DJ FELIPE EXPOSES FINALSCRATCH® TO NEW EU COUNTRIES

Much travelled Austrian techno artist, DJ Felipe, is setting the standards in Austria, having adopted FinalScratch® after a two-year evaluation period.

Having been introduced to the technology by Richie Hawtin on the Pepsi Sziget Festival in Budapest during the summer 2001, he was immediately captivated.

"I had read press articles in the weeks before the festival, and from the moment I first touched the record and saw the wave on the laptop correspond exactly to how I was spinning the record, I knew I needed it."

At that time FinalScratch was only being sent to a rare selected list of artists worldwide to gauge feedback. "Richie helped me get into the Pro-Version pool and some weeks later I got the whole package from the company N2iT."

However, after several years of use, his original FS package and laptop were stolen. As a result he returned to the conventional domain, choosing to bide his time until the new v1.5 software release, which runs natively on Windows XP or Mac OS 10.3 Panther, before jumping on board. "When I saw the 1.5 version being used by Chris Liebing I knew I had to revert back," says Felipe.

Felipe is delighted with the new operating system, which allows him to play digital music files, such as .MP3, .WAV and .AIF. "One of the main advantages of FinalScratch is that I can 'proof' our productions in the clubs without the need to produce a number of test pressings before making the final cut! Even if FS only provides the sound from the digital source you can certainly hear elements which could have been done better in the studio mixdown."

Aside from doing away with heavy transportation, FS also allows Felipe the opportunity to sort out track lists while in transit, to test his own productions or re-edit existing tunes. Since he now receives 50% of his promos as digital files, file transfer is swift. "I think you should always get behind the new progressive technology," he believes.

Felipe operates FS from a 14" Samsung X Series laptop, replacing the larger Vaio whose size was a disadvantage in some venues. "This one is perfect for working on FS - and you can still enjoy movies on it!"

One of the venues he enjoys working best is Flex in Vienna - the only club in the Austrian capital, he says, which attracts its clientele purely on the strength of its music.

"The club only has a capacity of around 800 people, but it has a huge and unique sound system which was voted as one of the 10 best in Mix Mag some years ago," he says. Felipe hosts a residency called Essence and invites friends like Sven Väth, Richie Hawtin, Jeff Mills, Hell, Heiko Laux, Chris Liebing, Adam Beyer, Marco Carola and many more to make guest appearances.

These are among the DJ's he likes to track share with. "It's an advantage that you can play tunes which are not even released or which sometime will never come out so this of course gives you the chance to keep your set unique and different from the regular DJ. However, there is a nice communication between the other FS deejays - Carola, Gaetano, Bailey, Liebing, Umek, etc."

Felipe operates a gruelling touring schedule, playing most of his gigs in Mid and Central Europe - particularly the new member countries of the European Union, such as Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Hungary and Bulgaria, where he says he experiences "a perfect crowd!" He also plays at least twice a year in Japan and Asia and scheduled for this year are tours in South America and South Africa.

Looking to the future, he believes the whole record industry is moving inexorably towards digital. "It is just not worth paying for additional costs like artwork, distribution, promotion anymore. Consumer demands have changed totally in recent years and music has a much shorter shelf-life. This must speed up the process of making the whole market digital."

"I like the idea of getting tunes for maybe 50 cents and sharing them with friends. As a result, record sales are decreasing and many companies and artists are having a hard time to survive. I personally believe that this could be a good solution for the whole genre."

"FinalScratch pioneered this whole movement, and I like the idea that many artists today are connected through FinalScratch, able to share their experiences and be at the forefront of the whole development process."

ABOUT DJ FELIPE

DJ FELIPE became involved in the dance movement in the late 80's. Working in a travel agency he found himself booking many flights for DJ's and so became close to the industry. With a friend he started to produce music - in those days trance - releasing tunes on major labels.

After going solo he started developing his DJ skills. "I play electronic dance music, which most people would call techno, and my influences were people like Sven Väth, Laurent Garnier, Hell, etc. who are 100% artists and nearly always stand for progress in music."

Over the years he has played more than 1,000 shows, including some of the world's best clubs, such as Rex in Paris; Fuse in Brussels; Flex in Vienna; Womb in Tokyo; U60311 in Frankfurt; Home in Budapest, Tunnel in St.Petersburg; Radost in Prague, and events such as Love Parade in Germany, Creamfields in Prague, Mayday, Time Warp, Wire in Japan and various MTV Festivals.

His latest releases are on labels such as Primate, Primevil, MB Elektronics, Potential, CLR, and his own labels Titanium and Supreme-Entertainment.