event?
      Ferry: 3 hours of massive energy.
      GC: What is Ferry Corsten up to for the rest of 2008 and moving into the New Year?
      Ferry: I am working very hard to finish my latest artist album taking a bit of time off after that to enjoy some important things in life
    • ClubTheWorld
      Henrik B is a man of many talents, and one with an extremely bright future ahead. At only 28 years of age, this Swedish producer is already widely tipped for greatness thanks to his underground techno productions. With past releases on some of the most respected labels around including Drumcode, Primate & Corb, Henrik is also set for releases on the much talked about Pryda & Size labels, after label bosses Eric Prydz & Steve Angello snapped up more of his tough & energetic floor filling tracks.
      Now established in the techno circles, Henrik showcases his versatile production abilities with “Alive”, his first house productions alongside productions members Thomas Plec and Anders Törngren collectively known as Locktown. Set for a full release late summer courtesy of Sweden’s premier House output – Nero Recordings, ‘Alive’ is set for a huge crossover assault, with Gadjo vocalist Alexandra Prince once again showing just why she’s one of the in demand artists of the moment.
      Funky, vibrant & uplifting, this release has it all – and now complete with the power-vamped dub, looks set to keep on pounding those dance floors right through into the chilly winter months ahead.
      Taking his name further in the dance music realm, Henrik has recently put the finishing touches to his remix of Sunfreakz “Riding the Waves”, originally out on Nero, now signed to UK giants Positiva, this is once again another journey into the many talents he possesses, with this also set for chart-bound success. Speaking about chart success Henrik B´s release “Airwalk” due out soon on the highly acclaimed Pryda label, was selected essential new tune on BBC One1 with Pete Tong.
      This Saturday Henrik B touches down in Manchester at AREA51. We grad him for a quick interview to find out a bit about the man himself.......
      Please introduce yourself and tell us where you are in the world?
      -At this moment i am in Skövde, a small town in sweden that you probably havent heard of and find difficult to pronounce
      Sweden is producing a lot of good DJ’s at the moment, What is the scene like over their?
      - When it comes to Clubs the scene is still growing and house music and techno is getting more and more attention.
      You have a good relationship with the Swedish House Mafia. DO you use a lot of their tracks in your sets?
      Yes, of course i do. Because of the quality of the productions and great floor capabilities. They always have amazing sound!
      Your playing at AREA51 in Manchester this month. What can we expect?
      - You can expect energy! not fast or hard music necessarly. The tracks i play just have energy in a very special way. Electro house, funky house. Vocals, not vocals. A mixture of everything just so that you never get bored hearing the same track over and over again!
      Where else have you been DJing recently?
      I was in Brighton this weekend. Very good!
      And what have you got coming up?
      Sunday july 27th in Ibiza, Judgement sundays!
      Can we expect to see you in Ibiza this summer?
      Yes, Judgements Sundays and Cream@Amnesia.
      What do you use in your sets nowadays?
      CD´s only.
      Have you been in the studio this year?
      Yes, recently i made a remix of Shapeshifters track CHIME for defected records. Release in August. And then i have a new release on JOIA also for August.
      How do you think DJing will evolve technically over the next few years?
      I have no idea to be honest!!
      What’s been your most enjoyable set to date?
      KOKO Club in London was very special
      And you’re least enjoyable?
      -None!
      What do you prefer – DJing or Producing?
      -It goes hand in hand for me since i always think dancefloor when i produce!
      How did you get into Dance music?
      A friend of mine gave me a cassette copy of The Prodigys album "the experience" back in 91. And i was really hooked straight away! Sounded like nothing i had ever heard!
      What one thing would you like to do before you die?
      LIVE!
      CATCH HENRIK B AT AREA51 IN MANCHESTER THIS SATURDAY
    • Jukeboxalex
      Always considered a bench mark for quality DJ/Producers, an invite to guest on a Radio One Essential Mix is something that always brings out the best in a DJ.
      On Friday April 11th Afterparty celebrate their 2nd Birthday by welcoming the Radio 1 DJ’s Pete Tong and Dave Spoon who along with resident Martin Doorly will record a special Essential Mix LIVE from the Afterparty Warehouse Experience. Their sets will be broadcast live to the world between 3-5AM.
      From small Afterparty to big Warehouse party, Galaxy FM’s Best Club in 2008 and Top Ten Club 2007 (Mixmag) ‘AFTERPARTY’ has successfully sown it’s seed in clubland and has now cultivated what is set to be one of the hottest party’s of 2008.
      Tell us a bit about Afterparty and how it all began?
      Basically four of us (3 DJ’s & a Bongo player) were all playing all over the UK and never got to all play together and basically hang out with all our local friends and people in the industry who worked till late. So we set up a little after-hours party in a tiny bar that we could all gather in after our gigs to catch up and have a jam. It began as an invite only affair, but Huddersfield , at the time had absolutely no clubbing scene so it grew very quickly and we had to upscale our venue immediately!
      Afterparty have been asked to play a very special Radio 1 Essential mix. How did that come about and whats going on?
      So one day i got a call from Pete Tong’s Management, saying that they would like to do a special essential mix show representing new up and coming DJ talent & club nights and that they thought Afterparty and I were ideal Candidates! That was a fun day!! So basically We’ve scheduled a special Afterparty Warehouse event on Friday 11th April which will be broadcast between 3-5AM live to the world from the mighty Huddersfield. Tongy will play the first hour then i’ve got the second one. We’ve also got Afterparty Favourite Dave Spoon coming over as well.
      I believe you will be doing an hour of the Essential Mix. Are you prepared and what sort of sound/tunes should we look out for?
      Funnily enough, I’m not at all nervous, just really excited, I’m not going to plan a set because it never works for me when I do that but I’m definitely going to try and include loads of my own material, and re-edits. Also, being a live set as opposed to a pre-mixed one I have to think about the crowd reaction as well, so I reckon you can expect a bit of a party set which suits me fine. Expect Crunchy Techno / Guitars and rave hooks!!!
      What makes Afterparty stand out from the rest?
      This sounds gay, but it’s definitely our crowd. We’re privileged in that Huddersfield, by clubbing standards is a relatively innocent town and, unlike the major cities, hasn’t see it all before. For most of our crowd it may be their first experience of this type of event (and lifestyle) and we can all remember that feeling!! We have never NEEDED to bring big acts in order to fill our venues, and we still don’t really, but we just do it because it’s fun to give our loyal crowd something they wouldn’t ever get to see on their own doorstep.
      What have you and Afterparty been up to recently?
      Afterparty is currently on its next step of regeneration. We have just moved to our new custom warehouse venue (Exclusive to us). We launched last month, and with a bigger space and budget we just wanted to put on a silly break even festival style line up so we booked Groove Armada, Annie Mac, The Scratch Perverts, Sinden & Herve. It was AMAZING!!! We will now be hosting our warehouse parties monthly and I’m currently sorting out some crazy genre bending line ups! For the bank holiday Sunday 25th May I’ve just confirmed Armand Van Helden, Sebastian Ingrosso, Krafty Kuts & the Streetlife DJs. I have equally good line ups for the rest of the year!
      Personally, My DJ calendar has never been so busy, as we speak I’ve just got back from a mini tour or Poland playing some awesome dates there. I’m pretty much out playing every night of the week at the moment and trying to cram in as much studio time as possible.
      What have you got coming up?
      Again, Busy times ahead. I’ve got loads more eastern European dates to complete in the next 2 months and a week’s tour of Egypt playing for Ministry over there and a wicked full moon party on the beach. I’m launching a new club night in Sheffield and the ridiculously good carling academy in may and I’m most excited to be supporting Soulwax and 2manyDJ’s again at the end of April in Leeds.
      Favourite club to play in and why?
      Being emotionally attached I’m obviously going to say our new warehouse venue in Huddersfield because its set up exactly how we want it and Its MY crowd!! But other than that you can beat the box at Ministry in London. You feel like a superstar just being stood in there!!
      What do you think of the UK scene?
      Well in my experience its sooooooooo much more fun in the north! The crowd just seem to lose it that little bit more. One thing I’m not liking is the way Ketamine & GHB are taking over right now, They’re not the kind of drugs you want your dance floor to be on if you’re trying to Create some energy!
      Best gig ever?
      Without doubt last year when I played at the southern fried mobile disco party in Brighton, sandwiched between Fatboy Slim and Armand Van Helden and being asked to go back on at the end for an encore glory hour at the end!!!
      What's the strangest or most unusual place you`ve ever played a gig in?
      I once did a Tutoring Scheme teaching kids how to mix in a school. As part of the course I had to perform a DJ set in an assembly with loads of kids just sitting down and a teacher stood next to me clapping!! I still cringe now as I write!!
      What DJ tunes feature in your sets?
      Anything distorted and guitar based so obviously loving Soulwax / Justice and the Ed banger crew, anything by Daft Punk, Boys Noize, Digitalism, SMD. I also tend to play loads of electronic band stuff like The Presets, Late of the Pier and the Whip.
      Do you have plans to produce your own records?
      Yes I’m absolutely caning the studio at the moment trying to get loads of stuff finished for my essential mix. I’m on with remixing some awesome bands right now which is exactly the kind of stuff i want to stick to. Some of my completed stuff is on my new myspace site @
      www.myspace.com/doorlyuk
      To make it in this industry do you think DJ’s have to produce nowadays?
      I’d like to think not, especially in my case as I wasn’t chosen by radio 1 for my productions but it is certainly a shortcut to the top and it’s hard to name many A-list DJ’s that have gone global purely based on their technical DJ ability. I believe that all DJs should at least have a foundation in production because being able to even make simple re-edits can liven up your set massively.
      Do you tailor your sets to particular venues or play it by ear?
      Unfortunately I’m not organised enough to tailor anything!! I just tend to take far too many records and just pay the excess at airports so I have everything with me, then I just freestyle to whatever crowd i have in front of me. I actually prefer it that way because its more challenging and my sets can be so varied Its easy to find something said crowd will be interested in.
      What are your top 5 tunes right now?
      In no particular order:
      Midfield General – Disco Sirens (Them Jeans Edit) Justice – DVNO (Justice Remix) Trip – Who’s That (Jack Beats Remix) Does It offend You Yeah? – Rockstars DJ Medhi – Signatune (Doorly & Only Ten Left Remix) What`s the dodgiest situation you`ve been in playing out?
      I once played a gig in Poland at a mafia run club, they kept giving me these huge shot glasses full of ridiculously strong Vodka and making me drink them. I was nearing the end of my set when I uncontrollably projectile vomited into the screaming crowd. The owner was very upset and I thought I was going to have my legs sawn off!!! Needless to say we made a sharp exit from the club!!
      DJs are renowned as having a glamorous life, if I was you for a day, what would be the most disappointing thing I’d discover about the reality of a DJs life?
      Probably on a Tuesday night when all your mates and girlfriend are settling down for the night and you’ve got to set off down the motorway to a town you’ve never heard of.... and its dead..... but you have to stay and play anyway because they’ve already paid for you. All night you have a chavvy girl telling you that you’re shit because you don’t have anything by the pussycat dolls. Then on the way home you are day dreaming and you run out of petrol...... again......and spend 2 hours trying to hitch a lift to the petrol station and back. By the time you get home everyone’s getting up for work and you have a meeting in 2 hours! Rock & Roll!!!
      First record u bought?
      Ha HA! I got my first set of decks and went to HMV as it was closing, I was really into the French filtered sound at the time but the closest I could find was a Phats & Small tune called ‘Tonite’ which i proudly cained for my first year!!
      What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen in a club?
      I once bumped into my old maths teacher Mr Crump dressed as a Lady on the pull that was strange.
      What do you like to do away from the dance scene?
      Its non-stop late night partying in what we do so when i do get a night off i like to just do the things other people take for granted like, cook a decent meal, watch TV and get an early night.
      What`s your most prized possession and why?
      Probably my Macbook Pro I spend more time with it than my girlfriend!
      Which four words best describe you?
      Peanut Butter Jelly Time
      Last thing you regretted?
      Putting myself on after the scratch perverts at Afterparty last month, they were possibly the best DJ set I’d ever seen and the crowd were in awe. How do you follow that!!!
      Finally who would be on your ideal DJ team?
      Other than those already mentioned of course (2manydjs / Scratch Pervs / Fatboy etc) I reckon to create the best party I’d have to draught in Annie Mac (Who is Ace by the way!), my good mates Cassette Jam and I’d love to play back to back with Zane Lowe.
      CHECK OUT AFTERPARTY ON FACEBOOK
      facebook.com

      TO LISTEN TO MARTIN DOORLY'S ESSENTIAL MIX PLEASE VISIT

      bbc.co.uk
    • Jukeboxalex
      As the summer fast approaches AREA51’s line ups get hotter and hotter. Big news for this month is former Space and Dc10 resident Jo Mills will become our new Saturday Sessions resident. The talented DJ and producer is in high demand worldwide, about to jet off on her sixth annual tour of Asia, Australia and Indonesia before returning to her beloved home base of Ibiza to unveil her eagerly anticipated new weekly residency for summer 2008. Add to that the exciting news that Jo has announced a monthly residency at Manchester’s Area 51 and the fact she’s heading back into the studio to produce new tracks in time for summer and you’ve got one very busy DJ. Check www.myspace.com/djjomills for more details. Catch Jo tearing up the AREA51 dancefloor this Saturday with hot Toolroom record producer Kim Fai.
      We caught up with Jo to find out more about her new residency and Ibiza..........
      This month you make your second appearance at AREA51 as their new resident, what can we expect?
      i am going to be playing some underground after hour sounds for the crowd to get on down too!
      What do you think of the club?
      i love it thats why i jumped at the chance to be a resident, its fresh and how a club should be, wicked sound system, nice and dark with low ceilings giving it that edge and a perfect size for the direction we are taking the night musically.
      What other residencies do you have?
      i play regularly for Club Azuli all over the uk and gbar in liverpool .....i also have a hot new residency here in ibiza this summer!!
      How old were you when you started playing?
      i learnt when i was 21, so 4 years ago!! haha sorry could not resist that......
      What or who is behind your musical inspiration?
      i absolutely love soul music..i was brought up on it, i love barry white, marvin gaye, stevie wonder.....black music has been a huge inspiration for me really. When i first started it was dj pierre that got me hooked, his wild pitch sound transends all styles of house music.
      How would you describe your sound?
      house music with techy vibes, intoxicating grooves and melodies ! music to dance too
      What one track never fails?
      one of my faviourate all time tracks is silicone soul - right on right on ....its timeless
      What have you been up to recently?
      i have been busy working on my lines up for the room i am hosting here in ibiza in the summernas well as playing in italy, dublin and the uk and of course working in the studio. i have been based in ibiza all of this year so it been ace being home its amazing here in winter
      You a bit of a legend out in Ibiza Will you be out their again in 2008?
      well yes! this is hot off the press as i have just confirmed the details.... pete tong is moving from pacha this summer and will be presenting his successful brand WONDERLAND at eden every friday , pete will be in the main room with GROOVE ARMANDA in the second room and myself and husband charlie (chester) will be hosting the white room upstairs! i will be playing every week along side ibiza residence djs and special guests, it is really exciting as the club is under going a complete transformation.
      Who is you top tip for 2008?
      tomas edberg, my resident for the white room this summer , hes an excellent produce and a really skillful dj he knows how to build a set as well as rock a dance floor
      What's your favourite tune?
      delete - flight departure
      How about your own production, what have you been up to ?
      well i am really excited as along side my 4 tune 500 partner Matti Schwartz we have just finished a remix of dancing in the dark bringing it right up to date for 2008! the track will be promo'ed at the miami winter conferance next week......
      Where's your top Country to play?
      ibiza of course!! its an amazing experience to play here in summer or winter
      Finally, what 3 things make a good club?
      the sound system
      the vibe
      the people
      www.myspace.com/djjomills
      COME AND CATCH JO MILLS BEGIN HER MONTHLY RESIDENT AT AREA51 THIS SATURDAY

    • Jukeboxalex
      Joined at the hip through a love of extreme partying and bad fashion, Deepgroove’s Lee Pattison and Grayson Shipley have been setting the world alight with their incendiary 4 Decks:Efx DJ Show and red hot productions.

      Their sound has travelled the globe with props from everyone from Annie Mac, Pete Tong, Deep Dish, Steve Lawler, Medicine8, Tom Stephan, Jon Carter, Fatboy Slim, to Annie Nightingale, Seb Fontaine, James Zabiela and Nic Fancuilli.
      Deepgroove’s ‘Jus Luv Bass’ was awarded Radio One’s Pete Tong’s Essential New Tune in March 2006. A month later the duo appeared on the show for his ‘DJ on the Phone’ section, playing their remix of Ricky Stone’s ‘Shanghai Taxi’. Deepgroove’s ‘Fascinated’ also reached no. 1 in the UK Dance Industry’s Music Week Chart, rode high in the DJ Magazine HYPE Chart for over a month and peaked at no.5 in the CLUB CHART.
      Deepgroove have recently been given the honour of mixing the launch CD for a new compilation on Darren Emerson’s Underwater Records called the SOLO Series. Their SOLO World Tour has already taken in Shanghai, Australia, Singapore, Latvia, Lithuania, Dubai and will be touring Europe extensively in the coming months.
      “Book these guys and the only way you’ll get rid of them is to find them another party”
      DJ Magazine
      'No messing, they do exactly what it say's on the tin...they know how to drop it!'
      Pete Tong (BBC Radio 1)
      We caught up with the duo before their trip to Manchester to play for Azuli vs Filth at AREA51.......
      Hi Guys, thanks for taking the time do this interview. Let’s start at the beginning, how did you get into music and then into dj’ing?
      It’s all we have ever done. Being full time delinquents makes the concept of a day job pretty unappealing and our twenty four hour party lifestyle brought us together after 10 years of Dj’ing separately
      Who did you take inspiration and influence from when you started out and who inspires you today?
      The original spark is from the distant days of the birth of rave – dancing in fields, free parties and scummy warehouse’s; and thankfully that’s all come full circle and were sampling the vinyl we bought all those years ago. Constant inspiration comes from The Chemical Brothers, Erol Alkan and the spirit of acid house.
      It’s been quite a year for you with DJ Mag naming you best British breakthrough. What has been your highlight of the last 12 months?
      Our best was closing the Isle of White festival for Strongbow, everything else shut at the festival after the Stones had played and about thirty thousand people tried to get into our tent – consequently the atmosphere was intense
      You signed to Underwater records, how did that come about and what have you got coming out on the label?
      Underwater came about through sending music to Darren and generally bothering him – he’s got a great ear for new talent thankfully. Next up is our next instalment of the Weekend Weapons series – with a particularly filthy tune called “Bad Acid”
      Other than the Underwater stuff what else have you been up to production wise?
      We’ve just had an EP out for Jesse Roses’ Madetoplay in collaboration with Jamie Anderson and another one with him on Alter Ego’s Klang Elektronik which lead to them asking us to remix their new single. We also finished up a mix of Armand Van Helden’s new single last week.
      What software/hardware do you use for your productions and remixes and how would you describe your sound in 2008 (both as DJs and a producers)?
      We’re Mac based using Logic & Ableton – currently we’re mining the ground between minimal, wonky techno and rave crafting big club bombs with an equal mix of funk and fury!
      Moving away from your own production which artists feature in your DJ sets the most at the moment?
      Guido Schneider, Luetzenkirchin, Woolford, Radioslave, Switch, Dubfire, Dusty Kid, Thomas Schumacher and loads of obscure records made by people we never hear from again!
      You run your own night Play in Bristol. What’s the crowd like down there and what DJ’s have you had down?
      It’s absolutely mental – 500 nutters, fancy dress, mutilated soft toys and soaring rave energy. Recently we’ve had Radioslave, Konrad Black, Cagedbaby, Fergie and next up it’s our first live gig with Deadset performing.
      With it being your own night do you get away with playing stuff you wouldn’t normally play in other clubs?
      Not really, we always want to play the most exciting records wherever we are, but I guess that with Play you can create the same levels of excitement with odder records!
      Finally, let’s ask you about the gig for Azuli vs Filth at AREA51 in Manchester on Easter Sunday, what can we expect?
      Hopefully a big old moshpit!
      Check out Deepgroove's new mix at deepgroove.co.uk
      For tickets please visit www.skiddle.com

       
    • mostwantedkat
      You might associate Margate with windy weather, dodgy B&Bs and little old ladies in macs and plastic raincaps sitting on the promenade pecking at 99s. But house music? To be fair, not so much. Well you’re in for a bit of a surprise party people because over the last two years something’s been going on down on the south-east coast and it’s beginning to spread out to the rest of clubland.
      Guilty Heaven is the brand behind the rise of house music in Margate, building up a fanatically loyal following of passionate clubbers and dedicated resident DJs. Saturday April 12th sees them travel to London to take over the back room at The Island for the huge Fierce Angel party. Promising a blend of filthy, sexy and banging house music they’re on a mission to blow the capital’s scene away and if reactions to their previous parties are true, then they’re more than fully on course.
      We caught up with Mark Websper and Mandy Kobylanski, the duo behind Guilty Heaven, to find out a bit more about them and their seaside party…
      What’s Guilty Heaven all about?
      Basically… it’s about the music and the people, whether it’s to one person or thousands, no matter how many people we play for, we pride ourselves on leaving clubbers not wanting it all to end and looking forward to the next one.   Bringing into play our ear and love for a truly great night! Guilty Heaven is about the love of house.
      Where did the name Guilty Heaven come from?
      The name Guilty Heaven was born in Ibiza, it was actually meant for another DJ that was considering rebranding. He had asked us to come up with a new name and art work, something different and sexy.   We had spent a month working with him on the art work with a few names thrown around but not getting the right sound of it. We went out to Ibiza in June 2006 to do some promo photographs for HowCleanIsYourHouse as well as an interview with Judge Jules and pictures for Judgment Sunday.
      Sitting in front of Savannah’s sorting out the following day’s interview the name came out of the air. We wrote it down with the list of other ones we needed to check when we got back to the UK. To be fair, it was a development on the unceremonious side but it was the last name written down on the list and we felt it had hit the nail on the head so to speak.
      While we were away Matt had decided to keep his own pseudonym – Matt Logic. And has happily played for Guilty Heaven in the past and we look forward to welcoming him back in the future.

      How did it start up?
      We (Mark Websper & Mandy Kobylanski) are photographers by trade with a very big love of all things house.   We take pictures for clubs/parties/DJ’s for promotional material websites etc as well as the usual photography in our studio in Margate.  
      A bit tongue in cheek but doing the photographs put us in some of the best parties around doing what we both love, meeting loads of new people and making a living out of it!
      Returning back to Margate, with a real lack of venues playing house music in the area and a wealth of DJ talent we used talk about the ‘what if’s’.
      After we returned from Ibiza with the name GH tucked in our pocket, HowCleanIsYourHouse had been offered to play a set at Pacha with LoveTec & MyFairytail on the Friday, and a local venue, Sugar Lounge, were putting on Miss MoneyPennys on the Sunday. We were asked to help promote both. We decided we couldn’t let the name Guilty Heaven go to waste so that was GH’s first promo outing - The Guilty Heaven Long Weekend.
      It gave us such a buzz to see it all come together that we decided to give it a proper go. We used Sugar Lounge as our base to showcase the local talent and bring bigger names to the area. Having Judge Jules on our bill just two months into our short life helped put us on the map here in the south.   We approached Smartie Partie for our first set at Turnmills and we definitely have to send a big thanks out to them for helping us get our foot into the doors of the London clubs.
      Basically we fell into promoting but now we are here it’s a lot of hard work, loads of stress and some incredibly amazing nights but we plan to stick around!
      The rest as they say is History
      You say that your sound is defined by your residents. Can you give us a quick run through each of them and what makes them so special?
      Guilty Heaven has two main residents who you’ll find at all of our gigs
      Ian Garner : Fantastically loyal to GH and the first to join us as a resident. Likes his remixes of old tracks, normally plumps for the B side of his vinyl as it is normally a bit grimier and less mainstream than the A side. A real party animal who lives life to excess.
      Frenchie : The man who truly loves those phat bass lines. He can sniff out the dirtiest, most rocking tracks you can imagine and with so many years in the profession he has much respect. He played the circuits with Pete Tong in the early days and if he’d decided to go full time, who knows where he would be now!
      Both of them truly enjoy being behind the decks where ever we play. We would say they are just as passionate about Guilty Heaven as we are!
      We are also extremely lucky to have the support of a wide range of DJ’s:
      DJ Ferdinand : Fantastically talented, a long time serving Dutch DJ who loves his Techno. Widely respected in the industry by the likes of Eddie Fowlkes and K Alexi, one of his biggest assets is his ability to be diverse.
      Kev Harris and Mark Dickson of HD Promotions: Both these lads have been playing the clubs in the south east for quite sometime. They know what makes a great night from a DJ and a promoter’s point of view, which is always a good thing. Both DJ’s play the mainstream and commercial but live the dark and dirty 😉
      Rob Hatton : Generally an all round nice guy with a real talent who has not had the pleasure of playing in our neck of the woods… yet! He has played internationally and in some of London’s main clubs. Watch this fella because he could well go a long way.

      Mr Biff : Our ever faithful Percussionist. Mr Biff (Simon Wallis), has played at nigh on all of our gigs and is very much in demand by other promotions, and so he should be. You can get some pretty ‘interesting’ players on the circuit and when you land one that is good that lives on your doorstep, make sure you keep them. They always add another dimension to your promotion.
      And although they won’t be playing on the night a special mention to Robbie Styles – Audio Boutique, Phil Good & Matt Fontaine – FMG, Dom Yong – Stimulation,   Scott Tunes & Dan-ce DJ, Jeff Barker – FLH, Dave Doughty & Tom Keys – HCIYH and Matt Logic, all with their own unique style and their much appreciated loyalty and support to GH.
      You’ve only been throwing parties for two years – why do you think you’ve had such quick success establishing yourself with more major players in the industry?
      Why are we successful in what we do? Because we are unpretentious, friendly, honest and are truly ‘what you see is what you get’. Mandy’s Canadian/welsh accent helps a lot as well.
      We both are passionate about photography and music and the two aspects work in harmony.
      To be honest we have been very lucky to be in the right place at the right time. The industry as a whole we have felt has been very welcoming. We are willing and eager to put the work in to make the night successful.   Guilty Heaven has become a very deep rooted passion for the both of us and we think this shines through.
      Out of everyone you’ve worked with, who have you had the most fun with (and don’t feel any pressure to say Fierce Angel >;D)?
      Ouch we would like to say everyone. It’s always fun when GH is involved 😄
      Ok we have to name someone and we’d say it was a very even split with Mark Doyle & Andy Galea. Every time we have worked with both DJ’s it’s been a real giggle because both guys have a fantastic sense of humour and very much enjoy being behind the decks. It’s not ‘just another gig’.
      What made you decide to get involved in promoting, a notoriously unstable profession?
      As we said it was a lack of house music down in sunny old Margate as most promoters will tell you it can be a lot of hard work, but if you are in this game for the night it’s always worth it. Now we are here we want to be in it for the long haul, evolving to what the clubbers want and what we love!
      What’s your formula to a rocking party? How do you approach promoting?
      Mandy: Fantastic music, amazing DJ’s and clubbers that are there for the music. First and foremost LOVE what you are doing. You create an atmosphere that people find contagious. We live by the motto you’ll never know till you ask, that’s always a good starting point
      Mark: Promotion of a night is hugely difficult. Of course we do the usual stuff like flyers, posters etc but with local authorities getting tough with fly posting and putting flyers on cars it is becoming increasingly non profitable.
      But it is always important to ensure that you try and get a database going and thus keep you crowd informed. We use DSI, as all good promotions do. We have found of late that Facebook has proven to be one of our biggest tools for advertising our nights to introduce new clubbers to the scene.
      We are not afraid to try something different, we try very hard not to be run of the mill.
      What would be your advice to anyone else trying to set up a fledgling night in today’s industry? 
      Mandy: If you want to jump on board because you want to make a quick buck this is NOT the place for you. Nor if you think one big party makes you a super star. If you are in it for fame and fortune you would have more chance of applying for Blue Peter and working your way through the TV Ranks. Too many times have we heard people saying promoters have an easy life?? Firstly in our eyes it’s a love of the music you are promoting… spreading the house word so to speak. It’s about giving the clubbers a night to remember. Be prepared to work hard, there is a lot of behind the scenes leg work, research the areas you would like to put your brand, talking to venues, other promoters,   flyers, tickets, pulling it all together on the night. Knowing your audience... Have we got a few more hours to go into it?
      Believe in what you are doing but always be willing to take advice from others even if you have to save it for a latter day.

      Mark - Watch your back. Clubland is a fantastic place to be, but you will come across at some point promotions and club owners that want to shaft you at every opportunity. We were given this bit of advice early on and it helped us to be a bit more aware. You have to have your wits about you all the time. As a promoter you need to understand the relationship between your promotion and the club owner and/or any co-promotions. You may put on a night that is well attended, your DJ's played like true pro's, the crowd were dancing and enjoying the night and you see it as a success, however if your crowd didn't drink very much the club owner will see it as a flop. Be aware to target you audience properly. A night in a small club with 150 good spenders enjoying the night will do you better than trying to attract 300 that sip one drink all night.
      Just because you had a packed room doesn't mean the club will ask you back.  Make sure you are aware of what the club expects from you before your party.
      Always ensure that your DJ’s can read a crowd. Make sure that if your crowd isn’t moving then do something about it.
      Consistency is the other key, make sure you are seen regularly, this doesn’t necessarily mean play every venue unless they are suitable to your night. Make sure your logo is memorable… It's all about getting your brand recognized.
      What’s the best party you’ve ever thrown and why was it so special?
      Mark - On a small scale I have to say when we promoted Jules at our night at Sugar Lounge Margate. This was the first time we booked Jules. We befriended him in Ibiza during the summer of 2006 and have stayed in contact with him ever since. We had only 17 days from the time his management said we could have him to the night itself. Stress like you wouldn't believe. All was pretty mediocre until 3 days before and then all hell broke loose. On the night the venue was rammed solid with best part of 600 and Jules was on top form. Being below ground and low ceilings it was like an oven in there and sweat was dripping from the walls but bloody hell it was cool.
      Mandy : That’s a really tough one.   For the enjoyment factor they are all special in their own right, each night bringing it’s uniqueness to the myriad of memories that are making up the colourful Guilty Heaven past. I agree with Mark though, October 7th 2006 Guilty Heaven features Judge Jules. It was completely nerve wracking partly for the fact that we were worried that Thanet was not ready for this kind of event yet. It was a truly amazing night at the Sugar Complex, it was a sell out and the walls were alive that night, the atmosphere was electric and it put us in good stead for all of our future parties. The night was the best work out my arms had ever received – the fan had gone walk abouts so I had used a clipboard to keep the DJ box circulating with a fraction of air!

      What’s the best party you’ve ever been to and why?
      Mandy: All GH parties… do I need to say more lol
      Mark: I have to say that I ALWAYS enjoy Fiesta Del Agua at Es Paradis. I've done all the other super clubs but I always get drawn back to this one. 5am in a packed EsPara, boiling to death and then the water comes on. Good music and manic… I just love it. Good memories and fucking good fun (oops can I say that lol) 😉
      Mandy: Lol I forgot about that, that was one of my first experiences of Ibiza, roll on this summer I can’t wait 😛
      What party would you absolutely kill to go to? 
      Kill? Mandy has a problem when there are pigeons in the road and Mark is most definitely too nice to think about maiming (well most of the time 🙂
      Mark - Roger Sanchez playing the North Pole during the winter midnight sun lol ;-), oh and of course with GH setting the stage… How cool would that be
      Mandy – lol can we do it a second time under the Northern lights? How cool, a natural laser show!!
      If money was no object, what kind of party would you throw, where would it be and who would you have on the line-up?
      Mark: We would love to have Es Paradis for one night, that’s all, no need to be a regular thing although that would be nice. I think we would probably ask Mark Doyle to play with us and probably Danny Rampling and Roger Sanchez, then showcase our own talented DJ's… could you imagine the atmosphere. It's all about being proud about your brand, not about making piles of cash.
      Mandy: I completely agree, but for me the ultimate club to play at would be The Guvernment in Toronto, Canada. To have Guilty Heaven play in my old back yard would be bliss… watch this space people 🙂 

      If you could have a dinner party with five famous people, alive or dead, who would you invite? 
      Mark: OK I'm getting rather repetitive here but No 1 on the guest list would have to be Roger "The God" Sanchez, I would even polish his shoes on the way in, I might even polish the loo before he sat down. lol
      No2: I would resurrect JFK just so I could find out who shot the bugger.
      No3: JRR Tolkien because he can tell a story better than I can.
      No4: Gonna cheat here, Groove Armada. I know it's 2 ( Andy Cato and Tom Findlay) but they make great music and I would get them to DJ a Late Night Tales set when everyone was ready to chill at the end of the night.
      No5: Ayrton Senna. Without a doubt THE greatest F1 driver from an era when F1 was death defying and exciting. I saw him at Monza the season before he died. I think I went in to mourning for a month after his death, tragic loss to the sport.
      Mandy: does this mean we get 10 people to diner? Will have to think about getting a bigger table!
      Ok my first invite would go to Mark Oliver, a British born DJ but shakes the music world of Canada. He helped revolutionized the party scene over there.
      No 2: Kaskade because I love all of his music.
      No 3: Vivian Westwood, I’ve been known to wear some unusual outfits to our parties
      No 4: Frankie Knuckles, that would be a constant brain picking session.
      No 5: Boy George. He is so incredibly grounded. I’m always interested in other people’s views and thoughts that make you think about your own ideals, sometimes for a change or just to strengthen your own
      I’m going to have one extra woman’s prerogative lol, No 6: My Grandmother. OK she wasn’t quite famous, she passed away in ’97 but the woman was always dancing, she loved all music. I remember playing NWA, she was in her late 80’s at the time but she was unfazed and still had a bop around with me – I owe a lot of my drive to her.
      Wow can you imagine the after dinner party if we could get them on the decks I’m sure JFK would show some hidden talents 😛
      Finally, what can we expect from you at the Fierce Angel party on Saturday April 12th at Heaven?
      A damn good fun night. The thing is the crowd we have really do know how to have a good time. You always know our crowd whether there are 30 or 300 of them. All involved will give 100%, they all work well together and are truly passionate about what they do. There is never a gig that passes where we don’t manage to impress. Expect the back room to be dirty, undeniably sexy and truly banging. The Island will be THE place to be on that night so we urge everyone to get their tickets now!!!
      FIERCE ANGEL @THE ISLAND
      SATURDAY 12TH APRIL 23:00 – 06:00
      THE ISLAND, HUNGERFORD LANE OFF CRAVEN PASSAGE, LONDON WC2N 5NJ
      FIERCE DISCO by FIERCE ANGEL
      MARK DOYLE MARTIN WRIGHT JUSTIN WILKES (KISS FM) MATT COLLINS SEXY DIRTY HOUSE MUSIC by GUILTY HEAVEN:
      IAN GARNER FRENCHIE KEV HARRIS MARK DICKSON ROB HATTON DJ FERDINAND MR BIFF on PERCUSSION £12 advance tickets are on sale now at www.ticketweb.co.uk or by calling the venue on 020 7930 2020. £15 tickets available on the door on the night.
    • ClubTheWorld
      Summertime Global is proud to invite you to its 1st B’day!! We’ll be celebrating in style on BANK HOLIDAY Thursday 20th March at the New BAR 54 in MILE END – EAST LONDON, the newest and most shining pearl in the London underground clubbing scene.

      We launched 12 months ago a new way of partying in London, Ibiza style, with events made by people who work, play and party in the White Island, and here we are, celebrating Summertime Global 1st B’day with the best underground London-based DJs of the moment and very special guests.
      LUCIANO ESSE – ITALY
      One of the resident DJs last summer for Vitalik at We Love… in Ibiza, he’s also resident at Amnesia in Milan, playing alongside DJs such as Sven Vath and Villalobos to name the latest. Luciano is also renowned for his productions, especially for Safari Electronique, which receive wide support from the most talented names in today’s Techno scene. Luciano is also a friend, we partied together several times in Ibiza, and we’re really excited for him to join us in the celebrations. Enjoy!!!

      Where and when did you get your first taste of house music and who were your early musical heroes?
      I HAVE ALWAYS LISTENED TO EVERY KIND OF MUSIC, FROM SKA TO ROCK, FROM REGGAE TO JAZZ, FROM HOUSE TO TECHNO, FROM JUNGLE TO DRUM'N'BASS... EVERYTHING THAT GIVES ME A NICE VIBE...
      What was your first ever professional gig and what was the last night you played at?
      THE FIRST GIG I PLAYED WAS IN 2001 IN MY HOMETOWN, IN A CRAZY PLACE CALLED "NAUTILUS", IN SOUTH OF ITALY WITH A 1200 PEOPLE CROWD... THE LAST ONE WAS LAST FRIDAY IN MILAN AT AMNESIA, WITH TOBI NEUMANN FROM COCOON.
      What gave you the impetus to finally turn your back on ordinary employment and turn your hand at being a full time DJ and producer?
      I HAVE NEVER BEEN AN ORDINARY EMPLOYEE, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN IN THE CLUB SCENE...
      I am a die-hard vinyl addict, though I appreciate times must change and life will go on with CD's, Ableton etc. What's your take on all of this; will vinyl ever finally die out or do you think there'll always be a place for it in clubland?
      I WILL ALWAYS BUY AND PLAY VYNIL... I REALLY DON'T CARE IF THE REST OF THE WORLD WILL GO FOR OTHER WAYS... AS LONG AS I CAN BUY VYNIL I'LL BE SUPERHAPPY... I PLAY CDS TOO, BUT VYINL COMES FIRST!
      You've got your home-base in London. What do you think of the London scene and the Uk dance scene at the moment?
      THE LONDON CLUB SCENE IS THE REASON WHY I MOVED TO THIS AMAZING CITY FROM ITALY 7 YEARS AGO... I JUST LOVE IT!!!
      You played a lot at Space in Ibiza last year. What was that like and how did that come about?
      SPACE IBIZA HAS BEEN A FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE... I WAS PLAYING FOR THE "VITALIK CREW" ALMOST EVERY SUNDAY MORNING... SPACE IS ONE OF THE BEST CLUB IN THE WORLD, IT'S SO AMAZING PLAYING FOR THAT CROWD!!!
      What other remixes and tracks have you planned to destroy Beatport again?
      NEXT RELEASE WILL BE ME AND MY PARTNER IN PRODUCTIONS TONI D, ON KAILASH RECORDS (SUBLABEL OF SAFARI ELECTRONIQUE). THE EP NAME IS "HAZARD" WITH REMIXES FROM MARC BROOM AND ARNAUD LE TEXIER.
      ALSO IN MAY WE WILL HAVE ONE TRACK OUT ON SPANISH LABEL "ATYPICAL FARM". STAY TUNED!!!
      How do you describe the music you come up with in the studio, does it fit into a particular genre?
      I GUESS WE COULD CALL IT "TECHNOMINIMNALGROOVY"...
      Which has been your favourite remix out of the tracks you've done so far?
      MY FAVOURITE ONE IS WITHOUT DOUBTS "PHONE BROS" OUT ON ATYPICAL FARM IN MAY...
      Do you have any UK residencies that people can catch you at?
      YES... OUR MONTHLY PARTY "MINIMAL HOSPITAL MEETS ZUM" @ UNIT 7, LONDON... NEXT PARTY WILL BE ON THE 12TH OF APRIL, WITH ALEXI DELANO, ALESSIO MEREU AND MORE GUESTS... SO FAR WE HAVE HAD DJS SUCH AS: PACO OSUNA, MARC BROOM, RYAN CROSSON, INXEC, SKOOZBOT, ANDRE CROM, ARNAUD LE TEXIER...
      TO CATCH LUCIANO ESSE GET YOURSELF DOWN TO 54::MILE END ON EASTER THURSDAY 20TH MARCH
      • SHANE WATCHA – SOUTH AFRICA
      Infamously known for his Zombies Ate My Brain parties and after hours. He also plays regularly for Circo Loco, when the crazy circus arrives in London. One of the kings of underground London.
      • SERGE SANTIAGO
      Here he comes once again, the mighty Hackney Warrior, in a Summertime Global event. It was a very successful year for Serge, having been resident for We Love… and mixed their first We Love Ibiza album last summer. Welcome back, neighbour…
      • FILTHY GORGEOUS
      Every Ibiza worker has enjoyed at least once one of our friend Scott Martin’s infamous parties. We are proud to have Filthy Gorgeous host Room 2 with Scott, Enzo Siragusa and Lee Rands; they really incarnate the spirit of Ibiza we want to represent here in London. Well Done!
      • A very warm welcome to our guests UNION DJs, performing with us for the first time.
      • Last but not least our travel companions, friends and loyal residents HOUSEAHOLICS, PROJECT AND MIKE KHOURY

    • mostwantedkat
      The Audiowhores have been riding the waves of DJ and production success since they formed back in 2000. With tracks released on a plethora of labels, including Soulfuric, MN2S, Peppermint Jam and their own Tempogroove imprint, they have their feet planted firmly in the forefront of the UK house scene. Similarly their versatile and technically brilliant DJ sets which incorporate everything from deep and soulful sounds to tougher and chunkier beats, have won the pair thousands of fans worldwide.
      Next Saturday (Fe bruary 16th) they perform live at The Island for the huge launch party for the major new house label, House-Trained. Spinning alongside NYC’s very own DJ Disciple, London firestarter Raymundo Rodriguez, acid house maestro and all-round legend Steve Proctor, the Layabouts and Phil Loraine & Stu Hall, they’ll be a welcome addition to the capital’s party scene that weekend for what promises to be the mother of all house parties.
      We caught up with them to get the lowdown on Manchester’s finest…
      Where would you rather live - Manchester or London? Why?
      Adam - Well we've both lived in Manchester all our life, so I don't think we need to answer that one really!!!

      Sell Manchester's music scene to us - why do you think it's been so influential down the years for dance music and the industry as a whole?
      Adam - Not sure really but I guess the Hacienda played a major part in the introduction of house music to the UK.  I was there a lot during the nineties - I didn't appreciate what I was part of at the time.  I just remember thinking.....fuck me, this is good fun!!
      Three people you'd kill to work with in your lifetime - who, why and what would you dream of doing with them?
      Adam - Sienna Miller, Heidi Klum and Gisele Bundchen.....I'll leave the rest to your imagination!

      What gets you going in the studio?

      Graham - Well certainly a good cup of tea to start with, then comes along some beats, always gotta be the beats for us - they always bring inspiration to the rest of the track.

      What one track would you most love to remix or work on that we wouldn't ever suspect you of being remotely interested in?

      Graham - Hmmm well you'd be surprised really, we both like all sorts of things. There's certainly some wicked producers out there making great pop songs. A lot of the Beyonce kinda stuff we're liking, producers like Neptunes, Dr Dre etc. I could imagine us doing a nice quirky remix on some of the nu rave stuff that's out at the moment too, CSS, LCD Soundsystem etc. I would also love to remix the likes of Jack Johnson and my current favorite Tom Baxter

      You've been together 8 years now - did you ever think you'd last that long? Have you had your ups and downs, trials and tribulations or has it been gloriously smooth sailing?

      Graham - Pretty smooth sailing really. You always get the odd bit of politics in house music, that's something that's pretty hard to keep away from, but its not in either of our characters to blow things out of proportion so we've done pretty well in that respect.

      What were your initial thoughts on meeting each other?

      Adam - Don't remember really.....we were both completely bollocksed at the time!!!

      What are your feelings on the digital revolution that's going on around us at the moment? Have you em braced it or are you desperately trying to bat it off with some 12" vinyl?

      Adam - If you'd have asked us that 5 years ago, we'd probably have given you a really serious answer about being vinyl to the core, but it's old news now - I can't remember the last time we played a 'real' record!!  We're completely down with all things digital - it just makes things so much easier.  The important thing is that people keep buying legal files......and they're so cheap there's no excuse really.
      Where do you normally shop for your tunes?
      Graham - We try to mix things up really, just like in our DJ sets....we shop digitally for mp3s at Traxsource for house and soulful house, Beatport for the proggy bits and Dancetracks Digital for the more diverse and quirky bits.

      How big are your record collections and what are your most prized possessions in them?

      Adam - I've probably got somewhere in the region of about 10,000 12", although I've never sat down and counted!  Difficult to put a finger on the favourite, but the original double pack promo of Soulsearcher - I Can't Get Enough is very precious to me.  It's one of the biggest tracks of all time for us.  That, or my first ever record......Ace Of Spades by Motorhead!!!

      Is there one tune in particular that you've wanted to get your hands on for ages but can't find anywhere?

      Adam - It used to be like that in the days of vinyl, but these days it's pretty easy to track down things digitally.  

      Has there ever been a sample that you wanted to use in a track that kicked ass but you had problems with the licensing thus depriving us of a stunning new Audiowhores tune?

      Adam - Not that we can recall - we haven't sampled anything for a long while, but if we did we'd try and steer clear of the majors.  We did replay an old 80s track recently hoping it was the next Eric Prydz, but by the time we'd finished it, we'd gone off the idea!!!  We may bang it out later this year because it seems to have been pretty well received.
      Graham I know production is a bit more of a passion for you than DJing - what would your dream set-up be?
      Graham - I'm quite pleased with our current setup really, I prefer to have a working enviroment that im confident in, rather than have shit loads of equipment that I know little about. Saying that though I have got my eyes on a Moog Little Phatty and possibily some other analog synths!

      Do you like to work with live instruments when you produce or do you prefer electronic recordings and samplings?

      Graham - Back in the day we used a lot of live instruments, Rhodes, guitar, bass, strings etc. These days we tend to find that we're playing most the stuff in our self, the kind of music we are making is a lot more dance floor orientated but still keeping the soul.

      You're playing at House-Trained at The Island on Fe bruary 16th, alongside DJ Disciple and acid house legend Steve Proctor. It's the label launch for House-Trained, which has big backing from Universal Music. How important do you think it is that we have another house label with significant financial support to invest in artists?

      Adam - It certainly can't be a bad thing!  Most house producers try to be cool and keep things underground.....us included.  But there is nothing more healthy for a producer than a big crossover track and it's rare that happens without the backing of a major.  I'm sure our turn is just around the corner!

      They're looking for new young producers to join their ranks. Have you got any hot tips that the label should follow up? Is there anyone out there that's particularly caught your eyes (or ears) over 2007?

      Adam - There seems to be an awful lot of good stuff coming from Holland these days.....oh, there and Manchester - have you heard of the Audiowhores?!!!

      Talking of production, what have you been up to in the studio recently? Have you got anything juicy that you can tell us or are you saving it up for Miami?

      Graham - We've really found our groove again in the studio of late and we're really pleased with our current sound.  It's a lot edgier than our previous stuff and it should be really playable.  We're just putting the finishing touches on 4 original productions with various artists featured on vocals.  We have also just finished a remix for Danism on MN2S with Kathy Brown on vocals, that should be ready for Miami. We're also half way through a project for Z Records too which is sounding quite hot too.
      Do you think Miami is that crucial to the dance music industry anymore? I know a lot of people that came back last year thought it had lost its business/networking vibe due to the vast hordes of marauding American kids on spring break. What are your thoughts?
      Adam - Whenever we've been to Miami, it's been more about partying than networking but I think it is important to meet your peers and idols and it's great to see everyone in the same place at the same time.  So I hope the whole Miami thing runs and runs forever.......but Ibiza and the ADE never fail to impress so it's got competition!

      Any plans to do Ibiza this year? If yes, where can we catch you?

      Adam - We've both got trips to Ibiza planed this year although we've haven't confirmed any dates as yet.  We're working on it!!

      Finally what kind of set can we expect from you on the 16th? Will you be bringing out some old school flavours? And will you be getting some dance floor action in either side of your set?

      Adam - Oh yeah, you can't count on us to party has hard as anyone.....nothing better than a good old knees up!  As for our set....we try to mix it up as much as possible, but overall we'd describe our sound as 'proper house', be it afro, electro, soulful or progressive....and we don't go anywhere without the odd classic tucked away in the wallet.

      www.house-trained.com
      Advance tickets for just £12 are available now from http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?query=search&INTERFACE=ticketweb&category=misc&region=xxx&search=house+trained&beginmonth=01&beginday=24&beginyear=2008, tickets can be bought on the door for £15.
      There is a huge guestlist for this one – see if you can get on it by mailing theisland@wearebeautiful.co.uk.

    • mostwantedkat
      LISTEN TO AN EXCLUSIVE DJ DISCIPLE MIX STREAMING RIGHT NOW ON WWW.HOUSE-TRAINED.COM!

      Prolific producer, label boss and world-class DJ – it’s no wonder that DJ Disciple is in major demand throughout the four corners of the world. From London to Milan, from Barcelona to New York, from Asia to the Middle East, Africa, South America and beyond, he is one hot to trot mixmaster on a mission to spread his phenomenal love of music.
      Born David Banks, DJ Disciple was around music from an incredibly early age, and we’re not just talking his mother putting on records every Sunday afternoon. With his father playing piano for none other than Miles Davis and his brother bass for George Benson, it goes without saying that a talent for sound was already in his blood. Growing up in Brooklyn, influences fell in from all over the place – latin, hip hop, soul, reggae plus the new dance floor sounds from clubs springing up all around him. His first gig came at an NYC underground party called the Choice and Wild Pitch. He was soon filling in for Tony Humphries at Zanzibar, mixing live to the biggest city in the world on his own radio show New York 91.5 and laying the ground work for his now infamous record label, Catch 22 Recordings. 
      Since those early years he hasn’t looked back. One of the most popular US artists in the UK, he’s always had a passion for our scene and the music we produce. Last year he himself added to our dance floors with two immense smash hits, Changes and Work It Out, which were produced in conjunction with David Tort and DJ Ruff, two artists he is always incredibly keen to push. 2008 will see him team up with new house label House-Trained, news of which will be released this spring. On Saturday February 16th, he lands once again in the capital for the official House-Trained label launch party, this time to demolish The Island with his eclectic, heady mix of house music, mixing beyond boundaries and genres to take clubbers to a place very few others can reach. Believe us, you will be in the presence of a true maestro from the minute he takes to the decks. 
      We caught up with him in his NYC studio to find out what makes the man tick, what we can expect from him on the night and his thoughts on the state of the global dance scene. An incredibly interesting and intelligent man, this makes for one hell of a damn good read…
      How’s 2008 been going for you so far? What have you got in the pipeline?
      2008 has been a great year so far. I am working with some new artists and developing artists that made an impact last year.
      It’s safe to say that you had two of the biggest hits in the UK with Changes and Work It Out, which saw you collaborate on production with David Tort. How did that partnership come together and what’s it like working with him in the studio?
      David Tort is one of the House heroes of the future. It’s his time. His vision of what today’s sound is, is impeccable. His DJ skills are top notch and he is the resident of L’atlantida in Spain. I met him in LA with DJ Ruff, while spinning at Avalon. He was doing a lot of progressive house on various labels. When I added my lyrics to “Work It Out” both David and Ruff wanted to be involved as remixers in the project to get their name out there. I agreed to do a swap remix with them as long as David engineered both records. I really wanted to push Ruff & Tort so I collaborated and produced “Changes” with them but made sure people recognized their name first. When we did the collaboration “Deep Underground”, people just gave me credit and neglected them. With “Changes” I wanted their names first so people would see them embolded.
      Your imprint Catch 22 Recordings is of course legendary with practically all of your releases being picked up by other major international labels – what have you got in store for us for 2008?
      Another David Tort and DJ Ruff collaboration, another collaboration with Angel Defrutos, another project with Dawn Tallman and one or two further artists.
      You’ve got some major artists on the label – Jeremy Sylvester, the Brooklyn Soul Boz and Kubana Cool to mention a few. What do you look for when you sign an artist and what do you want them to bring to Catch 22?
      Catch 22 really revolves around the evolution of where House is going and how it’s expanded. I always challenged myself not to have one sound or style. It reflects in the way I have played over the twenty years in the business. I have always made trendy and traditional styles of music and always put out and played the same way
      You place a lot of emphasis on playing in the UK and our dance market over here. Why do you think the London and British sound and what’s developing in our scenes is so important to overseas markets?
      The music in the UK at the time was driving the house scene around the world. If you were booked in the UK clubs, all the other clubs around the world wanted you.   In the last two years it hasn’t had the same impact. The club scene and the music have lost some of its edge. Producers in the UK are not making as many hits as they used too. Holland and Europe   is now the place where you hear future stars – Fedde Le Grand, Erick E, Axwell, DJ Roog and other producers –putting House music on its back. I remember when UK producers had dance music in the charts all the time. The same cannot be said for right now.
      Is there a big difference between US and UK clubs and their crowds?
      The UK crowds are more cultured in today’s music than in the US. Videos promote dance music in the UK, whereas the dance market in America has completely failed to reach a new and younger generation of music lovers.
      Radio 1 and Pete Tong in particular have always been massive supporters of your work but just a few months ago they shifted their focus slightly off dance music, moving some of their biggest dance shows from the weekend to less prime time Thursday nights. Why do you think this is and do you think it reflects a ‘quietening down’ period for our industry as rock and indie seem to take over?
      I think that’s two fold. One, because not enough older DJs bought any newer ones under their wings. I got into House music in college, learned from an older experienced DJ to help me. A lot of kids want to still be DJs but the dance music industry in the UK and in America became label and brand whores instead of utilizing new DJs to inspire them. There have been less of the newer DJs and artists making an impact in the UK. Fewer producers in the UK making groundbreaking music, and it reflects in where London is now. Pete Tong is still breaking the music, which people like myself look too, but there should be newer jocks carrying just as much as the weight.
      You run the hugely successful Next Level Parties in the US and you’re a bi-weekly resident at Le Souk in NYC which is a massive electro house night. How have the recent changes in the law regarding nightlife entertainment in New York affected the clubbing scene over there?
      Mayor Guliani did most of the damage in his terms as mayor. Under Bloomberg things are a little better but not much. Pacha is the only megaclub we have in New York that most people know of. Lesouk is 4-500 capacity and so is my Next Level Party, which is a soulful and deep house night. There are now more bottle service venues than regular clubs pushing house music in the city. Sullivan Rooms, Cielo, and Apt are some of the clubs people flock to for night life action but there are tons of monthlies like Danny Krivit’s 718 sessions and Ain’t Nothin But A House Party, or parties like Breakfast that push the envelope musically. Not enough but slowly things are changing for the better.
      We hear all the sensational stories about it in the press, like glow sticks are regarded as illegal rave material and no-one can dance in New York – what’s the actual real situation like? Is it as bad as the press sometimes make out?
      Because America is security crazy in the first place we do get some bad press. You can dance at most lounges in the city now under Bloomberg, the Guliani restriction age is done. People finally are realizing that a lot of income is generated based on what happens in the clubs. The city loses money when it doesn’t have much of a night life. Expect a comeback from the New York clubbing culture real soon.
      Speaking of dancing, House-Trained are having their official label launch party at The Island on Saturday February 16th and of course you’re headlining. What can we expect from your set on the night?
      A great mixture of music. I love playing in the UK so I will feel right at home,
      Right, let’s have some random fun
      If you were the last man on earth, who would be your last woman and why?
      Any of my ex- girlfriends can be on that planet and trust me I’d get in trouble if I just picked one.
      Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton and why?
      I’m voting for Barack but Hillary will win. I want to be a part of history and would love to see a black man as president, but not just because he’s black. His ideology is that going to war in Iraq was wrong in the first place. I also think that it doesn’t matter who gets elected, no one will be able to clean up the mess George Bush made.
      You’ve died and gone to Heaven and God asks you, what was your reason for being and did you fulfil it?   What would you say?
      I would say: Doing your will is my reason for being and I haven’t fulfilled everything you wanted me to do. Please forgive me.
      What one thing can’t you live without and why is it so important to you?
      I can’t live without music. It’s important because when you hear it, you know someone made it and he speaks to you through it.
      If you could pick a tune to be your theme tune as you went through the day, something that totally picked you up and got you going, what would it be?
      Peven Everett- “Celebration”
      Tell us three fabulous things about yourself…
      I only want other people in my life to be successful I still take care of my dad, the hero in my life I’m still single and available for a serious relationship with a woman. Well we’re really looking forward to you coming down to play at The Island so we will see you on the dance floor and we’re thoroughly expecting you to kick it!
      HOUSE-TRAINED RECORD LABEL LAUNCH PARTY 
      DJ DISCIPLE ( CATCH 22 RECORDINGS, NYC) AUDIOWHORES ( MN2S) RAYMUNDO RODRIGUEZ ( JADED) STEVE PROCTOR ( SHOOM / BETTER DAYS) THE LAYABOUTS ( ILL FRICTION) PHIL LORAINE & STU HALL ( HOUSE-TRAINED) The Island, Hungerford Lane off Craven Passage, London WC2 5NJ
      Saturday February 16th, 11pm – 6am
      Concessions & advance tickets £12, £15 on the door
      http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?query=search&INTERFACE=ticketweb&category=misc&region=xxx&search=house+trained&beginmonth=01&beginday=24&beginyear=2008

    • mostwantedkat
      Is it my imagination or is there a dog on the dance floor?? No, your eyes do not deceive you, there is indeed a new dog in town and to be fair he’s about to drop some severe shit – of the musical variety party people >;)
      New label House-Trained launches with a stunning party at London’s hottest little club, The Island on Saturday Fe bruary 16th. This summer will see them drop the mother of all remixes of DJ Disciple’s 2007 Miami WMC and Ibiza smash hit ‘Work It Out’. With Disciple flying in from NYC to spin at the party, plus Manchester duo and production whizzkids Audiowhores, Raymundo Rodriguez, Shoom’s Steve Proctor, the Layabouts and Phil Loraine & Stu Hall, it’s categorically going to go off the wall.
      We caught up with the brains and the obvious beauty behind the whole shebang, Phil Loraine. A veteran of the music industry, Phil’s worked for the likes of Mercury Records, Manifesto and Serious Records before taking on the challenge of building his own imprint under the House-Trained moniker. Not only is he getting together with the likes of DJ Disciple but he’s also on the look-out for hot new talent, both DJs and producers, to work with, nurture and break out onto the market.
      To find out more about the man, his label, whether you could be a part of it (including how Hillary Clinton helps Phil get his groove on – mmmhmm!) read on my friend…

      So Phil you’re the brains behind House-Trained. Tell us more about the label and what you intend to do with it.
      To be honest, that question is a potential banana skin for a label that has yet to release a record! I certainly have some ideas about what I would like to happen but I’m experienced enough to know that things will probably end up looking very different to how I had intended in a year’s time. Actions speak louder than words, so I just want to get a few records out and let things develop organically.
      What’s your label philosophy?
      Well the accompanying slogan for the House-Trained club night has always been ‘No shit on the dancefloor’ so we’re going to do our best to carry that philosophy over into the activities of the label. I can’t start banging on about only releasing quality records though, because I will only set myself up for a mauling from the purists! There will always be someone out there who is critical of what you are doing, so the strapline is a bit tongue in cheek really, but it’s a nice ideal for us to strive towards.
      What kind of sounds can we expect to come from the label? What influences do you look to or are you going to do something completely fresh and new?
      It very much depends what kind of tracks become available to us. It would be futile to pigeon-hole the label by saying we’re only going to be loyal to one particular brand of house music because the scene re-invents itself so frequently now that we would almost certainly be left with egg on our faces. We just want to take each release on its own merits and see what develops. That said, it would be nice to have the opportunity to find the next big dance act like Orbital or The Chems and conquer the global festival circuit, but those kind of quality dance artists are few and far between these days.
      The label comes off the back of your earlier parties which started up in 2004. You had some seriously hot DJs playing there – Mylo, Terry Farley, Bill Brewster, Steve Proctor. How do you think your new night at the Island will compare with the original?
      Like most underground club nights, the original parties were only ever intended as an excuse to get all our mates together under one roof and have a spectacular blow out. Not much has changed since then, except that the majority of my mates are now married with children and we need a new set of punters! Joking aside, the Island is a far more polished club than the venues we previously chose, so with the Function One sound system to support the cali bre of the DJs we select, hopefully the nights will smack of quality whilst continuing to be supported by friendly, like-minded people who we can get to know and love.
      You’ve got some seriously big backing for the label from Universal Music. What freedom and flexibility has that given you, or has it?
      I have plenty of flexibility now which is good but it hasn’t always been that way. I started working at Universal seven years ago, initially for Giles Peterson’s label Talkin’ Loud and Def Jam in the early days. There were some management changes around the time that Talkin’ Loud went down and the company I was at (Mercury Records) started to move away from underground music and become more bands focused. Manifesto and Serious Records were also put to the sword during this era. Back then I was gutted about this switch of direction and I have had to wait patiently for a few years for this opportunity to get my ideas heard. Now I am in a different place all together and I am extremely grateful to the people I am working with for granting me the creative freedom to develop House-Trained into something bigger. So far, it has been a fantastic experience and hopefully this is just the beginning.
      Will we be seeing any Girls Aloud vocals on forthcoming House-Trained releases seeing as they’re also with Universal?
      Oh dear… believe it or not, my brother heads up their label so I should be careful how I answer this. The girls were actually in the canteen a few weeks ago so I seized the opportunity to give them all pink ‘House-Trained’ t-shirts. Celebrity endorsement is all good by me but in terms of musical direction, I can only say the words chalk and cheese spring to mind!

      You’re playing at the label launch night on Feb 16th but you eased yourself back into it all at the last ever Friday at The Cross. How was it for you?
      Yeah, I took a much needed break from the party scene and from DJ’ing last year and stopped accepting some of the tiring, soul-destroying gigs I was being offered. After fifteen years of relentless attachment to the club scene I was basically burnt out, so I took a step back and made the time to evaluate where I was trying to get to. So it’s nice to be back behind the decks again after a period of relentless grafting and the excitement and buzz of it all is slowly returning. I was probably sadder to see The Cross go than I was excited about getting to play there, but I am extremely pleased to have had that opportunity to do so. I spent many a lost night in there in my twenties and the fact that I left it so late to get a booking made the experience all the more memorable. It was nice to get my DJ partner Stu on board for that one too, I think he enjoyed it more than I did!
      Times they are definitely a-changing in the world of house, and dance music in general. How are you going to ensure that House-Trained manages to stick out in an increasingly turbulent market?
      I think the secret lies in not trying to make it stick out really. Attraction rather than promotion is the core philosophy to building a successful club brand these days, the younger punters are far more marketing savvy than we give them credit for, particularly in London where there is so much noise to compete against. Hopefully our events will continue to attract more of the down-to-earth, fun-loving people that the early parties did and word of mouth will do the rest.
      What is your personal experience in the music industry?
      I have had mixed feelings about the industry as a whole over the years and the broad spectrum of strong-minded characters I have come across along the way, but looking back I wouldn’t change a thing about the path I have taken. My experience is that you need to develop a thick skin, which took a while for me, but only then do you become more accepting of the trickier people you encounter. In the end everyone has their foibles, me included and you learn to take something new from every experience. It’s going to sound very clichéd but passion and perseverance are essential requirements too. At eighteen, I was working in a meat factory in Liverpool and pumping my disposable income into buying records. I’m 32 now but I still feel that I have a hell of a long way to go to get to where I want to go. One year I had interviews at Azuli, Defected, Hed Kandi and EMI and got rejected from them all. Sometimes it felt like all the doors had closed on me but on reflection I am definitely happy that it happened that way, despite my obvious disappointment at the time.
      Being the boss of your own record label, you must have to keep up to speed with all the changing formats of distribution and just generally getting your message out there to the buying public. What new areas have emerged in the last year or so that you want to tap into at the moment?
      As much as I hate to say it, the whole Facebook phenomenon is a God send and seems to have moved club promotion into a whole new stratosphere - it’s an incredibly user-friendly tool for getting your message out to the right people.   I lived in Stoke-on-Trent for a few years and when I look back at the times I stood out on the street talking up my nights and handing out tapes and flyers in the pissing rain… it makes me sick to think how much easier it all is now! As for music distribution, I sometimes focus on the negative effects of the digital revolution a little too much, but there’s no denying the positive aspects are there for all to see, so we just have to embrace the change.

      Do you think the whole digital era has been good or bad for music on the whole?
      As I said, there are two sides to this argument and both have some very valid points. So far, many smaller companies have been unable to adapt to the new model to make it work for them and the period of change has caused so much turbulence for these people. It’s sad to see that side of things but there’s no denying the obvious advantages of being able to send and receive tracks in literally minutes and shop for tunes on-line etc. I still marvel at this side of things on a daily basis, though it has taken a while for me to adapt. I still like to use vinyl when I DJ but every time I play a broad, I have the ridiculousness of this stubborn resistance hammered home to me when humping my box through customs and around a foreign country!
      In the last few months, three of the major distribution networks including Amato have gone under. How do you go about distributing your sound now?
      It’s extremely sad to see how the distributors have been affected and the knock-on effect this is having on the shops and the labels that rely on them. There are still plenty of alternative ways to get your music distributed though, obviously digital being one of them, there are just fewer options now which can only be bad for everyone involved with making new music.
      Speaking of your sound, it’s a pretty damn fierce release that you’re launching with the 2008 mixes of DJ Disciple’s massive stormer ‘Work It Out’. How did your relationship with him come about?
      I’ve actually had very little interaction with Disciple so far, though that’s all about to change in the run up to the launch of the single and the club night. We signed the track from Alex Gold of Xtravaganza fame so the whole connection was initiated through him primarily.
      What are the new mixes like and how do they differ from the original?
      The original was actually a soulful house style mix by Gilbert Le Funk that blew up in Miami first time round. UK radio supported this version too at the time but it was really the Ruff & Tort mix which did the damage in Ibiza and in the UK clubs. I had heard it on pirate radio a few times, but when I saw the incredible reaction to it on Space Terrace one Saturday afternoon last summer, I knew it would be perfect for House-Trained and I had to try and locate it and sign it. The new Mischa Daniels mix is a huge electro-style re-work and there a number of other mixes in the pipeline that also do the damage whilst staying true to the original. It’s a fantastic record still and it deserves to go all the way.
      Any plans to work with him further?
      We are working on a track by track basis but ‘Changes’ was another huge anthem of last year and no doubt there will be more tracks in the pipeline from the Catch 22 stable in 2008. Disciple and Ruff and Tort are incredibly talented producers and I’m excited about their productions. For the moment, we’re just looking forward to having Disciple over for the launch party and witnessing him play for us in such an intimate environment. Usually I get nervous before any event I promote but with so many other great DJs on the night, I’m looking forward to this one enormously already!
      Who else have you got in the studio at the moment?
      We have about five releases lined up for the months ahead but no artists signed to the label exclusively or for album projects as yet. The main thing at the moment is for us to increase awareness and create a positive image, so hopefully we attract the right artists and the producers of the future to the label.
      You’re on the look-out for new talent, artists and producers. What are you looking for and how can we get in touch with you?
      We are actively on the look-out for new DJs, artists, tracks and talent. You can send us demo CDs via the address on our website ( www.house-trained.com ) but we are only a small outfit at present so we cannot guarantee everyone a response, though we do promise to listen to everything we are sent. Please only send material you think will befit the ‘House-Trained’ label though – we are not acting as A&R for any other labels within the Universal Group so please think before just sending us anything!!!

      What resources and commitment can you offer them? What makes you different from the rest and why should they put their work and talent in your hands?
      Ha ha... we are not making any promises to anyone other than the one I made in the last question to make an honest commitment to listen to everything we are sent. If you’ve ever seen the size of an A&R man’s mail bag, you will appreciate that is a tall order in itself!
      In a perfect world, where would House-Trained be in five years time?
      Obviously an Ibiza residency would be a dream come true for me, or alternatively a return to my beloved northern roots to become the next superclub brand to conquer Liverpool… move over James Barton! Ha ha… Failing that, I’d be grateful if I still have my health, my happiness and my hand in a scene that has so far had a detrimental effect on the former but an immeasurably heartening effect on the latter.
      Describe yourself:
      Humble, hostile, loving, respectful, honest, hard-working and unstable. A well-mannered acid casualty for short.
      Perfect DJ and why?
      All back to ours for a 24 hour after party and find out for yourself!
      What do you think will be in heaven and hell?
      Me and my dream partner in heaven; hell for the vast majority of my exes.
      What are your thoughts on Hillary Clinton?
      Hillary Clinton is someone I only ever think about when I’m in the throes of passion and want to enhance the experience. I’m not going to describe those thoughts for you I’m afraid.
      Gym freak or couch potato?
      Both. One month on, one month off each the whole year round usually to ensure I never get particularly fond of either.

      Best party you’ve ever been to and why?
      I think it would have to be my first taste of Ibiza. We hired this enormous villa for dirt cheap and invited a boat load of randoms back one night for a totally unplanned party. There were people I didn’t know in every room but nothing got taken or broken, everyone just respected the situation for what it was. I just remember standing on this gigantic roof terrace at lunchtime the next day in the blazing sun, party still on-going and seeing all these strangers dotted around the pool and just laughing inwardly. I didn’t have a care in the world and naturally I fell in love with the island after that. The tunes that year were phenomenal too; it was the perfect Ibiza experience.
      If you could do one thing to yourself, what would it be and why?
      Halt the ageing process permanently. Not because I’m vain but because I’m bald enough already!
      Good looking girls or funny girls?
      Good looking, funny, intelligent girls who aren’t mental. Introduce me to one, let me sleep with her and then I’ll show you you were wrong.
      Finally, tell us about your Dad on Bora Bora beach J
      It was my Dad’s 71st birthday on Friday and I’ve just spent the weekend with him; the guy’s a living legend and I idolise him. It just so happened he was in Ibiza with his mates last year when I went over, so I met up with him at Bora Bora and made him get amongst it. He’s got a metal knee these days but he’s still active and he’s completely young at heart. I got some great footage and pictures of him dancing and being talked into oblivion by all kinds of nutters, but I felt terrible when I played them back to him on UK soil. He said he had actually been ill with food poisoning that day but tolerated the whole thing almost entirely for my benefit. Fair play to him though, he was spinning stories to my mates all afternoon and he put that twat who dresses like Spiderman to shame! It was priceless looking back on it, though probably not something I will ever do again…

  • Interviews

    • ClubTheWorld
      Gatecrasher catch up with Ferry Corsten, ahead of his 3 hour set at the Gatecrasher's 15th Birthday event, at their spiritual home in Sheffield.
      GC: Described as the "architect, pioneer and instigator" of trance, what are your thoughts on the scene as a whole?
      Ferry: Trance has come a long way since it’s heyday in the late nineties. It has gone through a phase of progressive, harder , electro and it looks like it’s slowly going back to it roots. In my opinion, if done right, trance is the most innovative music genre out there.
      GC: With numerous Dutch Gold awards and UK Top 40 hits for your productions, which are you more, a DJ or a Producer?
      Ferry: -In the beginning, I used to say that I was more of a producer than a DJ. I was lucky to break into the scene through the success of my own music productions in the late nineties. However, due to that success, I was able to release a number of compilations called Trance Nation with Ministry of Sound which kicked off my career as a DJ. After all these years, I would say that I am definitely both… a producer and a DJ. I spend just as much time (sometimes even more due to travelling ) DJing as I have sitting in the studio late at night to finish a track. The difference nowadays, is that I work on my productions a lot on the road as I do not have the luxury to wait to get home to start on a track.
      GC: With such a hectic schedule, how does Ferry Corsten unwind and relax?
      Ferry: When you´re really busy, you really get to enjoy the simple things in life. I am so happy when I get to come home, hang in my own couch, sleep in my own bed, and eat a great home cooked meal.
      GC: What is your current top 5?
      Ferry: 
      1. Masters & Nickson ft. Justine Suissa - 5Th Dimension (Daniel Kandi Bangin' Mix)
      2. Off Key - Showdown (Ali Wilson & Scott Attrill Remix)
      3. Re:Locate & Menno de Jong – Spirit (Paul Miller 2008 Rework)
      4. Embrace – Embrace (Ferry Fix)
      5. Solarstone - 4Ever
      GC: What piece of advice would you give to any DJ aspiring to be the next Ferry Corsten?
      Ferry: I always tell people to trust themselves and to follow their own path. You can be successful in copying other people but you can have success and earn a lot more respect if you do things in your own unique way.
      GC: Which DJs do you predict to be hot for 2008/09?
      Ferry: I’ve been pretty impressed with the last productions and DJ sets of Bart Claessen. He’s been putting out some real powerful productions and remixes. Casey Keyworth "Breakfast" has been travelling with me on a couple of tours now and I’m very impressed with his DJ skills and of course his productions.
      GC: You have played for Gatecrasher on numerous occasions, most recently at the Gatecrasher Resurrection at Magna in March. You will be back to headline their 15th Birthday Event back in their spiritual home of Sheffield. Why do you think Gatecrasher have continued to be successful after so many years?
      Ferry: Gatecrasher has continued to be successful after so many years because they have managed to work with the times. Whereas a lot of brands have fallen off the map or are struggling to keep up with the way big shows are produced nowadays, Gatecrasher has persevered.
      GC: You have always had a special relationship with the crowd at Gatecrasher. What makes it so special?
      Ferry: I guess because Gatecrasher was one of those clubs that helped make trance music the success . it is today. I was looking at a Gatecrasher Classic CD a few months back and saw how many of my production contributed to that classic CD.
      GC: What can the Gatecrasher crowd expect from you at the 15th Birthday event?
      Ferry: 3 hours of massive energy.
      GC: What is Ferry Corsten up to for the rest of 2008 and moving into the New Year?
      Ferry: I am working very hard to finish my latest artist album taking a bit of time off after that to enjoy some important things in life
    • ClubTheWorld
      Henrik B is a man of many talents, and one with an extremely bright future ahead. At only 28 years of age, this Swedish producer is already widely tipped for greatness thanks to his underground techno productions. With past releases on some of the most respected labels around including Drumcode, Primate & Corb, Henrik is also set for releases on the much talked about Pryda & Size labels, after label bosses Eric Prydz & Steve Angello snapped up more of his tough & energetic floor filling tracks.
      Now established in the techno circles, Henrik showcases his versatile production abilities with “Alive”, his first house productions alongside productions members Thomas Plec and Anders Törngren collectively known as Locktown. Set for a full release late summer courtesy of Sweden’s premier House output – Nero Recordings, ‘Alive’ is set for a huge crossover assault, with Gadjo vocalist Alexandra Prince once again showing just why she’s one of the in demand artists of the moment.
      Funky, vibrant & uplifting, this release has it all – and now complete with the power-vamped dub, looks set to keep on pounding those dance floors right through into the chilly winter months ahead.
      Taking his name further in the dance music realm, Henrik has recently put the finishing touches to his remix of Sunfreakz “Riding the Waves”, originally out on Nero, now signed to UK giants Positiva, this is once again another journey into the many talents he possesses, with this also set for chart-bound success. Speaking about chart success Henrik B´s release “Airwalk” due out soon on the highly acclaimed Pryda label, was selected essential new tune on BBC One1 with Pete Tong.
      This Saturday Henrik B touches down in Manchester at AREA51. We grad him for a quick interview to find out a bit about the man himself.......
      Please introduce yourself and tell us where you are in the world?
      -At this moment i am in Skövde, a small town in sweden that you probably havent heard of and find difficult to pronounce
      Sweden is producing a lot of good DJ’s at the moment, What is the scene like over their?
      - When it comes to Clubs the scene is still growing and house music and techno is getting more and more attention.
      You have a good relationship with the Swedish House Mafia. DO you use a lot of their tracks in your sets?
      Yes, of course i do. Because of the quality of the productions and great floor capabilities. They always have amazing sound!
      Your playing at AREA51 in Manchester this month. What can we expect?
      - You can expect energy! not fast or hard music necessarly. The tracks i play just have energy in a very special way. Electro house, funky house. Vocals, not vocals. A mixture of everything just so that you never get bored hearing the same track over and over again!
      Where else have you been DJing recently?
      I was in Brighton this weekend. Very good!
      And what have you got coming up?
      Sunday july 27th in Ibiza, Judgement sundays!
      Can we expect to see you in Ibiza this summer?
      Yes, Judgements Sundays and Cream@Amnesia.
      What do you use in your sets nowadays?
      CD´s only.
      Have you been in the studio this year?
      Yes, recently i made a remix of Shapeshifters track CHIME for defected records. Release in August. And then i have a new release on JOIA also for August.
      How do you think DJing will evolve technically over the next few years?
      I have no idea to be honest!!
      What’s been your most enjoyable set to date?
      KOKO Club in London was very special
      And you’re least enjoyable?
      -None!
      What do you prefer – DJing or Producing?
      -It goes hand in hand for me since i always think dancefloor when i produce!
      How did you get into Dance music?
      A friend of mine gave me a cassette copy of The Prodigys album "the experience" back in 91. And i was really hooked straight away! Sounded like nothing i had ever heard!
      What one thing would you like to do before you die?
      LIVE!
      CATCH HENRIK B AT AREA51 IN MANCHESTER THIS SATURDAY
    • Jukeboxalex
      Always considered a bench mark for quality DJ/Producers, an invite to guest on a Radio One Essential Mix is something that always brings out the best in a DJ.
      On Friday April 11th Afterparty celebrate their 2nd Birthday by welcoming the Radio 1 DJ’s Pete Tong and Dave Spoon who along with resident Martin Doorly will record a special Essential Mix LIVE from the Afterparty Warehouse Experience. Their sets will be broadcast live to the world between 3-5AM.
      From small Afterparty to big Warehouse party, Galaxy FM’s Best Club in 2008 and Top Ten Club 2007 (Mixmag) ‘AFTERPARTY’ has successfully sown it’s seed in clubland and has now cultivated what is set to be one of the hottest party’s of 2008.
      Tell us a bit about Afterparty and how it all began?
      Basically four of us (3 DJ’s & a Bongo player) were all playing all over the UK and never got to all play together and basically hang out with all our local friends and people in the industry who worked till late. So we set up a little after-hours party in a tiny bar that we could all gather in after our gigs to catch up and have a jam. It began as an invite only affair, but Huddersfield , at the time had absolutely no clubbing scene so it grew very quickly and we had to upscale our venue immediately!
      Afterparty have been asked to play a very special Radio 1 Essential mix. How did that come about and whats going on?
      So one day i got a call from Pete Tong’s Management, saying that they would like to do a special essential mix show representing new up and coming DJ talent & club nights and that they thought Afterparty and I were ideal Candidates! That was a fun day!! So basically We’ve scheduled a special Afterparty Warehouse event on Friday 11th April which will be broadcast between 3-5AM live to the world from the mighty Huddersfield. Tongy will play the first hour then i’ve got the second one. We’ve also got Afterparty Favourite Dave Spoon coming over as well.
      I believe you will be doing an hour of the Essential Mix. Are you prepared and what sort of sound/tunes should we look out for?
      Funnily enough, I’m not at all nervous, just really excited, I’m not going to plan a set because it never works for me when I do that but I’m definitely going to try and include loads of my own material, and re-edits. Also, being a live set as opposed to a pre-mixed one I have to think about the crowd reaction as well, so I reckon you can expect a bit of a party set which suits me fine. Expect Crunchy Techno / Guitars and rave hooks!!!
      What makes Afterparty stand out from the rest?
      This sounds gay, but it’s definitely our crowd. We’re privileged in that Huddersfield, by clubbing standards is a relatively innocent town and, unlike the major cities, hasn’t see it all before. For most of our crowd it may be their first experience of this type of event (and lifestyle) and we can all remember that feeling!! We have never NEEDED to bring big acts in order to fill our venues, and we still don’t really, but we just do it because it’s fun to give our loyal crowd something they wouldn’t ever get to see on their own doorstep.
      What have you and Afterparty been up to recently?
      Afterparty is currently on its next step of regeneration. We have just moved to our new custom warehouse venue (Exclusive to us). We launched last month, and with a bigger space and budget we just wanted to put on a silly break even festival style line up so we booked Groove Armada, Annie Mac, The Scratch Perverts, Sinden & Herve. It was AMAZING!!! We will now be hosting our warehouse parties monthly and I’m currently sorting out some crazy genre bending line ups! For the bank holiday Sunday 25th May I’ve just confirmed Armand Van Helden, Sebastian Ingrosso, Krafty Kuts & the Streetlife DJs. I have equally good line ups for the rest of the year!
      Personally, My DJ calendar has never been so busy, as we speak I’ve just got back from a mini tour or Poland playing some awesome dates there. I’m pretty much out playing every night of the week at the moment and trying to cram in as much studio time as possible.
      What have you got coming up?
      Again, Busy times ahead. I’ve got loads more eastern European dates to complete in the next 2 months and a week’s tour of Egypt playing for Ministry over there and a wicked full moon party on the beach. I’m launching a new club night in Sheffield and the ridiculously good carling academy in may and I’m most excited to be supporting Soulwax and 2manyDJ’s again at the end of April in Leeds.
      Favourite club to play in and why?
      Being emotionally attached I’m obviously going to say our new warehouse venue in Huddersfield because its set up exactly how we want it and Its MY crowd!! But other than that you can beat the box at Ministry in London. You feel like a superstar just being stood in there!!
      What do you think of the UK scene?
      Well in my experience its sooooooooo much more fun in the north! The crowd just seem to lose it that little bit more. One thing I’m not liking is the way Ketamine & GHB are taking over right now, They’re not the kind of drugs you want your dance floor to be on if you’re trying to Create some energy!
      Best gig ever?
      Without doubt last year when I played at the southern fried mobile disco party in Brighton, sandwiched between Fatboy Slim and Armand Van Helden and being asked to go back on at the end for an encore glory hour at the end!!!
      What's the strangest or most unusual place you`ve ever played a gig in?
      I once did a Tutoring Scheme teaching kids how to mix in a school. As part of the course I had to perform a DJ set in an assembly with loads of kids just sitting down and a teacher stood next to me clapping!! I still cringe now as I write!!
      What DJ tunes feature in your sets?
      Anything distorted and guitar based so obviously loving Soulwax / Justice and the Ed banger crew, anything by Daft Punk, Boys Noize, Digitalism, SMD. I also tend to play loads of electronic band stuff like The Presets, Late of the Pier and the Whip.
      Do you have plans to produce your own records?
      Yes I’m absolutely caning the studio at the moment trying to get loads of stuff finished for my essential mix. I’m on with remixing some awesome bands right now which is exactly the kind of stuff i want to stick to. Some of my completed stuff is on my new myspace site @
      www.myspace.com/doorlyuk
      To make it in this industry do you think DJ’s have to produce nowadays?
      I’d like to think not, especially in my case as I wasn’t chosen by radio 1 for my productions but it is certainly a shortcut to the top and it’s hard to name many A-list DJ’s that have gone global purely based on their technical DJ ability. I believe that all DJs should at least have a foundation in production because being able to even make simple re-edits can liven up your set massively.
      Do you tailor your sets to particular venues or play it by ear?
      Unfortunately I’m not organised enough to tailor anything!! I just tend to take far too many records and just pay the excess at airports so I have everything with me, then I just freestyle to whatever crowd i have in front of me. I actually prefer it that way because its more challenging and my sets can be so varied Its easy to find something said crowd will be interested in.
      What are your top 5 tunes right now?
      In no particular order:
      Midfield General – Disco Sirens (Them Jeans Edit) Justice – DVNO (Justice Remix) Trip – Who’s That (Jack Beats Remix) Does It offend You Yeah? – Rockstars DJ Medhi – Signatune (Doorly & Only Ten Left Remix) What`s the dodgiest situation you`ve been in playing out?
      I once played a gig in Poland at a mafia run club, they kept giving me these huge shot glasses full of ridiculously strong Vodka and making me drink them. I was nearing the end of my set when I uncontrollably projectile vomited into the screaming crowd. The owner was very upset and I thought I was going to have my legs sawn off!!! Needless to say we made a sharp exit from the club!!
      DJs are renowned as having a glamorous life, if I was you for a day, what would be the most disappointing thing I’d discover about the reality of a DJs life?
      Probably on a Tuesday night when all your mates and girlfriend are settling down for the night and you’ve got to set off down the motorway to a town you’ve never heard of.... and its dead..... but you have to stay and play anyway because they’ve already paid for you. All night you have a chavvy girl telling you that you’re shit because you don’t have anything by the pussycat dolls. Then on the way home you are day dreaming and you run out of petrol...... again......and spend 2 hours trying to hitch a lift to the petrol station and back. By the time you get home everyone’s getting up for work and you have a meeting in 2 hours! Rock & Roll!!!
      First record u bought?
      Ha HA! I got my first set of decks and went to HMV as it was closing, I was really into the French filtered sound at the time but the closest I could find was a Phats & Small tune called ‘Tonite’ which i proudly cained for my first year!!
      What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen in a club?
      I once bumped into my old maths teacher Mr Crump dressed as a Lady on the pull that was strange.
      What do you like to do away from the dance scene?
      Its non-stop late night partying in what we do so when i do get a night off i like to just do the things other people take for granted like, cook a decent meal, watch TV and get an early night.
      What`s your most prized possession and why?
      Probably my Macbook Pro I spend more time with it than my girlfriend!
      Which four words best describe you?
      Peanut Butter Jelly Time
      Last thing you regretted?
      Putting myself on after the scratch perverts at Afterparty last month, they were possibly the best DJ set I’d ever seen and the crowd were in awe. How do you follow that!!!
      Finally who would be on your ideal DJ team?
      Other than those already mentioned of course (2manydjs / Scratch Pervs / Fatboy etc) I reckon to create the best party I’d have to draught in Annie Mac (Who is Ace by the way!), my good mates Cassette Jam and I’d love to play back to back with Zane Lowe.
      CHECK OUT AFTERPARTY ON FACEBOOK
      facebook.com

      TO LISTEN TO MARTIN DOORLY'S ESSENTIAL MIX PLEASE VISIT

      bbc.co.uk
    • Jukeboxalex
      As the summer fast approaches AREA51’s line ups get hotter and hotter. Big news for this month is former Space and Dc10 resident Jo Mills will become our new Saturday Sessions resident. The talented DJ and producer is in high demand worldwide, about to jet off on her sixth annual tour of Asia, Australia and Indonesia before returning to her beloved home base of Ibiza to unveil her eagerly anticipated new weekly residency for summer 2008. Add to that the exciting news that Jo has announced a monthly residency at Manchester’s Area 51 and the fact she’s heading back into the studio to produce new tracks in time for summer and you’ve got one very busy DJ. Check www.myspace.com/djjomills for more details. Catch Jo tearing up the AREA51 dancefloor this Saturday with hot Toolroom record producer Kim Fai.
      We caught up with Jo to find out more about her new residency and Ibiza..........
      This month you make your second appearance at AREA51 as their new resident, what can we expect?
      i am going to be playing some underground after hour sounds for the crowd to get on down too!
      What do you think of the club?
      i love it thats why i jumped at the chance to be a resident, its fresh and how a club should be, wicked sound system, nice and dark with low ceilings giving it that edge and a perfect size for the direction we are taking the night musically.
      What other residencies do you have?
      i play regularly for Club Azuli all over the uk and gbar in liverpool .....i also have a hot new residency here in ibiza this summer!!
      How old were you when you started playing?
      i learnt when i was 21, so 4 years ago!! haha sorry could not resist that......
      What or who is behind your musical inspiration?
      i absolutely love soul music..i was brought up on it, i love barry white, marvin gaye, stevie wonder.....black music has been a huge inspiration for me really. When i first started it was dj pierre that got me hooked, his wild pitch sound transends all styles of house music.
      How would you describe your sound?
      house music with techy vibes, intoxicating grooves and melodies ! music to dance too
      What one track never fails?
      one of my faviourate all time tracks is silicone soul - right on right on ....its timeless
      What have you been up to recently?
      i have been busy working on my lines up for the room i am hosting here in ibiza in the summernas well as playing in italy, dublin and the uk and of course working in the studio. i have been based in ibiza all of this year so it been ace being home its amazing here in winter
      You a bit of a legend out in Ibiza Will you be out their again in 2008?
      well yes! this is hot off the press as i have just confirmed the details.... pete tong is moving from pacha this summer and will be presenting his successful brand WONDERLAND at eden every friday , pete will be in the main room with GROOVE ARMANDA in the second room and myself and husband charlie (chester) will be hosting the white room upstairs! i will be playing every week along side ibiza residence djs and special guests, it is really exciting as the club is under going a complete transformation.
      Who is you top tip for 2008?
      tomas edberg, my resident for the white room this summer , hes an excellent produce and a really skillful dj he knows how to build a set as well as rock a dance floor
      What's your favourite tune?
      delete - flight departure
      How about your own production, what have you been up to ?
      well i am really excited as along side my 4 tune 500 partner Matti Schwartz we have just finished a remix of dancing in the dark bringing it right up to date for 2008! the track will be promo'ed at the miami winter conferance next week......
      Where's your top Country to play?
      ibiza of course!! its an amazing experience to play here in summer or winter
      Finally, what 3 things make a good club?
      the sound system
      the vibe
      the people
      www.myspace.com/djjomills
      COME AND CATCH JO MILLS BEGIN HER MONTHLY RESIDENT AT AREA51 THIS SATURDAY

    • Jukeboxalex
      Joined at the hip through a love of extreme partying and bad fashion, Deepgroove’s Lee Pattison and Grayson Shipley have been setting the world alight with their incendiary 4 Decks:Efx DJ Show and red hot productions.

      Their sound has travelled the globe with props from everyone from Annie Mac, Pete Tong, Deep Dish, Steve Lawler, Medicine8, Tom Stephan, Jon Carter, Fatboy Slim, to Annie Nightingale, Seb Fontaine, James Zabiela and Nic Fancuilli.
      Deepgroove’s ‘Jus Luv Bass’ was awarded Radio One’s Pete Tong’s Essential New Tune in March 2006. A month later the duo appeared on the show for his ‘DJ on the Phone’ section, playing their remix of Ricky Stone’s ‘Shanghai Taxi’. Deepgroove’s ‘Fascinated’ also reached no. 1 in the UK Dance Industry’s Music Week Chart, rode high in the DJ Magazine HYPE Chart for over a month and peaked at no.5 in the CLUB CHART.
      Deepgroove have recently been given the honour of mixing the launch CD for a new compilation on Darren Emerson’s Underwater Records called the SOLO Series. Their SOLO World Tour has already taken in Shanghai, Australia, Singapore, Latvia, Lithuania, Dubai and will be touring Europe extensively in the coming months.
      “Book these guys and the only way you’ll get rid of them is to find them another party”
      DJ Magazine
      'No messing, they do exactly what it say's on the tin...they know how to drop it!'
      Pete Tong (BBC Radio 1)
      We caught up with the duo before their trip to Manchester to play for Azuli vs Filth at AREA51.......
      Hi Guys, thanks for taking the time do this interview. Let’s start at the beginning, how did you get into music and then into dj’ing?
      It’s all we have ever done. Being full time delinquents makes the concept of a day job pretty unappealing and our twenty four hour party lifestyle brought us together after 10 years of Dj’ing separately
      Who did you take inspiration and influence from when you started out and who inspires you today?
      The original spark is from the distant days of the birth of rave – dancing in fields, free parties and scummy warehouse’s; and thankfully that’s all come full circle and were sampling the vinyl we bought all those years ago. Constant inspiration comes from The Chemical Brothers, Erol Alkan and the spirit of acid house.
      It’s been quite a year for you with DJ Mag naming you best British breakthrough. What has been your highlight of the last 12 months?
      Our best was closing the Isle of White festival for Strongbow, everything else shut at the festival after the Stones had played and about thirty thousand people tried to get into our tent – consequently the atmosphere was intense
      You signed to Underwater records, how did that come about and what have you got coming out on the label?
      Underwater came about through sending music to Darren and generally bothering him – he’s got a great ear for new talent thankfully. Next up is our next instalment of the Weekend Weapons series – with a particularly filthy tune called “Bad Acid”
      Other than the Underwater stuff what else have you been up to production wise?
      We’ve just had an EP out for Jesse Roses’ Madetoplay in collaboration with Jamie Anderson and another one with him on Alter Ego’s Klang Elektronik which lead to them asking us to remix their new single. We also finished up a mix of Armand Van Helden’s new single last week.
      What software/hardware do you use for your productions and remixes and how would you describe your sound in 2008 (both as DJs and a producers)?
      We’re Mac based using Logic & Ableton – currently we’re mining the ground between minimal, wonky techno and rave crafting big club bombs with an equal mix of funk and fury!
      Moving away from your own production which artists feature in your DJ sets the most at the moment?
      Guido Schneider, Luetzenkirchin, Woolford, Radioslave, Switch, Dubfire, Dusty Kid, Thomas Schumacher and loads of obscure records made by people we never hear from again!
      You run your own night Play in Bristol. What’s the crowd like down there and what DJ’s have you had down?
      It’s absolutely mental – 500 nutters, fancy dress, mutilated soft toys and soaring rave energy. Recently we’ve had Radioslave, Konrad Black, Cagedbaby, Fergie and next up it’s our first live gig with Deadset performing.
      With it being your own night do you get away with playing stuff you wouldn’t normally play in other clubs?
      Not really, we always want to play the most exciting records wherever we are, but I guess that with Play you can create the same levels of excitement with odder records!
      Finally, let’s ask you about the gig for Azuli vs Filth at AREA51 in Manchester on Easter Sunday, what can we expect?
      Hopefully a big old moshpit!
      Check out Deepgroove's new mix at deepgroove.co.uk
      For tickets please visit www.skiddle.com

       
    • mostwantedkat
      You might associate Margate with windy weather, dodgy B&Bs and little old ladies in macs and plastic raincaps sitting on the promenade pecking at 99s. But house music? To be fair, not so much. Well you’re in for a bit of a surprise party people because over the last two years something’s been going on down on the south-east coast and it’s beginning to spread out to the rest of clubland.
      Guilty Heaven is the brand behind the rise of house music in Margate, building up a fanatically loyal following of passionate clubbers and dedicated resident DJs. Saturday April 12th sees them travel to London to take over the back room at The Island for the huge Fierce Angel party. Promising a blend of filthy, sexy and banging house music they’re on a mission to blow the capital’s scene away and if reactions to their previous parties are true, then they’re more than fully on course.
      We caught up with Mark Websper and Mandy Kobylanski, the duo behind Guilty Heaven, to find out a bit more about them and their seaside party…
      What’s Guilty Heaven all about?
      Basically… it’s about the music and the people, whether it’s to one person or thousands, no matter how many people we play for, we pride ourselves on leaving clubbers not wanting it all to end and looking forward to the next one.   Bringing into play our ear and love for a truly great night! Guilty Heaven is about the love of house.
      Where did the name Guilty Heaven come from?
      The name Guilty Heaven was born in Ibiza, it was actually meant for another DJ that was considering rebranding. He had asked us to come up with a new name and art work, something different and sexy.   We had spent a month working with him on the art work with a few names thrown around but not getting the right sound of it. We went out to Ibiza in June 2006 to do some promo photographs for HowCleanIsYourHouse as well as an interview with Judge Jules and pictures for Judgment Sunday.
      Sitting in front of Savannah’s sorting out the following day’s interview the name came out of the air. We wrote it down with the list of other ones we needed to check when we got back to the UK. To be fair, it was a development on the unceremonious side but it was the last name written down on the list and we felt it had hit the nail on the head so to speak.
      While we were away Matt had decided to keep his own pseudonym – Matt Logic. And has happily played for Guilty Heaven in the past and we look forward to welcoming him back in the future.

      How did it start up?
      We (Mark Websper & Mandy Kobylanski) are photographers by trade with a very big love of all things house.   We take pictures for clubs/parties/DJ’s for promotional material websites etc as well as the usual photography in our studio in Margate.  
      A bit tongue in cheek but doing the photographs put us in some of the best parties around doing what we both love, meeting loads of new people and making a living out of it!
      Returning back to Margate, with a real lack of venues playing house music in the area and a wealth of DJ talent we used talk about the ‘what if’s’.
      After we returned from Ibiza with the name GH tucked in our pocket, HowCleanIsYourHouse had been offered to play a set at Pacha with LoveTec & MyFairytail on the Friday, and a local venue, Sugar Lounge, were putting on Miss MoneyPennys on the Sunday. We were asked to help promote both. We decided we couldn’t let the name Guilty Heaven go to waste so that was GH’s first promo outing - The Guilty Heaven Long Weekend.
      It gave us such a buzz to see it all come together that we decided to give it a proper go. We used Sugar Lounge as our base to showcase the local talent and bring bigger names to the area. Having Judge Jules on our bill just two months into our short life helped put us on the map here in the south.   We approached Smartie Partie for our first set at Turnmills and we definitely have to send a big thanks out to them for helping us get our foot into the doors of the London clubs.
      Basically we fell into promoting but now we are here it’s a lot of hard work, loads of stress and some incredibly amazing nights but we plan to stick around!
      The rest as they say is History
      You say that your sound is defined by your residents. Can you give us a quick run through each of them and what makes them so special?
      Guilty Heaven has two main residents who you’ll find at all of our gigs
      Ian Garner : Fantastically loyal to GH and the first to join us as a resident. Likes his remixes of old tracks, normally plumps for the B side of his vinyl as it is normally a bit grimier and less mainstream than the A side. A real party animal who lives life to excess.
      Frenchie : The man who truly loves those phat bass lines. He can sniff out the dirtiest, most rocking tracks you can imagine and with so many years in the profession he has much respect. He played the circuits with Pete Tong in the early days and if he’d decided to go full time, who knows where he would be now!
      Both of them truly enjoy being behind the decks where ever we play. We would say they are just as passionate about Guilty Heaven as we are!
      We are also extremely lucky to have the support of a wide range of DJ’s:
      DJ Ferdinand : Fantastically talented, a long time serving Dutch DJ who loves his Techno. Widely respected in the industry by the likes of Eddie Fowlkes and K Alexi, one of his biggest assets is his ability to be diverse.
      Kev Harris and Mark Dickson of HD Promotions: Both these lads have been playing the clubs in the south east for quite sometime. They know what makes a great night from a DJ and a promoter’s point of view, which is always a good thing. Both DJ’s play the mainstream and commercial but live the dark and dirty 😉
      Rob Hatton : Generally an all round nice guy with a real talent who has not had the pleasure of playing in our neck of the woods… yet! He has played internationally and in some of London’s main clubs. Watch this fella because he could well go a long way.

      Mr Biff : Our ever faithful Percussionist. Mr Biff (Simon Wallis), has played at nigh on all of our gigs and is very much in demand by other promotions, and so he should be. You can get some pretty ‘interesting’ players on the circuit and when you land one that is good that lives on your doorstep, make sure you keep them. They always add another dimension to your promotion.
      And although they won’t be playing on the night a special mention to Robbie Styles – Audio Boutique, Phil Good & Matt Fontaine – FMG, Dom Yong – Stimulation,   Scott Tunes & Dan-ce DJ, Jeff Barker – FLH, Dave Doughty & Tom Keys – HCIYH and Matt Logic, all with their own unique style and their much appreciated loyalty and support to GH.
      You’ve only been throwing parties for two years – why do you think you’ve had such quick success establishing yourself with more major players in the industry?
      Why are we successful in what we do? Because we are unpretentious, friendly, honest and are truly ‘what you see is what you get’. Mandy’s Canadian/welsh accent helps a lot as well.
      We both are passionate about photography and music and the two aspects work in harmony.
      To be honest we have been very lucky to be in the right place at the right time. The industry as a whole we have felt has been very welcoming. We are willing and eager to put the work in to make the night successful.   Guilty Heaven has become a very deep rooted passion for the both of us and we think this shines through.
      Out of everyone you’ve worked with, who have you had the most fun with (and don’t feel any pressure to say Fierce Angel >;D)?
      Ouch we would like to say everyone. It’s always fun when GH is involved 😄
      Ok we have to name someone and we’d say it was a very even split with Mark Doyle & Andy Galea. Every time we have worked with both DJ’s it’s been a real giggle because both guys have a fantastic sense of humour and very much enjoy being behind the decks. It’s not ‘just another gig’.
      What made you decide to get involved in promoting, a notoriously unstable profession?
      As we said it was a lack of house music down in sunny old Margate as most promoters will tell you it can be a lot of hard work, but if you are in this game for the night it’s always worth it. Now we are here we want to be in it for the long haul, evolving to what the clubbers want and what we love!
      What’s your formula to a rocking party? How do you approach promoting?
      Mandy: Fantastic music, amazing DJ’s and clubbers that are there for the music. First and foremost LOVE what you are doing. You create an atmosphere that people find contagious. We live by the motto you’ll never know till you ask, that’s always a good starting point
      Mark: Promotion of a night is hugely difficult. Of course we do the usual stuff like flyers, posters etc but with local authorities getting tough with fly posting and putting flyers on cars it is becoming increasingly non profitable.
      But it is always important to ensure that you try and get a database going and thus keep you crowd informed. We use DSI, as all good promotions do. We have found of late that Facebook has proven to be one of our biggest tools for advertising our nights to introduce new clubbers to the scene.
      We are not afraid to try something different, we try very hard not to be run of the mill.
      What would be your advice to anyone else trying to set up a fledgling night in today’s industry? 
      Mandy: If you want to jump on board because you want to make a quick buck this is NOT the place for you. Nor if you think one big party makes you a super star. If you are in it for fame and fortune you would have more chance of applying for Blue Peter and working your way through the TV Ranks. Too many times have we heard people saying promoters have an easy life?? Firstly in our eyes it’s a love of the music you are promoting… spreading the house word so to speak. It’s about giving the clubbers a night to remember. Be prepared to work hard, there is a lot of behind the scenes leg work, research the areas you would like to put your brand, talking to venues, other promoters,   flyers, tickets, pulling it all together on the night. Knowing your audience... Have we got a few more hours to go into it?
      Believe in what you are doing but always be willing to take advice from others even if you have to save it for a latter day.

      Mark - Watch your back. Clubland is a fantastic place to be, but you will come across at some point promotions and club owners that want to shaft you at every opportunity. We were given this bit of advice early on and it helped us to be a bit more aware. You have to have your wits about you all the time. As a promoter you need to understand the relationship between your promotion and the club owner and/or any co-promotions. You may put on a night that is well attended, your DJ's played like true pro's, the crowd were dancing and enjoying the night and you see it as a success, however if your crowd didn't drink very much the club owner will see it as a flop. Be aware to target you audience properly. A night in a small club with 150 good spenders enjoying the night will do you better than trying to attract 300 that sip one drink all night.
      Just because you had a packed room doesn't mean the club will ask you back.  Make sure you are aware of what the club expects from you before your party.
      Always ensure that your DJ’s can read a crowd. Make sure that if your crowd isn’t moving then do something about it.
      Consistency is the other key, make sure you are seen regularly, this doesn’t necessarily mean play every venue unless they are suitable to your night. Make sure your logo is memorable… It's all about getting your brand recognized.
      What’s the best party you’ve ever thrown and why was it so special?
      Mark - On a small scale I have to say when we promoted Jules at our night at Sugar Lounge Margate. This was the first time we booked Jules. We befriended him in Ibiza during the summer of 2006 and have stayed in contact with him ever since. We had only 17 days from the time his management said we could have him to the night itself. Stress like you wouldn't believe. All was pretty mediocre until 3 days before and then all hell broke loose. On the night the venue was rammed solid with best part of 600 and Jules was on top form. Being below ground and low ceilings it was like an oven in there and sweat was dripping from the walls but bloody hell it was cool.
      Mandy : That’s a really tough one.   For the enjoyment factor they are all special in their own right, each night bringing it’s uniqueness to the myriad of memories that are making up the colourful Guilty Heaven past. I agree with Mark though, October 7th 2006 Guilty Heaven features Judge Jules. It was completely nerve wracking partly for the fact that we were worried that Thanet was not ready for this kind of event yet. It was a truly amazing night at the Sugar Complex, it was a sell out and the walls were alive that night, the atmosphere was electric and it put us in good stead for all of our future parties. The night was the best work out my arms had ever received – the fan had gone walk abouts so I had used a clipboard to keep the DJ box circulating with a fraction of air!

      What’s the best party you’ve ever been to and why?
      Mandy: All GH parties… do I need to say more lol
      Mark: I have to say that I ALWAYS enjoy Fiesta Del Agua at Es Paradis. I've done all the other super clubs but I always get drawn back to this one. 5am in a packed EsPara, boiling to death and then the water comes on. Good music and manic… I just love it. Good memories and fucking good fun (oops can I say that lol) 😉
      Mandy: Lol I forgot about that, that was one of my first experiences of Ibiza, roll on this summer I can’t wait 😛
      What party would you absolutely kill to go to? 
      Kill? Mandy has a problem when there are pigeons in the road and Mark is most definitely too nice to think about maiming (well most of the time 🙂
      Mark - Roger Sanchez playing the North Pole during the winter midnight sun lol ;-), oh and of course with GH setting the stage… How cool would that be
      Mandy – lol can we do it a second time under the Northern lights? How cool, a natural laser show!!
      If money was no object, what kind of party would you throw, where would it be and who would you have on the line-up?
      Mark: We would love to have Es Paradis for one night, that’s all, no need to be a regular thing although that would be nice. I think we would probably ask Mark Doyle to play with us and probably Danny Rampling and Roger Sanchez, then showcase our own talented DJ's… could you imagine the atmosphere. It's all about being proud about your brand, not about making piles of cash.
      Mandy: I completely agree, but for me the ultimate club to play at would be The Guvernment in Toronto, Canada. To have Guilty Heaven play in my old back yard would be bliss… watch this space people 🙂 

      If you could have a dinner party with five famous people, alive or dead, who would you invite? 
      Mark: OK I'm getting rather repetitive here but No 1 on the guest list would have to be Roger "The God" Sanchez, I would even polish his shoes on the way in, I might even polish the loo before he sat down. lol
      No2: I would resurrect JFK just so I could find out who shot the bugger.
      No3: JRR Tolkien because he can tell a story better than I can.
      No4: Gonna cheat here, Groove Armada. I know it's 2 ( Andy Cato and Tom Findlay) but they make great music and I would get them to DJ a Late Night Tales set when everyone was ready to chill at the end of the night.
      No5: Ayrton Senna. Without a doubt THE greatest F1 driver from an era when F1 was death defying and exciting. I saw him at Monza the season before he died. I think I went in to mourning for a month after his death, tragic loss to the sport.
      Mandy: does this mean we get 10 people to diner? Will have to think about getting a bigger table!
      Ok my first invite would go to Mark Oliver, a British born DJ but shakes the music world of Canada. He helped revolutionized the party scene over there.
      No 2: Kaskade because I love all of his music.
      No 3: Vivian Westwood, I’ve been known to wear some unusual outfits to our parties
      No 4: Frankie Knuckles, that would be a constant brain picking session.
      No 5: Boy George. He is so incredibly grounded. I’m always interested in other people’s views and thoughts that make you think about your own ideals, sometimes for a change or just to strengthen your own
      I’m going to have one extra woman’s prerogative lol, No 6: My Grandmother. OK she wasn’t quite famous, she passed away in ’97 but the woman was always dancing, she loved all music. I remember playing NWA, she was in her late 80’s at the time but she was unfazed and still had a bop around with me – I owe a lot of my drive to her.
      Wow can you imagine the after dinner party if we could get them on the decks I’m sure JFK would show some hidden talents 😛
      Finally, what can we expect from you at the Fierce Angel party on Saturday April 12th at Heaven?
      A damn good fun night. The thing is the crowd we have really do know how to have a good time. You always know our crowd whether there are 30 or 300 of them. All involved will give 100%, they all work well together and are truly passionate about what they do. There is never a gig that passes where we don’t manage to impress. Expect the back room to be dirty, undeniably sexy and truly banging. The Island will be THE place to be on that night so we urge everyone to get their tickets now!!!
      FIERCE ANGEL @THE ISLAND
      SATURDAY 12TH APRIL 23:00 – 06:00
      THE ISLAND, HUNGERFORD LANE OFF CRAVEN PASSAGE, LONDON WC2N 5NJ
      FIERCE DISCO by FIERCE ANGEL
      MARK DOYLE MARTIN WRIGHT JUSTIN WILKES (KISS FM) MATT COLLINS SEXY DIRTY HOUSE MUSIC by GUILTY HEAVEN:
      IAN GARNER FRENCHIE KEV HARRIS MARK DICKSON ROB HATTON DJ FERDINAND MR BIFF on PERCUSSION £12 advance tickets are on sale now at www.ticketweb.co.uk or by calling the venue on 020 7930 2020. £15 tickets available on the door on the night.
    • ClubTheWorld
      Summertime Global is proud to invite you to its 1st B’day!! We’ll be celebrating in style on BANK HOLIDAY Thursday 20th March at the New BAR 54 in MILE END – EAST LONDON, the newest and most shining pearl in the London underground clubbing scene.

      We launched 12 months ago a new way of partying in London, Ibiza style, with events made by people who work, play and party in the White Island, and here we are, celebrating Summertime Global 1st B’day with the best underground London-based DJs of the moment and very special guests.
      LUCIANO ESSE – ITALY
      One of the resident DJs last summer for Vitalik at We Love… in Ibiza, he’s also resident at Amnesia in Milan, playing alongside DJs such as Sven Vath and Villalobos to name the latest. Luciano is also renowned for his productions, especially for Safari Electronique, which receive wide support from the most talented names in today’s Techno scene. Luciano is also a friend, we partied together several times in Ibiza, and we’re really excited for him to join us in the celebrations. Enjoy!!!

      Where and when did you get your first taste of house music and who were your early musical heroes?
      I HAVE ALWAYS LISTENED TO EVERY KIND OF MUSIC, FROM SKA TO ROCK, FROM REGGAE TO JAZZ, FROM HOUSE TO TECHNO, FROM JUNGLE TO DRUM'N'BASS... EVERYTHING THAT GIVES ME A NICE VIBE...
      What was your first ever professional gig and what was the last night you played at?
      THE FIRST GIG I PLAYED WAS IN 2001 IN MY HOMETOWN, IN A CRAZY PLACE CALLED "NAUTILUS", IN SOUTH OF ITALY WITH A 1200 PEOPLE CROWD... THE LAST ONE WAS LAST FRIDAY IN MILAN AT AMNESIA, WITH TOBI NEUMANN FROM COCOON.
      What gave you the impetus to finally turn your back on ordinary employment and turn your hand at being a full time DJ and producer?
      I HAVE NEVER BEEN AN ORDINARY EMPLOYEE, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN IN THE CLUB SCENE...
      I am a die-hard vinyl addict, though I appreciate times must change and life will go on with CD's, Ableton etc. What's your take on all of this; will vinyl ever finally die out or do you think there'll always be a place for it in clubland?
      I WILL ALWAYS BUY AND PLAY VYNIL... I REALLY DON'T CARE IF THE REST OF THE WORLD WILL GO FOR OTHER WAYS... AS LONG AS I CAN BUY VYNIL I'LL BE SUPERHAPPY... I PLAY CDS TOO, BUT VYINL COMES FIRST!
      You've got your home-base in London. What do you think of the London scene and the Uk dance scene at the moment?
      THE LONDON CLUB SCENE IS THE REASON WHY I MOVED TO THIS AMAZING CITY FROM ITALY 7 YEARS AGO... I JUST LOVE IT!!!
      You played a lot at Space in Ibiza last year. What was that like and how did that come about?
      SPACE IBIZA HAS BEEN A FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE... I WAS PLAYING FOR THE "VITALIK CREW" ALMOST EVERY SUNDAY MORNING... SPACE IS ONE OF THE BEST CLUB IN THE WORLD, IT'S SO AMAZING PLAYING FOR THAT CROWD!!!
      What other remixes and tracks have you planned to destroy Beatport again?
      NEXT RELEASE WILL BE ME AND MY PARTNER IN PRODUCTIONS TONI D, ON KAILASH RECORDS (SUBLABEL OF SAFARI ELECTRONIQUE). THE EP NAME IS "HAZARD" WITH REMIXES FROM MARC BROOM AND ARNAUD LE TEXIER.
      ALSO IN MAY WE WILL HAVE ONE TRACK OUT ON SPANISH LABEL "ATYPICAL FARM". STAY TUNED!!!
      How do you describe the music you come up with in the studio, does it fit into a particular genre?
      I GUESS WE COULD CALL IT "TECHNOMINIMNALGROOVY"...
      Which has been your favourite remix out of the tracks you've done so far?
      MY FAVOURITE ONE IS WITHOUT DOUBTS "PHONE BROS" OUT ON ATYPICAL FARM IN MAY...
      Do you have any UK residencies that people can catch you at?
      YES... OUR MONTHLY PARTY "MINIMAL HOSPITAL MEETS ZUM" @ UNIT 7, LONDON... NEXT PARTY WILL BE ON THE 12TH OF APRIL, WITH ALEXI DELANO, ALESSIO MEREU AND MORE GUESTS... SO FAR WE HAVE HAD DJS SUCH AS: PACO OSUNA, MARC BROOM, RYAN CROSSON, INXEC, SKOOZBOT, ANDRE CROM, ARNAUD LE TEXIER...
      TO CATCH LUCIANO ESSE GET YOURSELF DOWN TO 54::MILE END ON EASTER THURSDAY 20TH MARCH
      • SHANE WATCHA – SOUTH AFRICA
      Infamously known for his Zombies Ate My Brain parties and after hours. He also plays regularly for Circo Loco, when the crazy circus arrives in London. One of the kings of underground London.
      • SERGE SANTIAGO
      Here he comes once again, the mighty Hackney Warrior, in a Summertime Global event. It was a very successful year for Serge, having been resident for We Love… and mixed their first We Love Ibiza album last summer. Welcome back, neighbour…
      • FILTHY GORGEOUS
      Every Ibiza worker has enjoyed at least once one of our friend Scott Martin’s infamous parties. We are proud to have Filthy Gorgeous host Room 2 with Scott, Enzo Siragusa and Lee Rands; they really incarnate the spirit of Ibiza we want to represent here in London. Well Done!
      • A very warm welcome to our guests UNION DJs, performing with us for the first time.
      • Last but not least our travel companions, friends and loyal residents HOUSEAHOLICS, PROJECT AND MIKE KHOURY

    • mostwantedkat
      The Audiowhores have been riding the waves of DJ and production success since they formed back in 2000. With tracks released on a plethora of labels, including Soulfuric, MN2S, Peppermint Jam and their own Tempogroove imprint, they have their feet planted firmly in the forefront of the UK house scene. Similarly their versatile and technically brilliant DJ sets which incorporate everything from deep and soulful sounds to tougher and chunkier beats, have won the pair thousands of fans worldwide.
      Next Saturday (Fe bruary 16th) they perform live at The Island for the huge launch party for the major new house label, House-Trained. Spinning alongside NYC’s very own DJ Disciple, London firestarter Raymundo Rodriguez, acid house maestro and all-round legend Steve Proctor, the Layabouts and Phil Loraine & Stu Hall, they’ll be a welcome addition to the capital’s party scene that weekend for what promises to be the mother of all house parties.
      We caught up with them to get the lowdown on Manchester’s finest…
      Where would you rather live - Manchester or London? Why?
      Adam - Well we've both lived in Manchester all our life, so I don't think we need to answer that one really!!!

      Sell Manchester's music scene to us - why do you think it's been so influential down the years for dance music and the industry as a whole?
      Adam - Not sure really but I guess the Hacienda played a major part in the introduction of house music to the UK.  I was there a lot during the nineties - I didn't appreciate what I was part of at the time.  I just remember thinking.....fuck me, this is good fun!!
      Three people you'd kill to work with in your lifetime - who, why and what would you dream of doing with them?
      Adam - Sienna Miller, Heidi Klum and Gisele Bundchen.....I'll leave the rest to your imagination!

      What gets you going in the studio?

      Graham - Well certainly a good cup of tea to start with, then comes along some beats, always gotta be the beats for us - they always bring inspiration to the rest of the track.

      What one track would you most love to remix or work on that we wouldn't ever suspect you of being remotely interested in?

      Graham - Hmmm well you'd be surprised really, we both like all sorts of things. There's certainly some wicked producers out there making great pop songs. A lot of the Beyonce kinda stuff we're liking, producers like Neptunes, Dr Dre etc. I could imagine us doing a nice quirky remix on some of the nu rave stuff that's out at the moment too, CSS, LCD Soundsystem etc. I would also love to remix the likes of Jack Johnson and my current favorite Tom Baxter

      You've been together 8 years now - did you ever think you'd last that long? Have you had your ups and downs, trials and tribulations or has it been gloriously smooth sailing?

      Graham - Pretty smooth sailing really. You always get the odd bit of politics in house music, that's something that's pretty hard to keep away from, but its not in either of our characters to blow things out of proportion so we've done pretty well in that respect.

      What were your initial thoughts on meeting each other?

      Adam - Don't remember really.....we were both completely bollocksed at the time!!!

      What are your feelings on the digital revolution that's going on around us at the moment? Have you em braced it or are you desperately trying to bat it off with some 12" vinyl?

      Adam - If you'd have asked us that 5 years ago, we'd probably have given you a really serious answer about being vinyl to the core, but it's old news now - I can't remember the last time we played a 'real' record!!  We're completely down with all things digital - it just makes things so much easier.  The important thing is that people keep buying legal files......and they're so cheap there's no excuse really.
      Where do you normally shop for your tunes?
      Graham - We try to mix things up really, just like in our DJ sets....we shop digitally for mp3s at Traxsource for house and soulful house, Beatport for the proggy bits and Dancetracks Digital for the more diverse and quirky bits.

      How big are your record collections and what are your most prized possessions in them?

      Adam - I've probably got somewhere in the region of about 10,000 12", although I've never sat down and counted!  Difficult to put a finger on the favourite, but the original double pack promo of Soulsearcher - I Can't Get Enough is very precious to me.  It's one of the biggest tracks of all time for us.  That, or my first ever record......Ace Of Spades by Motorhead!!!

      Is there one tune in particular that you've wanted to get your hands on for ages but can't find anywhere?

      Adam - It used to be like that in the days of vinyl, but these days it's pretty easy to track down things digitally.  

      Has there ever been a sample that you wanted to use in a track that kicked ass but you had problems with the licensing thus depriving us of a stunning new Audiowhores tune?

      Adam - Not that we can recall - we haven't sampled anything for a long while, but if we did we'd try and steer clear of the majors.  We did replay an old 80s track recently hoping it was the next Eric Prydz, but by the time we'd finished it, we'd gone off the idea!!!  We may bang it out later this year because it seems to have been pretty well received.
      Graham I know production is a bit more of a passion for you than DJing - what would your dream set-up be?
      Graham - I'm quite pleased with our current setup really, I prefer to have a working enviroment that im confident in, rather than have shit loads of equipment that I know little about. Saying that though I have got my eyes on a Moog Little Phatty and possibily some other analog synths!

      Do you like to work with live instruments when you produce or do you prefer electronic recordings and samplings?

      Graham - Back in the day we used a lot of live instruments, Rhodes, guitar, bass, strings etc. These days we tend to find that we're playing most the stuff in our self, the kind of music we are making is a lot more dance floor orientated but still keeping the soul.

      You're playing at House-Trained at The Island on Fe bruary 16th, alongside DJ Disciple and acid house legend Steve Proctor. It's the label launch for House-Trained, which has big backing from Universal Music. How important do you think it is that we have another house label with significant financial support to invest in artists?

      Adam - It certainly can't be a bad thing!  Most house producers try to be cool and keep things underground.....us included.  But there is nothing more healthy for a producer than a big crossover track and it's rare that happens without the backing of a major.  I'm sure our turn is just around the corner!

      They're looking for new young producers to join their ranks. Have you got any hot tips that the label should follow up? Is there anyone out there that's particularly caught your eyes (or ears) over 2007?

      Adam - There seems to be an awful lot of good stuff coming from Holland these days.....oh, there and Manchester - have you heard of the Audiowhores?!!!

      Talking of production, what have you been up to in the studio recently? Have you got anything juicy that you can tell us or are you saving it up for Miami?

      Graham - We've really found our groove again in the studio of late and we're really pleased with our current sound.  It's a lot edgier than our previous stuff and it should be really playable.  We're just putting the finishing touches on 4 original productions with various artists featured on vocals.  We have also just finished a remix for Danism on MN2S with Kathy Brown on vocals, that should be ready for Miami. We're also half way through a project for Z Records too which is sounding quite hot too.
      Do you think Miami is that crucial to the dance music industry anymore? I know a lot of people that came back last year thought it had lost its business/networking vibe due to the vast hordes of marauding American kids on spring break. What are your thoughts?
      Adam - Whenever we've been to Miami, it's been more about partying than networking but I think it is important to meet your peers and idols and it's great to see everyone in the same place at the same time.  So I hope the whole Miami thing runs and runs forever.......but Ibiza and the ADE never fail to impress so it's got competition!

      Any plans to do Ibiza this year? If yes, where can we catch you?

      Adam - We've both got trips to Ibiza planed this year although we've haven't confirmed any dates as yet.  We're working on it!!

      Finally what kind of set can we expect from you on the 16th? Will you be bringing out some old school flavours? And will you be getting some dance floor action in either side of your set?

      Adam - Oh yeah, you can't count on us to party has hard as anyone.....nothing better than a good old knees up!  As for our set....we try to mix it up as much as possible, but overall we'd describe our sound as 'proper house', be it afro, electro, soulful or progressive....and we don't go anywhere without the odd classic tucked away in the wallet.

      www.house-trained.com
      Advance tickets for just £12 are available now from http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?query=search&INTERFACE=ticketweb&category=misc&region=xxx&search=house+trained&beginmonth=01&beginday=24&beginyear=2008, tickets can be bought on the door for £15.
      There is a huge guestlist for this one – see if you can get on it by mailing theisland@wearebeautiful.co.uk.

    • mostwantedkat
      LISTEN TO AN EXCLUSIVE DJ DISCIPLE MIX STREAMING RIGHT NOW ON WWW.HOUSE-TRAINED.COM!

      Prolific producer, label boss and world-class DJ – it’s no wonder that DJ Disciple is in major demand throughout the four corners of the world. From London to Milan, from Barcelona to New York, from Asia to the Middle East, Africa, South America and beyond, he is one hot to trot mixmaster on a mission to spread his phenomenal love of music.
      Born David Banks, DJ Disciple was around music from an incredibly early age, and we’re not just talking his mother putting on records every Sunday afternoon. With his father playing piano for none other than Miles Davis and his brother bass for George Benson, it goes without saying that a talent for sound was already in his blood. Growing up in Brooklyn, influences fell in from all over the place – latin, hip hop, soul, reggae plus the new dance floor sounds from clubs springing up all around him. His first gig came at an NYC underground party called the Choice and Wild Pitch. He was soon filling in for Tony Humphries at Zanzibar, mixing live to the biggest city in the world on his own radio show New York 91.5 and laying the ground work for his now infamous record label, Catch 22 Recordings. 
      Since those early years he hasn’t looked back. One of the most popular US artists in the UK, he’s always had a passion for our scene and the music we produce. Last year he himself added to our dance floors with two immense smash hits, Changes and Work It Out, which were produced in conjunction with David Tort and DJ Ruff, two artists he is always incredibly keen to push. 2008 will see him team up with new house label House-Trained, news of which will be released this spring. On Saturday February 16th, he lands once again in the capital for the official House-Trained label launch party, this time to demolish The Island with his eclectic, heady mix of house music, mixing beyond boundaries and genres to take clubbers to a place very few others can reach. Believe us, you will be in the presence of a true maestro from the minute he takes to the decks. 
      We caught up with him in his NYC studio to find out what makes the man tick, what we can expect from him on the night and his thoughts on the state of the global dance scene. An incredibly interesting and intelligent man, this makes for one hell of a damn good read…
      How’s 2008 been going for you so far? What have you got in the pipeline?
      2008 has been a great year so far. I am working with some new artists and developing artists that made an impact last year.
      It’s safe to say that you had two of the biggest hits in the UK with Changes and Work It Out, which saw you collaborate on production with David Tort. How did that partnership come together and what’s it like working with him in the studio?
      David Tort is one of the House heroes of the future. It’s his time. His vision of what today’s sound is, is impeccable. His DJ skills are top notch and he is the resident of L’atlantida in Spain. I met him in LA with DJ Ruff, while spinning at Avalon. He was doing a lot of progressive house on various labels. When I added my lyrics to “Work It Out” both David and Ruff wanted to be involved as remixers in the project to get their name out there. I agreed to do a swap remix with them as long as David engineered both records. I really wanted to push Ruff & Tort so I collaborated and produced “Changes” with them but made sure people recognized their name first. When we did the collaboration “Deep Underground”, people just gave me credit and neglected them. With “Changes” I wanted their names first so people would see them embolded.
      Your imprint Catch 22 Recordings is of course legendary with practically all of your releases being picked up by other major international labels – what have you got in store for us for 2008?
      Another David Tort and DJ Ruff collaboration, another collaboration with Angel Defrutos, another project with Dawn Tallman and one or two further artists.
      You’ve got some major artists on the label – Jeremy Sylvester, the Brooklyn Soul Boz and Kubana Cool to mention a few. What do you look for when you sign an artist and what do you want them to bring to Catch 22?
      Catch 22 really revolves around the evolution of where House is going and how it’s expanded. I always challenged myself not to have one sound or style. It reflects in the way I have played over the twenty years in the business. I have always made trendy and traditional styles of music and always put out and played the same way
      You place a lot of emphasis on playing in the UK and our dance market over here. Why do you think the London and British sound and what’s developing in our scenes is so important to overseas markets?
      The music in the UK at the time was driving the house scene around the world. If you were booked in the UK clubs, all the other clubs around the world wanted you.   In the last two years it hasn’t had the same impact. The club scene and the music have lost some of its edge. Producers in the UK are not making as many hits as they used too. Holland and Europe   is now the place where you hear future stars – Fedde Le Grand, Erick E, Axwell, DJ Roog and other producers –putting House music on its back. I remember when UK producers had dance music in the charts all the time. The same cannot be said for right now.
      Is there a big difference between US and UK clubs and their crowds?
      The UK crowds are more cultured in today’s music than in the US. Videos promote dance music in the UK, whereas the dance market in America has completely failed to reach a new and younger generation of music lovers.
      Radio 1 and Pete Tong in particular have always been massive supporters of your work but just a few months ago they shifted their focus slightly off dance music, moving some of their biggest dance shows from the weekend to less prime time Thursday nights. Why do you think this is and do you think it reflects a ‘quietening down’ period for our industry as rock and indie seem to take over?
      I think that’s two fold. One, because not enough older DJs bought any newer ones under their wings. I got into House music in college, learned from an older experienced DJ to help me. A lot of kids want to still be DJs but the dance music industry in the UK and in America became label and brand whores instead of utilizing new DJs to inspire them. There have been less of the newer DJs and artists making an impact in the UK. Fewer producers in the UK making groundbreaking music, and it reflects in where London is now. Pete Tong is still breaking the music, which people like myself look too, but there should be newer jocks carrying just as much as the weight.
      You run the hugely successful Next Level Parties in the US and you’re a bi-weekly resident at Le Souk in NYC which is a massive electro house night. How have the recent changes in the law regarding nightlife entertainment in New York affected the clubbing scene over there?
      Mayor Guliani did most of the damage in his terms as mayor. Under Bloomberg things are a little better but not much. Pacha is the only megaclub we have in New York that most people know of. Lesouk is 4-500 capacity and so is my Next Level Party, which is a soulful and deep house night. There are now more bottle service venues than regular clubs pushing house music in the city. Sullivan Rooms, Cielo, and Apt are some of the clubs people flock to for night life action but there are tons of monthlies like Danny Krivit’s 718 sessions and Ain’t Nothin But A House Party, or parties like Breakfast that push the envelope musically. Not enough but slowly things are changing for the better.
      We hear all the sensational stories about it in the press, like glow sticks are regarded as illegal rave material and no-one can dance in New York – what’s the actual real situation like? Is it as bad as the press sometimes make out?
      Because America is security crazy in the first place we do get some bad press. You can dance at most lounges in the city now under Bloomberg, the Guliani restriction age is done. People finally are realizing that a lot of income is generated based on what happens in the clubs. The city loses money when it doesn’t have much of a night life. Expect a comeback from the New York clubbing culture real soon.
      Speaking of dancing, House-Trained are having their official label launch party at The Island on Saturday February 16th and of course you’re headlining. What can we expect from your set on the night?
      A great mixture of music. I love playing in the UK so I will feel right at home,
      Right, let’s have some random fun
      If you were the last man on earth, who would be your last woman and why?
      Any of my ex- girlfriends can be on that planet and trust me I’d get in trouble if I just picked one.
      Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton and why?
      I’m voting for Barack but Hillary will win. I want to be a part of history and would love to see a black man as president, but not just because he’s black. His ideology is that going to war in Iraq was wrong in the first place. I also think that it doesn’t matter who gets elected, no one will be able to clean up the mess George Bush made.
      You’ve died and gone to Heaven and God asks you, what was your reason for being and did you fulfil it?   What would you say?
      I would say: Doing your will is my reason for being and I haven’t fulfilled everything you wanted me to do. Please forgive me.
      What one thing can’t you live without and why is it so important to you?
      I can’t live without music. It’s important because when you hear it, you know someone made it and he speaks to you through it.
      If you could pick a tune to be your theme tune as you went through the day, something that totally picked you up and got you going, what would it be?
      Peven Everett- “Celebration”
      Tell us three fabulous things about yourself…
      I only want other people in my life to be successful I still take care of my dad, the hero in my life I’m still single and available for a serious relationship with a woman. Well we’re really looking forward to you coming down to play at The Island so we will see you on the dance floor and we’re thoroughly expecting you to kick it!
      HOUSE-TRAINED RECORD LABEL LAUNCH PARTY 
      DJ DISCIPLE ( CATCH 22 RECORDINGS, NYC) AUDIOWHORES ( MN2S) RAYMUNDO RODRIGUEZ ( JADED) STEVE PROCTOR ( SHOOM / BETTER DAYS) THE LAYABOUTS ( ILL FRICTION) PHIL LORAINE & STU HALL ( HOUSE-TRAINED) The Island, Hungerford Lane off Craven Passage, London WC2 5NJ
      Saturday February 16th, 11pm – 6am
      Concessions & advance tickets £12, £15 on the door
      http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?query=search&INTERFACE=ticketweb&category=misc&region=xxx&search=house+trained&beginmonth=01&beginday=24&beginyear=2008

    • mostwantedkat
      Is it my imagination or is there a dog on the dance floor?? No, your eyes do not deceive you, there is indeed a new dog in town and to be fair he’s about to drop some severe shit – of the musical variety party people >;)
      New label House-Trained launches with a stunning party at London’s hottest little club, The Island on Saturday Fe bruary 16th. This summer will see them drop the mother of all remixes of DJ Disciple’s 2007 Miami WMC and Ibiza smash hit ‘Work It Out’. With Disciple flying in from NYC to spin at the party, plus Manchester duo and production whizzkids Audiowhores, Raymundo Rodriguez, Shoom’s Steve Proctor, the Layabouts and Phil Loraine & Stu Hall, it’s categorically going to go off the wall.
      We caught up with the brains and the obvious beauty behind the whole shebang, Phil Loraine. A veteran of the music industry, Phil’s worked for the likes of Mercury Records, Manifesto and Serious Records before taking on the challenge of building his own imprint under the House-Trained moniker. Not only is he getting together with the likes of DJ Disciple but he’s also on the look-out for hot new talent, both DJs and producers, to work with, nurture and break out onto the market.
      To find out more about the man, his label, whether you could be a part of it (including how Hillary Clinton helps Phil get his groove on – mmmhmm!) read on my friend…

      So Phil you’re the brains behind House-Trained. Tell us more about the label and what you intend to do with it.
      To be honest, that question is a potential banana skin for a label that has yet to release a record! I certainly have some ideas about what I would like to happen but I’m experienced enough to know that things will probably end up looking very different to how I had intended in a year’s time. Actions speak louder than words, so I just want to get a few records out and let things develop organically.
      What’s your label philosophy?
      Well the accompanying slogan for the House-Trained club night has always been ‘No shit on the dancefloor’ so we’re going to do our best to carry that philosophy over into the activities of the label. I can’t start banging on about only releasing quality records though, because I will only set myself up for a mauling from the purists! There will always be someone out there who is critical of what you are doing, so the strapline is a bit tongue in cheek really, but it’s a nice ideal for us to strive towards.
      What kind of sounds can we expect to come from the label? What influences do you look to or are you going to do something completely fresh and new?
      It very much depends what kind of tracks become available to us. It would be futile to pigeon-hole the label by saying we’re only going to be loyal to one particular brand of house music because the scene re-invents itself so frequently now that we would almost certainly be left with egg on our faces. We just want to take each release on its own merits and see what develops. That said, it would be nice to have the opportunity to find the next big dance act like Orbital or The Chems and conquer the global festival circuit, but those kind of quality dance artists are few and far between these days.
      The label comes off the back of your earlier parties which started up in 2004. You had some seriously hot DJs playing there – Mylo, Terry Farley, Bill Brewster, Steve Proctor. How do you think your new night at the Island will compare with the original?
      Like most underground club nights, the original parties were only ever intended as an excuse to get all our mates together under one roof and have a spectacular blow out. Not much has changed since then, except that the majority of my mates are now married with children and we need a new set of punters! Joking aside, the Island is a far more polished club than the venues we previously chose, so with the Function One sound system to support the cali bre of the DJs we select, hopefully the nights will smack of quality whilst continuing to be supported by friendly, like-minded people who we can get to know and love.
      You’ve got some seriously big backing for the label from Universal Music. What freedom and flexibility has that given you, or has it?
      I have plenty of flexibility now which is good but it hasn’t always been that way. I started working at Universal seven years ago, initially for Giles Peterson’s label Talkin’ Loud and Def Jam in the early days. There were some management changes around the time that Talkin’ Loud went down and the company I was at (Mercury Records) started to move away from underground music and become more bands focused. Manifesto and Serious Records were also put to the sword during this era. Back then I was gutted about this switch of direction and I have had to wait patiently for a few years for this opportunity to get my ideas heard. Now I am in a different place all together and I am extremely grateful to the people I am working with for granting me the creative freedom to develop House-Trained into something bigger. So far, it has been a fantastic experience and hopefully this is just the beginning.
      Will we be seeing any Girls Aloud vocals on forthcoming House-Trained releases seeing as they’re also with Universal?
      Oh dear… believe it or not, my brother heads up their label so I should be careful how I answer this. The girls were actually in the canteen a few weeks ago so I seized the opportunity to give them all pink ‘House-Trained’ t-shirts. Celebrity endorsement is all good by me but in terms of musical direction, I can only say the words chalk and cheese spring to mind!

      You’re playing at the label launch night on Feb 16th but you eased yourself back into it all at the last ever Friday at The Cross. How was it for you?
      Yeah, I took a much needed break from the party scene and from DJ’ing last year and stopped accepting some of the tiring, soul-destroying gigs I was being offered. After fifteen years of relentless attachment to the club scene I was basically burnt out, so I took a step back and made the time to evaluate where I was trying to get to. So it’s nice to be back behind the decks again after a period of relentless grafting and the excitement and buzz of it all is slowly returning. I was probably sadder to see The Cross go than I was excited about getting to play there, but I am extremely pleased to have had that opportunity to do so. I spent many a lost night in there in my twenties and the fact that I left it so late to get a booking made the experience all the more memorable. It was nice to get my DJ partner Stu on board for that one too, I think he enjoyed it more than I did!
      Times they are definitely a-changing in the world of house, and dance music in general. How are you going to ensure that House-Trained manages to stick out in an increasingly turbulent market?
      I think the secret lies in not trying to make it stick out really. Attraction rather than promotion is the core philosophy to building a successful club brand these days, the younger punters are far more marketing savvy than we give them credit for, particularly in London where there is so much noise to compete against. Hopefully our events will continue to attract more of the down-to-earth, fun-loving people that the early parties did and word of mouth will do the rest.
      What is your personal experience in the music industry?
      I have had mixed feelings about the industry as a whole over the years and the broad spectrum of strong-minded characters I have come across along the way, but looking back I wouldn’t change a thing about the path I have taken. My experience is that you need to develop a thick skin, which took a while for me, but only then do you become more accepting of the trickier people you encounter. In the end everyone has their foibles, me included and you learn to take something new from every experience. It’s going to sound very clichéd but passion and perseverance are essential requirements too. At eighteen, I was working in a meat factory in Liverpool and pumping my disposable income into buying records. I’m 32 now but I still feel that I have a hell of a long way to go to get to where I want to go. One year I had interviews at Azuli, Defected, Hed Kandi and EMI and got rejected from them all. Sometimes it felt like all the doors had closed on me but on reflection I am definitely happy that it happened that way, despite my obvious disappointment at the time.
      Being the boss of your own record label, you must have to keep up to speed with all the changing formats of distribution and just generally getting your message out there to the buying public. What new areas have emerged in the last year or so that you want to tap into at the moment?
      As much as I hate to say it, the whole Facebook phenomenon is a God send and seems to have moved club promotion into a whole new stratosphere - it’s an incredibly user-friendly tool for getting your message out to the right people.   I lived in Stoke-on-Trent for a few years and when I look back at the times I stood out on the street talking up my nights and handing out tapes and flyers in the pissing rain… it makes me sick to think how much easier it all is now! As for music distribution, I sometimes focus on the negative effects of the digital revolution a little too much, but there’s no denying the positive aspects are there for all to see, so we just have to embrace the change.

      Do you think the whole digital era has been good or bad for music on the whole?
      As I said, there are two sides to this argument and both have some very valid points. So far, many smaller companies have been unable to adapt to the new model to make it work for them and the period of change has caused so much turbulence for these people. It’s sad to see that side of things but there’s no denying the obvious advantages of being able to send and receive tracks in literally minutes and shop for tunes on-line etc. I still marvel at this side of things on a daily basis, though it has taken a while for me to adapt. I still like to use vinyl when I DJ but every time I play a broad, I have the ridiculousness of this stubborn resistance hammered home to me when humping my box through customs and around a foreign country!
      In the last few months, three of the major distribution networks including Amato have gone under. How do you go about distributing your sound now?
      It’s extremely sad to see how the distributors have been affected and the knock-on effect this is having on the shops and the labels that rely on them. There are still plenty of alternative ways to get your music distributed though, obviously digital being one of them, there are just fewer options now which can only be bad for everyone involved with making new music.
      Speaking of your sound, it’s a pretty damn fierce release that you’re launching with the 2008 mixes of DJ Disciple’s massive stormer ‘Work It Out’. How did your relationship with him come about?
      I’ve actually had very little interaction with Disciple so far, though that’s all about to change in the run up to the launch of the single and the club night. We signed the track from Alex Gold of Xtravaganza fame so the whole connection was initiated through him primarily.
      What are the new mixes like and how do they differ from the original?
      The original was actually a soulful house style mix by Gilbert Le Funk that blew up in Miami first time round. UK radio supported this version too at the time but it was really the Ruff & Tort mix which did the damage in Ibiza and in the UK clubs. I had heard it on pirate radio a few times, but when I saw the incredible reaction to it on Space Terrace one Saturday afternoon last summer, I knew it would be perfect for House-Trained and I had to try and locate it and sign it. The new Mischa Daniels mix is a huge electro-style re-work and there a number of other mixes in the pipeline that also do the damage whilst staying true to the original. It’s a fantastic record still and it deserves to go all the way.
      Any plans to work with him further?
      We are working on a track by track basis but ‘Changes’ was another huge anthem of last year and no doubt there will be more tracks in the pipeline from the Catch 22 stable in 2008. Disciple and Ruff and Tort are incredibly talented producers and I’m excited about their productions. For the moment, we’re just looking forward to having Disciple over for the launch party and witnessing him play for us in such an intimate environment. Usually I get nervous before any event I promote but with so many other great DJs on the night, I’m looking forward to this one enormously already!
      Who else have you got in the studio at the moment?
      We have about five releases lined up for the months ahead but no artists signed to the label exclusively or for album projects as yet. The main thing at the moment is for us to increase awareness and create a positive image, so hopefully we attract the right artists and the producers of the future to the label.
      You’re on the look-out for new talent, artists and producers. What are you looking for and how can we get in touch with you?
      We are actively on the look-out for new DJs, artists, tracks and talent. You can send us demo CDs via the address on our website ( www.house-trained.com ) but we are only a small outfit at present so we cannot guarantee everyone a response, though we do promise to listen to everything we are sent. Please only send material you think will befit the ‘House-Trained’ label though – we are not acting as A&R for any other labels within the Universal Group so please think before just sending us anything!!!

      What resources and commitment can you offer them? What makes you different from the rest and why should they put their work and talent in your hands?
      Ha ha... we are not making any promises to anyone other than the one I made in the last question to make an honest commitment to listen to everything we are sent. If you’ve ever seen the size of an A&R man’s mail bag, you will appreciate that is a tall order in itself!
      In a perfect world, where would House-Trained be in five years time?
      Obviously an Ibiza residency would be a dream come true for me, or alternatively a return to my beloved northern roots to become the next superclub brand to conquer Liverpool… move over James Barton! Ha ha… Failing that, I’d be grateful if I still have my health, my happiness and my hand in a scene that has so far had a detrimental effect on the former but an immeasurably heartening effect on the latter.
      Describe yourself:
      Humble, hostile, loving, respectful, honest, hard-working and unstable. A well-mannered acid casualty for short.
      Perfect DJ and why?
      All back to ours for a 24 hour after party and find out for yourself!
      What do you think will be in heaven and hell?
      Me and my dream partner in heaven; hell for the vast majority of my exes.
      What are your thoughts on Hillary Clinton?
      Hillary Clinton is someone I only ever think about when I’m in the throes of passion and want to enhance the experience. I’m not going to describe those thoughts for you I’m afraid.
      Gym freak or couch potato?
      Both. One month on, one month off each the whole year round usually to ensure I never get particularly fond of either.

      Best party you’ve ever been to and why?
      I think it would have to be my first taste of Ibiza. We hired this enormous villa for dirt cheap and invited a boat load of randoms back one night for a totally unplanned party. There were people I didn’t know in every room but nothing got taken or broken, everyone just respected the situation for what it was. I just remember standing on this gigantic roof terrace at lunchtime the next day in the blazing sun, party still on-going and seeing all these strangers dotted around the pool and just laughing inwardly. I didn’t have a care in the world and naturally I fell in love with the island after that. The tunes that year were phenomenal too; it was the perfect Ibiza experience.
      If you could do one thing to yourself, what would it be and why?
      Halt the ageing process permanently. Not because I’m vain but because I’m bald enough already!
      Good looking girls or funny girls?
      Good looking, funny, intelligent girls who aren’t mental. Introduce me to one, let me sleep with her and then I’ll show you you were wrong.
      Finally, tell us about your Dad on Bora Bora beach J
      It was my Dad’s 71st birthday on Friday and I’ve just spent the weekend with him; the guy’s a living legend and I idolise him. It just so happened he was in Ibiza with his mates last year when I went over, so I met up with him at Bora Bora and made him get amongst it. He’s got a metal knee these days but he’s still active and he’s completely young at heart. I got some great footage and pictures of him dancing and being talked into oblivion by all kinds of nutters, but I felt terrible when I played them back to him on UK soil. He said he had actually been ill with food poisoning that day but tolerated the whole thing almost entirely for my benefit. Fair play to him though, he was spinning stories to my mates all afternoon and he put that twat who dresses like Spiderman to shame! It was priceless looking back on it, though probably not something I will ever do again…

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