Ahead of Requiem on the 27th December, the best night in the country for showcasing the best up and coming Hard House talent around, I decided to catch up with the four nu breed DJs spinning their 12cms at this event for a few quick words. Ben Townsend, Kevsey D, Ross Homson and Rich Resonate are all getting well known in their own right in the scene and I found out why…

Morning Ladies!

Firstly I suppose we should cover the reason why we’re all heading to the 414 on the 27th… The Music. Describe your style in 4 words?

BT: Tough, pacey, energetic, uplifting

KD: Hard fun ecstatic journey

RH: Funky, Chunky, Groovy, Fun though I do last like to bang out the harder stuff just like the rest of ya ;)

RR: Come and find out!!!

You are all releasing music at a fairly vast rate of knots. What have you had out recently and what have you got coming up?

BT: My latest release was Gangster broadcast, which was out on Vicious circle, was over the moon when they signed it as they have been my favourite label for as long as i can remember. Next releases will be Future fighter on flashpoint, and Lost which will feature on the unmixed cd on the Spinball vs Carbon album, and K is for Knowledge on Fireball Records.

KD: I have had my first two releases out in the last month, The Empire (Toolbox choons) and Jammed (Inertia Hard). I have a few more tunes under my belt but I’m going to go back and work on them a bit more before getting them released, one of which is Saltshaker, the first tune I ever made. I’m going to be focusing a lot more on production in 2009.

RH: Recently I’ve had out Shock The Mouse with Tom Parr on Atomik Reaction and have 3 of my releases on the new Firebox album which I’m pleased about. Coming up there is Galvez Groove and my remix of Can’t Work on Toolbox, Run For Cover on Fireball, Got The Flow on Combat, Space Invader on Hostility and Fatality on Beat Ranch Digital.

RR: I had 2 out in February this year under my other guise (The Resonates) on toolbox, 2009 see’s me as the new toolbox artist fronting the 2nd toolkit which is out in January containing 5 of my new production’s.

Which engineers have you worked with and who do you enjoy working with the most?

BT: Dom Sweeten, Nick Sentience, Dave owens, Tom Parr, Riggsy, Louis Fernio and Evo D and Maxwell. Was in with Louis for the first time this weekend and have to say i think he's amazing, awesome attention to detail and really easy to work with, cant see me using anyone else now.

KD: Both the tracks I have had released I done with Dean R, he’s a young enthusiastic lad with great ideas and I really enjoy working with him. His production’s just keeps getting better and better and he is defiantly one to watch for the future.

RH: Up to now I’ve worked with Scott Fo-Shaw, Dave Owens, Dom Sweeten, Tom Parr and Iain Sandserson. Enjoyed working with Dave and Dom the most and will be getting another 2 tracks done with Dave next week.

RR: I started with kam pain for my first 2 and used Digital Kid for one, now I use Paul Maddox and have never looked back since, the man is a genius!, for me there is no better.

Kevsey, you run Inertia Digital. What have you got lined up for that?

KD: We have just had our first releases out on Inertia and are really happy with the way everything is all shaping up, we want to keep things ticking over with some great Hard House & Trance tracks to establish ourselves on the scene, don’t try and run before you can walk I’d say.
Our next bunch of releases will be around mid January! With some tasty hard trance tracks plus remixes and on the hard side we have a dirty little treat from Mr Andy Rise.

Ben, I seem to remember you saying you had some plans for a label in 2009. Explain a bit more about it.

BT: Thats the plan, myself, Gaz Gibson and Leon Allen are going to do it together. Firstly as a release for more off our stuff as theres so many good tunes coming from many sources that its not always easy to get them signed. We will obviously take other people tracks as well if we like them and suit the style of the label. Will either be a cd or digital label, still undecided, going to have a meet up over christmas to get everything sorted, so watch this space!

Ross and Rich – do either of you have any plans for venturing in to label management?

RH: I have actually been giving it serious thoughts over the last few weeks. It would be nice to have an output for my own sound, though I don’t really want to rush into anything. Hopefully within the next 6-12 months I’ll be able to get something sorted.

RR: No way! Everybody and their mother seems to be doing it these days, I’ll stick to just buying them (and freebies) hint hint!

Who is your Hard House Hero, the one artist that made you want to become a DJ and Producer?

BT: When i first started clubbing at Sundissential it was definately Andy Farley, these days it has to be Paul Glazby though, love his newer sound.

KD: For me what really inspired me a few years back was Steve O’Brady (RIP) he had such a passion and amazing talent behind the decks and seeing him go from small time Dj to being signed to Frantic and playing at some of the biggest clubs in the country in just a small space of time really showed me that big things can happen to you if you really want it!!

RH: DJ wise I would probably have to say Paul Glazby but producer wise Nik Denton.

RR: Never really had a hero, I’ve admired different artist’s for different reason’s,
Everyone has different qualities about them.

When was the last time you used a deck rather than a cdj?

BT: I was booked to play the Vc birthday until it got called off, so was digging threw a few of the old Vicious vinyl giving them a spin ready for that.

KD: I have just moved into a new apartment and eventually able to set up my 1210s, it’s been great going through all my vinyl, so to answer your question! About 30mins ago… Last time I used vinyl in a club was at the last Frantic HDS, one of the cdjs decided not to eject the cd right at the start of my set!!

RH: Last Sunday at a party at my mates house. It did feel like a lot of hard work and was weird doing it again after not playing vinyl for about 2 years.

RR: Last week, I’m backing up all my vinyl to my comp, might get it done before I retire.

What are your plans for 2009 and how do you see the scene as a whole developing?

BT: The new label, Lots more tracks, more gigs (hopefully) learn to produce myself when my mac finally gets here (Grrr!) and generally taking over the world one small step at a time! The scene is better than it has been in a long while i feel, great music beeing made at the moment, some great new nights have started up, Hi Oktane, Resistance and obviously Requiem spring to mind instantly. The only problem is that there are so many sub genres of 'hard dance' now, and most people dont like them all, which leaves promoters with some difficult situations, i think that in time there will be lots more specialist nights, solely catering for proper Hard House, Bounce, Hard Trance and Hardstyle.

KD: To go in search of that pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, someone’s got to find it soon!! As for DJing, to just keep putting my all into it and focus on getting more tracks made and concentrate on Inertia, there’s been a lot more up & coming DJs around this year and for me it’s making the scene more exciting and brings a lot more variety!

RH: My own plans just include getting plenty more productions done and getting my name out there more and hopefully scoring some more gigs. As for the scene devolving I think now that most labels have gone to cd and digi format there will prob be a lot more material being released which is a good think. Over the past year due to problems with vinyl pressing plants and distributors too many releases were delayed which will now hopefully not be as much of a problem.

RR: More gig’s, More productions and of course world domination!
Hopefully the scene will go from strength to strength.

There seems to be much more melody and chunk (but not funk) to the big tunes at the moment. What direction do you see the music going in?

BT: I love the more melodic stuff, the more the better! It really helps to break a set up, which can only be a good think from a clubbers point of view, i mean who wants to listen to thrap all night, just gets boring if its on all night in my opinion. As for the chunky stuff i think its really good, great for earlier sets, but some of the stuff people like Ross and Rich have been doing is still tough enough to play speeded up in a later set, which again adds variety.

KD: I think this is a really good thing, there’s a lot more melody around in the new tunes coming out and the fun element is creeping back in to the hard house scene.

RH: It seems that a lot of hard house is going away from the mindless thrap of yesteryear and that producers are being a lot more inventive and creative with their tracks, which will hopefully bring a lot of new faces onto the scene. I think it’s making the music a lot more accessible and increasing the range material available.

RR: Music doesn’t have a direction it just evolves in my opinion.

What is your all time favourite production of your own?

BT: Tough one! Gangster broadcast because it was signed to Vc, Matts song for more personal reasons. The new one i did with Louis at the weekend has potential to top them all, still needs a bit of work yet though.

KD: Probably The Empire! Really happy with how that come out, but once I have sorted Saltshaker out that might just edge it.

RH: It changes from day to day depending on what mood I’m in, but prob either my remix of Can’t Work by Nik Denton & Dave Owens or Galvez Groove.

RR: I couldn’t choose one, I love them all.

And what about all time favourite Hard House track?

BT: Legend B - Lost in love (Paul Janes remix) i want it played at my funeral

KD: Out the top of my head Meltdown (od404 mix) would definitely be up there and over the past year it would have to be Huggy bear, it’s got all the elements that I love in a track.

RH: Probably Karim – Cheap Rent. I’ve got lots of favourites though. My current favourite track of the moment though is Ben Stevens – The Power. When I first heard it I wasn’t that keen on it but it’s really grown on me and now I’ve always got it on in the car and on my ipod.

RR: It has to be “ Kumara – Snap Ya Finger’s” , took me ages to find this after the first time I heard it.

Jade Goody, Vanessa Feltz and Jo Brand – Which would you Kill, Shag and Marry?

BT: Kill - Vanessa Feltz, Shag - Jade Goody(although id want a few stiff drinks first) Marry - Jo Brand(can see a divorce looming already)

KD: Jade- kill, Vanessa- shag, Jo- marry

RH: Can I not kill them all?

RR: All 3 for their money

Thanks guys, see you at Requiem!

Links:

Requiem: Requiem // Requiem Presents: BEN STEVENS // facebook.com

Ben Townsend: myspace.com

Kevsey D: myspace.com // [Error in dsi:object tag]

Ross Homson: myspace.com // facebook.com

Rich Resonate: myspace.com