'You're just lucky you didn't get the first interview' explained 1200techniques table master DJ peril, who had to be woken up to begin the mornings media stints. Together with guitarist brother Paul (Kemstar) and vocalist Nfamas 1200tecniques have begun a mission to integrate hip-hop into mainstream Australia. Shrugging off all diva-ristic claims to fame and professing to rely only on talent, 1200techniques promises a spectacular performance at 2003's Big Day Out. Both visually and musically. Oz Music Central caught up with DJ Peril for an insight into exactly what 1200techniques has to offer.

Describe 1200techniques in three words?
Three words…describe…umm… intensely funked-out hybrid

You guys have been together since 1997, have you found that after playing together for so long you have settled into a rhythm where each member plays a certain role on stage?
Everyone in the band is a complete individual. Nfa is as mellow as hell, he's the guy who acts like he's been smoking too much…but he's not man. That's just Nfa, you know. Then we get to a stage where he just comes alive. He's not what you think when you meet him, he's so not. He's not a very talkative dude really, but that's Nfa. But me I'm extroverted, bubbly and up. My brothers not far off me, you know he's sort of like a different version of me but he's still his own person.

What was it like to tour with Princess Superstar? My sources inform me the Sydney show @ the Metro was pretty wild?
Oh yeah! We had a good time. We'd go out with and Alexander Techniques DJ. We just got along.

Did you spend time together in between shows?
Yeah we hung out a bit. We hang out more with the DJ's I suppose. Yeah, it was really cool. We had a repour with them and we appreciated each others company I suppose, because you either do or you don't on tour you know what I'm saying? And you don't really know because we'd never met, it wasn't like we knew each other, they didn't know who the hell we where and they came over here and it was a big surprise to see who we were too, musically. And then when we clicked as people it was great.

It must make touring a lot easier though, to get along with your supports?
A whole lot easier! It can almost ruin the tour, bad blood. But we're that sort of guys, we get along with everybody I think. We're not some kind of group that will only try and get along with their own genre; we can along with anyone that's got a bit of respect. And we give it back.

Now speaking of touring, do you guys have a special ritual that completes your preparation?
I have no ritual. Nfa goes the toilet like a thousand times you know, every time. But that's Nfa…Simon checks his pedals about ten million times. He's a bit paranoid like that, about ten million times! But apart from that there is no ritual.

Well you're the first person I've interviewed who doesn't rely on a lucky charm or something.
No, I don't rely on luck. I rely on going off.

Your album Choose One was released this year by Rubber Records, is there a track on there that your unequivocally proud of?
I don't really have a favourite, but there's songs like Don One and Battlemaster that I like. There tracks that I really have a thing for. But not really no, I haven't got a particular favourite. I sorta like the album as a whole, like as a journey that we went through. Its more like compilation that album. We never had any desire to do an album, we just did song by song and then we thought of the album. Its been a good door opener for us, put it that way.

Tell me about the DJ Ballbreaker skits that feature on Choose One, where did they come from?
They come from every week. And I still get my balls broken every week Dj*ing.

Is that you on the first one?
Yeah, can't you tell? There were so many more we could have put in though. You never know with this new album what you might hear. We've got a couple already; we might get somethin' going. They come from people asking us stupid things, especially if you're doing a set genre night. You know, ya doing a funk night and they wanna hear techno. You can't win, you can't please everybody.

The rivalry between you and your brother features in a lot of 1200techniques coverage. Is it really an issue or just a show for the papers?
It's no show. It's just us being us. We can't help ourselves. If someone's being an idiot, we just tell each other to get f*ed. Its real, cause your there and you know its real, it aint no put on show biz crap, its something we've being doing since a very early age, and it really hasn't worn off that much. Except for punch ons. We used to punch on more, now we haven't punched on for a couple of years. Apart from that its still pretty much the same.

Being a hip-hop outfit, did you struggle to emulate the live energy of your live shows in a studio recording?
Well, I don't think we did. We never went for that. We wanted to put a life into the music. I think because we're a hip hop group people think you put a beat and a few cuts and that's it, that's the vibe that's going on. But not with us, there is live percussion; there are guitars, bass. But that's as far as I wanted to take it. I just think the live shows are completely different from the album. I mean you'll hear the song, you'll go 'oh there's Don One' and you'll sing along to the song but the energy we put in live is just so much more full on than what you hear and visually, what you see on stage. We do pride ourselves on having a decent live show.

I'm not sure if you realise this but, but 1200techniques is being published as the poster boys of the underground Australian hip-hop movement since you penetrated the mainstream with the single 'Karma'. How do you feel about that?
We've always been doing what we've been doing and soon as you get a bit of notoriety they're always trying to put something on ya. We're not a token of anything; we got there because we worked hard. I mean, I've been in bands since '86 and I've never aspired to be a rock star. And in this group, while Nfa had a bit of prior background to all this, he's not a bad looking man if ya know what I'm sayin'. But ah I'm not bad myself…nah, nah only kidding. But people will always put tags on you. I still think of us as people taking a digestible hip-hop to the masses. And I don't think its commercial, or cheesy because how can it be commercial when it's just us being us. We're not like anyone else so we're standing on our own two feet, and we must be doing the right thing. But I don't know how they can say that; I mean yeah we're taking hip-hop to a larger market but maybe its just timing. Radio is playing hip-hop majorly, and commercial radio and its what's happening, we are just a part of what's happening.

Have you found that gaining this little bit of notoriety has helped you out with the opposite sex?
I tell you women, I was getting it before and I'm getting it after. I don't do the pick up 'hey I'm 1200 techniques, I'm Peril, I'm unreal, I've got a big dick, and I'm a rock star'. That's not how I pick up; I don't need to say that. I just say 'I'm Jason, How ya goin?'

Now the Big Day Out is fast approaching, what have you guys got up your sleeves for fans?
No gimmicks, just goin to go off. We're just gunna go hard as we always do. There is only one gear with us and I think anyone that's seen us live knows that. We're gunna lift the lid. We are very hyper on stage and we've got the whole set up, we've got the band, we've got the live drums, we've got the live congas, live guitar…Its visual, we take you to a few different places, we've always got a few different freestyles. We make up songs on the spot, which is our strength. It is gonna be a good time.

Who are you looking forward to seeing?
The only one that I know is 'Craftwork', cause it's a bit of old skool elecronica from way back in the day and no one has actually ever seen them live, I don't think they've ever actually been out to Australia. If they have it was way back in the eighties. So it will definitely be interesting to see them do their thing.

And what do you want to say to fans that are coming to see 1200techniques at the Big Day Out?
Buckle up baby! We're gonna floor it!