The title of his latest album release and the motto he lives by, Steve Hill is one of forefathers of hard trance in Australia.  Well, OK, technically he’s a Kiwi, seeing that he was born in New Zealand and it was in London that he established himself as a major player on the dance music scene but he lives, DJs and creates in Sydney so as far as we’re concerned Steve Hill is 100% Aussie.  Marsha Tang had a little chat with Steve to see what other milestones he’s achieved in his career that we could claim as our own.

“First I was a DJ. I’ve loved music ever since I can remember and have been a DJ since I was 20.  Then in 1998, an opportunity came along for me to start producing when I was in London.  The first record I made sold nearly 30,000 copies so I’ve kept making records ever since.”

Steve often collaborates on tracks with multiple UK Hard Dance Award winner, Technikal (Alf Bamford), in what is arguably the most successful partnership in dance music production.

“A friend of mine and fellow Frantic resident at the time, Spencer Freeland, had started working with Technikal back in 2002.  He said we should make a couple of tunes together as he reckoned they would sound huge – we haven’t looked back since then. It’s been a great partnership. In fact a week after my Perth show I’ll be back in the studio in the UK with him for a week making some more dance floor gems.  We give each other a lot of shit in the studio – it makes it more fun – but there’s a huge level of respect from both sides so it never crosses the line.  We’re like brothers really.”

Steve’s latest release ‘Hard Trance Is My Life’ contains a massive 110 tracks on 5 CDs, the biggest artist album in dance music history and the response to it has been phenomenal.

“I’ve still 30 tracks to come out from my album.  I’ve written another 25 since then and there will be at least another 40 by the end of the year so there is a lot of material still to come from the vaults.  I’m thinking of my next project being “The Best Of…” and making it a 250 track marathon,” Steve says with a laugh.

“I think if you’re a DJ first you know what works on the dance floor so it makes it easier to make records rather than the other way around.”

I probably don’t even need to point out how extremely popular and in demand he is as a DJ.

“I play around the globe on a constant basis.  There have been so many great memories in my 17 years in Hard Dance – everything from playing to 60,000 at Dance Valley in Holland to playing to the masses at Defqon in Sydney.  Up for it crowds are cemented with me although I think as I get older, I prefer more intimate crowds.  The energy is amazing when the room is really buzzing whereas the bigger events you can feel slightly removed from the action.”

From the anticipation that has been building for Steve’s upcoming appearance in Perth, we can absolutely guarantee him a charged crowd.  So what can we expect from Steve that night?

“If you want to dance hard, have a great time, hear tracks you know mixed with those you don’t, be taken on a journey and see a show all at the same time then you come to one of my shows.  I’m not an artist that solely wants to educate – it’s all about the party and the show at the same time.  Some artists forget that and just play to their fans.  I try and get the whole room involved.”

“I support anything above 140 bpm … that’s what I was born to do … but most of all…Hard Trance is My Life!”

Don’t miss Steve Hill @ Dusk in Joondalup on the 30^th April 2011, courtesy of the ‘United’ crew!

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