One of the forerunners of the house / dance genre is Tim Healey who has collaborated with Pete Martin (Slide), Luis Paris, and Mark Allen in the past, putting his fusion of house, trance and eclectic vibes to the test. Here he gives you an insight as to what he does.

Tim Healey has been one of the forerunners of the DJ and production circuit, having established a name in the industry alongside the likes of Danny Tenaglia, Satoshi Tomiie, John Digweed and more. His style of house and dance has been nothing but addictive on the dancefloors and his main focus has been his solo "Electric Tease" project.

i:Vibes So Tim, how would you sum up your career and background in a few lines for those readers who have not heard much of you in the past?

Tim I supply quality beats to those that need.

i:Vibes Your fusion of deep house and funky dance grooves have been the focus of your solo project Electric Tease, has your focus always been house and dance? and will it remain that way in the future?

Tim I have always been doing music - collecting and making. I've been involved in all kinds of projects in the past from indie-rock outfits to 16-piece soul bands. The engineering came by default - it made sense to have control of your own sound, and now I engineer for others. My musical inspiration is drawn form everything around me. From my large and eclectic music collection to TV. I am a sponge.

i:Vibes Your Lovin' was one of your first productions to be picked up by the superb Automatic Records in 2001, and since then, you've put out superb tracks such as Fever and Feel the Funk, and remixed the massive Be Angeled by Jam & Spoon. Over the past year or so, how has your approach to production and remixing changed, and what can we anticipate in the future?

Tim Automatic gave me a huge break and managed to get my material into the hands of the right people to get it the exposure they felt it needed. For that I am eternally grateful. They have a shed load of new material by me signed up and ready to go this summer/autumn - which they duly deserve as they have been doing such an excellent job with my music so far.

As for where next, sonically: well there is loads going on right now. Save to say the Electric Tease sound is always developing - getting bigger and badder. The music scene is ever evolving and so is Electric Tease.

i:Vibes In terms of collaborations, you've recently worked with Pete Martin of Cass & Slide, Mark Allen, and an unusual collaboration with Luis. Who would you like to collaborate with in the future, and how do you feel about doing collaborations opposed to solo productions.

Tim Collaborations are often as rewarding as solo stuff. I like a healthy mix of both. I have my own studio and I enjoy inviting people there as much as I do going to another good studio. In Japan I was recently working in a great studio with an SSL desk/Pro Tools/Massive monitors - facilities like may only ever own in my dreams. So that is great experience.

Luis is a wicked DJ with an arsenal of up-to-the-minute records. He brings loops, ideas etc like you wouldn't believe to a session, and it is with him that I have just remixed the new Fluke single "Pulse" for One Little Indian.

Pete has the Fire records thing and is a truly excellent producer/engineer, with whom I shall be working loads more. When we write we share the Mac "driving time" 50/50 - which is ace.

Mark Allen is an excellent progressive trance DJ, and the guy responsible for setting me off on my career as a DJ around the world. He founded Return to the source (seminal trance night from 90s) and we flew across the globe doing our Allen and Healey sets . It was great training - so writing with Mark is always a pleasure.

It all hinges on the vibe of your writing partner.

i:Vibes Any favourite producers? or DJs you feel has given unparalleled contributions to the industry in the past decade?

TimWhere to start. I guess the producers and the DJs that constantly develop their style and sound while consistently rocking parties, or delivering top records. There are many that do, and bucket-loads that don't. Specific names are not necessary. But those that are "on it" know who they are, and as far as I am aware, they all seem to be doing alright!

i:Vibes Top tracks in the box at the moment?

TimJULY 10 CHART:
1. Spacejunk - Spacejunk (White)
Nirvana (!) and dub-house in dance-floor explosion. Watch this go off on any dance-floor near you.
2. Punk – The Rock (White)
Techno-punk sounds with disco groove - stormingly good.
3. Digistar - Kryptonite (Fuju)
One big noise gets bigger and bigger, and bigger, and bigger. BIG.
4. Steve Mac - Visions of tech (Underwater)
Um-pah techno and yet somehow housey former don of lush house turns hand to more banging sound at 127 BPM.
5. Fluke - Pulse (One Little Indian)
Crunchy original mix which flirts with noise terror - oh, and a top remix by Paris and Healey.

TOP 5 THIS YEAR SO FAR (STILL IN MY BAG, AND NOT MOVING):

1. Wicked Phunker - Get Higher (Asphalt)
2. Those Pesky Kids - As long as I got you (My Botty)
3. Different Gear - A little bit paranoid (City Rockers)
4. Superchumbo - Supergetoff (White)
5. Electric Tease - Lick The Hardcore [Automatic]

i:Vibes How do you feel about the prominence of mp3s, the digital age and do you think that there is a negative impact on the artists and labels?

Tim Probably. Hasn't really affected me yet. Maybe when I have a number 1 it will. I was more affected by being asked to sign a pirate copy of an album I worked on when I was live in a TV studio in Moscow.

i:Vibes Plans for the summer? Ibiza?

Tim Busy busy. DJing and production: I'm doing this Samothraki dance festival on a volcanic island in Greece somewhere... Dallas, Hamburg, San Francisco... I seem to be doing a lot of flying. Writing some new material - completing an Electric Tease album for Automatic.

i:Vibes Tell us a bit about your upcoming productions, and what about your album aimed for an end of the year released, what should we expect from that?


Tim Out now there is a shed load of stuff, here is a summary:


10 collaborations/originals released this year/to be released this year:

Tunes produced/co-produced by Tim Healey imminently or currently in your local store

1. Lick the hardcore - Electric Tease feat. Sophie Moleta
(Automatic) rel. date: 17.7.02
Sophie’s delightfully melancholic lyrics clash head on with Teaser production Ð also featured crazy video about leather and licking. PLUS Slide remix.

2. Revelation - Dallas Kiss
(Automatic) in shops NOW
Tech-hed and ace producer, Colin Bennun and Tim in tribal club cut with corking Blackwatch remix.

3. Limbo - Electric Tease (Automatic)
Release this Autumn
I got a little help from a certain New Jersey based gangster here. The sample goes: "You didn't go to hell, my friend, you went to purgatory" - and you do, sonically. Phat acid meets funky groove in recipe for dance-floor delight.

4. Head Over Heals - Allen and Healey (Automatic)
Release this Autumn
I recorded this lovely girl in Dallas (post party) talking about stuff - as you do - and she told us this mad tale about why she doesn't smoke pot - so she features in the track...

5. Scream and Shout - Allen and Healey (Automatic)
Mark wrote this song one weekend. So we did this arrangement and it all just fell into place. Bit of a dance-floor explosive.

6. Under pressure/Groove Addiction Ð Paris and Healey
(Plastic Fantastic) rel. date: 9.02
A more techy sound here. Solid as stone; this was my first project with Luis Paris and appears to be demolishing clubs in your area now with support across the board.

7. Sensation - Electric Tease vs. Mosquito
(Distraekt) 9.02
Heavy as sin. A 3-note lead riff (oh yes) but layered to infinity and beyond. Miss at your peril. Old skool sounds meet nu skool beats... And then at the key moment: "Can you feel it house sensation" wails the diva. Monster.

8. Fluke - Pulse - Paris and Healey mix
(One Little Indian) 9.02
I mentioned this earlier - the excellent vocals we were sent by the Fluke boys - as well as a CDR of crunchy samples used in the original. I never thought I would get to remix Fluke, so this was a blast - and the sounds they supplied made for a top starting point.

9. Come Closer - Triple X
(Kamaflage) in shops NOW
We tried to spawn a new genre here: Hypno-dubby trancey house Programmed with Richard Kegg (of Purple fame) and suitably deep like my neighbour's cleavage.

10. Feel the funk Ð Electric Tease
(Kamaflage) in shops NOW
Re-release of last years funky house tune, but backed up by a fresh remix by the mighty Saeed and Palash.

The album will celebrate the dance sound I have been doing for the last year or so and also show off some other sonic arenas that I'd like to take you too. It is set to feature the singles of the last 18 months and the next 2 or 3 to come. I've just set up this new studio so I am literally still collecting ideas from movie soundtracks to a BBC Test disc a mate gave me. There will be lots to get stuck into.

i:Vibes What more would you like to add, and words of wisdom to our readers?

Tim Don't miss "The Osbournes" on MTV.

Cheers Tim!

Tim Its been a pleasure.

i:Vibes thanks Danny Holness & Tim for this interview

http://www.automaticrecords.com