Last month saw one of the UK’s leading techno producers Ignition Technician team up with Techno’s biggest label (Primate Records) for a DJ and Live set world tour to promote the release of “Face to Face” the new mix compilation series from Primate which will be available in CD and digital format world wide. Ignition Technician will be in Australia over the New Year period and will be performing at Belfast – Hardware’s favourite old school party series.

Ignition Technician other wise known as Richard Wilkinson or Wilko to his friends and peers needs little introduction in the techno world, the Leeds based producer started out as a sound engineer for the world famous Cream Club and further down the track found himself working as a DJ at the Orbit club.

Wilko is Primate’s Official tour DJ and owner of the Infamous Player records. His fast paced booty shakin techno on Player is familiar to many, a bass heavy techno beat with infectious vocal samples which take from eras gone by catapult them onto dancefloors around the world today.

His other imprints include Ignition Records, Notorious North, DJ Special Needs Pirate Audio Productions and his latest offering – Androids. He has also has worked with producers including the Advent, Space DJ’s, Angel Alanis, Glenn Wilson, Cave, Marko Nastic, Jel Ford, DJ Bam Bam, DJ Urban, Rino Cerrone, mark Antonio, Mike Humphries, Trevor Rockcliffe,DJ Preach and DJ Misjah.

Firstly can you tell us about your hometown and what the dance music scene is like there?

My home town is Leeds in the north of England. It has been the home of some of the most important club nights for house and techno in the world including back to basics and the orbit. The scene in the UK is very up and down but Leeds is a city like Manchester and Birmingham which always has a great night life and a strong scene,

From my understanding you spent quite a bit of time in Australia on your last visit, what is your fondest memory of your lengthy stay here?

I would have to say the girls. After that Belfast last year was amazing!! Even though I didn’t play it was an amazing show and I new I had to be on the bill in the future.

Looking at your touring schedule and production list, you are quite the busy man! What do you like to do in your spare time?

Relax with my friends, I also love rugby league and I follow my team Leeds Rhino’s with a passion. In the summer I am a hardcore fisherman.

Can you tell us a little bit about the sound you are putting forth on the Face to Face mix?

The face to face mix is a project that is based around my 3 deck DJ sets. Tribal grooves backed up with some old school favourites of mine.

Word is you are touring with your production partner Pete Simpson in a live world Ignition Technician tour, planned for 2007. What will your live show consist of in this tour?

Yeah Pete and I have not produced together for about 2 and a half years, Pete has been working on his band project with his brother, so I have done all the trax my self in that time. We put our first record out together last month on our new label Androids. This is what our new live show will be based around. It will be more synth based with a lot more live instruments will be played rather than sequences. Live synths, live bass guitar, live percussion. The tour is looking more like late 2007 early 2008, but when it’s ready it will be awesome. We are gonna do a live CD to go with the tour.

It has been noticed here in Australia (and in many parts of the world) that many techno DJs have abandoned the hard edged sounding techno in an attempt to keep up with the trends and follow the path down minimal lane. What is your opinion on this? Do you think that the chunkier/harder techno that we used to listen to will make a comeback?

Well I can only speak for myself, and I’m always evolving but I’m not going down that route. If you don’t like your beats fat and hard and funk driven don’t come to one of my shows as there is no minimal here.

Your DJing and many productions have allowed you to take your sound all over the world. In which countries is your sound most well received?

Japan and Brazil. They love it!!

Can you name any up and coming producers who we should look out for?

Carl Falk, James Rudd DJ devious and my young prodigy Phil Walls! This kid rocks.

What else is on the cards for 2007? Any releases we should be keeping an eye out for?

Well I’m working on trax for primate, Intec, Wetmusik, and real sessions but my main focus for 2007 is my new infamous and Androids labels.

What can the Melbourne folk expect from your set at Belfast on New Year’s Eve? Will you be going with the theme of the night… Old skool?

110% I am pulling no punched for NYE its an old school work out and nothing else. My plan is to blow the other acts out of the water and there are some big guns to take on!!

Ignition Technician plays at Belfast in Melbourne on New Year’s Eve