Scott Bond: They pointed a gun directly at my chest

Photo: Scott Bond

Scott Bond is unquestionably one of the true pioneers of the trance music scene, particularly in the UK. Known for being the co-founder and former resident of one of the most successful clubbing brands in the world, Gatecrasher, he will make his Trance Sanctuary debut on the 16th May at Egg London. Sanj Karunaratne decided to get to know him a little better.

Hi Scott, you have been DJing for over two decades and played in over forty countries (check out Scott's US Trance Movement mix above), what are some of your best memories?

Such a hard question, some of the foreign experiences stick in my mind. Japan, Columbia and Brazil as well as some great times in Australia.

One thing still stands out though. I think it was 1999 or around that time. I had been booked to play Tel Aviv. We had arrived at the airport, came down the stairs of the plane and there was this black Mercedes waiting for me. It whisked me through passport control and straight to the venue.

The club was called The Octopus and it was an open air gig at Tel Aviv's port. It was packed with around 3000 people, not just 3000 people but 3000 'up for it' party people. I played my set and thoroughly enjoyed it, as did the crowd! After that, I went to relax in the chill out area which was on the beach with the waves crashing down on the beach just in front of me. I remember thinking 'does it get any better than this?'

How does it feel when people still talk so highly about the Gatecrasher mix CDs that you were involved with over a decade ago?

The Gatecrasher CD series were my babies really. Black, Red, Wet (above), Discotech and all the others. We changed the market place with those albums and our unique approach because the music used was really fresh and so up front at the time.

This in turn lead to quite a fair number of tracks being signed to big UK labels off the back of being heard on our compilations. The core fan base on those albums also stayed with us for many, many years and the releases have stood the test of time, especially some of the vinyl which I have even seen changing hands for over £100!  

How do you think trance has changed over the years?

Undeniably trance has evolved. However, it's not just trance, it's music in general. We’re now catering for an online, mobile generation and as technology advances, music has become easily accessible and very disposable.

What we would perceive to be flavour of the month one minute can unfortunately be soon forgotten. Back in the days of vinyl, it was easy to champion the odd few exclusives and for a DJ set to really stand out and make that lasting impression.

Fast forward to present day and DJs have to work much so harder in order to differentiate themselves – production and promotion being two key elements. 

You took a break from DJing a few years ago, what made you want to come back?

The birth of my son highlighted just how important my role as a dad is and I decided to take a break as I wanted to concentrate on my family. I needed to make sure that I was more available for them. As with anything that you have devoted most of your life to, you get those unforgettable urges and seriously, how can you not come back the best job in the world!

Can you tell us about your REBOOTED concept? What can we expect from you in the future and from your label?

REBOOTED is my label and club brand for a track, a remix, an album, an event but also what I would consider a creative direction that we can all choose to follow. I don’t put out many releases on REBOOTED because I want people to trust the brand and to make them aware that if they see a release from us, it’s going to be of significant quality.

We try to cover a wide spectrum of different styles on the remixes that we commission which are all focused on trance and sub-genres of trance. Also, Charlie Walker and I produce the odd REBOOTED exclusive remix for my sets. I have quite a fair few surprises up my sleeve.  

Your trance bootleg of John Lennon's Imagine was recently played by Armin van Buuren in his set at Ultra Music Festival. What was the inspiration behind putting this track together?

It’s very pleasing to see Armin play that track around the globe. 'Imagine' has always been a track that I have loved. For years, I had contemplated doing a remix but also wanted to be sure that I could stay faithful to the original masterpiece.

The time was right, Charlie and I worked on this track for months and was one of my signature tunes for GC20 at Donnington Park. It’s safe to say that we were really proud with the end result. There are only two copies in existence. I have one and Armin has the other. 

Which DJs should be looking out for in 2015?

There are a fair few, but ones that stand out to me are Magnus, Harmonic Rush, Charlie Walker and Danny Stubbs. 

What do you do to unwind?

I don't! [laughs]. No really, my kids help me unwind but so does listening to music on the radio like Classic FM and of course proper trance.

What's the craziest thing that's ever happened to you at a party as a DJ?

I was at one event in Colombia where the army raided the club and closed it down. As we were leaving the venue, you had to walk past the soldiers. Surprise, surprise, yours truly was stopped and they pointed a gun directly at my chest. It was quite a scary experience to say the very least. The soldier then muttered some words in Spanish and I was allowed to go. 

On the 16th May you will be making your Trance Sanctuary debut, what have you heard about the party and what are you most looking forward to? 

I’ve heard so many positive reports about Trance Sanctuary. I’ve been told on numerous occasions that Trance Sanctuary is the London party for me and that my sound would go down well there and it’s a pleasure to be on one of their DJ line ups.

Just taking a look at videos online (watch the 4th birthday highlights below) is getting me excited, you can really see the wonderful diversity of the crowd and how receptive they are to the music played. 

What can the TS crowd expect from your set?

Blistering trance from start to finish which will consist of brand new REBOOTED material and of course a few specials from Charlie Walker and I. I'm working on my set whilst I speak to you actually (laughs). 

Catch Scott in action for Trance Sanctuary at Egg London on May 16th.

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