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“Greg, what happens if I press this big red button?” “Armageddon.” Greg Brookman tells us why he is A.L.I.V.E. & kicking!
Reported by taktikal london
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Submitted 31-08-05 21:00
If we printed all the tales about Greg Brookman’s antics over the years, he would probably be banged up quicker than you could say, “how’s your father?” It’s safe to say that his well publicised antics at a certain Frantic event involving Steve Hill and the good name of Nick Sentience are the tamest of his achievements. These are stories better kept for when you corner Greg, one to one in a nightclub — where I assure you he will be more than happy to tell of why the devil makes play for idle hands.
But that’s just it — Greg is far from idle. Yes, the stories and feats of sheer bottle and front that he has accumulated are verging on legendary — but that’s not why we’re here.
Making waves in the industry that most surf bums would kill to ride, he is fast becoming one of the great producers of our time. But not content with conquering the production world, and now the DJ world, he is about to launch what is being billed as the next generation live PA.
The A.L.I.V.E. PA by all accounts looks like it is going to reset the standard for the definitive live PA. Shrouded in secrecy, Brookman has granted an exclusive interview about his new project to Harderfaster.net. If we can steer clear of his notorious prankster character then it should be smooth sailing… we hope.
Just before we start Greg; is it likely you’re going to do something stupid during this interview?
Greg Brookman: No, I promise I’ll be good!
Ok we’re a little nervous but let’s continue. You’ve been in the hard dance press a lot recently. Is it rewarding for you to finally be getting the recognition you have worked so hard for?
GB: Yes definitely. I’ve been making hard dance for about 4 years now and I’ve had many nights when I’ve fallen asleep with my face on the mixing desk! It’s dead nice to know that people are genuinely enjoying the music I’ve been making.
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From the way your character is and your laid back persona, it seems you’re quite happy to be yourself and not get sucked into any ego boosting exercises — what’s kept you so grounded?
GB: I don’t think it’s in my character to be like that. The way I see it is I make and play music for people to have fun to at the weekends, that’s it. Plus my mates would probably put me in my place if I ever got a big ego!
Because of the vast influence and volume of friends you have in the scene, your career has been well documented up till this point, with the most notable aspect being your appointment as in-house producer at Nukleuz Records — and then your swift exit after. What can you say about what happened there?
GB: Working at Nukleuz was great for my career in a lot of respects. I learnt loads and produced some of my best work there too. And my swift exit, well in this scene people like to answer questions like that diplomatically but I’m honest so I’m not going to write a load of bollocks. Instead I’ll just put no comment!
You’ve done a vast amount of production work, much of which hasn’t ever been released into the public domain. What would you classify as your best work to date?
GB: I’m pretty pleased with the majority of the work I’ve produced. My favourites are probably ‘Free Flow’ because it was the first tune I made at Nukleuz and I was dead chuffed to be working there. ‘Bring the Funk’ (which I co produced with Guffy) because it was different to what I was usually doing and sounds proper chunky and ‘Panzan’ (co produced with Tim Coe). Seeing Panzan go right off in a club for the first time was a proper buzz! Recently I’ve been in the studio with Nick Sentience and I’m about to go and work with Nick Rowland too.
You’re on the verge of releasing the follow up to Panzan: [/i]‘Hypersonic’.[/i] What can we expect from the track and is it truly the Panzan sequel?
GB: Tim (Coe) and I are never really in a rush to churn out tunes so we can take our time thinking of new ideas. With ‘Hypersonic’ we have made a tune that still has the same kind of energy and uplifting feel of Panzan but with new ideas in the production. We have tried not to follow too many formulas and predictable methods. There is a heavy electro influence in ‘Hypersonic’ and some real stand out synth sounds too. It’s probably our best work to date. As a duo we have two other tunes waiting to be released too. ‘Anybody Everybody’ comes out on Nuklear Puppy next month and ‘Smack’ is currently doing the club rounds.
Staring competition: Greg Brookman & Tim Coe
Like a lot of producers you are now starting to make waves in the DJ world as well. How’s that progressing?
GB: Really well. I’m starting to get more and more gigs which is fantastic. I do a lot of pre-production work for when I play out. I’ve now got a whole assortment of intros, bootlegs and tunes that I have made simply for playing out. Like my production I’m often thinking of new ideas to make my DJ sets more interesting and enjoyable.
As well as your DJ career, you’re now also about to launch what has been billed as [/i]the next generation Live P.A.[/i] The project is titled The A.L.I.V.E. PA. How did you come up with this name?
GB: I was thinking of new ideas with my management team at Taktikal AM and we came up with the A.L.I.V.E. title. I don’t want to give too much away before the launch but it’s just to show that I’ll be doing a few things that are slightly different from the hard dance norm. I’m looking forward to it!
We’ve been told in advance that the exact details of this project have to remain secret until the project goes live. What can possibly be so secretive about it?
GB: I just want to try things that haven’t been done before in a live PA, things that are really just a lot of fun. It’s not like I’m keeping it as some mega big secret under lock and key, I just want to save some of the ideas as a surprise for the night.
The press release on the project says that the A.L.I.V.E. PA will attempt things never seen before in a live PA. So you mean you’re actually going to play LIVE?
GB: Although primarily I’ll be behind a rack of keyboards and equipment, I won’t be doing a Top Of The Pops and miming. The way I have programmed the PA is going to allow me to control when parts of the music come in and out. As well as triggering samples and playing some keyboard parts live I’ll also be playing a lot of electronic percussion. With this type of music the majority of the sounds still have to be sequenced by computer. If I had a drummer on stage playing all the drums and a bass player playing the bass lines it wouldn’t work because the timing wouldn’t be strict enough. What I can do though is have other musicians on stage with me playing live instruments to make it more of a performance.
Reading the press release again it also says that A.L.I.V.E. will also include remixing tracks LIVE on stage. How exactly is this going to work?
GB: As well as playing a lot of my own material I’ll also be doing a couple of remixes of other peoples music. With the technology I’ll be using I can actually create the remix in real time as I’m playing. I can drop the vocal or sample I’m using and then add some beats, bit of bass, few synth sounds etc. This way I get full control over the remix, a bit like a conductor in an orchestra. If people appear to be liking something I can keep it going or if not I can change to something else.
When you say you’re going to be reworking some of the world’s most classic tracks: does that mean dance music tracks or tracks from all genres of music?
GB: Other genres too. Songs that are well known but will hopefully put a few smiles on people’s faces on the dance floor. Songs our generation can relate to from our youth.
Are you going to give us a clue as to what they might be?
GB: I just hope people get out of their seats and jump around.
You’ve chosen the Wildchild 3rd Birthday at SEOne to debut the A.L.I.V.E PA. What made you choose the giants of the London scene to bring the beast out of its cage, so to speak?
GB: A number of reasons really. First and foremost I produce and play hard trance, which is what the majority of my A.L.I.V.E PA will be focussed around, and Wildchild has a great hard trance following. It’s also going to be in SeOne which is one of my favourite venues. All the Wildchild events I have been to have been wicked and I’m sure the 3rd Birthday is going to be the absolute bollocks. It’s got a great line up and Wildchild always attracts a fantastic crowd. What better place to kick start my PA… see you on the dance floor!
All photos courtesy of taktikal London.
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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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Comments:
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From: glen gavin on 31st Aug 2005 21:08.10
GO GREG 
GO ON MY SON 
I FEEL A.L.I.V.E. 
From: Kenzie on 1st Sep 2005 05:10.26
Panzan, CLASS CHUN
keep rollin out the wicked tracks bro!
From: carl nicholson on 1st Sep 2005 08:22.48
Get in there my son! One of the most geniuine and talented producers of the scene! Well Done Greg!
From: Dickon Laws on 1st Sep 2005 08:45.06
Love the images - lucky we caught Greg on that roof top in the middle of a Carhartt fashion shoot!
From: ajay on 1st Sep 2005 08:48.26
Go on mate! Really looking forward to this one Greg!!
From: Ian Edwards on 1st Sep 2005 09:26.17
noice one mate..hope to see you soon
From: Smudge. on 1st Sep 2005 10:23.50
Can't wait for this! Gonna be awesome 
From: SleeplessAndy on 1st Sep 2005 10:28.34
Good work Greg. Great interview! I'm intrigued... See you at SEOne
From: Gordon Darley on 1st Sep 2005 11:03.40
I love you you Gregory.
From: Batch on 1st Sep 2005 11:41.07
Well done Mr. Brookman, great interview...
cant wait to see u live in action!
From: bennett on 1st Sep 2005 12:06.00
nice one mate!
cant wait to see the A.L.I.V.E performance!
From: seany sean on 1st Sep 2005 13:13.22
in the a.l.i.v.e. mix bro safe.
From: JC-TAKTIKAL on 1st Sep 2005 15:03.40
BE THERE - WILDCHILD 3RD BIRTHDAY!
From: Matt Smallwood on 1st Sep 2005 17:26.43
Nice one mate!
From: JC-TAKTIKAL on 1st Sep 2005 17:42.38
MATTTTTTTTTTTTY SMALLLLLZWOOD!
From: Ickle H on 1st Sep 2005 22:23.33
Well done babe, keep up the good work, can't wait for 'Smack' to be released, wkd tune!
See you down the front!
From: Reece Elliot on 2nd Sep 2005 00:57.27
Go Greg, you know you're gonna rock that place!!!
From: Karl Schmidt on 2nd Sep 2005 08:21.21
Awesome producer.... can't wait for Wildchild!
From: Lee Osborne on 2nd Sep 2005 09:58.14
Nice work mate! (Hypersonic) is fat!
From: danj on 2nd Sep 2005 13:46.57
Thafe 
From: TemptationGirl2 on 2nd Sep 2005 17:28.10
Well done babe! Looking good, see ya down the front 
From: Monkey Monkeyson on 2nd Sep 2005 20:36.59
absolute legend. yes the brookman 
From: PEDRA ~>> DRUM TRAX <<~ on 2nd Sep 2005 21:27.00
let´s see what greg is here for
From: Maria on 2nd Sep 2005 23:54.20
From: TheManWithThePlan on 3rd Sep 2005 10:48.45
Get in Greg. Well done mate. Fair play.
From: voodoobass on 5th Sep 2005 01:44.08
Can't wait for this one - Brookman always entertains
From: steelo kuchiki on 5th Sep 2005 09:38.28
greg you ginger bastard, dark up and bust it up at wildchild. if i dont hear tweakin im going to kill you dead. safe safe safe
From: little gem on 5th Sep 2005 20:16.10
woohoo!!!!! am sooooooooooooooo excited about this!
Go Greg!
From: Lana M on 6th Sep 2005 09:24.03
sounds interesting! a man with a plan Nice 1 greg shame i wont be there to witness this a.l.i.v.e, can u record it for me?!!!!!!! get the camcorder out! GO ON!!!!!
wat a nice geeza ;P
From: steelo kuchiki on 6th Sep 2005 11:52.41
greg? a nice geeza?? pfffffffffft!! 
From: Lana M on 6th Sep 2005 12:07.36
well hes been nice to me! maybe he HATES u?
From: steelo kuchiki on 6th Sep 2005 12:16.00
hes only nice to people hes gonna play tricks on
From: Ali Perc on 6th Sep 2005 15:02.40
Go on the Brookman!!!
Will catch up with you soon son.
From: GJB on 6th Sep 2005 15:45.39
Thanks for your nice comments everyone I'm well up for this PA. Bit nervous but well excited too.
x
From: benz on 7th Sep 2005 19:35.32
sounds excellent dude will have to pop down to catch your set!
From: Steve Blake on 8th Sep 2005 01:01.56
Top dude and an excellent producer, Panzan was a cracking tune...not being biased or anything!!!!
Go Greg.....well deserved mate
From: Donna Birt on 8th Sep 2005 11:16.32
Niiice one babe! Def be there for this xx
From: Spherical on 8th Sep 2005 12:36.29
Legend.
Looking forward to this.
From: Mike Harris on 9th Sep 2005 01:16.08
Greg you star!!
Great interview mate, love the pics 2!!
Ill never forget that cigarette trick you did to me at se1 !!
From: zero tolerance ben on 12th Sep 2005 12:43.19
well done matey
the suspense is building
gonna be amazing!!!!!!!!!!
From: Becka on 12th Sep 2005 13:56.23
Looking foward to this
From: madjojo on 13th Sep 2005 11:04.46
Well done Gregg. Really pleased on how far you've come.
Great stuff *BIG SMILES*
From: Zimma on 25th Oct 2005 10:59.56
Nice interview... Will defo try and make it along for this.  Good to see you trying to bring some innovation to the scene Greg!
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