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Features
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Interview with Paul Maddox
Reported by Sharon B
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Submitted 19-01-04 11:12
Paul Maddox has made his name as one of the best young and innovative producers on the hard dance scene with a number of dance classics produced both as a solo artist and as an engineer with other big name artists on the scene. Soon to be playing at Beat Retreat in February, Paul made his name first as a producer before becoming a top notch DJ playing nationwide across the UK. From his bootleg version of N-Trance “Set you Free” to his hard and stomping vocal “Reach Out” Paul displays a diversity and natural talent that most DJ/producers would chew their right arm off to achieve. Taking time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions for Harderfaster Sharon B decided to get the low-down on his rise to fame, plans for the future and views on the dance scene and its future.
Sharon B: You have had a very rapid rise to the top in terms of your career – how have you managed to keep your feet on the ground when achieving so much success in such a relatively short period of time?
Paul Maddox: Don’t know really, I suppose I just act the same as I always have really, all my mates and stuff are still the same as the were before my career kicked off so I suppose that’s helped me keep a sense of normality!
SB: Has being such a success at such a young age affected your home life in any way? How did your family first react to you becoming a producer and DJ and how do they deal with the level of success you have achieved?
PM: Initially they were a little sceptical, because I sacked off the idea of going to uni to pursue a career in music, which understandably didn’t sound like a very sound plan! As things have progressed though, they’ve come round to my way of thinking and have always been really supportive.
SB: When did you first get interested in creating music, and what was the first tune you ever made?
PM: About 4 or 5 years ago, I was just messing about making cheesy “Toca’s Miracle” style bootlegs on my PC, which progressed onto original tracks. The first original track I made was a breakbeaty prog style thing called “chant”. It was really sh*t though!
SB: Has music always been a big part of your life? What other creative interests do you have?
PM: I’ve always listened to music a lot, but it wasn’t until around the time I started producing that it really started to take over my life. Don’t really have any other creative interests, although if I had the time I’d love to learn about graphic design and image manipulation and stuff like that.
SB: The tune that got you first noticed and signed was a bootleg of N-Trance “Set You Free” – can you tell us a little bit more about the story behind your signing?
PM: I gave a demo CD to the Tidy Boys whilst out clubbing, and they got back to me saying they liked the bootleg, and that they wanted me to come down to the studio to polish it up a bit, which I did and from there they revealed they needed someone to work full time in the studio. My production wasn’t really that good at that stage, but they took a chance on me which now seems to be paying off!
SB: Since being signed to Tidy you have created a number of tracks, both as an artist and as an engineer, that have gone on to become huge sellers – how do you approach a tune and how different is it working as the named artist to working as an engineer?
PM: If I’m doing one of my own tunes, its usually a much slower process, letting the tune develop, and returning to it lots of times. When engineering or collaborating, time is usually much more limited. Working as an engineer is a different skill really, as I always try to take the artists ideas on board and not try to inflict my own idea as to how the track should sound on them, and simply get the technical side right for what they want.
SB: How does it feel to be involved with so many successful tunes as an engineer in terms of recognition? How much creative input do you have as an engineer on a tune, and do you ever get frustrated that a track that you have worked and provided creative input on is released solely under another artists name? Is recognition important to you?
PM: Obviously its nice to get recognition, but If people like the track its just as gratifying whatever is printed on the sleeve. If I’m working simply as an engineer (eg the Glazby material) then I have a small amount of creative input, mainly just giving technical advice and following instructions. If the track is co-written though (eg “Hellraiser” or “Mercy”) then theres usually a fair few of my ideas in there too as well as those of the other artist involved.
SB: Is there any artist that you haven’t worked with yet but would love to collaborate with in the future?
PM: In fantasy land, I’d love to work with BT, as he really is my idol production-wise. Can’t see it happening though!
SB: Since your first production your style has changed on so many levels. Many DJ’s and artists state that you have a personal style of your own, that when they hear a tune by you it is instantly recognisable as a Paul Maddox track. How would you describe your style in your own words?
PM: I’d like to think that all my productions have an element of funk to them, as that’s critical to me and I tend to use breakbeats quite a lot too.
SB: Is there any track that you have not produced that you wish you had?
PM: “Break & Enter” by The Prodigy.
SB: Out of all the tracks that you have produced, which is your favourite and why?
PM: Of released tracks, probably tension, cos it’s a bit different from the norm, but still does the damage in a club. Overall though, I’d say a new track: “Tales From The Krypt” which I produced with Ben Kaye, cos it incorporates a fairly heavy influence from the Prodigy in their heyday – probably my biggest inspiration.
SB: You are signed to Tidy, arguably one of, if not the, biggest hard dance label in the UK, who show a great deal of faith and support in your work. How much control does a record label have over an artist and the sound that they produce? Do you have certain guidelines within which you have to work for the tracks you create?
PM: Well, record labels CAN exercise total creative control over their artists, particularly in the pop world, but luckily I’m given a completely free reign, although I’m sure they’d have something to say if I started making Czechoslovakian folk music or something!
SB: If you were given free range to produce what kind of sound would you ultimately go for?
PM: I could never settle on one style of music, I’m always doing different stuff, both under the hard dance umbrella and other stuff like funky breaks, trance and housier tracks.
SB: It has been rumoured that you are about to start a new label, backed by Tidy, that is to feature artists that are all under the age of 21. Can you tell us a little bit more about this venture? Which artists are involved and how were they selected?
PM: Yeah, SYNAPSE is the name of it. The age thing is more of a coincidence, not the concept for the label. The label is to be run by five of us: Colin Barratt, Guyver, Ingo, Lee Pasch and myself, with me acting as kind of a chairman, but not in charge, all the A&R will be a group thing. There wasn’t a selection process as such, we were all working closely with tidy beforehand and it became apparent that another outlet was needed for all the material being produced.
SB: What role will you have with regards to this label and how will you make this branch out different to the productions you have already made with the Tidy label?
PM: As I said above, I will act as kind of a chairman with regard to the A&R side of things. Synapse will keep the diversity that tidy has and we won’t be afraid to put records out that are a bit different to the norm, but with the emphasis still on solid club tracks. I suppose the Synapse output could be described as being towards the “cooler” end of things. We won’t be putting any Stimulator or Heavens Cry records out!
SB: It is said that you started producing before you started DJ’ing. For most artists it is usually the other way around – how did you get into DJ’ing and how easy was it for you to pick up learning to mix?
PM: DJing was a natural step really; I wanted to be able to play my tracks out! I think understanding the structure of tracks and how sounds fit together helps with DJing so I didn’t find it that hard to pick up.
SB: Where was your first ever play out as a DJ and how has your development as an artist on this level progressed?
PM: My 1st gig was actually at their 1st Tidy Weekender, as I filled in doing the warmup set on Sunday when a DJ failed to show in time – it was a bit of a baptism of fire really!
SB: When you started learning to DJ did you have a clear idea in your head what type of style you wanted to achieve and experiment until you created that sound, or has your style evolved as you have progressed over time?
PM: I always wanted to be varied in my style, which I still am – I play anything from chunky, funky hardhouse and techno, through harder techno and trance up to hard NRG stuff.
SB: As a producer signed to Tidy you must be able to access some of the most up-to-date equipment on the dance market, and playing for some of the biggest nights you must also come across the latest technology with regards to CD decks, mixers etc. What do you think is happening in terms of technology and the DJ scene? With the introduction of Technics CD decks and digital mixers on the market do you think that DJ’ing will become more technologically based? Will digital DJ’ing be the future of the dance scene?
PM: Definitely, CDs are already taking over purely out of convenience, especially when travelling; it’s far easier to take a couple of CD wallets on a flight than a ton of vinyl. I still like the feel of vinyl, and it looks much cooler to see someone with a pair of turntables in a club than someone poring over a little LED screen on a CDJ, but if I could be guaranteed a pair of good CD decks in every club I played at I’d definitely give serious consideration to the idea of abandoning vinyl.
SB: You play a lot of clubs in the North as well as in London and other venues in the UK. What, if any, is the difference between the club scene between the two regions, and where do you prefer to play?
PM: Not really, London crowds tend to be a little more varied in their makeup, but I couldn’t say I preferred any particular geographical area; it all depends on the club, and more importantly, the people in it!
SB: With so much already achieved, where do you go from here? What goals have you set yourself for the future and where would you like to see yourself in 5 years time?
PM: I definitely want to produce stuff in other genres outside the confines of hard dance, but also bring my love of other music, particularly breaks into my hard dance productions – breakbeat seems to be an area that has been overlooked in the hardhouse scene apart from the odd loop here and there and its time that changed!
SB: If you could play anywhere in the world, any venue, event, line-up, where would you like to play and why?
PM: It would be at space in Ibiza, with Plump Djs, Steve Lawler and BT playing on the terrace and, Carl Cox, The Prodigy playing a 94 era live set, Paul van Dyk and Myself Playing inside later on, Because space is my favourite club, and they are all my favourite artists & DJs!
SB: What is your opinion on the hard dance scene in the UK? What future do you think it has and what direction would you like to see it go in?
PM: It definitely has a bright future, as there are so many young producers making good music to push things forward. Hopefully the recent fad for really hard, hoovery stuff will pass soon, it seems to be the latest bandwagon now that hard trance is on a slight decline, and I can’t stand it, theres no groove to a lot of it. Half the tunes coming out at the moment just sound like what was being released 2 or 3 years ago but with a bit more percussion!
SB: If you could make one change to the music scene over the next 12 months, what would it be and why?
PM: I know this will never happen, but I’d absolutely love it if people were a bit more receptive to other types of music – For me, a club that started off with some deep proggy music, then onto breaks, then techno, then hard dance to finish would be amazing!
SB: When you approach a set do you ever pre-plan what you will play and which mixes you will do? How do you go about packing your record bag for an event and are there any tunes that never leave your record bag that you always keep with you?
PM: I never preplan a whole set, but have pairs of tunes that I know work well together and usually know roughly what style I’m gonna play before a set. The only record that never leaves my box is Nick Sentience & Harry Diamond “Trippy”
SB: What sets do you have lined up for 2004? Will you be playing solely in the UK or will you be touring abroad at all?
PM: Plenty of UK stuff, but I’m out in New Zealand in a couple of weeks (end of January) and possibly more international stuff, but nothing confirmed as yet.
SB: You are going to be playing for Beat Retreat at Heaven in February, how did you get involved with this booking and what type of set can we expect to hear from you?
PM: Depends what time I’m playing and what other Djs are playing, but I would imagine a blend of Hardhouse, Trance & Techno – with plenty of new stuff in there!
SB: Any last comments?
PM: Thanks for asking me to do this interview and I’ll see you at Beat Retreat! :o)
Paul Maddox plays at Beat Retreat on Friday 13th February.
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Other Features By Sharon B:
What's it all about? Alfie! - Getting Technikal with Alf Bamford
Heat UK presents....SW4!!! - Interview with Damian Gelle
Interview with TWIST promoter Steve Darragh
Interview with Innovate Resident Nick Sentience
Interview with Ferry Corsten
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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Gutted I won't be able to see him at Beat Retreat