John '00' Fleming: music festivals and where it's at

In part two of our three part interview series with John we delve into festivals and musical open mindedness:

It’s not only in the studio where John gets his musical way and he says it’s for the same reasons he gets invited to headline stellar events like Godskitchen.

“They invite me because I bring this different musical flavour to the line-up. On paper we may not all fit together, but the aim is not to have boundaries but to put people in the mindset that this is how it used to be like, and to experience different types of electronica.”

How it used be like?

Many people reminisce on the ‘good old days’ of dance but I normally dismissed them as ‘old farts’ belonging to an era of Atari’s and Intellivision’.











But Fleming is resolute, blaming it squarely on commercialisation and unoriginality – an issue he says is often only privately spoken about in DJ circles as labels and promoters chase the dollar.

“It seems everyone’s forgotten about electronic music’s history. I want to emphasise, I’m not against the mainstream but there’s no new talent being born, no new styles of music coming through and for anyone trying to break through, and there are a heap of talented artists out there, they’ve got a huge challenge and it’s a real shame,” he bemoans.

I ask John to elaborate on this touchy taboo of dance, and on what he’s doing about it.

“Many of today’s clubbers only know what the scene is about today and nothing about its origins. People seem to have blinkers on, only wanting the candy stuff. I’m saying be more open minded, don’t leave the dance floor when the big hits stop spinning and appreciate the styles bordering the stereotypical genres.”

The final part to John's interview is just around the corner. Until then open your mind with a little known Flash Brothers feat Tiff Lacey number - Faith in Love, fully reworked by Mr '00' himself.



Keep groovin',

DC

John '00' Fleming: here to shake and stir you in October

The Godskitchen 'Boombox' tour is heading our way this spring and with John as one of headliners it's an event not be missed.

Almost two years since his last visit, and in the first of a three part series, we get straight into what we won't be hearing and on his relationship with the big labels:

Vanilla flavoured trance isn’t on the menu with John ‘00’ Fleming for his style has a flavour that will leave you both positively shaken and stirred.

A pioneer of the electronic music scene since the early 90s, when you hear his sets you’ll hear the sounds of originality and pumping dark delight, instead of the predictability and vocal cheesiness that gets the eyes rolling in the back of your head.

“It’ll be the sounds of new music and a mix that won’t be a typical ‘hit after hit after hit’ which seems to have become the norm at so many of these festivals,” he said.

Touching on an interesting point, I asked the outspoken Fleming to elaborate.

“As a clubber when I went out it was to be blown away by hearing new music, where you would walk away and go, where the hell did that guy or girl that music from, rather than leaving and saying that they had just heard all of the hits in a formula that many big name DJ’s are repeatedly copying.”

So, Fleming’s a maverick. An individualist who leads in musical style and who is never shy to speak his mind.

Nevertheless, self cast in this unique mould he is one who is still popular with the name brands and I asked him on this marriage of peculiarity.

“With Ministry of Sound for example, they turn to me when they want a specialist sound. The trust is there and they allow me to express myself musically without messing around with the track listing."

“I’m putting another album together for them at the moment and they’ll say to me, ‘Right John, just do your thing, the results are there and you’ve got a strong following,’ that’s what I love about them.”

Check back real soon, or simply subscribe to the RSS feed, for part two of D.M.M.'s interview with John '00' Fleming, where we discuss big festivals and his take on the scene right now.

Until then enjoy some hands in the air moments as John smashes it at Gatecrasher:



Keep groovin',

DC

Chris Lake: the final piece

In the last piece completing the Chris Lake interview puzzle we touch on his love of mashing guitar riffs and perceptions in remixing:

Chris elaborates that he sees his remixes as an interpretation, and he usually only takes one or two sounds from an original.

“If there’s a guitar I’ll normally always take that and cut it up into something really different.”

And on vocals, he offers a funny anecdote.

“I’d just finished a remix for a new band, One Of The People, and they’d asked for three versions: a vocal, an instrumental, and a dub. They then call to say, ‘you’ve sent the one labelled vocal but there’s no vocal in it’, even though there was and I’d just not used the whole sample. In the end they still took it!”

Chris Lake is a burgeoning bastion of beats, and on top of that he’s also a straight-up guy, with a warm manner and a thoughtful edge to his answers; a real pleasure to interview.

For those who have seen him perform before, welcome him back. For those who haven’t, prepare to be peppered by a pulsating package of progressive and house.

Let’s just hope in his quest for digital dominance, he doesn’t adopt the full internet world of virtuality, Lawnmower Man style, and relegate himself to virtually teleconferencing his DJ gigs in the near future!

Look out for Chris Lake’s artist album Crazy later in the year, and catch him at a club near you.

Keep groovin',

DC

Guy Gerber interview: the final instalment

In the second part of Guy Gerber's interview we cover life outside the clubs, the reinvigorated launch of his label and...we drop a bombshell:

Guy's talents aren’t only confined to electronic music. He is as adept with the round ball as he is twiddling knobs in the studio; in his teens representing his country on the soccer field.

This naturally led me to ask who he followed, and if he still kept his skills up.

“Unfortunately not at all,” he laughed.

“I like to remember myself as the Al Bundy character from Married with Children, who reminisces on how good he was in former days without having to show what he can actually do now, but I love watching and follow Liverpool and Barcelona.”

Back onto dance I asked him on the scene back home.

Guy said the sound in the clubs is currently more progressive and there are some cool underground venues in his home city of Tel Aviv.

He's also currently working on his follow-up album on his own label Supplement Facts.

“It’s really growing. Particularly now that we’ve gone to a new structure of management,” he said.

His second album, as yet unnamed, is in the late stages of completion and will be something to watch out for later this year.

Guy also dropped the bombshell that he’s recently parted ways with Cocoon, though he confirms that, “it was all on good terms,” and it now gives him more time to focus on developing his label.

In touring here Guy said he is pumped to be finally playing to Australian crowds.

“I’ve heard a lot of good things, and I’m expecting a lot of good energy in Australia. I’ll also be performing a good mix of new tracks off the upcoming album.”

Unfortunately though his involvement will be a, ‘pash and dash’ affair, limited to a roaring run of gigs through Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, leaving him with little to no time to savour the sights.

A man of dedication and diligence he tells D.M.M he’ll be heading home immediately after the gigs to finish up the album.

With the horizon a bright beacon Guy's next stop is the 2009 summer residency at the mighty Space in Ibiza.

Let’s hope it’s not too long before he returns!

As an appetizer check out Guy ripping it up close and personal last year in Amsterdam:



Check back real soon, or simply subscribe to the RSS feed, for more Dance Music Musings.

Coming up real soon is my interview with one of the stars of the upcoming Godskitchen tour - John 00 Fleming...

Keep groovin',

DC

Chris Lake interview: part two

Melodic moving sounds, images and words fuel the musical engine and in part two of the interview with Chris Lake we mix into his take on the morphing of these and what inspires him:

Chris is also into video blogging (http://www.risingmusicblog.com/), something he says that started on his recent North American tour and is now a permanent accompaniment.

“We were putting up videos every couple of days after every gig, and it got a really good response. It’s something we’ll definitely be bringing to my four days in Australia.”

With a seeming sassiness in front of the camera, you’d be inclined to think this one-time postal clerk would be ready to make his own movie, particularly with his leading role in the 2008 music video, If You Knew.




When asked on making the video he laughed, “[It was] bloody awful! I’ve put that one down to a one off experience and I cannot take anymore ribbing from my mates.”

As for musical inspiration and admiration, Chris highlights two artists in a line of class acts: Timo Mass and Sander Kleinenberg.

When asked what it is about these two he replied, “They were two producers that really got me into progressive. Everything Timo was doing around ’99 and ’00 I just thought was really, really good. While for Sander, one of the key things for me was the Four Seasons EP, which was absolutely awesome music.”

Interestingly, while Chris said these were the early influences which made him stand up and take notice, in what seems to be a journeyman’s self-evolutionary path to mastery, he added his music is now nothing quite like it.

Also described as master of the rework, I asked Chris on his personal thoughts, “It’s an interesting one!” he smirked. “And it’s nice when people make such positive comments but its one title I’ve never really thought about.”

On picking songs to remix he said, “I do get a lot of offers and for various reasons you can’t take every one on. When one does comes through though you’ve got to decide if it has enough of the individual elements suitable for a rework.”

Chris then added that some tracks can be a breeze while others can prove a downright challenge.

“Some can take as little as three hours, whereas for example one I did for the Rogue Traders took me three weeks!”

As always, check back real soon, or simply subscribe to the RSS feed, for the final part of D.M.M.'s interview with Chris Lake...

Keep groovin',

DC

Tiesto touring Oz in 2010

Australian trance lovers rejoice.

Tiësto is returning in 2010.

After wowing audiences in over 70 countries with his epic 2008 'Elements of Life' tour the Dutch native has announced he is visiting again early next year.

Orchestrated by Richie McNeill's, Hardware Corp, (the team behind such extravaganza's as Two Tribes and Transmission) they have only just released this tidbit and advise ticket pricing and further information will go public in the next few weeks.

If his 2008 tour is anything to go by then expect a brilliant mix of intimate and mammoth gigs predominantly in the eastern states.

Consistently in the top echelons of electronic music polls, whether it is for best DJ, best album, or best event, Tiësto leaves no stone unturned in ensuring an unforgettable musical experience.

And having just won four more awards at this year’s Miami Music Festival including: Best Solo Artist, Best Global DJ, Best Podcast and Best Full Length DJ Mix he is never one to rest on his laurels.

Acknowledging his fans on his website he said, “I think it's wonderful to have won these awards, especially since it's the fans who voted for me. I want to thank them all for their support!”

Since capitalising on being the only DJ to have played live in front of billions at the 2004 Olympic opening ceremony, Tiëstohas worked tirelessly to widen his audience and popularity.

His weekly radio show "Tiësto's Club Life" continues to bolster this success, boasting over 100 shows to date in addition to being one of itunes most popular downloads.

Otherwise known as, Tijs Verwest, Tiësto shows no sign of slowing down and word is he will be releasing another album following up on his much lauded, In Search Of Sunrise 7 – Asia, later this year.

Precise details on it are still sketchy but one thing is for certain: it’s these efforts which will continue to see this king of electronic dance atop the throne for a long time.

Check out some classic Tiësto cranking out 'Elements of Life' from the album of the same name, at Brisbane's Family nightclub last year:




Keep groovin’,

DC

Guy Gerber: preparing for his maiden voyage downunder

In a techno treat for us braving the clubs this winter you'll be warmed to hear Guy Gerber is imminently heading our way for his first ever series of gigs downunder.

In a two part interview series I had the pleasure of recently catching up with him to find out what he really knows about Australia and what he'll have in store of us.

Check out the appetiser:

Having never before visited our shores, Guy Gerber's impressions of Australia have so far been relegated to terrible examples of ocker culture like Kylie, Jason and Home and Away.

But don’t hold that against him, this is one DJ/producer worth his salt, and whose dedication to the craft continues to reap rewards.

Soon to perform in our country over July and August, D.M.M. asked this Tel Aviv native to nominate the turning point in what’s, so far, been a series of career highlights.

“It was the signing to Cocoon,” he says unequivocally, in reference to German techno stalwart Sven Väth’s record label.

“It really changed my life.”

“I begun sending tracks to them at the urging of my friends after they told me Sven was playing my releases. The label manager then contacted me to set up a meeting.”

Once he’d signed on the dotted line, the doors opened wider and he was invited to play in Frankfurt and Barcelona, his hat thrown firmly in the ring alongside the Teutonic titan.

Irrespective of this big break, it’s easy to argue that Guy would have still ascended the musical mountain under his own steam, given that he’s been releasing massive tunes since 2002, most notably his 2004 bomb Stoppage Time.



This track quickly became one of that season’s Ibiza anthems and was picked up by John Digweed’s influential Bedrock label while being regularly spun by the likes of Steve Angello, Dave Seaman and Mauro Picotto.

Listening to it again prior to the interview, I remarked how the classic reminded me of vintage Sasha & Digweed.

“I list those artists as both inspirations and friends and like their music the ultimate appeal is in the feeling being more important than the beats.”

On performing, Guy says transitioning from the studio to the playing live sets alongside Väth proved quite the challenge.

“I was very shy, and Sven helped me feel much more comfortable, and that it’s OK to be yourself. He is an amazing teacher.”

With shyness subdued, Guy spent 2008 clocking up the frequent flyer miles playing club gigs all over Europe and heavily promoting his debut album Late Bloomers which was released on the Cocoon label.

Signature tracks from it include, Sea of Sand and Belly Dancing.

As a piece of artistry it’s the perfect showcase of his talents, emphasising his indie-rock roots and polished production skills to produce a sound that’s difficult to define but easy to enjoy; a polymorph of progressive, techno, electro and trance.

Check back real soon, or simply subscribe to the RSS feed, for the final of D.M.M.'s Guy Gerber interview.

Keep groovin',

DC

Chris Lake is coming to town

This month DJ Chris Lake is bringing his brand of dance to play all the major clubs on the eastern seaboard.

In a three part interview series D.M.M. caught up with him on the eve of his Australian winter tour.

Check out part one:

Living the healthy life is not something that immediately springs to mind when imagining what a DJ gets up to, but Chris Lake is one who walks to the beat of a different drum machine.

“I’ve been trying to keep healthy, eat well, plus have a half decent routine and it’s making a big difference when I’m in the studio,” he said.

This might all sound ho-hum, but it’s exactly the regime required for any serious DJ who is jetsetting across the globe and consistently pumping out quality productions.

A veritable music machine, and on his third visit to Australia shortly to play a host of gigs, it seems we’re due to benefit from this newfound lease on life.

“I’ve just finished eight tracks in the past month and I’ve some choice numbers to play on this tour,” he told D.M.M.

With his touring schedule, playlists and our listening pleasure nicely sorted, Chris filled us in on the latest happenings with his label Rising Music.

“We’re just about to kick off the Rising Summer series.”

“It's a collaboration of releases in which we let loose a new track every fortnight involving some cool up and coming artists.”

The first slated release is a tune called Violins, co-produced with friend Marco Lys and remixed by Swedish duo Sour Grapes. It’s a sublime opener, sweeping in as a funky, techno summer breeze.



Chris loves his fans, and in an effort to closely interact with them he’s become the epitome of Web 2.0.

Knowing that a simple static page just doesn’t cut it anymore, and admitting to constantly 'working the rooms' of the social media scene, he added he’s in the midst of a mammoth website upgrade.

“I really wanted a site that incorporated all of the things that are currently happening on the web. I like to talk with my fans as much as possible, and we’ve got all the usual suspects of social media sorted, but I wanted to incorporate something more,” he said.

“The redesign will also offer free track downloads, and in addition to having the standard information it will allow for some good intermingling.”

Asked on when it will be ready he laughed, “Unfortunately these things don’t design themselves and even as we speak I’ve got someone working on them. They’ll be up real soon.”

Check back real soon, or simply subscribe to the RSS feed, for part two of D.M.M.'s interview with Chris Lake...

Keep groovin',

DC