Ian started making tracks back in 1989, and was signed to City Beat in 1990 with the first track, ‘Live The Dream’. But how did someone who started life in the scene on the dance floor, work his way to fame in the charts?

Working as a technician for British Aerospace it was a shock to his work mates to find out he was leaving to start a musical career. He started taking loans for his equipment and knew from the start this was going to be more than just a hobby. Ian has been into the music since the beginning, back in 87/88, which is why he has always remained open minded, and to this day has seen many changes. We asked Ian what he feels is wrong with the scene at the moment?

"Well one and half years ago it was really banging, but to me the Hardcore scene just hasn’t moved on. It’s the same breaks, same sounds, and its become really dark and moody. I said to myself at the end of last year I wouldn’t do any more moody gigs".

Dream Frequency have come along way since 1989 and it’s not surprising they don’t wish to do any moody gigs. The deserved break Ian received, whilst he was listening to Radio Lancashire, is one of the reasons he is still so down to earth.

Whilst listening to the Gary Hickson show he heard him asking for acts to send in tapes, this was around the time XL Recordings were setting up. He sent in his tape and was surprised when the radio station actually phoned back. Ian had been to a Rave called ‘Live the Dream’, which was the second local outdoor event, just when the scene was kicking off. He returned home, started to mess around, and made the track ‘Live The Dream’. The second track released was ‘Love, Peace and Harmony’ which was totally different, more of a Soul track.

This was when they saw the potential to cross over, it gave them inspiration for the album, which they called ‘One Nation’. The album didn’t do brilliantly, but they know now how difficult it is to launch an album. Debbie was brought in on a session and they did 4 tracks, at one stage she sang ‘Feel So Real’, which the record company loved. Ian then did a re-mix of it which had the ‘Feel So Real’ chorus. Next was ‘Take Me’, which was the last thing they did for about 18 months. But why was there such a break when they were doing so well?

"One Nation was recorded and there was a re-mix of ‘2 Bad Mice’, which was a waste of money on a real terrible re-mix. We gave them ‘Free My Mind’, and they cut another 1000 white labels, and after 7 months of PA’ing they pulled it, and melted all the records, it should really have come out!

Then nothing much really happened, until the Madonna thing came up. I was writing loads of tracks and Madonna has got a label called Maverick, totally out of the blue they said they wanted to sign ‘Take Me’, this went on from about March to July. It was hard to believe this was happening, I’m just a normal guy from a small town near Preston. But there was a few samples on the record, and the Americans are totally paranoid about samples, so that was a spanner in the works".

Mean while Debbie had decided she had done enough with Dream Frequency and now wanted a life in America, Ian was left to find a new singer. However Ian approached Debbie to ask if she would be interested in returning to England for the possibility of signing to Madonna’s label, she said she would come back.

Ian met her at the airport, only to find, she was pregnant, a totally surprising occurrence that Madonna just couldn’t handle, so this was the final nail in the coffin really. Ian still wanted Debbie to stay, so she stayed and continued to gig right up to 1 week before the baby was dropped. She’s a real veteran, and after the baby she was back on the road, an amazing 2 weeks after. Due to the fact Ian now thinks Maverick is nothing but a stiff label, he is pleased nothing every came of it.

Already they had come along way, since the first PA at Park Hall near Preston and onto their 4th gig in front of 10,000 at Energy Docklands with Adamski, Black Box etc. Apart from the Shamen, Dream Frequency were one of the first to be seen in Australia. At the beginning of last year they played 9 gigs in the 4 weeks they were there. Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and counting in the New Year in Adelaide, Ian tells us this was a night with an unbelievable atmosphere. They were supposed to be playing two gigs that night, and there was a private jet laid on to fly them to Melbourne, and 2nd gig was cancelled, but to their amazement the jet was still laid on.

Just one of the countries they have been lucky enough to visit, Japan was another experience, booked for 5 of them to go and play a 3 minute set. They played at, Tokyo’s first Rave, for 50,000 people.

"Really cheesy Techno, with girls wearing G strings doing a wiggle to Techno, unbelievable, because there is more men than women all the girls go out looking for a man! The rave was Free, the record company sold 70,000 albums with which you received a free ticket, it’s all compilation albums out there, on CD, no singles".

You managed to appear on Top Of The Pops, how did you get on that?

"Feel So Real’ went in at 29, and when it went to 24 this encouraged a phone from our record company. We had been down South, and were travelling back, listening to the charts. When they got to 25 we thought we were out, but then 24, what a buzz’.

Did you not worry about your reputation with going on Top Of The Pops?

"At that time it didn’t really matter, Love Decade had been on a few weeks before, it was inevitable really, you can still be cred and do Top Of The Pops, at the end of the day we were still going out and doing PA’s on the underground, it was only on TV because a lot of people like the track".

And that is what is so important about Dream Frequency, well aware of their roots. Because Ian is such a prolific writer, a PA you get one month will be totally different to the next. It’s always a full show, very visual, and as Ian says "Putting something back into the scene".

Not just miming with a keyboard, giving a full performance. There is a lot of new ideas for visuals and alike, but at the moment it’s just not practical, Dream Frequency hire a minibus to get to the gigs, and there just isn’t room for any more equipment. But what does Ian get from doing all this?

"The best buzz for me is someone coming up at the end of a set and saying "That was wicked". That’s the best thing, when you know people appreciate your work, just one comment like that makes your whole week worthwhile. The PA’s are a good indication also as to whether a track will go down well, some new tunes get tried once and binned, it’s all a good indication of whether a track will work".

But has breaking tracks into charts made Dream Frequency different people?

"Definitely not! I’ve always been the most down to earth person. Knackered after a gig, but I still have time to talk to people. I can not stand people with attitudes, that’s not what it’s all about. At the end of the day you need your friends, else you have nothing".

Down to earth, Ian is that! The same attitude as back in ’89, when he visited London and bought a smiley face T. Shirt that he took back home and everyone admired. Religiously turning into Stu Allen, who he now admits would have helped inspire his writing, and full respect must go to him.

Although Ian doesn’t DJ, he has give it a try. About 2 months ago, around Rob Tissirra’s, but he admits he was pretty crap. He had a rough idea of what to do, but had to be explained the basics, hard to believe one of the countries top music makers can’t DJ, but there’s no problem when it comes to keyboards and computers.

So what have you released recently?
"The label wanted the track ‘So Sweet’ released, which was more of a Garage track. Unfortunately it was released late, due to stock taking, and a delay in printing the centre labels, everything was put back. Out of 18 months there was only one record out, not because I wasn’t writing but as you can see it was disaster after disaster. I’ve always been writing loads of stuff and doing PA’s all the way through".

So which is your favourite PA?
"Ossett, Rezerection outdoor event, last year. Tokyo for 50,000 is the biggest and one of the best".

Ian still goes partying, and his favourite club is the Orbit at Morley. He tells us he is always against clubs that you find the people are more worried about what they wear, rather than the music.

"It’s about every race and creed coming together, and enjoying themselves, I’d rather be amongst 1,500 sweaty Ravers than 1,500 poser!"

The money they earn from PA’s is good, but as they explained there is a lot of expenses. Dancers must be paid, the singer, van and petrol, not forgetting you get a full visual show. It’s not just easy work. 100% writing every day, on the keyboards, solid bookings for gigs for 4 months. You always get value for money, but why does Ian think they have become so popular?

"Well, I don’t know if I have, but if there is popularity there I would like to think its because I give 100% into my music. I’m honest to the scene, I’m not faking anything. If only one person comes up and says we were wicked, that has made my week worthwhile".

Why has Dream Frequency gone the direction in music it has gone?
"On the last one it was a combination of the record company and the way the scene was going in the middle of the year, Dream Frequency have not gone totally Garage. The B side was more Trancey Hard House but we haven’t even PA’d ‘So Sweet’. The next release, ‘The Good Times’, is more what you expect Dream Frequency to be like two years down the line, out on white label in February and due to be released around March".

What are your plans for the future?
"I just want Dream Frequency to keep banging out pumping tracks that take you somewhere, if I’m going to do some of the Trance stuff I like I might do it under an alias so people don’t get confused".

1992 was a good year for Dream Frequency. 1993 was pretty crap - 1994 had loads of hope and already shows loads of promise. Ian is very optimistic about the scene as a whole, and hopes things will come back together. If there is anything wrong with the scene he feels there could be more variation in one night, playing a bit of everything and giving people a really good night. That’s the sort of thing he has been doing with Dream Frequency, because of his wide taste in music, and although he hasn’t realised a lot of records recently you now know it wasn’t really his fault!

If he does make a track he always tries to make it so you’ll remember it, playing to the hands in the air crowd. It’s not selling out but you have to have a track on your EP that’s got wider appeal. "Feel So Real" and "Take Me" were not commercial tunes when they first came out, they simply became commercial.