). It's transmited
form London to all over the world, broadcasting "sounding anarchy", a dream
turned into reality by Mad Ash. He's a DJ and producer who, for several
years, found himself between raves and pirate-radios, once the latter is
one of the most powerful ways of spreading alternative music throughout
England until nowadays.
-But I didn't work with cheap and bad piracy, that one with inadequate
equipments that interfere with other radio signals, air traffic signals and
other security areas - says Mad Ash, in exclusive phone interview to Rio
Fanzine, from his house in London. - I just wanted to play not the hit
parade, but what is not under pressure of the industry, real underground
music.
What Mad Ash means is house, soul, hip hop, techno, speed garage, drum
'n' bass, trance and gabba; nothing related to Phil Collins or Spice Girls.
When he met, at a party, the expert in computers and programming Adam
Laurie, he realized he could turn the dark world of piracy into the light
of a new way.
-The discovery of Internet as a new radio concept was wonderful - he says.
It's a world of freedom, without any kind of interference; it's cool.
So, interference was born last February, as the result of Ash and Laurie's
partnership. It's not the first radio in internet, but maybe it's the best
one.
The high-tech equipments were all donated by corps, like Silicon Graphics
and Real Audio, interested in seeing their most recent software being
tested in a creative way as well as linking their names to an innovative
way like InterFACE.
The radio's financial support is, in part, due to those DJs who work
there. But ordinary DJs are responsiblefor most of InterFACE's programing,
although famous ones like Talvin Singh, Dego (from "4 Zero") and Gilles
Petersen had been there recently and "Reinforced Records" and "Trouble on
Vynil" had presented their work there.
Every Dj has to pay ten pounds. It's almost a symbolic tax to mantain the
radio and it's also a way of knowing they are aware of our purpose - says
Mad Ash. -Everyone can play on InterFACE. All u have to do is send a tape
with your work and a contact phone number.
Speaking of legal questions, the DTI, that rules broadcasting throughout
England, declared that InterFACE is a free radio because Internet has no
specific regulation on this topic.
-But as soon as a regulation appears, we are ready to discuss it - says
Mad Ash.
InterFACE is on the way to reach the top. "The Face", "Wired", "Muzik",
"The Independent" and even BBC have good coments on its work. InterFACE's
counter has registered over 3 million visitants since its inaugural
transmission.
Such diversity is shown in the chat session , where people from Japan,
Brazil, USA or wherever a computer, a telephone line and no conformism can
be found.
Last wednesday evening (13/05/98) Rio Fanzine entered the chat and asked
for opinions on InterFACE.
-It's the future - says STE, from New York.
-There's nothing like it - says Martina, from Canada.
-I WANNA GO TO RIO - "yells" STATIC, from London.
Sounding globalization or "one nation under a groove", predicted by George
Clinton? It doesn't matter. What really matters is that changeful noise is
in the air. A cool noise. Just listen.