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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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Simon Qudos hits South Africa at high Velocity
Reported by SunnyAli
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Submitted 30-09-08 21:15
It’s been a few months since Frantic UK’s No. 1 resident Andy Whitby went down a storm in Johannesburg at Frantic South Africa’s big bash - so it’s about time South African hard dance fans had another treat from London to get down on the dancefloor to. October 10 will see one of the UKs rising DJs and producers, Simon Qudos, fly out to treat Johannesburg to the best in his record bag.
Simon is active in the London clubbing scene and has spent the last three years building his name as a top DJ and producer of hard trance and hard house. In between sets as far apart as Newquay in the South and Edinburgh in the North, he’s also gone further, travelling around the world to play sets in Ibiza and Sydney, Australia.
He’s now adding South Africa to the list, set to play at Relentless U4Ria in Johannesburg alongside UK-South Africa hybrid Lost Identity, as well as local names ManicJim, Jevon Johnson and the Renegade DJs.
His current buzz is music production, though. He launched into producing tracks only last year yet his first track Velocity, released on the Extreme Sounds label, and subsequent releases Right Where We Are and Adrenochrome were warmly received. Simon has worked in the studio with hard dance’s most respected producers, including MDA & Spherical and Technikal, and drawn on support from names like Carl Nicholson and Dan Identikal to perfect his tracks. His biggest success to date is his release Forever Restless, which has since been remixed by Olly Perris. He now has a stream of tunes planned for release on various labels over the coming months, both on his own and in collaboration with other producers.
He’s a quietly spoken, chilled and typically dry-humoured fella to chat to, telling me “DJs don’t dance. Everyone knows that. That’s why we hang around in the box all night”, but enthuses about the prospect of cage diving with Great White sharks when he comes to visit SA!
HarderFaster SA caught up with Simon ahead of his (frankly gruelling) flight down to the southern hemisphere, to get the lowdown for all the SA fans:
So Simon, why South Africa? What are you hoping for from your trip down here?
I’ve always had an interest in coming to South Africa, but the opportunity never really presented itself. Then in Ibiza earlier this year I met quite a few South Africans clubbing, and I noticed there were quite a few UK big name DJs who play the same music as me heading over to South Africa, so I thought I’d make some enquiries and send off a few emails. I also noticed my FaceBook group page was starting to get quite a few adds from SA-based fans, so I worked on the idea and eventually got in contact with Cassy [Simon’s SA-based promoter], who was keen for me to come for a visit. I must say a big thank you to her for organising Relentless U4ria and bringing me over to South Africa.
I figured rather than just come out for a long weekend to DJ I’d take the opportunity to have a holiday. South Africa is one of only three places in the world where you can cage dive with great white sharks and is apparently the best, so I can’t wait to get down to the coast to try that. So yes, I can’t wait to get over to South Africa, this will be my first time in the country and I'm really looking forward to being a tourist, seeing and experiencing as much as possible, as well as DJing and finally meeting those who have helped make this trip happen.
Are you planning any surprises for the crowd when you’re here?
Well, I have got one tune I’m going to drop when I’m playing there, which should be a bit of a surprise: I made this track recently with Technikal and its something different, it’ll turn people’s heads, I’m looking forward to playing it!
How long have you been DJing for? How did it all start and why?
I decided to buy my first set of decks in November 2005 and learn to DJ. It all came about because I decided that I wanted to be the person behind the decks working the crowd. I'm glad that I did get started, I was right back then - I thought it would be a huge buzz and it is!
What for you is the best part of DJing?
The biggest part of it for me is just seeing people dancing to the tunes I’m playing; but the even greater part of it is dropping one of your own tunes and seeing the crowd reaction to something you’ve made, it is a real feel good factor. It’s knowing that it is your track that’s turning heads and is making people dance. Having the crowd there enjoying themselves is a major motivation for me – I can’t get the same enthusiasm when playing to an empty room.
What’s your favourite club to play in, and why? How do clubs in various countries compare?
My favourite club so far has to be Es Paradis in Ibiza where I played a set earlier this year. It was a real experience to play a set there. I played back to back with DJ Glyn C and had such a wicked time; it will always be a memory to look back on!
One thing about playing different clubs that has always surprised me is how big a difference there can be in equipment from club to club! Sometimes the best-looking clubs have equipment that isn’t industry standard – one club I played at had a rack mount twin tray CDJ. I have no idea what make it was but it had rubber buttons and felt like a toy, it was a nightmare to mix with!
There’s lots of digital music out to buy on the internet now – how useful is all of it for you and how much do you listen to?
Well, the download sites only give you a minute or two of the track to listen to so there have been times when I’ve bought tunes and then listened to the whole thing and thought oh no, that’s g$%^, I’m not going to play that. The thing is, you’ve only lost out on £1.50 – it’d be a lot worth if you’d spent your money on £5 of vinyl with all the postage costs too, only to realize its crap!
Luckily I get sent quite a lot of stuff as free promos from the labels I’m with, but other than that I tend to stick to trackitdown.net, I just listen out for the sound I like.
How do you balance your day job with all the DJing and producing?
It's hard work these days to make a full time career out of DJing and producing, so I do also have a full time job too. Balancing the two is hard work and often leaves me feeling pretty tired, I'll regularly finish in the office then come home and spend time on the internet networking and promoting myself; but it's all worthwhile, if I didn’t put such effort in then I wouldn’t have got to where I am now.
Your releases have been received well to date but you’ve got more coming out soon, what new tracks of yours should we be watching out for next?
Well, the next is called Ride It Hard, which is being released on Encoded and is being reviewed in the November edition of IDJ magazine. I’ve also got Velocity coming out on Presence soon with a Scot Genetik remix too. Then, by about the end of the year there will also be Generate which is a Scot Genetik and Simon Qudos track. Finally I’m releasing What is the Future on Electrik Shandy. There’ll be a couple more out soon, but I’m not sure when.
What’s the hardest part of production? What have you learnt works best?
Well, honestly the hardest part is getting really familiar with the software: there’s so many different aspects to it. It takes a lot of time to learn it all. Although actually the hardest part of making tracks is naming them! Trying to think of a name someone else hasn’t used is difficult!
Which label do you most want to get released on?
Oh wow well there’s so many labels out there now – the biggest labels are Tidy and Nukleuz and I have actually got a track coming out on Tidy at some point. Dan Identikal, MDA & Spherical and I remixed the Technikal vs Carl Nicholson track System Shock last year and we’re now waiting on it to go out on one of Tidy’s monthly CD releases. The problem is, the track came out in 2004 and it’s been out so long now it’s practically a classic. We’ve had some great feedback on the remix though and it’s just a shame Tidy hasn’t been able to get it out sooner. It’s a frustration with the bigger labels that they have so many tunes to put out there’s such a backlog it can take a long time for your tune to come out.
What’s your current production setup?
My production set up is a Macbook Pro laptop running Apple's Logic 8; I've got an M-audio keyboard and my trusty Behringer Truth active speakers. I'm using software VSTs at the moment. I upgraded from FruityLoops to Logic and I'm still getting used to it, but it made sense to convert to Logic when I bought the Mac.
I recently got to see an Access Virus synth at work and it’s amazing bit of kit, I would love to get my hands on one! The price is NOT friendly though, so it will have to wait for now!
What is the biggest challenge you have faced so far in the business and how did you deal with it? What were the valuable lessons you learnt from it?
I guess the biggest challenge to date has been helping to run a record label. I was Presence hard trance manager for a while and am now co-managing Presence hard dance with Jody 6. I'm still learning all the time when it comes to label management! ‘It's not as easy as it sounds’ is what I have learnt. There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes and I am always on the look out for suitable tunes for the label, for each tune there is so much preparation that happens before it is ready for release.
Who do you really look up to in terms of influences? You never really hear DJs going on about how other DJs are so brilliant, but which jocks out there do you really admire and would love to play with?
Good question. Well, the DJs who have inspired me most are producers as well and they are: Greg Brookman, Olly Perris, Technikal, BK, MDA & Spherical and Steve Hill. They’re all constantly producing tunes and they’re all of a really high standard. I'd be happy to be on the same line up as any of these guys and without a doubt I think these guys are really keeping the hard trance scene alive, which definitely deserves kudos.
Who do you make the effort to go out and see live?
Well, since Greg Brookman has more or less retired from his DJing for a bit, he’s handed the reins and production equipment to his housemate, who performs under the name The Element alongside Hypnosis (the guy who scratches for him) and Nick the live guitarist. I saw him a few weekends ago at Mass in Brixton (London, UK) and he was awesome.
If someone was running a competition and was willing to pay you a million quid for every minute of public nudity that you could endure before being apprehended by the cops, would you do it? The competition would naturally take place in the busiest part of London. In your response, please detail your strategy to avoid being caught by the cops, obviously the longer you dodge them, the more money you make....
Hmmm... interesting question! Well, I don’t know whether I would have any particular plan. I'd be happy to last a minute and anything more than that would be a real bonus! At least I'd be able to post bail if I got arrested, haha!
As for a tactic to avoid the cops, it would be to find a good hiding place and stay very quiet!
Photos courtesy of Kristina Oliver and Sean O'Dell. Not to be reproduced without permission.
Relentless U4RIA
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On:
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Friday 10th October 2008
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At:
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Submission (South Africa) [map]
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From:
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9pm-6am
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More:
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For 1 Night Only - 2 International DJ's Up Against 3 Of SA's Finest In Hard-Dance!
Submission
Beyers Naude, North riding
Johannesburg, South Africa
InfoPhone: 0827496617
Email: casdj.33@gmail.com
The time has finally come where the North & South’s very best in hard-dance brings you the most extravagant & in your face hard-dance party of the year!!
An exclusive event only happening in South Africa, fusing the sounds of UK & SA under one roof for one nights’ madness & complete hard-dance euphoria!!
Bringing 2 well known UK DJ’s right to your doorstep:
Simon Qudos & Lost Identity!
Who will be rubbing shoulders with only the best homegrown talent South Africa has got to offer:
Bass Boi aka Benkay DJay, Renegade DJ's & Jevon J!
DJ LINE UP:
Jevon J (SA) – (9:00pm – 10:30pm)
Renegade DJ's (SA) – (10:30pm – 12:00am)
Bass Boi aka Benkay DJay (SA) – (12:0am – 1:30am)
Simon Qudos (UK) – Exclusive 2 Hour Set (1:30am – 3:30am)
Lost Identity (UK) – Exclusive 2 Hour Set (3:30am – 5:30am)
GET READY TO GET RELENTLESS
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Flyer:
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Region:
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South Africa/Johannesburg
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Music:
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Hard House.
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DJ's:
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Jevon J
Bass Boi aka Benkay DJay
Renegades
Simon Qudos
Lost Identity
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Other Features By SunnyAli:
Darude's whirlwind decade
No sleep for Rachel Auburn
In the Presence of Carl Nicholson
Frantic Timeless 8 – totally worth ruining Valentine's Day for...
It's like Origami, but with power tools..... One Awsum Xmas Party reviewed
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: K8-e on 1st Oct 2008 16:17.23
Yay!!! Nice one babe. Catch you soon  xx
From: El Hombre on 2nd Oct 2008 16:18.37
"I actually these days only tend to go to nights where people I know are playing, so I’m supporting people. I don’t tend to go out just for the sake of it, I can’t be arsed! I’m in clubs so much because I’m DJing that it seems almost like work. I don’t go to clubs at the weekend any more, I’m getting old."
Jeez you're really selling the scene there mate!
From: zeebra kid on 3rd Oct 2008 18:56.51
well done son let am have it
From: Dubster on 6th Oct 2008 09:00.45
I've liked a number of Simon's tunes.
His latest demo however seems to have been recorded with the balance turned to the right. I do hope he doesnt do the same at his sets.
From: SunnyAli on 12th Oct 2008 06:32.52
Simon went down A STORM on Friday night (we're all still recovering) he played a blinding set. He's a great guy we're really pleased he came out here to play 
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