Club classical
Are you ready to party? Ministry Of Sound is aiming to get the nation dancing in 2019 with orchestral reimaginings of dance anthems. MARION McMULLEN talks to Ministry stalwarts Tall Paul and Judge Jules to find out more
IT SEEMS like everyone who ever went within 50 miles of a club in the 1990s is now touring with an orchestra so it’s about time the daddy of them all stepped in to show how it should be done.
Ministry Of Sound is the London behemoth which defined not only clubbing but the dance compilation market.
It has now launched an orchestral tour to tie in with the Annual albums – their yearly round-ups of the biggest dance smashes of each 12 months, compiled and mixed by DJs like Tall Paul and Judge Jules.
The latter has been on board since the beginning, curating the playlist from the first five Annual albums and helping shape the sound and mood of the events.
Judge Jules believes fans won’t be able to remain seated such is the energy generated by the classical versions of their favourite dance tracks.
He says: “Without giving too much of the game away, suffice to say this will be the most refined and standout classical dance music show ever. Watch this space.
“I have been involved as curator, both in respect of the track list and the way that the songs are presented. Having played these records over many years, I’ve got a deep insight into how they move people and my association with other orchestra shows has given me a deep understanding of the interplay with a live multi-piece orchestra.
“Although in theory this show is ‘sit down,’ the reality is that it will be more ‘stand up and jump around’”.
He adds: “As one of the most famous brands in global dance music, the Ministry paused, looked at the other orchestra shows that were going on and then got involved once they felt truly able to offer something really quite special and stand-out.
“They then brought me on board because of my association with the MoS over many years, including mixing many of the biggest selling Annual compilations, which is how the MoS orchestra shows have been branded.
“The synergy between me, as a longstanding DJ and, dare I say it, ‘brand-name’, and Ministry made this something I did indeed jump at.”
There will also be a documentary screened at the concert performances, and then an after-party, of course.
Judge Jules’s fellow mixer and compiler of The Annuals, Tall Paul (he is 6ft 6), is also excited at the prospect of the tour.
Paul says: “I was contacted by the guys with the idea to take the live experience and the history of the classic MoS albums out on the road in a different way.
“Being involved every Friday for The Gallery at MoS it would be hard not to get involved.
“I like the ideas for more of a visual experience as well as the sound, also breaking down these tracks to hear the best bits in a different style.
“For me, it will be interesting to see if they can keep everyone in the seats with some of these tunes which were peak time bangers, although we are all getting on a bit.”
Londoner Jules, 52, is thrilled the memories of those early albums will be brought back to life in a new way, and he’s clearly proud of his long-standing association with the superclub.
“The Annual series, especially during the period of my involvement, remains the biggestselling dance music compilation of all time by some distance. It was a huge calling card for me personally and a brand association that I remain very proud of to this day.
“The Ministry was set up in part by very close personal friends and influenced by the Paradise Garage in New York, a place I visited when I was super young with the guys who set up the Ministry. So, I saw the MoS happening from inception right through to the present day and therefore feel very personally associated.
“The best thing about the Ministry, and this applies to every set I’ve played there, is that the DJ booth is its own mini club. You literally ‘feel’ music in the way that few other clubs in the world allow the DJ to. So you’re in your own unique musical space. And that’s just the DJ booth, without even mentioning the world-famous sound system experience by clubbers on the dance floor.”
He adds: “I’m very proud of the albums we did. They still sound great and capture a crazy time in music.
“Ministry has been a global name for so long. Probably one of the first to go super-international as a brand, which helped global exposure for DJs before the iPhone.
“As for the club, hearing Bucketheads (The Bomb) on that system will stay with me forever. “Thinking it would be a good idea to get on a tour bus for two weeks playing every night for a Ministry tour, not so much. Never again. Having our first Gallery night there 10 years ago was special... getting a platinum disc for my Ibiza Annual... so many special memories of the place.”
The Annual Classical begins at London’s Royal Festival Hall on January 26 before heading to Birmingham, Cardiff, Nottingham, Glasgow, Manchester and Liverpool later in the year.
Go to SeeTickets, TicketCo or Ticketmaster or visit ministryofsound.com for details.