Growing up in Sheffield around people who ran pirate radio stations when dance music was getting no love from mainstream radio, and travelling to institutions like Shelly's, The Hacienda, Venus and Renaissance has undoubtedly stood Matt Hardwick in good musical stead. Being influenced by Greame Park's fresh house tunes and Sasha's technical wizardry also helped from the start. Hardwick became synonymous with Gatecrasher and thrilled thousands there on a regular basis with his no-nonsense trance antics, but now he is his own man. Upcoming biggies include the launch of his own label, Kill The Lights, a sequel to his 130,000-unit selling Gatecrasher compilation, loads of touring and a few new singles. These days Matt spends most of his time abroad, where he reckons the club scene is more exciting. "South East Asia and Eastern Europe are the real clubbing hotspots," he tells us. "Only a few club nights like Digital Society in Leeds are playing a real role in taking the scene in the UK to the next level. "There are those in the trance scene who make a genuine contribution to the artistic pool, and that can only be positive," he continues. "I like to think that I sit on the right side of the fence." Trance lovers obviously agree.