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  • Interviews

    • Phil B
      During the Build up to the Hard House Academy at the Brixton Academy, ClubTheWorld caught up with one of Londons HardHouse DJ's Justin Bourne

      Our very own Phil.B asked Justin the following questions ...

      Hi Justin, how are things going at the moment? 

      Hi, things are great thanks. I'm keeping busy with my DJing, studio work and running Short Circuit Recordings. The new website will be up soon so I've been busy sorting things out for that as well. 

      Your label Short Circuit is going from strength to strength, can you tell us a bit about it? What made you set the label up? What can we expect from it in the future? 

      I started Short Cicuit Records mainly as an outlet for my own material. I was producing alot of new tracks and having to send around cd-r's and chase up people for money etc all day long so I decided to start my own label and have full control, but it's still the same, I'm sending out cd-r's and chasing up people all day...Ha Ha. After a short period of time I began to sign other artists and things have just progressed from there really. I've been really pleased with the reaction on the past releases and I think the future material is just as strong if not better. The next three releases include these arists as original tracks or remixers - Nick Sentience, OD404, Tara Reynolds, Alex Calver, Casper and Testube Babies. I'll be back for release 16 with a brand new original track. 

      When did you start DJing / producing and what got you into the Hard Dance scene? 

      I started DJing when I was 15 at School, I used to play the early rave stuff ( at a youth hall ) which progressed into Hardcore ( Not Happy Hardcore) That was thirteen years ago. I then used to have a couple of residencies on the south coast playing House in the middle nineties that progressed into the tougher house sound of the Sharp Boys, Malcolm Duffy etc. I then discovered Pete Wardman and I used to hear him play out all over the country, he was my inspiration to play what is now known as Hard House ( It was Hardbag around that time). Since 1996 I have been playing the Hard House sound. I left my day job nearly five years ago and that's when I had the chance to really persue my career and start work on the production. The rest is history as they say. 

      Describe your style and how has it developed over the years? 

      Hard and Energetic. I've gone through different styles of music from Early Rave, Hardcore, House and then onto Hard House. 

      Which DJs / producers do you admire and who, if any, inspire you in your work? 

      Pete Wardman and Steve Thomas for the DJing and Dom Sweeten and Mik Cree for the production 

      With many productions of your own and remixes under your belt, what to you is your finest piece of work? 

      I still really like Time Is Up on Kaktai. It was made back in 1999. That's my overall favourite and I've produced over 60 tracks now.

      Tell us a little about your studio and the equipment you use. 

      I do all my work at other studios, although I do have a set up at home but I don't use it. At the studio I use Logic, loads of internal stuff like Pro 53, Vangaurd, Junglist etc, there's some many good programs around it has really changed hings for me. The hardware is kind of gathering dust at the moment. 

      Have you any advice to give to aspiring producers ? 

      Try and do something a little different to get noticed. This scene can be very disheartening but you have to keep your chin up. I beleive that hard work will pay off in the end. I get sent a lot of cd's each week and there is a lot of amazing talent out there. 

      With having DJed here in the UK and internationally, which has been your favourite club / country / promotion to work for and why? 

      I couldn't just mention one particular event/promotion as I've enjoyed 99% of my gigs and for all different reasons. We have some wicked clubs over here though Camden Palace (London), The Works ( Birmingham) Turnmills (London), Matrix ( Reading), Brixton Academy ( London) etc. The international work is cool as I'd probably never get to see these countries in my life. I've just recently returned from Australia and that was excellent. I'm looking forward to my return later in the year. I'm also off to New Zealand next week. 

      Please tell us your best and worst moments in your career to date 

      My best moments include having one of my first tracks played as Big Beat Of The Week on Kiss FM by Pete Wardman around five years ago, I've had loads of awesome gigs over the years that I'd class as my best moments, travelling to the other side of the world. I can't really think of a worst, it'd only be something like a poor sound system that I had to play on or along those lines. I havn't got much to complain about. I consider myself to be very fortunate.

      What does a typical week involve for you? 

      Loads of e-mails, phone calls, sorting out bookings, running Short Circuit recordings. Quite a few days a month I'll be away working in the studio on tracks. I take and pick up my daughter from school each day so no late mornings after the weekend i'm afraid. 

      What can we expect from you over the coming months? 

      I have quite a bit of international gigs over the next few months, I'm playing in Australia, New Zealand, U.S.A and I'm in the middle of confirming dates for Japan again. I have some wicked gigs over here to look forward to including Frantic, Goodgreef, Heat, Feeling Of Life, Bedlam, Vicious Circle and Short Circuit parties. Loads of remix work to do and I'll hopefully get to do some more original tracks aswell. 

      What is your current top 5 that is rocking the dance floors at the moment?

      1. The Captain & Karim - Get On It - ?
      2. Testube Babies - Jungle Style (OD404 Remix) Short Circuit
      3. Aftermath - Underworld (Justin Bourne & Dynamic Intervention Remix) Toolbox
      4. Defective Audio - Execution - Nukleuz
      5. Mark Gray - So Powerful ( Tara Reynolds Remix) Short Circuit

      ClubTheWorld would like to thank Justin Bourne for his time and would like to wish him the best of luck for the future and for The Hard House Academy at Brixton Academy on 29th May 2004 
    • Tony P
      During the Build up to the Hard House Academy at the Brixton Academy, ClubTheWorld caught up with one of Londons Hardest female DJ's.

      We asked Lucy Fur the following questions:

      CTW - How long have you been mixing for and could you describe to us a brief history of how you got to where you are in your DJ career?

      LUCY - I started buy records around july 2000, and my decks shortly followed. I then got addicted to mixing and continued to practise for a year. I played my first gig in a pub in Hertfordshire to about 20 people and loved it!!! I then went on to get my first residency at Exessential in Lydd where funnily enough I experienced my first all-nighter experience at the age of 16!!!! After a year of getting the odd local booking I decided to take on London as I felt ready for the challenge, and a lot of hard graft later here I am!!

      CTW - If you could play back 2 back with any DJ who would it be?

      LUCY - That's such a hard question! I am quite selective with who I play with, I think you have to be due to music styles. If you would have asked me a few weeks ago it would have been Mark Leish but that's been done now and what fun we had! So on that note, it would be someone like Ben Stevens, A Star or Caroline Banx! I get on so well with all three and that's really important whilst doing b2b because you need to have a giggle about it.

      CTW - I saw you play for Lashed at the SEOne club in the "All Girls Room", for me this was the best set of the night. You also played other events that weekend. Would this be a typical example of a weekend in your diary? and are there any big dates you have that we should know about?

      LUCY - Thank you!!! I really enjoyed myself and feel my true style was exposed that night. Yeah, that weekend was rather hectic and the winter months have been like that. The summer is always quieter but there are still events I am looking forward to over the next few months. The 29th May is Hard House Academy at Brixton Academy which is a firm favourite. I've been going to this event for a long time and to get to play there now is amazing!!! The line-up for this one is fantastic too!! Also that weekend, I start my new residency at Wired in Brixton the morning of the 30th, so I will keep you posted on that. There is a Frantic event being held at the end of June which is also exciting but you will have to listen out for more details of that one too! And I am very excited to be asked back to Wildchild which is held over the august bank holiday later this year! My next ultimate goal is the Tidy Weekender, so im going to start working on that soon!

      CTW - You played the main room at the last ever Frantic event at Camden Palace, what did this mean to you?

      LUCY - To play for such an event is something I only used to dream about .I really thought it wasn't going to happen for me main room camden-especially when I heard it was closing. My first london clubbing experience and the ultimate aim, and then Frantic asked me to do it! I felt sick every time I thought about it. I was talking to Tara (Reynolds) the week before and she was really making me hyper about it! Mark actually filmed 25 minutes of my set at Camden for all my friends who couldn't make it-and it has been seen by my mum, dad, brother and sister! When I watched it back the next day I had tears in my eyes-says it all really!

      CTW - You are known for playing the some of the hardest music we know in this scene. are there any other genres you play?

      LUCY - The nice thing is i've always played this way and haven't changed that for any club or promotion. I do really like vocal funky house, house, techno and funky techno too. I played my first techno set the other week, and must say it felt a bit strange! If my budget would stretch, id love to play more styles for one off exclusive gigs, but, well I love the filth I really do!

      CTW - Talking about other genres, your partner plays techno. As you are aware the hard dance scene is heavily influenced by techno at present. Is this a thing so you can swap ideas and borrow his records etc?

      LUCY - Ha ha!! I borrow all Marks records!!! My favourite producers are Mark EG, Lars Klein and DAVE the drummer, labels Blackout Audio, Hydraulix and X-series. I am aware of the techno influences in hard dance but I don't really like this cross over stuff. It should be Techno or Hard house for me!! I would never play techno in a hard house set, I feel like that would just be following the trends. Within my style I try to keep an original hard house sound with up to date samples

      CTW - The hard dance scene appears to be getting harder and harder over recent months. This must be great for you, but where do you feel the direction of the music will go once it has reached where it appears to be heading? Can you see other genres influencing the scene like techno has at present, which may change the music direction?

      LUCY - It's great that clubbers and promotions are wanting it harder now, gives us harder djs a chance to shine! Its difficult to predict where the music is going due to all the influences, music will take its own route. The harder stuff has always been around just that recently its getting exposed more in the main rooms as opposed to just being an underground or backroom sound. The direction the music will take will be down to the producers that are making it. Hopefully they can find a new sound that will appeal to the harder generation.

      CTW - I've noticed on a few websites you have quiet a fan base building. To me this seems great, can you describe to us how this makes you feel?

      LUCY - I feel overwhelmed when I login to websites and see there are threads about my performance the night before! I think its great that people want to come over and say hi when im out. Im very approachable but still a bit shy-you will never get a good photo of me! I remember what it was like as a young clubber, fully respecting the DJ because of the way they made you feel whilst they were playing. A big part of DJing for me, is making people feel like that, so yeah its fantastic to know its happening.

      CTW - With the Hard House Academy just around the corner, what can we expect from you at this event?

      LUCY - Well I am very excited about this as I have a lot of new material to play. I have just started cd mixing too and I have many beasts ready to unleash. I like to play upfront unheard material to keep the crowd engaged, nothing worse than hearing the same tune 5 times in a night-no matter how good the track!

      CTW - Knowing you personally I can say that you are a very down to earth individual and have a great attitude. You always have time to speak to people, which i feel is a great asset. However there are some DJ's who don't appear to have this attitude. What are your thoughts on this?

      LUCY - Mmm well all I can say is that we are all human. There have been many Djs that I have met who haven't even attempted to engage conversation or a friendly 'hi'. We all have to be in this industry together so there is no point in having your head up your own arse. And what many Djs have to realise, its the clubbers that put people where they are- I will always have time for people. If I seem busy, that's cos I am but still come over and say hi!!!

      CTW - Which DJ's and producers have given you inspirations?

      LUCY - In the beginning it was the original Tidy girls. Lashes, Pin-up I loved them all. Lisa was fantastic in 2000/2001 she definately made me want to start djing. Undoubtably Paul Glazby. He bought my record collection to life, the birth of VC!!! But before VC was even around, I had many of Paul's tracks that he had remixed on old 12 Inch Thumpers and white labels. Followed by Tara Reynolds. The nicest DJ you will ever meet and boy what a talent she has. She's really built herself up to Tidy girl Tara!!! She so deserves it!

      CTW - Quick fire round:
      Favourite all time tune? There are too many to mention, I really cant answer that sorry! Which mixer? Pioneer or Allen and Heath? Pioneer!! Vinyl or CD? Vinyl baby yeah! Prefer to play small or big venue? Not about the venue mate, all about the crowd!
      CTW - Finally we hold great faith that your future is going to be very bright. What plans do you have for your future?

      LUCY - Future plans definitely involve production, can you imagine the Fur on vinyl ouch! To play at Tidy as I mentioned before. And to get as many bookings as poss For a demo, please email djlucyfur@hotmail.com

      ClubTheWorld would like to thank Lucy Fur for her time and would like to wish her the best of luck for the future and for The Hard House Academy at Brixton Academy on 29th May 2004
    • LiamStyles
      During the Build up to Lashed at the SEOne Club, ClubTheWorld caught up with Tara Reynolds to find out about her views on female DJ's and her plans for the rest of the year.  We asked Tara Reynolds the following questions ...

      What do you personally think of the whole "girls vs boys" thing? is it just a bit of banter, or do you think some people are still stuck in the stoneage?

      I think it's an out-of-date attitude. Back when female DJs were a novelty (not that long ago I might add) I can understand why people did the whole girls vs. boys thing, but with the wave of female DJs making their mark and new talent coming through, the number of male and female DJs is starting to balance out which takes away the novelty aspect of female DJs. We'll know when female DJs aren't a novelty any more when a promoter does a line-up consisting only of female DJs but doesn't give it a special mention on their flyer. I think its quite harmless though and no doubt will continue on many a flyer...

      What are you looking forward to most at the Lashed event coming up at the SEOne club? 

      Being a part of such a huge-name event, plus SE1 is a great venue and also the chance to catch up with my London friends and clubbers too.

      There is a very strong presence of female DJ's on the hard dance scene, not so much in other genres. Why do you think this is? 

      I really don't know why females DJs don't have a strong presence in other genres as I don't know enough about those scenes. If they're anything like the hard dance scene though, its probably only a matter of time.

      Following on from that, it seems as though you are all quite close within that group. is that an accurate assumption? 

      Yeah I'd say so. All the girls that I know who are breaking through really support each other and the established girls like Anne and Lisa are always really supportive and encouraging too.

      If we had to name all of you with spice girl like dj names, what would yours be? 

      Hard spice!

      What is your biggest fear? 

      Being trapped in a burning room. I have nightmares about it.

      Can you give us an insight into what the rest of 2004 has instore for you? 

      Lots of production. I have done three remixes already this year with another coming up, plus I am in the studio this week to do another track for Tidy as a follow-up to Mercy. On the DJing side, with Tidy behind me and supporting me so much, I have lots of great events/gigs in the diary, such as the Tidy Weekenders, Creamfields, Slinky, etc which is really exciting.

      Do you have any musical influences that may suprise us? 

      My love of music is firmly rooted in the hard stuff, which is probably no surprise at all is it! I still listen to Led Zeppelin, Guns 'n' Roses, etc and lately I've been listening to all sorts of music to try to get original ideas for the studio. I love The Beatles - that may be a surprise to you!

      At the tidy weekender just past you played in the "all girl" room. For me that room was a huge success. How did it feel to be apart of that? 

      It was fantastic and a great honour to be a part of it. The girls were all amazing. I really felt like I was a part of something very special.

      On a good night out, djing or clubbing, what is you vice? 

      Vodka!

      Do you consider image to be an important factor of being DJ? If so describe your image?

      It is, unfortunately. I say unfortunately because, as a female DJ, our ability as a DJ is often overshadowed by how fit people (boys!) think we are. I never wanted to be judged on the way I look but once you reach a certain level people do that. I know I'm no supermodel but I just do the best I can with what I've got but hope that people remember me for my music and technical ability rather than the way I look.

      The other side of image is how you're perceived by the clubbers, i.e. down-to-earth or diva-ish and this is the important part to get right. I'd like to think that people see me as being down-to-earth, approachable and friendly as these qualities are very important to me. I've always been this way and I'm not going to change just because I'm now a DJ.

      As for how I'd describe my image, I think I'm seen as a friendly, approachable person and someone who takes great pride in my DJ'ing and my appearance.

      Your DJ'ing career is going from strength to strength, but do you have any further goals for the near future? 

      As mentioned above, to do as much production as I can fit in. Since Mercy was released I have had a lot of remix offers which is really flattering. The response I've had off the back of one track still amazes me.

      A big techno influence has played a key part in the hard dance scene lately. Would you agree with that? 

      Absolutely. I think its a really positive thing as there's only so much you can do with hard house basslines and percussion. The fusion of different styles will help to create a whole new sound and I think that's always a good thing. I've always loved techno perscussion - its really interesting and great percussion can drive a whole track.

      Lastly, tell us something about yourself not related to DJing that we would find interesting? 

      I have just passed my first belt in Kickboxing. I am now an orange belt and am very committed to becoming a black belt, which will be in about three years time.

      ClubTheWorld would like to thank Tara Reynolds for her time and would like to wish her the best of luck for the future and for Lashed at SEOne Club on 2nd May
    • Tony P

      Interview with Guffy

      By Tony P, in Interviews,

      During the Build up to the mother of all Hard Dance events, Clubtheworld caught up with Nukleuz/Frantic resident DJ Guffy to ask him about Living in London, the hard dance scene and nerves.

      We asked Guffy the following questions:

      CTW - You were chosen as one of Mixmags future heroes and they have predicted that you are set to become hard dance's answer to Pete Tong. Quiet a complement (congratulations), how does this make you feel?

      GUFFY - Hehe, I had a giggle when I read that. The whole Mixmag Future Hero's thing has been amazing to be honest. Despite what people opinions are about the magazine it's still the biggest there is the scene, so to have their backing is fairytale stuff. For the years previous they have done this for Fergie and Eddie so to be single-out under the same banner means loads. As for the Pete Tong thing, I think this is down to the fact that I have my fingers in many pies.. I talk too much as well!

      CTW - What are your plans for this year? Anything we should look out for?

      GUFFY - It's going to be a manic year. I've got a really busy diary here in the UK plus international gigs in Finland, Australia and New Zealand coming up too. I've also finally got in the studio after much ear bending as well. First track has just been finished with Ingo and I've been playing it out for a couple of weeks, it sounds huge! Lots more production lined up this year too as well as some other ventures in the pipeline.. fingers in pies all that jazz.

      CTW - You've recently moved to London, how are you finding living here and what do you miss about where you have moved from?

      GUFFY - I miss the ability to park without getting a ticket. It's a mission trying to get somewhere outside a gig down here! Other than that it's all good. The buzz down here coupled with the fact that everything is open when you want makes it a wicked place to live. I do miss my friends from up North though as I've lived up there all my life. I moved down here on my own so I only had the Nukleuz and Frantic gang to show me the ropes.. enough said, hehehe.

      CTW - How would you compare London's hard dance clubbing scene to any other in the UK?

      GUFFY - The Hard Dance scene down here seems to be riding the so called dance music lull with relative ease so it's a testament to the quality of events being put on as well as the huge market that London has to choose from punter wise. With many antipodeans in London hard dance events pull in people from all corners. There is nothing like listening to some crazy Italians asking for tracks followed by some Russians going nuts with a load of Aussies and Kiwi's boshing away too. Where else do you get that!

      CTW - Are you looking forward to playing in the main room for Lashed at the SEOne Club? And is this the first time you will have played in this room at SEOne Club?

      GUFFY - Yeah, really looking forward to this one. Lisa's managed to launch a successful night when many others have failed in the last 6 months. I played for Polysexual vs Lashed the other month, which was crazy, there's no holding back with the BPM at Lisa's gigs. As for playing SEOne, well I played there last month for WildChild vs Frantic but I couldn't tell you if it's the same room as the one I'm in for this. It's like a maze in there when all the rooms are open! Should be a top night though even if it involves getting lost at some point!

      CTW - How long have you been mixing for and how did you get into it? Also do you still practice (if so how often) or is it something that just comes naturally to you now?

      GUFFY - Been mixing for over 7 years now but didn't get out of the bedroom until about 4 years ago as I wanted to make sure I was totally clued up and knew as much as possible. I originally got the decks with a credit card that I maxed out 1997. I used to listen to early Ministry albums and always thought to myself, Why did they put that shit track there and there - so I bought all the tracks on that album (minus the shit ones) practiced for ages and made my own version! That's how I got started in my bedroom

      CTW - Would you consider becoming a resident at Frantic to being one of the major stepping-stones in your DJ'ing career so far? And how did this come about?

      GUFFY - Yeah of course. The cornerstone of any DJ getting established is a solid residency that you love. Look at Matt Hardwick, Eddie Halliwell, Fergie etc  they all started off with a good residency. I'm one of the lucky ones that managed to get a massive residency like Frantic. How did it come about? The potted version is..

      In August 2002, Salvador from 4clubbers.net called me to ask I fancied playing in the Frantic/Nukleuz tent at Creamfields! He told me that he'd spoken to Will Paterson ( Frantic promoter ) about me playing and Will had agreed after hearing bits and bobs about me up North. So I then found myself doing the first two hours in the Frantic/Nukleuz tent playing 2 - 4pm. There was nobody in the tent for the first 40 minutes due to problems letting people in however, around 2.45pm people came pouring into the tent and I mean pouring in. By 3.15pm it was going off, it was very surreal as I was there as a punter 12 months earlier!

      After that I got invited down to London to play at Frantic in the upstairs room and then I was lucky enough to be asked to play in the foyer at Hard House Academy (I think Will was making sure Creamfields wasn't a fluke!). I was then asked to play the main room warm up at the next event which was a risk for Will as I played very differently to everyone else. After warming up for 6 months or so I got offered the residency which was amazing - you have to find your niche and then integrate that with the sound that's already there. I'm just glad that Will took a risk on me and stuck his neck out.

      CTW - Are there any events you would love to play at? And are there any you would rather forget about and wouldn't go back to?

      GUFFY - I've done loads of shitty gigs, it's all part and parcel of it. I remember playing to three or four people one week then 600 the next when I first started. I've been to gigs where you come and your cars not there. I've done gigs where your records have been nicked. One time I played this awful gig in Sheffield where I couldn't wait to get home as the equipment was wrecked and someone fell on top of the decks. I finished, raced to my car and got on the motorway when there was this hissing. I shat myself as there was a shitty old cat going bonkers in my car. Had no idea how it got in there but I pulled over and spent 5 mins trying to get it out of the car! It scratched my arm to bits so I left it in the hard shoulder! That was nuts - they make funny stories though. As for events I haven't played at I think I'd like to play over at HQ because I've been promised loads of parties by friends over there!

      CTW - Do you get nervous before playing?

      GUFFY - Yup, every time. I disappear to the loo about 3 times in the 20 mins before I play. Nerves are good though. It's when you stop getting them you should worry.

      CTW - Do you have any plans for the production side of the industry?

      GUFFY - Yup, as mentioned earlier first track with Ingo is done. It's a massive track and went down well at the Tidy Weekender last week. Loads more in the pipeline too!

      CTW - Where do you see yourself and the hard dance scene in 10 years time?

      GUFFY - God, I couldn't even tell you where I'll be next week! I'm sure Lisa from Nukleuz will be having words with me for saying that hehehe. As for the Hard Dance scene, who knows. One minute it's techy, the next it's rock hard, that's the beauty of it.

      CTW - And finally you know Lisa my girlfriend, she has asked me to ask, "When are you going to grow a bum?" ha ha ;o)

      GUFFY - She always says that! I'm built for speed, not comfort!

      ClubTheWorld would like to thank Guffy for his time and would like to wish him the best of luck for the future and for Lashed at SEOne Club on 2nd May
    • Tony P

      Interview with Shan

      By Tony P, in Interviews,

      With one of the most talked about events of the year just around the corner (Frantic/Wildchild), we at Clubtheworld with help from our friends at Frantic have taken the oppotunity to interview one of the hottest new DJ's on the Hard Dance scene. This Dj is resident at Mixmags club of the year 2002 "Goodgreef" and is set to blow Frantic/Wildchild apart.

      We asked DJ Shan the following questions:

      CTW - Your a Mixmag Future Hero as well as Resident at GoodGreef (Mixmag Hard Dance Club of the Year). When you started out did you think you would ever imagine this would be the case?

      SHAN - Not at all, when I started out I wasn't even old enough to get into clubs, so I was too busy imagining what it'd be like to actually be in a club, never mind play in one or get this far!

      CTW - How did your Goodgreef Residency come about?

      SHAN - I got involved with Goodgreef when they started their monthlies in Yorkshire back in 2002. I'd made my name playing the smaller nights around Leeds and such, and with reassurance from strong recommendations from the guys at 4clubbers and a good friend of mine, DJ GRH, all of who had been working alongside Goodgreef at the time, they brought me into the setup to keep the local crowds happy. They were really pleased with the response, and saw potential that I could fit really well into the Goodgreef setup as a resident. It's not really commonplace for Goodgreef to take on new residents as they've all progressed together from the start, so as you can imagine I was overjoyed to be working with a club that were massively on the up.

      CTW - You've played virtually all the big Hard Dance clubs in the UK. With Frantic & Wildchild coming up this weekend how does playing for them differ from any other UK based event?

      SHAN - For me, they're the two biggest hard dance clubs to be playing for in London. In a city the size of London, there's the capacity to put on a club event much bigger than any other city can. From playing for Frantic numerous times before and Wildchild twice last year, I know that neither do anything by halves when it comes to events of this scale. The effort shows in the production, and the line-ups are like football squad teamsheets!

      CTW - You use 3 decks and an FX unit when mixing. Did it take you a while to master these and is it still a bit nerve racking using them all live?

      SHAN - When I have 3 decks in front of me, I'll always try and get as much out of them as I can whilst not breaking the music up too much. I don't use an FX unit as such, just the effects on the DJM600 if there's one set up, though I wouldn't really call that a unit as such like EFX500 would be. It's actually a Cycloops sampler that I sometimes hook in if it's going to work well with the set I've got in mind. It triggers loops live, which is great if you want to layer tracks up and really make something else with tracks you're playing. It's nerve racking if you're mostly doing things off the hook and in the heat of the moment as you're never 100% if it's going to pull off! But if you've kinda got it worked out in your head beforehand, you kinda know how it's going to go down. I've far from mastered it, I think with things like this you're constantly learning and creating new ideas. I've tested it out a few times, at Frantic, Garlands, Goodgreef and such, and it's worked really well, so I'm more confident to use it out more now.

      CTW - What has been your biggest and most memorable event to date and why?

      SHAN - The biggest is probably last year's Creamfields, playing to a crowd of that size is just something else. The most memorable is my debut in the main room of the Tidy Weekender last year, partly because you look out and every other person you see in the crowd is someone you know, having all your best mates experience the whole thing with you is just immense. But also I was really ill at the time and had been in bed all day unable to move, suffering the effects of a dodgy chips, chicken and curry sauce from a chippy after Naughty But Nice the night before! Tidy sent me to the medic who said I should take the night off as I was due for a 200 mile dash to do last set at Frantic as well. Obviously I point blank refused. You can't come between a man and his decks.

      CTW - And whats been your smallest event to date?

      SHAN - Anyone who experienced one of the legendary 'House of Wrong' houseparties in Leeds back in the day will know what I mean! Three days, one student house, three floors, about 100 people crammed in, people hanging out of windows, music blaring out, haha...

      CTW - Your style is much more complex than most other Hard Dance DJs with Accapellas and remix's galore. Where did you draw your influences from?

      SHAN - When I first got into at 16, I didn't know anyone else who had decks who I could learn off, so got DJ tuition from a hip-hop DJ. Apart from basic mixing, he attempted to teach me scratching, beat-juggling, allsorts, none of which I managed to pick up or came in handy, except for the accapellas which he used to get me to put over instrumental house tracks. I also used to listen to Carl Cox's sets where he'd be layering tracks up, playing an accapella over the top and such, so drew a lot of inspiration from him too. Then when I started playing harder music a few years ago, no-one was really using accapellas so I thought 'everyone in house music uses them, why not try them with the harder stuff?', thankfully people liked them and it helped define a certain style I was playing at the time.

      CTW - Why is playing for Frantic & Wildchild this weekend so special for you?

      SHAN - As well as it being such a big event, it'll be my first time playing at the SEOne club. I've been there once before for Tidy London a couple of years ago now, and thought the venue was amazing. It'll most definitely be an experience playing in those arches.

      CTW - Tell us something that you consider to be interesting?

      SHAN - Roswell and whether aliens really exist!

      CTW - Tell us something that you consider to be completely pointless?

      SHAN - A brand spanking new pencil.

      CTW - There is as always alot of talk about where the Hard Dance scene is going at present. Whats your opinion on the current state of affairs?

      SHAN - Play it by ear (no pun intended there!), whatever will be, will be! Like Burger King, I'm loving it!

      CTW - Your listed amongst an elite group of young up and coming DJs in Mixmag, The Future Heros. Who amongst your esteemed Future Hero colleagues would you go out of your way to see play and why?

      SHAN - I won't name any of the hard dance DJs as I see them about quite often, so wouldn't really have to go out of my way to see any of them. I get on well with Sonny Wharton, and really need to get along to see him play sometime, he plays a mixture of house and breaks and has a good buzz about him. Also Hatty, I used to see her all the time when she was involved in the hard house scene, but now she's off playing for Hed Kandi all over the world! I love the type of house music she plays and really need a chance to catch up with her.

      CTW - Your not only playing at Frantic & Wildchild but carrying on the madness at Hardware in the morning. Have you played many after parties and what are your feelings on them?

      SHAN - I used to play the longstanding Glasshouse afterhours club in Leeds all the time. I'm normally hallucinating by that time of the morning having been awake 48 hours! The crowd's are usually really up for it, as they're there because they really want to be there. It's not just a night out.

      ClubTheWorld would like to thank Shan for his time and would like to wish him the best of luck at Frantic/Wildchild this Saturday and at Hardware the Frantic/Wildchild After Party on Sunday morning!
    • Tony P

      Interview with JFK

      By Tony P, in Interviews,

      During the build up to Frantic/Wildchild at the SEOne Club on the 20th March, ClubTheWorld with the help of their friends at Frantic thought it would be a good idea to interview one of the headlining DJ's at the event. JFK is a resident and promoter at Passion and rocks some of the country's top clubs on a weekly basis.

      We asked JFK the following questions:

      CTW - Did you go to the miami music conference? and if so what new tunes did you pick up and who passed them on to you.
      JFK - No I hated Miami when I went, full of arrogant industry music people I like to keep it real.

      CTW - Do you get recognised in the street or do you see yourself as an underground artist?
      JFK - Occasionally I will get recognised, I think its great.. one day no one will know who i am and I will be just boring Jason Kinch again boo.. I once got asked for my autograph in Boots

      CTW - Do you use any dance music forums under an alias?
      JFK - No always JFK why hide it

      CTW - Have you ever played at the SEOne club before? if so how was your experience
      JFK - No I will be and SE1 Virgin.. looking forward to it

      CTW - Do your parents appreciate the music you play?
      JFK - My dad often comes to my gigs.. gets wasted and shouts I MADE HIM

      CTW - What is your favourite venue?
      JFK - Apart from Passion probably the met in Ireland and of course any WILDCHILD event.

      CTW - Which dj's do you look up to or admire?
      JFK - Any one who just rocks a crowd, whether it is in a small bar, club or festival. I like people who entertain

      CTW - What are your plans for this year?
      JFK - Just to be me I have spent too long trying to be this that and the other and then finding out i am better of just being me.

      CTW - What can we expect from you at the Frantic/Wildchild event?
      JFK - A DAMN GOOD CROWD cant wait

      CTW - I've read that you played a 6 hour set on your birthday, Is this the longest set you have played? and how was it
      JFK - No I have played 9 hours quite a few times before, but my six hours on my birthday at Passion was something else the best night of my DJing life, 2500 people turned up to see just me wow

      CTW - With the Frantic/Wildchild event hosting 50 DJ's are there any you are looking forward to seeing?
      JFK - I always like to see BK cause he is me mate!!! Ha ha

      CTW - What is your most memorable set and event you have played at?
      JFK - The most memorable will be Velfare in Tokyo Japan the best club in the world

      ClubTheWorld would like to thank JFK for his time and would like to wish him the best of luck at Frantic/Wildchild this Saturday!
    • Wub Wub
      Jon-Paul Montgomery and Adam Jukes, AKA JP & Jukesy, are lucky boys. Just four years ago, the pair were just another couple of up-for-it lads in the Midlands hard house bastion that is Birmingham. Having sampled the delights of dancefloors from a clubbers point of view, the boys decided to see whether they could deliver their own brand of Hard House to the masses, and took on the DJing mantra. Now, after some amazing sets at Insomniacz, Housewives Choice and Sundissential North, the boys are continuing their assault on the hard dance arena with their stunning tracks How I Feel and H-bomb to be released on Passion Records in April. We caught up with the DJing duo already being described as the next big thing, to pick their brains over life, clubs and dinner ladies.
       
      Describe your DJing style to us

      JP & JUKESY - We tend to play stuff towards the harder end of the spectrum, anything with loads of energy always gets a play. We also drop in some techno now and again and also love to drop in some different stuff in the Base Graffiti - Defective Audio style. (Dom Sweeten). We are also hard at work at creating our own sound with our first 2 tracks being released on Passion Presents 2 at the end of May. How i feel & H-bomb will be the start of our production career and we already have some collaborations planned with other artists as a follow up, watch this space...........
      What benefits have you found from DJing as a duo?

      JP - Because we both have completely different styles of mixing our set always is a little bit different, we both like different producers and styles so our set is quite versatile making us hopefully quite unique.
      JUKESY - I agree with JP, we are very different in style but also compliment each other very well. I also think playing as a duo gives us more time in the set to pay attention to the clubbers. If we play 1 1/2 sets we normally have two mixes on then two off so when JP is in the mix I tend to speak to people who come up to the DJ box. I also enjoy playing up to the crowd, I'll have a scout around the dancefloor and pick up people who are concentrating on us then maybe make a gesture to them like a clap or just mouth "What a tune" to them. What's great is the reaction you get back from them. We both buzz off the crowd as much as the music and they buzz of us that's what its about, well it is for us anyway.
      How has your life changed in the last 12 months or so?

      JP - It's become more hectic, There's still a lot more room to get even more hectic though :-). Sunday School supported us from the start which is where we got our first residency and from then on we have kept our heads down and done a lot of hard work. We have spent a lot of time building our reputation in what we call our hometown of Birmingham. Its taken us a good ten months to get to the stage where we can now play out further a field and we now have 9 residencies and are represented by 4 DJ agencies on a non exclusive basis as we still like to have control of our own bookings.
      JUKESY - Following on from what JP has said - We now have a solid base to continue growing and have bookings for Sundissential North, Syn:ergy Vs Insomniacz, Insomniacz Sheffield and Leicester, Housewives Choice and Bosh to name just a few.
      JUKESY - To go from clubbers to DJ's is really exciting for both of us as we used to have it on the dancefloor to the likes of Farley and Glazby (we still do) but we now also have the privilege to play alongside the same people as DJ's. When Afterssential first started in 2002 at Subway city we were given a residency and we played the 2nd week after it opened and took over from Farley that for me is such an achievement in itself and I'll take that memory to the grave with me (hopefully not for a while though).
      What has the reaction been like toward your tunes?

      JP & JUKESY - How I feel and H-bomb are our first steps in the production side of things and both are very different and reflect the style that we are looking for perfectly. How I feel is a slab of hardhouse with a huge hoover breakdown and out of the two this one has received the most feedback and excitement.
      JUKESY - H-bomb is my personal favourite. It goes a lot deeper, dirtier and harder than how I feel. The percussion in it is thunderous on a loud system and again there is a significant input from the mighty hoover. It has taken people a little more time to come around to liking this as how I feel was an instant hit but I think people have come around to our way of thinking. When we play it out in clubs it is received very well and there are always a few people asking for a copy. Both tracks will be released on Passion Presents 2 at the end of May and I know there are already quite a few pre-orders at Passion Records. So its all looking good. DJ Support has come from Ian M, Mark Leish, Nik Denton, Testube Babies, Paul Janes Strange Dave and Daley.
      What are your opinions on other hard house DJing duos, such as the Stimulants, Jez & Charlie and Tidy Boys?
      JP & JUKESY - We have the utmost respect for all the Dj's on the circuit. The stimulant Dj's have been around for years and are now both massive in the Hard House scene as well as huge on the hardcore scene so this proves that these boys are really tuned into what they are doing as well as running a very strong label.
      JP & JUKESY - The tidy boys do what they do very good, mixing is always tight and run a very good and successful label.
      JP & JUKESY - Jez & Charile for me are going to be huge very very soon, they always play wicked sets and their set s are always different. You don't know quite what to expect to hear for them, may it be full on hard house, trance or techno. I really admire these boys and I'm sure they will be around for a long time to come.
      Where do you see yourself in 12 months?

      JP & JUKESY - We need to have goals and I would like to say that we would be Sundissential & Insomniacz Residents in 12 months time, haha. That is what we are aiming for anyway and it has been our dream since we started clubbing at Sundissential Hq when it was at Pulse Night-club and also Insomniacz when it was at Uropa and the Corporation. Obviously we would like to crack London with clubs like Frantic and Riot on our agenda. Ibiza is another little gem we would like to crack, we had a taster of playing out there when we played for Sundissential at Inox in the summer of 2002. Strange Dave and Dangle were supposed to play but there had been a mix up with their flights and we happened to be in the right place at the right time and had taken a bag of records over just in case and ended up playing an hour at peak time, It was a magical moment for both of us. We would also like to have a few more tracks released on various labels, it would be such and achievement for us to have a track released on Vicious Circle for example, we would also like to do a couple of collaborations with other DJ's.
      Did you ever fancy your dinner lady?

      JP - No, I never had that urge. Why did you Matt?? haha
      JUKESY - No, their uniform didn't really do it for me. Sorry
      If you could make the sky any colour, what colour and why?

      JP - Red & Yellow, to reflect SS of course!!
      JUKESY - I wouldn't change it. Blue is my favourite colour so there would be no need 🙂
    • SarahPVC
      Where and when was the best crowd u have ever played too? 
      Blimey! What a question... I think that the best crowds are those overseas simply because they don't get a lot of UK DJ's in places like New Zealand, South Africa and Japan. They know all about the music and are so enthusiastic it's sometimes embarassing as you realise just how spoilt we are here in the UK.
      Have you ever played a bad set due to anything going wrong? What happened?
      Umm, the worst situation happened in Bristol last year. Someone handed me a drink that had been 'doctored'. I ended up pretty much passing out and had to be carried from the club completely out of my mind! Sometimes I'm my own worst enemy! hahahaha
      How do you feel when u see the crowd go wild to yr tunes?
      You feel ten foot tall. It truly is the best high and when you finish you're grinning from ear to ear - and if you're not then you should retire!
      What's yr favourite club to play in? 
      I run a party called Riot! at The End in London and because I work really hard to make it the best event in the UK (Mixmag approved!), when I step up to the decks and there's nearly a 1000 people going crazy (on a Sunday afternoon!) it's the culmination of a month's blood, sweat and tears and it's the best. That's job satisfaction!
      What other music do you like? 
      good music! 
      What hobbies do you have? 
      ummm, promoting is my hobby! I know that it sounds daft but I work a full week running Nukleuz Records, the number one 12" selling label on the planet, DJ two - four times every weekend and so there's not a lot of time to do anything outside of music! Riot! is my baby and a labour of love. It's been hard work but after two years we have been voted Number One club in the UK by Mixmag so it's a hobby that's totally rewarding!
      What do you spend all your money on? 
      Money? I do this for love baby... 
      What model were yr first ever set of decks? 
      My very very first pair of decks were a disco console that a mate gave me in 1991 when I was 15! With no crossfader or pitch-control they didn't last long! moved on to soundlabs and then took the plunge to buy technics about 8 years ago...
      Whats your favourite tune on rotation at the moment? 
      Got a bootleg of Eminem in a German stylee that features the breakdown from Moby 'Go'. It's bonkers!
      Which DJ would u most like to play B2B with? 
      I'd like to battle Carl Cox 'cos we've both got the funk are really pro-active in our mixing style. There's no standing around!
      If you could choose any place in the world to DJ...which would you choose? 
      I still really want to play in South America and I'm making enquiries... hopefully won't be long!
      How does it feel to have gone from a small weekly night to a monthly voted number one in the country by Mixmag? (Riot! that is) 
      It feels immensely satisfying. Promoting is the hardest game, especially in London! In two years there has been a lot of hard work put in by me and the team and to become the best club in the UK in Mixmag was a dream come true. I must admit I had a lump in my throat when I saw it...
      How important does he think House music is in HH clubs? 
      Variety is the spice of life! I would play drum and bass in my club if I could! Funky house works really well, it draws a different type of clubber into the party and offers an alternative. Clubs that play hardhouse in two or three different rooms need their heads checking and there's so much good music out there - experiment!
      Who do you see as the future of Hard dance music? 
      The future of hard dance are the people on the dancefloor. It's the job of promoters, producers and especially DJ's to inspire the people on the 'floor and make them want to get up and say 'i want to do that!' Everyone in the industry has a responsibility to spread the love...
      Did you ever fancy your teacher at school? 
      hahahaha - i used to fancy the dinner lady 'cos she used to give me second helpings!
      If you could change the colour of the sky what colour would you change it to? 
      I'd just want to keep it blue all the time - not grey and shitty like today!
      All time 3 favourite tunes? 
      Stutter Rap - Morris Minor & The Majors / Startrekkin' / The Wizard - Paul Hardcastle
      Do you prefer Steps or Abba? 
      Abba - the source is always purest.
      Most random object ever given to you in a club? 
      Not sure, quite a few times I'd end up swapping my t-shirt with someone else who had a design I was particularly partial to! hahaha
      If you could rename purple what would you rename it as? 
      Aubergine!
    • SarahPVC
      Where are you and how are you feeling today?
      I am in Berlin right now in the studio. I am fine and well - working on my new album right now that we plan to release in autumn this year.
      Describe your djing style?
      I am playing electronic dance music.
      How did you get involved in music?
      I grew up in East Germany at a time where it was quite difficult to get the records with the music you like.
      So my main source at that time, was from West Berlin radio. I  would listen to special shows like the one by Monika Dietl - this was my introduction to new music.
      What are you favourite labels?
      Of course the one I am working for : VANDIT. We are working to build up a record label in my hometown Berlin that stands for the music we all love.
      What would be your dream gig?
      We are working in Berlin on our Vandit night to have a bimonthly dream gig.  It is the crowd, the guest DJ's, the sound system and vibes that create a dream gig.
      Which 4 words would best describe you?
      I prefer it if other people do that. I am a music freak, I love my wife my hometown Berlin and my rabbit Gromit.
      What did you do before your were a dj?
      I finished school and started an apprenticeship as a broadcast technican. I got the allowence to leave East Germany to find out that I could finish this apprenticeship in West Germany. So I started a new one as a joiner.
      How long have you been djing for now?
      I had my first gig in 1991 - so it is 12 years now.
      What was the name of the first record you ever bought?
      OMD - Organisation
      At a guess, how many records do you own?
      I have no idea as I never count them. It must be thousands but how many I don't know.
      You've dj'd in some of the world's most prolific dance venues - any that truly stands out form the rest?
      There were and are many really great venues but a lot of are closed now.
      For someone who has never been to a Cream event before, describe it to us.
      Cream are great promoter, I enjoy myself at Cream events all the time.  It is the vibe and atmosphere that makes it so special.
      How has clubland changed over the last few years for you?
      It became global
      Do you discuss your set with other DJs to ensure there's no crossover?
      No
      You were resident at Cream Ibiza residency last year, which turned out to be their most successful summer ever.  What are your plans for summer 2003?
      We are thinking about another biweekly season for 2003.
      Do you think it's still the greatest party Island in Europe?
      Besides Ibiza  and that's a British / Spanish party island as well J
      When is your next album released?
      We are thinking about September this year.
      Where do you see yourself in 20 years time?
      Still producing music but maybe not so much Djing anymore as I don't like the travelling
      PAUL VAN DYK IS HEADLINING THE CREAM FUTURE TRANCE ARENA AT CREAM, FRANTIC & NUKLEUZ PRESENT DIGITAL LOVE @ NOTTINGHAM ICE ARENA ON MARCH 8th
    • SarahPVC
      Where are you and how are you feeling today?
      At home and feeling gooooooood.
      Describe your djing style?
      House Music! Anything with a good  groove goes.
      How did you get involved in music?
      Used to hang around my mates record shop in town when I was a kid, and just got hooked on it.
      What else have you got coming up in 2003?
      Doing a few bits for Defected and Circo loco, which im really looking forward to, and also carrying on with my club class residency.
      What are you favourite labels?
      There's a few Maya records, Leaf records, Defected and of course my own label Portent records : )
      What would be your dream gig?
      Space terrace playing alongside Yousef, Onionz and Morillo, Not asking for much!
      Which 4 words would best describe you?
      Shy, musical, humorous, chancer
      What did you do before your were a dj?
      Worked in the accounts department of an insurance company. Nice!
      How did you get your big break into DJ'ing?
      Being asked to become weekly resident at club class.
      How long have you been djing for now?
      Nearly 8 years.
      What was the name of the first record you ever bought?
      I think it was the Michel Jackson thriller album
      At a guess, how many records do you own?
      About five thousand.
      Have you ever been to Cream or a Cream event before?
      I used to travel up with my Girlfriend a lot to see oakenfold tear it up in the courtyard.
      How has clubland changed over the last few years for you?
      I think it's a lot better now, because there aren't a lot of big room clubs left. And with the smaller clubs you get a better intimate atmosphere (and it's more fun to dj)
      Can you tell us a bit about your studio production work?
      I've been mainly doing mixes for my label over the last year, so im gonna aim to get a couple of my own tracks finished in the next couple of months. 
      What are you plans for the summer?  Will you be popping over to Ibiza this year?
      Gonna be in Ibiza a few times summer playing for crico loco and defected, which im looking forward to already.
      Where do you see yourself in 20 years time?
      Don't think I'll be djing then, so maybe something music
      Nic Fanciulli will be performing in the Annexe alongside Dirty Vegas (Live), Jon Carter and K-Klass at Cream, Frantic & Nukleuz present Digital Love at Nation, Liverpool on Saturday 8th March.  
      For full line-up go to http://www.cream.co.uk/ . Tickets on Sale now £12 NUS + bf / £15 + bf other.  Info: Tel 0207 299 0950/0151 709 1693 

  • Interviews

    • Phil B
      During the Build up to the Hard House Academy at the Brixton Academy, ClubTheWorld caught up with one of Londons HardHouse DJ's Justin Bourne

      Our very own Phil.B asked Justin the following questions ...

      Hi Justin, how are things going at the moment? 

      Hi, things are great thanks. I'm keeping busy with my DJing, studio work and running Short Circuit Recordings. The new website will be up soon so I've been busy sorting things out for that as well. 

      Your label Short Circuit is going from strength to strength, can you tell us a bit about it? What made you set the label up? What can we expect from it in the future? 

      I started Short Cicuit Records mainly as an outlet for my own material. I was producing alot of new tracks and having to send around cd-r's and chase up people for money etc all day long so I decided to start my own label and have full control, but it's still the same, I'm sending out cd-r's and chasing up people all day...Ha Ha. After a short period of time I began to sign other artists and things have just progressed from there really. I've been really pleased with the reaction on the past releases and I think the future material is just as strong if not better. The next three releases include these arists as original tracks or remixers - Nick Sentience, OD404, Tara Reynolds, Alex Calver, Casper and Testube Babies. I'll be back for release 16 with a brand new original track. 

      When did you start DJing / producing and what got you into the Hard Dance scene? 

      I started DJing when I was 15 at School, I used to play the early rave stuff ( at a youth hall ) which progressed into Hardcore ( Not Happy Hardcore) That was thirteen years ago. I then used to have a couple of residencies on the south coast playing House in the middle nineties that progressed into the tougher house sound of the Sharp Boys, Malcolm Duffy etc. I then discovered Pete Wardman and I used to hear him play out all over the country, he was my inspiration to play what is now known as Hard House ( It was Hardbag around that time). Since 1996 I have been playing the Hard House sound. I left my day job nearly five years ago and that's when I had the chance to really persue my career and start work on the production. The rest is history as they say. 

      Describe your style and how has it developed over the years? 

      Hard and Energetic. I've gone through different styles of music from Early Rave, Hardcore, House and then onto Hard House. 

      Which DJs / producers do you admire and who, if any, inspire you in your work? 

      Pete Wardman and Steve Thomas for the DJing and Dom Sweeten and Mik Cree for the production 

      With many productions of your own and remixes under your belt, what to you is your finest piece of work? 

      I still really like Time Is Up on Kaktai. It was made back in 1999. That's my overall favourite and I've produced over 60 tracks now.

      Tell us a little about your studio and the equipment you use. 

      I do all my work at other studios, although I do have a set up at home but I don't use it. At the studio I use Logic, loads of internal stuff like Pro 53, Vangaurd, Junglist etc, there's some many good programs around it has really changed hings for me. The hardware is kind of gathering dust at the moment. 

      Have you any advice to give to aspiring producers ? 

      Try and do something a little different to get noticed. This scene can be very disheartening but you have to keep your chin up. I beleive that hard work will pay off in the end. I get sent a lot of cd's each week and there is a lot of amazing talent out there. 

      With having DJed here in the UK and internationally, which has been your favourite club / country / promotion to work for and why? 

      I couldn't just mention one particular event/promotion as I've enjoyed 99% of my gigs and for all different reasons. We have some wicked clubs over here though Camden Palace (London), The Works ( Birmingham) Turnmills (London), Matrix ( Reading), Brixton Academy ( London) etc. The international work is cool as I'd probably never get to see these countries in my life. I've just recently returned from Australia and that was excellent. I'm looking forward to my return later in the year. I'm also off to New Zealand next week. 

      Please tell us your best and worst moments in your career to date 

      My best moments include having one of my first tracks played as Big Beat Of The Week on Kiss FM by Pete Wardman around five years ago, I've had loads of awesome gigs over the years that I'd class as my best moments, travelling to the other side of the world. I can't really think of a worst, it'd only be something like a poor sound system that I had to play on or along those lines. I havn't got much to complain about. I consider myself to be very fortunate.

      What does a typical week involve for you? 

      Loads of e-mails, phone calls, sorting out bookings, running Short Circuit recordings. Quite a few days a month I'll be away working in the studio on tracks. I take and pick up my daughter from school each day so no late mornings after the weekend i'm afraid. 

      What can we expect from you over the coming months? 

      I have quite a bit of international gigs over the next few months, I'm playing in Australia, New Zealand, U.S.A and I'm in the middle of confirming dates for Japan again. I have some wicked gigs over here to look forward to including Frantic, Goodgreef, Heat, Feeling Of Life, Bedlam, Vicious Circle and Short Circuit parties. Loads of remix work to do and I'll hopefully get to do some more original tracks aswell. 

      What is your current top 5 that is rocking the dance floors at the moment?

      1. The Captain & Karim - Get On It - ?
      2. Testube Babies - Jungle Style (OD404 Remix) Short Circuit
      3. Aftermath - Underworld (Justin Bourne & Dynamic Intervention Remix) Toolbox
      4. Defective Audio - Execution - Nukleuz
      5. Mark Gray - So Powerful ( Tara Reynolds Remix) Short Circuit

      ClubTheWorld would like to thank Justin Bourne for his time and would like to wish him the best of luck for the future and for The Hard House Academy at Brixton Academy on 29th May 2004 
    • Tony P
      During the Build up to the Hard House Academy at the Brixton Academy, ClubTheWorld caught up with one of Londons Hardest female DJ's.

      We asked Lucy Fur the following questions:

      CTW - How long have you been mixing for and could you describe to us a brief history of how you got to where you are in your DJ career?

      LUCY - I started buy records around july 2000, and my decks shortly followed. I then got addicted to mixing and continued to practise for a year. I played my first gig in a pub in Hertfordshire to about 20 people and loved it!!! I then went on to get my first residency at Exessential in Lydd where funnily enough I experienced my first all-nighter experience at the age of 16!!!! After a year of getting the odd local booking I decided to take on London as I felt ready for the challenge, and a lot of hard graft later here I am!!

      CTW - If you could play back 2 back with any DJ who would it be?

      LUCY - That's such a hard question! I am quite selective with who I play with, I think you have to be due to music styles. If you would have asked me a few weeks ago it would have been Mark Leish but that's been done now and what fun we had! So on that note, it would be someone like Ben Stevens, A Star or Caroline Banx! I get on so well with all three and that's really important whilst doing b2b because you need to have a giggle about it.

      CTW - I saw you play for Lashed at the SEOne club in the "All Girls Room", for me this was the best set of the night. You also played other events that weekend. Would this be a typical example of a weekend in your diary? and are there any big dates you have that we should know about?

      LUCY - Thank you!!! I really enjoyed myself and feel my true style was exposed that night. Yeah, that weekend was rather hectic and the winter months have been like that. The summer is always quieter but there are still events I am looking forward to over the next few months. The 29th May is Hard House Academy at Brixton Academy which is a firm favourite. I've been going to this event for a long time and to get to play there now is amazing!!! The line-up for this one is fantastic too!! Also that weekend, I start my new residency at Wired in Brixton the morning of the 30th, so I will keep you posted on that. There is a Frantic event being held at the end of June which is also exciting but you will have to listen out for more details of that one too! And I am very excited to be asked back to Wildchild which is held over the august bank holiday later this year! My next ultimate goal is the Tidy Weekender, so im going to start working on that soon!

      CTW - You played the main room at the last ever Frantic event at Camden Palace, what did this mean to you?

      LUCY - To play for such an event is something I only used to dream about .I really thought it wasn't going to happen for me main room camden-especially when I heard it was closing. My first london clubbing experience and the ultimate aim, and then Frantic asked me to do it! I felt sick every time I thought about it. I was talking to Tara (Reynolds) the week before and she was really making me hyper about it! Mark actually filmed 25 minutes of my set at Camden for all my friends who couldn't make it-and it has been seen by my mum, dad, brother and sister! When I watched it back the next day I had tears in my eyes-says it all really!

      CTW - You are known for playing the some of the hardest music we know in this scene. are there any other genres you play?

      LUCY - The nice thing is i've always played this way and haven't changed that for any club or promotion. I do really like vocal funky house, house, techno and funky techno too. I played my first techno set the other week, and must say it felt a bit strange! If my budget would stretch, id love to play more styles for one off exclusive gigs, but, well I love the filth I really do!

      CTW - Talking about other genres, your partner plays techno. As you are aware the hard dance scene is heavily influenced by techno at present. Is this a thing so you can swap ideas and borrow his records etc?

      LUCY - Ha ha!! I borrow all Marks records!!! My favourite producers are Mark EG, Lars Klein and DAVE the drummer, labels Blackout Audio, Hydraulix and X-series. I am aware of the techno influences in hard dance but I don't really like this cross over stuff. It should be Techno or Hard house for me!! I would never play techno in a hard house set, I feel like that would just be following the trends. Within my style I try to keep an original hard house sound with up to date samples

      CTW - The hard dance scene appears to be getting harder and harder over recent months. This must be great for you, but where do you feel the direction of the music will go once it has reached where it appears to be heading? Can you see other genres influencing the scene like techno has at present, which may change the music direction?

      LUCY - It's great that clubbers and promotions are wanting it harder now, gives us harder djs a chance to shine! Its difficult to predict where the music is going due to all the influences, music will take its own route. The harder stuff has always been around just that recently its getting exposed more in the main rooms as opposed to just being an underground or backroom sound. The direction the music will take will be down to the producers that are making it. Hopefully they can find a new sound that will appeal to the harder generation.

      CTW - I've noticed on a few websites you have quiet a fan base building. To me this seems great, can you describe to us how this makes you feel?

      LUCY - I feel overwhelmed when I login to websites and see there are threads about my performance the night before! I think its great that people want to come over and say hi when im out. Im very approachable but still a bit shy-you will never get a good photo of me! I remember what it was like as a young clubber, fully respecting the DJ because of the way they made you feel whilst they were playing. A big part of DJing for me, is making people feel like that, so yeah its fantastic to know its happening.

      CTW - With the Hard House Academy just around the corner, what can we expect from you at this event?

      LUCY - Well I am very excited about this as I have a lot of new material to play. I have just started cd mixing too and I have many beasts ready to unleash. I like to play upfront unheard material to keep the crowd engaged, nothing worse than hearing the same tune 5 times in a night-no matter how good the track!

      CTW - Knowing you personally I can say that you are a very down to earth individual and have a great attitude. You always have time to speak to people, which i feel is a great asset. However there are some DJ's who don't appear to have this attitude. What are your thoughts on this?

      LUCY - Mmm well all I can say is that we are all human. There have been many Djs that I have met who haven't even attempted to engage conversation or a friendly 'hi'. We all have to be in this industry together so there is no point in having your head up your own arse. And what many Djs have to realise, its the clubbers that put people where they are- I will always have time for people. If I seem busy, that's cos I am but still come over and say hi!!!

      CTW - Which DJ's and producers have given you inspirations?

      LUCY - In the beginning it was the original Tidy girls. Lashes, Pin-up I loved them all. Lisa was fantastic in 2000/2001 she definately made me want to start djing. Undoubtably Paul Glazby. He bought my record collection to life, the birth of VC!!! But before VC was even around, I had many of Paul's tracks that he had remixed on old 12 Inch Thumpers and white labels. Followed by Tara Reynolds. The nicest DJ you will ever meet and boy what a talent she has. She's really built herself up to Tidy girl Tara!!! She so deserves it!

      CTW - Quick fire round:
      Favourite all time tune? There are too many to mention, I really cant answer that sorry! Which mixer? Pioneer or Allen and Heath? Pioneer!! Vinyl or CD? Vinyl baby yeah! Prefer to play small or big venue? Not about the venue mate, all about the crowd!
      CTW - Finally we hold great faith that your future is going to be very bright. What plans do you have for your future?

      LUCY - Future plans definitely involve production, can you imagine the Fur on vinyl ouch! To play at Tidy as I mentioned before. And to get as many bookings as poss For a demo, please email djlucyfur@hotmail.com

      ClubTheWorld would like to thank Lucy Fur for her time and would like to wish her the best of luck for the future and for The Hard House Academy at Brixton Academy on 29th May 2004
    • LiamStyles
      During the Build up to Lashed at the SEOne Club, ClubTheWorld caught up with Tara Reynolds to find out about her views on female DJ's and her plans for the rest of the year.  We asked Tara Reynolds the following questions ...

      What do you personally think of the whole "girls vs boys" thing? is it just a bit of banter, or do you think some people are still stuck in the stoneage?

      I think it's an out-of-date attitude. Back when female DJs were a novelty (not that long ago I might add) I can understand why people did the whole girls vs. boys thing, but with the wave of female DJs making their mark and new talent coming through, the number of male and female DJs is starting to balance out which takes away the novelty aspect of female DJs. We'll know when female DJs aren't a novelty any more when a promoter does a line-up consisting only of female DJs but doesn't give it a special mention on their flyer. I think its quite harmless though and no doubt will continue on many a flyer...

      What are you looking forward to most at the Lashed event coming up at the SEOne club? 

      Being a part of such a huge-name event, plus SE1 is a great venue and also the chance to catch up with my London friends and clubbers too.

      There is a very strong presence of female DJ's on the hard dance scene, not so much in other genres. Why do you think this is? 

      I really don't know why females DJs don't have a strong presence in other genres as I don't know enough about those scenes. If they're anything like the hard dance scene though, its probably only a matter of time.

      Following on from that, it seems as though you are all quite close within that group. is that an accurate assumption? 

      Yeah I'd say so. All the girls that I know who are breaking through really support each other and the established girls like Anne and Lisa are always really supportive and encouraging too.

      If we had to name all of you with spice girl like dj names, what would yours be? 

      Hard spice!

      What is your biggest fear? 

      Being trapped in a burning room. I have nightmares about it.

      Can you give us an insight into what the rest of 2004 has instore for you? 

      Lots of production. I have done three remixes already this year with another coming up, plus I am in the studio this week to do another track for Tidy as a follow-up to Mercy. On the DJing side, with Tidy behind me and supporting me so much, I have lots of great events/gigs in the diary, such as the Tidy Weekenders, Creamfields, Slinky, etc which is really exciting.

      Do you have any musical influences that may suprise us? 

      My love of music is firmly rooted in the hard stuff, which is probably no surprise at all is it! I still listen to Led Zeppelin, Guns 'n' Roses, etc and lately I've been listening to all sorts of music to try to get original ideas for the studio. I love The Beatles - that may be a surprise to you!

      At the tidy weekender just past you played in the "all girl" room. For me that room was a huge success. How did it feel to be apart of that? 

      It was fantastic and a great honour to be a part of it. The girls were all amazing. I really felt like I was a part of something very special.

      On a good night out, djing or clubbing, what is you vice? 

      Vodka!

      Do you consider image to be an important factor of being DJ? If so describe your image?

      It is, unfortunately. I say unfortunately because, as a female DJ, our ability as a DJ is often overshadowed by how fit people (boys!) think we are. I never wanted to be judged on the way I look but once you reach a certain level people do that. I know I'm no supermodel but I just do the best I can with what I've got but hope that people remember me for my music and technical ability rather than the way I look.

      The other side of image is how you're perceived by the clubbers, i.e. down-to-earth or diva-ish and this is the important part to get right. I'd like to think that people see me as being down-to-earth, approachable and friendly as these qualities are very important to me. I've always been this way and I'm not going to change just because I'm now a DJ.

      As for how I'd describe my image, I think I'm seen as a friendly, approachable person and someone who takes great pride in my DJ'ing and my appearance.

      Your DJ'ing career is going from strength to strength, but do you have any further goals for the near future? 

      As mentioned above, to do as much production as I can fit in. Since Mercy was released I have had a lot of remix offers which is really flattering. The response I've had off the back of one track still amazes me.

      A big techno influence has played a key part in the hard dance scene lately. Would you agree with that? 

      Absolutely. I think its a really positive thing as there's only so much you can do with hard house basslines and percussion. The fusion of different styles will help to create a whole new sound and I think that's always a good thing. I've always loved techno perscussion - its really interesting and great percussion can drive a whole track.

      Lastly, tell us something about yourself not related to DJing that we would find interesting? 

      I have just passed my first belt in Kickboxing. I am now an orange belt and am very committed to becoming a black belt, which will be in about three years time.

      ClubTheWorld would like to thank Tara Reynolds for her time and would like to wish her the best of luck for the future and for Lashed at SEOne Club on 2nd May
    • Tony P

      Interview with Guffy

      By Tony P, in Interviews,

      During the Build up to the mother of all Hard Dance events, Clubtheworld caught up with Nukleuz/Frantic resident DJ Guffy to ask him about Living in London, the hard dance scene and nerves.

      We asked Guffy the following questions:

      CTW - You were chosen as one of Mixmags future heroes and they have predicted that you are set to become hard dance's answer to Pete Tong. Quiet a complement (congratulations), how does this make you feel?

      GUFFY - Hehe, I had a giggle when I read that. The whole Mixmag Future Hero's thing has been amazing to be honest. Despite what people opinions are about the magazine it's still the biggest there is the scene, so to have their backing is fairytale stuff. For the years previous they have done this for Fergie and Eddie so to be single-out under the same banner means loads. As for the Pete Tong thing, I think this is down to the fact that I have my fingers in many pies.. I talk too much as well!

      CTW - What are your plans for this year? Anything we should look out for?

      GUFFY - It's going to be a manic year. I've got a really busy diary here in the UK plus international gigs in Finland, Australia and New Zealand coming up too. I've also finally got in the studio after much ear bending as well. First track has just been finished with Ingo and I've been playing it out for a couple of weeks, it sounds huge! Lots more production lined up this year too as well as some other ventures in the pipeline.. fingers in pies all that jazz.

      CTW - You've recently moved to London, how are you finding living here and what do you miss about where you have moved from?

      GUFFY - I miss the ability to park without getting a ticket. It's a mission trying to get somewhere outside a gig down here! Other than that it's all good. The buzz down here coupled with the fact that everything is open when you want makes it a wicked place to live. I do miss my friends from up North though as I've lived up there all my life. I moved down here on my own so I only had the Nukleuz and Frantic gang to show me the ropes.. enough said, hehehe.

      CTW - How would you compare London's hard dance clubbing scene to any other in the UK?

      GUFFY - The Hard Dance scene down here seems to be riding the so called dance music lull with relative ease so it's a testament to the quality of events being put on as well as the huge market that London has to choose from punter wise. With many antipodeans in London hard dance events pull in people from all corners. There is nothing like listening to some crazy Italians asking for tracks followed by some Russians going nuts with a load of Aussies and Kiwi's boshing away too. Where else do you get that!

      CTW - Are you looking forward to playing in the main room for Lashed at the SEOne Club? And is this the first time you will have played in this room at SEOne Club?

      GUFFY - Yeah, really looking forward to this one. Lisa's managed to launch a successful night when many others have failed in the last 6 months. I played for Polysexual vs Lashed the other month, which was crazy, there's no holding back with the BPM at Lisa's gigs. As for playing SEOne, well I played there last month for WildChild vs Frantic but I couldn't tell you if it's the same room as the one I'm in for this. It's like a maze in there when all the rooms are open! Should be a top night though even if it involves getting lost at some point!

      CTW - How long have you been mixing for and how did you get into it? Also do you still practice (if so how often) or is it something that just comes naturally to you now?

      GUFFY - Been mixing for over 7 years now but didn't get out of the bedroom until about 4 years ago as I wanted to make sure I was totally clued up and knew as much as possible. I originally got the decks with a credit card that I maxed out 1997. I used to listen to early Ministry albums and always thought to myself, Why did they put that shit track there and there - so I bought all the tracks on that album (minus the shit ones) practiced for ages and made my own version! That's how I got started in my bedroom

      CTW - Would you consider becoming a resident at Frantic to being one of the major stepping-stones in your DJ'ing career so far? And how did this come about?

      GUFFY - Yeah of course. The cornerstone of any DJ getting established is a solid residency that you love. Look at Matt Hardwick, Eddie Halliwell, Fergie etc  they all started off with a good residency. I'm one of the lucky ones that managed to get a massive residency like Frantic. How did it come about? The potted version is..

      In August 2002, Salvador from 4clubbers.net called me to ask I fancied playing in the Frantic/Nukleuz tent at Creamfields! He told me that he'd spoken to Will Paterson ( Frantic promoter ) about me playing and Will had agreed after hearing bits and bobs about me up North. So I then found myself doing the first two hours in the Frantic/Nukleuz tent playing 2 - 4pm. There was nobody in the tent for the first 40 minutes due to problems letting people in however, around 2.45pm people came pouring into the tent and I mean pouring in. By 3.15pm it was going off, it was very surreal as I was there as a punter 12 months earlier!

      After that I got invited down to London to play at Frantic in the upstairs room and then I was lucky enough to be asked to play in the foyer at Hard House Academy (I think Will was making sure Creamfields wasn't a fluke!). I was then asked to play the main room warm up at the next event which was a risk for Will as I played very differently to everyone else. After warming up for 6 months or so I got offered the residency which was amazing - you have to find your niche and then integrate that with the sound that's already there. I'm just glad that Will took a risk on me and stuck his neck out.

      CTW - Are there any events you would love to play at? And are there any you would rather forget about and wouldn't go back to?

      GUFFY - I've done loads of shitty gigs, it's all part and parcel of it. I remember playing to three or four people one week then 600 the next when I first started. I've been to gigs where you come and your cars not there. I've done gigs where your records have been nicked. One time I played this awful gig in Sheffield where I couldn't wait to get home as the equipment was wrecked and someone fell on top of the decks. I finished, raced to my car and got on the motorway when there was this hissing. I shat myself as there was a shitty old cat going bonkers in my car. Had no idea how it got in there but I pulled over and spent 5 mins trying to get it out of the car! It scratched my arm to bits so I left it in the hard shoulder! That was nuts - they make funny stories though. As for events I haven't played at I think I'd like to play over at HQ because I've been promised loads of parties by friends over there!

      CTW - Do you get nervous before playing?

      GUFFY - Yup, every time. I disappear to the loo about 3 times in the 20 mins before I play. Nerves are good though. It's when you stop getting them you should worry.

      CTW - Do you have any plans for the production side of the industry?

      GUFFY - Yup, as mentioned earlier first track with Ingo is done. It's a massive track and went down well at the Tidy Weekender last week. Loads more in the pipeline too!

      CTW - Where do you see yourself and the hard dance scene in 10 years time?

      GUFFY - God, I couldn't even tell you where I'll be next week! I'm sure Lisa from Nukleuz will be having words with me for saying that hehehe. As for the Hard Dance scene, who knows. One minute it's techy, the next it's rock hard, that's the beauty of it.

      CTW - And finally you know Lisa my girlfriend, she has asked me to ask, "When are you going to grow a bum?" ha ha ;o)

      GUFFY - She always says that! I'm built for speed, not comfort!

      ClubTheWorld would like to thank Guffy for his time and would like to wish him the best of luck for the future and for Lashed at SEOne Club on 2nd May
    • Tony P

      Interview with Shan

      By Tony P, in Interviews,

      With one of the most talked about events of the year just around the corner (Frantic/Wildchild), we at Clubtheworld with help from our friends at Frantic have taken the oppotunity to interview one of the hottest new DJ's on the Hard Dance scene. This Dj is resident at Mixmags club of the year 2002 "Goodgreef" and is set to blow Frantic/Wildchild apart.

      We asked DJ Shan the following questions:

      CTW - Your a Mixmag Future Hero as well as Resident at GoodGreef (Mixmag Hard Dance Club of the Year). When you started out did you think you would ever imagine this would be the case?

      SHAN - Not at all, when I started out I wasn't even old enough to get into clubs, so I was too busy imagining what it'd be like to actually be in a club, never mind play in one or get this far!

      CTW - How did your Goodgreef Residency come about?

      SHAN - I got involved with Goodgreef when they started their monthlies in Yorkshire back in 2002. I'd made my name playing the smaller nights around Leeds and such, and with reassurance from strong recommendations from the guys at 4clubbers and a good friend of mine, DJ GRH, all of who had been working alongside Goodgreef at the time, they brought me into the setup to keep the local crowds happy. They were really pleased with the response, and saw potential that I could fit really well into the Goodgreef setup as a resident. It's not really commonplace for Goodgreef to take on new residents as they've all progressed together from the start, so as you can imagine I was overjoyed to be working with a club that were massively on the up.

      CTW - You've played virtually all the big Hard Dance clubs in the UK. With Frantic & Wildchild coming up this weekend how does playing for them differ from any other UK based event?

      SHAN - For me, they're the two biggest hard dance clubs to be playing for in London. In a city the size of London, there's the capacity to put on a club event much bigger than any other city can. From playing for Frantic numerous times before and Wildchild twice last year, I know that neither do anything by halves when it comes to events of this scale. The effort shows in the production, and the line-ups are like football squad teamsheets!

      CTW - You use 3 decks and an FX unit when mixing. Did it take you a while to master these and is it still a bit nerve racking using them all live?

      SHAN - When I have 3 decks in front of me, I'll always try and get as much out of them as I can whilst not breaking the music up too much. I don't use an FX unit as such, just the effects on the DJM600 if there's one set up, though I wouldn't really call that a unit as such like EFX500 would be. It's actually a Cycloops sampler that I sometimes hook in if it's going to work well with the set I've got in mind. It triggers loops live, which is great if you want to layer tracks up and really make something else with tracks you're playing. It's nerve racking if you're mostly doing things off the hook and in the heat of the moment as you're never 100% if it's going to pull off! But if you've kinda got it worked out in your head beforehand, you kinda know how it's going to go down. I've far from mastered it, I think with things like this you're constantly learning and creating new ideas. I've tested it out a few times, at Frantic, Garlands, Goodgreef and such, and it's worked really well, so I'm more confident to use it out more now.

      CTW - What has been your biggest and most memorable event to date and why?

      SHAN - The biggest is probably last year's Creamfields, playing to a crowd of that size is just something else. The most memorable is my debut in the main room of the Tidy Weekender last year, partly because you look out and every other person you see in the crowd is someone you know, having all your best mates experience the whole thing with you is just immense. But also I was really ill at the time and had been in bed all day unable to move, suffering the effects of a dodgy chips, chicken and curry sauce from a chippy after Naughty But Nice the night before! Tidy sent me to the medic who said I should take the night off as I was due for a 200 mile dash to do last set at Frantic as well. Obviously I point blank refused. You can't come between a man and his decks.

      CTW - And whats been your smallest event to date?

      SHAN - Anyone who experienced one of the legendary 'House of Wrong' houseparties in Leeds back in the day will know what I mean! Three days, one student house, three floors, about 100 people crammed in, people hanging out of windows, music blaring out, haha...

      CTW - Your style is much more complex than most other Hard Dance DJs with Accapellas and remix's galore. Where did you draw your influences from?

      SHAN - When I first got into at 16, I didn't know anyone else who had decks who I could learn off, so got DJ tuition from a hip-hop DJ. Apart from basic mixing, he attempted to teach me scratching, beat-juggling, allsorts, none of which I managed to pick up or came in handy, except for the accapellas which he used to get me to put over instrumental house tracks. I also used to listen to Carl Cox's sets where he'd be layering tracks up, playing an accapella over the top and such, so drew a lot of inspiration from him too. Then when I started playing harder music a few years ago, no-one was really using accapellas so I thought 'everyone in house music uses them, why not try them with the harder stuff?', thankfully people liked them and it helped define a certain style I was playing at the time.

      CTW - Why is playing for Frantic & Wildchild this weekend so special for you?

      SHAN - As well as it being such a big event, it'll be my first time playing at the SEOne club. I've been there once before for Tidy London a couple of years ago now, and thought the venue was amazing. It'll most definitely be an experience playing in those arches.

      CTW - Tell us something that you consider to be interesting?

      SHAN - Roswell and whether aliens really exist!

      CTW - Tell us something that you consider to be completely pointless?

      SHAN - A brand spanking new pencil.

      CTW - There is as always alot of talk about where the Hard Dance scene is going at present. Whats your opinion on the current state of affairs?

      SHAN - Play it by ear (no pun intended there!), whatever will be, will be! Like Burger King, I'm loving it!

      CTW - Your listed amongst an elite group of young up and coming DJs in Mixmag, The Future Heros. Who amongst your esteemed Future Hero colleagues would you go out of your way to see play and why?

      SHAN - I won't name any of the hard dance DJs as I see them about quite often, so wouldn't really have to go out of my way to see any of them. I get on well with Sonny Wharton, and really need to get along to see him play sometime, he plays a mixture of house and breaks and has a good buzz about him. Also Hatty, I used to see her all the time when she was involved in the hard house scene, but now she's off playing for Hed Kandi all over the world! I love the type of house music she plays and really need a chance to catch up with her.

      CTW - Your not only playing at Frantic & Wildchild but carrying on the madness at Hardware in the morning. Have you played many after parties and what are your feelings on them?

      SHAN - I used to play the longstanding Glasshouse afterhours club in Leeds all the time. I'm normally hallucinating by that time of the morning having been awake 48 hours! The crowd's are usually really up for it, as they're there because they really want to be there. It's not just a night out.

      ClubTheWorld would like to thank Shan for his time and would like to wish him the best of luck at Frantic/Wildchild this Saturday and at Hardware the Frantic/Wildchild After Party on Sunday morning!
    • Tony P

      Interview with JFK

      By Tony P, in Interviews,

      During the build up to Frantic/Wildchild at the SEOne Club on the 20th March, ClubTheWorld with the help of their friends at Frantic thought it would be a good idea to interview one of the headlining DJ's at the event. JFK is a resident and promoter at Passion and rocks some of the country's top clubs on a weekly basis.

      We asked JFK the following questions:

      CTW - Did you go to the miami music conference? and if so what new tunes did you pick up and who passed them on to you.
      JFK - No I hated Miami when I went, full of arrogant industry music people I like to keep it real.

      CTW - Do you get recognised in the street or do you see yourself as an underground artist?
      JFK - Occasionally I will get recognised, I think its great.. one day no one will know who i am and I will be just boring Jason Kinch again boo.. I once got asked for my autograph in Boots

      CTW - Do you use any dance music forums under an alias?
      JFK - No always JFK why hide it

      CTW - Have you ever played at the SEOne club before? if so how was your experience
      JFK - No I will be and SE1 Virgin.. looking forward to it

      CTW - Do your parents appreciate the music you play?
      JFK - My dad often comes to my gigs.. gets wasted and shouts I MADE HIM

      CTW - What is your favourite venue?
      JFK - Apart from Passion probably the met in Ireland and of course any WILDCHILD event.

      CTW - Which dj's do you look up to or admire?
      JFK - Any one who just rocks a crowd, whether it is in a small bar, club or festival. I like people who entertain

      CTW - What are your plans for this year?
      JFK - Just to be me I have spent too long trying to be this that and the other and then finding out i am better of just being me.

      CTW - What can we expect from you at the Frantic/Wildchild event?
      JFK - A DAMN GOOD CROWD cant wait

      CTW - I've read that you played a 6 hour set on your birthday, Is this the longest set you have played? and how was it
      JFK - No I have played 9 hours quite a few times before, but my six hours on my birthday at Passion was something else the best night of my DJing life, 2500 people turned up to see just me wow

      CTW - With the Frantic/Wildchild event hosting 50 DJ's are there any you are looking forward to seeing?
      JFK - I always like to see BK cause he is me mate!!! Ha ha

      CTW - What is your most memorable set and event you have played at?
      JFK - The most memorable will be Velfare in Tokyo Japan the best club in the world

      ClubTheWorld would like to thank JFK for his time and would like to wish him the best of luck at Frantic/Wildchild this Saturday!
    • Wub Wub
      Jon-Paul Montgomery and Adam Jukes, AKA JP & Jukesy, are lucky boys. Just four years ago, the pair were just another couple of up-for-it lads in the Midlands hard house bastion that is Birmingham. Having sampled the delights of dancefloors from a clubbers point of view, the boys decided to see whether they could deliver their own brand of Hard House to the masses, and took on the DJing mantra. Now, after some amazing sets at Insomniacz, Housewives Choice and Sundissential North, the boys are continuing their assault on the hard dance arena with their stunning tracks How I Feel and H-bomb to be released on Passion Records in April. We caught up with the DJing duo already being described as the next big thing, to pick their brains over life, clubs and dinner ladies.
       
      Describe your DJing style to us

      JP & JUKESY - We tend to play stuff towards the harder end of the spectrum, anything with loads of energy always gets a play. We also drop in some techno now and again and also love to drop in some different stuff in the Base Graffiti - Defective Audio style. (Dom Sweeten). We are also hard at work at creating our own sound with our first 2 tracks being released on Passion Presents 2 at the end of May. How i feel & H-bomb will be the start of our production career and we already have some collaborations planned with other artists as a follow up, watch this space...........
      What benefits have you found from DJing as a duo?

      JP - Because we both have completely different styles of mixing our set always is a little bit different, we both like different producers and styles so our set is quite versatile making us hopefully quite unique.
      JUKESY - I agree with JP, we are very different in style but also compliment each other very well. I also think playing as a duo gives us more time in the set to pay attention to the clubbers. If we play 1 1/2 sets we normally have two mixes on then two off so when JP is in the mix I tend to speak to people who come up to the DJ box. I also enjoy playing up to the crowd, I'll have a scout around the dancefloor and pick up people who are concentrating on us then maybe make a gesture to them like a clap or just mouth "What a tune" to them. What's great is the reaction you get back from them. We both buzz off the crowd as much as the music and they buzz of us that's what its about, well it is for us anyway.
      How has your life changed in the last 12 months or so?

      JP - It's become more hectic, There's still a lot more room to get even more hectic though :-). Sunday School supported us from the start which is where we got our first residency and from then on we have kept our heads down and done a lot of hard work. We have spent a lot of time building our reputation in what we call our hometown of Birmingham. Its taken us a good ten months to get to the stage where we can now play out further a field and we now have 9 residencies and are represented by 4 DJ agencies on a non exclusive basis as we still like to have control of our own bookings.
      JUKESY - Following on from what JP has said - We now have a solid base to continue growing and have bookings for Sundissential North, Syn:ergy Vs Insomniacz, Insomniacz Sheffield and Leicester, Housewives Choice and Bosh to name just a few.
      JUKESY - To go from clubbers to DJ's is really exciting for both of us as we used to have it on the dancefloor to the likes of Farley and Glazby (we still do) but we now also have the privilege to play alongside the same people as DJ's. When Afterssential first started in 2002 at Subway city we were given a residency and we played the 2nd week after it opened and took over from Farley that for me is such an achievement in itself and I'll take that memory to the grave with me (hopefully not for a while though).
      What has the reaction been like toward your tunes?

      JP & JUKESY - How I feel and H-bomb are our first steps in the production side of things and both are very different and reflect the style that we are looking for perfectly. How I feel is a slab of hardhouse with a huge hoover breakdown and out of the two this one has received the most feedback and excitement.
      JUKESY - H-bomb is my personal favourite. It goes a lot deeper, dirtier and harder than how I feel. The percussion in it is thunderous on a loud system and again there is a significant input from the mighty hoover. It has taken people a little more time to come around to liking this as how I feel was an instant hit but I think people have come around to our way of thinking. When we play it out in clubs it is received very well and there are always a few people asking for a copy. Both tracks will be released on Passion Presents 2 at the end of May and I know there are already quite a few pre-orders at Passion Records. So its all looking good. DJ Support has come from Ian M, Mark Leish, Nik Denton, Testube Babies, Paul Janes Strange Dave and Daley.
      What are your opinions on other hard house DJing duos, such as the Stimulants, Jez & Charlie and Tidy Boys?
      JP & JUKESY - We have the utmost respect for all the Dj's on the circuit. The stimulant Dj's have been around for years and are now both massive in the Hard House scene as well as huge on the hardcore scene so this proves that these boys are really tuned into what they are doing as well as running a very strong label.
      JP & JUKESY - The tidy boys do what they do very good, mixing is always tight and run a very good and successful label.
      JP & JUKESY - Jez & Charile for me are going to be huge very very soon, they always play wicked sets and their set s are always different. You don't know quite what to expect to hear for them, may it be full on hard house, trance or techno. I really admire these boys and I'm sure they will be around for a long time to come.
      Where do you see yourself in 12 months?

      JP & JUKESY - We need to have goals and I would like to say that we would be Sundissential & Insomniacz Residents in 12 months time, haha. That is what we are aiming for anyway and it has been our dream since we started clubbing at Sundissential Hq when it was at Pulse Night-club and also Insomniacz when it was at Uropa and the Corporation. Obviously we would like to crack London with clubs like Frantic and Riot on our agenda. Ibiza is another little gem we would like to crack, we had a taster of playing out there when we played for Sundissential at Inox in the summer of 2002. Strange Dave and Dangle were supposed to play but there had been a mix up with their flights and we happened to be in the right place at the right time and had taken a bag of records over just in case and ended up playing an hour at peak time, It was a magical moment for both of us. We would also like to have a few more tracks released on various labels, it would be such and achievement for us to have a track released on Vicious Circle for example, we would also like to do a couple of collaborations with other DJ's.
      Did you ever fancy your dinner lady?

      JP - No, I never had that urge. Why did you Matt?? haha
      JUKESY - No, their uniform didn't really do it for me. Sorry
      If you could make the sky any colour, what colour and why?

      JP - Red & Yellow, to reflect SS of course!!
      JUKESY - I wouldn't change it. Blue is my favourite colour so there would be no need 🙂
    • SarahPVC
      Where and when was the best crowd u have ever played too? 
      Blimey! What a question... I think that the best crowds are those overseas simply because they don't get a lot of UK DJ's in places like New Zealand, South Africa and Japan. They know all about the music and are so enthusiastic it's sometimes embarassing as you realise just how spoilt we are here in the UK.
      Have you ever played a bad set due to anything going wrong? What happened?
      Umm, the worst situation happened in Bristol last year. Someone handed me a drink that had been 'doctored'. I ended up pretty much passing out and had to be carried from the club completely out of my mind! Sometimes I'm my own worst enemy! hahahaha
      How do you feel when u see the crowd go wild to yr tunes?
      You feel ten foot tall. It truly is the best high and when you finish you're grinning from ear to ear - and if you're not then you should retire!
      What's yr favourite club to play in? 
      I run a party called Riot! at The End in London and because I work really hard to make it the best event in the UK (Mixmag approved!), when I step up to the decks and there's nearly a 1000 people going crazy (on a Sunday afternoon!) it's the culmination of a month's blood, sweat and tears and it's the best. That's job satisfaction!
      What other music do you like? 
      good music! 
      What hobbies do you have? 
      ummm, promoting is my hobby! I know that it sounds daft but I work a full week running Nukleuz Records, the number one 12" selling label on the planet, DJ two - four times every weekend and so there's not a lot of time to do anything outside of music! Riot! is my baby and a labour of love. It's been hard work but after two years we have been voted Number One club in the UK by Mixmag so it's a hobby that's totally rewarding!
      What do you spend all your money on? 
      Money? I do this for love baby... 
      What model were yr first ever set of decks? 
      My very very first pair of decks were a disco console that a mate gave me in 1991 when I was 15! With no crossfader or pitch-control they didn't last long! moved on to soundlabs and then took the plunge to buy technics about 8 years ago...
      Whats your favourite tune on rotation at the moment? 
      Got a bootleg of Eminem in a German stylee that features the breakdown from Moby 'Go'. It's bonkers!
      Which DJ would u most like to play B2B with? 
      I'd like to battle Carl Cox 'cos we've both got the funk are really pro-active in our mixing style. There's no standing around!
      If you could choose any place in the world to DJ...which would you choose? 
      I still really want to play in South America and I'm making enquiries... hopefully won't be long!
      How does it feel to have gone from a small weekly night to a monthly voted number one in the country by Mixmag? (Riot! that is) 
      It feels immensely satisfying. Promoting is the hardest game, especially in London! In two years there has been a lot of hard work put in by me and the team and to become the best club in the UK in Mixmag was a dream come true. I must admit I had a lump in my throat when I saw it...
      How important does he think House music is in HH clubs? 
      Variety is the spice of life! I would play drum and bass in my club if I could! Funky house works really well, it draws a different type of clubber into the party and offers an alternative. Clubs that play hardhouse in two or three different rooms need their heads checking and there's so much good music out there - experiment!
      Who do you see as the future of Hard dance music? 
      The future of hard dance are the people on the dancefloor. It's the job of promoters, producers and especially DJ's to inspire the people on the 'floor and make them want to get up and say 'i want to do that!' Everyone in the industry has a responsibility to spread the love...
      Did you ever fancy your teacher at school? 
      hahahaha - i used to fancy the dinner lady 'cos she used to give me second helpings!
      If you could change the colour of the sky what colour would you change it to? 
      I'd just want to keep it blue all the time - not grey and shitty like today!
      All time 3 favourite tunes? 
      Stutter Rap - Morris Minor & The Majors / Startrekkin' / The Wizard - Paul Hardcastle
      Do you prefer Steps or Abba? 
      Abba - the source is always purest.
      Most random object ever given to you in a club? 
      Not sure, quite a few times I'd end up swapping my t-shirt with someone else who had a design I was particularly partial to! hahaha
      If you could rename purple what would you rename it as? 
      Aubergine!
    • SarahPVC
      Where are you and how are you feeling today?
      I am in Berlin right now in the studio. I am fine and well - working on my new album right now that we plan to release in autumn this year.
      Describe your djing style?
      I am playing electronic dance music.
      How did you get involved in music?
      I grew up in East Germany at a time where it was quite difficult to get the records with the music you like.
      So my main source at that time, was from West Berlin radio. I  would listen to special shows like the one by Monika Dietl - this was my introduction to new music.
      What are you favourite labels?
      Of course the one I am working for : VANDIT. We are working to build up a record label in my hometown Berlin that stands for the music we all love.
      What would be your dream gig?
      We are working in Berlin on our Vandit night to have a bimonthly dream gig.  It is the crowd, the guest DJ's, the sound system and vibes that create a dream gig.
      Which 4 words would best describe you?
      I prefer it if other people do that. I am a music freak, I love my wife my hometown Berlin and my rabbit Gromit.
      What did you do before your were a dj?
      I finished school and started an apprenticeship as a broadcast technican. I got the allowence to leave East Germany to find out that I could finish this apprenticeship in West Germany. So I started a new one as a joiner.
      How long have you been djing for now?
      I had my first gig in 1991 - so it is 12 years now.
      What was the name of the first record you ever bought?
      OMD - Organisation
      At a guess, how many records do you own?
      I have no idea as I never count them. It must be thousands but how many I don't know.
      You've dj'd in some of the world's most prolific dance venues - any that truly stands out form the rest?
      There were and are many really great venues but a lot of are closed now.
      For someone who has never been to a Cream event before, describe it to us.
      Cream are great promoter, I enjoy myself at Cream events all the time.  It is the vibe and atmosphere that makes it so special.
      How has clubland changed over the last few years for you?
      It became global
      Do you discuss your set with other DJs to ensure there's no crossover?
      No
      You were resident at Cream Ibiza residency last year, which turned out to be their most successful summer ever.  What are your plans for summer 2003?
      We are thinking about another biweekly season for 2003.
      Do you think it's still the greatest party Island in Europe?
      Besides Ibiza  and that's a British / Spanish party island as well J
      When is your next album released?
      We are thinking about September this year.
      Where do you see yourself in 20 years time?
      Still producing music but maybe not so much Djing anymore as I don't like the travelling
      PAUL VAN DYK IS HEADLINING THE CREAM FUTURE TRANCE ARENA AT CREAM, FRANTIC & NUKLEUZ PRESENT DIGITAL LOVE @ NOTTINGHAM ICE ARENA ON MARCH 8th
    • SarahPVC
      Where are you and how are you feeling today?
      At home and feeling gooooooood.
      Describe your djing style?
      House Music! Anything with a good  groove goes.
      How did you get involved in music?
      Used to hang around my mates record shop in town when I was a kid, and just got hooked on it.
      What else have you got coming up in 2003?
      Doing a few bits for Defected and Circo loco, which im really looking forward to, and also carrying on with my club class residency.
      What are you favourite labels?
      There's a few Maya records, Leaf records, Defected and of course my own label Portent records : )
      What would be your dream gig?
      Space terrace playing alongside Yousef, Onionz and Morillo, Not asking for much!
      Which 4 words would best describe you?
      Shy, musical, humorous, chancer
      What did you do before your were a dj?
      Worked in the accounts department of an insurance company. Nice!
      How did you get your big break into DJ'ing?
      Being asked to become weekly resident at club class.
      How long have you been djing for now?
      Nearly 8 years.
      What was the name of the first record you ever bought?
      I think it was the Michel Jackson thriller album
      At a guess, how many records do you own?
      About five thousand.
      Have you ever been to Cream or a Cream event before?
      I used to travel up with my Girlfriend a lot to see oakenfold tear it up in the courtyard.
      How has clubland changed over the last few years for you?
      I think it's a lot better now, because there aren't a lot of big room clubs left. And with the smaller clubs you get a better intimate atmosphere (and it's more fun to dj)
      Can you tell us a bit about your studio production work?
      I've been mainly doing mixes for my label over the last year, so im gonna aim to get a couple of my own tracks finished in the next couple of months. 
      What are you plans for the summer?  Will you be popping over to Ibiza this year?
      Gonna be in Ibiza a few times summer playing for crico loco and defected, which im looking forward to already.
      Where do you see yourself in 20 years time?
      Don't think I'll be djing then, so maybe something music
      Nic Fanciulli will be performing in the Annexe alongside Dirty Vegas (Live), Jon Carter and K-Klass at Cream, Frantic & Nukleuz present Digital Love at Nation, Liverpool on Saturday 8th March.  
      For full line-up go to http://www.cream.co.uk/ . Tickets on Sale now £12 NUS + bf / £15 + bf other.  Info: Tel 0207 299 0950/0151 709 1693 
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