Q. You previously worked with Steve Anderson while you were forming the Brothers in Rhythm duo. How was it like to produce music as a duo? Why this project was closed, and are there any chances of its rebirth?
A. I had a great time making music with Steve. We had a lot of common ground in our musical influences but also we each liked a lot of other different things too and we seemed to really complement each other as a partnership. There was a great chemistry between us and we had a lot of success but it was just a natural thing for Brothers In Rhythm to come to an end. I started to DJ abroad a lot more which meant spending less time in the UK and while I was doing this Steve started to do a lot more songwriting with pop artists. So we just slowly drifted apart as our own individual careers took over. We have talked about doing some stuff together again recently but nothing’s come of it yet. You never know though. Maybe one day.
Q. Your last single ‘Heyaah’ produced with Josh Gabriel is a great release. Can you tell me about it and working with Josh, also does this mean you are preparing joint project?
A. Josh’s former manager is a good friend of mine and it was he who suggested we did something together. We finally got together once Josh moved over to Amsterdam which made it much easier to find time. For ‘Heyaah’ we actually did one day in Amsterdam getting the basic idea together, then one day in London when Josh was over to DJ at the Ministry Of Sound and finally finished it off in Miami when we were both at the Winter Music Conference. That’s how difficult it was to get our diaries to match up! We have just done a new track together though called ‘Vorahnung’ which we did much more conventionally in London about a month ago. It will be coming out on Josh’s different Pieces label in June. I’ve been playing it out the last couple of weeks and it’s been huge so we’re very excited.
Q. I guess, ‘This Is Audio Therapy Volume Two’ was devoted to the label’s 10th anniversary. What was special about this compilation and what was the inspiration behind the concept of revisiting the back catalogue?
A. Well the inspiration came because of the label’s 10th anniversary. It seemed like a great opportunity to look back at what we’d done over the last ten years. So we got a lot of the artists from the label to remix each others tracks and we think it worked really well. We were very proud of the outcome and the fact that we’re still going strong after all this time. It’s no mean feat running a record label for so long especially in the digital age.
Q. What’s the secret to the success of Audio Therapy and what have you achieved in these 10 years concerning the label? And of course, tell me something about the future of your imprint.
A. Well we’ve always tried to release quality tracks first and foremost and stay at the forefront of electronic music’s ever changing trends. We’re constantly on the lookout for new talent and our manifesto of giving young producers a chance has remained steadfast. But really it’s all about loving what we do. I don’t think you can run a label these days without having a real passion for it.
Q. After a hiatus of 9 years you announced about your New Global Underground compilation. Tell me more details about it. To which city it will be devoted, how about Moscow? How do you think the new compilation will compare musically to your previous mix releases for GU?
A. Hahaha.. Moscow has already been done I’m afraid. Deep dish did it. We’re currently talking to a few different cities trying to find which one will work best this time. We’re spoilt for choice to be honest. There are so many great places to choose from. But musically, it’s going to obviously be different from my last GU CDs. They were done in 1999, 2000 and 2001 so the electronic musical landscape has changed quite considerably since then. I will be taking the same approach though of trying to reflect my favourite club music around of the time and be representative of our visit to whichever city we decide on.
Q. You also did ‘The Masters Series Volume 14’ which is your 11th CD for Renaissance. Why do you think you were chosen to do such a large quantity of mix CDs for the Renaissance, and do you feel the responsibility for all the worshippers of this mighty label?
A. I’ve worked with Renaissance through thick and thin since they started over 18 ago and we have a lot of common ground in our musical philosophies so 11 CDs all happened very naturally. When you spread them out over two decades I don’t think it seems like so many. I have always been honoured to be part of the Renaissance family though. They’ve done a lot for me and I like to think I’ve done a lot for them too. it’s been a fruitful relationship for both of us. I’ve always put my heart and soul into all the CDs and am very proud of them.
Q. You have done more than 25 mix CDs since the beginning of your career. Is it just regular things for you or you add something special to each mix?
A. Well, like I just said, I put my heart and soul into every mix compilation I do so to me every single one has something special. Otherwise, I wouldn’t bother doing them. They take a lot of hard work, commitment and focus but they have become a regular part of my life yes. I do tend to do at least one every year and spend a good 6 months on the project starting with finding the tracks and getting them licensed to doing the mix and releasing it with all the promotion and touring that then follows. It’s a big undertaking and not one to take lightly. They’re a big part of what I do.
Q. In 2009 you started your own Digital Mixtape podcast series. Tell me more about their concept. Why do you release them very rarely, and do you think podcasts will replace radio shows in the future?
A. The podcasts are a way of communicating and sharing my music in-between my CDs. They’re like little snapshots of my live sets and I try to release one every 2 or 3 months. Anymore than that and i think it would be overkill. They wouldn’t be that special. I don’t think they’ll replace radio shows but they will be a big part of how we digest music in the future. They are just the modern day version of mix tapes DJ’s used to make years ago. Hence the name, Digital Mixtape!! Haha..
Q. Glastonbury Festival will celebrate 40th anniversary this year. What can you say about its contribution to the electronic dance scene?
A. Glastonbury is the mother of all festivals and it’s been an honour to play there regularly over the last few years. They always have a broad spectrum of electronic acts & DJs in the Dance Village and the atmosphere the is unique. It’s one of the highlights of the summer calendar and I will be back again this year for more. Thursday night I’ll be playing at Annie Nightingale’s opening party in the Pussy Parlour and on the Saturday night I’m on last in the Glade Lounge. I can’t wait!
Q. What do you feel about the house scene at the moment in terms of the quality of musical output?
A. There’s always lots of great music around at any given time but it just seems these days it’s harder to find because of the sheer amount of releases every week. The market has been saturated by the digital age. It’s so easy now for anybody to release music. There’s no real investment needed and I think there’s a distinct lack of quality control. We seem to be living in an age of “throw it against it all against a wall and see what sticks” attitude. And that’s not good. The cream always rises to the top eventually though. I just wish we didn’t have to swim through so much shit to find it.
Q. On your website you said Pioneer CDJ 2000 are gonna make a big difference to DJing this year. John 00 Fleming recently told me that with Pioneer CDJ 2000 DJs will perform only with USB sticks! And how do you see the future of DJing, information carriers and new technologies.
A. Yeah, the CDJ 2000s are the next logical progression for me in the way I prefer to DJ. Being able to carry thousands of tracks on one USB stick is the future. No need for laptops. Just plug in and go. Perfect. And with the new Rekordbox software that comes with the 2000s you can really prepare loops and cue points on things so that remixing/editing on the fly becomes a bigger part of your performance. Not so long ago I was looking at moving over to Traktor but now the 2000s have arrived I’ll be sticking with the CDJs.
Q. What is your opinion about the new Apple tablet? Will the launch of iPad change the music industry yet again?
A. It could become a very important tool once software developers really start to use it’s full potential. Obviously the touch screen is what really sets it apart from a regular laptop and with that comes endless possibilities particularly for performance. I can’t see it having the same impact that the iPod or iPhone but I still want one! Apple always make their products very desirable.
Q. You were one of the first editors of MixMag. Where do you see the state of dance music journalism right now?
A. It’s a very different era we live in today from when I was working in publishing. Before the internet, magazines were everyone’s lifeblood of information but now, there is information overload. It’s a very different ball game. I can’t say there’s any one particular source that I can’t live without religiously as used to be the case 20 years ago.
Q. What do you read as a source of information right now? Do you think that with popularity of Internet and new iPad device paper magazines will sink into oblivion?
A. I still read Mixmag, DJ and IDJ from time to time. But as I just said, not religiously. And yes, I think eventually actual hard paper copies of magazines and newspapers will become extinct in the same way as is happening to music. I think that’s really where Apple are hoping the iPad will be a game changer.
Q. Is it correct to cancel the gig in terms of unclear death threats, like it was in Syria with Marco V in 2008? And could you say some words about security of DJs – what rules should organizers observe in order to secure them?
A. I think if I got a death threat, unclear or not, for going to DJ in another country it would certainly put me off. I mean, why even bother taking the risk? It’s not worth it is it? We’re DJs- not politicians or soldiers.
Q. Last week we had a massive inspection in Moscow within the bounds of anti-narcotic campaign. What do you think about the relations of dance music industry and authorities, lawlessness and rave persecution?
A. There is always going to be an intrinsic link between drugs and music. It’s happened for thousands of years. But where the authorities can see an advantage to be had by clamping down on this they will. They will never stop it. They’ll just divert it in a different direction. It’s all very political. But unfortunately, this is the world we live in. But people will always find a way to express themselves through music & dancing. It’s just human nature 
Q. 20 years ago you were working as a journalist for Mixmag, at a time when the only way to receive that kind of information really was through radio, V and print. Since then the internet has come along; just from information stance how has how much we know about music changed?
The Masters Tour Blog Part One- Kosovo
by Dave on October 16, 2011
So after last weekend’s warm up down under in Australia the Renaissance Masters Tour got officially underway this weekend with my first vista to Kososvo. I always love going to new places. Virgin territory. The great unknown. And although Kosovo is steeped in a rich 12,000+ year history, it’s still a brand new country in so many ways. So much so that when I tried to post this gig on Artistdata.com, Kosovo didn’t even show up as a country on the drop down menu! (Apparently, they need 100 other countries to recognize them as an independent nation and so far, they are up to 86). But despite all the connotations that relate it to the horrible war of the 90s, I found the people of Kosovo to be as warm, friendly & humble as anywhere you’d care to mention. They are proud and passionate and love their electronic dance music just as much as anywhere else. And from a DJs point of view, they have one very important thing going for them… You can still smoke on the dancefloor. Which means more of a captive audience. You’re not battling against a transient dancefloor that’s nipping out for a ciggie every 10 minutes! The local beer does the trick too. Oh yes, the Peja has a lot to answer for. But that’s another story. Thank you Kosovo. You are well and truly on the Renaissance map!