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Features 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!

Interview with Ryan Blair Reported by TEK-DJ Management / Submitted 25-04-06 20:34 The Port of Larne holds some vital ingredients when you look at the current recipe of today’s club scene, home town to superstar djs Fergie, Robbie Nelson and Gleave Dobbin. But every recipe has a secret ingredient and the Port of Larne has just that! Ryan Blair!! From his humble beginnings as a light jock many years ago to playing at some of Ireland’s top nights and then following the path into production, with immediate results from his re-work of the classic Poltergeist ‘Vicious Circles’, Ryan Blair is an experience that should not be missed in a hurry. Not just a fantastic dj and producer, but also one of the nicest guys you could ever meet, with an absolute passion for dance music, but most of all tech trance. Hi Ryan, many thanks for your time to answer a few questions for the HarderFaster massive! So how did it all begin for you as a dj in Northern Ireland, you’ve been around for some time yeah? Yeah, I’ve been around for a while now. It all started back when I did light jock for a club called ‘Rafters’, in my home town Larne. I was hungry for a taste of the turntables, so I came to the club half an hour before opening time to mess around on them. After 2 months I got the residency, a year later, I was asked to join High on Life dj agency, at the time home to Agnelli & Nelson, and they helped me get out around the province for a couple of years. Hailing from Larne you must have crossed paths with the infamous Fergie a number of times? (laughs). Yeah I have alright. I used to lend him vinyl before he was doing clubs, standing on milk crates. Sound as a pound the guy is! Back then, I knew he would do ok. He had great skills! But none of us though he would be as big as he is. Fair play to the lad… kicked outta school! (laughs) You certainly have an immense history behind you with the Irish clubbing scene. What has been your best highlight so far in Ireland and most memorable set played? I would have to say, the Radio 1 gig in my home town, 2002. The local Larne football club ground was the venue. Fergie brought Radio 1 for a live show, there was a great turnout and the atmosphere was amazing. Fergie, Agnelli & Nelson, Gleave, Col Hamilton (Lush), myself and Chris Davis. Ryan, for those that don’t know, how would you define your sound in both dj and production that captures the true ‘Ryan Blair Experience’? Have you always stuck to your guns with all things tech trance? I have seemed to come up through the harder side of things, but never really got to grips with hard house or airy trance. Tech trance and hard trance are the styles I am most associated with. It has to have a good groove, good sounds, good synths and a little something which makes it stand out. Stand out bass lines and a big bottom end helps tracks get into my sets and charts. You’ve recently been busy on the production side of things. Your re-work of the classic ‘Vicious Circles’ is one that certainly sticks out in my mind. You have many key players behind you with your production that is most certainly water tight and inspiring! Yeah, I went into the studio around September last year. ‘Vicious Circles’ was the first production I had done, it’s a remix of the classic from Poltergeist back in 96. I handed it to Jay Pigeon, (Anne Savage’s boyfriend) and Anne phoned me 3 days later wanting it for the ‘Euphoria’ compilation out December 05. Many have been behind the track, including Lisa Lashes, Rob Tissera, Mark Sherry, Agnelli & Nelson, Les Hemstock, Ron van den Beuken, Gleave etc. This year I have completed two tracks of my own, called ‘Led Vario’ and ‘Stabs for Life’. ‘Led Vario’ went to number 6 in the DMC World trance chart at the end of March, with support coming from Lisa Lashes, Anne Savage, Jon O’ Bir, Dave Lee and huge plays by Yaz on E.T.N Radio and 1fm. This is forthcoming on two compilations, ‘Lashed Digital’, mixed by Lisa Lashes (out May 2006) and also on the new ‘Euphoria’ CD which comes out in July 2006. ‘Stabs for Life’ is a follow up being played by the likes of Les Hemstock, Mark Sherry and John O’ Callaghan. There’s more in the making… watch this space! You have residencies in Ireland and also one in Scotland. What are these, and what various djs have played there? Monthly: Sin @ Belfast with guests Lisa Lashes, Anne Savage and Mark Sherry and Tri at Teaze @ Scotland. Bi-monthly: Lost @ Belfast with guests Fergie, Marcel Woods and Sander Van Doorn and Soi @ Portrush with guests Agnelli & Nelson, Gleave and Armandi. Soi is one of the clubs over here who support a lot of Ireland’s talent. You have a good amount of crowd support in Ireland, what is their reaction when you drop one of your tunes into a Ryan Blair set and how does this make you feel when road testing a track? To actually see the dance floor go off with your tunes must be rewarding right? Crowd support here in Ireland is second to none, as a lot of big names will tell you. It is nice seeing a good response from road testing tracks, it’s that which gives you the buzz to back in the studio and make more. When ‘Led Vario’ was completed, the night I was to play it, my gig was cancelled. So I went to Lost @ Precious in the Odyssey Complex, Belfast, a Friday night running by Gleave and his brother Mark Dobbin. I gave it to Gleave to play, and the reaction was amazing. The next week I was alongside Lisa Lashes @ Sin, Belfast. There was a wicked crowd in there, and it went off big time. This is where Lisa got to hear it and take a copy home. Can you imagine the feeling Marcel Woods got when he dropped ‘Advanced’ @ Dance Valley in Holland ? There were 50,000 peeps in attendance. That would be the ultimate buzz! Audio Satisfaction at its best then Ryan! So do you think it is about time for the ‘Ryan Blair Experience’ to hit the UK mainland, making the impact here as you have already done in Ireland? I would like to keep focused on my production, and would love to get over to various clubs in the mainland to play my tracks. I feel it’s my next step. I used to do a club just outside Glasgow called Teaze. The Scottish people are so like the people here in Ireland — up-for-it big time! Recently in February, I have joined TEK-DJ Management in the mainland (www.tek-djs.com). They will be looking after my mainland dates, along side S.G.M (www.soundsgoodmusic.net) looking after my Ireland gigs. So as they say… wait and see what the future holds. Ryan, who has inspired you with both your djing and production, giving you the energy and passion to drive you forward? On the dj side of things, lately, the likes of Eddie Halliwell for his trickery, and Sander Van Doorn for his flawless mixing and dark but uplifting techy style. Not just djs, the equipment we use. First we had a mixer and 2 vinyl decks. Now we have the pioneer mixers with loads of efx, Pioneer CDJ decks, and of course the Pioneer efx unit (this little baby is well worth purchasing). It keeps an interest to the whole meaning of being a dj, creating a great atmosphere at the right moment in the clubs Inspiration on my production comes from the likes of Marco V for his nurtured tech trance style, Scott Mac and Mac Zimms for the synths and stabs they have been using lately, the way real tech trance should be made. Not forgetting Randy Katana, this man creates the best groove in tech trance music. All of these names are big players in my book. You have made a valid point here about what a dj used to have to play with and what is out there now. What are your views on modern technology in today’s DJing climate? My view on modern technology is, as long as they keep making equipment fresh, skilful to use, and with loads of buttons to keep the dj busy, bring it on ! Some equipment out now takes a lot of the skill away for the dj. As long as it don’t get to the point where the dj basically has to do nothing really, like all the hard work done for you sorta speak. The Pioneer efx unit is a great tool at the minute, with loads of tricks and you can create some great atmospheric moments with it. Ryan before we move onto your quick fire round of five, is there any body you would like to thank and anything you would like to plug? Go for it… A big thank you to my very supporting wife! And to my dj and production management. Also to the djs who dig what I’m doing and having faith in me and my productions. Look out for Ryan Blair’s ‘Led Vario’ on compilations — ‘Lashed Digital’ — (May 06), ‘Euphoria’ — (July 06) and a forthcoming mix on the Ministry of Sound’s Anne Savage show . Keep up to date @ www.djryanblair.co.uk ‘The Ryan Blair Experience’ quick fire round of 5! What is your favourite non dance music CD? Anything by Bob Marley. What is the best film you have seen to date? Return of the Jedi (still class!). Who is your favourite person? My wife of course! What tune would you take to a desert island? Massive Attack — ‘Unfinished Symphony’. Guinness or McAffreys? The big G! Ryan many thanks for your time to answer a few questions, it has been good chat to you, thanks! My pleasure, happy days! All images courtesy of Ryan Blair and TEK-DJ Management. Not to be reproduced without permission. Share this :: : : : Follow HarderFaster :: Other Features By TEK-DJ Management: Meet Miss Jarea Analog Pussy: the HarderFaster interview Sarah G hits the tidy NYE Weekender 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:

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