Rav Takhar and Tony Skitini get ready for the HF Xmas back to back madness!
Reported by HarderFaster
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Submitted 21-11-07 15:10
What do you want for Christmas? Socks maybe? How about some book vouchers? Or do you want to be having it daytime style with some of the UK’s key residents and hottest up and comings at one of London’s best loved venues? We thought so! That’s why we’ve lined up a series of interviews to help you get ready for the HarderFaster vs The Residents Xmas Payback to Back. Firing the starter gun for us is Rav Takhar from Digital Society and HF’s very own Tony Skitini. Get set. Ready. Dance!
Over the past five years HF has teamed up with some of the countries biggest, brightest and best promotions to put on some legendary Xmas parties across the capital. This year, as the past few, we’re teaming up much loved residents with the cream of up and coming DJing expertise for some back to back mayhem to provide the clubbing community with an amazing Christmas cracker of a party but for this year we’ve pulled out the stops to ensure this party goes that one step further!
With 48 DJs spread over 3 rooms of music, you can be guaranteed some festive fun and all for free! Of course with headliners like Andy Farley, Marc Vedo and The Real Tony Montana, who would think otherwise?
Joining us in the trance room this year alongside Marc, Anthony Dean, Dale Corderoy and many others will be two up and coming DJs rising from very different angles. We asked them a few questions each so you can get a flavour of their back to back.
Resident and co-promoter at Digital Society, Rav Takhar has been making waves along with his crew across the country for the amazing line ups and fantastic atmosphere found down at My House in Leeds (Ed - watch out for a review coming soon!). Still less than a year old, they’ve already featured top DJs like Sean Tyas and Gareth Emery while introducing the UK to many a debutant Dutch destroyer like Cliff Coenraad or Orjan Nilsen?
You’ve been running Digital Society now alongside Kane, Dan and Paul for just under a year. How did you guys meet?
I’ve known Dan and Kane for a number of years, back from the days of Gatecrasher in Sheffield, and Paul more recently. So we’ve all got similar background in terms of clubbing. Our clubland experience has also been expanded by regular trips to Holland which has enhanced our knowledge and understanding of the scene today.
What got you into promoting and DJing in the first place?
It was really for the love of the music that got me into DJing and promoting. I’ve been DJing for fun for a few years now and it really became more prominent since I became Digital Society resident and especially after my first set where I played alongside Menno De Jong and Orkidea at Off The Rails. Promotion wise it was the thought of putting on a night for other people that really motivated me. It’s great to see so many people having fun at Digital Society, its what its all about!
How did that feel to be up with such leading lights on your very first set?
That gig was unbelievable. To play alongside two legends on the same line up was amazing and an experience I will never forget. Then to follow up so soon after by playing alongside Sean Tyas and Greg Downey at Digital Society was truly unbelievable. As you can imagine it’s been an enjoyable experience so far in 2007.
You’ll be appearing at the HF vs The Residents Xmas party on Dec 8th are you looking forward to getting on the decks at Hidden?
Yeah, I cannot wait to get on the decks when I play for you guys in London. I think its going to be a great party.
How will you approach your back to back with Tony Skitini?
I think its going to be a very interesting experience playing back to back with Tony. I plan to go with a very open mind in terms of what I’m going to play and go with the flow of the day and have a lot of fun in the process.
Forum victim, villain or victor? Tony Skitini (AKA Uncle Tony AKA Ponyboy AKA God knows how many other usernames) has always courted controversy whatever he’s said or done, but that’s only made people love or hate him more. Only now he’s started to carve himself a tidy little sideline in gigs of which, no doubt, we’ll see more appearing over the next year or so. But what makes this many monikered member tick?
As one of the more vocal members on HF you’re both loved and loathed in equal measures. How do you feel about this?
It’s never really bothered me, some people like you, some don’t, it’s life. Either way I hope I’ve made HF a more colourful place over the years, rightly or wrongly. Besides, I’m a lot quieter nowadays, maybe those that loathe me can finally get over it.
What started you on the road to DJing superstardom?
My friend from NZ, Martyn, used to mix and when a set of decks was advertised on HF by Dave Mac I decided I'd buy them so we could get drunk and play records; him well, me badly. We used to get drunk and mix, he’d try to teach me and I’d try to learn, with little or no success. I never really gave it a lot of effort and rarely practised, it was a social thing, more than anything. But mixing is a little bit like golf, in as much as you can never walk away from it; you keep going back because you want to be better. My aim has always been to get good enough to be able to play at friends house parties. I love a good party and the music is quite an integral part of that. Being responsible for that aspect of it seems to me to be the best thing in the world.
What do you think makes a great trance set?
Flow, progression, tunes with depth. I like a set that creates and maintains an energy level that doesn’t drop off. I’ve heard so many sets that are instantly wrecked because the progression was wrong. Just one tune out of place completely kills the energy and that’s a travesty, sometimes the progression can be more important than the actual tunes, get that right and the rest seems to follow. This is the case for any time of night too, from warm up to peak.
What’s the most important thing to think about when organising a back to back in your opinion?
This will be my first ‘proper’ back to back, I’m really looking forward to it. Referring back to my last answer, I’d say it was maintaining the flow, progression and energy of the set. As a punter I don’t want to be taken up and down and all over the shop every other record because the DJs aren’t considering the set as a whole. When you play on your own you think about the set in its entirety, not just the next tune. I think the same should be done when playing back to back.
With sets on Adam White’s radio show and Peach already under your belt, where do you see yourself with your DJing in five years time?
In all honesty I want to be the best house party DJ in the world. When my friends have a party, I want to be the first thing they think about when considering the music, before calling and asking me to play. Beyond that anything else is a bonus but if I can play T1 at Turnmills, just once, that would be great too.
Rav and Tony play at HarderFaster vs The Residents Xmas Payback to Back. Watch out for more features from some of the key DJs coming soon.
HF vs The Residents Xmas Party 2007
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On:
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Saturday 8th December 2007
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At:
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Hidden [map]
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From:
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13:00 - 21:00
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Cost:
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£3 donation with all profits to the Kent Air Ambulance
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Website:
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www.harderfaster.net
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Ticket Info:
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Suggestion donation on the door £3 - with all profits going to the Kent Air Ambulance in memory of Richard Zimmerling.
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More:
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With Christmas just round the corner what better way to kick off the festivities than with the annual HF vs The Residents Payback to Back. And we’ve got some great presents for you to unwrap in the luxurious surroundings of Hidden!
We bring you 48 DJs and three rooms of the best dance music around featuring resident DJs from your favourite promotions going head to head with the cream of HF DJs, from house to trance to hard dance, you can be guaranteed to enjoy a festive feast of music!
There’ll also be surprises on the day, games to play, competition prizes, special deals at the bar and of course the magical winter garden for all you smokers out there.
We’d also like you to know this year we’ve lost someone important to us but we want you to come and celebrate the life of Richard Zimmerling with us and his friends. We’ll be asking for donations on the door with all profits, every single last penny, donated to the Kent Air Ambulance in the hope that they can continue to save lives in danger.
Plus What's in Santa's Sack?
To boost the charity fund we're running a raffle at the HarderFaster vs The Residents Xmas payback 2 back free party and there are some amazing prizes to be won!
Here are just a few of the goodies we've got lined up for you:
Year’s free entry to Ministry of Sound
VIP entry for 2 to Ministry of Sound New Year Eve
Year’s free entry to Party Proactive
VIP entry for 2 to Closer New Year Eve
Guestlist to Extreme Euphoria, Going Places and Zoology
A compere / slave for the night to a party of your choice
DJ Mag Subscriptions
Music packs from Mondo
Music Packs from New State
Rotterdam Music Fesitval goodies
A day in the studio with Adam White + dinner with the lovely Minimoo!
A day in the studio from Fevah
Signed Dub Plate of Perfect Drug from DJ X
A collection of Back To Mine CDs
A selection of T-Shirts from DMC World
Signed CDs from K90, BK and others
Mix CDs from the DJs
HF goodies
Drinks
Wooden Spoons!
And there's more super surprises to come!
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Flyer:
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Photos courtesy of the HarderFaster archive and Devinder Athwal. Not to be reproduced without permission.
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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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![[HarderFaster] - Work Hard, Play Harder!](/images/mainbanner_top1-xmas.gif)
Peach, HF xmas party, then the world!!! go Tony!! wish I could be at the HF party. It's going to be fabulous as usual.
