BACKGROUND

Coincidence has been DJing on the underground scene for eight years developing her sound (Trance, Hard Dance, Techno and Electro) and helping up and coming local DJs on the way.

Gekko has been on the club scene for about the same time mainly seen with The Bunny. They have become known well by all locally, haven of house parties, a sanctuary for local clubbers and DJs alike.

Why did u start up this night (Illumidance)? (Gekko)

My life hit a low point when about 3 years ago I was sent to prison, I was given three years and served one and a half. I wondered where things had gone wrong and how I could push my life forward, I had to re-evaluate. I have always had a driving passion for music before I started promoting I had made plans to start an online record shop. I have been a clubber for years, loving techno and hard house, which allowed me to befriend local and national DJs – from there promotion and creating my own night was a natural progression.

I feel the hard house scene has unfortunately lost its way - clubbing used to be about free expression and friendship, but generally now has developed into how f*cked I can get or how random can I be – clubbers are becoming obvious in a self reflecting way, almost commercial themselves and something needs to be done to refresh the hardhouse / hard dance scene and bring it back to its roots - The Music.

I want Illumidance to focus towards quality music and take create a dance night on the basics of good music, good people, good times.

Tell me about your first set at Portsmouth’s legendry fish tank and how it went? (Coincidence)

It was like the loudest place on the planet and I had never played in a club that size before and the noise was just incredible, it was really exciting, I really worked hard for it, but it great, such a buzz. The best moment was when I dropped its my turn by angelic and a huge whoop went up, I didn’t realize everyone had been at homelands the week before and it was the tune of homelands and so I took them back there – it was brilliant!

What are your plans for future line ups? (Both)

Coincidence – I am actually going to take a break for a short time, there are some big clubs and gay clubs I’d like to play for being gay myself.

What do you think of the standard of music on the gay scene in Portsmouth? (Coincidence)

To be honest it’s very handbag – I think a lot of people don’t go to gay nights in Portsmouth because it is so dire in clubbing terms. There is a real to need to get decent up to date clubbing into the gay scene in Portsmouth. Brighton has managed to do it – there is no reason my Portsmouth cant. Brighton is better at it, but its still hand baggy as is gay clubbing across the country. This seem to be the consensus and that is a real shame because the gay scene pioneered dance music, introduced it and in the past some gay clubs have been on the cutting edge of the dance scene, Garlands as an example. The gay scene has lost that focus – its poor, when did we lose that?

The dance music seemed to fade away and then it went all hand baggy, now I think thats not all there is to gay clubbers and gay clubbing – i would be like to push away from that attitude and like Gekko said focus on the true values of clubbing, whether gay, straight or whatever.

(Gekko) Look at Tony De Vit and what he achieved music there has to be more to clubbing than hand bags and cheese.

Who are your influences? (Coincidence)

Some many there are some great producers around Sander van Doorn is head lining slinky when it opens down here, he is fantastic.

There are so many really good trance and techno DJ’s, I really like Marco V he has been a real inspiration, Marco Bailey has good consistency as a DJ – if you want to become an inspiration be called Marco!

Marco V took me in my direction and Marco Bailey carried me along. I have come back into trance now because people like Shaun Kios, Ferry Corston, Tiesto - all the of fluffy trance boys have got fed up of the fluff and put in really techy bass lines to their trance tunes, so I can play then again, because of these new techy remixes.

Why do u play at the Fawcett so much? (Coincidence)

It’s a great venue, with a great atmosphere – people come here to listen to good underground dance music and have a great time. The venue is free entry and a good starting point to DJs looking to gain some experience. The Fawcett is easy to play at, accessible and fun, with no financial success pressures attached to the night. Anyone can come along and play what they want to play.

(Gekko) It’s a good place to start a night there’s no door tax, staff are great, an asset to the underground scene, it’s not about big name DJs.

What are your plans for Illumidance? (Gekko)

At the moment we are working getting decent residence DJs, the music policy is trance, hard trance with a real electro feel to it – we are keeping an open mind focusing on quality music.

How did u stumble on DJ 8 Nil? (Gekko)

He sent me a mix CD, listening through a range of CDs people had sent me, I put his on and instantly in grabbed my attention – his set just blew me away, I couldn’t stop playing it. The second tune was BK murder was the bass, I though “where is he going with this mix” as be mixed in a huge range of tunes on his demo set, gritty dirty music, some electro – he kept me guessing throughout!

Last question, a fun one – Your stuck on a desert island with only two tracks, which one’s would they be? (Both)


Coincidence – Ferry Corsten’s Sweet Sorrow (a superb example of a trance track turned techy) and AKA (Sander Mix) by Sander van Doorn – it just blew me away.

Gekko Marco V – Solarize, amazing track and Yoji Biomehanika Never End – go listen!
This article is dedicated to Rob Owner of the Fawcett Inn who sadly passed away Saturday 23rd June, our thoughts so out to his friends and family.

If you like the sound of Illumidance check out Txture, also on at the Fawcett, see:

Txture



Txture

Article by Chaz Pope (Chaz-P)

21 July - Illumidance@The Fawcett Inn, Southsea, with guest (TBC)
30 July - TXTURE@The Fawcett Inn, Southsea, with guest (TBC)