
Without a doubt one of hardest working recording artists in the Hard Dance scene, Vandall, is a man who never ceases to impress. Since popping his DJ'ing cherry at the tender age of 15 with the somewhat daunting task of warming up for Hardcore Legend DJ SY, Vandall has never looked back. A polished deck-technition, with top notch scratching & seamless mixing skills, Vandall’s sets are often crammed with 100% of his own upfront & exclusive material. Armed with this unique arsenal of production output he's quickly carved a name as a feature attraction in and out of the UK. Vandall reveals to us his Journey into sound, an exclusive video he has made and how he is taking a step back from hard dance for 2010!
Hi Jeremy, Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer a few questions for us, How are you keeping?
Pretty well, although a little frustrated!
2009 saw the release of your debut artist album 'Journey Into Sound', What are your plans for 2010?
2010 will probably see ‘Vandall’ take time out from the studio I’m afraid. I have written a mountain of pretty varied and fresh music over the last couple of years, it takes a lot of work and inspiration levels are a little low for me in Hard Dance at the moment I have to be honest. I have been writing some Drum and Bass under the name ‘False Economy’ for a few months and plan to put some stuff out on a new label I’m to start titled ‘Soul Defence’. The first DnB production was actually a remix I did with Kutski which got a play off Annie Nightingale on a Saturday afternoon on BBC Radio 1 and has featured on a compilation, so not a bad start but getting original productions heard won’t be so easy. I have been working on some other styles too.
My ambitions lie in success writing/producing some mainstream commercially viable stuff and getting my hand in some more major music biz. I really want to peruse this now. I’ll probably come back with my tail between my legs hoping I’ve still got a following in Hard Dance though haha... But seriously, in the past, when I have taken a little break to try my hand at other genres I have come back to my Hard Dance feeling refreshed and ending up bashing out a new batch of tracks that move forward in some way that I’m really happy with, so I’m just going go with my heart I think.
Anyway, there have been new Vandall releases all through to the end of 2009 and there’s still more to come (see below!) I have a couple of big-ish gigs in the early part of this year that I will want to turn up to with some ‘hot off the press’ music, so I will probably try and come up with something special soon.
With 58 tracks & counting on Trackitdown from your own imprint 'Trancewarez Recordings', What releases have you lined up for the coming months?
Vandall – Set Free, DJ Chuck-E & Vandall – Back In The Day, Vandall – Delectation, Vandall – Nu Rave PT.1, Vandall – Nu Rave PT.2, in that order probably. MCP & Vandall – Mind Override & On My Mind on Deception Records too.
Would you class yourself as a DJ that produces or a producer that DJ's?
I took to the decks on my 12th birthday and didn’t start doing anything serious with production till later but definitely the latter.
You have played a host of gig's in Ireland, What's your view on the Irish crowd?
Very much into the music which is great! They like to get rather intoxicated too! lol
What's your current studio setup?
See my studio page here
http://trancewarez.co.uk/page4/page4.html
Who's is your favourite artist(s) at the moment?
It’s been pretty quiet lately but for recent productions : Night Liberator / Yoi / Andrea Montorsi / Joe-E
We have seen your tracks receiving support from Yoji to Paul Van Dyk and Scot Project to Ferry Corsten many more, What does that mean to you at such a young age?
When you start out at this, the idea of just having your tune dropped by x big DJ blows your mind. It takes a long time to make contacts and start getting recognition though and it can be a very frustrating and disheartening career choice at times. It’s been great finally pulling off some of the stuff I’ve wanted for so many years though. I feel I have achieved most of the goals I could have wished for as Vandall now, a fairly vast catalogue of music I’m on the whole happy with, a vaguely successful series of 12’’ releases on my own label, major compilation CD licenses, radio airplay, big DJ support, some huge gigs and most of all the support and respect from some of the artists I look up to. Unfortunately I now have to start from square one again if I am to peruse pastures new!
Are there any producers you would like to work with in the future?
Well, as far as Hard Dance / Tech goes a collaboration with Yoji, Jon Doe, Ali Wilson, Andrea Montorsi or Scot Project would no doubt be very exciting and fruitful. For other genres, and none of these are going to happen of course lol : Jim Sullivan (Trixxy, The Red Head, The Wideboys), Danny Byrd, Sub Focus, Hamilton Dean (Stimulant DJ’s / DJ Ham), Stonebridge, Freemasons, Dean Marriot (Lisa Marie Experience, D Ramirez) and loads more I can’t think of right now. Oh and Callum Buchannan (Callum B) if I can get the bugger down again and find us a vocalist!
Now for a few quick fire questions..
Vinyl or CD's?
For scratching , always still vinyl.
DJing or producing?
DJ’ing your own productions ;)
Favourite style of music?
Genuinely, I find various genres equally exciting.
First Record?
The first 12’’ single I bought was Brisk & Trixxy – Show Me The Way / Together [Slammin’ Vinyl 1997]
Crazy weekend's away or Quiet weekends in the studio?
Productive weekends in the studio with some like minded and experienced producers would favourable!
Thanks to Vandall for taking time to answer these questions, Any final words for us?
Thanks for taking the time to interview me with some decent questions and I hope people are enjoying my music. Readers can download a LIVE mix from a few months back here
http://www.trancewarez.co.uk/audio/m...d_11.07.09.htm , ...and also check this humorous video/audio out .. ;)
http://www.trancewarez.co.uk/snake.php
Keep up to date with Vandall at the below pages:
http://www.vandallfacebook.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/trancewarez
http://www.bebo.com/vandall-official
http://www.twitter.com/_Vandall_
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