In his first solo set of the year, Andy Rise is set to destroy the dancefloor at Frantic & Nightshift Present HDS: The Ibiza Warm Up this Friday! He usually plays b2b with Matt Pickup (as Pickup & Rise), so we caught up with him to find out whether he’s looking forward to his solo outing and what words of wisdom he could come up with for other up & coming DJs…

Hi Andy,
In no more than 10 words, why should people come to see your set?

For a fine selection of dirty dark debauched banging beats!

You’re half of UDJ’s new duo Pickup & Rise – is it strange not playing b2b with Matt?

It is rather strange. Over the past couple of years it’s become a bit of a rarity to see myself not playing b2b with Matt. I’m looking forward to playing solo as it gives me the perfect opportunity to show the filthier end of my music. Matt and I have been playing a lot of fun filled Hard House recently so im looking forward to playing the really naughty end of the spectrum at HDS.

And how did you feel when you were signed to UDJs?

Being asked to join the UDJs agency was (and to be honest it still is) an amazing feeling! I’ve had the pleasure of working with Will, Chloe & the Frantic team for 3 years now, playing at various different events (both for Frantic and other London promotions) for them. But to be working even closer with them is a dream come true.

I have always been very thankful for the support Frantic has given me over the years, and the standard of their production on events is second to none so to have them taking care of me as an artist I couldn’t be more made up. It’s also given me a bit of a slap around the face and made me realise that what I’m doing as a DJ is more than just a hobby now. But things couldn’t be much better at the moment.

Any words of encouragement for people who are struggling to make it as a DJ?

KEEP AT IT! If you want it bad enough and you are willing to put the hard work in then something will come along.

The line up for HDS is really strong (as usual!) Who else are you looking forward to seeing?

I’m looking forward to a good slice of NRG over the last few hours of the night. I hear Frantik Dan is playing a filth classics set so I can’t miss that. Will also have to see what Kevsey D has in store.

How have you made it as far as you have – hard work, being in the right place at the right time or just fluke? Or answer D, all of the above!

Fluke all the way haha. No I would have to say all of the above. In my early days of both mixing in my bedroom and playing out I was given a few opportunities that if I said I wasn’t in the right place at the right time I would be lying. But I did my best to make the most of those chances so that would class as hard work. I have always found with doing something I love to do, it isn’t as much hard graft as slaving away at a job I don’t enjoy has been!

If you could be anything other than a DJ what would you be?

As far back as I can remember I have always wanted to do something music related in my later life. Before I got my first set of decks I was trying to get a band together as I can play the guitar and piano but the Hard Dance bug bit me before anything really took off. Going away from music I reckon being in the circus would be a barrel of laughs- AND NO COMMENTS THAT I COULD BE A CLOWN PLEASE!

Do you think it’s important for up & coming DJs to get involved in production as well? How many tunes have you made?

I think it’s imperative, not only does it keep the scene alive with new music for people to play but it’s also a way of expressing your own sound through your music. It opens you up as an artist to get noticed by a wider audience. I have actually lost count of how many tracks I have made as I have made a fair few edits and bootlegs that I’ve kept for personal use for when I play out, and a fair few in my earlier days that were just not good enough to play out. Ive had 8 releases so far over both vinyl and digital download.

I hear the last tune you made was a remix of a big Nukleuz track – can you tell us a bit more about it?

Matt and I have spoken on a fair few occasions about tackling a remix of this track, and who better to go into the studio with than Riggsy to get the job done. Riggsy is the king of Hoovers in my mind so when we told him we wanted to remix Little Jon & Tim Priestly – “Rock The Beat” he had kittens. I’m really happy with the finished product, and will definitely be working with Riggsy again in the near future on some original material.

What plans have you got production-wise for the rest of the year?

I’ve got a few more tracks due for release. My first vinyl release that I’ve engineered on my own has just come out - it’s called “First Class Approval” and has been brought out on Steve Nrg’s new label Test Lab Records. I have a 3 track EP coming out soon on Scum Digital. Matt and I are also bringing out a couple of my tracks on our digital label Hard Up.

Ahh yes, you & Matt run a label together don’t you? How do you choose what to release?

Usually through lots of screaming and shouting and the occasional bit of violence! Seriously though Matt and I have very similar tastes in music so we don’t have that many cross words about what we are planning to release. Our main ethos for Hard Up Digital is hard driving Hard Dance, with a fair few tracks on the label having very quirky breakdowns that wouldn’t usually be found in Hard Dance. Hard Up Funk is anything with a good groove to it, that’s filled with fun.

When you’re not DJing what do you get up to?

After spending quality time with my daughter & working on things music orientated I don’t get that much free time to myself (I’m so hard done by haha). I like to catch up with my friends as much as I can, and get beaten at Pro Evo Soccer.

Yeah I've heard you're not very good! :P
Everyone (especially up & coming DJs) has to have a dream to keep them motivated. With playing at Tidy Weekender & being signed you’ve already achieved 2 dreams! What’s your dream now, what keeps you motivated?

This year has brought a lot of my dreams to reality already. I can’t say too much but we have been working on a project with Frantic that’s kept me busy, all will be revealed very soon. The thought of playing a festival and taking our sound abroad keeps me motivated.

And are there any downsides to DJing that you think the nu-breed should know about?

It depends what you would class as a downside. It’s not all glitz and glamour like some people would think. At weekends I miss my daughter lots, especially if I leave mine on a Friday and don’t get home till Sunday night. I barely ever get to sit down and eat a proper meal, its usually junk or service station food (I’m not entirely sure there is much difference between the two!) that I get to eat.

I’ve lost count of how many hours I’ve lost on the motorway, then how many hours on a Monday I’ve been feeling car lagged & trying to wake myself up. But I wouldn’t change it for the world! DJing and the dance scene has brought me so much pleasure and joy over the past 8 years, it’s introduced me to so many special people and it’s formed both friendships and relationships that I hope I will hold for the rest of my life.

What have you got lined up over the next few months?

Well after HDS I’ve got a couple of weekends off which I’m looking forward to as the past couple of months have been very much all systems go. I’m looking forward to going to Glastonbury. Back to music I’ve got a few 2 and a half hour sets coming up in the next couple of months which I can’t wait for.

Really looking forward to progressing from tough chunky groovy beats through to full on thrap in the same set, and one of them is on my birthday so there will be high spirits for that. I am also looking at doing a one off reunion party in Blackpool for my night I used to run, “The Edge”, so that will keep me on my toes.

The DJs at HDS are all young whippersnappers, so we thought we’d find out the first time you:

Dressed yourself – A couple of weeks ago. I’m a late bloomer.
Rode a bike – Think I was about 5 or 6 but didn’t really like it, first started enjoying riding a bike at about the age of 10.
Kissed someone – I was 11 I think in the alley behind the back of my house (I’m as classy as they come)!
Had a girlfriend/boyfriend – Well the girl in the above question was my first girlfriend so around the same time.
Went clubbing – Depends if you class going to a cheesy club in Blackpool as proper clubbing, if so then I was 16. I didn’t go proper clubbing till the year after when I went to Gatecrasher to watch Fergie do a 3 hour set! I was hooked from then on.

Will you be wearing a bikini, in keeping with the beach theme? What colour is it?

I’m still in 2 minds whether to or not. I could do with getting my bikini line sorted first. It’s a yellow polka dotted one, with lemon piping around the waistband and cup.

What, your bikini line?! Which of the other DJs do you think will look the hottest in their beach wear?

I’m intrigued to see what Mr HDS himself Elvis will be sporting on the night. I also hear that Kevsey D has an award winning straw hat and matching shades that he keeps locked up until the sun comes out.

Thanks Andy, we look forward to seeing you filth it up in your bikini (!) on Friday!

Make sure you don’t miss out – entry is free before 11.30 if you email your names to elvis@franticuk.net. Hidden is looking set to be a scorcher this weekend!