The words ‘pioneer’ and ‘legend’ are often loosely bandied about on these pages, but with Jules Hamer aka Aphid Moon aka half of AMD with Dick Trevor having been involved in psychedelic trance since the mid-’90s, they are certainly well suited here.
These days Jules and Dickster are more often found headlining international festivals then playing in their native UK, so when we managed to book them both for an exceedingly rare London set at Astral Circus at Brixton Jamm this Friday 15 November, we were so excited we just had to ask Jules to answer some questions for HarderFaster...
Hi Jules, thanks for taking time out to answer a few questions for HarderFaster. Firstly, where and when did you and Dick both meet and how did AMD come about?
We met while on a Dragonfly Records tour in Brazil. We both had new albums out – Dick was promoting his Green Om’s Project with John Om and I had just released High Diver, my first album. We were lucky to be out there to play at the second ever Universo Parallelo, which for me was quite an eye opener. For three weeks we were touring around and sharing accommodation so it was easy to get to know each other. I had always been a big fan of Green Nuns of The Revolution. I played the midnight set and I think Dick can confirm this was the first time he really heard Aphid Moon live. We got on well so when we got back we thought we’d give it a shot and write a track together.
You also have a successful solo career as Aphid Moon. Please tell us a bit about your background and how you got into making music. What inspired you to get into psy trance?
I’ve always made music; I’ve been writing songs on the guitar since I was six. After arriving in London in 1994 after failing at Uni to achieve the same success as my rock band at school I was planning on making it with a band in London. However, this idea was completely overtaken when the bass guitarist forced me to go out on his birthday for a proper club night out. It was Megatripolis on a Thursday night and the Flying Rhino boys were playing that night fresh in from Goa. I honestly could not believe what I was hearing and four weeks later I started my first psy trance club night named Aphid Moon and pooled electronic music equipment with a friend to start our first trance project.
How has your music changed and evolved since you started making electronic music and how would you describe the AMD sound?
The production definitely has changed but hopefully we are still keeping the sense of excitement and experimentation that we had in the earlier days. The constant full on assault of new software and samples certainly keeps the passion for electronic music alive. AMD is fun, experimentalish, fat, psychedelic dance music.
What does the ‘psychedelic’ in psy trance mean to you?
It means breaking down perceived barriers set by our conditioning to see or access a bigger picture.
Who or what would you say are your biggest influences and is there anyone you’d still like to collaborate with?
The psychedelic and prog rock of the late ’60s and ’70s, funk, jazz, indie, grunge, rock and Goa trance to psychedelic trance – anything that has an edge. As far as music today, I think whatever I may be listening today might influence a track tomorrow. I’d like to do a track with Jimi Hendrix or Johnny Coltrane, but they aren’t around anymore. There are many psy trance producers I have already worked and many more I’d like to work with but I’m not sure where to start.
What have been the highlights of your musical career so far and is there anything that you haven’t done yet that you still aspire to?
Playing AMD set at midnight at Universo Paralello in Brazil. Aphid Moon at the opening night of Ozora Hungary a couple of years ago – I’m sure I counted 10,000 people in the valley it was crazy.
You’ve made some epic tracks together, do you have a favourite?
‘The Reckoning’, ‘Slightly Turbo’, ‘Road Show’ and ‘Time and Space’. Actually my favourites change with time… I’m usually into the track current track we’re working on the most.
How does it work in the studio, do you usually go in with a set idea or plan in mind or do you just go with the flow?
I just get a kick and bass working and a few cool sounds and it usually builds itself. I like to work on autopilot and just float into the zone. It’s like channelling a stream of consciousness when it’s going well. When it’s not, it’s a bit like writer’s block.
What’s your favourite plug in at the moment – or is it a secret?!
I’ve found the IK Multimedia Arc 2 a very useful production tool. They say that having a consistent flat monitoring environment is essential. This is software which gives you a professional monitoring environment using a reference mike. I won’t go into detail, but it’s great for helping with the acoustics of bedrooms studios which haven’t had professional acoustic treatment. BazzISM is also a great plugin KIK synth as it allows you to create your own kick drums with a very intuitive interface.
You’ve been around music most of your life, do you think more recent technological advances that make dj’ing and production more accessible to people have been good overall? Is formal musical training important?
I think it’s great to be able to play real instruments and to jam with real people and to go straight into electronic music without ever getting that experience is a shame. But really music is inside us and I think a lot of people have found that it is through computers that they find their musical voice. I remember meeting Eskimo around Dick’s house when he was 17 and Dick was giving him production lessons and they had started the Jumaji project. Eskimo may not have had much formal training but he could lay ripping synth melodies no problem.
You’re out playing at some of the top psy trance festivals and events around. What up and coming DJs and producers have caught your attention recently?
I like the Brit sound. All the underground labels are now going international, such as Boomshanker, Wild Things, Mutagen, also Catalyst, Grasshopper, Peak and Looney Moon. I find it hard to single any one producer out, but I enjoyed Neill Moore’s warm up dj set at the squat I was play a month ago, Kaptain Kairos is always keeping it real and Psibindi’s production is beginning to kick off as is Contineum’s.
Internationally Tron, Endeavour, Earth Space and K.I.M. have all caught my ear and Paul Taylor is really getting his act together with a new underground sound. I also really like the full-on our generation is churning out. Tristan’s new comp I think is on the money, on which we’ve both got solo tracks.
What super power would you like to have?
To create sounds in the computer exactly as they are in my head.
Whose greatest hits would you take to a desert island?
Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin.
It takes a lot of passion, hard work and dedication to stay in the music scene as long as you have. What’s the one piece of advice you wish you’d been given when you started out?
Never give up.
What’s your favourite festival? Why do you think so many UK festies keep getting it wrong?
I really like the big ones like Universo, Ozora and Boom, but also have had great times at most festivals. The German festivals are always very well organised. This year for me the Italians got it right with Sonica and Black Moon, which had a real Goa vibe to it.
Festival fail for many reasons: lack of promotion, infrastructure, logistics, budgeting, getting a festival license can be made very difficult by the authorities. All these can lead to spiralling costs. It’s very easy for new promoters without enough experience or lack of investment to quickly find themselves in trouble. I don’t think it’s easy at all, especially the kind of investment it takes to pull off a big festival in this country but I hope that people keep trying because we desperately need a few big well organised psy trance festivals in this country.
If you look at Germany there is one practically every weekend in the summer. We have a great heritage of producers, djs, and many psy trance communities who are crying out for some big national festivals.
You’re headlining the main room at Astral Circus on Friday 15 November, playing alongside Contineum, Nick Sentience, Nikki S, Unitone and Renegade DJ. Why should people reading this make sure they’re down the front for your set?
Because it’s going to be a rocking vibe and a serious load of fun.
I’m getting more than a little nervous about my first set in the alternative room at Astral. What’s the stupidest thing you did when you were still learning to DJ?
Take off the wrong record from the wrong record deck – duh.
What else do you have in your diaries for the rest of 2013? And beyond?
We’re doing AMD, Aphid Moon and Dickster at Universo Paralello this NYE, so I’m looking forward to that. I’m playing for the first time in Slovenia next month which should be interesting. I’m also looking forward to hitting Goa in India in February to start the year off.
As far as tracks coming out, on Monday 18th November I have a two track ‘Middle Kingdom’ single with producers Atoned Splendor and Nirmal, a track on Tristan’s Nano comp called ‘Cosmic Order’ in the new year plus a track on the Andy Mason EP on Kundalini Records. Aphid Records plans more eps in the New Year and in the meantime I will be working on my new solo Aphid Moon album, which will come out later in 2014. AMD-wise we have already started some new tracks which will be tested at the party this weekend.
Finally, if a fan sees you at the bar at Astral Circus, what should they buy you?
Don’t encourage me, you know I’ll drink anything as long as it’s not water. No I’m not planning on becoming paralytic, so a nice cool pint of old English ale always hit the sweet spot but I don’t expect they’ll have any of that on tap so it’ll probably have to be lager.
Thx for your time Jules! Looking forward to your sets on the 15th!
After 3 sell out parties the Astral Circus crew returns with another night full of psychedelic magic and creative energy.
Astral Circus is a realm of self-expression and mutual insight. We endeavour to cultivate an interactive experience that stimulates beyond the senses, and unlocks the innate creativity possessed by each and every one of us.
Let's animate our vision - together!
We are very excited to bring to you the next edition of Astral Circus, 10pm - 8am Friday 15th November at the Brixton Jamm, and we're very happy because we'll be running 2 hours later than last time!