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Features
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Alumni's Latex Zebra does Old Skool @Brixton Zoo
Reported by HarderFaster
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Submitted 12-04-05 03:10
Dj, producer, promoter, writer, father—Dan Nugent aka Latez Zebra really is a superdaddy of the dance scene. Co-promoter of monthly Brixton party Zoology @414, he’s played for some of the capital’s top parties, including becomeone, Logic, Tilt, Knowwhere, Recoverworld, Tilt, X-Static, Oblivion and the various Frantic brands, as well as having a monthly residency at the 414’s Sunday night service Just Groove. A chance meeting with the owner of the 414 on his way to Old Skool Euphoria has led to him launching a new night Alumni, and to confirm his place as the ol skool king of the jungle of Brixton he's playing at Old Skool Euphoria on 23 April. HarderFaster go safari to catch up with the man bringing Old Skool back to Brixton.
Why the name Latex Zebra? How did it originate? Will you be Latex Zebra til you die, or is it an alias you may well drop if your music changes or you mature?
Well it stands out and catches the eye, in these days of a million DJs that can be quite handy. It came about from a drunken game of Hangman with my wife. I have thought about changing it, as it does look daft on paper. That said, when I suggested to some friends I might I was nearly lynched, so I suppose I’ll keep it. If I got rid of it I’d have to get rid of all the zebra related stuff that now fills my house.
You’ve been djing since 95. What inspired you to start playing with vinyl? What type of music did you first learn to mix?
My mate had some belt drive decks that we used to mess about with when we got back from clubs. That was the spark that made me think it would be fun to do. Also there was a lot of good music coming out at the time that I wanted to buy. It made sense to have something to play them on. I started with House, Trance, US Garage, Prog House (happy now Tim?), Techno, Hard House… whatever I liked really. I just bought whatever sounded good and crafted sets that encompassed it all. It was very handy that I had so many different styles as I got asked to play at lots of house parties.
What would you consider your most important musical and non-musical influences when you were growing up? And now?
Synth Pop was my biggest influence. I always loved electronic music. When I first heard dance music I was like, “This is what I’ve been waiting for.”
Club UK also influenced me a hell of a lot as well. It was the first club I went to where I thought that I was part of something really special.
These days I’m influenced by all sorts. Certain DJs’ sets, a tune a producer does here or there. I’m lucky enough to hear such a wide variety of stuff that everything, even the crap, has an influence in some way, shape or form.
How would you describe the Latex Zebra sound? Is there any one particular kind of music you prefer to play, or does it depend on your mood and the environment?
It’s Trance, Hard Trance. There is no getting away from that. I like the wobbliness of Trance, the analogue sounds, the builds, the riffs, the melodies. Hard House and stuff like that is OK, especially to go out to, but it’s a little mindless. And, as a DJ, I want to be seen as more than someone who bangs out the hardest tunes possible. 8 years ago I was different and I looked deliberately for the hardest stuff I could. You have to move on though.
You’ve played at many of the capital’s top parties, including Logic, becomeone, Recoverworld, Tilt, Knowwhere, X-Static, Oblivion and the various Frantic brands, as well as having a monthly residency at the 414’s Sunday night service Just Groove. What’s been your favourite gig to date? And where would you most like to play, given the choice?
Favourite, well my profile lists the Zoology when I played after DJ Wag, and got a compliment from him about my skills. To be honest though I enjoy all my sets and there have been so many great crowds that picking one is hard to do. I always like the sets when promoters are in the crowd and they pounce on me to offer me bookings as soon as I’ve finished.
How do you think the scene has changed in the 10 years you’ve been djing? What changes would you like to see in the future?
Much as I have been Djing for 10 years I’ve only really been part of the London Djing circuit for three and half. Before that I was just a clubber who played out occasionally.
The only thing I can really say I’ve seen change, is the massive amounts of people (clubbers) that now want to DJ. Having experienced the thrill and buzz of it I can understand why. If I could change one thing, it would be less DJs as there are just too many that don’t offer anything different and the art of being a DJ (I called it art  ) is becoming a joke more than something to be recognised for.
You’ve been involved in the night Zoology since its inception and it celebrated its third birthday last November. How did you become a Zoologist and what factors do you think contribute to it not only being such a successful party, but continuing on for so long when other larger more commercial nights have given up the ghost?
It’s very difficult to answer this question as I can only speak on my own feelings and not those of the others who work just as hard to make Zoology as successful as it is as I do.
I see no reason why we couldn’t move onto to bigger things if we wanted to. I don’t think any of use would want to see Zoology’s reputation suffer by moving upwards too quickly. We certainly have plans to try a few things elsewhere and see what happens. I think we’ve been successful because know our strengths and focus on them, I’m sure when we do try our hands at bigger things the results will be something the clubbers will enjoy as much as we’ll enjoy running it.
What plans do you have for Zoology’s future? Will it always be held at the 414 and will the music policy stay the same?
What music policy? I’m sure our policy of booking DJs we think are great regardless of what they are playing will continue. I’m highly confident that we will always be at 414 as well. We might branch out and do the odd party elsewhere; we have options available to us. It boils down to the above answer again. Better to do great and memorable parties at 414 than an empty party at SeOne and lose some of the magic we’ve worked so hard to create.
You seem to have a very tight unit going on with the rest of the Vinyl Zoo crew. In reality, does working with so many others in a team mean you have less to do each in terms of running a label and promoting your own night, or do you find you end up bickering over different views about how things should be done? How do you reach a decision with so many of you involved?
We’re a tight unit because we are all friends. No matter how heated things become we remember that. All of us have our own ideas and skills that we contribute. I think I’m extremely lucky to have such a versatile team to be part of. It makes running the party fun as well as a lot easier.
Most decisions are reached by the diplomatic means of Paper, Scissors Stone or a five-way punch up in the car park of whatever pub we’ve been meeting in.
I’m impressed at the diversity of the gigs you’ve played in a very short period of time—from the 414 to Frantic and back again. What’s you favourite kind of music to play at an event? Or do you prefer to mix it up?
Hard Trance but I won’t bang it out for a warm up or if booked for a Techno party get all my fluffy stuff out. It’s not hard to do a bit of research on where you are playing and it amazes me still that DJs turn up booked for certain styles in certain rooms and because they are known for a different sound, will just turn up and play what they usually would. It’s crazy, selfish Djing. No thought for the crowd, the promotion or the other DJs.
Personally, as I said about the kind of music I bought when I started playing, I can mix it up a fair bit.
From what I can tell I’ve never been booked for a party where I haven’t been able to play exactly what suits them… I hope.
Your bio on the Vinyl Zoo record label website http://www.vinylzoo.com/content.asp?contentid=407 says that you’ve produced 12 records and own over 2000. What kind of music might I hear on those 12 records? Did you undertake formal music training to get into production, or was it more of a hobby?
No formal music training from me, just had a lot of Casio keyboards and understanding parents as a kid.
Just about every track I’ve produced is very different from the others in style but I have little things or tricks that I tend to use over and over again.
It was more of a hobby, I certainly never expected after having produced a few tunes to be able to start up a record label. Even today with the label sitting on the shelf waiting for us to do something with it, I still regard it as our biggest achievement.
Your productions have been acclaimed by some rather big names. Do you hope to get back into the studio in the near future, or is this a phase that you have no interest in now?
I do hope so, I have been talking to a few people about possible collaborations. I’m also working on a few bits and pieces on my PC at home. I might one day actually get around to putting one down on CD and playing it out. Watch this space.
You presently own over 2000 records, yet sceptics are predicting the death of vinyl by the end of the decade. What are you views on the vinyl vs cd debate? Do you use cd at all in your sets, and if so, do you ever think you’ll have to move that way completely?
Yeah I have been dragged into the CD DJ world. It’s not the dirty place I thought it was. I still prefer vinyl and I’ll miss it like hell when it does eventually go the way of the dodo. That won't be for a while yet though. I’m quite happy to play CDs now though as I can play stuff I’ve had on CD for years and never played out and also with more and more MP3 sites appearing it means I can buy good music a lot cheaper.
Becoming a Father must’ve changed your lifestyle considerably. While being a dj and clubber must’ve surely helped those long periods of sleep deprivation, how on earth do you manage to hold down a full time job, write, dj and promote while still sustaining a family life?
It’s not easy. I’m extremely single minded when it comes to dance music. I sometimes think that a bomb could go off nearby and I’d still be in my own world thinking about Djing or promotion rather than running for cover. Kira’s arrival has been a massive kick up the arse and knowing that there is a little person who now relies on me for things has been resulted in a lot of changes. I still haven’t got it all balanced perfectly but I’m getting there.
You’re involved in a new night, Alumni, starting at the 414 on 14 April. How did this come about? How is the night going to be different from, say, Zoology?
It started when I saw the owner on my way to Old Skool Euphoria, they were surprised that I was into the old stuff and from there an idea formed. After more chats we decided on doing a one off party on a Thursday and that was it. If it goes well we might do it every 3 or 4 months but not too regularly, it would be nice to keep it special. It will be different from Zoology because it is mine all mine…  In all seriousness the only way I hope it differ from Zoology is the fact that it will be playing much older classics than we tend too. I hope the vibe is exactly the same. Given that I’m getting input and help from all the team and regulars, it should be almost like a Zoology offshoot. Fingers crossed.
You’re also playing @ Old Skool Euphoria at The Fridge on 23 April. Now please excuse my ignorance, but when the music that’s now considered ‘Old Skool’ was ‘Nu Skool’, I was on the other side of the world drinking silly amounts of beer at Indie rock gigs. Please describe the ‘Old Skool’ sound for me! What makes a tune Old Skool? And is Old Skool simply a style of music or a philosophy from the time such music started?
Bloody hell, this is something I could do a feature on. I’m not sure we have enough space here.
Putting it simply Old Skool is the music that was being played in the early 90s, be it House, Hardcore, Trance Techno. Because it has now reached a vintage it is now considered Old Skool. Some purists will say that Old Skool is just the Hardcore sounds from between 90 and 94 but to be honest if you went out to parties in those days you heard all of the above genres being mixed together in the night. I know when I play at Old Skool Euphoria it won’t be limited to stuff with breakbeats, chipmunk vocals and hoover sounds.
Why should HF readers consider going to an Old Skool night, rather than a night showcasing new music?
Because it would be a great chance for them to see how the music that they go out to now is influenced by what was made back then. It will also give them a chance to hear the originals of tracks that have been sampled or ripped off a million times. I’m not saying it was better than it is now but it’s just about showing some respect to a scene that has now been around for over 17 years and remembering the stuff that got played then.
I don’t think you’re likely to hear it on Capital Gold just yet so 414 or the Fridge seems like a much better place to check it out.
And now, quick fire, for some of the stock questions…
Your top 5 Old Skool tracks at the moment?
Hardfloor – Hard Trance Experience
Jonny L - Hurt You So
Urban Shakedown – Some Justice
Gat Décor – Passion
Acen – Trip to the Moon Part 2
Your top 5 hard trance tracks at the moment?
They’re all older tracks as I’ve focusing on the classics for Zoology. Will be doing a big upfront shop in the summer.
Your top 5 dance tracks of all time?
Gat Décor – Passion
Virus – Sun
Hardfloor – Hard Trance Experience
Leftifueld – Song of Life
Underworld – Dark & Long
Your top 5 djs?
I rarely get to hear the massive names and I get more enjoyment from the sets my friends play.
If someone has played for Zoology then they are a DJ I like.
Your top 5 producers?
DJ Wag
DJ Scot Project
Martin Y.O.M.C
Rueter & Schleis
BK
If you were going to take DJ Widow out for a night on the town, sans babe, where would you go? If there was clubbing involved, where would you go for a bit of a knees up?
To a nice fish restaurant in London, then out for cocktails afterwards. Then, if we were hitting a club, either an Old Skool night or a big Trance party. We’d probably end up at 414 though.
If with no expense spared you could throw your dream party at your dream location with your dream lineup, where would it be and who would play?
SeOne with all the Zoology resident hosting a room each. I’d do an 8 hour set in my room and they could pick who they liked. That would be a good enough night for me.
If your daughter told you she’d like to become a DJ, what would be your advice to her?
I’d say shut up and get back up the chimney… 
Thanks for your time Dan and have a wicked holiday!
Photos courtesy of BinBag, Daf and Pink Kitty.
Alumni - The Old Skool Reunion
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On:
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Thursday 14th April 2005
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At:
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CLUB 414 [map]
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From:
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21:00 till Late
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Cost:
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£3 with flyer or on paying guest list latexzebra@hotmail.com - £5 on the door
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Ticket Info:
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£3 with flyer or on paying guest list latexzebra@hotmail.com
£5 on the door
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More:
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This one of special on Thursday 14th April 2005 will bring the best of the Old Skool sounds from some some of todays DJing talents.
From Old Skool Hardcore to Happy Handbag this will be the best in music from the late 80's to mid 90's.
As it is a school night we'll be starting at 9 and aiming to finish around 2 or 3. Depends on the demand really. No pressure, just turn up, have a drink, a dance and catch up on old times while listening to the best from back in the day.
So take the Friday off work (you have plenty of notice) and join us for a one off night of Old Skool fun at the famous 414.
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Flyer:
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 - 
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Other Features By HarderFaster:
HarderFaster Awards 2016 - The results are in!
HarderFaster Awards 2014 - The results are in!
Lashes, Dimples and the Brighton Music Conference
HarderFaster Awards 2013 - The results are in!
HarderFaster Awards 2012 - The results are in!
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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great interview Dan !!
