MDA & Spherical make their HHA main stage debut on Saturday 17th October with a very special B2B set with Klubfiller. The AWsum production heroes go head to head to show us what they are made of on the biggest Hard Dance stage in the country! Check out what they have got planned below!

1) What was the first club you went to?

It would have been the legendary Peach at Camden Palace. It was such an amazing experience when we were just 16 (shh!) - there really was nothing more eye-opening than when you first walked through that tunnel…

2) When did you first go to Frantic?

It was very shortly after going to Peach actually. Peach was great, but the attraction of harder music was always bubbling under. We heard on the grapevine that Frantic were holding a host of day-raves that were held at, again Camden Palace – it must have been Phil-time, Lisa-time, Farley-time or similar that we went to first. Whichever one it was, that was the day that Hard Dance became our passion and Frantic main room was THE ultimate goal of where we wanted to DJ.

3) X Factor or Strictly Ballroom?

X Factor without doubt – the early audition stages have us in stitches!

4) Eastenders or Coronation St?

Matt’s managed to steer clear of most forms of lame TV but Mark’s properly addicted to Eastenders – if only for Stacey Slater – everybody likes a bit of ruff.

5) When did you first start producing?

We both started when we were pretty young - about 15 years old from memory. Our ‘studios’ in those days were pretty shocking though; dodgy versions of FruityLoops & Acid running through awful PC speakers, with intermittent ‘turn that racket down!’ shouts from the miserable sods downstairs.
We were lucky enough to have our first track signed for vinyl release when we were just 17 (‘Levitation’ – with Greg Brookman) that came out on the legendary Vacuum label.

6) What was your breakthrough track?

It was actually our second release; the two collaborations with the now retired Chris Hoff called ‘Controllin’ Me’ & ‘Scramble’. This release definitely put us on the Hard Dance map as they were released on Tidy in 2005 – arguably one of, if not THE biggest Hard Dance label. Since then it’s been a steady growth for us right up to where we are today.

7) What’s it like being an AWsum recording act?

It’s pretty fantastic to be involved in a brand that’s really pushing the scene forward. We had a choice of launching our own label or joining the AWsum Foursome – we’re pretty confident we made the right choice! Andy, Cally, Ste Matt, Tom & all the new guys involved are all great, talented people and it’s a pleasure to work with them. AWsum are taking it to the next level and defining the future of Hard Dance.

8) You are booked to play at some of the big AWsum shows in the Autumn. Which one are you most looking forward to?

That’s a tough one! There are so many brilliant events coming up, some of which are completely new to us. Awsum vs Storm vs Riot! is bound to be a great event, the AWsum arena at Westfest ’09 looks absolutely banging and One AWsum Xmas in London will be storming (it’s our hometown – all our friends will be there - we’re practically part the furniture at Hidden!). Last but not least, the AWsum arena at Atomik Weekender 2 looks set to capture the magic of the old Tidy Weekenders. At Atomik, we’ll get a rare chance to play b2b with Frisky as well which should be fun. We’ve been doing a few tracks together in the studio and it always works well. It’ll be interesting to take that out on to the live stage!

9) Where did you last go on Holiday and what was it like?

Holiday? Don’t you know we’re chained to the studio day in, day out? ;-)

10) You are booking your dream line up. Who is playing and why?

For us, a good night is all about the progression of music so we would love to see a mixture of styles on the same bill.

Dream lineup (in no order);

The Prodigy LIVE – arguably the most successful dance act in history
Daft Punk LIVE – enough said
BK vs Andy Farley - Hard Dance legends!
Deadmau5 – this guy is a genius – you can’t pigeon-hole his sound
Steve Hill - the king of the big room show
Pendulum – the best DnB act in existence
MDA & Spherical – would be rude not to, eh? ;-)
Darren Styles – everybody loves a bit of cheese…

11) HHA is at Brixton Academy. What is your favorite part of the Academy?

It has to be the main room balcony. There is nothing better, when it’s all kicking off, than the view from that balcony down onto the crowd; the décor, the vibe, the sound - everything. It doesn’t get much better than that!

12) What can we expect from your set at HHA?

A bit of everything really! We’re known for our UK Hard Trance roots but have been pushing our sound into other areas under the Hard Dance umbrella over the last year or so. Expect a bit of Bounce, a touch of Filth & a lick of Euro - all alongside a smattering of trademark bootlegs. If you’re really lucky – we’ll introduce you to a smidgen of Hardstyle. We’ll also be doing our first b2b with the main man Klubfiller which is pretty exciting.

13) What is your next release?

Our next big showcase will be an MDA & Spherical EP which will be featured on Tidy Music Library 16, released in November this year. The two tracks (‘Give Me Love’ & ‘Welcome 2 The Future’) have been getting really good reactions so far and both are sure to make an appearance in our Hard House Academy set.

We’ve also been asked to mix a compilation CD due for release this year, but that’s top secret for now!

14) Any plans to make Hardcore?

We have experimented with Hardcore in the past; however it’s not currently on the agenda. We are really excited about the Hard Dance we have been making recently so we want to focus on that and push it as far as we can! Never say never though…

15) Can you mix on Vinyl?

Yes definitely! It’s been a few years since we played it out in a club as we really jumped on the CDJ revolution when they became commonplace in clubs. We do still have our vinyl collection at our homes though and sometimes dust them off & bring them out to have a play – some of those classic tracks you just can’t get digitally. We will definitely be checking out the vinyl room at HHA for some nostalgia moments!

Make sure you check the MDA & Spherical vs Klubfiller set as the World’s biggest Hard Dance party on Saturday 17th October. £15 Tickets are about to sell out in the next 48 hours so make sure you buy yours now before they go up to £18!