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Heya fellas, this is the interview I did with Graham Gold
Enjoy!
01. Hello, Graham! Could you share with us an interesting fact about you that is unknown to the wide public?
GG: I am looking for a beautiful girl who is funny and intelligent who would like to live with me in my beautiful house on Koh Phangan. But I can’t afford to keep her, so she must have some money!!!
02. You’ve been working in the music industry for more than 20 years. With regards to electronic music – what has changed for a quarter of a century?
GG: Actually it’s more than 30 years and It has changed massively. Obviously many DJ’s play off laptop. A few years ago, I would have disagreed with that, now I don’t. At the end of the day if a DJ can mix, then he doesn’t have to prove it. What are THE most important things a DJ does? Choose awesome music and work a crowd. Computers can’t take that away from you. So if a DJ really learns controllers like the AKAI APC40 that they developed with Ableton, or learned all that you can do with Traktor or Serato, then you can enhance your set and at the end of the day, it’s what comes out of the speakers on the dance floor that counts the most. Another huge change is the ratio of DJ’s to producers. Before it was 90-10 now it’s 5-95. If you don’t produce you just will never make a name as a DJ. Now personally, I am it sure that is right. Way too many DJ’s who put their names to releases play only a very small part in the production process-they use engineers and it’s always the engineer that does most of the work. The engineer knows the sequencer they use inside out (whether it be Logic, Q Base, Ableton or whatever) plus the plug ins they have, so they offer ideas and show how transitions can be made to be more effective and most actually write the melody!! I know of some DJ’s who actually don’t even visit the studio, they just put the money in the engineers’ bank account. What this does is elevate these DJ’s over those that may have more talent as an actual DJ but who do not have the money to pay for studio time. On the other side of the spectrum, sure there are DJ’s who DO have a large input into the whole process, but have just never learned to produce or had music lessons. But because they have great ideas, then this works as well, as they can possibly even teach an engineer some things. But when being booked for gigs only happens these days because of productions/releases, it really throws an unfair advantage on those who use engineers and clubbers lose out by not hearing about someone who could be a way better DJ.
What else, well fundamentally the biggest change is the advancement of technology, whether from the 1200’s to the CDJ2000’s, the evolving Video DJ , the massive improvement in sequencers. But of course even with all this, if someone isn’t creative, then it makes no difference what is around now that wasn’t twenty or thirty years ago.
03. Tell us more about your radio show broadcasted on Kiss100. According to you did it reach its goal?
GG: I loved that show, in fact I lived for that show. I was involved with Kiss when we applied for the license. Oddly enough, it was the only pirate radio station in London that I never worked for, When we launched, I got the two shows I never wanted. The breakfast show and the chart show-by definition, they are the most commercial. But when Danny Rampling went to Radio 1, I got his show and then went Judge Jules went there too, I inherited his show. Then they asked me to front the UK wide Friday Night Kiss which aired on all the stations owned by Emap, Kiss’s owners. I had full control on the music at first but this was slowly taken away from me as my selections were not commercial enough for their mainstream audiences. But we were winning the battle against Pete Tong in all the areas that took the show. We went head to head pretty much. Both were Friday night, Pete’s show at that time was 6-9pm we were 7-10pm. Because the show was so high profile, and I needed to be live, I gave up Saturday nights and took a new Monday night show which was on air from 8 till10pm. This show truly did reach it’s goal (as had Friday Night Kiss whilst I had control of the music). I had guests such as Moby, BT, Christopher Lawrence, Markus Schulz –in fact my show was the first show in the UK that actually had Brian, Chris and Markus in the studio. There were many others too. I know for a fact that the key shops in London all had phone calls first thing Tuesday morning with people wanting to buy the tracks I had played the night before. But of course they couldn’t. The record companies realized my importance in promoting new music, and so many tracks I played were exclusive to me, even Pete and Jules never had some of them. The shops told me customers used to come in and not ask for a particular track but “I want what Graham Gold” plays! I don’t think you can get a higher accolade than that. I couldn’t believe it when they told me!! I was devastated when a new programme controller came in and axed most of the specialist DJ’s. What was infuriating was two days after I was told my show had finished, I had a call from the new controller saying that he had just been told that I wasn’t meant to of been axed, but all he could do was offer me a show that meant pre recording as it went out 2-4 in the morning. I did for a few years, but it wasn’t the same as being live. But for many years I was told I was THE voice of Kiss and the controller at Radio 1 told me he really wanted me on his station but I was just TOO Kiss!!!I wonder where my career would of gone if that had of happened! I really loved it last year when Radio One Samui launched (nothing to do with BBC and it’s UK counterpart in name only) and I did a show every weekday afternoon live.
But yes, those shows on Kiss, especially Monday nights, achieved bigger audiences in every survey, and according to Chris Hampshire who is the boss of Recoverworld-home to labels like Discover and Flux deluxe- Carl Cox and Paul Oakenfold, those shows influenced a whole generation of clubbers.
04. Nowadays we can find hundreds of radio shows in the Internet. Do you think that the main concept of an electronic music radio show as such has shifted? Is it possible for a radio show to influence the music scene, to take part in defining music tastes of fans today?
GG: Yeah we do, don’t we!! Well they aren’t as special anymore, that’s how it feels. And being the internet, most of these shows are prerecorded mixes, so you miss out on the whole “entertainment” part of listening to a knowledgeable DJ talking about the music and just connecting/interacting/communication with his audience. That to me, is what REAL radio is about. It is great though that everyone can get their music fix 24/7 and it does help promote electronic music to the max, at a time when most FM’s are cutting back on their output of electronic music, as they realize that clubs are getting lees busy, while festivals with it’s live acts are getting busier.
I think that if it’s an Armin, Cox, Tiesto, Tong, Swedish House Mafia/ Sanchez, Morillo, Deamau5 show then yes, they will continue to influence and define. The others, well they have their own fan base for sure, but for many, internet radio is not the same as listening to live FM!!!
05. A few months ago you announced you are “giving up” trance music. What were the reasons to do that? Do they have something to do with the fact that the public, to some extent, does not appreciate DJ-ing as much as producing?
GG: I just felt it was time to move on. I cannot compete with producers like Tyas, A&B, Askew, W&W, Emery etc, even Ben Gold, my son is 100 times better than me, and is making a humungous name for himself-at least his piano lessons I paid for were put to good use!! And as we have already said, promoters now only book producers/flavours of the month, and I knew that, although I was as passionate about my music now as I was when I started, I just could not compete anymore. And I want to be remembered for someone who played such a huge part in the UK trance scene and not a has been who just tried to get gigs for the money.
Here you have to remember that I was the first DJ/promoter to bring Tiesto, Armin & Ferry to the UK (in fact Ferry used to stay at my house when he played Peach!) Plus, you know, as much as I do not want to admit it, I am not as young as I was (the word “old” does not exist in my dictionary!!) and the trance scene, though unfairly, is seen as a very young scene, though in reality from my own experience many people in the crowds at trance clubs are as old as the ones in house clubs.
So I decided to go back to my roots in a way. I can produce house way better than trance. I never had music lessons and Ben always wrote my lead lines for me, though I really did do everything else. He would just send me a midi file and I found the sound and produce the rest of the track. With trance, it’s all about lead lines. I am finding with house, once you have the bass line, then it’s more about creativity with how you use the loops, do the arrangement and with one main sound. I can do that!! And when I wasn’t working I went to house clubs as much as I went to trance clubs-providing it wasn’t some boring minimal going on. ALL music, whether house or trance HAS to have emotion and put smile on my face-to make me feel like I would be so missing on something if I wasn’t listening to it.
06. How is life going for you now? Where do you live; where do you play mostly?
GG: I live on this beautiful paradise island they call Koh Phangan, in Thailand (though not beautiful today as we are in monsoon season and it’s been pissing down all day!!) Koh Phangan is home to the word famous Full moon party, so I play there, and the after party, plus 3 other great venues on the island, plus I play frequently on the neighbouring islands of Koh Samui and Koh Tao. I have a monthly residency in the Philippines, as well as quite a lot of other international gigs. And I get to the UK and Russia twice a year. So I am very happy with my life. I still feel useful, even though maybe I am not contributing as much to the scene as I was. But who knows where my house productions will take me. I am passionate now as I ever was so.....
07. In the film "Hey DJ" there was a question asked to Judge Jules about the DJ profession as a whole, and his response was that, in order to manage to fulfill yourself as a DJ, you have to concentrate either on your acting behind the decks, or producing your own music. The latter, in particular, is very important; but still there are DJs who go straight at the top, and others who remain misunderstood during their entire career.. Do you agree with this statement, especially with the second part?
GG: Ooh, not seen that yet!! Well he is 90% right. The 90% is relevant to producing as we have already discussed. ACTING???????????????? Maybe he should have said “making a show”!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If I ever saw a DJ PRETENDING he loved what he was playing and really hating it, I think I would go and hit him!! It could be a “her” of course, but I don’t hit women!!
I don’t think any DJ “goes straight to the top, unless they are producers or pay someone to produce their tracks. Both kinds of these Dj/PRODCUERS are very evident in this year’s 2010 DJ MAg Poll top 10, but it’s not for me to say who does and who doesn’t!!!
08. Some question outside the music sphere – how does an ordinary Graham Gold day go? What are your hobbies?
GG: Like this! Well lost days are in the studio or downloading my promos. The latter is the bane of my life due to the one think I hate about living here- INTERNET!! And my days include going to the gym for an hour, running half an hour (6km) and out on the bike twice a week for a 16km circuit I do. Plus yoga at least once a week. And swimming, I swim in my pool every morning pretty much. In the evening, if I am not working, I pop down to one of the bars on my local beach-it’s 2 minutes away, and see if there are any good looking girls around!! hahahahahh
09. Do you like sports? Are there any that you keep an eye on?
GG: As above!! But Cycling is my sport, I used to race when I was younger, and always went to watch the Tour de France when I was a kid as my dad was president of the big cycling federation in the UK. I am NOT a football fan. At all!! LOL!!!
10. Do you find house music easier to mix/compose than trance?
GG: As I said, compose yes, mix, well it’s slower so that should make it harder from a technical point of view, but no, it’s the same. For me the main difference is that I don’t need Mixed In Key really now, as key clashes are way more obvious in trance than house.
11. Do you believe trance music has still something to give the crowd, or is it exhausted on the ground of original ideas?
GG: Totally!! New young producers come along with their wonderful creative ideas and software manufacturers continue to deliver exciting programmes. Why should trance not have the longevity of house music. Remember house music has been around since 1986 if you say that people like Paul Simpson produced house. Others will say it was 1988 with the advent of labels such Strictly Rhythm, nervous and DJ International. Others will say house music developed in 1976, the year of the very first 12” (which was Double Exposure’s “Ten Percent” on Salsoul, though back then it wasn’t called “house” it was called “disco” . But hey look at all those “disco” tracks, virtually everyone that was any good has been updated in the last twenty years. And house music is as strong and as important as it always was. In fact there has NEVER been a music style EVER that has lasted as long as HOUSE MUSIC. Not punk, Nu Romantic, Nu Wave, not even ing rock ‘n’ roll!!! It’s a big umbrella is house music, and so is trance. All music reinvents itself, even techno, even if some of the originators of techno don’t like where it’s at now, it’s still TECHNO! Hope you get my point!!
12. Has it ever come to your mind to start off with trance again after you “broke up” with it? Is there any hope for us to see you play trance again?
GG: Almost. I was meant to headline Slinky In Auckland this weekend, but that meant going to Bangkok to go the N.Z. embassy and get my work permit yesterday, but then the flight costs went through the roof. So we agreed that I wouldn’t do it. I was ready though. I had got excited listening and downloading what I wanted to play!! And never say never.!!!
I hope this comes over as not bigheaded, as I am not that way, I promise you. Those first five years I was in the DJ Mag Top 100, all inside the Top 40 and two years at 22, I never once solicited anyone to vote for me. In fact the first year I was in it, I had had a call from DJ Mag saying I had made the Top 100 and I had to answer some questions. I could not believe it. They had already started the countdown when I arrived at Heaven, in London, where the party was. They were on number 86 or something and I thought , I have missed me. When it got to 50, 40, 30 I totally KNEW I had missed seeing me up there. I wasn’t even looking when it got to 22, my mates just let up a cheer and there I was. Wow!! Wow!! Wow!! SO clearly I have a talent at what I do, I always believed in pushing new music and not playing the ing obvious, and I think that has played a fundamental part in my longevity as a DJ.
13. What could impress you in a track, no matter of the genre?
GG: If it makes me go “what the is this” and I have to know what It is more than I need to make a flight!!
14. Do you want to tell something to your fans over the globe?
GG: Err..... well I hope I still have some! Just thank you, thank you for allowing me to have the best job in the world and I hope to continue to do so. Without fans, you have nothing, AND it’s the fans that pay your wages, not the promoter, so thank you. Not for the money, but for giving me years of happiness doing what I love doing more than anything else in the world.
Thank you for your time and wish you success! |
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