Amber D

So you thought that Boxing Day was all about being left with the coffee cream roses and watching a James Bond film? Well think again because Contagious have got one Christmas cracking Boxing Day extravaganza going down at the Syndicate and Contagious sure as hell have one double bubble going down:

There aren’t many DJ’s that can say they’ve achieved so much in such a short space of time as this girl: having been tearing up dance floors all over the UK and beyond; claiming her stakes in the music production world, being claimed as one of dance music’s future hero’s and she even finds time for a bit of Karaoke on the side! It’s Amber D!!!

Q. Amber, Contagious look like they’ve really done it this time with the line-up that they’ve got on with the major Hard Dance players such as Andy Whitby and Andy Farley playing  that night. What are you most looking forward to about playing alongside them?

A. Well, the are both great guys, and all our names begin with A. Which must mean something….  I am really looking forward to playing this gig as Ive not played for Contagious before, but I just know I am gonna love it!

Q. You’re not only going to be playing Hard Dance in the main room, but everybody is going to be treated to you playing a world exclusive House set! What are you most looking forward to about that?

A. Yeah, I cant wait to get stuck into my electro / house stuff… I have big plans for 2007 in that field, but don’t get worried, I wouldn’t loose my Hard Dance roots!  Its just something that I would like to do as well as the Hard Dance, as I am renowned for playing all sorts of music in my sets, it makes sense that I should fulfill my dream to play specific genres when I want to also.

Q. Its two brands that you are actually going to be involved with that night and they are of course Contagious who have certainly been making an impact this year plus also Funk Deluxe. What good stuff have you been hearing about them?

A. I know a lot about both…. They are always very hands on in the clubbing world, and I am forever seeing their names crop up on the internet, Don’t Stay In.com and of course from Vince the main man!! Lol

Its gonna be great to be part of that for the night.

Q. As the Contagious bash is being held over the festive period, there is no doubt that, that is going to add to a great atmosphere, but what type of atmosphere will you be looking to build that night?

A. Its just gotta be party party party…. Nothing to serious at all.  Its all about shaking your ass on this night baby!!!!  You aint gonna LEAVE the dancefloor!

Q. Music has always been a really big part of your life and as a child you trained as a classical pianist; even though you outgrew it at age 15/16 do you ever look back and think that gave you a great musical discipline which you use today?

A. Yeah definitely.  Its been the one thing that has taught me, amongst the obvious musical qualities, the patience it takes and the determination you need to get to where you want to be.  I can still get engrossed for 4 hours at a time on the decks, or in the studio even longer.

Q. It only took you a couple of weeks  to pick up the basics of       DJing, but once you first started out did it immediately strike you that, that’s what you wanted to be doing?

A. Yeah, it was like a calling you could say! Lol  I think in life, everyone has something that they are good at.  I think mine is being good at entertaining people with my music, energy and lust for life!

Q. You used to work as a receptionist in a vets surgery before music was your full time thing. Did the two of them cross over at all, or was it a straight swap?

A. Well when I finished that job, it was in a very difficult part of my life. My mum, uncle and grandma all died within a few months of each other, and I was left the oldest in the family to pick up all the pieces and start again and look out for my younger brother. All at 17.  It was a very difficult time, and for a while things were really bad…. But then gradually I started to get my life back together, I moved to a new city all on my own, made some friends, and those friends were the ones who went clubbing to Sundissential, and Insomniacz, and that’s how I got into it really. 

Q. You took part and of course won the “fluffy DJ” competition; another participant in that contest was Andy Whitby. When you and Mr Whitby are in the same line-up together, does he still get reminded of that?

A. Yeah I remember that!  Well as I remember he got really far too, so I think even back then people saw our potential!

Q. Your first real go at slamming the slabs of vinyl in public came at the Asylum club in Newcastle. How would you describe that?

A. Yeah that was years back…. Probably 5 years ago now (wow doesn’t time fly….).  It was my platform to getting other gigs in the Stoke On Trent area, then I got my residency at the infamous Golden, where I stayed resident for a couple of years before its unfortunate closure.  Still miss that place… Best goddam sound system around for its time.

Q. In 2004 you were selected by Mixmag as their future hero but what other awards would fill you with pride to win?

Ooooh I actually won the Mixmag Future Hero title two years running, a feat that has yet to be beaten!!!  I am very proud of that, and want to say a big thank you again to all the people that voted.. It’s a great feeling when you know the awards come from votes from the public, and not within the Industry.  It makes it more real.
 
Q. Some of your productions to date include “Ear Damage” and “Kiss and tell”, after you’ve just completed a production do you normally road test them in your set and if so what type of reaction are you looking for off the crowd?

A. Its definatley important to road test stuff… Ive not got it too wrong yet, I don’t think but I do worry sometimes that something I like, may not be what other people want to hear.  But I never try to second guess myself either.  You have to trust in your own judgement.  And that’s what people want to hear anyway isn’t it?  Your particular sound and individual stamp on things?  I think so.

Q. When DJ’s make tracks in a studio they normally work very closely alongside an engineer. Before you commence a production, how do you collaborate with the studio engineer so that you are both “dancing to the same beat” as it were?

A. It can be quite difficult sometimes, especially if the person coming in to the studio doesn’t know a lot of technical lingo.  I do my best with that which I can, having done a BTEC National Diploma in music technology its not too difficult for me and the engineer to understand each other. But then again all engineers are different. Some you bond to straight away, some run away with their own ideas and you have to shout at them and make them listen to you (Digital Kid!....lol) and sometimes you are not compatible at all.  Its very similar to being friends with someone.  We all have different friends with different qualities, and then again there are people that we just cant connect with at all.  Through no fault on either party, just the way it is.

Q. You have mixed some really big selling compilation CD’s like Tidy Euphoria and Hard Dance Republic. What kind of buzz did that give you when you first saw those on the shelves of HMV displaying the words “mixed by Amber D?”

A. Oh my lord… you couldn’t imagine.  I went into HMV and saw my CD staring back at me and I just felt so proud… and I knew my mum would be really proud of me too… which makes it all so worth while.

Q. Some DJ’s like to arrive early at a gig to gauge what kind of mood that the crowd are in and to soak up the vibe in general; do you ever find your self doing that?

A. Yeah wherever I can.  I think its important to mingle and get the general cencus of the night.  I usually stay for a boogie after my set too, unless I have to shoot off to another gig.

Q. Even if it’s not that long, your set has always got to keep people entertained, excited and on their toes, so each track in your set is like a building block. So when you are thinking about putting on the next track are you going by instinct or experience?

A. The way I describe it is as if you are playing a game of chess… you always need to think a few moves ahead.  I like to know my tunes inside out, and I know the keys of most of the tracks I play (most important in my tech-trance sets) from the classical training, just by instinct. I cant really explain it, its like its built in or something.  Or I think about the vocals in the tracks, and try and match them up so that the vocals “answer back”  each other in the mix.  I hate it when vocals clash and end up over the top of each other… no need!  But mainly you need to keep it fresh, keep it interesting, keep the energy UP.  Its funny when people think its just about matching beats together… that’s just the beginning honey….

Q. When you take over from somebody else who has got a completely different style to yours, do you try and bridge it with the first couple of tracks, or let that difference stand out?

A. As I have most styles of hard dance with me, I can bridge just about anything without any problems… but I will stop and start if asked of me by a promoter (say if he is introuducing me on the mic or something)

Q. For a while now your DJ talents have been signed to Tidy management (a division of Most Wanted) who are one of the largest, most respected and most professional DJ agencies. How have you enjoyed working with them so far?

A. They have always been amazing to me.  I am so happy and feel so lucky to be working with such great people.  They have seen me grow up over the last few years, so its like being part of a family now.

Q. And, finally come the Contagious Boxing Day Extravaganza, what tunes of yours are really going to be rocking the place so that everybody will be glad they passed up that offer of one last Sherry with Auntie Beryl and came to Contagious instead?  

A. Well I have a new remix I have finished of Don’t Cross the Line, so that will be getting an airing, along side a lot more new stuff that im sure you will love!

© Greg Lynn 2006

Feature by Greg Lynn
Tel: 07891654122
Email: greglynn0210@yahoo.co.uk

The right to be named as the author of this work has been asserted by Greg Lynn in accordance with the Designs, Copyright and Patents act 1988

 www.amberd.co.uk

Andy Farley

Come Boxing day in Bristol there is sure as hell going to be something that’s spreading around and if you are not careful you could be catching the Contagious buzz that’s going to be taking place at Superclub Syndicate for their Boxing Day extravaganza! And just who do you think is going to be headlining in the main room?????

Ho, ho, ho, look what Santa has in his sack for you lot! This man must surely have the most impressive record collections out on the DJ scene as he has spent the last three decades doing just that. Not just content with sharing it out to the masses on the worlds dance floors but also an amazing producer, an awesome re-mixer and running his own label. It’s none other than the god father of Hard House Andy Farley!!!

Q. Andy, Christmas is always a very busy time for any successful jock but Contagious does seem to be something quite special as you are playing alongside names in the main room such as Amber D and Andy Whitby. What are you most looking forward to about playing at Contagious?

A. I’ve not played in Bristol for about two years or so, so it’s going to be great to come back and play. I also have a lot of friends down there so am looking forward to catching up with them as I’ve not seen them for ages. Not forgetting of course giving everyone a good workout to work off the Christmas excesses!

Q. It’s not just the awesome line-up that Contagious have taken care of but the venue is going to be complete with stilt walkers, fire breathers and those sexy Contagious dancers doing their stuff! Would you agree that, that all ads for a great atmosphere for you to play in?

A. Definitely, it’s the extras which make all the difference. It gives people value for money and gets the crowd hyped up

Q. Contagious have certainly been making a very big impact in clubland this year not least with a stage at Global Gathering. What other good stuff have you been hearing about them?

A. I’d heard the name through various friends who have played for you, and heard lots of great reports about your stage at Global this year, so am honoured you’ve asked to come and play

Q. It’s not only the great Hard Dance action that’s going to be rocking Contagious. But they’ve also got one super line-up in the House room. What type of balance do you feel that’s going to give the night?

A. I think a good balance of varied music is important in any night. It brings a bigger mixture of people in and also gives people an alternative if they need to get away from the harder sounds for a while
 
Q. You started collecting rare 60’s records and R&B records back in the eighties but then got really into the club scene; what was it about the sound of hearing records mixed together that really caught your ear?

A. I was just taken with it straight away, and decided I had to have a go at it. Before that I was used to some talking on a microphone in between tunes and giving out birthday messages! So to hear just the music doing the speaking, seamlessly one record into the next was a real revelation for me

Q. You got your first big break in 1989 when you entered and won a DJ competition which led to you playing a four year residency alongside Tony Devit @ The Nightingale club. At the time of winning the competition, did you have any idea what it could possibly lead to?

A. Not at all, to me it was just a hobby. I was going out doing what I loved, buying great new tunes then having the opportunity to programme them and play them to an appreciative crowd.

Q. After that you played at Tin Tins, with that being a small after hour’s club, did that give you the chance to be quite experimental with what you were playing?

A. Yes definitely, Tin Tins for me is one of the best clubs I have ever played at. The mix of people was right, the vibe was right, you were guaranteed that each week be stomping. I quickly found my feet musically and forged my own sound through what I played.

Q. Things really got going for you when began your residency at Sundissential in 1996. It had been three years since you started playing House, so at that point where did you see your self going musically?

A. I didn’t really see myself going into a particular direction as I was constantly adding to my sound with tracks of the moment as they appeared. It was all generally pumping house or trance music, this was before the term hard house was particularly used. I’ve never been one to play just one style of music. If a good tune crops up that I think will fit in my sets then I’ll play it.

Q. You left your day job working for British Airways writing up the shift rosters for their cabin crew six years ago now. Did having an ordinary day job due in the week then going out and smashing dance floors at the weekend seem like a bit of a surreal double life, or did that help balance the Karma a bit?

A. It was very tiring! I worked Monday to Friday and it was a pretty stressful and thankless job. So for me going out to play music I loved to crazy crowds who were into what I was doing was a big release from that, so yea I guess it balanced the Karma!

Q. Every successful DJ has their own unique style of playing, so from the moment you brought your first pair of decks with the profits from your old record collection, how did you go about developing yours?

A. I never really set out with a goal. My philosophy if you could call it that, was just to have the records mixed well, not clashing, and for things to be mixed in the correct time so that they drop in the right place. I hate hearing things mixed ad hoc with no thought about where things like the bassline or vocals will come in.

Q. You’ve been described as the “Godfather of Hard House” meaning that you were one of the pioneers of the scene. Hard House came off the back of the Hi-Nrg sound in the mid nineties, so what really drove you to be a pioneer of the sound and push it out?

A. I kind of just fell into playing hard house. I was playing it before I really knew the term existed to be honest. The music at Tin Tins was always chunky, so I was buying a lot of tracks that were big at Trade without having been there, just simply on the merits of liking them. I never perceived myself as a pioneer just moved forward with a sound that I was into

Q. You’ve now brought out numerous productions like ‘Digitize’ ‘Reprezent’ and ‘Barriers’. Before you get busy in the studio, is there any real particular game plan you’ve got for putting together a great track?

A. I like to get some ideas together of where I want to go with the track. Usually I soak up what is happening in dance music in general and maybe try and incorporate some current sounds or ideas to keep it fresh. You may also find a good vocal or sound that you want to use, so lots of factors come together

Q. As a DJ you are going to spend several hours watching people dance to your tracks, so you get a very good idea of what elements of a track are going to make people dance. Do you ever take down notes on this when you’re playing to use as info for the next production?

A. No, I’ve always had a good memory when it comes to music, so the ideas are stored in there!

Q. You’ve now put together several re-mixes like ‘Eternal Bliss’,’What u got left’ ‘and ‘Screw loose’. Remixing is almost like full blown production these days; when you’re completing a remix do you try and strike a balance between what’s yours and what’s left over from the original artist?

A. Definitely. Most of the time when you do a remix you have a good riff or certain hooky elements to work from, so you kind of add your sound and ideas to that.

Q. You’ve mixed some big selling compilation CD’s like ‘Music for a Harder Generation’ and ‘Hard House Update’ was there anything that you particularly took into account when choosing the tracks for those? 

A. I always try to approach mix cds with as much varied and upfront material as possible. I also always try to cover as broad a spectrum of what I play so that the cd is as representative of my sound as it can be. Set progression has always been important to me as well, so the cd will start off slower and then build to an exciting climax!

Q. You set up the label Blue Cubed records which is now becoming a big success. What do you think are the real secrets of running a successful label given the fact that it looks like the Digital revolution is about to kick in?

A. It’s a strange time at the moment, almost liking a kind of no mans land with some people buying digital and some buying vinyl and there’s kind of no major swing in either direction so as far as Blue Cubed goes, I’m just really watching what is happening. To be totally successful with your label you need to make your music available to as many people as you can, which is where the digital format is essential because you can get your music to people who wouldn’t normally be able to get it previously when it was only available on vinyl.

Q. Your entire record collection runs into the figure of 70,000!!!  I’m actually having trouble imagining what that looks like. Just where do you find the space to keep them all and how did you find the time to collect all that lot?

A. It looks like a mess in places ha ha. I’m pretty organised to be honest, I have to be. I have a room full of my 70s & 80s disco/new wave/hi-nrg, my garage has been converted and that has all my house, techno, trance and hard house. I also have a lock up which is full of all my promos and records that I don’t need anymore. I am in the process of trying to work through them to sell them but as you can imagine it’s a bit of a slow process as we’re talking 19 years of record buying!

Q. Within your astronomical collection there must be some real rare gems and some that were quite elusive to get hold of. What are the ones that have given you the greatest pleasure in getting your hands on?

A. The rarer stuff is mostly from the 70s & 80s. I’ve got lots of rare disco, Italian and new wave tracks that are worth a fair bit. I recently sold an Italian disco track from  on Ebay that I bought for £7 in 1988 for £350, so well rather pleased with that as you can imagine!

Q. Hard House was of course born in the UK and you’ve played in Asia, South Africa, New-Zealand and your native Australia. How does it feel like to be playing a part in the global spread of the Hard Dance sound?

A. It feels great, and I really hope to be able to do it more. There is definitely a world of opportunity out there for the sound and hopefully it spread it’s wings globally again

Q. For around 90% of jocks, sadly it will only ever be a part time sideline for them. What do you feel is the main difference between them and that exclusive bunch of full timers? In other words what are the really successful DJ’s doing that the others aren’t?

A. You have to be totally committed and be prepared for a lot of hard work, frustration and knock backs! I’ve been knocked down on more than one occasion by not being paid for gigs, cancellations, things going wrong, but you have to be thick skinned and pick yourself up and carry on. If it’s what you want to do then this is what keeps you going. Also having the right drive is important for me, yes it’s my career but I’m driven by the love of what I do not just for the money

Q. Some times you’re going to have to take risks with records and play what the crowd might not necessarily be familiar with. Have you ever played a track which has cleared the floor, then a few weeks later everyone has loved it?

A. Yes definitely. When I first started playing more techno in my sets I was getting slated for it, but then two years later everyone was loving it and expected it of me, so you have to persevere with trying to push things forward otherwise the scene comes to a grinding halt

Q. And finally there are sure as hell going to be a few punters that are going to want to stomp it away, so they burn off all those calories from all that Christmas pudding that they’ve been scoffing! What kind of frantic set are you going to be playing to help them do just that?

A. Well I won’t give too much away, but being Christmas and party time, I’ll be dropping in plenty of good classics to warm your cockles!
 
©Greg Lynn 2006

Feature by Greg Lynn
Tel: 07891654122
Email: greglynn0210@yahoo.co.uk

The right to be named as the author of the work has been asserted by Greg Lynn in accordance with the Designs, Copyrights and Patents Act 1988.

www.andyfarley.com

Through The Keyhole, with Andy Whitby and Cally Gage

By Caroline Greatwood

Cally Gage and Andy Whitby have been rocking clubbing events throughout the UK. Andy Whitby is a product of a generation of DJs who want to do more than just beat match. Cally Gage is the Princess of all things hard house. Together as Frantic Residents, they are taking over clubland, making their names at events such as Hard House Academy, Twist, Sundissential, Tasty, and Wildchild. I met with them both in their new humble abode in Peterborough to find out more.

PART ONE – ANDY WHITBY

Caroline - You played at Transmission last night, how was that for you?

Andy - Last night’s Tranzmission event was fun. Any pie that Frantic has it’s finger’s into is guaranteed to be a sell-out, just as this was…10,000 nutters wiggling about to all sorts of dance music, lovely! The arena I was in really seemed to fill up when I got on, so that’s always nice to see.

Caroline - What was your tune of the night? What really rocked the place for you?

Andy - Tune of the night for me was either my own ‘U Ready?’, the ‘Marcel Woods moment’ cut’n’paste booty I’ve made or the newer harder mix of Auburn’s ‘Bass Keeps Pumpin’ that my friend Captain Wain Johnstone brought to my attention. All three really took things up a notch and got the kids dancing.

Caroline - Last night, hopefully was good, was it your best gig yet? If not what has been the best set of your career so far?

Andy - A hard question, there’s been some blinders so it’s hard to name one…the last Tidy Weekender was awesome (set of the weekend – Tidy.com), as was HHA vs. H.Q @ Brixton Academy a couple of months ago. Pamshouse is always immense, as is Goodgreef…there’s lots, every weekend’s an adventure in Whitbyland! (laughs)

Caroline - What makes a gig good for you, has it always been the same?

Andy - Good gigs for me are large amounts of people, a great atmosphere and crowds who react to what your doing, that’s one of the reason I love DJ booths that are near the crowd, so they can see what your doing and feed off that. I’m very animated when I play, I try and use the mixer to it’s full potential so I want people to see that and really feel that I work hard to make them dance hard.
It’s always been like this for me throughout my career, if the crowds rocking then I just draw something from them and keep trying to take things up a notch, but if there’s no vibe, I’ll work harder til there is.
 
Caroline - Alexandra Palace is an amazing venue, what are your thoughts; do you prefer playing big venues or smaller ones? Why?

Andy - I love both as they can create separate vibes. Huge events obviously attract large amounts of people, and because the event is so hyped up and marketed the excitement for it builds in a different way than a smaller events. There’s nothing like dropping a huge record at places like this and seeing thousands of people react all at the same time, my favourite moment like that was coming on after Paul Maddox at Frantic MORE. He had built things up nicely but it was time to take things up a notch. I dropped an intro version of Ratty – Sunrise (P.H.A.T.T remix) and saw 2000+ people all reach for the lazers at the same time, Wil Paterson (owner of Frantic) just looked at me and shook his head with disbelieve…it was a great moment.

At the very same time smaller venues bring something entirely different. You can read the entire vibe of the club better and your usually right they’re in the middle of the action with them, so it’s on a much more personal level.

Caroline - Anywhere you haven’t played yet that you are dying to?

Andy - I’m really looking forward to playing @ the Arches in Glasgow, a booking for there came in the other day so that is going to be special. Apart from there, I’ve pretty much played all the places I want to all over the country, being associated to a brand like Frantic ensures I only play the best parties in London, as they’ve got it locked down. Then each town you go to there’s always one big place that ‘owns’ that town so to speak and I’m happy to report I’m playing at all of those.

Caroline - The Tidy weekender was a pretty big gig for you, how was it?

Andy - Playing at the Tidy Weekender is always a lot of fun, the vibe is just right…all the kids are up for it, they’re all there because they love hard-dance and you know they’re ready to be rocked on that dancefloor. Weekenders are one of those gigs where you really pull out the big tracks; I usually prepare some special bootlegs or tracks for it, as they appreciate the effort.

Caroline - Would you be up for following in the steps of the Organ Donors and Kutski, and showcase your tricks in the Tidy Store?

Andy - I’m not sure, the stuff I do is much different than The Donors and John, so I don’t know if it’d work.

Caroline - Going back to your roots, what got you into Djing, who are your Djing idols?

Andy - Nowadays I don’t really have any, I rarely pay attention to what other DJs are doing unless they’re friends and then we always chat about what’s going down.

One of my sayings is ‘keep your cards to your chest’ which means always keep your business and your big plans to yourself til they’re 100% going a-head. This is because I can guarantee if you tell some people about your ideas, they’ll do them as quick as they can to try and cash in on it.  That’s what being in a competitive industry is like, but at the same time I love it…it keep me on my toes.

Caroline - Were you just mixing then or did you produce tunes at an early stage too?

Andy - Just mixing back in the day, spinning records to no-one else other than my bedroom walls and my mother and father downstairs…and how they loved the none-stop thudding of hard-dance music upstairs for hour upon hour.
Finally I got into hardhouse and started making a few bootlegs and then it wasn’t until I signed with my old agency Nukleuz that I made my first records for release.

Caroline - On the subject of production, what gave you the idea for “U Ready”?

Andy - ‘U Ready?’ came about when I was sitting in a hotel before a gig watching Live 8. Madonna jumped on stage and started yelling ‘are you ready to change history, are you ready to start a revolution, I said ARE YOU READY?!’ and I just knew straight away that it’d work so well in a hard-dance track. I wrote down the idea in the little notebook I take everywhere with me and then took the idea into the studio, came up with the riff and bingo-bango…the track was born.

Caroline - Can I have a copy of Set you free??!

Andy - I’m afraid not, no one can have one…it’s an Andy Whitby-set-only track. (Apart from Cally Gage, when she asks nicely!).

Caroline - Finally, if you were a clubber again, who would you go and see (apart from yourself!!)

Andy - If I were still clubbing weekly, I’d definitely go and see all the new-breed DJs; they just make things more exciting. Except the Tidy Boys, Glazby, Pin-Up and couple of others who are still at the top of their games, no-one wants to see people the age of your parents playing records anymore. They want to see kids the same age as them, feeling that moment with them and sharing the excitement. These DJs know exactly what their supporters want to hear; they know what it’s like to be on that dancefloor waiting for the big track brought in by the crazy mix, they know how to interact….so nu-breed all the way baby!

Cally – Yes I have and it’s been great, I’m loving every minute of it and hope that it continues for a very long time yet!

Andy - Where do you want to take things in the next year?

Cally – In the next year I want to be playing frequently all over the UK and even outside if I can.  I am going to be working on a new website soon as well, as I think this is key to me promoting myself and pushing myself further within the scene.  I have a few exciting things that are going to be happening over the next few months as well, I am playing out in Ibiza this year for the first time and am also going to be mixing an album – it is going to be me and Andy Whitby back to back for the Frantic Residents 06 album.

Andy - You’ve been playing out for a while now, how did you get into DJing?  Who were your DJing idols?

Cally – I got into DJing through my friends really.  I was clubbing for a few years and all my friends could mix, I just used to watch them for hours at after parties amazed by it all really.  Then someone I knew was selling all his equipment so I bought it all off him and just used to stay in and practise all the time, the rest as they say is history!  My idols at the time were people like Paul Glazby really, I used to follow him around to events all the time – that’s why I only really played quite hard when I first learned to mix, I used to love a bit of filth back then!  

Andy – And before the Tidy Weekender you had never played a gig in your life then you found herself up against Veloser, Steve James, Colonel K and Nice Gay Danny in the DJ competition. Many of those DJs haven’t been seen since, but on that magical day you got up there and wiped the floor with them all!

Cally – Haha, wiped the floor with them – I like that!  Yes Tidy Weekender was my first gig and I didn’t believe I had got that far even on the day of being there, I was so bloody nervous it was horrible.  Funny thing was, I nearly didn’t even play as I didn’t actually have a ticket for the weekender!  I arrived at the gates and Tidy Russell said that he wasn’t sure he could let me play in the competition as I had sold my ticket before I got there.  What he did though was toss a coin and said that if I called the right side he would let me in.  He tossed a coin, I said heads and I was right, so I got to play – I guess it was fate!

Andy - You play two different types of set, hard or euphoric. Which do you prefer and why?

Cally – I like to play all sorts of hard house, as I don’t want to be pigeon holed into one genre really.  When I first started mixing I played really hard, but my sound soon progressed to the more euphoric side of hard house.  Initially I think this was because a majority of girls play quite hard and I wanted to stand out, so chose to broaden my tastes and style a bit more.  Now I love to still play quite tough and fast with big baselines, but with huge euphoric hands in the air rifts – you get so much more from the crowd as a DJ with this sort of style and you can really interact.  I still love to play hard every now and again as it’s what I started with, you still can’t beat a bit of good ol’ filth every now and again.

Andy - You played at Transmission and Twist last night, how was that for you?

Cally – Alexandra Palace is such an impressive venue that I was so pleased to have been asked to play.  Due to the other huge DJ’s that were on that line-up I did play first, but warm up sets are quite rewarding because you are setting people up for the rest of the night and if you get it wrong, it can ruin it for quite a lot of people.  Twist was ace too, they had just moved to Turnmills and I absolutely love this venue.  When I got there the place was still really busy and everyone was so up for it – it was definitely one of my most favourite sets to date and one that I won’t forget in a hurry.

Andy - What was your highlight of the night/day? What was your top tune?

Cally – I think my top tune at Transmission was the Untidy Dubs mix of “Restless”, that went down really well. 

Andy – And what about Twist as you played a more peak time set there

Cally – My top tune at Twist?  Well there are actually so many as I was on for nearly 2 hours, so I’m not sure I could pick just one.  I played two ‘one mores’ at the end of my set as well – ‘Kick It’ and ‘I Don’t Care’

Andy - How do you cope with Full time work and DJing? Do you hope to give up the day job soon?

Cally – I am not sure how I cope to be honest, I just do and fit sleep in whenever I can really.  I would love to give up my day job and work within music full time – hopefully if I keep working hard at it, I will be able to one day soon, that would be great!

Andy - When are we going to see a tune from Miss Cally Gage? Do you have ideas for the studio? Who would you like to make a tune with?

Cally – I get asked this all the time and I’ve decided to stay away from the studio for now and concentrate totally on my DJing – I’m quite happy playing other peoples tunes at the moment!   I don’t feel that I’ve got anything to go into the studio with and hope that one day I just will and that’s when I’ll make a tune, I think.  There are loads of producers that I’d love to go into the studio with, so I will keep them on my list until I’m ready!

Andy - It’s good to see a young female DJ doing so well for herself. Do you find it has helped your career being a female DJ?

Cally – Umm I’m not really sure, as I’ve never been a man!  No sorry, seriously – I suppose it has in a way, just because it is still quite a male dominated scene and seeing females DJing is still a bit of a novelty.  I hope that me being a female isn’t the only reason I have got to where I am though, I don’t like to push myself solely on being a female DJ as I think I have other qualities that stand out more.

Andy - If you were a clubber again, who would you go and see (apart from yourself!!)

Cally – Oh, I can’t put myself on the list, boo!  I would probably go and see Andy Whitby, Matt Pickup, Lucy Fur, Tara Reynolds, Paul Glazby, Andy Farley, Greg Brookman – I’m sure there are others, but I can’t think of any at the moment!

PART THREE – ANDY WHITBY AND CALLY CAGE UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT:

Caroline - When are we going to see an Andy and Cally tune collaboration?!

Andy – One day, but not anytime soon I imagine.  Where I am totally engrossed with the entire studio vibe at present, Cally doesn’t fancy making any music at the moment. I totally support her in that decision though, as there’s nothing worse than people making tracks and not having any direction.  Just like my DJing, I think producing is something that comes to you in time naturally.

Cally – One day definitely, but not soon really.  Andy is doing so well with his own tunes at the moment and I’m just not ready yet – watch this space though.

Caroline Any plans on you both tying the knot?

Cally – (Laughs) One day, I need a ring first though!

Andy – Of course, Miss Gage has changed my life for the better in so many ways, she’s such a loving caring person who I wouldn’t be able to cope without, so the natural progression is obviously marriage followed by a little man, a mini Whitby!

Cally – What about a little lady?!!!

Caroline - Finally, as we are sat in your lovely house, I have to ask, what would you rescue first if it was on fire?

Cally – Andy!

Andy – Well, as Cally’s already rescued me, I best grab the records hadn’t I! I’ve got pretty much every decent hardhouse record on vinyl from around 1997 onwards, so I’ll have to be strong and attempt to carry them all!

Cally – Its not worth rescuing the mixer, we could claim that off the insurance.

Andy – Oh and the Pioneer TV and xbox360, can’t leave them! Or my clothes, infact I’d wear my jacket, have the TV under one arm and my white labels under the other, while Cally’s carrying me out the door!

For bookings/info on Andy Whitby & Cally Gage: willfrantic@yahoo.co.uk

www.andywhitby.com
www.myspace.com/djandywhitby
www.myspace.com/djcallygage
www.dontstayin.com/groups/keep-it-whitby
www.dontstayin.com/groups/get-gaged

Superfast Oz

Over the past thirteen years, Superfast Oz has proved himself to be one of the most influential figures on the hard house scene. With a huge discography, highly respected label in the form of Kaktai Records, an internationally recognised record store and a massive number of residencies all under his belt he's come a long way since playing his first gig in 1994. Over the years he has held residencies for a string of UK clubs including Energized, Sea-Lab, QED, Passion, Torture Gardens, Resonance, Storm, Escape From Samsara, Feersum, Logic, Cheeky Little Monkey, Residance, Insomniacz, Insekt, and most recently Twist - Londons most respected after party. Internationally he's held residencies at London Productions - Cape Town, Popsickle - San Francisco, Q-Dance - Holland, Maniac Love - Tokyo and his international success also stretches to regular guest appearances in Australia, USA, Japan, Canada, Africa, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Highly respected for his production work, Oz has mainly worked with Dom Sweeten over the years under the guise OD404. Together they have built up a discography pushing well into the hundreds with such dance floor classics as U Aint Winnin, Fireball, Block Party, House Is On Fire, 9 Bar, Biofilter and Whizz Bang and remixes including Meltdown, Who Is Elvis, Drop The Dime, Hooked, No More and Street Tab to name but a few. Other names Oz and Dom work under are Satelite Kidz, Hyperloop and $Whores, whilst collaborations between Oz and Project Mayhem such as Bitch Trog and Just Cum go under the pseudonyms Big Tool 4 U and D&G. Solo work you should all be familiar with are tracks such as Bad Ass Ghetto Pimp (my personal fav!) and remixes of Non Stop, Party People and most recently The Dj, The Music.

Not just a wizz on the decks and in the studio, Oz is the all round businessman. Having built up two empires from scratch over the years, Banging Tunes and Kaktai Records - both hard dance institutions in their own rights. In every DJs hard house record collection you'll find a good helping of Kaktai Records, which started in 1997 with Prankster/Prozak 2 as the first release and is still going strong today with solid releases such as Robocock and U Aint Winnin 2005 remixes! For eight years Oz ran the Brighton based vinyl empire Banging Tunes, with shops in Brighton, London and the online store which has grown to the internationally recognised institution and DJ community it is today. Given my position as his piece of arm candy (LOL!) I've had the very rare chance of getting an in depth interview out of him on the early days, just where that name came from, the ins and outs of Banging Tunes,  OD404 LIVE, Twist's 200th Birthday and news on his forthcoming website ....

Q. Hi Oz, first things first lets step right back to the days before DJing, what were you up to?

A. The only instrument I've had proper lessons for was the drums, was in rock and thrash bands when I was fourteen-sixteen years old and did a few gigs at local pubs/halls etc.... Also dabbled with rhythm and bass guitar for a bit and got into more electronic sounds through going to Hawkwind/Ozric Tenatackles all nighters up at the Brtixton Academy, this was my first experience of loud electronic dance music, Aphex Twin doing some heavy Industrial techno set - It rocked (especially on the snowballs we had that night)

Q. So why did you want to become a DJ?

A. I'd been collecting vinyl for years. It was a natural progression to get into spinning as you don't have to rely on others band members to turn up for band practice etc...  As I was hanging out in more and more record shops just collecting my mates started calling me a DJ and then it became obvious to me. Hadn't thought whether it was a financially viable living, there wasn't the superstar DJ's then and it seemed more of a underground scene, uncommercial.

Q. Everyone is intrigued as to where your DJ name came from and just what exactly it means?

A. I used to be a Gabba loving Speed Junkie - no....!!!

This was all circa 1992-93, there was an Australian cleaning product company called "Superfast Oz", kettle descaler, shower head cleaners etc... Adverts on the T.V. every five minutes and seeing as Oz had been my nick name since I was seven, coupled with the fact I was playing a hard/fast euro techno sound - the name just stuck... Too late to change it now unfortunately....

Q. Where did you first play out and what were the gigs you felt helped you the most in making a name for yourself?

A. Had played a few house parties for mates when I was late sixteen but my most memorable moment in public was in 1994 playing first set at Shoreham Power station "Energized Sound System" illegal rave, there was fifteen people in front when i started, concentrated hard, head down and in the mix - hour and a half later there was two thousand people bouncing like loonies on the beach in front of me...! It'll stay with me forever and was asked to be their resident on the spot, worked with that Sound System for another five years as their main resident. Also I was head hunted for a gay promotion in Brighton called Pasion in 1996 where I was playing more than four hours every sat night, usually broken up into warm up and end set or mega tastic long main set so I played a wide range of material and had scope for experimenting ideas etc.... Did this every sat for three years with only two nights off when I worked over in Amsterdam, it was the best club for interaction with the crowd and I learnt as much as any DJ  could learn from that lengthy residency. It was fondly known as  Trade by the sea...

Q. Your discography is well up into the hundreds now, a mean feat for any producer, so how did it all start?

A. Another DJ I met through the Energized system was Dom Sweeten, he'd moved down to Brighton and we did alot gigs together and had similar tastes in vinyl. We both had the idea of buying some keyboards and a second hand Atari just to see if we could make our own beats... A bit of a slow process at first back in the midi era, but we persisted with it and by 1996 we had a few track finished, to a basic standard but good enough for us to play off  DAT in our sets (as long as we built an intro to mix with ...lol). Dom then preferred to be studio based and kinda hung up his headphones at that point. We got really serious about it once we saw the reaction of our efforts, we played some material in the club when we had Lab 4 come down to perform live for the first time in Brighton, they loved our sound and invited us to mix down and master some material with them in their studio and very nearly got us our first signing but that came a little later down the line.

Q. Your label, Kaktai is one of the definitive hard house labels. When did you guys start it up?

A. 1997 after getting some good feedback from alot of U.K. based DJ's, but also being told our sound wasn't quite right for the labels of the time (chug n Bump, Metropolitan, Eve etc..) and we had no choice but to put the matrial out there ourselves and we had immediate attention from the likes of the Trade DJ's, particularly Steve Thomas (from Tripoli Trax who gave us our first signing outside of Kaktai) Tony De Vit,  Pete Wardman, Ian M etc... At the time thesee guys carried alot of weight and we got offered some amazing remix opportunities from then on.

Q. Banging Tunes is an internationally recognised record store, how did the store come about and where do you stand with the company nowadays?

A. Back in 1996 I started to help out in a local house music shop ordering in techno and hard trance using my own funds, that shop went bust and I was left with a little stock. I had a taste of buying-in and selling and found I enjoyed doing it so then gave me the thought about my own shop. I knew another local DJ who liked the same material as I did, DJ Kristian. We spoke about the possibility and found an indoor market space which was ideal and cheap to set up. The name back then was Klik Klik Whirly Beep Beep , we opperated there for over a year before moving to another space that was in a better location and that brought us some roaring trade (back in the old days). Kristian had always been a computer techy dude, so when the web revolution happened he started to deal with a mail order system which meant we could increase our business onto the global market. I dealt with the music management and processing orders and felt the Bangingtunes.com title was more apt for the operation.... The web explosion kicked off and the company then grew to just under twenty staff over two shops (one in London) and the Brighton mail order HQ. The B.T. institution was born and my stress levels and business accument where stretched to the max and I had no time for other comitments like studio etc... My involvement with B.T. was dramatically reduced in 2004 as I realised that I'd been distracted from my innitial focus (DJing / Producing) and needed to follow the original path, but I still have ties and support B.T. all the way.

Q. You and Dom first started the OD404 LIVE gigs in 2005 and they have been receiving huge support from across the scene, so is this the year of the Kaktai Tour?

A. From doing international DJ gigs for over eight years, I had always been asked everywhere I've been 'Are OD404 ever going to play LIVE...?????' As Dom hadn't been DJing for years it seemed as though this may have never been an option, but with digital age upon us and a very impressive back catalogue of material we both finally agreed that in 2005 it would happen and it did. The Past Present and Future Tour is our project for 2006, taking our sound anywhere and everywhere to showcase some of our classic material re-vamped for todays scene, laced with fresh new material which isn't released. We had a good response in the U.K. last year and wanted to then take it onto the international circuit. We're getting an excellent response and the tour dates are starting to be confirmed throughout this year, festivals etc...
What equipment are you using for OD404 LIVE sets?
We use Ableton Live software, two controller keyboards and a laptop mainly, even though we could use alot more equipment. Sounds like its not alot but there is an awe full lot of preparation involved, especially where our older material is concerned due to the changes in software and computers we've had over the years resulting in the inability to load up old Seq & FX etc....

Q. You've held residencies at a huge number of clubs across the years and you've just scored a new one for 2006, tell us a bit about it?

A.Twist is my most recent post and I'm personally very chuffed with being asked as the club has always retained respect in the London after-party scene since it began a few years ago. In the main room its up front and new hard house with other ressies like Karim and The Twist Arcade which is dedicated to the electro side of things. It's happening down at Factory, 65 Goding Street, London, SE11 5AW every Sunday morning, I'm doing every third Sunday of the month. For more info check out www.twistclub.co.uk

Q. Twist's 200th birthday on Sunday 23rd April is fast approaching and they've got a very rare back to back planned, what's in store?

A. I have played back to back with Karim a few times now over the years and as we are in contact and have similar influences musically we do generally make it happen. I'm not one for back to backs with anyone usually, but in order for me to agree I do have to know the other person personally and musically for it to ever properly work, otherwise it's the most un-professional thing a DJ could do for themselves (unless at a mashup when you're not getting paid!) and the most disrespectful request from any promoter, not to mention what the clubbers end up with on da floor...? However -  I am looking forward to playing B2B with Karim (aka DJ Mr K) again and the fact that it's Twist 200th Birthday will make the occasion rather special.

Q. What have been your favourite highlights of your career?

A. I had a residency in Cape Town South Africa for London productions run by DJ Frisky, I headlined loads of sell out gigs at venues like The Gallery, Studio 47, 96 Degrees and Good Hope Center with him and as their money isn't as strong against the pound I would always offer to play a four hours set for them, (in fact I do for most international gigs) which I did every time. There was one time at the Gallery when it'd just gone off in there, had just done the four hours and the crowd wouldn't let me off the decks for another hour,  they were bouncing off the walls in there and it was electric. Even I said I played really well and as anyone who plays out knows you're always the biggest critic of yourself....... Anyhow - there have been so many other memorable moments I cannot seem to remember them right now..? Lol

Q. What are your all time top hard house tunes?

A. Jesus Christ on a bike.... Impossible...!
XVXno one and two, Pete Wardman's Trade mix of Hooked, Tony De Vit's mix of Age of Love. Natural Born Grooves - Forerunner Experts remix (Steve Thomas), everything by Sourmash (aka razors edge) Dream Plant  - Mighty Machine. Anything by Baby Doc, Jon The dentist remix of stuck on a space trip - got more if i could stop me head from spinning.

Q. You also DJ under the name Superfunk Oz, with which you play twisted disco, house and electro. How did you venture to the funky side of things and where can we expect to see Superfunk Oz in the future?

A. I  have always had a love of House music and had experienced US house first hand at California's biggest House event called 'How Sweet it is", which is spread over six aircraft style hangers where I witnessed the cream of America's finest house DJ's like DJ Dan, Donald Claude, DJ Sneak, Badboy Bill Danny Tenaglia, Dave Morales and Roger Sanchez.... It was like a near religious experience and it was fucking clear and loud in every arena! I spent the rest of my tour in the US record shops buying loads of tunes to take back home with me, especially fucked up twisted disco stuff. Since then I've been it to it all, electro/ tribal / disco / latino - all flavours really and have been playing out this sound even though i'm normally know for the U.K. hard sound. I'm expecting to play Superfunk alot more in the future. I'm playing an electro set in the Twist Arcade on 19th March, which I'm really excited about as Dom and I have been doing some electro tracks in the studio recently and I'll get to blast em loud for the first time with some other new bits.....

Q. And last but not least, what are your future plans for DJing, producing and the label?

A. Music is still my passion and I will keep adapting myself as I have always had to do to keep working professionally. The most pressing future plan is getting my web site up and running which I hope will not be too long till it's launched. As well as all the usual Biography and Discog etc... I'm also keen to have a download section and to put loads of my old tape recordings for free as I have got loads of classic sets spanning over a decade which should be worth checking out! The URL will be www.superfastoz.com.
More Kaktai releases are in the pipeline, next up is a collaboration between Dom & Ed Real - Dub War, for this we've enlisted Paul Glazby for remix duties. Seem to be a strong release already, even though we've not properly started promoting it yet. After that we have some in house material from OD404 & Defective Audio.... Watch this space.

www.superfastoz.com