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This months' diary from JOOF:
Sorry for missing last months diary, I had a plethora of pms and emails letting me know they missed it! I had a really busy week and only just found the time for my blog; that ran a couple of weeks lateironic it was on the same topic!
Again its been a crazy month, I think I say this every month! But theres always something important to do, usually with a deadline, every week, this year seems to have flown by due to this. I have many personal hobbies that I never get time to enjoy, especially my car. It sits in the garage never getting used. Hopefully next year Ill make sure I find time.
The start of the month found me giving my studio a complete reshuffle. The 00.db album has been completed, so now was a good time to access how I work and what equipment is needed and what isnt. A visit from my very close friend Airwave made me realize; as we worked on some projects together (to be announced sometime next year). I spend my life on the road, so it makes sense to be able to save projects and put them on my laptop so that I can continue to work on the plane or hotel rooms, meaning that I must sell my digital desk. The problem I had before is that I had half the mix running through the desk meaning I couldnt take it away with me. So the Desk went on EBay.yes us DJs use EBay too! With that gone I moved to Logic 8 and also pimped my current Apple G5 with more Ram and internal drives. I didnt see the sense in upgrading it just yet as I never run out of power, the old saying if it isnt broken, dont fix it! Two more 24 displays and PCi plug-ins and I was happy, so now Im excited to be working on my own artist albumeventually
Gigs wise have been fantastic starting off at Planet love in Ireland. I was a little worried at first because I was playing so early. Dave Pearce was on before me and he managed to fill the place nicely before I went on. The crowd where hilarious as they where all dressed in aluminous workmen style gear. The funny thing was that you couldnt distinguish the staff from the clubbers, they where all wearing the same clothes. We had a nightmare trying to find my driver. They guys in the office said to look for the guy wearing the aluminous yellow top, there where 20,000 of them!
After my set the driver had to race to the airport to get me to Scotland, we couldnt afford to lose any time. I soon realised she didnt have a clue where she was going as she was telling me she not used to being the other side of the city. Luckily I have navigation on my phone, so this got us out of trouble. I got to the airport and ran to the plane. A five-hour drive was waiting for me at the other end to get me to the most Northern tip of Scotland at Wick. Im making a conscious effort (as I promised earlier on in the year) to reach out to these smaller towns and cities across the World, and so glad I did. The crowd where crazy going nuts on the dance floor, like they have experience dance music for the very first time. Ill admit it wasnt the best of venues, but the crowd where electric and thats what made it worthwhile for me. After my visit, it looks like they are going to take things more seriously up there now, so I may have inspired a refit and new sound system, Ill be back to test it out for sure.
The following weekend found me back in Seattle, USA. This was my first time away from my usual home of The Last Supper club. This time it was a full-on rave for Hakuna Matata (4) productions. I was given strict instructions from Jesse the promoter from the moment he collected me at the airport, just play what you want, and make it hard! Its not often you hear that from a promoter, its usually the other way around!! So I did what he said and the old theatre where the event was held and al hell erupted. Dam it was a good night. Its usually a Hardstyle crowd, but they adapted to my sound very well, in fact too well. The next night I headed down to San Francisco to play at one of my favourite clubs in the World, 1015. As usual Taj, the promoter lets me play as long as I like. Ismael the resident warmed up the crowd beautifully ( a real pro DJ) and let me take over the controls. The crowd are truly amazing here, they allow me to play from my heart and follow me through every twist and turn that I throw at them. I walk away from this place feeling proud to be a DJ, its an amazing experience.
I then made a double trip to Belgium; firstly it was my turn to visit Airwaves studio in Brussels then to a huge party with Infected Mushroom. In-between I went back to the UK in order to play my JOOF night at Tidy weekender in North Wales. I know it didnt make sense to head back to the UK, but its the only way I could fit it into my schedule. Its not far anyway, especially with the very fast Eurostar through the channel tunnel, its actually quicker for me to get to Brussels on the train, than it is to Birmingham in the UK!
The Tidy weekender in North Wales had to be the biggest surprise of the month. Tidy are usually known for their Hard House line ups, so I was kinda surprised when they asked me to not only play, but to do a JOOF themed night. Unfortunately my good friend Astrix couldnt make it along that night because he is still recovering from his back surgery. Once at the venue I saw all my colleagues of old, Anne Savage, Lisa Pin up and plenty of old faces. It was like stepping back in time seeing them all again. I was a little nervous worried how the crowd would take my sound, but just steamed into things. Amber D was playing before me at a good 153 BPM (!) so it made sense to keep things at an energetic pace, but I took things deeper and darker. I couldnt believe the reaction of the crowd, they where lapping it up. It was amazing to see a completely different crowd jumping around like crazy to music that should be out of place at this event. I had many people at the end asking what style of music I was playing, it was very rewarding and I'll certainly go back again, thats for sure.
A six hour drive eventually got me back home, well for 3 hours sleep, then it was back to Brussels! There was no time to mess around, as soon as I landed I was raced to the venue as I was a little late. I played after Simon Cossford (Shpohgle DJ set). He was playing a lovely deep 125 BPM. I knew Infected Mushroom where playing after me and I only had an hour to take things to a more energetic pace. I didnt want to throw energetic stuff at them because I knew Infected would be doing this. An hour can go so quickly, just as I was getting into my flow, my time was up. What a fantastic site seeing a huge hall completely full to an event with Infected Mushroom, Shpongle, Hallucingen and me in Europe. Maybe this is the turn of something new musically in Europe, I really hope so
Thats me done for this month. See you next month!
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Het blijft heerlijk om hem bezig te zien, duidelijk genietend van elke bit in zijn set, en een publiek die heel goed meeging (raar volkje trouwens, die psyfans, maar we stoorden er ons niet echt aan). J00f sloot zowaar af met een remix van Strange World, volgens Joeri (FCB_Fanatic) ging het om de Astral Projection remix.. Anyway, waardige afsluiter voor een ACE setje 
Sorry Firaga dat we uw set gemist hebben 
. Verder heeft hij ook nog een tweetal Wizzy Noise tracks gedraaid (waaronder Sea Song als ik mij niet vegis, en mogelijk ook de Wizzy Noise remix van "Sub6 - Droid Save The Queen"). Hij sloot uiteindelijk af met de Astral Projection Remix van Strange World.
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