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Now that you and Dane have spoken, are there
any chances that Another Level might get
back together?
[pauses] You never know, I mean, anything's
possible (!), it's just the way it is, at
the moment I'm quite content where I am
with my company here and all the plans we
have for my future, the labels future. I
think I've got enough on my plate at the
moment but as I say, you know, one thing
I have learnt in life is you can't possibly
rule anything out so anything is possible
when it comes to that.
You and Dane have stayed quite high profile
but the other two haven't really been heard
of since the split?
I have to say that Mark is happily married
and doing his thing, you know, Bobak likes
to travel and he likes to spend a lot of
time in the US. I'm sure, I'm quite certain
that we will hear something from Bobak,
he's got quite a good head on his shoulders
so I'm quite sure we'll hear from him.
So, you're back in touch with all of them
[Another Level] now?
Bobak has actually been here a good few
times, at the launch party in November for
the record label, we were taking pictures
and hanging out, I've been over to his house
to hang out with him. More so than what
I have done with any of the other guys.
This one might be a bit of a sticky question,
we hear you're not to keen on Blue [the
boy band]?
Oh [laughs]! I don't know where you got
that from! It's not that I'm not keen on
them, I don't have any issues with Blue
at all.
I thought you were quoted as saying that
they are just a copy of Another Level?
Yeah, but that doesn't mean I have an issue
with them though! That's just the truth.
They are. I think even they know that, if
Another Level had of been, who knows if
Blue would ever have existed. They literally
picked up where we left off. They like to
think they're successful and they've done
great things and achieved great things.
Does that make you feel a bit sad, you
know, that they have almost taken over from
Another Level?
It doesn't make me feel sad, but I think
it's sad when people get caught up in the
formula base conveyor belt system, you know,
that's just what happens, Another Level
will get off, Another Level stopped and
the machine has picked up another can, dressed
it up in the same outfits, created the same
concepts, the same flavour and rotated the
conveyor belt around. That's what I think
is sad, I don't have any personal issues
with Blue, I've had small talk with Lee,
I met Lee very very briefly and he seemed
like a cool guy. I didn't pick up any vibe
from him so it's not an issue I have with
Blue but if people come up to me and ask
'what do you think of Blue' then I only
tell the truth, and that's just simply it.
Good luck to them.
So, in a musical battle, Another Level
or Blue?
I would always say Another Level were a
lot better than Blue, we made better music,
we had more of an edge and the great thing
about what Another Level did was bring pop
culture a lot closer to the street, a lot
closer to the urban sector in the market,
whereas Blue are a poppier version. But
hey that's cool, maybe that's the fine line
between Another Level and Blue, I don't
know but I'd say Another Level were a better
group - we worked with people, did collaborations
with people like Jay Z and TQ.
And what was it like meeting those sorts
of guys?
Met Jay Z briefly, he's cool, TQ is a great
guy, really really cool guy, we got to spend
a lot of time with him in the studio in
LA so yeah. We toured with Janet Jackson,
some of those people do make really good
music and I really felt that.
What inspired you and Jason [his brother]
to set up your own record label?
Again, I think my time in the industry has
allowed me and given me an opportunity to
get to know and become a lot more familiar
with the music business and I think when
a lot more artists and groups become a lot
more familiar and get a greater understanding
of the business, you'll probably see groups
lasting a lot longer, making decision, standing
up to record companies and working for themselves,
that's what it's about, ultimately it's
about control and flexibility for ones career
and what they want to achieve so that is
what Daydream Records is all about. This
gives us a chance to exercise everything
we want to exercise, to get ourselves away
from the pressures and the conveyor belts,
that's pretty much it, we've always wanted
to be a part of the music industry, my brother
has always played close attention to my
progress from day dot, from Another Level,
before Another Level, whilst I was in Another
Level.
What would be your advice to any young
talent wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Believe in yourself. If you're a major believer
then you'll be an achiever, it's that simple
really. Don't get deluded with what you
see on TV, work hard with what you've got.
That's it really.
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