Published in the September 2006 issue of DJ Times Magazine
Volume 19 - Number 9
By Jim Tremayne

     More than other electronic sub-genres, tech-house tends to be defined by an ethos rather than a particular sound. True, it's a mixture of techno's tougher elements and house's sexier rhythms, but the appeal lies deeper than its grooves. At its best, tech-house harkens back to the days of Acid House and an inclusive, but earthy attitude that's perfectly captured in Peace Division's track, "Club Therapy."
     Over Clive Henry and Justin Drake's irresistibly rugged groove, a male voice riffs about his small place in a bloated world that's become modern clubland: "When I go to a nightclub, I'm not going for the fire that's coming out of the walls, I'm not going for the VIP area, I don't need big breaks, big build-ups and smoke, I'm just going for the music."
     And perhaps no duo (this side of Layo & Bushwacka) personifies this approach more than London's Nathan Coles and Terry Francis. As their legendary Wiggle party nears its 12th anniversary, they've released one of the year's hottest mix compilations, Fabric28: Wiggle. In addition to the Peace Division track, it offers some of the smart-est, sharpest electronica going-deep grooves, squiggly 303s, arcing synth lines, crisp, minimal hi-hats, booming kicks, psychedelic flourishes. And like the song says, the Wiggle boys don't care what you wear, don't care who you know, don't care which way you swing-it's a party, and you're invited.
     We recently caught up with Nathan Coles, one-half of Wiggle's tech-house team, for a quickie trans-Atlantic interview.

DJ Times: How would you describe the Wiggle party?
Nathan Coles: Wiggle is for friends and friends of friends to get together and not worry about what they are wearing and how they look, let their hair down, and have serious boogie.
DJ Times: As a tag-team DJ duo, how would you describe your DJ approach?
Coles: Terry and myself work really well together when we DJ because we have known each other for a long time now. I cut things up a little bit more than Terry and Terry is maybe a bit smoother in the mix.
DJ Times: As it relates to the new digital options for DJs, do you think clubbers care how a DJ plays a set?
Coles: I think the most important thing, whether you're playing with records, CDs, Ableton or whatever your thing is, is that people are doing the funky chicken on the dancefloor. We used Ableton Live to do our Get Fucked live set at Fabric, and it worked really well. We put all the parts from each track into eight-bar loops and brought them in and out when we wanted.
DJ Times: What is your ideal DJ booth setup? How did you record the Fabric mix comp?
Coles: A couple of Technics, an Allen & Heath mixer, a Pioneer CDJ-1000, a bottle of Jack Daniels. For the Wiggle/Fabric mix, we recorded it into Logic Pro, as it has a great sound for the end mastering.
DJ Times: How does this CD represent Wiggle?
Coles: This CD represents the Wiggle sound well, because along the way it touches on all the styles that you would hear in a night at a Wiggle party. When I shut my eyes and listen to it, I could be on the dancefloor at Wiggle with all my friends.
DJ Times: Which DJs first inspired you and which ones keep you going these days?
Coles: DJs that have first inspired me are Eddie Richards, Terry Francis, Mr C, Paul Trouble Anderson and too many more to mention. Now, I'd say Eddie Richards, Richard Grey, Terry Francis, Gideon Jackson to name a few.
DJ Times: In your mind, how has clubland evolved over the years?
Coles: Clubland has evolved into a huge business over the years and has spread to many countries all over the world. I love the fact that it has enabled me to visit some of these countries. I don't like when the wrong sort of people get their hands on it.
DJ Times: Given the new industry machinations-digital distribution, a changing clubworld, etc.-what advice would you have for DJs who want to get where you have with a party, a label or other endeavors?
Coles: I think the best advice I can give is: Love what you do and do what you love, throw a party in a place that hasn't been used before for your friends and tell them to tell their friends. Start small and spread the word, at least that way you will be heard.