The Teknoist: Nicolas Cage Is A F*cking Muppet!

Let's start things off with an introduction, for those that don't know who you are, could you please let us know what kind of music you create and how long have you been involved within the scene?

Good day. Right jeez, this old chestnut. Okay I write all kinds of music but I’m most well known for making big f*ck off rave music! I think that is the best description of my sound but if I have to break it down, it’s aggressive, emotive, electronic dance music. From Techno to Drum & Bass to Industrial Hardcore. It's always big, it always makes you think 'f*ck ooooofff' and it's best heard in a rave... Simple. 
I've been playing music since I was 12 or 13 so a few years. My roles have changed or lets say evolved as I’ve gotten older but I still have the same aim - to make and play what comes out of me or what I feel a connection to.

So you've been making and playing music for a long time and you're not about being pigeonholed into one genre, this can only be a good thing! Has the musical scene that you are involved with changed much over the years

 Of course. Every music scene has changed but especially the last few years with the rise of digital releases and the ease of availability and discovery to the public. 
The amount of people that are in to any kind of music, no matter how niche has obviously risen over the last decade because of the internet. This can only be a good thing. Yes there'll be fake chicken heads that like things for the wrong reason (popularity or acceptance or whatever) but the amount of people that genuinely love and support music has also risen. For every person that genuinely enjoys the music I play or make, it makes all the chicken heads in the world kind of worth it. 
Good electronic music, scrap that, good music in general is heavily about evolution so yes, I think it has changed, a lot! That's just one area covered though. We could talk about production of music and I think my answer would still be the same.

The Teknoist - Lion Girl

From what you've said here, it sounds like you're happy that the digital age has come about. This is not always the case with some artists who whinge about music not selling like it used to and gigs not being as regular as they once were, have you noticed your bookings increasing or decreasing over recent years or would you say that they have remained similar?

Of course, the fact that digital is the main way to reach people now is great. It's easier to find stuff and show stuff to people. Yes I miss crate digging like I used to and I’m having to press less vinyl with the labels but this has been inevitable for a while now. I don't think vinyl will die, I sure don't want it to but we've got to adapt to means of reaching people otherwise we'll be left behind. It seems like you've caught me on a rather positive day, I’ll probably contradict everything I’ve just said tomorrow hahaha. Seriously though, from what I can see, there are a lot more gigs than there used to be and the quality of music (when it is actually good) is fucking unbelievable. You just have to wade through the shit to find it, just like when crate digging.

As for bookings, I honestly think I fall through some cracks here. A lot of nights are pretty militant about what they play, a lot more 'focused' lets say and I won't play just one style in a set and a lot of people don't like that believe it or not. I think I shoot myself in the foot a lot there, but I like shooting myself in the foot, in this instance of life at least. The people that do like what I do, again as I said before, make everything EVER worthwhile. (Yes, you've definitely caught me in a good mood! Lucky you haha. So in answer to the question, I’ve had less bookings this year than any in my career (for want of a better word haha). But I’ve still had a fair few and up until this year each year was pretty similar in the amount of shows I played.

Haha I'm glad we caught you on a good day. It seems like a lot of nights pigeonhole themselves into only playing a certain genre or sub-genre of music, so I can see why your bookings might suffer there if you like to fuse different styles together. Do you think this is healthy for the scene or do you think there should be some more open-mindedness regarding music policy? 
Also, you talk about pressing less vinyl with the labels, could you please let us know which labels you are affiliated with and what roles you have within these?

 What do you think my answer is going be there? Haha, the more open minded the better in all walks of life. Obviously you can't go too way out when referring to a night's music policy because it could get stupid. Using common sense is important here. But I do get that people (meaning the crowd on this occasion) want a specific thing but I think some people go too far and intentionally shut their minds off to something new or something they don't know and that's f*cking ridiculous. It's way more common than not though.
 I run Ninja Columbo recordings which is a more core orientated label, its brother label, Samurai Brylkreem which has evolved to be the more drum and bass dominated of the two and also Our F*cking Jungle, which is as it says on the tin, is a Jungle label. 
I run all three with the distribution and above and beyond the call of duty kind of help from Simon Underground (thehardstore.com). All now release on digital as well as vinyl. Oh and also I have a digital only label that has absolutely no genre specifications, named Zombfree, which is 100% FREE and covers so many areas of music. You can find it on my website - www.theteknoist.com

The Teknoist - Have you Seen

Wow! It sounds like you're a very busy guy then! With running all these labels, making music and DJ'ing, do you find you have much free time at all or is the majority of your life spent on some form of musical output!

 Everything is pretty much musical output at the moment for sure. I'm just tying up the pre-masters for my new album that is coming out on the legendary 'Industrial Strength Records'. It's called 'Tank Alligator' and basically sounds like what you'd expect from an album titled that haha!

Haha 'Tank Alligator' sounds like it is a very apt album name for your musical output. Can you give us any more information on what to expect from the album and does it have a release date yet?

Well, I’d like it to be November. But I can't say at the moment. I’m sat in the studio battling with the final edits as we speak. It’ll come across as a more straight to the point album than the previous two I think. It's heavier, weightier sounding and has more punch than the previous two. It's definitely a dance floor album. Again this is all subjective; it's just what I think. We'll see anyway, my heads melting at the moment though. Compression warrior! Haha!

It sounds like there are going to be plenty of ravers pummeled into submission when you play out your new stuff! Are there any raves that you are going to showcase the songs or are you waiting until release before you start introducing them into your sets?

Yeah, that's a good point actually. About 50% of the album will get its 1st airing/club test at Relapse. So I’m pretty nervous about that. I've got a few things in mind for the set and some tracks that I know I’m already going to play by other artists and hearing the tracks from the album along side the tracks from other people on the Neuron is going be the real test for me. Fingers crossed they go down well.

The Relapse crowd definitely has something to look forward to then! Whilst we're on the subject of Relapse, you have performed there on a number of different occasions now and you surely must be credited for helping the night grow in stature! Is there anything special about this night and is there anything in particular you do that makes them keep booking you?

 I don't know, maybe my agent bribes them haha. 
I love playing for Relapse, the crowd since the first time I played has always responded more than amazingly. Saying that, I usually go on last and if you're not hyped by the time I go on, what with all the artists and DJ's before me then you must be deaf or in the wrong place! Plus it's in Manchester, my home. I know this place like the back of my hand and to be honest probably more than half of the crowd so that may also contribute!

Well whenever I have you see you at the nights, you always seem to have such energy and enthusiasm and I think the crowd reacts very positively to that! Without meaning to blow smoke, your selection always seems to be exactly what the crowd wants too! 
There aren't many nights that seem to have grown so quickly in such a short amount of time, has it been interesting to see the night evolve from the early days in the pubs to its current home at Sound Control and why do you think the night has become as successful as it has?

 That's great and I feel it from the crowd, it works both ways. If they give me what I need, I’ll give them what they need and visa versa. I think the night itself has evolved and grown in a way a night ideally should. When I say ideally I mean, the majority of nights don't grow like this. I think it's a sign of good promoter, crowd communication and also again a sign of the times and putting technologies to good use in helping make an event special. And also the luck of the draw, sometimes night’s do everything right but there just isn’t that public hunger and the nights flop when they don't deserve to. Fortunately we're on the up at the moment and the public are wanting more big f*ck off rave!

It's all about the big f*ck off rave!!! OK well I know you are super busy with getting the album completed, so I won't take up any more of your time, but thank you very much for this interview and I look forward to hearing your set at Relapse! Do you have any final words that you would like to say before you go?

 Yeah, Nicolas Cage is a f*cking muppet. Peace!

Catch The Teknoist at Relapse Vs Therapy on the 5th of October at Sound Control.

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