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Interview with LIZZIE CURIOUS ahead of her FUndamental appearence

Chris-Cee

DJ…vocalist…songwriter…producer…You could say Lizzie Curious has many strings to her proverbial bow and quite rightly so! 2006 saw Lizzie’s meteoric success continue rise and rise, with a string of storming peak-time sets around the country with her loyal Team Curious following in tow, two new residencies in her home town of Cheltenham and finishing the year on a high note (literally you could say) with her first live vocal PA - performed to a fully-packed club and going down a storm! 2007 is looking even brighter for this hard-working, multi-talented DJ who this year has already won herself a DJ competition, set up a digital download label for her chill out music, has electro releases in the pipeline and of course more peak time sets around the country and in the big smoke.

We welcome her to FUndamental - lets she whats shes all about

1. So how did it all begin for you and the path of the DJ to where you presently are now?

Well I’ve always been into heavily into music from a very early age….according to my Mum my favourite toy when I was a toddler was a Fisher-Price mini-record deck that played “Pop Goes the Weasel”! This progressed onto my first vinyl purchase when I was just 5 years old of the Wombles (yes I still have it!) and an unhealthy obsession with Abba and A-ha. Alongside these somewhat dubious music tastes, I also began playing the recorder and keyboards before I got to school and then went on to classically train in the flute, cello, piano and singing all the way through school and college, and also dabbled with being a lead singer in an indie band for two years – so you wouldn’t be wrong in saying music has always been a massive part of my life. But it was in 1999 at University in Guildford that the dance music bug really bit me…I’d spend every weekend going up to London to meet new friends I’d met clubbing and stomp the night away at legendary parties such as Escape from Samsara and Strawberry Sundaes. At the time, with no friends that had decks and no internet really around, the art of DJing really seemed to be a mystery, but ever curious to learn, as soon as I got my student loan I kitted myself out with decks and a mixer and got strapped in!

That was back in 1999 and since then I’d say my music career has been on the incline ever since and 2007 is just getting better and better. Currently, as well as regular gigs at all my four residencies (Break Out & Broken in Cheltenham and ElectronicSessions and Knowwhere in London) I’ve had the pleasure of spinning peak time sets at a whole host of clubs around the country. And, of course, I am honoured to be playing at Judgement Sundays! Now that I am professionally producing as well, being able to drop my own tracks into a set has taken things to a whole new level for me. I have also launched a back 2 back showcase: His N Hertz, with my better (I have to say that or I would be in trouble!) half Simon Pisani. As far I as know we are the only b2b male and female team on the circuit and we certainly have a blast every time we play!

2. You’ve taken the next big step into production. Who have you been working with and how is it going?

I went back to college a couple of years ago to study a BTec in Music Technology and have now set up my own studio where I run Logic Pro 7 and write, record and engineer my own vocals. This year Simon (my partner in crime) and I are going to be setting up a Break Out record label which I am going to be releasing a lot of work, so I have been working on a lot of artist material which allows me to be really creative. One track already set up for release is my track Blue Moods (written with Carl Michael), it’s a really laidback house tune that takes me straight to the poolside in Ibiza and I can’t wait for it to have it’s official release on the Break Out record label. I’ve also collaborated on a track with Christian Hoff (one of my fave producers at the moment) and the result is a Tiga-style electro-pop track called In The City which will be on myspace in the next week for you to check out.

As well as producing my own material, I also record and write my own vocals for other artists and just this week I’ve had the exciting news that a big US house producer is going to be using a vocal I have written for him, so watch this space as I will be shouting (or should that be singing ;-) about it very soon! I love writing vocals and the Break Out record label will see me showcasing my original material and vocals, along with remixes by other artists.

On a different slant I am also writing chillout music under the name of Planet Halcyon and have 3 tracks released on our digital label Planet Halcyon Recordings which are selling really well and getting great feedback and I will be writing more chillout material over the summer.

3. Your blend of electro and party house has caught the attention of a lot of promoters. Why do you think this is?

I reckon it’s a combination of the tunes I play and the way I play ‘em! I’m not afraid to mix up the many different styles of house and electro and even a bit of techno and will only play a tune if I love it. It’s a combination of the most filthy, bass-driven dance music, but with a big hands in the air element. I think that putting together uplifting elements with dark and dirty twisted basses works really well…… Fat juicy basses that make you pull those crazy “yeah baby that’s dirty” faces and feel-good melodies that make you put your hands in the air and smile from ear to ear. I love playing tracks with vocals in and also the odd cheeky bootleg that I’ve knocked up in my studio…currently my remix of Coldplay’s X & Y is going down a storm and Graham Gold has also been supporting it on his radio shows which is great. I’m so passionate about what I do…….. I eat, sleep, dream, drink and breathe music and I guess that must show when I’m let loose on the decks!

4. You used to have a duel identity with Lizzie being playing house and Starlet playing trance. I haven’t seen Starlet about - where has she gone and have you fully given up on the trance?

As all superheroes know, having a dual identity can get a bit complicated at times. I realised I was in danger of ending up being a jack of all trades and master of none, so a few years ago I decided to focus on house music, as that is where my heart and passion lies. I would say that Starlet took an early retirement as Lizzie Curious seems to be getting all the attention! I do still love a good bop to my trance, though on the more techy/electro-fused side of things these days.

5. What DJs and promotions have caught your eyes recently?

The one DJ that I am consistently in awe of is James Zabiela – his combination of never-ending energy and enthusiasm, technical ability and tune selection never fails to blow me away. And Micky Slim is the bomb! His productions rock, I love his quirky style both in producing and DJing as it gives him a very unique sound! I’d also give a big up to the Blend DJs, 3 guys who never fail to rock it behind the decks and have limitless supplies of energy and enthusiasm. My personal motto is to play every set as if it is my last, whether it be at an after-party at a good friend’s house or during a peak time set in a massive club. So when I’m on the dancefloor, I like seeing DJs perform – putting effort into their sets, rather than just standing there beatmatching, looking like they’d rather be somewhere else.

In terms of promotions, of course I am loving all my residencies. Since I have come on board with ElectronicSessions they have continued to impress me with their dedication to programming diverse and exciting line-ups, keeping things fresh and exciting (they consistently book a wide variety of outstanding DJs from across Europe as well as in the UK) and working hard to make sure every party goes off with a bang. I have also been watching the rise of FUndamental, and after hearing that you guys had your room open the longest at an event at Turnmills I am sure that we are going to absolutely rip it up at Judgement Sundays!

From a clubbing point of view, I love Together at Turnmills – its a fantastic event and I’ve been watching it grow and grow over the last year, I have been to a couple and immensely enjoyed myself, because of the music and the fun element the inject into the night. Dusted is another night that stands out for me, both in this country and in Ibiza, I always really enjoy the music and the crowds.

On a larger scale I went to Glastonbury a few years ago and spent a lot of time in the Glade, I remember seeing Rennie Pilgrem perform live with MC Chickaboo, loads of wicked psytrance and also a secret performance by Norman Cook. I’ve always wanted to go to the Glade festival, and this year I will actually be going (and two very good friends of mine even bought me a ticket as an early birthday present – thanks so much guys!!) so I’m really excited to see what Glade do on a larger scale, and they have Sander Kleinenberg playing, a DJ I’ve yet to see but always wanted to, so I will be glued to the front of the tent for that one!

6. With the dominance of CDJs now evident where do you see the future of the DJ going? Have you embraced the Ableton revolution yet?

I’ve got Ableton, but to be honest I haven’t really had much time to play around with it and I think I’ll be spinning CDs for a long time to come as I have an inherent fear of a laptop crashing whilst I’m using it – computers do have a habit of freezing when I’m in their vicinity.

I think that as long as there is dance music, there will be clubbers and DJs! But I have noticed over the last few years both behind and in front of the decks, as technology advances there is more of a fusion of live elements being brought into a DJ set, both through using different bits of kit and Ableton Live or DJs either playing instruments themselves or incorporating other artists to play alongside them. I myself have done two live PAs whilst DJing, which is great, though hectic to run from behind the decks, grab a mic and sing and then run back again to DJ! I will be doing more singing/DJ sets as it’s great to be able to fuse two things that I love together.

7. You run a night with your partner Simon Pisani up in Cheltenham called Break Out. Give us some background and details about how that is going?

Simon has been running Break Out for over a year and I officially came on board as a co-promoter when the night moved to Cheltenham last October. I’m pleased to say it’s going from strength to strength and that is down to a combination of hard work (big up to you Simon!), fantastic DJs and a brilliant crowd - new people who come to the night always want to come back because they feel so welcome! Anyone who has tried their hand at promoting will know it’s a job that seems to be never ending, but we have such a fantastic crowd of people that support us and even when the going gets tough and there is the inevitable last minute crisis (which there always is no matter how hard you plan!), when you see the dancefloor rammed with smiling faces its all worthwhile. Simon and I always try to make things a bit special, by incorporating live elements such as vocals/percussion sets and live PAs and we take a strong stance on supporting our local DJs who are really fantastically talented. We always have some sort of quirky dress theme too (the next one being Pirates and Castaways), those who know me will know I do love any excuse to dress up!

We’re planning to bring the night to London in the Autumn (but don’t worry ‘Nham party people Break Out will still be running in Cheltenham!) and are in talks with a big club to launch it at which is very exciting. We’re also planning to launch a Break Out record label which will act as a platform to showcase the talent we’ve discovered through running the night.

8. You’re playing for Fundamental on the 27th May, what can we expect from you. How do you prepare for a set like this?

I do believe you guys have been kind enough to give me a peak time set, which of course allows me to play the music I love the most, bass-driven uplifting music, from house through to electro-tinged breaks. I usually spend a day going through all my tracks and usually have to make a shortlist of all the ones I want to play because I have so many brilliant tracks I struggle to fit them all into one set! I’ll also spend some time sorting tracks into key and seeing what flows well into another and getting some acapellas together to spice up any tunes that I like but feel need a bit of extra pizzazz for a Curious set. Producers that I am really supporting at the moment include Sidney Samson, Micky Slim, Christian Hoff, Richard Dinsdale, Robbie Rivera, D.Ramirez, The Young Punx, The Rouge Element, Olav Bassoski, Sebastien Leger and…….well the list is endless really!

9. What do you carry in your record bag?

Let’s see…..I always have some of my old vinyl faves with me in case for some reason the CDJs weren’t working, then of course my beloved CDs and a few mix CDs to give out and hmm, well lets see….headphones of course, a little torch, spare headphone jacks, a spare pair of trainers if I’m daring to wear heels (which isn’t very often, hence why I need comfy shoes to change in to!), ear plugs, of course at least one pair of sunglasses, DSI cards and also some sort of freshening wipes for when you leave the club! In fact I’ve always said that clubs should give you hot towels as you leave the club just like you get in Indian restaurants!

10. What are your top 5 tunes of the moment?

1. Mighty Dub Katz, Magic Carpet Ride O7 (Young Punkz remix), Southern Fried Records
2. Regi ft Scala, I Fail (Filterheadz remix), Mostiko
3. Payami, Backspace (Payami’s Weekender remix), SUESSE
4. Lizzie Curious, In The City, White
5. The Young Punx, You’ve Got To (Dopeheadz remix AND Norman Cook remix), MofoHifi
www.myspace.com/lizziecurious