Here ye here ye! Hard house and hardcore to battle it out at legendary London venue Koko (Camden Palace) for the first time ever! Frantic and Hardcore Heaven are teaming up for their second double-header on 23 July, and they've brought together two of their respective scene's leading lights to go head-to-head in what promises to be a very special set. In the Frantic corner, Andy ‘People's Champ’ Whitby, and in the Hardcore Heaven corner, DJ ‘Scratchmaster’ Sy!
Andy Whitby is of course the young upstart who has taken the hard house scene by storm in the past couple of years. He broke into the scene with an astounding arsenal of peak-time tracks, homemade bootlegs, scratching and other on-the-mixer trickery, and soon found himself as one of the most popular djs on the circuit. His profile continues to build, with a number of successful productions and co-productions under his belt, international gigs and more headline-grabbing sets in the UK. By the time The Alliance comes around, he won't have played a main stage gig for Frantic for almost 3 months... so you can bet your bottom dollar he's going to knock Koko the f*ck out!
DJ Sy meanwhile is at the top of his game. Consistently voted as the most popular dj in hardcore, Sy has been there since the beginning, churning out all manner of uplifting, hard, fast and bouncy tracks with his production partner Unknown, while relentlessly putting smiles onto the faces of clubbers up and down the country every week. His sets are all about dancing hard, smiling, and having fun! His scratching prowess is second to none and it will certainly be interesting to see if these two go head-to-head in that respect. The hardcore massive will be out in full force to see this monumental gig.
As both these chaps have been interviewed on this site fairly recently, we got YOU the Harderfaster regulars to ask these two jocks some questions. Here’s what happened!
DJ Sy
What’s the one question you never get asked and what’s the answer to it?(Camden Nurse)
This one, and this is my reply!
You play a LOT of old skool events. Are there any tunes that make you feel like you are going to explode if you have to hear them one more time?(Jess the Cat)
I know what you mean, but I still have a lot of love for the original Old Skool stuff. Even today a lot of it still sounds ground-breaking and original. ‘Far Out’ or ‘Don’t Go’ are 2 tracks that get more than a little overplayed though!
How do gigs these days compare to those in the Helter Skelter/Dreamscape etc. days?(dj shimmer)
The atmosphere is still similar at the big events, if not exactly the same. Apart from a slight decrease in numbers, as a DJ, there’s really not that much difference! It’s simply a different generation of ravers.
What can we expect from your exclusive B2B at The Alliance at Koko on July 23rd? You both play bouncy hard house but will Andy be dragging out some old hardcore tunes to play towards the end?(DJ K8-E)
You’ll have to wait and see… I’m sure we’ll create an interesting and unique set!
I’ve heard some of your really old types and the scratching blew me away — do you feel that different tempos and different styles of music are better for scratching to?(benz)
Most definitely. Whenever young djs email me for tips on scratching, I always suggest learning over hip hop, or slower forms of music, because you can be so much more creative with scratch patterns. The tempo of the original ‘Old Skool’ (from around 1991–93), sitting at around 140bpm, is ideal for really letting off with scratching, further helped by the structure of the music back then (break beats, mid-sections without any vocals etc. etc.).
A lot of modern hardcore is very polished and musically full all the way through the track, which limits the times in a track when scratching would do anything other than create a messy and unnecessary result.
As an example, ‘Makin' Me Wanna Dance’ is currently one of the most popular hardcore tunes to play out at an event and most of the times I’ve seen you play over the past 6 months you've played it in your sets. Are there any records that you would consider are unique to you / your sets and if so, what do you think of other djs that play these records?(Dan J)
Well you may have noticed that, unfortunately, the modern hardcore scene has gradually become more like a producer's showcase... in other words, each dj, or more correctly nowadays ‘artist’, plays a selection of their own material, and nothing but. I always have been first and foremost a DJ, rather than a producer, so I try and play as many tracks from other producers that aren’t being played by the other ‘artists’ on the bill and that still fit into my generally ‘bouncy’ style. Of course, I will also want to showcase my own material, but because I know for a fact that very few, if any, of the other djs will play my own material, my sets have developed into including a lot more of it.
So, basically nearly every release on Quosh tends to be something that will be unique to me (and maybe one or two other djs). I have nothing but respect for other djs that play my material, not only for the obvious selfish reason that it’s something I’ve produced, but also because then they are truly being a ‘DJ’ and not just an ‘artist’ .
Where do you see yourself in 20 years time?(GMReq)
If you can tell me, and it involves Caribbean islands, yachts, girls in bikinis and huge f*ck-off villas, I’ll give you the keys to me car!
Andy Whitby
Do you still get mistaken for Fergie(Wub)
LOL! I’m afraid I don’t, Robert (Ferg) has actually grown his hair now, although I’ve heard he did get tired of being asked if he was Andy Whitby.
What’s the one question you never get asked and what’s the answer to it?(Camden Nurse)
No one ever seems to ask me about my thoughts on the basic terms of the fundamental concepts of sociology.
So, just for those who want to know they are, sociology is a science which attempts the interpretative understanding of social action to arrive at a casual explanation of its course and effects. Sociology seeks to formulate type concepts and generalised unformities of empirical processes. (History, on the other hand, is interested in the causal analysis of particular events, actions or personalities.)
Action is human behaviour to which the acting individual attaches subjective meaning. It can be overt or inward and subjective. Action is social when, by virtue of the subjective meaning attached to it by the acting individual(s), it takes account of the behaviour of others and is thereby guided. Social action may be oriented to past, present, or predicted future behaviour of others. Others may be concrete people or indefinite pluralities.
Not all action is social: if it isn’t oriented to the behaviour of others, it isn’t social. Also, it is not merely action participated in by a bunch of people (crowd action) or action influenced by or imitative of others. Action can be causally determined by the behaviour of others, while still not necessarily being meaningfully determined by the action of others. If I do what you do because it's fashionable, or traditional, or leads to social distinction, it’s meaningful. Obviously the lines are blurred, but it’s important to make a conceptional distinction.
Cheers for asking, been wanting to get that across to everyone for a while.
How was playing at HQ in Holland? And how does the crowd over there differ from the one over here?(Jennie B)
Playing over @ Impulz was awesome, I had a REALLY good time and my aims when I play are simple: fire up the crowd and please the promoter. I managed to do both these things and hopefully this is a start of a healthy djing relationship with the Dutch.
Certainly the big difference I noticed over there was that they take a little longer to get cranked up. Over here you can drop a big tune earlier in the night and you’ll get a huge response, but over there it takes a while. Luckily I had the 12–1 slot so everyone was ready to take it up a notch by then. They certainly know how to have it though… there was a moment right in the middle of the set when I just stepped back and was like ‘fuck me… this place is going off!’. I loved it and hopefully the thousands of people in front of me did too.
Do you think that the high fees that djs command can be detrimental to the health of the scene these djs are involved in?(Maxine)
I personally feel that the fees of djs aren’t something clubbers should worry about. It’s the promoters and artist management’s problem to reach a fee that is fair and in relation to what the artist brings to the club, what the club can do for the artist and if a fair fee can be agreed.
How does it feel to be doing a back-to-back with one of your heroes at Alliance? And who will win, Frantic or Hardcore Heaven?(benz)
It’s both an honour and a great challenge playing back2back with Sy, he’s been around music since the beginning of time and is still the best hardcore dj the scene has ever seen. A true legend. It’ll be nice to spend some time with him on the decks, and hopefully give the crowd a great night!
As for who will win… are you insane?! Frantic owns this world, other club nights just live in it.
Are you going to be releasing ‘Over4Me’ & ‘I Don’t Care?’(Gustavo FRICKEN)
Well, I’ve heard from a number of sources that the old version has made its way onto every producer’s best friend: Soulseek, and I even know which wannabe dj put it on there. Luckily that’s the horrible unmastered version I made nearly 4 years ago and since then Sam and I have made a ‘2005 mix’ for my sets only.
I’ll never release it, even though I’ve had offers for £50+ off people, it’s just another angle when you have tunes no one else has, it makes the kids of clubland know that if they want to hear a certain tune there’s only one dj who has it. Let’s take it back to how it used to be many many years ago when djs had special one-off dubplates that no one else had. If you wanna hear Whitby-mashups you gotta come see The Whitby!
When you started djing you were into hardcore, how and when did hard house seduce you?(DJ K8-E)
Hardcore changed my life. When I first got into it I bought as many Helter Skelter tape packs as I could, and would listen to the Hixxy, Sy, Seduction, Vibes and Force & Styles ones til they wore out. In fact, it was those tapes that got me through science in high school… used to thread the walkman headphone up my sleeve and listen to them whilst the teacher waffled on.
Anyway, I digress… my hard house love was born was a free Fergie mix CD on the front of Mixmag. It was called ‘Let There Be Hard House’ and I remember sticking it on and hearing what I thought sounded like slowed-down hardcore, with a groove. It was then I began to get into it more and more, before finally swapping over completely.
In ways, being into hardcore has helped my djing career a lot; it’s where my motivation to be different as a dj comes from. People like Sy scratch, cut up 2 of the same records to create an echoing effect, do spin-backs and so on… he dares to be different and so I found that very inspirational and motivational to make myself different as a hard dance dj, after all... djing is about being inspirational.
Andy — can you lend me a grand?(Tim Anyway)
Sure thing dude, just checked the spare change in my back pocket and it’s your lucky day.
When you first hit the London clubs you used to scratch in you sets, but now you seem to have given it up. Can we expect to hear you scratching again in your sets?(J4mes)
Ah, good question! When I first started playing in London I did less cutting and tricks than I do now. Some of the mixes I do now involve mixing a new record as soon as ones finished or whilst another one is still going, all whilst chopping them up and layering them with FX so I don’t really have time to scratch aswell.
I still practice scratching and have evolved my style greatly since last year but I’m not going to unleash it til its perfect. Far too many djs who think they can scratch do but end up doing the same rehearsed motion over and over, sometimes not even in time.
Anyway, thanks for the questions, see you at the mighty Alliance!
Thanks to Frantic and Slammin' Vinyl for the pics.
Frantic & Hardcore Heaven Present:
The Alliance
Saturday 23rd July 2005
KOKO Club, Camden
21:00 – 06:00
It had to happen!
The UK’s No.1 Hardcore event and the UK’s No1 Hard House event working together on the EVENT at the legendary Camden Palace!!!
For nearly 10 years Hardcore Heaven have worked, eaten and slept Hardcore!
For Nearly 10 years Frantic have worked, eaten and slept Hard House!
When House was big Hardcore Heaven represented Hardcore.
When Trance was big Frantic represented Hard House.
When DnB was big Hardcore Heaven represented Hardcore.
When Breaks was big Frantic represented Hard House.
Now together Hardcore Heaven and Frantic are the ALLIANCE!
As the Alliance we are working day and night to create the first in a very special series of unrivalled and uncompromising Hardcore and Hard House events at the UK’s greatest venues. The Alliance represents the last word in unique and innovative line ups from the 2 promoters who have more collective experience than anyone within the current dance music scene.
This is the FIRST TIME EVER that Hardcore will have been played at Camden Palace! This is the FIRST TIME EVER that the Hardcore A-List will take on the Hard House Premier League at Camden Palace! This is the FIRST TIME EVER DJ Sy will battle it out with Andy Whitby
This will be bigger, rougher and tougher than the rest!
Flyer:
Region:
London
Music:
Trance. Hard Trance. Hardcore. HardStyle. Hard House.
From: raving_pixieon 12th Jul 2005 16:10.44 "In fact, it was those tapes that got me through science in high school… used to thread the walkman headphone up my sleeve and listen to them whilst the teacher waffled on."
Same as that! Wonder why I'm not a famous DJ.
Excellent Article!
From: K8-eon 12th Jul 2005 16:12.17 Good preview... am excited for their set!
From: Less is Baton 12th Jul 2005 16:13.57 Yippe I dun be a famous interviwer
From: scousedannyon 12th Jul 2005 16:14.25 the interview of sy cud of been alot better, but its ok !
From: benzon 12th Jul 2005 16:17.41 scouse there's already been a full interview with Sy on this site in recent months by dj K8-e - the idea of this one was to get the HF public to get their questions answered. And so they did.
From: danjon 12th Jul 2005 16:23.49 CANNOT WAIT FOR ALLIANCE!!!
From: Saint.on 12th Jul 2005 16:30.14 *Snigger* My question didn't get asked, gutted.
From: tidy*model*ukon 12th Jul 2005 16:31.35 ""I still practice scratching and have evolved my style greatly since last year but I’m not going to unleash it til its perfect. Far too many djs who think they can scratch do but end up doing the same rehearsed motion over and over, sometimes not even in time. ""
From: Izaon 25th Jul 2005 14:33.30 the worst party ever!!!!!!!!! I wanted to leave at 2 o`clock, but I stayed till 4 hoping will get better, It got worse. In the end of that night mare I wanted to tell MC just SHUT UP
From: zoe won 30th Jul 2005 17:34.01 Well I had a wicked night! didnt fink i was gon b able to go but finished work early n went straight down there. Loved it!!
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"In fact, it was those tapes that got me through science in high school… used to thread the walkman headphone up my sleeve and listen to them whilst the teacher waffled on."
Wonder why I'm not a famous DJ. 
