HERVE INTERVIEW

Known to his mum as 29 year old Joshua Harvey, this Essex boy has more aliases than a Russian spy. With names like Voodoo Chilli and Action Man, Mr Harvey is a music-making machine with multiple projects on the go. Some call it glitch house, some call it booty bass or ghetto tec - we just call it BANGING!

So Herve, can you tell us what you’ve been up to?

At the moment I am incapacitated! My weekend usually starts on a Thursday and it is usually quite unhealthy. Besides that I have just produced Toddla T’s new single its called ‘Shake It’.

Right we know you have a lot of names, can you give us a wee breakdown of how each one functions?
Starting with The Count….

The Count of Monte Christal is more ghetto based like garage and ghetto tec, as well as bassline. It evolved into The Count and Sinden with Graham. The count is more urban than Herve.

Are there elements of Kuduro in The Count’s tunes?

I kind of pulled away from baile funk and kuduro. Buraka just do it so well and baile funk has been over done.

Would you say The Count and Sinden make club bangers?

Well it is just the nature of the beast. They are dance records and I want to make the most effective records for the dance floor. I hate pretentiousness in dance music. I don’t like it so I try and avoid it. The music is all about dancing, meeting a few girls and having a good time. I don’t really get a rave when it is all dudes staring at other dudes, watching them and saying how great it is…

So lets get back to you’re a.k.a’s, Speaker Junk?

 Was started by Trevor Loveys and I. Apparently people say the first record, “Scratch Up The Music and Run The Track” was quite influential, which is really cool. We had nothing else to do but sit around and make house music-hang on I hate that word- I mean, dance music. We were lucky bastards as our first ever remix was Basement Jaxx “Take me Back To Your House”

From the Jaxx to hot stuff tell us about Voodoo Chilli?

I suppose it is more disco based for girls, made for fun. Nice, how about Action Man? A.C is basically me making techno, but it has gone a bit wonky and weird as it goes through my brain. I’m still trying to make it sound different. What about the Dead Soul Brothers? It is my mate Sabre and I we play weird psychedelic house music.

 Finally the more chilled Young Lovers?

It is me doing a listening album, it is head-tones and for holidays on the beach. I made the album over the last two and half years.

How old were you when you first started making music?

I got my first Atari when I was 14. When I was a kid, I had a new thing every week I played the piano, guitar and the drums. The only thing I have the patience for is a keyboard and a computer.

Favourite Herve remix?

As Herve the Kidda, “Under The Sun” remix. It was just really rewarding to make a remix, play it the same weekend at Fabric and watch people go mad to it! Then watch it get big all summer long with other DJs like Fat Boy Slim playing it!

Are you into any of the continental bass music like the Crookers?

Not at all, no… I just don’t like the music they make. I don’t know them as people and I don’t like their music, I don’t rate all that copycat stuff.

How do you make your tunes, what programme?

Just computer and keyboards I use Cubase. I hate Logic everyone else using Logic they sound the same and watching other people use it looks incredibly difficult.

You have collaborated with nu-skool hip hopper A-Track how did that come about?

A Track is a friend I bumped into, he crashed round here for a few days and we just chatted and did the track!

And of course Kissy Sell Out on the “Rikkalicious” tune?

I know him form back in the day when we were releasing the first two records with Sinden. I heard him DJing and thought it is really fun and exciting! His style is very funky and rhythmic he is very good. We had a chat and he heard my remixes and we kept in touch.

Give us a few of your dance floor killers?

The Count of Monte Cristal, “Full Moon” and Jack Beats, “K hole”

Herve’s Ghetto Bass end of February you can check out his myspace here: www.myspace.com/hervespace