PETE MARTINE
Sleazesisters/Starlet DJ's
Enjoy!
H.Xx
Monday, 3 September 2012
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Me (Hans)
Me - 4 years old....
Q: Hans, tell us a bit about yourself.
A: Well……… I’m 43, originally from the Netherlands and I’ve been living in London since ’99.
Q: You are the founder of www.W-A-I-S-T-E-D.blogspot.com; can you tell about that?
A: Sure. I started W-A-I-S-T-E-D in 2008. I was trying to find a website/blog that had stuff that I was interested in; Music, Art, Design, Fashion, Literature and (Gay) lifestyle/news.
All I found was sites that “focussed" on just one thing, for example just Music or just Fashion…
I wanted something that was more diverse, so decided to do my own blog instead.
Q: Did you have any idea what creating a blog entailed and how did it all together?
A: To be honest, I didn’t have a clue! I had to learn most myself, with a little help from a few people I met on other blogs.
I made a big mess of it at first, but (Hopefully) learned from my mistakes.
Q: How was the overall response to W-A-I-S-T-E-D?
A: To my surprise, it was very good; people seemed to like the diversity and within about 2 ½ years, I had 300.000 hits; I guess that speaks for itself.
Q: There are so many blogs out there, in your opinion, what makes W-A-I-S-T-E-D different?
A: in a way, W-A-I-S-T-E-D is sort of my (Online) diary; you can tell by my posts what kind of mood I’m in; happy, sad, creative, depressed, etc. etc…
And then there's that diversity in posts.
I can jump from something from the 80's to the latest Home Couture Collection by
http://www.mrs.me.com/ in a flash.....
Q: How do you keep up with what's happening within the music industry these days?
A: I don’t go to clubs anymore (The last time must have been about 6 years ago), so I check music magazines and see what’s happening around the globe music wise.
Somehow I still manage to keep up with what’s happening in the music industry.
(I think)
Q: You started another blog called http://www.tete-a-tete-s.blogspot.com/ 2 years ago;
what is that one about?
A: There a lot of artists/designers/writers/DJ’s/singers etc. who/who’s work I admire and I thought it would be interesting to do a blog with interviews with those people.
Paul Burston by Trademark
Shauna Jensen
Peyton
Wayne G
Freemasons
Stewart Who? By Trademark
Matt Pop
Paul Goodyear
Q: So who have you interviewed for Tete-a-tete so far?
A: Author Paul Burston, Artist Mark Wardel (Trademark), Vocalist Peyton, DJ Wayne G, DJ/Producer Paul Goodyear, the brilliant singer Shauna Jensen, Freemasons, Stewart Who?, Producer/Remixer ErekMcQueen, Remixer Matt Pop and the fabulous Drag Queen Vanilla Lush.
Q: You also have another blog called http://www.cre8ions.blogspot.com/ what’s that exactly?
A: I am an artist/designer and cre8ions is where I showcase my work.
Over the years, I have created various pieces and they are all on there
(For sale – hint)
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Ha! I have just been commissioned by Paul Goodyear to design the front cover artwork for the upcoming release on his brand new label http://www.goodyearmuzik.com/
I am very excited about this and look forward to a long & creative collaboration with
Goodyear Muzik.
In addition, I keep on creating my own Artwork and would love to have my very own exhibition!
Kylie
Q: Going back to music, who are your favourite artists?
A: Kylie is definitely in my top 10. Then there’s Peyton, Mathilde Santing (a female Dutch vocalist), Hurts, Will Young, Japan/David Sylvian, Erasure.
Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy
Q: What is your all-time favourite song?
A: Oooooooooooooooh, that’s an easy one: Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat.
I was fortunate to see Jimmy Somerville perform this live & acoustic during the Gay Games in Amsterdam in ’98 and just thinking about it gives me goose bumps again.
Wayne G
Q: Staying with music: Who are you favourite remixers?
A: Wayne G (My all-time favourite), Paul Goodyear, Freemasons, Edson Pride, 7th Heaven,
Offer Nissim, ErekMcQueen, Matt Pop, Gustavo Scorpio.
Warren
Becks
Posh
Q: What is your favourite hang-out?
A: Er………………. My living room, together with the bf and our beautiful cats Posh & Becks.
Pinot Grigio
Q: What is your favourite tipple?
A: Pinot Grigio (Ice cold)
Q: You are to host/have the perfect party; who would be your dream guest list and why?
A: Warren (the bf of 11 years), Harvey Fierstein (Torch Song Trilogy), Annie Lennox, Paul Burston, Peyton, Wayne G, Paul Goodyear, Mark Wardel and my dear friends from Amsterdam Peet, Lianne & Paul + Caro & Arjan.
Note:
Strangely enough, this was by far the most difficult Tete-a-tete I have ever done,
as it's (obviously) all very personal.
I hope you enjoyed this insight into me & my little world.
H.Xx
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Catch-Up with: Paul Burston
Catch-Up with:
Paul Burston
Paul Burston
(Photo by Dean Stockings)
H: Paul, it's been while since I last saw you; how have you been?
P: I've been well - busy with various projects, writing, reading a lot, spending too much time on Facebook. The usual.
H: The Gay Divorcee was published in 2009; what was the overall response to the book?
P: Overall, the response was really positive.
A lot of people seemed to identify with the characters, which is always encouraging.
And my readership seems to have broadened, which is a bonus.
I've never written for an exclusively gay male readership, but it's good to have it confirmed that other people read my books - male and female, gay and straight.
Paul Burston by Trademark
H: Last year, you were immortalised by Trademark, how did this come about and how did it feel to have your portrait done by him?
P: Mark approached me. Obviously I said yes. I was thrilled. It's such an honour.
I love his work, and to see my portrait hanging in a gallery in Pall Mall along with the likes of David Bowie and Grace Jones was a thrill.
And Mark makes you look wonderful.
If I could have him paint my face every day, I would.
Paul Burston - Boys & Girls
H: In 2010, you edited "Boys & Girls", followed by "Men & Women" in 2011,
can you tell a little about this?
P: A publisher called Bobby Nayyar asked if i'd be interested in editing a collection of short stories.
I'd written a couple of stories, one of which was published in a previous book of his called 'Bloody Vampires'. And I knew a lot of authors who had stories to tell.
Finding the material wasn't hard - there are a lot of talented writers out there.
The challenge was in balancing more established names with new or up-and-coming writers.
I wanted to give a platform to people who hadn't been published before.
Encouraging new talent is very important to me. 'Boys & Girls' did well so Bobby asked me to do a sequel.
Paul Burston - Men & Women
It's too early to say how the new book is doing, but the early signs are good.
Polari
H: You started Polari back in 2007, can you explain what Polari entails?
P: It's a literary salon. People read, drink, share stories, buy books, and generally have a gay old time.
It's not a dry, dusty book event. It's more fun than that.
There's usually a bit of performance, some music, and a fair amount of dressing up.
Paul Burston Presents: Polari
The New York Times called Polari "London's most theatrical salon", which is partly a reference to my shameless exhibitionism.
We started in Nov 2007 and it's grown way beyond my expectations.
We've had special guests, not only authors but also performers like Andy Bell, Fenella Fielding, David Hoyle and David McAlmont. And we encourage new talent - there always a spot for someone to try out something new or unpublished.
The Autumn season is going to be fantastic. We have some great names lined up.
Polari First Book Prize
And there's the Polari First Book Prize, which I'm really excited about.
The short list will be announced on Sep 19, and the winner will be announced at the Polari 4th Birthday in November.
See the Southbank website for details. But people need to book in advance.
We tend to well out very quickly.
Time Out
H: You still work with Time Out on a weekly bases;
do you feel Gay Issues have changed over the years and if so, in what way?
P: That's a very big question! Short answer - things have changed a lot, certainly in terms of the fight for equality.
We're not there yet, but we've made a lot of ground.
There are still issues that need addressing, and I try to address them.
But things are far better than they were. When I started at Time Out there were no gay civil partnerships, no effective drug treatments for HIV, Section 28 was still in force and the age of consent for gay men was 21. A lot has changed.
Photo by David Gwinnutt
H: And now the killer question: How is the new book coming along and can you divulge anything about it (Title, characters, expected publish date........)?
P: I can't say very much, I'm afraid. I'm still working on it. I have a working title, and I can tell you that the main characters are a married couple.
There are gay themes and characters, but it's quite different to my previous novels. It's darker and, dare I say it, more ambitious.
I've promised my agent that I'll have something ready by the end of the year, so publication date would be late 2012 at the earliest.
Paul Burston
H: Paul, there was rumour that one of your books was to be used for a TV production; is this true?
P: It is true. We sold the rights to a production company, and there is a screenwriter attached.
That's all I can say for now.
Watch this space ! ! !
Finally:
H: Paul, have you ever considered writing a theatre play?
P: I studied drama at university, and I wrote a couple of plays when I left - which was a long time ago!
If memory serves, they weren't terribly good. I think I'll stick to what I know.
With HUGE thanks to Paul; cheers babes!
H.Xx
Monday, 22 August 2011
Wayne G
H: Wayne, How/when did you start doing your remixing?
W: I started remixing and producing tracks for my own sets very early on in my DJ career, 1996 being the first ones, obviously they were very simple but my camp sense of humour shined through on them, Twisted was the first major production for me.
Twisted
I did a rough mix and John Truelove (The Source ft. Candi Staton) liked what he heard, so set me up with another studio engineer to what would then become the 'anthem for the fucked up'.
Remix work followed pretty soon after...
John Truelove
H: What artist is top of your list to remix for and why?
W: Madonna and Gaga for obvious reasons, they both have some great pop songs, that give themselves to club mixes very easily.
Adele and Darren Hayes are one 's I would really like to give a go again.
Simply because their voices and songwriting is amazing.
Madonna
H: Apart from Remixing, you DJ as well. What places/where?
W: Everywhere from London (my hometown) to Singapore, Sydney to New York and all those in between.
Acapellas
H: Wayne, do you use acapella's for your remixes or original single versions?
W: Always accapellas, I will only use the single version if an accapella can’t be sourced and I am REALLY desperate, I think I have done this 3 times in 15 years.
Wayne G
H: How do you keep up with what's happening within the music industry these days?
W: I don’t LOL. Music blog recommendations keep me up to date on the latest bands, my musical taste vary, I never listen to dance at the gym at all.
H: You are travelling almost all the time across the world, where do you call home?
W: London. Always has been and always will be.
I Love London
H: There is a lot of controversy surrounding blogs that provide downloads/download links. What is your opinion on this?
W:
It’s a catch 22 and not something I like commenting about.
There are 2 sides to the argument. What I will say, is if people continue to take music for free, us producers and remixers won’t have any tracks to work on anymore, because record labels are making cuts on remixes more and more as the stuff is leaking across the board and 'fans' aren’t buying it anymore from legal sites.
Production wise, I am in the process of setting up a label, I know it’s not gonna make money and that is heart breaking that I put so much time and effort creating what I think fans will love, but I have seen other labels sales figures, you are lucky to break even these days on small independent releases.
That is due to, again, the fans thinking they can download it for free and not supporting the independent artist.
Catch 22
H: You have done remixes of tracks by artists like Kylie, Madonna, Peyton, Cher, Shauna, Alexis Jordan, Adele and Lady Gaga.
Do you have a favourite and if so: Why?
W: Near impossible to pick a favourite but if I have to, it’s the newest one I have just done...But I can’t tell you who it is yet as I am sworn to secrecy...
Wayne G
H: Wayne, many people have a very strong opinion regarding commissioned and non-commissioned remixers. So... what is your opinion on this?
W: I actually had this conversation with a very famous producer and remixer who said it all ‘Just because you make music, doesn’t mean you should'.
Some are great, some are quite obviously done just so theirs is the first 'club' mix out there, taking the leaked radio edit and sticking beats and maybe some added synths in, sometimes not even in key with the actual track...
H: There are many remixers out there, what makes you different from them?
W: I like to think I have a distinctive sound, one that resonates with people and they know it’s a track by me when it’s heard.
But then I can produce stuff that has baffled some people when they find out it’s me, so that’s kinda funny ;-)
Wayne G – Remixxer
H: Talking about remixers: Who are your favourites?
W: Freemasons, Moto Blanco, Paul Goodyear, 7th Heaven, Manny Lehman, Club Junkies, Cahill, Wawa, Juanjo Martin, Tony Moran, Fedde Le Grand, Mark Knight, Wideboys, Cutmore, the list is endless...
Moto Blanco
7th Heaven
Paul Goodyear
H: What are you working on at the moment?
W: Can’t tell you, sorry....Oh I can tell you that I am working on some stuff for my new label.
Bennu Records.
That’s all so far though..
Bennu Records - Tonker
H: The Pop/Dance/NRG scene has changed a lot over the past 10 years I think, do you agree and if so, in what way has it changed?
W: I don’t think too much, the whole sound has come back around; just listen to all the old school riffs in things again...Big bass lines, trance feel...
H: Remixes by Wayne G have a huge Gay following; Do you have any idea why that is?
(Ultimate Gay Anthems)
W: Cause I am hugely Gay? Still have quite a large straight following too, shocking though that seems.
H: Pride season has started; do you go to/play at any Gay Prides and if so: which one(s)?
Gay Pride
W: Sigh...Too many LOL. I did San Diego Pride, Salt Lake City Pride, San Francisco Pride, Seattle Pride, LA Pride, Brighton Pride to name a few.
H: If you were to name a top 5 of your all-time favourite remixes that you have done, which ones would it be?
W:
- JSTO - I Just Wanna Dance
- Deborah Cox - Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here
- Motiv8 - Riding On The Wings Of An Angel (‘98 mix)
- Adele - Rolling In The Deep
- Sandy B - Make The World Go Round
JSTO - I Just Wanna Dance
Deborah Cox - Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here
Motiv8 - Riding On The Wings Of An Angel ('98 Mix)
Adele – Rolling In The Deep
Sandy B - Make The World Go Round
Heaven - London
Stewart Who?
With HUGE thanks to Wayne G for this interview - Thanks babes!
H.Xx
H: What is your favourite hang-out?
W: My living room in London.
Deodorant
H: What is your favourite tipple?
W: I would suck the alcohol out of a deodorant stick given half a chance.
Stewart Who?
Russel Brand
Kenneth Williams
H: You are to host/have the perfect party; who would be your dream guest list and why?
W: Stewart Who?, Kenneth Williams, Russell Brand, Pippa Publik, Joan Dennis, Madge Parker, Grace Jones, Adele, Alan Carr and the cast of the new channel 4 series 'Seven Dwarves'
Wayne G
With HUGE thanks to Wayne G for this interview - Thanks babes!
H.Xx
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