It’s that time again where I put together my contacts and draw up a plan and ask myself- who is next worthy of a lock down interview.

On the eve (ALMOST..) of London’s very own finest newest: London Vs South Coast it came to me than who better than the host’s of their number one party?- Ballistic Beats!

So after much thought over tea and custard creams I bring you D.J Distortion the first half and driving force behind the event that has so prehemantly taken London and surrounding area’s by hardcore storm!

As many will know Ballistic Beats has set out to produce top class hardcore parties- whatever the weather, D.J Distortion is now rapidly rising up within the hardcore rank age whilst putting together first class D.J sets he is also stepping up the game on the production front as well, recently releasing some of I.M.O record’s most down loaded tunes of all time, I thought it about high time that I get on the case and find out what really is going on behind the scenes at Ballistic Beats….




D,J Distortion, you are a most definite force to be reckoned with on the decks, you have been mixing now for a hard collective ten years. An impressive mile stone - tell us about your first step up to the decks, and what set you played , and where it was.

' Ok..my first experience of playing to a crowd was at White Bushes Youth Centre when I was 17/18, and to be honest at that point was the first time I discovered using pitch control too mix, previous to that I was finding tunes that played at the same bpm and trying hard to mix them, but I do remember playing heart of gold and everyone loving it '



You have been raving and involved within the scene for almost as long, you as I did used to go to the Sanctuary (rip). As we all did we have many a fond memory for the ‘day’- please tell us your first raving days, and any good memories that you have of going to the raves back then!

' My very first rave was at Tazzmania (Hastings pier autumn 1997) and it was wicked, the tune of the night that really sticks out in my head is ( I got the Key, I got the Secret) Dougal played it, but I also just remember the bottles of water, white gloves glow sticks whistles horns, it was just a raving must have ' -



' Another rave that sticks out in my mind was at the Sanctuary for a Hardcore Heaven, it was a battle event and when I walked into the arena there was a boxing ring slap in the centre and a dj in each corner battling out, was wicked and I will never forget that '



As we all know standing and now becoming part of the time equation it’s self how do you view the scene nowadays ?- What major changes have you witnessed to the hardcore music that you have wanted to make a difference too?

' Hmmmm, very tough but honestly, as far as I am concerned hardcore fukin died in 2000, I don’t know what was behind its collapse or why but it was so shit..? - I spent 7 yrs listening to my old tape packs and even to this day don’t know what or who released anything in that period. But in my opinion I don’t feel it was worth listening to. I definitely feel that hardcore is on its way up again now and the stuff being released is good music, sound quality is so much better and only good things are to come! ' :)


It seems like just yesterday that you staged the first Ballistic Beats at The Liquid Lounge in Horely. This event went off!- What has been your driving inspiration for Ballistic Beats and how did this all come about?

' Believe it or not my inspiration to do my own event didn’t come for the larger raves like HTID,SV,HH:- believe it or not, it was History of Hardcore! When I saw their line-up.. -Druid,Vbes,Livelee,Sy, Slipmatt. it was the first time I had seen these D.J’s at an event in a long time, purely because they wasn’t listed on the larger rave flyers, I honestly believed that they had gone and disappeared with the exception of Sy!

But history had them at there event… It just made me wanna book these people at a rave in my home town purely just to hear them loud again like I used to

So I set a date and booked Vibes n Livelee.. never looked back since, since thanks all the HOH crew for opening my eyes, you do a wicked job '



Staging any event big or small come’s with allot of stress, organisation and many other factors of putting it together- how have you managed to do this within the London scene? And how have you brought it all together with many other events being staged in the capital?

' I don’t try to do anything, and I have learnt not to try and make people happy, the event I put on comes from what I would want. As a raver,. When we make bookings me and Kaine both ask ourselves… right who has done what, if we was gonna go to a rave who and what would we wanna see. What type of sets shall we have. 3 happy 6 hard ? 6 happy , who up-n-coming is producing stuff? Is it happy and vocal? We like to think our taste in music is generally that of the ravers so if ya want a set with us… BE HAPPY '



Talking of the scene today- my famous question: Do you think that enough is being done to help the young of today’s scene? It seems that every time I ask this- that it IS getting sorted more and more in some shape or form- what do you make of this?

'ANSWER:…NO!!, it seems slightly recurring that the same D.J’s are getting booked for the same events, to be fair I don’t even have to pick up certain flyers now it just becomes common knowledge who is going to be playing, ballistic beats has always created a hassle free booking policy, and in this we get the chance to offer something no-one else is, and that’s fresh talent, people should give it a chance .. you don’t have to be well known or connected to be good its just bollocks, if sum1 gives me a demo they have spent the time to make it, I will never be so rude as to throw it away!! Give people a chance to shine let them be part of something, I don’t do clicks I don’t do members I just do demos… and if I like them - trust me ya playing '


Ballistic Beats means to me: GOOD Party- High unique energy each and every time- where ever you stage it. What is- (if there is any);) secrets that you have to pull the cat out every event?

' I think the biggest priority of the night is sound and microphone clarity, without this we may as well all fuck off home, '


On the decks you play a very good VARIED mix of hardcore. What is you main inspirations for your mixing and tune selection?- Also who in the scene has / is your inspirations?

' My biggest mixing inspiration is VINYLGROOVER, his cut and chop mixing is fucking wicked and I am forever doing it, as for my tune selection hardcore has been going for a decade and longer why hit the decks and just Cain all the fresh stuff released yesterday? I try to pick 12 tunes from all years that I think are wicked. And a few other D.J’s do the same and its always them sets that stand out above everyone else’s '


You have recently been in the studio with Hattrixx and also Darwin, and your tunes are in the top I.M.O records down load section of all time down loaded!- Again, what was your driving force for making new hardcore? And how did all this come about!?

' All we have done so far is remixed tunes. MODERNISED them, that is all we do, I take a tune we like and we re-vamp it the way we like to hear it. I have no idea how we do so well, apart from we have good taste ..lol '


How do you feel at the fact that your tunes have done SO well?

' Obviously we are over the moon, it feels good to go out there make a track and then see it in I.M.O’s all time chart, but like I have said so many times we are just ravers making what we want to hear, and thankfully we aint the only ones that wanna hear it! '


That’s amazing and nothing short of incredible! Just like Ballistic Beats events your tunes are fresh and full of life- out of all of them do you have a favourite Ballistic tune?

' Yes SHOW ME HEAVEN, its my favourite because it is the first tune we as a team felt a real excitement about, the vocals are amazing, and vibes cained it everywhere, its on the vibes cd of the hardcore heaven weekender 2008 and we are just well happy about the whole production, I wouldn’t remix it myself, I see t as a complete tune and you need to get it '


Going back to the D.Jing- I have seen you play with many, (myself included!)- Do you have any ‘favourites’ when going back to back on the D.J set- nudge nudge, wink wink!;)

' Well I do like b2b sets but they never really pan out, in the sense that tune selection is never to my liking, on the flipside of that, me and you smashed happy nation , and me and Mike Vapour are set b2b for the next ballistic which I know is going to be good -

' Future b2b’s I would like is a battle with Mr Sparkle H.H.S, is one that I have never spoke about but would love to do, he has wicked material up his sleeve and deffo think a vs. set would be in good order '

Sticking with the same topic- when it comes to hardcore do have a favourite: i.e. playing out, producing - performing a live P.A?

' I think that our production is the most interesting and exciting, it gives me Kaine and Mel a chance to sit back at home and talk about what tune we are going to do, how we want to construct it, and we always talk about the crowd in the production… like what part of the tune we really want to see ravers with there hands in the air, what part of the track we expect to see the stompers out there, giving it. Its just a good time for us to put our cards on the table and say to people look this is what we’ve got, and people are liking it, with the attitude of well what are these guys going to do next '


I have been meaning to ask- since the creation of Ballistic Beat productions- the live P.A’s of your tunes have some what taken off! How did this take off and come about?-

' Our live P.A sets are gaining more and more interest as we do them and our vocalist Mel is becoming quite a little star.. having secured quite a few bookings for a pa set the crowd has loved them but for me I feel there is still a lot to come from ballistic live sets and all the strings haven’t been pulled yet, so look out for them on the flyers and attend,'

Also the mighty MC Skatty has hosted many of your P.A sets! Do you have any future plans to make a tune with Skatty or any other MC’s for that matter?

' Well we don’t have an official MC !! Skatty has graced our P.A sets on a few occasions now and he is a wicked mc, and if there was ever an option for he to appear with us I would take it, if he was willing, '




Again keeping it on a production tip- could you tell us any future tuneage plans…If you have any future collaborations of artists and even tunes that you will be working on or with?…(If this isn’t to top secret);)

' Of course
FUTURE REMIXES:-

Eufeion – 4am 2009 remix

D.J prospect – show me heaven 2009 remix

Always – 20/10 mike vapour remix

I have written my own track as well and we will be producing 5 tunes after new yr, I wouldn’t release any info about them though, but they will be hitting the dance circuit !! '


If you could pick ANY artist in the scene to make a hardcore track with - who would it be?!!

' Shit, each artist has there own ability, but if I had too pick now then mike vapour, his style is definitely on my wavelength, and a collaboration is in the pipe-line for us, a bouncy edge of your seat remix of something is going to be done '

Any chance you can tell any more info on this public wedding announcement?

' NO….lol '

- (It was worth a try!)-

Ballistic Beats cater for the raver at every turn, what have your major problems been as a promoter especially in London?- (if any)

' Ballistic beats has come under fire from various artists in the past, but we just aim to be different, we are constantly head hunting and on the look out for talent, I’m a firm believer that you shouldn’t have to travel to the south-coast to see the best D.J’s there, why travel all the way to the midlands to see the best talent there, or west country, ballistic beats brings the best to the doorstep, London should be a hardcore meeting ground for people wide and far, its our capital, '



You have achieved so much again as many do - in today’s world, where do you see your self and Ballistic Beats in say two- four years time?

'Ballistic beats has put itself on a long term deal..lol but in 4 years I see us out of London somewhere nice running raves for ravers, '


Your time in the scene you must have been to a few good parties- do have any funny stories from your time on the rodeo etc that you can share with us?- let it out it’s good to talk!!!;)

' To be honest I actually don’t but to be honest we get in the car go to a rave, get fucking high drive home and sleep for 2 days, don’t really think anything that funny has happened really..lol sorry to disappoint ya '


Again I have a total influx of more questions to put to you-but sadly it’s that’s time of the evening and I must draw the interview to a close- just before I say good night and thank you- could you please leave us with some Ballistic words of wisdom- just for the people.

' To whoever reads this: Ballistic Beats isn’t the countries biggest rave we know that … But trust us we have fucking good line-up’s if you don’t know the people playing it doesn’t matter, you should trust our judgement, every set will fuckin rock, we aint hear for profit we not here to act as a payday for the artists, we are hear for the hardcore, nearly every act on our nights create there own music or have something different you wont get to hear anywhere else, everyone that plays is asked specifically to pull out there freshest tunes or to make tracks to debut for ballistic beats. A lot of big D.J’s play tracks these guys make but at ballistic you can hear them before people even know they are made, showcasing material from albums you don’t know are going to be released to the next tunes you will be buying on download, we boast an excellent mc line-up, so know-one has to worry about good tunes being drowned and we know for sure that the more word gets out the bigger ballistic will become ' : )


D.J Distortion courtesy of Ballistic Beats- thank you very much for your words- and more importantly your time.
Wishing you all the very best in the hardcore future and parties to come.

Dave Hill- MC D.H.D

thats a sick interview, props...

cant wait for BB this friday GUNNA BE ABSOLUTLY ROCKIN'

nice one guys

wicked interview big up dhd