2006 saw Ben Gold rock the main rooms of The Gallery, in both London and Brighton, Slinky, Vaccine and Seven Sins. On the production front, there’s been just as much action with Ben and Frase aka Frontline receiving full support of their EP in the summer from the likes of PVD, AVB and co. Then there’s his new solo project Roll Cage, which has already been snapped up by John Askew for Flux Delux. 2007 can only get better for this talented 22 year old. Roscosulli can’t wait to get him down to make his ElectronicSessions debut at Hidden on Saturday 17th February...
Hi Ben, so how’s thing’s with you, did you have a good 2006?
Hi Ross. Things are going really well, thank you. Yeah, 2006 was a great year for me in terms of ‘doing the ground work’. I was lucky enough to play at some great clubs and I had some big name jocks support my records throughout the summer; it went a lot better than I hoped!
What would you say best describes the type of sound you’re playing at the moment?
It kind of depends where I’m playing, how long for, who I’m on after, who is on after me etc but in a nutshell, I’m playing the driving end of trance, trance with bollox if you like. I don’t want to pigeon hole myself to much. My next single to be released is on Flux Delux this April is a big trancer, but I’ve just finished more of a tech-trance influenced track. Anything that is good music goes into my CD wallet.
What do you think in general with the scene here in UK, and in London for that matter?
Yes I do think we have a very strong scene here in the UK. We’ve had some great talent breaking through over the last few years and especially with the software to write music being so easily accessible, and the quality of the sounds now available in VSTs, it’s not surprising that so many producers are trying to get recognised, and get their stamp on the map.
I think London only has one weekly trance night to shout about, and that’s The Gallery, Turnmills. As a lot of trance events, and hard dance events for that matter have found out, to hold down a weekly and successful night in London is hard work. One of the main reasons for this is I think, is because the same DJs were being found in London far too often. If you missed your favorite DJ one month, you know he/she will be back next month, possibly within the next couple of weeks. Vaccine, for me, is by far the best monthly trance party in London, with solid line-ups, great musical structure and two so down to earth promoters. With Peach coming back at Heaven four times a year, and ElectronicSessions holding four big budget line-ups a year, you don’t have to go to same venue all year round for decent trance music.
Do you get to go out clubbing much and what DJs do you really admire?
I wouldn’t say clubbing, more going out and socialising. It’s really hard to go to a club you have played when you’re not playing and ‘club’.
But to say I don’t like going out would be the biggest lie of this year! Abel Ramos was really impressive early on this year.
Outside London you’re making a name for yourself as well. What are some the highlights from your UK gigs in 2006 and 2007?
I had quite a busy DJ schedule over the summer in 2006, mainly being stand-in resident for 6 weeks at Seven Sins at the Honey Club in Brighton. It has a great atmosphere, even at 5am in the morning (which was when I normally played, 3–5). It was a shame when I stopped playing so regularly, but Adam H, their resident, came back from a long holiday and wanted his gig back.
The main room at Slinky back in March was excellent. The night I played was the day before the PVD gig at the BIC in Bournemouth, and what I wasn’t aware of, was that if you had a BIC ticket, you got into Slinky for free, so I walked in at 11.30 to a packed Opera House. It was a really enjoyable gig, I’m so glad I was able to play it before Slinky moved venue!
What is the best club you have ever played and why?
I’ve got two, the first one being Peach, for a few reasons. Obviously it was my Dad’s night and for him to have faith in me to play the main room of Camden Palace when I’d just turned 18 was one of the best DJing experiences I think I’ll ever have. I also had some great friends there supporting me, and after going to Peach most Fridays for a year, it meant more than just an hour and half DJ set if you know what I mean. It felt like I had done it a million times before.
The second one, and more recently was The Gallery @ Turnmills in the main room, for kinda similar reasons really. I have been going to theGallery for the best part of a year and a half now, so again it was like I felt playing at home, which helped tackle any nerves I had! I was able to feel relaxed and enjoy both of these gigs to the full.
What football team do you support?
Born and bread Watford!
Were you surprised by the success of your Frontline Tracks? And is there much production work coming up for Frontline?
The Frontline project was something that just fell into place. I spoke to Frase about a month before we got in the studio and suggested maybe we worked on a project together. So we arranged a date and I went up to Coventry for the weekend (where Frase is based). To say we sat down, worked long hours in front of the studio would be a massive fucking lie... We got the beers out, then the vodka. We had a few ideas but not many, but as I said, it just fell into place. All we had was the lead-line (‘Surface To Air’ was the first track that we wrote) and we just took each hour as it came.
It was more of the same when we did ‘Global System’. ‘Surface To Air’ had already been signed by John Askew and Chris Hampshire for Flux Delux, so ‘Global System’ was only ever intended as a B-side. We both thought ‘Surface To Air’ was by far the stronger track of the two, so when we heard that Armin had played ‘Global System’ on his ASOT radio show, we were both kinda very surprised. Throughout the summer, Armin played it at almost every one of his gigs and Matt Hardwick featured it on his ‘Live As Fuck’ album, which he recorded live from Passion, Coalville. With PVD and Eddie supporting ‘Surface To Air’, we were more than happy with the success of the first Frontline EP!
We have a weekend early on in March set to start work on the follow up. Expect something different this time round though.
Who are your biggest influences production wise?
Paul Van Dyk, Ferry Corsten and John Askew are three big influences when I’m in the studio — all for different reasons of course.
When you first started out, you were called BJammin. Where did you get that idea from? And what made you change it?
Basically, I started out when I was 15. I occasionally knocked out a few mix CDs every now again, and passed one on to Sally Harris, the promoter of a night that used to run in Tourquay called The Monastery. She was a good friend of my Dad’s so I was able to give her a copy. I really really thought nothing of it. I was coming up to 16 and Sally got in touch with my Dad asking if he fancied doing a back-2-back over the summer with me. Luckily, he agreed. But... I had never played anywhere before so had no real reason to get a DJ name. I wanted to stay away from Gold, as I always felt I had something extra to prove to people. I definitely had no intention of tagging onto my Dad’s success. So BJammin is a simple cut down version of my full name, Benjamin. Sally agreed on this so that’s how it started.
When I hit 19, my musical taste was changing. I felt I had done enough locally to prove I’m not riding on the back of my Dad’s success and to be honest, I hated that name. I knew I wanted to have a career in the music business, and I always thought to myself, ‘Would I book someone called Bjammin’? It might have worked in hard dance, but no way in trance, well I don’t think so. Ben Gold was kind of the only option really. I discussed it with a few people and it seemed to go down well so…
Restaurant or take away?
Restaurant for sure!
Take us through a day in the life of Ben Gold?
OK, I get to the studio at 9am. There is always something to do, whether it be an engineering job, or working with a guy called Kev. We form the funky house act called ‘Groovecutter’. It is a joint project, I do the engineering for it, and Kev comes to the table with most of the ideas, and then we both work on it together.
We have done a couple of high profile mixes for DATA, but were mainly focusing on original material. I leave that studio about 5.30 and I’m home within a 20 minute walk. Then I lock myself away about 7 in my studio, which is in my bedroom at home, and normally work there till about 11pm-ish, mainly working on original material for Ben Gold. I occasionally do the odd remix, but it’s the original stuff that will break me, hopefully!
So what new material have you been working on that we can look forward to?
I’ve just had the first ‘Ben Gold single signed to Flux Delux, for a release in early April I think. The track is called ‘Roll Cage’, and you can check out a sample of it at www.myspace.com/bengoldonline. I have also just completed the follow up to ‘Roll Cage’, titled ‘Ten-4’. I haven’t sent this out to any labels yet, as I obviously can’t let it clash with the release of ‘Roll Cage’.
On the remix front, I remixed Nimmer & Beyer’s ‘Unconditional’ for Mondo which came out late last year. Also my remix of Alex M.O.R.P.H’s new single, ‘I.L.T’ is forth coming on Fenolgy Records very soon.
How did you get your first big break DJing?
It would have to be Peach. I got the gig through my Dad and Kate, they knew I had a passion for it, and they knew that I wanted to play Peach after the first time I ever went on my 17th birthday.
Your dad Graham is a living legend in the trance scene, is it hard trying to live up to your Dad’s reputation, or do you think you have shaken off that tag?
I like to think I was never labeled up in the first place, and that I wasn’t judged till people saw me play, but I knew deep down that wasn’t the case. That’s one of the reasons that I got into production at 16. I knew the likes of Ferry were exploding with System F and also knew he was a great DJ. Producing wasn’t a requirement to make it as a DJ when my Dad was in his prime, but I was advised that it was something that was going to be essential in the years to come, Luckily, I got on with producing like a house on fire. So I think I had something to bring to the table, apart from being Graham’s son!
What would you say is your biggest track to date? And how much of a buzz do you get when you hear someone like Armin dropping your track?
My biggest track to date is either the Frontline EP or my bootleg remix of Primer’s ‘Everlast’, both in 2006. The Frontline EP was obviously all official so I suppose this was the bigger project out of the two, but I do still receive emails and Myspace requests for the Primer remix. Unfortunately, Bonzai knocked it back and don’t plan to use it for a re-release. They asked me to not send out the track any more, luckily, my entire DJ contact list had already got it, so it managed to get a bit more support.
The buzz is incredible. Hearing it on the radio and hearing it in a club is kind of the same. When Jules on Radio 1 plays it, or Armin on ASOT, or Above & Beyond on TATW, you know that there are always quite a few people tuned in, and the tracklist from these shows are often discussed on various message boards, so you’ll able to see what other people thought.
Hearing it in a club is great because it’s sooooo loud. You really get to hear the dynamics of a track standing on the dance floor. And of course, seeing the crowd reaction. Armin played Frontline — Global System at the SW4 after party to a full capacity Brixton Academy last summer. To see that many people with their hands in the air, the lasers going etc. is something I can’t really describe. And to see Armin play your lead-line that you have written with your own hands is also very special.
Give us three words to describe your music?
Trance with bollox!!
We are really pleased to get you down for your debut at ES on our birthday. Are you looking forward to your set? What can we expect?
Yes, I look forward to all my sets. I will be road testing some of my new material for sure!
What do you know about ES already?
I know it’s a promotion that’s run by a small group of guys who know their music and wanted to try something different. They are not in it for the glory but instead, they are in it to throw parties to an intelligent, clued up trance crowd!
If you were deserted on an island, what three things would you choose to take with you?
My studio, a lifetime supply of beer and most probably my girlfriend.
Photos courtesy of Ben Gold. Not to be reproduced without permission.
Well it’s one year on, and what can we say! In 2006 we’ve witnessed the absolutely immense atmospheres at the boat parties, with that of the 2nd of the two still fresh in our minds thanks to awesome sets from headliners Futureshock and Menno De Jong. Over the course of the year we’ve also had the likes of Andy Moor, John Askew, Lange, Gareth Emery, John O’Callaghan, Greg Downey and Ashley Casselle gracing the decks to name but a few, showcasing the best in trance, progressive, house and techno across 6 very special Saturday nights. So what better than to celebrate our 1 year anniversary with a line up that is literally second to none, kicking off 2007 for ES in style…
Headlining our Trance Room we are proud to announce Matt Hardwick, one of the pioneers of the UK trance scene this decade who has been constantly amongst the top 100 DJs in the world for the past 7 years! We’re really pleased to get Matt down for his ES debut!
Joining Matt will be Alex Morph, who churned out many of the biggest trance anthems we heard rocking dance floors in 2006 and has really been making a name for himself. You can find his productions on the play lists of all the top trance jocks in the scene, as well as having his name scattered across compilations from the likes of Gatecrasher, Ministry Of Sound and A State Of Trance with high-profile gigs at events such as Mysteryland, Trance Energy & Nature One.
Our third guest is another from foreign shores – Niklas Harding has had an absolutely massive 2006, rocketing from nowhere to play at all of the UK’s top nights including Gatecrasher, Slinky and Inside Out, as well making his debut in London for the Vaccine boys. Niklas has also just finished doing a mix for our first ES podcast, which we strongly recommend you check out – electro, prog and tech-fuelled trance at its finest… do not miss this guy in action!
Joining these 3 special guests we have our renowned resident – Mr Andy Bagguley, who has proven is consistent quality time after time. Andy will be followed up by favourites Ben Gold and John Bentley, who we are proud to showcase as two of London’s finest up and coming DJs.
2006 saw Ben Gold rock the mainrooms of The Gallery, in both London and Brighton, Slinky, Vaccine and Seven Sins. On the production front, this has seen just as much
action with Ben and Frase aka Frontline receiving full support of their EP in the summer by the likes of PVD, AVB and CO, alongside his new solo project Roll Cage which has already been snapped up by John Askew for Flux Delux. 2007 can only get better for this very much talented 22 year old!.
John Bentley has come from knowhere to really get noticed on the scene in London. Having won the Gallery Dj comp earlier in the year, he can now boost regular slots at Turnmills as well as the Honey Club where he recently finished off from Above and Beyond!
ES podcast host Stu Cox will be finishing off the night in style, with a unique 3-deck trance classics extravaganza – definitely not one to be missed!
We are very proud to announce our 2nd main room for this special occasion will be in association with legendary house pioneers Stripped, one of the most respected underground house nights in London who will be playing a key role in making this a night to remember. More info about Stripped can be found at www.strippedlondon.moonfruit.com.
Headlining will be techno legend Phil Kieran, standing at 34th place in the DJ Mag Top 100 poll for 2006 – this guy is really on fire at the moment! To date, his seven year production career has unleashed over 60 singles and remixes on labels including Novamute, PIAS, Skint Records, and Soma Quality Recordings. Expect to see Phil close the night in style with his diverse mixture of techno and minimal sounds that have seen him taking his DJ sets onto totally new levels.
Dutch DJ Montana will be playing just as much as a key fixture in this room. His live sets consist of rhythmic grinding tech house and funky techno with plenty of energy and diversity. Having played Slinky many a time this year alongside Inside Out and Cream, this guy certainly knows how to rock the biggest and the best. We can’t wait to get him down to ES!
Warming up for Montana will be our ever trustworthy resident Chris Salt. Chris has played all over the world and anyone who comes to ES regularly will agree there isn’t a better DJ around to build the night and atmosphere perfectly with his mixture of progressive house and tech sounds.
Finally, hosting the middle room will be London-based house night Sub-Mission. These guys certainly know how to party, hosting rooms at some of the finest parties across London as well as holding their own events at some of the most established venues in town including the Jamm in Brixton and the EP Lounge. We’re delighted to bring the Queen of funky electro house herself Lizzie Curious down from Cheltenham to play for the sub-mission boys, plus expect all things pumping, electro, dirty, funky and uplifting with the Sub-Mission residents and ES favourite Tom Harwood!
More details from Sub-Mission events and info on the boys can be found at http://www.sub-mission-uk.com/
From: Digital Don 9th Feb 2007 08:21.15 wicked gezzer
From: dave_irvineon 9th Feb 2007 09:46.05 Nice interview Ben.
From: Lee Osborneon 9th Feb 2007 10:17.06 Nice one Ben! Loving Ten-4......
From: Beckaon 9th Feb 2007 11:16.43 Ha ha Dave love that picture of you and koto Ben in the background!
From: Alan-Bankson 9th Feb 2007 11:54.01 yeah nice interview
looking forward to ES as always
From: K.A.R.L.on 9th Feb 2007 11:58.03 Wicked interview from one of the scenes real rising stars.
Good work Ben.
From: pkon 9th Feb 2007 12:26.45 nice interview, and interesting too!
it's only a matter of time before Ben gets in the top 20 of the DJ poll.
Glad I booked him to play at Pacha out here while I can still afford him!!! :P
From: Beckaon 9th Feb 2007 13:59.30 and me! lol :-0
From: Andy Dunfordon 9th Feb 2007 14:08.19 Pretty good description of ES by the sounds of it.
I've liked all of Ben's sets every time I've heard him, someone who isn't scared to just get on with it and give the crowd what they want to hear.
The last set he did at the Gallery recently was one of the best last sets I've heard there.
From: theviceroyon 9th Feb 2007 14:23.00 top lad first and foremost, secondly quite simply one of the best producers and djs for me in trance, his tunes are always in my wallet and his sets are some of the best weve ever had at vaccine, the futures bright the future may very well be ....Gold
From: Frase.org.ukon 9th Feb 2007 14:54.12 Ben is one of the very few in the UK thats emerging with huge undeniable talent on both the producing & the DJ'ing.
2007 will be a golden year for the lad!
From: Alex Buckon 10th Feb 2007 15:25.08 Keep the tunes coming Ben - all have been spot on so far. Global System was one of my tunes of 2006
From: Mike Harrison 12th Feb 2007 00:06.20 Looking forward to your set Ben, see ya there mate!
From: Lizzie Curiouson 12th Feb 2007 12:58.57 Nice read - see ya there!
From: sullivanon 12th Feb 2007 21:38.36 Looking forward for u playing for us Mr Gold
From: James Terryon 13th Feb 2007 12:44.18 love this guys productions. Nice read, roll on saturday!!
From: BenGoldon 13th Feb 2007 14:11.46 Thanks for all your comments.
Really looking forward to Saturday! Got alot of new material to play!
See ya down the front!
From: roscosullion 16th Feb 2007 16:40.40 1 day to go folks, bring it on!
All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by
their respective companies. All other content is (c) 2001-2025 HarderFaster.
![[HarderFaster] - Work Hard, Play Harder!](/images/mainbanner_top1.gif)
