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Features
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NEC style: a preview to Nu Energy Collective's Freeformation At Hidden With hard dance demon Matt Style
Reported by Allan@Nu Energy
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Submitted 06-03-06 14:31
The Nu Energy Collective has risen in recent years to be one of the most dominant forces in the London hard dance scene with its PA conquering floors the world over, its records causing damage for everyone from Phil York to Rob Tissera and their blazing free entry Freeformation parties setting London clubland alight. A main reason behind their success, however, has been the sheer wealth of talent that is associated with the brand, from their spearheading artists K Complex, Sharkey and Kevin Energy to the other determined hard dance DJs who add their own influence and sounds to their Collective.
One such character is undoubtedly Matt Style, a producer whose records were used to kick off the NEC’s flagship hard dance label NEC Live and have featured both on the stormin ‘NEC Live At Frantic’ CD and in many a floor destroying PA across the country. Add in a growing DJ diary, more studio dates and another peak-time set planned at Freeformation on Friday 10th March and you complete the encouraging 2006 prospects for Matt Style.
As he limbers up to play Hidden for both Summit and of course the Nu Energy Collective’s carnage-fuelled free entry Freeformation, we caught up with the experienced hard dance DJ for an insightful interview...
With both ‘Something In Me’ and ‘You Gotta’ you took pride of place on the first two releases on NEC Live, the showcase hard dance label of the Nu Energy Collective Live PA. How did you first become involved with the Nu Energy Collective?
Yes and what an honour it was to have the first two releases on the label, it’s taken a long time and a lot of hard work to get to this point! As far as being involved goes I’ve actually known Jon (Sharkey) since about 96 when we met at United Dance in Stevenage. At the time I was still raving and a wanna be MC, he took a shine to me and my mates because we used to take the piss out of him all the time!
A couple of years later Jon moved up north to Leicester and I ended up renting a room off him, just after that is when I met Kevin (Energy) this was long before the NEC Live PA and when Nu Energy was only an idea in Kevin’s tiny mind. From that I very quickly hit it off and became very good friends with everyone involved in the Collective. They have all helped me a great deal over the years and vice versa and we have all become very good friends in the proccess, this is what led me to move back to London really.
It’s only really been the last three years or so that I’ve become directly involved with the PA and labels as I’ve always stuck to my guns and done my own thing in music, I’ve never tried to play or make music deliberately for the PA, so it’s just lucky for me that my style and the style of the NEC’s hard trance has changed a lot over time and in the last couple of years has meant we’ve all managed to merge and work together.
Where did you grow up as teenager and how did you get seduced by the hedonistic allures of all night raving in the first place?
It was quite hard for me growing up as I spent my teenage years as a Londoner living in a little village in Midlands where the people are very local (if you know what I mean). My first encounter of dance music was back in 1991 when I was 14, somebody at school gave me a DJ SS rave tape and since that moment I’ve been hooked. Unfortunately I didn’t have the money to go to a rave so I used to spend every Saturday in Leicester’s main record shop 5HQ buying rave tapes and picking up flyers to stick on my wall.
It wasn’t until I was 16 that I had the money to go to a club, at this time all my mates started stealing cars and getting in trouble with the police, so I used to go on my own to a club called Die Hard where every one was friendly, the vibe was happy and I met some more like minded friends. From here I’d go raving every weekend for about two or three years then decided that I wanted to be more involved in music. I didn’t have the money to buy records and deck so had a crack at being an MC then obviously a DJ.
Matt & The *Ting*
Who were you first inspirations as a DJ? Where there any particular jocks that particularly influenced your style?
I didn’t really have any influence in my style to start with, I made a decision that dard douse was going to be the music I concentrated on just from listening to some old Tidy compilations but over the years I think people like Phil Reynolds, Andy Farley, Kevin & Jon have all inspired me to be a bit more diverse and be a bit more open to playing other genres of hard dance music.
When did you first take the step into production and what inspired you to do so?
It seems like a life time ago now but my first studio encounter was back in 2002, when a guy who I worked for in a record shop at the time decided he was gonna start a hard house label (Wax Trax). He paid for me to go in the studio with K Complex and write a tune for his label, this was something I’d been wanting to do for along time, I’d spent the last years previously either sharing a house with someone who had a studio or listening to friends talk about tunes they’d written, so I was intrigued as to how it all worked and wanted to see if I could put some fresh ideas into the music I was playing.
Have you ever performed your personal productions as part of the NEC PA yourself?
What has been the most memorable PA experience/funny story…
I’ve helped with the setting up of the PA more times than I can remember but have only actually appeared once, it was Sundessential’s 9th birthday at the Sanctuary in Birmingham and it was amazing performing my own tracks live on stage in front of a big up for it crowd! Especially at a party as renowned as Sundissential!
Matt Style, Mark Ashley & Andy Vinal.... munted!
The Nu Energy boys seem to have something of a reputation when it comes to partying… how would you rate yourself in the cainer stakes?
I’m not as much of a cainer as I used to be but I’d say I’m quite high up there and can party with the best of them and hope I might have contributed a little towards this reputation over the years!
While these NEC Live tracks leaned towards the realms of soaring peak-time hard trance, you’ve also been known to delve into the studio for some tough hard house dirt as excursions on Wax Trax well attest. Have you got any ambitions to turn out some full-on hard house belters or is it hard trance all the way?
Over the past couple of years my music tastes have changed a lot, I still like hard house, still play it and will venture into the studio to write some this year but I’m more into the full on hard trance sound, which it seems the NEC have really come on leaps and bounds with in this time. As most of my tracks have been written with K Complex they all have Pete’s amazing riff work as there main element, but I think we have been quite successful in merging those amazing riffs with hoovers, stabs, grungy noises and techy or bouncy loops to come up with a nice hard house/hard trance crossover! I’m well chuffed with all of them!
Matt in the mix
Do you have any future studio dates booked for 2006?
Not as yet. I’ve been talking with the very talented Eryk Orpheus about a possible studio collaboration which will definitely happen sooner or later and I’m also getting in with Pete K Complex again. I’ve just finished a track with Pete Ethos that I’m really happy with so hopefully they’ll be more where that came from.
Which of the current breed of hard dance studio technicians are you finding most inspiring and why?
Well apart from the obvious AMS & K Complex I’d have to say Eryk Orpheus is definitely one to watch out for, also the like of Jody 6, Gaz West, Phil York & Jason Cortez are doing it at the moment.
How would you describe your current DJ sound? Is it always a blend of these two sounds — the rush of hard trance and the fearless drive of hard house — or do you tend to shape different sets for different events?
I most definitely play hard dance as I’d much rather mix hard house & hard trance together, as the two styles do compliment each other, plus it gives my sets a bit of direction and makes it more of a challenge when I play out as I’m always trying to think a couple of tunes ahead to build a flow properly.
In the last six months you’ve played for nights as respected as Frantic, with future sets primed for Summit, Huge at The George IV and of course Freeformation. Which moments in your DJ career stand out as the most memorable?
My most memorable moment without a doubt was not long after I started playing out. I got the chance to fill in for a late DJ which meant I had prime time slot in the second room at Bagley’s after the God himself Andy Farley and when I’d finished the room was more rammed than when I started, by far the best set I’ve played so far! Loved it!
You belted out a set of pure hard house nostalgia at Freeformation’s free festive Hidden mash-up in December… which of the hard house classics never fail to raise a smile and an arm in your experience?
It’s hard work playing ‘classics’ as I’ve read so many times before on this very board that people seem to be generally tired of hearing the obvious classic tunes over and over again, so I tend to look a bit deeper into the old collection. And as far as reaction goes the best I’ve had of late is from BK’s ‘Let The Rhythm Move You’ and Lee Haslam’s ‘Music Is The Drug’.
Of the sets forthcoming which are you most looking forward to?
Well I think Freeformation is the one just because when you play a free party like that, with clubbers so damn up for it, you cant fail to enjoy your set. I know it might sound like a plug (and it is!!) but the last one had nearly 700 nutters all proper going for it and I think it’s going to be even more mental this time round! As well as that I can’t wait to play Paradox again the night before as it really is a kickin little party!
As for other promotions, which events would you be most keen to get a booking at and why?
The main promotion I’d love to play for has to be Tasty because of the more hardcore orientated vibe that it holds, I think Wild Child put on a fantastic party at great venues, and any of the Most Wanted events for the same reason really. Apart from that little lot it would be nice to get booked at Puzzle Project, Zoology or 123 again as these guys have brought their own special vibe to the smaller club, plus I enjoy the smaller venues just as much as the biggies because of the close contact with the crowd it means you can interact more.
Finally with 2006 rolling on by, what are your main aims for the year?
I’ve got a busy year lined up with lots more studio collaborations (as mentioned), more demos to send out and hopefully more bookings and loads more partying (as always). All that on top of a college course I am currently working on, 2006 will indeed be a busy year for little old me.
Photos courtesy of Matt Style
Remember you can catch Matt Style rock Freeformation alongside his long time friend Andy Vinal on Friday 10th March at Vauxhall’s Hidden and it won’t cost you a thing! For 100% free guestlist please email names to freeformation[/color]@nuenergy.co.ukand FFI check www.nuenergy.co.uk!
Freeformation
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On:
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Friday 10th March 2006
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At:
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Hidden [map]
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From:
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20:00 - 06:00
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Cost:
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FREE ZILCHO GRACIAS - AV SUMMA DAT YA NUTBAGS!
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Website:
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www.nuenergy.co.uk
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Ticket Info:
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!!Entry Instructions!!
The only way to secure a 100% free guaranteed door entry is to send your full name and email address to 07962928623 or freeformation@nuenergy.co.uk. All names will be added to the door list and then contacted 7 days priory to the event to confirm their door number. No confirmed door number, no entry till after 12 pm! Now let’s fuckin aveeeeet!
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More:
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C-c-calling all the ravers! After the frenzied festive mayhem of our December Freeformation, Kevin Energy, Sharkey and the Nu Energy Collective are pulling out all the stops once again with another 100% free mash-up of old skool vibes, futuristic hardcore and banging hard dance!! Free..?? Again?? Are we totally bonkers? Most probably but then we wouldn’t have it any other! Taking place on Friday March 10th, The Second Coming of our free entry Hidden Sessions will be bringing together all your favourite NEC acts and DJs including Kevin Energy & Marc Smith, Sharkey, Eryk Orpheus & Ephexis, K Complex and Mark Ashley, as well as some special sets from guests such as Tasty's Billy Bunter, Pendragon legend Marc Sinclair, the one like Gammer and Robbie Long & Stormtrooper! Oh, not forgotting a 97 jump up d'n'b set from Kevin Energy and Sharkey & UFO taking trancecore history lesson in the old skool room! Well check that the fuck out eh? We’ve done our bit. Now it’s up to you lot of rave hungry munters to bring on the cod freakin, pogo jumpin, ballon gulpin, bonkerzoid mentalism like only you can…!!!
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Flyer:
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 - 
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Region:
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London
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Music:
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Trance. Hard Trance. Hardcore. HardStyle. Hard House. Breaks.
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DJ's:
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Hard Dance:
Kevin Energy
Billy Daniel Bunter (Tasty Anthems)
Little Gem & Cally Gage
Marc Sinclair (Pendragon Classics Set)
K Complex
Elvis & Steve Maynard (Filthin It Out)
Matt Style & Andy Vinal
Nick The Kid
Hardcore:
Sharkey & Gammer
Kevin Energy & Marc Smith
Robbie Long & Stormtrooper
Luna C (No MC’s Anything Goes Set)
Mark Ashley & K Complex
Ephexis & Eryk Orpheus
Ethos & Arkitech
UFO
MC's: Sharkey, Odyssey, Ethos and Rizla Dizla
Old Skool Everything:
Druid (Classic Bonkers Set)
Sharkey & UFO (Trancecore Classics)
Kevin Energy (97 Jump Up D’n’B)
Marc Smith (Back To Rez Set)
Mark Ashley (Ibiza Trance)
Robbie Long (91/92 Suburban Base Set)
Barry K (Rhythm Station Set)
Ethos (93/94 Set)
100% MC FREE ALL NIGHT
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Other Features By Allan@Nu Energy:
The Elevate interview — Phil York & Kevin Energy get ready to take you higher
Decimation interview with Alter Ego of Opeum
Preview to the Nu Energy Collective’s Freeformation with Tranzlation’s Phil York
A preview To Tasty's Generation E with underground legend Eryk Orpheus
Preview To Freeformation’s final free party with Exeter’s answer to Scott Project, Nick The Kid
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.gif)
GO MATT 
Thanx guys for all your kind words...
Bring on the carnage that is Freeformation...