This month as PUZZLE PROJECT reaches the grand old age of 6; we have a seriously special guest for your aural pleasure!
A true UK Psychedelic Trance producer that almost needs no introduction.... LIQUID RECORDS 'golden boy' the hugely energetic BEATNIK.
With releases on such labels as LIQUID, DACRU and NANO Recs and even a track featured on John 00 Fleming's 'Psy Trance Euphoria - Vol 2; with performances just about everywhere; including SYNERGY PROJECT, TRIBE OF FROG, HALCYON, ILLUMINAUGHTY, WAVEFORM & GLADE festies it's certainly not going too badly for the 23 year old!
Puzzle Project Resident ANDI LEPPARD caught up with BEATNIK before this coming months 6th Birthday edition of Puzzle Project @ the 414 club in Brixton on Friday 30th September 2011, to discuss all things Psychedelic and err Wham................
So Mr BeatNik, hows tricks??
Well – my sleight of hand is pretty good: I'm alright with cards and coins, but I can't seem to get the audience for my close up magic. Aside from that tricks are currently top banana! I'm having a particularly musically productive time at the moment and I am as a result quite tired after some marathon studio sessions.
Could you tell us a brief bit about the music you play & how you got involved with the Psychedelic Trance scene??
The music that I make and play is, effectively, the music that I want to dance to that hasn't existed yet – I think that's probably why I don't exactly stand still when I'm playing! In the end, psytrance is dance music, and if people aren't dancing you're doing something wrong. With that in mind I think I probably cater more for the dancefloor stompers than the back-row beard-strokers.
I got involved in the psytrance scene in a surprisingly naïve way. I heard, as a recent teenager, (I was 13 at the time) Infected Mushroom's BP Empire during a visit to Sweden exclaimed something like: "This is like Eurotrance – but SO much better."
Four years on and I'd immersed myself in the music and the making of it and, in a very optimistic and perhaps retro way, sent a demo off to Nano who liked one of my tracks and released it. Cue my entry into the scene!
Prior to being associated with Psychedelic Trance culture, what music were you interested in and how has this influenced what you do now??
I think my taste in music has always been eclectic and quite non-prejudiced. Primarily, however, I guess I was involved with classical music: I was lucky to have received a music scholarship to my school, and with that came the chance to study composition and various instruments – which I did. Although I won't deny that the liberation of making music electronically was massively alluring and gradually took over.
I also loved pretty much all dance music. From the flying rhino releases to the emergence of the UK garage scene (I recently discovered during a nostalgic music listening session with Mood Deluxe that I still remember many of the lyrics off by heart! - embarassing.)
Unless you've been crying under Michael Jackson's bed, its common knowledge these days that BEATNIK is pretty well connected with many major events in the UK and Worldwide Psychedelic Trance scene!! How is it all going and please share with us some of the highlights??
It's all going quite well at the moment. Last year, my time was consumed by books as I decided to study intensively for a year. As a result I was unfortunately less able to perform as much as I wanted to. In fact, I was unable to play at this years Glade due to it falling perfectly in the centre of my two weeks of final exams! In any case – this year is different. I am really excited about immersing myself in music for a while, of all different genres too, and getting back to gigging!
Some highlights... hmm:
1. Playing in the north of Brazil was incredible – particularly performing from a stage shaped like a Mayan temple, watching as people danced on the sand and in the water as the sun set.
2. My first ever Live Set at the Synergy project was a moment I can never forget, and still a highlight of my life as a whole. I was so nervous the whole week before that I could hardly talk.
As mentioned earlier you have performed at both GLADE and WAVEFORM festivals in the past (lucky you), please tell us how you got involved and share some key moments
I got involved via Ross (the eponymous Liquid Ross that is). Both festivals have always been fantastic fun. I particularly enjoyed playing on the Origin Stage at Glade when the sound-system malfunctioned, and as it and I reset and started again it was (at least in my opinion) the only time ever that I could get away with doing a DnB style rewind in a trance set. So I did, and it seemed to go off on floor!
I first came across your sounds on New Year's Eve 2007 / 2008 when I DJ'ed straight after you at Tribe of Frog in Bristol! How have your sounds changed / evolved since that time nearly 4 years ago??
Well – musically and technically I hope I have improved.
Technically is easier for me to assess as it is more objectively quantifiable as such – I definitely feel now that engineering my music to a level where it sounds good on a rig is quicker and the quality of the technology used both in the studio and for the sound-systems has added significantly to this.
Musically however, I can't assess to the same extent. My aim is still to make an eclectic, distinctive style of psytrance which is dancefloor focused, but I feel that recently I am experimenting far more with the inclusion of elements and techniques of other styles of current dance music into my psytrance tracks in a subtler way, which is exciting!
Everyone (I think) bought a copy of your 'Function Creep' EP on LIQUID Recs in 2010 which went down a treat. Are you anticipating on releasing a full BEATNIK album in the future?
A full album is definitely on the cards – prior to that there will be another EP which is all quite exciting.
Tell us about your involvement with LIQUID RECORDS and the infamous LIQUID ROSS.
Well – Liquid records and Liquid Ross have been there with me from the very start.
Liquid Ross (the only person I know who is actually capable of teleportation by the way) has been a great friend, party buddy, and professional colleague over the last years.
Although he has tried on numerous occasions to pull my trousers down whilst I've been playing. He also once told me, just before a DJ set (in which I was planning on playing some of my own unreleased music) that none of the CDJs were playing burned CDs – only pressed CDs would work. Cue me running around for 10 minutes frantically trying to borrow some extra CDs and tracks.
Suffice to say it was all a joke at my expense. Grrrr.... I'll get him back for that one day!
Last time I saw you perform was either at ILLUMINAUGHTY in Manchester last October 2010 or at HALCYON in London earlier this year.. Have you got any further gigs at these events and how are this autumns bookings looking ??
Currently bookings are looking quite busy. Aside from Puzzle project (which I am looking forward to immensely!) I am playing at Tribe of Frog, and then in France in a few weeks time. I have some other gigs in the pipeline following that and some further gigs planned for around the festive season and early next year in – perhaps – more tropical locations. We shall see eh!
***** Now its time for the quick fire round where you get to answers to the questions that we ALL need to know the answers to! Here we go*****
If you could perform anywhere, what location would you chose?
Glastonbury pyramid stage – with the Glastonbury crowd – but on a Brazilian beach.
You have two options for a 'meaningful evening'. Kate Moss on fire and beyond repair or Cheryl Cole who has just come back from the Far East and is now Mr Cheryl Cole? The choice is yours?
Both – at the same time – for an evening I'd never forget.
Favourite poison?
If anyone buys me a shot of Jaeger whilst I'm playing (not one of those disgusting things mixed with energy drink though – yuk) I will dedicate my set to them and buy them flowers. Otherwise I like getting back to my Swedish roots and drinking some Aquavit.
You regain consciousness and you find yourself performing on the beach in Brighton (Norman Cook stylee)!! The only issue is you are butt naked and the only two tunes you have left (for some reason) are Bronski Beat 'Small Town Boy' and Wham 'Wake Me Up Before You Go Go'!! What do you do ???
I would, first of all, capitalise on the nakedness and become a celebrity – like Paris Hilton!! (Surely everyone who gets naked now becomes, at least, a b-lister).
In any case I'm not surprised that Bronski and Wham are the only tunes that I have left though – as they are both currently in my record bag anyway.
I think I'd do a series of mashups though:
"run away turn away run away like a yo yo"
or
"Always a lonely boy/cuddle up baby, move in tight/you were the one/they can dance we'll stay home instead"
Aaah so poignant.
Marmite! Love it or hate it?
Errr.... it's alright I guess.
You're in a pub somewhere in Africa, and a group of angry looking Gorillas are staring at your missus; how would you sort them out?
It is a well known fact that angry Gorillas can be reasoned with using logical well-structured argument and in fact this exact scenario happened a few years ago:
I began by explaining the functioning of human relationships and innate instincts toward possessiveness and protection that being in a relationship reveal. Then explained how their staring at my one-and-only was engaging with these natural responses and how I was theoretically be teetering on the cusp of some physical aggression.
A few hours later I was attempting to reassemble my face and searching for a wayward eyeball...
Top 3 current tunes?
Earthling v Touch Tone – Dial 8 (Out soon on Spun)
Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy
Wham – Wake me up before you go go.
And finally citric acid or liquid acid?
Citric every time – I just can't get enough of that sweet sweet sourness.
Mr BEATNIK many thanks for taking time out of your hectic schedule to answer all these important questions! Keep up the good work and see you out and about soon...............
