Nick Warren – Cream Boxing Night Q & A

• 17th Dec 2008

You were a Cream resident, how does it feel to be coming back for Boxing Night, the clubs biggest night of the year?

It will be a great one, its ages since I have been up to Liverpool, I have many great memories from there.

What can we expect from your set?

I am playing 4 till 6 after John Digweed so will be playing a set of melodic pumping house

Will you be throwing in a few classics that you played during your residency for some nostalgia?

Yeah defo , always nice to pull out a few of the Cream classics

When you began at Cream all those years ago did you ever think that your DJ stature would escalate to such heights?

It still surprises me now , I do consider myself a very lucky fella

You travel all around the world, do you find audiences differ and if so how do you find northern Crowds?

Northern crowds have always been very enthusiastic and travelling the world you come across the same thing everywhere, its fantastic.

You began DJing mainly Reggae and Indie, how & when did you find your love for House music?

Well its really a natural progression within electronic music, as well as dub indie music was moving that way , new order, depeche mode etc

Where will you be spending Xmas day this year and how will you be celebrating it?

I will be at home with the family

What are you plans for New Years Eve?

This new years eve I am headlining a great club in budapest “studio” it holds around 4000 people and always goes right off

With having such a busy schedule do you ever get time to rest, and if so how do you relax?

Do you have any hobbies? I am a mad keen fly fisherman, theres nothing better than standing in a freezing river chasing salmon

Are you working in the studio at the moment? And if so, tell us about it?

Jody Wisternoff and I are finishing off the new Way Out West album , its sounding fantastic and will be out later next year

Have you spotted any rising stars coming through the DJ ranks that you can tell us about?

My partner in way out west Jody wisternoff is well worth checking out.

Some DJs come and go but what do you think has kept you at the forefront of the electronic music scene?

A constant passion for new and boundary pushing music

If you had to play back to back with any DJ, who would it be?

I always love playing back to back with Hernan Cattaneo we are good friends and it always seems to work well

Do you think that we have a lot to offer in terms of talent from the UK?

Yeah of course, we have a heritage of breaking boundaries in music

If you could choose a tune that you could have made yourself what would it be and why?

Jam and Spoon “odyssey to anyoona”

Do you prefer to produce solo, or do you bounce off people when working with them, like your relationship with Jody Wisternoff who you have worked very closely with?

We have done work on our own but it works so well when we are together, if it aint broke why fix it!

What do you prefer, the production or the performing?

A mixture of the two always works best

Are there any territories you want to conquer, perhaps that you’ve never been too or only visited once?

I think I have been pretty much played everywhere and I think my favourite is South America so would like to spend more time there

If you were putting together a festival line up, what 5 acts would you book (dead or alive!)?

Johnny Cash, The Smiths, Leftfield, The Clash and Sigur Ros

What advice would you offer an up and coming DJ who wants to break into the scene?

Be nice and always have time for your fans

Do you favour any particular type of technical equipment when producing or
DJ’ing?

Ableton live for production and pro tools , I have been using cd's but will be moving over to traktor scratch pro for djing soon

What record do you always carry in your box that you know is a sure fire floor filler?

Panoptic “surface”

You were renowned for playing Massive Attacks ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ at the end of your sets at Cream, will you be dropping it on boxing night?

Maybe , we will have to see

Bristol is a hotbed of musical talent, with acts like Roni Size and Portishead all from the area, why do you think this is?

I think its the very muticultural aspect of the city, small club nights playing every genre

Where in the world do you think has the most vibrant music Scene, and why?

For me, Argentina rules!!!

Nick Warren performs at Cream Boxing Night Special, Nation, Liverpool, Friday 26th December, alongside Armin Van Buuren, John Digweed, Danny Howells, Justin Robertson, Jon Carter, Laidback Luke and more. Tickets on sale now link / Tel: 0844 888 4401. Info: link / Tel: 0151 707 1309