*Hard House DJ...FERGIE...BBC Radio One Interview*

[shadowchaser]

Fergie has just had the biggest year of his life. In a year that saw hard house pummel trance into second place on the nation's dancefloors, Fergie has been at the forefront with his trademark hard house sound. We caught up with the new pin-up DJ and chatted to him about the year 2000.

What a year it has been for you. What were your expectations when you moved over to England to be a DJ?

I always knew I wanted to be a DJ and always thought I'd do well, but I never thought I would do as well as I have done this year. It has been a great year for me and the magazines have really got behind me this year. I knew that I would succeed after I made my leap across the pond but I never imagined it would get to the level it has got.

If you hadn't made that move what do you think you'd be doing now?

Well I think I'd still be DJing because I was DJing before I moved over and I was doing OK. I just think I had a good helping hand and that speeded things up for me. I got the chance sooner than I though I would and it was a chance I never dreamed of having.

When did you realise that you were as big as you are?

I do get recognised but I don't look at myself as though I'm someone really fabulous. I think of myself as just a bit of a bloke like everyone else. Everyone likes a bit of attention but DJing isn't the glamorous life you think it is.

Hard house has had its best year ever. Are you claiming any of the credit for that?

I'm going to claim a bit of credit for it. Hard house now is getting a bit to fast but I'm playing the same speed that I've always been playing. I think hard house is bordering on the happy hardcore vibe now and old hardcore samples are being used. The quality of the music is being lost and half the stuff I get sent now is just Fisher Price music. I won't play it because that wouldn't be being true to myself. People talk about Tony De Vit as being the hard house don but if he were alive he wouldn't be playing half the stuff that is around today.

Do you think hard house would ever made it to the big straight clubs if it hadn't been for the work of Tony De Vit in the mid nineties?

I don't think it would have, no. He was one of the best people for making the sound crossover. There have been other DJs that have played in straight clubs like Steve Thomas and Alan Thompson and they have been great at getting the vibe from the gay scene into the straight clubs.

Apart from in the UK, where do you get the best reception?

Israel, Australia and South Africa. I haven't been to America this year but I'm doing a lot of stuff out there with Gods Kitchen next year.

Which up and coming DJs have caught your attention in the last 12 months?

Alan Thompson and a very different DJ, who might be a surprise choice from me, Seamus Haji from Defected. He has a monthly residency from Code. Danny Howells and Steve Lawler. I went to Steve's night a few weeks ago and it was the first progressive night I had been to. The buzz in there was just unreal. I went into the DJ box and absorbed the atmosphere for a bit and it was just something different.

What has been the best gig you have played this year?

I would say it is probably the first time I played Inside Out at the Arches in Glasgow. That was something special. I'm going to be doing a bi-monthly residency for them next year.

What has been the biggest tune in your box this year?

It must be Zombie Nation or 'Time to Burn'. Even though they are trance/hard house crossovers they were massive for nearly every DJ out there. They helped trance and hard house come together.

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