Who were your early heroes when you were first getting into electronic music?
There were Carl Cox and Lenny Dee.
You’ve lived in quite a few different countries over the years. Where did you start and where did you spend time before coming to live in the UK?
It all started in Paris, where I was living at the time. After seeing Carl Cox playing at the first Techno Parade, I wanted to know more about spinning records. So, I met this friend of a friend, who had decks and was playing out already on some big events. I only saw him playing at his place (early techno and hip-hop styles). That was enough to get hooked to those 1210s, dreaming about them, making plans to have my own ones, and, in the meantime, seeking the first occasion to go to a friend’s place, just to touch them.
After that, I went to live in Geneva (Switzerland), where I could rent a studio with decks to be used. Heaven on earth!
What were the party scenes like in these other countries?
In France, I wasn’t into it; I just simply didn’t know, and when I knew about it; I didn’t really want to go, I guess that I was a bit afraid of it. The way my friends were talking about it, it was a bit ‘hardcore’ for me. I was just simply not into it, the music, yes, but that was it. But talking to my friends, the ‘underground’ party scene was booming and quite hardcore, in every sense… (it was in ‘95-‘97)
Funny enough, when I moved in Geneva (‘97), I was looking for those parties. Maybe because I was on my own, not meeting people who were into the music that I newly discovered. But the party scene was elsewhere, at the time: Zurich, I think. I can recall the flyers, they were all in German. But, too far from my place, I couldn’t go.
When did you first start getting involved in the squat party scene?
I arrived here in ‘98. Going to some fantastic squat parties. If I remember well, I’ve started playing there towards the end of that year.
What’s the most impressive squat party you’ve ever been to?
That’s a hard one. Some places were so big, with so many sound systems that you could lose yourself (I did and without drugs !)- Like in Hackney Wick.
And what was the most legendary squat that you’ve attended in your times?
Following my previous answer, some squats were bigger than others, yes, but the most important thing was/is the vibe, that you can recall for the rest of your life… Few places in Hackney Wick, the Waterloo round about, Paddington (the ship lookalike building) and Bow Row.
What are your feeling vis-à-vis the authorities rights to close party?
Well, it’s true that sometimes, the party is not far from houses or flats, where people are trying to sleep; or even if it’s not that close, the sound (the bass) travels quite far, disturbing those people…
Do they behave in a reasonable manner in your experience or have you seen them being heavy handed?
Unlike France, here, the police is really reasonable.
How do your 3 and 4 decks set work?
When you can put 2 records on time, and making staying that way for a while, the third deck is a logical process, if you like to challenge yourself.
Then, when you can make 3 records sounding good, well a fourth one is just a matter of keeping the intensity and the energy, and showing off. You/I don’t have to have 4 records playing all the time together (well, that’s what I think) but it’s just nice to show off sometimes…hehehe….
Doesn’t it all get a bit too complicated?
Yes, if the sound setup is not perfect (monitoring, jumping decks etc…)
When did schranz come into existence and what does the word “schranz” even mean?
According to my sources, this style came into life in the late 90s, with Chris Liebing giving that name to this style of Techno (dark and with some distortion effects). Apparently, that name is the association of 2 Germen verbs: shreien (scream) and tanzen (dance). Nowadays, Schranz is a faster Techno. About 150bpm till about 160 bpm, but, then again, it could be a bit slower, and a bit faster too (usually fast!).
Have you been surprised that schranz has been crossing over in drip and drabs to the hard dance scene?
Oooh yes !! Hehehe….
What do you still want to achieve in your career?
Hmmm… I would love to see one of my track taken for a Hollywood blockbuster…. Am I dreaming?
You are playing at a very eclectic night in London on May 5th – A Different World presents Inside Out at Hidden in Vauxhall. Do you relish the chance to play at events which are not so dedicated to techno?
Those events are the hardest for me. I don’t know the crowd, not knowing it, I don’t know what they expect to hear (funky, tribal, hard, fast, slow, deep, obvious, mental, happy?) With those events, that I don’t play a lot for the previous reasons, I have to take at least 3 times the amount of records that I would usually take. Playing for a crowd that you ‘know’, is ‘easy’; you know what to bring. Playing for events like yours, is a challenge, and I like challenges…heheheh !
What can we expect from your set – in 5 words?
Nothing but quality underground techno.
Jess Amadeus plays at A Different World presents Inside Out @ Hidden on Saturday 5th May in London. Click the following link for more details: http://www.adifferentworld.co.uk
