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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! | | N-Kore talks Jean-Michel Jarre, unfinished tracks and fatherhood! | | Celebrating International Women’s Day and Ten Years of Psy-Sisters with Amaluna |
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Steelo down and dirty at Hidden’s 1st Birthday
Reported by benz
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Submitted 01-11-06 12:15
Yes, we can’t believe it’s been a year already either. Well, just over a year if you want to be really anal about it. In any case, Hidden is celebrating its 1st Birthday on Thursday 2nd November with a big f*ck-off free party featuring a load of London’s tastiest house, electro and breaks djs, and a lot of naughty mid-week behaviour! Heading up a tasty schedule in the breakbeat boudoir is one Stephen Lowe — known to some of y’all as Steelo. His tough, aggressive style of breaks has won him fans throughout both the breaks and hard dance scenes, and he can always be relied on to take a party to the next level.
It’s been almost two years since Steelo got the HF Q&A treatment, and since then he has gone from young upstart to become a prominent face on London’s dance music scene. We cornered him and fired some inquisitive verbal bullets his way as he prepared to fill his record bag with the most bone-shaking selection of tunage he could find for Hidden’s anniversary.
You have a very distinctive sound in your music beyond the simple tag of “breakbeat” that people often comment on. How would you describe it?
I think the only way you can best describe it is “naughty”. Anyone that’s heard me play will know what I’m talking about
If your sound was an animal, what would it be?
A liger. Strictly (that’s a cross between a lion and a tiger).
2006 is fast drawing to a close — the clocks have gone back, the warm weather is… er… still here… and other such end-of-year type things. Has it been a vintage for you or just cheap plonk?
Both, as with all year’s there’s the good, the bad, and a whole lot of ugly but in general this years been pretty sweet. Proactive has been going through the roof and managed to land myself a residency at Raindance, which are both big things, as well as playing in Malawi at the Lake of Stars festival. Buying a house is a fucking pain though.
What tunes really sum up the year for you?
I’m shit when it comes to remembering tunes. ‘Mandarine Girl’ by Booka Shade is a personal favourite, as is Nick Thayer’s remix of ‘Back Off The Wall’ by Dizzee Rascal. Rogue Element and Tom Real have been smashing it all year too. To be perfectly honest, my mind is mash-up after the last five days and I can’t think of anything else!
You’re getting involved with Hidden’s 1st Birthday this Thursday 2nd November, laying down some hefty breakbeats in the Red Room. What have been your highlights from the first year at the venue?
Now’s not the best time to ask me about the first half of the year mate! I can remember some pretty wicked Summit events there, and a breaks night put on by Nu Skool Breaks went off too…
What’s the most amusing stuff you’ve seen going down there? There always seems to be a lot of mischief and dare I say it, tomfoolery going on in Hidden…
When Seany Sean smashed his boat [race] off the floor in the main room. We were doing some balloons and this muppet bird decided to blindly barge straight through the middle of us, bumped into Sean while he was mid-breath and he stacked it hard onto his forehead. It was hilarious, not for him at the time mind. He looked like he’d been in a fight after.
If you were given free reign to put on your own party there — with money no object — what theme would each room have, musically and visually, who would be playing, and what extra entertainments would you lay on?
I like the sound of this. Well, as I’m down with good music, the music policy would be good music. The main room would be breaks, proper hardcore and d’n’b, with the likes of myself (naturally), Slipmatt, Tango & Ratty, Hyper, LTJ Bukem & Conrad, Stanton Warriors, Nookie, Mampi Swift, etc playing. The other big room would be techno, with John Acquaviva, Ben Sims, Tiefschwarz, Joris Voorn, Dave Angel, Richie Hawtin, Valentino Kanzyani, Chris Liebing, etc. The little room would be chill out and eclectic with Giles Peterson, Zero 7, Nightmares on Wax, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Mr. Scruff, Stephane Pompougnac etc.
A lot of people slate breaks because they don’t think that there’s enough original material about — usually because they have only skimmed the surface of the genre. Which producers are really paving the way for you at the moment?
As I mentioned earlier, Nick Thayer, Tom Real and Rogue Element are coming out with some excellent electro driven stuff. Future Funk Squad is always a sure fire winner for those that like it techy. Aquasky seem to have done no wrong this year, as well as the Breakfastaz and the Autobots for those who like a bit more balls
In Australia, breakbeat is a seriously big currency, with people like Krafty Kuts headlining 20,000 capacity gigs for example. Would you like to see a similar situation in the UK or are you happy with the way things are?
It seems to be getting there slowly but surely. I noticed the Plumps and Adam Freeland playing main stages at a couple of festies this year, and there’s this Breakbeat Weekender thing in November which is looking pretty large
You dj’ed in Africa this summer. What was all that about then eh?
Yeah mate, it was bad all day. Chibuku [Shake Shake] in Liverpool put on a festival called the Lake of Stars in Malawi every year. The profits go to a local charity to help orphans. This is the third one now, and after having been at the first one two years ago it was an honour to be asked to play. I played the main stage on the Friday night and it was excellent. Music-wise there are African acts during the day then UK djs at night and it’s generally a mix of breaks, house, tech house, electro and even a little d’n’b. I’d highly recommend everyone to go, it works out pretty cheap for a two or three week holiday and you cannot beat the location. Check out the website www.lakeofstars.co.uk for information. You won’t be disappointed.
Malawi is a bit of a random place for a dance music festival isn’t it?
Yeah, I suppose it is. A good random location though!
Did the locals get down to the dance music that was on offer?
They were more excited than a paedophile in a nursery. I ended up giving the locals one of my One Nation tapes too!
Ha ha awesome! Expect to hear them rinsing out some MC Skibadee verses next time you go back there then. So you taught the local community the value of good breaks… what did you learn from your time in Malawi?
The local brewery is actually two women with cauldrons in the village making seriously heavy African moonshine. The stuff sends you blind. The first time I was there I learned to play the local game called Bao, which is the best game I’ve ever played.
And finally, why should we come to Hidden on Thursday? Hmm?
I heard a vicious rumour there was ice cream and vodka jelly?
I don’t know about that but there’s certainly some free booze and goodie bags…
Photos courtesy of Steelo. Not to be reproduced without permission.
Hidden's 1st Birthday
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On:
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Thursday 2nd November 2006
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At:
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Hidden [map]
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From:
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21:00 - 03:00
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Cost:
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Free Entry all night!
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Website:
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www.hiddenclub.co.uk
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Ticket Info:
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This is a FREE event. All Industry guests will have access to the VIP areas and free champagne. Please email your names to chloe@hiddenclub.co.uk ASAP to guarantee VIP entry. There will be a very limited amount of spaces reserved for the public.
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More:
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Has it really been a whole year?
In just 1 year Hidden has established itself as one of the most popular mid-sized venues in London, catering for thousands of party-loving club crazies every weekend. From Bedrock to Nu Religion, from Torture Garden to Hot ‘n’ Spicy – the venue has played host to a wide range of the most exciting club events in the country.
To celebrate our 1st birthday, we want all you industry types to join us for a night of juicy house, saucy electro, phat breaks, free champagne, goody bags, and general starting-the-weekend-early debauchery. It’s FREE and it’s going to be off-the-hook!
Hidden is situated just off the Albert Embankment, tucked underneath the railway arches. It opened its doors in October 2005 following extensive refurbishment to bring it up to cutting-edge standards. It was previously known as Studio33 and before that as The Chunnel Club – but it has only been in the past year that the venue has become one of the most talked-about venues in the capital. 3 rooms, 2 mezzanine levels and a courtyard area help to make it a truly unique venue that has very laidback, intimate feel to it.
We’ve secured a rather tasty line-up to help get everyone in the mood for some mid-week naughtiness and for celebrating one year of Hidden fun and frolics. Turnmills resident and jetsetting superstar Tania Von Pear brings her sweet house licks to the sociable surroundings of the Blue Room, alongside the supremely funky Liam D from Hot ‘n’ Spicy (one of Hidden’s most successful nights) and David Minns from Brixton’s Read The Crowd (who will be celebrating their birthday at Hidden in 2007). Over in the Red Room, tearing breakbeats are supplied courtesy of Clive Morley – head honcho of one of London’s hottest breaks nights, Platform 12 – alongside new sensations Darft Phunk and Kiss100/NuSkoolBreaks’ Slack Shot. The emphasis is on good old party music – minimalist chin-strokers need not apply!
N.B. Hidden accepts no responsibility for any hangovers, missed days of work or fatigue induced by its 1st Birthday Party.
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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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House. Bouncy House. Deep House. Funky House. Prog House. Tribal House. US House. Vocal House. Breaks.
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DJ's:
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Blue Room – House & Electro for sexy dancing
Tania von Pear (Going Places)
Liam D (Hot&Spicy)
David Minns (Read the Crowd)
Dirty Jay
Jack Michaels
Red Room - Breakbeats for heavy stomping
Clive Morley (Platform 12)
Darft Phunk
Slack Shot (Kiss 100 / NSB Radio)
Steelo
Ben Gomori (Dex ‘n’ FX)
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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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All good! See you at Hidden
Quality stuff. Nice work Fella.
wrong i tell you.
