Articles - Interviews

Graham Gold: All that Glitters (Thailand, the Taxman & Mixmag C**ts)

Moving to Thailand 3 months ago after a 25 year career as one of Britain’s best known and most popular house DJs, Graham Gold has recently taken a radical leap, though he’s at pains to stress he’s happy with the move.

“I play the best parties in Thailand, including the Full and Half Moon parties where you see some of the most beautiful girls in the world here in Koh Phangan, plus I have two weekly residencies at the best clubs/bars in Samui and a monthly at Bangkok and Pattaya,” he enthuses, “Plus I still have my international gigs. After 15 years of flying at least twice a month to gigs, this is total paradise and I am loving my new life,” he says,

The erstwhile Kiss FM/ Peach promoter has mellowed out in recent years, back-tracking on labelling Mixmag hacks ‘a bunch of c**ts’ last week.

“I saw the first part of the article and it still sounds like I am angry; and I am not-it’s in the past,” says Graham, “I have finally learned not to hold grudges, I have way too many great things going on here.”

“Yes I WAS mad at the time when the first letter appeared (Graham famously called Mixmag a ‘bunch of cunts’ in 2006 after they teased him), but the Mixmag situation had been ongoing for years,” he explains,

“And yes, I did used to see Gavin (Herlihy) every Monday when I went to Kiss to do my show and always used to go and say Hi and talk about new music and we actually got on well-I certainly didn’t raid their CD collection show. Nice joke though, boys,” he laughs.

Mixmag man James Mowbray previously quipped that they’d ‘leave out a box of all our crappy, unwanted promo’ for Graham to sort through for his Kiss show though this week sounded surprisingly sensitive about being labelled a ‘minimal/ electro-tech DJ/ producer/ rising star’.

“In future can you please just quote me as ‘Mixmag publisher’ and leave out the other (bracketed) appendages,” James told Skrufff, “I've received more stick for that than my diss of Goldie,” he chuckled.

Media quibbles (and Mixmag) aside, Graham remains one of dance culture’s most entertaining and passionate characters; agreeably willing to talk about his trials and tribulations.

Skrufff (Jonty Skrufff): When did you make the move to Thailand – what made you decide to quit England- was there a last straw?

Graham Gold: “I moved three months ago. Basically nothing was happening in the UK, and after three divorces I wasn't as minted (wealthy) as people would believe. I was working my nuts off in the studio and whilst I had huge Paul Van Dyk and Armin Van Buuren support on the last track (Glorified which came out on Flux Delux) it wasn't bringing the gigs in.

When both Peach and my show on Kiss FM finished, it was total devastation as I had committed everything to both. On Kiss, I’d always had one of their most successful shows, so I never considered it as so important to produce but that is where the scene went- it became totally producer led. So I spent the last three years learning Logic and having piano lessons, but maybe I did it too late. Went Kiss went, part of me went to. I just love radio. And Peach was just the most awesome gig to play every week. It did come back last year but I guess as it wasn't at Camden-it wasn't quite the same.”

Skrufff: Why did you choose Thailand as opposed to Ibiza or anywhere else?

Graham Gold: “Initially because I have friends in Koh Phangan who bought a dive school and I wanted to do my Dive Master (qualification). I also wanted to carry on playing and there are lots of opportunities here to DJ. In an ideal world, it would of been Ibiza, but I just couldn't afford to live there. The Canary Islands was also an option if I had got a show on one of the big stations there but I didn't work hard enough at making that happen-; stupid really because I just spent 4 years going to college to learn Spanish.”

Skrufff: And what prompted you to settle on Haad rin; the location of the infamous parties?

Graham Gold: “I don't live in Haad Rin and never would because whilst it’s the home of the Full Moon parties, it’s also not that nice. And actually the half moon parties are 1000 times better. People go there for the music whereas at the Full Moon parties it’s about getting as pissed (drunk) on buckets of beer as you can. And sadly I’ve done that too. I have only had 2 scooter accidents and they both happened when I came out of the BackYard after-party totally wankered.”

Skrufff: What do you make of the recent Foreign Office travel warning about local gangs launching ‘vicious unprovoked assaults’ on foreigners on the island, have you ever felt unsafe?

Graham Gold: “I have been at the last 3 Full Moon parties and DJed at them and I haven't seen any of this gang business. I did hear about someone going missing, and there were two recent fatalities, one of whom was an Indian, not a Westerner, but think about it; People get so pissed, every drug is available, and some westerners don't respect the Thai culture or the people. And Brits abroad, as we all know, can be a nightmare. If you are a hooligan who wants to fight with everyone, then if you start on the Thais, you will get hurt.

If you come to Phangan, have fun and are sensible you will have a great time. That said, there is good and bad in everyone all over the world, and some Thais are definitely not so friendly, just as some of the Spanish are not in Ibiza. There is resentment that their islands have been overrun by pissed up foreigners, and they tar us all with the same brush-just as the English do to the Eastern Europens who have now settled in the UK. Didn't I read last week that 4 people were murdered in London on just one day? I know where I would rather be.”

Skrufff: Have you personally ever felt unsafe there?

Graham Gold: “No never. I truly believe that that shit doesn’t happen to decent people here, it only happens to those who go looking for trouble. As we all know, the media only ever report the bad shit-good things don't make headlines. Or in the case of the Sun and the News Of The Fucking World they just write about who can they stitch up and try an ruin careers for doing a line of charlie, when all the fucking journos are on it themselves. Who gives a shit if a bloke from Blue Peter wants a nose up (line of cocaine); he didn't go on TV and say "here kids, here's one I chopped out earlier'.

The few attacks that happen DO happen around Full Moon are when there are 20,000 people on the beach at these parties from all over the world. Certainly some of the fights could be racially motivated and yes, there is a dark side to Haad Rin; a lot of the regulars here say it isn’t the same as it used to be. But in the next breath they say, that’s because it’s full of pissheads (drunks). And isn’t that a little déjà vu with what everyone said about Ibiza in ’99.”

Skrufff: Looking at your Myspace: you say ‘Financial Status; All gone on  divorces and taxman’”: what happened? How bad did it get?

Graham Gold: “Pretty shit, to be honest. I was faced with huge maintenance payments every month and a big mortgage, and, as I don't come from money I had no idea how to be shrewd. So I was always the first at the bar and the first to buy presents. Plus I got investigated for seven of the last nine years of trading by the taxman. They never found anything and my accounts were totally kosher: I even declared all my overseas fees, but I ended up having to pay large sums in additional accounting fees.”
 
Skrufff: How much is the DJ lifestyle incompatible with marriage?

Graham Gold: “It doesn't have to be incompatible if you marry the right person. John 00 Fleming is a perfect example-he is abroad at least two weekends out of four and he never strays, or even thinks about it. He has everything he wants at home-Selma (his wife) is a total babe-and if that is the case then I believe that people who marry their soulmates do NOT stray. I went out with a girl for 8 years on and off and I was never unfaithful to her. Yes I love to flirt, when you get older, you want to know you are still attractive but that’s as far as it went.

It’s not actually the being away at weekends that is the problem, anyway, it was when the summer seasons were 16 weeks long and I was literally never at home. Every week was Ibiza, Mallorca, Canary Island and Greece and to be honest I’d end up feeling totally fucking lonely. You play to all these people, see couples snogging (sometimes even seeing couples holding hands can get to you) then you go back to an empty hotel room.

I have even said to John 00, you don't need the money-take a weekend off every month and enjoy a bit of normal life, because when you are away so much, every waking moment when you are home is playing catch up, and then you are off again. Djing is the best job in the world, but I don't think anyone actually has a clue how tough it is-they only ever see the party side. Oh, the benefit of hindsight.”

Skrufff: What happened with the taxman specifically?

Skrufff: He went through old Mixmags and Ministry magazines etc and checked for advertisements where I was listed as playing and compared them to gigs I’d invoiced- though never read the 'on rotation' strap line. He also singled out car park receipts for £2.50 at the Central London NCP carpark when Peach was at the Café De Paris and asked why they were dated for the Saturday when the invoice for Peach was for the Friday. He just didn't get it. And there were loads of occasions when he saw adverts that said I was playing somewhere and the gigs didn't happen or they just used my name, but on all those dates I had already raised invoices for the clubs that I actually was playing at, but he never bothered to even check. On one occasion he told me I was playing in Germany at the Impulz festival, but it doesn't happen there, it’s in Holland and the invoice for that gig said that (on exactly the same date). The invoice was also already in his possession-what a cunt! And to think we pay these arseholes’ wages. He even went to Kiss FM to have a meeting with the Managing Director as he didn’t believe I didn't get paid for the Kiss compilation albums I did or consulted on.”
 
Skrufff: On your Myspace you talk happily about driving round Kog Panghan on a 110cc bike: what was the flashest car you ever owned??

Graham Gold: “I was never a flash car person to be honest, the flashest car I’ve owned was a top of the range Alfa 156 with white leather seats and big white wheelks- hardly a Ferrari.”

Skrufff: Was giving up DJing ever an option?

Graham Gold: “It never has been, and never will be, I LOVE my music, I love how it makes me feel and there is not bigheadedness in this next statement, but I know I am fucking good at my job. I believe I am actually playing the best sets I ever played now because I don't do drugs when I play. It shouldn't of been rocket science for me to have worked that out but it took a while.”

Skrufff: Any regrets?

Graham Gold: “For the move to Thailand, none at all. In an ideal world it wouldn't have happened as I would have still been working my tits off-that said, I am here too, and have landed some great residencies, and still not had the two days off a week I promised myself. But I had also never experienced Thai girls before or this whole island life. I totally love it. Of course, I miss my kids way more than i thought I would have. For work there’s just one- I never made Radio 1. Bastards (laughing).”

Skrufff: What have been the key lessons you’ve learned from the last 2 years?

Graham Gold: “Don't assume everything lasts forever. And if you work your arse off, take time out to enjoy the fruits of it all. And don't think that just because you are born in one particular country that you have to live there all your life-it’s a big world out there, and there are often a lot better places than home!! All you have to do is to take some risks.”

http://www.grahamgold.com (For details of Graham’s upcoming Full Moon Party gigs and more, click here)

Article by Jonty Skrufff (Skrufff.com)

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Articles - Interviews

Pete Gooding will be in Hong Kong on the 28th August at Beijing Club for Ministry of Sound. Beijing Club, 2, 3 & 5th Floor, Wellington Place, 2-8 Wellington Street, Central. Bookings: (852) 2526-8298. More information: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   / www.beijingclub.com.hk 

We caught up with him before his arrival. Is this your first time in Hong Kong and what are you expecting from it? No i went to Hong kong about 1 year ago, but not to d.j, i had been playing in Indonisia and had a 9 hour stop off so i had a quick look round, but really liked the place, so really looking forward to coming. I have no idea what to expect, but i'll make sure it's a good night!

Articles - Interviews

Who are you biggest current influences, and who were your initial influences when you first got into music?

My initial influences for production/DJing were Alex Reece, Wax Doctor, PFM, LTJ Bukem, Adam F, Photek, Fabio, Grooverider, Frost, Bryan G, Omni Trio, Flyronix, Roni Size, DJ Die etc etc.

Articles - Interviews

De La Soul once declared that three was the magic number – and in the case of Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso and DJ/producer Axwell, that couldn’t be closer to the truth. Collectively known as the Swedish House Mafia, the trio are that rare breed: friends who act like brothers who work together, play together and genuinely love each other to bits. “We all go and do our own thing, but without each other we wouldn’t be the same,” says Seb sweetly.

Have you always been friends?

Axwell: “No. I only moved to Stockholm six years ago – I got my studio and didn’t know many people but before I knew it, Sebastian had forced his way into my life! I met him out drinking one night. He’s a very social person. I met Steve via Seb and it’s been fun ever since. Together, I think we’ve really ended up accomplishing something.”

2007 was a pretty momentous year for the Mafia, wasn’t it?

Sebastian: “Yes, but it was also an 'on the road' year. It wasn’t so inspiring for me because the Berlin minimal thing came in really big – techy and cool is fine but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Now Eric Prydz is back making music and Axwell is as well so good music is coming again. But it was definitely the best year of my life. We got all the feedback from the crowd and a lot of fanmail and I still get touched by every fan I see. I can’t get enough of it!”

Steve: “We can only build and build. Doing the Essential Mix was amazing, Ibiza was amazing, my American and Brazilian tours were amazing and Australia was phenomenal. As long as you work as hard as we do, it’s fine. I always have a goal so we’re always looking to take the next step.”

A lot of people have fond memories of that Essential Mix gig you did in Ibiza.

Sebastian: “We had the main stage and we the perfect warm-up for Sasha, a hero for us since we were kids. We played everything from ‘I Found You’ to ‘Umbrella’ and there was a perfect sync between all of us. I didn’t sleep for three days and I don’t do drugs! I went to P.Diddy’s villa for an after-party and then directly to Malta. I was really happy.”

Steve: “We just had an amazing party. I partied for four days before then and went on to play one of the best gigs of my life. And to play with Sasha was such an honour. He’s like an airline – he takes you on a journey.”

Axwell: “It’s just been a big leap forward. The Radio 1 Week with that gig at Amnesia felt like we were there! But did I think ‘I Found You’ would be big? Definitely not - it just proves that you can never really know.”

Steve: “The gigs were too good so we had a party for the whole year. But this year is different - there will be a lot more music. I probably have 20 records coming out. I did a new one yesterday!”

What is the secret of your success?

Sebastian: “We all have our spots – and every weekend we represent on our own which is good for our own egos. But at the end of the day, it’s all about SHM. We’ve had our little bits of ‘discussions’ but without each other we wouldn’t the same. Three heads is better than one.”

Steve: “You just put three really good DJs in a room and let them do their thing. It’s a bit like mixing Italian, Japanese and steak and it might just be the best meal you’ve ever had. It’s a good recipe. Some fans are more fans of Axwell than us and vice versa. We bring a really good show.”

Who would be your ultimate collaboration?

Axwell: “I just wrote a track for Cyndy Lauper’s album - she’s a bit of a legend! But the ultimate is still Pharrell.”

Sebastian: “Quincy Jones.”

Steve: “That’s a really hard question. I would love to work with Daft Punk. The kings of dance.”

I understand you are all playing at Pure Pacha this season, but you have your own Swedish House Mafia night this week – are you looking forward to it?

Sebastien - It’s all about the Swedish house mafia!! Wait and see. We’ve been in the studio a lot preparing for Pure Pacha!”

If you’re in Ibiza make sure you catch the Swedish House Mafia at Pure Pacha on 18th July 2008

Axwell, Sebastien & Steve on various dates over the summer at Pure Pacha:

22nd August – Sebastien Ingrosso

5th September – Axwell

12th September – Steve Angello & Sebastien Ingrosso

26th September – Axwell

Interview supplied by Pacha Magazine… (Their PR agency)

Articles - Interviews

-So firstly, how did you initially hook up with the guys at Toolroom?

It was totally by chance! I was buying a record collection off someone called Own and then realized that he worked at Toolroom Records, so I spoke to him and sent a basic demo that same day of "21st Century". The next morning Mark Knight called me and the rest is history as they say! It was meant to happen :)

-How did you feel when they asked you to provide a mix for the Toolroom Knights series?

Well I did a couple of compilations last year, but to do one for Toolroom is an honour. They've helped massively to put me on the map and get my music to the masses. Also, it's the first time I've had a whole compilation to myself, both discs are me!

-Why do you think you have forged such a strong connection with the label? Is it a sharing of ideals or simply that you have similar styles?

It's a mixture of stuff really. I think the main reason is that we all grew together; I mean Mark Knights career has shot Toolroom into the elite but I feel as the label was growing, so was I, and vice-versa. Aside from that, of course, we share the same vibes and ideas and I also love their set-up in Maidstone.

-Can you tell us a bit about the mix?

There’s alot of big tunes from people like Zoo Brazil, Deadmau5, Butch & Myself too of course! The 2 discs are deliberately different to represent my influences and also simply what I'm into right now.

-What where you looking to achieve or put across with the mix?

Well, I wanted it to represent where I'm at at the moment. The Main Room disc is really a perfect example of my DJ set's so far this year. Whereas the Basement disc has a lot more of the tracks I love to listen to and play on my Radio 1 show. There have been a few gigs this year where I've played a lot of those tunes out... gotta love those basslines, old skool noises and fidgets!

-Is it a straight up decks and a mixer affair or did you employ any studio trickery along the way?

I used Ableton Live to produce the album and although I love the fact you can do so much with Ableton,  I purposely didn't do anything I couldn’t achieve with with CDJ's and a mixer. I think it's easy to get carried away and lose the essence of being a DJ so I kept things simple but true to how I play live.

-What’s you view on the CD compilation market? Do you think it’s in danger of becoming obsolete or do you think people will always have a desire to possess music in the physical form? 

Personally I'd like to hope people will still want something physical, but the digital revolution isn't done with us yet so who knows where we'll be in a year or 2?! Compilations are very important to get onto as an artist, and I'd fear the worst if anything changed too much. It's important that DJ's represent themselves in this form as it's the only way to bring themselves to the masses without playing 24/7 all over the globe|!

-How is the new Radio 1 residency working out for you?

It's awesome, I love it. I always wanted to try Radio, but to be asked to do Radio 1 was a huge surprise and although I went straight into the deep end it seems to be working out very well. I hope more comes of it although this is amazing for me at this point in time!

-What’s the ethos of the show?

“In New DJs We Trust” is there to represent 4 different styles of music each week on rotation. My show has been labeled ‘Electro House’, but it's really not that one sided. I cover most of the House music spectrum and always push new talent on each show. We're looking at re-jigging it a bit from July so there will be some new features on there too!

-How is the rest of the year shaping up?  

I've got a mini-residency at Amnesia for Cream in Ibiza through the summer, a few dates in the UK and around Europe... and we're looking at a short North American tour at some point too. I have plenty on in the studio, my new "88EP" on Toolroom is due, as is "Baditude" with Sam Obernik & Paul Harris which is likely to evolve into more of a regular project!

- what you working on at the mo?

Well, I'm still working on my artist album, that’s why I temporarily quit the remixing last November! However, I've just sneaked a few in actually before I continue with my album... The Presets, ‘Alphabeat’ and a Tong & Spoon remix of Madonna's "Give It 2 Me". There’s also some original material coming from Pete Tong & I later this year too.

On top of all that, I’m in the midst of setting up a label as a platform for some collaboration I’ve done with people like DJ Zinc & Liquid... so there’s loads happening! I also need to work on my crap sleep pattern and playing less Wii.

 (information provided by the pr company)