Dark Alchemy
Dark Alchemy is an alternate persona for Magic Knight and Voodoo Republic. The Dark Alchemy entity explores innovative and progressive forms of concept based Trance music: Trance Disco, Psy-Trance, Goa Trance, Jazz-Funk Influenced Trance etc.,. Aim: To find the elixir of life and record it
Tell me about your history? How did you get where you are now?
Blame it all on Detroit and Chicago! From Motown to Techno in Detroit. From Curtis Mayfield to Frankie Knuckles and House music in Chicago! It all started back in '68 when I became a resident dj at Bradford's String O Beads club playing Soul and Motown. Together with allnighters spent at Manchester's Twisted Wheel Club in its Mod hey-day created a passion for music that became a lifelong addiction. (Anything less than two hours music a day can be depressing). During the 70s, 80s and 90s the continuing love of different types of Black music (Soul, Funk, Disco, Jazz-Funk, House and early Techno) began to combine with an increasing interest in the more contemporary dance music genres. A return to occasional dj work on the Northern and Modern Soul dance scene in the late 90's fueled the idea of becoming a studio based producer/artist. Have worked with computers for over twenty years, and with a background as a dj, it seemed to be the right set of experiences for having a go at music production. I decided I had to do what I should have done much sooner: make music. The result was two albums in 2003: "The Bad Attitude Sessions" (House) and "Take No Prisoners On The Dancefloor" (Techno/Trance)as Magic Knight. A third album was completed early in 2004: "Anthems of the Apocalypse."(Trance/Euro-Dance, Dance). A fourth was completed in mid-March 2004 and is the hard trance/ hard dance "0906 What's Your Fantasy?" album. This obsessive but prolific production rate resulted in the decision to work under alternate artistic personas. Each a.k.a now explores different dance genres. As Voodoo Republic I explore Euro-dance and Trance. As Dark Alchemy the innovative and experimental side of Trance. As Magic Knight, Techno and Hard Dance music. Immersed from youth in the very first teenage dance culture (60's soul music) I have no problem in getting to grips with the music and ethos of current clubbing culture. It's all about the music and dancing ... and in the words of Motown, "It's what's in the groove that counts."
Have you performed live in front of an audience? Any special memories?
No. Production only. Some occasional dj work on the UK Northern Soul scene.
Your musical influences
There have been many and varied musical influences at work in the soundtrack to this life including Black music in all its forms: Northern Soul, Modern Soul, Funk, Jazz-Funk, Disco, House. However, the soundtrack specific influences in making house/trance/techno music include an awesome array of artists and dj's. Some of these are mentioned here but don't include everyone: Tonto's Expanded Headband, Walter Carlos, Soft Machine, Frankie Knuckles, Masters at Work, Lenny Fontana, Derrick May, Altern-8, Chemical Brothers, Oceanlab... the list could get very boring so I'll stop.
Anything else?
In the words of one my tunes... "I may be the oldest swinger in town... but I don't give a damn... shake them glow sticks!"
