What got you started as a DJ?

Ben Long: I loved DJing ever since the 1980's, when the hiphop, electro thing first came out. And that was a very young age, sort of around 10 or 11…so we actually embraced the whole hiphop culture.

I never really had turntables till I was about 19 cause I din really have the money and when I actually got them I was during the time of acid house. And for me house came from the same roots as electro, hiphop and all that

So how did you guys first get started as Space DJ'z?

BL: Well first we made the track and then we came up with a name and then we just took it from there...really!! We started making more tracks and then we got into DJing and then we developed the 4 deck thing….

How long have you guys been together as Space DJ'z?

BL: Well we've been around for about 8 years now.

You guys have had quite a few releases so far, with 'the Last DJ's on Earth' album and all. So what can we expect from you next?

Jamie Bissmire: Well at the moment we've got a double pack EP on Tortured Records called Bases of Pain and that's our right now. That's doing the rounds at the moment but we've got a few projects on the rise.

We've got a Space DJ'z release coming out on the Ergonomics label and various other bits and pieces on our own respective labels as well.

How is the scene in North London currently?

JB: Well the techno scene, it is big, yeah …ummm there's a lot of producers living and working in London. There's a lot of techno people there, good distribution and a lot of good people involved in the techno scene but it just doesn't always manifest itself as a party.

It's like when people say "oh is there a scene there? But there's only one party there a month…!" So they think that it's not really happening. It is but its all in the inner workings of the scene. It really manifest's itself in the record producers, in distribution, in DJ's and in many different forms really!!

So rumours about techno dying out. What do you have to say about that?

JB: It's nonsense….just rubbish!! I think that some rock and roll producers decided to say that one day and everyone's just taking notice of him.

What are your views on mag's such as Mixmag, DJMag and all being trend setters?

JB: Well that is basically the game. Everyone is constantly moving on…everyone needs to be on top of everything, especially if you're running a dance mag like that. You have to know what the latest trend is, what the latest DJ is doing and who's in an who's out…and that is natural to me!

Just because techno is not getting the particularly limelight, it doesn't really bother me! You know what I mean? Cause we play every other weekend and we know 50 other DJ's who do the same and everywhere we go the techno scene is thriving.

We hear a lot of things about the techno scene and the blah and the dance scene slowing down…but I have not seen any evidence of that personally in the aspects of bookings, parties or any of that really!! It's just propaganda really!!

Is there a difference when you play outside of the UK and at home in London?

JB: Well not really. One club is like another, people tend to think that certain places are better to play in…but it's not really. As long as you're in the party and making the people on the dancefloor dance and express themselves…thast our main goal!

We treat every place the same and as long as the people are enjoying it and we're getting good feedback that's just fine for us.

BL: It's all about getting back to that ol' natural instinct which is dancing. It doesn't matter if u can't speak the same language …it's the music that is the language.

-matt /Dec 02

-with thanks to Ben and Jamie for their time

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