Danny Rampling: Only The Honest & Honorable Will Survive

"There's all this panic around at the moment with people saying, 'Oh my God, the scene is over', but the problems are only about two or three clubs and let's not forget, these clubs have been going for eight to ten years. In club life terms, that's already a marvellous achievement. There are clubs in London that last a year or two then they're over."

Six months after leaving Britain's still-dominant radio station, Radio 1, original acid house pioneer Danny Rampling has found a new lease of life, touring the world from Asia to mainland Europe to spin his favoured blend of funky, soulful house. Eminently qualified to see clubland's bigger picture, he's optimistic about both his own career and the longer term future of cluband.

"The honest and honourable people will survive any storm that's coming along within the dance music industry," says Danny. "There have been plenty of stormy periods over the years and generally they've been weathered."

As well as rebooting his international DJ career, the legendary acid house pioneer also shortly releases what he calls his 'once-a-year mix CD', a 13 track selection of funky, melodic, soulful house called Turntable Symphony (on React Records) Cleverly enhanced with several well chosen accapellas, the mix includes future hits like Eddie Amador's Psycho x Girlfriend and World Famous Martinez Orchestra's Southside, alongside quality soulful dance floor fillers (Onionz' For Those Who Know and Mondo Grosso's Star Suite)

"DJing is about adding something else to the mix and that's what I wanted to do with this CD," he told Skrufff's Jonty Adderley.


Skrufff: You're DJing a lot more in mainland Europe rather than the UK right now, how much are you devoting yourself to audiences outside the UK-

Danny Rampling: "Since I left Radio 1, I've been able to travel more internationally which I've been doing for the last three months and will continue to do so, at least until the New Year. I've also got tour dates organised for South East Asia, South America, India, which will be my first time there."

Skrufff: You've often visited Goa in the past, are you returning there-

Danny Rampling: "No, not Goa, but a club in Bombay, that's all the information I have at present. I've not actually been to Bombay yet but I'm looking forward to going back to India in general because I have a friend who's a monk living in a monastery in Southern India. I'm going to spend a week in a monastery with him; he's someone I've been corresponding with for several years and I sponsor him."

Skrufff: You've included Eddie Amador's new track Psycho X Girlfriend, being almost by definition, a superstar DJ, you must have attracted a few-

Danny Rampling: "I prefer the term 'Internationally known DJ', I don't like that tag 'Superstar DJ' because there's a lot of ghastliness and ego problems attached to it. But talking about psycho stalkers, yes, I've had some of those over the years, though these days I don't let them get so close. In the beginning, everything was much more open and the opportunity was there for them to get close. But over the years, you start to understand the psychology of situations, especially the way that nightlife works and these days I don't open myself up to everyone I meet in clubs. In the beginning I did, which effectively was taken as an invitation by some very strange and weird people to get attached. They had to be removed."

Skrufff: You recently described Ibiza as being a place where the weird and wonderful co-exist with everyday people…

Danny Rampling: "I was referring to the weird and wonderful types who express themselves in their dress and personalities and are people you're attracted to; people to have fun with. Not the weird and wonderful stalkers."

Skrufff: Where do you see yourself fitting, between being an every day person on the one side and being someone weird and wonderful on the other-

Danny Rampling: "I just think I've got an open heart and an open< Tags

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