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Breaking down barriers with Kuffdam & Plant
Reported by Adam Symbiosis
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Submitted 15-11-06 22:15
The internet has been both a boon and a bane to those musically inclined. Some though have taken the bull by the horns and used it to its potential. Two leading the vanguard are rising trance stars Kuffdam and Plant. So when I was offered the chance to interview them it not only seemed right, but it was actually only possible, to interview them over the airwaves and copper wires that break down the barriers between person to person...
Known to their mothers as John Steven and Yiannis Roberto Hadjicharlambous, the fledgling producers met when John or Kuffdam’s agent arranged a tour in Cyprus. Roberto or Plant got in touch to send over some tracks and the two began to talk via MSN. “Finally we decided to make a start on a track idea which finally became Exodus,” begins Kuffdam. “From there we just really hit it off in terms of being friends, sharing views on music and of course working on new material. I think within about two months we were signed up and ready to release Balerica.”
But how hard was it to be able to do these collaborations? Plant thinks it’s not so hard: “We met at the right time, when it comes to internet technology that is. Fast speeds have enabled us to share files over the internet in a matter of minutes so it’s not been a dragged out process. Using the same production tools helps a lot too, because at the end all you need is to exchange small files read by that software.”
At first they would send a reason file back and forth three or four times a night, developing an ear for the other person’s style, but lately they’ve been able to work on two tracks at a time. “Plant will work on one for a week or so and me on the other. We kinda know what the other person is looking for now so we can just really get on with the job and then pass it when we have reached a certain point.”
Over the past year they’re been working in the same room together as well, which Kuffdam tells me is a change and like a brand new thing all over. Plant agrees: “We work on ideas, we choose the — let’s call them — good ones, start working on them exchanging the files, samples, midis etc., like we always did, but now we prefer finishing the tracks while being together in the studio. We are meeting a lot these days. Many times when on tour, we also work together on ideas. This has been the case with recent tracks like ‘The Ones We Loved’ and the new Gabriel & Dresden remix ‘Dangerous Power’.”
I’m certainly interested in the way they’ve developed their production style, but I also wanted to look into their backgrounds before they met up. I started with Plant, as to my mind and probably many others, Cyprus has become associated with bling-bling and garage, so just how did he get into trance music? Coming into dance music from a rock background melodies, rhythms and power were key along with the artist’s creativity, “and the no boundaries concept.” There was also questions that were burning in his mind: “Why have a track for just three minutes? Let’s have one for six or eight minutes! Why do something within the borders that the media set?” An interesting quandary indeed. “By the late 90s I realised that trance and house music were two more styles for me to listen to. They sort of ‘met my criteria’, especially psychedelic trance and goa, who also use many oriental melodies. Living in a country where the local music is a mixture of European and oriental music, it was easy to associate with Goa.” So he formed a band called The Power Plant and uploaded some of their psy, Goa and prog trance tunes to MP3.com and even managed to hit the top of the trance charts a couple of times before they broke up.
Over in Scotland trance seemed to be a natural progression for Kuffdam. Getting into dance music from tape packs coming out of happy hardcore clubs, he fell in love with the sounds of Bass Generator, Mikey B and Technotrance. “Over the years the hardcore scene was a big thing for me, I went to clubs in Scotland every week to see DJ’s and bands. This was all around the 95 to 97 years, but in time the scene started to die and I turned my attentions to discover what other styles were out there. Trance was something that just started to come along at the right time for me and since then I haven’t looked back. It’s weird because I actually credit what is essentially a hard house album for my love of trance. Global Underground Volume 1 mixed by Tony De Vit is still a personal favourite of mine and that album really got me into a whole new sound and from that I really discovered trance.”
Kuffdam
Being insulated down in the London scene means we don’t often experience the joys that are out there and available to us and so I wondered just what each scene had to offer to the intrepid clubber. Plant tells me the Cypriot trance scene is actually big, with radio stations organising packed events alongside promoters. “When Mix Fm organised the Paul van Dyk event, they had 4,500 people in the venue; a thousand more had to stay outside! 4,500 people is a lot for Cyprus, 0.7% of the population, if that was in the UK it would be 430,000 people!” Though watch out if you go there and play as you have to play one more, “Otherwise you don’t get out of the club! Every month there are one or two trance events, mostly in Nicosia. In the summer time there are many more events organised in the other cities by the sea. Imagine, trance music on the beach, trance music in huge natural caves! You must come and see for yourselves!”
Impressive of course but what about our cousins past the border? “Inside Out and Colours are the two big ones and probably the most well known. Both are normally held monthly at The Arches (in Glasgow). Inside Out pretty much caters for trance with guest like Judge Jules, Dogzilla, Matt Hardwick and many others, plus the Arches has a very special feel to it, it’s like real underground clubbing. Colours, on the other hand, changes styles and one month you could have Paul van Dyk there, then you might find Timo Maas or Sasha at the next event. Away from these nights though there are plenty of great events to check out.” Other key nights Kuffdam points out to look for at Refresh at The Vault in Glasgow and Nuklearpuppy at Ego in Edinburgh.
Plant
Going back to my original thoughts I wondered exactly how the guys viewed the internet in terms of its potentials and pitfalls. Kuffdam certainly has his feet on the ground, realising that they never would have met had it not been for the internet and of course better connections mean easier ways to share files. On the other hand though he thinks that file sharing has made making a living out of producing a pipe dream for most. “I mean I like to think that ‘Summer Dream’ was a pretty popular track. We sold a huge amount in this day and age but you can’t help but think to yourself where we could have been had the track came out say 1999 at the height of sales and without the affect of illegal file sharing. It certainly means that both of us still have to hold down full time jobs as well as the music side of our lives. But what can we complain about? We want to work together and the web makes that possible.”
There’s another online benefit for Kuffdam as well. Now focusing energy on his show for Digitally Imported and pulling in around 5000 listeners, he feels it’s been a great outlet for pushing his style and trying out new material, so I asked where this leaves normal radio? “With so many people now pushing Podcasts and new internet stations popping up all the time I think most listeners want the material on demand and the net can give that. There is so much choice out there that you can pretty much get any style of music or artist online when and from where you want. The only problem I see with this is that so many people become ‘armchair clubbers’, where they simply listen to an artist online rather than actually going to a club and supporting them and the venue. We have to remember that radio is simply that and that you can’t judge and artist from a recorded set, you need to also see them live and see them perform.” So with Podcasts and on demand armchair clubbing has radio lost its relevance? Plant doesn’t think so, “For me radio and download sites are two totally different ways to listen or get music. The radio is something that simply provides a show in some way, it entertains me either in the car or when I’m chilling at home. Download sites on the other hand are a great source of music for me to actually buy and play when I want to DJ.”
Neither does Kuffdam: “The radio and radio shows are purely entertainment. They’re a medium for my radio show or for just listening in to a cool mix by a fellow DJ or maybe even just something like radio 1 being on at my work desk. I personally always find I work better with a little music in the background and the radio is perfect for that. With regards download sites, places like Beatport and Juno have just become my online friend for tracks. Whereas I used to spend a Saturday afternoon listening to 80 to 100 records looking for that cool track in my local store I now just log on and pick up what I need, when I need it. I personally don’t see the 2 affecting each other in my eyes.”
Stating out “like every other producer” to reach the top of their game, the boys have come far in a short space of time by taking things slowly but moving fast when the opportunities arose. “Opportunities were there when we started, small ones, yet by working methodically especially in contacting labels and promoting our work, we were able to close our first deals and have our stuff on the dance floors very quickly.” Says Plant, “We also picked up a lot in terms of dealing with contracts, contacts and of course looking after our financial side of the business. It’s all been a learning experience I guess.” The modest answer belies the opportunities they’ve had gaining high profile recognition from people like Paul van Dyk and John 00 Fleming and moving to be managed by Turnmills promoter Tom Godwin. Kuffdam tells me it’s all been through “Hard work, persistence, help from others and of course good old fashioned luck.” With a friend helping them with some key contacts to pass out their first few demo tracks and a PO Box address for JOOF records it must have seemed so easy as within days they’d had a call from John Fleming asking to sign ‘Seduction’. “To me this was just amazing, John is a real legend and to get a call from him was like having a hero call you at home.” Over in Germany they had Paul van Dyk playing their Balerica on his Soundgarden show, understandably they were bowled over but then came the icing on the cake, being signed to his Vandit label. “Now I think we really feel part of the family with Vandit,” Kuffdam continues, “After all we have just released our 3rd track with them. Paul and the guys and girls at the label do so much to help us with new material that it’s all just become like the normal thing to do when dealing with them. Everyone works so hard there and we are really grateful, they just deal with your work so professionally.”
With all this work on I presented them with a wish list to work with whoever they wanted and got a very surprising answer screamed back at me through the screen by Kuffdam:
“METALLICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“All joking aside, I’m a massive metal fan and Metallica are my heroes. I had the chance this year to go on a short tour following the band around. 3 gigs, 3 countries and in 3 days. It was amazing! I’d love to work with these guys. But I think as for real opportunities, working with someone like Bjork for a vocal track would be amazing, I love the sound from her voice, also Ian Brown or Liam Gallagher would be amazing. I think we could pull off a real moody sounding track with any of them on board.”
This whirlwind had to start somewhere and as mentioned before that track was ‘Exodus’, which was released to an unsuspecting public via message boards not dissimilar to our own. I wondered if the boys were more surprised that I’d even heard about the track before the interview or that I’d asked them if they’d thought of going back over it and releasing it. While Plant tells me he’s in two minds about it all, Kuffdam tells me “I would be scared to go back on work that now. It’s certainly not our best but still it does hold some meaning to us with it being the first material we did. I think we will leave it be for the time being.”
Hands off, for now, to concentrate on the future. A future that includes further tracks, like ‘The Ones We Loved’, a remix of ‘Dangerous Power’ for Gabriel & Dresden, and shows at Vaccine here in London and further across Europe and beyond. You also might be seeing them pop up on HF from time to time. Trance is an important future to be involved in though, as Plant points out, “I think we are on the breach of a new dawn of trance. There are so many great artists out there pushing the style and sound like Sander Van Doorn, Marco V and of course people like John O’Callaghan and Giuseppe Ottaviani. It’s a very exciting time to be involved in trance.”
Certainly already heroes in their own right now for some and hardworking examples of what can be achieved to everyone else, to round off what learned wisdom can they impart to the ranks of budding producers out there, Kuffdam takes up the challenge, “I think for any new person starting out in dance music or for anyone working on material now wondering how to get signed, just stick at it and make contacts at clubs, go see djs and pass on material, email labels and drop off samples. You just never know who might come back to you looking to sign you up. It’s all about work and of course luck, but if you don’t try, you won’t ever know.”
Adam Symbiosis 
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Other Features By Adam Symbiosis:
Godskitchen Xmas Party: Reviewed
The Big Chill: Reviewed
Tiësto at Victoria Park: Reviewed
Lilly Allen: Reviewed
Digital Society May 2009: Reviewed
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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Met then at The Gallery a few weeks ago, really nice guys.... Hope everything goes great for you 
