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Ian Cashman, Andy J, Ady and John Wright. Four rising stars in the world of trance from the Midlands, North and London. We caught up with the boys to see what they are up to right now, their plans for the future and just what exactly they have in store for the crowd at Mayhem in Milton Keynes (MIMK) on Saturday 9th April. CL: What are you all looking forward to most at MIMK on 9th April? IC: I'm really looking forward to playing in a large hall. Most of my gigs have been in smaller venues, so it will be cool to be playing to a bigger room! AJ: Being part of one of the biggest dance events in the area for a long time. Ady: Playing in such a fantastic venue and also having the privilege in playing for such a great club night. Roll on the 9th! Hopefully this gig will help me in my DJ-ing career. JW: Being part of a great line-up, getting behind those decks and then joining my friends on the dance floor afterwards! CL: What other sets will you be checking out on the night? IC: JFK is always guaranteed to play some wicked peak time anthems, so I'm sure his set will be one to catch. It's always a great atmosphere when he's playing. Scott Bond b2b Matt Hardwick is gonna be cool for me because these guys always have a lot of new stuff in their record box. I wanna check out Eddie Halliwell too I've not seen him play this year. AJ: All of the main room sets, and hopefully some of Mr Tissera in the Cyberkitten/Slinky arena. Ady: Definitely Eddie Halliwell for his Technical ability, Mark EG for his madness behind the decks and Matt Hardwick for his seamless mixing. JW: Eddie Halliwell always plays a blinder so I am looking forward to his debut for WiLDCHiLD. Garbo and Daley's b2b in the Slinky arena will also be quality, definitely one to see! CL: How did you get into DJ-ing? IC: I knew a few people with decks when I first started clubbing years ago around 93/94. Once you are into the music and start buying records because you love the music, it's the next logical step. AJ: Through helping a mobile DJ, carrying equipment etc and then eventually establishing my own mobile road-show. Ady: I always listen to Judge Jules on Radio1 on a Friday and Saturday night, after listening to his shows for over a year I decided that I wanted a go at DJ-ing then about 6months later I got my first pair of decks. JW: I got a job working at Tandy when I was sixteen, and when they closed down I bought a 10 mixer. I started putting together demos by mixing with good old fashioned audio cassettes and CDs, and I gave these out to local nights in Merseyside. I soon realised that a tape deck and 10 mixer were not the way forward so I took the plunge, invested in my first decks and it all spiralled from there! CL: What have been your main influences throughout your DJ career? IC: I like DJ's that are not afraid to mix up genres a little. Tiesto, although he's got a lot of haters at the moment has always been a big influence since I caught his September 2001 Essential Mix. He's not technically the best DJ in the world, but I love the music he plays. AJ: My passion for music and seeing people enjoy themselves. House party or main room, 10 or 1000 people, the buzz is incredible. Ady: Judge Jules as he got me into dance music and Eddie Halliwell with his cutting scratching and tricks. JW: My dad was a musician and a teacher who travelled the world playing in a band and this got me interested in performing. When I saw the reaction that DJ's such as Paul van Dyk and Oakenfold got at Cream when I started clubbing, I knew that was what I wanted to do. More recently, I've been inspired by DJ's who have gone one step further and done something that has never been done before, such as Tiesto and his concerts in Arnhem. CL: When was your first break in the DJ world? IC: My initial interest was only in doing mixes for myself, but I got asked to play at parties etc by friends, which has led onto being heard by people who have gone on to book me for bigger dates. My first big event was actually WiLDCHiLD at Heaven last May, so it's nice to be playing for WiLDCHiLD again. AJ: My first club gig was a very dodgy club in Wolverton called the Main Arena. I think it's been turned into a Gospel hall or something. Ady: Got my first Gig at a Frisky member's party in Northampton. Played a 45min set and what shitting myself all the way through it! Thankfully it went OK and I ended up getting a set at Frisky on a Friday night. JW: After a few years of playing at local nights around Merseyside, I entered the Passion competition in 2002 and played in the final with Jon O'Bir. CL: What have been your biggest sets to date? IC: WiLDCHiLD at Heaven and Serious at The Cross, which is always an ace night. AJ: Frisky New Years eve 2003/2004 warming up for Guy Ornadel was special. Frisky vs Slinky at the Sanctuary MK was another very memorable one. Ady: Frisky alongside the Tidy Boys and Adam Sheridan and Toxik in London. JW: Playing at Passion for the first time was very special as that place holds a lot of good memories. Playing at Shushh last year alongside The Thrillseekers and Matt Hardwick was awesome, as was being asked to play at the Inspiration charity event with the likes of John Askew, Adam Sheridan, Matt Hardwick and Riley & Durrant to raise money for the tsunami appeal. CL: What other sets have you got planned for the coming months? IC: I've got more sets planned for Serious at The Cross, April 16th and October 15th. AJ: My residency with Frisky, Pumpin in Rugby, and through my involvement with Vince from Realworld DJ's hopefully more doors will open. Ady: Future gigs include Frisky and Pumpin. JW: I've got another WiLDCHiLD event coming up; Frisky vs WiLDCHiLD, on 27th May in Northampton. Before that is Fixation classics night at my residency Fixation in Nottingham on 14th May, as well as Rise FM which is every Thursday night at 8pm at www.risefm.com and the next ETN show on www.ETN.FM is 16th April. CL: Have any of you been in the studio recently and do you have any plans to release a track soon. IC: I've got several productions on the go at the moment. I'm hoping to get them completed for the summer. It can be difficult to find the time to throw myself into it with a full time job as well. AJ: I have a few ideas but its still early days. Ady: I've never stepped inside a studio, but it is something that I've been thinking of doing, so keep your eyes peeled. JW: Paul Mendez from ID&T co-produced a track I wrote with Stevie Hunter last year named Combustion. I produced my first solo track this year called Midnight Inspiration and now I'm well and truly hooked! I'm planning to put a lot of my time into producing this year. CL: What else do you do outside of DJ-ing? IC: I'm an electrician! Gotta do something to pay the mortgage! AJ: Full time employment, football and the love of my beloved Stella Artois! JW: Aside from production, I have a weekly radio show on Denmark's Rise FM and a monthly show on ETN FM. I'm also label manager for Connected Music so a lot of my time is spent promoting our releases and searching for the next track to sign. CL: You all range from the North, Midlands and London. Here's the typical North/South divide question - which end is the best? IC: Well I'm from Peterborough so I'm kind of halfway between. When I go out I go out in London. What does that say? AJ: Topside of Watford gap and your a foreigner! Ha Ha! Ady: Neither North nor South. Personally I think Midlands is the best. JW: Who cares as long as you're having a great time! CL: On searching information for you all, I came across some absolute random stuff like an Andy J in Missouri, Kansas who plays at weddings and bat mitzvahs and also an Ady who plays on a Romanian radio station. What funny stuff have you found using a search engine? IC: Apparently I'm something to do with parachute safety in some circles. Would you trust me to make sure your parachute is packed properly? AJ: Some bastard has nicked my DJ name! Ady: Ha ha, you wouldn't wanna know! I've seen some right weird stuff on the net, but one of the funniest was something involving a jam jar and inserting it into part of the body, pretty sick! JW: Someone told me recently they were searching for my website and stumbled across another John Wright, one half of a husband and wife duo, who plays Bluegrass, Folk and Country music in Illinois, USA! Apparently they go down a storm at weddings! CL: How many trance styles can you come up with. For example I heard the other day trance being described as floaty, fluffy, fanny trance and also ninja black hole trance. How would you define your style? IC: Ninja black hole trance? Where on earth did you hear that? 😉 AJ: Uplifting through to Techy and then we're gonna get down right dirty! Ady: Ninja black hole trance? You serious?! I play many types of trance but I could only describe my main style as driving, dirty, raw trance with added spice. JW: A friend of mine once described his eclectic style in obscure funky house as chunky bungalow! Mine would have to be energetic, uplifting and driving. CL: If you could play anywhere in the world, where would you be? IC: I'd love to be playing in Ibiza this summer (hint hint nudge nudge WiLDCHiLD - do an Ibiza event!!!) AJ: Dance Valley, Holland. Ady: It's got to be Ibiza; all the best parties seem to happen there. JW: It would have to be Amnesia in Ibiza. One of my best clubbing nights was at Cream's 2003 closing party where PvD played an extra 3hrs. Ever since then, Amnesia has been number 1 on my wish list! CL: Name 3 things you couldn't live without. IC: Music, good books and electricity. AJ: Sex, drugs and rock n roll! Ady: This is tough...Um decks, a mixer and speakers. JW: I know three things I could live without; cheesy dance remixes of 80s pop tunes, a pair of headphones that crack three days after their 12 month warranty expires and forgetting the combination to the padlock on your record bag!