Southern Outpost - Music for those who know

The definition of 'crap music' according to Southern Outpost's Patrick HAF and Phil Chan is 'Music that doesn't make you think, it makes no impact and is not challenging in any way. Crap music has no soul, no heart, no depth. It's music that's made for the $'s not the love.'

Patrick HAF and Phil Chan are the creators of one of Australia's most promising underground labels, 'Southern Outpost Records.' With releases from DJ Godfather, Keith Tucker and Strand, Patrick and Phil started Southern Outpost so that 'an independent platform for releasing quality electro, techno and house could be created.' With there being a focus on Australian talent, what you'll find through Southern Outpost is nothing short of quality ass grindingly deep fat and funky electro. Explains the pair, 'We hope to put Australia on the map as a source of quality electro and techno from all corners of the globe, and the way to do this is to consistently put out good releases that continually push the envelope.'

Patrick has been described as the 'chronic techno assassin.' 'I haven't killed anyone with techno as of yet - caused a few seizures in my time though' claims Patrick. 'I love to play stuff that people haven't heard before, music that they wouldn't expect me to play. I'm always trying to push the boundaries and often step over them. I guess you could say I have a 'no compromise' approach to my music.'

Throughout his DJing career Patrick has played alongside Juan Atkins, Carl Craig, Derrick May, Claude Young and Mike Grant to name but a few. He can also be heard via the underground radio waves on 'Radio Belgium' 'Destination Detroit' and currently on 'Dark Energy' with 2SER. 'On Dark Energy radio, we try and showcase our influences, not only techno, but also deep house, electro, ambient, jazz. It's an open format and we don't hold back. You'll definitely hear a lot of Underground Resistance, Southern Outpost, Sound Signature, Moods N Grooves, Red Planet, Moodymann, Basic Channel, Twilight 76 but we're not so much about promoting ourselves, we just want to play good, innovative music.'

Phil began DJing in 1994 and is renown for his three deck techno and electro sets, his fast-paced and precise mixing has thrilled audiences across North America. Phil has played alongside Oliver Ho, Random Noise Generation, Adam Beyer and Disco D. Between 1999 and 2002 he was instrumental in the birth of the Seattle techno and electro scene, running the city's only weekly techno club, 'Blur.' If you're as unsure as I was Phil explains the Seattle techno sound. 'There are a lot of computer people in Seattle so the music has a very technical edge. IDM is especially big over there but techno and electro were getting big when I left. Raves over there had transitioned from trance and jungle to include techno so I think there will soon be new artists and a new audience emerging.'

As for what has become of Blur. 'We finished Blur before I left the States, we were weekly for about nine months. A new night has started to take it's place called Robotrash which is run by Randy Jones of Orac Records and Jerry Abstract, who was a resident at Blur and from all reports they are doing great.'

Patrick and Phil who site their influences from Mike Banks, Juan Atkins, Drexciya (RIP James.) Kraftwerk, Afrika Bambatta, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, catching the bus, writing a piece of code, the current work of Underground Resistance and Robert Hood are both continually fighting the war against 'Crap Music.' When I ask how this battle is going I receive an encouraging answer 'Pretty good, thanks for asking! With Southern Outpost we're just doing our own thing putting out music we like, and hopefully other people will like what we're doing, see that they can do it too and start their own label. Once there is a strong network of independent labels, that's when things will start to get interesting.'

For Phil and Patrick the problems in the music industry lies with money over tal Tags