One of this year’s biggest events is sent to be Hard House Heaven, on Bank Holiday Sunday 4th May. Hosting the European Hard Trance & Hardstyle room are hardstyle supremos Cally & Juice. Below are some quick-fire interviews between Cally & Juice, and their special guest DJs who will be joining them on May 4th.
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Cally & Juice: When Frantic asked us to host an arena at Heaven on May 4th we were well chuffed and when they gave us free reign to pick the line-up we were ecstatic.
It’s given us a chance to bring you one of the pioneers of Italian Hardstyle, Davide Sonar (formerly Analogic Disturbance). If you don’t know that much about Hardstyle, all you need to know is Analogic Disturbance gave the world that famous Kick and Bass that dominated most Hardstyle anthems for at least 4 years…Legends.
It also lets us showcase some of the best talent from around the UK that play Hardstyle and the harder side of European Hard Trance.
We’ve been pushing that Hardstyle/Hard Trance sound at Frantic events for exactly 5 years now but this is the first time we’ve been let loose to bring you an entire room filled with the music that we know and love.
We’ve selected the DJ’s on the night carefully to reflect what we think is the best sound on the planet and here we’ve asked a few of our guest DJ’s some choice questions in a quick fire interview to give you a bit more of an insight into what makes them tick and what you can expect from them on the night.
DAVIDE SONAR
Firstly, thank you for agreeing to play in our arena at Frantic’s Hard House Heaven. Right, here are your 5 quick fire questions:
C&J: What was the one or thing one person that made you want to start DJ’ing
DS: Ciao! I'm happy to answer these questions! So, after many years playing the piano and singing in a choir I went to a club for the 1st time (13 y.o.) and I saw the DJ who was playing a classical song remixed in a dance/techno/progressive style. I thought : "one day I'll do the same"!
2) How would you describe your style? And can you tell us about anything special you have planned to unleash on the Heaven crowd?
My style? I like to rock the dancefloors with hard kicks and strong sounds, but in all my songs u can find an exciting part, full of emotions and feelings...!When I create them in my studio I think to be in the crowd, in a location, with a powerful soundsystem, lights...nice girls... = fantastic! The Heaven's crowd will listen my new single on my label Scantraxx Italy :-)
3) Every week you are playing out visiting many clubs and listening to new DJ’s/producers. Have any of these stood out for you and could they be ones to watch out for?
I'm always searching for a DJ & Producer, not only DJ, not only Producer, but of course is not so simple to do it because now all people can make music with just a pc... kick & bass are really simple to cut & paste from another song!.... what about the main idea? the new sounds? The new talents are my (our) future...and I really hope to find one day in my e-mail a song that will impress me with innovative sounds & FX! :-)
4) What tip would you give to anyone out there who wants to make it as DJ
"you must have something inside to express through music, try to create your own style and forget the charts and the tracklists. You have to be yourself and not the clone of someone else..."
5) Who else are you looking forward to seeing at Heaven
All the girls!!!!!!!!
And my friends! :-)
See u there,
Davide.
L.E.D.
1) What was the one thing or one person that made you want to start DJ'ing?
To be honest I’ve been DJing for as long as I can remember - as far back as when I was 10 years old out every weekend with my own mobile disco doing weddings and under 18 parties ( yes that's right ha ha ) - but it wasn't until I was handed an old harmony tape from Kellys in Northern Ireland by an old skool legend Glen Malloy that I caught the dance bug at 15 years of age
2) How would you describe your style? And can you tell us about anything special you have planned to unleash on the Heaven crowd?
My style is very much my own re edits remixes and bootlegs of well known and loved tracks for my sets as I want to make sure I give the crowd in front of me the best possible night out I can and I have a few surprises instore - including a remix of The Killers – “Mr Bright Side”, N Trance – “Set You Free” - and hopefully I will have my new original track which I have been working on (with Ultrasonic & Public Domain’s Mallorca Lee) finished for next Sunday - bring it on ha ha
3) Every week you are playing out visiting many clubs and listening to new DJ's/producers. Have any of these stood out for you and could they be ones to watch out for?
FRISKY - for me she’s head and shoulders above any of the other ladies out there right now ( sorry girls ) - and some of the tracks I have heard from the girl are just right about what’s going on in hard dance right now. I think 2008 is gonna be her year.
Another pair for me would be the Audio Hedz these guys were awesome at Frantic NYE, I can see them doing very well in 2008.
4) What tip would you give to anyone out there who wants to make it as DJ?
Get into production - its just not enough to be just a DJ anymore you have to bring something special to the table to stand out these days - this is why I got into it - to make my sets different from everyone else out there - the other thing is to try and find yourself a niche in the market and start your own night. This also is a very, very good thing to gain experience playing in front of people - even if its only 50 of your mates its invaluable to be able to read a crowd in front of you.
5) Who else are you looking forward to seeing at Heaven
DAVID SONAR ( all time legend IMO ) and pretty much everyone in my arena to be honest. We play together a lot at many different events but I’m looking forward to seeing how our sound goes down all night in one room in the capital.
I’m really looking forward to seeing Steve Hill again, he blew me away last time he was over for Timeless and I was lucky enough to have him play at concept as part of his tour - people are still talking bout his set from March - and Mr Tissera, I haven't seen him or heard him play in years now so I’m looking forward to catching some of his set.
FRISKY
1) What was the one person or one thing that made you want to start DJ’ing?
Not one individual person wanted to make me start DJing. I started clubbing at the age of 15 and was hooked instantly, I loved going out different clubs and parties every weekend. I wanted to give DJing a go so by the age of 16 I had managed to scrape enough money to buy a cheap set of decks. From very early on I knew that DJing was going to be a major part of my life!
2) How would you describe your style? And can you tell us about anything special you have planned to unleash on the Heaven crowd?
I would describe my style as hard yet uplifting. My love lies with the harder sound of dance music, predominantly Hardstyle and European Hard Trance, however I like to sneak some UK Hard Trance in now and again to keep the sets nice and interesting!
I have a couple of new tunes to try out at Heaven which I am looking forward to doing, one being a recent remix I have done for Steve Hill’s Masif label – ‘I Have A Dream’. This has only recently been finished so can’t wait to play it out! My outfit will also be in-keeping with the ‘Space’ theme so keep your eyes peeled!
2) Every week you are playing out visiting many clubs and listening to new DJ’s/producers. Have any of these stood out for you and could they be ones to watch out for?
There are some excellent producers doing the business in Wales at the moment, Vandall, Chuck-E & JTB, Nusense and Cally & Juice mainly.
DJ wise, from what I have seen people like Caz Wood, and Chuck-E & JTB seem to be causing quite a stir! Along with the obvious ones like Cally Gage and Cally & Juice! These people have their own style which is really important if you want to be successful as a DJ.
4) What tip would you give to anyone out there who wants to make it as DJ?
As mentioned it is really important to have your own style. Playing the same records as the next DJ is not going to give you any individuality to stand out. I would also recommend supporting your local nights and taking along a demo to give to the promoter. In my experience promoters are more likely to give DJs who support their nights the chance to play out rather than someone who just posts a demo to them!
5) Who else are you looking forward to seeing at Heaven?
Wow there are so many! Davide Sonar of course – legend! Steve Hill (love his stuff!) Cally & Juice, Cally Gage, LED and everyone else who is in the European room!
Chuck-E and Jon the Baptist
1) What was the one thing or one person that made you want to start DJ’ing?
Chuck-E: I actually started Dj’ing after going to Southern style Exposure with you (Cally) I just wanted to make mix tapes with my favourite tunes on, without having an MC screaming all over them. This is going back to the Old Skool Hardcore days now lol, I went to my 1st rave with you at the age of 14, and 2 years later I bought some belt drive decks, and would play Old Skool, Happy Hardcore and Drum N bass. I didn’t set my mind to being a full time DJ or anything like that at 1st; it all came later when I started to get regular bookings playing trance and hard trance. I do it for the love and passion of it, but now it’s also a job- I’m 100% committed to doing what I do and I don’t really have time to do anything else but music, and probably wouldn’t have it any other way if I did!
JTB: Just the love for the music, from hardcore, to hard trance , techno and trance. I love music and producing, and DJ’ing just came with that really, I love doing both playing our music out to an audience is such a buzz, I love it!
2) How would you describe your style? And can you tell us about anything special you have planned to unleash on the Heaven crowd?
Our playing style is pretty much the whole range of hard trance, if we love it, we will play it. The set variety depends where we are, and what time we are playing. Clubbers are in to all different kinds of hard trance around the country, so as well as us being expected to drop anthems, and new music of our own, we also hold a place in our minds for the clubbers taste of music in whatever particular area we are in. Hard Trance is probably the most versatile of all the hard dance genres, and there are so many different aspects of it, from the darker edged Dutch stuff, to euphoric Alphazone 'club' style tunes, Scot Project, Vandall, Megara & Lee, SHOKK & Flutlicht from a couple of years back, there are way too many to mention, all totally different styles. Our producing sound is European, Hard and Uplifting. Hard kicks and bass lines, with tear jerking, spine tingling melodies, we like the feel good 'rush' factor in our music that makes the hairs on your body stand on end, especially the girls who find Vandall attractive, they are well hairy.
As for special plans, we will have a few brand new tunes & remixes to play that only a hand full of people have heard, and will also have our new mix CD ‘Volume 29-Time Machine’ ready for then, and will be giving them out during our set.
3) Every week you are playing out visiting many clubs and listening to new DJ’s/producers. Have any of these stood out for you and could they be ones to watch out for?
On a hard trance tip If we are talking up & coming DJ’s, Mark Hashimi from Exeter is 1 of our favourites, technically sound and always plays a great set, keeping with the music we love, Nick the Kid from Hindsight just set up Hindsight records, he’s been around for a while now, and got stuff out on Drizzly & Future Sound Corporation, Wragg & Major Tom from Atmosphere have just set up Atmosphere Records. In Wales Sully has started to make a name for himself on the production front, and Mars W does laods of work in the scene, puts on events with all the top names, Pin Up, Lashes, Kutksi and also co runs the Intolerance Recordings label with us, he was the guy who funded the project in the 1st place, he has put so much time and effort in to the scene its unreal . In other areas, Jordan Suckley & Caz Wood have also started to make good names for themselves and are super busy , but in our area’s the South West and Wales, we have absolute bucket loads of fresh talent, DJ’s and prouder, we could name so many Hard Trance & Hardstyle based people but would miss somebody out, I think everybody knows who the people are doing the business.
4) What tip would you give to anyone out there who wants to make it as DJ?
Work hard! The last 10 years of our life we have been so dedicated, the time has just flown by, I think you have to love what you are doing in order to succeed. Some people will get lucky and get things put on a plate for them, you will see DJ's come and go, but hard work and dedication are defiantly the most important things. We think you have to be original, Wales has so much talent on the hardstyle front, there seems to be a bit of a jam at the moment, with about 70% of them doing the exact same thing, Have influences by all means, every body has them, but you need to be that bit different in order to get noticed, as you guys would know that is fact! We feel you need to be producing the music that you play. There are some DJ's who haven’t hit it off on the production front, and are still top ‘names’ but at the end of the day it’s all about the music, we feel the producers are just as important as the clubbers, there wouldn’t be 1 set of people, without the other, we all need each other equally. It could also be beneficial to be involved in a good group of people, (Like us) and stay away from needless Politics if you can!
5) Who else are you looking forward to seeing at Heaven?
We are looking forward to seeing all the sci fi fancy dress party people!! We love star wars, and are hoping to see some storm troopers, vaders and jedi!! We missed the Friday @ Tidy Weekender last year so missed most of the fancy dress, so we are glad of the dress code for this party!!
We also took the time to answer the questions our selves = )…
CALLY & JUICE
1) What was the one thing one person that made you want to start DJ’ing?
C: For me it was more about the music rather than a particular DJ. I collected records long before I began DJing and it was wanting to share all these tunes with other people that made me want to DJ. But if I had to name a particular DJ that inspired me the most when I started DJing it would probably have to be Carl Cox, simply because at the time he stood out the most and didn’t follow suit as to what everyone else was playing.
J: It was also more about the music for me too. My friend took me to my first rave years ago. I wasn’t into the music at all and just went because he nagged me but as soon as I walked into the back of the main room I was just blown away. There was a 1000 people going berserk to the Utah Saints with a multitude of laser beams filling the air, perforated by a sea of arms held straight up high. It literally took my breath away and without being too cheesy, changed my life forever.
2) How would you describe your style? And can you tell us about anything special you have planned to unleash on the Heaven crowd?
C&J: We play our own unique blend of hard trance and hardstyle, and with over 90% of the material in our sets being either our own original tracks, or bootlegged, remixed or edited by us, then you can guarantee you’re not going to hear the majority of this music anywhere else. We have quite a few new productions since our last play in London, so guaranteed the Heaven crowd will have a lot to be excited by.
3) Every week you are playing out visiting many clubs and listening to new DJ’s/producers. Have any of these stood out for you and could they be ones to watch out for?
C&J: Over the years technology has had a great impact in changing the way DJ’s play and interact. A lot of these new DJ’s are pushing this over some of the big DJ’s, as obviously they have a lot more to prove to the crowd in order to be remembered, so there is a lot of good talent out there. Also the one’s that tend to stand out are the ones with the drive and ambition to push them selves. Frisky is definitely one to watch out for. She’s played for our events for a few years now but since been signed to UDJS 12 months ago she’s had a phenomenal year, rising through the ranks at quite a pace. If you get a chance to see and hear her play, we’d recommend it. Another one to watch out for is L.E.D. Niall runs the biggest Hard Dance night in Ireland and is easily their biggest Hard Dance export. He’s not very well known in London yet but we guarantee that will change in the very near future. He’s an excellent DJ and a one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet (He can’t handle his booze thought so don’t buy him a drink before his set lol).
4) What tip would you give to anyone out there who wants to make it as DJ?
C&J: Well aside from practicing, it’s also about getting involved in the scene in any way you can. Which explains why the majority of successful DJ’s either produce, promote or are in some way linked to other industry areas. Also just being seen supporting events you want to play at helps a great deal. A demo is good but can generally get lost in a great pile of demo’s most promoters receive. If you hand it in in person, you’re not only putting a face to the name on the demo and getting the chance to meet the promoter in person, but you’re also showing you are supporting their event.
5) Who else are you looking forward to seeing at Heaven?
C&J: I think with the abundance of talent that will be in our arena we’re going to find it hard to leave there all night. Hopefully we’ll see you all there for a good old stomp to the harder styles
; )
Well hopefully you will have found that both interesting and informative?
Now make sure you get your asses into the Harder Styles Arena for some serious partying at Hard House Heaven!
“MAY THE 4th BE WITH YOU”!!!! ….Sorry, had to do that = )
See ya there groover…
C & J
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