MC Sharkey - Sharkey Attack
Hardstyle producer, DJ and vocalist MC Sharkey lives and breathes everything hardcore, so expect massive sounds when he hits Sydney for Unity. 3D spoke to the Brit.
You started out in 1993 – the early days of rave – as an MC. Were you primarily interested in being a vocalist back then- How did you come to being an MC-
I went to my first rave in 1990 and always used to love hearing MCs – they were an add-on to the music and if it was done right then it was the coolest thing on the planet. I blagged my way through some early sets in the south west and my first booking was in 1992 in Torquay, in the South West of the UK. I travelled to the Midlands for a while and worked with DJ Pilgrim. I ended up on the South Coast of the UK and became DJ Druid’s MC and got my first residency at a place called the Rhythm Station. This was where I really started to make a name for myself and got myself into the studio and wrote Toytown.
You’ve been DJing and producing for around 15 years now; how has your sound developed over those years- What are some of the differences you find between tracks you wrote, say, in the mid-’90s and those of today-
My sound developed from day one. I like lots of different types of hardcore and try to find the balance of being new and fresh and keeping the dancefloor rocking; the quality of the sound with technology has just moved on and on. I used to have a big analogue studio and now I can sit on the train on my Mac and write some quality beats. Audio has changed the face of music.
What productions are you working on at the moment-
I am working on my commercial singles with All Around the World. I have done the hardcore side of my album and now I am doing a multitude of sounds for its commercial edge. The album will be out next year.
What are your thoughts on the hardcore scene in 2008-
It’s been good. There is always talk of it ending but that conversation has been going on for years. New artists have come through and that is only good for the scene. It will keep changing and moving forward as always, though I do feel that it will be hit by the looking credit crunch and recession as raving is not cheap.
Finally, what have you got in store for us folk in Sydney-
A lot of new album licks that have not even been played before – I have kept so much back and hidden and there are new mixes of most things, hardcore-wise. I’m gonna do some rea-ltime and live stuff, and generally bring out the crazy Sharkey to play. I love Sydney, it’s a cool place.
WHO: MC Sharkey
WHAT: Plays Unity at Sydney Showgrounds
WHEN: Saturday 6 December
MORE: powerhouseproductions.com.au