XENOPHOBIA Exclusive Interview @ Strictly Nuskool Blog

The legendary Xenophobia, a trio which originally brought a proper rush in the house and was born & raised during the good old days of Rave talks about the past, the present and the future!
The founder and main head of Xenophobia, the man like Sid Truelove (a.k.a DJ Terminator) is being interviewed (featured special contribution also by Zillah Minx & Bert Fuzz a.k.a. MC Scallywag) for the duties of Strictly Nuskool Blog talking about the early days and their upcoming album called 'Bring On The Rush', which is fair outstanding! 





- After almost 25 years, Xenophobia are back with this upcoming new album of remastered oldies and some unreleased stuff inside as you've already announced some days ago! These are definitely great news to hear and deserve full attention from the oldskool community, as already many people out there keep on spreading it.

How did you come up with the idea of this Album?

SID: I got talking to Robin from Stay on Target records and he suggested the tracks I had written 23 years ago should be digitally remastered and rereleased on vinyl and CD. I thought it was a great opportunity to get those catchy tunes we made back in the day out again.

The tracks were re-mastered and sounded like we had just walked out of Kickin’ Records studio in 1992.



- Can you give me some details about the album release, like which old tracks are remastered, which are the news ones (unreleased), in which formats will be available and when is out?

SID: We are hoping for a release date late September 2015 and will be a double LP and a CD version with two extra tracks (not on the LP)  remixes of 'Rush in the House' & 'The Wobbler' previously unheard before.

As for tracks it’s got nearly the whole back catalogue on it apart from the first EP Hypo Psycho on our own label Ubiquitous records, so that’s a remastered 'Rush in the House' & 'The Wobbler' plus the Into Combat EP featuring 'Into Combat', 'Project 250' (Released by Carl Cox on one of his many Compilations) 'One Step Beyond' and 'Psycho D.F.' that went high in the Mixmag Hard Chart for some weeks. Everything else are unreleased gems written in the early 90’s.

- Taking it back to 1979 and your meeting with Zillah Minx which played a key role to you regarding music, as apart from this project you've also started the idea of Xenophobia. Rubella Ballet was born, offering a strong anarcho punk sound and also a great Album during last year like 'Planet Punk' out from Overground Records.
What do you remember from that day of birth of the band and how essential is to express yourselves from this band?

SID: I found Rubella Ballet & Xenophobia brilliant platforms for writing and releasing exactly what I want with no one dictating how it should sound, what lyrics we should use and how we should look. If you can’t express yourself exactly how you want what’s the point.

I have had the chance to express myself in both bands without any restraints. Of course I was influenced by a lot of rave music and bands like The Prodigy and many more but I still made music how I wanted hardcore Xenophobia style.



- Moving to early 90s and your transfer to the rave scene!
How did you decide to start writing rave music and how you caught up with MC Skallywag to start the project?


SID: I eventually saved up some money and bought a sequencer and a sampler well before there was personal computers, so a very basic set up but I could tinker around for as long as I wanted and that turned not into punk but digital music which wasn’t accepted as an accepted form of music. I started tuning into acid house pirate radio stations so naturally the music I was writing started getting influenced and sounding a lot different to punk.

 I lived in Poplar in the East End of London and Scallywag lived locally in the Teviot so we got to know each other early on and he came up to my very modest studio and as I had a Roland TB303 Bassline and a 4 track Porta studio so started recording stuff early on and before we knew it the demo’s we were doing were very catchy and unique compared to other music at the time. Shortly after that we wrote the smash hits ‘Rush in the House’ & ‘The Wobbler’. Scallywag then went to a few record companies armed with our new demo and secured a deal on the same day with Kickin’ Records, seminal UK House, Hardcore & Techno label based in Ladbroke Grove, London.

Who’s artists include The Scientist, The Messiah, Grant Nelson Aka Wishdoktor and sub labels like Shut up and Dance. We then mastered 'Rush in the House' and 'The Wobbler' at Kickin’ studios and released the 12” to everyone’s delight and sold like hot cakes.

MC Scallywag - The Acid Queen - DJ Terminator

- What's the story behind the 'XENOPHOBIA' name? Do you remember how that name was picked?
For those who don't know about, it's actually a Greek word as well.

SID: We used Xenophobia to bring attention to the racism in the world and reinforce equal rights for everyone. Xenophobia is the unreasoned fear of that which is perceived to be foreign or strange. 

Xenophobia can manifest itself in many ways involving the relations and perceptions of an in group towards an out group including a fear of losing identity, suspicion of its activities, aggression, and desire to eliminate its presence to secure a presumed purity. Xenophobia can also be exhibited in the form of an "uncritical exaltation of another culture" in which a culture is ascribed "an unreal, stereotyped and exotic quality".
It is a powerfull word and we knew people would not forget it easily.



- 'Extacy it really gets me going, gets me so I don't know what i'm doing, go to the flow with an E an rush me Ooo rush me Eee rush me' and 'Are you feeling wobbly?' being surrounded on many raves back then, hitting also the music charts by crushing all rave heads wordwide!
What's the story behind these 2 rave anthems 'Rush in The House' and 'The Wobbler' and how a 'punk influenced' mind could sort out such tunes with a successful result?

SID: I have always had music in my head and translating that into Rubella Ballet was a dream come true but as a drummer I always went home from gigs and rehearsals frustrated I couldn’t jam all night so working on a different project from Rubella Ballet kept me entertained at home as I always have a tune in my head and need to start getting them down on tape so I spent most of my spare time writing loads of songs.

‘Oh no not you again’ the catchy line in 'The Wobbler' was a slogan on my doormat so Scallywag used it and we kept it and we think it worked rather well. 'The Rush in the House' hook was Scallywag’s idea as he was already using it at Spiral Tribe raves so when we used it for 'Rush in the House' it fitted perfectly and became the song on everyone’s lips that summer and every summer from then on.

- Was there any kind of critisicm to the 'Rush In The House' lyrics?

SID: Not really.. Everyone loved it! People still stop me and sing the chorus to me even today and say what an anthem it is.

- Can you share your personal highlights of Xenophobia career? Your performance @ Rave World in 1992 was definitely a proper live blast.
Is this your top gig ever in your opinion?

SID: Yes! Rave World 2 was huge, it had nearly 3 thousand ravers going nuts. The reception we got was amazing everyone was dancing their nuts off and cheered like mad for us. We certainly brought the vibe from Spiral Tribe that night as advertised on the flyer. Devious D dropped 'Charly' by the Prodigy when we left the stage sending the place into a frenzy, you can check out the video’s on you tube.

The best times has to be playing all the live PA’s with Scallywag as part of the Spiral Tribe free parties. The other highlight for the band was making it onto Spiral Tribe’s Debut EP ‘Breach the Peace’ on Big Life Records with our banging hardcore tune ‘Doet’ that was track 2 on the A side.





- Bert Fuzz (aka MC Scallywag) is also an essential member of the act as been also one of the founder members of Spiral Tribe, infamous for putting on free underground warehouse parties, raves and festivals all over Uk and Europe!
Can you tell us how mad were the Spiral Tribe raves?

SID: Spiral Tribe raves/free parties were brilliant, you never knew what to expect, I would usually be waiting for a call from Scallywag on the mobile, could be in a field in the countryside, could be in a massive warehouse, could be in a car park, but where ever it was going to be it was always well organized with the best hardcore tunes, it was full on.
When Xenophobia started performing with Spiral Tribe we would attend meetings with Scallywag to organize the next free party.
It was a precision operation sending out decoy vans to confuse the DTI and Old Bill, making sure there were always enough amps to power the rigs, organizing the DJ line up and what time Xenophobia perform.

I remember one free party we had to meet on the M25 in a service station and wait for the destination address to be rung through.
We parked down a lane off the M25 and climbed through a couple of large hedges that eventually opened on to a large field with a 4 story derelict building, we had to get a ladder to get to the mixing desk on the 1st floor to perform. The rave had been going for a few hours before we got there and it had already got the attention of the Police and a single Patrol car was manning the main entrance to the free party.

By the time everything was running properly there was a crowd of about a thousand people on one side of the building with lights and lasers lighting up the night sky and on the other side there were the ubiquitous blue flashing lights and a line of police now guarding the entrance to stop anyone else getting in which was futile as everyone had the same message about getting around the Babylon through the hedges. We set up to play 2 or 3 songs, plug in the keyboard, sampler and off we go into ‘Rush in the House’, the place goes bonkers as we launch into 'The Wobbler’ and then ‘Easy Does It’ featured on the new album.

The best free party was of course Castlemorten where nearly 100,000 people went to rave it up big time for free thanx to the Spiral Tribe, Bedlam, DIY and so many more rigs that made 4 days of ecstasy for me and thousands of others. It was the closest thing to the free Stonehenge music festival Zillah and I used to go to, as in there were no authorities to stop you from doing what you want, no one to turn down the music.

Everyone was left to their own devices, there was no trouble, everyone was enjoying themselves and anyway we were all on common land for the people. It seems that every time youth culture creates something that empowers them the Government do their best to stop it but that has never stopped us defiantly continuing to do what we love doing.

BERT: Being part of the Tribe & Xenophobia was great, surrounded by creative, active and very political aware people. One moment I could be on site somewhere, kicking up some dust and then before I knew it, I was in East London, where I would get a proper history of Punk which had a big influence on me.

I remember being in a field somewhere in the West Country, partying hard for day's, no sleep of course and darting back to London to do a set at Rave World with Xenophobia. I was so tired but seeing Sid & Zillah, boom! Woke up straight away and that's the kind of effect both Xenophobia and Spiral Tribe had on people.




- Did you see the hardcore/rave scene as being a continuation of the punk attitude (DIY raves, home made music, rebelling against the system) ?

SID: Yes definetely, it was the youth being creative and continuing from Punk, protesting still at the way the Police and the Government want to stop you from dancing and listening to loud music at raves as if we are a threat to the system. So I jumped at the chance to rebel with my best mates Scallywag and Zillah just with electronic music this time.

We were still trying to reflect the feelings at the time, which was rebelling against the system, putting on free parties and living an alternative lifestyle.

 


- Lets go to your solo projects now as Bert Fuzz (aka MC Scallywag) is following a new direction, working on house vibes with a new release out on Movingdeep Music. Any details about that 'new aspect' of your career and any other forthcoming plans?

BERT: At the moment preparing EP for early 2016, on Movingdeep. I like deeper and tech house sound but, the label is vey diverse and next year we hope to introduce some new producers and vocalists.

We tend not to shut about the label to much, just enjoy making and putting out music. This seems to have worked for us, not that we planned it that way. This is in part because of the air play we get on pirate radio and dj's across the pond picking up on our stuff. We have talked about putting a live set together for next year but, we'll see how that pans out.

Finally, what I would really like to do next year is put out some vinyl. 

- Forthcoming personal plans for Sid and Zillah?

SID: I spend every day either writing new tunes for different projects or making video’s for the songs to go on YouTube. I started writing a new Xenophobia album with different styles of music not just hardcore and may be releasing a drum and bass album for digital release before Xmas.

Zillah Minx is always writing lyrics and recording in our home studio either for Xenophobia or Rubella Ballet. She also spends a lot of time designing and making clothes for her everyday & stage wear. Zillah Minx is infamous for bringing the day-glo into rave. She already had a name for herself on the punk scene defying the stereo type punk & Goth cliché of wearing black. 

Rubella Ballet started to use black lights and self designed & D.I.Y made neon clothes on stage as part of their live show since 1980’s. As neon became part of Zillah Minx signature clothes style it was taken with her into the rave scene. Acclaimed British fashion designer Louise Gray, who acknowledged Zillah’s influence upon her work: “She was one of the originators of punk in London,” Louise asserts. “She wore colours and ultra-violet paint to make her clothes and sets for gigs, so everything was illuminated – I love her!”

Rubella Ballet at The Marquee

- What are your thoughts on the current music styles, focusing more on hardcore related stuff. Do you see your influence in scenes nowadays?

SID: I have noticed new styles like Moombah, Complextro as a new style of electro that’s cool and I’m into some London Grime that’s been around a while, I’m a big psy trance fan, loved stuff by Cygnus X, Astrix, Infected Mushroom and many more to mention, loving hard electro like Far Too Loud smashing it with every release.

I like the harder side of deep house and love a bit of hardstyle. 'Hardstyle Revolution' by Abyss & Judge was my favorite for ages I sent it to my brother Scott who lives in Ohio now.

He plays it full blast on the way to work that raises a few eyebrows I bet it’s such a hardstyle classic song. As for influences it would be nice to think Xenophobia did influence some bands with our style.

- As you're clearly political guys and the latest Rubella Ballet album was maybe more political than ever, what are your thoughts on the world and society today?

SID: We are being manipulated more these days that ever before and were being fed negative news 24/7, wars here, deaths there, beheadings on YouTube W.T.F. Surveillance has gone crazy, now in the U.K there are cameras tracking people every couple on hundreds of feet. Food is making us ill more than we know it with processed food causing 60% of cancers. There is a new problem of legal highs causing more deaths than the illegal drugs especially to teenagers.

Then there is the topics we wrote about on 'Planet Punk' like how banks who go bankrupt just getting bailed out by the Government when people including single parents get sent to prison for not paying their television license and other menial things while the rich get away without paying millions. We can’t organize parties anymore and play our music out for free because of the Criminal Justice Bill, so that has killed off nearly every rig in the country that used to put all the free parties on. 

We just feel oppressed, forced not to have a good time and play our music anymore. They victimized and banned Punk music from the national charts and now they have criminalized free Raves and will arrest us for listening to music at free parties. What next? Ban Music? Ban youth culture?





- I'd like to thank you first of all for participating and accepting the invitation to get interviewed on the Strictly Nuskool Blog and wish you every success to your musical directions, remain strong and keep the spirit alive in every sense!
BIGUP and Massive Respect Sid, Zillah and Bert!

Thank you for the XENOPHOBIA buzz and the living rave memories! Looking forward to the album!
BRING ON THE RUSH!

SID: Shouts out to The Strictly Nuskool Crew, Robin and Herman at Stay on Target that got the ball rolling and the album released. To Christian Larson for the re-license of ‘Rush in the House' & 'The Wobbler’. To every member of the Spiral Tribe massive, to Scallywag for the best lyrics ever, to Nicky Blackmarket for playing it to death and to everyone who bought Rush in the house the first time round. 

XENOPHOBIA  'Bring On The Rush'   [XENO RECORDINGS]

01. Rush In The House
02. Into Combat
03. Easy Does It
04. Feel The Fire
05. Tears Of Gladness
06. Subsoniq
07. Brothers & Sisters
08. Doet
09. Project 250
10. Battle Stations
11. The Wobbler
12. Syko DF
13. Emergency
14. One Step Beyond
15. The Wobbler (Remix)
16. Rush In The House (Remix)

(For more info/orders about the Album you can contact via Xenophobia's socials or Stay on Target here or the Hard Store here )




XENOPHOBIA
facebook - soundcloud  - youtube - discogs - Reverbnation - LastFM

GL0WKiD interview with Sid Truelove (DJ Terminator) & Bert Fuzz (MC Scallywag)

(All pictures featured on this interview are used & shared with the kind permission of Sid Truelove and you can find them on Xenophobia's facebook page)

LUNA-C Exclusive Interview @ Strictly Nuskool Blog

1) First of all would like to give heads up for the very latest stuff from you like the massive Supaset 15 (mix for Kikwear) and your 'Back To The Front' personal EP alongside the new blood on KFA, Demicore and of course worth mentioning the amazing buzz in Epidemic and Bangface. Few words for these latest Luna-C news and how was your experience on both of these huge gigs?


I am going to write a blog post about those gigs at some point, but yeah, it was interesting. I was very quiet in 2013/2014 because I had a whole bunch of personal stuff happen, and I wasn't really feeling the music, so I took a break. I mention this because Epidemik and Bangface were both gigs where I felt I was finally back on form. I take a long time to make my sets from scratch, and I had spent 3 months remaking some classic old skool, keeping the format and sounds the same, but bringing them up to modern speed and production values. I wondered what people would think, whether these older styled hardcore tracks would still do damage with new ravers who might not remember them.

The Epidemik crowd were very into it, but that may be because it was billed as an old skull night. I think half the people realised I had remade the tracks, and the other half thought I was playing old skool. Which was actually what I thought might happen. Still, everyone rocked out and it was amazing. Then I went up to Sheffield and played at Uprising, and that was crazy too, the whole crowd was very boisterous, and it had a reckless sort of vibe, just like old raves used to have.
Bangface is Bangface, so its a sort of exceptional crowd - a very open minded crowd. They loved it, and that was wonderful, but I sort of felt they would be down with it anyway - not that it made it any less fun, but yeah, crazy and exciting to play all of those gigs.



2) Lets travel back in time, its 1993 and Kniteforce is about to be launched. Which act/artist/producer/ would you have liked to have signed to Kniteforce but were unable to get ?


Hmmm…I never really thought of signing anyone who had already released material. It simply never occurred to me. I always assumed it was part of my job to find new people and release new artists even though there was no real reason to think that way lol. Kniteforce was set up for me and my friends. I mean, I would have taken on lots of people, and now you have asked that question, I am kinda kicking myself that I did not lol. I would have wanted to sign Sublove, Hyper On Experience, N.R.G, Messiah…well….everyone really lol. I did try to get Toytown for Kniteforce, but only in a haphazard way - Hixxy came over and played it to me and I was like "I will put that out if you like?" And he was like "Nah, its fine" lol.

I also tried to get Jakazid's "Cillit Bang" after I heard it, but he already had a deal for its release I think. Those are the only two I have ever tried to get. And neither times did I make much effort. Not because the tracks weren't great - they were - but because I never really worry too much about what I can't get - I am too busy worrying about what I am doing musically. Its not the best attitude / business plan for a label, but the label was and remains something I do so I can put out my music whenever I like however I like with people I like. Artists come along and join me - some for life, like Future Primitive, and some just for a short time, like Brisk. It's as it should be.



3) As part of Smart Es, how did you come in contact with Dan Donnelly and get signed to Suburban Base and did you ever imagine you would break the UK top 10?


Oh, that was easy, really. Tom and I both used to buy our records at Boogie Times, amongst other stores in the Essex and London area. So as regulars, we knew the staff relatively well, Danny Breakz and Winston Run Tings. Very few people had any sort of home recording studio in those days, so very few people could actually make music. That helped us a great deal. It wasn't like now where everyone had a home computer etc. That rarity made it easier to get through the door. We turned up one day with the first Smart Es track on a cassette, played it to either Danny or Winston, and they called Dan Don who's office was above the shop. We went up, played the cassette, and he was like "yeah. I will put this out". Like many things in my life, that was pretty lucky really. I have never had to struggle to get my music released, because the Smart Es stuff was the first music I was involved with, and by the time that ended, I had a studio and have been doing it myself ever since.

As for the Top 10 thing? Never in a million years. Sometimes I still can't believe it - its such an unlikely record, and to get in the top ten with it seems like a ridiculous story. But there it is.





4) Next question comes from a fan of your 'How To Squander Your Potential' book who's a bit curious if Danny Donnelly has seen the book, and if so, does he dispute any of the claims you made about his dodgy handling of Smart E's brush with pop success whilst signed to Suburban Base?


I have no idea if Danny Donnelly has read the book. I doubt he would bother disputing the claims, because then he would have to contact me, and then I would ask him for explanations and money lol. And I would actually welcome an honest chat with him. I would be happy to set the story straight if I have made mistakes. I write at the beginning of the book that I have a terrible memory, so I might have got some elements wrong. We all rose coat our own pasts, we can't help it. I have also been in the industry long enough to know that much of the issue may have simply been a lack of understanding. I think you have to run a record label before you realise how difficult it is to pay people fairly. And it is easy to make mistakes - I have made many. Really though, I no longer care about it, the whole situation is just…past stuff.

As I have not been accounted to in many many years, and as the track is available on MP3 stores, it kinda says all that needs to be said. But at the same time, whatever, you know? Its just money, and worse than that, its boring lol. I made the decision years ago to just let that stuff go. Im doing fine. The money we did get was amazing. It is enough.

'How To Squander Your Potential' By Christopher Howell

5) Can you share with us your best gig experience all over these years?


Its very hard to say what my best gig was. There have been so many, big and small, and its been so many years. But I will tell you something I like to do - and thats watch Djs who have never played a Bangface before playing Bangface. Because when I first played, I think I was doing Supaset 2 or something, and Bangface was much smaller then - it was in a pub's event room in London. Anyway, I came in with my set of modern fast hardcore, and the crowd was rocking out to the Dj before me - who was playing 1989 / 1990 house / hardcore. And I thought "Shit, I am going to go down like a lead balloon". To my relief and surprise, the crowd went just as nuts for my set as for the previous Dj's. So I enjoy seeing that happen.

I saw Friction or one of those really big D'n'B Dj's play at Bangface in Elektrowerks a few years back, and I saw his face as he walked into the main room where they were playing minimal trance - to the delight of the crowd. He just looked dismayed, and I knew that feeling. I wanted to shout "Don't worry, it will be fine" lol. Of course, he came on and the place lost its damn mind, because Bangface is like that. Thats a great thing to see a previously confident Dj think "oh god" and then discover "oh my god!".

6) Are there any current hardcore producers, big names or small, that you'd like to collaborate with?


I am terrible at collaborations for a number of reasons. The first is, when I set up KF, I had to do everything myself as far as studio stuff goes. And then I had to engineer everyone else. So I got very used to being the person controlling the buttons as soon as the label started. And it stayed like that for years. In that time I got incredibly fast at doing the things I want to do, so the few times I have tried to work in someone else's studio it has been very frustrating. I know what I want, and I don't want to wait while someone else does it. I am a bad combination of stubbornness and impatience, even with myself, so it makes me a bit crap at the whole "sharing ideas" thing - not because I don't want to, but because I do want to but I want to do it right now, no waiting.

But if I somehow wasn't me lol, I would want to collaborate with Jakazid most of all, I think. Although it would probably be pointless because he is as mad as me, so the track would just be the same most likely. And Dave Skywalker - although we already have. I would love to do a back to back set with Jimni Cricket, but she would vastly out turntable me, and while my pride could take it, it just wouldn't be a fair set lol. I would like to do work with Jon Doe too, because us weirdos should stick together :) and Empyreal, who is on my label, because he is so talented in a way that I am not. I think we could do something great. I should make that happen.






7) Is there any tune from any genre that you would like to give a Luna-C Remix? And why you'd choose to remix it?


Wow, thats nearly impossible to answer. I mean, other than jazz, I like pretty much every music, so the simple answer would be yes, but narrowing it down to a single track? Much harder. I guess…hmmm…I would love to do an official remix of a Hyper On Experience track, and have the samples from the original to do it with. That would be something - a challenge and an honour. I like challenges in general, I get bored otherwise.



8) Do you see a difference in the American attitudes towards raving? Both in partying and producing?


Oh yes, its very different for a number of reasons. The main one is history. The USA is huge, so there is no single "start" of the scene. Or rather, there are many, it just depends what state you are in. This means that if I refer to old skool hardcore music in the USA it could mean 1991, or 2001, depending on where abbots in the country I am lol. Its hard to explain, but the UK knows its history because it all happened at once. So if I play a remix of, say, The Horn Track by Egyptian Empire at any UK rave, the people will know what it is. Even new skoolers, because they will have heard the sample in remixes and rip offs and other genres.

But in the USA, I might get just puzzled faces. So thats something I have to look out for. Also, the fashion is different - the whole candy thing, with coloured beads, and the huge flared jeans. But its very cool, you know? There is a look to the ravers here, and while some of them are the fuzzy boots mini skirt type, many are also dressed as Mario or Pikachu or in baseball caps and dungarees etc. Its not better or worse, just different. There are all sorts of rituals involving people shaking your hand in a certain way so they can give you a piece of the candy they are wearing. I fumble this of course, but then I fumble fist bumps as well lol. I am so not cool.

KF063:: Luna-C 'Back To The Front EP'

9) Are you listening to any non-rave music right now?


I listen to non rave music all the time. I have always liked extremes. Currently my top new albums are Death Cab For Cutie, Jose Gonzales, Milky Chance and Perfume Genius. I have been listening to some old 80's electro albums, a little Bullet For My Valentine, System of a Down, Ice Cube, Wu-Tang, Ben Howard. I like a lot of different stuff, the only criteria being the singer has to mean what they are singing.



10) How did you first get involved in Kung Fu?


It actually started because I got tall really quick. I was average size at 15 and my full height by 16. That was the time I spent leaping off ramps on my skateboard, and sending shudders of pain up my spine each day. So I got older with back pain that at one point was so severe, putting my shoes on was a 10 minute task that would leave me sweating. I also fucked up my right knee, and couldn't bend it without pain. I put up with this for years. When I was 21 or 22, I don't know, my 8 or 9 year old nephew wanted to learn karate, so I took him, and thought "what the hell, I might as well do it too, it might fix my back". I did Karate for a number of years, learned everything they had to teach me, was getting ready to go for my black belt etc. It did not fix my back in any way, but it helped my knee a little and I enjoyed it. Still, one day I thought I would check out a Kung Fu school, and within 3 months my back was better, my knee was fine, and my mind was blown by the things I was learning. That was so long ago now.

I still train Kung Fu regularly. I am crap at it - the style I do is a 25 year style - after 10 years you become a student, after 25 years you are "competent" lol. Those are the grades. Thats it. But I love it. I have always enjoyed impossible challenges. I know I will ever be Bruce Lee, and I am okay with that. I have learned all sorts of useful things that are nothing to do with what most would think of as benefits from Kung Fu training. Mind organisation, understanding my own limits both mentally and physically, knowing the difference between good pain and bad pain, assessing situations accurately, and being able to make decisions based on what is actually good for me, not what is assumed to be good for me. Thats on top of the actual fighting stuff, which I have never needed to use really - because of all the other stuff it has taught me. It makes you smart. I don't get into physical fights because I am never in a place where I need to get into one. But it has given me the tools I need to fight in any situation, with words, actions or ideas. It taught me what matters to me, and how to take care of those things.

Still, I am quite keen to get into a physical fight at some point, just because it will be interesting. I don't even mind losing really lol. Its a funny thing, you become more interested in the workings of it than the win / lose aspect.



11) What's the next big thing from you?


I have so many things going on. Its very odd, but 2013 and 2014 were the worst years of my life in some ways, I had a lot of things happen, most were terrible, and it pretty much broke me. But in the wreckage, I became the artist I always wanted to be. So I have a renewed sense of confidence in my music, and a freedom I have not experienced before as I have, after all these years, well and truly stopped giving a fuck lol. And I mean that in the most liberating of ways. I mean that in the sense of "I want to try this idea and I am going to even if it is embarrassing or foolish or whatever".

To me, it feels like 1993 again, and my enthusiasm for the music is at its highest it has been since those days. So I have numerous projects on the go. I have 2 new E.Ps finished, one of which is very risky in terms of personal cost. I have music videos being made for some of my new songs. I recently got a deal with Kikwear to promote their clothing, and to be sponsored, so thats a lot of fun. I have a whole set of remade old hardcore that has taken me 3 months to create and I am very proud of. I find myself working 16 hour days in the studio, and loving every second of it. I have plans and schemes and ideas, and its very exciting for me!


 


12) If you can give 5 words to describe what Kniteforce means to your life what would you say?


Safety, Burden, Glory, Chaos, Fear.

I probably should explain those, but maybe next time, eh?

KF001:: The Luna-C Project (1993)

Check out the latest KFA release [KFA65 The Recent Remixes]

Available to buy: 

http://www.kniteforcerevolution.com/shop/kfa65-recent-remixes/

Check out his latest KF Podcast (no.44):  http://www.kniteforcerevolution.com/posts/podcast-44



Website: http://www.kniteforcerevolution.com
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/kfa-recordings
KF Shop: http://www.kniteforcerevolution.com/shop
Contact: http://www.kniteforcerevolution.com/contact

LIQUID Interview for Strictly NuSkool Blog

Bangface 2012 - Image by Emma Gutteridge Photography

The man behind the huge successful 90s anthem 'Sweet Harmony, LIQUID is being interviewed on Strictly NuSkool Blog and we are honoured sharing it with all of you!



- Firstly, let's take things back in time..Try to remember please your early days and tell us how did all start with your passion to the oldskool music and what was the main influence.



My main influence, house music wise, was Chicago and New York house.
I was heavily-influenced by Marshall Jefferson, labels like Nu Groove, Trax Records and a lot of the early tracks hitting the UK. What drove me into making tracks was the feeling, as Belgian techno, was moving away from the soul of the scene that I loved. I used to – and still do love – certain labels like R&S, but a lot of the imports coming into the record shop I was working in just sounded like noise to me.



- What is your most memorable Liquid experience all these years till now? Something that you would like to share with us..


So, so many. Honestly, coming to Greece in 1995 was a real highlight (I think it was 95, my memory has been a little affected) and playing two huge shows, one in Athens and one Thessaloniki. Other than that, we once went on for a live set in Firestones, Orlando and it was incredible and a memorable trip for good and bad reasons....



- Tell us please 5 artists from the oldskool era that you rate to this day


Slipmatt, Mark Archer and Shades of Rhythm are my favourite (and in no particular order, really). Mainly because they’re humble, great guys. I love the way artists like 4Hero and Nightmares On Wax have developed.



- I remember the last time that i saw you performing live, was about 2 yrs ago on Plissken Festival in Athens.. You are one of the most beloved producers in Greece all these years. What is your best moment from all your visits in Greece. Anything that comes straight into your mind when they give you these 2 key words: "Liquid/Greece''


Like I said before, it has always been amazing coming to Greece; I love the people. Many years ago, I wasn’t always on my best behavior but promoters such as Alex Drakos were so tolerant of me! 

Plissken was such a great festival, a fantastic team behind it. I had some technical issues that evening so hope to be back playing for them again one day.



- Lets enter to the chapter 'Liquid-8'...In 2010 you were djing on a legendary gig in Athens along with Mark Archer (one half from Altern 8), and then teamed up with him for the Liquid-8 project. Tell us about the spirit & the idea of this project and if there will be any future releases.


We had a great time that night, it was a killer atmosphere and it was a great trip overall. I knew Mark a little, but we got to know each other far better that weekend and decided to do some tracks. We thought Liquid-8 was a funny idea, too.
There will be more tracks in 2014, but less pianos and more techno. Mark wants to do an album called “Ullo, can I speak to Mark Archer pur-lease” but I won’t let him! He comes from the north of England, they are very strange up there!



- Sparky meets Liquid and MC Spyda close to this massive conspiracy..How did the ‘Dub Hooligan’ project come out?


From my love of dub and reggae, basically. A producer I’d been working in the studio with, called Sparky, and I created all the music and I don’t think Spyda could have done a better job voicing the tracks. Mek Dem Gwan is still one of my proudest musical moments.



- Oldskool movement gave its place to 21century's Nu-Rave movement. Do you agree with this one? Tell us please if there is any essential nuskool/nu-rave act/dj/producer that has drawn your attention nowadays and how do you see the future of 'rave'.


Honestly, I don’t know enough about it to have a strong opinion. I still think of nuskool as the breaks scene that Adam Freeland and Stanton Warriors came out of, and I love Stanton Warriors.

Future of rave? Don’t know. Maybe it’s my age, but I see it all as house music still and all the wide and various genres are still all rooted in the house music era.



- What are your future plans musically and your forthcoming gigs?


I have taken a bit of time out to spend time with my daughter in her early months, years and now she’s over 2 and getting right back into it. I have a few collaborations planned for 2014, gigs already in the diary and lot’s of Liquid stuff planned.

My New Year’s Eve show got cancelled few days ago. The beauty of having my adorable family is that it just means I get to spend a (rare) NYE at home.



- Thank you a lot for taking your time answering the questions, appreciate it a lot! Looking forward to your next performance in Greece and every place who wants to live the Liquid buzz !


I hope to see you in Greece in 2014, definitely. Big up!

    LIQUID

 www.facebook.com/thisisliquid 
 www.facebook.com/Liquid8 
www.facebook.com/dubhooligan