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Features
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| 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! |
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Timeless 3rd Birthday Preview: Interview with Ben Stevens
Reported by HarderFaster
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Submitted 19-04-04 10:59
Vicious Circle's Ben Stevens has been rapidly making a name for himself as one to watch for those into the tougher edged sounds in hard dance. He's exploded onto the London scene recently with sets at Hardware, Hardhouse Academy, Sectioned and sets up North at the legendary Insomniacz amongst others. Ben spins again for the Frantic crew at the upcoming Hardware Relaunch on Sunday 25th April at The Soundshaft.
Ben Stevens at Frantic
HarderFaster: Ben, thanks for taking the time to speak to us.
Ben Stevens: No problem, anytime :o)
HF: You’ve made a name for yourself with your impeccable mixing and the finest choice of Harder Dance money can buy in your sets. Was this style of mixing something that came easily to you or is it something that you have had to work had at to develop?
BS: Hehe, it certainly didn’t come easily no. I’ve been djing for about 8 years now so it’s all about practise really. I love mixing so I spend a few hours each day just messing around on my decks. I think it’s the fact that I use them almost every day that helps my mixing.
HF: Why does the Harder end of Hard Dance appeal more to you then say the more euphoric Hard House?
BS: I think that’s down to the fact that I used to go to Insomniacz in Sheffield every week about 3 years ago. Me & my mates would all get up at 4 o’clock on Sunday morning & drive to Sheffield & party!. I’ve never been into trance so I didn’t see the appeal of going to Gatecrasher first. The music at Insomniacz was always towards the harder end of the Hard House spectrum & it was where Glaz had his residency. It was Paul & the late RR Fierce’s sets at Insomniacz that gave me my love for Hard House really.
HF: You’re heavily involved with the Vicious Circle Record label. Can you tell us what your role is there and how you became involved?
BS: I run the Vicious Circle Online Store, which involves ordering in records, processing & sending out the orders each day & dealing with any problems people may have. I also listen through the numerous cd’s that we are sent each day.
I got to know Glaz from going to Insomniacz regularly, I’d always be pestering him about the tracks he had played & generally being a nuisance I think! I went down to a few of Paul’s gigs with him & got to know Scott this way. I drove Paul to a few of his gigs when Scott couldn’t do it & then when I left uni they offered me a job with them. I was pretty lucky how everything has worked out for me & I can’t thank them both enough for what they have done for me.
HF: You seem to use more vinyl in your sets than CD’s. Do you prefer using Vinyl and if so why?
BS: I reckon now that I use about half vinyl & half cd’s, as people tend to give you tracks on cd’s rather than getting acetates pressed up. I really don’t have a preference to either of them really, the technology in CD decks has come on leaps & bounds in the past couple of years so things like the CDJ1000 are just like using a vinyl deck anyway. However cd’s are a lot more practical (no more sore shoulders from heavy record bags!) haha. It is always nice to have a vinyl copy of tunes though.
At the Tidy Weekender
HF: Up & coming DJs like yourself can name one set that put them on the map. What was this for you?
BS: That’s an easy one, I filled in for Karim in the Vicious Circle room at the Tidy Weekender 4. I had been to the previous 3 weekenders & could not believe it when I had the chance to play the last set on the Saturday night. I was so nervous before I went on but as soon as I played the first track all my nerves went & I had the best experience of my life.
HF: Where have you most enjoyed playing at to date and what venues have you still ambitions to play in?
BS: Frantic at Camden Palace has to be high up there on the list of my most enjoyable sets, the crowd, sound system & venue were amazing, I was gutted when it closed.
Goodgreef in Manchester is also one of my favourites, as the venue is unique really & the crowd like varied music across the night.
The venue I still have ambitions to play in would be the Fridge in Brixton. It is the first club that I went to when we came down to London for the first time a few years ago. I was blown away when I walked in there by the sheer size of the venue & how loud it was, haha! I’ve not been in since it’s been re-furbished but I’ve been told a lot of good things about it.
HF: Following your awesome set at Timeless at Turnmills you’ve been invited back for the 3rd Birthday celebrations on April 24th @ Mass in London. Can you give us a sneak preview of what we can expect from the Ben Stevens box of tricks.
BS: I’m really looking forward to this one, its always good fun playing classics. Three tunes that I’ll defiantly be playing would be:
Miss Shiva – Dreams (Glazby Remix)
Dj Misjah & Dj Tim – Access (KY Jelly Babies Remix)
Paul Glazby & Paul Janes – Get Down
HF: You’re not only playing at Timeless but also at the relaunch of Hardware on the 25th at its new home, The Soundshaft. The set sees you going back 2 back with fellow Vicious Circle prodigy Tim Clewz. Do you enjoy playing Hardware and how does it differ from other after parties you’ve played at.
Back to back with Caroline Banx at Timeless (courtesy www.paulunderhill.com)
BS: I’ve only played down at Hardware once but it was a good night. Afterhours clubs are good fun to play at (so long as I’ve not fallen asleep!) as only the hardcore clubbers are there. It’s been a while since I’ve played b2b with Tim too so I’m defiantly looking forward to it.
HF: You’re quickly building a name for yourself as a DJ. Have you stepped into the studio yet and if so when can we expect to see Ben Stevens’s productions hitting the shops?
BS: I’ve done 2 new tracks in the past month, both with Alex Calver. I’ve known Alex for a while & his productions really are amazing. The first track was a collaboration between Tim Clewz, Alex & me, and it’s more on the Techno side of things. The second track is a full on Hard House assault! This one was done with Mark Maitland, the resident for Quality in Newcastle. The track is called Devils Trix & is more the kind of style that I play normally.
There is another track called ‘Turn It Up’ that I’ve done that is being released on Lit Up Recordings in the not so distant future.
HF: Outside of DJing we understand that you used to be an avid Ski, Surf & Sailing fan. Do you still get time to do this in your busy schedule?
BS: I used to love skiing until I broke my leg doing it when I was younger. That managed to put me off it for life, haha! I decided to try my hand at snowboarding & did this for a fair while, but just when I started to get good at it I seriously hurt my knee so I’m unable to do it now.
Sailing was something that my Dad introduced to me & we used to go each weekend when was younger. I would still love to get back into Sailing but unfortunately my weekends are now taken up either being in clubs or driving to them!
HF: Who would you say have been your biggest influences on your career to date?
BS: I think Glaz has been the biggest influence on me but some others would be RR Fierce, Andy Farley, Ian M & Karim
HF: The Nu-Breed of DJs have been hailed as the saviours of the Hard Dance scene. Does this title intimidate you or is it something you are happy to have resting on your shoulders?
BS: Haha it’s a bit funny when people say that about you. It’s not something I’ve really thought about to be honest. Hopefully I can live up to everybody’s expectations.
HF: Who do you rate any why out of your DJ peer group?
BS: For the Nu-Breed of dj’s it would have to be Caroline Banks & Andy Whitby in the hard house scene. For funky house the 2 new dj’s that I really respect are Filthy Rich & Tom Paton. I’m not a big fan of funky house really but both these dj’s never fail to get me dancing.
On the production side it has to be Alex Calver & Chris Impact. They are both producing track after track of quality techno & hard house.
Many thanks to Ben Stevens for his time!
HARDWARE RELAUNCH!! Young Guns!
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On:
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Sunday 25th April 2004
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At:
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The Soundshaft [map]
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From:
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6am-1pm
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Cost:
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£4 with flyer / paying guestlist & £6 without
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More:
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Every Sunday is going to be just that little bit more heavenly at Hardware. So put on your Sunday best and polish your shoes…Hardware has been taken to the next level!
From 25th April Hardware will take roots in its new home The Soundshaft at Heaven! With its legendary clubland reputation, kicking soundsystem, atmospheric lighting and chillout café Hardware’s new base will be the only place to spend your Sunday!
Hardware will religiously continue to play only the best upfront Hard Dance mixed with anthems and classics. The Soundshaft will be visited weekly not only by Hard Dance gods but also the very best up & coming talent on the scene!
The Relaunch of Hardware will see our new residents taking place up at their new home. They will be bringing you breakfast bosh all Sunday morning along with Nukleuz's newest signing Andy Whitby and Vicious Circle's own fiercely filthy djs Ben Stevens and Tim Clewz!!
So put that date in your diary, and remember that the Gospel of Hardware will be live and loud in Heaven every Sunday!
For more info contact 07796266823 / hardware@franticuk.com
£4 Paying Guestlist email names to hardware@franticuk.com
£4 with flyer before 8am
£6 on the door
Come once and you'll know that Hardware is what Sundays are made for...
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Flyer:
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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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Comments:
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From: tall_tidy_girl on 19th Apr 2004 11:52.53
I still can't get over how clean each off your mixes are its wicked! Looking forward too seeing you at timeless this weekend!
From: onthebass on 19th Apr 2004 12:46.32
Keep up the great work Ben! Lovin' those tunes with Alex Calver
From: Hannah Wild on 19th Apr 2004 16:26.50
Noice one benny boy!!
From: Lucy Fur on 19th Apr 2004 19:03.20
Go benny boy C u soon superstar!!!
From: Pook on 20th Apr 2004 08:23.09
Nice interview Benjamin!
From: Toomz on 20th Apr 2004 20:08.18
Good shit son 
From: Kiko on 21st Apr 2004 15:22.46
Please, next time publish the credits of the photographer. The first pic I've shot @ Camden Palace.
Cheers.
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