Once in awhile a DJ comes along that really stands alone at the top of their game based purely on their own merit and achievements. Raw talent, passion, enthusiasm, ability, skill along with an absolute dedication to the craft defines them. Nik Fish is one such artist. He has been at the forefront of the Australian electronic dance music scene for almost 20 years and has been proudly pushing a unique sound that is infectious to say the least. He has recently released his latest double disk compilation album – Black, and is heading to the west for its official launch. Liz Sheehan caught up with Australia’s answer to Hardstyle ahead of his trip to Perth…

So how has the tour been going so far?
Its going really well thanks. So far I’ve launched my new CD in Broome, Brisbane, my hometown Sydney, two clubs in Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra and by the time this goes to press I’ll have been to Melbourne again to do a launch out in the burbs and as bonus played an Old Skool set at "Winter Sound System" which is big Future Entertainment show (but unrelated to my CD launch!)

You’ve been around the scene for almost 20 years, what are your thoughts on the old skool revival that’s happening at the moment?
It’s a great thing for people who used to party in the old skool days and by that I’m referring to the Rave days of the early 90’s but its also a good opportunity for new skool crowds to experience where the roots of what is around today (musically) essentially came from. I mean a lot of Electro for example, samples old skool rave riffs and the like so it’s almost like music has done a full circle. Plus I guess just like the rock revival that’s going on all over the world, there are artists who are probably strapped for cash and it’s a good excuse for them to make some money in their retirement!

How do you feel about ravers who blow whistles out of time at clubs?
That’s something I haven’t heard since the old skool days to be honest! But I do remember some of my trips to the Berlin "Loveparade" between 1999 & 2006, I heard so many whistles out of time and it did do my head in now that I think about it!

Tell me about the first time EVER you played out?
Ok… it was at least a year or more before I actually took up DJing as a hobby let alone a profession, it was 1988 and I was still in high school, I’d bought a double vinyl compilation album with tracks like Sxpress, Pump Up the Jam, Ride On Time and some other Chicago house tunes on it. I went to a club night called Star Chamber with a friend who knew the promoter. We got there early, like 9pm to see the promoter before the gig started. He was stressing because his first DJ called in sick so I said, let me play and I did the first hour from 10 – 11pm and played tracks off just 2 vinyls. I wouldn’t say I was mixing but more blending the tracks together. I had no idea what I was doing but for what it was worth it worked and I guess it gave me a taste of what was to come!

Sublime is the longest running weekly club night in the world, making you the longest serving resident DJ – what’s your secret?
Yes, it’s a strange claim to fame, if it’s true then I should be in the Guinness book of world records! I don’t know anything else besides DJing. I’ve lived it for so long. I don’t stay put in one style for too many years. I’ve always loved the evolution of music and I guess I’m just lucky that the crowds have also stuck with the club and with it, me!

I’m still excited about what I do but I’ve played for so long and done so many gigs in so many places that I’d never have had the chance to go to if it wasn’t for my DJing, places like Seoul, Singapore, Berlin as well as all over Australia. I hope to see more of the world through my playing but there will come a time sooner than later when I'll just ease off the club circuit a bit and still play but maybe not as relentless as I have been.

Music culture is going through a massive change. Festivals have taken crowds from clubs. Clubs are more commercial now than ever and attract crowds that aren’t necessarily so music genre hungry. What I’m saying is some clubs are the new pubs! So I’m keen to see more Harder music festivals like Q-Dance from Holland here in Australia and be a big part of that in the future because that’s the style I play.

You’ve played a few different genres in your time, what attracts you to the harder styles?
The crowds overall love harder beats, it’s as simple as that and I enjoy being the one who entertains that! I’ve always dabbled in Harder dance music as a DJ. In the early 90’s I played UK Hardcore/Breakbeat Rave, I then played some Happyhard but then switched to the Dutch style but never got into Gabba or Hardcore. I liked more the German techno, Hardtrance sound that appeared in mid-90’s and stayed with that German sound right through to 2000. It was in 2000 that the first Hardstyle started to emerge. It was like German Hardtrance mixed with slowed down Dutch Hardcore so it really appealed to me.

Where do you see the genre of Hardstyle in the future electronic dance music?
Hardstyle is the sound of now in terms of the Hard music scene. As I mentioned before, the Q-Dance crew from Holland saw that Australia had a big market for this sound and they’ve based themselves here to bring across their big festival concepts like the upcoming "Defqon1 Festival" in Sydney in September where 15, 000 hard heads will mass together. It’s such a dynamic genre too that makes it different to other specific music genres. There’s the bouncy happier melodic style as well as the aggressive, dark and moody stuff, I think that’s the appeal. It has so many branches that it can’t be pigeon holed or accused as being all sounding the same. I’m here for the long haul with Hardstyle and I’m sure it will evolve into a new style of music in years to come as well.

You’ve supported countless DJ’s at events all over Australia and the world. Which event or DJ support was a standout moment for you?
Event wise it has to be playing atop a float in the 2006 "Berlin Loveparade" with 1.5 million people all around going nuts to 50 other DJ’s atop other 50 other floats. It was an ocean of people from all over the world together in one place for one reason – music! DJ wise, always has and always been a pleasure to DJ alongside and see as a punter – the legend himself – Carl Cox!

Give us your personal review of your new album - Black?
It’s slick, sexy, hard, mysterious, adventurous, happy, dark, sad, moody, uplifting. An all round good music bang for your hard earned buck!

Where would you go first if you had a time machine and why?
Mainstage at "Woodstock" baby in between Hendrix and Joe Cocker’s set – with decks and my whole music collection dropping tunes on hippies dropping brown acid!

What can Perth crowds expect from Nik Fish when you get behind the decks at Rise Nightclub?
I have great regular crowd that comes to see me at Rise all the time. I hope they’re all present for this gig as I’m going to give it an extra special serve of tracks from my new album plus new stuff never before heard by anyone in Perth! If they all bring a friend then it’ll twice as nice!

You’ve just released your album, what’s in store for Nik Fish for the rest of 2009?
You said it there – rest! Nah, no rest for the wicked… I’ve just done a short course in music production and I really learnt a lot so I’m hoping to apply it in the studio and make some tracks. I’ve never done my own track from top to bottom so that’s my goal and should keep me well busy until NYE!

Thank you for allowing me to express myself!

Check out Nik Fish at Rise Nightclub, Friday 19th of June for the launch of his new compilation album - Black!