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! =)

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

Since being in London for the last 2 years and has quickly been signed by 2 up and coming labels Malatoid and Ifidota Music. He has also been holding down residencies at the popular underground tech-house party ‘Family Affair’ as well as ‘Alex Viera presents…’ at original Shoreditch stomping ground Café 1001. Other Live gigs at popular London Clubs ‘The Egg’, ‘The Aquarium’ and the Ex-Factory Club in Vauxhall are a regular for T Boy. His Live DJ sets are always groundbreaking, and he is constantly pushing the boundaries of his own fresh twist on the classic tech-house sound.

At the moment he spends the majority of his time at Ifidota Music’s Platinum Loft Studio in Shoreditch, where he is main studio engineer. He regularly works alongside talents such as Pure Science, Leslie Lawrence, Howie B, a Guy called Gerald (Juice Box Records) and other London tech-house heroes.

His first much awaited EP, ‘Full Range’ is about to be released. This Saturday he has his label release party at café 1001, followed by another residency at Family Affair, which due to popularity has moved home to bigger venue Sosho this weekend. Both parties are headed up by legend of techno – Dan Curtin plus some top local talents. This looks like it’s going to be one bank holiday to really remember…

Congratulations on your Full Range EP, your first release for Ifidota Music. Can you tell us about the release and it’s musical style and also what this release means to you?

Thanks… In my first release I wanted to show a mix of different styles always between pure techno-techno minimal and tech-house… I love to fuse these main styles to obtain a sound that can be just mine, even if now my future productions are looking a lot to tech-house.

Your label release party is at café 1001 this Saturday, where you hold down a monthly residency with Alex Viera. What makes this venue a special place for you to play at?

I think the place is great because we don’t need to plan the monthly party (Alex Vieira night) we just go there play for the people is there, and is always packed , and the people is always different and want to dance… I mean it is in the pumping heart of East London, Bricklane, so there is always lots of people who likes good music there… It is one of the real last underground venues we have in this area.. on Saturday you’ll see this!

Over the last 12 months you’ve been working hard in the studio for Ifidota Music – who has been your favourite producer to work with during this time and why?

For sure ifidota is been giving me the great opportunity to work also with international producers like A Guy Called Gerald (JB Collaborations), also Ziggy Kinder who gave me great advice for my live acts. There is also a project with Leslie Lawrence who truely knows a lot about the real sound of techno… and with this last one, Leslie, I’m working for JB collaborations out soon where you’ll find collaborations from Ziggy Kinder, A Guy Called Gerald, Colin Dale, Nils Hess, Assad Rizvi and obviously the great JB, one of the last pure djs on the scene!

You have a DJ partnership with Enzo Tedeschi called ‘Never Trust DJs’. Tell us about how you both work together.

With Enzo is easy, we work really well together because we kind of complete each other … I was born more as a technician and track maker, he is the pure dj between us and his big culture in music (he djs since the age of 13!) is essencial in our collaboration ,plus he is growing a lot also in production.. and we believe our dj sets together are really appreciated by the crowd even more than when we play by ourselves…

Has your music style changed much since you moved from Rome to London 2 years ago?

In Rome I was more a technician for a recording studio plus organizer of big drum’n bass and hard techno events alongside Evilsound and I was learning how to make tracks in the studio but my sound was much more electro than minimal or house, so yes definitely London gave me the possibility also to get closer to a complete new sound and to improve my production skills also with some more specific courses I took there…

What producers are you most feeling at the moment?

As I said I love Hugo, Matt Star for techouse, but also Reboot(Cocoon), Dan Curtin and all the Mobilee crew (love Marcin Czubala always from Mobilee) but also the Italian school with great artists like Marco Carola, Rino Cerrone, Uto karem Markantonio..etc..

What are your favourite parties in London?

Easy…Family Affair!!! I also really like the atmosphere the guys from Loo Kee have shown since now… and for the after parties D-Late is one of my favourite…

What are your top 5 tracks at the moment?
1. Kioto – Tboy
2. Do Our Thang – Kanio
3. Morgenstimmung – Matt Star
4. Perfect Circles – Alex Flatner (Reboot Rmx)
5. Stel and Atan – Hugo (Jay Haze Rmx)

You DJ alongside fellow Ifidota boys Sandeman and Mr Dickie at the hugely popular underground party Family Affair. You have recently been working with them in the studio – what sort of music are they producing at the moment?

I’ll never stop to talk well about this couple of young talents… is also part of my family here!!by the way is a bouncy tekhouse but also with minimal influences which makes the difference especially on the dance floor… the guys are working hard for their first release, but they know what they want and wich level they want to achieve, receiving remixes from guys like Mark Ashken and Kanio…it speaks by itself…

Ifidota’s Charlotte Michelle 11th recently played alongside Steve Lawler and Audiofly at Ministry of Sound – tell us something about her and her style of music.

Charlotte is great!… as dj she has got her unique style, dreamy and deep, but she can be also strong spinning great classics or unreleased promos, always on vinyls, that smash the dance floor… she is one of the few that still buy vinyls and I can just appreciate this… she also releasing in the next few months on Ifidota with a really personal sound mainly based on melodies, with a pure German techno intention for the rhythmics…

What gigs do you have planned for the next few months?

At the moment apart from residencies and parties in East London we r working hard in studio concentrating more on that, but there are a lot of plans for the new season and a lot going on, so what I can say is just stay tuned..

What do you miss most about living in Italy?

Easy…the food first!…and may be the weather but I’m getting quite use to the cloudy London’s weather hehehe….plus a lot of friends I have there but they always find an excuse to come and visit me in the sin city…

What do you like best about living in London?

The atmosphere and the ‘air’ of modern culture you can breathe here always fuse with an older culture that makes this place unique in the world!

You have just compiled a Toolroom Knights album ­ how did that come about?
I’m so happy and so proud to be the first French producer DJ to have this kind of opportunity. Toolroom is the best label in the UK and may be the best in the world at the moment! Mark Knight and George who look after the albums are so professional regarding every release. That was one of my dreams to collaborate with Toolroom Records, so choosing the tracks, producing exclusive tracks and mixing the main compilation for them was an amazing experience. I’m so proud to present a DJ mix that considers tunes, harmonies, keys and BPM at the same time. I’m so excited and can’t wait till its out.

You have written 2 original tracks for the compilation and one remix­ tell us more…
The idea was to produce some exclusive content for this project; I had some ideas and some tracks in my “work in progress area”. I’m lucky to play as a DJ almost every night at a different territory, so I’ve chosen my best new productions, with the best dancefloor reactions to include in the Toolroom Knights album. So, 2 new tracks are 100% exclusive: – “No Techno In This Room Please” and – “Miami is BS”. To add to the exclusive content, I’ve added 3 new
remixes: “BBE – Seven Days and One Week” (one of my favourite remix ever), “Steve Aoki – Deadmeat” and “Paganini Traxx – Zoe”, released here for the first time.

You’ve reworked 2 legendary tracks – “BBE – Seven Days and One Week” and “Paganini Traxx – Zoe” ­ were you nervous about people’s reactions to these reworks?
For sure, as a remixer I’m sometimes not comfortable with the idea of remixing legends tracks like BBE or Paganini! Theses original tracks are so big, it’s not so easy to do a better remix than the original. I think my remixes are so different from the originals, but keep the main feeling without loosing the spirit of the track.

What are your favourite tracks on there?
It’s like asking a mother who are her favourite kids! It’s hard. I love all the tracks; I’ve chosen each track one by one and love all of them.

You have a very impressive history in electronic music ­ what have been your highlights?
I hope my highlight will be with the release of the compilation! Working with David Guetta and co-writing and co producing tracks is very cool. Doing a remix for David Bowie or Deep Dish was really exciting. Playing in front of 1.5 million clubbers in the street of Berlin for the Love Parade was also amazing. My life has been a big highlight, I’m very lucky.

And your lowlights?
Playing at the wrong party in Russia! I followed the wrong guy at the airport, and I had a lot of fun in the club until I had a phone call from the promoter who was looking for me! I’d been kidnapped by another promoter and had played the wrong party!

What’s the best club you have played in?
This is not a club, but an open air dome in the middle of the desert in Nevada USA. I’m going to the Burning Man Festival every year now; this is my favourite gig ever. 57,000 people are mad for 7 nights and 7 days non stop!
Everybody is dressed like hell, nobody wears regular clothes! The audience is wicked, people are completely nuts … I love this place.

Who would you like to remix your work?
Prodigy, Underworld, or the Chemical Brothers

As an artist you are extremely diverse, do you think that hinders you as a DJ or enhances it?
I think this is a huge opportunity if as a DJ you look to make people dance; I can play more Techno, more Electro or taking my Keytar to do more of a show to keep the audience on the dancefloor!

Have you ever had to take a massive risk musically?
During the Love Parade in Berlin, I started my gig by playing the theme “Meet Her At Love Parade” by using my Keytar live! The bad thing was, I didn’t have time to repeat and learn the notes! So 2 minutes before starting the show, I had to learn the theme, note by note. But luckily I did it, but trying something new in front of 1,5 million people without any rehearsal is something pretty stupid I suppose!

Who has been the best person you have worked with?
I can’t drop names, so many are so cool and for different reasons! From Basement Jaxx to Mister Loiseau, from Kylie Minogue to David Guetta… I’ve had so much pleasure collaborating with these artists.

And the most difficult?
Again, I can’t drop names, so many are so hard and for different reasons!
From Basement Jaxx to Mister Loiseau, from Kylie Minogue to David Guetta… I’ve had so much difficulty collaborating! LOL!

What track do you wish you had written?
Blue Monday from New Order. I love this track, I love the production, and I love the sound! Or in another style – “Song for a Guy” – Elton John.

What’s the craziest thing that has ever happened to you at a gig?
Maybe when some people started making love on stage! Seriously, you have to come to Burning Man to see this kind of thing!

What’s your all time top 5?
Daft Punk – Rolling and Scratching
Kraftwerk – Radioactivity
Underworld – Rez
Craig Armstrong – Weather Storm
Cliff Martinez – Is That What Everybody Wants
Prodigy – Smack My Bitch up
Michael Jackson – Billie Jean

Oh wait, that’s 7!

What gigs are you looking forward to?
Let’s go on the Moon now! Maybe a gig in a Spaceship could be something cool! Check out my dates on www.myspace.com/joachimgarraud

After all the confetti canons & dancers last year, what can we expect this year?
I think we’re going to go even better and stronger, we’re going to step it up and take it to the next level.

What will be in your rider this year?
A lot of alcohol.

You had your own party area in the arena with all of your friends, was it good to have them all with you?
I’m DJing with Sebastian and Axwell all the time, and it’s the best thing as we grew up together, but we don’t spend much time together, I’m living in LA, & in Ibiza & I don’t get to see the guys that much now, so every time we get together we always give the party a go.

Your new single ‘Leave The World Behind’ is out soon, did you enjoying working with Ingrosso, Axwell & Luke and do you ever have any disagreements in the studio?
Me and Seb have been working together for 10 years, it’s like I’m working alone, but I have someone next to me, it’s so natural, it feels right. Seb is probably the only one that I have worked with so far that I feel comfortable with. We’re always working to the same aim and always going in the same direction with the music

Which one do you enjoy the most, Dj’ing or Producing?
I like them both, the best thing about producing is that you can actually finish a track then go straight to the airport, jump on a plane, go to a gig and you play it, you can get instant feedback on anything that you do.

So how does it feel when you hear another DJ play your track?
I like it, it’s a really good feeling. Production is not about selling records it’s about putting your emotions into a track and working really hard, and obviously with anything creative, if you do something and people really like it it’s always a really good adrenalin kick.

What do you see as your main strengths as a producer?
I try to treat everything very differently, I try to move on from one track to another, and make a different sound and go somewhere else, because I get bored really really quickly.

Do you take influence from your background with your Greek & Swedish nationality?
I mean, I get a lot of influences from travelling and life, when I stay in Brazil for 2 weeks and then get back in the studio, my tracks have a very Brazilian sound, I just try to embrace everything as I see it, and try to be inspired by everything around me all the time. If I’m in a really bad mood and I’m driving to grey, old, boring Germany, I will probably make techno music, it’s probably going to sound minimal, and if I’m in the sun its going to sound of happiness.

You are very predominant in the media for a DJ, what’s the key to getting noticed and why do you think you are so widely recognised?
We’re kind of media friendly, we don’t have anything against the media, I think that its a great tool to promote stuff. And today with the internet, Facebook, MySpace and Twitters, I think that its very important. If you are friendly and like to do media then of course it will help your career. I don’t mind doing interviews at 3am in the morning, I’ve finished my set, ‘do you want to do an interview’ sure I’m up for it.

What do you think of the superstar DJ phenomenon?
It’s huge, I did a tour with Sebastian [Ingrosso] in January and we played for 300,000 people in 7 days in Australia. It’s got so big now its like the new wave rock stars, we’re doing today what the rock stars were doing 20 years ago, I can go and play an arena for 50,000 people. I think the new kids try to find themselves, and dance music is so accessible, it’s easier to get hooked on a DJ than get hooked on a band. You can’t go online buy & download a bands live show, DJ’s are very internet based.

Definitely, as a collective you use a lot of video coverage.

Yeah, we all have our own channels on youtube. I’m not only thinking about myself, I’m trying to make every single person who likes me and is a fan of me a part of my life and my career, cause it’s thanks to my fans that I am where I am today, because otherwise I wouldn’t be here. You have to give something back instead of just saying ‘F*** off, just come to my gigs’, it’s not that easy, especially with the economy crisis right now. If you want to keep the kids buying the tickets and coming to the gigs then you have to give them something for their money. I just started to release music for free now, I’ve spent so much money into producing and promoting every release I just want people to go online and say ‘here you go, this is for free, have fun!’ At the end of the day, the more people who hear your music the more places you’re going to play.

You travel all around the world, what advise can you give the Creamfields punters to keep up their energy for the entire weekend?
It’s going to be like New Years Eve x2, I’ve seen this year’s line up and it’s going to be a really really good festival. Creamfields picked the best DJs, the best Tents, it’s going to be a really big party. So instead of going out the weekend before, why don’t you save your money and come to Creamfields for 2 days.

You were recently in the papers for when Paris Hilton asked you to play hip hop, what really happened that night?
Well, she’s a ****, and most people know that already, she walked up to me and was like ‘I’m Paris Hilton, do whatever I tell you to.” and I told her to f*** off, then her boyfriend got involved and tried to slap my tour manager, so I just freaked and flipped out.

So you won’t be DJing at any of her parties soon?
No, of course not.

You will be taking over Brixton Academy on the 7th November, what can we expect from the show?
We will be working on the Swedish House Mafia Show during our residency at Pacha all summer so will be close to perfection by the Brixton show. So expect another NYE if not bigger :)

Will you have any surprise guests joining you?
We have some surprises up our sleeves

What is the best thing about playing a festival for you?
It’s such a great atmosphere, people have been out all day, they’ve been looking forward to it all year, there’s so much energy and love in the arena it’s ridiculous, last year when we finished off, I almost wanted to start crying because you never want to stop. The adrenalin, the feeling, you’re with your friends, you have such a great crowd, so many good people in there. They just want to keep on going, and if it was me I would carry on for another 10 hours, they put in so much effort into coming to the festivals, and it’s something that I really appreciate. That’s memories for us, and something that we will never forget.

Who would be on your dream festival line up?
It would be the Swedish House Mafia!

What are your festival essentials?
A lot of sleep, drink a lot of water and drink a lot of alcohol.

Finally, could you give us a quote on Creamfields?
Creamfields is definitely the best festival in the UK!

Steve Angello will be co-hosting the Swedish House Mafia Arena at Creamfields UK, Daresbury, Halton, Cheshire on Saturday 29th August Bank Holiday weekend. Tickets are on sale now Tel: 0844 888 4401 / www.ticketline.co.uk

Swedish House Mafia @ 02 Brixton Academy Saturday 7th November. Tickets on sale now Tel: 0871 22 00 260 / www.seetickets.com / Info: www.cream.co.uk