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Features
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| Introducing NEM3SI$’s new label Infinite Resistance! | | Mindbenderz talk ‘Lord of the Rings’ and fishing, as well as the creation of their new album ‘Celestial Gateway’! | | Iono-Music artists One Function, Eliyahu, Invisible Reality and Dual Vision talk Robert Miles, kids, dogs and vinyl, while we chat about their current releases! | | Luke&Flex talk influences, the Irish rave scene, why Flex wears a mask and Play Hard, their new EP out now on Onhcet Repbulik Xtreme! | | Lyktum expands on his new album ‘Home’ – talking about his love of storytelling, creating new harmonies and the concept behind his musical works. | | Pan talks getting caught short crossing the Sahara, acid eyeballs and tells us Trance is the Answer, plus shares his thoughts on his latest release 'Beyond the Horizon' - all from a beach in Spain! | | Miss C chats about living with the KLF, DJing in a huge cat’s mouth, training her brain and the upcoming super-duper Superfreq Grande party at LDN East this Saturday, 16th September! | | NEM3SI$ - I Live for the Night – talks superficiality, psychopaths, and bittersweet success, ahead of a plethora of evocative, emotional, and passionate upcoming melodic techno releases! | | Psy-Sisters Spring Blast Off! We talk to DJ competition winner ROEN along with other super talents on the lineup! | | Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! | | Shyisma talks parties, UFO's, and Shotokan Karate ahead of his upcoming album 'Particles' on Iono-Music! | | SOME1 talks family, acid, stage fright and wolves - ahead of his upcoming album release ‘Voyager’ on Iono-Music in February 2023! | | The Transmission Crew tell all and talk about their first London event on 24th February 2023! | | NIXIRO talks body, mind and music production ahead of his release 'Planet Impulse' on Static Movement's label - Sol Music! | | Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project | | The Psy-Sisters chat about music, achievements, aspirations and the 10-Year Anniversary Party - 18/12/22! | | A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden | | Earth Needs a Rebirth! Discussions with Psy-Trance Artist Numayma | | Taking a Journey Through Time with Domino | | New Techno Rising Star DKLUB talks about his debut release White Rock on Onhcet Republik! | | PAN expands on many things including his new album 'Hyperbolic Oxymoron' due for release on the 14th April 2022 on PsyWorld Records! | | Psibindi talks all things music including her new collaborative EP 'Sentient Rays' on Aphid Records, her band Sentience Machine and 10 years of Psy-Sisters! |
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Jon Rundell - Getting Closer With The Intec Powerhouse
Reported by Ben Gomori
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Submitted 04-04-07 09:05
Jon Rundell is probably best known to HFers for his former life in hard house - producing phat, funky tunes for the likes of Tidy, Kaktai and Retek and regularly playing for the country's most discerning hard clubs such as Riot! at The End. But what do you do when your beloved hard house loses its funk and gets too filthy? Well in Jon's case, you get involved with techno, start producing, pester Carl Cox for a bit, and then become one of the key figures behind his marvellous Intec Records, as well as becoming the big man's support DJ on his current tour of Australia. What is it they say about every cloud having some kind of metallic lining?
Along with all this, he's been getting back into production - with his 'Dirty Disco' EP for Intec meeting critical acclaim, and an EP this year on Trevor Rockcliffe's Mentor label also doing the damage but more on that later. We grabbed some words with this HF alumnus between shows in Australia - to find out more about his role at Intec, the labels' future and his set at the intimate new warehouse party Closer in London on April 20th.
So obviously we first heard about you in your hard house days. How and when did you first discover hard house and its mutant variants?
I have always liked most dance music to be honest but my real passion is anything with a bit of funk in it. I would go record shopping back home and the guys behind the counter would show me Tripoli Trax and tell me to check it out. I preferred the Steve Thomas and Pete Wardman sounds, and the odd F1 track - they had this funk element and still had a lot of house elements in them and that’s why I liked it. Then as the sound evolved it got harder and harder and I wasn’t so into that. I like something more swingy and funky, something that’s going to hook you into it. As a result I basically only really played warm up sets at events so that I could still play the music I liked and also keep the promoter happy by properly warming up the club.
How did you start getting involved in production and DJing out in the scene once you were hooked?
On the DJing side of things I would go to the events I wanted to play at and give the promoters tapes - we didn’t have CD’s then - and eventually after a few years some of them gave me some breaks, most notably a party called Ghost which was on at Happy Jax in London Bridge. After I played for them a few times other promoters became interested and one thing lead to another.
On the production side it was just a natural progression of my interest in music. I largely started by doing collaborations with people, but learned various tips and tricks along the way. Then I found that not many people were always totally feeling what I wanted to put across so I made the step towards going it alone in a studio and I am still learning loads. I have mainly got my head round Logic but now I’m also using Ableton and combining the two. It’s insane what you can do on it.
You played regularly for the legendary Sunday afternoon shindig Riot!. Do you miss those heady days at The End?
Definitely. It was a true party run by true party people. It was that hedonistic vibe that everyone had always wanted. It didn’t matter where you were from - everyone was welcome. Of course the Thunderidge is one of the best sound systems going to play on as well.
The demise of Riot! was somewhat symptomatic of the general shrinking of the hard dance scene in London. Why do you think things have gone the way they have?
It’s hard to tell really, I guess a generation moved on and got responsibilities. Generally when you are younger you like your music harder because it’s rebellious in a way I think. I also see loads of people I used to see at harder events now bopping away at house events instead, so I suppose peoples musical tastes change and evolve too. Or maybe the scene got stale and the music too hard. I remember there were always about 20 or so events on every weekend in the capital and 60% of them would have the same line up on them pretty much. That’s a lot to ask of clubbers who are parting with their cash to go to every event so it’s only natural that there will eventually be less parties as they begin to pick and chose what they feel are the best events for them and what they like.
How did you first become involved with Carl Cox and his Intec Records label?
I started giving him my music whenever I saw him play at events about 3-4 years ago. One event in particular I gave him a new track and about 2 hours later he played it to 50,000 people at Dance Valley. I was gobsmacked. I waited for him to finish and said thank you and then left him to get on with what he was doing. A few weeks later the then label manager rang me up and told me they wanted to sign it. About a year later the label manager was leaving and I was then approached by them to take over, as I’d been helping him out with bits and pieces. I didn’t really have to think twice about it. We never released that record after I took over because I decided it wasn’t good enough anymore!
Did you feel a bit daunted or starstruck at first?
Not really to be honest, I’m not that kind of person. Sure Cox is someone I have always looked up to as a peer but he is just going about his every day business just like the rest of us.
What’s planned for the label in 2007? You’ve been taking a bit of a break recently.
Yes, taking a short break to realign things. It’s become very difficult to run a label of our size without losing money every time we release something. We have stripped back a lot of our costs already and decided it is time to just have a break. The last year has been very difficult. When we come back though we have some really exciting album projects and releases lined up for after the summer. We have really slowed the schedule down to a release every 2 months and are concentrating on putting out the best possible music we believe in.
You’ve been churning out a bit of drum ‘n’ bass in the studio over the last few years. Do you have serious aspirations to become a known producer in the DnB world or are you content with just making these beats for a different audience?
In a way I do yes. Again the style is of a funk-lead kind and if the serious DnB heads are into it then great. As long as the quality is there then anyone can listen to it. If new people begin to like DnB then I think this can only be a good thing. I have a side project I’m doing that will hopefully open people’s ears to more music. Each release will consist of house, techno, DnB and maybe a breaks mix so that there is something for everyone. To be honest I don’t really want to pigeonhole myself in anyone one genre as I like it all and as long as everything I do is of the best quality it can be then no one can complain!
As a DJ, you’ve been playing some very tasty looking gigs so far this year – including being Carl’s support DJ on his tour of Australia. Which gig blew you away more than any other?
Melbourne was fantastic, by far the best experience of my life so far. To look up and see 20,000 in front of you going off to one of your own tracks is like scoring a goal for England at the old Wembley for me. The whole tour has been great though too, I’ve learnt a lot and seen what life is really like on the road, met some cool people along the way and will take that back to London and work even harder so I can get to do it again. It’s a fantastic feeling seeing people in front of you smiling because of the music you are playing them.
I’ve heard you have been known to play on up to 4 decks. How does this set-up work exactly?
This is more when I do straight up techno sets. The way the records are made means they can be manipulated more easily once they are on the decks and you can be more creative with the way you mix. It’s not about blending but more about cutting things in and chopping things out, a bit like hip hop DJing really. I mastered 3 decks and then I found that venues would always have 2 1210s and 2 CDJs so one day I just thought why not and went for it there and then on the four as I was still using a combination of vinyl and CDs. I try and always play like this now. On the tour I’ve been using 3 CDJ’s and playing anything from house to techno to DnB and breaks all in the same set.
Which other DJs really impress you for their technical innovation or prowess?
Ben Sims and Dave Clarke are the masters of what I have just explained above, no one can touch them. But if you really want to be blown away then you should defiantly check out an 8 hour Danny Tenaglia set if you get the opportunity. That is the ultimate in DJing.
You are playing alongside techno legends Luke Slater and Colin Dale at a new warehouse party on April 20th called closer. Are you excited about the intimate, back-to-basics approach that this party is taking?
Definitely, clubbing has become a little regimented over the last few years and it’s lost that free spirit and hedonism. The new generation haven’t experienced that feeling and parties like this will be fantastic to put this across to them as an alternative.
Do you think techno has experienced a bit of a renaissance in London in recent years?
Yes, but it is still frustrating that promoters have taken so long to come back to it, Europe embraced it and now its difficult to get the DJs to come to London to play as a result. Hopefully with Closer we can begin to change that and offer good quality line ups to show people what they have been missing.
Luke Slater recently played a “virtual” DJ set within the virtual online community Second Life. What were your thoughts on this rather bizarre event?
I think it’s great for people who are into the music but cant afford to go clubbing, and I think its also great to spread music to a wider audience as the web has become so important for this.
What do you envisage the future of DJing to be like? Will robots ever control the music in our clubs?
Never, music is an emotional state and robots don’t have any emotion. That personal human touch goes a long way towards someone’s experience and if they see you enjoying yourself as much as they are then they can connect with you and that experience becomes greater for them.
Photos courtesy of Jon Rundell. Not to be reproduced without permission.
Closer - with LUKE SLATER
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On:
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Friday 20th April 2007
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At:
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In a warehouse somewhere in Shoreditch
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From:
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Midnight to 7am
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Cost:
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Very Limited £6 tickets / £8 /£10
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Ticket Info:
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Very limited early bird tickets £6 + b/f / standard tickets £8/£10 + b/f
Ticketweb: 08700 600 100 / www.ticketweb.co.uk
Info: 07814 179946 / 07957 112723 / www.myspace.com/politburoevents
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Buy Online:
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Click here to buy tickets
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More:
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Closer – unrestricted, unrestrained techno…
Warehouse location, London – Friday, 20th April 2007
Location to be revealed seven days before the event / 00:00-07:00
Closer is a new event designed to do exactly what it says on the tin. It’s about techno in its purest, rawest sense – unrestricted, unrestrained – delivered by its finest practitioners up close and personal… and the setting? We’re talking a warehouse space somewhere in Shoreditch, Funktion 1 sound and one hell of a party from midnight to morning.
Techno in its many shapes and guises has become the leading international language of the dancefloor from beach festivals in Brazil to the underground sound of Europe’s coolest clubs. The scene’s leading DJs are in such demand on the global circuit that we barely get to see them here in the UK and that’s usually confined to the bigger clubs and festivals. All well and good, of course, but there’s nothing quite like dancing to techno in one room where the lights are low, the atmosphere is intense and you can see the whites of the DJs’ eyes!
Closer aims to bring back that special vibe. The inaugural session and first in a series of very special parties takes place on Friday, April 20th with Luke Slater at the helm. A perfect choice he is too and as well as being one of the true geniuses of the techno scene, the chances to hear him play in London are few and far between. Joining him will be a cast of London’s finest including Colin Dale, Jon Rundell and Steve Strawberry:-
Luke Slater: musical and technological innovator, and man of many guises – Planetary Assault Systems, Clementine, Morganistic and the 7th Plain to name a few. Both as a DJ and a producer, Luke Slater has always been at the forefront of redefining the techno blueprint winning support from across the electronic music spectrum. Recent projects have included a ‘Fabric’ mix CD and the ‘Head Converter” EP, the Mote-Evolver independent online music distribution portal and a live DJ set on the Second Life internet-based virtual world. Combine that with a packed DJ and production schedule, and you have a true maverick with 15 years of dancefloor vision behind him.
Colin Dale: London legend and one of the most respected names around, Colin Dale has always stood by his musical guns. From his beginnings as a resident at the Knowledge night with Colin Faver through to his pioneering Kiss FM radio show and inspirational compilations like ‘Abstract Funk Theory’ and Abstrakt Dance label, this is a man who has techno running through his veins infused with his own special blend of machine funk.
Jon Rundell: label manager of Carl Cox’s Intec Records imprint and something of a wizard behind the decks, 2007 looks like being the year when Jon Rundell really comes into his own. Currently on tour with Carl Cox in Australia, his recent ‘Dirty Disco’ EP has proved he’s more than cut his teeth as a producer too.
Steve Strawberry: coming up from the London underground and the man behind the excellent Tilted Disco parties, Steve Strawberry is a man you’ll be hearing a lot more over the coming months because of his incendiary turntable skills. You can expect all kind of action as he throws in three decks and an 808 drum machine into the mix.
Closer is keen to support new talent also and getting the party started right will be Matt Panik playing back-to-back with Stakker and Dimitry playing back-to-back with Mutant from the Tuned and Injury Time crews respectively.
The line-up is not the only the thing that’s out of the ordinary about Closer – the location is pretty damn special too. Expect one arch of music in a warehouse location somewhere in Shoreditch, award winning Funktion 1 sound with extra Funktion 1 bass bins, and the same production standards to be found at parties like ISSST and SLAANG (all three are Politburo events.) The location will be revealed online at www.myspace.com/politburoevents seven days before the event.
Closer is the techno party the London faithful has been crying out for – unrestricted, unrestrained and like no other. This is your chance to get Closer with Luke Slater – accept no substitute, this is for one night only.
For more information contact Paul Jack 07814 179946 / brainless66@hotmail.com
Matthew Duffield at Politburo HQ 07957 112723 / matthew@seditiondjs.com
Closer in association with Politburo www.myspace.com/politburoevents
Web links
Luke Slater – www.lukeslater.com / www.myspace.com/thereallukeslater
Colin Dale – www.myspace.com/abstraktdance
Jon Rundell – www.myspace.com/jonrundell
Steve Strawberry – www.myspace.com/stevestrawberry / www.myspace.com/tilteddisco
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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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![[HarderFaster] - Work Hard, Play Harder!](/images/mainbanner_top1-xmas.gif)
Twas farkin groovy! Africaine still does the damage tho lol.
