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.

Paul Burston - The Gay Divorcee

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

http://www.trademarkart.com/

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

Glasshouse Books

 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.

http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/

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

http://www.paulburston.com

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

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

7^th 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...

http://www.djwayneg.com/

H: Remixes by Wayne G have a huge Gay following; Do you have any idea why that is?

 http://www.almightyrecords.com/

(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

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

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/seven-dwarves/4od

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

Peyton

Peyton

H: Peyton, How/when did you start doing your singing?

P: I've been singing since I was a small boy.

My father is a Pentecostal preacher in the US, so I was singing Gospel music in church from a very early age. That's where I learned to perform, and that's where I fell in love with music.

Peyton

H: What track is top of your list to sing and why?

P: This really changes for me on a regular basis.

I never decide what songs I'm going to sing until I get to the club, and feel the crowd, see the age group. hear what the DJ is playing, etc.

I have a lot of tracks, and I love singing all of them, but it's important to get it right . . . in the same way that a DJ has to feel the vibe of a party and try to figure out what's going to work best.

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy UK

H: You were the Food & Wine expert on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy UK; how did this all come about?

P: That was a long time ago . . . and I promise it's not such an interesting story.

Let's talk about music!!!

H: Would you consider going back doing TV work and if so, what kind would it be?

P: Actually, I would really like to do something again in TV, but it would be very different from Queer Eye. I've been thinking about pitching a travel show, based on my travels around the world, so you'd get to see all these far-flung exotic locations, and also see what clubbing is like in different locations. It could be an interesting combination of music, travel and performance!

Peyton

H: How do you keep up with what's happening within the music industry these days?

P: Well, I don't really. If I'm totally honest, I don't try to keep up.

I just write music, and work with good producers, and hope for the best.

It seems to be working!

Beatport

H: There is a lot of controversy surrounding blogs that provide downloads/download links.

What is your opinion on this?

P: The whole download situation is in many ways a nightmare for the music industry that isn't going away anytime soon. It has become virtually impossible to make money from the music and this has all sorts of negative implications for artists and record labels.

On the other hand, I can't help but find it flattering when I see a hundred or more sites giving away my music for free.

The way I see it is you've just got to find ways to accommodate the situation and make it work for you.

For instance, my new track A Little Louder with Kid Massive is out tomorrow on Beatport, but we've already released one of the remixes for free on the blog sites.

Sometimes you just have to beat them at their own game.

Kid Massive & Peyton - A Little Louder

H: You are travelling almost all the time across the world, where do you call home?

P: London is definitely home. It's my base, and it's where I actually hang my hat. Or in my case, HATS!! But of course, I still feel a sense of belonging when I go back to the States and see my parents. That is definitely still home to me. And then, there are certain cities like Sydney, Cairo and Prague where I have a big extended network of close friends and these places have become like a home away from home for me. I suppose I'm very lucky in this way. I have a lot of homes in the world.

London

H: You have done tracks with producers/remixers like Wayne G, Paul Goodyear etc., how do these productions come together?

P: Well, in the case of producers like Wayne or Paul, they are just good friends so usually it's a matter of one of us just picking up the phone and saying, hey . . why don't we work on this or that together.

Other times, I have picked out producers that I don't necessarily know but whose sound I really like and approached them about working together.

Wayne G

Paul Goodyear

H: Talking about DJ's & Remixers: Who are your favourites?

P: At the moment I'm a big fan of Carlos Gallardo . . . he's one of Spain's up and coming superstar DJ/producers and we're now working together, which is very exciting.

I'm also a big fan of Kid Massive, The Freemasons (of course) and Kaskade! I have too many favourites to list them all.

Carlos Gallardo

H: You are hugely successful in Russia, is the music/dance scene there similar to Europe/USA?

P: In many ways it is similar, but one of the advantages that Russian clubs have over Europe and the States is that the parties are often sponsored by alcohol or cigarette companies, so they can afford to bring over int'l artists and DJ's, and put more effort into the production. This is one of the reasons so many of the big House DJ's and singers are working more regularly in Russia than anywhere else. They have the money, and they're prepared to spend it.

Russia

H: There are many male vocalists out there, what makes you different from them?

P: Well, for starters, I think it's safe to say there aren't a lot of male House music singers out there.

Certainly not many who are making a full-time living running around the world singing.

In fact, I actually can't think of another . . . hmmmm! There must be, but nobody springs to mind.

How am I different? I really don't know how to answer that, although a friend told me recently that he thinks I have a very unique timbre in my voice, which sounds like an aeroplane taking off . . . powerful, yet soft at the same time.

I quite liked this comparison!

H: What are you working on at the moment?

P: I'm working on a few new tracks with Carlos Gallardo, and then we're about to start a whole album together. I've also just finished a track with John LePage in San Francisco called Love So Strong, which is being remixed by Wayne G, Paul Goodyear, and others.

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?

P: Music will always change, like everything else. Dance music is particularly influenced by changing trends in drugs, fashion, pop culture, etc. It's the destiny of anything creative to evolve and change with the energy and mood of a new generation. Personally, I've struggled with some of these changes in the past ten years. I like music to have soul, even though it doesn't have to be soulful, I want it to have a soul. When House suddenly seemed to be marginalised by Electro, I was finding it very hard and exceedingly boring to be in clubs. Thankfully that trend seems to have played its course, and we're moving back into a sound which at least makes me wanna dance again. . . . although I still get nostalgic for the days of good ol' fashioned happy uplifting vocal House.

Peyton – A Higher Place

Peyton – a Higher Place

H: Your music appear to have a huge Gay following, do you have any idea why that is?

P: When I had my first hit, A Higher Place, on Hed Kandi records in 2003 . . . it was about two years later that somebody told me it had become a big anthem in the gay community. I actually had no idea. I never set out to be a 'gay artist' . . . although I've always been very open about the fact that I'm an artist who is gay. Still, I would say about 98% of my work is on the straight scene, although there's no denying that I have a healthy gay fanbase, because every time I release a new track it seems that Gaydar Radio add it to their playlist. I don't know if it's coincidence or not, but the gay community seems to relate to my lyrics and my sound, and for that I'm very grateful. I have never been interested in focussing my efforts on any one particular community over another as I find this idea very limiting in a world so big and diverse, however I love being a part of the international gay community and the idea that my music gives something back to my gay brothers and sisters makes me very happy!

Gaydar Radio

H: Pride season is about to start again; do you go to/play at any Gay Prides and if so: which one(s)?

P: At the moment I don't know of any Pride events that I'm booked to play at this year, but I've been performing a lot recently for WE, the new gay brand to come out of Spain which seems to be taking over gay clubland. They really put on one hell of a party, with a lot of effort going into extravagant productions. I'm looking forward to doing some parties for them in Ibiza.

Gay Pride

H: What is your favourite hang-out?

P: Groucho Club in London

Groucho Club

H: What is your favourite tipple?

P: Vodka martini, very dry, very dirty!

Vodka Martini

H: You are to host/have the perfect party; who would be your dream guest list and why?

P: I would invite American author and poet Maya Angelou, because she's one of my heroes. I'd also love to have Obama and Oprah there, and perhaps Piers Morgan, Stephen Fry and Madonna. There certainly wouldn't be any need to worry about making conversation, as they're all conversationalists and intellectuals! Ok, well, maybe not Madonna . . . but I'd still just love to meet her!

Maya Angelou

With HUGE thanks to Peyton for doing this interview.

Below the Artwork  and teh download link for the

DJ Spook & cre8ions

Peyton Megamix

 <a href='http://www.mediafire.com/?m0t78gu3fptjtf7'>Link</a>

 
H.Xx