When we talk about harddance in Belgium, one man always comes to mind… Q-IC. Since the last years of the nineties he has been present in the Belgian scene and the past few years he has worked himself up the status of the godfather of jump & tekstyles. We had a little chat with the man.
Q-IC actually comes from the word Quick, a very known fastfood joint, you once said in an interview. Are you still a Quick junkie?
No, those beautiful days are over. Nowadays I try to maintain a healthy diet. But that doesn’t mean I never go to the Quick anymore.
You’re a proud father since a few years. Are you working on the future in the scene?
Who knows! It would be nice to see my son or daughter follow in my footsteps, but i fin dit more important they finish school and do something they really like doing. I’ve been lucky to turn my hobby into a living and I really hope they will have that same luck one day. Whatever it may be. The eldest is three years old now and she has an amazing sense of rhythm and music. Solid Sounds is one of her favourite discs in the car.
You are very active in jump & tek as well as in techno. What do you like the most?
I’ll always Carry techno in my heart, because that’s where my roots are. Jump & tek were a nice extra for me, because in the beginning it didn’t matter what you played, the people always went crazy. Those days are over, unfortunately. I have some difficulties with people thinking in genres all the time. They only let themselves go on the 4 or 5 tracks they know. I always liked techno because of the broadmindedness of the fans. I do hope time will change again. If yes, i see a bright future for jump & tek.
You studied audiovisual art. How does that comply to what you are doing now?
Producing and mixing is a learning process. You have to be hard for yourself and you have to constantly want to learn. These studies and a background as engineer really do help, since it teaches you not only to use the presets, but to fully explore the possibilities of a machine.
You once said you wouldn’t release any vinyl anymore because of the bad sales. Are you really turning your back on the vinyl business?
Not quite. Vinyl used to be a fantastic way to promote yourself. Promo’s weren’t sent out via internet or mail because it simply wasn’t that advanced as now. The big names in that agereceived the promo’s on vinyl and back then there was a big difference between all the dj’s. You used to go and watch a dj working because he had records nobody else had, played or even knew. Those were the days. Now I’m convinced that the promo of an artist works very differently. Nowadays social media such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are the way to go. Most labels experience some losses on the sales of vinyls, records and compilations. We have to come an age where everyone wants everything for free, even music. If I had to choose, I’d rather have something I can feel, like a record or a discs. But I don’t have a say in that, i’m just an artist. Labels simply have to make some profit to keep on working.
You didn’t have that many releases after “Eat This”. Are you working on something right now?
“Eat This” actually was an album to see how far I could go with the audience today. I didn’t try to make something I knew everybody would like, but more a curious point of view on the scene back then. For me it was a test to see if people could appreciate some renewals on the scene and how far they would go to follow me.
After the big success of Sur+ it became clear there’s a new line of artists and music in which I can’t find myself anymore. For me it’s a great moment to take a break and do something else. But that doesn’t mean I’ll never return. When the time is right and the inspiration follows, I’ll be there again. I’m working ons ome new projects since the beginning of this year and after the summer you’ll be able to hear them. These projects are mostly house, electrohouse and dubstep. I’ll release some tracks at Killaz and Miditonal as well soon.
Ghost has developed his own “style” (Ghoststyle). How would you describe your style?
I don’t really have a name for it. It’s more a pleasant mix between jump & tek, classics, some new stuff and a sense of craziness.
Who do you think is the most promising talent?
There are several talents. On Sur+ and Fanatix we try to catch them in an early stage and support thema long the way. But if I had to choose… Junior Waxx on Sur+ and Bestien on Fanatix.
Why should the people come to see you?
Especially to hear the new Sur+ and Fanatix releases. But I think most people know what they can expect from me.
Do you have a message for the visitors of The Qontinent?
Don’t miss The Qontinent! Puyenbroek will shiver!
