25/04/11
First up, where are you, right this minute?Sitting in front of my computer at home in North London...What have you been up to since New Year? Is everyone partied out?Funny you should say that! Yes, a little; I was in Poland at the weekend (Lublin), so drank my fair share of Vodka and Polish beer - all good at the time but feeling it now! New Year went on from party to party - ended up at a squatted club in Tottenham; great stuff but feel like some quiet time now!
It's not quite the London scale of things, but what do you think of the scene around our area? From what I gather, yes it is; East Anglia in general, I think. There's a good free party scene in Suffolk, Norfolk and all around this area.Obviously the sound-system scene is the heart of Acid Techno, but do you prefer coming in town for club nights, or is just not the same?It's a different vibe... sound system parties always have a freer, less restrictive vibe where you can get into the music over a period of time, so the energy is usually more dispersed and the vibe more laid-back. In ‘Clubland’, it's often the case that it's more commercial, more restrictive and sometimes not as good, BUT (and it's a big BUT), it can sometimes be better as the club is destined to close at a certain time so the night peaks with more energy... it's a more concentrated experience. I don't like commercial clubs, but most clubs I play in are generally not of that ilk and are usually pretty underground and, like I say, can actually be really 'avin it, so I’m more than OK with that!Do you play as many gigs overseas as you do in the UK these days?Yes, I play abroad a lot. The parties abroad have always featured heavily, even in our earliest days, due to the English ‘Techno Traveller’ contingent, but nowadays there are solid acid techno scenes bashing out underground music all over the world, obviously in Europe, but also as far afield as Australia, Brazil, South Africa and Japan to name but a few. I'm very lucky to get the chance to play in places like this from time to time, but it's even more inspiring to have made so many friends and met so many like-minded people across the world. How has the scene changed over the last decade?Well, obviously many people, sound systems, DJs etc have come and gone and techno as a genre has fractured into so many splintered scenes; it's even more true to say that the acid techno scene itself is even smaller now. Also, in music in general, we are at a time of flux as the digital age is now in full swing, which has changed listening habits and DJ performances, and with the advancement of the ‘net, the way information is diffused - iPods, CD decks, Facebook (to name a few things that weren't around a decade ago), have changed everything to do with music and the party scene. At the same time, a lot of young people are now discovering the music and the parties for the first time, and those that are left in the scene are the ones who truly believed in it in the first place. The squat/free parties in London seem to have found their feet again and there are a core of people fighting to get rid of the dodgy element once and for all. The Hydraulix and SUF parties are kicking back at the club end of things. Outside the capital, there are strong scenes in many parts of the UK and abroad, so it’s still thriving, but it is a new generation and a new time, so the elements are slightly different. As for the music, it's better than it's been for sometime... lots of new producers and labels and plenty of new acid techno from the new kids and old gits like myself, he he!Do you have anything going on in the studio, or is it all on the road for now?Been making loads of stuff recently, working a lot with Sterling Moss,but also with Lawrie (from Routemaster), who has been back into producing again, as well as Guy (Geezer), Patrix and D.A.V.E. the drummer(check out the new Dynamo City on SUF). I’ve also been playing bass in a punk band (Dogshite) and writing some laid back ska, so been in the studio quite a bit recently.
When was the last time you played in Norwich?Ages ago at a big club near the harbour, I think, with Mark Tyler if I remember correctly… Has Norwich even got a harbour?! It was definitely a while back...
Richard Hancock
Chris Liberator will be headlining Killawatts at Media on Saturday 6th February. For tickets, go to Soundclash, St Benedicts St or White Label in the Mall.