We got the chance to get close and personal with Marcopac, an up and coming VJ. If you don’t know what a VJ is, it stands for Video DJ. These guys mix videos in real time with the music the DJ is mixing. Typically they can only be seen with big DJ acts or at super clubs but VJs are on the rise with Marcopac near the front.

If you’ve ever wanted to know what a VJ does or how to get into VJing then check out this video. Please comment, subscribe and share this video with other DJs.

So hows it going Grotzy?

Good as always hey! Working hard, and playing harder!

So how did you get into making Hard Dance?Was it a tune or a person or both that got you there?

Wow where to begin haha. I guess it was when I got my first hard house album at the age of 14. Extreme Euphoria mixed by Lisa Lashes. Still got it and in brilliant condition! A few months after I got the album, and after listening to it practically every day, I was wondering how the artists produce the sounds and the bass and the kick, the whole 10 yards. My mum actually bought me my first production program; Techno Ejay. I played with it and used every feature that you could possibly do with it.. but I wanted more. I eventually got myself Steinberg and Reason and started playing around with them. And I guess the rest is history!

You are based in South Africa arnt you? So whats the scene like over there?Is it fairly busy or is it a few lads dancing in a bush

Yes, currently I’m in Johannesburg, having lived all around South Africa. haha it depends where you are, but yes we got a couple of lads who dance in the bushes! And no we don’t have rhino’s and lions in our backyards…lol. The scene here is very traditional African. Lots of people here still hold their Zulu, Sotho, and Xhosa ways and beliefs. So often you will see people wandering around in their traditional attires and animal skins, but like I said it depends where you are. Johannesburg for example is very modern and you won’t see anyone like that.
As for the hard dance scene… it’s practically dead. We have only 2 clubs, that I know of, that are dedicated hard house joints. And one party that occurs bi-annually in JHB. The scene never really kicked off here to be honest. Lisa Lashes and BK go to our coastlines in Cape Town quite often, sad to say I’ve never been able to get to one of their performances. The biggest music scenes here would be Kwaito and Indie-Rock.

How many years have you been producing for?Was it always hard dance?

From the age of 14, so that would be 10 years. Nah not always hard dance. Although I was panning towards it! Started off with trance, dance, and a bit of hip hop for a friend of mine. I eventually kicked myself into hard dance and hard house about 4 years back.

What other types of music are you into?Do they influence what you produce?

Phew… my music is quite broad. My soul dances to hard house, unconditionally. But other genres I really enjoy would be indie rock, heavy metal, fidget, heavy dubstep, tribal, new age, hard trance, dnb, screamo. That would be a handful of them. Some of the heavy metal tunes do influence me slightly, but it’s more my twisted, grotted mind that does the influential audio damage.

Whats your take on the whole mp3/internet explosion of the last few years?Is this good or bad for the scene in the long run?

I’m in-between views about this. No because I think vinyl’s are absolute classics and really drives uniqueness out of the disc jockeys. And yes because your mp3′s can’t break, or get scratched, or stolen (hopefully) so the longevity of the track is preserved, irrespective of the amount of quality it may have lost.

Are you playing anywhere soon?Any new tracks we should know about?
Mixing has never been a strong skill of mine haha. But I would like to do it professionally. I play around with mixing now and then. So I might be playing in the near future! New tracks? hmmm, now that would be telling.. lol. But yes, I have a upcoming collaboration with my hero and idol of all things filthy and filled with NRG; Random But Raw. Looking forward to that! Also got a new solo release I am working on, as well as another collaboration with a talented artist Mr. Marky T. Zoe Holborn and myself talked about doing a track too but that’s still under wraps. Many projects to come in the near future, and for a long time to come

Ever seen an anteater?

Haha I live in Africa mate, what do you think? Can tell ya the scariest thing I’ve seen is Mandingo and his anaconda.. hahaha

What do you like doing when you arnt producing tracks?

Chill at home, watch movies, go to theme parks, spend the evenings with friends or go out on a adventure somewhere. I can be very spontaneous at times, and placid at others.

Favourite colour?

Dark Green and Dark Purple

HARD AS NAILS DIGITAL COMING SOON – SEAN GROTZ ‘ASYLUM’ AN NRG STOMPER!-LINK TO CLIP http://soundcloud.com/sean-grotz/sean-grotz-asylum FOLLOW HARD AS NAILS DIGITAL ON FACEBOOK!http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Hard-As-Nails-Digital-Hard-NRG-Label/51347002162

So who are you and what are you doing here?
I’m Stu Morton from Monkey Beats Records.

What got you into house music?
Pete Tong & Judge Jules initially then onto Sasha, Digweed, Steve Lawler, Timo Maas and ultimately Roger Sanchez and Erick Morillo!

What DJ equipment do you use?
Pioneer CDJ’s

What do you think of music these days? Is it getting better or will the classics always be the best?
Music is always progressing, it’s ace. If there wasn’t new music we wouldn’t have future classics and we would always be stuck with the same ol’ stuff.

What’s your fondest and worst club experience?
Fondest: Disco Dancing too Erick Morillo whilst the sun was rising in Pacha, Ibiza.
Worst: Suffering from Sunstroke and being crammed into Amnesia, Ibiza.

Whats one item you couldn’t do without?
My iPhone

Whats your favourite thing to do when not djing?
Monkey Beats

Any music genres you can’t stand?
Jackline and Bassline House.

Got any advice on tips for up and coming producers/DJs?
Stick at it and don’t give up, your time will come.

How did your label come about?
Long standing friends who didn’t want to work for other people anymore.

Which producers or djs are inspiring you at the moment?
Same old really: The Swedes, Laidback Luke and even Tiesto kinda came back into the fold recently. Also back down with the Defected lot and also giving a few big nods to the Dubstep crew too: Flux Pavillion, Doctor P, Nero, Benga and Skream!

What should we be looking out for Monkey Beats related in the next few months?
Loads of new releases from the like of: Ian Round, Smith The Mister, Mr QT, Jay Robinson, Kraymer, Marc Ballum, Filthy Rehab, Dirty Basement and MORE! Also a new Monkey Beats night is being planned right now….. Check www.soundcloud.com/monkey-beats or download our podcasts here: http://monkeybeats.podomatic.com

Well im pleased to introduce our interview with Eufex …..without this guy and a few others our music might not be here. This is one of the most in depth interviews we have had and a damn good read…so keep reading.

What got you into music? And how come Hard NRG / Hardhouse? I don’t know exactly what got me into music, it’s just something that was always there. As a child I was a very good organ player and also an excellent boy soprano. Later on I got into synths etc. dabbled a bit with bands, which didn’t really work as I wanted to run the show and get more serious with it and I took it from there all on my lonesome, no pals, no scene, no help, no supporters, just me in a bedroom in my parents house in a tiny village in South Derbyshire, locked away on my own for years learning how to get all this stuff out of my head. When house first hit the UK I didn’t really understand it, it wasn’t until I was in a club in around 1987 or so that I really got it. But it wasn’t until a couple of years later that I started making anything resembling it. I then got into rave, early drum and bass, Goa… anything and everything really. It wasn’t like it is now, there was no internet, knowledge wasn’t so easily available and equipment was very expensive. The nearest record shop to me was 12 miles away. The journey took me until 1997 before I got a record released. The equipment and development of the music went hand in hand and you bought what you could afford, when you could afford it. Often lack of knowledge would lead to buying the wrong thing. For example, my first sequencer was a second hand Yamaha QX7 that had 2, yes 2, tracks, cost £50 and I was stuck with it for 4 years before I could afford the £300 to upgrade to a second hand QX1 which was Yamaha’s flagship model originally costing about £2000, had 8 tracks and a floppy drive. Another expensive mistake because I should have got an Atari but believed what people like Derrik May were saying in the mags re hardware vs software. I’d drive all over the country to get what I thought was the right bit of kit at the right price. I could only learn and improve at the pace I could afford to upgrade equipment, assuming I’d bought the right equipment. Nowadays it’s have computer, get software and away you go. Would one of today’s kids drive up to Glasgow to pick up a synth? Do they have that desire, that need to make music? Why did I start making hard house? Well I think what has to be understood is that I was just making music. There was no such thing as hard house then, no such thing as NRG, there were no rules, no template. What I was making evolved. Influences were coming from London, Belgium, Germany, Prince, James Brown, Pink Floyd all over. I had no idea what I was making. It wasn’t until I’d had my first record signed that I was told what I was making by other people. The first time I heard the term nu-nrg was when someone in a record shop told me my stuff was nu-nrg and asked why I didn’t make some ‘proper stuff’. All I’ve ever done is experiment and make music. It’s for others to stick labels on it.

Tell us a bit about yourself for people who don’t know.

Life and other people have taught me that I don’t fit in.

Fitting in is boring. Least you arnt a sheep What d.a.w are you using?

It’s a common question but it’s about THE least important aspect of production. I’ve used virtually every mainstream sequencer over the years, they’re all basically the same.

What’s your view on the quality of the music these days, any way it could be improved?

My main concern is that when people are talking about quality what they’re mainly discussing is audio quality, which, maybe while important is not THAT important. There’s too much great sounding stuff that musically is fairly devoid of content, cookie cutter, painting by numbers stuff. It’s so easy now to make music that sounds great and while it can still be a long journey to get to a certain standard it’s a walk in the park compared to learning how to be genuinely creative. The internet has been both a great lift for people in the spread of knowledge but also it’s the death of creativity. Internet message board: New producer asks ‘How do I make a hard house bass line??’ Four people who don’t know any better answer ‘THIS is how you make a hard house bass line’ New producer asks ‘How do I arrange my track’ Ten people who should know better answer ‘THIS is how you should arrange your track’ We then gain yet one more technically excellent yet artistically barren copyist. It’s absolutely dreadful. An increase in available knowledge can make you technically better faster, unfortunately it’s often lack of knowledge that leads to creativity. How can we improve this? I have no idea. I have mentioned my point of view a few times on the only music message board I frequent and while the odd person will agree, I think the majority perhaps hold the view I’m just a boring old fart banging on my drum with nothing relevant to say, invariably this will be followed by 3 threads on why people think hard house is dead, that the music is rubbish, that it’s all the same. It’s been like this for getting on for a decade! If you then go away and create music that IS different , like I did, whether consciously or unconsciously for years, the consensus opinion on your stuff will be that it’s too different and not like everything else. You can’t win! I find the circular argument hugely frustrating. Maybe there’s not enough people in this little clique , where music is concerned, with brains larger than a pea? LOL. I really don’t know. Constant change takes a huge effort. Imagine going into the studio each and every time with a blank canvas, no favourite sounds already set up, no skeleton arrangement, nothing, and creating from scratch. Then when you come up with an idea playing with it, altering it 5-6 times then binning it, never to be heard again before trying something else, thinking “that sounds great but I’ve already done it, or such and such has already done it” and binning it for that reason, carrying on until something relatively original comes up. Sometimes you end up creating an absolute turd, sometimes you create a diamond. After all that can you imagine the reaction of someone who’s gone through that when passing it on to someone else after one cursory 2 minute listen then says “Can you get rid of that bit and maker that bit more like such and such?” What’s the response? No I bloody can’t! At the end of the day it’s either good or bad but for goodness sake don’t then compromise and mould it into someone elses ‘idea’, which most of the time isn’t really an idea but what is done as standard. People want ‘same’, it’s easy and makes them feel comfortable. It’s a long time ago now but the number of times I was asked by labels ‘Can you make us something like Vacuum Packed for us?’. My answer was always “No. Me and Jay have already made it, why would we make it again??”. By no means am I saying that by doing any of this you are going to have an easy life, in fact it’s going to be very difficult getting people to understand and take it on board. Do most people realise that when most of my stuff was released back then it was getting on for 2 to 4 years old? That’s how difficult is was to get it signed and out there. It seems to me that people are scared of trying something different in case it hurts, I don’t know what, sales? In an underground scene where the costs of release are now zero and there are no sales to speak of to hurt it is absolutely ridiculous. Too many kids trying to play at being a record company mogul. Try doing something different and take a risk it’s not going to kill you for God’s sake!

What’s the one item you can’t do without?

Sellotape.

What’s your favourite thing to do when you arnt making tracks?

The usual I guess, good wine, good food and talking nonsense with my good lady.

Any music you can’t stand? Why?

In terms of styles, genres etc.? None, nothing. There’s something to appreciate and learn in everything. I really don’t understand someone who professes to love music who then listens to something and as a comment on it simply say “it’s shit” and actually mean it. To me that is moronic stupidity of the worst kind. Don’t get me wrong, I might say for effect or to someone to wind them up or when I’m larking about but it won’t be my real opinion. I might much prefer one type of music to another, I might not understand a certain type of music yet, not ‘get it’ but there’s always something to learn. How boring it would be to just listen to the same thing over and over and over and over.

Any tips for up and coming producers?

If you don’t love doing it, if it’s not part of your soul, something you can’t live without doing, don’t do it. Try spending more than 8 hours making a track, a hell of a lot more than 8 hours. Stop listening to the music of your peers and those you wish to emulate and start making the music that’s in your head. I read someone’s comment about my most recent release ‘Resurrection’ on the internet recently and while quite true it was a laugh out loud moment. The comment was that the person thought that, while the track was good, it didn’t have the level of originality and innovation expected of me. Here’s a secret…………..the track was meant to be derivative from the off as it started out as a demonstration to someone I’ve been teaching. He’d brought in a few records by his influences, that was the direction he wanted to start out in and take it from there, so I made a bed track, derivative of those styles. I then thought ‘why not finish it?’ so I did and followed the release. BUT, what made me really laugh is two things, one is that I seem to remember lots of people complaining in the past that my stuff was too different, not the same as everything else. The other is that while I’m perfectly capable of being far more innovative, innovation from a personal perspective is something that gets harder and harder and more time consuming to do. I don’t believe I have anything to prove. I’m an old man in the scene, I was an old man in the scene when I was supposedly an up and comer and being touted as one of the next ‘big’ things, I’d been around for years! Now, who should be the major innovators in any music scene, is it likely to be the people that nigh on were there at the beginning and helped mould it in some small way into what it became, or should it be the new up and comers with fresh ideas? Something has gone seriously wrong if the up and comers are still producing the same old thing and the innovation is being expected of their predecessors.

Have you any new tracks out? Tell us more, and where can we buy them from?

The most recent track I had out was “Resurrection” on NuFunk as I’ve already mentioned which is available directly from NuFunk at nuwave-digital.co.uk and from all of the main mp3 download stores. There’s other stuff in the pipeline, the next release is lined up and I assume it’s going out on NuFunk, though things seem to have gone very quiet. Then there’s a remix I’ve just completed for Twist I think (is that the label?), which I assume is going out, don’t know. Apart from that I’m planning on putting out a few things I produced around 2003 time for a USA trip which didn’t get played there as there were no CD decks but have been road tested a few times in the UK since and went down well. It’ll be good to put them out I think, also making it clear that they are indeed nearly 8 years old.

Thanks from us at Hard As Nails EUFEX , been good hearing from you after so long.

Tell us a bit about yourself……

How did you get into the industry and when?

I was in university in San Diego in 1998, California and I went back home to the Oxford area one summer.  My cousin invited me over to a friends house and he was learning to DJ.  I had a try, sucked badly, but got hooked! I went back to uni and spent my entire student loan on 1200′s and set up….the rest as they say is history!

Whats your favourite night spot?

Difficult to say – 3-30 in South Africa was amazing with a great vibe.  RA in the Luxor, Las Vegas was a lot of fun.  RAW in Orange County, California with 2,000 of LA’s best looking crowd is a lot of fun, Imagine Punta Cana (a natural underground cave) here in the Dominican Republic has an awesome sound and always a ton of people partying hard.

Tell us a short history of your record label, how did it come about, what was the original idea behind it?

As I got into Hard House I started hearing a producer who’s tracks were phenomenal – really hitting the spot.  Then one night (actually I think it was morning – Milk!) in 414 I was DJing and next up on the bill was the one and only Marc Johnson.  I was thrilled to meet him and it was really nice to see that he was super cool and down to earth.  We chatted and he invited me to make a track with him – I was stoked.  We went into the studio with Dave Holmes and came out with The Real Deal.  We both knew that it was a good track – obviously Marc by that time was only making good tracks! – and we sent it out to some labels.  We got some interest but we wanted to try out our own label.  We lined up some other tracks and sent the promo out to the shops.  The first release with Marc’s What U Believe on the AA side (we are talking the time of vinyl here!) sold really well and the support from the shops was great.  Things just snowballed from there.  Marc has a great ear for tracks and so we have a lot list of quality releases but also consistent releases

What are your OTHER favourite types of music?

Before dance music I was into Heavy Metal (but never had long hair!), I like Rock, and most types of Dance.

How do you think the industry has changed in the last 10 years, has it been for better or worse?

Obviously Digital has completely changed the game.  Sadly piracy is a big part of this and makes it a difficult business to survive in.  It more affects the artists than anyone else because they don’t see the money they deserve for the tracks they produce.  However digital means you can create a track today, and tomorrow it can be in a club on the other side of the planet.  Hard house has taken a big hit also, but I think some parts of HH got a bit to technical and lost the “fun” element.  It will survive and hopefully re-emerge.

What is your favourite moment so far in music?

In music – that’s a little vague but my favourite DJ moments ranging from being on stage in RAW in front of 2,000 and being slightly overwhelmed, to a tiny club that I can’t even remember the name of where at the begining of my set the crowd was divided up in their small groups just milling around and at the end of the set they were all jumping up and down facing the DJ booth with both me and them having a great time!!

The weirdest thing that you have ever experienced

- In food , in music , situation.  Not really weirdest but pretty funny – I was DJing somewhere in London and just finished playing Never Surrender, and another DJ came up to me and asked if he could see the record sleeve.  I was stoked because I thought he wanted to see the name/producer – and he proceeded to do a line on the cover!!

Your favourite musician?

Wow, I am not sure who qualifies as a musician but if we are talking about anyone in the music business I guess I would say Scooter from California (not German Scooter).  He is a friend of mine, but he LOVES music of all kinds, he is technically the best DJ have I ever seen, he can scratch Hip Hop like no one else I’ve ever seen, he plays house as good as anyone, but more importantly when he DJs he doesn’t rest one second, he is always doing something.  Check out video of him on youtube or scooterdj.com

As a kid …what did you want to be when you grew up?

A tennis player – then an american football player – then I decided I didn’t want to grow up!

Pc or Mac?

I use PC but I have to say Mac because of their innovation

What new releases do you have out on the label?Any artists we should be looking out for?

We have a new artist on the roster called Chris Forkes and he is putting out some phenomenal stuff – several tracks from him are in the pipeline.  More excitingly we have developed out new FlashPoint website and we hope it will rival the big players in the game!!  Coming VERY

Any tracks coming from yourself in the future?

I haven’t done any production for a long time.  As much as I enjoy it I just don’t have the time.  However if I quit what I am doing now, maybe I’ll get back into it!!

Where can we see you play next?

I haven’t been playing for a while now, living out here in the Dominican Republic people aren’t all that educated about dance music.  Some day soon hopefully!!

Thanks for the interview!

RENEWABLE NRG LABEL AND EVENTS – HARD NRG LABEL – BRISBANE AUSTRALIA – SONIC ROKSTA – Hard As Nails DIGITAL LABEL Interview By Syrus From Hard As Nails Digital

 
How and when did you start getting into the whole nrg scene?

I got into the scene many years ago. I started out getting into acid house early on and eventually evolved into a hard house and nrg nutter/punter. I did not start djing until I had spent many a year on the dancefloor.
Tell us about your label.

Renewable NRG started out in 2008, holding Hard House and Nrg parties in Brisbane ,Australia.It was a platform for us to play at as many promoters did not put hh/nrg djs on their nights.It consists of Mk Ultra, Parto and myself. The digital label was started in 2009 with a focus on releasing Australian/New Zealand produced tracks. Our latest release, The Manik E.P., sees one of New Zealand’s finest hh/nrg producer,join the Renewable Collective.

To find out more checkout the renewable facebook group

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/renewable.nrg?ref=ts

What is the most important thing you look for in a new artist?

Unsure exactly but I know when I hear their productions. I would say that I personally, am keen on hearing tracks that push the envelope with both the production levels and the soundscape contained within their productions.A big phat bass usually gets me going.For me, its got to be about how it rocks the dancefloor
Tell us about your Renewable NRG events

We have put on numerous events over the last two years. The highlight for me being the Label Launch Party which was a boat cruise on The Brisbane River on New Years Eve 2009.It was spectacular cause the party was rocking loud and the fireworks were fantastic.Our latest event see us bringing Manik over to Australia to play at a warehouse rave for us in Brisbane.This is going to be a first for us as its our first warehouse event.
Right now here are some random questions… just to have a little laugh.
 
If you were stranded on a island with Andy Whitby could you surive if so how?

I would not be able to survive without music and thats without Andy Whitby thrown into the equation

What would you do in time of war?

Duck and try not to eat lead

People say help the third world countries – would you agree giving them a years supply of batteries and the highest memory ipod filled with hard house and nrg is helping them.

Maybe if they had access to studios and engineers be interesting to see what take they would put on!
Some tips and little updates you may like to share with us?

Tip : Always remember where you put your keys and wallet

Look out for the next release on Renewable NRG. We are will be announcing our first ever uk produced track which is a cracker of a track.You may know the producers but thats all I am going to say about that. (All of Hard As Nails cough rather loudly)

Thanks to the Hard As Nails collective for makin me a small part of it.

No sweat ;0)

Sonic roksta

• Renewable NRG – Brisbane – Australia

ALSO DONT FORGET – JOIN THE HARD AS NAILS FACEBOOK PAGE AT http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#!/pages/Hard-As-Nails-Digital-Hard-NRG-Label/51347002162?ref=ts

And check out a review of our tracks by Flashpoint Records very own JUPE – HERE – http://www.hotdjgear.com/2010/05/hard-as-nails-tracks-review-by-jupe-from-flashpoint-digital/

YOU CAN BUY HARD AS NAILS LABEL CLUBWEAR AND APPARELL FROM OUR HOTDJGEAR STORE! HERE -http://www.hotdjgear.com/hardasnails/cgi-bin/store/cpshop.cgi

So tell us a bit about yourself for those who dont know.

Hi my name is Ian Jay i’m produce/label owner I produce hard house, hard trance, techno, I’ve also starting to get into other styles now like dubstep and minimal, so keeping nice and busy.

I co-run a label called Outbreak Digital which is not like other label, all the money we make goes direct to charities such as cancer research, whizz kids charities like that, we been really luck as we have had some of the biggest produces appear on it, from Technikal to Nick Rowland and Guyver, Dave Owens and Jon BW. And have so much more to come too.

SPARX – And I have to say that’s a damn good use for a record label and fair play to everyone who has supported you so far.

What got you into the music?

I went to my first club at the age of 16 in Bristol called Lakota and at the time Bristol was buzzing with many night getting some of the best DJ’s from around the world, with the likes of Carl Cox to The Disco Brother to Jon The Dentist. It wasn’t till later when my mate let me have a go on his decks thats when I got hooked, And never looked back since. Back in 2006 I started working with some of my friends who are now big producers. I learnt how to produce just by watching what they were doing and picked it up very fast.

What was the defining moment where it all started?

I entered a competition on a forum to remix a track for a label called Digital Assault with a friend of mine Bonzo and we were the top 3 winners. From then on in I’ve been remixing and brushing up my production ever since. I spent two years at music college called Access To Music on the music production course. This course taught me everything I needed to know to how compressors work how to make synth’s and sound design also down to room acoustics the course was perfect. I’m now studying to become a teacher now for Access To Music and I’m based at the Bristol Center. Exciting times.

In the middle of anything cool lately?any tunes in the works?

Working on many things just finished a couple of engineering projects with some new people, like Socky & myself called Out Of My Socket which is going to be on Socky’s and Fran’s label Nu Skool, it’s a funky groovy number.

Also worked with Jud Roper a new guy from Reading the track is called All Groove, it’s going to be coming out on Outbreak so keep a close eye out for that one. Also just finshed another track with Mark Loannides called Chunky Monkey it’s a chunky hard house number with massive chord stabs and a evil bassline.

Recently worked with a producer called The Tom on a stomping hard house track just waiting for a vocal for that one and it’s done, so keep an eye out for that.

I’m in the middle of doing a collaboration with Scott Genetik it’s going back to my roots and doing a hard trance tune, really happy with how it’s going and now getting Lucy Clarke to do Vocals for it once it’s all done.

I worked with Hilz’e recently on a new one for his label which we called Frequency Vibrations which should be out in the next couple of month. Myself and Darrell White manage to hook up to do another track which has been snapped up by Nik at Toolbox it’s called Golden Gates and think it’s out on the next Toolkit. Also been back in the studio with Gary B working on a few tracks and collaborations, we just finished one with Frank Farrell which is going to be appearing on Rodi Styles label Kung Fu Wax, excited about that release. And me and Mike Franklin AKA Amp Attack have started a new one too which when he is back from OZ we will get done. So yeah been keeping busy plus doing a few remixes for a couple of label such as HardHittin Digital and Fevah Recordings and a remix for a new label called Southwest Filth Association. Also got some collaborations coming up this year can’t say to much but some big things due.

Any big sets coming up?

Not really pushing the Dj’ing side of things anymore. I think it’s because I’m working, at college, producing and seeing the girlfriend I’m just not finding time to send out demo or email anyone. I get a buzz when I hear from people who email me saying that they drop my track and it went down very well which I find awesome to hear. (who wouldn’t). But I do have a set coming up in Brixton’s Club 414 at a afterparty night called Refresh on Feb 13^th. It’s going to be a charity night and money made will be going to British Heart Foundation and getting Outbreak Digital to help out. I’ll be playing a back to back set with good friend Ben Bennett so really looking forward to this. So if you haven’t anything planned get down and show your support.

So tell us a bit about your record label – sounds like an amazing idea! – which charities have you supported so far…when did the idea hit you?

Outbreak Digital is ran by myself and Dave Leigh AKA Aftershok (He Produces Hard Trance). We both wanted to do something different and help out charities. So myself and Dave got talking and both came up with the charity label idea. We both work really hard with the label with artwork and promo send outs and all promotion done by just us too so it takes up a lot of time but it’s worth it. We donate our money to various charities to see what ones please head over to our myspace to see what ones we have done so far. Http://www.myspace.com/outbreakdigital we got some really exciting releases due for 2010 and like to say thanks to everyone who supported us throughout 2009.

What was the hardest thing as a producer for you to learn?

Wow there is hundered of things which are hard as a producer. Main one is Mixdowns getting all the levels sounding perfect, clean and nice spread – out over the mix, this is the one thing that takes some time to do and still I hear from big producers it takes them days even weeks to get the mix perfect. Trust your ears and don’t rush.

Favourite food?

Mmmmmm pizza and Chinese obviously not together that would be wrong, but they are my top two.

Who has been the biggest inspiration for you within the scene?

Yeah really look up to a few producers such as Paul Janes he is an anthem machine and production is second to non, really do look upto him. Another is Paul Maddox his sound is extremely clean and tight and really impressed by all his work he does. I also look up to Dom Sweeten and Dave Owens these two guys really do some outstanding work and always excited to hear what they do next. Another one who I feel doesn’t get the recognition he deserves is Frank Farrell he is unbelievably good and production is second to non. Also love anything Mike Franklin aka Amp Attack does he really is pushing out a great sound for himself and sure he will have an immense year this year.

Any influences on your music outside of Hard House?

I really been getting into the Dubstep and breaks scene right now from producers such as Rusko and Caspa to 501 and NumberNin6. Also loving the electro disco sound from producers such as Grum, Phonat, DJ Mehdi this sound really takes me back to the 80′s and remembering watching classic TV like Miami vice and stuff like that classic. Really like the house scene right now from producers like Riva Starr, Jackbeats, Calvertron, Micky Slim, Criz D could go one and on now haha. So many good producers out there.

Weird question – but does the way you feel on a day effect the music you make?

Not really it normally effected if I made a wicked sound in Logic or if I brought a new sample pack and a sound in there triggers off ideas for new track. I feel it more effected by what I listen to haha, like some days I would listen to some funk or soul from Isaac Hayes or Marvin Gaye to Miles Davis or Quincy Jones and then the next day I might be listening to something from The DJ Producer or Dave The Drummer and pick up some ideas from the overall feel of the tracks I’ve listened too.

Who is your favourite nrg producer?

So many producers I like from Paul Janes to Dom Sweeten, Dave Owens to Equinox, Paul Maddox, Frank Farrell, Darrell White, Amp Attack, Jon BW, Nik Denton, SQ, Pierce Rooney, Chris Comben, Manik, Hilz’e. Also have loads of respect for new producers such as Rich Resonate, Ross Homson, Matt Capitani, The Tom, James Taff, Pocock, Venkman, Gary B, Jody 6,

SPARX : -Jody 6 And James Taff I can say myself are damn good producer/engineers

Have you ever had a really strange thought and laughed to yourself in public – getting weird looks from random people?

Hahaha do this all the time, I work as a Lifeguard as my other job and the amount of times i’ve done this thinking of something funny that’s happened and laughing out loud and the swimmer looking at me like I was a fruit loop or something.

SPARX – Something you have in common with our very own Resh from Hard As Nails then mate!

Any Final Words you what to say or plug?

Yeah. Track of mine is out now on Combat Recordings called Flodden so go buy it now. Couple more tracks out so please show your support and like to say thanks to everyone who buys and plays my tracks out. Also a tune myself and Darrell White done back last year called “JetStream” is out now on Encoded Digital.

Also our new Outbreak release is out now SQ – Save Me and a track from Nathan McClymont – Brok3n so go buy them from www.trackitdown.net

If you would like a track engineered please send me an email to: hifreak1c@hotmail.co.uk this is also the same email address if you would like to get in touch if you would like anything remixed for your label. Thanks for your time and support and look out for future Outbreak Release on Trackitdown and due soon on other music stores too.

AND DONT FORGET THE NEW HARD AS NAILS RECORDS CD IS OUT THIS MONTH – NAILGUN 002 – SIMON VEGAS E.P

Tracks by Simon Vegas  with Riggsy, Bazza B , Nice Guy Danny Roberts, DNG, Craig Main And Steve Gillen!

Tracks include:-

PANIC ATTACK

UPRISING

GHETTO BITCH

NOISE POLLUTION

WARNING

THE MACHINE

AUDIO FUCKA

DROP IT

I KNOW THIS

CALM B4 THE STORM

UNLEASH THE FURY

WHO THE FUCK R U? (BONUS CD TRACK)

SAMPLE DOWNLOAD LINK http://www.sendspace.com/file/bc0tb6

This is our installment of old school Birmingham U.K Hard NRG before we start smashing out some freaky ass stuff.  Make sure you check out DROP IT , NOISE POLLUTION and GHETTO BITCH if you like your filth!

Available from www.toolboxmusicshop.com in the next month.

Enjoy !

SparX, Resh And The Hard As Nails Team

- P.S if you wish to join the Hard As Nails Mailing list or want to be included in the DJ ONLY mailing list please send your details and email to hardasfukhouse@hotmail.com – all additions to the dj only tune mailing list are by consent of Hard As Nails and subject to our conditions and judgement.

To sign up to our regular mailing list and recieve our latest mixes, new release samples and info on all new Hard As Nails events and releases then go to

I am maybe best known for my hard house but have always worked on a huge range of dance music styles, most recently my productions under my current breaks alias – Freeflow45 with current releases on iBreaks and Bombtraxx as well as some cool remixes.

What’s the best night you have played at?

I played at a party that was held from a narrow boat beside a disused quarry where I DJ’ed for about 12 hours non stop. The decks were inside the boat with the side open and I remember playing things like Joey Beltram’s Energy Flash and early Prodigy tracks. This and most of the free parties I used to play at have all been second to none due to the outdoor vibe and having the sun rise up over the party in the early hours the next morning. It can’t be beaten.

Do you think the standard of music production has got better or worse since the introduction of easier to use music programs?

I do think there is a huge amount of badly produced music around but there is in contrast so much more out there in general, including some amazing music by artists that would not have otherwise had the opportunity to release anything.

Production by the talented people in the industry in general though has progressed massively, to such a high polished level now that in a way I feel lacks the raw energy that it used to.

Whats your favourite thing about the music business and the thing you hate about it?

My favorite thing has always been the way I am able to continue what is a passion to write music and a good excuse to buy loads of toys.

I don’t hate anything about it, it’s good to stay positive about things.

Any advice to up coming djs and producers?

I have always been open to all styles and types of music and never assume one particular style is wrong or bad.

Do you remember the first tune you ever made?

That’s a hard one, I used to play in bands before I was a DJ and progressed to jamming with keyboards off the back of this doing psychedelic dub stuff. I started to write more dance music based material in 1993/4. I found some early dance productions the other day while sifting through some old DAT tapes, most were written using just a Boss Drum machine, a TB-303 and an SH-101 keyboard synced together.

When did you have your first release out?

Ever enjoyed Bhangra?

Maybe, without knowing it!! I have heard some crazy Bhangra before though that has a very Techno edge to it. It’s not something that you associate with dance music much but there is actually more of a crossover that first thought.

If you were going to be re-incarnated as an animal and you had a chioce – what would you want to be?

Whats the most random thing you have ever sampled?

A few, all for different reasons. I’m getting back into my hardware at the moment though – just bought myself a Yamaha CS-15.

Any thank you’s or shout outs you want to give to anyone?

Where can we we you perform next?

Any new releases you have out?

I have some Spinball material due out in Jan 2010 which is the digital release of the recent SpinCD002.

I also have a breaks track, just released, Freeflow45 – Tuff Unit which is out now on a compilation called NSB Uncovered. This is available through most download sites and promotes a mixture of upcoming and established artists in the breaks scene.

Any new mixes we can hear?

So Steve ready for some interrogation?
Always..

So what got you into Hard NRG?
When I was about 15-16 I was in to some pretty nasty Gabba, then got into real hard rock and D&B. I always seemed to like the harder styles of music (some of it makes me cringe to think back). I heard a Sundissential CD in my mates car a few years later which had me hooked in to Hard house after the first tune – just had to get some decks after that! Tunes made by Casper, Grady G and Glazby started rocking my little world! Love that nasty rolling bass..

Who outside of Hard NRG/ Hard house (artists/groups) really influenced your production style?
From outside? Probably from D&B – Roni Size & Pendulum; From Gabba – HMS, Producer & Scorpio.. Most of my production influences are probably from Frank Farrell and Dave Owens tunes really. Love that sound!

Do you have a favourite tune for us (you cant choose a Raw Power one) that really sums it all up for you?
Andy Farley & Paul Janes – I can feel it (Paul Glazby Remix) – Old now but it’s got so much energy it’s incredible. Still sounds fresh as a daisy always gets me jumping every time!

What would you say is your favourite hard NRG club/event?
Got to be the Toolbox Trilogy nights. Absolutely banging from start to finish!

Where do you see yourself and even our little niche of the music industry going?
As for the industry I think we’re pretty underground now, saying that though there are a lot of new producers coming out which is nothing but good news. Sales have been good for summer which is usually a slow time for music & RPR seems to be going from strength to strength. Hard house ain’t dying in my eye’s.

For me I’m just trying to concentrate on learning Cubase and finding my sound. Hopefully by next year I’ll have some real good stuff ready. We’ve got no plans for stopping the radio show (on www.examplefm.net Weds 9-11pm ;o) ) as we’ve got quite a good listener base and we tend to use it to test stuff we’ve been working on so tune in and find out!

Who would you most like to work with in Hard NRG and why?
I’ve been lucky enough to work with some quality engineers but probably Frank Farrell as everything he touches turns to gold. Also I’ve not done anything with him yet and I think he uses Cubase so I might learn something! Nardi & Weazal would be nice too, they’ve both been on fire recently.

Doing tunes with anybody interesting soon?
We’ve got Mini-Minx down in the next few weeks and then your very good self when you get your arse into gear ha-ha! Few other people booked in with us. Gem and me aren’t too long back from Dom so re-cooping a bit. Anyone interested in a collaboration with me or us just drop me an email.. It will involve getting to Wales…

Weirdest moment in your career?We all have them….

I had this interview once where the guy asked me if I’d ever have an African Pygmy Hedgehog as a pet. Seemed pretty weird…

Would you ever have a African pygmy hedgehog as a pet?
Well in fairness I’ve got no issues with Pygmy’s or African’s. Hedgehogs can sod off though.

What’s been the most defining moment in your career so far?
Defining moment.. quite hard! Probably getting ‘Pumped’ signed to Toolbox then getting ‘Departed’ also signed to Toolbox! Also was nice getting my solo ‘Full Flow’ on to Wayne Smart’s first Encoded NRG CD. Actually maybe when I played ‘Well Done Pablo’ out for the first time and watching everyone going nuts when they heard the vox ha-ha!

If I gave you a million quid to build a club right now what would you do with the place?
It would have to be a Castle rave! Big party in a big castle in Wales somewhere… You could have so much stuff going on with loads of rooms, peeps walking round in character taking the piss, goats.. OK maybe not goats. Medieval raving – not seen that done before!

On a production note, what’s your favourite VST for making energy (people keep asking me this so I thought id throw it in)
Favourite as in only one? I hammer Predator, Octopus, Albino, PSP Nitro, Juno X2, Camel Space, Toxic III & probably loads more. Hard to pick a favourite but I guess Predator at the moment. Seems to make some fat noises.

Anything to plug?And any thank you’s or shout outs to anybody?
Catch the radio show on www.examplefm.net every Wednesday night from 9pm till 11pm with Gem & myself. We have a guest mix every week and a live hour mix from us. We have got a few slots available if anyone’s interested – Email me or Gem.

As for thank you’s – Massive thanks to Wayne Smart & Weazal for their support & playing my tunes, Riggsy, Rodi Style, Darrell White, Dave Owens, Dom Sweeten for showing me so many things, all my friends for their support & inspiration, everyone playing my tunes, Brian J, Ted Cooper, Disco Todd, MC Lindsay, Norms mum and everyone who tunes in to the show, all the peeps at examplefm, my house mate Lee who’s bedroom is below the studio (ouch) and of course, Gem for having to live with me ha-ha! Oh – and a certain spiky haired bloke from Brummy-land…. Cheers all

So any new tunes you have out you want to give a quick plug?
Yeah I’ve got a few tunes out at the moment. Watch out for our first Dom engineered track – Stone & Hewitt vs Paul J – Surrogate, it’s had some really good reviews; also 2 tracks I engineered with my good friend Jammy Dodger (Tim Griffith) – ‘The Cows’ and ‘Snake Bite’ out now all on RPR. Coming up my new solo ‘Syntax’ is out soon on Killertrax, ‘Departed’ (With Gem, BoneIDOL & Matt Edwards) is out on Toolbox Choons and Gem & my remix of ‘Drop It’ coming on Encoded NRG soon. We’ve been real busy since we set up our own studio here – loads of stuff to come. Watch this space!

Email – steve@rawpowerrecordings.co.uk

Site – www.rawpowerrecordings.co.uk

MSN – rai1yr@hotmail.com

Also don’t forget to check out the new Hard As Nails Nailgun 001 Dj Fornat ‘Sista X’ E.P Available from http://www.toolboxmusicshop.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=686

Track Listing :-

01 Sista X – Adrenaline

02 Sista X – Tear me down

03 Sista X & Riggsy – Good Medicine

04 Sista X & Riggsy – Nothing to prove