RICKY STONE

Ricky, after a brief break in January you’re back on it, and have launched a new label, 852 Recordings, with Jonathan. What’s the story?
“Yes, it was nice to take a rest for a few weeks! I do think you need to take a small amount of ‘time out’ sometimes, to reflect what’s going on and to give the old body a rest from the madness of the strobes! After a busy holiday period and a long year spent in clubs, on flights and in studios, the beginning of the year is always a good time to do this.

“The label is something that I have always wanted to do, and like with anything it’s a case of actually ‘doing’ it rather than ‘talking’ about it. I am very lucky in that my partner (and long-time friend) Jonathan has the same ethos as me when it comes down to hard work, and he’s also someone who has years of experience under his belt.”

Why did you choose to re-release Shanghai Taxi this year on 852?
“Well, you know, so many people were still playing it out and so many artists wanted the parts to do a mix. We ended up with seven new interpretations, but we could have had over twenty! I am really happy with these new mixes. They all present a different angle on the track and it’s certainly proving popular right now on Beatport.”

Your 2007 tour schedule looks like it’s getting kinda hectic, what gigs are you most looking forward to this year?
“Yeah, it is looking hectic, but these are really exciting times for me. I would have to say that after 15 years of DJing, I have never enjoyed it as much as during these past two years. The music that’s coming out now is unbelievable: it’s fresh and of a very high quality. I am now receiving over 100 tracks a week and am discovering some awesome young talent out there, some of whom we have signed tracks from and others given tracks to (for remixing). Gig-wise I love them all, but I am especially looking forward to returning to Europe again next week for a 15-show tour. And, of course, I’m crazy keen about playing in Hong Kong again too; it will be my first show in my home city for over a year and a half! This year I have a few ‘biggies’ coming up, so stay tuned…”

How are the Sounds from the Orient shows going, to plan?
“Brilliant. The feedback is great and I love doing them. It gives me the opportunity to showcase the many great up-and-coming DJs that I have met over these last few years in many different countries. We are now on over 70 FM stations and on numerous internet radio waves. The show is also available as an exclusive download via Mercury Server www.mercuryserver.com.”

You’ve got four tracks out simultaneously, and you’ve even adopted a new alias [Cavemen with Dylan Rhymes] – can you tell us more about your recent studio sessions?
“Yeah, it’s always a lot of fun. We have Shanghai Taxi 2007 currently on 852 Recordings; Control the Universe with Timo Garcia on Cr2 Records; Kids with Dylan on Bijou Beatz; and Yeah with Jamie McHugh on Lot 49. But most of these tracks were made last year and it’s just a coincidence that the labels have decided to release them all at similar times! Living here in the Far East, I am away touring for maybe six to eight weeks at a time, so in the time in between touring the clubs I always try and lock down with DJ/producer friends. I will be back in the studio with Timo Garcia in a few weeks to do the follow up to Control the Universe and will also be doing a project with my buddy John Acquaviva later this year. There is also a track to come out on 852 by the amazing Mikael Jonasson from Stockholm, and that features my vocals!”

You’ve developed a prominent profile on MySpace. Can you tell us some tales of glamour and/or excess from your experiences with the site?
“MySpace is a pretty crazy place! My page is now getting over 1,000 hits per day and is just as strong as my website. It’s really cool and gives you the chance to connect with people in real-time. I actually found DJ Ralph on there and we signed his track Bobun for 852’s second release. It also brings you in touch with people you have lost contact with. It’s indeed a great marketing tool.”

You travel so much, DJing, and put in a lot of studio time, producing, not to mention recording the radio show and heading up the label. How the hell do you ever find the time to relax or even sleep?
“I don’t need much sleep and get my energy from going to the gym every day. I started going each morning about 18 months ago, and this definitely helps me to relax and sleep whenever I can!”

JONATHAN ‘THE FOX’ WALLER

How did you and Ricky first meet and get involved in bringing your label, 852, into the world?
“I first met Ricky sometime around 1996. He was on my case for the Rhythm Masters’ remix of Todd Terry’s Jumpin', which was still a bootleg at the time. Even back then he was way upfront, and I still remember his relentless enthusiasm for music. Later on when he and Derek Kaye formed Kayestone I acted as manager for their remix and production work. Through this we got to know each other very well. We had and still have a mutual respect for each others’ drive and work ethic, so when the idea for 852 came about we both knew that we could rely on each other to give it everything in terms of commitment – and putting in extremely long hours!”

Why did you both feel it was important to start the label?
“The label is a natural progression for both of us, a form of expressing our musical tastes, creatively and from an A&R point of view. We wanted to create a label in order to provide opportunities to new producers and develop them. I guess you could say, in commercial terms, we saw a gap in the market: too much new music and, incredibly, not enough labels to handle it all. There are already countless labels out there that are respected for doing a fine job, but everyone has a different direction and a new take on things; 852 is our take, and an opportunity to be a part of and influence the future musical landscape.”

How has it all gone so far?
“In the short space of time since the concept for 852 was created and we actually started working it, I think 852 has already made a mark. Starting out is always difficult and from getting the right team together to handling distribution issues, contracts and signing artists, well, it's all very time consuming. However, we are moving forward at an incredible pace and 852 never sleeps! When Ricky's asleep in Hong Kong, I'm working in the UK, and vice versa. We meet somewhere in the middle of these time zones, each of us waking up to an inbox full of emails with ideas and new music. It's a non-stop buzz!”

And how is the future looking, 852-wise?
“The future is very exciting. We have our plans, but it's not in my nature to let the cat out of the bag until it's almost happening...

“852 parties I can mention, and we are already underway with these. We are constantly in talks with our partners around the world about more events.”

So the very first 852 party takes place this February, can you tell us more?
“Come along and find out – it’s on the 9th, at Thompson’s Garage in Belfast with Ricky.”

What plans do you have up ahead, what can we expect from 852 in the next six months release wise?
“We have some fantastic releases coming up, and I love them all very much – so much so that it's getting incredibly difficult to stay calm about them. DJ Ralph's Bobun is first up with a stunning remix package, followed by a dirty EP called Inter-Continental Electro Killers which features four killer cuts by four different producers – it's truly Dirty electro! Then we have an absolute monster of a record from Sweden's Mikael Jonasson and DJs are already on my case for this, even though it's only ever been aired on Ricky's Sounds of the Orient show. We've also got a hot summer single from Disciples of Sound with a blinding remix package to boot. That just about covers the next six months, but look out for some surprises to come in between.”

Have you any other news/surprises about 852 in 2007?
“Ricky Stone will be the first DJ in space, courtesy of a joint venture between 852 and NASA, in a new initiative designed to rid the planet of negative vibes by blasting the earth’s atmosphere with HOUSE MUSIC. This will be done through purpose built ‘outer-ozone’ speakers, half the size of the moon. Hmm. Did that spoil the ‘surprise’?!!”

LINKS:
http://www.myspace.com/852records
http://www.myspace.com/djrickystone
http://www.myspace.com/johnnydafox

Ricky’s Tour Schedule 2007
9 Feb 2007 Thompson’s Garage - Belfast N Ireland
10 Feb 2007 The Egg - London UK
16 Feb 2007 Kaif Club - Kiev - Ukraine
17 Feb 2007 Donetsk - Ukraine
23 Feb 2007 Hungary - [City TBA]
24 Feb 2007 Dokk Club - Budapest
2 Mar 2007 Matrix - Nizhni Novgorod - Russia
3 Mar 2007 Zona - Moscow - Russia
9 Mar 2007 Circle - Seoul - Korea
10 Mar 2007 Lotion Event Hong Kong [Venue TBA]
16 Mar 2007 Singapore
17 Mar 2007 Djs.com.tw - Taipei - Taiwan
22 Mar 2007 Lot 49 Party WMC
6 Apr 2007 Ministry of Sound - New Delhi India
1 May 2007 Constanta - Romania
7 Jul 2007 Love Parade – Berlin