What’s in Fergie’s DJ box?

What’s in Fergie’s DJ box?

2 September, 2009 | 5.01AM

• Written by: Zack Rico
• Filed under: Music News: dj box, excentric musik

What does the goldenboy of a movement, long forgotten, do after the hype, legacy, and teenage dreams have faded?

For Fergie, the once celebrated prince of hardhouse, who played his first club aged 14 as he stood on a milk crate, who exhausted Ireland’s club scene by the age 16, led a British youth movement, graced magazine covers, entertained millions with a weekly show on BBC Radio 1, and toured the world, it was time to start over.

Robert Ferguson was the very definition of UK hard house - brash, confident and full of endless energy - and at the peak of the sound’s popularity in 2000, he was one of the biggest DJs on the planet. Now Fergie has slowly built himself a new profile, via his solo productions that are firmly in techno territory, and around his label Excentric Muzik which has grown to become a respected stable for dark club music.

“Before there was loads of drinking and excess, and not a lot of thinking about direction,” says Fergie, of his former days as a DJ hellraiser. Even though he’s on the end of a phone, you can sense the cheeky smirk, the fat grin, of this lovable Irish rogue.

“Now I’m just trying to spread the word, you know? People still have flashbacks about my hardhouse days so it has not been easy. For years it was hard for me to even get on the same line-up as the DJs I wanted to, as a lot of them didn’t want to be associated with me, which is fair enough.”

So Fergie went back to basics, and began handing out demo CDs to promoters again like he was an aspiring bedroom DJ, vying for a opening slot.

“I always wanted to play at Shine in Belfast and I kept hassling the guys, but they didn’t think that I was there yet musically, so I had to keep giving them mixes,” says Ferguson. “And the Slam guys too. I kept going over to their Pressure club nights and giving them mixes. At first they were apprehensive, but once they started playing my tracks, it was easier. I’ve played there a few times now, and it’s been a really long but worthwhile process.”

Playing abroad helped, as there was less stigma attached to the Fergie name, so he was able to play the music he wanted to, to crowds not looking to relive the bounce and hoovers of hardhouse’s glory days.

Long studio slogs also paved the way back to clubland’s centre stage. “When Sasha and Digweed charted one of my tracks for their North American tour that helped a lot,” says Fergie. “I’ve been getting more and more techy, but I’ve still got that harder edge that people know me for. I’m working on an album right now, and Excentric is going great. Over the past couple of years more and more DJs have been getting behind the label.”

Richie Hawtin, Dubfire, Laurent Garnier, Luciano, James Lavelle and others have been supporting Fergie’s recent releases, and with a massive new remix of Slam’s classic techno track ‘Positive Education’ having just dropped, Fergie’s hard work, it seems, has paid off.

With that in mind, we decided to peek inside Fergie’s record box to see where he’s at now musically, for behind every great musical evolution are special records that defined it.

Favorite set opener?

Reset Robot ‘Do The Slot’

I’m a massive fan of Reset Robot aka Dave Robertson and I have been working with him in the studio for the past three years. His style is very different from everything that is out there, and he has some groove on him! Definitely one to watch, with a collaboration forthcoming with Christian Smith on Excentric Muzik.

He also has an EP coming on SCI+TEC in December, it’s all good.

Secret weapon only you have a copy of?

Fergie ‘Motion’ [Excentric Muzik]

This is going to be a track on my forthcoming debut album, and it’s a bit more laid back than my normal sound. I have been playing it quite early on in my sets and it seems to be working quite well so maybe we will see more of a softer side of me next year.

Trippiest record?

Moby ‘Thousand’

I remember this from the first rave I went to back home in N. Ireland. It was 1993, I was 13, and Carl Cox played this at the Ulster Hall. I remember it freaking me right out or maybe that was the trips and speed.

Top night anyway and I’ve never been the same since.

Killer vocal track?

Joe Smooth ‘Promised Land’ [Clearwater]

This record was well before my time but I remember it when I was growing up and mitching off school in my local record shop. It’s a classic.

Bassline weapon?

Leftfield ‘Phat Planet’

This has to be the ultimate bassline track. I played this a few weeks ago at the Sunrise festival in Poland and it’s head melting stuff.

The record that will never leave your box as long as you live?

Agoria ‘La 11Eme Marche’ (Phil Kieran Remix) [PIAS]

This track still sounds fresh! I’m a big fan of Phil Kieran and have been for many years. He he has been one of the most consistent producers. This remix is one of his best And it never fails - a true bomb..

Your current set highlight?

Slam ‘Positive Education’ (Fergie’s Just For Pressure Mix) [Soma]

Every one knows this classic. I remember when I first got this, it was very different from everything else I was playing at the time but it just grabbed me.

It is a record that defines the early 90s when I had just started DJing so it was a very exciting time for me. When I got the chance to remix it, I couldn’t believe it.

I tried to keep it as close to the original as possible, by keeping the same breakdown and I used all the old snares and drums which helped keep some of its old feel.

You will never match the original but it was great to have a go at putting my twist on it.

Oldie that everyone else has probably forgotten?

The Sabres Of Paradise ‘Smoke Belch II’ (David Holmes Mix)

I don’t think this is a track everyone has forgotten or will ever forget. I hadn’t heard it for years and I was at a party in Jon Carter’s house a few weeks ago and he got the turntables all set up and we were going through all his old records, picking some, and running into his front room where we had the decks set up.

This was one of the tracks he dug out. Pure gold!

One more tune of the night finisher?

Trancesetters ‘The Search (Armand’s Pu-Tang mix)

I loved this track when I first got it, and I still do. It was the Armand Van Helden mix that was the rocket - Armand’s Pu-Tang Mix to be exact - and I have been lucky enough to have a new mix of this that I’ve been hammering for the past month. It comes courtesy of Mr. Christian Smith and true to form, it’s an absolute banger. Very big indeed, a must have! I think it will come out on his Tronic label later in the year. I’m a lucky boy for now.

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