19th May 2008

Due to having the request for a license turned down for a tune for a mix cd that I am working on, I decided that rather than start ploughing through possible tunes to use instead, I would just write a new one. I headed into the studio to set about writing a new club track for the first time since I finished 'Drink Me' in January and have knocked out a nice twisted piece of dance floor mayhem entitled 'Pure Disco Shit' which will get it's first test drive on a dance floor at Overload at the Fort in Portsmouth on Sunday 25th May. Having got back into dance tune writing mode again I am going to get stuck into the follow up to 'Drink Me' over the next few months. I found it very inspiring to write the whole of the last album in a totally new location so I am going to temporarely re-locate my studio to Chalon sur Saone near Lyon in France having recently spent a very inspiring week there and been offered a beautiful studio location... The album will be released some time at the begining of 2009 following an A+D+A+M lab4 LIVE album to be recorded sometime over the next 6 months and released around Novemeber 2008.

28^th April 2008

Well I have to say that my last 3 gigs have really given me hope that there is still a healthy underground hard dance scene out there just waiting to re-establish it's self again. There is no doubt that the Harder end of the clubs scene has had a pretty hard time over the last couple of years compared to the previous 10 or so. The same thing happens with any scene that grows massively over a relatively short period of time but pretty much always any given scene will come back after a ruff patch but a little refined and stabilized…

So over the weekend of the 11^th and 12^th of April I started off at Evolve at a club called Digital in Newcastle. As I walked in to start setting up and sound checking I immediately noticed two colossal stacks of Funktion 1 speakers next to the stage I was to play on, as I turned around grinning with excitement what should I see at the other end of the room but two more stacks of the same !!!

Digital reminded me of Clubs like Club UK in Wandsorth which sadly was closed down in 1997 and Ministry of Sound in it's earlier days.. Evolve also had a real old school underground feel to it (though it is a very cool and modern venue) - it was loud, dark and full to the brim with clubbers letting their troubles remain in the previous week while they all stomped the night away.

From there I had 4 hours sleep in Newcastle before getting in my Van to head for The Coach in Banbridge which is 30 minutes south of Belfast, Northern Ireland. What with driving to Scotland, getting a ferry , driving to the venue to set up and sound check , by the time I got to my hotel I had time to eat while getting ready before heading back to the club for an 11pm set, it was already all becoming a bit of a blur! As the club filled up the atmosphere was amazing from the start with the resident DJ playing an excellent gradual warm starting around 135 bpm and gradually building up over a couple of hours towards the 150 bpm mark. I have to say I was totally blown away with the welcome back that I got from a town that I have only ever played in once before about 3 years ago! At one point after my set I though I was going to get limbs pulled off for people wanted to say hello! So thanks to anyone who was there - it was an awesome night! And for anyone who fancies a trip to Ireland be sure to head down to The Coach in Bangridge - without a doubt one of the friendliest and up for it crowds I've played to!

Then this weekend just passed (26th April) I returned to what for many years was a regular favourite for Lab4 and actually where we played our last ever set - Storm in Coalville. The night was actually Goodgreef v's Storm and it was so good to back! I have to say that even though at times we've had various technical and sound issues at Storm , and actually up until 20.59pm I was also suffering some technical problems! - we never left Storm feeling anything other than on a high and this was no exception.

This weekend coming (2nd May) I am also returning to what was a Lab4 regular and favourite, Hard South at The Honey Club in Brighton which will also I'm sure keep that renewed excitement for the Hard Dance scene replenished!

Love + Respect

A+D+A+M lab4 xx