Quirk
The Quirk Interview

1. What were your major influences that got you started with electronic music?
M: Slim Gaillard, Frank Zappa, Hawkwind, Mad Professor, Front 242, Yello & Mental Cube to name a few....
T: Studying for a degree in hedonism

2. How would you describe electronic psychedelic cyberorganism?
T: Badly
M: In this age of morphing multi-media meltdowns, the frontiers between art, science, mysticism, hedonism, creativity and opportunism are constantly shifting and blurring. The division of labour is not what it used to be, so when artist/engineer/performer types get together with their computers to produce boundary-bulging statements in the form of digital sound & light plus just good ol' organic behaviour.........that's a good excuse for a name like "EPC". Or, as a visionary poet once said, "There's a very thin line between clever and stupid"

3. Can you tell us about Return to the Source and your involvement?
M: The Source started in the Summer of '94 shortly after I met Chris Dekker in London. I was filling in for Tsuyoshi at a Prana gig in a small London club, called "The Dome". At that time Chris was playing percussion for Prana as well as his own 'Medicine drum' project. Before the gig, we got talking about how London was ready for the Psy-Trance party thing to go a bit more overground and agreed that we should do a night together. With Chris' artistic vision, myself as resident DJ and the Dome promoters, Phil & Janice an excellent partnership was formed. By combining the best cutting edge psychedelic dance music with a beautiful decor and the support of the London Trance Party People, something special came to Club land. The club is still successfully running at the original venue, The Rocket. As far as the Club goes, I personally, have decided to take more of a back seat this year. There are only so many hours in a day and with my intense DJing schedule around the world and an equally strong passion to create Quirky music, I am trusting the residency and day to day running of the club to a new team of talented and enthusiastic people. I will continue to DJ at some RTTS events, but I will be focusing on writing music and pushing for a progressive sound.

4. What are your favourite records of 1998?
M: Slide/ Confusional State , ConeHeads/Infatuation, Earth Nation/'Ear 'Dis , Snake Thing/Blizzard of Oooze, Propellerheads/Bang On

T: Sneaker Pimps - Spin Spin Sugar (Armand van Helden Rmx)

5: What are your recommendations so far this year?
T: Cassius - 1999, Mr. Oizot - Flat Beat, oh and this epic second album by a band called Quirk.
M: Funkopath, Syncopath, Saiko-Pods, Psychopods, Phully Fishin, Supercollider, Cypher, oh..an zis crezzy band zay call Qweerk. It's ze nu fonky space Glam tekno sound.

5. Have you ever played with the idea of remixing an artist, and if so who?
T: We've done some remixes and some bootlegs - which we can't mention. We officially remixed Astralasia's "One Fine Day" last year, which was a good giggle, and we also did a remix for Krembo Records of an old trance tune "The X-file", which we liked so much we had to include it on our new album.
Recently we have been asked to remix a tune by The Sluts, an all-girl German rock band - a bit like L7... we've got a project based loosely around a famous UK Police TV drama >from the late seventies in the cauldron at the moment. Watch this space...
M: Have we ? You never told me about.... oh yeah, that one. Played with it ? Don't forget our remix of Uber Tmar's "Eternal Return". I believe the huge guitar sample was stolen from Napalm Death, so you could call it a reremix.

6. Where do you see the future of electronic trance music going?
T: To Oolambatur, via Tonga - stopping for 5 days in Bangkok for R&R, then after a surprise "tell-all" scandalous appearance on the Jerry Springer show, it will disappear from public life. Secretly, it will retire to Carpentaria, CA and live happily ever after in a mobile home as a complete recluse... More immediately it will be coming with us to Bali 2000 for the Millennium Party.
M: The Bali bit was true. Progressive Electronic Psychedelic Sounds (or PEPs, as we like to call them) will no longer exist after this financial year. So if you want to beat the budget, you should place your order for Quirk's new album : "QUALITY CONTROL" with Matsuri Productions before April 5th. After this date, we can not be held responsible for the proliferation of media nomenclaturitis which will sweep through the music press like a plague of locusts. This will be the only possible response to a quaquaversal explosion of grooves, themes, atmospheres and HUMOUR from all self-respecting electronic music producers. And if anyone reading this is writing funky, groovy, Space Glam Trance Techno and would like me to play it, please send it to me at :

Mark Allen
PO Box 3118
Brighton
BN2 2HS

7. What was your main impression of the Winter Music Conference?
M: Our first night in Miami was celebrated with a spectacular "Love Boat" sushi dish. The waitron looked at us and telepathically knew which dish we wanted, BEFORE WE DID. Isn't that incredible ?
T: I found a spectacularly cool pair of vintage Raybans that make me look like Cyclops from the X-men (picture Grand Master Flash in 1984 - It's like a jungle sometimes...). I enjoyed making lots of great new friends at the raunchy salsa club down a side-street near my hotel

8. How are you?
M: Refreshing, vibrant and just a little bit cheeky.
T: A little mixed up. Funky, but with a dash of tequila. Everyone has a button, I will let you press mine, if you let me press yours.