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Back to the Future with the ever controversial Pickup & Rise! Reported by saffysue / Submitted 26-11-08 20:14 Remember the first time you went to a hard house club? The fun, bouncy, hard, dirty beats that made you jiggle your bits on the dancefloor all night? The cyber kids and smiley faces as everyone stomped to classics and future anthems? Back in the day when you had to Pickup yourself and Rise to the challenge the music was pumping out at you? Well, the scene has changed a lot since then – hard house has now become hard dance and covers hard trance, hardstyle, European hard trance, filth and hard bounce. It’s kept things fresh and brought new people to our clubs, no one can argue with that. However, somewhere along the way “proper” hard house has got lost. Matt Pickup & Andy Rise have long been on a crusade to put the fun back in hard house, but they’re taking it a step further over the next few months – and saying bring back proper hard house! 2008 has been a pretty big year for hard dance, in good and bad ways. It saw the long awaited return of Hard House Academy, albums such as BK – Nu Wave and the Organ Donors – Old Skool Autopsy brought a new lease of life to the scene and there was a host of new small nights springing up wherever you looked. On the flip side 2008 saw the retirement of one of the most long-serving and well respected stars of the scene, Justin Bourne. With the next instalment of the Hard Dance Awards about to open for voting, we’re going on a journey back through time (well, maybe just the last few years) with Pickup & Rise, then looking to a bright new future where real hard house rules supreme! The Past: A lot has happened in the scene this year, what were the biggies for you personally? Matt: As you just mentioned above the retirement of Justin Bourne was a big thing for me. Seeing such a respected figure in the scene hang up his headphones signalled a milestone of how the hard house scene is changing. One of my best remembered moments from this year was when I and Andy played last in the main room at the Tidy Weekender in March. It was really enjoyable to play our style of energetic fun music on such a large scale. Andy: Like you said, Justin Bourne retiring was a huge thing for the scene. Justin has been my favourite DJ for years so it was such a shame to see him quit. His last ever set at Hard House History was out of this world! It got very emotional by the end of the night. I suppose it does show that the scene is changing and it proves that it’s time for the next generation of hard dance DJ’s to show what they are made of. And what do you think has had the biggest effect on the scene? Andy: I think last year’s smoking ban has had a pretty bad knock-on effect on smaller nights. With the smoking area becoming a place for socialising it can have a noticeable effect on the dancefloor. People may argue it’s good to not go home smelling of smoke, but if you have been dancing good and proper all night I think that smell may be hidden anyway. [bi]Matt[/b]: I agree the smoking ban has had a huge effect on dancefloors being rammed all night; it can sometimes ruin the whole mood of the night with half the dance floor disappearing outside for ten minutes. I know that at some places we have played this year we would have loved to play in the smoking area rather than the main room with more people stood outside. When did you discover hard house, and how’s it changed since your first fluffy boot-wearing night out? Andy: I first discovered Hard House just after my 16th birthday in 2000, but didn’t get out to a hard house event till Tidy Weekender 1 a couple of years later. Matt: I first started listening to Hard House in my cyber days at Insomniacz after Gatecrasher in 98/99. Andy: I feel it’s changed dramatically. The proper hard house I was listening to at home before I started clubbing was completely different from what I was hearing on my first few nights out. At the time the Tidy2 label had just launched and there were a lot of trancey influences in the music that was getting released, a hell of a lot more than the music that got me into the scene in the first place. Then the music seemed to find itself going down a very techno influenced path and in my opinion this has played a big downfall in hard house losing its unique sound. Matt: But you would say that because you don’t like techno, haha! The music has changed so much though over the years. A lot of the early hard house was very bassline driven unlike some of the music we hear today. With the influence of a lot of different musical genres all under one hard dance bracket now it’s helped the scene evolve on a much larger scale. The earlier hard house sound was a lot more raw, underground and fun. A bit like a Pot Noodle (such a back street slag of a snack). Andy: Yeah your right mate, I might say that because I’m not the biggest fan of techno but we are talking about hard house here, not techno. So to influence one genre with another would be moving away from its origins wouldn’t it? Who were your heroes when you started in the scene and what was it about them that inspired you? Matt: When I first started listening to dance music I would have to say Scott Bond doing his legendary sets at Gatecrasher. But when I turned to the dark side of hard house I would have to say Ian M and Andy Farley. I remember seeing them at Insomniacz and thinking I can do that. Andy: When Eddie Halliwell was still a regular fixture in the scene I would go and religiously watch him. It was guaranteed it would be the talking point the whole car journey home and beyond. I was also a fan of Andy Farley and Paul Glazby for the tougher stuff. One DJ who unfortunately we don’t see on line-ups anymore but who was one of the first hard dance DJs I saw playing tough was Mark Gray, what a legend he was. What do you think of last year’s HDA winners? Andy: I hate to say it but quite predictable. I was over the moon that CyberKitten had won Best Small Club for the 2nd year running, but I was devastated that I couldn’t make it to the awards ceremony as it was my daughter’s birthday party on the Sat afternoon and the thought of having to look after lots of excited kids after a couple of hours sleep was too much for me! It was good to see Alex Kidd win best DJ, you can love or hate his music but you can’t take away how hard a worker he is, how much of an entertainer he is behind the decks or how large a following he has got. Matt: I thought it was good to see Rodi Style win best newcomer at the awards last year, because I’m sure he has found it quite hard to adjust to moving thousands of miles away from family in Canada and he has worked very hard to make his sound work on these shores. Was great to see another Northerner win best DJ!. I know Alex Kidd works very hard and has pioneered his own sound and his own persona. As Andy said you can love or hate his music but you can’t fault his enthusiasm. What were your favourite gigs of 2008? Andy: Frantic’s Birthday and The Bulldog Bash. Matt: Tidy Weekender and Frantic’s Birthday. And your favourite moments? You’ve been signed, played Tidy Weekender for the first time and became main room artists – there’s quite a few to choose from! Matt: Being able to play our style of music on a larger scale in main rooms. Andy: Being asked to mix the Frantic 11 CD was a huge milestone to reach. If you could be anyone from the past, who would it be? Matt: The legend that was and still is Sir Steve Irwin! Andy: I’m rather happy being myself thanks, I wouldn’t mind being my dad for a day or two though. Right, and now let’s look to the future. A happy place, where the children of hard house play in harmony to the hypnotic repetitive beats, and frolic through the clubs with smiles on their faces. The Future: What are you promising the good citizens of Hard House Land if you’re elected to position of Best Newcomers at the HDA’s? Matt: If we are made best newcomers we will promise fun, frolics, passion and a whole lot of energetic hard house. Just how it used to be but with a 2008/09 Pickup & Rise stamp. Andy: Plenty more arm chopping and manic behaviour behind the decks and last but not least lots of stupid behaviour from the pair of us. Oh and let’s not forget that hard and cheeky Hard House sound we all know and love. Arm chopping sounds painful! How do you think a return to the genre of “proper hard house” will help the scene? Andy: Hopefully it will put some identity back into the music and parties, from what I’ve seen on nights out and speaking to people there seems to be followings of each sub genre in the scene on nights out who enjoy the one or two sets that suit their taste but can’t get into what else they have to listen to. Matt: “Proper hard house” for me says fun and exciting music. I know over the past year we have had a lot of clubbers that don’t like the harder end of hard house loving what we have been playing because it’s fun and exciting, and that can only be a good thing for the scene - opening people’s eyes to a larger spectrum of music in a fun way. It’s not just that you’re scared of change then? Or stuck in your ways like 2 old granddads? Andy: Maybe we are, haha! Matt: You might be but I’m not. I’ve seen your pipe, slippers and paisley patterned pyjamas Risey. (Oh and your WWF Wrestling quilt cover!) Andy: You’re only jealous about my WWF quilt cover dude, it’s a perfect piece of childhood nostalgia! (God I must be getting old saying things like that) No one can dispute that music like hardstyle and hard bounce (the strange love child of scouse house and bouncy hard house, for anyone who’s not quite sure) has brought a lot of new people into the scene. What is it that you object to about this music? Andy: It’s not exactly an objection to it all. Hardstyle isn’t really my bag to be fair but it definitely has a place in the hard dance scene. As for hard bounce, other than the aggressive basslines I can’t find any other elements to the music that warrant it being classed as hard. Matt: Hardstyle is the kind of music that, if it had been around when the war was on, we would all be speaking German, haha! Very powerful music but not really my cup of tea! As for hard bounce, being from the North West of England, when I was younger I was subjected to scouse house and the offbeat donk, it was everywhere. Think that’s one of the main reasons I listened to hard house - to break away from the norm. I don’t have any huge objections to hard bounce because there is a market for all music but I find it is all a bit too mainstream and a far cry from the underground hard house sound. Where do you see hard house in one year, five years and 10 years times? Will you still be stomping? Andy: I can see things only getting better for the industry over the next few years, only time will tell but I can’t see myself changing what I am doing. Matt: Hard to predict the future - if I could I would be a rich man! I would like to think that in ten years time I will still be enjoying the hard house scene as much as I am now. Who & what would you like to see taking home the trophies from this year’s HDA’s? Andy: I would like the best hard dance track to be something I’ve actually heard before, not like last year! Maybe it is me being a granddad about it all and being stuck in my hard house ways but all credit to Showtek, the track must have been causing waves to receive so many votes. Matt: I could not agree more Andy, you are a granddad stuck in your ways, haha! But you’re right there are so many new great up and coming producers making some ground shaking productions. I would love to see Riggsy, Dave Owens or Jon BW win best producer. Best large club Frantic, best small club Parlez Vous or Summit, best resident Cally Gage and best DJ Andy Farley. Andy: I would love to see Andy Farley win best DJ and Frantic to win best large club. I know I’m biased being a resident, but the past 12 months at Frantic have been sensational. With regular HDS parties, the yearly birthday knees up at Koko and conquering many venues they have not used before or been to for a while, from The End to Ministry Of Sound, to my favourite venue Brixton Academy, they have shown themselves as being one of the driving forces in Hard Dance promotions in my opinion. Who do you think are the stars to look out for in the future of the hard house scene? Matt: So many to choose from but Mini Minx and Adam M just to name a couple. These two have really made an impact on the hard house scene for me over the last year not only with DJing talent but also with production too. Andy: Lefty aka Dave The Elf’s productions keep on getting better and better. Darrell White’s music also does it for me whenever I hear his stuff. One of my favourite DJs at the moment is Kevsey D, he plays fun hard house music, just how it should be. So if you were to be crowned King and Queen of Hard House Land, who’d be the Queen? Matt: I’ll go first cause I know Andy will say me as the queen. We once got called the pretty boy and the loveable rogue haha. Even though it’s far from the truth. Queen Mandy Rise (Got a ring to it)! Andy: I would definately say Matt for queen, but then saying that I get called camp and quite effeminate so I will let you guys decide haha! What futuristic space hero would you like to be? Once you’ve finished conquering hard house land obviously. Andy: Captain Hard, the ambassador of all things filthy. Matt: Colonel Pickfun, the purveyor of all things fun. Well, now the boys have put hard house land firmly to rights, they’re off in their space vehicle to save another planet, or have I just had a few too many late nights? Either way…don’t forget to vote for the lovable crusaders Pickup & Rise as Best Newcomer in this year’s Hard Dance Awards. Voting now open at www.harddanceawards.com Love Hard House? Vote Pickup & Rise! Coming soon: www.pickupandrise.com Photos courtesy of Pickup & Rise. Not to be reproduced without permission. Share this :: : : : Follow HarderFaster :: Other Features By saffysue: Check Out Council House With Ian M Andy Farley & BK - secret cheesy music fans - play Abba this Xmas. The guys behind Frantic take time out for HHA planning to tell us more! DJ Yoshi spills the beans on Frantic worldwide Get About Town with Kevsey D The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable. Comments: From: ravechick on 27th Nov 2008 08:56.25 What a wicked read....quite the Alex and Brandon of hard house ha ha, love you guys !!! keep up the good work ! From: Gordon Darley on 27th Nov 2008 12:30.36 Awwwwww bless! Without doubt my favourite hard house act of recent years and in it for all the right reasons (not to mention bringing credibility to the north ) From: WEBBO on 27th Nov 2008 17:16.45 Forget morecombe and wise , its Pickup and Rise keep up the good work lads !!!! Wicked interview sue From: *cheeky chick* on 28th Nov 2008 07:43.01 Bloody nutters! x ;-) From: sparkleberry* on 1st Dec 2008 17:23.32 i love these boys!! xx From: Diego on 1st Dec 2008 18:37.46 'Proper hardhouse' ?? What would you know about it, you never experienced Trade around the mid nineties. This is where 'proper hardhouse' was born. Entertaining read though. From: Gordon Darley on 2nd Dec 2008 10:04.32 Diego, check your history books nd read back a little further From: Diego on 2nd Dec 2008 14:35.43 My dear Gordon, I don't need no history books, I was there when it all happened love. Where were you back then? Still shitting yellow i suppose. From: saffysue on 2nd Dec 2008 22:56.13 Hmm I know the boys are controversial but I've never known them start an argument about yellow shit before! From: Andy Rise on 2nd Dec 2008 23:00.57 Glad you enjoyed the read peeps Diego - i wish i was old enough to have experienced trade in the mid 90s, im just commenting on what ive seen and felt in my time as a fan of hard house. God i wish i was a bit older lol From: Gordon Darley on 3rd Dec 2008 13:13.35 I still shit yellow thanks, treacle. Not taking away from that event being a true institution for the sound and the scene... By the way lads, PIckun and Hard sound far too dodgy... couldn't you just stick with Supergirl and Wonder Woman? From: K8-e on 5th Dec 2008 01:13.12 "Captain Hard" From: Seraya on 9th Dec 2008 12:27.29 Good work guys! Hard and dirty just how we like it! From: Seraya on 9th Dec 2008 13:39.14 Good work guys! Hard and dirty just how we like it! From: kevsey.d on 27th Jan 2009 22:57.33 only just seen this interview,wicked read as always lads!!! Thanks for the mention Andy,legend....

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