Interview with Dave Ralph :: 08.08.2005

1. Where are your main residencies?
Avalon in Boston. Although I now have a hand in running the place, it has always been one of my favorite places on the planet. Now it's really home and I play here every month.

2. Describe your style of music and how has it has evolved over the years.
I have been experimenting with different kinds of music for the last year or so. I think there is a lot of cool vocal stuff out there right now and I was getting tired of laborious instrumentals so the vocals are quite exciting.

3. What is your favorite city to play and why?
I love to play in South America. Even though it is a slog to get down there it is so rewarding. The clubs, the people, the culture and the countries that make it all up are just incredible. Peru has been my favorite place so far although most of the parties have been events and not held in one particular place. Lima is an amazing place—not the prettiest city in the world—but the vitality that the people of Lima bring to the dance floor is, in my opinion, unrivaled in the world.

4. And your favorite club (besides Avalon, of course)?
My favorite club that I have ever been fortunate to play in still has to be Cream in Liverpool, although it no longer exists. Although I racked my brains there is nothing to touch it on the planet. In its heyday it was a sight to behold and I will not forget it in a hurry!

5. You have been primarily a CD DJ for many years and have recently started using FinalScratch 2. What got you interested in checking it out?
I am always looking at ways to lighten my load. When you are on the road and lugging around a lot of records it can get tiresome. I turned to CDs because I was happy with the results you get from a CDJ-1000. But the luxury of being able to carry a lot of tracks with you soon goes away as you then have to start carrying more CDs and so before you know it you're almost back to square one. FinalScratch enables me to have a bottomless pit of music on my laptop, which I take with me everywhere anyway, and a small interface that is pretty easy to hook up in a club. Now I'm back to carrying a backpack and I have all the versatility of a sizeable record collection on my laptop. Perfect!

6. What are your favorite features in FS 2?
I like the ability to record my sets back into the computer for future analysis and I love the CD option.

7. Would you recommend FinalScratch to CD DJs out there and why?
Absolutely. You have to try new technology as and when it becomes available and FS2 is well worth checking out. It will change your life :)

8. What do you think about video mixing?
I don't really have an opinion on it to be honest. It may suit some people but I feel there is enough going on mixing records together for me and the addition of video would just be a little too much.

9. It used to be that DJs separated themselves by having access to upfront music, but with MP3s available to everyone, how can a DJ be unique in today's digital world?
By believing in what they play. Music is subjective. Not everyone is going to like what you play, but you can be unique in terms of programming and your musical choice. And of course, you can also make your own music.

10. Speaking of making music, what tracks have you got in the pipeline?
I'm taking a sabbatical right now. So nothing new for the next six months or so.