JOHN McIVER INTERVIEW

Give an introduction about yourself.

Hi I’m John Mciver, Belfast based dj and producer. I’m a resident at both Shine and the Stiff Kitten, so I regularly gig at both venues. Production wise, I produce music as The Jet Project with Timmy Stewart, under my own name and my other moniker is Yankee Zulu.



What's your earliest clubbing experience?

My first clubbing experience hmm, the one that springs to mind the most has to be when I went to Hellraiser in the Ulster Hall. I think it was 1993, so I was about 14 years old, I told my Dad I was staying at a friends house, that friend being Neil Barrie ha-ha, we got down to the Ulster Hall and blagged our way in. Everything went smoothly, we raved it up all night and were out partying till the early hours, back to Neil’s and everything was hunky dory, my Dad hadn’t a clue I was probably the youngest raver in town that weekend haha. Then a few weeks later a dance music program was on channel 4 and was doing a feature on Belfast, it featured David Holmes and had clips from Sugarsweet, it also featured the Hellraiser events in the Ulster Hall. I’m sitting glued to the TV and my Dad sitting beside me watching it, and suddenly I realised the clips it was showing you from the Ulster Hall was the night I had been there. Panic kicked in, i remember thinking there’s no way ill get caught red handed like this ha-ha.
Then suddenly the camera switches to a shot of Pablo Gargano burning his record and swoops round to do a crowd shot and there is both myself and Neil dancing are socks off. I got a right slap that night, but it was well worth it...


How did you first get into dj’ing?

I honestly can’t remember not being into dance music, when all my mates were into football and shit, I was into music. I remember torturing my Dad to buy me the Hey you Rock Steady Crew 12" for my birthday, after watching Break Dance the movie well over a hundred times. That record was the first entry to my record collection, I still have it somewhere. But the first piece of vinyl I bought myself, I bought of David Holmes in the Sugarsweet record store above crackers, I remember i saved up my money and trailed my cousin into town with me. I remember walking up them steps, and opening the door and seeing the big black and white logo on the wall. All the records sitting in the shelves and the turntables and headphones for you to listen to the music you picked, I was in my element, my cousin thought he was in his worst nightmare. I couldn’t wait to get over and put a record on one of the decks, thinking back I’m sure Homer and McCready were having a right giggle at the two of us. I only had enough money for one record and it end up being Frankie Knuckles - The Whistle Song I bought. It wasn’t long after this I got my first set of belt drives and that I was hooked on vinyl and dj'ing.


Over the years what has been your most memorable dj'ing gig?

My most memorable gig has to be the first time I played the bar in Shine. I had been passing a lot mix cds around at the time and creating a bit of a buzz for myself. So when I finally got a gig I was well chuffed. Alan played before me and when I came on everyone seemed to move up to the dj box. Simmsy said to me after it, when he was walking out of the bar, he glanced back round and it was like he had threw a lamb to the slaughter, everyone seemed to be slowly moving towards the dj box and ready to pounce on me, ha-ha. Suppose they were checking out the new guy, fortunately I was fully loaded that night with some great tracks and I ended up having a top night, there was a great atmosphere in the place, deffo my most memorable gig.


Who has been your biggest influence?

Timmy Stewart, from the Saturdays I used to spend knocking around Ross's court and venture into Apache, B.L.T and Central Records. He used to let me hear some serious tunes in that place. Then I started going to his and Mark Bell’s Digital Boogie and then Tsunami parties, he definitely switched me on to good house and techno music.



Which dj's do you currently rate?

My favourite djs haven’t changed that much over the years. Andrew Weatherall, Chris Duckenfield and Timmy. All though I think Claude Von Stroke could be added into that group now.



If you could play any club in the world where would it be?

Back To Basics.


I've been hearing some shit hot production work from yourself and the
Jet Project, how did that all start?

Well basically the Jet Project started just from Timmy and me dj'ing together and realising we had very similar tastes in music, we were constantly swapping music with each other and were both music enthusuasts. We chatted about how we would like to go in the studio together, and so we did, and the results have been great, we work really well together and have a right laugh in the studio, if you were to do a fly on the wall documentary of us making a track you would be pissing yourself laughing.. It gets a bit hectic in their with us bouncing ideas about, torchering big Davy Lievense and dancing about like headers when were laying down a track, its great fun. As for my solo project, its going great too, I produce under the moniker Yankee Zulu, and ive signed all the Yankee Zulu stuff up to Labels in San Fran. I have stuff coming out on Katabatic Records, which is owned by Worthy who is part of the Dirty Bird crew, i also have stuff coming out on Utensil Recordings and Om Records, so I’m hoping 2008 is going to be a good year.


How would you describe your sound/music style?

House and techno.


What producers and labels are you playing out in your sets?

Producers that are doing it for me at the minute have to be Claude Von Stroke, Chaim, Argy, Paul Ritch, Style Of Eye, Carl Craig, 3 Channels, there’s loads probably to many to mention. As for labels, I always keep regular tabs on Dirty Bird, Rekids, Leftroom, Poker Flat, and 2020 Vision.


What format do you use for dj'ing and is there anything you would
like to or plan to use in the future?

I currently use cdj's and love using them, the only annoying thing about using c.d's is I’m constantly burning them and writing out track lists for my cd wallet. It seems to be an endless task for me because I buy so many mp3's. I would deffo consider moving to vinyl scratch or whatever and storing my music on my laptop and just using cdjs as usual, once I have the money to do so. As for Abelton i'll never use it, because i cant stand it.


What can we see from yourself in the future?

Well production wise I’ve quite a lot going on, we are just finishing another ep for the Darkroom Dubs as the Jet Project and then we have our album to start in the new year all this in between various remixes we are doing. And as Yankee Zulu, I am currently waiting on a lot of stuff dropping in the New Year. All though my first Yankee Zulu remix is out on Dec 11th threw Utensil Recordings (shameless plug, ha-ha) so keep an eye out for that one. And on the djing front I have forthcoming gigs in Pressure in Glasgow and Sonar next year. So it’s all good.


Can you provide a current top 5?

1. Plasmik - Pitch It - (Claude Von Stroke Mix) - Connaisseur Recordings
2. Style Of Eye - The Big Kazzoo - Dirty Bird
3. Timmy Stewart - Black Heart - Heartbeat Revolutions
4. Worthy - Bird Of Prey - (Yankee Zulu's The Eagle Has Landed Remix) - Utensil Recordings
5. 2 lone Swordsmen - Shack 54 (Jet Project Remix) - Rotters Golf Club

JOHN'S MYSPACE PAGE


Also look out for a mix coming from John soon..