HARD ENERGY

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ONE OF HARDCOREs LONGEST RUNNING DJ + A TRUE LEGEND - DJ SY

We caught up with the ever busy legend of Hardcore DJ SY for an Exclusive interview... read on to find outabout Sy, Cosworths, Porn and much more!!

Q1. Now for those who have been living in a hole for the past 20 years lets kick this interview off with a question you have probably been asked a million times before...when and how did you get into the Hardcore scene and become a Dj? 

It all really started for me in the early ‘80s, when Hip Hop & Electro was born. Living in Croydon back then, I was easily able to pick up the London pirate radio stations that emerged at that time, mostly playing soul, but a few, like LWR, had dedicated Hip Hop shows. And funnily enough the main man back then was Tim Westwood on that very station. I’d stay up ‘til way into the small hours on school nights, listening to this music that was just so underground and fresh compared to the rest of the pop drivel that was on all the main stations. This was at a time when there was simply no dance music anywhere in the mainstream charts, on telly or in any media, apart from on these pirate radio stations. It was pure magic. I was one of about only 5 people out of hundreds of kids at my school who were into dance music. Compare that to today! Dance music is now the norm.

Westwood used to play "mixes": DJs, cutting & basic scratching, with some mixing, and it amazed me. So the obvious next step was to emulate them, which I tried on my dad’s knackered old hi-fi which had a pitch control screw at the back, and which I used to use to try & get the records I played on it in time with a separate cassette deck I had!

Once I’d worked at my Saturday job (at Halfords!) hard enough, I eventually managed to afford a pair of the sacred Technics 1200s after quite a few years of having to try & practice on such a shitty set up. I don’t know if it’s the same for kids these days, but to get a pair of decks back then was like winning the lottery, if you were a "b-boy" (someone into Hip Hop). From that moment on I could really work on improving my scratching: those decks still are, IMO, the best, and they transformed my DJ-ing skills overnight.

This was all just before I went to study Geography at Nottingham University in 1987. I was far more interested in the just-beginning rave scene, which really came to fruition in 1988 ("The Summer Of Love"), and the following year (1989) I managed to get a residency at a local wine bar, at the time the "coolest" place to hang out in Nottingham, Venue 53. At this time I was still playing a lot of Hip Hop, but also Chicago house, acid, and breakbeat house, which was soon to become UK Hardcore. The owner of the bar started a club, called Eden, that same year, made me resident, and after only a few weeks we were rammed. This night then moved to the now infamous Venus club, just as tracks like LFO & Nightmares On Wax were coming out, and the whole UK rave scene was taking shape.

Because of the popularity of the night, which attracted ravers from all over the Midlands, I was booked to play at gigs such as Amnesia @ The Eclipse in Coventry, Nemesis & Kaos in Leicester (run by DJ SS), and Ark in Leeds. Eventually I got to play at Milwaukees in Bedford, and Gideon, who part-ran Fantazia back then, was there to check me out. He liked what he saw, and booked me for the big Fantazia events in Exeter & Bournemouth, and truth be told it was really ravers hearing my tapes from those two events which put me on the map. Bookings at all the other main raves then flooded in!

Q2. You are known famously from back in the day for your 'Power Hour Sets' with MC Storm (who we also have booked for our event) how did that first come about?

I can’t honestly remember! It probably stemmed from the fact that the only times I could ever do at the big events were last sets because I’d have played somewhere else in the country for the 1 – 2 slot, so it kinda became a feature! Tried to mess it around a bit last year by doing different set times, but me & the old Stormus, we do love smashing up the final hour, so we’re doing loads of ‘em again this year!

Q3. Quosh Records is a unique name, for the uneducated, what does Quosh stand for and how did you come up with the name?

It was actually the name of an orange drink carton we had in the studio one day!! It also harps back to my Hip Hop roots – to "quosh" the opposition

Q4. You are also known worldwide as the scratch master in the Hardcore scene which obviuosly involves a turntable, but over the past few years we have seen the trusty old turntable being replaced by CDJs. Which do you prefer the most and why?

CDJs are great for playing music on, they enable the DJ to only have to carry lightweight CD cases and the sound quality of the music is obviously far superior, but it does get annoying having to wait for the CD to cue up, especially as I like to scratch right up until the last second on the previous track! Makes cueing fun....not ;-) However you just can’t beat the feel of vinyl for scratching – I very much doubt that’ll ever be bettered by digital technology.

Q5. Most event promoters are clued up and provide quality monitors either side of the DJ. If you had to pick though would it be a monitor on the left or right?

Good question, and well spotted! I use my right ear for headphone cueing, so monitor on the left please!

Q6. Other than living and breathing Hardcore + DJing we hear your abit of a petrol head. What has been your top 5 motors?

My current Audi S4 has now served me proud for over 4 years and almost 200,000 miles! And it’s still as quick as the day I bought it. My previous S4 was also great, that’d be my number 2, it was twin turbo-charged so through the lower rev range was great fun, kick-in-the-back motoring. Before that I had a BMW M3 which was, errrm, a little wild...very fast but too edge-of-your-seat for driving quickly back from gigs at 3am when I was knackered. Before that I had a series of Cosworths, so any of them would be in my top 5. Back then they were untouchable for fantastic value performance motoring, just a little (well actually, very) unreliable. I missed countless gigs back in the day because of them breaking down!

Q7. You are renouned for being one of the busiest DJs at the weekends, most of the time travelling the width and breadth of the country, fitting in as many gigs in as physically possible. Probably spending more time driving than DJing, what do you have in your car stereo to pass the time?

You know what, I rarely listen to anything, because my ears are always so shot up from the gigs! If it’s anything, I’ll check out the dance shows on Radio 1.

Q8. Being an avid traveller of the UK do you have a fave part of the country and / or a fave stretch of road?

Milton Keynes is great fun – loads of roundabouts and fast dual-carriageways ;-)))

Q9. Now we know your extremely busy in the studio and DJing every single weekend, but can you ever actually remember the last time you actually had a weekend off?

Errrrmmm....no!!!

Now for some more short, fun answers...
...

Q10. Fave TV programme?

Don’t like much on telly at the moment – quite enjoy The Apprentice, Top Gear’s alright, Friends when everything else fails

Q11. You have 5 quid left in your back burner and your hungry what do you buy?

Kentucky ;-)

Q12. If you were to be shipped out to a deserted island (heavens forbid) and could only take 3 things with you what would they be?

My bird (don’t be sick, I’m trying to earn brownie points ;-))

A never-ending porno DVD for when she was doing the washing or fruit collecting (that’s my brownie points gone)

...and I guess that means I’d need a DVD player J

Q13. You were recently voted Best Guest DJ in the Annual S/W Hardcore Awards, which has been running for 2 years and basically gives the ravers in Cornwall + Devon a chance to vote for their faves. Do you have any message for the ravers in the very S/W of the counrty?

What can I say!!? I’ve ALWAYS loved playing down in the SW from day one. Wicked, friendly ravers...immense hugs from moi!!!

INTERVIEW WITH THE S/Ws GOLDEN BOY MC AGE-O

AFTER BEING NOMINATED FOR 'BEST BREAKTHROUGH MC' @ THIS YEARS HARDCORE HEAVEN AWARDS

Hard Energy caught up with Plymouths very own microphone bad boy to find out more about his Hardcore label an campaign for world domination

 

1. For the ravers that have been living under a rock please introduce yourself to them and tell us something funny....

I am a hardcore mc, originating from Plymouth. I have been mc'ing for a couple of years in clubs now and have just had a few bigger bookings. i will tell you a joke.....

(patient)Doctor doctor i have a strawberry stuck up my ass.....

(Doc) Dont worry iv got some cream for that

2. You are the new boy on the block but have already been nominated for the Best Breakthrough MC at this years Hardcore Heaven Awards. How does that make you feel and whats it like to be up against some quite long serving MCs?

Well its massive honour and i didnt expect it so quickly, especially seeing the likes of Scotti B, Friction and Skatty to name a few in there, who have all had main stage bookings and have been rocking parties for quite a bit longer than me. I dont hold out much hope, but at the end of the day its about the love of hardcore not prizes, but you never no.

3. You are currently booked right across the UK with residencies at Hardcore Reborn, Energize, Nemesis and have already rocked the likes of HTID in the Sun, Uproar and many more. How do you find raving in the S/W compared to up country?

You get your mix from city to city really, when a Southwest rave goes off, it goes off! big time! You find that places like South West, Wales and Scottland all have a bit more of a rougher party edge to them, so as an MC its always good to rock a crowd who are really up for it!

4. You are also resident MC for Hardcore Reborn Junior, who rocks the most the kids or the adults?

haha, I will be carefull what i say, but kids parties are rocking, going off everywhere at the moment, They seem to have a fresh passion for it, and when you put a few big names in front of them they seem to want to make the most of it as there are far less opertunities for them to go to raves in general. so... kids

 

5. So now your onto world domination where can we expect to see you smashing up the dancefloor over the next few months?

I wouldnt call it world domination lol, I have got a Hardcore Heaven booking in July @ The Opera House, monthly @ Nemesis, Swansea, monthly @ Hard energy & Energize now and Hardcore Reborn in a number of city's at over and under 18 gigs. Plus loads more local events. I think most weekends are booked out, you can find my diary on my facebook fan page though: http://www.facebook.com/s.php?q=MC+Age+O%27s+Fan+Page&init=q&sid=0#/group.php?gid=19103219402 Join up people :) (shamless plug, i know)

6. Aswell as an MC you are also owner of the label Fast Track Recordings, we have heard a few tracks here at Energize and Reborn. Tell us more about the label and what we are to expect?

Its a label run by myself and Rescue, a producer from Scotland. It started off as an event which is still running in Plymouth, the event basically showcases local hardcore talent in the South West with their DJ + Production talent. With the label we aimed to do the same but on a wider scale, We have had about 15 releases, with a massive back-pile of releases which will be out very very soon by Stabilize, Auscore, Elzy and have future releases by Chris Green and Bishop. Aswell as more from the producers previously mentioned!

7. You got £5 left to your name, your really hungry, what do you buy?

A Rotisserie chicken from tesco, would still have about £2.50 to my name aswell ;)

8. Whats your porn star name?

George Harewood haha

9. Desert Island, 3 things what would you take?

A fridge filled with food and drink, a soundsystem, and a rhyme book with a pen! sounds amazing actually lol

 

DJ HEKTEK - INTERVIEW TAKEN FROM WWW.HARDCORE-ASYLUM.COM

Hailing from Cornwall, owner of Cheezegraterz records and true to the orginal hardcore Techno/gabber sound. Definately one to watch, keeping it hard & party in the best possible way.

Where did it all start for you?

Christ now your asking ! Hm, think roughly 1993 Bought a copy of Fantazia's twice as nice tape pack and used to caine it constantly at school. Then went to a few under18's to see Scorpio and Producer down here and just fell in love with the harder sounds.

Where did the name come from?

Hektek , I was originally gunna be in a duo back in 1994 called Hektek and Mayhem. Chris " Mayhem " went down the happy hardcore then onto Drum N bass route .

What gave you the initial push?

.Just boredom.. Lol, living in Cornwall is kinda of cool but things are very boring around here

Who would you say was putting on the best events at the moment?

Tough question : I couldnt actually pin point a " best event or organisation " to be honest I love all the parties I go to in 1 way or another .

Which other countries have you played?

At the moment Just the U.K but got a tour of Europe coming up starting December which we are all well exzcited about.

What was the first event you ever played?

HAHAHAHAHA Shit !! I dont wanna say this ! first 1 was Rouche Sports hall for someones Birthday but it was an organised rave with other local dj's.
It was actually arranged by Flying Time.

What’s the best event you’ve ever played?

best event ?/ ehh I really enjoyed the Hardcore heaven weekender 2008 but Im playing for North NYE at N.E.C. playing old classics so I reckon that might be my best event .

What was your first record you bought?

Cant remember if it was an Area 51 or Rage Records 01 - Rage Reset - Syndrome EP .

Out of all the tunes you have, which one does the business every time?

without no doubt in my head deatchant 17 - hardcore body harvest by Hellfish

What's your favourite tune of all time, the ultimate classic?

Couldnt pinpoint 1 but deathchant 9 / dom 9 The Power jam / Industrial Strength Trance 17 Zenith Flowers of Intelligence. ( me and my Fiance named our son Zenith after this record )

And when all the partying is over, how do you like to relax?

Xbox , Music production , designing artwork for future releases of Cheeze graterz etc.

How is the scene in your eyes at the moment?

its not bad but not great ! Down here its practically dead which is fuckin harsh as we used to have an amazing scene down here . ( The Legendary Shire Horse , The Venue , Cornwall Collisiuem ) The secene we had was monsterous . Now piss poor.

How big is your vinyl collection? What is your opinion on CDJ's? (the pros & cons)

Vinyl Collection is around 4,000 records - CDJ'S - I used to hate these but now see the benefits. Im gunna invest in a pair of cdj 400's very soon as I want to go out and play solid cheeze graterz sets . I have tracks here by myself and various artists that wont be out for nearly 2 years . I want to play them out now, so apart from laptop I think Cdj's are a bloody good idea.

The funniest thing that ever happened at an event?

 I was mixing 2 Deathchant records ( face side up ) and when I went to do the final cross fader cut I cut it to the record that ran out and obviously it went quite !!! The crowd went OI OI !! and cheered . I quickly cut back into the other track and it was fine again. LOL. twas a school boy error.

Other DJs you rate?

I Gotta rate my hero's Luke Producer and Simon Scorpio cos without them I wouldnt be where I am now. Hellfish was good in the old days but nowa days I have to say Steff Deathmachine , Steve Fiend , Sarin Assault etc.. theres loads really but I buy anything from those artists automatically.

Who is/are your biggest musical influences in the world of music & why?

Id say the old Deathchant / Area 51 labels so that again would be Mr Lukas (Producer)

What are your feelings on the MC's?

there ok , I only like 3 of them Sharkey , Ribbz and of course Squidgy B

What do you do outside of the dance music scene?

Sleep , eat food.

What advice would you give to up and coming DJs/Mc's/Promoters?

Just stick to it , its a tough game Ive been there (Promoter & Djin) its not easy but just stick to it and make lots of demo's for clubs etc.

If you could stage an event anywhere, where would you choose?

Paris or Berlin

How do you see the scene 5 years from now?

Thats a tough 1 for me cos im sort stuck in the past with my music. Hopefully because the happy Hardcore is now in my opinion quite comercialised with the likes of bonkers etc , the scene will get bigger and more people will turn to the Darkside .

Dont care what anyone says the first entrance to the scene is through the happy door. its just weather u stay there or not . I quickly ran to the Dark side. lol

If you had a time machine what year would you go back to and why?

1996 cos The music I make is very much that style and Id love to have released records back then.

Any shouts you would like to make?

yeah a monster thank you To Mr Andy Bowler for giving me the bookings I get and another monster thanks to Simon and Luke. and also to my son who has actually just ran past me with some vinyl

http://www.myspace.com/cheezegraterz