Altern 8 - Fantazia Exclusive Interview 2005

Full name, age and birthplace?
Mark Archer - 37 - Near Wolverhampton

Location now?
Stafford

What were your early music influences?
What was the very 1st record you bought? 1st tune I ever bought was cars by Gary Newman, but I guess like most people around at the time was into electro hip hop and all the early house.

How long have you been DJing/producing now?
When did you get your first set of decks? What recording equipment did you use then/now? Started djing when I was around 16 - and producing when I was 18 (1988), got my first deck when I was 18 - a pair of technics belt drives, but had no recording equipment of my own until we signed to Network - all the tunes we did before that were recorded at Blue Chip studio's in Stafford.

Between signing to network and around 93' I built up a whole range of gear - so didn't need to go to another studio again.

How did it all start for you?
Get your ideas for tunes? Did you write them? Started by making demo's with Dean Meredith - who I later formed Bizarre inc with - and we took them to blue chip - where we were offered a contract straight away - we were both into the same kind of stuff - and just wanted to record some acid house tunes - managed to gather together some bits of gear and recorded an Lp entitled 'Acid Trance'.

Never really written anything down to be honest, usually started a tune with either a bassline or a drum track and built it from there - that’s the way I've always worked.

How did you get the name Altern8?
We were supposed to be called Alien-8, but when the artwork for the Overload ep came back - it said Altern 8 on - so we stuck with it.

I can remember seeing you on TOTP, how was that?
After looking up, I see you went to number 3, did you intend to break the popular chart? People often think that a group who goes on TOTP is selling out - or is a pop group, Pop is short for popular - when you have 20,000 ravers watching you on stage - I guess that means you're popular - not a sell out. When you had so many of those raves going on each weekend and that kind of size, if half the people bought your tune - you'd be catapulted into the charts - so you have no control over it - and there is no musician/dj or producer out there who is going to ruin there chance to sell records - no matter how you go about it - the fact that prodigy didn't go on TOTP didn't make them more credible - it was a real good publicity move - and fair play to them.

Out of all the tunes you made, which is your favourite?
Got to be Infiltrate 202 - guess because it really summed up what I was into at the time.

The chemical suits and masks certainly grabbed attention, whose idea was it, how did it come about?
The suits were because we were still PAing as Nexus 21 - and we did a gig at the eclipse in Coventry - then were booked a few weeks later as Altern 8 - we didn't want to look the same on stage - as we would have had the same equipment - so we needed something to cover our identities - and my brother was in the RAF - he gave us 2 of the suits that were old - I added the masks and fluorescent bits as I was well into all the Day-Glo stuff from 88' - never thought it would take off to be honest - but its nice that it did - being a recognised part of a scene that I loved so much. Never thought that what we were doing would do what it did - and was just happy with getting tunes played out like - but now to be remembered by that generation and have a new generation being bought up listening to our tunes is fantastic.

There have been a lot changes in music over the last 20 years, from acid house/hardcore/jungle/d'n'b/nu skool/etc. What do you enjoy playing the most and why?
Will always love my oldskool - but really into my early Detroit techno - that’s what really got me into making tunes - been playing old skool sets out since around 99' with Mkone as Altern 8, but also play a lot of new funky house - I like most kinds of dance music to be honest.

How big is your vinyl collection?
Guess I've got around 4000 tunes on my shelves - and a few boxes full that I take out djing.

What's your favourite all time tune?
What tune of the moment can’t you help tapping your foot to? And what to you is the worst tune ever, that if you heard it again it'd make you want to bang you head off the wall? Way too many top tunes really - always really loved strings of life - but most Detroit stuff is up there in my faves. I heard an oldskool acid tune the other day - and it was utter crap - a tune called 'muppets on acid' - dreadful - just like to say thanks to Placid for playing it - proper lightweight tune.

First event you played?
The Dome in Birmingham - pa as Nexus 21 - crapped myself... ( not literally mind )

Best event you played?
Amnesia House @ Donnington Park - 1991 - fantastic for so many reasons - but mostly the crowd reaction.

Best performing experience?
Playing NYE in Centenary Square in front of 35000 people - that was mental.

Your worst performing experience, the one that makes you cringe?
Playing a revival gig in Southend on Sea - absolute waste of time - promoters didn't have a clue - and we have no idea why they booked us......

Funniest thing that happened at an event?
We did a gig in Brazil, and the girl who was dancing for us ( was her 1st time ) came out onstage - and fell straight off the front into the crowd - was well funny, cos our mc ( Mkone ) just stood there laughing.

Favourite promoter?
Gotta be everyone at Amnesia House back in the day - and the early Euphoria gigs at Turnmills that we did a few years back - always well looked after and top events.

Dj's MC's you rated then and now?
Man Parris and Mkone - every time - both knew how to hype a crowd, and more importantly when to leave the tunes to play. Nothing worse than an Mc who talks all over a tune.

If you had a time machine what year would you go back to and why?
1988 no question about it - was when it all changed for me - top year - top music.

Cosy Club or Warehouse?
Either - both have their good points - nothing compares to a small dark club with acid house playing - 1 strobe and loads of smoke - but the same can be said for 10,000 people in a huge hangar.

What do you do to chill out away from the music?
I don't - music is what makes me tick - I usually listen to an internet radio show on www.piraterevival.co.uk - proper oldskool played by people with passion for it, or I'm out djing or at a local funky house club.

Any rumours or myths you’d like laid to rest?
Not really - most people know about what went behind the scams - but I still have the DAT of Frequency - it was never burnt.

What have you been up to recently?
Still producing under various guises - never stopped really - and also a lot of DJing all over the place with Mkone as Altern 8

The future of Altern8/Mr Nex, upcoming events?
There's no future plans at all for Altern 8, Myself and Mkone will continue djing under our names as Altern 8 playing oldskool sets - as far as Mrnex stuff goes - will be recording some new material soon - but of a very different style.

How would you like to be remembered?
Like we are now, as part of the early 90's scene - making people dance - that’s enough for me.

Anything else you want to say?
Get yourself tuned to www.piraterevival.co.uk - or come get nostalgic with us at an oldskool event near you - you can check http://www.maskhysteria.co.uk/forum/main.php for upcoming dj dates we have.

Thanks Mark for your time.

Interview by Bex  Copyright 2005 Fantazia