Dog
Just for the record, what's the story behind all the 'Dog'-related aliases? (Eg. Phil n' Dog, Act Of Dog etc...)
Right, for a long time now my Internet nickname has been Dog (from a William Gibson book), so everything stems from there really. The name 'Act Of Dog' was thought up by Rich (aka Agent Graves) whilst on a snowboarding holiday when he suggested it as a name for a music track. I liked it so much I pilfered it for my own use & here we are today. It's sort of a play on words along the Act of God lines. Did ja see what I did there? As for the 'Phil n' Dog' thing, well that's just the collaborative name for the bootlegs that I produce with Philmanns. Pretty self-explanatory really.
What are you up to these days?
Just finished a full-on remix of Fatboy Slim's "Slash Dot Dash", which will be on the board soon, plus the tdpz Prodigy album has another track from me on it & that's due soon too. Apart from that, (I'm) just working on new boots, trying to get time to work with Phil for more stupidity & just taking the scene in really.
What music are you currently grooving to?
Currently shaking my paws to Mylo's album Destroy Rock & Roll plus anything chunky, acidic & with lots of breaks in it.
What album, if push comes to shove, is your all-time favourite?
Easy. Brown by Orbital is by far my favourite album. It was their second full length album & the one where they really established themselves as serious players in the UK dance music industry. Unlike the first effort, Brown actually had a proper structure to it & flowed much more easily than Green did, & it's fair to say that in places it's more of a musical journey than a collection of tracks. The entire piece from the start of "Lush 3-1" to the end of "Remind" just has to be heard by everyone who even remotely likes electronic music as it's got to be one of the finest pieces of music around. Utterly stunning.
Can you recall what was the first album you bought? Where did you buy it?
Hmmm, first album? That was probably the Muppet Show Album which I don't think I have any longer. As for where I bought it, I haven't a clue.
Which artiste, other than yourself, have you ever wanted to be?
Another easy one really. Paul Hartnoll from Orbital. The man is a god, end of story. Paul is basically responsible for the majority of Orbital's music & anyone who can produce tunes of such a phenomenal quality like that should be elevated to the status of major deity. I've been fortunate enough to meet him & Phil on a number of occasions & he has just such an endless enthusiasm for music & music-making gadgets, plus he's a really nice bloke too (they both are).
Can you recall the most embarrassing & bizarre thing that has ever happened to you?
The most embarrassing thing was after the Metallica / Megadeth gig at Milton Keynes Bowl many moons ago when I got sunburnt across my forehead BUT only where the cap that I was wearing (backwards) didn't cover. So, there I am with beetroot lines on my head, back in university on the Monday & everyone is just stopping & laughing at me & my sunburn. I could've died!
As for bizarre, I can't really think of anything that fits, other than having to rescue a friend of mine from a riot at Dance Valley (Amsterdam) in 2001 when he was trying to get onto the coach at the end of it all. Having to haul somone over a crowd by just one arm is quite a bizarre experience in my book.
The Last of Dog:
Last album you bought (or downloaded) = Hexstatic - Master View
Last movie you watched that gave you wood = Shaun Of The Dead
Last book or magazine you read that was exciting = William Gibson - Mona Lisa Overdrive
Last concert you went with a different agenda, other than listening to the music = Who the hell goes to gigs for anything other than to listen to the music?
Last mash-up you heard that was the dog's bollocks = GHP's Stone Roses vs Kasabian
Can you recall what are some of the most hilarious reactions to your bootlegs?
Seeing someone crowdsurfing at 'Bastard' when "Gay Muppet Bar" was first played out there. That was pretty cool.
Which bootlegger, in your opinion, is seriously outclassed?
This is where I'm diplomatic & boring & just say that we've all got our strengths & weaknesses. I can't genuinely remember who it was but there was one boot when everything was out...key, timing, the whole enchilada but the person who made it just couldn't hear it at all & apparently "wasn't bothered about keyclashes" so he went down in flames. Other than that, I think the output on GYBO is an excellent standard.
On the other hand, which bootlegger deserves the loudest applause?
Ok, I AM going to name names here. I have a lot of respect for Lumpy & Dunproofin' on this one. Lumpy because he just makes the silliest, smile inducing tunes known to man & you can't help but like them, & Dunproofin'...because like me, he's got a respect for the club dancefloor & personally I like to hear tunes that'll get me flapping like a goon in a club. I tend to download bootlegs on the content though, not just because of who's produced them.
Can you list ten of your favourite bootlegs of ALL time?
Phil n' Dog - "Gay Muppet Bar"
Lumpy - "Resting On My Laurels"
Go Home Productions - "Ray Of Gob"
Dunproofin' - "We Want Your Acid"
Agent Graves - "At The Sloop John River"
Act Of Dog - "Lush News"
Miss Frenchie - "Slow Gate"
Exactshit - "Killer Boots"
Lumpy - "Higher State Of Carnival"
Any boots you wished you've done but didn't?
Yeah, the SL2 vs Eddy Grant one. Still makes me smile so much when I hear it.
Ten reasons why dogs are better than cats.
They're not
They're not
They're not
They're not
They're not
They're not
They're not
They're not
They're not
They're not
Can you tell I'm a cat person?
Let's play word association. We mention a name & you give us your thoughts...
Lassie = Early morning TV
Sixx Mixx = Music
La Folie = Eh?
Martin Gore = Fast Fashion
The Concretes = Guitar-based music?
Audiogalaxy = Lifesaver
X-Large = Way of life
Giselle Bundchen = Who?
Zildjian = Crash
Mutant Pop = Bootlegs
Which decade do you consider the 'golden era' of music?
Has to be the Eighties for me. I spent that decade getting into everything that's shaped my musical tastes now with the synthpop, new romantics, NWOBHM, rave & everything else that was floating around. Pretty much everything I listen to now has it's roots in the eighties.
What do you remember about the following years:
1989 = Away in Portsmouth at Uni, getting very smashed everynight. Class!
1995 = Left Uni, became an employed person. Mmmm, money!
1999 = Lots of personal shit kicking off...not a good year.
2000 = The turn of the millenium.
2004 = Saying goodbye to Orbital at Maida Vale. Best gig of my life. Ever!
What's your favourite Saturday night record?
Brown by Orbital
And your Sunday morning one?
76.14 by Global Communication or Programmed To Love by Bent.
What's the good thing about being Dog?
When people find out my name, there's the look of familiarity as they link it back to "Gay Muppet Bar". I can also lick my own balls...(yeah, riiiight).
Do you still see yourself making boots in ten years time?
Hopefully (making) remixes & getting paid, but I can't predict the future of the bootleg scene really, no-one can.
What do you think the future for bootlegs / mash-ups / remixes would be like, given that being a home musician is so easy these days?
Well, the scene will always evolve & mutate. At one point electronic music was only for the rich people but as the 'bedroom producers' got their hands on cheaper kits, the market was flooded. I think that now all you need is a PC, some software & the ideas, the bootleg scene will flourish & maybe become a lot more accepted in the mainstream. Personally though, I like it as a dark, almost seedy underculture. I don't think I'd want to be on TOTP fannying around miming with a synth whilst a tune I'd booted or remixed was playing out the PA...
You can visit Dog's website here.
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