With less than 2 weeks to go to Puzzle Project's massive third birthday celebration on Friday 12th at 414, we thought it would be high time to hunt down another one of our headliners, pin him down and demand some answers!
What with this guest being firmly established in the hard dance scene as one of the true innovators, we're sure you know exactly who BK is, what he's best known for, the fact that he has just released his new artist Album 'BK presents... The Nu Wave', and the fact that this gig is part of the album launch tour.
If you want the lowdown on working with the scene's newest movers and shakers, playing more intimate gigs and how the album was put together, then read on...

Hi Ben, how’s life treating you right now?

Really good, thank you. Been busy finishing the new album as well as djing.
Riot and Traffic have merged so have been kept very busy getting all the releases together.

First of all, we want to find out a bit about your new album “BK presents… The New Wave”. For those that do not know, can you tell us what the concept is, and why you decided to make this album in such a way?

The concept is in the name really. I got together artists who in my opinion are driving the scene forward. People who are newer artists leading the way by supporting new music whether by djing, producing, running labels or even events.
I did the same thing in the Nukleuz days when I brought Farley, Fergie, Pin Up etc to the label to produce music.
For me as a producer and DJ this lets me keep my finger on the pulse. It also allows
me to experiment. For example you wouldn’t usually find me making hardstyle.
Working with Alex (Kidd) allowed me to produce a real UK version of the sound taking influence from what he does and combining it with how I would like it to sound.
The end product is a thumping track that doesn’t sound out of place in a lot of DJs’ sets.

Looking back to what a lot of people consider the “glory days” of hard dance and the collaborations you did back then, how does working with the current New Wave of artists compare?

It’s no different really. One of the great things about today’s scene is the variety of styles within the genre which is what the glory days had. I really believe this is going to be beneficial to the scene.

It’s a fantastic album throughout, but do you have a particular favourite track?

It’s too hard to say really as every track is so different; they are all great tracks within their respective styles. At different parties I play different tracks off the album.
At Judgment Sunday I played ”Damaged”, “Noise Machine” and “Fractured”.
But at somewhere like Inside Out I played “Poison” and “Sleepless Nights”.
Each has a time and place.

When you made the album, how carefully did you pick collaborators? Did you purposely approach each artist with plan of what to make specifically for the album, or did you make a lot of different tracks and then compile the best?

They were all hand picked. I had a clear vision of how I wanted the album to run.
I wanted the album to have a party feel ending with a real nod of the head to rave music. I wanted to represent the style of the DJ except with Technikal. As he was a producer already I wanted us to do something a bit off the wall. We wanted to make a modern version of a Hardcore track. Not happy hardcore; not the 92 vibe.

Unfortunately, there’s still a lot of talk about the scene being on it’s arse, and not getting any healthier. Is this album by any chance a two-fingered salute to those who seem to have lost faith in hard dance?

Yeah in a way. Musically the scene has not been this healthy for ages. It had a real down turn with DJs playing classics or bootleg mixes. This is ok for a time but does not create any new anthems. When HD was at its peak the scene was centered around the music so it was always coming up with new stuff to keep the crowds in the clubs happy and interested. You can create as much hype as you like online to pull punters in. But ultimately it’s the music that keeps things fresh and moving.

With plenty of fresh talent within the scene right now, how did you choose who to work with on this album? Are there any other artists you would have drafted in if you could have done, and who would you like to work with in the future?

I picked the people I knew had the same attitude as me; we all talk a lot about music so it was easy. Everyone on the album is open minded about music and willing to let me push them a bit further.

Your sound right now is very raw, with plenty of influence from other genres without sounding at all like a carbon copy. How do you keep it so fresh and unique?

Keep changing is the only way to do it. After every project I get rid of the old sounds and synths and get some new ones in. I also make a conscious decision to keep changing my sound. I would get really bored always making the same record & there is no point sounding like other people. It’s the only way to stay ahead of the game.

Moving on now to the party, and the venue… our venue 414, has been around since the beginning of the hard dance explosion in London, and I’d be surprised if you’ve never been. What memories do you have of the venue, and when was the last time you were there?

I’ve been a few times and I think my first or second ever gig was there. It’s a legendry venue for a hardcore partiers. It’s a real trip down memory lane. It’s great to see some quality line ups there - because it’s such an intimate venue it really goes off!

We’re obsessed with bringing clubbers big room line-ups in intimate surroundings; what do you feel are the benefits of playing smaller venues?

Ha ha I just said that above. That was what attracted me to it. I think it’s a wicked idea. The thing with intimate venues is it allows you to really get in the party mood with everyone. These are my favourite sets as the crowds seem to be really in tune with the DJ and this lets you run with new things. At massive venues a lot of the time you have to play to the masses. At smaller venues you lock into a vibe and run with it. It sounds cheesy but you can play from the heart not the mind.

Are there any questions that you’ve always wanted to answer in one of these interviews but have never been asked? If so, please tell us that question, and answer it…

Yes.
Q. Would you like a nice cold pint of beer waiting for you by the DJ booth?
A. Yes please J

Huge thanks to Ben for taking the time to answer our questions.