Hi Oktane London 1

With only a few weeks to go untill Hi Oktane's massive London launch @ Hidden, we catch up with 2 of the hottest women in hard house as we get up close & personal with Cally Gage & JoJo as they prepare to go head to head for the 1st time......


1. So then ladies, can you tell us a bit about your normal day to day life when you’re not both out DJ-ing up & down the country?

Cally - DJing nowadays isn’t just about turning up at clubs and playing tunes each weekend, there is so much more to do and that is what I spend most of my weekday evenings working on. Every day I’m either practising, finding new tracks, going in the studio or pushing myself through all my portals on the internet – I’m busy 24/7, but I love it.

JoJo - Hiya, well usually I spend my days running around like a headless chicken lol. I have my little dog to look after and boyfriend;) haha and now I have finally got the move to Leeds over with I can get on with promoting myself and getting some gigs and mixes sorted.

2. Before you were infected with the Music bug what were your normal day Jobs?

Cally - I do still have a normal job now and I suppose that’s what helps keep me grounded. It’s nothing too exciting though, I’m a Programme Administrator for a qualifications institute – you don’t really want me to go into it!!

JoJo - I used to be a professional horse rider on the British Young Riders Dressage Team, so I’m used to those long drives up and down the motorways!!!

3. When did you 1st realise that you wanted to go down the DJ route & who were your major influences at the time?

Cally - I’m not really sure when I first realised that DJing is what I wanted to do, I was a clubber at the time and it was just something that I gradually took more and more of an interest in. When I started DJing, there were 3 main DJ’s that I used to follow around like a bad smell – they were Paul Glazby, Andy Farley and Tara Reynolds.

JoJo - It wasn’t till after I’d spent 5years in Ibiza after a serious horse riding accident and decided that I needed some thing else to do with my spare time. Then after seeing Paul Glazby play in the back room at Sundissential North in 2001, I fell in love with that filth sound he was playing and thought, oh my god that’s what I want to do, but it took me till 2006 to finally get myself some decks and start cracking on. (I didn’t have a clue though was so funny trying to teach myself to mix) 2 other major influences are RR Fierce and TDV.

4. Do you still look up to any DJ’s on the scene today?

Cally - I look up to anyone that’s doing something different and that is pushing the boundaries within the scene that they play – I have a lot of respect for people like that, as it can be quite difficult to try new things without getting some sort of backlash.

JoJo - Yes it’s always good to look up to other amazing DJ’s. I still quite often ask some off the successful DJ’s I know for advice from time to time. I feel it’s a very good way to keep learning.

5. Who gave you your 1st big break & where did it all start to really kick off for you?

Cally - I guess my first big break was at the Tidy Weekender Summer Camp in 2004 - I was playing in the competition there and it was also my first ever gig!! After that it all kind of went a bit crazy and here I am now, it’s been a whirlwind and I can’t believe that the competition was so long ago now.

JoJo - It was Adam who gave me the amazing opportunity to play at the Hi Oktane vs. Toolbox event in Leeds b2b with Lucy Fur, we got to warm up for Ben Stevens and Nik Denton. I was soooooo nervous lol. It’s still all kicking off for me at the moment as I’ve only been playing out for about year, so it’s all very exciting stuff.

6. Tell us a bit about your 1st big gig? Were you nervous & do you still get nervous before your gigs now??

Cally - I was nervous as hell at my 1st gig, it was horrible and I kept thinking I was going to be sick!! It was at the Tidy Weekender Summer Camp competition in 2004 and I had practised so much before the event, but it still didn’t help with the nerves. I remember trying to put the needle on my first record, but I was shaking so much that I had to grab my arm with my other hand to try and steady myself!

JoJo - At VCr 3 in Leeds. Ben Stevens asked me on the night to play b2b with him in the main room, I was meant to be playing in the back room, so there was no time to be nervous just extremely excited. Oh yes the nerves still get me haha, but I still get very excited at the same time.

I don’t tend to get that nervous anymore, unless I’m playing at a new venue or in a different country as you don’t really know what to expect – once you’ve played the first couple of tracks though, the nerves just tend to go away and you start to enjoy yourself

7. You both play quite a varied selection of Hard Dance. What style do you most prefer to play out?

Cally - I love most styles of hard dance and enjoy playing them just as much too – I don’t know if I prefer any particular style, I just love playing anything that gets the crowd dancing, going absolutely bonkers and throwing their hands in the air.

JoJo - Definitely the harder, cheeky, end of night filth!!!

8. In the last few months we have seen a lot of music coming out of the studio from you both. Can you tell us a bit about some of your latest tracks?

Cally - I really wanted to get more into production in 2009, so have been in the studio a few times this year already. Producers that I’ve made tracks with so far are BK, Klubfiller, MDA & Spherical, Gammer and Jon BW – not all of the tracks have been released yet, so keep your eye out on my portals for release dates, so you can get your hands on the tracks. Coming up over the next few months, I have dates in the diary to go back into the studio with MDA & Spherical, Gammer and BK – all of these guys are so talented, so I really can’t wait to see what we come up with.

JoJo - Well my hardest tune so far is Anger Management which I did with my boyfriend Adam M and I absolutely love it, right up my street hehe. I’ve also done my first bootleg with Valex called, Naked Rain which I’m very proud of and will be coming out soon on Nitroktane, I’ve had a lot of wicked response from it so far, so I’m quite chuffed about that. I love the studio and really enjoyed doing my first 2 solo tunes which were engineered by Paul Maddox and Ben Stevens.

9. What’s hot at the minute? What can we expect to see you pulling out of the box on the night?

Cally - MDA & Spherical, Gammer and Klubfiller are what’s hot for me at the minute – they are churning out so much amazing material. As this set will be showing my filthier side, I’m not sure if I’ll be pulling any of their tracks out of the bag - but I don’t want to give too much away, you’ll just have to come along and find out really.

JoJo - I’ve really been loving The Wickedness by Paul Glazby. There’s loads, Tunes like Sweatbox, my Naked Rain, RR Fierce – Meloude,(and neuroneux) Anger Management, Drop The Dime….. I could go on for ever hahaha. Anything with a dirty hoover and energetic base line. Oh and Ilogik’s remix of Dominator oh yes!!!

10. You have both played at Hi Oktane before. What does Hi Oktane as a brand mean to you?

Cally - Hi Oktane means good, dirty, filthy hard house – what more could you want really?!! In a short space of time I feel that the brand has come so far and already has a really loyal following, it’s exciting to see where you’re going to go next.

JoJo - It really does mean a lot to me. I have the highest respect for the brand and Adam for everything that has come from the label and nights. Massive thank you.

11. The Hi Oktane event on 31st @ Hidden is our London Debut. How do you think the London crowd will take to the new kids on the block?

Cally - Well from what I’ve already seen on all of the message boards, there’s nothing to worry out at all – people seem to be really excited about this event. Everything needs something new from time to time, to keep it interesting and moving forward and this is what this event is all about. The London crowd are a friendly lot, so I’m sure they’ll be nice!

JoJo - They are going to be blown away. With the ideas that Adam comes up with you won’t find a night with such passion and thought put into it. Personally I really cannot wait to see Chaos Theory’s London’s debut set, what these guys can do on 5 decks and 2 mixers is unreal.

12. What do you think to the line up I’ve put together for a big launch?

Cally - The line up looks really exciting, with a mixture of DJ’s that play for Hi Oktane quite egularly as well as a few local London DJ’s – there’s something for everyone. I’m really excited about laying b2b with JoJo as well - I’ve heard really great things about her sets and think we’ll work brilliantly together.

JoJo - AMAZING!!!! It’s something a bit different for London so it should go down well.

13. What would be your dream line up at a future Hi Oktane in London? I’m always open to suggestions ;-)

Cally - Well if you could possibly get Tara Reynolds out of retirement, I’d love to see her play again – she was amazing. Other than that, suggestions I would have are:

Paul Glazby
Andy Farley
Tom Parr
Lucy Fur b2b with Cally Gage
And after seeing Andy Whitby’s set at Filthy Whitby, I’d definitely have him on the line up.

JoJo - Paul Glazby
Justin Bourne (I wish!!)
Adam M
Me b2b with Glazby!!! In my dreams eh!!
Munkjack

14. And finally what drinks do you girls want waiting for you behind the DJ box before you grace the decks? (And you cant just answer with ‘ just a bottle of water for me please’)

Cally - Well I’ll just have to make sure that I have someone to drive me this night then and mine will be a double vodka and lemonade please, thank you.

JoJo - Double Vodka, Lime and Lemonade pleeeeease.xx

Cally Gage’s current top 5:

1. Cally Gage & Gammer – Make Ya Freak (AWsum)
2. Cally Gage meets MDA & Spherical – Feel It (AWsum)
3. Tom Parr – Ladyboys (CDR)
4. Defective Audio – Reflux (Rodi Style remix) (Vicious Circle)
5. Diddy – Give Me Love (Adam M Bootleg) (CDR)

JoJo’s current Top 5:

1. Anger Management - Adam M & JoJo
2. Make It Happen - Ilogik
3. Bad Ass - BK
4. Cautionary Tails - JoJo
5. Habanero - Dave Curtis & Base Graffiti


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HI OKTANE LONDON @ HIDDEN
31st July
10pm - 6am

Hi Oktane London 1

BEN STEVENS & RODI STYLE PRESENT: CHAOS THEORY (2 dj's 5 decks & FX) - London Debut!
KARIM
ILOGIK
CALLY GAGE b2b JOJO
ADAM M
JAMES NARDI
DAVE CURTIS
KEVSEY D

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LTD Early Bird Tickets £8 SOLD OUT!!
Standard Tickets £10
More on the door!

Tickets on sale NOW! Available from www.Moreonthedoor.com

moreonthedoor.com

flyer looks amazing thank you babes, buddies in:)xx