Mark Moore has a style and panache Madonna would be proud of, he has taken a journey through the sounds of glam rock, electronica, acid house and trance to his current sound of eclectic electro/pop/mish-mash (my term people, sorry!). A true legend, Party Proactive gets the opportunity to reminisce past glories and ruminate present states with him…

So Mark, the phenomena that became the theme from S-Express must have surprised you as much as it did your record company! - such a hugely influential track, people still want to talk about it today. Being such a unique track at the time, where did the inspiration for it come from?

All my influences were involved from the disco stuff I loved but would have to hide when my punk friends came round. All the electronic stuff I loved from Kraftwerk and The Human League onwards; the things coming out of Detroit and Chicago; plus stuff like Philip Glass and especially the cut and paste/loop sampling of hip hop but done to disco.

Were you intending to bring an underground sound to a commercial audience or was it a happy fluke?

It was made just so I could have something to play at The Mud Club and Heaven. I figured I'd sell out a few years later, go commercial and become as big as Abba. My plans were thwarted by having a hit straight away.

You've been stalwart in your aim to produce and mix music you believe in, to the point of turning away from main stage DJing so you could remain true to your musical integrity. To rescue me from my previous attempt, how would you describe your current sound??

Eclectic within the fascist constrainsts of electro.

You seem to be keeping busy with, as far as I can tell, three musical projects - "UltraViva", "Needledust" and "Artificial Plastic Band" - in addition to your own Umami label. Tell us more!

Check my website for all the latest news: www.markmoore.com

Having remixed tracks as diverse as Prince and Erasure to Dead or Alive, how does it feel to have your own track, The track, remixed? Do you think King Roc and the gang did a good job of it?!

They all did a marvellous job. I weep for joy every time I hear it.

Technology's changed a massive amount since you first started out. Has this changed the way you approach your productions? Do you miss anything from the days of analogue?

I miss steam powered computers.

If The Theme to S-Express broke musical boundaries it could now be said to have become a boundary to be broken (try saying that fast!). Any sense of where breaking it will take us?! Or who’ll take us there?

Anyone who seems to have beamed in from another time/planet. Such as Missy Elliot, Bjork, Peaches, Goldfrapp, Outkast, Neptunes.

I'm intrigued about a comment you made in a previous interview where you accused acid house of blanding out the nation. Was this referring to the fact the whole of the UK seems to be going clubbing or that every wannabe popstrel now seems to be singing over a four-four bass-line? Or something else entirely?!

It became all about hedonism and no revolution. All the best hedonistic parties from the cabaret scene in pre war Germany to the hippies to the punks had a brain and knew what time it was. Initially that is. Same thing with Acid house. We wanted to change the world and have a great time doing it. When things become a formula you enter the auto pilot zone and that's where it gets dumbed down. There have always been conspiracy theories about governments drugging the masses to keep them under control. CIA getting smack into the ghettos (a fact not a conspiracy theory). The government didn't have to drug us - we did it ourselves! (And what a great time we had). Don't get me wrong, there's still a lot of people involved in dance music who are socially aware rather than just trying to 'blot it all out'. The blandness I'm talking about is more to do with individuality. Starbucks, MacDonalds... everywhere looking the same, everyone dressing and thinking the same. And people with a Starbucks/MacDonalds mentality. In the 90's I found myself going to too many clubs where people would ask me why I wore a cheap Batman watch when I could afford an expensive Rolex. I can't tell you how many times people would ask me what car I have (I don't drive). One guy did actually come right out and ask me how much money I had! Thatcher's children gawd bless 'em. Nowadays I go to clubs where people ask me what my favourite Fellini movie is. That might sound pretentious but I find it far more interesting than 'how much money do you have'.

So could I ask your opinion on a recent quote from Paul Van Dyke who said that clubbing itself is a political thing? - "Palestinians dancing with Israelis, Iraqis dancing with Americans, blacks dancing with whites; everyone dancing together without thinking of where the person next to them comes from. This only happens in dance music and this is what makes it a political thing."

I think that's great and a very positive thing. Well, it's a start anyway. It would be great if those people could take it a step further into 'the real world'. How cool would it be if any soldier who has ever danced in a rave refused to shoot at another human being. When I went to Jerusalem there were Palestinians eating and shopping with Israelis. I thought it was very positive everyone mixing together so peacefully but then the explosions started. It's not enough. We need more than just eating, shopping and dancing in the vicinity of your 'enemy'. We need to be more...well... proactive! Make a stand gawd dammit!

I know you run your own electro night - Electrogogo - so you've kind of stated your musical preference with that, but if you were to cut a swathe through the pigeonholes dance music tends to push itself into (something we're aiming to do at Party Proactive ?) who would you pick for your line-up?

Asia Argento, Carl Craig and Mathew B.

And finally! "Oona the Cave Bunny". Ring any bells with you?

Er... no! What is Oona?

Not what - who! Oona is the star of an adult comic written by none other than Mark Moore. I thought my super-sleuthing had uncovered something juicy….but obviously not!

Thanks, Mark. I really appreciate you taking the time to do this interview. You've packed so much into the past fifteen years I could ask twice as many questions again! But I'll let you go ? See you on the 3rd December!

My pleasure! See ya soon my dear :)

Here is a link to a recent mix by Mark to tickle your taste buds!

http://www.urbanstream.co.uk/mark_moore.ram


Mark Moore will be joined by up and coming super kid Tommy Four
Seven, the Proactive residents and Kurruption in the Fire Pit.

The Hard Beats Room is being head-lined by the one and only Billy Nasty supported by the Organ Donors, Ingo and the superb Proactive residents, including Pete Wardman!