Andy, we began working together at ‘Sundissential’ where you were one of my first resident DJs alongside Lisa Lashes, Fergie, Tony De Vit (god bless him) and Nick Rafferty – my night in Birmingham which for years was the biggest hard house night in the world, the club was second only in clubland to Gatecrasher back then. However back in the mid eighties saw you collecting 60s R&B and Soul tunes before you bought your first decks – so who were your big albums and singles from the 60s time that you were most saddened to sell to get your first pair of turntables?
“Hi Dan, nice to hear from you? I was big into Northern Soul and 60s R&B at the time so I’d accumulated around 500 pretty rare original singles, I was a bit reluctant to let them go for the price which I sold them for which was a steal as I sold them all as a job lot. However I don’t have any regrets as I’ve managed to locate the majority of them on CD back over the last few years. The only one I’ve not been able to find was a track that came out on the Sue Records label by Mr Dynamite call Sh’mon which was a real stomper, so if anyone knows an album it’s on please let me know!”
So you stepped onto the dancefloor of many a Birmingham gay club pumping out cool Hi-NRG music in the late 1980s – what clubs were rocking back then?
“I tended just to go to The Nightingale to hear Tony play and also The Powerhouse in Birmingham on a Thursday night. I also ventured down to Heaven in London in 1989 which was mind blowing. I’d never seen such a big club with full colour lasers etc, which was open all night ’till dawn.”
Best club you’ve ever played at – and why?
“It would have to be Tin Tins in Birmingham from 1994-1996. The vibe was just amazing, a crazy mix of people that you wouldn’t think would work in the same club but did. No hang ups, lots of smiles and all there to dance to great music. Perfect.”
So Tony De Vit – he changed your live forever after a meeting at The Nightingale Club in Birmingham – your music taste suddenly changed from your disco sound to Tony’s Belgian techno beats – what’s the story there?
“I first met Tony in 1987 when he was playing the disco/hi-nrg/funk/house sounds around at the time. He eventually, well overnight actually, started playing tracks like Outlander’s ‘Vamp’, Cubic 22 ‘Night In Motion’ etc which ruffled a few feathers as it wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Tony asked me if I’d be interested in covering for him on a Saturday night when he had to go and play at Heaven, so of course I jumped at the chance, and on the back of this I was offered a residency in the second room playing lighter music. I then ventured round to Tin Tins in Birmingham where he also played every week, and this was a real turning point for me. I more or less did the same thing, changed my music overnight and became a resident there as well.”
There is a real problem in the scene at the moment with club/DJ politics, always has been really maybe, with promoters wanting exclusivity stopping DJs playing at other clubs in their area – thoughts?
“I try to stay out of the politics as much as possible, however it can be a nightmare. I’ve had times where I could have been playing at a gig but because of the exclusivity angle, wasn’t allowed to and ended up sat at home without a gig. Nobody really wins in situations like these.”
What’s your best Tidy Weekender moment?
“At Tidy Weekender 3 when they turned the music off and everyone sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me.”
Andy, what is your favourite Hard House tune ever?
“This is such a hard question to answer as there are so many from the last fifteen or so years, but Tony de Vit’s Are You All Ready still does it for me in a big way no matter how often I hear or play it”.
Who is the best ever Hard House DJ to rock a dancefloor – who really influenced you the most?
“Tony definitely, but also Steve Thomas. His sets at ‘Trade’ were mind blowing, taking the music from house to full on hard house with techno thrown in as well.”
You have loads of production releases under your belt – compilations and own stuff – what are you most proudest of?
“Single wise my proudest moments would be ‘Khemical Imbalance’ which I did with BK, ‘Barriers’ that I did with Colin Barratt, all of the tracks I’ve done with Base Graffiti and ‘Concentrate’ which I also did with BK and was my very first tune. Compilations wise, would be Music For The Harder Generation and Hard House Update.”
So, a resident at Sundissential – with promoters Madders and Danny Kirk – Madders famously used to put his shit in the secretary’s desk drawers and sold his bed on the dancefloor – what’s your craziest Madders story of all time?
“Probably going on the mic during a live Radio 1 Essential Show and insulting, ahem, a certain high powered DJ who was playing at the time.”
Which country around the world has the maddest clubbers?
“Maddest is probably the UK, but the Irish and Scottish crowds are the most up for it I’ve found.”
Okay so we have established you have had a wide variety of records in your house over the years – Hi-NRG, House, Hard House etc. – what is your FAVOURITE tune you have ever owned?
“Talk Talk ‘It’s My Life’ and I still own it on CD – and three different versions on vinyl.”
What’s next release wise from you?
“My latest release on my Cubed label with Paul Maddox called ‘Anomaly/Move Forward’ is out now on my Cubed label. I’ve also got loads on the way. A six track EP with myself and Base Graffiti also on Cubed, two tracks with Sam Townsend for Tidy Trax called ‘Mouse Shack’/’Xchange & Mart’, a track with Ben Townsend & Base Graffiti called ‘New Sense’ on Deprivation and a track with Frank Farrell called ‘Under The Thumb’ which is coming out on Vicious Circle.”
Hard House had a hard time of it a few years ago and was seen as maybe, a tacky sound of clubland. Why do you think it is has now been revitalized and is now considered a great part of dance culture?
“Hard House has always been around since it’s early days in the 90s, though it didn’t really carry the label back then so much. And when it crossed over and blew up big in 2000 there were obviously a lot of commercially aimed tunes. It then went back underground and redeveloped itself and has a big following still much like the hardcore scene has always had. A compliment I had recently was from a DJ who plays progressive and had never been to a hard house club before and really enjoyed it because it wasn’t what he expected. Hard House clubbing is more than just the music, it’s about a friendly vibe, almost like a small family and people travel up and down the country to different gigs and this is what makes it special.”
What’s your favourite and fondest memory about Tony De Vit?
“Hearing him playing at ‘Sundissential’ at Pulse at 10pm on a Sunday evening playing ‘Are You All Ready’ at +8 and 2000 people just going mental. Classic.”
Catch Andy Farley at Frantic Presenting ‘The Convergence The 11th Birthday’
Friday 3rd July 2009 @ Hidden, 100 Tinworth Street, London.
The Blue Room
featuring…
Andy Farley
Karim
Riggsy
DJ Elle
Steve NRG
Dave Curtis & Wayne Smart
Smyrky & Seraya
The Black Room
featuring
Paul Glazby
Cally Gage
Adam M
Pickup &Rise
Lucy Fur
Scott Fo-Shaw
