Having been a fundamental part of all things Hard Dance for the last 10 years Spencer Freeland is one name recognised by both clubbers and industry alike all over London, the UK and beyond ! Holding residencies for the two most prestigious parties in the Capital, Frantic and HeatUK, this man really has been there, done that and worn the t-shirt. Ahead of his exclusive ‘Evolution Classics Set and Thames Debut’ onboard the forthcoming Addiction Boat Party Pt2 on Saturday July 15th, we caught up with Spencer to ask him about 10 years at the top, what the future holds and exactly why he has never played on a boat party before !

AT: So Spencer… 10 years is a very long time to be one of the capitals biggest Hard Dance DJs. How did you get started ? What originally influenced you to take to the decks ? And what was your 1st big break ?

SF: My 1st experience of the clubbing / rave scene was back in 1992 when I used to go to events like Raindance, Fantasia and Obsession etc standing in a field with 20,000 nutters watching DJs like Sasha, Carl Cox and Paul Oakenfold. I was literally blown any by the energy and control that they had over the crowd, so I bought some decks and locked myself away for a year. DJ’ing for me then became an obsession in itself. I’d hassle promoters, sometimes I think to the point of them giving me a break just to get me of their backs, but I just knew that it was what I wanted to do. My first big break was when I received a call from the promoters of the Seduction Weekender. Seduction was a 2,500 capacity ‘sell out’ event, and that’s what I call really being thrown in at the deep end ! My set went down really well and instantly opened doors for future gigs.

AT: Having headlined for every major party across London and beyond, you must have had both good and bad times a plenty. What’s the most enjoyable set you’ve ever played ? What’s the biggest nightmare you’ve ever experienced during any performance ? And what’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you on the job ?

SF: The biggest nightmare I’ve experienced when playing was at Koko (formerly Camden Palace) when a clubber thought it would be a good idea to put his drink onto the deck that was playing my record ! Another time, also at Koko someone wanted to know the name of the track that was playing, I don’t think he could see the text on the record so he decided to lean over and lift off the arm of the turntable up, thus taking the needle off the record so that he could see it more clearly ! As for the most enjoyable set ever it would have to be any of the Heat Evolution nights. Classics nights always seem to generate the best atmosphere, and I honestly couldn’t single one out as being my favourite, as they are all so memorable for me.

AT: For you personally, what do you think has been the most significant advance in DJ’ing technology over the last 10 years ? And how have you incorporated this into your performances ?

SF: For me it has to be the transition from vinyl to CD. In the old days you’d be in the studio making a track, and from there you’d then put the track onto an acetate or dub plate, test it in the clubs, then go back to the studio and make changes. This process would then have to be repeated several times until the end result was satisfactory. Now the work and expense is cut right down, you can make a track which can be ready to play out in the club that night. I’d say that CD’s now form 95% of my set, which does however also have its negative aspects. It’s a real shame that you can never re-create that certain feel you get when mixing on vinyl, and its something that I do miss when playing CDs. The other obvious major progression in technology is the new advance of digital downloads, meaning it’s simply easier to buy and sell music for all.

AT: Earlier this year as part of the illuminate series, you played a now legendary 8 hour set on the main stage of Koko (formerly known as Camden Palace). You were also joined on stage by some of the biggest names in the game including Andy Farley, K90 & Phil Reynolds. How did you even begin to prepare for this set ? And did you liaise with the artists involved before the show to ensure that a strong musical progression, without repetition could be achieved ?

SF: This was a huge gig to prepare for. It took me 3 months to sort through my records, and to contact other artists and receive their tracks through the post. From there I then put them into four different genres (warm up, trance, classics & hard trance.) I wanted to make sure I had at least three hours of music for each genre, I think on the night I ended up taking four bags, and two boxes all full with vinyl ! I guess you can call that being well prepared. As for musical progression, being on stage for 8 hours meant I was able to monitor what was being played, so there was no repetition. On the whole I think the music on the night flowed really well, and it was a great success.

AT: Your next gig is onboard the massive ‘Addiction Boat party Pt2’ on Saturday July 15th, the last event being a complete ‘sell out’. This is also your Boat Party debut, being the 1st time in 10 years of leading the charge that you’ve ever played on a Boat ! Why have you refrained from taking to the Thames before, and what made you change your mind for this event ?

SF: I have to put this down to a bad fishing experience off the south coast, when I was on a small charter boat. We ran into terrible weather and afterwards I was so green it took me 3 weeks to get my land legs back. Since then I’ve had to turn down a lot of boat parties, so this year I’ve decided its time to take to the high seas. I’m really looking forward to it, but don’t forget to have a bucket handy for me on the day.

AT: You will also be performing an exclusive ‘Evolution Classics Set’ onboard. For those not familiar with HeatUK’s Evolution concept, please can you explain how it works ? And what we should expect from you in this very special set ?

SF: Evolution is a great concept, its not just your average classics night where you will hear the same tracks repeated over and over. Each DJ has a certain year to play, and each DJ liaises with the next to avoid repetition. For this event I’ll be playing classics from 1998 through to 2006 all in the one set !

AT: With so many amazing tracks from the golden eras of dance music to choose from, What’s your favourite classic track of all time and will you be playing it on the day ?

SF: That’s a tough one…… There are too many just to say one, and seeing as you haven’t specified Trance or Hard Dance these would have to be my favourite tracks of all time…

Leftfield – ‘Open Up’
U2 – ‘Lemon’ (Perfecto Mix)
Orbital – ‘Chime’
Massive Attack – ‘Unfinished Symphony’
Bassheads – ‘Is Anybody Out There’

AT: On top of entertaining the masses with your performances on stage, you’ve also churned out some fantastic productions over the years, and more recently remixed one of my favourite tracks of all time… Skynet UK ‘Open The Floodgates 99’. How often do you manage to get into the studio and can we expect more of the same high quality material from you in the future ?

SF: I’ve made a conscious effort to get back into the studio this year. I’ve just finished a few tracks with Alf Bamford AKA Technikal, one of them being the ‘Open the Floodgates’ Remix, and another project we have been working on is under the guise of ‘Subliminal Sluts’. Both of these tracks are receiving great reactions, and we’re both really happy with them.

AT: There’s currently a whole new wave of fresh producers and Djs breaking into the scene, and with HeatUK recently investing in young production genius Technikal, who are you next tipping for the top ? i.e. which DJs are really rocking your dance floor right now ? And which producers or labels are consistently bringing out material that you just cant help but play ?

SF: There’s so much new talent coming through today, which I think can only be a good thing for the scene. It seems a long time ago when I first heard a CD of Technikal’s early tracks. I remember getting straight on the phone as I had to find out who this guy was. I couldn’t believe he was only 18, and I knew that with the right advice and backing he could achieve massive steps. Two years later and he is now arguably one of the biggest Hard Trance producers out there. One DJ for many that has stood out for me after our back to back set at Turnmills last December is Addiction resident Olly Perris. It was his 1st time playing the legendary Turnmills main room which for anyone would be an extremely nervous experience, but if he was nervous he didn’t show to me ! His technical skills and his ability to entertain and control the crowd was very refreshing to see. Definitely one to watch for the future !

AT: Have you any advice for this next generation of artist ? Whether it be how to get those all important main room gigs for larger promotions ? Or how to approach prospective labels with unsigned material ?

SF: I get to hear a lot of mix CDs, and in my humble opinion the most common error is squeezing all the biggest tracks of the moment onto the one CD. Before you start your demo think about the overall style of music, how each track flows from the last, and can you add anything original to make it stand out from the rest ? Also don’t just send it in by post and wait for a call, do your home work, get down to the club and make your face known. Another route is obviously starting your own party, keep it small and build up a good following. If you have something to offer then promoters will listen.

AT: How do you foresee your future ? Are we to expect another 10 years of Spencer Freeland ? or have you any plans to hang up your head phones or take a step back for your current reign ?

SF: I’ve no intention of stopping DJ’ing anytime soon, I reckon there’s at least another ten years left in me yet and a few wrinkles and grey hairs certainly isn’t enough to make me hang up my cans.

Thanks very much Andy, and I’ll see you onboard the Sundance on July 15th

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