FEATURED ARTICLE – The Universe Interview

by Claire Henderson

Universe are becoming well known for their wicked parties. They have an attention to detail and care for their customers, which is unique amongst dance. party organisers, who are often nowadays just greedy rip-off merchants.

I talked to Paul, the guy whose ideas go towards making the parties happen.

CH — How did Universe come about?

PS — Basically Universe consists of a partnership between three people – Roger, Roy and myself. Rob and I used to organise warehouse parties, and we were amongst the first people in the rave

scene to hook up with the hippy convoy. Around 1989 though, it got to the stage where illegal warehouse parties were getting out of hand. We were getting 700-800 people coming along, even if we kept it right underground. Eventually Rob and I just got very frustrated that we couldn’t put on the type of productions we wanted to. Then we met Roger and Universe was born.

CH — How many parties have you put on so far?

PS — Five. This year we’re planning one a month through the summer, which will all be in the South-West. In July we’ll be doing our first party in America, in San Francisco.

CH — So is there alot of interest in Universe, from abroad?

PS — Yeah, there certainly is. We’ve heard from a guy at Harthouse records in Germany, that more party people are coming to Tribal Gathering than are going to the May Day festival in Cologne, on the same night. A lot of European dance record companies are coming over, and MTV Europe will be there. The party is going to be broadcast a week later, even though they’re going to pretend it’s live. There is alot of media interest in this party. We’re opening it up a lot more to the media on this one. Although we’re allowing cameras on site at this party, generally our policy is not to talk to any media outside the specialist dance media, because they don’t report it in a sympathetic way. They’re bound to focus more on the drugs side, because they don’t understand the scene.

CH – Do you get alot of attention from the media then?

PS — We’ve never gone out and sought the attention. We don’t feel like we need it. Every party we’ve ever done has sold out, largely by word of mouth. We actually print up far few flyers than any other organisation, and we’re very selective about where they’re distributed. We try to be selective about who knows about our parties. That helps the atmosphere. Also because we don’t  rip people off once they’ve been to one, they want to come back to the next one. It means it creates a for more friendly vibe on site, because people kinow each other. We don’t need to go out convincing loads of new people to come to our parties, because we’ve ripped off all the old people.

CH — Have you ever had any trouble at one of your parties?

PS — In the parties that we’ve done in the past the only thing that has ruined for anyone there, is that at the last party there were a few muggings. I’ve since discovered that a rival rave promoter had actually arranged for that, to try and blacken our name. This time around we’re instituting a lot of new things to stamp that out.

CH — When is the album out?

PS — World Techno Tribe will be out on 26th April to coincide with Tribal Gathering. We’ve worked on it with Rising High records, and if it sells well we’ll be setting up our own recording studio, and pushing new talent. Anyone we fool is good.

CH — I think your “Party with a Purpose” programme ts brilliant, can you explain more about it?

PS — This is not something we’re just doing for this party, it’s an ongoing committment. We’re going to be buying up land, planting trees and leaving them to grow into woodland. Obviously then nobody can use the land for anything else. When it is all up and running we’ll be showing journalists around, just to prove that we’re not lying. The thinking behind it, is that it’s alright just coming along and having a good night, but we warit a little bit more than that. What Universe is doing, as well as putting on good parties, is starting to change the attitude of the police and the council authorities by proving that there is an organisation worth them dealing with. One that can have parties reasonably, and are aware of the health and safety implications — because it’s the reason we don’t use the workings has been discredited by gangsters and cowboys. I don’t mind using the word rave in America, because it has different connotations there.

By doing a scheme like this, we’re showing the authorities that there is some thing more to what we do.

ADVERTS

• Sunday Bollox @ Club Labrynth, 12 Dalston Lane, London E8
• Wax City Records, 306-308 London Road, Croydon
• Lucky Spin Records, 121 Kings Road, Chelsea, London SW3
• The Prodigy – Wind It Up (Rewound) XL Recordings
• Universe Tribal Gathering @ Lower Pertwood Farm, Warminster
• World Dance @ Lydd International Airport, Kent
• Labrynth Friday Night Wild, 12 Dalston Lane, London E8
• Double Dipped & Every Picture Tells A Story, 12 Dalston Lane, London E8
• Vinyl Mania, 214 Northfields Avenue, London W13
• The Lost City @ Bass Box, Lea Valley Trading Estate, London N18
• De Underground Records, 18 Sebert Road, London E7
• Pyramid Promotions / Innersense – Every Saturday @ Lazerdrome, 267 Rye Lane, London SE15

RAVE LISTINGS

• Third Wave (Global Explosion) Friday 9th April. Roller Express, Lea Valley Trading Estate, London N18
• Vertigo Thursday 8th April. SW1 Club, 191 Victoria Street, London SW1
• AWOL At The Ministry Sunday 11th April. Ministry Of Sound, 103 Gaunt Street, London SE1
• Universe Friday 30th April. Lower Pertwood Farm, Warminster
• World Dance Friday 9th April. The Sanctuary, V7 Saxon Street, Milton Keynes
• Hysteria Thursday 8th Apil. The Paradise, 1-5 Parkfield Street, London N1
• Orange At The Hippodrome Sunday 11th April. Hippodrome, Leicester Square, London W1
• Cryptonite Saturday 10th April. The Sanctuary, V7 Saxon Street, Milton Keynes
• Peace Fest ’93 Sunday 11th April. The Astoria, 157 Charing Cross Road, London WC1
• The Lost City Sunday 11th April. Bass Box, Lea Valley Trading Estate, London N18
• Sunday Bollox Every Sunday. Club Labrynth, 12 Dalston Lane, London E8
• Club Gaga Every Thursday. Cafe de Paris, 3/4 Coventry Street, London W1
• Outrage Every Friday. Busbys, 157 Charing Cross Road, London WC1
• Promise Sunday 11th April. Limelight, London W1
• Lesson V Dance Dept. (Institute of Goa) Saturday 3rd April. Central Building, Archway Roundabout
• Reincarnation Saturday 24th April. Kings Hall, Herne Bay, Kent
• Knowledge All Nighter Wednesday 7th Apil. SW1 Club, 191 Victoria Street, London SW1
• Fusion Friday 16th April. Portsmouth Guild Hall

CHART

Billy Bunters Labrynth 10

1. Heaven (Remix) – Oaysis (Formation)
2. Theme From Love (Part 2) – Bass Ballistics (J4M Records)
3. One Love – K90 (Kickin)
4. The Drowzee (Remixes) – Intense (U.L.R.)
5. Breaking My Heart – Jump Up Crew (Labello Blanco)
6. Move Me – E.O.A.D. (Future Sounds)
7. Tribal Tone – OHM (Hubba Hubba)
8. Raise Em Higher – Catch (Large Groove)
9. Pennywise Remixes (Symphony Sounds)
10. Much To Much / Hand In Hand – Defiance (White Label)