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Features
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Judging angels in Heaven with Sly One
Reported by Ben Gomori
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Submitted 21-05-07 15:56
Considering how popular trance is on a wider scale, the scene in London is quite intimate and concentrated. This does mean though that the most talented DJs and producers always seem to get the limelight that they deserve eventually. Sly One is a member of this exciting new generation of trance artists. With a residency for the musically-dedicated Planet Angel alongside gigs for parties as diverse as Tidy & Extreme Euphoria, Knowwhere and now Judgement Sundays, you’ll soon find him stepping out of the shadows into his own spotlight.
No slouch on the production front either, he's had acclaimed releases on Six:Thirty Recordings and Magic Beans Records, while Flux Delux (part of the Recoverworld) will soon play host to his next track. To top it all off he plays in a band called Crossfader, surely one of the most well rounded musical careers. He's been chosen to warm up for Sander Van Doorn, Simon Patterson (Dogzilla), Marco V and Judge Jules at Judgement Sundays: London at Heaven on Bank Holiday Sunday 27th May, and accordingly we gave him the HF treatment so you lot could find out a bit more about him.
How would you describe your musical style? Straight-up trance or something more complicated than that?
I guess most DJs in the trance world would say they are melody people, or they are groove people, or perhaps they are into raw energy. I've never been able to fall into any one camp for long. I love a great melody (especially chords - I'm a chord nut!) and the pure emotion it can generate, but in a sea of fluff nothing can cut through like a dirty big bassline and at 5AM the energy levels have to be sky-high. I'm big on extremes; really grinding, really happy, really hypnotic, you get the idea. It's all got to be positive stuff. I like to jump around musically, play with a crowd and have fun with them. It's all about what's right at the time. Expect a roller-coaster ride!
How did you form your education in trance music? When and how did you first get hooked?
I guess the seeds were sown around 1998 -1999 to the strains of Paul Van Dyk's For An Angel, Binary Finary’s 1998, Cafe Del Mar by Energy 52, Underworld's Born Slippy, the usual selection! It was at that time when trance was huge, even in cheese-land, which is how I encountered it. I just went nuts. It wasn't like anything else out there.
A year or so later, an ex-girlfriend introduced me to her copy of an early Euphoria compilation (Deeper, I think) and I finally had a name, trance, to put to the music I had come to love. I went on a hunt for trance nights in London and was amazingly lucky to stumble across Planet Angel early on. The residents back then were really at the forefront of things; Darude's Sandstorm was being hammered as a rare import long before it reached the public consciousness in this country and that was me hooked.
Do you remember your first gig clearly? What did you play and did you instantly know that DJing was the thing for you?
I was 21 and proper bricking it! I pitched up at my student union bar with a really random, uncoordinated bag of big, cheesy hits, classics and random unsigned tracks off the web. I think Anjunabeats Volume One would have been in there (and still is. The Above & Beyond Banging Mix is still one of the greatest pieces of trance ever!). It all merges into a bit of a blur around that time as I went from evenings in the bar to playing to the 1200-capacity main venue within about 6 months. It was a bit mental.
How did you get the job as a resident for Planet Angel? It’s a pretty unique party to play at.
Tell me about it! I clearly did something right with that demo I handed over nervously back in 2002! I played several times a year for them for the next couple of years, before I started to get called upon more often as someone who could be trusted to do it right. Planet Angel takes some serious pride in the quality of the music and it was an honour to be taken on merit like that. When two of the original residents left in the space of six months to pursue other projects, I was approached and have been playing just about every event since then. Job isn't an unfair term I guess, there's a big A&R element, looking for and working with new talent and I work with the rest of the music team to plan the musical direction. I love it.
What is it that makes their parties so special in your opinion?
Absolutely zero compromise. Planet Angel has never advertised the date and location of events (which is why so many people have never heard of it) even to the extent of politely asking for magazine articles to be removed at the 11th hour, just to keep it entirely word-of-mouth. It has never booked names over talent and has always looked to work with people who are in it for the right reasons. There is no other promotion out there like that.
Your track House of Muzik was recently made one of Mixmag’s Tunes of The Month. You must have been pretty stoked with that! Has it had much of a knock on effect?
Stoked is the word. There has been a great buzz about it, and it was a privilege to get such fantastic remixes from Ian Betts and Jurrane. Mixmag gave a fantastic review to my debut a few years ago, Gamma Storm, so I feel like I owe those guys a pint! The rise in my profile has been partly responsible for bringing me to the attention of the promoters of Judgement Sundays, so it's all kicking off.
What’s next on the production front? Will you be hooking up with anyone for some collaborative efforts or do you prefer to work alone?
I've been working almost exclusively this year with Jurrane, who is an amazingly talented DJ, a producer of the old school (100% hardware!) and a really good mate. We've found we bounce well off each other and it seems to work. John Askew snapped up Timebomb, our first track, straight away for the Discover Dark imprint. It should be released later this year. We're also working on a couple of remixes at the moment; you'll be hearing more about those shortly!
You’re warming up the main room for Judgement Sundays: London at Heaven on Sunday 27th May. How does it feel to be playing alongside the likes of Jules, Sander van Doorn, Marco V and Simon Patterson?
I can't wait; it's set to be a special night. It's a huge line-up and the event as a whole looks so well put together. I could easily see myself losing it in any of the rooms!
How do you approach a warm-up set? What are your golden rules when playing early?
It's all about level control (low initially, gently rising), pace (keep it down!), and groove (chunky basslines are good!). I like to make the dancefloor a good place to pitch up. When people arrive, if you can make the dancefloor the place to be as people settle down, catch up with mates and get themselves in the mood, it creates this real mood of expectation and you can catch people early. If a DJ's going hell-for-leather, half the time they'll just be scared off to the safety of the bar till they get used to the idea!
The weird bit about playing to a crowd early in the night is that rather than playing to a sea of people, you find yourself playing to little pockets of individuals, making eye contact and trying to predict what they want to hear. It can be quite intimate! It's a great feeling to catch that surge of energy when it arrives and be surfing on it when you hand over to the next DJ. Job done.
Whose set are your looking forward to most? Do any of the headliners hold special memories for you?
It's got to be Judge Jules, hasn't it? Respect to the man, he's being doing it right since the early days, a true pioneer. I haven't heard what he's been doing for a while, so I’m looking forward to see what he pulls out of the bag. Sander Van Doorn played a great set at Vaccine @ Turnmills a few months back and I was hooked. I won't be missing that set either.
Tell us more about your band Crossfader, what’s your style, who plays what and have you got big plans?
Who knows where this one will lead. It's early days yet, we're just finishing off our demo and aim to be properly up and gigging by the end of the year. There's six of us - Arif (lead vocals, pianos), Mark (lead guitars, backing vocals), Polly (vocals, sax, cello), me (synths, guitars and production), Anne (bass) and Paul (aka Paul Mayes, or Custard, another great London trance DJ) on drums. It's a real mix-up of influences, rock, jazz, dance and all original stuff, you'll just have to see it! We're out there on MySpace.
For my part, I love carting in my synths, usually used for trance, and getting seriously busy making filthy noises. It's a great way of cutting loose and producing rock as well as dance keeps me sharp in the studio.
How hard do you think it is to crack into the trance scene as a DJ/producer? Are promoters and key industry figures approachable and helpful in your opinion?
I think it's far easier as a producer. If you can produce great tunes, there will be a reputable label that will take it. I have a great deal of faith in the honesty and passion of the people that run dance labels these days. People like Ian Betts (label boss for Six:Thirty) take great pride in the A&R part of what they do and are immensely approachable. As a DJ, it's harder as it's a competitive area but the two can reinforce each other. Having a string of great quality releases in a row has made all the big DJ names of the last few years.
Do you find it strange that London has comparatively few big trance events compared to other genres, given its huge popularity?
I think things ebb and flow. The money at the moment is in bar friendly electro house, which is therefore more sellable. I'm not one to complain though; I'm loving some of the influences which are spilling over into trance and other styles.
How do you feel about the current state of trance generally?
From where I'm sitting, it's looking great. There's been a real noticeable surge in interest in clubbing generally recently and trance is seeing the benefit as much as any other relatively underground style. As for the music, there's so much evolution still going on, but people will always be looking for the same effect from their trance. I have confidence that in five years time trance will still be recognisable, still do the same things, and yet be totally different. It's the dance style that won't be told to die.
Photos courtesy of Planet Angel and Sly One. Not to be reproduced without permission.
Judgement Sundays: London
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On:
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Sunday 27th May 2007
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At:
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Heaven [map]
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From:
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10PM - 6AM
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Cost:
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Early Bird Tickets: £15 (+b.f.)
Saver Tickets: £17 (+b.f.)
Standard Tickets: £20 (+b.f.)
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Website:
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www.locknloadevents.com
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Ticket Info:
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24 Hour Credit Card Hotline: 08700 600 100
www.ticketweb.co.uk // www.viewtickets.co.uk
Club Tickets: 08717 110 010 (Buy 5 Get 1 Free)
Never Enough (cash sales): 07813 684 399
Cyberdog Camden (cash sales): 0207 482 2842
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Buy Online:
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Click here to buy tickets
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More:
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At last – London’s trance fans finally get what they’ve been waiting for. One of Ibiza’s most successful and exciting nights, Judgement Sundays, touches down in London for the very first time. Now in its 8th year, Judge Jules’ trance, hard dance and house shindig steamrolls its way into London on Sunday 27th May for the mother of all Bank Holiday parties at the multi-arena Heaven nightclub.
Judgement Sundays has been San Antonio’s most successful promotion for many years now, bringing the biggest names in trance and harder dance to the White Isle, along with some of the most exciting DJs from the world of house, electro and breaks in their supremely funky back room. From Lisa Lashes to Krafty Kuts, Eddie Halliwell to the Plump DJs, Christopher Lawrence to Matt Hardwick, their line-ups have always been about nothing but cutting-edge, uplifting party music.
This inaugural London bash builds on the Judgement Sundays theme, adding another 3 rooms of tough and sexy beats to the menu and dishing it all out in the legendary club space that is Heaven. In the main room, Judge Jules is joined by Marco V and Sander Van Doorn – 2 of Holland’s finest, most innovative producers whose tough and unique productions are played by DJs throughout the house, electro, techno and trance scenes. No mean feat. Dogzilla mastermind Simon Patterson brings his classy, atmospheric sounds to the main room to complete a quartet of 4 of trance music’s leading lights. Jules also plays a rare house set in Dusted’s arena, along with London legends The Hoxton Whores - two of the most popular producers in house music today.
There’s more top-draw entertainment in the other 3 arenas, courtesy of some of London’s most exciting party people. Friendz bring euphoric trance to the table, with Fundamental serving up house, electro and breaks, and the burgeoning young team of Summit laying down some hard dance beats.
This is the official start of the Summer! Come and celebrate Judgement Sundays style before they kick of their huge Ibiza season…
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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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Comments:
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From: Alan-Banks on 21st May 2007 16:21.23
A great DJ and friend
Its about time he got the recognission he deserves
Nice work fella - can't wait
From: theviceroy on 21st May 2007 16:49.08
Great Interview Sly, keep it up!!!
From: Mat Lock on 21st May 2007 17:56.55
Had heard of Sly One for years thanks to Gamma Storm and it wasn't until last years HF Xmas Party that I got to meet him. Sound guy and wicked dj and producer. Expect great things from this guy.
Nice one
From: Alex Buck on 21st May 2007 18:08.45
Nice one G! A wicked bloke with a warped sense of humour. And a fine DJ. Looking forward to hearing the new remixes...
From: Andy Dunford on 21st May 2007 18:26.10
What Alan said. Great informative interview, looking forward to Sunday!
From: Not Marcus on 21st May 2007 20:02.51
Supremely talented producer. Making fresh sounding music that sticks out from the rest of the samey stuff that passes for "trance" these days. Top stuff
From: KrAzB on 22nd May 2007 01:47.32
Timebomb is an absolutely amazing track!
From: Pathfinder on 23rd May 2007 08:02.25
Lovely bloke, quality producer and DJ. Looking forward to the new tunes
From: Lizzie Curious on 23rd May 2007 10:41.12
Nice interiew, look forward to hearing you spin on sunday!
From: Kiki on 25th May 2007 20:34.50
One of the best and most talented producers and trance DJ's out there imho. A great interview. Good luck on Sunday babe, I know you are going to get the party bouncing as always.
From: CustardUK on 26th May 2007 00:15.01
Thats a cracking interview mate. Sly One has gotta be one of the most talented Producer/DJs in the UK. He's certainly been a big influence to me along the way. And I'm honored to be playing in the band with him too, a truly great friend! Good luck on Sunday dude, not that you'll need it!
From: Jurrane on 26th May 2007 18:30.11
A late reply from me but I've been away on holiday. :P Superb interview from one of the most supremely talented DJs and producers out there, and someone I'm very lucky to count as a co-producer and a friend. If there's any justice in the world at all, Sly will have an amazing 2007 and '08. Well done mate! 
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