BrandNewMusicUK.com recently had the opportunity to catch up with Peter Cunnah and Alan Mackenzie from D:REAM. They reformed in 2008 and have launched their own record label releasing and promoting their new music.

http://www.myspace.com/dreamonvol2

Hi guys, thanks for taking the time to talk to BrandNewMusicUK.com I know you must be extremely busy.

Let’s start at the beginning – How did you meet and what did you both do before D:REAM?

A: I was a dj/club promoter in a London nightspot and my ex was Peter’s boss who knew he was doing music. He used to come to my nights and she suggested we hook up.

P: I’ve always been in bands since I was 15. I got into technology after splitting from my first band “Tie The Boy” in 1989. I was already sampling and sequencing. On meeting Al at the Brain club in Wardour st I was quite sheepish because he was really up there in the sceene but I had enough courage to ask if he’d have a listen to something I was working on “U R The Best Thing” which he did. And the rest they say is history…

Would you say that there was one thing that propelled D:REAM into the spotlight or was it a collection of hard work and shouting about yourself?

A: I think we were around at the right time. Dance music had exploded but very few acts were writing real songs around those beats. Obviously, the songs had to be of a certain quality and people took to them.

Was life hectic during the success of D:REAM?

A: My life is always hectic

P: Yes very hectic. I had a sense of direction to push this though. When someone hands you the ball like that you better run with it. So I did.

What is your most treasured memory of this time?

A: I loved it when we started and I was dj’ing at a place called Love Ranch. Playing our demos from Dat, straight after having been in the studio, and watching people go mad to them was amazing.

P: At the Love Ranch – Getting totally wasted and feeling for the first time that I absolutely belonged. A road to damacus moment in the early days of house when it was all about “E” bottled water and hands in the air.

Love it Do you think it’s possible to be a recording act without performing live and still be successful?

A: Anything is possible in the music industry. Christ, N-Dubz have made it!

P: Yes. But no where near as much fun as doing it live!

Is it true one of the original band members Brian Cox is now working on the large Hadron Collider project?

A: It is indeed but, as I have stressed to many people, Peter and I are the only members of D:ream-everyone else is a friend or a session musician.

P: Yes, Brian was my best man at my wedding we have sporadic contact these days as we’re all so busy but I do hope to hook up with him soon.

What happened to bring you back together and re-energize D:REAM?

A: We met, by chance, in a park in West London. All very strange but, ultimately, very fulfilling.

You’ve got a new single out and also an album as well, how can we get them?

A: The single, ‘All Things To All Men’ is available digitally on most providers. The album is being finished now and should be available soon. Demos are on our website www.d-ream.co.uk. We are also releasing a remix only digital pack of ‘Gods In The Making’ on Monkey Beats Records and following that with ‘Drop Beats Not Bombs’ very soon after.

Do you find owning your own record label more liberating than being tied into a major?

A: I thought it would be but it’s a lot harder than I thought it would be or hoped. We will see what the future brings.

P: I really would rather have other hands to help us do things. But the industry is in a right state at the moment so we thought we could just get on with it ourselves. Its not the easy option as funding is always a problem but the band pays for itself at the moment and were happy just to be able to make music on our own terms as it were.

What advice would you give to indie musicians or bands trying to achieve a similar success to you?

A: Find a sugar daddy who want to give you loads of cash to buy you success and don’t believe a word anyone says in this business. Honestly, keep on doing what you believe in and don’t believe a word anyone says in this business!

P: The only way to have mainstream success is still to do it with a major label. It comes at a price though.

Finally would you say you have achieved your D:REAM’s lol ? (Sorry, my wife came up with that one)

A: I never played for Hearts, so no.

P: I have ticked a lot of boxes. Then I found another page with lots of boxed unticked. Such is life.

Thank you again so much for taking time to speak to BrandNewMusicUK.com. Good luck with the new single “All Things To All Men” and the album and best wishes for the future.

You can see the video and listen to the new single now at www.d-ream.co.uk

http://www.myspace.com/dreamonvol2