Hard Dance is a genre used to getting a ruff rub these days. Publicly slated for terminal decline every few months or so, the scene, musically at least, regularly bites back with new artists joining an ever increasing pool of young talent that is currently sweeping the scene. Lee Pasch is a name synonymous with that new breed, counting the likes of Paul Maddox, Colin Barratt, Guyver, Technikal and Wid & Ben as his peers. With a number of tried and tested anthems already under his belt for hard dance über label Tidy plus a growing DJ profile I sought to find out a little more about the 22 year old producer/DJ and what he's got in store for the rest of '05.
Although best known for his tough energetic hard trance, Lee's first break came via Shock records back in 2001. By that time Lee (a classically trained pianist) had caught the dance music bug off Hardcore and D'n'B before finding favour with hard house classics of the time such as Trauma’s 'Higher' and Ingo’s 'R U Ready For This'. Consequently his first productions were in the same vein with 'Energise' and 'Rok the Beat' announcing his arrival on the scene. His present sound first took shape in 2002 however, around the same time as the harder floors up and down the country took on a more euphoric edge. Lee demo’d his first hard trance track, 'Emotion' to ten labels, arousing the interest of both Nukleuz and Honeypot before Tidy came in, signing it alongside 'Calling For You'. The success of the double A track led to a raft of remixes for the label, a body of work starting with Paul Maddox’ hard trancer 'Reach Out' and including Barely Legal's massive 'We Are The Future' and 'Goosebumps'
In these tracks it’s easy to see the three elements he thinks of as his production cornerstones, namely “energy, melody and fun”. Notable for his catchy hooks and epic floor filling vocals as much as his soaring synthlines they are the kind of tunes you hear in the middle of the night but can always remember, bookmarking you in a certain part of the party sometime. Testament to this can be found at the recent Tidy Summer Camp, when at one time or another you could hear his remix of 'Goosebumps’ getting cained up and down the chalets on site. Another quality that embosses Lee's tunes above the rest is the invention. Always keeping on the right side of his production ethos, he chops and changes the arrangement, time stretches to destruction, even re-sampling a production to get every last FX possibility out of the mix. This, coupled with the previously mentioned use of vocals, hooks and soaring synths means you have an epic chunky sound that never threatens a dull moment. Even to the cynic it is quality club music; to the clubber wanting music to put that smile on their face it’s a sound that stands out in tech dominated times.
For Lee there is a more serious side to music however, something that becomes evident when we discuss the impact of technology. The evolution of DJ/ production technology is something of a double edged sword for not just Hard Dance, but electronic music as a whole. Though not a “hardcore vinyl fan” he is under no illusion that the digital revolution for all its advantages has led the scene into the arms of unsuspecting pirates the world over. “People just don't take it seriously enough” he complains, calling the issue “absolutely critical” to the future of Hard Dance. The other side of the coin however is far more positive, enabling up and coming producers to get their productions out and about quickly and easily. For Lee one of the biggest advantages of the emergence of CD is the quicker turnaround, explaining “now you don't have to wait weeks for a record to be pressed, you can finish a track and play it out that night if you want”. The digital revolution has also determined that you don't need a £20K studio to produce quality music, enabling likewise producers to climb the production ladder.
Production wise, the remainder of '05 will see Lee scoping out other genres in order to diversify his sound. “Hard Dance will come back big” he believes, “but it will come back different”. His next effort, 'Hybridise' will incorporate these new production ideas, and along with forthcoming sets at the Fridge and Tidy’s tenth birthday bash at Magna will consolidate his standing as one of the scenes brightest prospects.
