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Get Nocturnal with Matt Darey

Reported by HarderFaster / Submitted 02-06-08 19:14

An innovator from the word go, Matt Darey has been at the forefront of the trance scene for well over a decade. Considered by many to be one of the founders of the trance scene his work has defined many a euphoric night out on the tiles. With classic records Gamemaster, Liberation and Beautiful under his belt and still rinsed today, these days you’ll find him just at home spinning those perfect hands in the air tracks as you would pushing his new sound, Rocktronica.



It’s unsurprising then that despite the scrubbing of dance music from radio and TV stations in the UK, his home country, that his Nocturnal show is syndicated to well over 110 stations around the world. But these are FM stations not just internet stations, with only two of the total being online, Ministry Of Sound and DI.fm. An impressive total, we think you’ll agree and one which led onto the perfect opening question…

What do you think this says for the health of the dance scene around the world?

I think the scene is building up again and radio really helps get people listening to new cutting edge dance music. Even so, I think some of the big stations like BBC Radio 1 have pushed dance music out of the peak time slots which is band news for the scene in the UK.

Like many other radio shows, the format you have is two hours with your own mix straight off and guest stars picking up the second hour. What do you think is unique about the show that brings so many listeners in?

It’s all about the music selection. I like quite a broad spectrum of dance music from electro, prog, breaks, trance, rocktronica, minimal, etc. I try to play the best of what’s out there each week and the mix up of styles means there’s never a dull moment.

Would you agree that FM with its population reach is still as vitally important today as it was 10 years ago?

With Podcasting and streaming on mobiles people have more choice and I guess from that perspective FM radio is less important than it was.



As you said you’re focusing on a range of genres in the show. After many years of fragmentation do you think the time is ripe for convergence of dance genres?

Yeah, there’s a lot of fusion of styles going on nowadays and the lines between genres are becoming blurred. In the club you have to feedback off the crowd and I tend to take people on a softer journey between genres. Radio and club are very different in that way.

Why do you think major stations here in the UK have recently reduced the coverage they give to dance music and what can be done about it in your opinion?

Commercial pressures in the UK. Galaxy, Kiss and Radio 1 are all competing for the same audience and when ratings fall, the programme directors seem to be going more and more mainstream. It’s a bit of a knee jerk reaction in my mind with the ultimate result being that all radio stations will sound the same, just playing Top 40 tracks.

I think stations need to be bolder, chose their own style and stick to their guns.

What cites or areas do you think are key in your growing radio empire and why?

USA, Australia, Eastern Europe, South America. They’re all loving the dance music scene right now.

How are you incorporating technologies like Podcasting into the show?

I do a monthly Podcast for Nocturnal on iTunes selecting some of the best tracks each month and mixing them up for about 80 mins. You can also download the MP3’s direct from my Matt Darey home page.

Listeners today have become used to choosing their favourites, having a voice and being part of what they are listening to. How can your listeners interact with the show?

Occasionally I give the listener a chance to make selections of their favourite tracks from previous shows. So far we’ve fone 4 – 5 shows like that and the mixes have been amazing – They are all archived here along with over 200 hours of shows and guest mixes.



You’re now working with Dale Corderoy from Mondo Records on the show. What reasons brought you to this link up and how is he key to helping achieve your next set of goals?

I’ve known Dale and Darren Tate from Mondo for a long time now. I brought Dale on board to help spread the word about the show.

You are also taking the brand on the road with a series of gigs. What areas are you most looking forward to and why?

I do love to see new far away places and different cultures but I love playing wherever I go. I guess the best times are where people are really familiar with my show and then I can really take them on a journey with no limitations and they ride with it.

How are you looking to translate the show to the stage and who can we expect to see play?

As with the show, I play a wide range of sounds but it really depends on the crowd as to which genres are emphasised more. I’ll play electro house to pumping electro to electro trance, progressive, even some breaks. I carry over 2000 of my favourite tunes with me so I’m ready to go anywhere with my sets.

Have you got any surprises or secrets for the shows you’d like to let us into?

I guess the biggest surprise is the music you’re going to hear. I try to go with the crowd but at the same time introduce them to new sounds they might not hear elsewhere.

You’ve been in the scene now for 17 years or so. How do you continue to keep things fresh in your mind and what drives you forward?

I always loved dance music and I’ve produced many styles from house, breaks, trance and progressive. I try not to get attached to one style cause there’s always something fresher round the corner.



There seems to be a mood at the moment in dance music for dance bands, take for instance what Chicane is doing, or Pendulum. How do you think Urban Astronauts will fit into the scene and just what is rocktronica?

Rocktronica is the fusion of rock and electronica / dance. It’s not really a recognised term or genre yet but when I started making trance back in ’92 it didn’t have a name. I started out as a singer in a rock band back in my college days and I started experimenting with fusing dance and rock about five years ago with No Submission (featuring Indie band Alabama 3) and Animal (featuring Sunscreem’s lead singer). At the time no one really got it apart from a few open-minded DJs, now there seems to be a small scene and I recently released these tracks again with new mixes.

The sounds are now getting a lot more air play and I’m now making an album. Urban Astronauts have just signed a deal with North America’s biggest Indi label, Kock Records. Once the album is finished we’ll start touring.

It’s great to see other bands out there doing their own take on rock and I hope Urban astronauts with be influential in shaping that scene.

Your sound (with UA) compares in part to the work that Stuart Price does under his various aliases. What are you aiming for with the rock / dance crossover sound?

To be honest, I don’t know where this is all heading because it’s new territory. I’m just following my gut and making music I love. Like I said earlier, there seems to be a scene emerging, bands forming around dance producers from all corners of the dance world. I have a good feeling about it all.

How do you envisage this project developing over the next year?

The album is taking shape, taking influence from many genres of rock and fusing it with dance production. It’s a very varied sound and I think that’s essential for and artist album. I see a lot of experimentation going on with the sound of Urban Astronauts. Later in the year we’ll be taking the live sound of UA on the road.

What else are you looking forward to over 2008 and beyond?

DJing has taken a backseat while I’ve been getting into this UA album, so I’m looking forward to getting back on the road with tours in Asia, Australia, USA and Europe on the horizon.




Photos courtesy of Matt Darey. Not to be reproduced without permission.
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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.
Comments:

From: Not Marcus on 3rd Jun 2008 11:00.30
Have you seen his rider? The amount of hair care products in there are staggering.

From: onthebass on 8th Jun 2008 11:55.28
Always tune into Nocturnal every Sunday night here in Australia (Radio Metro 105.7 on the Gold Coast). Thanks for providing an alternative to the endless Top 40 pap we get exclusively on radio here!!

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