It’s only a few days before the last ever Tasty takes place at Mass this Saturday – ahead of the event, I caught up with the DiabloTraxx Collective, known to their postmen as Ajay, Above and Rob O.T.T to see what they’ve been up to and what they have in store. The boys have had an insanely successful 12 months with the DiabloTraxx label, a whole load of chart topping releases and of course their blistering live PA, which they bring to Tasty this Saturday!

You guys have really climbed the Hard Dance ladder very quickly this year - what do you think has been the single biggest factor in this?

Above: I think the biggest factor is the way we work together - we all have a set role in the organisation, we all know what we need to do and we get it done. Its been very hectic the past few months holding down days jobs and running the label and PA, unfortunately there hasn’t been much time for anything else, but I’m not complaining - we are where we are because we have put the hard yards in and created a solid foundation.

Ajay: I'd say 3 very simple factors - top quality productions as a result of a tight A&R function, fantastic teamwork and a real love for what we do!

Rob: I think it’s a combination of great tunes and great organisational skills on the part of both Ajay and Pauly.

Having seen the live PA take off so well and so quickly, was it difficult to adapt from playing as individuals to being part of a team?

Ajay: Not really - we'd all DJ'd back to back with each other at gigs, and all know each other's style and had a good synergy between us. It was just a case then of translating it to a live setup and all the extra complications that brings!

Above: I wouldn’t say it was difficult to adjust we all get on so well the energy we creatve as a collective seems to work, I do savour the DJ sets though, it’s good to jump on the decks and bash it proper style.

Rob: I agree with Pauly. My first ever set in front of a crowd was at the FiNRG main event afterparty last year. I was doing a live PA on before the mighty Jon Doe, so its always great to play my own tunes and get such a good reaction.

Your set up looks really complicated - tell the Tasty crowd a bit about it and how long the PA takes to prepare.

Rob: We’re very lucky to have the kit we use, its cutting edge stuff, especially the awesome keyboards and controllers from Akai, but it also gives us so much more scope to develop our live PA further.

Above: Well we have 2 Akai MPK49 Keyboards, an MPD32 Midi control surface, a laptop running Ableton Live, scratch mixer and either Technics SL1210mk5G or a CDJ1000 for scratching! From start to finish you’re looking around 2-3 weeks solid work to prepare and have everything ready to go. Most of the time we are still putting the finishing touches to PA on the day of the event.

Ajay: We're very lucky to be supported by the wonderful guys at Akai, meaning we have the very latest and best equipment. As Paul says, the core of the PA is of course the industry standard Ableton Live 7 software, with Akai's MPD32 and MPK49 controllers - we were lucky enough to have these way ahead of anyone else and have been able to really get stuck in with them and explore the sheer range of possibilities. On top of that, as mentioned, we then have Above scratching on either a CDJ1000 or a 1210 Mk5G and a few other little weapons in the arsenal too!

How do you decide who does what in the PA? And how about tracks - how do you make the decision what to play in the set?

Above: Basically we didn’t decide who did what, we kinda just slotted into the roles and we are good at, Rob is the production genius he sorts out the riffs and main sounds that the PA spits out, Ajay controls the bassline and percussion and I oversee the whole thing to make sure nothing goes wrong and control effects and the scratching. The tracks that get put are pretty much what we are working at the time, and also the floor fillers that everyone knows with the DiabloTraxx twist. So far every event we have played at, the tunes have gone down a treat.

Ajay: As Paul said, we kind of all fell into what we do in the PA - it was a natural thing. Each of us has our own thing in the PA and as well as all the bits mentioned, we all also have our own loops and sample banks to be triggered live through the set, so every single PA is totally unique.

Rob: Like the boys say, its wasn’t really a conscious decision, from the first live PA we did, we all knew what part of the PA we wanted to control, so we started as we meant to go on....

DiabloTraxx as a label has enjoyed huge success, with tracks and remixes not only from yourselves but also leading Hard Dance names like Dark by Design and K-Complex among many others - how has a new label managed to pull in such big names so early?

Ajay: I blackmailed them with compromising photos taken late at night from their respective hedges.

Above: I think it’s because we have been in the scene as individuals for so long, me not so much in the UK but in Australia. We have networked and got to know these guys and when we knew we were ready to launch we contacted Gaz and Pete and they were more than happy to give us some tracks and work with us. Its huge mark of respect for us and we really appreciate them givings us their time.

Rob: I think its Ajay and Pauly's decision to not just sign every demo we’re sent, but to only release quality tracks. I think this is something where a lot of digital labels make the mistake....

You're no strangers to international gigs and big arena action, having already hit Australia, Finland, Ibiza and the Bulldog Bash in the UK, playing to literally thousands - what's the next step for you?

Rob: I'm lucky enough to going out to Finland in December this year to play a solo live PA at the FiNRG main event in Helsinki, which is something I'm mega excited about. The Finnish crowd are a mad bunch of ravers... But I'd like to see the DT Live PA play as many gigs as we can, both UK and abroad. After all, the bigger the crowds that hear the DT sound, the better the label will do....

Above: Hopefully more of the same - we still have our goals set and where we want to be.

Ajay: More of the same - massive events, international gigs, building the label's position further in the scene and helping to develop more artists' careers!

All 3 of you are known as real fun loving characters who really enjoy what you do - there must be some absolute classic moments you can tell us about?

Above: I guess my funniest moment would be at the Masif event in Sydney i played at last August. I was with Dark By Design and Andy Farley in a room off to the side of the stage Luca Antolini was on stage. Gaz invented a game called Manpoints which I’m sure most people will be aware of by now. Anyways Luca has mooned Gaz, Gaz responded in similar fashion, I grabbed Gaz's nutsack and Gaz put his cigarette out just below my eye. Gaz still cringes about that...

Ajay: There's too many to list to be honest! From the simple pure comedy moments of Rob's Ian Paisley impressions all the way to Bristol to some severe face drawing incidents after events, right through to pre-set projectile vomiting off a festival stage, I don't think there's been a single weekend with the lads that hasn't had something ridiculously funny happen. And that's what makes it all worthwhile!

Rob: Probably funniest moment for me, has to be building a wooden goat at the afterparty venue with Jon Doe in Finland last year. Funny stuff though....

Where do you see the Hard Dance scene going in the next 12 months?

Ajay: I think the scene is at one of its most exciting points so far in all honesty - we've had a bit of a dip as a result of the music going too dark and hard, now the scene is on a resurgence, with a more open minded approach, incorporating elements of trance, techno, old skool and electro among many others. Look at anyone of significance in the industry - either a DJ or producer - and you'll see that they are drawing wide influences and incorporating lots of fresh new sounds into their sets. This in turn will filter down and we'll thankfully see an end to closed mindedness and ridiculous statements like "I only listen to filth" or "I hate hard trance". Hard Dance has been reborn as a catch all term for all the harder sounds and that has to be a good thing in my opinion!!

Above: Well with the new talent coming through I think it can only get stronger. People like Helen G, Mike Avery, Caz Wood, Yoshi, Glyn C, Scorpy and Gordon Darley all have good things ahead of them - they have the skills and abilities to smash the granny out of any crowd. The crowds we have played to recently have been so up for it and this is good sign....

Rob: Hopefully the scene will only get stronger. The quality of tracks and producers out there at the moment is definitely getting higher. As long as the sound keeps developing and evolving the scene will definitely do well.

And lastly, that old favourite question - what plans have you got for the rest of the year and into 2009?

Rob: For me its to keep progressing my sound further and to keep raising the standard with every tune that goes out...... And to smash it at FiNRG main event this year with any luck.

Above: Keep on raising the Diablotraxx brand across the planet, we want to be our name to be synonmous with quality hard dance world wide.

Long Live DiabloTraxx!!!!!

Ajay: Pushing loads more releases to spread the DT vibe, developing more artists, a big international tour, a forthcoming album release, some production time of my own and perhaps if I'm really lucky, even a chance to rest, sleep and spend a bit of time with the mrs!

The DiabloTraxx Collective Live appear at Tasty this Saturday 27/09/08 at Mass, Brixton. A few last minute £15 saver tickets are still available from the lads - email them at ajayharddance@gmail.com to reserve yours!