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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! |
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Back Once More - Marc French gets reFre5hed
Reported by anushka007
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Submitted 08-03-10 07:56
Throughout the 90's and the early noughties Marc French was one of the most popular DJs on the London hard dance scene. His style of energetic hard trance helped the likes of HeatUK to national success. Having hung up his headphones some time ago he's been tempted out of retirement for a few trips down memory lane including reFre5h this April.
Marc we know that you sadly retired from DJing a while ago – how have you been keeping yourself occupied?
This was actually my second retirement, I started DJing in clubs in 92 and retired in 96 after the legendary Club UK closed down. Then I was inspired by the music at SunnySide Up in 98, after a year away from the scene, it ended up with a residency at 414 with the ORIGINAL Odyssey promotion. After that came the years of HeatUK where bigger and better things came along for me, along with some fantastic times playing for many of the leading London parties.
My second retirement came from the movement of HeatUK away from the hard dance; the promoters were concentrating on bigger projects such as SW4. At the time the graphics company that myself and the Heat guys had formed to promote the party, Evolution, had merged with some other promoters and unfortunately things did not work out for me there. So I registered myself self employed and concentrated on MF Creative, but had to knock the DJing on the head because there just was not the time to do the required networking, tune production and all that that comes with keeping on top of the game. But now 3 years have past since those days, the graphics business is going well for me and if someone wants to hear me play out then that’s fine by me!
Do you ever just play for yourself or for friends at house parties etc? What tunes do you keep on your Ipod etc now?
To be honest the decks were under the bed for a good two years, I didn’t mix anything until fairly recently when I played for my birthday for 414. I would always be up for a house party, would do hard trance but am really wanting to revive the mid nineties pumping house scene I was into before all this hard house nonsense (LOL). A kind of hardbag trade, but not the really mental stuff. I’m thinking of putting one on myself, get some of the old ClubUK boys down and rip it up.
I listen to such a huge variety of music, loads of minimal, prog and techno etc, the stuff this year has been incredible. Also love my Psytrance and like I said before I’m really into the mid nineties pumping house/Italian piano/Leftfield, Underworld kind of thing. They were very special years for me. Also like a bit of 88/89 acid/chicago stuff. Also still a big 80s soul/jazz funk fan and synth pop stuff like Depeche Mode etc. Ah f*ck I like all of it. I’ll do a bit of Kylie from time to time - music is my life! That sounds like a good name for a tune doesn’t it? lol
We know you’ve agreed a few “nostalgia” sets for this year. Obviously we’ve bagged one but can you tell us where else you’ll be playing?
Just recently I got booked for The Tasty Return party. It should be a good night. I'd also love to play Glowball as it's a party that seems to be doing things right.
What’s your approach to a classics set? Do you play what you want to hear or what the crowd does? BTW we suspect at reFre5h these will be one and the same things!
They will not necessarily all be 'classic' tunes, but representative of the sound I was pushing at the time, for me a golden era of what I considered to be a new variation in UK hard dance music and a refreshing change from the hard house style I was playing prior to the Heat days. Producers such as Dave Parkinson were really changing the sound of the dance floor and I rode on that wave at the time. The tunes I play have always worked for me in the past, if the crowds are not into them these days then there’s something wrong with them don’t you think?
We’re going to spend a while reminiscing now! We all used to love the classic Heat nights back in the day when you were a resident for them. What’s your top Heat memory?
I was always a massive fan of Prime mover and Sharkboys sound and was always lucky to nab their stuff before most, so I would get to road test their stuff and there was one time at Heat at Rock (the daytime party) when I dropped Sharkboys mix of 'Silence' for the first time in London. I’ve never seen a reaction like it - took the f*ckin roof right off mate, it was pretty special.
What other nights did you play for?
Ah there were loads, Logic, Tasty, Frantic, Timeless, Tilt, Pulse, Friendz, Feersum, most of the parties that were into that sound really.
What were your fave clubbing haunts and DJs back then (other than Heat)?
Andy Farley is the man. For Hard Trance I used to love Spencer Freeland and Steve Blake. Reynolds was an inspiration when I saw him at The Polar Bear for the first ever Fevah party I went to. Skol and Roosta also. Oh stop it there’s too many!
Clubbing haunts for me outside of DJing had to be going to Fire on a Monday morning. Class. And always the 414 of course!
What has been the greatest challenge you’ve had to overcome in your music career?
I was always trying to keep a set different from those playing around you; it’s sometimes tough to keep your current music unique when you are playing on a bill of 5 DJs playing essentially a similar sound.
And you biggest embarrassment? Don’t be shy, everyone has their moments!
I embarrass myself every time I go out you should know that by now! Top mucky head - that’s me
Ever get anything weird thrown at you while you’ve been DJing?
Those f*cking big balls at Brixton Academy are quite a pain when you’re in the mix and some lunatic is hurling them at you. Other than that, not really, only the occasional live chicken or goat etc.
Following on from that, have you ever had a stalker stylee fan?
I wish. I would take them home and play Hostel with them. lol
Have your old dears ever come out to watch you rip up a dance floor?
They would not have a clue. My dad thinks I do weddings and stuff.
Which footie team do you support if any?
Not interested in the slightest.
Worst fear?
Not waking up from a heavy weekend. lol
Best ever experience?
Being given the chance to travel with Heat, seeing South Africa, Japan and having some amazing times in Ibiza.
And finally to give everyone an idea of what they might hear from you at reFre5h, what are your top 3 all time classics?
Well am sure to play Prime Movers mix of All your Bass, it was a bit of a trademark for me. Heavens Cry Jon Langford mix is just a f*cking monster.
Justin Fry - Free your mind is a special one as its one of my best mates’ absolute faves and I'm sure the same goes for most of the clubbers that used to go to Heat.
Photos courtesy of Daf & HouseGuy. Not to be reproduced without permission.
reFre5h.... The Second Coming!!
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On:
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Friday 9th April 2010
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At:
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CLUB 414 [map]
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From:
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22:00 - 10:00
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Cost:
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£8 for concessions and B4 Midnight, £10 after
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More:
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It’s been 2 years already since we launched reFre5h as
London’s freshest and up and coming after party and my,
hasn’t time flown! The party has grown from strength to
strength bringing you quality line up after quality line up,
managing to bag some of the scene’s biggest names in Hard
House and Trance. This has all been made possible because of your support over the past 2 years and as a special Thank
You, we would like to show our appreciation by throwing the
biggest party we have ever thrown, with the biggest line up
we have ever had! And, if you ask nicely, there might even be
cake!
For our second birthday we wanted to do something extra
special and push the boundaries once again. Although we are
primarily an after party, we’ve managed to secure a whole
night and morning at the 414 so that we can give you 12
hours of aural pleasure with possibly one of the greatest line
ups the club has ever had. So without further ado, we present to you…
**********reFre5h is 2! The Second Coming**********
To kick off the proceedings on this joyous occasion we
welcome a man who has been causing quite a stir in the hard
dance scene over the past year. His Electrik Shandy record
label has raised the bar immensely, pumping out quality tracks
by the most talented up and coming producers the scene has
today. Now playing under a new guise, we can think of no-one better to warm you up into the reFre5h party mood,
showcasing his astounding talents in progressive and tech
grooves which will get the party started on exactly the right
foot. Ladies and gentlemen, reFre5h presents… Mac Teck!
Next up on our stonking Birthday line up is someone who has
led Hard Trance scene from the front for many years. His
euphoric and uplifting sound gripped the clubbing world by
storm and since then has headlined most of the major
promotions London has ever had. Resident of the legendary
Friends parties and talented DJ/Producer, Trevor McLachlan
joins us once again to show the Hard Trancers how its done!
Cast your mind back to the year 2002, with the Hard Dance
scene at its peak. A time where it wasn’t unusual for the
regular clubber to go out on a Friday night and stumble back
through their front door late on Sunday evening. Daytime
clubbing was all the rage and Londoners normally had a choice
of 2 or 3 big daytime events to choose from in their weekend
clubbing schedule. Heat was one of those events which had
cemented their place into London's clubbing history by
throwing their legendary parties once a month on a Saturday
afternoon in Turnmills. They very quickly became one of the
scenes biggest brands and on NYE 2002 they rocked Brixton
Academy by throwing arguably one of the greatest NYE parties of all time.
Those who got goosebumps by reading the last paragraph will
probably remember the great line ups that party used to
produce, including probably one of the greatest residents to
ever grace the decks in London. Yes you’ve guessed it folks,
we’re talking about the legendary Marc French! We’re
delighted to be able to bring this man out of retirement to play a one off, nostalgic Heat Classics set strictly for the reFre5h ravers! Get ready to feel the Heat!
The last headliner we have for you on reFre5h’s 2nd Birthday is a man who needs no introduction. We were the first and only party to bring him to you in 2009, and we’re proud to
announce that we’ve got him again in what is his only booked
set in 2010 to date. His productions have helped shape and
sculpt the Hard Dance scene as we know it. If you don’t know
this man, then you’ve seriously been living under a rock for the past 10 years, or just quite simply don’t know your music! One half of the legendary Edison Factor, uber talented musician, DJ and Producer, the almighty James Lawson completes this already fantastic lineup! WOW! We were so chuffed to have him down back in October last year and he well and truly smashed it, so you can imagine how happy we were when he said he’d come back and play again for the Birthday. This man is unbelievable!
So what excuse do you have… none! Mac Teck, Trevor
McLachlan, Marc French, James Lawson and the reFre5h
residents playing under the same roof, on the same night! Do
your ears a favour, get yourselves down to the 414 on April
9th for 12 hours of pure eargasm! Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you!.....
**********reFre5h is 2! The Second Coming**********
09/04/10
10pm – 10am
Club 414 - Coldharbour Lane,
Brixton.
MackTeck
Trevor McLachlan
Marc French
James Lawson
Timmy Whiz
Nicky Hype
Kevsta
Look out for details of the After Party coming soon!!..
Get reFre5hed for the weekend!
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