Steve Thomas is one of the original innovators of hard house and has one of the most glittering CVs in the business. He is a Trade legend, and one of the founders and resident DJs of the Fish/ Superfish club-night. His UK guest spots have included Cream, Sundissential, Vague, Bugjam and Ministry of Sound, and he has regularly played out in Europe, Japan, South Africa and Canada and the US (at Twilo in New York). Steve developed the hugely successful Tripoli Trax, and has released numerous tracks on this label (under his own name and in various guises: The Experts, Fruitloop and NOK) as well as on Tinrib Recordings. He specializes in a hard, driving, groovy, pumping techno-influenced sound, as in his classic tracks ‘The Leader’ and ‘Get Down’ (both with Captain Tinrib). Steve largely swapped hard house for US house a while ago, playing out regularly at DTPM @ Fabric, for example. More recently however he’s been making selective appearances at certain special hard house events, including ‘I love VC’ and Tidy Weekender 11. WeI tracked him down to ask him about why he’s decided to make the INSEKT party at the Fridge on 19th May his next exclusive appearance.

Hi Steve. How are you and where are you?

Hello from Spain! I’m really excited about the INSEKT party – it’s nice to be able to hook up with old friends! It seems like a great opportunity to play some of the old classics to a great crowd who will know them all! I decided to step back from the heavy DJing circuit a few years ago as it was killing me – too many late nights and long parties. I’m older now and seem to spend most of my days walking my dogs in the olive groves where we live. But I like to keep in touch with the clubs…after all, it’s where we came from!

Judging by the people I’ve spoken to and the word on the message boards, there’s a lot of excitement about your upcoming headline appearance at INSEKT. Can you say a bit more about why your UK DJ appearances are quite selective these days?

I find it really difficult with all the travelling, and DJing four or five nights a week was really tough…I also find I enjoy it much more these days, and playing good nights such as INSEKT, Trade and Tidy I find I can play what I’m known for rather than having to touch on commercial trance stuff just to please a crowd.

You’ve been involved in the hard house scene since the outset. How do you think it’s changed over the years?

There are elements I like and some I don’t! I really like the techno feel of things but feel that the groove has disappeared somewhat? I am glad to see that snare rolls are back! I’ve been working on quite a lot of stuff that will be available for download in a few weeks time off my new site. It kind of draws from the older Tripoli style – we will see!

Looking forward to hearing that!... Going back to the early days, 1995-1996, you were one of a small number of DJs pioneering hard house. It must have been exciting to be part of that emerging scene.

It was amazing. The only regret I have is that we had no idea what was going on – sounds odd now, but we were just doing what we thought was right. Luckily it was!

Who and what were your influences at that time?

Tony de Vit and I kind of drew from each other but we were heavily influenced by the Belgium techno/breaks scene and also by the guys that used to run Blue Holland – they were genius.

I love that sexy, bright, housey sound of those early Trade compilation albums you mixed, but also your later, harder, sound. It seems to me that quite a few of the pioneering hard house DJs also came to develop a harder, faster, dirtier style over time. How and why did you get into a harder form of music?

It was a progression really. We wanted something ‘off the cuff’, more techno-like and grungy – we weren’t really bothered about the production side of things, just getting the feel of the track right. Most of the time it worked, but there were a few shit tracks!

You were one of the DJs who started Fish with Captain Tinrib (along with DFQ, Dave Randall, RR Fierce and Karim – what a stellar line-up!). You have also produced quite a few tracks with the Captain. What’s it like working with him?

You can imagine! Jon Bell (Captain Tinrib) is a good friend and we started working together when he dropped some of his stuff off for us at Trade one night. We were coming from the same angle (slightly unhinged!) and I really liked his attitude of ‘throw it together’ and see-what-happens! We both had some strong ideas at that time too and along with some very late nights; we were churning it out!

Are you a wild man of rock ‘n’ roll like he is, or a pipe and slippers man? ;o)

Jon is still crazy! I like a night in sometimes these days! Not quite the slippers thing yet though!

Tell me how you first got into writing and producing.

I was frustrated that I couldn’t buy the stuff I wanted to play. There were a few tracks but not enough for a set. So we got a studio together and started bangin’ ‘em out!

And how would you describe your own musical style?

I actually don’t like the term ‘hard house’, but taken literally, it’s correct! I like the funk and the bass-lines and the disco percussion.

Tell us a bit about why you moved away from playing hard house and more into US house a while ago.

The hard stuff got too hard and when the trance thing happened it used to make me feel sick! I could only find the groove in that US house stuff – I’m playing a lot of the Euro tech tribal stuff these days. There are some amazing producers in Spain making really deep, groovy and dark house – it’s really quite ‘hard’ in its own right.

So why did you come back to hard house?

I never really went away – just diversified. You need to draw from different angles or you get into a rut…I’m incorporating stuff from the house stuff I play into the new hard stuff I’m writing…it’s very interesting. Years ago the dance scene wasn’t so fragmented, so I guess I’m used to hearing all sorts of music. I really love the breaks scene too.

Housey hard house - Like the sound of that!... You’ve written some classic tracks but also have a reputation as an outstanding playing-out DJ. Which do you enjoy more?

I get bogged down in the studio and am really impatient. But I love it. I have my own studio at home so can plod on at my own pace these days. But the clubs, with a huge dance-floor full of loonies, is where I’m at my best!

Yeah, we like dance-floors full of loonies too, so you’ll enjoy playing at INSEKT! …So what’s been on the CD player in your car recently?

An old mix from Trade from ‘94!

Excellent. And what are your top three favourite tracks of all time?

Robert Armani – Circus bells (Djax)
Hardfloor – Fish and Chips
Artemesia – Bit ‘n’ Pieces

What about the current hard house scene: any of today’s crop of DJs and producers that particularly impress you?

I really like what Paul Maddox is doing and Tim Clewz is going to make his name this year – he’s hit on a new sound and it’s bloody good!

Ok, thanks for that. I understand that you’ll be doing a classics set at the upcoming INSEKT party. Can you tell us more - any clues to any of the tracks you’ll be playing? (‘Massive power’ and ‘The leader’ perhaps? Hint ;o)

I used to find it difficult to play my own stuff. But these days, anything goes – they will all be there. I’ve just re-discovered Cortina (Shock!) and it sounds really good. You never know!

Finally… Have you seen that silly celebrity interview in the newspaper where all the questions are song titles? No? Never mind, here goes anyway, with Steve Thomas tracks and remix titles:

‘What is love?’

Puppies?

‘Where are you?’

Not sure…

‘What does yours look like?’ ;o)

A bit hairy…

Tee hee! Thanks Steve – look forward to seeing you at the Fridge on May 19th!

(This interview digitally mastered by Dr John (Nutter) of the Insekt Swarm. Thanks to Lady Bianca for additional material.)