Interview with Jacob Moss - August Bank Holiday Weekender Preview
Reported by Grifter
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Submitted 24-08-04 09:52
Jacob Moss first hit the decks back in 1996, developing his trademark pumping house sound whilst gaining bookings at some of the Southwest’s premier hard dance events. Since moving to London in 2001, Jacob has held residencies with the infamous after party Milk, LA3, and most recently, Proactive. This year, he has taken his tuff, uplifting sound to the likes of Zoology, Bedlam, and Ultim-8. August bank holiday weekend sees Jacob playing at two hotly anticipated events- kicking off with Proactive ‘Welcome to the future’ at Happy Jack’s on the 27th, followed by ‘The Summer Sessions’ at Camden’s Purple Turtle on the 28th. With this in mind, I took the opportunity to ask Jacob about his DJ career to date, future plans, and his views on all things hard dance!
So where and when did it all begin for you?
I was still living at home in Cornwall when myself and a few friends decided to come up to London for a weekend of partying. It was 1995 I think, and I had just bought the Trade Vol: 1 cd which was unlike anything I heard before! I was instantly hooked on the tuff, energised sounds that were being championed on the gay scene by the likes of Tony De Vit, Steve Thomas, and Rachel Auburn. I don’t remember too much about the weekend (Trade was an eye opener to put it mildly) but within a few days of returning to Cornwall, I had the 1210’s set up in my bedroom and was spending all my cash on vinyl. Initially, I played lots of beach parties and before gaining my first ‘club’ residency back in 1997.
What kind of music where you playing back then?
Along the same lines as what I play now really! I’ve always seen myself as a bit of a ‘music whore’! I just love good dance music- whether it’s tribal, funky techno, or banging house, if it moves me, I will try and find some way to work with it. I bought a lot of my tunes via mail-order (Cornwall was not known for its cutting edge record shops) and quickly developed a good relationship with Puregroove, in particular with Steve Thomas who was still working behind the counter at the time. He kept me supplied with the cream of the crop, I was a sucker for Sharp Recordings, 99 North, Chug’n’Bump, and of course, Tripoli Trax!
Coming from Cornwall myself, I remember how small the dance scene was (almost non- existent during the winter months), so how did you make the transition from playing the local summer events, to guesting at the likes of Cheeky Little Monkey in Bournemouth?
It was quite difficult actually! I couldn’t drive, and the nearest clubs were often 2 or 3 hours away so networking was something of a challenge to say the least. I used to spend a lot of time on the phone, chasing up various events- at least until I got an address for sending demo’s to!
Regarding Cheeky Little Monkey, that was an event I had seen reviewed in mixmag one month and thought to myself- that is somewhere I definitely want to play! I contacted the promoter, sent a demo, and as luck would have it, I was booked to play a B2B with a good mate of mine. The CML parties always had such a fantastic atmosphere; the crowd really appreciated their hardhouse (cheeky style of course)! I guested quite a few times before they closed their doors a couple of years back.
Moving up to London in 2002 seems to have pushed things forward for you. What has happened since then?
It was a real shock coming to live in the city- even though I had come up over the years for crazy weekends; I didn’t really know anybody connected to clubbing or who might be able to advice me on getting some bookings. I went down to the 414 one morning with a cd, and introduced myself to the lovely Piers… I was booked to play for Milk in February 2002 (my first set in London- I remember being extremely nervous) and was offered a residency a couple of months later. To be part of such a wicked party was an absolute privilege! Milk was highly regarded by clubbers and dj’s alike, so it was a surprise and huge disappointment when the move to Studio 33 didn’t work out.
You are playing at Proactive ‘Welcome to the Future’ on August 27th. What can we expect from this event?
Proactive recently parted company with the Purple Turtle and are holding a one off party at Happy Jack’s on the bank holiday Friday (August 27th). It will be a massive thank you to all the Proactive faithful who turned out each and every Saturday night at the PT, whilst also introducing a new chapter in the saga that is Proactive! This will be my first gig as part of the team, so I am really chuffed to be on board. Music wise, expect ‘a true journey through sound’. The party is really going to showcase Proactive to the fullest. Dj’s playing on the night include Peter Ward, Ali Wilson, Matt Smallwood, and of course, all the team proactive jocks.
And then the following evening (August 28th) you play ‘The Summer Session’s at The Purple Turtle…
Yeah! Really looking forward to this too. I was kindly asked to play a couple of dates during August by George-E (promoter of Ultim-8) after an earlier set back in May which I thoroughly enjoyed. Again, it’s a great party to be asked to play for- I get to do what I love most and that is blast out the hardhouse! The line-up is looking good too, with George-E, Barry Diston, and Marc Johnson spinning alongside myself.
Hardhouse seems to have taken a lot of criticism in recent years- what are your thoughts on the current sounds and events associated with the genre?
It’s true. The sound has taken a bit of a bashing of late. In my opinion, releases have not been as consistent or innovative for a while now. The demise of labels such as BPM and Friction Burns along with hardhouse pioneers such as Steve Thomas, Pete Wardman and Mac Zimms producing less and less has definitely left a void. Saying that, it’s looking much healthier at the moment! Tripoli Trax is back on form, as is TEC and Shock Recordings. I have been really impressed by recent Knuckleheadz, Flashpoint, and Spinball releases. There are also some quality events encouraging a resurgence of the hardhouse sound, like Ultim-8, Ricochet and Bedlam so I think it’s safe to say, things are on the up!
Any other producers or labels doing it for you at the moment?
I am finding myself playing a lot more techno inspired sounds of late- pared down percussion, rolling basslines, and driving beats. The energy I associate with hardhouse remains intact, but is stripped back to the bare essentials. Currently, I’d recommend checking Bang On Records, Intec, Subsonix, and Phuturewax. It’s good to mix things up once in a while, particularly if like me, you’ve been dj’ing for the best part of a decade- inspiration needs to be varied and wide reaching- I can’t survive on hardhouse alone!!
What have been your highlights of 2004 so far and what does the rest of the year hold for you?
Definitely playing the last Milk party at the 414 back in January. I did the final set which was really good fun, tinged with sadness of course! Everybody stayed rooted to the dance floor right up until 2:30pm and gave the party a fantastic send off. I really enjoyed spinning at Bedlam back in May- the Fridge looked fab and the atmosphere was spot on. Joining Proactive is also something I am really excited about- you can expect great things from the record label (Proactive 02 is hitting the shops now which includes a mighty trancer from The *Ting* and an outstanding new track called FMD by Alex Calver) and the parties will continue to move onwards and upwards during 2005. Hopefully, I will find some time (and money) to get into the studio towards the end of the year. There are a couple of people who I am very keen to work with, so fingers crossed! In the next couple of months, I have bookings coming up with Essential (414 after party) and Bedlam, further ahead than that- who knows??!
Party Proactive - Welcome to the Future!
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On:
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Friday 27th August 2004
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At:
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VENUE CHANGE!!! - Deep Blue, SE1
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From:
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9pm-6am
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Cost:
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FREE! B4 11pm £5 after or £3 if dressed colourful courageous and ready to party!
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Website:
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www.proactive-records.co.uk
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Ticket Info:
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Just turn up!
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More:
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Please note the CHANGE OF VENUE! This party will now be held in Deep Blue, Weston Street, SE1
Heat and light and colour and sound swirling around you in spirit-soaring abandon - Welcome to the Party.
Indulge your fantasies and be inspired by the sublime as you join us for a night of extravagance and jubilation. Will your costume be one of grand nobility or perhaps of reckless sensuality? - free your imagination as we provide music to tempt you and visuals to dazzle in our joyous journey through the theatre of the soul.
Sublime décor for our discerning guests
Performances from the iconic Empress Stah (Torture Garden) and legendary Pyromantic (The Glade Festival) + LAKUK Dance troup
Excellent stage Visuals from VJFX (Creator of the Universal Language DVD)
CD and Vinyl giveaways
Funky, dressed up venue staff and safe friendly security
Please note: This will be our last party for a while, come and check out the future for it is NOW.
For a limited time only, terms and conditions apply...
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Flyer:
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Region:
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London
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Music:
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Trance. Hard Trance. HardStyle. House. Bouncy House. Funky House. Hard House. Vocal House. Funky Techno. Techno. Breaks.
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DJ's:
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Steelo (Peach, Liquidtek)
Guy Hornsby (4clubbers.net, Wildchild)
Jacob Moss (Team Proactive)
Mat Smallwood (Vicious Circle, Nukleuz, Bedlam)
b2b
Phil Able (Cyberdog, Antiworld)
The *Ting* (Team Proactive, Torture Garden, Twist, Blast!, Essence)
b2b
SPECIAL GUEST! (React)
Alex Parsons (Team Proactive, Afterlife)
b2b
Rob Kane (Skwosh!)
Joanna McEwen (Team Proactive)
b2b
Paul Jack (Team Proactive)
Ali Wilson (Nukleuz, Vicious Circle)
b2b
Peter Ward (Trade, Blast!, Twist)
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Ultim-8 & SEED - The Summer Sessions
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On:
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Saturday 28th August 2004
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At:
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The Purple Turtle [map]
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From:
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7pm-2am
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Cost:
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Free before 10pm, £3 after.
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More:
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Ultim-8 & SEED have joined forces to bring you a series of parties at the Purple Turtle on Saturday nights showcasing some of the most exciting DJs and prolific artists on the Hard Dance circuit.
Session 5: Aug. 28 - 'The Grand Finale'
Special Guests of the night are:
Barry Diston:
Barry is the main-man behind the labels Fidget and Fidget Hard and has brought you anthems such as 'Maniac Psycho', 'DJs Take Pills' and 'F**kin’ Insane'
Matt Smallwood:
Matt Smallwood and his production partner Ali Wilson have been taking the hard dance scene by storm with their tech-edged hard house and techno such as: ‘Let the Games Begin’ (Nukleuz), ‘Devastation’ (Vicious Circle), 'Just Listen' (Vicious Circle) and 'Samba' (999)
Featuring:
Visuals by Alex Klement (Gatecrasher/Tidy)
Weekly free giveaways
Drinks promotions
Entrance: Free before 10pm - £3 after
Purple Turtle, Crowndale Road, Mornington Cresent Tube.
Tel: 020 7383 4976
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Flyer:
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