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Published: 15 August 2004

DJ Alixir from HKClubbing.com Interviews Dave Angel...

First noticed and quickly signed for his classic bootleg remix of The Eurythmics "Sweet Dreams" that eventually became a legitimate release, Dave Angel has moved from strength to strength over the years with his unique Hard Tech Funk sound. He's played almost every country and club worldwide and had many successful releases to date as well as being regarded as one of the Godfathers of the UK techno scene. HKClubbing's DJ Alixir caught up with Dave just before the release of "DA03", the third instalment in the "Dave Angel" mix compilations.

Q: Hi Dave, what kind of feeling are you expecting to instill into the listener with "DA 03"?
A: I hope I instil a reflection of a full on club environment to the listener.

Q: There's a lot of international talent on the CD, which artists would you love to collaborate with or remix off of "DA 03"?
A: I would love to collaborate with Danilo Vigorito, and do a remix of Olav Basoski remix of Noel Nanton’s track, El Ray.

Q: On "the mix" side of things, what forms of technique do you use to smoothe transitions from track to track? EQ? Cutoff filters?
A: I use EQ and volume, I try not to use filters when recording a cd as not everybody may like the sound it is ok in clubs.

Q: Mixers, less onboard functions or more onboard functions? Do DJ's have enough toys to play with these days? How easy is it to go overboard with decks and effects in your opinion?
A: More on board functions, if you have the facility and are willing to experiment, yeah it is great. When a DJ is using these effects its almost like he is remixing on the spot. It is quite easy to go overboard.

Q: Have you ever felt that you've ever gone a bit overboard with any productions or live mixes?
A: I do not think I have gone overboard with any own my productions this is for other people to say.

Q: Can you think of a country, place or club that you have yet to play but want to?
A: I have never played in Egypt; I would love to play in a party in front of the pyramids.

Q: If you hadn't been noticed for your "nightmare mix" of Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams", do you still think you'd still have aimed at getting into the music industry?
A: If I had not been noticed for my Sweet Dreams remix I would have kept on going I have been in this industry since 8 yrs old.

Q: What's been the main "high" of your career so far, and what has been your personal "low"?
A: The high point in my career to date is the Sweet Dreams remix and the low has been the last two years, I had a new computer that has given me nothing but trouble for the past 2 yrs but now it has gone a new one installed that works perfectly.

Q: Music career and family life, easy to juggle or a case of compromise sometimes?
A: With everything in life you need to compromise.

Q: Can you tell us about who has primarily influenced your approach towards the tracks you write? Do you have a structured approach towards starting a piece eg. bassline first etc.
A: I do not have an approach to the tracks I write I go into the studio with whatever vibe I have and it goes from there, I always start with the kick drum and the rest flows.

Q: Do you engineer your own tracks or leave it to another studio. If you do, what's your favourite tool for engineering be it software or hardware?
A: I do all my own engineering in my own studio my favourite thing is my Mackie mixer.

Q: What in your opinion is the ultimate synth of all time? Digital or analogue?
A: The ultimate synth is the Waldorf wavestation.

Q: I heard a rumour (i don't know how true this is!) that somebody stole all of you studio kit by floating it up a canal. If this rumour was true, how long did it take you to rebuild? Did you lose many tracks that were under progress?
A: Do not listen to rumours, this is all lies. Bit funny though.

Q: What are you going to concentrate on next? Are we to expect a studio album from yourself or a another mix album? Any remixes in the pipeline for other artists?
A: Next from me will hopefully be my third album and a mix compilation on my own Rotation Inprint. And many other projects that I am working on.

Q: Where can we catch you over the summer? Any plans on coming to Asia in the near future?
A: I will doing the normal DJ circuit over the summer you can get my dates on my web site, www.daveangel.com.  I hope to be in Asia in September.

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Published: 15 August 2004

Wu Tang Clan€™s RZA- Most Hip Hop Stars Are Marsh Mellows

“A lot of the artists acting so tough and wanting to be gangstas are marsh mellows. If you see them (in real life) they’re not the same person you see on TV. And when they get money they start acting even more gangsta’. It’s a lot of propaganda and bullshit. I remember when Wu Tang Clan used to come to the clubs, all those same artists would hide.”

Sitting in a luxury private members bar in London’s Mayfair, Wu Tang Clan founder and commander-in-chief Robert ‘RZA’ Diggs seems a million miles away from the bullets and bling of New York’s increasingly violent hip hop world. Not that he’s too personally concerned by events such the recent murder of Run DMC guru Jam Master Jay, whose killers remain at large.

“Somebody knows what happened with Jam Master Jay but I don’t think it was associated particularly with hip hop,” he told Skrufff’s Benedetta.

“That kind of thing happens every day in our community, somebody gets robbed, killed, shot, whatever. It just happened to be a celebrity that day.” Despite his apparently flippant bravado though, he’s more than happy to drop his mask.

“But none of us are so tough,” he admits.

“We all got a certain fear.”

Gun crime aside, he’s firing on all cylinders to promote his new solo album The World According To RZA, a collaborative project between the Staten Island producer and the cream of European hip hop. Combining RZA’s songs and production skills with French, British and German collaborators (including Blade, Skinnyman, Ghostface Supakilla and IAM) the record highlights hip hop’s truly global nature as well as RZA’s unusually internationalist outlook (for an American hip hop artist, anyway.)

“The album was originally going to be called War because I’m having a war to break down the barriers people put up against each other,” he explained.

“How can you have these borders where people are separated and try to kill each other if someone crosses the line. All it’s about (the Iraq War) is a small bunch of men in each of those places controlling the masses of the people. It’s like big gang banging- for real.”

RZA’s use of Ali G’s ‘for real’ catchphrase also appears to be less than coincidental.

“Ali G is crazy, Yo! he’s crazy,” he laughs.

“I didn’t even watch the show then everybody started calling me saying ‘Listen, this motherfucka’s acting like you’. I guess coz’ he had the glasses, the hat and the rings. I said ‘This guy is funny’. He is funny, though, let me tell you, he’s crazy. I don’t know if he chose to copy me or not but it looks like it. All my friends think so, anyway.”

Skrufff (Benedetta): The album was originally due to come out in 2001, why has it been delayed until now?

RZA: “We had a lot of label problems then I guess the 911 situation happening and the music industry going through its recession also played their parts. Releasing it involved a lot of politics between labels. Originally we were going to release it on BMG then we switched to Virgin Records which meant we had to do all the paperwork and legal stuff all over again. That’s one of the sad things about the music business- it sometimes hurts the music because it hinders its release. Fortunately, Virgin recognised the importance of the record and its potential, so they picked it up and have given it a fair shot.”

Skrufff: You’ve cancelled quite a few trips in recent months, was that connected with terror threats?

RZA: “No, no, no, the last time I was sick and I had family problems, that was in May, when I cancelled my whole European trip. I had too many things to do back home. The time before that, in March, it was due to bad scheduling by the record company. I was already on a tour and they wanted to fly me from Eastern Europe to London then fly me back for a concert and I was like ‘Hold on, this isn’t going to work’. I was flying all over Europe, doing press then flying to concerts and it got to the stage where my knees were so stiff that I wasn’t able to do my full energetic performance because I became fatigued. Not fatigued because I was tired, but rather from all the travelling- even now I’m still clogged up. It’s not healthy to travel like that, so I told the label ‘Look, the best artist is a healthy and happy artist’.

I’ll do anything you ask me because I love music and I love talking to music writers, other musicians, anybody that’s interested in hip hop; I love to give them my vibe and my way of thinking. Even this trip is hectic, I’ve flown in today when I should have flown in yesterday so I can rest, have a good meal and get a good night sleep so we could have focused conversation. Being an artist as well as an executive, I know how to do both roles and I know how to make it work.”

Skrufff: Four of your collaborators are from France what drew you to use so many French artists?

RZA: “At first we only scheduled three of them, but what happened was we winded up meeting other artists that were friends of the first three, who were dope (good). NAP were friends of Passi, they were hanging together so we said let’s do a song. There were also some other songs from France that didn’t make it onto the album, because we had too many tracks. We spent a lot of time in France and it was a really good vibe. I liked lots of music from there, that’s why there’s lots of French artists on the record, they were hungry to get involved.”

Skrufff: How are French artists and musicians seen in the US, since the Iraq war?

RZA: “I can’t measure that because I have a lot of love for the French and I’m shown a lot of love back. I’m biased towards the French. I’ve heard people say things but to me they’ve always been cool, it’s more TV hype than anything else. People aren’t really pissed off at each other, maybe at each other’s governments but not each other.”

Skrufff: Who have you got from the UK?

RZA: “We have Skinny Man, Blade, Bronz N Black and Mr Tibbs; all on the album. It was bad news with Bronz N Black they did two songs, one with Ghostface, but I couldn’t find it until I’d finished mastering the album. So we’re going to try and release that as a bonus B side single for the UK, because Ghostface went great with those guys. It also shows the unity of American and UK hip hop. We also have Skinnyman on a track, who I think is a very dope, up and coming artist from here. He doesn’t try to be American with his style, he sticks to his roots, he has a perfect London English accent and he has his whole original character- he’s real hip hop.”

Skrufff: The UK hip hop scene still seems significantly smaller than the US, why do you think this is so?

RZA: “I was talking about this with Tim Westwood recently and we reckoned it’s because there’s not a lot of artists out here who are being supported by the record companies. We both thought the problem is because this is an English speaking country, it’s very simple for British people to understand American hip hop artists so therefore the record companies, who are based in America, focus on the artists with whom they’ve already got an investment with, ie American artists. You’ve got artists like Ms Dynamite breaking out, and a few groups breaking out here and there. One of the greatest hip hop rappers of all time, in fact, is a native of London and that’s Slick Rick.”

Skrufff: You’re the producer of this project, what did that involve in practical terms?

RZA: “We flew to seven or eight countries which involved a lot of planes, trains and automobiles. I stayed in lots of studios to record this album. It was almost like a tour but it was a really good experience. I actually recorded the whole record in 36 days. Then I had to go back home and fine tune it and add the American flavour. The European artists worked very fast, very well, they were hungry and ambitious and they actually rekindled my ambition. Lots of artists can’t make music without money no more, that happened to me at one point, I couldn’t make music unless a budget was on the table and you don’t want to get like that. For this album there was no money on the table, it was a struggle, it wasn’t in summer, it was done in a cold spring with lots of travelling. I’m also a vegetarian, so I had a very hard time getting a proper diet. But I did it and I loved every moment.”

Skrufff: The album’s called The World According to RZA, how do you see the state of the world?

RZA: “My album was originally called War because I’m having a war to break down these barriers people put up against each other. How can you have borders between four countries within a hundred miles, where people are separate and will try to kill each other if you cross this line. All it is about, is a small bunch of men in each of these places controlling the masses of the people. It’s like big gang banging. For real. I don’t really approve of it because we’re all the human family. It’s been told by many great prophets throughout history and many great civil rights teachers, people like Ghandi. Even if you look at people like Stalin or Hitler who were terrible in history, their idea was to unify the people as one. Unity is the key. The euro is an example of people trying to unify but they’re only trying to unify through the dollar and not through the heart and that’s another problem.

We’re knocking down all barriers and there’s no separation in hip hop, we’re not going to say there’s West Coast or East Coast hip hop, American hip hop or European hip hop, it’s got to be the movement of our generation, one hip hop. I like to say this quote; hip hop; the sound and soul of our generation, that’s my favourite quote.”

Skrufff: But the Wu Tang Clan also looked very much like a tribe?

RZA: “It’s OK to feel part of a tribe or part of a group but we should still have a basic common law. But what happens is that each place has its own laws on top of its traditions. Traditions are one thing and law another. The law has been given to us in books already by a group of great men already. If you go to Israel, they have a book of law, Moses left a book of law. Buddha had a book of law for the Chinese, Krishna had a book of law for the Indians. And all these laws are similar, if you read them they’re all talking about love each other, peace, take care of yourself, if you do bad shit bad shit will happen to you, it’s all the same laws. Native Americans had the same laws. People always try to use Government and ideology to overcome the natural law that’s already placed by God.”

RZA: “Puff Daddy and Mariah Carey recently demonstrated against America’s horrific drug laws, specifically New York’s anti-cannabis Rockerfeller Laws, where do you stand on it?

RZA: “I’m against those laws, should cannabis be legal? Of course it should be legal but controlled. Alcohol was illegal at one stage so they had gangsters and mobsters killing each other over who’s going to sell alcohol. It was still there, and it’s still the same drug now, but the government controls it now and it’s legal. These laws are just about a bunch of greedy old men finding a bunch of ways to oppress young men. They know that any young kid is going to experiment with alcohol, or marijuana or any drug that’s available, we all experiment and that’s the duty of life. When you see something like that, it means these old men are looking to incarcerate more young men in jail.

What’s happened in America is that there are more weed dealers than crack dealers because some kids don’t want to sell crack not only because of the strict laws against it but also because they’re starting to feel guilty about doing it. They feel guilty about what it causes. Everybody sells weed, fuck, I sell weed, you don’t feel guilty when you sell weed.. 60 to 70% of our country should go to jail if they really crack down on weed because that’s how many people in our country smoke it. The guy that just interviewed me was about 50 and he said he’d been smoking weed for 30 years, should he go to jail if they found some weed on him?”

Skrufff: how do you feel about the anti-tobacco laws in New York?

RZA: “I disagree with smoking tobacco inside parties, because smoking is a bad feeling, to breathe someone else’s smoke is horrible, there should definitely be designated smoking areas. I shouldn’t have to suffer your smoke, but if you want to smoke, smoke your life away. If weed is illegal, then tobacco should be illegal. Artificial colouring should be illegal. Artificial is proven to cause cancer.”

Skrufff: Hip hop seems plagued by ultra-violence again, why is it escalating again?

RZA: “As far as the violence is concerned, it escalates because it’s promoted. Hip hop is already a competitive sport naturally, it’s already a violent sport and it actually started out as a way to express violence without using violence, so the words have been violent for many years and very attacking. Hip hop was a way of expressing violence without inflicting physical violence on each other. But now the media’s got hold of it and taken it to another level. Then the artists start wanting to be so tough, everybody wants to be like Tupac, or Biggie, everybody wants to be what they ‘ain’’ so they act like that. A lot of the artists acting so tough and wanting to be gangstas are marsh mellows. If you see them they’re not the same person you see on TV. Then when they get money they act even more gangsta. It’s a lot of propaganda and bullshit. There’s always going to be some rawness. I remember when Wu Tang Clan used to come to the clubs and all those same artists would hide.But none of us are so tough. We all got a certain fear.

The sad part of it is the influence it has on the children, because the children do believe these guys are tough. You might think Sylvester Stallone really can fight like Rocky but it’s just a movie, it’s imagination. Or Chuck Norris, or Steven Segal. They’re actors. Look at Al Pacino, he was Scarface then in Dogday Afternoon he played a gay bank robber. When kids watch Scarface they go crazy for Al Pacino. I’m a patriot, but America is a place that was born out of violence. So therefore, if they don’t realise that and move away from violence they’ll be destroyed by it.”

The World According to RZA is out now on Virgin Records.

http://www.wutangclan.com (Wu Tang Clan)

by: Benedetta Skrufff (Skrufff.com)

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Published: 15 August 2004

Cream Interviews Paul Oakenfold for Creamfields 2003...

Cream: What is your full name?
Paul Oakenfold: Paul Oakenfold

Cream: Where were you born?
Paul Oakenfold: London

Cream: Age?
Paul Oakenfold: 37

Cream: Where do you live now?
Paul Oakenfold: London and LA

Cream: Obviously the scene has changed over the last 10 years, in what ways do you see the differences?
Paul Oakenfold: Well it has simply got massive. Who would of thought that I would have played on the Great Wall of China. Not me!

Cream: What was your highpoint in the last decade?
Paul Oakenfold: Many high points, playing with U2, Playing at Wembly, making Bunkka, Cream residency, scoring Swordfish, I have been very lucky.

Cream: What was your low point in the last decade?
Paul Oakenfold: Probably being a Chelsea supporter, when will we ever win the championship?!

Cream: Describe your djing style ?
Paul Oakenfold: I play to the room, to the people.

Cream: Massive Attack are headlining this years Creamfields festival, and I believe you’ve worked with them on a number of remixes…have you heard their new album and if so what do you think of it?
Paul Oakenfold: I haven’t heard it.

Cream: Last year you performed on the Live Outdoor stage at Creamfields Ireland in front of 10,000 people, this year you will be performing on the Live Outdoor stage for the first time at Creamfields UK, are you looking forward to this…? Is there much of a difference in your sets when playing an outdoor stage than an arena..?
Paul Oakenfold: I like the bigger stages, It's a challenge. I think that the same rules apply, you have to watch the crowd to see if you are giving them what they want.

Cream: We’ve not seen much of you in the UK over the last year or so, as you’ve been over in the US working on a number of high profile film scores, is this something that you always wanted to do?
Paul Oakenfold: Yea, I love the movies, I always have. Since Swordfish, I have had a lot of offers so I have been following a new road in films. Its brilliant I am having a great time with it.

Cream: What are you working on at the moment ?
Paul Oakenfold: My new mix album.

Cream: Your highly successful debut Album Bunkka surprised a lot of people, as its style was very different from what you play on the club circuit…will there be a follow up and if so can you tell us a bit about it..?
Paul Oakenfold: I am working on it, but Bunkka took 3 years to make so who knows when Bunkka 2 will happen.

Cream: What track do you expect to take the roof off at this years Creamfields festival?
Paul Oakenfold: Not sure you tell me?

Cream: Who will you be checking out at this years festival?
Paul Oakenfold: Massive Attack

Cream: Whats your best and worst festival memory?
Paul Oakenfold: Germany last year, worst memory. We drove 4 hours to get there from Prague and four hours back. When I got there it was all banging techno. In the end the crowd got what I was all about but it was really hard work. Best memory is probably the Burning Man festival. If you have been there then you know why, it is simply amazing.

Cream: What are your vices?
Paul Oakenfold: Food and Chelsea!

Cream: Who do you see as a rising star in the dj world at the moment?
Paul Oakenfold: I am big fan of Layo & Bushwacka,

Cream: Whats your favourite film?
Paul Oakenfold: Night On Earth

Cream: What 3 things could you not live without ?
Paul Oakenfold: Water, Food, Sun.

Cream: What would your best friend say was your best quality ?
Paul Oakenfold: You will have to ask him.

Cream: What was the last book you read?
Paul Oakenfold: Silver Sword

Cream: What are you favourite record labels?
Paul Oakenfold: Mute, LQ, Tribe

Cream: What was the first & last record you bought?
Paul Oakenfold: T-Rex Queen Of Damm.

Cream: Tell us a secret?
Paul Oakenfold: If I told you I would have to shoot you.

Cream: Please finish this sentence…Creamfields is….?
Paul Oakenfold: Important to the locals.

Details

Published: 15 August 2004

Cream Interviews Mauro Picotto for Creamfields 2003...

Cream: Where were you born?
Mauro Picotto: I was born in a town called Cavour just outside Turin. I still live there just now.

Cream: Age?
Mauro Picotto: That would be telling. ;-)

Cream: Obviously the scene has changed over the last 10 years, in what ways do you see the differences?
Mauro Picotto: The scene has its ups and its down like any other business. The scene over the past few years has changed as people want to go to bigger and better events. I think there is still a lot of life left in clubbing and things will pick up again once someone comes up with something different. The scene is far from dead and it will always be there, underground or overground.

Cream: What was your highpoint in the last decade?
Mauro Picotto: My highpoint would have to be my daughter Alessia being born in 1998, this was also the year that I released my first single under my own name. The track was Lizard.

Cream: What was your low point in the last decade?
Mauro Picotto: In my career i have been lucky enough not to have any major low points. The only real low points would have to be personal problems such as close relatives dying or falling ill.

Cream: Describe your dj’ing style ?
Mauro Picotto: I would say my Dj style is full of energy, I like to give it my all as the people have made the effort to come and see me so I like to give them something back. I like to think there is never a dull moment in my sets.

Cream: As well as playing Creamfields UK your also playing the Czech Republic and Creamfields Poland, have you played in these territories before? If so, what if any are the differences between that market and the UK’s?
Mauro Picotto: Yes, I am looking forward to playing all of these gigs. I have played in Poland once in a place just outside Warsaw. People over there are really into their techno and they seem to like it a bit harder. In both countries the clubbers are pretty similar because they are both very excited about going out and they usually both dance all nite.

Cream: It was reported that you wouldn’t be playing any festivals this year, however, have agreed to play only one festival this Summer…this being Creamfields why is that?
Mauro Picotto: I did say at the beginning of the year that I was either not going to play any festivals or I would be very picky with the ones I did play. I feel Creamfields is a very good festival because its at the end of the summer and people tend to give the summer a good send off because of this. Playing on the Radio 1 stage was important for me as well because I’m not really classed as a trance Dj and I’m not classed as a techno Dj either so this way trance fans wont be disappointed with seeing me in a trance arena.

Cream: You will be performing the final set on the Radio 1 Outdoor stage this year for the first time along with Judge Jules, Seb Fontaine and Dave Pearce…are you looking forward to this?
Mauro Picotto: Yes, I am looking forward to this very much because Radio 1 all over the world has a great name for dance music in general. With the essential mix being listened too all over the world to the afore mentioned Dj’s shows being listened too aswell. Finishing off the night on there will be really good as the sun will be going down and that really is bringing the summer to an end.

Cream: What track do you expect to take the roof off at this years Creamfields festival?
Mauro Picotto: It’s a bit too early to say to be honest. There are so many good producers out there at the moment no matter what genre you are talking about. A tune that has been massive already this year is Coldplay – Clocks. So many different people having been doing their own remix of this, including myself. It’s a really happy tune and I’m reckon all those whove remixed it will play it…!

Cream: Who will you be checking out at this years festival?
Mauro Picotto: I have seen that the Bugged out tent has a very good line up so I’m sure I will pay that a visit. Also Erick Morillo for the funkier side of things is always good. To be honest I will check out most of the tents just to see what is happening and also Massive Attack will be worth checking out.

Cream: Whats your best and worst festival memory?
I don’t really have a best and a worst but your worst nightmare when it comes to festivals is that it will be raining. The weather plays a big part on how successful a festival is and I know that in the UK anyway they are famous for their bad weather. I just hope its sunny because with me being on the open air stage I will be relying on the weather to be good.

Cream: Have you been working in the studio lately? If so what on..?
Mauro Picotto: I have been in the studio working very hard since the end of last year. I left BXR and Media records at the end of last year so I have been working on bringing my productions out on a new label. I am releasing my first new EP on the Primate label which is a techno label. The EP will be called “The Alchemist EP” and will feature 4 new tracks. New time New place, Codebreaker, Pandoro and Alchemist. My other new EP’s will be out a few months after the first one and Primeveil and then Primate again.

Cream: Are you working on any albums at the moment..?
Mauro Picotto:  I am working on an artist album but I want to make sure I have chosen the correct tracks for it. I want to produce many tracks over the coming months and choose the best from that. Maybe at the end of the year it should be ready.

Cream: What are your vices?
Mauro Picotto: I don’t really have any but I love cars. Nothing too flashy but I recently bought myself a new Mercedes SL 550.

Cream: Who do you see as a rising star in the dj world at the moment? And why?
Mauro Picotto: There are 2 people who I would say. I work very closely with both in the studio as one is my studio technician and the other is a good friend. Riccardo Ferri (Formerly known as Ricky Effe) is in the studio with me most of the time. He dosn’t Dj but he does do a live show containing most of the tracks that we work on and release, old and new. The second would be Gabry Fasano who is an excellent producer and Dj in his own right. He has a slightly harder sound but yet not too hard. Both are very musically minded.

Cream: Whats your favourite film?
Mauro Picotto: I don’t really have a favourite film but I LOVE the star wars series of films. Im not a huge fan of the whole collector things but I really like the films.

Cream: What 3 things could you not live without ?
Mauro Picotto: My family would be number 1, my studio would be number 2 and my music in general would be number 3.

Cream: What would you best friend say was your best quality ?
Mauro Picotto: The book I am reading at the moment is a british slang book. I have been learning proper English for 4 years now and now I want to understand some of the slang that people say. My main problem is accents so if I can understand the slang maybe I will understand the accent.

Cream: What are your favourite record labels?
Mauro Picotto: I don’t really have a certain records label that is my favourite. There is a lot of good stuff that comes out on white labels or I get them on white labels and then they will come out on a record label and I never find out what record label they come out on so its pretty difficult for a Dj to decide that.

Cream: What was your first & last record you bought?
Mauro Picotto: I get asked this in so many interviews but because I buy so many records I honestly couldn’t answer.

What did you do before your were a dj?
Mauro Picotto: I didn’t really do anything, my father owned a stone masons and I helped in there but I wanted to become a Dj and I eventually got the chance. Very lucky

Cream: Tell us a secret?
Mauro Picotto: I don’t know any secrets. I’m a loud month, I cant keep secrets.

Cream: Please finish this sentence…Creamfields is….?
Mauro Picotto: Creamfields is going to be MASSIVE this year. As always.

Details

Published: 15 August 2004

Newman Interviews the Plump DJs...

Newman: It is 7p.m. HK time. July 30. I have got Lee Rous of Plump DJs, on the phone in a Tokyo hotel. Hi Lee. This is Newman from Hong Kong. We scheduled to do an interview. How is it going?

Lee: Very good! How are you?

Newman: Great, thank you. So how was Japan so far? How was the Fuji Rock Festival?

Lee: It was excellent. 8000 –9000 people, and they are crazier than any other crowd that we played to. We are not sure is it because of our set or is it just generally Japanese. I guess we will find out after we play there a few more times.

Newman: So it is a world tour to promote your new album “Eargasm”. How long does it take for you to produce it?

Lee: 2 and a half years. We worked 4 days a week in the studio, alongside our remix works and our dj-ing schedule.
And during this period we experiment while road-testing the tracks around the world.

Newman: There is not much artist album coming out from the breakbeat scene, and actually not much from the club scene in general. How did the idea come up to produce an artist album?

Lee: After “A Plump Night Out” (the mix album ) sold 70,000 copies, our label asked us if we wanted to do an artist album. We said yes, and took the chance to enjoy ourselves at the studio, self indulge into our music…..….and now here is the album and we are playing around the world to promote it.

Newman: How do you split work with Andy in the production process?

Lee: We both write and produce, and we will both do the arrangement of the tracks.
In comparison, Andy does more on the engineering work, like for example working the sampler and stuff.

Newman: Like what kind of equipments did you use?

Lee: Old syths, Akai samplers, Logic sequencer…..…etc. We prefer to use analog equipments.

Newman: Why titled it Eargasm?

Lee: It is a phrase that we picked up while we played in Australia……….a play with words that we really like………, like an orgasm for the ears.

Newman: How was it like to work with Louise Rhodes of Lamb? Is it actually her? The album credit said Lou Robinson.

Lee: Yes, it is Louise. She married and used the name Lou Robinson for legal reasons. We did a trip hop/chill out track and we think she is perfect to be the one. She came up with some lyrics, we went to Chemical Brothers’ studio to record her, and then we pasted the result onto our track, re-arranged here and there and then it is “Morning Sun”..

Newman: How did the idea come up to collaborate with Gary Numan ?

Lee: We grow up in the 80’s and are heavily influenced by 80’s pop. Gary Numan is our hero, and he is a pop legend. As we need a vocalist on the track “Pray 4 U”, we think it is a good idea to get him, so we sent him the track. He loves it and he made a few version of his vocals and sent back to us.

Newman: And you got the funk legend there too. “Eddie Bo” was sampled on “The funk hit the fans”, right ?.

Lee: We found this acapella version, and think, oh yes, we just really wanted to do something with it.

Newman: Which track is the most well received tracks of the album so far?

Lee: The Gate is great in the big clubs. However, “the funk hits the fan” is also good in smaller venues.

Newman: Which one will be the next single?

Lee: Next single – either with Lee Combs remixing the Gary Numan track or maybe “Creepshow” .

Newman: How did you enjoy your last Hong Kong gig in December? Any good memories to take back home with you?

Lee: It seemed to me there was a pulse in the city. And lots of soul. There seemed to be quite a lot of people enjoying the more alternative kind of dance music, at least as I saw at our night. There was a very good vibe.

Newman: Did you bring some special killer tunes with you for Hong Kong this time?

Lee: Yes. A new track called “Pressure”, which we played it for our first time at the Fuji rock. And it went down very well. There is also a new version of the “The Gate”.

Newman: Will you be playing back to back or for a set amount of time each?

Lee: Yes, we usually play back to back with each of us playing 3-4 tracks a time. However, it will change according to the actual situation, for example if one of us is particular up for a few more tracks etc.

Newman: You will be playing at a club here called “Queens”. Talking about club, which one is your favourite club?

Lee: Definitely Fabric. There is a lot of good attitude. They don’t compromise, and they always look for new quality dance acts. It is the sort of venue that you will hear “Jacques Lu Cont” on one Friday and “Roni Size” on another. And they have the best sound system in the world, not to mention 3 rooms of different music.

Newman: Who do you look up to in the scene?

Lee: Lots and lots. If I tell you all the names, you will need to be there forever. To name a few particular, Rennie Pilgrem, Adam Freeland, Ali B, Tayo of Mob Records.

Newman: Ok. Last two for the ones that wonder how it will be like this Saturday. How do you describe the Plump Djs sound?

Lee: Lots of funk, lots of techno energy, disco flair and personality.

Newman: Breakbeat is predominantly quite a male thing. However, I guess Plumps is different, as I know you have a big female followings in Japan and the UK. What will you say to the Hong Kong girls?

Lee: Ha Ha….girls……oh…...what about “You cannot afford to miss the sexy sound of the Plump Djs.”

Newman: Let me add one for you. Lee was awarded the “Best Looking DJ” award of Time Out magazine in the UK.

Lee:  Stop that….Stop that……
Visit there label website at http://www.fingerlickin.co.uk/ for more information.

Details

Published: 15 August 2004

Cream Interviews Audiobullys for Creamfields 2003...

Cream: What are your names?
Audiobullys: Simon Franks

Cream: Where were you born?
Audiobullys: London

Cream: Age?
Audiobullys: 23

Cream: How long have you been together?
Audiobullys: 2yrs

Cream: How did you get discovered?
Audiobullys: Our manager took some demos round the labels.

Cream: This must have been an amazing year for you, what has been the highlight?
Audiobullys: Homelands – it was our first proper live gig!

Cream: Has their been any low points?
Audiobullys: Yeah – but you’ve got to take the rough with the smooth.

Cream: Who has been your biggest influence and why?
Audiobullys: Dr. Dre – Because he’s solid form all angles and he keeps getting better.

Cream: Where and when was your first Audiobullys gig?
Audiobullys: We did our first soundsystem gig in the Rizla tent at Glastonbury last year.

Cream: What was the most exciting place you have ever played ?
Audiobullys: Import – Warsaw, Poland

Cream: Who is your favourite act/DJ playing at Creamfields?
Audiobullys: Erick Morrillo and Tom Middleton

Cream: Will you be MC-ing aswell as Djing at Creamfields?
Audiobullys: Yes

Cream: What track are you most excited about playing at Creamfields?
Audiobullys: ‘Do it for Love’ from our forthcoming Janitor Sessions 12”

Cream: Who will you be checking out at this years festival?
Audiobullys: Tom Middleton

Cream: If you could play anywhere in the world where would it be?
Audiobullys: Brazil

Cream: What would be your desert island discs and why?
Audiobullys: Marvin Gaye

Cream: What is the worst place you have ever played and why?
Audiobullys: Gum Club, Hamburg – no vibe

Cream: What has been your most extravagant purchase?
Audiobullys: A massive wide screen television.

Cream: What was the last thing you got for free?
Audiobullys: Some Adidas trainers

Cream: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Audiobullys: In the Studio

Cream: Were you bullies at school?
Audiobullys: No Comment

Cream: Whens the last time you puked?
Audiobullys: A couple of years ago.

Cream: How many records do you have in your collection?
Audiobullys: 600 or 700

Cream: Your most embarrassing moment?
Audiobullys: Falling down the entire staircase outside the VIP room at Ministry.

Cream: Please finish this sentence…Creamfields is….?
Audiobullys: A big festival full of sweaty ravers!

Details

Published: 15 August 2004

Cream Interviews BK for Creamfields 2003...

Cream: Where were you born?
BK: Wanstead on the outskirts of east London.

Cream: Where do you live?
BK: Woodford.

Cream: What was your highpoint in the last decade?
BK: Making music for a living!

Cream: What was your low point in the last decade?
BK: Monday mornings.

Cream: Describe your djing style?
BK: A mixture of all hard dance styles Techno,Trance,House. If I like it I play it.

Cream: Whose set at Creamfields are you looking foward to hearing the most?
BK: Umek in the Bugged Out arena

Cream: Describe Liverpool (be nice it's clubithard live..lol)....
I've only ever been to Cream @ Nation and Creamfields in Liverpool and their
both great.

Cream: What track do you expect to take the roof off at this years Creamfields festival?
BK: Nick Sentience remix of "We Come One"

Cream: What’s your best and worst festival memory?
BK: Worst memory is getting my records stolen at Dance Valley and best memory is playing Revolution at last years Creamfields and watching the place go berserk.

Cream: Have you been working in the studio lately? If so what on..?
BK: Yes lots. Just finished an album of collaborations with various people to be released in August.

Cream: What are your vices?
BK: Buying too many gadgets and smoking to much.

Cream: Who do you see as a rising star in the dj world at the moment?
BK: I’ve Just saw Leroy from the Prodigy play breaks in Ibiza along with Johnny Mac and thought they were brilliant!

Cream: Whats your favourite film?
BK: Don't have one it always depends what sort of mood I'm in. I do love the Matrix films though.

Cream: What 3 things could you not live without?
BK: My phone, my records, my friends.

Cream: What would you best friend say was your best quality ?
BK: Probably my taste in music we both have the same taste.

Cream: What was the last book you read?
BK: This is really sad, it was the Instruction Manual to logic 6

Cream: Which record label is pumping out the most exciting tunage?
BK: Raw, Nukleuz and Intec

Cream: What was your first & last record you bought?
BK: First record was either "Flashback" by Imagination or 19 by Paul Hardcastle. The last record I bought was DK "Murder the Bass".

Cream: Tell us a secret? ;)
BK: The last gig I played I started with the wrong side of a record and it was probably the biggest tune of the night about 5 other DJ's came running up to ask what it was and I pretended I had played it on purpose.

BK will be performing in the Frantic & Nukleuz present Hardware arena at Creamfields UK on Saturday 23rd August Bank Holiday Weekend.

Q&A Courtesy of Tomo www.clubithard.com