FEATURE INTERVIEW – Nebula II –
FEATURE INTERVIEW – Nebula II – Zone Magazine – Issue 051 –
Nebula II are Joachim Shotter & Richard McCormack. The duo first came to light in 1991 with Seance (featuring the rave anthem Atheama on the b-side) which was released on Reinforced Records. The following year saw a steady flow of breakbeat rave tracks, such as Flatliners, C.O.D. Rider, Peace Maker, X-Plore H-Core and two remixes of their debut Seance / Atheama release.
Nebula II’s first P.A. was at Kool Kat in Nottingham, followed by a Christmas gig on the 23rd of December 1992. This was a very large event which also featured live performances from 4 Hero / Manix / Rufige Kru plus DJ sets from Kemistry & Storm, MRB, Goldie, Shot 1 & Coz (aka Nebula II), Cutz, Expression & Holocaust.
Following the success of their releases Joe & Richard, along with MC Rimz & Dancer Peter ‘E’ started off the North’s first Hardcore club in Doncaster. The Warehouse (BYO) became one of the best venues in the country.
Nebula II then moved into Techno & Psy Trance. They set up Celestial Records with A Guy Called Gerald in Manchester. Their first release “The Positive EP” was a collaboration between Richard, Joe, his brother Mark and Tony Thomas who joined Nebula II along with Paul Smith.
After a few releases the newly expanded Nebula II set up the Volt company which then set out to release the finest & purest techno releases possible. Over 100 releases came out of this company in the next three years with artists including Arcana, Spy, Coca, Force Of Nature and of course Nebula II.
Nebula II’s next venture was to set up a party organization in Nottingham to outlet the local talent and perform their own music. The first major party was Inner Trance at The Ballroom. Dave Clarke, Thomas P. Heckmann, Shot 1 and Coz played to over 1300 people in Nottingham’s biggest techno party to date! More followed with Paul Smith setting up Fusion which combined Techno & Drum & Bass.
The next phase was of course a brief step into the world of drum & bass. Nebula II produced several records for Mickey Finn’s Urban Takeover & alongside MC Magika won the Diesel Nu-Music 2000 award for best breakbeat artist (voted by legendary label Moving Shadow). They also held numerous events with Nottingham’s own Jungle master MRB.
Tell us about Joachim Shotter & Richard McCormack. The kids, where you grew up, and how did you meet?
As kids we first encountered each other on the graffiti / breakdance scene when we were pretty young – probably 14-15ish. We didn’t know each other very well but had seen each other around.
Then after we finished school (88) we both ended up at the same college even though we were doing different subjects 89 was a huge year for house music and college parties etc so we bumped into each other a lot more.
I was DJ’ing before joe and had a lot of music from 88-89 (and also Electro). But it was really just bedroom DJ’ing. As we started making the music the demand for us DJ’ing went up. Joe has always been the ‘party’ organising guy and he naturally started buying some records and DJ’ing as well.
Tell us about nebula II, where did the name come from and why?
Now this is a slightly underwhelming story. We signed the original track to Just Grooves J4M we were told on Saturday we needed a name ASAP. We both went down to shop and on the way Rich just came up with Nebula. I agreed it sounded good. Then the 2 just got added. I think it was all done and dusted in about 2 minutes.
Nebula II’s first P.A. was at Kool Kat in Nottingham. Tell us all the nasty details please!
Our first live PA was in Leicester for DJ SS at the Startlight club. Micky Finn was playing and at that time he was double dropping our track. I remember hearing a tape where he did this.
Do both of your DJ? If so, please tell us about gigs and events present and past that standout. And what’s in the future?
I am not really actively DJ’ing anymore but Joe keeps at it!
However the best events we played were definitely u pNorth both in Doncaster and Sheffield. The people and the crowds up there were just hungry for something new. Rave gave them this in a big way. We started playing at Cjs alongside Easy D and Mc Rush. I remember meeting a guy there called Derik who told us about a club in Doncaster club the Wearhouse BYO. He said we should go and check it out. So we went and there were two residents there Ashley from Warp Records and a guy called Marcus from Scunthorpe. After a few night the owner Graham asked us if we would like to the Saturday night as residents and who to bring DJ wise. This was a dream as all we did was name every single BIG dj at the time and said them. Bring them. SO we had Carl Cox, Frankie Valentine, Micky Finn, Stu Allen and loads more all come and play. Good times
Best event you have performed And why?
Personally PA’ing at the Astoria will always be the best, just because it was actually mind blowing that we were even there and had no idea really how popular our song was down in London. So going from immense nervousness though to seeing thousands of people rockin out to us will be etched into my brain forever. And we met loads of great people that night and hung out with the Reinforced crew.
Worst event you have performed and why?
Off the top of my head I think the worst has to be going back the Doncaster Wearhouse. As after we left back in around 1993 it went very happy core and hasn’t ever changed. So going back tyo play was the best as people didn’t really remember our time there so the music just didn’t excite them. I juyst remember finishing early as I just wanted to get off them decks lol
Your first release was in 1991. Tell us about that.
The 1991 release had been made for quite a few months before it was released. It was destined for a different label, but the studio we recorded in used a DAT tape for another artist and ours, and the DAT got sent off to London with our music on my mistake, anyway it ended up at Reinforced who liked ours so much they wanted to sign it.
Any funny stories to tell about the wonderful world of Rave?
Probably when we were doing so called Live Pas (Nobody knew back then it was playing off DAT). We arrived at a event in Sheffield and there was any plugs near by for the keyboards. So we plugged them into the grass. Everybody loved the show lol
What was it about Hardcore/Rave/Breakbeat that pulled you in the beginning?
There was one club in particular -KoolKat in Nottingham where Graeme Parks used to play that was very popular on the underground and we started to mix in thew same social groups throughout 1990. “Rave” was just on the horizon and I was going to the first Amnesia House events but some time during 90 we started making music, mainly because I had an Amiga and Joe had a friend who had made a sampler .. yes he made it from a diagram and soldered the whole thing for about £8 😊
So we basically shared my Amiga for a while. I have always been a record collector so had a huge amount of vinyl to sample from already and the partnership of just swapping the Amiga from house to house produced some good stuff 😊
DJ SY had a massive influence on us both. He was the first DJ to play MR Kirks nightmare at Venus and we both knew that was the sound we wanted.
Nebula II then moved into Techno & Psy Trance. Tell us about this.
My background (Rich) from 88-90 was very housey mainly due to the amazing stuff coming out of Detroit – Chicago etc and all the new sounds that were emerging from the Synths. The migration rather than the ‘move’ was just us experimenting with the new equipment we had and trying new stuff, we had been making Rave for a while and it was separating out into Jungle, D&B, Techno etc and we were just experimenting with stuff.
After breakbeat was fading away and jungle was just being born. We felt we just naturally wanted to go back to the early techno sounds. So we set up a company called the Volt and our first release was with A Guy Called Gerlad on his Juice Box label. We then set up a label with him and it just went from there.
The next move was to Drum & Bass. Why the move?
It was a logical move as again we don’t like just one sound and after the Volt ended the breaks just came back and by then we weren’t really making music for money but for pleasure and the liquid sounds was just so relaxing to make at home. We weren’t going to all the clubs as before so just making beats for fun.
If you were in a time machine, where would you go back to and why?
(Rich) Time machine: Time in 91 @ Rag Market in Birmingham was an amazing rave!
(Joe) Coventry Eclipse any rave 1991 – 1992. The vibes were just on point and I hadn’t lost my innocence yet
What’s your favorite release and why?
Favourite Nebula release – Xplore H Core. It’s a really good fusion of techno and breakbeat. Its our sound. It just came together so well. Most of the sounds came from a Jupiter 8 and we had help from DJ Keen (Bass Ballistics)on the breaks.
If you were stuck on an island for the rest pf your life, what 5 releases would you want with your and why?
- R-Tyme – R-Theme (Derick May)
- Frank De Wulf – The B Sides Remixed – The Tape
- 808 State – Pacific State (Original Extended Version)
- Landlord – I Like It (Blow Out Dub)
- Liaisons D – Future F.J.P.
These tracks are from when it all began for us. Its just in our DNA.
Festival, Super-club, small-club, or house party, and why?
Small club. It just more intimate. Don’t get me wrong playing to big crowds is a vibe but you are so far away from everyone. Its like there is a detachment between you and the crowd. This isn’t good we need to be close so we can feel each other vibes and bounce of each other.
You have performed with so many other great artists in your time, can you pick out the favorites for us and why?
Well we didn’t get to perfume with them but we went to New York and meet Frankie Bone and Adam X. This was a dream come true. We went to Limelight were Lenny D and Josh Wink (Way before he blew up) were playing. I think this was around 1994 so meeting the USA crew was definitely a good time.
Tell us what you both do for fun, not involving music? Family, Kids, sport, hobbies….
Were are both creatives outside of music both of us love photography and Joe makes music videos from time to time. Everything else is music
What is Nebula II doing now in music are you performing?
Yes Joe is still performing DJ set and now back to Live Pas. Im trying out the no DAW approach as the DJ thing is good don’t get me wrong. But the whole point of doing shows is to enjoy and even create some pressure for yourself. So the live sets are just that and they are so good to do. I did Raindance a year or so back and it just went off. The power of changing the music as you go bring on a whole other level for me and the crowd.
What do you think of the scene now, compared to the 90’s? Good, bad, and ugly!
Well to be honest I don’t go out much so its not really a question I can answer as a raver. But I have played some underground clubs such as Distant Planet & for the NRG Cru where the crowd was younger than the records I was playing and they loved it. It was really refreshing to experience a crowd as close to what it was when we were younger. I feel its just the kids who grow up listing to mums and dads records. So Im hopeful
Who have been your biggest influences from the start?
I suppose we have to gop back to where we first started our musical journey and that was local. Grahm Park, Alister Whitehead and DJ SY. As this is who we got our music fix from week in week out.
Any words of wisdom to the world?
Just try and smile and enjoy when some else does!
Any last words?
Thanks for getting in touch for this interview and of course thanks to everyone who has supported us in away over the years. Even though we didn’t turn it into a full-time job. Its been a blast and I just don’t see it stopping. Why would we want to stop. More to come…
