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Features
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The Handy Man: Contact preview and interview with South Coast legend Matt Handy
Reported by K8-e
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Submitted 14-12-04 21:05
Matt Handy, to put it simply, is a South Coast legend. Responsible for not only the best record shop for miles around (Hands On Records), he is also a well respected DJ, teacher of an industry BTEC to the younger generation - and the promoter of Portsmouth's premier underground dance night: Contact. With a new record label in the works, his first tune under his belt and Contact London coming up you get the feeling Matt hasn't been sitting still for very long this year - or perhaps ever! Straight from a hectic day at the shop yet still brimming with energy and enthusiasm he stopped by mine for more of a friendly chat than an interview.
I know Matt as a customer at his shop (he does after all have one of the best selections of dance music vinyl around, which is a pleasing 5 minutes from my house  ) and of course I've seen him out and about clubbing locally but this was the first time we'd properly sat down together as I wanted to do the interview. What struck me most was Matt's passion and enthusiasm. You'd think after 10 years in the business he might be a bit jaded, but if anything he still has that same spark that drove him down this road in the first place. He is so animated and full of stories from back in the day, I don't know where he gets his energy from. After all being a DJ is one thing, but to own a record shop, teach, produce, promote and still have time to sleep and socialise is something else.
Matt has been part of the 'underground' scene for about 15 years. He recalled how it all really kicked off on an Ibizan holiday when he was 16, visiting Pacha and experiencing the vibe of the White Isle. Fresh back from Ibiza he started going to raves, visiting Sterns, collecting underground mix tapes and listening to pirate radio. It was from then he started to learn how to mix, picking up an awesome talent for scratching along the way. Then came the promoting . . .
So let's start with Contact, in mine (and many others opinions) Portsmouth's premier underground dance night. You are bringing the night to London on December 18th to Club Supreme. Where did the idea for this come from and what can we expect?
Basically I've played in London for a long time, on and off over the years at places like the End, SW1, Camden Palace. Playing in London is always good fun. I wanted to start Contact in London to show everyone how we do things in Portsmouth. Contact has a real old skool vibe. (Three coach loads of Contact regulars are signed up to come on the 18th to bring just that vibe!) We also wanted to give up and coming djs the chance to play in London. I've run events since 1994 and I've always booked up and coming djs; it's important to give people a break so fresh talent can come through. We choose Club Supreme because its got a great layout and it's easy to get to. Plus they've got an awesome laser and sound system.
(It's the HarderFaster Christmas party at Club Supreme during the day on the 18th . . . For those of you who are coming that want to stay on and continue the party Contact are offering a special deal of £5 off admission price on the door if you quote 'CONTACT @ HARDERFASTER PARTY', making it £8 instead of £13. Advanced tickets are £10)
Contact Portsmouth boasts Mark EG and M-Zone as residents, who can we
expect to see play at Contact London?
Check out here for the full line up for the 18th. For next year obviously myself and as many up and coming djs as I can. But also expect the likes of Organ Donors, Mark EG, The *Ting*, Ed Real, Uberdruck and hopefully Yoji Biomehanika. Watch this space for confirmed details or sign up for our newsletter (email matt@handsonrecords.co.uk). In the past we've bought people like Chris Liberator, D.A.V.E the Drummer, The *Ting*, Uberdruck, Nick Sentience and Kevin Energy to Portsmouth for the vibe we know they will help create. London has a lot of big name djs playing regularly, Contact isn't here to compete on names but we will definitely be competing on the vibe the right dj.s can help create - with the right crowd. After his October gig with us Kevin Energy was quoted for our newsletter as saying: "Awesome, this is proper underground, I'll be letting everyone know. Really old skool atmosphere, I loved it!" Check out our recent review on AveItLarge.com for a as well. You can't buy this sort of advertisement for your night, I'm just glad that the clubbers AND the djs are coming and having an amazing time.
Definitely! The first time I went to Contact I was fresh into the hard dance scene and still enjoying lighter (cheesier  ) sounding hard trance. I think its fair to say I'd never been to a club which played it so hard or with so many up for it nutters! For those that haven't been lucky enough to enjoy the full Contact experience what can they expect?
Thank you! The success of Contact hasn't come overnight. I've had my fingers burnt before. I've lost £1000s on a night just like every other f*cker who's put on a party - but at the same time I've taken notes on every single party I organised and whatever went wrong each time I noted, so that I could do it better next time. Contact is the result of running many different nights since about 1994. Some of the first nights I put on were private all-nighters in underground venues - we had some crazy times and brushes with the law. Eventually though we moved to being legal, but ultimately I just always wanted to put on a good party. I think I've achieved that with Contact and am ready to take it to the next level.
Music-wise for Contact London we are going with the same policy we use in Portsmouth for the main room featuring hard house, hard trance and techno. The back room will represent the best in funky house, tech house and breaks. As I said above, it's all about the vibe and the right blend of genres to create that vibe. There are great strengths in a lot of genres but also a lot of crap, a whole night of one type of music isn't what gets me going and that's not what the night is about. We also pick djs who bring something different to the party.
Let.s take a step back from Contact now and look at Matt Handy the DJ and producer. I heard you've been threatening to do a production for a long time, any progress there?
YES! Its called Something I Feel In fact I've got the CD with me now if you want to take a listen.(Matt proceeds to get very animated again and thrusts the CD to my partner to put on. What follows can only be described as a thumper of a tune, with a bit of everything in it - from techno to hard house, to hard trance German style, it's certainly destined to rip up dancefloors across the country. And the acid test . . . Well I would buy it so its definitely passed for me!)
I wanted to make something that would appeal to not only the Scot Projects of this world but the Marco Vs and the Kevin Energys. I wanted to make something that didn't sound like anything else specifically. I sell everything else in my shop, it was my challenge to myself to make something that was as unique as it could be within the genres I'm passionate about. I think I've succeeded. It's definitely been getting good responses when I've played it out which is where it counts.
You mentioned your shop Hands on Records (arguably the south coast's leading independent stockist of dance music). How did it all begin?
It all started in 1994 from the boot of my F Reg escort. I used to take acetates and test presses round to djs and sell them off to get some exposure for the artists. When I started djing myself people were constantly asking me where I got my tunes from, so I started to gather up copies of the stuff I was playing and started selling it on. It pretty much grew from there. Nowadays we cover a wide variety of dance music: Hard house/trance, trance, progressive, techno, nu-nrg, hardcore, tech-house, funky house, breaks, drum'n'bass and commercial releases. We stock pretty much everything from the major labels and independents - it can be manic sometimes keeping ahead of the game but you have to do it. People always want to find new sounds, the next big thing, to keep exploring, so we keep ahead of the pack as much as possible. We sell to people from all over the world through our Web site and over the phone.
We also stock CD compilations, merchandise, record bags, slipmatts, needles, headphones, turntables etc - basically anything you could need as a dj. And we offer private tutorials for those who want to learn how to mix. Also I'll give a quick plug to the studio we have (currently above the shop) which has delivered some amazing tunes since it started.
Testube babies stompers such as - Cold turkey - Brain Damage, Feel the Friction - Toolbox, Accelerate - Toolbox & In full effect - Elasticman. Basically all Brain Damage Records, all Toolbox records plus some release on Passion, Short Circuit, Fevah, Cuba Hearing Aid and more.
(If you are interested in booking competitive studio time please email: matt@handsonrecords.co.uk or call 02392 755750 / 07785 504909)
So Matt, what's in your box?(I've always wanted to ask that
question)
1. Dub files vol 1. Air Attack. Alphabet City
2. Matt Handy. Something I feel. CDR
3. Justin Berkovi. I can feel the sound. Music Man
4. Cirez D. Control Freak. Mouseville
5. Get up. White Label
Any gems that never leave?
Jones & Stevenson. 1st Rebirth. Bonzai
Wippenberg. Neurodancer. Prolekult
Jon the Dentist. Global Phases. Prolekult
With my Djing style, it's when I really am in my element and at my most creative. I'm not sure I like to leave a record playing so much as see if I can re-edit the tracks, scratching and sampling in sounds and off the wall loops, keeps me interested and the crowd. I have carried around a whole bag of sample and scratch records since way back. I think I've always had scratch records with me! It's a way of the dj dancing to me, and getting the energy right up in the room just with well placed and planned attacks on the crossfader and turntable. I am always trying to learn something new and push things further, I've had some amazing results so far.
I also play a variety of different styles to suit whatever party I'm at, from house, to techno to trance right through to nu-nrg and old skool hardcore, breakbeat, chillout and hiphouse. I love it all!
What's your most memorable gig this year?
Definitely playing at the Lindberg Love Parade in the South of Holland to about 40,000 people. It started at 12 noon, the streets were empty and then suddenly families came out of nowhere and ten juggernauts came down the road pumping out everything from Murder Was The Bass to old skool. Children were walking behind the floats throwing flowers. It was a real family affair and a special atmosphere.
And of course all the Antiworld events I've played at this year have been awesome, AntiWorld @ Alexandra Palace last Saturday was phat. It was an amazing concept to do such a big event in the heart of London but the AntiWorld crew came through with what can only be described as a blinding night. AntiWorld are possibly the biggest and best underground event promoters in the world, they have a great friendly underground vibe like old days of Spooky, Sterns and similar parties. In 2005 Contact is hooking up with Antiworld to celebrate their huge 5th Birthday at The SE1 Club on 29th January 2005 - it's gonna be awesome, a futuristic fusion of some of the finest underground promoters, djs and artists on the international scene. Expect the unexpected!
Also all of the Contact parties have a very special unique atmosphere, like no other place I've visited. Maybe I'm bound to say that, but it is true. Come and experience it for yourselves or ask those that do.
So what's next for Matt Handy?
Well, the next big thing for me is my new record label Hands Free Recordings. The concept of the label is to create a platform for local artists and expose fresh talent and music. Basically getting music off those hard drives and out to the masses. Anyone can make music these days with a PC, imagine all that great music that just isn't seeing the light of day! Ultimately Hands Free will run alongside other labels when we incorporate more styles. The first release is actually a breakbeat tune with a big fat bassline called: Heartless Bitch & Restraining Order by Speedqueen.
If you've got any demos, in any style, please send them in to: Matt Handy, Hands On, 112a Albert Rd, Southsea, Portsmouth, Hamphire PO4 0JS. We're interested in everything!
And of course expanding with Contact and Hands On Records being a big part of the picture, we are taking Contact on tour to some of the best nights in 2005 starting with the AntiWorld collaboration in January. Watch this space!!
As the evening draws to a close I feel I've only just scratched the surface with Matt - and we've been chatting for a good few hours. There's no arrogance there, no self-importance, just a bloke who wants to put on a good night, sell records and get music to the people. A man who believes in the underground scene so passionately his eyes light up whenever he talks about his plans or where he's come from.
I for one can't wait to see how London reacts to the Contact vibe (it really is something
electric). Please add yourself here if you are going. See you down the front!
Photos courtesy of Matt Handy and Pink Kitty @ Vinyl Zoo
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Other Features By K8-e:
The One and Only Eddie Halliwell
PunchFunk & Geushky Presents "Let's Make Rave" with Ian Void & Chris Vaux
Cream @ Amnesia - Ibiza 2010 - Reviewed
Pure Gold: Interview with Will Gold
Turning the Corner - Interview with IAMX
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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![[HarderFaster] - Work Hard, Play Harder!](/images/mainbanner_top1-xmas.gif)
and see you on NYE xx
Well done, honey. 
Love ya