Home News What's On Annual Poll Photos Forums DJs Features Music Venues Reviews Links

Features 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! N-Kore talks Jean-Michel Jarre, unfinished tracks and fatherhood! Celebrating International Women’s Day and Ten Years of Psy-Sisters with Amaluna A Catch Up with John Phantasm ahead of his upcoming set at the Tribal Village 4 Day Outdoor Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022! 'The Maestro that is Tristan talks barn owls, Shazamming and keeping it Psychedelic ahead of his upcoming performance at the Tribal Village 4 Day Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022! DJ talk with Psyrenzo ahead of his debut set at Tribal Village, the Steelyard this Friday 14th January 2022! TENZO aka Overdrive talks freely about launching his new act which will be showcased at Tribal Village, Steelyard on 14 January 2022! A long overdue catch up with JourneyOM ahead of his next Tribal Village party this Friday 14th January 2022 at the Steelyard, London! Goa based party animal and artist extraordinaire Nirmal talks punk concerts, metal sculptures, flying and rippin' it up on a High Tide! DJ Wired talks to us about the Rise of the Hope and parties, ahead of his upcoming set at Tribal Village on 14th January 2022!

‘The Beginning’: Interview with Alf Bamford AKA Technikal Reported by Scott Genetik / Submitted 05-03-04 15:37 Remember the name Alf Bamford. He is perhaps the most prominent member a new wave of hard & nrg trance producers that are slowly dragging the genre back to the forefront of hard dance. Producing under his Technikal guise, Alf ram-raided the scene in the last quarter of 2003 with a succession of rip roaring nrg trance productions and remixes that grabbed you at the jugular and refused to let go. With releases on Impact, Nukleuz, and Mohawk in the coming months the scene is set for 2004 to be a memorable year for Alf Bamford. Always being “a huge trance fan”, Alf decided he wanted to create music in the same style. He first got into production by experimenting with various Ejay programs around four years ago but quickly graduated to Fruityloops and began to make progress. His main influences came from the halcyon days of trance back in ’99 in the shape of Ferry Corsten and DJ Tiesto; when that age eat itself alive a few years later Alf had already began picking up on the pounding German sound of DJ Scot Project and Kai Tracid. It is this combination of powerful uplifting riffs and pounding rhythms that defines much of his production work as Technikal and has lead to latter day comparisons with his contemporary heroes Guyver, Paul Maddox and Gaz West. The Technikal sound is tough buoyant slab of 2004 hard nrg trance. Typically cut in the region 150bpm, his output always retains an epic killer hook that seams (to me anyway) to be perfect for the main rooms of Brixton Academy and Magna, with the monster ‘Daywalker’ being an obvious example. Along with subtle use of the 303, there seams to always be an aspect of his tracks that will push and elevate a crowd that stage further, evident in the recent remake of ‘The Beginning’. Towards the end of the track an unexpected transposition of the bassline pushes energy levels up to eleven. Like all the best producers Alf does not limit himself to one production style. His collaborations with Pierre Pienaar are focused more on out and out nrg and have produced the relentlessly epic tour de force of ‘Darkside’ on Dynamix. Pushing boundaries all the time, ‘Darkside’, while retaining the subtle notes found in a Technikal production, surly features the most driving, relentless first four minutes on wax, anywhere. Every synth, every rattle of production, indeed every sound whips the crowd up mercilessly toward the break. It’s a huge sound and a stormer in the mix to boot. Aside from the potential that Alf himself emits, the most interesting aspect of his work is his emergence in a pool of huge production talent that seam to producing on the same wave length. Rebirth (Pierre Pienaar), HF’s Olly Perris (who produced the Andy Farley fave ‘Take a Ride’ with Ashley Sinclar last year), Gaz West/DBD and Bulletproof’s Craig ‘Johnny Rook’ Stuart have or will have been in the studio with Alf by the time you read this. Olly & Alf will release ‘Chaos Theory’ on Nukluez sometime soon and have a hard house track slated for release on Impact in the near future. ‘Mission Accomplished’ from Alf and Gaz West is due any time now on Mohawk. Recent collaborations with Heat A&R man Spencer Freeland and (along with Olly Perris) Ed Real indicate that he is a revered talent amongst the more experienced figures in the scene also. Of all Alf’s collaborations, his partnership with Olly Perris is set to be the most prolific. Living only a short train journey apart has allowed them to undertake a variety of projects that are not inhibited by the use of Internet as a means of communication. They quickly struck up a friendship after Alf saw Olly “proper slating one of [his] tracks” in an online production community called GeneroProject. Expect to see a multitude of tracks from the pair who are currently involved in what Alf describes as “a top secret project which we’re not allowed to disclose yet but its going to be big”. Watch this space. . . Not to be satisfied with just keeping on top of this, Alf still has targets in his sights. He hopes to make the Technikal name “more recognisable” initially by doing more remix work and by taking on more yet more production work. He also hopes to establish his ‘real name project’ so he can increase his solo work with another alias (‘Chaos Theory’ is the first track to bear his real name). Djing is the most obvious way to propel the Technikal name to the forefront of the scene and is something Alf will be tackling in the very near future. Describing it as “a passion I’ve always had since I started loving dance music” Alf would most like to play along side partners in crime Mr’s Pienaar and Perris explaining that “it would be a real feeling of achievement to play our productions to a crowd together”. Expect to see a lot more of Alf Bamford in 2004! Share this :: : : : Follow HarderFaster :: Other Features By Scott Genetik: Why is there no Hard Dance on Radio 1? 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. Comments: From: Danny Luu on 8th Mar 2004 10:14.58 Keep up the good work mate From: Spherical on 8th Mar 2004 10:27.48 Alf - you legend From: Krazy Nut on 8th Mar 2004 10:49.07 Well done on Chaos Theory & Mission Accomplished both top tunes its good to see there are still guys out there pushing the hard trance sound in hard dance keep it up. From: Technikal on 8th Mar 2004 12:35.22 Thanks everyone! Good writeup Scott From: Lee Osborne on 8th Mar 2004 12:59.11 This young man is gonna be big! From: Tin Tin on 8th Mar 2004 16:07.51 Definitely one to watch! everything i have heard so far is awesome & everything i own so far is getting caned!! From: Matt Church on 8th Mar 2004 21:27.03 Tin Tin, keep up the good work!! From: chrishawkes on 8th Mar 2004 23:48.54 nice one olly + alf - see you guys soon! From: Kevin Wilding on 9th Mar 2004 09:28.39 Alf, you're a legend in your own lunchtime mate! Done that remix of "The Secret Wish" yet? From: Hard House Hippy on 9th Mar 2004 11:12.18 Still got Daywalker in my box & it'll probably stay there for quite some time. Top choon, very original. From: tony smith on 9th Mar 2004 15:15.37 nice one 'DIRTY' as we know him, keep them stomping From: Olly Perris on 9th Mar 2004 15:23.18 WHO THE FCUK IS THIS WANNABE?!?! GET HIM OFF OUR VINYL!!! hahaha, nice work son, loving the photos too, very schexy...yesh... From: Technikal on 9th Mar 2004 19:06.13 Oi! Take this clown away he's windin' me up!! 'DIRTY' eh Tony? Why may that be?! :P Cheers everyone else for your lovely comments Your all stars From: funcimunci on 11th Mar 2004 09:15.23 Fantastic profile of fantastic talent! xxx From: MADMAX on 11th Mar 2004 11:44.36 well done, nice train From: ReBirth on 13th Mar 2004 11:25.09 Keep up the good work Alf :-) From: Lloyd_Rivers_Dj on 23rd Mar 2004 23:17.07 Well done m8, to share success as highly with the likes of gaz west, ( personally i thinks he wicked ) cant be to bad, big things for u m8, hope to hear sum stuff soon Lloyd Rivers

All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective companies. All other content is (c) 2001-2024 HarderFaster.

Terms and Conditions | Privacy Statement | Text Mode