BK. Now, what can you say about a man who’s feted as being the most successful hard dance producer of all time? It’s a pretty tall order to live up to, but Ben Keen’s credentials seem to withstand the scrutiny. With productions and remixes numbered in the hundreds and appearing on as many compilations again, BK certainly isn’t short of creative inspiration. He’s worked with and remixed the top names in dance music, including Mario Piu, Mauro Piccotto, Tony De Vit, Andy Farley, Lab4, Paul Glazby and Rob Tissera among others; was the production force behind Nukleuz; co-founder of the successful Riot! Recordings and been published on a wide range of labels including Positiva, Data, Minsitry of Sound, ffrr and Tidy.
But not content to bury himself in the studio creating hard dance masterpieces, BK has also created a name for himself as a dj who knows what the dancefloor wants and delivers — and then some. He’s been consistently placed in DJ Mag’s top 100 djs; mixed Mixmag’s album of the year; played at gigs including Creamfields, Dance Valley, Judgement Sunday in Ibiza and Hi-Fi; and, simply put, is a globetrotting, world-wide, critically acclaimed, dancefloor adored dj. Phew!
So, here we are. The stage has been set. We know what he’s done, now let’s get down and dirty with the man himself — BK!
Hi Ben. So how are you and what have you been up to?
Traveling and in the studio. It’s been a year of international gigs. I’ve just got back from playing to 15,000 people in Kuala Lumpur. We have just released our first Riot album so we have been doing a promo tour as well. Studio-wise I’ve been working with loads of people from Judge Jules to Tim Sherridon. We have just started our new label, Fakt, which covers all the tough electro stuff.
For such a prolific hard house dj and producer you seem to have been moving slowly away from the sound for some time, what styles do you prefer to produce now, and why?
Anything I like really, I like to move with the times. I would find it very boring to be stuck making and playing the same style. I don’t see it as moving away just moving forward.
So what new material have you been working on . . . ?
Loads of new stuff to come. As well as the people I mentioned above, I have two new EPs of my own lined up and loads of new tough electro stuff.
You produce a lot of work for RIOT! Recordings. Are there any other labels that you will be appearing on?
Myself and Ed Real own and run Riot so there is no point in working on other labels really. We have purposely concentrated on making that as good as possible, just as we did at Nukleuz. We have had 25 releases in two years covering everything from house to techno. So at the moment I’m staying at home so to speak.
It was your productions that drove the huge surge in interest in the hard house scene in 2000. How does it feel to know you’ve been instrumental in the shaping of a scene?
Bit weird when people say that really. All I was doing was making music I wanted to hear when I went out. I just didn’t want it to sound like everyone else at the time.
Who do you think is pushing those boundaries now? Apart from yourself of course . . .
It may sound strange to say but from a geeky production point of view there is some amazingly produced pop and indie material around at the moment. I don’t mean ya Cheeky Girls, I mean people like The Gorillaz.
Back in 2002 you created a world-wide best seller in the shape of ‘Revolution’ — selling over 25,000 copies in 12” alone and being included on the national Radio One daytime playlisting. I remember how the track had the ability to lift any dance floor into a united mass of smiling, dancing clubbers (ah, the memories!). Do you think you can ever achieve that sort of commercial success again through hard dance?
Who knows. I make tracks ‘cause that’s what I like doing. To be honest I don’t really think about its commercial viability. It all depends on how I feel on the day, or if I need a certain kind of track for my dj sets. It may be I need a more laid back track for the beginning of my sets so that’s what I make.
You’ve been doing the techno crossover sound since 2002, which has taken off massively over the past couple of years. How do you see the direction of hard dance now? Is there such a sound as pure hard house any more, in your opinion?
Techno has always just been a part of hard dance as is trance or any harder style. For me there never was such a thing as pure hard house. It has always moved and changed. I discovered hard music at Trade where all the djs played whatever was the best hard music of the time, whether it was techno or trance or whatever. They used all the different styles around to create a journey. The same crowd would go off just as much to Malcom Duffy’s set as they would Tony’s.
People might think you rose to prominence very quickly, but in fact it’s been something you’ve been dedicated to for half of your life now (not that a lady would ever ask a gentleman his age but if I mention you began your career at the age of 16 . . . ). You left school to start work as a teaboy in a studio on Carnaby St where, and I quote, you “sort of trained to engineer and program”. How did that work — were you formally trained or was it a case of watch and learn?
Basically I was the tea boy/tape op. You get trained on the job. I used to do things like change the old 24 track tapes. I’ve had no formal training, I learnt on the job. I was there for about 5 years 7 days a week often doing all-night sessions. It was the best experience I could have had. I worked with people who had been doing it for years and gained all their knowledge. I’ve recorded everything from rock to a 100 piece orchestra at Abbey Road.
The technology you learnt when you were younger must have been different to that which you’re using now. How has the digitalization of music production changed the way you work? What do you see as the pros and cons?
It’s completely changed the way I work. Everything is a lot easier nowadays. Pros would be the sheer power and speed of computers. Negatives: sound quality and as good as outboard gear. Also, so many tracks with the same factory preset sounds — I think it’s making people lazy.
You were resident studio engineer/producer at Media Records and Nukleuz. How difficult is it, as an engineer, to work with somebody else on their own track — are you able to be just the technical knowledge or do you find BK creeps into the end result?
Unless the person you work with has any technical ability you basically do the lot.
I used to hate engineering for other people. You basically make a track and somebody
else has their name on it. If you look at the small print on the records, I co-wrote and produced everything I worked on at Nukleuz. They just didn’t want to only have BK tunes out so they took my name off of things. Often I would finish the tracks by myself.
You worked on music for television ads (including Honeynut Loops, Gillette and Nintendo to name a few) before becoming immersed in the dance scene via Trade and subsequently sending your original tracks to Nukleuz. Having produced dance music for five years or so now, are you ever tempted back to the world of television or perhaps film, like Paul Oakenfold?
I’ve actually been producing dance music since 1996 under various pseudonyms, even while I was doing the TV stuff. I never really sent anything to Nukleuz. I was engineering for Media Records and doing a label called Friction Burns which was selling and doing really well. They asked me to do similar stuff for them and created Nukleuz to release it. I’d love to do more stuff for films or TV. It would be good fun.
Although you’d been producing for years it was only in 1999 that you begin to DJ. What took you so long?!
I had always had decks at home but had never aspired to be a dj — I was always more interested in making the music. After all, djs get lots of credit for playing a record somebody else has made. As the records got bigger, requests started to come in to dj. Eventually I thought sod it and had a go. After your first good gig you are hooked! It’s now an essential part of my production as being able to test tunes out is essential.
Between your producing and djing, the past 16 years have been pretty much jam packed. What have been your most memorable moments?
Just the mad places and situations you get in when you play. I’ve played on top of volcanoes with amazing scenery in Indonesia and have been given an armed body guard when playing in the roughest parts of S.A. As far as good sets and fond memories, it has to be closer to home with the Riot parties — some of those Sundays were carnage.
And the ones you’d care to forget?!
Having my records stolen, being trapped on a plane and missing my Global set last year was a pisser. But what doesn’t kill ya makes you stronger!
You’ve played gigs across the world; what has been your favourite city?
I love Tokyo; it’s one of the maddest cities in the world. It’s like an adult Disney land. A complete mix of culture and high modern living.
I’ve read that you only use CDJs to mix on yet your label still releases vinyl. What’s your view on the state of vinyl as opposed to digital downloads?
No that’s a lie, I use both. But mostly CDs.
Do you still surf the net and go record shopping for new tracks or do you just play your own and those given to you by other producers?
Yeah, of course — that’s how you discover gems.
When you’re billed as a ‘Live’ performance what does that actually mean?
It means I can basically remix my own material on the fly and make new versions of my tunes live on the spot. I can change the arrangement, trigger, samples, all sorts.
Do you wear earplugs when you go into a club?
Pardon?
Knowing how much you loved to party back in the day, do you ever just go clubbing anymore or is it all work, work, work?!
Not as much as I would like. I miss it loads.
I read that BK was one of the remixers of Erasure’s ‘Moon and the Sky Plus.’ Was that you?!?
Yep, I did a mix of that but I don’t think they ever released it? [well, according to Wikipedia — dontchya just love it — it came out on Mute Records in 2003. Does that mean I’ll get a cut of your royalties for making the discovery?!]
Who would your dream remix or collaboration be with?
The Prodigy
On the 15th July you’ll be making your first appearance at the colourful and crazy Party Proactive. Excited?
Very excited. It’s really good to see you guys mixing up styles. A few years ago people like Farley and myself took a lot of grief for mixing up different styles. It’s taken time but now guys like you are helping us fly the flag. To be fair, musically it’s the perfect booking for me and I’ve heard loads of great reports — and Farley says I will love it.
Thank you, Ben. It’s been a pleasure working on this interview; I hope you enjoyed answering the questions. See you on the 15th July. Proactiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive Baby!!
All images courtesy of BK. Not to be reproduced without permission.
OH MY GOODNESS – that really is all I can say to describe our launch at Turnmills. The Party Proactive faithful descended on Turnmills from absolutely everywhere with tickets being sold to party animals up and down the country and even abroad with tickets even being bought in Italy and Spain!
We quite literally blew the roof off and shook Turnmills to its foundations. I reckon we might just have found the perfect venue for what has to be “THE” most successful and ground breaking event to emerge out of the London club scene in a very very long time!
After lots and lots of thinking and hard drinking we think we might just be able to outdo our launch Party with another Party Proactive line-up that breaks the mould and brings together all that is superb about clubbing and dance music!
T1 is host to a flaming cocktail of tech funk, techno and hard dance. DJ superstar Dave Angel headlines the bill, alongside hard dance pioneer BK. With Intec wonder kid, Pedro Delgardo, and two very special b2bs, prepare for a musical journey like no other.
T2 goes international and from the city of love, Paris, we bring you house and electro legend DJ Paulette. The musically talented Mr Skruff provides impeccable taste, alongside the legendary Party Proactive favourite, Queen Maxine and rising star Alex Parsons.
Energy levels are going to MAXIMUM with the sounds of Atomic Hoooooooligan in the Juno Room. With Chew the Fat’s Paul Arnold raising the stakes and our bountiful master SteelO, those twists and breaks are just the beginning of the most filthy of adventures…
In the VIP room we bring you Funk Deluxe, the Midlands fastest rising funky house brand.
Fuck the hype and check it out for yourselves!
Flyer:
-
Region:
London
Music:
Hard Trance. House. Funky House. Hard House. Tribal House. Funky Techno. Techno. Breaks.
From: Dickon Lawson 4th Jul 2006 15:39.14 Great interview Max. Nice and punchy. Liam Howlett and Ben Keen in the studio would create some interesting results!
From: ~deleted1390on 4th Jul 2006 17:00.14 A production genius.
From: *cheeky chick*on 4th Jul 2006 21:58.44 its been ages since ive seen Ben
From: Gordon Darleyon 4th Jul 2006 23:40.21 Proper leg-end, and one of the main reasons I'm into the music that I am [/cheese]
From: paul jackon 5th Jul 2006 09:46.11 Cant wait to see BK!
Its amazing how far Party Proactive has gone - from throwing partiesin a pub two years ago to Turnmills and world class DJ's like BK!
Not to be missed!!!
From: Dubsteron 5th Jul 2006 10:15.21 One of the few producers worthy of the way-overused title of Legend.
From: K.A.R.L.on 5th Jul 2006 16:06.51 A proper legend of his scene. Can't wait to see Ben at Party Proactive. It's going to be a quality night.
From: Glyn Waterson 5th Jul 2006 18:32.52 I want PP to now
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