Inducted into the techno hall of fame in 2007 when he unleashed the devastating popcorn blip-tech of 'Rib Cage', Ali Shirazinia's conversion to the underground sound has been swift and absolute. Previously famed as half of progressive house outfit Deep Dish, since adopting his solo moniker Dubfire's rapid ascent into the Top 100 poll 2008 speaks volumes of how his techno persona has been embraced by those within the scene. Releasing records on M-nus and Cocoon and stacking up gigs at an alarming rate, Ali is reinvigorated, enjoying playing out more than ever. "I played at Flex in Vienna, which was amazing. It was on a Tuesday night, absolutely incredible, one of the best crowds that I ever played for!" he smiles. Meanwhile, a gig with one of Germany's techno godfathers also proved memorable. "I have to mention the Cocoon gig that I did with Sven Väth at Amnesia, which was like a dream come true for me." On the label side, Sci+Tec enjoyed huge success in 2008, unleashing cuts from Steve Lawler, Zoo Brazil and Smith & Selway, with more massive exclusives waiting in the wings. "I've just recently signed tracks from Timo Maas and Radio Slave. I think the response to everything that we've been putting out and to the label has been incredible," Ali confesses. New material beckons from the man himself, too. "Me and Oliver Huntemann worked so well together on the 'Diablo' track we did for Cocoon that a month after its release we started to work on another one. It's gonna be the first release on Oliver's new label, Ideal Records."