Cutting-edge Belfast club night Twitch celebrate their First Birthday on October 13th. Resident DJ Phil Lucas takes time out to chat with the ATL autobot...

ATL: Hi, and how the hell are you today?
Very well.
 
ATL: Let's get started then. First musical memory?
Banging a Rover biscuit tin with wrestling figures to various tv themes.

ATL: Have you ever played Ireland and if so where, when and how was it for you?
Ireland is a great place to play, people are generally up for a good laugh. Any artists I've met that have travelled here to play tend to be a bit overwhelmed by just how friendly people here actually are.

ATL: Now, what prompted you to get fully involved in dance music?
I'm constantly surrounded by music, I work in HMV as well as DJing so when I work and play it always involves music. Im very passionate about dance music and started off listening to a lot of big beat, Fatboy Slim - Better Living Through Chemistry, Lo-Fidelity Allstars and The Propellorheads, this was when I was too young to get in to any clubs. Then when I started going to Shine and Vico's I got a taste for techno and then started DJing. From then on I've kind of immersed myself in dance.

ATL: What's been your best clubbing experience?
Sonar. Period. Why didn't I go before 2007? Why?

ATL: We regret to inform you that your house is on fire, you can only carry one piece of vinyl or CD out, what will it be?
I'd be torn between my Miss Kittin - Radio Caroline CD and my Underworld Best Of Vinyl Boxset, and I'd probably burn in the confusion.

ATL: For non dance music, what are you listening to at the mo?
M.I.A. - Kala, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Concretes. I love Sonic Youth as well, I don't think I'll never get enough of Daydream Nation.

ATL: So, do you have any famous DJ mates and if so, who, and what are they really like? Go on you can tell us...
Not really, and most DJ's I've met that you would consider famous have been pretty down to earth and sound.

ATL: What is really the best club in the world?
The best club I've been to would prob be Razzamatazz in Barcalona, its massive and the line-ups are frightening. I still havent been to Fabric though, I'm gonna get over there asap.

ATL: Your criminal record - whats the worst piece of music ever played out?
A track I've looked back on and cringed at, emmm... I had a breaks remix of Sean Paul - Get Busy that I got in Mixmaster years back. Lucky enough it only got aired at house partys! I think I sold it on ebay for about 20p, and even that was over-priced.

ATL: Who is the best DJ in the world and why?
I would probably say someone between Magda, Dixon and Phil Kieran in my world anyway. Magda for stripped back techno, Dixon for excellent house music and Phil Kieran as he is doing great things with his solo productions as well as the Alloy Mental thing, and he plays music I love and always has, so in my world I'd say Phil.

ATL: And when will we see you again then?
At the next Twitch?

ATL: Now before you go, give us your top five tunes of the moment...
1. Superflu - She (Traum)
2. Pier Bucci - Hey Consuelo (Samim Remix) (Crosstown Rebels)
3. Stefan Goldmann - The Bribe (Macro)
4. Ulysse - Sometimes (Liebe Detail)
5. Daniel Steinberg - Uptown (Leftroom)