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2008-10-16
Marc's last word on all things hard house is now up on the site under the features tab so head over and check it out! http://www.flashpointrecor.... » read more
FLASHLIGHT DIGITAL LAUNCHED!!
2008-07-07
Click the image to go to the store to hear the tracks!!.... » read more
REQUIEM 3 DETAILS UP NOW UP!!!
2008-06-11
FOR FULL DETAILS OF THE NEXT EDITION OF REQUIEM PLEASE CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE!!!.... » read more
2008-05-14
Interview with OMEGA 3!!!
Technotranceyhardnrgizedfilthy underwater music: Omega 3 grilled!!
Who, what and why are Omega 3? There is something distinctively fishy here. One of the three, Jon Bell, the Captain of the good ship Tinrib-Digital, needs little introduction. Live performer, producer, remixer, engineer, party-organizer/goer, he has been producing music as far back as 1991, and is one of the truly legendary figures of hard dance. His shipmates on this new underwater adventure are Kiwis Scuba Steve (Arnold) and Butcher Boy (Dale Fairbairn). These two able-seamen are established and respected hard house DJ producers in their own right. The young Butcher runs Carbon recordings, and has had recent releases on Oktane and Mad cow recordings and Tonka trax. Scuba is currently working on some solo material for release later in the year.
Over the last 12 months, Omega 3’s epic hard NRG ‘tranceydancey’ hits (on Vicious Circle, Carbon, Tinrib Digital and Tidy) have entranced some of the biggest DJs in the scene, such as the King Farley, the Dark Destroyer Glazby, and the Supreme Justin Bourne. They have also delighted the hard house clubbing public, who have been putting their hands in the air at the same time as their stomping feet through the dance-floor to the new deep sea rhythms and grooves. In an already musically vibrant scene, their new productions have been widely acclaimed as some of the most original sounds in ‘hard dance’ in recent times.
Their CD album ‘Lost at sea’, which brings together 11 of Omega 3’s new tracks for the first time, was released in March, and the unmixed DJ-friendly version is out on April 25th. In conjunction with the release of the album, FlashPoint’s intrepid underwater investigators K8-e and Nutter journeyed to the bottom of the ocean to ask Omega 3 what they’re about, the health benefits the clubbing public should expect from this exciting new product, and some even sillier questions than that.
You started working together in June 2006 on ‘We can fly’. Tell us how Omega 3 came about: how did you meet and decide to produce music together, and how often do you get together in the studio?
Dale: Firstly I had met Steve when I came back from London and we got on pretty well. We were making tunes for some time before Steve had the great idea of doing some studio time with Jon as he had just moved back to New Zealand. After making ‘We can fly’ we made ‘Farkin oldskool’ then Jon mentioned doing an album together and starting a new name. After that we were in the studio lots. Think we clocked up around 150 hours just in the studio with Jon, and countless hours at home working on ideas.
Steve: Dale and I were already working on some stuff, and as soon as I heard the Skipper had moved to town I started hassling him before he’d even unpacked his sea trunk. We try get in the studio every month, but it’s just a matter of finding time in everyone’s busy schedules really.
Scurvy Dog: As ye boys say above. This be how it happened. We were onto something as a team and in this day and age, if you can write a whole story as an album it be much better a tale than you can put out wiv just one or two tracks. A journey of deep sea grooves from our sub it be.
Google tells us that Omega 3 'significantly improves the behaviour of hyperactive children', and Captain Tinrib is of course famed for his nautical references. But what made you guys settle on the name and what names didn't make the grade?
Dale: haha this was a hard one to come up with. There were a few names floating around, Jon wanted something fishy and he was pushing the name Pied Privates which was a worry. We were trying for ages to get the right name Steve and I on msn suggesting names all day and then it popped out. The name Omega 3 came out, and that was the end of that we all loved it.
Steve: We all like a good laugh and we wanted a name that reflected the fact we were having fun. I wanted to call us ‘Steve and the other guys’ but it was voted down. Then Dale suggested Omega 3 which seemed to have some good metaphorical significance. Essential fatty acids? Yes please large portions.
Scurvy Dog: There be plenty ‘o names we made, but nothing quite beat Omega 3. Team it up wiv arrrggghhh swashbucklin’ adventure and we’re ‘Lost @ Sea!’ Though ‘Steve and the others’ was a close call, eye tell ye.
Tell us how Omega 3 works as a team. Do you all discuss each track equally, or is there some kind of division of labour? Is the Skipper the Skipper in a rigid, ship-shape hierarchy? Or is the team a democratic anarcho-syndicalist commune? And more importantly who makes the tea? ;)
Dale: Steve = tea boy haha. I think the reason things work so well is that everybody has a big part in this. Steve is very musical and has a great ear for keys changes etc, Steve and I would work on a riff for usually one or two evenings before coming into the studio. Jon is the master engineer of 15 years’ experience; he can turn any ideas into reality. What can I say; he’s got to be one of the best in the business. When working in the studio no one sits there and says nothing, it’s all go. Everyone lets the others know if they don’t like something in the tune. If Steve had his way there would be a Sitar and Pad’s in every tune and Jon would get his acid in every tune if he could too, and for me there would be a lot more rave horns haha. I like to think Jon brings the old skool sound, Steve brings the trance and I bring the hardness to the tracks, that’s why I reckon we do well.
Steve: Yeah no doubt that Jon runs a tight ship, and we’d not have the solid Omega 3 sound if it weren’t for his masterful captaining of the Fishcookie studio. It is a pretty fair division of labour though – wouldn’t work if it wasn’t. We all have ideas on what we’re after and I think that is reflected in our music.
Scurvy Dog: We have all worked this project as equal parts in the studio. That’s the best way of doing things so everyone has input. During time in the studio I’m at the controls full time, so homework was necessary for the boys to make it all work. And work well it did, I tell ya. Luckily Scuba is a
It seems fair to say that, while it is still hard NRG, ‘Lost at sea’ is ‘trancier’ than the usual Tinrib output. Was this the influence of Scuba Steve and Butcher Boy, or a shared decision about musical direction?
Dale: I think with our first tune with Jon ‘We can fly’ Steve and I brought the trancey riff’s along and wanted a hard trance sound. It is what we like and what to produce. Jon loves his harder stuff, but once we started on the album we all talked about making a album that has structure to it. Starting off slower and trancier and ending in full on hoover action.
Steve: It’s a shared decision for sure. It’s no secret I love trance. I am always pushing for the inclusion of a Welsh choir and a substantial string section. No luck so far. Ideally one day we’ll do a set in a cathedral – unplugged.
Scurvy Dog: Steve loves his trance he do. The trance worked well hardened up and mixed with the hard dance beats of now. Steve’s dream is coming of age on November 15th 2008. We have the cathedral booked here in Christchurch for the Skipper’s wedding. Gregorian Choir, organ, orchestra and Scuba Steve on sitar solo….
The whole project was with huge excitement from all of us from the very beginning. It was great being able to steer what we were making next to fit in with the album. We had the start and the end done early. We just needed to plot the charts to where we were headin’ in between.
What sequencer and kit do you use to create the Omega 3 sound?
Dale: It would have to be the Korg legacy for sure.
Scurvy Dog: The Korg Legacy sure did play a big part. Took the old G5 to its limits when we would stack three synths up for a solo. The new Korg Monopoly and NI- Massive are personal faves in the past year. Just got me a Jupiter 8 back. Should never have sold the original. Luckily Arturia have cloned it....
You each have solo careers, as well as the work you have done as Omega 3. We wondered whether you have any plans to tour together as Omega 3?
Dale: Yes we do have plans. Our first gig together was on the 1st of March in
Scurvy Dog: There isn’t much chance any of the big events in the UK will fly three peeps out from NZ for a gig really. We’re doing it large here in NZ. We all just played on 1st March @ Warriors in Auckland and 4/4/8 here in Christchurch at our own infamous Pirate Party. Both events were rammed full ‘o Pirates!
More dates are being worked as we speak. Dale is heading off to the UK the 1st week in May and will be flying the Omega flag while he’s there. We’ve just signed a deal with Central Station to release the CD on their label in Australia and Captain Tinrib is touring Ozzy in May promoting the album. 2nd May - Adelaide, 3rd May - Cairns, 9th May - Melbourne, 10th May - Gold Coast the following week..... to be continued. Check Tinrib Digital for more info: www.tinribdigital.com.
The Captain is know primarily for his live shows, and as more DJ producers are playing live now is this something Steve or Dale that you have considered? "My goldfish died," replied the boy tearfully, without looking up. "And I've just buried him."
The neighbor was concerned. "That's an awfully big hole for a goldfish, isn't it?"
Tim patted down the last heap of earth then replied, "That's because he's inside your cat." Why not pop by and visit their new forums with all the best labels in one webspace: http://www.tinribforums.com.
Dale: For me I love DJing, cant see me doing a live show, I don’t think you can beat real mixing haha.
Steve: Considered it – yes. I used to play in bands and I really love live music. But when you see the amount of work that Jon puts into his live shows, I have to ask myself – can I really be arsed?
Question for the Skipper: what do you think the pros and cons of playing live are and do you prefer it? What kit do you use?
Scurvy Dog: Playing live allows you to showcase all your own music to the crowd. It also allows you to do many things that a DJ can’t do. After all, you are making the music that is played on the CDJs normally, so anything goes. End of the day I’m adding something extra to the event rather than mix after mix. I normally play for one hour, rather than play the same style all the way through I take you on a journey through all the latest and greatest tracks in the hold. Quite often you’ll also hear samples and a few snippets of well-known tracks to bosh in over the top to twist it all up a bit. When the tracks are finished in the studio, I mix down a separate mix for live performances with some bits missing. This then gives me the chance to perform these parts live...
Down side is, if you’re showcasing your own stuff, you don’t have the ability to drop the top ten tracks that are doing it in club-land at that very moment. Though if you’ve written them, you’re top boy! Also, there is so much to do and remember up there, you really can’t get too horsed before you play and you’re eyes down into the controls and machines through the performances rather than jumping on the turntables while the CDs spin round.
On stage these days, I take my lapdog - Apple Macbook Pro running Ableton Live 7 Suite Edition, mouse (non ‘Thermo witch mouse nimrod edition’ in this case,) Dongle with Arturia Jupiter 8V, Korg MS20, Korg Monopoly, Vanguard, NI- Massive synths, Edirol PCRa-30 Audio/ Midi keyboard for synth control/ cross fader and samples, M-Audio Trigger Finger for drumloops, synth tweaking and one hit samples, Mic for drunk shouting moments or robot vocoding, banners with who’s performing written on them, just in case it looks like we’re controlling the lights to munters, and as many party inducements as I can get my hands on, just in case I have to perform my Mexican High Dive at the after party!
Phew!
Scurvy Dog: I do DJ, but just for myself really. Normally psy-trance. Collected loads over the years, can’t listen to the same music all the time! There is other stuff out there innit! I’m actually mixing right now while doing this interview on Tracktor DJ Studio. Liking Ticon 2AM at the moment. Good for interview writing, missed two mixes so far mind!
You’re all based in New Zealand. Tell us what the dance scene is like out there.
Dale: Well in Christchurch three years ago had 3-4 Hard House nights going on and was wicked. But now sadly there’s one night that does hard dance, and if your lucky there’s a event every 6 weeks. So it’s a bit boring in Christchurch to be honest. Auckland and Wellington is a different story they have large nights, run by top promoters and get wicked up for it crowds, the scene is alive and kicking big time up there. They like it hard up there tho and I mean hard…
Steve: Well – the grass is always greener on the other side, but pretty much everyone who tours here loves it so that must say something.
Scurvy Dog: I actually prefer the parties over here now. A lot friendlier though not quite the same numbers. Population issue that is all! The peeps who do go out are there to party which makes a huge difference. As for Christchurch not doing any good parties, I think Dale must have forgotten about our own Pirate Parties and Robbie Glass’s NRGize parties which always go off. Andy Farley quoted that it was his favourite event of last year at the HDA website.
So do you prefer it to UK, and how do you think the crowds differ?
Dale: Well for one thing Kiwis don’t get to party as much as you guys in the UK. So when they go out they go out to cane it. Also we don’t have Raver leg warmers haha.
Steve: When you have (at best) two or three decent clubs in each city in NZ, you are not really comparing apples with apples. Lot’s of DJs and producers make a good living from their trade in the UK. I can’t think of many who can do that here. The crowds here are good for sure, but I loved it in the UK how the crowds were so ridiculously friendly. Some might say loved up even.
Scurvy Dog: Gonna buy Dale a pair of Tinrib ‘Knee Curtains’ Nimrod Editions for his trip to the UK for sure! I think the party packs here are way stronger than the UK.... Emotional Munters!!!
A lot of people have proclaimed the ‘Fishy situations’ sound as breathing new life into hard house. How do you feel about that and what's your take on the hard house scene at the moment?
Dale: I feel great about that (dream come true to be honest)….
My take on the hard house scene is hard house lost the bounce and groove.
There's no doubt the scene is experiencing a bit of a recession at the moment. The days of DJs and producers are gone. Now you need to be both to survive. The retirement of some of the pioneers of hard house, changes in taste from the clubbers, the decline of vinyl, all these factors are changing the shape of our genre. The great thing about hard house is it can survive a recession because the people who are into it love it so much. It's intoxicating. The music coming out now is as good as it has ever been, so in that respect the scene is still growing. We have found that sales have been pretty steady with our new releases on Carbon and we hope to continue releasing more uplifting pumping hard trance so watch out!
Scurvy Dog: The future’s bright. We’re back!
Which artists have you particularly enjoyed hearing or seeing playing out recently?
Dale: Ben Stevens I would have to say and Captain Tinrib both very exciting to watch.
Scurvy Dog: Has to be ‘High dosage’ at the recent Warriors party. All the big events will be booking ‘em in the UK if they could!! Just hoping they’ll release their new stuff on Tinrib-Digital. New Zealand has quite a few new acts coming up. Check out Sheldon Ives, Future Resonance and the legendary Tom Cosm. Its deffo happening in upside-down-land!
What are you listening to at home, on your Ipods or in your car stereos? We want all your guilty secrets! (Marc Johnson is a Girls Aloud fan so you can be honest here!)
Dale: Have to be Daft Punk’s new album 2007 live mix, been listening to that for ages now on the iPod.
Steve: Bloc party, the Arcarde Fire on my iPod at the moment. At work I just downloaded a meditation CD of pan flutes and birds and running water to calm me down haha. Worst of all, I have the Wiggles and the Doodlebops in the car for my two year old sons. Have you heard them? Ai kurumba!
Scurvy Dog: Younger Brother - The Last Days Of Gravity & OTT - Blumenkraft were on earlier, just getting through Ticon 2AM. Bit late now as its 8:43 AM. Breakfast show while doing interview! May have to up the tempo soon, I’ll mix in some orchestra then I have time. Got a good Barber original mix that should do it! Tiesto did all right with it!
What does the future hold for Omega 3, where now?
Dale: Our album is out now so that’s pretty exciting for us all. Also I am heading to the UK to live for a few years so the plans are to came back every 9-12 months and get in the studio with the boys.
We finished a new tune which will be out at the end of the year on Carbon Recordings. And maybe if there’s time do another one before I go. At the moment I am trying to put together a few UK dates to promote the Omega 3 album in June & July, any promoters please get in touch!
Steve: Who knows – but I will be upset if it doesn’t include ridiculous amounts of wealth and fame.
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Scurvy Dog: Yeah, looks like we’ll get those Aston Martins after all Steve lad. Especially now we’re gonna be touring with the orchestra, choir and those ‘huge’ labels we license to love paying us so much!
We’ll have to get Dale to send some parts back to NZ so Scooby and I can finish some new releases. Maybe do a remix version under the guise the ‘3 Omigas’ Mexican Edition with Deliverance on sitar?
Sounds sick! ;o) Are there any other producers you’d each like to work with?
Dale: Looks like I will be doing a track with JP & Jukesy in the near future so pretty excited about that. And I would love to get into the studio with Defective Audio and James Nardi oh and Alphazone.
Steve: Tiesto. Aim high! Other than that – pretty much anyone.
Scurvy Dog: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at our wedding. Anyone got any connections? We have half the score, a Gregorian choir, cathedral organ and Scuba Steve on sitar!
‘Fishy situations’ was of course one of THE tunes of 2007-8, seemingly played at any time of the night and getting rousing reactions. Andy Farley even named it his tune of the year. What sort of ‘fishy situations’ have you gotten yourselves into?
Dale: mmmm good question, been stuck at a Egyptian border for a few hours as I my visa had expired and they wanted me to pay them $200 US dollars just to let me out of the country so I could go to Israel. Then they took my passport off me and left me sitting in a room for two hours, not speaking English to me. Finally got out of there and only payed $100 US after all that.
Scurvy Dog: Too many too mention I fear. There’s a whole list here!! See www.tinribforums.com
What's your favourite sea creature, and why?
Dale: I think an Octopus would be cool too, all fluid with no bones. Squeeze in and out of everywhere. Built in smoke-screen (that is also great on pasta). Lots of suction cups and tentacles for multi-tasking.
Steve: Pretty fond of the old leatherback sea turtle. They have a leather jacket – like the Fonz.
Scurvy Dog: Scurvy Dog cos I is one.... merrrrrraaaaaaarrrrrrgggggghhhhh.
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Tell us your best joke involving fish, nautical matters or a combination of the two.
Dale: Little Tim was in the garden filling in a hole when his neighbour peered over the fence. Interested in what the cheeky-faced youngster was up to, he politely asked, "Whatcha doing, Tim?"
Steve: Who do fish borrow money from? A loan shark! I know – terrible – I’ll get my coat.
Scurvy Dog: I’ve already got me coat on so I’m just hoping me plank will work, eye tell ye!! Ere’s a Pirate Numberwhore…
A pirate walks into a bar and the bartender says, "Hey, I haven't seen you in a while. What happened, you look terrible!"
"What do you mean?" the pirate replies, "I'm fine."
The bartender says, "But what about that wooden leg? You didn't have that before."
"Well," says the pirate, "We were in a battle at sea and a cannon ball hit my leg but the surgeon fixed me up, and I'm fine, really."
"Yeah," says the bartender, "But what about that hook? Last time I saw you, you had both hands."
"Well," says the pirate, "We were in another battle and we boarded the enemy ship. I was in a sword fight and my hand was cut off but the surgeon fixed me up with this hook, and I feel great, really."
"Oh," says the bartender, "What about that eye patch? Last time you were in here you had both eyes."
"Well," says the pirate, "One day when we were at sea, some birds were flying over the ship. I looked up, and one of them shat in my eye."
"So?" replied the bartender, "what happened? You couldn't have lost an eye just from some bird shit!"
"Well," says the pirate, "I really wasn't used to the hook yet."
LOL!
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Mixed and unmixed versions of ‘Lost at Sea’ are available in CD or MP3 format from Tinrib-Digital at http://www.tinribdigital.com.
Butcher Boy will be playing his first UK gig after his move here at the Precision artists launch party at Requiem, Brixton club 414, on 24th May.