How did the Toolroom Knights CD come about?
Tocadisco: It was a simple request if I would be interested to mix the CD. It took around one year though until we could arrange everybody’s schedule.

Over your CD you move through a wide range of house styles, and its not until later on in the mix where we are exposed to the big room Chris Lake sound that people perhaps know you best for…
Chris Lake: Crossing genres in my DJ sets I feel is one of the signatures to my sound, and something I’ve always felt is important to separate me from other DJs on the circuit. I like so many styles of dance music that I find it difficult to feature everything I like into two hours.

Was it your intention to cover such as diverse range of sounds?
T: I wanted to represent the styles that I play when I DJ. I play everything from 300 person nightclub to 50.000 people festivals. I love to work with different styles. You can also see this in my productions and remixes. Its always different then the one before. I dont like to repeat my self.

Are there any records in there that people wouldn’t expect to hear?
C: Well it depends what people expect from me. People who follow my work closely will be aware that I’ve made all sort of stuff over the years, and there are definitely projects and music out there that nobody knows is me. I love expressing myself through music, and my expressions are not tied to one sound or genre.
T: I think in general the people have a picture that is just reduced on some hit records that I have made. It happens a lot that I talk to people and tell them what I have done and who I have remixed and they are very surprised. I love electronic music in all it different styles. You can also hear that in my two albums that I did. Very versatile.

How’s the first half of the year been for you guys?
C: This first six months of 2010 has been extremely full on for me. I’ve been writing new music like crazy and doing a few remixes along the way. Now this summer is time to get a lot of this music out there for people to hear. As well as completing my Toolroom mix compilation I’ve been working on a debut Chris Lake and Marco Lys album which I’m super excited about. I’ve been doing my monthly podcast, collaborating with various people like Michael woods, Deadmau5, Lys, Nelski, Nightriders, Funkagenda etc. It’s always good to vibe with other people and have fun with your music.
T: Its getting more busy and crazier every year. I always think ok that s it this is the top you cant go only down from here and then there is another amazing opportunity. I’m building my companies now. I was very lucky when I met my wife. She understands my passion for music and starts to get more and more involved in the business side. For me that’s a present from heaven. I was always hoping for someone like Natasha. We already lunched our party “TOCACABANA” which goes hand in hand with the TOCACABANA RADIO SHOW” which is broadcast on several radio stations around the world. My wife is also the boss of our booking agency “MORUMBI BOOKING” She will exclusively book me now worldwide from September on.

Your busying touring heavily Chris, what’s the sound of Chris Lake people will hear and is there any where in the world that your really enjoying spinning at the moment?
C: Always expect to hear a variety of styles from me in my sets, as I like so much of it. I always try to keep things varied and individual. As for where I’m enjoying playing, I’ve loved the USA for the past few years now. It’s really come a long way and some of the clubs and events out there are amazing. I’ll be in Brazil again though for the world cup finals. I hope it’s England against Brazil, and we manage to give them a public spanking on the pitch!

Roman your super busy with gigs, what about you?
T: My “sound” is very versatile. I don’t like to play the same records every night. I m interested in all kinds of music and styles and I try to combine them into “my sound”. I’m so lucky that I get all this great music upfront from the labels. This is like a dream! I have hundreds of emails every month with only the freshest dance music of the moment. I play underground and I also like to play hits sometimes. Everything that I think is right to play at the moment and place.

Chris you’ve written some very big records that have had a big impact on dance music’s greater appeal; you’ve always managed to balance with one foot on the dance floor and one foot in the charts. Does Chris Lake ever wake up specifically in big record mode?
C: I make all sorts of music. I like having energy in dance tracks as I think it works well in the clubs. I don’t take the approach of making something big, just something I’d play in my sets.

Tocadisco do you have certain goals with you head into the studio or are you records the outcome of a more organic process.
T: I never think like this. I go into my studio and start with a beat. How it ends I don’t know. It’s like a journey. It can be bumpy or a smooth ride. Always depending on the vibe I have at the moment. I consider myself very lucky that the people like my music.

Tell me a little about the exclusives on the album and how did you both approach producing a track specifically for a compilation mix?
C: Well the track I wrote for the album is called “Amiga” It’s more of a visit back to my older sound, as it’s quite progressive in style and approach, but with a 2010 twist. I got my wife to do a few little bits of chanting for fun, and I liked it so much that i left it on the record. It feels like a Good end of night record also as it’s quite euphoric. I’ve also put my next single called minimal life on there, which I made with Nelski, a fantastic new artist from the UK who also sings. I’ve got some wicked remixes of that track in by filthy rich and DJ pp since I mixed the album which are really really good too.
T: I remixed the track “Stoppover” by Mark Knight and Dirty South. I know both the guys and we always bump into each other on festivals. I liked the track. It s different and I had a lot of fun to remix it.

During the writing process did you have a definite place and arrangement to where you would be slotting it in?
C: I didn’t no. I just wrote the track and hoped and prayed it would work :). It did thankfully, I think..
T: I imagined myself playing the terrace of SPACE, Ibiza that I was playing this year for the first time. I had a lot of fun.

Both your music never fails to be energetic whether it be a club hit or an underground number, would be ever see a slow dark moody and tripped out track from either of you?
C: I’ve done tracks like this in the past, and I’ve done some downtempo stuff as well. Check out my track called “Communicate” and you’ll see what I mean. I also did a track years ago called “Echofalls – shiver”. Again it’s pretty deep, or the Original B side remix I made of “Changes” on Alternative Route back in 2006.
T: Yes. I m not a big fan of dreamy dance music. I probably would hear this kind of music at home. But for me a DJ set or a good dance track has to be powerful and push you forward. I don’t want to go to a party to relax. I want to go to let myself go. To become crazy and wild. I always loved the energy that dance music has. Its basically just some beats and bass combined with some other sounds… Its magic…

How do you feel about the resurgence of a very original house sound in 2010, and are there any artists around at the moment that are really catching you attention?
C: I love the fact that house is back. It always does, and for me, it’s a very good thing. House is mostly about positive vibes, and the slightly negative side about the sound of 2009 was that some of it was quite negative. This I felt transmitted to the dance floor in a bad way. House alleys makes me feel good. As for exciting producers, I’m loving artists like DJ pp, Funkerman, Siwell, Lys, Imbernon, Coyu etc. Loads of great music out there right now.
T: I think there are many new talents out there. And I have the feeling that at the moment there are so many good tracks out and a lot of different new evolutions. Institubes “Sound Pelligrino” label from France is doing great stuff at the moment. Very different.

Tocadisco what’s coming up for you for the rest of the year?
T: Huge summer for me touring and I’m also at alot of festivals. I will also do some more of my party TOCACABANA. A lot of remixes on my label and for some of my friends too.

Where and how was the cd mixed?
T: I mixed in my house in Cologne. I used Native Instrument’s TRAKTOR software with some hardware controllers

The first three releases on the label were your own materiel, was there a conscious decision to release your music yourself rather than other labels?
The fact that these were the first few releases I had put out and that I was unsure of which labels to send them to really gave me one option, to put them out myself. It seemed to work quite well from the start so I’ve carried on.

Your “3-D” project takes the label over the 20th release, can you explain it, you produced the first three releases on the label and now these three, it doesn’t signal the end does it?
Oh definitely not! There’s plenty more to come after number 20. The three tracks were going to come out a little earlier and separately, but some things got held up as I’ve found they often do when running a label. I was then going to release all three as an ep, but had some people that I wanted to get involved for remixes so decided this was the perfect opportunity to call them in and release as 3 separate releases. It’s basically 3 tracks, each with 2 remixes from label regulars like Teva and Daniel Dubb, to artists who’s music I’ve been playing heavily over the last 6 months or so, like Jet Project, ONNO and Arnaud Le Texier.

Your rise to fame certainly hasn’t been an overnight success, would you agree? Is there any particular artists that have played a big influence in your sound?
Its taken a while that’s for sure. I’d been dj’ing for over 10 years and had some pretty good gigs like Cocoon at the End, Renaissance at the Cross and a residency at The Key in London just off the back of my dj’ing, but I’d say the production and running the label is really what helped push things forward. It’s really a mix of all kinds of people that have influenced my sound and although I’m into all sorts of stuff, Craig Richards & Lee Burridge at the early Tyrant nights at Fabric were a big influence with their dubby tech house along with Danny Howells’ warm ups at Bedrock at Heaven.

How do you do “The Tree Dance”?
That comes from an old friend of mine, Andy, who really loves a party. Quite often we’d be sat around after a night out, some years ago, having a drink and a talk and what not with a bit of music on, and Andy would be sat in the corner with his eyes closed doing what looks like some kind of spiritual dance with his arms. That’s where the name came from. I made a little video for the Tree Dance for youtube and Andy appears on that.

ALiVE proudest moments over the last 2 years?
The biggest one was when Richie Hawtin was playing The Tree Dance every week for a few moths last summer. I saw a video of him dropping it at Sonar, then every weekend it would appear on his Twitter feed.

Is there a particular genre or style that ALiVE follows and can you sum up ALiVE’s sound in only a few words?
Not really! Some of it’s a bit more ‘deep house’ whereas some is more ‘tech house’, whether it’s one or the other it always has the groove and has something about it. It has to fit in to the kind of stuff I play, but then that could be the start of the night or peak time, so quite broad really! Basically just music I like!

Its great to see a dance label maintain a strong visual identity, something that ALiVE has quickly established. Tell us a little about the fantastic hand drawn cover artwork that appears every release.
The artwork is all done by a friend of mine called Chris Martin (not from Coldplay). He was just finishing his art degree at uni in Southampton when I started the label up and he said if I needed anything doing for the label he’d love to get involved, I’m not sure if he knew how much he’d be in for when I took him up on the offer. He’s also done work for Nokia, The Guardian, Deisel Jeans, Phones 4U and loads more.

ALiVE has been a platform for showcasing new producers, not only yourself but artists such as Pedramovich. How important a role to do think a label plays in the development of new talent?
It’s really important for labels to give the new up and coming artists a chance, I’m really happy I’m in a position to do this. Most of the new artists on the label are friends of mine who have been making some amazing music with really high production standards. Every now and then I will get sent something from someone I don’t know that needs to be snapped up.

Tell us a bit about a few of the key artists on the label and what is it you look for when signing a new artist to ALiVE?
Teva, previously known as No Brainer is the latest signing. He’s a classically trained pianist (which you can hear on ALiVE17, ‘You can’t Teach This’) and a studio demon and only 21.

Pedramovich from Sheffield has done some other bits for Audiofly’s ‘Supernature’ and London/Brighton based ‘Hypercolour’ has now appeared on the label a few times and has a few more tracks and remixes to come this year.

If I’m signing a new artist then I guess I’d be hoping it would be something I would play out and really interest me, along with having a certain standard of production.

There’s some new artists I’ll be introducing to the label after ALiVE20 like James Dutton from Leeds and Arjun Vagale from India.

Do you think ALiVE has changed at all over the last two years and has the labels output stuck to what you planned to do when you launched?
I think the label has only changed in that I’m a bit pickier about what I put out. I think its musical identity is really starting to show now because of this.

What are your aspirations for ALiVE and how do you see it developing in the next 2 years.
To carry on introducing new artists and also bring in some more well known names here and there to help give it some weight all mixed up with the occasional release from myself. I’d like to do some more ALiVE events with line up’s from the roster, we’re also re-launching the Podcasts soon. I hope the label can grow and be well known for releasing quality music.

Tell us a little about your ALiVE parties.
The ALiVE parties were actually running way before the label as the afterparty for the High Tide Boat Parties in Southampton. I now run the ALiVE parties alongside Mouj who is also a resident at London afterhours party ‘Jaded’. Most have been low-key parties which we’ve thrown mainly for an excuse to have a laugh and play some records. We’ve also put on some bigger nights like at Junk in Southampton and at Matter in the O2. Over the next year we’re going to be concentrating more on the bigger events, but only have a few of them so we can really spend some time getting them just right.

Travelling and Djing alongside James Zabiela, How have you found it on the road and do you find yourself with any restraints on what you can play before him?
It’s been great and to be honest and I can play pretty much whatever I want before him without stepping on his toes musically. It’s also nice to turn up somewhere and it be busy ;)

What’s been your best gig in the last 12 months?
There has been a few. Sankeys in Manchester, Stiff Kitten in Belfast in the UK. I’ve done Kristal in Romania a few times now which is always amazing. Also Arma 17 in Moscow was pretty special.

What grooves and artists are currently exciting you?
A lot of the Dutch stuff like on 2000 and One’s various labels. (UK?) guys like Glimpse and Shenoda for the deeper stuff, Jet Project for the chunkier stuff. Also some people that will be appearing on ALiVE soon, like ONNO and Philipp Ort.

How strongly do you feel part of the South Coast house movement and do you feel like artists like yourself James Talk and Alan Fitzpatrick all help each other out in on way or another? As a close knit group of djs trying to emerge into the scene did it ever feel at the time like there was a particularly strong hotbed of local talent?
We’ve all been good friends for some time and will regularly hang out together. I’m not sure if people would know how many of us are from such a close area, other than the two you mentioned there’s also Dave Robertson (Reset Robot) who’s been a massive help with my production stuff, Jon Gurd, Junior Gee and Ridney. There’s also a load of others that aren’t quite as well known, but I’m sure will be soon like John Barber, George Pearson, Friction Machine and Aaron Binstead. I think we’ve always known there is a really healthy scene.

Away from dance music how do you like to spend your free time
Eating, sleeping, a little bit of tv, a few 5 mile runs a week and when I have the time, the odd cycle ride, and that’s about it.. the rest of the time is taken up with music.

What’s your personal good and bad elements to the electronic music scene at the moment? Is anything you’d like to see more or less of in dance music culture?
Good: There’s so much good music out there at the moment!
Bad: There’s a lot of snobbishness where people will not like this record or that record because it not made by a trendy producer of the moment. I’d like to see things go back to the old acid house way of thinking where anything goes and people being a bit more open minded.

You’ve built up a hugely strong reputation over the last few years, any advice for any aspiring Dj/Producers out there?
I think you have to do as much as you can. Cover every base, mixes, production, soundcloud, myspace etc. Just get it out there, if your music is good and your doing everything you can to push it, then it should get noticed!

What’s your plans 2010?
I’m just on my way for a tour in Australia and Asia which I’m really looking forward to. After that there’s a possible few dates in Brazil. I have some remixes coming out on Renaissance and Paolo Mojo’s ‘OOSH’ label in the coming months and a couple of tracks on Fergie’s new tech house label. I’ll have some more tracks coming out on ALiVE and we’ll be sticking to a release a month on the label with artists such as Jet Project, Philip Ort, ONNO and some newer names.

Tell us something about Tom Budden we didn’t know.
I used to race Triathlon pretty seriously and did quite well at it!

Confounding any lazy expectations, the long awaited third album from Trafik blazes an improbable trail through the sonic space somewhere between ethereal cinematic scores and storming DJ weapons.

‘None But The Brave’ began life when the duo – Andrew Archer and John Elliott – holed themselves up for an intensive fortnight’s studio session in the far reaches of Scotland, far from the nearest mobile signal or other worldly distractions.

The 18 months since then have turned out to be almost as intense. They’ve ripped their sound apart, rebuilt it, then taken it to bits a few more times before emerging with an album that both agree is their best work yet.

Tell us a bit about the process behind the new album. What were the high and low points, what didn’t come out quite as expected?

John: The time it took to complete I think was the major surprise here. It took nearly three years from when we started writing in a small house on the Clyde firth, to when it hits the shelves in June. High points came in the shape of the creation, lots of ridiculously fun ideas to explore. But the lows were in the mixing – trying to fine tune the chaos into an hour or so of order was painful to say the least!

Andrew: We started writing the album with a mindset to put together various styles and not just focus on writing club tracks. We tried to look at it more like a proper band. We have always had strong songs so wanted them to be the core of the album, with the soundtrack and ambient moments being extras.

The album contains a truly eclectic mix of different musical styles, so how would you best describe your music concisely?

John: It’s a mixture of electronic hyper-ballads and protest chants with some emotive cinematic soundscapes thrown in for good measure.

Andrew: Electronic tinged indie, film score-esque drama, melodic instant karma.

How important are the artists you collaborate with in bringing a range of sounds to the LP?

John: Massively – it allows us to have a full scope of imagination as far in respect to what we want to achieve musically. I think with a traditional band setup you can kind of get stuck within the capabilities of its members. For us, if we want to sound Motown we find a singer who sounds Motown. If we want to use a spoken word poet, we can… you see my point.

Andrew: Using different artist is very important as they allow us to explore different sounds and styles. John and I write and produce all the music and John does vocals on about 5 of the tracks on the album, so using other vocalists gives a variety to the mix.

Global Underground obviously gives you a great amount of artistic freedom to make the music you want to. How does this effect your exploration of new sounds? How important is that freedom to the Trafik story so far?

Andrew: The freedom we get from GU has, from the very beginning, allowed us to develop into a proper band and act, rather than just a bunch of producers trying to make club music. This seems to go against GU’s main ethos which is selling club music compilations and speaks volumes for the forward-thinking nature of the label. There are not many labels out there who would take a risk on an artist to let them just create what they want.

We hear you are experimenting with a live band format, what can we expect from this?

Andrew: It’s something we have been wanting to do for years now and have finally got to a place where we can do it. In many ways it looks like a traditional band with a drummer, keyboard player, bass player, myself on synths and John as the front man and we mainly play full songs rather than anything that resembles a club track in its arrangement. Sonically though we are striving for that big electronic sound to marry up with the live players, we have been getting it through the use of various drum triggers, laptops, effect racks and outboard. The idea is that it looks and feels like a traditional live band setup but with a bigger electronic sound.

John: We have played a couple of private shows in Newcastle that have gone down really well. We always wanted to put together a full on live show and I wanted to get back to my roots and be in a rock band, though this time there are no guitars! So this band is playing a load of new material as well as all of the vocal stuff I’ve done over the years; ‘Your Light’ and ‘Echoes’ etc. Early comparisons have been made – like a cross between The Who, Justice and Donna Summer, apparently!

Which of the tracks on the LP do you think is particularly special and why?

John: Personally, it’s a track called ‘Precog’. I just think it’s a beautiful piece of music; kind of sums up what we do particularly well.

Andrew: I personally love ‘Dark Times’, it was one of the first tracks we wrote for the album and marked a real change in our sound, it is some of John’s best lyrics to date and it defines the rest of the album, that mixture of dirt, melody, strings and synths.

What have you got coming up now the LP is done?

John: We’re producing for a few artists in the shape of The Polarsets; a very cool kind of Indie-Trance crossover band who are gaining some serious plaudits and a solo artist called Hattie Murdoch. Hatt’s has got her own style; basically an electro-big band swing kind of thing. Ha ha. Other than that – remixing, working on some scores and then touring. We will be in the Far East for a few shows in the summer. Oh and supporting Tiesto in Bratislava. As you do.

Andrew: We also have some videogame soundtrack work to do and are producing an EP for two of the artists from the album, Rachel Lamb – who has sung on many Trafik projects – and the twins, Charlotte and Stephanie who sing on the ‘Leave Town’ track on the album.

Hi Cliff, thank you for finding time to talk to me. How are you after Trance Energy?
Hi, thanks for having me! I’m feeling really great. The gig at Trance Energy was again amazing! Had an awesome time and I think the people who were there had a good time as well.

You had the honours of opening the High Contrast Stage at Trance Energy 2010. Was it your first time playing at Trance Energy and how would you describe the last event?
It was my second time this year. The first year was really cool, just because I was part of a major event. The area I was playing in was pretty intimate, still big though for a couple thousand people but it was smaller compared to the stage I was playing this year. This year was even better because I had to represent the label I’m working for, High Contrast Recordings. Bigger stage, more people, it was simply amazing to be there!

How long have you been DJing and could you tell us more about your background please? What was your first contact with music and how did you end up being a DJ?
I’ve been DJing for quite a while now, started as a 12 year old at elementary school. I was listening to rave music, hardcore as well, just the typical Dutch rave. I was always busy making cut and paste tapes because at that time I couldn’t afford any turntables. Around that time I just performed at high school party’s playing hardcore music. I’ve always been busy with it practising at my friends who had turntables.

Years passed by, played everything from hip-hop to clubhouse to techno, trance, everything in between. I had my first release in 2005 and in 2006 I was building up my name pretty fast. Then in 2007 I got my first international gig in which was EnTrance in Poland. Now 3 years later I’ve played a lot of events internationally like Trance Energy, Mystery Land, Germany’s Love Parade, UK’s Digital Society and Goodgreef and many more.

Could you describe your musical style to those who have never heard you play live?
I always like to call it “Bootyshakin’ Music”. My music has a lot of drive, big riffs, beats you just can’t stand still to. Sometimes I like to go into deeper underground stuff but I also like to play a bit of uplifting stuff. I also like to play original and fresh music, just like the music I produce. Most important thing to me is that you can dance to the music that I play.

Do you plan your sets ahead or do you choose tracks on the spot?
Usually on the spot, I’m always on the look for new tracks. So I have my CD wallet prepared for any kind of event, warm up, peak time or closing sets. I like to be well prepared. Then I see on the night itself which tracks I’m going to play.

Every DJ has a defining moment in their career. So far, what has been yours and why?
I think it has to be my first international gig, EnTrance in Poland. From that time on it went straight up. Have to say last year’s Trance Energy was important to me as well. I also finally found my home label “High Contrast Recordings”. I started working with them end of 2007 and I’m really glad how it goes right now. Releasing quality music, like my track “Gone South”. It was released right after Trance Energy last year so you can say that period was pretty important to me.

How did you get involved with producing and what do you prefer doing: DJing or producing?
I started producing music when I was 14 years old. A friend of mine had a music program and introduced me to it. I was hooked from that time on!
I like to do both DJing and producing. The best thing for me is to see people going nuts on my own tracks when I’m DJing.

What is your favourite piece of equipment at the studio and what are your studio habits like?
My favourite piece of equipment is definitely my Mac Pro. It’s a beast and just had it for half a year now and it works great! Have to say I’m pretty mad on my Focusrite MixMaster as well. It’s a hardware compressor which has a great sound and nice musical EQ which bring the final touch to my tracks.

Which tracks are you the most proud of and where do you take your inspiration from while producing?
I’m most proud of “Gone South” and probably my remix for “Southside Spinners – Luvstruck”. I get my inspiration from anywhere. I get inspired from all kinds of music, travelling and personal events in my life.

Can you remember the biggest crowd that you played for and where it was?
I think it was EnTrance in Poland, 10.000 people, don’t know if Love Parade counts as well, but that event had over a million visitors!

What does a DJ need to do if he/she wants to be invited to such a world-famous event as Trance Energy? Can you give a piece of advice to those who are aspiring?
Just do your own thing and do what you love and makes you happy!
Release quality music and look for the best label to work with.

Describe an average day in your life.
Get up at 9am, going into the studio at 10, make music till 6pm, dinner at 6.15, working through some emails at 7, after that chill out time with friends or a movie.

What do you listen to on your Ipod?
Timbaland, Justin Timberlake and liveset recordings/podcasts.

Name three tunes of all times.
Hard question! But my favorite picks are Marco V – Tolerance, Tomcraft – Prosac (Tony H Yeah Remix) and Tony Walker – Fields of Joy.

Where in the world do you like playing the most? Do you have a favourite venue where you like coming back?
I always like the UK because of the enthusiastic crowd! Love it there!
I also like big venues like the Jaarbeurs in Holland where Trance Energy is being held.
There are a couple clubgigs planned for this year which I’m certain of that I would like to come back to after that, just keep an eye out on my website which clubs that will be.

What goals would you still like to achieve?
Take over the world with my bootyshakin’ music!
Playing every weekend on a different continent. And make that number 1 hit single!

If you could play back to back with any one DJ who would it be?
Dj A-track! His skills are just…. wooaaah!

What is your biggest addiction in life?
Beats!

Finally, what are your plans for the rest of 2010? Will we be seeing lots more of you?
Releasing a lot of music. Got about four releases planned for this year.
My new single is planned for May and a big anthem is coming up as well.
For the rest, DJing around the world. Going to visit Scotland, Ukraine, Poland, Australia and loads more.

Thank you for your time, Cliff.
Thanks for having me! =)

Cosmic Gate is a regular guest at Trance Energy and this year they took the clubbers by storm at the High Contrast Stage. Agnes Klos met with them to chat about the event and more.

Hi Nick and Bossi. First of all, thank you for finding time to answer some questions for iBeats. Could you please tell us how many times you have already performed at Trance Energy and what you like about the event?
It was our 5th appearance on Trance Energy since 2002 and we definitely can say that it is our favourite indoor party! It is always organised on highest professional levels, the stages are designed with a lot of love and the audience is coming from all over the world, simply a pleasure and also honour to be part of this show!

Could you describe the vibe at Trance Energy 2010? Did it exceed your expectations?
As Nic solo played the opening set on the mainstage, we followed the whole night and it was amazing to see how the vibe build up, the people were walking form stage to stage, TE is simply a role model for so many other parties how it should be!!

How do you prepare your set? Do you plan it out or is it more of a spontaneous thing?
It’s a mix of both, of course we were searching for new tracks and did like some editing, but in general we like to be spontaneous, just react on how the vibe is, we find this very important!

When was your first contact with music? Do you come from musical families?
Like for most kids, our first contact with music was through our families and especially Nic was supported by a musical family, taking piano lessons since he was young.

Every DJ has a defining moment of their career. So far, what has been yours and why?
There was not maybe the one moment we could talk about here, but if it was, maybe it was our first appearance at TE in 2002, we had no idea how big and massive this party was and when we came on the stage, we were just blown away from the hall and the gig was really amazing, we will never forget it!!!

Where do you take inspiration from to create your music?
For us our whole life is inspiration, the music we listened to since we were young, our daily life, the travelling we always do, a nice conversation, we are sure that all goes into a new production or the sets we play!

What software and hardware do you like to use in the studio? Do you have a favourite piece of kit?
We work for many years with Logic and for a few years only with plug instruments,
all our old synths, drum, computers etc. we are not using anymore. We do not think there is a special kit we use that other producers do not know or so, everything is pretty standard in our eyes, no tips we could give here.

Do you remember which gig has been your favourite one over the years and why?
That’s hard to answer; fortunately we had a lot of outstanding shows during the years, both in clubs or on festivals, would not be fair to keep one higher than the others.

If you were not DJing what would you do for a living?
That’s a good question, maybe some management job in marketing or so, but we are happy that our hobby is our profession now, lucky guys!

What does one need to be a good DJ?
The right music, good mixing, charisma.

Do you listen to the same music at home as you do at work?
We both listen to different music at home most of the time, only trance would get too monotonous and we love diversity in music for sure.

What is the future of music going to be?
That’s a good question again; maybe styles will be mixed together more than they are even now. It would be amazing to know how it would sound, but we unfortunately do not know it yet.

Over the years, what is the strangest request you have ever received while DJing? And what strange things have you witnessed out and about while travelling?
There are so many strange and funny things happening, both while playing and also while travelling, the bad thing is that most of them are situated in the moment and maybe not so funny while telling here, but believe us, some good laughs come across our way when touring.

Could you describe your typical day?
The good thing is that most of our days are different. Only when we have a longer studio period we try to get a rhythm and try not to start too late as we want to keep a kind of regular life with our families during the week.

Have you already achieved everything in your career that you planned? Or maybe you still have some burning ambitions to be fulfilled?
We maybe have no burning ambitions but sure we want to reach more things, playing big halls, producing great tracks, if you are too satisfied we do not think that’s a good thing, so let’s say we are still hungry to go on for more of Cosmic Gate in the future!

What are your top 10 tracks of all time that you always carry with you?
There are too many brilliant tracks to just mention 10, this also changes depending of the moods we are in.

What is your biggest addiction in life?
Music, Sushi and football, lol

Cosmic Gate will perform next in the UK on 02.05.2010 at Godskitchen @ Syndicate – Bristol, on 02.05.2010 at Judgment Sunday @ Time Flies – Cardiff and on 28.05.2010 at Gallery, Ministry of Sound – London.

Thank you for your time and see you guys in London at Ministry of Sound.

Your career spans way more than ten years but can you remember the time when you celebrated 10 years in the industry and as MAW?
I will never forget our 10-year anniversary (maw). We had a huge party in Miami at opium garden, over 2000 people and the best live entertainment you could ever have. We invited the Nuyorican Soul band to back up Roy Ayers, Bebe Winans, Stephanie Mills, James Ingram, Jody Watley, and many more. Brazilian dancers, fireworks, the infamous MAW gift bags, and much more.

Soul Heaven brought together the soulful sounds of house and really gave it a worldwide stage. How have you seen dance music evolve over the last decade?
Dance music has evolved very much. From djs playing at the Olympics, to playing at the super bowl, working with cirque du soleil and even getting recognized at the Grammys with awards, dance music is growing in a big way. Many pop artists now are leaning towards dance music where before many in that world saw it as taboo. I only see it growing bigger in that way where the worlds will mix more musicially.

Are there any particular styles that you have seen arise and quite happily seen disappear…?
Well dance music always goes through its changes, many styles come have their light and go back to the underground till it happens again. All i can say is we all need to stay creative and true to the music we make, not be afraid to experiment and mesh the styles but make music you love and feel from your heart. That’s why house music is still here.

You’ve been involved with many compilation projects in your career, do you enjoy a more retrospective approach?
I like doing all kinds of compilations, i’ve recorded over 12 compilations to date and they’ve had variation. i always think about making a cd you can hear in your car, your house party, with wonderful energy for all. Sometimes the retro approach is great too because you can teach the new generation where it all comes from.

How did the album come about, how did you feel when you were asking to put together the 10th Anniversary Comp?
I was honored to be asked to mix and compile the soul heaven compilation. i’ve been involved with soul heaven since its conception and it felt right to be a part of this project. When MOS became the label of choice to release the cd, it came full circle, MOS is one of our landmarks in club music, it’s a pleasure to be involved with both those entities united!

Tell us a bit about the compilation and how you put the album together, how was the album mixed?
It took a few weeks to compile the album; i usually go 20 extra songs over the limit so there is enough. Sometimes all can’t be cleared and some tunes do not make it. i mix a the body and i add effects and keyboard overdubs so there are exclusive bits all over, sometimes very subliminal. i also add a few exclusive Vega tunes.

What experience do you hope the listener has while checking out the new Soul Heaven Compilation?
I hope the listener enjoy a bit of the Soul Heaven experience and will come out to a soul heaven event near you to get the full on vibe. This cd can be played at a party, while you’re getting ready, in your car driving, travelling, at your own house party, even at a club! During a course of a soul heaven night you get many colors of music within the atmosphere, i tried to fit some of that in these cds. Then you have the classics, I asked the soul heaven residents to each pick a few tunes, and they sent in and we picked enough to fit on one cd, they did an amazing job compiling.

Are you and Kenny still actively sharing studio together, what releases and/or remixes should we be expecting from you in the near future?
Kenny and I are working on our solo projects now. We will soon get together maybe in 2011 to create a new Masters At Work masterpiece!
Right now I’ve just finished the Ananes World album by Anane which is about to be released, its a full on album production by Louie Vega. I’m in the studio now recording my elements of life ii album, which is a double album. I have executive produced an album by Boddhi Satva ( new upcoming talent/ dj/ producer) which is entitled invocation. EOL and Boddhi are due for a summer release. Vega records is currently releasing two singles a month and we are soon up to our 100 release which we will celebrate with a proper Vega records comp end of this year. Roots in NYC every Wednesday at Cielo, and Dance Ritual residencies worldwide from Miami to Rome to Japan. Check out www.vegarecords.net for much more info.

Along with your wife Anane, your father and family have a very musical background, what does a Master at Work get up to when he’s not working?
When I’m not working I’m having fun with my son, we do lots of kids stuff. My wife and son go on excursions in various places. We love beaches, snow, natural wonders, etc.

You’ve included the smash hit Hey Hey by Dennis Ferrer in the compilation, Dennis has been bubbling on the scene for many many years now, and despite having been responsible for some amazing records is finally getting the recognition he deserves…
I’m very happy for Dennis, he has been working hard and creating wonderful music for years. He deserves what is happening and what is to come. He has my 100% support! Keep up the great work Dennis!!!

Are you still as active as ever in researching and buying new music? are there any new producers and new talent that are catching you eye at the moment. What other producers out there are really pushing boundaries or making a big impact on our scene?
The young producers of South Africa and the scene out there, is like no other right now. There is something magical happening out there. Kids 15 years old and up are making music with such high quality and hot grooves. Hot producers worldwide cookin up a storm are black coffee, Mzee, Culoe de song, Anane Vega and Antonello Coghe at Nulu music, Boddhi Satva, Fabio Genito, Duce Martinez, Louie Gorbea, Phil Asher, Atjazz, Ezel, Abicah soul, Radio slave, Luciano, there are quite a few.
I am still very active collecting music and playing many tunes way before their time. You have to in this game. I also have a vast collection that extends way back and can play classics in a special way.

As the digital revolution continues to grow and no enters yet another form, have you embraced it. Are you a bit of a technology fan or a traditionalist?
Of course we have embraced technology today. We are in it!

What was your most expensive buy?
My Protools rig!

What releases are forthcoming on your successful record label Vega?
We are very excited here at Vega records because we have been nominated at winter music conference for independent label of the year. We have lots of goodies coming for Vega records with producers Boddhi Satva, Madame x, Duce Martinez, Johnny Dangerous, Louie Gorbea, Fabio Genito, The French Twins, Luisito Quintero, and Elements of Life.

Tell us something we didn’t know about Louie Vega
Louie Vega can roller-skate ala roller disco days!

Toolroom has a rich reputation in the mix CD spectrum. How do you feel about being given the opportunity to contribute to the series?
It’s an honour as I guess it would be for any artist. I am glad that they were willing to put me at the helm of this journey and trusted me to steer it in the right direction!

How would you describe the sound of the mix?
Well disc one is more of a groove based listening experience… It’s kind of like the sort of mix I enjoy listening to. It begins really deep and then works its way to a banging finish… Disc two is more representative of a guest slot that I would play in a club. I guess it like a 2hr club mix condensed into 75mins

How did you go about selecting tracks for the mix?
Haha – well it was a long process… Ask George in licensing! It was always going to be a bit more packed than any of the others CDs because I use tools extensively and I wanted that to be captured on the CD. There were LOADS of things that never made it on there due to licensing restrictions though… That was a bit gutting.

Would you say your musical policies as a DJ are accurately reflected?
Definitely! I think a lot of aspects of my sound are covered and people also get to see a different side to my music, for example the deeper stuff from disc one that I don’t normally get to play. I think people will be quite surprised.

Was musical diversity an important concept to explore for you while making the mix?
It wasn’t so much of an exploration, as I listen to so much different music. It was more like a case of actually fitting everything I wanted on there!

What do you feel about the house scene at the moment in terms of the quality of musical output?
Some of the output is great. There are exciting producers out there doing amazing tracks, and people are so up for listening right now… However some of the music out there is absolute gash, but its managing to hide under a veil of perceived genius. No names though! My stuff fits into neither I think… It’s just music to shake your bum to.

On the back of the Album release, how packed is your DJ schedule?
It’s Ramjamajammer at the moment. I am on a flight right now to Tokyo and then I get back for a few days of studio work before I shoot off to Russia + Poland… I can’t remember the last weekend off I had! Its pretty packed up until NY aswell – I have a US tour in December that I am really looking forward to and I am really excited that I am booked in London for NYE.

Are there any upcoming shows that you’re particularly looking forward to?
The Toolroom Knights 3rd Birthday at Ministry of Sound in London… I am planning some VERY special bits for that…

Preferred method of mixing: Vinyl or CDs?
Neither! I use Ableton Live 8 and the Akai APC40 now with 2 CDJ’s running in parallel to it… It’s the only way for me to fly.

All-time Favourite Club to perform in?
Pacha NYC or Space Ibiza… The terrace at Space obviously! And then in close joint second it would be Space Miami + Ministry of Sound.

Favourite Producer of the moment?
Either ThreeSixty or Adam Shaw… I also really like Broombeck + Siwell. They all make awesome stuff!

Secret weapon in your record box?
A .44 caliber spud gun… For laying down hefty justice carbohydrate style.

What’s your worst experience behind the decks?
When I used to drink a lot I played a couple of SHOCKING shows… One over here and one in Ireland. I have never felt like more of an asswipe for being as bad as I was. That’s why I got clean and promised that I would never play like that again.

TOOLROOM KNIGHTS MIXED BY FUNKAGENDA IS OUT NOW… (And it’s worth a listen!)

We’ll start quite traditionally, how did you two meet?
H: We met in Chichester in ’99, we were both studying, and then…yeah, that was it! (Laughs)
G: Yeah, we moved in together and had about a year where we raved and just partied hard.
H: August was studying music and I was studying films and film production. I did it in Denmark as well. I was DJ’ing too but more the electronic side, I always wanted to try more jazzy stuff which is very much Augusts domain and we just ended up spiralling off towards each other musically.

If someone had never heard of Husley & Gunz, how would you describe what it is that you do and how would you describe your sound?
H: A mix of house and techno with some clear jazzy undertones, jazzy and dubby undertones.
G: Yeah, dubby undertones, and then lots of samples. We infuse music with samples from our tracks or from the music that we play. And there are elements of improvisation on the keyboard and with effects, both from Jacob and me really.
H: It depends if you’re talking about the music we produce or the music we DJ because the experience is somewhat different. We do a live set but we also do a DJ and effects set. I also play basic guitar, piano and drums, August is the advanced one.
G: I play the keyboard and guitar.

I was reading a bit about your history, and saw that when you were performing as the Nocturnals you utilised a lot of live performance such as instruments on stage, singers, that sort of stuff. Does that still factor into what you’re doing now?
H: Not at present time.
G: I mean it does with the live instruments on stage, but the Nocturnals was more like a live show where now it’s more like an electronic show, a DJ show. Nocturnals was more of a band.
H: But I think that although we produce together anyway, strictly techno and house, we still implement a lot of live instruments in the productions. We know so many jazz musicians so we get somebody down and he will put down a hook. Most of our sounds, in fact pretty much everything, we do ourselves.
G: Lots of sampling and funny, quirky sounds from the studio.

What made you both want to do this? Become DJ’s, become musicians?
G: Childhood. A childhood dream, always playing music I think.
H: (Laughs) Yeah.
G: I’ve always played music since I was a kid and always wanted to be in a band, be on stage, and perform. We have fun together – it kind of made sense to go more on the clubbing scene. It’s a great show to play as well to get people dancing. Nocturnals wasn’t a dancing band really; it was like a listening band. I think we both wanted the clubbing thing so we started doing that.

Gunz, I’ve read that you have a BA in Jazz. Does that have a big impact on your sound?
G: I guess it has an impact in the sense that you know something about music, but not really, it doesn’t matter that much. Rhythmically I think…I don’t know. Does it have an influence?
H: I think it does. I feel that when we work together a lot of the time because of August’s education and depth in the music, he’ll come to me with a track for example and there will be like ten ideas in one track. I’ll be like, ‘That’s amazing!’, but we can’t use it on the floor, we need to simplify it, and I’m more the simplifier. I cut it down and make it more simple and understandable.
G: There are definitely elements of the jazz, but I think it comes more down to melodies. I tend to, from playing keyboard and playing all that stuff, find that you have so many notes to fill into a short space but in techno actually, you use the same notes but you need to stretch it out into a longer space so you get something that’s more understandable for people dancing instead of just sitting and listening. Sometimes I do bring lots of notes into it and then Jacob cut’s it down to something very simple that actually works.

Where do the names Husley & Gunz come from?
H: It’s a bit of a weird one. We were doing tracks as Nocturnals which was the jazzy, electronica sound but I really wanted to make a breaks track, well, a break/tech track. I had this idea so we got together and made one, we had this sample that went ‘Husley!’, we were laughing about the fact, that we couldn’t hear what it said at first, so we put it really slow and it went ‘Hu…Sley…’. It was quite a funny word, so I was like, well – I’ll be Husley!
G: Gunz came from a track we made called Bullet. Husley needed something to fire the bullet.
H: Yeah, yeah, I needed the gun, so it was Husley with the gun – Husley & Gunz.
G: It’s just a name. But it’s a funny one. (Laughs)

Yeah, it is a bit gangster!
G: (laughs) Yeah, I know! But it’s just one of those things that came by its self. It is funny when we go out and people call me Gunz. (Laughs)
H: Yeah!

Who are your major musical influences and heroes?
H: There are a lot of them. Personally I’ve travelled through so many different music styles; I used to MC, I’ve played in heavy rock and black metal bands. I actually made the change from black metal to drum ‘n bass because I couldn’t get it fast and heavy enough! (Laughs) When I heard my first drum n bass track, I was like, ‘Wow! This is amazing! Let’s do that.’ But at the same time I was brought up with classical music, so musical heroes is almost impossible to go into because it depends what genre your talking, Mozart is just as much as hero of mine as Minilog is.

Where are you currently performing?
H: We’re doing a few different projects. August is touring currently with Maps, I have my own solo residency in Egg with Always Fridays and Wet Yourself at Fabric on Sundays, then of course our gigs together. At the moment because we have a very busy schedule they are a little bit in between so we try and be very selective about our gigs as a duo.
G: We play in Fabric.
H: Yeah, we do the Fabric gigs, but only the really big nights like the Bank Holiday nights. We probably play about once every two months in Fabric as Husley & Gunz.
G: We do one offs as well.
H: And then we still hold on to our very old residency at Cafe 1001, which is quite funny, it’s in Brick Lane which is where we started out. We both think it is quite funny still to play there once in a while. For the last four months it was just August playing five, six hour sets.
G: It is always good fun there.
H: But we have a lot of music lying, waiting. We’ve been working on an album that we’re still hoping to get finished in this year, that’s why we’ve been holding back a little bit on releases.

What’s your current favourite night in London, either as a performer or a party goer?
H: Always Fridays and Wet Yourself! (Laughs)
G: Yeah, Wet Yourself. A lot of our friends go.
H: Always Fridays, as well, is a brilliant night.
G: It’s a good party.
H: I like going out to Trailer Trash and Lost Souls as well; we have a good relationship with them.

Tell me about ‘Change’, your new single.
H: Well it’s funny; I think it was about 3 ½ years ago, August came to me with this track, I really, really liked it, but it was five tracks in one. There was so much going on in it; three different melodies, four different bass lines, all hanging in but it was really, really good, all of it was really good, but you could quite easily have made four tracks. It was one of those tracks that we kept speaking about; ‘When are we gonna do a remix, when are we gonna work together and make a version of this track’. We would do some than leave it again. Do some more, leave it again. That went on for three years (laughs)! Literally, on and off we would take it up again and go like ‘Yeah, we need to finish this thing’ in the end we decided this track needed to get f’in finished (laughs), so we did and it got signed. A lot of people were interested in it; Rui de Silva wanted to take it, and we sent it out to some other labels who were very interested as well but in the end we signed it to Betoko’s label, OKO Recordings. We’ve got a really good relationship with him and he’s an amazing producer, more to the point we see a great future in him, both as a producer and massively in the label too.
G: He did a remix for us as well.
H: First we asked for a remix from Delicious. They did a remix, but they did a remix of the old Change track! Not the old, old one, but one of the old versions (laughs). So we sent that out, Betoko said ‘Yes. I want it. I want this track’ but then we listened to it, and we were like, ‘we’re not really happy with it any more now.’
G: We want to change it again (laughs).
H: And then our friend, a Danish folk singer named I Love Twig came round and put some vocals down on this track, this ever changing track. So he sang, we put it down, then it was finally finished, sent it to Betoko, he took it, and actually after he took it we did yet another remix.
G: A re-re-re-remix. (Laughs)
H: We put the last little percussion thing on, and that was it. Done!
G: As long as you have it you can change things, but when it’s out, it’s out. And it is a really nice feeling to get it out.
H: A very good feeling! No more changing (Laughs).

What would you be doing if you weren’t DJ’ing?
G: Music in general. I play in bands, I produce for people, and I even teach a bit. I’d definitely always be doing something in the creative field.
H: Same for me. I’ve produced TV programs, documentaries, films, and I’ve organised festivals as well. Anything creative, basically.

Not going to work a 9-5, then?
H: Only to survive! Which you have to do sometimes.
G: Luckily we don’t have to do that to survive any more.

You’ve travelled the world playing some big name clubs and festivals. How does it feel to be making a career out of something you obviously love and are so passionate about?
G: I feel really privileged. It’s great. Most days you wake up smiling even though it’s hard and it’s not always as fun as it looks.
H: It’s just good when you do something in an industry that’s quite competitive. Its like, ‘Mum, I wanna be a musician’ – okay, maybe accept that one. ‘Yeah, mum, I wanna be a techno DJ’. You see, it can be very hard to prove yourself within this field. It’s not just going out to party every weekend, which, you know, I also want to do (Laughs)! But, if you are serious about it, it’s a very nice feeling when you actually get to that stage where other people are giving you recognition, both your family and friends and people in the industry, and everybody can see that what we said all along was actually true we weren’t just mucking around we were being serious. That recognition is really nice.

Whats the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you?
H: I think I’ve had a lot of good advice. Ray Stanley said to me, ‘If you can’t dance to your own music, you can’t expect other people to.’ that is something that I always think about. Because too many DJ’s, they stand, and expect the dance floor to dance but they don’t move a muscle themselves. That’s the best piece of advice I’ve ever had. You can quote me on that (Laughs).

Great! It’s been good to meet you both, and I’m looking forward to hearing more big tunes from Husley & Gunz. Change by Husley & Gunz (with Betoko, Noianiz and Delicious remixes) is out now on i-Tunes and Beatport

Yes. But it’s also the actual meaning of the phrase. This mix cd is the opposite of what we did with our grandfather paradox cd (which was different music from the last 50 years). This cd has more the feeling of “Here and right now – The summer 2009″.

Do you have any plans for an artist album any time in the near future?

No. Not as Dixon. However, there will be my first EP in 2010 and couple more collaborations with other artists.

As a DJ, you are particularly noted for your programming. Is this something that you spend much time preparing / planning in advance of shows or is it simply instinctive would you say?

It is much instinctive. I have the fortune the play lot of gigs so therefore I have been in every possible dj situation before and learned from this. The fact that I played for quite some time all night long sets in Berlin helped a lot to learn how to program a set. And as you know the nights in Berlin are not that short… Also – I simply know my tunes! That’s why I can handle them ;).

There’s a flagrant eclecticism evident across many of your sets and mixes – what movements and artists are really pricking up your ears outside of the house and techno spheres?

Even if this answer is boring – it’s simply all kinds of music. In every field there is good and bad stuff. I try to find the good stuff, may it be pop, krautrock, ambient or hip hop.

Is there one special track in your wallet that you just have to fit into your sets right now and if so, what is it?

My remix for Lykke Li.

Dixon On Innervisions

What exciting Innervisions products and projects you have in the pipeline at the moment?

Besides my new mix CD that will come out mid-October we are planning to release a book in late-November. It is the English translation of the book “Lost & Sound – Berlin, Techno, Easyjetrave” by Tobias Rapp that was released in 2009 in German. Basically it’s a book about the crazy Berlin club situation of the last 10 years. And after our 6 month release break we are actually back on fire now and there will be a couple of EPs over the next month.

What’s next for A Critical Mass?

We are scoring a movie. It’s a classic movie from the early 20/30s from Fritz Lang and we will perform the score live at the Timewarp 2010.

Plenty of European labels have been spawning offshoots over the last few years to satisfy the label’s love for other sounds – is this something you have considered?

You should check our webshop at www.innercityvisions.com carefully over the next month for some little exclusive music gimmicks on there.

Dixon On secretsundaze

Dixon, you’re a man of distinguished style. What can we expect in the wardrobe department for your appearance with us this Sunday, any new treats?

Hahaha. well – my new discovery is this Japanese company called Kolor. Unfortunately in Europe you can only find some of the “safe” pieces of their collection….

And finally… You’ve played at secretsundaze several times across the years – what is it about the club that keeps you coming back for more?

Its quite simple – its always fun with the boys.

One of the most Unique things about you is that you’ve been DJ’ing since the unbelievable age of 12, how did you have the discipline to do this? Did it come from your pure love of music or was it for other reasons.
My cousin is 9 years older than me and he was heavily into the scene in its early years, going to the first raves and house parties in Holland, he used to buy the mixtapes and when he finished listening gave them to me. So I got really in touch with that kind of music very early on, and more to the point it got me thinking about how it was made, who made it, and I really wanted to learn everything I could about the music and DJ’ing.I then got a paper round and at 12 I bought my first decks. The rest is history (laughs)!

Did you have a break in between or was it a once you hit the decks you never looked back situation?
I never stopped! From 12 until now, even when I did a year of travelling in and around Australia and south East Asia I still brought my records with me because I knew I couldn’t stop playing!

Why did you choose to DJ dance music?
Like I said before I got in touch with it at a really early age, and it’s something that massively inspired me and I fell in love with it! It has changed over the years but I’ve always been fascinated by dance music, I think with dance music you can find so many influences from so many different kinds of music and other inspirations. It’s also incredibly eclectic, there are not many rules and you can break conventions with dance, there are not many genres that this applies to and for me that makes it very interesting!

Love at first sight?
Oh yes! (Smiles)

You run very thick and fast through the Dutch house and techno circuit, what is it about this particular scene that still turns you on and keeps you there?
When I was 12 I’d never even seen a DJ before as I’d never been to a club and DJ’s weren’t on TV all the time like they are now. when I first saw a DJ on a big stage putting his idea of music and atmosphere across to these people all going wild because of him I respected it so much and looked on in total awe, that was when I realized it was my dream and it still is today, I’m just living it (smiles). Now I’ve been producing for 6 years as well I’m seeing a new aspect, it’s a new challenge there are always new aspects of music cropping up all the time, it’s so fast paced. Music is always developing and changing, I’m not djing what I was when I was 12 and I wouldn’t be very good if I was, so I guess the main thing that turns me on and keeps me there is that in music a new challenge is always waiting! That excites me every day!

I feel the Dutch are very ahead with music and I always seem to pick up new sounds way before hearing them in other places, do you agree with this? If yes why do you think this is?
Well, the thing is people in Holland grow up with electronic dance music so there is a real culture of it here, when you grow up with something you see it differently and I think that is our main advantage; electronic music has always been in Holland from the very beginning of, well, dance music. Some children grow up with Latin music; others are always surrounded by band music but in Holland its dance. So for us it’s always about pushing for new and developing the sound we know so well.

Mumbling Yeah was remixed by Loco Dice. In what sense do you feel your musical minds run parallel and why in your opinion was this collaboration always destined to work?
I really admire his productions, and I’d always wanted to have his interpretation of my stuff. I think he gave it a great touch! He called it Loco Dice Tribute Remix because it was similar to the original with a slightly different vibe added by him. It really was an honor for us to see such a great producer working it! I love him for his style and he’s a really cool guy.

I think we’ve already established that you were a very cool kid but the first record (well tape, as we are talking years here!) I ever purchased is rather embarrassing, it was by status quo, bad I know, so in all honesty what was yours? Abba perhaps?
(Laughs) Pump up the jam which is actually pretty cool! I think you were looking for a lame record, but I don’t think I actually have one! (laughs)

Oh you are just too cool for school.
(Laughs)

The clubs in Amsterdam pretty are all pretty cool so to ask which is your favorite is a very hard question to answer but which club do you feel you can go to and really let go and be free with your style, always coming out buzzing from pure pleasure after playing?

Studio 80, I’m good friends with the owner of the club and play there regularly. It has one of the best sound systems in Amsterdam but to be honest parties are where I feel I can really let go, when I am amongst loads of friends and its intimate, that’s when I really really let go! Besides this club, there are parties such as Voltt, Awakenings and Welcome to the future where I’d love to go and boogie when my schedule let’s me (smiles).

If you had to pick one tune what would be your favorite and what makes it your favorite?
Hmmm, that’s a really difficult question to answer (laughs)! But I think it has to be Trax on da Rocks by Thomas Bangalter, he’s one part of daft punk and it’s a really old record that I’ve had for over 10 years, that’s definitely one of my favorites! Oh and pump up the jam as well! (Laughs)

Do you think it’s important to like all kinds of music?
I think so but it depends on the way that you look at things yourself, I like to have a wide view on music and that’s what inspires me, many aspects of life do actually, that’s kinda deep but it’s true. All music inspires me and if its good I like it, it doesn’t matter what genre it’s from but I do think it’s helpful to have an idea of the way different music works even in classical and jazz, if u only listen to house or one type of music it can stagnate you and your style but again it depends on the person.

You are due to play at the Rhythmatic 2nd Anniversary party this September, what made you chose this party and why was it right for you?
Well I asked around and have had good feedback, it also seems like a really cool party as does the club, Egg, so I’m really excited to be playing there!

I did an online ‘What is your DJ name’ quiz and apparently I would be DJ Phat Banana, rather fitting, how did Kabale und Liebe come about as a DJ name and why German not Dutch?
It’s a German book and theatre play I had to read in school and the name always stuck in my mind. I was already DJ’ing under my own name but when I started producing I wanted to get my friends honest opinions, I could have sent it under my normal name and my friends would have said they like it cos’ they are my friends but I wanted a real opinion so I came up with a name and I came up with that. Kabale und Liebe in German means intrigue and love but Kabale in Dutch actually means noise so I like the mystery that surrounds it, even in Holland people still ask me similar questions! (Laughs) I like the vagueness and mystery of it all!

What should we expect to leak out from your wizarding fingers in the next year and who with, if anyone?
Well of course I haven’t sat still this summer, so even through the good weather I’ve spent a lot of time in the studio. I’ve been working on my album for a while now and I’m still working on it. Along with that I’ve made a track ‘Lost in Thoughts’ for the Remote Areas Compilation that will be released during Amsterdam Dance Event this October. I’ve also done quite a few remixes, one for Ilario Alicante on Tenax Records, it’s a remix I’ve done together with 2000 and One and Lauhaus. I also did Dj W!LD on Bloop Records this I did with Julien Chaptal, Ummm and a remix for Gregorythm on Cityfox this is another one Julien Chaptal and I did together. That’s just a taste of what I’ve been doing, there’s loads more to come to! (Smiles)

What is the most annoying tune someone can ask you to play? Promise I won’t ask you to play it.
Anything from Britney spears to cheesy electro (Laughs). Stuff like that really is awful! I don’t really like requests in general unless it’s a really special record. I want to tell a story with my sets, take people on a journey and most importantly put across a vibe and requests can stump that sometimes, but a good request that fits in and is a special track can be very nice!

Is god a DJ?
(Laughs) No, definitely not. A DJ is definitely not god either.

You can catch Kabale und Liebe playing his first gig in the UK in 5 years at the Rhythmatic 2nd Anniversary party at Egg, Kings Cross on 26th September 2009. Also featuring; Gorge, Lemos, Stathis Lazarides, Betoko, Silky, Live Tech Rebelz, Huw Lloyd, Low & Murphy and more.

For more info visit:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=222664590323#/event.php?eid=222664590323

www.myspace.com/kabaleundliebe
www.myspace.com/rhythmaticuk