 London Elektricity has become a byword for groundbreaking 'fast soul music', ramming venues, destroying drum & bass crowds, leaving huge smiles from the Big Chill to Glastonbury and beyond, LONDON ELEKTRICITY LIVE has always been 'out of this world'.
The LE saga began way back in '96, and up until 2002, LE was a double-act. Tony Colman and Chris Goss made their mark in '98 with the epic "Song In The Key Of Knife" and subsequent the critically acclaimed debut album "Pull The Plug". In 2002 Tony took on the project solo, as Chris concentrated on taking the NHS empire to the next level.
With the release of ''Billion $ Gravy'' in 2003, phone calls from Fabio and Radio One requested a live session from Maida Vale - and lo', LONDON ELEKTRICITY LIVE was born. For 2 years between 'Gravy' and 2005's Album "Power Ballads" Tony and the Band have played over 150 gigs reaching a quarter of a million people with their Live Drum & Bass spectacular! Flip the script again in 2006, Tony LE is back behind the decks with sets from London to Japan, Malaysia, Australia, California, Eastern Europe and onwards.
Tony also keeps it cutting edge as always by bringing you the groundbreaking “Hospital Podcast”. This regular show, available through iTunes is smashing up the bandwidth as people subscribe from Canada to Cape Town. To top it off Hospital Podcast has won a BT Digital Music Award for a record 3 year running! Pushing things forward in September 2008, London Elektricity launch their fourth studio album “Syncopated City” - an intense metropolis of songs and soundscapes, with foundations underpinned by concrete beats and basslines.
FX - How did you first get involved in the music industry and what events led you to where you are today?
TC - Played guitar as a teenager, went to Middlesex university to study performing arts, became a music teacher after I graduated, then on the dole trying to ‘make it’…..25 years later I’m still trying!
FX - What are you currently working on?
TC - I’ve just finished my new album "syncopated city" which is out now.
FX -What is the story behind Hospital records, how did the label start?
TC - We started Hospital in 1996 as a loungecore label and very gradually it’s gone from a rank outsider to one of the biggest labels in our genre.
FX - Did you always have LONDON ELEKTRICITY LIVE in mind, when you started LE?
TC - Lol no not at all. Drum and bass is bedroom-produced music and many say that’s where it should stay! London Elektricity live was an attempt to make live d&b work, and somehow we succeeded. After over 150 gigs we did our last show in 2005.
FX - What FXpansion products do you own and how do you use them, are there any favourite techniques that you find you use all the time?
TC - I have BFD and BFD2. All the tracks on Syncopated City featured the big fat drummer. It’s perfect for making your own hi-fi breakbeats. To be honest when I first got it I really felt like it was Christmas. A drummer that doesn’t moan about having to set his kit up or hassling me for cab fares. If BFD2 told offensive jokes and had BO it would be the real deal.
FX - has music software affected the way that you make and perform music?
TC - Well software does inform the way you make d&b to a point, although there are many different routes you can take. I don’t believe it matters what platform or DAW you use – they are all capable of the same results, it’s more about you the producer and what you hear in your head. Soft synths, samplers and so on are a factor, but often they make the music making process slower because they offer too much choice. I think that’s why I like BFD2 so much – although it can go deep, you can just get on with it and then tweak later if you need to. It’s good for writing with.
FX - What have you got lined up for the rest of the year?
TC - I’m really busy DJing for the rest of the year, re structuring Hospital Records, particularly in the publishing and sync departments. We’re moving our Hospitaly event to the new superclub "Matter" in docklands, and I’m laying the beats for the next LE album.
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