As the first days of 1998 began to pass, something odd passed over me- the New Years marked the official beginning for myself to begin anticipating this year's Even Furthur event. Being (at least) five months away at the time, I felt somewhat odd to be so hyped for an event (hey, it's just a party right?) that was nearly half a year away. It wasn't until I brought the subject up with friends that I realized that I wasn't the only one. Furthur is much more than a party- it's a chance to truly see what the Midwest is all about: mobile sound systems, freaky people doing freaky things, fantastic talent, and a vibe unparalleled. For someone who is truly into what Furthur has to offer, five months is almost the minimum amount of time needed to plan everything you'd like to see. The only problem is this: even the people throwing the event don't even know when or what's going on, though there there are ideas in the works and plans in mind. Even Furthur this year is a strong possibility but unfortunately not yet a for sure thing! To their credit, the organization is no easy task, but it would help to know.

So what is Even Furthur? Though its attendance has swelled to 3500 or more, there are, sadly, people who still haven't ever heard of it. For those of us so much in the know, please allow this moment for the Special Ed. kids to get off their little bus and get on the Furthur bus... In an attempt to garner at least some information, I spoke with Kurt Eckes of the Drop Bass Network.

Furthur, first thrown on a miserable snowy weekend the first week of May, 1994, was borne from ideas and inspirations from the book 'The Electric Kool-Aid Test' by Tom Wolfe, considered by many as an historic textbook of 60's counterculture with it's true tales of the marauding Merry Pranksters driving across the country in their bus (the misspelled 'Furthur' written across its marquee plate) turning people on to a different mindset... and LSD. Kurt Eckes (aka jethrox), the central figure to the Even Furthur concept, explains: "I was reading it at the time and it was what got the discussions going about psychedelics and people getting together. The book really influenced me at the time. The name 'Furthur' was given to the bus the Merry Pranksters drove across the country. The whole 'on the bus' concept fit the idea of what we were working on. Plus the idea of the festival was to take our culture to something more than just a party- i.e. 'Furthur'" His ideas took more hold in conversations he was having with David Prince- the editor of Chicago's 'Reactor,' (a pioneering Midwest Rave magazine) and renowned commentator of the underground techno culture.

In these halcyon days of Midwest Rave history, the question was more imposing than ever- 'Where do we go from here?' The movements of the 1960's had their lasting effects upon the world, and Raves could arguable be the reincarnation (or at the very least a very similar close cousin) to these, with the beliefs espoused by the mass as a whole being quite similar. A growing mass of people with similar tastes, interests, and hopes for the world that united in a state of dance every weekend. It was Prince and Eckes' vision to contain this liquid mass in one grand celebration over a weekend- bringing in some of the best talent of the time and offering something more than just a party- it was to become a family gathering. The ideas laid all but idle in each of their heads, but upon the involvement of Minneapolis rave founding father and techno innovator ESP Woody McBride, the vision came closer to fruition. "Woody McBride was the one pushed to make the idea a reality- he's not afraid to take chances like that," recalls Kurt.

So, on a remote hilltop visible from Interstate 94 in northern Wisconsin, just outside of the appropriately-named town of Hixton, Furthur the party became a reality, as "a gathering celebrating the flowering of summer and our culture going beyond towards three days of blissful enlightenment" as it was written on the flier. "We decided to do it at the end of April / beginning of May to go with the idea that this flowering of our culture coincided with the flowering of summer. Plus this would also help give it the identity of our own little Mayday since it was on the first of May" -a novel idea, except that it was cold, muddy, raining, and even snowing for most of the three days. Regardless, any of the 1500 in attendance, through the chattering of their teeth, would tell you that something truly amazing was happening around them- even in the midst of frequent visits by the local police and endless amounts of we, cold, mud accumulating on every square inch below their waists. "We proved it could be done. The talent was second to none- Aphex Twin, Roland Casper, Bones, Adam X, the Hardkiss brothers, Micro, Barry Weaver, the St. Louis Vibe Tribe... Too much talent actually [because] a lot of them didn't get to play after the Sheriffs ended it early Sunday morning. There were lots of technical complications as well (many not our fault), but in the end everyone pulled through with the extra effort to make it work."

Many lessons were learned from this first year, and many of the technical difficulties experienced there stood as education on how to do it all again- bigger, better, and hopefully brighter- as the second year's event was moved to Memorial Day's four day weekend at the end of May, 1995. "The concept for the second one was, now that we went Furthur we should try to go Even Furthur." The journey came out of the gates somewhat shaky though- as the date change brought a falling out of Woody from the original camp. It's telling fate though- that with growth and change there isn't necessarily going to be unity and perfection. "Our space hunting went poorly and few things we thought looked good ended up look bad. At the last minute before we were going to decide not to do the event, we found the ski hill. The place just felt right. I tracked down the owner and convinced him this was something he wanted to do." Though the space was secured, insuring that the event had some hopes of going off, Furthur's second coming was riddled with other difficulties. Because of the late start, the line-up wasn't entirely to their liking and the flier was made with haste. When the party actually came to be it was again interrupted by the local law (this time the sound had to be turned off each night), two of the main headliners were no-shows, and possibly the worst scenario- the new suite of promoters behind it weren't even getting along. "[We] didn't trust or like each other much and it was more two camps against each instead of doing it together." Oh, and it rained the entire weekend, too.

Not that it wasn't spectacular- 3000 people came out to this family reunion in the wooded isolation of northern Wisconsin, and you could tell that much was learned from the first year's nightmares by how many of the technical difficulties were ironed out. And even though the rain made the basin-like space into a virtual lake, flooding many people from their tents, creating a no man's land smack-dab in the middle of the entire location, it almost seemed fitting-as if the weather was one of the family too. In some odd irony, the worse the weather became, the more people strived to enjoy themselves in its spite. While Furthur told us all that we can convene as a family, Even Furthur solidified just how much we will do to have a good time together. In the way that Marines are taught to improvise, it seems that Ravers just ignore anything negative out of existence and have the times of their lives. Even Furthur, on the family level, defined itself as something we need to have at least one a year- a chance to make new friends and to really realize the value of the friends you already have- in an outdoor atmosphere where everyone was dependent upon one another. "The main thing we wanted to achieve was the sense of purpose and family that could be created within a scene. We wanted to go for some of that sense you get at a Rainbow Family gathering." At the promotion level, the party paid off the debts from the first year and stood as yet another learning experience for all involved. There remains to this day some legal stuff, still in the courts, the Eckes would only define as "major" so we can only hope that this event doesn't come back to haunt him.

Even Furthur 1996 arrived the following Memorial Day weekend, and in Kurt's opinion, it was "everyone's shining moment," as he, Dave, and Woody were back together with a near-perfect line-up and two years of technical savvy backing them up to do it right. Though the space- a campground in Southwestern Wisconsin- was found only a few weeks prior to the event itself, it was near-perfect. Rain made its given appearance and made the space, with its steep roads, inescapable: "Everyone was basically trapped there." But it only seemed to make the event all the better. The presence of Daft Punk, like that of Aphex Twin the first year, just left you in awe of what you actually were attending. 3500 people -in Nowheresville, Wisconsin- soaked to the bone wet, going buck crazy to some of the best DJs and musicians in the world. "It was pretty instence seeing that many muddy people going mad!" recalls Kurt. "It was great to be part of that event. In my opinion it was one of, if not the best event, even to happen in the Midwest. It was by no means a demonstration of professionalism, but the edge created from the chaos gave it the usual Furthur feel. I think that feel is one of the most important aspects of this event. A lot of great press was created from the event that will make it a part of history when people look back."

It is at this point in the Furthur saga where the exponential rise stops unfortunately, because technically, there was no Even Furthur 1997. In its place, Drop Bass threw a "Little Furthur" because the planning for the real thing never got off the ground and they wanted to keep the Memorial Day weekend alive. It was sad that something with so much momentum behind it wasn't able to continue as so, but the usuals kept the party at bay- troubles organizing the promoters, spaces falling through, and to top if off, Tribal Gathering was planned for the same weekend in England- making many of the prime candidates for the line-up they wanted for Even Furthur unavailable, as most were booked for Tribal Gathering or simply wanted to attend it (Kraftwerk was doing their first live show in like 10 years at the event). The beginning of May arrived and an impressive line up was still managed together, but there still was no space for a party that was expected by many to exceed the number of attendees the year before. "With something this size it would be irresponsible to put out a flyer without a venue and after the start of May it was too late." Calmly and quietly, Even Furthur 1997 was written of as something that would perhaps have to be achieved later in the summer (it never happened). Luckily, it was never publicly 'canceled' and a buzz still existed - fueled by the disbelief that there couldn't be a Furthur to all the diehards who had attended any of the previous years in what came to define perhaps another true meaning behind Furthur, a space was found one week prior to Memorial Day in Central Wisconsin. And, with only minimal Kinko's copy promotions and word of mouth, Little Furthur came to be. "1500 people showed up on the minimal promotions and made the event a reality. In a lot of ways it was what Furthur was really about. Word-of-mouth gave it a family feeling in the sense that friends were telling friends." It didn't hold the 'bigness' that the last few years held, and the line-up wasn't as riddled with big names from all over the world (more so upon the unexplainable no-shows of Ed Rush, Trace and Nico and Tim Taylor being in the hospital), but "for a lot of people it was the best one yet because without the music being the reason for gathering it got to the heart of why we were there - to just be together." It was a great opportunity for much of the Midwest talent, as the event relied on them for the music that was to be presented. "They had to step up to the plate and show everyone what the had. A lot of people did a great job." Even our good friend rain arrived in its usual fashion- nearly non-stop all weekend long.

Little Furthur was as fulfilling, if not more, that its three larger predecessors. Each event has been a magical and educational experience on whatever level it was on. Those who attended any or all of the Furthur events went away with a better understanding of who we are as a group of people unified by the indefinable 'stuff' that bring us together. Kurt, and the numerous partners he has taken on to present each Furthur, have learned as much from their mistakes as they have from their successes- to the point that Little Furthur -a last ditch effort for anyone from the outside looking in- was presented with the same quality that Even Furthur was the year before.

To attend a Furthur event is to truly get a grasp of what makes the Midwest scene so unique compared to the rest of the country as well as the rest of the world. This isn't to suggest that we are any better than anyone else, but there is no place I'd rather be than right here. Unfortunately, at the time of this publication, the details are quite the same as they have always been this far in advance to the event- nothing is for sure, and if it is, no one wants to say much because things can change overnight. Spaces can be gained or last or just plain unusable for certain dates (Memorial Day being one of the bigger hurdles). This much is for sure: big or small, Memorial Day (four day!) or later in the summer (less rain!), the players this year will be Drop Bass in conjunction with Mushgroove of Chicago and Parotic Music of Madison. This is basically the same formula that presented the New Year's party 'Teenage Wasteland,' so rest assured the production will be complete. If Even Furthur does indeed happen on its traditional weekend, Memorial Day, Kurt has expressed an interest in possible doing a Little Furthur later in the summer, possible in August sometime "between the Rainbow Gathering and the Burning Man Festival." I doubt there would be any complaints about this 'Furthur spin-off' that we could look forward to closing each summer as well.

The road ahead involves all the same thrills for the organizers of Even Furthur: Finding a space, securing it, going through the mountain of legal hassles an event of this size entails; choosing a date that is suitable for the location and allows enough time for promotion; calling and booking the entertainment, buying their plane tickets if needed... you get the picture. "The hardest part is the three days before the event- doing all of the last minute stuff, travel, site preparation, etc. and then the four days of the event. It's basically 7 days with little to no sleep and without any 'extra assistance'. It takes a lot out of a person to do that. But when it's over it's a great feeling of accomplishment." At least the fliers have essentially been designed for nearly a year, a concept by the guy whose design has shaped the Furthur (and most everything Drop Bass-related) image to what most know it as today: Cody of 43D Studios. "I think a lot of people appreciate his work. A good gauge of what people think about a flyer is to look at the floor after the first couple of parties they are passed out at. Sometimes you don't ever find a 43D flyer."

So closes the little information available at this point on the event that has essentially become the 'family reunion' of the Midwest. Though it is disappointing that there really isn't any information to offer at this point, any person in their right mind will make a point to check this thing out- whenever and wherever it ends up being. Few things are ever 'satisfaction guaranteed,' but Even Furthur is a sure bet. For now, we'll just have to rely on the old-fashioned way of doing things- watching the voicemails (414.256.1733) and waiting for the flier...

Evily yours.

Jethrox

Drop Bass Network

Words and Photos by Canon

When it comes to UK junglists, Darren Jay is one of the most respected and best loved DJs in the business.  He’s been playing major events all around the globe for years as well as lending his DJ talents to countless parties and clubs in his native England.  In addition to his DJ commitments, he also finds time to run his record label, Mecca, which puts out quality hip-hop, R&B, and not to mention some of the best jungle records on the shelves right now.  Among the most recent releases on Mecca is the dancefloor smasher “Style Warz” by L Double.  He is also one of the friendliest people you’d ever want to meet in the drum & bass scene as well totally down to earth and always smiling.  I sat down with Darren in Denver while commuting to Skylab V by Together and Lower World productions to talk about his beginnings in the scene and what motivates him to keep going.

Back in 1987, during the acid house explosion in England, Darren made a quick habit of going out to parties every weekend and “raving off his face.”  “Before acid house,” Darren explains, “clubs were all very posey and pretentious.  Acid house was a breath of fresh air!  It brought a lot of different people together.  People from all different walks of life came together and began dancing together.  People made a move away from pub culture.” Acid house was incredibly influential as it changed a lot of attitudes and laid the initial building blocks for everything still to come, including jungle.

When Darren first became involved with rave culture, he had no intention of becoming a DJ, it was just something that evolved naturally over time through his love of music. All his life he had collected loads of music and eventually became fed up with DJs who just weren’t doing it for him.  “If you realize that you want to be a part of something, you have to grow with it.”  For Darren, this meant an evolution from party-goer to DJ.  He’d been DJing for himself for years, and decided it was time to try his hand at playing for other people.  Luckily, the people liked him and he’s been doing it very successfully ever since.  Most notably as a member of the AWOL crew alongside Randall, Mickey Finn, Kenny Ken, GQ, and Fearless back in ‘95.

By the end of ‘91, the music basically split into 2 paths:  house, and a faster, breakbeat path.  Obviously, Darren opted for the breaks.  “If people were into the vocally, slower tempo stuff, then they stayed with house.  If they were into reggae or hip-hop, then they moved into the breakbeat scene because that’s what the producers were putting in their tunes.”  The breakbeat scene then evolved into jungle and Darren was right there with it as it was happening.

Like rock n’ roll in the 50’s and 60’s, jungle was at first demonized by the mainstream media.  Most music critics had few good things to say about it, and it was often denounced as a musical form.  “It’s the bastard son of house,” Darren says, or as MC 5ive-0 has put it, “It was reject music.” Jungle was soon written off and ignored by the mainstream media, thus allowing it to develop it’s own completely self-sufficient and underground culture outside of the dominant rave scene.  Jungle nurtured itself without help from the media or any outsiders and became a very tight  community.  “This scene is a close-nit thing. It’s about working as a collective.  It’s about working as a team.  Mickey Finn or Hype can have a new track and I’ll get a DAT from them and cut it and play it out that night.  Without one another, you isolate yourself.”  This may explain why some refer to them as the “jungle mafia.”

If you’ve ever had the chance to hear Darren play, it should be very apparent where his tastes lie.  “I like something with a groove to it.  If it’s just mechanical, then you may as well just be listening to hard techno, which, to me, isn’t what the scene’s all about.  A lot of people slagged off people like me who played music with ragga or hip-hop influences, but for me, those are the things that have influenced me in my life.  If those elements had never been there, then nobody in America would have ever been into it either!  It was those elements that drew them in!” Darren explains.

Hip-hop has been a huge influence on Darren all his life, and if you happen to catch him away from his DJing commitments, chances are he’s listening to hip-hop or R&B.  “I never, EVER play jungle in my car!  I can’t be around it 24-7!  When I hear it or play it, I want it to effect me.  If you’re around it all the time, and hear the same records again and again, it’s hard to get off on it,” he explains.  In addition to playing drum & bass out at the big parties, Darren has also been known to throw down an occasional hip-hop set with the same mixing style he’d apply to a D&B set.  He describes his style simply as “flowing.”  “There’s nothing worse than going out to a hip-hop club and hearing a really good tune that gets everyone jumping and then the DJ starts scratching over it!  And then you get to hear 16 bars of a track before something else is on!  To me, that’s bollocks!  I’m sorry.  I know some DJ’s are great at it, I love DJ Rectangle, but for ME, I like a DJ who can let the music FLOW.  To me, it’s about keeping the people dancing.  These DMC competitions are about tricks.  It’s the technical side of things.  That’s great if you can do it, and I have the utmost respect for those people, but I like a DJ like DJ Premier who can do all that, but can also play an hour and a half set and just keep it flowing.”  So it’s safe to say Darren isn’t going to take on the Invisbl Skratch Piklz any time soon, but don’t underestimate the man’s skills either!  His mixing is as tight as it gets and his selection will always keep the dance floor roaring.

Darren Jay is definitely on a roll at the moment.  With DJ commitments and several releases planned for Mecca in the upcoming months (be sure to keep an eye out for “Rippin Up Shows” by the 175 Crew), it’s safe to say Darren is going to be one busy man.  There’s even talk of a US tour with Mampi Swift happening in early ‘99.  If you ever happen to see his name on a flyer for a party near you, make every effort to get there because I guarantee you will NOT be disappointed!

Words by Canon

Photos by John Griffin

Over the past couple years, Bristol has proven to be a hot-bed of drum & bass talent. The small city has produced such luminaries as Roni Size, Krust, Die, Tech Itch, and Bill Riley. Roni Size and Reprazent have achieved world-wide fame with the release of their LP “New Forms” back in ‘97 and with the momentum he’s been building up for himself, it seems as though Bill Riley could very well end up traveling on the same trail blazed by his  colleagues. Bill has just completed his first solo tour of the US, but this was his second time playing in the states. He had been here before as the opening act for, believe it or not, Soul Coughing and was faced with the task of playing Drum & Bass for rock audiences who aren’t always very receptive to electronic music. It went well, and he returned to play some true-blue Drum & Bass events this time around including LowerWorld’s Rewind 14 in Denver where I was able to catch him and talk with him about the scene in Bristol, Protocol, and his tunes.

The vibe/scene in Bristol is different from London in that the scene is much more intimate and close-knit. Mr. Riley attended the same school as Dj Die growing up, and they could often be found spending their time on skateboards together.  Before the initial acid house explosion, Bill’s music of choice was hip-hop and found himself fascinated by early break beat culture. Once the rave scene began it’s evolution toward Jungle, Bill knew he had found something he had to be a part of. He scraped enough money together to buy himself a pair of turntables and a mixer and taught himself how to mix records. “Mixing records is something everyone can learn.” Bill explains, “I don’t find it difficult to mix. What’s important to me, as a DJ,  is what tunes I’ve got in my box. I like to keep it rollin’ in long mixes. Drum & Bass is a vibe thing, not so much a skill on the turntables thing like Hip-Hop.”  He is quick to acknowledge the connection between the two break beat cultures, though. “Drum & Bass is our bad boy music, our b-boy music”, thereby helping to reinforce the view that Drum & Bass is the UK’s answer to Hip-Hop.

Bill knew it was important for him to learn how to mix records before he could get into producing. “It was a natural progression from mixing records to producing tunes,” he says, “I’m the sort of person who likes to be constantly learning new things”. His first excursion into the world of production was alongside his old school chum, DJ Die, under the name DNA. His first solo outing was a couple of tunes called “The Chill” and “Future Funk” which were released on the highly influential Bristol label Full Cycle. “I feel privileged to have tunes out on that label”. Before too long, Bill moved to London which proved to be a wise move for him because it gave him the opportunity to do his own thing outside of Bristol and the opportunity to develop his own sound. “Full Cycle gets the pick, but not all the tunes I was making really captured what Full Cycle was about as a label in terms of the sound,” he explains, “So I had tunes kicking around that were still good that would do it in the clubs. So I started my own label”. That label was Protocol, and the tunes he’s put out have a much harder, techier edge than anything that would be released on Full Cycle, but they still maintain an organic, funky feel to them. Bill met up with V Recordings’ Brian G and Jumping Jack Frost through Die and Roni Size. “He (Brian G) loved my tunes, and wanted to include me on their ‘V Classic’ lp”. This gave Bill even more exposure since “V Classic” proved to be one of the best-selling Drum & Bass lps ever, and it certainly doesn’t hurt to be associated with one of the most prestigious labels on the planet either.  Bill returned to the V roster again this year with his track, “Fat Man”, and another collaboration with DJ Die under the name “Biomechanics” on the massive “Planet V” lp which will no doubt prove to be even more significant than it’s predecessor.

1999 is going to be a busy year for Bill Riley with several more tracks planned for release on Full Cycle. Protocol will no doubt be a label to watch this year as well. There will be a new double pack released on Protocol following the success of “Closing In” Which was released on Full Cycle last winter, and he has an LP in the works for the label too. Look for that to drop in autumn ‘99. Bill’s massive “Closing In” remix has recently been featured on a compilation by XLR8R Magazine which was a domestic release. With all this and more and more Dj gigs all around the planet, Bill Riley is going to be the one to watch this year.

A-Sides has long been regarded as an influential name in the development and definition of the drum n bass that we so love.  He has been in the game for many years, spinning and producing tunes that have helped serve to keep jungle here to stay.  He is the head of two major drum n bass labels:  Fuze and Eastside, both of which have released top tracks that are played out globally by top junglists.  Producing under the guises of Fate, The Vagrant, Sci-Clone, D.T,  and  Flava Unit for such well known labels as Metalheadz, Mac 2, Strictly Underground, Reel to Reel, Bear Necesities, Genetic Stress, Electra, Juice, Splash, and Brain, A-Sides is one of the more busy people in the industry.

As is the case with most well known musicians, A-Sides’ musical beginnings were humble.  He started out playing the drums in school, listening to rock, reggae and soul music.  His entrance into dance music came with his aquisition of a part time job in a recording studio.  The sounds of hip-hop and soul music influenced him to buy two turntables and start mixing records.  Keep in mind that this transition was made a full 13 years ago.  This is the definition of old skool.  He has played some massive events and some of his most memorable were Ravelation at the Wembley Arena and last years benefit party for the radio station WRVU in Nashville, Tennesee.     His success and notoriety with DJing helped pave the way for his production projects.  His studio is very well developed with his primary gear being an EMU 6400 sampler fully loaded with 16 outputs, a 266 mhz G3 Mac, Yamaha 03D Digital mixer with 24 inputs, for synths  an Acess Virus synthesizer, Korg Wavestation SR, Korg Trinity tr rack and a Yamaha CS1X keyboard. TL audio valve compression, spirit absolute 4p monitors and a Tascam Dat machine.  This large arsenal of equipment helps to explain the variety of sounds coming forth from his labels, each with their own trademark sound.  Eastside concentrates more on the jump up and rolling styles.  It could be hip-hop influenced or jazzy.  Fuze caters for the more hard, dark,diverse, experimental side of drum and bass.

Along with his on point production, A-Sides has had many other big names in drum n bass put out tracks on his labels.  Majistrate, Mission control, m.a.t.t., Cool Hand Flex, Uncle 22, Elementz of Noize, The Spirit, Embee, Mikey James, Dylan & Facs and DCruze have all dropped sounds on his labels.

Whats your favourite tune to date?

‘Warhead’ by Krust, or ‘Valley of the Shadows’ by Origin Unknown  (there are many others).

In drum and bass right now, what producers and Djs do you rank?

Optical and Ed Rush, Andy C, Roni Size and Krust, Tech Itch, Peshay, Hype & Zinc, J. Majik, Adam F, Daz,  Johnny L and anyone from my stables.  My favourite DJ's are Randall, Kemi and Storm, Andy C, and Kenny Ken.

What producers do you rate stateside?

SD in Boston, 3D and Snuggles, Sound Sphere, and Double A  and Twist (Dune).

As it always does, the conversation begins to revolve around the future of this music and the recent negativity that has arisen in relation to it.  A-Sides is optimistic, however, seeing drum n bass in the future being better produced with more technical and musical content.   His message is strong when it comes to the people complaining about the scene:  “If they dislike it, they can get out of it.  The scene is doing good and the music is better than ever.”

End Note:

by DJ Jump

Other:we do it all for fun. We like seeing people get into it.

How did you get started in dance music? Worked at a recording studio from age of 15, took up atari st as a hobby. It revolutionized dance music sequencing and in 85 it was midi integrated, I was already an engineer, and the atari opened up my eyes. And I took up an interest in dance music, and started producing.

How long have you been producing? 18 years

What are some massive events you have spun at?n/a

What is your musical background and influences? As a guitarist, everything influences

What kind of equipment do you use in the studio?emu 6400, akai s6000, 8600 200 mac running cubase vst, and other tricks :)

What is the lowdown on all your labels? I run ram but it is owned by andy. I own and run liftin spirits

What other names have you produced under? Started outDesired state-made track dance the dreamand it did very well, then started ram with the sour mashed e.p. 2^nd was valley of the shadows as origin unknown then started doing remixes for roni size and adam f and most recently finished warhead remix, Higher Sense may come to a stop for the moment

Who has produced on your labels?andy c , ant , shimon, red one, stakka and k-tee, danny breaks, decorum, and moving fusion, dj freedom, magnetic media can be anyone working together

What’s your favorite tune to date?chase scene

What labels have you worked with besides your own(look at remixed for)?v, moving shadow, wea for busta rhymes, bmg for jay-z, full cycle and many others along the way

Artists remixed for? Roni size, bryan g, busta rhymes, jay z, adam f, about to for groooverider

In drum and bass right now, what producers do you rank? DJ’s?ed rush and optical, matrix, goldie, johnny l, anybody whos making an original bangin tune, dj’s:hype,jj frost,andy c, mampi swift, randall, shimon, ed rush and optical and many more

Some people are complaining about the scene right now, how do you feel about this? Weve always ignored negativity, and while its pushing back boundaries but were doing it for fun, but especially its multicultural. And there will always be that toon that pushes the scene in new dir.

What direction do you see d&b heading in the future? A good d&b tune always has vibe, can be aggro or mellow or both, the most beatiful thing about d&b is you cant predict where it will be in the future

Who plays out your tracks?hype, randall, mampi swift, jumpin jack frost, and grooverider to name a few

Have you heard any production from stateside producers and do you rate any of it?were more focused on working in the studio so were kind of ignorant to whats happening abroad, but whos to say whats good or bad it’s how a crowd responds to the tune

What are some tunes youre caning right now?

What are some of your top tunes of all time?1. our time by jo 2. Anything by ed rush and ootical or matrix, 3.

What are some killer choons to look forward to on any of your labels in the future? Ram there will be moving fusion e.p. in march, ram trilogy album (ant andy and shimon)it will have mixes by ed rush and optical-4 piece vinyl with 2 bonus tracks on cd, sound in motion 2 maybe around september which will be 5 piece probably and liftin spirit and ram artist compilation, andy and I are writing an album for bmg as origin unknown it will be a step in the new direction to explore the origin unknown sound, liftin spirits-contrax by two new guys named decorum, then a red one e.p. around march which will feature strangled duck remix, its an open book for the rest of the year, which keeps the sound fresh

Arjuna-Totally Lost

(Cenobite, Netherlands)

The second new Cenobite record within the last 4 or 5 months, have the gods

smiled upon us? This is without a doubt a good installment but I didn't

like it as much as the previous "New Generation" by Leviathan, this one

didn't have as much of Cenobite's trademark progressive sound that I've

come to expect. It's Arjuna's first  outing without partner The Beyonder

a.k.a. Rodney Balai who was around  the first time out Cen.#4. On this

release you got a slower re-mix of the classic "Shoot that Motherfucker"

along with "Rough is the Texture" and " The Source", both are heavily

influenced by The Predator who helped along with Guitar Rob on production.

The best track here is "Totally Lost" it's roughly the same pace as the

original mix of "Shoot that Motherfuck" and equally potent. Cenobite is

always been a great label and widely considered to be the cream of the

Dutch crop.

The Silent Hunter-Die! Those Are The Rules EP

(Execute #5/80 AUM, Holland)

I'm happy to report the newest Execute release is above average. I haven't heard anything previous under the name Silent Hunter so I'm not sure if it's somebody's new alias or another artist altogether. It's a close call but for once it seems the best track is on the logo side and not the info, "Blow Your Mind" takes up all of side A getting a little meaner and more abrasive past the half way mark. The other option is the title which

features a good sample with a semi-repetitive bleep and strong bass. What I

like about AUM tunes is that they have a longer shelf life than most others

before being considered too dated. You should be hearing this for months

down the line before #6 is out.

Tieum

(Gobble #7&8, France)

Believe it or not some of these French labels like Gobble and Quantum are

technically new school partycore labels that really don't always belong

lumped together with the rest of the distorted noize stuff. Although

creative, they're not always consistent through every release and receive

criticism because they're not all amiga and crunch or cuz they use synth.

The title track and "Band to Bite Mole" are the best of "Turn the Key" #7,

there really wasn't anything I didn't like. In comparison the only thing

acceptable on #8 is "Kick It" a good mid-tempo pounder on the info. Gobble

releases out of order sometimes and I'm still waiting for #6. In the

meantime pick the early Gobbles 1-5.

Darius G- Star Fuckers EP

(Zone #3, Germany)

Yet another in a series of new party labels from Germmany, this has been

one of my favorite records to spin as of late. The EP maintains a strong

sex theme throughout and gets the award for the best use of the long Cheech

Marin "pussy" sample from Dusk til Dawn. "Horny Hookers" is my favorite,

along with "Gabber Bitch" both are laughable and mid-paced. "Fuck Like an

Animal" has great chopped up synth similar to Death Row's stuff.

Interesting yellow cardboard box this record came in, this is the first

Zone I've picked up in the series, I'm definitely going back for #1 and 2.

DJ Olive-Hardcoholics EP

(BEAST #10, France)

Definitely for the headstrong, BEAST has been paving the way for the French

sound that is really catching on. This five song release is really the

creation of DJ Loky and Kyo-o, all produced by DJ Olive for B.E.A.S.T. On

the logo side is Kyo-o with two cuts, "Warez Coalition" and "Go Shoot

Yourself." Both of these have aggressive bass, fast tempos, with

mind-bending 303 noises that tease in and out of the bass lines. Flipside

is DJ Loky with "Metaltank" and "Wishaw," each with delicious acid and

synth loops that break up the bouncy bass lines. The last track on this

side is "Betatest" which both Loky and Kyo-o created. Not exactly a tune,

just imagine listening to one sound, and then its frequency and pitch is

played around with...All in all BST #10 is a jewel,  a prime example of

French frenzy.

Raysa

The Doom Generation

(Hall Phuture Series #1, Holland)

Now this is real progressive hardcore by definition. Very close to progressive trance with hardcore bass or maybe hard techno with hardcore builds, either way it's the shit!  If you picked up Hall #1 you know what I'm talking about, there aren't a lot of labels solely focusing on this sound yet. Other spin off sub-genres such as trancecore to name one, has

been a letdown sounding a lot more like happy trance with a total lack of strength. This is not so with progressive core which has started to take the 180-190 gabberers by storm in the past few months. My point is that there is new sounds for partycore out there, you just have to make an effort to look for them. A small cadre of labels are popping up, seek them

out and be enlightened.

DJ Tron-Resurrection EP

(Head Fuck #5, Italy)

Again Tron shows us that he's not all brutal death. As one of a select few good, American speed/noize artists (including Delta 9) that still treat their fans to party core tracks. Head Fuck and a few of the other more amiga-esque labels often have danceable party tracks on the B-sides. Mostly the bass is paired with noize or distortion instead of traditional synth

but the BPMs are usually 200 or under. Originally these tracks were on Tron's "Resurrection" tape from winter 98, finally they've been pressed.  This is a mind bending platter of intense basslines, my favorites being "Demon" on side B and "Achluophia" -after the break it changes into some really evil slowercore that I liked. I like to see Tron put out tunes like these, super hard and fast but not overkill.

Jason Philips

(Static #2, U.K.)

More madness form south London, this label kind of reminds me of a cross between War and Beast but without any of the excessive noise. Static number one has been out for about five months, it's got the familiar "Point Break"

by Traffic and a killer Overcast track "The Only Way In". Jason Philips

takes over for number two and does a good job, all the tracks are useable

which is always a treat. "Ear Splitter" is very crunchy with a party style

bass and "Devils Womb" is dark progressive, best on +8. Not to be left out

is the Hellblazer re-mix of "Disorder Anarchy, Chaos" the fastest track and

the only one with any synth. A good sampling of styles, get behind this

label before everyone else rapes it.

Fuck vs Slag

(Defiant-White, Sweden)

This is even better Fucks last picture disc. This 10 inch doesn't have the

gothic graffiti art, but the tunes kick ass in the neighborhood of 195

bpms. "Only the Dead Know Brooklyn" on side A is clearly aimed at the

speedcore crowd, there's two mixes one that's pretty distorted and one that

has a lot of dark synth and double time kickdrums. "Hardcore History X" by

newcomer Slag (not from Trackless) is another banger with  lots of

re-worked snippets from anthems of the past couple years. It sounds like an

up to date version of the old "Infected" track by Shapeshifter on

Shockwave. Most of the average half-ass hardcore DJs won't have this yet

cuz it's hard to find but I'm sure within a month it will be played to death.

The New Crew-Tieum and Deus

(Tcher No Beat #3, France)

Like I said some French is good. Tcher No is taking big baby steps

with this release. Three crunchy, grit your teeth tracks appear from Deus

and Tieum (also on Gobble). My favorite of the three is "Busta's Shits,"

which takes up the logo side with its full-force, hard-hitting bass that

really keeps up its tempo from beginning to end, and makes for a great

pleaser if you're not into builds and breaks. Info side starts with "Reste

En Place" that is layered with bass lines switching back and forth and

choppy 303 noise. Last is "Modern Fuck" that has a real party sound to it

with some breaks and a "fuck you man" sample thrown in. If you like the

crunchy side of Gobble and Bloc 46 check this out, but I suggest passing on

#4 by Speedy Q.

Raysa

Beagle & Bullfrog-Krazz

(War #14, Germany)

Another good example of a label that appeals to fans of 180-190 BPMs as

well as the 200+ crowd. I like almost all of their recent releases

especially the War sampler #12 from last year. Here, the two track side is

interesting with the crazy "Brackwasser" and the straight to the head

"Boing 09". Turn it over to find my pick the delicious "Whats Umbrella" and

the odd three minute title "Krazz". There's a little something here for

everyone depending on what you're into. War has always been very reliable

in the strength and speed departments-#15 should be the shit.

Don Diablo- The TNT Re-mixes

(Refuse Special #1/ 80 AUM, Holland)

Refuse one was good but numbers two and four sucked, appealing more to the

acid techno crowd than hardcore, while three was great and is my favorite

so far. Now we have the three most classic TNT tunes re-fused for new

usage. The big question I had was how is the re-mix of "Kiss the Ground" ?

As it turns out it's pretty good and the best out of the three, but still

these mixes should have been harder, instead they come off as fairly mild.

"Brainwashed Killer" was slow and bouncy with no builds and "Better than

Better" wasn't much of anything either.  I've always liked Refuse I just

wish they were a little more consistent at times.

Rosti and Wicked-The Try-Out EP

(Tricky Traxx #1/80 AUM, Holland)

Another new sub-division of one of this column's favorite labels, this is

a three cut release from guys who are no strangers to Aum fans. Though a

bit slower-paced than other 80/Aum pieces, Tricky Traxx delivers a great

party sound with bass lines dripping with acid and synth sound. "Hardcore

Acts" occupies the logo side with a dedication "to all those hardcore acts,

fuck off!" Very progressive, pounding bass with some dark acid lasers.

"Swing" and "Most Wanted" are full of synth stabs and rhythmic bass on the

info side, very typical of the Aum sound. Keep an eye out for the next

Tricky Traxx, be sure to pick up the other new AUM sub label Unknown

Species #1 if you haven't already.

Raysa

Mind Crash Ltd.-Confusion EP

(Netherlands)

Three out of the four offered are mostly average party tunes that did not

win me over the first time out or the second. I ended up buying this EP for

the wierd masterpiece "Time in Uprising" by DJ Wicked on side A. With an

array of blips, bleeps and sqeak noises thrown about, 45/-6 is the optimal

speed to keep the bass pounding nicely. The second half doesn't slow down

and considering it's over seven minutes long, it's worth playing to the

end. Some of the past stuff that I've heard from Wicked on other labels is

comparible to this, not an end all but a nice break from the formula.

DJ Epitah & Spiritual Child- 2 Presidents

(DHYM #3, Holland)

Nothing I've heard on DHYM has been as good as the "Balls to the Wall" EP

#1, now considered by some to be classic. Number two "Dicks & Bitches" and

on DHYM Black label "Scumbeats" have been marginal, you can add this to the

pile. When I saw who the artists were I had high hopes for this 10 incher

especially since I'm a fan of Epitah from his days at Mutant. His side eded

up being the worst of the two, done in the slow new sound style. "Journey

the Attack" by Spiritual Child was a little better but still doesn't cut it

compared to his past work on Explosive or to what's being put out by the

choice aggressive labels. Will DHYM get back up to speed? Probably not,

wait and see.

DJ Producer and Hellfish-21st Century Core/R2

(Deathchant Records #20, UK)

Not since Deathchant #14 have we been blessed with this duo's

brainbruising. Again, we have each mastermind on his own side, with one

song apiece. Producer begins the journey in "21st Century Core" with a

bloody fight sample and a threat to not go anywhere, then soon the ear has

been sucked in for good as acid and electronic sounds peep in and out until

finally the bass drops in. It's all about "Co-defending the title" as the

Chuck D. sample says, with nice and steady bass lines, some hip-hop beat

breaks (it wouldn't be Producer without it), and a very futuristic

compilation of noises that keep the listener delighted. Hellfish's "R2" is

just as entertaining, with a jungle beat intro that sneaks into pounding

bass, all with distorted synth loops and some sci-fi samples. Take heed,

Deathchant has a secret weapon when these two geniuses get together.

Raysa

H2OH Rec.-Hardcore for the Headstrong

(CD Compilation-H2OH, NY)

Omar Santana serves up a wicked continuous mix of his lables best anthems.

The "underworld mix" starts off with the Thunder Gods and works it's way

through such classics as "Power Pill", "Mind Ripper" and "You Shall Die"

but also includes some of the newer releases like "Brute Force" and "20,000

Hardcore Members" by Da Predator. In my opinion this is a better comp than

the one Omar put together for Moonshine (Hard Corps), the track selection

is better and the mix is rapid fire. Musn't forget the crazy demon art on

the cover which caught my eye, overall a great CD.

DJ XTREME TOP TEN PARTY TRAX

POWER PEOPLE- Cerebral Disrupter (Futurecore #1)

JASON PHILIPS- Devil's Womb (Static #2)

DARIUS G- Horny Hookers (Zone #3)

DJ TRON- Demon (Head Fuck #5)

TWISTERICALS- Pain (Italian Steel #16)

DOOM GENERATION- Spooksville (Hall Phuture series #1)

SLAG- Ill Omen re-mix (Defiant #4)

DJ TRON- Achluophia (Head Fuck #5)

TIEUM- Kick It (Gobble #8)

SILENT HUNTER- Blow Your Mind (Execute #5)

MANY THANX: RAW DEAL AND HARDTECH DISTRO U.K., EINZIGER, SLAG, OMAR S.,

DEAD NOISE, DOUBLE D, MAJESTIC DISTRO, AND DJ SLIDER