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Features
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Play it again Alfie: Technikal gets Extreme
Reported by Joanna McEwen
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Submitted 14-11-07 08:19
Technikal is often described as a hard dance prodigy, a Beethoven for the harder generation. With devastating tracks to his name and boyish good looks, since he exploded onto the scene in 2003 he has gone from strength to strength. But how much do you really know about Alfie?
Born Alfie Geno Raymond Bamford, he began producing at the tender age of 13 and had his first track signed at 17. First brought to the attention of London’s clubbers by HeatUKs Spencer Freeland and Marc French in 2004, since then he’s worked alongside and collaborated with some of the scenes biggest legends including Phil Reynolds, Nick Sentience, Lisa Lashes, Anne Savage, Rob Tissera and Kevin Energy, as well as new stars such as Guyver, Dark By Design and MDA and Spherical. Never content to pigeon-hole his music, Technikal’s take on the hard trance he loves brings in all influences from hardcore to psytrance; the list of those he’s worked with a testament to his ability to strike a chord with those who love euphoric music in all its forms.
There’s also the small matter of 53 tracks and 26 remixes since 2003 on labels like Tidy Trax, Nukleuz, Mohawk, Bulletproof and Masif plus inclusion on compilations including Impulz World Series, Frantic Residents, Tidy Addict and The Ministry of Sound’s Helterskelter Presents Hardcore. You might have seen him at gigs across the globe from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand to Holland, Ireland and Sweden; maybe at a festival like Global Gathering, The Sanctuary or Ireland’s Planet Love; or just at one of the UK’s biggest nights for example HeatUK, Tidy Weekender, Goodgreef, Frantic and now the massive Extreme Euphoria Vs Hardcore Euphoria at Heaven on the 16 November!
Impressive, I’d say so and so do a lot of other people having voted him as runner up in the best producer, best remixer and best track categories at the 2006 Hard Dance Awards while back here on HF you decided he was best producer and remixer of the year! Now it really is time for this incredibly talented producer and DJ to move up to the realm of Hard Dance Don.
So Alf, these past few years have been a very exciting time for you. A difficult question to begin with I know, but is there anything that stands out as being a particularly defining moment?
Too many moments to mention, but a couple of the best for me personally were getting my first Tidy Trax signing (I was a right Tidy kid!) and playing the midnight set at Heat NYE 2005 (Brixton Academy). Both real landmark moments!
It has been said that the HeatUK boys discovered you. How did that come about?
It started when myself and Olly Perris wrote a track called Check Out The Sound. We came down to the very first Hard Dance Awards and I remember Olly nervously handing a copy to Phil Reynolds. Phil loved it and signed it to Impact.
I think he gave a copy to Spencer Freeland and Spencer called me one afternoon. He sounded really excited about the record and said he wanted to sign it for Heat Vinyl and that they were looking for new production talent. Because the record was already signed, I asked Spencer if he wanted to come down and work on some new music (I’d heard his tracks on Extreme Euphoria CDs and they were right down my alley!). After he got over the shock at how young I was, we ended up writing some great ideas and music.
It was that night he asked if I wanted to attend Heat’s ‘Final Curtain’ event at Camden Palace, and I was keener than mustard! I’d never been to a club before so to walk in and see an event of this magnitude just blew my socks off. That night I met Frenchy (Marc French) and Damo (Damien Gelle) of HeatUK and we all hit it right off. It was around a year or so later that I became their new resident producer and DJ.
The link to your site is entitled The Hard Trance Experience. What is it about trance that you love so much?
Trance is for me perhaps the purest form of musical dance music. Music for me HAS to be musical; there needs to be emotion, there needs to be intricate melodies and sudden changes of mood throughout a set. I grew up listening to some of the most amazing trance music ever made, and that has influenced me more than anything else in my production. It was when I found hard house and I took my favourite bits of both genres, that I started creating my own unique sound.
You’ve got some great gigs coming up including the Extreme Euphoria Vs Hardcore Euphoria at Heaven on the 16 November and New Year’s Eve at Stockholm. What came first with you – producing music or being a DJ?
Well I started writing music when I was really young, I had just started secondary school, so the DJing part followed about five years later. I’ve always said that I’m a producer who can also DJ – although it’s taken me a while to get to the point where I feel totally comfortable playing out. Experience counts for a lot when it comes to DJing, a hell of a lot can happen that just isn’t written in the script! It has to be said that initially DJing never interested me, I was content just writing music! It was only when I started clubbing and started hearing everybody caning my tracks that I thought – “Wow, I’d like a piece of that!”.
As a producer you use many different Aliases including Technikal, Technikore, Masif DJs, Solar Scape, Elemental, Digital Interference and Alf Bamford. I assume these are down to wanting to create different musical styles. For example, you use the name Bamford for the Industrializm EP on your own Technikal Recordings label. What style goes with what name?
I’ve had to use different aliases to segregate my different styles of output. It would be odd if I started writing pure trance under my Technikal guise! Here’s a brief rundown of the aliases…
Technikal – my primary Hard Trance project.
Technikore – Hardcore.
Masif DJs – A collective of producers (myself, Steve Hill & Jon “K-Series” Langford)
Solar Scape – Pure Trance.
Elemental – Commercial Trance & Hard Trance
Digital Interference – Electro / House
Alf Bamford – I don’t tend to put stuff out under my real name anymore!
You’ve been releasing tracks since 2003. What was the first track you got signed?
My first track I got signed was a collaboration EP with Pierre Pienaar. It was on Dynamix and ‘Darkside’ was the A side and ‘Stratosphere’ was on the B. The first track that actually got released though was my own ‘Annihlation’ on Mohawk Records.
Why did you decide that now is the right time to create your own label?
Because of the decline of vinyl, there’s been a serious decline of the number of places I can send my finished tracks to for release! You have to remember that I write at least one track a week, so when the labels start drying up, my hard drive starts swelling under the pressure of unreleased material! I also felt that if I was to start releasing via the digital method, I may as well throw my all into it and create my own label where I have 100% control, and still own 100% of the tracks. I was a little bit uneasy at first, going into such a saturated digital market but I’m happy to report that every one of our releases has gone to top spot on Trackitdown.net!
You only launched your new label, Technikal Recordings in July 2007 but you’ve already had 8 releases! What are your plans for the label for the future?
There’s been 4 official releases but 2 tracks/remixes on each release so yeah we’ve been pretty relentless. I’m trying to stick to one release a month but if I have a busy month it might be 6 weeks between each release. We’ve got some simply awesome stuff lined up! Out soon is my new Solar Scape track Northern Lights with a Technikal remix. I’ve also signed the new track from Matt Gardner & Sambo, called New Reality. It’s a stonker of a hard trance record, and I can’t wait to get on the remix duties for it!
Winning the Tidy Trax bootleg and Remix competition and getting your remix of the classic JX Restless included as part of their album sampler is no small feat. How does it feel to have a release on not just a legendary label but of a track that is one of the classics of the genre?
It was a great feeling. Restless brings back some fantastic memories for me, so putting my own angle on the record was a personal bit of fun. I thought the Tidy remix competition was a great idea, especially at a time where no one else is willing to give new talent a shot. There’s some great new kids putting some brill stuff. Iridium, Scott Fo-Shaw and Brian Kearny’s efforts stood out to me hugely from that competition.
Playing for Steve Hill in Australia and with releases on his Masif label, how important has it been to have the support of someone so influential in the industry?
Steve’s been a vital foundation for me and my career since I met him in 2004. It has to be said he’s one of my best friends, and you can’t beat working with someone that you get on with so well. From day one he’s flown the Technikal flag sky high, and been an avid supporter of my music. No wonder we’ve written over 30 records together!
You’ve played at some great festivals including Global Gathering, The Sanctuary and Planet Love in Ireland. How different is playing for a festival as opposed to a nightclub?
It’s like chalk and cheese. You simply can’t prepare for what’s going to happen at a festival, there are so many factors that you just don’t take account for, and they can either work with you or against you. You just sometimes have to make the best of it all. I always tend to find that I play the ‘biggest tracks’ in my record box at festivals as it’s a real party vibe and everybody is there to listen to their favourite music from their favourite DJs. In a club you can be a little more diverse your music – they are both an immense buzz to play at!
You’re playing at the hugely popular Extreme Euphoria vs Hardcore Euphoria alongside such massive names as Lisa Pinup, Nick Sentience and Billy Daniel Bunter. It must be your ideal lineup with your roots so firmly in both the Hard Trance and the Hardcore camps! I know you enjoy bringing in different elements into hard trance. Are you ever tempted to write “pure” tracks of different genres?
I really can’t wait for Extreme Euphoria, it’s going to be great. I’m going to get Phil Reynolds loving the hardcore, just you wait!
I do very often write “pure” tracks of different genres. My aliases mentioned above represent my different output!
And finally, do you play any other musical instruments or is the computer your instrument?!
I used to play the drums when I was about three years old at a local nightclub called Geno’s, in Wallington. I don’t really know why I stopped playing. I think I got into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and they overtook Status Quo as my idols (probably a good thing!). I’d love to get a MIDI drum kit and start playing some sick live breaks over my records though… now that would be an investment!
Thanks Alf, I hope you have a great night on the 16 November and good luck with everything for the future!
No worries! See you soon
Photos courtesy of Technikal and the HarderFaster archive. Not to be reproduced without permission
Extreme Euphoria v's. Hardcore Euphoria
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On:
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Friday 16th November 2007
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At:
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Heaven [map]
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From:
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23.00 - 0600
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Cost:
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Early Bird tickets £10, on sale Friday August 24th
Advance tickets £14
MOTD
Advance tickets £14
MOTD
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Website:
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www.heaven-london.com
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Ticket Info:
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www.heaven-london.com
www.ticketweb.co.uk
www.extreme-euphoria.com
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Buy Online:
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Click here to buy tickets
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More:
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PURE SESSIONS PRESENTS: EXTREME EUPHORIA vs. HARDCORE EUPHORIA
Oi oi saveloy! Forget Transformers – this is the ultimate clash of the titans! On Friday November 16th two of the biggest names on the international dance scene bring it on at London super club Heaven and with Early Bird tickets at a ridiculously low £10 it looks like a complete sell-out!
Extreme Euphoria and Hardcore Euphoria are due to explode on the dance floor with a massive list of headliners made to make your mouth water! Lisa Pin-Up, Nick Sentience, Phil Reynolds, Technickal, Cally Gage and hardcore legends Billy ‘Daniel’ Bunter, Geos Crew, Overlode N Ecsta C, Insane N Mind, Dizzy B2B No Sweat, DJ Upfront, MCs Whizzkid, Spenno, Casper, Mayers and many more lined-up to demolish the speakers with an immense array of musical artillery that would make George Bush wet his Southern-style pants!
Both Euphoria nights have been making major waves around the country with their high-octane nights, leaving clubbers beside themselves after hearing some of the finest sets known to mankind. Now it’s your chance to hear both brands at the capital’s most legendary dance floor for some more total devastation!
Not only that but we’ve also got lashing of filthy funk and breaks in Rooms 3 and 4 thanks to The Adventures of the Purple Monkey and Voodoo. JDS, Stylus Rex, Angel Farringdon, Move Ya, Section 2, Gods Kitchen’s Dave Oldershaw, Kenners and more will be getting down and dirty for your aural pleasure and are well worth catching if you fancy a break from the harder side of things.
Early bird tickets are unleashed Friday 24th August but you’ll need to be a speedy Gonzales if you want to get your hands on one! Log onto either www.heaven-london.com or www.ticketweb.co.uk or call 08700 600 100 right now! Advance tickets will be selling for £14, so even if you miss out on the £10 tickets, it’s still an absolute steal for a truly unrivalled line-up!
Pure Sessions Presents: Extreme Euphoria vs. Hardcore Euphoria
Friday November 16th, 11pm – 6am
Heaven, under The Arches, off Villiers Street, London WC2 6NG
Info Heaven 0207 930 2020
Info - Extreme Euphoria Tony 07727 00 31 13
info - Hardcore Euphoria Spenno 07867 95 20 50
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Other Features By Joanna McEwen:
Ticon the matter seriously
Riding the frequencies with Hertz
The Many Faces of Paul Maddox
Axel Karakasis Gets Proactive
Proactive Gets Dejavoo!
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: Nikki S on 14th Nov 2007 13:40.56
Nice one Alfie! Bang those drums! 
N x
From: Maria on 14th Nov 2007 17:42.53
Very nice interview! I love the baby picture...soooooo cute!!! See you on Friday!!! mmmmwwwhhhaaa
From: NickSentience on 14th Nov 2007 22:02.10
Been caning loads of your tunes lately dude,
keep up the good vibez, see ya friday for an ale or 3!!
N
From: Trevor McLachlan on 15th Nov 2007 08:55.23
Absolute legend, good friend and awesome DJ... Has a long long future ahead of him. Is a genius in the studio. Keep up the good work mate, see you tomorrow :-)
Trev
P.S. Loving the drumming pic!!
From: stuarttheflyer on 15th Nov 2007 12:54.03
Do you still live near Wallington Alf?
Keep up the good work mate!
From: carl nicholson on 15th Nov 2007 13:26.09
Alfie Bamford to me has the entire legacy of the hard trance industry sitting in his lap! TBH, i really dont know what we would have done without him, and i have NEVER in my 15 years in this industry seen anyone that can slightly touch him with regards to natural ability and talent! And to top it all off, he's a throughly nice bloke, best mate u could have, and has 5 minutes for anyone! LEGEND 
From: John Silver on 15th Nov 2007 13:41.12
Luvly man, wikkid tunes!
When ya gonna put the 'RiseAgain'rmx on Trackitdown,please?
When ya gonna start using new alias,'Wallington Drummerboy'?
john silver
From: nrg hia on 15th Nov 2007 15:35.50
Massive respect Alfie!!! keep it up   
From: VinDiesel on 15th Nov 2007 17:27.43
Technikal is one of the finest hard dance producers on the scene at the moment. Superb sets underlined by his immense talent and outstanding production work.
And he is applying these high standards to the already superb Technikal Recordings label.
Wicked interview..Alf is one highly talented individual amongst many who will help to keep the hard dance scene alive and take it from strength to strength in the future!
From: gontijo on 16th Nov 2007 12:20.28
"I’m going to get Phil Reynolds loving the hardcore, just you wait!"
Gonna be Hard
Nice interview
top tunnes
PEDRA
From: Scott Fo-shaw on 17th Nov 2007 09:38.11
one word - legend
From: STACE on 22nd Nov 2007 17:02.13
Pleasure to have sung/still be singing with this chap. I U Alfie!
From: anushka007 on 26th Nov 2007 11:16.07
 at the fotos
Interesting read guys. Good luck with your new record label and future plans 
From: Dubster on 5th Dec 2007 09:37.54
Over the years of the hard dance scene there have been producers which have shaped "the sound" of things, legends like TDV, BK and Nick Sentience etc - I put Alf squarely alongside these guys as one of the biggest and best there has ever been.
At the moment we owe the current sound of hard trance more to him than anyone else.
Hugely talented, hugely innovative with more ideas and the skills to make them reality than the other 99% of producers who are trying.
Then to top it all, he's a damned good DJ nowadays too.
All that said, if he gets Phil Reynolds listening to hardcore I will take it all back and post nasty stuff through his letterbox whenever I can.
Long live Technikal.
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