Frantic's NYD bash at Hidden, 01/01, is fast approaching - and it just wouldn't be a Hidden party without a side serving of some sexy house and electro! Providing on the night will be Graeme Lloyd and his students at London's Subbass DJ Academy. We caught up with him again after our first interview with him earlier this year...

Aside from your regular sets in the main room at The Gallery, you are frequently jetting off around the world to play in various different dance music-loving countries. How did you go about establishing this network of gigs?

Mainly through my agent (Matthew Duffield, Sedition DJs). I play regular gigs in Russia for Sedition - the crowds over there are wicked they really know there music. I have also played with StarF*cker in Kiev. Eastern Europe is really opening up for UK DJs. Heat have also been very good to me, with gigs in Ibiza including playing Cream at Amnesia and Bora Bora.

Once you start playing the big clubs in the UK, it’s easier to get gigs abroad and often they find you. I have also played in Australia, India, Norway, Switzerland and Asia.

Do you think it’s pretty much essential to be a producer these days in order to succeed as a DJ in the wider realm? And do you think this is a good or a bad thing?

I think it is an absolute must these days to be producing your own tunes. With so many DJs it is the best way to create a good profile. DJs that produce will have a longer shelf life than those who don’t. Playin’ your own tune to a big crowd is also a wicked feelin’!

I hear you’ve got an EP coming out on Cheshire Catz FAKT Recordings label. What are the tracks like and how did the relationship with FAKT come about?

Yes it’s very exciting, FAKT is a really fresh label and I am chuffed to be involved. I have known Dan (Cheshire Catz) for some time and he now is our main production course tutor at Subbass. The tracks are called ‘Blast’ and ‘Funkstation’. ‘Blast’ is big and dirty, quite techy, whilst ‘Funkstation’ is a little more laid back, both tracks have a minimal tech feel.

So you’ve been teaching production courses for a while but you haven’t released many tunes yourself. What’s the deal there?

I am not the Tutor on the courses, I own the company. We have three very experienced production course tutors, Dan Gerret (Cheshire Catz), Arif (Punx Soundcheck) and Joe2Grand. As with all the Subbass Tutors these guys are out there on the music scene in a big way. Dan with the 'Catz' and FAKT recordings has had some really successful releases of late. Arif and Punx Soundcheck have remixed King Roc and Marc Almond and have just relaesed there first album.

What’s the best bit of advice you could give to someone who’s keen to get started in production?

Come and take a course....lol, it really does help when you know what you are doing. Music production programmes take time to master and it makes things far easier when you have someone showing what to do....

You and some of your Subbass Academy DJs are playing at Frantic 01/01 on New Year’s Day at Hidden in London. Which of them will be playing alongside you and why do you rate them?

Most of the guys that are playing alongside me have established themselves as DJs over the last year or 2. After a bit of a kickstart from Subbass they have gone on to find their own way in clubland.

Andy Cessford plays with Sub-mission (a group of mainly former Subbass students) and has played all over the place since we gave him a start at Gallery in ‘05.

Richard Rams is growing into a wicked DJ. We played him at Frantic 9 and the VIP at Gallery.

Safka has great taste in music and after teaching him to mix, we played him at gallery, Audio, Frantic and Push.

This is Digitol's first gig for us, so I am lookin’ forward to hear him play out as I taught him how to mix myself! The Preach guys always rock and its a pleasure to play alongside them.

What kind of beats are you playing at the moment? And is this what you’ll be playing at 01/01 or something slightly different for the NYD crowd?

I am playing the tuff side of Tech Minimal at the mo, lovin’ Trentmoller and Pryda. Will probably bang it out at 01/01 as I think everyone is gonna be in a party mood!

What’s your best NYE story? We’ve all got one that stands out....

Last year was pretty good – I played at Brixton Academy and had a really cracking night. I do remember last year for a slightly sad reason though as I spent most of the night with my good friend Loup, who I am sure many of you will know passed away in 2006. He was a massive loss to the clubbing scene and one of the greatest guys I have ever met.

Electro and minimal dominated dance music this year. What’s 2007 all about?

The minimal scene is really flying and I think it will continue and grow in ’07. I love the more progressive tech minimal stuff and is a sound I love to play. As the music is not as obvious as the big electro sound, giving the DJ more chance to be creative.

And what would you like to see more in dance music / club land next year?

Pretty girls...... as I am single lol!