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Mark EG gets back to his warehouse days for Frantic NYE
Reported by Ben Gomori
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Submitted 17-10-07 18:09
A non hard-dance DJ that plays in the hard dance scene? Mark EG has always been a bit of enigmatic character, with his mild, softly-spoken Yorkshire action contrasting starkly with his fired-up, possessed on-stage character, and with dual lives as a respected techno DJ and popular hard trance and hardstyle jock. To say he’s one of the more entertaining DJs in the scene would be somewhat of an understatement — if you’ve ever seen him bounding about behind the decks (and indeed in front of and on top of them), brandishing a set of skittles above his head, climbing ladders during his sets or stage-diving, I’m sure you’ll agree. It’s this enthusiasm and desire to go the extra mile in hyping the crowd up that sees him return to Frantic’s main stage this New Year’s Eve for their much talked-about warehouse party.
Last time Mark played for Frantic in their arena at Tranz-mission at Alexandra Palace at Easter, his nerves were truly tested to their limits. His fear of heights didn’t mix well with the location of the DJ booth — poised 30 feet above the crowd — and before long he started throwing up. Being the über-resilient chap that he is, he simply dodged out of the way of the camera, dealt with the problem (repeatedly) and carried on DJing without so much as one misplaced beat. And he rocked it.
The hardest man in hard dance? I think so.
So Mark, how has 2007 been for you?
It’s been an incredible year. Music seems to be moving forward at twice the speed of sound, as does the whole industry. Such a fascinating time, so much new technology to learn and a year that’s taken the art of DJing further than ever before — I am well privileged to be a part of it all.
What kind of stuff are you really enjoying playing at the moment? Sounds, producers, labels etc?
Well if you’re talking about what’s in my bag right now, I have so much good stuff in there. Everything from the hardest schranz to the more hard-trancey hardstyle stuff. There’s some fantastic acid techno about from the Liberator stables that’s really turning heads too. Like I say, the music is going so fast at the moment, so there’s no shortage of great stuff out there.
Tell us about the new mix CD you’ve just done...
It’s a 3CD set called ‘Hard, Fast and Furious’ and it’s me plus Anne Savage and Force from Force and Styles. I’ve tried to fuse a load of different styles that I play at different types of clubs onto one CD — something for the real music heads out there, as opposed to a more genre-led sound. I really love doing sets like this cause it’s such a two fingers up to normality. You can really build a set like this by putting together styles that most people don’t.
We see you’ve also recently done a mix for Kutski’s Radio1 show. Did you ever think that harder dance music would be given a regular slot on the country’s biggest radio station?
When I did the mix, a lot of people were quite surprised to hear such underground-sounding techno on the show and the amount of Myspace messages I got about it was quite stunning. It was exactly the reaction I expected. I think techno is completely under-represented on national radio; in fact it’s completely under-represented in the UK full stop. Recently it’s only people jumping on the minimal thing that’s given it a little more exposure, but it needs so much more than just this. It’s a terrific genre.
Is it hard to reconcile your two identities as a techno DJ/producer and a hard dance one? Or does it all fit together very nicely?
To be honest with you I don’t really call myself a hard dance DJ — I really don’t see my self as a DJ who plays one style or genre or type of party. I just play what I play! Variety is the spice of life they say and I love it when you face challenges or things completely out of your comfort zone. I’m there for the party and I love flipping it on its head, shaking things up a bit and presenting something you just wouldn’t expect.
Do you feel part of the hard dance scene as such or do you feel that you operate on its periphery somewhat?
I think you’ve gotta be different in life. Normality sucks. Sure I play in the hard dance scene, but I don’t always play what is typically heard or expected in the hard dance clubs. But that doesn’t mean I don’t feel part of it — I totally feel part of it. It’s my life. The crowds make me feel part of it and the amount of friends I’ve made through promoters, staff, whatever is mind-blowing. You don’t have to be conformist to feel a part of something.
What types of music can’t you stand?
I really don’t dislike any music out there. I think as the years have gone on I’ve come to realise that if you hate a style of music, it’s your lack of understanding that is the problem — not the music. All music is made through a creative process and it’s listening to and understanding certain parts of that process that is always a challenge for me no matter what style it is.
What’s the craziest gig you’ve played this year? Anywhere you feared the floor or roof might cave in?
Well I was actually fearing the sky would cave in at something called The Sanctuary festival this summer organised by the Slammin’ Vinyl crew. It had been chucking it down all morning and I was the first DJ due to go on at mid-afternoon on the outdoor stage. As usual I had no time to spare, bombing it to the venue down the M3. We pulled into the site, stepped out of the car and this incredible football style ‘Mark E-G’ chant just blew me away. I swear, what a buzz. Got on stage and OMG, what an atmosphere. So with the rain belting it down and the sky almost collapsing under the pressure it became one of the most insane experiences ever. They had to close the stage two hours later.
You’re back on the Frantic main stage for their NYE party which takes place in a warehouse. Hard dance in a warehouse? Do you think it will work?
Work? Is the Pope Catholic? For me, some of the best parties I have ever been to have taken place in warehouses. I think this stems from my early experiences in the acid house scene back in the ’80s, when I used to stand in one spot all night waving my arms around like a wild banshee with a bunch of bleeps and bird noises reverberating about my head. That industrial feeling of space will complement the music perfectly. Don’t forget to bring a hard hat!
New Year’s Eve can be a perennial let down if planned badly. What are your top tips for having a wicked NYE?
1) Arrive early
2) Find a spot near a bass-bin
3) Stick your head in it
4) Shake uncontrollably
Pretty simple really, but it works!
What are your plans for 2008? World domination?
Haha. Well I dunno about that but as long as I stay doing this music thing I will be happy. I’ll just get in the studio as much as possible, release a few more mix albums when I can, keep releasing on our label Blackout Audio and just keep trying to take the message forward. Actually you know, the more you crack on, the more you realise that plans are ridiculous — besides you could be hit by a bus tomorrow.
How do you relax when you want to get away from the hectic world of hard boshing beats?
Believe it or not, the Lake District.
And finally, if you had to audition for the X-Factor — what would you sing?
Joey Beltram — ‘Energy Flash’.
Photos courtesy of Mark EG and Chrissi. Not to be reproduced without permission.
Frantic NYE 07
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On:
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Monday 31st December 2007
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At:
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Hearn Street Warehouse [map]
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From:
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20:00 - 06:00
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Cost:
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£26/32 advance, MOTD
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Website:
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www.franticuk.net/nye
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Ticket Info:
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Saver Tickets £26 (selling fast!)
Standard Tickets £32
Warning this is a limited capacity event and WILL sell out in advance!
Outlets //
Ticketweb // 08700 600 100 // www.ticketweb.co.uk
View Tickets // www.viewtickets.co.uk
Clubtickets // 0870 246 1840 // www.clubtickets.co.uk
Ticketbank // 01702 345 050 // www.ticketbank.co.uk
Rave Tickets // 08701 997 327 // www.ravetickets.co.uk
See Tickets // www.seetickets.com
More on the Door // www.moreonthedoor.com
Dont Stay In // www.dontstayin.com
Ticketsellers // 0844 870 0000 // www.theticketsellers.co.uk
Cash Sales //
Frantic HQ // 020 7247 4121
Cyberdog Camden // 020 7482 2842
Never Enough Maria // 07813 684 399
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Buy Online:
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Click here to buy tickets
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More:
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*VENUE REVEALED!*
FRANTIC NYE 2007
@ Hearn Street Warehouse, Shoreditch, EC2A 3NF
31st December 2007
2000 – 0600
www.franticuk.net/nye
We can now finally reveal the location for Frantic’s NYE party!
The venue is called the HEARN STREET WAREHOUSE and has been used to host parties for the likes of Sasha, Bugged Out! and French Connection.
It's literally 5 minutes from Liverpool Street tube and mainline train station. Trains run to Liverpool Street from North London and all over East Anglia. It’s less than 10 minutes walk from Old Street tube on the Northern Line.
Click here to see it on a map:
http://www.dontstayin.com/uk/london/hearn-st-warehouse/2007/feb/10/gallery-176968/home/photok-5074407
It might not look like much from the pictures…but believe us when we say by the time we’re finished kitting the place out it’s going to feel like another world! Check out this video from a Bugged Out! party their from earlier this year to see what it’s like when it’s going off in there:
http://www.dontstayin.com/uk/london/hearn-st-warehouse/2007/feb/10/gallery-176968/home/photok-5074407
We have asked outlets to send out paper tickets rather than door collection lists, so the ticket collection should be kept to a minimum. We will recruit extra staff to take care of the ticket collection. The guestlist is also kept to a minimum and many guests are being sent paper tickets. Again extra staff will be on hand to cover this. Basically this means it will speed up the process at entry. We will keep searches thorough but fast, and we will be ink stamping people upon entry rather than using wrist bands. This all means less time queuing on the door!
A huge outdoor area for smokers complete with hanging halogen heaters (like those used at Fabric) and seats will be available, as well as indoor heaters to keep the indoor space at a comfortable temperature. We’ve bought them ourselves this time so won’t be let down by a hire company like at One AWsum Night! There will be proper toilets, drinks token booths away from bar and cloakroom to ease congestion, a large cloakroom, flooring, signposting…basically everything you need for a trouble-free night out!
As for production, we’ve got brand new Frantic décor, a powerful laser and light show, a room decked out in UV lighting, stunning visuals, live feeds from the DJ booth and thumping soundsystems. We always use the best sound engineers and state of the art DJ equipment in these warehouses so that the DJ and the clubbers get the very best from the experience. We are going to be using the brand new TurboSound Rig that is intended to beat all comers in giving arena-quality sound.
Any other questions, just email ben@evolution99.co.uk!
Tickets are still available for £26 pounds from the outlets below….keep reading to see how where to get one! They will go up to £32 on Friday 21st December.
More info: www.franticuk.net/nye // Will or Chloe Frantic HQ 020 7247 4121 // will@udjs.net // chloe@udjs.net
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Other Features By Ben Gomori:
HF exclusive SouthWestFour preview: Sasha vs Digweed
Scott Attrill aka Vinylgroover: The Bass Junkie
The Bluffer's Guide to Detroit Techno
Riot! memories as hard dance returns to The End
The King is back! Andy Farley finally returns
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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"MARK EG! MARK EG!"