His debut album, Dynamite & Laser beams displays all the hallmarks of being every bit as exciting as the man himself. So we decided to find out a little more about the man behind the music.
So what's been happening in the world of Fergie?
Hi there. Well lots going on with me, I’ve just released my first artist album. It’s been great to get it finished and get it out there to the ravers. The feed back has been very positive so it makes it all the more worthwhile.
What has been your highlight of the year so far?
I would say there have been many from a gig point of view from Ibiza, Brazil, Belfast, America and of course Scotland. The highlight as an artist is from releasing my album and touring it. There is nothing better than playing it out and getting a buzz going on the dance floor.
You have a strong following in Scotland, playing Pulse in Edinburgh and Pressure in Glasgow, what is it you like about the Scottish crowds?
Well I have said for many of years that the people up here just like to lose the plot and get lost in the music and the moment. It’s always been a special place for me to play, I have gone through a few changes in music over the past 10 / 15 years but I have always felt that I have been given a free rein up here to express what I love. So for me its more or less like playing back home.
What do you think has changed in the world of techno music over the last 20 years?
I think techno has changed so much but it has still managed to keep the mystic.
For a long time techno was like a swear word but over the last 6 or 7 years it has found a home in most of the clubs around the world. It made everything fresh again. The clubs needed something to take everything back to the underground and the more techno vibe was a must but it all happened so organically and that’s why it has worked so well. It has brought a new wave of djs, producers and clubbers with it. It’s all good.
Who inspired you to become a DJ and artist, was there a defining moment when you thought, 'This is what I want to do.'?
Growing up as part of the Northern Irish rave scene at only 13 and being at events such as the iconic Hellraiser raves at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, I got my first taste of international DJs such as Carl Cox and Pablo Gargano and this set the direction in which my music was to go. It was the harder edge of the music that really caught me, just the full on driving energy of it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge and still does. So yeah that would probably have been when I made a conscious decision that I wanted to be in the DJ Booth doing what they were doing.
There seems to be a strong driving sound in all your work, which crosses genres... where does your inspiration come from?
Thanks, yeah my sound comes from the dance floor and is made for the dance floor, that’s what makes me tick. I love to be on the dance floor and just feel the music flow through me. Throughout my career my sound has always been at the harder end of everything and this as you say is still very much the case.
Do you purposely set out to create a specific track or does it form it's own character?
I have been working with my studio partner for over 5 years so now we just go in the studio and just get a jam on. We know what we want to create and in some weird way it just comes out. Sometimes quicker than others but we always get there in the end. Some tracks never make it out of the studio but most do.
Do you work to a road map in the studio or is it a much more fluid experience?
Nope no road map as such but I do try and stick to the harder end of things, When I go in the studio I try and make a record that will feature in the biggest in my set when I play out.
I've been listening to the album, it's a bit of a belter, was it just the right time for you to do it after what seems like a busy couple of years?
Thanks, I’m glad you like it. I have been lucky enough to have been djing for 16 / 17 years and I have made music in the past but never really felt I had something to say. When I left Radio One I wanted to take a bit of a break as from 1996 to 2006 was a crazy 10 years so I wanted to gather my thoughts and re focus.
I started to make singles and EP's and I also started to take on more of the gigs again so the album was a natural progression really and it has been great to finally arrive at the release.
The album is has your unmistakable sound all over it, what does this release mean to you, have you come full circle?
It means a great deal to me. In the album I have kept a lot of aspects from all the different types of music I have dipped my toe in over the years, Full circle?... I don’t think so…there is still so much I want to explore so I’m on a mission and I have already started work on my collaboration album, which will be due out mid 2011.
Dynamite and Laser beams it plays like a DJ set, was that intentional?
Yeah I have grown up in the DJ booth so it’s meant to reflect that. This is why I wanted to have the studio mixed version on there also.
When your not jetting about DJing, running the labels or creating your own releases what do you like to do with yourself?
Ha, When I’m not DJing or making music that can only mean one thing, I’m sat in an airport!
Who are the new breed of techno/house producers you think are worth listening out for?
There are quite a few, Henry Von, Reset Robot, Alan Fitzpatrick, Jon Gurd to name a few. Also some great talent from Scotland Gary Beck, Harvey Mckay, Dean Newton, Warrner Powers & Michael Paterson. It’s crazy how times change, years ago every one wanted to be a DJ but now they are not only DJs, but producers as well which is great as there is so much fresh music about. I think we are in the best time musically I have ever witnessed.
What do you use for DJing, vinyl, CDJs or different technology?
I started on tape machines when I was very young then moved to vinyl then CD's and on to my laptop where I used Traktor and also Serato. I have since moved back to CD's. There are so many plus and minus for each so it’s down to personal taste. I never felt 100% confident with the laptop I also felt it took away a big part of my djing so I’m back djing like a caveman and I can honestly say I’ve never enjoyed it so much!
Has digital record shopping changed from the days of buying vinyl, and do you miss it?
Well believe it or not I never liked record shops. I always felt the people working in the shops would just load you up with about 100 odd records and they would know your style but would still stick loads of tracks in there you would never play which for me was a big waste of time. I love nothing more than sitting at home shopping on the net.
So what does the future hold for Fergie?
I am working on getting all the remixes in for the album, I’m also working on the collaborations album plus I have 2 new EP's to get out so its all go.
For more information please go to - www.excentric-fergie.com
No comments:
Post a Comment