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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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Strange things happen when you DOUBLE DROP for the first time - The Innovate Interview!
Reported by Dickon Laws
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Submitted 12-10-04 14:53
London is a unique musical entity in the Hard Dance world. It exists in a bubble within the industry where legends are made and kept a closely guarded secret by London Hard Dance fanatics. But now suddenly three of the Capitals biggest legends have burst the bubble and are going global! Phil Reynolds, Nick Sentience and James Lawson are London's favourite sons. Having been pillar stones of the scene and made & played more anthems than any other DJ's they have now joined forces into a single consciousness with devastating results! Collectively they are 'Double Drop' and the new release 'Imaginate' is set to be THE anthem of the autumn! This weekend sees their individual brands of DJ madness represented at 2005's most exciting new party: Innovate. We joined them for a session on the Capitals riverside to, well, DOUBLE DROP!
All 3 of you have been great friends for a number of years now. Can you tell us how you first met?
Phil says: I first met James about 5 years ago at Bagley’s. He came up to me and told me he had a studio at home and wondered if I fancied making a track with him. I’d never met him before and I thought he was talking sh*t, so I never took him up on the offer. Funny how things work out!!!
I first met Nick when we toured Oz together a few years ago. We had a great time and got on really well. We’ve been good friends ever since.
All 3 of you cut your teeth under the Nukleuz banner. As well as accomplished DJs and Producers you are now stepping into the Label Boss world. Nick we all know the success of Quality Trax and Phil’s Impact is going from strength to strength. James we hear on the grapevine you're now dipping your toe in the pool as well. Can you tell us more about it?
James says: I certainly can and it’s more than just a toe! I am starting a new label with Matthew Williams called EdisonFactor.net. We are both very excited about it and we will be putting our all into it.
The output from the label will be mainly made up of contributions from Matt and me, both together as the Edison Factor, and as solo artists. We will of course be collaborating with other artists to spice things up a little.
So far we have two brand new Edison Factor tracks (one of which is on the latest Extreme Euphoria CD) and a couple of collaborations with Phil Reynolds ready to go (Shout! the track Matt has done with Phil is also on the latest Extreme CD). There are also a number of other tracks either finished or on the way including tunes co-written with Andy Farley and Steve Hill.
Matt and I expect the first release to be available in the shops and online before the end of the year. The first release is The Edison Factor vs. Phil Reynolds EP.
There will be more info on this once we are ready to go, so watch this space.
Will you continue to support and release on each other’s labels for the foreseeable future?
Nick says: Absolutely, I believe the only way for the scene to survive the challenges that it faces are for the key players to work together.
James says: Absolutely. I am already producing too much material to just put out on my own label, so I will be offering it out to other labels. Impact and Quality Trax are two labels that I personally feel proud to be involved with, so I hope they will continue to sign tracks from me. Look out for Nick Sentience & James Lawson – Amnesia/On a Roll.
Phil says: Of course. We all are good friends and have like-minded tastes. We always support each other on all levels. I always turn to both Nick and James for advice if I need it. I’m sure that will carry on long into the future.
Innovate is arguably one of the most successful new nights of 2004. You have all thrown your support behind it in an unprecedented manner. Why do you feel the party is so special?
Nick says: I really like the ideas behind it which is a party first of all about having a great night out, but also, in an age where CDR's straight from the studio rule and the new producers and their tracks are way ahead of the time it takes to press vinyl, clubbers can hear the most upfront music fresh from the studio. There is a great crew on board and we all have a laugh in the process.
Being London based DJs you have grown up with the legendary Fridge and seen its ups and downs; it's finally back where it belongs at the top of the London Hard Dance pile. Can each of you remember when you first went there as clubbers and what are your fav memories of it?
Phil says: I remember going to Escape from Samsara years and years ago (cos I’m getting
on a bit now!!). I was blow away by the atmosphere of the place. One of my fav memories would be when I played there for the first time. It was for Escape from Samsara. I was really nervous about playing but loved every minute of it.
James says: My first experience of The Fridge was a few years ago, and it was when Escape from Samsara was where it was at. The atmosphere in the club was unbelievable. There were people dancing everywhere with people banging on drums going nuts! It was a full on fluero experience, a carnival atmosphere, and a way of life that I was a part of. I remember one night in particular when Lab 4 was playing. It was long before they hit the big time, but the raw power that was coming out of the speakers and from the stage was incredible. I was blown away by it all.
My Favourite experience was stepping up to play at my showcase at Twisted a couple of months ago. It was special to me as years ago I used to look at the DJ box at The Fridge and dream that it was me in there headlining the event, dropping tune after tune, and whipping the crowd up into a frenzy. My friends used to have to put up with me going on and on about how one day I was going to do it. I think I was more surprised than them when it actually happened! It was quite surreal to feel that my dream had become reality. It was an amazing! I was walking on air for weeks afterwards.
The Fridge is a place that you don’t just go to, you have to experience it on the right night! A night like Innovate, and its not until you go yourself that you really understand! The new improvements to the venue that have been put in place over the last year have made it even better! In my honest opinion The Fridge is the best venue in London!
It's got to be asked: the 'Double Drop' phrase is commonly linked with a certain...how do we say....recreational activity. How did it come to be your collective alias?
Nick says: Well you can pretty much guess. We got back to the studio together after a weekends clubbing and decided to get stuck into a track.
Phil says: I don’t know what you mean?? I just thought the name sounded good 
James: No comment.
You've travelled around the world playing gigs and often find yourselves on the same line up in far fetched places. Where is the maddest place that you have found all 3 of you playing at?
James says: Someone might be able to correct me here, but I don’t think Nick, Phil and I have all been on the same line up before. Although I have certainly played in some amazing places with one or other of them before. The Church in Adalaide, Australia was pretty cool (I was there with Phil) or one of the very first hard house academy’s (Nick played after me), but I am pretty sure that this will be the first time we have all played together in the main room at an event anywhere in the world! Now that’s an exclusive!
You are now arguably 3 of the Capitals most well known Hard Dance artists. What was the last job you had before you become a full time producer/dj?
Nick says: the last job I had was when I was 18 and worked in a funky little shop in Portsmouth (my home town) called "Withit" and it sold all sorts of cool clothes, music and posters etc. A bit of trivia: Ed Real ran his first record shop from there and that's where I met him for the first time all those years
ago!
James says: Prior to giving up my full time job I was running a record label at Ministry of Sound. I also worked in the marketing department there for a while. Before that I was Direct Marketing Manager at Waterlow Legal Publishing.
Phil says: I worked Part-time in Kinetic Records
For the last 18 months Harder House has been dominating the dance floors of the nation. Being predominantly Hard Trance specialists you must be glad to see the re-emergence of Hard Trance onto the scene?
Nick says: I really like everything to be honest. I won remix of the year for "Hostile" last year and that's full on hard house and I’ve just finished possible my most banging remix yet – “Don’t Stop” coming out on the new Tinrib gets Vicious label. Also I love my break beats as anyone who heard the album will know. Bring it all on, I say!
James says: Yes I am, but not at the expense of the harder stuff. I really do love it when all styles of music are played in a club and this is certainly reflected in what is in my record bag these days. Be it Hard House, Techno, Tech Trance, Trance, Hard Trance, acid, House, Drum & Bass, Psy Trance…. whatever! It all has a place in our scene! I keep hearing people say “variety is the spice of life” and its so true.
Having said that, it is great to hear some melodies again and dare I say it, Vocals. I am also pleased to see that the DJs don’t feel that it has to be 160 BPM all night anymore. I love it hard and fast but it sounds so much better if it has built up to that speed over 8 hours rather than from the off!
Phil says: I think the scene needs some variation in styles, so it’s good that it’s starting to make a return.
You've all had connections with the new kid on the block Mr Greg Brookman; arguably the best break through artist of the last 12 months. Have you spotted any other talent on the scene which you're keeping an eye on?
Nick says: I haven't worked with Greg yet but he certainly got his act together this year and his and Ali Wilson's track - Humanoid was wicked. Also MDA and Spherical have done some interesting tracks. Matt Williams and Nicki S as well I think will shine.
Phil says: Alf Bamford is someone who I think will really break through. He has already produced some great tracks and is starting to get a real name for himself.
Nick your LIVE PA is the talk of the scene at the moment. We hear on the grapevine that both James & Phil are also planning Live Acts. Can you give us some details about when and where we might hear the debuts?
Phil says: It's in the pipeline. I'm getting the material together at the moment. It will feature a lot of new stuff from my forthcoming artist album, which I’m still working on. I've got a few ideas about the production of it, but I’m keeping em secret.
James says: I will be performing live in the future as a solo artist, but the first live act I will be concentrating on is The Edison Factor. The first gig has already been booked in but where and when, I can’t tell you the moment. Both Matt and I have years of live experience under our belts from being in various bands and projects years ago, so I reckon The Edison Factor Live will be pretty special.
Thanks to Phil, Nick & James for their time. Double Drop will be headlining at this weekends Innovate at The Fridge, Brixton.
Innovate
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On:
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Saturday 16th October 2004
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At:
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The Fridge [map]
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From:
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10pm - 6am
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Cost:
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£12 advance
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Website:
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www.innovateuk.net
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Ticket Info:
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£12 advance motd
www.ticketweb.co.uk
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Buy Online:
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Click here to buy tickets
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More:
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Innovate proudly presents the launch party for Double Drop's 'Imaginate'. This latest storming release on Quality Trax is a collaboration from three of the scene's most inspiring producers and DJ's, Nick Sentience, James Lawson & Phil Reynolds.
If you've been to any Hard Dance club in the last 4 years it's a guarantee that you will have danced to one of Nick Sentience, Phil Reynolds or James Lawson's tunes. Collectively they have produced and remixed over 400 tracks and between have appeared on every major hard dance compilation album over the past 4 years from Extreme Euphoria, Slinky, Hard Dance Anthems, Resonate, Music for a Harder Generation, Frantic Residents Album, Nukleuz Big Room DJ's and many many more.
This is your only chance this year to see them all perform in the same place in one night.
And as if that wasn't enough, we also have Paul Glazby as a special guest.
This could be the best night of your life..
Inspire - Create – Innovate
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Flyer:
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Photo’s courtesy of Joeyxx
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Other Features By Dickon Laws:
Extreme Euphoria preview: Interview with Jay Pidgeon
Hard House Academy (HHA): The Preview
Inside Frantic: Interview with Will Paterson
Interview with Steve Hill
Interview with the Energy UK Djs
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)
one defiantly took a shine to James even after he called her an OAP 
. Looking forward to 
on Saturday. I remember meeting Phil for the first time on the tube at around 11pm after a messy drinking session at work 
. I gave him two demos which he still hasn't listened too! 
they can get!!
work. 3 Legends in every Capital if i might add. 
