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Features
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| Introducing NEM3SI$’s new label Infinite Resistance! | | Mindbenderz talk ‘Lord of the Rings’ and fishing, as well as the creation of their new album ‘Celestial Gateway’! | | Iono-Music artists One Function, Eliyahu, Invisible Reality and Dual Vision talk Robert Miles, kids, dogs and vinyl, while we chat about their current releases! | | Luke&Flex talk influences, the Irish rave scene, why Flex wears a mask and Play Hard, their new EP out now on Onhcet Repbulik Xtreme! | | Lyktum expands on his new album ‘Home’ – talking about his love of storytelling, creating new harmonies and the concept behind his musical works. | | Pan talks getting caught short crossing the Sahara, acid eyeballs and tells us Trance is the Answer, plus shares his thoughts on his latest release 'Beyond the Horizon' - all from a beach in Spain! | | Miss C chats about living with the KLF, DJing in a huge cat’s mouth, training her brain and the upcoming super-duper Superfreq Grande party at LDN East this Saturday, 16th September! | | NEM3SI$ - I Live for the Night – talks superficiality, psychopaths, and bittersweet success, ahead of a plethora of evocative, emotional, and passionate upcoming melodic techno releases! | | Psy-Sisters Spring Blast Off! We talk to DJ competition winner ROEN along with other super talents on the lineup! | | Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! | | Shyisma talks parties, UFO's, and Shotokan Karate ahead of his upcoming album 'Particles' on Iono-Music! | | SOME1 talks family, acid, stage fright and wolves - ahead of his upcoming album release ‘Voyager’ on Iono-Music in February 2023! | | The Transmission Crew tell all and talk about their first London event on 24th February 2023! | | NIXIRO talks body, mind and music production ahead of his release 'Planet Impulse' on Static Movement's label - Sol Music! | | Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project | | The Psy-Sisters chat about music, achievements, aspirations and the 10-Year Anniversary Party - 18/12/22! | | A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden | | Earth Needs a Rebirth! Discussions with Psy-Trance Artist Numayma | | Taking a Journey Through Time with Domino | | New Techno Rising Star DKLUB talks about his debut release White Rock on Onhcet Republik! | | PAN expands on many things including his new album 'Hyperbolic Oxymoron' due for release on the 14th April 2022 on PsyWorld Records! | | Psibindi talks all things music including her new collaborative EP 'Sentient Rays' on Aphid Records, her band Sentience Machine and 10 years of Psy-Sisters! | | N-Kore talks Jean-Michel Jarre, unfinished tracks and fatherhood! | | Celebrating International Women’s Day and Ten Years of Psy-Sisters with Amaluna | | A Catch Up with John Phantasm ahead of his upcoming set at the Tribal Village 4 Day Outdoor Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022! | | 'The Maestro that is Tristan talks barn owls, Shazamming and keeping it Psychedelic ahead of his upcoming performance at the Tribal Village 4 Day Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022! |
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Interview with Markus Buhmann: London’s extremely euphoric warmer-upper
Reported by Latex Zebra
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Submitted 01-07-05 14:28
Markus Buhmann has, in a very short space of time, taken the London scene by storm. Playing a mixture of trance, tech house, breaks and house, he has quickly become known as one of the warm up kings of London. As well as his residencies for Zoology and Ohm, he has played for parties like Becomeone, Spangulation, One, Addiction and a whole host of other parties. He is now climbing the ranks and has earned sets at some of the bigger parties such as Twisted and Frantic. Continuing to move forward he has an upcoming set for Extreme Euphoria as it launches at its new home, the newly refurbished Fire Club.
As his boss and a massive fan of his work I was honoured when asked to grill the big man himself on his often controversial views on life the universe and everything.
Markus
OK, to the uninitiated, tell us a bit about yourself, where you’re from and how you got into dance music.
Hi, my name is Markus Buhmann and I’m originally from Germany, but I got to these fair shores via New Zealand just over 6 years ago. I got into dance music ‘properly’ in 1996 after a brief flirtation with the baggy indie bands that were coming out in the early 90s. I was more into hard rock in New Zealand; I had a fairly serious collection of black t-shirts and a dodgy haircut right up to 1995 to prove it. I’d heard about these rave things but never really knew anyone into them so I never went looking for them.
It changed when I was driving with a workmate to visit a client in his car and he had on a CD with some of the most incredible music I’d ever heard, it was the white Cream compilation from 1996 and we were listening to Paul Oakenfold, I think it was. I borrowed the CDs from him and the Nick Warren CD just blew my mind, pretty soon I was going out clubbing with that mate of mine and a few of the other guys who I worked with, one of whom, Paul D, I discovered was a DJ at Tatou in Wellington. He played with some guy named Steve Hill and another bloke called Ollie Leighs, but I didn’t know who the DJs were at that stage, I just loved the music.
I went out a lot of weekends until February 1998, when I went to see this English DJ, Tony De Vit, who my mate Paul was warming up for. It was just awesome; I crawled out of the venue at 5am having done nothing stronger than Red Bull all night. Apparently a few Harderfaster-ers were there too, I discovered years later. After that I put clubbing on the back burner for various reasons until I arrived here 1999 and re-discovered dance music again.
What made you decide to start Djing, especially at a later time in your life?
I was 27 when I got my decks. I’d been talking about doing it for a year or so before that but had never got around to buying them for whatever reason. I’d bought the odd record here and there over the previous few years and thought I’d like to play them, so if I was buying one turntable, I might as well get another and a mixer J. It was also about that time I was starting to get bothered by some of the Djing I was hearing out; the way the sets were going, in some cases, didn’t sound quite right to me: they sounded flat, and in truth, a bit dull. I thought maybe I could do better at putting together a set so it would flow better. So I got a set of 1210s and away I went.
Markus with Miss C
You favour the more progressive sounds, be it trance, techno or house. What attracts you to these styles over hard dance?
The obvious musical talent the producers have. There’s just more quality out there if I’m honest. For every BK, Lawson and Sentience, for me the most consistently excellent HD producers out there, I could name four or five progressive producers with as much musical talent if not more so, churning out quality tune after tune.
Also, mixing techy or proggy music, phrasing or layering the tunes becomes very important and this is what I love doing: letting records sit over each other working together to create something new, rather than the mix just being a transition from one two note hoover riff to the next two note hoover riff.
What would you say in defence of prog from those that say it goes on for too long and doesn’t do enough?
The more progressive sound, for me, is about building and releasing tension, being drawn into a DJ’s story and going for the ride. It’s about creating moods and making you, as a clubber, work for that big moment when that massive tune is dropped. When that tune is dropped, the impact and pay off is that much more rewarding and exciting. I guess I’m a pretty patient person who enjoys a big payoff rather than a series of little ones over a night.
The funny thing is though, is if you speed up a minimal, techy, prog house tune to 150 bpm it sounds a lot like an NRG tune!
Markus and his bitches
You are also a fan of breakbeat, a sound that has seen a massive resurgence recently. What attracts you to this particular sound?
I’ve always been into breaks, more so the trancey type, since the start of my clubbing. Way Out West have been my favourite producers since forever and breaks have always featured heavily in their tunes. From then, tunes like ‘The Gift’ and ‘Blue’, to now, ‘Anything But You’, just wicked. What attracts me the most to breaks is its energy; you’ve just got to dance in spite of yourself. Breaks, as a style is proof that high bpms do not equal to more energy.
You’ve made a name for yourself as a DJ that crafts very well thought out warm up sets? What makes a good warm up set?
I think the first lesson is to realise that you’re there to prime the crowd for the rest of the night or the bigger DJs after you. When you’re playing early you've got to let the crowd drift into the club, drop their coats off, get a drink, say hi to their mates, settle in for the night.
What works for me is playing an eclectic mix of tunes and styles for that early time and then when the crowd is looking really ready to dance, you oblige them with stuff more in keeping with style of music that they'll hear later on. Other DJs gradually build into the next DJs style: Tim Davison does this particularly well when he plays the Gallery and Ian Betts is a master at this when he's warming up for an A-List DJ.
As a clubber, I don’t want to walk into a club half an hour after it has opened and hear Paul Glazby's remix of ‘Dreams’ being played at +4, do you? This really happened once at a big day party I went to a few years ago, I mean, where do you go from there?
A good warm up set is one that lets the DJ after you play to a busy floor that are ready to go right off; it comes back to that whole tension and release thing. As a warm up DJ you build the crowd up to be blown away by the DJ after you. It’s a real challenge, one that I enjoy and I think one that has sharpened me up as a DJ.
Are you worried that you’ll only get bookings for warm ups as a result and miss out on that peak time glory?
No, not really. If you warm up well, the later sets and bigger gigs will follow. Like I said earlier, I'm pretty patient, and am happy do my thing, bide my time and eventually; “victory will be mine!”
What other kinds of music do you like outside of dance music?
Progressive rock, hip-hop, classical music, some harder rock, reggae and ska, all sorts really. I like to mix it up, but in truth I spend a lot of time listening to dance music, I love it.
In quite a short space of time you have gained a couple of residencies and guest sets at some high profile parties. How do you think you have moved so quickly through the ranks, especially at a time when DJs are 10 a penny?
I think it’s because my guest list is 1200 names long.
Seriously though, I made a conscious decision to play records I actually enjoy rather than what's ‘hot’ and I’m happy to warm a party up. I don’t think enough DJs actually play records they like straight and sober, they try to play as ‘up front’ as possible and we all know new doesn't always mean good. I mean it’s the only way you can explain the rash of DJs playing ‘Accelerate’ or ‘As the Rush Comes’ when they were released and then those tunes disappearing without trace soon after.
The crowd
You’re quite vocal on the forums for being anti hard dance. Why does this style in particular cause to vent so much?
The main thing about hard dance which puts me off it is it’s unwillingness to deviate from its strict production formulas. It’s so bad that every mix of between any two tunes becomes pretty much identical, 16 bars out from the last break and drop — dull, dull, dull.
Overwhelmingly, hard dance and in particular UK hard trance, is easy pay off after easy pay off, where’s the fun in that? It’s music for that annoying spoilt kid that always gets what they want time after time. And the rubbish you have to wade through to find a good tune is soul destroying, and then every other DJ has it. The last completely original hard dance tune that made me run to the booth to find out what it was was ‘Propaganda 303’ and when did that come out? 2003?
The bit though that makes me laugh the most is that the ‘forward thinking’ hard dance DJs play techno, look at their charts you’ll see the likes of Smith & Selway, Umek, DAVE the Drummer and now tunes with that “exciting new psy-trance sound” or over the last couple of months, that “exciting new electro sound” are featuring heavily, what does that tell you?
Mostly though the reason I slate hard dance online is because its fans are more po-faced and serious than any Bedrock fan was circa 2000/2001, I mean, lighten up people. Hard dance isn't big or clever, by it’s own admission and in the words of Trade legend Steve Thomas, “It’s just a disco darling.”
Most people would say that the mid to late 90s were the years that clubbing will be remembered for. What do you think needs to be done now to get the scene back to those kinds of levels of popularity?
God, if I knew and could manage to do it, I wouldn’t be working my day job. I was speaking to someone about this not long ago and he’d read an interview with Fabric resident and all around legend James Lavelle who’d said clubbing needs to get back “its rebellious spirit,” which is a nice sentiment, but what does it really mean, fields, mud, convoys and police? I don't know.
I think a lot of people got pissed off at substandard venues and promotions with unimaginative line-ups and music. What we’re seeing with genres collapsing back in on themselves, venues getting refurbished and with smaller promotions becoming more prevalent is a good thing. Building the quality back up at grassroots will ultimately give ‘the scene’ a good basis for another era like the late 90s, which I think will happen, given time.
Club politics — discuss.
It reminds me of small children, in a sand pit, arguing over the spade and bucket. Sometimes one of those children gets sand in their eyes and the screams are deafening, particularly now with the InterWeb amplifying those screams. Those children need to learn to play together otherwise they’ll get taken out of the sand pit and be ‘timed out’. The thing is, the more those children scream and fight, the more likely they’ll miss the fact that the sand pit is getting smaller and then they’ll have to share it with that yucky kid who keeps peeing himself in the corner.
I’m not advocating PLUR, because quite frankly, that’s a load of bollocks and always was really. I’m just advocating a bunch of common sense. When I was doing sport at a national level in NZ, my coaches always said, “worry about your own game,” club land politics isn’t worrying about your own game, it’s about being concerned about everyone else’s. Worry about your own game people.
What are your production plans for the future?
I want to write a Christmas number one and live off the royalties forever, no, really.
I’m heading back into the studio with Opaque Jake soon and we’ll be doing some more tech house tunes. I’ve got a few other people as well who’ve been threatening to collaborate with me too so we'll see how that goes, it always fun working with new people.
I’m also starting to accumulate bits of kit and software, so I might be diving into the world of producing by myself, now that will be great challenge.
The technology available to DJs at the moment is immense. What is your favoured equipment to use and what do you see as the future for DJs?
I love vinyl and my 1210s so I'm not going to retire them anytime soon. But I’m also loving the CDJ-1000s and how they integrate into the Pioneer mixers, I’ve got a 1000 mkI and DJM 600 at home and I’m having a lot of fun with them, looping, hot-cueing and stuff. Every club set-up should have CDJ1000s, they’re great pieces of kit.
I think Final Scratch is going to be the way of the future, you turn up to the gig with a hard drive with your tunes on it and plug it into a work station and mix away with the time coded cds or vinyl on a CD deck or normal turntable. Beat matching isn’t going to go away in a hurry.
I’d also love to look at Ableton Live and have a go with it on a controller like Sasha’s Maven, that looks just geektastic.
At the moment you only DJ and produce, are you tempted to dip your toes into the murky business of promotion and what would you try and offer to differ from what's out there?
A few years ago, when I was having a ‘trance moment’, me and my new best mate, who I'd met and really connected with that night, were thinking of starting a new night and it would be BRILLIANT, the best night EVER, but I’ve lost that guys number since, what were we talking about again?
Oh yes, I’ve dipped my toe into the world of promotion with HF’s Battle Royale last year, which was fun but a lot of work, and to be honest I'm happy Djing at the moment. That said, there‘s the possibility I might put something on in the future, you can never say never.
Markus with partner in crime King of Sketch
You’ll be making your debut for Extreme Euphoria soon. What plans do you have for this set?
I’m just going to do what I do normally but play it a tougher, it being Extreme Euphoria and all, I might even edge over 140bpm, you never know.
I think some tech house, funkier techno, and some rolling, driving trance will be the order of the day I reckon. I want to keep it ticking along and building up without being too obvious. Let the rest of that awesome line up do the business over the rest of the night, I’m there to start it up and that’s just what I'll do.
What DJs and Promotions are your favourites? Clubs — Zoology (Cheques in the post mate) and Ohm, for starters, Spangulation, One and Become1. I enjoy and go to regularly. Twisted is always good fun, particularly the trance room. Bedrock is great and I go when I can, and the Gallery is consistently good too. I’ve been to Lost once, and have to go again, it was really eye-opening.
Of the superstars, my favourites would be: Sasha, Nick Warren, Jeff Mills, John Askew and Tiesto. Of the people on the London scene, the rest of the Kiwi Mafia rock, Steve Hitch is class and the Zoo guys are an absolute pleasure to DJ with. Also, I have mention the King of Sketch and Miss C here, they’re constant sources of abuse or encouragement, depending on how you look at it.
What are your plans for the future generally?
I want to release some music and just keep building up my Djing. I’m in no hurry to go anywhere, I’m having a good time and I hope I can keep enjoying myself as much as I am now. I mean playing your favourite tunes on big sound systems is pretty cool and I just want to doing that, but hopefully on bigger, better systems and maybe on systems in different countries.
Quick fire:
Meat or veg?
Meeeeeaaaaat, obviously.
Gabba or garage?
US Garage.
The Munsters or the Addam’s Family?
The Addams Family.
Chinese or Curry?
Curry
Star Trek or Star Wars?
Star Wars, just.
Thanks Markus, here is wishing you ever success for the future.
Photos courtesy of anuska007, Daf, Malcy P and Pink Kitty.
Forthcoming events Markus will be appearing at include...
EXTREME EUPHORIA @ FIRE The Re-Launch!
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On:
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Saturday 9th July 2005
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At:
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Fire [map]
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From:
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2200 - 0600
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Cost:
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£12 Adv Tickets
£MOTD
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Ticket Info:
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Independent Ticket Outlets:
www.ticketweb.co.uk 08700 600 100
Club Tickets: www.clubtickets.co.uk / 08702 462 050 (buy 5 get 1 free)
Cyberdog Camden: 0207 482 2842
Never Enough Ticket Agency (Maria): 07813 684 399 / 0208 352 0705
Mad Records: 0207 439 0707
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Buy Online:
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Click here to buy tickets
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More:
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Extreme Euphoria, still catching its breath after the tidy Euphoria album launch at Turnmills, is recharging, reloading and gearing up for a night of scorching dimensions.
Not content with dominating the North Side of the river Thames, the mother of Hard House clubbing is heading south to Fire Club for a one off awesome, ground-breaking event! The Fire Club, synonymous with hedonistic after-hours clubbing is currently under-going an extension and face-lift. Hidden well away from the public eye we can reveal phase one is just about finished, and on Saturday 9th July this will be revealed. One extra arch, more toilets, more sound and more lighting. Welcome to Fire Club – Vauxhall’s first ever SUPER-CLUB!
Extreme residents Anne Savage and Jay Pidgeon will be joined by not 1, not 2, but 3 legendary producers who have arguably contributed more to the sound of the scene we know and love today than any other trio. BK, Nick Sentience and James Lawson are no strangers to each other and this is the first time in years that they will have come together under one roof to entertain the Extreme faithful. Getting things going in the Extreme arch will be a man who is already earning himself a reputation as one of the finest and most educated warm up DJ’s in London – The impressive Markus Buhmann.
There is mo other night in July that offers you so much CLASS under one roof. This is Extreme Euphoria at its best, unveiling the next stage in the making of FIRE – LONDONS’ NEWEST SUPER-CLUB.
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Flyer:
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Other Features By Latex Zebra:
From Little Acorns to Mighty Oaks - How Chilled in a Field has grown
Bar 414 unveils a new dimension with Base Mosquito
Brandon Block gets Funky 414 London!
Dissecting Scot Project
The HarderFather speaks! Meet him yourself at the HF vs The Residents Xmas Party
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.
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Comments:
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From: ~deleted1390 on 1st Jul 2005 07:35.48
Thats my boy. 
From: K.A.R.L. on 1st Jul 2005 15:08.14
Go on Markus......a quality dj and top bloke 
From: Ferret on 1st Jul 2005 15:49.54
Nice one Markus. Been ages since we had a proper chat. Hopefully catch up soon!
From: timmyd9 on 1st Jul 2005 16:08.37
A refreshingly honest and forthright interview big man. Top guy, top DJ
From: Hitch the Knife on 1st Jul 2005 16:25.03
Ich denke ich liebe Dich Markus!!! 
From: Drewski on 1st Jul 2005 16:34.21
That wouls have to be one of the bests reads I have had in a long time. I is good to see someone he is not afraid to speak his mind. Well Done
From: Matt Dahl on 1st Jul 2005 18:10.22
Nice one Markus,
From: Ekaterina on 1st Jul 2005 18:33.52
Magnifico!
From: sharkboy on 1st Jul 2005 20:20.03
Add your comments here !
From: Tell Lies on 1st Jul 2005 21:28.43
Go on my son! Get In There!
From: Gordon Darley on 1st Jul 2005 21:47.32
Wicked mate, always a pleasure to read/hear your thoughts on things
From: anushka007 on 2nd Jul 2005 10:10.20
Nice interview boys 
Go Markus - Go Markus - go-go Go Markus
From: gravitational pull on 2nd Jul 2005 11:03.19
Wall of meeaaat.
From: Fi on 2nd Jul 2005 12:00.17
Bloody superb interview. Great to see some honest, forthright speech from someone who's not afraid to stick to his beliefs.
:rofl at the Kiwi Mafia: Markus Buhmann, Daegal Brain, Karl Alexander (otherwise known as the Unholy Trinity) - for those of you who were wondering!
From: Hoochie Koochi Man on 2nd Jul 2005 19:30.03
Go on my son.
From: malcy_p on 3rd Jul 2005 08:30.32
The man's a legend....
From: Matt Church on 3rd Jul 2005 15:43.22
Nice interview, well done mate!!!
From: Zem on 3rd Jul 2005 18:48.42
Ahh
From: AlienPsyTing on 3rd Jul 2005 23:17.38
Nice one m8, always njoyed Ohm when ive been
From: Cherry-Berry on 4th Jul 2005 03:36.48
Ill have a Markus sized hug to go with that! Well done babe! Well done!!  You show 'em!!!
From: Lizzie Curious on 4th Jul 2005 08:43.53
nice one mate, interesting reading!
From: Sats on 4th Jul 2005 09:02.43
really cool interview Dan and Markus 
From: Lozz on 4th Jul 2005 09:26.09
Great interview, refreshingly honest from a guy who when it comes to fun, knows what he stands for. Tu meke Markus.
From: carl nicholson on 4th Jul 2005 12:27.35
top lad!
From: Karl Alexander on 4th Jul 2005 14:34.25
great interview !! well done mate
From: Nikki S on 5th Jul 2005 13:14.14
Nice one bruv! See you Saturday
From: James Jaye on 5th Jul 2005 16:17.08
Nice one Markus!keep up the good work
From: minimoo on 6th Jul 2005 06:17.29
Really enjoyed reading this interview Markus. Hope it all goes well at Extreme Euphoria, keep up the good work babe, you d'a man
From: Bagel on 6th Jul 2005 11:01.46
Rah the Buhmann! 
From: Tina Martin on 6th Jul 2005 11:12.57
Good luck babe! After your set at F you're undoubtably going to rock it!! 
From: Red5 on 7th Jul 2005 16:51.27
One of the most entertaining interviews I've read in a while
Wicked stuff mate!
From: Tom Foy on 7th Jul 2005 21:59.25
Top interview Markus! Keep up the good work mate.
From: raving_pixie on 11th Jul 2005 13:11.38
Ra!!
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