The last year has seen the Hard Dance scene open its arms to a whole host of bright young things, giving the "establishment" a good kick up the arse and annoucning "the next generation is here to lay waste to your dancefloor!" One such talent is Goodgreef's Morgan - a hotly-tipped DJ who was recently taken onto the PFA roster - home to talents such as Eddie Halliwell and Alex Kidd amongst others. He'll be playing in the main room at Frantic's classic event Timeless 6 on 23rd February at The Colosseum in London - and accordingly we thought we should get to know him a little more intimately...

How did your journey into the world of dance music begin?

It all started in a small farm town in the hills of Manchester when I was out walking my dog and I was hit by a meteor that came falling from the sky. After this experience I had a slight limp but after that I was hooked on hard dance.

Seriously though I started going clubbing when I was 18 at university, studying Music, going to Gatecrasher every weekend. It was at that point that I found the stamina for the legendary afterparties that were Insomniaz & Area 51. From that point on I was hooked and went and blew all my student loan on my first set of decks. The rest as they say is history.

What was that drew you to hard dance music from your initial introduction into electronic beats?

I started off as most people do loving trance watching legends like Paul Van Dyk and Paul Oakenfold do mammoth sets at GC blew me away - I lived for the shit! Then the natural progression in to hard dance occurred, seeing guys like Eddie Halliwell, Ferige and Glazby week in week out I couldn’t believe that this sort of music existed and found the whole thing really intriguing. So from that point on I became hooked and wanted to get to know everything about the music and scene. I always wanted to be up there doing what these guys were doing and never had any doubt that it would one day happen. So I locked myself away and mixed constantly, and still do.

You now boast the prestigious title of GoodGreef resident. How did you first get involved with the Northern superclub? How did you make them take notice of you?

I used to promote the pre-party for Goodgreef in Manchester called Toast. It was there I got to know the Goodgreef team and bagged my first set for them in 2004. After playing for them numerous times around the country and learning exactly what to bring to the Goodgreef stable, the guys who run GG signed me up to their Agency PFA (www.pfagency.net), and alongside this also came my GG residency. It really is a joy to be taken on board - it’s a wicked family down at GG head quarters.

What do you think has been the recipe behind Goodgreef’s enduring success?

Always moving forward with the times is definitely the key. The GG team are always looking for new ideas to expand the brand. This attitude has struck them firmly at the top of there game touring around the globe, hosting tents at festivals and rocking clubs all over the country each weekend. Things are always moving and their dedication and hard work has defiantly paid off in the last 7 years they have been running.

What are you feelings about the hard dance scene and its situation for 2008?

I feel the hard dance scene is going to experience a second coming of age in 2008. DJs are starting to realise that hard dance always is and always has been about fun - this is what brings the new breed of clubbers in to the clubs and the clubbers who have been in it from the start love the way they can re-live old moments through classics and new remixes of old gems. I feel the scene hit a bit of a rut a couple of years ago but it’s definitely back on track and set for massive things to come.

Yeah really looking forward to heading down saff! Frantic put on amazing events and it’s a pleasure to be playing there. I was a missive fan of the old Trade sound back in the day, also Untidy Dubs and of course the legend that is Tony de Vit. It’s fantastic that Untidy Dubs has been given the ‘08 touch and is back through the speakers in the clubs.

What do you miss about the old days of hard dance? What do you think has changed for the better since then?

I think the old days of hard dance are coming back, big vocals and funky-ass pumping basslines shake any main room and I’m loving the way this sound is coming back in to the forefront of Hard dance today. The re-release of the old Tidy sound that’s hitting the floors in the form of new tracks is a nod to how it used to be, but with a futuristic twist to keep things fresh and as intriguing as they used to be way back when.

What have you done release/studio wise so far?

Towards the end of last year I had a track commissioned to the Tidy Thrashed album, a remix of Lisa Lashes ‘Dance To The House’ under the guise ‘MoFoDisco (my self and Scott Fo-Shaw). I’ve also had releases on Vicious Circle’s offshoot label Neonate and my own label Toasted Recordings.

In 2008 I am going to be concentrating on getting as many releases out as possible and starting a brand new label my self to showvcase the sounds I love –‘ pumped up, funked down, happy happy good times’ is how id describe my sound lol!

Looking back over your many highlights of last year – which gig will stand out in your mind above any other?

Last year was such an amazing time it’s hard to pin point just one, Tidy Weekender 11, Storm, many Goodgreef events, but if I had to pick one it has to be opening the main room on the Saturday of Tidy Weekender 12. I was playing to an empty room for the first ten minuets of my set whilst the officials got everyone in the venue, then when the curtain went back the clubbers came running in to the arena all at once and were boshing and chanting right from the start was an amazing experience that I’ll never forget. Tidy Weekenders are something else – I can’t wait for TW14.

Compared to other scenes, how accessible do you think the hard dance scene is to new talent? Are people more open-minded to new names than in other genres do you think?

This could be true. I think the key to breaking through these days is production it seems everyone is a DJ which is not a bad thing I love the way people have a passion for the music they love. With the acessablity of the internet groups such as Myspace, Facebook, DSI etc the scene is thriving and networking to the right people is essential - ‘you’ve got to be in it to win it’ as they say. But at the end of the day it’s the talent of the individual that will really shine though when push comes to shove and if they have the passion any thing is possible.

Thanks for the interview Ben, see you at Timeless!

Morgan is in the running for this year’s ‘BEST NEW FACE’ at the Hard Dance Awards, please take 2 minuets of your time to vote him in this category http://www.harddanceawards.com/vote/