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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! |
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Tekelec’s Ali Wilson and Matt Smallwood prepare for Ignition
Reported by Danny Gilligan
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Submitted 06-12-06 02:00
When Ali Wilson met Matt Smallwood at Trinity in 2000 who could have guessed where this chance encounter might lead? Once they realised they lived around the corner from each other, the guys became close friends and drinking buddies, making tunes together and hanging out at events like Riot! When Ali launched his ground-breaking label Tekelec in 2005, hailed throughout the scene for being innovative thanks to its trade-mark fusion of tech-trance, techno and electro, it was inevitable that Matt would soon be in on the production action. Tekelec tracks have received support from the top names in the industry, including Paul van Dyk, Carl Cox, Marco V, Andy Farley, Judge Jules, John Askew and Sander van Doorn, with Coxy even naming them his producers of the year in a recent DJ Mag. With them playing a rare back to back Tekelec production showcase of their new material at this Friday’s Ignition at The Fridge, it was time to get an update on what’s been happening in the worlds of Ali Wilson and Matt Smallwood…
Ali and Matt on Friday 8th December you are both playing back to back where you are going to be providing us with a Tekelec Production show case of all your new material. Tell the readers about some of the recent productions you have been working on and what we should expect in your exclusive b2b at Ignition?
Matt: We’ve been doing a real mixture of stuff at the moment, which has been great fun! We recently finished a remix of Trauma ‘Higher’ for Paul King’s new album, which we are really pleased with, and it was nice to get our mitts on such a great tune from back in the day to give it a tasty re-working! We have also been in the studio for a four-way mash up with the boys from Type 1, and the results are a groovy, electro fuelled techy monster called ‘Jackpot’ and a dirty, funky techno track called ‘Sickbag’. The latter is to be released on Type 1’s new label Subtronika soon.
Ali: I’ve been working on some new solo projects on the techy, electro vibe and a few other collaborations. The 1st a very different track with BK for his new album, one with DJ Durty from San Francisco when I was over there called ‘Jericho’ which is an electro soaked trancer, and I’ve also been in the studio with Lee Osborne to do a cool new tech trancer!
In today’s scene running a label and especially making it a profitable business is very hard work. For those that do not really understand how it all works, talk us through a usual day in the office.
Ali: Well I normally start a day with checking the emails and getting the label admin out of the way, that takes a few hours sometimes. Then I get on with studio work which I’ll do for hours at a time — sometimes I’ll get so lost in a track that I forget lunch!
Matt: I tend to help out more on the PR side of things, getting track info written for the next release and dealing with any promotional work that may need doing. Obviously studio work is paramount as often as possible for me, but Ali works incredibly hard every day, and we’re chuffed that the label has had such a great year! Bring on 2007.
How many releases have you had so far? Are you concentrating on the digital market alone or are you releasing limited copies on vinyl?
Ali: We’ve had eight releases so far. The first five were released on vinyl, but from six we have gone totally digital. The vinyl is being phased out, everybody seems to be playing off CDs these days so it makes sense to go digital!
Matt: Yeah digital is the way forward for sure. It’s been going that way for a while now and vinyl is slowly disappearing by the day. People can get order tracks from the comfort of their living room and have them downloaded in a matter of minutes, rather than standing in a record shop for three hours every Saturday afternoon! It sure gets my vote!
Carl Cox has been someone that has inspired you both to date and over the last 18 months the big man has given your tracks massive support. Recently he was quoted as saying you are his vote for the best producers of 2006 — that is some vote! You must have been well chuffed to get such support from someone who you have been so inspired by?
Matt: The support that Coxy has been giving us this past year has been incredible, it really has! I remember the first time we heard him play one of our tracks at SW4 last year to 20,000 people and we were just blown away! I remember we were all looking at each other with quizzical expressions when he was mixing it in, as if to say: “Is this… OH MY GOD IT IS!” Haha! Then for him to vote us as his ‘Producers of the year’ a few weeks back in DJ Mag was just the icing on the cake really, a definite highlight in my career so far and the highlight of a wicked year!
Ali: Yeah it’s been an unbelievable year. Coxy’s been so supportive on the material we’ve been doing, he’s even added a few tracks to his various compilation CDs, so to say that we’re pleased is a massive understatement!
Matt you have been playing on this scene for what must be nearly ten years — that takes a lot of effort to keep at the top of your game since your early days of playing Trinity at the old Chunnel club (now Hidden) with DJs such as Tony Price, Steve Thomas and Pete Wardman. You must have some good memories, what is your most memorable moment in your time in the scene?
Matt: Yeah it is pretty much ten years now and that makes me feel really old! But they’ve been a great ten years, and I’m looking forward to the next ten! It’s so hard to put my finger on one memorable highlight as I’ve had so many wicked times over the years, and met so many quality people! But when I went to play in New Zealand with Tony Price for Trinity in the summer of 2000, that was possibly one of the most amazing weeks of my life so far. We played at The Staircase in Auckland, which held around 2000 people and it went off in a big way, our PR team over there had worked so hard and the place was heaving! We did a few radio shows; saw a lot of Auckland’s amazing scenery and drunk a lot of their local beer! Everyone was really friendly and the place was absolutely beautiful, all in all an experience I will never forget, and I can’t wait to go back some day!
Ali your recently entered the world of fatherhood, has this changed you as a person in many ways? Did you find it a hard balance to find or was it something you embraced? Are there any plans to get the wee fella following his father’s footsteps?
Ali: Oh yeah, of course! I’ve actually got a video on my phone of the lil bubba looking like he’s DJing to a mix CD that I had on in the lounge! That was when he was just under a year so who knows where he’ll be in a few years time!
Ali Wilson
Having had a very successful 2006 with the label what are your plans and goals for 2007?
Matt: We’ll be concentrating on the Tekelec tour more in new year so keep an eye out for more from that in the not so distant future! Other than that, stay focused on the label and do our best to release more good tunes!
Ali: I’ve got an album planned with loads of fresh new stuff, with lots of different styles from the funkier end right through to the tougher, driving stuff!
Where are you getting your main influences from at the moment for your production and DJing? I guess you probably must influence each other enough to keep popping out quality release after quality release?
Matt: Yeah I think we push each other when we’re in the studio to try certain things that we haven’t tried before, and that can only be a good thing as we keep pushing boundaries that way and so far we’ve had some good results. Obviously on the DJing front Coxy is a massive inspiration to me, as is MarcoV and Sander Van Doorn, definitely my top three artists in the world at present! Also, as I mentioned earlier I’m really into my house and electro too and I think that is evident in the productions that I’ve been involved with lately.
Ali: Yeah I would agree with Matt there, I also take influences from everywhere, on the TV, films, radio etc!
What has been the funniest crack on moment that you have been part of as I myself have been involved in quite a few funny moments with you both?
Matt: Haha! How long have we got ‘cuz we could probably go on for a few days on this question! Like I said earlier we’ve met, and have got, so many amazing friends that we have the best times with, it would be impossible to pinpoint one moment! I seem to remember ‘Camouflaged Giraffe’s Toe Nails’ being mentioned somewhere though…
Matt Smallwood
Matt I know you used to play at Trinity with Tony Price, who is also coming out of retirement to play an exclusive classic Tony Price set for us. It must be quite a nice feeling to be playing after Tony after such a long time?
Matt: I can’t tell you how excited I am to be following on from after Tony after what must be at least five years now! He is a wicked DJ and was one of my earliest influences when I first started playing out, so it’s always going to be special to be on the same line up as the legend that is Pricey! We used to have such a laugh down at Trinity and became really good mates over the years, I dare say when we meet up again at Ignition we’ll have many a funny story to talk about, and I for one, can’t wait!
What are your gigs schedules looking like for the Christmas season any gigs that you are both looking forward to?
Ali: I’ve had a busy few months with highlights like San Francisco and The Gallery, but the Christmas period is fairly quiet for me which is nice! So I intend to eat, drink and be merry! Hehe!
Matt: I have a few gigs in December yes, Byte @ The Fridge is one I’m looking forward to as it’s the first time myself and the legend that is Mr Martin Begley have played back to back, so that should be loads of fun! I’ve also been playing house/electro sets for a while now too and I have a few of these lined up over the next few weeks, one of which is a big XFM Radio party @ Jamm in Brixton on December 15th, so get down there if you can because that should be awesome! Bands and DJs all together in one venue, is gonna be wicked! All in all with the gigs and Christmas just around the corner, it’s shaping up to be a fun month!
What are your thoughts on perhaps doing a live set in 2007? Do you have any plans for an Ableton Live Showcase?
Matt: I think there are a lot of other ways in today’s scene that DJs and producers can add a slight twist to their act or their sound without them having to ‘perform live’ sets. I mean FX machines can be great to use and there’s some truly amazing pieces of kit available, the Pioneer EFX 1000, for example, is out of this world! I watched a James Zabiela tutorial video the other day and was blown away by what you can actually do with these things! I think it’d be more fun to get to grips and have a play with some of those in my sets before throwing myself into a ‘live’ act but yes you may well see some developments soon!
Ali: To be honest I’ve been so busy in the studio and with the label, that I’ve not really had much time to think about anything else! But never say never, who knows, maybe in the future you’ll see a Wilson and Smallwood Live PA! Hehe!
Photos courtesy of Ali Wilson and Matt Smallwood. Not to be reproduced without permission.
Ignition
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On:
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Friday 8th December 2006
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At:
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The Fridge [map]
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From:
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10.00-6.00
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Cost:
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12 before 12 & MOTD There After
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More:
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Ignition 'the perfect way to start the weekend!' The concept is simple, we will deliver you a night of well programmed cross genre dance music, a fusion on Electro, Break Beat, Funky Techno, Hard Trance, Hard Dance and Hard House, the progression through each set will keep adding to the dance floor energy which will make for an intense finale!
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Other Features By Danny Gilligan:
Glazby goes Full Circle
Ingition preview with Groove Factory’s CD
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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You guys rock! F*ing love ya both! 
Best of luck... I know you will do great!!!
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