(Keeping It) Ed Real- Turnmills, Tidy & Dodging the Fuzz

Skrufff:

Ed Real: "I'm playing at Magma in Sheffield for Tidy Trax for the first time. For the last 18 months I've been playing all the Tidy events, from the Weekender to theit Tidy London parties and this is the first time I've been around to play their Magma event in Sheffield. It's one of the last big raves in the UK with about five thousand people and I find playing those sorts of events a real buzz. I'm also doing the Extreme Euphoria event at Turnmills on September 25, which is another favourite of mine. That ties in with the release of the next Extreme Euphoria compilation CD which has been mixed by my partner in Riot Recordings, BK. Turnmills is a great place to play because from a DJ's perspective it has one of the best set-ups, being that classic black box room that you can't fail to get a great vibe going in."

Skrufff: Magma's in Sheffield, Turnmills in London, do you notice much difference between northern clubbers and those in the south-

Ed Real: "Yes (chuckling) to me the northern vibe is encapsulated by the Tidy weekender events, they do a 3 day non stop shindig at Pontins (Holiday camp) in Prestatyn, in North Wales and really you get to see the full on Northern experience. And those guys are fucking hardcore, they really are. In London, you have the opportunity to rave from Thursday night right through until Monday lunchtime without a break but up North it still seems to be centred around that classic Saturday night experience. Everybody seems to live for the Saturday night big event, they dress up and really go mad in a way that it quite full on if you've not experienced it before. They're crazy, they're friendly, Northern people are much more likely to come up and chat to you and really show their appreciation. From a performer's point of view it's instant gratification."

Skrufff: And Turnmills-

Ed Real: "Turnmills is the archetypal London rave pit, obviously the venue has been pumping it out for 15 years now so the clientele you get there are pretty well versed in the art of having it right off. The intimate atmosphere in that main room is amazing, the decks are really close to the crowd and you get people leaning over to shake your hand, and you can just look out at a sea of arms reaching up through the green laser. Being in that enclosed DJ booth allows you to really concentrate on getting the tunes absolutely right, getting the mixes long and flowing and really being able to perform to your utmost ability. It's different from doing the bigger events where you're up on a stage often 20/ 30 feet away from the crowd. It's amazing because you've got the best view of anyone in the arena, but at the same time you're slightly removed from the crowd. Whilst the experience is mental it's mental for different reasons."

Skrufff: Do you ever get stage fright-

Ed Real: "No, though with the bigger events I like to have a quiet moment before I get on the decks. As a DJ I like to party and get in the thick of things but quite often I'l step away 30 minutes beforehand just to collect my thoughts. As soon as you step up to the plate, it's something else. I played Dance Valley several weeks ago and our arena had about 15,000 people in; it was outdoors and was by far the largest crowd I'd ever played before. As soon as you step up and you've got your first record on, you're really focused and that's what you're there to do. Touch wood, I've not bottled it, it's about focusing on the records and showing the crowd that you're having the time of your life, because that's what they feed on."


Skrufff: Have you any DJ disasters-

Ed Real: "I've had all sorts happening, particularly at some of the larger raves though not the tried and tested events like Dance Valley or Creamfields more the one off festival experiences. Sometimes you'll get a bunch of cowboys doing the sound and lights or you'll get a stage set up that's wobbly with girls gyrating on stage, vibing up the crowd but also making you're nee Tags

• Skrufff