Everyone has heard of Chris Liberator. It’s a name that’s instantly familiar yet at the same time mysterious because it stands for so much more than the person behind it. Staunch supporter of the squat and free party scene since the early nineties his first inclusion in the DJ Top 100 in 1998 took Chris and his style of acid techno over ground and it’s this line between the anarchic D.I.Y. attitude and popular-by-demand commercialism that Chris has danced ever since.

The Stay Up Forever label which he created with Julian and Aaron following the success of their illegal Liberator parties and the emerging creation of the acid techno sound was the beginning of the SUF Collective created in 2000, composed of other pioneers including D.A.V.E. the Drummer, ANT, Guy “Geezer” McGaffer and Gizelle. Between them the labels of Cluster, Maximum Minimum, Hydraulix, 4x4, RAW and Powertools defined a scene which continues to flourish beyond trends and the media.

Having been responsible for a huge amount of records over the past fifteen years under his own name you might be surprised to know Chris has released tracks under 52 other collaborations and pseudonyms! From the ground breaking London Acid Techno in 1997 with Laurie Immersion to those with D.A.V.E. The Drummer as Ha-Lo, Chris has engineered tracks as diverse as house, trance and breaks on labels including TeC, 12” Monkeys and Eukatec, Yolk (funky techno) and Double 7 (breaks). Travelling the world from warehouses, clubs, fields and free parties everywhere, he’s even managed a play on Radio One! And when you do see him play he looks like a man content to be playing the music he loves - continuous smile, head bobbing to the beat, no fuss, no rush, pure enjoyment for all.

Joining his brother-in-alms, D.A.V.E. the Drummer, Chris Liberator will be playing at Party Proactive’s fourth Birthday on the 8th March at the SeOne. Collaborating together since the early years, everybody who’s into harder music knows their “One night in Hackney” track…

This is a story of a young man who visited London for the first time

I heard about this party on a Sunday afternoon
I'd been up all Saturday night and I was raring to go
They said it was in Hackney, in an old abandoned warehouse
And I said what kind of music do they play there
And they told me - Techno
One night in Hackney

ONE NIGHT IN HACKNEY!!!!!!!!!

After walking for hours through the urban sprawl
I finally heard the boom of the soundsystem
And as we turned the corner we saw some strange people – Hangin’ around
One night in Hackney

ONE NIGHT IN HACKNEY!!!!!!!!!

The music was swirling around my head as I wandered into the darkened building
And as I found my way to the dancefloor someone stopped me and said
Take this pill
So I took it and said - What was that
And they said ECSTASY
And then they offered me a line, and I said
What was that (snort) And they said KETAMINE
SO I took it, and then I took some cocaine, and then some speed, and then some acid and then I drank 15 cans of stella
15 CANS OF STELLA
And I stayed until Monday night
One night in Hackney

ONE NIGHT IN HACKNEY!!!!!!!!!
One night in Hackney

ONE NIGHT IN HACKNEY!!!!!!!!!

Hahaha A typical weekend then! What happened “One Night in a Village in Kent” (the b side)?!?!

Well,Henry(D.A.V.E. the Drummer)moved out of London to a village in Kent!We made the track at his studio there so it seemed like an apt enough title,and a bit of a pun on the a-side!!

Your 12” production output has slowed down over the past few years – what are you concentrating on these days? Will there be another album?

Yes,I don’t have as much time to make music these days.Running the S.U.F.collective(with Aaron) takes up a lot of time,I also have to look after my daughter on the days my wife works(though she’s at nursery now which gives me a bit more time),and of course,a hectic dj schedule .Having said that,I still manage about a release a month which isn’t bad.Every year I say I’m going to start on a new album…perhaps this year,who knows?!!At the moment I’ve been working on some band stuff which is fun(with Geezer and Tiddles)…we’ve written about ten songs…it’s rough and ready punk/ska and the name of the band is Dogshite!We’re on myspace…it’s great fun!!On the techno front got a new maximum minimum coming out soon,and some new acid collaborations for the spring,and hopefully a new mix cd(CL 04) sometime soon!

You obviously use the 303 synthesiser in your tracks (no, really!). What else does your kit consist of?

Various synths,but my studio is currently scattered.I use to have all my kit in a studio I shared with Darcmarc,but we lost the space.Since then I’ve been using other people’s studios.As the technology advances you don’t really need all the kit anymore(although synths like pro-one, SH101,and my Mono-poly)still get used quite a bit cos they sound so great!You can do most of it on a laptop..you just need good speakers and a desk really.My 303 is down at Guy’s studio and still comes out regularly when we’re making acid!!

Running so many labels for so many years you must have a handle on the record buying scene better than many. What’s your take on the vinyl/digital issue and music buying public in general?

I’ll always play vinyl..it sounds and responds better than anything else,and I do regard mixing vinyl as an art…however it is difficult to produce vinyl cheaply because of the set up costs,and it’s expensive to buy relative to digital formats,so many people are obviously going down the digital route,and our labels have to go that way too,releasing digitally as well as on vinyl.I think most people prefer vinyl,and I don’t think it will disappear,especially in the techno arena where people still want it,but the digital thing is growing now,though sales are still slower than predicted at this point.It’s a transition period at present.

Yourself and the other Liberators were on one of the earliest John Peel shows as brought to my attention by another forum (sorry harderfaster!). I thought I’d include what they wrote because it’s there in black and white the influence you and your collective have had on the UK dance scene.

“I know it was years ago, but that broadcast changed my life..........

I was sat in a mate's car, while it was raining outside, tripping balls on shrooms. . . . my 'eat static' tape got mangled in the tape player, and I couldn't believe my ears when I turned on the radio! **** man, I'd never heard anything like it before!

Awesome.”

How did it feel to be running illegal raves and appearing on an Establishment Media? Do you have a copy of the interview? I know the person who wrote that thread would die a happy man indeed if you did!

I don’t have a copy I’m afraid!As for doing all the parties and getting all that attention,it was a bit mad.We were always worrying about giving out too much information to the media as it could have an adverse effect on the party scene.Of course the police were always sniffing around looking for party details so it wasn’t easy.However it also turned people on to it which was good,and got the music out there!!Good times indeed!!

http://www.blackoutaudio.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=52317&page=2

Techno has always been about pushing the political boundaries, something expressed on your debut album, Set Fire, which was a mixture of tracks and political monologues. What message were you trying to convey?

Really to convey some basic libertarian principles.I came from a background of Anarcho-punk,so politics and music have always gone hand-in-hand with a lot of the stuff I’ve liked over the years.Music can change people’s political perceptions and opinions,and it starts by hitting you on an emotional,gut level.Although techno isn’t about political ranting,I wanted to put some kind of message to go with the feelings the music produces.Basic ideas of freedom,the d.i.y. ethic,the adverse effect of capitalism,stuff like this doesn’t have to be laid out like a political manifesto,but a few choice words combined with the feeling of the music,the illegal underground approach of the parties,and there you have it.You are creating something political that goes against the system,even if it is not properly articulated,and that hopefully challenges people and makes them think.

The early parties you were involved with and partied at (including Spiral Tribe, Bedlam and Castlemorton in 1992 which saw sound systems from across the country join together for one almighty free party – 25,000 people!) were the precursor to the Criminal Justice Act. I know you’re not a official spokesperson but for those who have grown up under the ever increasing governmental constraints, do you think Techno still has a role to play in providing a questioning alternative?

I think any kind of rebel music does.Techno is tribal and underground..it does its bit for sure!!

I remember being surprised to see you listed on Trust the DJ around 2002 – it made me realise how massive you were because everyone thinks you’re local to them. Which you are! It’s just your local extends across the globe to every club and every party who wants you :) Where have played and where would you like to play?

I’ve been lucky enough to play all over the world,and you are right,it is like one extended family!!!It’s like one big co-op,with branches of people doing the same or similar things with music and parties worldwide,truly quite amazing!!I’ve played in Brazil,Venezuela,Columbia,mexico,north America,Canada,Russia,japan,korea,Australia,new Zealand,south Africa,Israel,and all over Europe…I’d love to play in china,or Thailand/ Malaysia but it’s unlikely!!!

Being a family man these days how does that fit in with the DJ/party lifestyle?

It’s hard!Can’t go to as many squat parties as I used to,though I still fit a few in here and there.Of course the family has to come first,so no extended trips abroad unless we all go which is often unfeasible.

And if D.A.V.E. is going to be brushing off his LIVE kit for a bit of 303 action as a birthday treat for us, what we can expect from your good self?

Plenty of funky hard techno,and lashings of acid!!...and absolutely no minimal or electro he he

Thanks, Chris. I’m really looking forward to hearing you play on the 8th – It’s going to be a good party.

Thankyou,looking forward to it!!