Face, has and will always be one of those nights that has the, “Do you remember when..” moment. From impromptu appearances from the almighty Dubfire, to the marathon sets of Bunny, Bleepz and Croft. Face has been pivotal to the underground scene in Birmingham. Residing in the myriad of tunnels, warehouses, rooftops and courtrooms that are made available by the, seemingly unstoppable Rainbow Venues. Face has built itself a 6-year, devout congregation. One that has trusted the promotors’ love of house and techno, that has chiselled the very music scene we see today in the second city. Yes, the brand attracts international names, but one thing that sets Face apart from others, is it’s support of the local talent. We caught up with Callum Edwards, ahead of his set this coming Saturday:
What was your first experience of Face?
From memory, I think my first experience of FACE was when I went with one of my close friends Tomola Pearson, he was DJ’ing at one of their resident parties in the cellar. The vibe in there was crazy, literally nothing shy of like minded ravers, there to enjoy proper music with their friends, just how it should be. It was from that point on I think that I started attending FACE on a more regular basis, especially for their larger shows. Over the years they have always provided forward thinking line ups, for me it was always the obvious choice for Underground House & Techno on the weekend.
Who is the biggest influence on your musical style?
For me it has to be Marco Carola, without any doubt. After attending all but a couple of his Music On events this season in Ibiza (some even on my own) there is just something vastly superior with what he can offer musically. You don’t even have to be looking at the booth to know instantly when he comes on. The vibe completely switches up, a genuine excitement fills the room. I have literally stood in one spot dancing for 6 hours plus, captivated by his set. I think it’s because I can relate to his musical style more than any other DJ that i’m a fan of. I give everyone the exact same answer when they ask me why. Aside from being a technical genius, he just delivers the perfect balance between groove and grit.
You’ve been in Ibiza for the season, tell us a juicy story!!!
I have indeed, it was my third season this year. The best story I could probably offer you was the absolute nightmare I had when me and my girlfriend decided to rent out a moped for a few days. In all honesty i’d never ridden one before, but seriously how hard could it be? As it was my first time riding one I was expecting to have to give it a fair bit of throttle before it would move anywhere. Being a 125cc it literally shot across the road (the wrong side may I add). Anyway, to cut a long story short, I narrowly missed an oncoming car, a metal railing and my girlfriend fell off LOL. (I shouldn’t laugh, but what else can you do!) Luckily, she only had a couple of minor scuffs, and after touching up the bikes white paintwork with some of her nail polish, I managed to get my 100 euro deposit back, don’t ask me how! The frustrating thing for me is I was absolutely fine from that point on, we kept it for three days and literally went round the entire island, someone upstairs just really wanted to make me look a fool I guess!
What is your stand out track for your upcoming set on Saturday? What can we expect?
In terms of my set I think it’s slightly difficult to answer. The guys at FACE are still finalizing the set times, so i’m not entirely sure what time i’m playing just yet. Obviously the vibe of my set could massively differ depending on the time I play and the response from the crowd, but i’m looking towards going all things Tech House. Being the main genre I’ve played since I first started DJ’ing, it’s definitely the area that I most enjoy, and also the genre I feel most comfortable playing. Technically, I’ve been practicing a lot lately, purely out of enjoyment but my mixing is a real personal best for me at the moment, so i’m definitely looking to showcase what I can offer. In terms of a stand out track, one which I’ve been playing a lot lately is one I got hold of back in July by DJ Dep & Natch! entitled ‘The Owl’. I had to feature this track in my latest mix because it is still an absolute tune. All things groove, but really hits hard with such a punchy sub-line. Providing the vibe is right, I can definitely see myself playing it on Saturday night.
Have you got favourite Face event? What made it special?
My favorite FACE event has to be one I attended purely by accident to be truthful. I was DJ’ing over at ‘Next Door’, supporting the regular DC10 heavyweight ‘Black Coffee’. There was some technical issues with our equipment and we were at risk of having to cancel the night. The promoters disappeared for a while and came back to let us know that we would be doubling up with FACE in the Rainbow Courtyard for one of their resident parties. Being one of the few times I had played at Rainbow, I was excited to make a last minute return, especially as I had wanted to play for FACE for quite some time. After we moved everything to Rainbow and sorted everyone’s set adjustments out, I ended up warming up for the man himself which was an absolute privilege. Needless to say, the guy jumped on after me and absolutely smashed it. If i’m completely honest, at the time I had never heard of him, but he completely blew me away. A DJ I have followed ever since.
Tickets available for Face from Face: The Final Dance
Catch Callum’s latest mix here:
https://soundcloud.com/callum-edwards/callum-edwards-islas-baleares-004
Thank you Callum!
We will be live from Face: The Final Dance, this Saturday 6pm – 6am. Make sure to follow us @welovedjslive, for updates!
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