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Features
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Introducing NEM3SI$’s new label Infinite Resistance! | Mindbenderz talk ‘Lord of the Rings’ and fishing, as well as the creation of their new album ‘Celestial Gateway’! | Iono-Music artists One Function, Eliyahu, Invisible Reality and Dual Vision talk Robert Miles, kids, dogs and vinyl, while we chat about their current releases! | Luke&Flex talk influences, the Irish rave scene, why Flex wears a mask and Play Hard, their new EP out now on Onhcet Repbulik Xtreme! | Lyktum expands on his new album ‘Home’ – talking about his love of storytelling, creating new harmonies and the concept behind his musical works. | Pan talks getting caught short crossing the Sahara, acid eyeballs and tells us Trance is the Answer, plus shares his thoughts on his latest release 'Beyond the Horizon' - all from a beach in Spain! | Miss C chats about living with the KLF, DJing in a huge cat’s mouth, training her brain and the upcoming super-duper Superfreq Grande party at LDN East this Saturday, 16th September! | NEM3SI$ - I Live for the Night – talks superficiality, psychopaths, and bittersweet success, ahead of a plethora of evocative, emotional, and passionate upcoming melodic techno releases! | Psy-Sisters Spring Blast Off! We talk to DJ competition winner ROEN along with other super talents on the lineup! | Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! | Shyisma talks parties, UFO's, and Shotokan Karate ahead of his upcoming album 'Particles' on Iono-Music! | SOME1 talks family, acid, stage fright and wolves - ahead of his upcoming album release ‘Voyager’ on Iono-Music in February 2023! | The Transmission Crew tell all and talk about their first London event on 24th February 2023! | NIXIRO talks body, mind and music production ahead of his release 'Planet Impulse' on Static Movement's label - Sol Music! | Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project | The Psy-Sisters chat about music, achievements, aspirations and the 10-Year Anniversary Party - 18/12/22! | A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden | Earth Needs a Rebirth! Discussions with Psy-Trance Artist Numayma | Taking a Journey Through Time with Domino | New Techno Rising Star DKLUB talks about his debut release White Rock on Onhcet Republik! | PAN expands on many things including his new album 'Hyperbolic Oxymoron' due for release on the 14th April 2022 on PsyWorld Records! | Psibindi talks all things music including her new collaborative EP 'Sentient Rays' on Aphid Records, her band Sentience Machine and 10 years of Psy-Sisters! | N-Kore talks Jean-Michel Jarre, unfinished tracks and fatherhood! | Celebrating International Women’s Day and Ten Years of Psy-Sisters with Amaluna | A Catch Up with John Phantasm ahead of his upcoming set at the Tribal Village 4 Day Outdoor Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022! | 'The Maestro that is Tristan talks barn owls, Shazamming and keeping it Psychedelic ahead of his upcoming performance at the Tribal Village 4 Day Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022! |
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Meet Gaz James from Toxikworld / Intoxikate Records!
Reported by Tom Cypher
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Submitted 08-04-08 17:13
Gaz James is one of the most explosive artists from the UK today, already having played at top UK clubs, including Turnmills and The Egg to name a few. He's also had the pleasure of performing at various different locations around the Globe, including Australia, New Zealand, Ibiza and mainland Spain, Brazil, Mexico, two tours of the USA covering Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Denver and Cyprus. With tours of Asia and the Ukraine already planned for 2008, Gaz James will be a name to look out for in 2008!
First of all for those that don’t know you, who are you, where are you from and how would you describe your sound?
Gaz James: I’m from the UK but now spend most of my days DJing and touring the globe. I spend 6 months in South America and global tours take up at least another 3 of those months. I run the labels Toxikworld and Intoxikate and my sound is a mixture of tough, grooving, techno & house.
Tell us about South America – what are your connections here?
GJ: I was invited over a couple of years ago by an established DJ agent who handles John Aquaviva’s bookings to come and DJ and ended up spending three months playing something like 22 dates. As mentioned above, I now spend up to 6 months a year there, having set up my own agency BRUK to bring internationals to South America and I genuinely love the scene down here!
When you decided to head over to South America, did you go with the idea of becoming a superstar DJ?
GJ: Not at all, haha! I was just coming on a tour, going to do what I do! I never expected anything like what’s happened! But I’m very happy.
Was it easier to build a profile in South America than it was in the UK?
GJ: It’s a tricky question to be honest. I used to be a fairly well known hard dance / techno DJ so it was quite difficult to make the change three years ago. The UK is also very clicky and to be honest I was getting fed up there. All the nights in my city are not suited to what I play and I was always having to compromise. I find internationally I get to play my sound and from building an international reputation I’m starting to get some good bookings in the UK so let’s see how this year is!
Do you play anywhere else other than Brazil?
GJ: I have been lucky enough to play at various places around the globe: Australia, USA, South America, New Zealand, Brazil and Europe.
You are also running a successful DJ agency and events company BRUK. How did this come about and what are you aiming to achieve?
GJ: My manager at the time, Paulo Jardim, was doing the agent thing on a small scale. He had already toured the likes of John Aqcuaviva and Coburn, I opened up access to a lot of other DJs and so we decided to make the partnership. There is also a third partner, Jose Rodrigues. We saw the opportunity at the time and took it and have never looked back now the South American scene has exploded!
We throw one party every month showcasing the artist we have touring that month and the parties are going very well! With regards to the agency, we saw that it would be easy for us to arrange tours for foreign artists with the amount of contacts we had between the three of us, it was at the right time too as there are now lots and lots of internationals coming. The ultimate goal is to one day have the biggest agency in South America whilst throwing breathtaking club events and festivals!
What makes you choose which DJs and artists you want to work with BRUK?
GJ: BRUK wanted a mixture of artists, some very well known artists, some not so, with our main passion being in full control of the future as it were. We feel we have the next generation of superstar acts already onboard - Acts such as Hauswerks, Kanio, Spektre, Joseph Capriati, these guys are going to be huge! Watch this space!
What DJs does the agency look after?
GJ: Well, artist-wise we have Darren Price (Underworld), Fergie, King Roc, Olivier Giacomotto, Jerome isma ae, Filthy Rich, Spektre, Leeroy Burrel as well as lots more well-respected artists, who we consider to be the future of the scene.
Is there a particular sound that is really big in South America?
GJ: The underground sound is really taking off! They love techno, tech house, minimal house and of course psy trance he-he!
Any interesting local talent you’d care to share with us?
GJ: Yes for sure, there’s lots of good up and coming DJs around Brazil – Paulo Jardim, Toxikworld DJ and partner in BRUK, he has already been to tour the UK where he played at the Egg and at Switch in Birmingham and will be returning in August! With regards to local talent from England – Leeroy Burrel is one to watch out for. He’s one of many DJs who belong to our BRUK Agency this year!
You also run Toxikworld / Intoxikate records, what’s happening with these labels and what releases have you got coming up?
GJ: Toxikworld has been running for 3 years but at the moment it is on hold as my distributor Amato went bust, leaving me a little disheartened regarding vinyl and sales. To be completely honest, I’m unsure if I want to sell vinyl anymore. Confused times for Toxikworld! As for Intoxikate Digital we are going from strength to strength with every release, with strong remixes helping us make the charts on Beatport. The label is getting support from the likes of Marco V, Dubfire, Timo Garcia, Joseph Capriati, Carl Cox, Fergie and Ricky Stone to name only a few. The last release Brazilian EP went top 10 on Beatport which is the biggest digital download site in the world and we have very exciting projects in the pipeline from artists such as Hauswerks, King Roc, Spektre, Filthy Rich, Kanio, Myself and Tom Real & Black Russian and Mark Maitland!
Final question - Brazil or Birmingham? If the later, do you have any plans to become a full time resident over there?
GJ: What a Question he-he! BRAZIL! That said at the moment I’m happy with the way things are 2/3 months on off is good for me. I don’t want to exclude myself from the rest of the world, my plan is world domination! And I would miss my family and friends if I was here 100% of the time. I’m sure at one point I will build a house in the mountains here!
Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions Gaz!
Download Gaz’s latest mix here:
http://www.djgazjames.com/2k8_VOL2_MASTER.zip(Feb Mix)
For more info:
www.myspace.com/gazjames
www.myspace.com/brukworld
Photos courtesy of Gaz James. Not to be reproduced without permission. Share this :: : : :
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Other Features By Tom Cypher: Perfect Stranger Takes a Leap of Faith With His New Album Marco Scherer's Patchwork 17 Lee Mortimer goes Loopy. My Digital Enemy Studio Talk with Organ Donors
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: Maria on 10th Apr 2008 14:17.20 Great interview Gaz and Tom. I remember when you played in my room at Turnmills for Party Proactive....was amazing! Hope you are having a good time in my country Brazil. Shame we couldn't meet up yet. I'm going to Skol Beats in Sao Paulo next month before I go back to the UK...maybe we can catch up!
From: *antixa* on 21st Apr 2008 19:29.29 Well if the music sounds as the man looks it could only be good Cool interview
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