Byte

Byte presents Cridge - A Mixed Up Kid

2011-02-11T12:32:00.020Z

Byte presents B-Mix 006:
Cridge
'A Mixed Up Kid'
(Byte, 2011)

After a good few years of bringing you the best of Bristol talent, B365 is closing it's doors for good this month. It's been an amazing privilege to showcase the artists we have, all of whom continue to make incredible music and deserve your support; a massive thank you to all of those who contributed to the blog over the years. You can continue to follow the adventures of some of these artists over at Slime Recordings who are celebrating local talent as well as from around the world. Much love to you all.

That being said, we couldn't leave you without something truly awesome to be going on with. So for the final post we bring you a mammoth 80+ track mix from one of Bristol's most legendary sons, the man like Cridge. An old skool hero if ever there was one, Cridge's ascent through the underground ranks in the 1990s has seen him tour the world, be signed to arguably the best record label in the world, release multiple albums, run his own influential labels, and still continue to rock shows with as much passion as ever. We spoke to Cridge many moons ago about hitting us up with a mix for our Lifetracks series and he hasn't disappointed, delivering a tour de force of old skool classics which will have you dizzy on the dancefloor and shouting for more! We caught up with Cridge recently to chat about the mix and his career to date. Enjoy!

B: Evening to you good sir, how are you and where are you?

C: I'm very well indeed, a little tired but that is a common occurrence! I'm in a hotel room in Moscow getting some rest before the promoter collects me for dinner, and then onto the show at a new club opening. I find myself in some of the most diverse places around the world and over the years I have learnt to experience and enjoy everywhere I am lucky enough to to go.

B: First up a massive thank you for putting this mix together for B365. Was it a bit of a mammoth undertaking to assemble so many classic tracks together?

C: As you know, I promised a mix since you started the series. At first it was daunting as I was changing my mind on the track listing and getting more and more confused! In the end I decided to stick to this selection as I wanted it to include both my diverse tastes and all the styles I have been involved with throughout my musical career. After trying to record the mix at home in the end I thought sod it and decided to do it live, I ended up recording this at Champion Sound at Lakota with two turntables and a CD deck. It was great as the crowd was up for the variety and they sure got that! I usually mix it up when I DJ but never to this extent, as your mix series is called Lifetracks I wanted to capture the twenty years or so I have been involved either making or DJ'ing music.

I have played out at a high level playing various genres including Rave, Drum and Bass, Techno, Hip Hop/Funk/Reggae and Dubstep, so I think I could have gone on forever picking tracks but had to stop somewhere! Some of the tracks are mixed in, some are just thrown in to catch the vibe alongside a few scratches here and there, as it's live some of the levels are a bit up and down but in truth I am very pleased with the end result and hope everyone enjoys listening to it and hopefully keep it in their collection for years to come!

B: Let's take it back to the old school...growing up what were your musical influences?

C: As a young un' I was into all kinds of music, at the time my favourite bands were The Specials, Adam & the Ants and Iron Maiden... A crazy mix that would continue into adulthood! When I was at Monks Park school I used to record and mix the Tristan B show on two cassette decks and take it into Art class as we were allowed to play music, that was a mix of early house music like Steve 'Silk' Hurley and Marshall Jefferson and Hip Hop like The Beastie Boys and Ultramagnetic MCs. I could never exactly categorise my tastes as I was into everything from Acid House, Rave, Hip Hop, American Techno, Reggae Dub and Dancehall. I'm proud of this as it has given me the best ever melting pot of musical knowledge I could have ever dreamed of.

B: Did you have any influence from your friends or family growing up with regards to your musical tastes?

C: I was born and bred in Southmead and went to Monks Park School in Bristol, music has always been a big part of my life and we used to have house parties where a few of us would always get on our BMXs and take along the 1210's etc in back packs and played mostly Hip Hop, we had the Lino out in the garden trying our best at Breakdancing get tied up in knots! Aside from Funk and Disco, all the dance music was fresh and brand new sounds. It was an exciting time, in my bedroom I had a massive Wild Style Graff piece on the wall and a full size mobile disco, my mum and dad never told me turn the music down, my mum would often say turn it up... she loves the Bass!!

B: What was Bristol like back in the heyday of rave?

C: It was full on! I ate, drank and slept Rave when working at Replay Records, as it was the Mecca of Dance in Bristol. Regularly we used to have queues of people outside waiting for us to open up! Myself and people like Jody & Die, Easygroove, Vinyl Junkie & Bunjy were right in the middle of it playing out anywhere we could, either at free parties or club nights at Macolm X centre and The Lochiel boat. As we built our names up, we all started playing at larger raves like Universe, Dreamscape & Obsession. I used to promote parties a lot back then, bringing in DJs like Carl Cox, Bukem and Peshay when they were giving out demo tapes to get gigs.You could mix it all up and I did nights where I would have Choci, Bukem and Kenny Larkin all in the same room together. It was all fresh and Acid House led into Hardcore into Jungle, everyone wanted to go to a rave! I had many highlights back then including supporting The Prodigy tours and later on promoting and DJing at Progression Sessions, Bugged Out & The Boutique with Charlotte Hazelby.

B: What have been some of your favourite gigs over the years?

C: I enjoy gigging as a whole and don't take it for granted, I've had a career that's as seen over twenty years of dance music, as I started off in the early rave scene some of the memorable ones were Castle Morton playing on the Circus Warp system, being the tour DJ for dates on The Prodigy's Experience Tour and playing at a free party in Somerset and getting arrested, I was the first DJ in the UK to be charged under the new laws for groups of people listening and playing repetitive beats - something that I am quite proud of nowadays!!

Other rave/drum & bass sets over the years that hold good memories are Universe Tribal Gathering, Bristol Exposures, Bukem's Logical Progression, Obsession and Hysteria. I still love to do Old Skool rave/jungle sets...so promoters get in touch! On the flip of this, I have played all over doing the Up Bustle & Out stuff at UK clubs like Ministry of Sound, The End, Bed in Sheffield, and The Boutique in Brighton as well as all over the world in every continent with the memorable ones being tours of Japan, Russia and Canada. I still go all over the UK and the world, so I hope my best gigs are still in front of me.

B: How do you find playing in different countries compares to shows back in the UK?

C: In mainland Europe it's kind of the same, but the further afield you go it seems the more effort and energy the clubs have. The rest of the world is catching up fast and you often find that they are listening and want to hear the same music as what is in the UK at the moment. I used to see a big difference when visiting the Eastern Bloc countries in the late 1990's, as they went wild for a party due the state of the nations back then, sometimes in the UK we take this whole scene for granted and that's a danger that could come back and bite us at a later date.

B: Any interesting stories from your time spent touring?

C: Over the years we have missed flights and have been refused entry to countries, but one time I flew into Italy but my record box didn't arrive so the promoter contacted the airline to get it sorted, the gig was later that evening but about three hours drive so we carried on as normal on the way to the club. There was no sign of the records all night and then through the stage door came this old taxi driver guy with my record box...the airline had put it on the next flight and put the box in a taxi to the club, arriving 5 mins before my set was due to start! That was logistics at its best!!

B: How did your involvement with Up, Bustle & Out come about?

C: Back in the early 1990's I worked at Replay Records in Bristol. Rudy from Up Bustle & Out used to come into the shop and buy records. At that point UBO were a full band set up, and he asked if I would go on a mini UK tour as the warm up DJ. As a result of that and the difficulties of touring with a large band, it was decided that UBO would start touring as both a soundsystem using dubplates played and mixed by me, with just the Spanish guitarist (Cuffy) and Percussionist (Eugenia) with Rudy on Flute and vocals and also a DJ set up with Rudy and I mixing it up. Since then we still tour and do shows around the world, and have released 12 LPs all with various tastes of the world but keeping the well-routed UBO production.

B: What appealed to you the most to get involved with UBO?

C: Rudy from UBO used to come into Replay and ask to listen to the new breakbeat music that was starting to be released, we soon discovered we both loved 60's and 70's Funk and Reggae Dub. The first few tours UBO did in the early days involved a whole live band that was very hard to travel with so we came up with the idea to start doing shows as DJs and a soundsystem similar to the way Smith & Mighty were doing things at the time. I suppose it was the love of different cultures and music it also helped that we all got on really well and have remained good friends over the years.

B: Which of the UBO LPs are you proudest of?

C: The vibes have changed over the years whilst taking in the sounds from around the world, so I like them all - but if I had to choose favourites it would be The Cuban Master Session 1 & 2 on Ninja Tune, we have personal ties to Cuba and UBO have funded a radio station there. All the instruments are recorded at sessions within the country and programmed in Bristol with Ein. I actually like all the LPs as they don't seem to age, taking in the authentic sounds from India, Mexico, Cuba and Eastern Europe amongst others but all keeping the unique UBO beats. Rudy makes sure every release is well packaged with amazing artwork and photography, that's why we appeal to a large audience as its not just the music people buy into but rather the whole package.

B: What was it like working with a seminal label like Ninja Tune?

C: I don't get involved with the dealings of the record labels, but being on Ninja Tune was a massive platform as along with Mo' Wax they were the biggest underground labels on the planet at the time. Also being one of the boom artists at the time of Trip Hop and the Bristol scene things took off in a big way, as well as our own shows we regularly toured around the world on Ninja Tune nights alongside Coldcut, DJ Food, and Funki Porcini.

B: Do you feel looking back Trip Hop was a blessing or a curse for Bristol?

C: For us, artists like Massive Attack, Smith & Mighty and so on have been a blessing as it has made our music global, it was a term in the music press at the time when they focused away from the Madchester scene and onto Bristol. All new genres get a nickname and Trip Hop fitted well. It sent the music of Bristol global and has helped the city become a cultural capitol that people into art and music flock to visit and gain inspiration. It was the foundation for what is now a city full of producers and DJs doing well in Beakbeat, Drum & Bass and Dubstep.

B: You've also diversified into music for film and TV since then...

C: It all started when I was an extra in BBC's Casualty as a rave DJ, it was filmed at the skate park which is now Motion in Bristol. I've also licensed music to the Human Traffic and Trainspotting movies and cinema trailers. The UBO tracks have featured in The Hustle, Numb3rs and world cinema classics like Volveras and Raising Victor Vargas amongst others. The Brazilian football team also chose a track as their official piece of music for the 2006 World Cup, which was great as we are football mad!!

B: You also run your own record labels too...

C: Alongside my producing I have ran a few labels since the mid 1990s. The main label is Tribe which is a Drum & Bass label. I also run Playside with Suv from the Full Cycle stable, both of which have regular releases and do pretty good. Over the years I have released tracks and remixes from Aquasky, J Raq, Krust, Ray Keith, Mulder, Drumsound and Danny Byrd. It has been a good stepping stone for some producers who are making big waves within the scene today. In the past few years with the Dubstep sound becoming very big I started Tribe Steppaz signing 6Blocc and Prime Mover who consists of myself and Tasha from Los Angeles, That's how technology has helped, as we produce and share tracks over the internet all the time. As Prime Mover we DJ both sides of the Atlantic going down a treat! I also release a very popular bootleg label called Bootshake with dubstep/drum & bass remixes of Collie Budz, Big Daddy Kane and Star Wars etc. Having a lightsaber battle in the middle of a sharp beat and a deep deep sub is what I would call Gurt Lush in deep and dark Brizzle!!

B: Out of the last few years what new music has been exciting you?

C: To be honest over the past few year a lot of the new music is very throwaway with it only having a very limited shelf life, if you think how many classic tracks have came out of the 70's, 80's and 90's, it's hard to compare anything nowadays and say that a track will be around in over ten years time and still go down well. If I had to choose I would say over the past five years artists that I have enjoyed listening to are Bachelors of Science, Arctic Monkeys, 6 Blocc and most recently James Blake. Saying that I still get sent a lot of promo material, and although not everything floats my boat the production over the years has got better and better, the main ingredients for me is a heavy bassline and a sturdy breakbeat.

B: As you worked in the legendary Replay Records, what's your take on the closure of most of the shops from that time?

C: It's a sad time, working in Replay for five years was the best thing that could have happened for me, I got to know everyone in the scene from promoters, DJs, producers and created a good fan base. It was the centre of the South West's dance scene, we would sell hundreds of records, tape packs and tickets, everyone came to Replay. That and other focal points where you could meet and create the scene have now been lost, and it's now a faceless Internet scene. In theory I welcome the whole Internet and MP3 thing, but the soul has been ripped from the centre making it a lot less exciting and creative.

B: How do you feel about dance music culture shifting from vinyl to digital?

C: It's progress and there is no going back, that's a shame but myself and everyone involved in the whole dance scene over he past 25 years have written history. I have Serato, but so far have always ended up taking vinyl to DJ, this will change in time as I'm finding that more and more clubs don't have turntables with only CD decks. Vinyl will always have that special place in my heart but I'm not going to let it hold me back.

B: What advice would you give to those trying to break into the music industry now?

C: In a nutshell I would say to get into music because you love it and first off treat it as a hobby aside from your school work or regular job. You will know if things take off as you will be getting paid for what your doing! Remember it's not just about DJing etc, you can also get your music published for use in TV and Film, I've provided tracks for both movies and tv all of which provide a regular income. Above all if things dont go to plan you can stil say you have the best hobby in the world...Music.

Byte presents B-MIX 06
Cridge
'A Mixed Up Kid'
(Byte, 2011)

1. Obi Wan Kenobi – If You Strike Me Down
2. Awsome 3 - Dont Go (Intro)
3. Masters at Work – Jus a Lil Dope
4. Home T, Cocoa Tea and Shabba Ranks – Going is Rough
5. Cutty Ranks – Retreat Soundboy
6. Pinchers – Bandelero
7. Massive Attack – Five Man Army
8. Art of Noise – Beat Box
9. Wild Bunch – The Look of Love
10. Beats and Scratch Sequence
11. DJ Hype – I Can’t Understand It
12. Up Bustle & Out Scratch Sequence
13. Land of the Happy Monsters – Speech
14. Dee Patten – Who’s the Badman
15. Undercut – Both Ends
16. Psyche – Andromeda
17. Maurizio – Ploy (Underground Resistance Mix)
18. Source Direct – Secret Liason
19. DJ Crystal – Warpdrive
20.Krome & Time - The Licence
21.Krome & Time - Roughneck Scout
22.Prisoners of Technology - Trick of Technology
24. Scratch Sequence
25. World Class Wreckin Crew – The Roof is on Fire
26. Scratch Sequence
27. Success in Effect – Roll it Up
28. Demon Boyz – Dett
29. Disco Biscuits – Echo 1000
30. 4 Hero – Cookin up ya Brain (Remix)
31. Beatfreaks – Bass Test
32. Depth Charge – Bounty Hunter
33. Dj Rap & Aston – Vertigo
34. Edge 1 – Compound
35. Tango – Can't Stop The Bumrush
36. Edge 1 – Compound
37. House Crew – All we wanna do is Dance (Accapella)
38. Egyption Lover – What is a DJ if he can’t Scratch
39. Mystery Man – DJ Business
40. Blame – Music Takes You
41. Sub Love – Maniac Music
42. Sonz of a Loop da Loop Era – Far Out
43. Dj Taktix – The Way
44. The Prodigy – Weather Experience (Top Buzz Remix)
45. Nueromancer – Pennywise (Micky Finn Remix)
46. The Brothers Grimm – Exodus (The Lion Awakes)
47. Tango & Ratty – Tales from the Darkside
48. Criminal Minds – Baptised by Dub
49. Slayer – Raining Blood
50. Breaks Montage
51. Jimi Hendrix
52. Melvin Van Peeble
53. Pucho
54. The Meters
55. Jorge Ben – Carolina Bela
56. New Birth – Got to get a Knut
57. DJ Milo – Return of the Original Artform
58. Fix – Flash
59. Bunjy & Cridge – Hard never Soft
60. Aphrohead – In the Dark we Live
61. Wink – Higher State of Conciousness
62. Waldorf and Statler (Muppet Speech)
63. Robin Wants Revenge – Robin Wants Revenge
64. Subject 13 – Eternity
65. DJ Mink – Hey Hey Can you Relate
66. Young MC – Know How
67. King Bee – Back by Dope Demand
68. Roxanne Shante – Go on Girl
69. Big Daddy Kane – Wrath of Kane
70. Hashim – Al Naayfiysh
71. Mantronix – King of the Beats
72. Pumpkin and the All stars – Here comes that Beat
73. Wild Bunch – Friends and Countrymen (Intro)
74. Darth and Obi – Lightsaber Duel
75. Beastie Boys – Hold it Now it It
76. Uptown – Dope on Plastic
77. SL2 – DJ’s Take Control
78. Ultramagnetic MC’s – Critical Beatdown
79. The Prodigy – Out of Space
80. Tribe Steppaz Soundsystem – Dubstep Chillers
81. Tribe Steppaz Soundsystem – Dubstep Terrorist
82. Star wars Imperial March Scratch Sequence
83. Yoda end speech
84. The crowd goes wild

DOWNLOAD : Byte presents Cridge 'A Mixed Up Kid'

FFI: Cridge Soundcloud
FFI: Cridge Facebook
FFI: Warehouse Dayz Facebook

For all enquires including DJ bookings for:

Up Bustle & Out (Cridge & Rudy)
Cridge (Oldskool Rave/Jungle set)
Tribe Steppaz Soundsystem
Prime Mover

Contact Cridge: davecridge@blueyonder.co.uk

Byte presents DJ K-Krush : The Mixdown

2010-09-30T12:10:00.007+01:00

Byte presents B-Mix 005:
DJ K-Krush
'The Mixdown'
(Byte, 2010)

Hot on the heels of our amazing double mix throwdown from the legendary Vinyl Junkie, we're back on a totally different flex once again with another hot exclusive. This time round for the next installment of the B-Mix series we've got a mix from a man who is truly representing the Bristol underground all around the UK, DJ K-Krush. Krush will be a name familiar to any bassline fans out there as he blesses many a dance with his presence, and you can catch him most weekends hitting up the biggest raves north or south with exclusive dubplates and a fearsome work rate that has seen him rise through the ranks over the last few years to be seen as one of the best up and coming DJs around.

For B365 though he's dropped the all-out bassline assault of his much-loved Wheel It Up series to bring something a little different to the table with The Mixdown. Blending elements of funky, dubstep, grime and bassline together with some stone cold classics this is one mix that is sure to get your body moving! B365 caught up with Krush to chat about the mix, his career so far, what's happening in Eastenders, food recipes and what it's like having a famous dad. Enjoy!

B: Good evening to you sir, how are you and where are you?

K: Yes I'm all good, things are cool right now just wish this damn British weather will figure out if it wants to be winter or still be summer because this constant change in conditions has given me a cold. But I guess that my fault for leaving the house in a t-shirt and no umbrella on the strength of the morning sun I guess. Right now though I'm just at home kickin' back after finishing watching Eastenders on iPlayer (can't miss a episode!).

B: What's been happening in the world of Krush recently?

K: Things have been going OK in the world of Krush recently. I been enjoying travelling up and down the country a bit more often regarding bookings and going to towns and cities which I have not been to before, but its given me more motivation to work harder.

B: Thanks to you on doing this mix for B365. This was something a little different from your usual selection...

K: It's no problem, glad to involved. Yeah, all my recent mixes have been my Wheel It Up series where I always aim to bring some of the biggest bassline tracks from established to up and coming producers and artists, but I have been meaning for a while to bring something a bit different than what I normally do, and this was a perfect chance to just mix up some old and current tracks I'm feeling right now.

B: Let's take you to back in the day, what were your influences growing up? What music first inspired you?

K: Growing up my main influence would have to be my dad, Deli G. Being around records and music from the day I was born it was just in my blood to want to follow in my dad's footsteps. Growing up I listened to a lot of different styles of music - Disco, US House, Swing, Hip Hop, Bashment, Indie, Rock, Speed Garage.... but the music that gave me the most inspiration growing was probably US House as I heard so much of it as that's what my Dad played.

B: What was it like growing up with a famous dad like Deli G? Did it click with you he was a big name on the dance music scene?

K: Hmmm it didn't really click until I was around 16/17, I started going to venues with my Dad when he was DJing and seeing how people would greet him and act towards him in the clubs - at first I was like he's just my Dad, a normal person like everyone else. But when my Dad started introducing me to big players in the scene like Jazzy Jeff and realizing that all the big producers, singers, record label people saw him as a good friend not just a DJ they supply music to, that's when it clicked.

Having him as my Dad has certainly helped me and been good for my mentality, because of my Dad I don't let it get to my head regardless what happens with with my DJ work, because I'm just another person - I just so happen to be lucky enough to get paid for something I enjoy doing.

B: You've been repping bassline for a while now, a scene that's still going strong despite the lack of press attention it gets these days. What got you into that sound in the first place?

K: I used to live in Smethwick which is in the West Midlands not far from West Bromwich from the ages of around 9-17, and have a lot of friends and family who still live up there, when I was going back and forth between Mids and Bristol I would hear Bassline and it's a sound which caught me straight away. I started bring it in slowly into my sets before it got to a stage when I was mainly known for just playing Bassline.

B: What's the West Midlands got that the South West hasn't - and vice versa?

K: I think with the West Midlands they have got accustomed to nights with about 10+ big headline DJs and MCs on the line ups due to a much larger amount of people they are able to promote and market to, as people are a lot more willing to travel from different cities to nights. Plus with having so many cities within a decent travelling distance, it's easier to go to another city every weekend to check out different nights.

In the South West people don't really travel as much to different cities to check out nights and tend to stay to there own ends, there are a few who will travel but not as many as when I first moved down here. I can't really comment for other places in the South West but what I do love about Bristol is the diverse music scene in the city, you get all sorts of nights going on and being a guy who loves all genres of music I can pretty much always find something going on when I'm looking for somewhere to go on a night I'm not working.

B: Was it tough at first representing bassline in Bristol before it began to get popular?

K: Yeah, it was a hard grind at the start, but when you have a strong connection and love for a genre of music it's the kinda grafting you like cause you know that you're helping to push the music you love further.

B: Do you feel funky has kind of eclipsed the popularity of bassline in the south now? Or is it less about that regional divide anymore?

K: I would be lying if I said funky wasn't more popular in the south than Bassline, the regional divide does come into effect in some ways as I personally feel it never got the same push in the South, and I get a lot of people who get back to me after listening to my mixes saying they actually like Bassline after giving it a chance.

B: Do you feel bassline will be as popular again down south as it was a few years back? Or do you see the sound mutating down here into something else?

K: I think given a chance it can and will be, whenever I do play in certain nights whether it's in a commercial urban night or a underground night, bassline still goes off. But as not many DJs play it in Bristol so people don't really get a chance to even hear it, even if they do like it. Plus with Bassline there are so many sides to it there is enough to cater for a wide range of listeners...I just feel as long as it's given a chance it can grow again. As you got the dirty hard beats that won't work in some nights, then you got the nice female vocals which is what brought me into bassline that will work in most type of nights.

B: Where do you see that sound going in the next few years?

K: For me the new sound coming out is sounding big, some good productions have coming out in the last few months...but it all depends on what sort of push it gets to how fair it goes to be honest, as I feel Bassline could have a huge effect on the clubbing scene if given a proper chance.

B: Which artists are you rating right now?

K: To be honest right now there is no stand out artist I'm rating higher than the others right now, a lot of good ones though. But producers on the other hand there are a few which got my eye right now...TRC, Mac Real, Deckstar and DJ Q when it comes to bassline, but I'm also feeling Roska, Redlight and Spooky DJ.

B : Now I know you're an Eastenders fan so I wondered if you'd considered using the Phil Mitchell remix of Pow for this mix??

K: Loooool I would consider dropping it in one my sets in the club just for the hype it would cause...I know it would get an instant reload!

B: What's your advice to Phil to get off the crack?

K: I say get addicted to food instead...much better way to spend your money in my eyes.

B: I know you like your eats, so what's a classic Krush meal? Any good recipes?

K: Ahhh food!!! Well I'm not really that good a cook right now...but I'm teaching myself at the moment though. But a classic Krush meal...hmm there are so many, but this one will best display how I like to go in on my food. Ackee and salt fish with boiled food (yam, dumpling, potato, sweet potato and some pumpkin) maybe with a fried fish to get it started, and some cornmeal porridge to finish off. After all that best believe I'm not doing nothing but going to sleep though.

B: What's coming up for you in the next few months?

K: In the next few months I'm gonna be quite busy on the club circuit, got a few bookings coming up at Niche in Sheffield, Midnights in Telford, OTT in Newport, Apartments in Swindon, Dakota in Cheltenham and whole host of things in Bristol at Basement 45, Motion, Warehouse, Haze and other venues...I'm also looking to drop Wheel It Up Vol 9 in the next month or so, also I'm looking to drop a couple of different mixes breaking away from the Bassline a little bit as there is a lot of genres of music I love and have in my heart.

B: Any advice to up and coming DJs?

K: My advice is stay focused, sometimes it takes a while to get that break you need so just don't get disheartened. Also get to learn how to promote yourself and build up a following for yourself.

B: Anything else you'd like to add?

K: Yeah Pastor Lucas needs to come back to Eastenders... it's just the not the same anymore. Free lucas T-Shirts on sale now...holla at me!

But yeah on another note check my out on Twitter and give me a follow @DjKKrush I speak my mind and keep it real, and @ me I always follow people back who got good convo, also check out all mine and my team UKHD's mix CDs on my blog http://djkkrush.wordpress.com to download. Got to also give a big shout out to Team UKHD...DJ K Stylz, DJ Mainy, DJ Firemansam, Troopa and Cludeo.

Respect for giving me a chance to bless your blog, I will try and pass through and drop you some mixes on a regular basis. Blessings!

Byte presents B-Mix 005:
DJ K-Krush
'The Mixdown'
(Byte, 2010)

01. Funky Twinz - Energizer
02. Funky Twinz Ft Angel J - Smile
03. Katy B - On a Mission (Roska Remix)
04. Andiah - Dance (Subzero Mix)
05. TS7 Ft Bianca Gerald - Electrical Pool
06. TRC - Oo Aa Ee
07. Cripster Vs Vybz Kartel Vs TRC - Nah Let Go (Oo Aa Ee Remix)
08. Cripster Vs Vybz Kartel Vs TRC - Sweet Tuh Di Belly (Oo Aa Ee Remix)
09. Dj Cripster Vs Missy Elliot Vs TRC - She's A Bitch (Oo Aa Ee Remix)
10. Spooky & O.G'z - OGeezus
11. Badness feat. Skepta & Lil Nasty - Nightmare (Bassboy Remix)
12. Toddla T Ft Wayne Marshall - Sky Surfing (DJ Q Remix)
13. DJ Pantha - Candy Shop
14. Kozzie - Destruction (Produced By Spooky DJ)
15. Shystie Ft Crazy Titch & J2K - Make It Easy (Davinche Remix)
16. Lethal B - Pow
17. T2 - Hey (Mr V Remix)
18. Burgaboy Ft Kaylee- Wat Can i do
19. Breakage Ft Newham Generals & David Rodigan - Hard
20. Skream - Midnight Request Line
21. Romeo Ft Lisa Mafia - Deeper

DOWNLOAD : DJ K-Krush 'The Mixdown' (Direct MP3 Link)
DOWNLOAD : DJ K-Krush 'The Mixdown' (Split File for CDs)

FFI : DJ K-Krush Wordpress

Heads Up for Headfirst

2010-09-30T12:00:00.006+01:00

Just a quick one for you all about the online events calendar Headfirst. It's had something of an overhaul recently with the site now being a lot more user-friendly for people running iPhone or Android amongst other things, so you'll never be short of somewhere to go thanks to the intuitive interface and slick visuals.

If you're a promoter it's an essential tool for getting your listings out there, plus it's very easy to use. If you're an artist then also get involved as it has been updated to work with Soundcloud and has some excellent artist pages attached to events. It has a really nice, clean feel to the overall look which makes browsing what's coming up in Bristol a real joy. The one thing it lacks though is more people knowing about it, so spread the word!

Hit up www.headfirstbristol.co.uk to find out more.

Byte presents Vinyl Junkie : Lifetracks

2010-08-22T21:53:00.016+01:00

Byte presents B-Mix 004:
Vinyl Junkie
'Lifetracks'
(Byte, 2010)

OK, so it's been a little while since the last update on this blog, but with B365 it's all about the exclusive content - so good things come to those who wait....and for our 100th post have we got something good for you! Over a year ago we contacted local legend VINYL JUNKIE (John to his mum) with an eye to doing an old skool mix for the blog. Few DJs are better placed to construct such a mix than this man, one of the key players in popularising early rave music in Bristol.

What began as a small project quickly expanded out into a mammoth undertaking, with John painstakingly compiling hundreds of classic tunes that might merit a place on the mix. He wanted to piece together a mix that best represented the amazing music that was being produced in that first big bang of rave music circa 1988 to 1992, music that he loved and defined who he was at that time; and after a lot of hard work he has created something truly extraordinary.

Across two mixes he takes you on an incredible journey through a period of time that will never be repeated but irrevocably changed the course of underground music in the UK forever. From early house and Belgian techno through to breakbeat hardcore and proto-jungle, these mixes showcase just how truly dynamic the scene was back then, and how quickly it's evolution took place to create the amazingly diverse scene we enjoy today.

Of course a Byte mix isn't complete without an all-terrain interview, and so we sat down with John to talk about the golden years of rave culture, Bristol's musical transformation during that time, his highlights (and lowlights) in the scene and his plans for the future. Read on!

B: Good evening to you Vinyl Junkie! Thank you for contributing to this very special edition of Lifetracks for Byte! How are you and where are you?

VJ: I am pretty good as it happens. I am sat in front of my Macbook Pro, I spend most of my life sat here, right now I am trying to finish a remix of a BACKDRAFT tune called “We do what we wanna”.

B: Backdraft as in the breaks producer?

VJ: Yeah.

B: Let's start things by taking it all the way back to the early days, before the summer of love, before the big bang of rave. Growing up in Bristol, what were your first musical influences and experiences back then?

VJ: Well I lived in Australia for 8 years as a kid. We emigrated there when I was 2 years old. Then returned when I was 10 and moved into the flats in Shirehampton. It was 1977, punk rock was in full swing and I was fascinated by these dudes with green spiky hair and bondage trousers. My cousin played me some SEX PISTOLS tracks and I loved them. I can remember cycling from Shirehampton, all the way along the Portway and into town to buy “Never Mind the Bollocks” and then cycling all the way home again only to find the record was warped, so the following day I had to do the whole trip again.

Then I got into THE CLASH, THE RUTS, COCKNEY REJECTS and UK SUBS and lots of others. I went to my first gig when I was about 14 at a place called The Granary ,which was down on Welsh Back. It was an Irish punk band called THE OUTCASTS and afterwards I ended up sleeping on the floor of some dodgy squat on Zetland Rd with loads of mad punk rockers. It was quite scary actually.

B: What was it about Punk that appealed so much to you?

VJ: In the beginning I just loved the way the music sounded, I didn’t have much of an opinion, I just knew I liked it. I was only a young boy at the time and very impressionable so when I eventually got to see these guys on the TV, I was mesmerized. They just didn’t care; they did and said what they wanted. As I got older and wiser I become hooked on the whole Punk ethos, the spirit of Rebellion and the fact that the guys who were in these bands were just kids from the street. They had no money, not like all the megastar rock groups who preceded them with their flash cars and their mansions with guitar shaped swimming pools. These guys were the real deal.

That’s probably why the travelers party scene appealed to me so much in 1991. These guys, convoy hippies, new age travelers call them what you want; they were really just punk rockers man. The music was different but the attitude was the same. Fuck the establishment, we just want to have a party and listen to our music very loud and if we want to take drugs then we will.

B: In the initial segment of the first mix, THE CLASH looms large. They seemed to have been a really big impact on a lot of people round these parts...

VJ: Yeah, I don’t think it was just round here though… It was all over man. JOE STRUMMER was the voice of a generation. Most of the streetwise kids of that era will tell you now that they love THE CLASH. I don’t really know what I can say about them that has not already been said. In my eyes they are the only band that matters. My biggest regret is that I never got to see them play, as the sheer energy and enthusiasm of seeing them live is said to have been unforgettable.

B: What was the Bristol music scene like before rave kicked things into gear?

VJ: To be honest, after the punk thing fizzled out I was not really involved in any scene. I was more into going out and getting drunk and didn’t really care what music was being played. Of course I always loved music, but I could listen to that at home with a spliff later on, so it didn’t really matter. I was still going to the odd gig every now and then as well. I saw BIG AUDIO DYNAMITE a few times and also the BEASTIE BOYS at Brixton Academy on their License to ill tour. In 1987 I did start going to some reggae dances: Sound Systems like RAIDERS 32 and also some COXSONE dances in St Pauls at a place called the Inkworks. Then in September of that year I went back to Australia to see my dad and I returned to the UK in March 1989, just as the Rave scene was about to go BOOM.

B: Australia was a bit slow on the uptake regarding rave music then?

VJ: Yeah, I don’t think they caught on for a few years after us. 1992 I think it started to kick off over there. I had a friend called Joe Kennard aka DJ ABSOLUTE who moved out to Australia at the end of 91. Apparently he became quite successful as a DJ out there in 1992.

B: So it's now 1989 and you've gone on a jolly to Ibiza! How did all that come about and how was that first taste of the rave culture? What are your favorite memories from that trip?

VJ: When I got back from Australia I found out that a big group of my mates we’re booked to go on a Club 18-30 holiday to Ibiza. Obviously I wanted to go with them as I hadn’t seen any of them for a year and a half, but wasn’t really into the Club 18-30 thing, so me and a good friend of mine, Dave Antill, went to the travel agents and got a last minute cancellation and flew out, booked into some cheap hostel which worked out to about £5 a night each.

The first two weeks was just a pretty normal holiday. Fourteen of us on the piss… Then on the night before we were going home Dave got 2 tickets for the Ku Club (now called Privilege). The rest of the lads were pretty skint by now and so they didn’t come. Me and Dave took our first E and had the time of our lives, The atmosphere was awesome, everyone was your best mate, the music was incredible, I was just totally blown away by the whole experience and didn’t want to go back to England after that. So I didn’t!

I stayed out in Spain the whole summer. We also went to Tenerife for 2 months and then back to Ibiza for the closing. Had some great times in Tenerife too. There was this warehouse party that used to happen every few weeks called EL MOLINO which was wicked. We were knocking about with these East London boys who really knew how to party.

I’ll tell you a funny story that sticks out in my mind… we were in this club in Playa de Las Americas and we were tripping our bollocks off on purple ohms. We had a hire car parked out front. We were on our way to an EL MOLINO party but when we came out of the club we found that our red Golf was blocked in with about an inch to spare at the front and back. We were all scratching our heads trying to figure out how we were going to get it out… We could try and push the other cars out the way… or if we got enough people we could lift it out. Other passers by joined in trying to solve our problem, until some random guy said, “give us the key, I reckon I can get that out of there”. He tried to unlock the car and looked at us and said, “This is the wrong key… are you sure this is your car?” That’s when we noticed the other red Golf, not more than 3 cars away… which was actually our car. HA! We were falling over with laughter as we hastily got in the car and drove off.

B: Ha ha! Do you recall any of the DJs you saw that first time in Ibiza? Any special tunes that stuck out from then?

VJ: The only DJ I really remember was ALFREDO who was the resident DJ at Amnesia. I didn’t really take much notice of who the DJ was back then. Tunes that really stand out from Ibiza for me are Strings of Life and Salsa House, which are both, included on the mix. Some others would be:

SILVER BULLET - Bring Forth The Guillotine
STAKKER - Stakker Humanoid
KARIYA – Baby Let Me Love You For Tonight
A GUY CALLED GERALD – Voodoo Ray

B: What was it about the early rave sound that really got you? When you got back, was Bristol really starting to buzz with the same feeling you had about this new sound? Or was it still pretty much 100% low-key and underground?

VJ: I had been hearing this music for the last 2 weeks in the clubs of San Antonio but I was just not really taking any notice. Then that night in the Ku Club something happened (MDMA) and the music just blew me away. That night changed my whole perception of music. It wasn’t the same for my mate Dave though… The music was just something to dance to for him; he just wanted to get out of his face. But for me, I became obsessed with the music overnight and would pester the young DJs in the bars of San Antonio for tapes!

But it wasn’t just the music that ‘got me’. It was a combination of the music, the drugs, the people, the atmosphere and the setting that night in the Ku Club that would ultimately change my life forever. I remember that the roof opened up so you were dancing under the stars and out the back there was this balcony that looked out over the nearby landscape. The sky was orange as the sunrise broke over the distant hills. It was amazing; I’ve got goose pimples thinking about it.

When I eventually came back to Bristol there was not a lot happening party wise. There was illegal warehouse parties happening or so I was told but nothing like the scale of what was happening in London. So I used to go up there every weekend, sometimes I would go on my own… I would hitch hike up to South Harrow to a mate’s house that I had met in Ibiza and I would tag along with him and his mates.

Eventually I started to get some of my mates interested and we would drive up. First it was one carload, and then two… We went to SUNRISE parties… and ENERGY... BIOLOGY… We also used to go to YIKES at Slough Center quite a lot and we went to the first ever RAINDANCE at Jenkins Lane. For me the Bristol scene really kicked off just before Xmas 1989 when TRIBAL DANCE put on an event at the exhibition center with FABIO playing, that was awesome and a lot of Bristollians discovered Ecstasy and Rave Culture that night. Not long after there was two PERCEPTION events at the Brunel sheds down by Temple Meads and there was also VISION at Busby’s (better known to you as CREATION) on Baldwin Street. That was every Wednesday night and they would feature top London DJ’s as well as people like FRANKIE BONES and 808 STATE. I used to go there every week without fail… The Bristol scene was taking off in a big way.

B: Frankie Bones and 808 State on a Wednesday night, unbelievable! How did the atmosphere at these parties compare to the events you’d been attending in London?

VJ: Yeah mate, that was just 2 examples, they used to have a wicked DJ there every week, others I can remember off the top of my head are Pete Tong, Trevor Fung, Steve Bicknell, Kid Bachelor, Mike Pickering and Guru Josh. The atmosphere there just like any London Club night, better in a way because it was full of people you knew. The Perception and Tribal Dance parties were amazing as well.

B: Looking at the start of the Nineties, Bristol was becoming a real hub for the whole southwest in terms of free parties, club nights and producers like Orca and Sub Love. By late 1991 you were playing Vibes Alive and gigs all over the shop, what are your recollections of that time?

VJ: 1991 was all about the traveler’s parties really. Crews like CIRCUS WARP, SWEAT SOUND SYSTEM and FREE PARTY PEOPLE were putting on free parties all over the southwest… they were basically following the convoy round and where ever they would set up camp, that’s where the party would be that weekend. My mates old man had a pub called The Seahorse, and later he moved to the Queen Shilling and on Fridays and Saturdays we used to DJ in there. They became the meeting place for the parties; it was a real wicked little scene. We used to go to all the big paying events too, but would always end up at the traveler’s party at some point.

So most weekends that’s where you would find me, at a free party in the middle of a field somewhere, stood up by the decks with my tunes, patiently waiting for my turn, praying that EASY GROOVE would not turn up before I got to play because if he did you might as well forget it, because he would basically kick whoever was playing off the decks, tell us all to fuck off and play for about 4 hours himself. I played at VIBES ALIVE just before Xmas in 1991. That was mad because the flyer was already out and I rang the info line and spoke to a guy called Hugo who said that they needed a warm up DJ and if I wanted it, I could have first set. That was it for me, the first big paying event I had played at and he made me resident after that and I played at every one.

B: Did you think of Easy Groove as the top local DJ round then? Who else was making a name for themselves on the circuit locally? Was it competitive between you all or a bit more unified?

VJ: Well you are opening a big can of worms there. Yes, Dennis (Easy Groove) was the top boy in Bristol back then, of course he was, and rightly so. That guy was one of the most talented and versatile DJ’s in the UK and if he had played his cards right, he was set to be the next Carl Cox. But things just didn’t turn out that way.

The other DJ’s who I saw as my main competition in Bristol back then we’re DIE, JODY and ABSOLUTE who were all fantastic DJ’s. And then there was also guys like GIZMO, CRIDGE, BUNJY, SUV, MASH, FLYNN, BUDGE, LUGE ‘n’ PERKZ and TECHNODREAD (I‘m not talking about Easy Groove, I am talking about the original Technodread. A guy called Kenneth Morne) who were all good DJs as well.

Obviously there was a friendly rivalry between us all, but we were all mates at the end of the day, there was the occasional bit of nastiness and backstabbing between certain people but I won’t mention any names. Then of course there is my main man THE DJ PRODUCER from just down the road in Bath, who was back then, and still is today, one extremely talented DJ. That guy is like a robot; I have never seen him make a mistake. I didn’t really know him back then but we are good mates now.

The only person who I didn’t get on with back then was Dennis. It was weird because before I started DJing we got on well. I used to go to his house for a spliff and he would do me tapes and shit like that. When I started mixing he would listen to mixes I had done and give me advice, but when I started to get a bit of recognition he totally changed his attitude towards me, like he saw me as competition or something. He had a lot of clout back then and he was in a position to be able to help some of the local DJ’s, but he wasn’t interested. Instead he chose to hold us back; well he did with me anyway.

Check this out; I was booked to play at FANTAZIA’s Second Sight at Westpoint Exhibition Center in Exeter. That was a very big deal to me… 10,000 people. One of the FANTAZIA promoters, a guy called Gideon, had seen me play at loads of the Travelers parties so he knew I was up for it. When the flyer came out I wasn’t on there. I was wounded. Next time I saw Dennis he said… “I told them to take you off the event, you’re not ready for an event that big yet”. This was 1992. I was ready! So thanks for that Dennis HAHA. We’re OK now though. I saw him the other night and he was actually quite friendly.

B: How did the call up for Tribal Gathering in 1993 come about? This is a pivotal point in the history of rave music and there you are, slap bang in the middle of it!

VJ: I really missed the boat with the UNIVERSE crew because they done an illegal party in Bath called BRAINSTORM before UNIVERSE started and I would have played there as it was a lot of the same crowd that were playing at the Travelers raves at the time. People like DIE, JODY, and PRODUCER etc. I didn’t go because of some stupid bird I was with who wasn’t feeling well so I stayed at home with her.

Then the first UNIVERSE happened not long after and the local DJ’s that were picked to play were chosen from those who had played at BRAINSTORM, so I kicked myself for that. I knew Paul Shurey and Rob Bryant from meeting them at a few travelers’ raves and continued to pester them for bookings but nothing ever came and I was about to give up hope. Then Paul Shurey saw me play at VIBES ALIVE one night and I got a phone call a few days later from Hugo and he said that Paul wanted me to ring him. That’s when he booked me for the TRIBAL GATHERING.

B: What was it like playing that event? You’ve got a huge rig at your disposal and thousands upon thousands of ravers bang up for it...

VJ: It was mind-blowing. 100k Rig in a marquee tent that held 18,000 people. I played first but do you think I was complaining? The tent was half full by the time I finished my set and now I am honored to be able to say, I played first Tribal Gathering, main arena. There aren’t many people who can say that.

B: By 1993 the scene as a whole was already splintering; you had hardcore going off in one direction, house and jungle in another...you originally would play quite a bit of jungle in your sets, but started to edge toward more of the hardcore sound. Was that a conscious decision in that everybody else was rinsing the emerging D&B sounds?

VJ: Playing the more jungle-oriented sound was really a natural progression from the 92 hardcore sound. I was lucky, in that I was on the mailing list for 4 of the main labels at the time which were MOVING SHADOW, SUBURBAN BASE, FORMATION and REINFORCED so I just followed the direction that they were going in and when I went to the record shop I would buy similar stuff.

Sometime around the end of 93, beginning of 94 I became aware of a happier element that was starting to filter through and I did like it, but just carried on with what I was doing regardless. I am not sure exactly when it was but there came a point when I got pissed off with the Jungle style and wasn’t really feeling it any more, it was too moody which was really affecting the vibe at the parties. The FULL CYCLE crew were really dominating the Bristol Jungle scene anyway and if you didn’t have a big bag of Dub plates, like Roni and the boys did, then nobody wanted to book you. No disrespect to those boys by the way… What they have done for the drum and bass scene is awesome and I take my hat off to them.

Anyway… around this time a mate of mine was doing a night called SKETCH at the Pawlett Manor near Bridgewater and he invited me down to play. I played my usual jungle set but the crowd wasn’t really feeling it and most of the other DJ’s were playing Techno. He booked me to play 2 weeks later and I did actually make a conscious decision that I was going to try something different… So I scraped together as much money as I could and went and spent it all on the more happier sounding music, which was still very breakbeat driven but it had a 4/4 kick which I thought would appeal to the crowd down there. Needless to say it took the roof off and I was made resident… That place was the bollox, Week in week out, it was always packed and the atmosphere was something else.

Not long after that I got a phone call from DAZEE who said that there was a night in London called DOUBLE DIPPED and they had asked her if she wanted to play, she declined as he was looking for more of a happy vibe, but she recommended me. Soon after I met a girl at the Manor who knew Andy who ran KINETIC in Stoke. She got me playing there. The next 2 or 3 years were really busy!!

B: Did you feel the dubplate culture in D&B prevented certain DJs breaking through more? Hardcore just didn’t seem to have the same culture running it, it always seemed a bit more DIY in that respect...

VJ: Who knows man? It probably did. The thing with Drum & Bass is you have to be making good tunes if you want to get anywhere. In which case you will have dubplates of your own anyway. Its not just about being a DJ, you need to have the whole package. It’s pretty much the same across all the genres now. It wasn’t always like that and Drum & Bass was probably the first genre to go that way, but if you look at any genre, be it Electro House, Dub Step or Hardcore… Whatever. Pick up a flyer and see all the main headliners. They are the same guys who are making all the big tunes in that genre. It’s the nature of the beast now… that’s just how it is. There are obviously a few exceptions but not many.

B: As we come into the later 90s, what was your opinion on the scene at the time? Hardcore has never been a favorite with the music press even though it's massively popular, so all you'd hear about was the trip hop and D&B sounds coming out of Bristol...did you feel that was a fair representation of the scene here?

VJ: As the 90’s drew to a close I was really disheartened with the whole scene. Happy hardcore was really starting to get shit, it was just so cheesy and everyone seemed to be churning out record after record of the same old rubbish. I am actually surprised that the hardcore scene managed to survive those times. It all sounded the same and I stopped buying it. There was a time when I didn’t play out for about a year and I almost gave up DJing altogether. My girlfriend was going out with all her mates to Hard House nights and she used to bring tapes home, which I thought sounded really fresh so I started to play a bit of that. I got the job of reviewer for IMPLANT magazine, which enabled me to get on all the mailing lists and soon I was playing out regularly again.

Yes that is probably a fair representation of the scene in Bristol to be honest as there was not a lot of Hardcore that came out of Bristol really apart from BUNJY and myself. Bristol has always been more about the bassline.

B: Why do you think that is?

VJ: Woah, that’s a difficult one dude. You’re asking me to explain the psychology of the Bristol Sound… You know what, I am not even going to attempt that one. Hahaha. Bristol Loves Bass… that’s all there is to it.

B: How did Warehouse Wax come about?

VJ: Well it was 2001 or 2002, I can’t remember, and by this time I had grown bored of Hard House too as it had got stale, just as Happy Hardcore did… but it didn’t matter because I had been playing at a lot of Old Skool parties which I was enjoying much more. Around that time the Old Skool revival was kicking off big time. We had Absolute Old Skool in Bristol, which I was promoting with Mike from Lakota.

I was also playing at loads of other nights all over the country like ILLUSION in Stoke, RAINDANCE in London and loads of others. Although I totally love playing Old Skool it was getting a bit annoying not have any new tunes to play. Anyway around this time I met a guy called Simon Dark (Darkus) and we set up an online record shop called Warehouse Wax and we would buy Old Skool record collections off people and sell them online. Simon was a painter and decorator by trade and one day I was helping him out on a job in Easton and we were listening to some Old Skool on his ghetto blaster and he said “wouldn’t it be great to make an Old Skool tune”.

This sounded like a great idea to me, as it would give me something new to play. So I rang up AUSTIN who had produced a lot of the early stuff on SUBURBAN BASE and was also a good friend of mine… We booked some time in the studio with him and went up and made “All Night” which became Warehouse Wax number 1. AUSTIN thought it was hilarious to be making Old Skool hardcore again but we managed to persuade him (with pound notes) to get involved and start making some tracks for us.

B: How had you got to know Austin in the first place?

VJ: When I first got into Producing Hardcore back in 1995, I done a few tunes and sent them to this label called Tech-Step who were advertising for up and coming artists to send in demos. They rang me up and said they wanted me to come to the studio in London and re-do the tunes. When I got to this geezers house and he said we were going to Austin Reynolds studio I nearly fuckin’ fell over. I did two releases with those guys, which we’re Earth 1 and Earth 2. Austin and me have worked together on and off ever since.

B: By 2004 you'd just released "We're Not Dead" which kind of brought the original rave producers of Bristol full circle, back to their roots. At that point, rave culture was almost 15 years old...what were your feelings about how far the Bristol scene had come by then?

VJ: It was at the beginning of 2005 that the album was actually released and it did bring ORCA back out or retirement but only for one tune, they never did another one after that, not in this genre anyway. Unfortunately though the same was not the case with SUBLOVE. The tune “Rubber Band” which they had featured on the album was actually the last tune Jody produced as SUBLOVE before starting WAY OUT WEST and as it had never been released, I got it mastered and put it on the album. People just assumed it was a brand new SUBLOVE tune, but nobody actually asked me if it was or not so I didn’t say anything.

The Bristol scene was predominantly a Drum & Bass thing. The Old Skool nights were losing momentum by now but Drum & Bass was going from strength to strength.

B: And then just after this time, it all went a bit wrong...

VJ: Yeah you could say that. It was in February 2006 that I was arrested for conspiracy to supply cocaine. I got caught with a Kilo of the shit. I was never actually selling it myself… and that’s the truth, if I was I would say so, I’ve got nothing to hide and I have served the time now anyway so what have I got to lose?

Basically what happened was, a mate of mine asked me to pick this package up for him and he offered me a lot of money to do it. I was a bit skint at the time so, like the dopey twat that I am, I said yes. It all came on top and I was arrested and remanded in custody straight away. I never even made it back to my house.

It was a nightmare… as I sat in the back of that police car, everything I had worked towards came crashing down around me and I knew that I wasn’t going to get bail and that I was looking at a heavy sentence. That was the most horrible feeling. I was on remand for 10 months and then got sentenced to 7 years of which I served 3 and a half. I am still on license until 2013, which prevents me from playing abroad, which is a major annoyance.

B: Coming out of that period, what had changed for you?

VJ: To be honest, prison actually sorted me out! I was in a bit of rut before I got nicked, although I didn’t realize it at the time. I was just plodding along, smoking ridiculous amounts of weed and not really having any direction in my life. The first 3 months I was in prison it was all doom and gloom and I convinced myself that my DJ career was over.

But I stopped smoking weed and read a few books about being positive and using the power of positive thinking to turn things around in your life. I started to apply that and realized that I could actually turn this into something positive and get something good out of it. The prison service can actually help you out with certain things, but only if you are willing to help yourself. So instead of spending my time being a cleaner on the wing and taking whatever drugs I could get my hands on I decided that I would spend my time educating myself.

I ended up in an open prison in Kent and I started to go out to Canterbury College studying CCNA (Cisco Certified Networking Associate), which I completed and am now a qualified Network engineer. Whilst doing this course I found out that there was a Music Tech course at the college so I enrolled for that. I skipped the National Diploma and went straight onto the HND, which I continued on my release and have now finished. I am just about to start on the BA, which means, all being well, that in a year’s time I will have an honors degree.

So prison changed my whole outlook on life really. I am really positive now and I believe that if you focus positively on your goals and really believe in yourself, you can achieve anything.

Whether you think you can or think you can’t, either way you are right.

B: With over twenty years of experience in the game, what's your feeling about hardcore as it stands today as a big commercial enterprise? You've got all the old guard still in there at the top, but the raves are as packed as ever...

VJ: Well that is quite a complex question isn’t it? Hardcore as a commercial enterprise? Do me a favour; as far as I see it Hardcore is not a viable commercial enterprise at all these days. The digital age in which we live has had a massive Impact on the music scene as a whole and this includes Hardcore. Vinyl sales have become almost redundant with even the bigger Hardcore labels only just managing to keep their heads above water.

Digital downloads is apparently the way forward but the amount of money you actually make is miniscule and a really good hardcore release on MP3 will do about 300, which is nothing. The problem is that less than 5% of the music that gets downloaded is actually paid for, the other 95% is downloaded illegally and that is a fact that was published last year in the IFPI Digital Music Report. People are file sharing and these files are good enough to burn to a CD and play out.

There are no compilations anymore either. Warner and Ministry have stopped doing Hardcore compilations altogether. There is still the BONKERS series, which has been going for years, but even the last one of those only sold a fraction of what they have in recent years. All the events have now started to do CD packs from their events instead of tape packs. This poses a couple of problems. One is that they are a lot better value in that you get a lot more music for your money when you buy a CD pack and the sound quality is just as good as the compilations. This is great for the consumer but it has obviously hit compilation sales quite hard. Also there is no track listing on CD packs, which prevents people from being able to go and buy the tune, and no money is actually being paid to the artists whose tunes appear on them either. I could go on about it all day but I can’t be arsed… Its all politics of which I am not and don’t intend to get involved with.

So yeah, the big event are still packed, but is Hardcore, as a whole, really a commercial enterprise? I would say not, especially when compared to yesteryear… Yeah there is a lot of people who are making a decent living out of Hardcore, but the only people who are making any real money now is the promoters of the big events.

B: What's your take on the Hardcore Breaks and Jungle Tekno styles that have emerged in recent years?

VJ: Yeah, I like a lot of it, there is some really excellent tunes coming out and some really talented producers, but I just really wish there were more people into it. I had high hopes for Hardcore Breaks when it started but it didn’t really take off in the way I had hoped it would and now the same has happened with the J-Tek sound. Both genres have a lot of dedicated contributors who are passionate about what they are doing and both have a small but loyal underground following, but its really difficult to get a new genre off the ground. It’s a shame.

B: You've also recently got into the electro-house or 'crack house' sound, what is it about that style that grabs you?

VJ: Again, I was getting bored… Do you think I have attention deficit disorder or something? HAHAHA. None of the new music that was coming out was really floating my boat… I don’t understand the majority of dubstep, I love some of the sounds they are using, but really can’t figure out the beats, I think to myself, how do you dance to this?

My mate sent me a Soundcloud link to one of Zincs crack house mixes and I instantly liked it. I’m not sure why, something about it reminded me of the original House vibe from ‘89, but there was also something fresh and new about it and some of the tunes incorporated some of the better elements from dubstep. I have been buying lots of tunes and have done a few mixes, which are up on soundcloud, but I am still yet to do a gig in this genre.

B: Did you feel Zinc’s decision to drop D&B in favour of that style was a brave one?

VJ: Yeah, that was quite risky, but I think he had got to the point where he just was not interested in doing Drum & Bass anymore, he had already decided he was going to quit Drum & Bass and take a year off anyway. The guys a fuckin’ genius in the studio so I’m sure he had no doubts that he would be able to reinvent himself without too much trouble. CLIPZ did the same thing as well, quit Drum & Bass and is now producing various other styles under the guise REDLIGHT.

B: Looking to the future, what have you got in store for us and where do you want to take the sound next?

VJ: Do you know what? I’ve been asked this question before and I usually say: I am going to do this or I am going to do that, but things change over time and ideas evolve and a lot of the times things don’t pan out exactly as you intended… not always in a negative way… Sometimes you might have a better idea and decide to focus on that instead. But I look back at old interviews and think… I never did end up doing that.

So for now all I’m going to talk about is something that I know is set in stone and that is FUTURE RAVE ANTHEMS 4. It’s a compilation series that is released in digital format only, by SLIPMATT and BILLY BUNTER's label CAN YOU FEEL IT MEDIA. TWISTA done the first one, FAYDZ the second one and Volume 3, which is due for release imminently, was done by FLASHBACK. The task of sorting out Volume 4 has been entrusted to me, and I am chuffed about it, as I have never been asked to do anything like this before. So at the moment that is my main priority: compiling, producing for and eventually mixing this compilation.

As far as where do I want to take the sound next… the answer is I don’t really know? I am in a transitional period at the moment and like I said I am concentrating on making tunes that will sit comfortably under the banner of FUTURE RAVE ANTHEMS. I am listening to lots of different genres at the moment and drawing inspiration from all of them. If you go and check out my mix from this years Glastonbury Festival (available on Soundcloud) you will see what I mean. It ranges from Breaks, Ravebreaks, Jungle, Electro House and even a bit of Dubstep.

I really like what REDLIGHT is doing at the moment. I like the way he is not conforming to any one specific genre with his productions; he is doing different styles and trying to break down the boundaries between genres. Some of his stuff sounds like Electro, some sounds like House, some sounds like Dubstep and some of it is really Oldskool influenced. But it all sounds like him and that’s really cool because in the past it was kind of frowned upon. People were using lots of different pseudonyms and setting up different labels for different genres. REDLIGHT is saying, “Fuck that, I do what I want and if you don’t like it then Bollox to you”. I really like the idea of not being tied down by any genre. If you are influenced by different genres then surely you should try to express that in your music.

I think that there is a lot of crossover starting to occur between genres at the moment, some of the Dubstep is starting to include a 4/4 kick which makes it sound a bit like Electro House and there is Breaks producers starting to venture into Dubstep… some of the dubstep sounds very Jungly, Electro producers like RACKNRUIN are coming out with tracks like Soundclash which is quite obviously Jungle. PYRAMID are starting to incorporate more rolling breaks into their tunes. It’s quite an exciting time and I can’t wait to see what is going to happen next.

So that’s maybe the mindset I will try to come at it from once I have finished the album and completed my final year of Uni. Or maybe I’m talking utter bollox? Only time will tell.

B: Let's chat about some of the choices in your selections here; two huge mixes, a year in the making! It must have been a painstaking process to whittle it down to these forty-odd tracks...

VJ: Yeah it was difficult. When you originally asked me to do the mix I sat down and wrote a list of tunes and there ended up being over 100 tunes on there. That’s why I knew there was no possible way I could fit this onto 1 CD. So thanks for letting me extend it to 2, otherwise I would not have been able to do it.

B: Firstly let's talk about the awesome Radio Vinyl Junkie intro! We've got The Clash, The Ruts, B.A.D, and Beastie Boys...some raucous punk, reggae and dub influences going on! How important was that sound to you prior to rave music?

VJ: It was very important to me. It was the soundtrack of my youth. I’ve still got most of my old records and have even bought some of them again on CD recently. I still listen to some of them when the mood takes me.

B: For the first mix, you've got an earlier house and techno vibe going on, and even though this is jam-packed full of classics it never feels like you're anthem bashing! For me these tracks are all damn near perfect, that amazing combination of early house, rave and hardcore elements all sitting together in total harmony! It feels like that time period was really 'lightning in a bottle', never to be repeated...

VJ: Well the early house sound was where it all started for me all those years ago in the Ku Club and although I wasn’t a DJ back then I still managed to acquire the records. The tunes on here are all very special to me and each one reminds me of something or someone from my past, as do most of the tracks on the second mix.

For example Strings of life reminds me of sitting on the edge of the swimming pool in the Ku Club smoking a spliff, The Phantom reminds me of going to the Thunderdome in Manchester with my scouse mate “Sprout”, Energy Flash reminds me of a travelers party in a place called Forrest Hill near oxford, Space Face reminds me of a young guy called DJ Gravedigger at Hungerford mixing with no headphones, No Idea reminds of my mate Squeaky who took a trip at Hungerford called an Agent Orange, he was fucked up and later some traveler dude said he had marked the blotters out wrong so my mate had actually taken 4 trips and not one… All the tunes on these mixes mean something. That was really the defining factor of whether a tune made it onto the mix or not.

Thanks for complimenting the mix as well mate, I did spend quite a lot of time planning the running order of things so for you to say they all sit together in perfect harmony makes all the time spent on it worthwhile. I hope all your readers will agree and get as much enjoyment out of listening to them as I did mixing them. Your right, these times will never be repeated… there was something more organic about the tunes back them. It was more about the feeling than the structure or arrangement of the tune. If it felt right then it was right, regardless of whether that section was 3 bars shorter than it should be.

B: The second mix is on a tougher tip, with that early 92 sound, the incredible breakbeat hardcore styles! What is about that incredible sound that appeals to you so much?

VJ: I don’t know really, it’s hard to put your finger on it. It was probably a combination of lots of things. I think the do-it-yourself attitude of the kids that were making the music was a lot to do with it, the way they were sampling from Hip-Hop, Techno and whatever, then chucking a sped up Funk break over the top of a Reggae style bassline and it just sounded awesome.

This kind of goes back to what I was saying just now about incorporating different styles into your productions, which ultimately adds excitement to the finished track if it is done properly. Also lets not forget that there was some really talented producers who were just fine tuning their craft at this time. People like LIAM HOWLETT, ROB PLAYFORD, AUSTIN REYNOLDS, JODY WISTERNOFF and ACEN, to name a few. It really was a magical time; those who experienced it first hand will understand what I am saying.

B: Sub Love feature with three tracks, plus you've got some of the early Moving Shadow classics on here too. Would you have liked to sprinkle some more local tracks or later jungle sounds in here if you'd had room?

VJ: There were originally 5 SUBLOVE tunes, but I had to lose a few. I loved their sound; it was raw and totally different from everything else. You could always tell a new SUBLOVE tune when you heard it. Jody is also a real good mate of mine and my first ever studio experience was with him… I was hooked after that… So I blame him for everything HAHAHA. I also wanted to use some ORCA tunes but they all got dropped by process of elimination… Sorry Dave and Darren!!

Moving Shadow was, and probably still are, my favorite label ever. They were the first label to put me on their mailing list as well. I only bought Shadow 1 and all the rest were sent to me. Rob Playford was, in my opinion, one of the most innovative producers around, second only to Liam Howlett. I can’t believe he doesn’t do tunes anymore… Or maybe he does and I just don’t know about it.

As for later jungle… No not really… there was never going to be anything post 1993 on here. This obviously excludes the 2 tracks from my own label Warehouse Wax. For me 1989-1993 are the years that were really special.

B: Well thanks to you for providing one of the best set of mixes I’ve ever heard! Before we wrap this up, have you got any words of wisdom for those people out there just starting out in DJing or production?

VJ: My pleasure mate… Glad you like them.

Advice to people starting out would be… Be dedicated, be passionate about the music, be positive and try your best to be as original as you can without alienating yourself. And don’t ever give up… You are going to get knockbacks… just pick yourself up and keep on pushing.

Most importantly, believe in yourself 110%.

And if there are any budding producers out there who want to submit a track for consideration for the forthcoming FUTURE RAVE ANTHEMS 4, please get in touch.

Peace!!!

A massive thank you to John for contributing this mix and interview, a true legend if ever there was one!!

'We're Not Dead' and 'We're Still Not Dead' are available in strictly limited edition quantities by emailing Vinyl Junkie direct : HERE. Both albums can be purchased together for £15, but get your orders in quick because there's only a handful left!!

Byte presents B-Mix 004:
Vinyl Junkie
'Lifetracks'
(Byte, 2010)

Mix One

01. RADIO TUNER INTRO*
02. RHYTHIM IS RHYTHIM – Strings Of Life
03. RICHIE RICH – Salsa House
04. RENEGADE SOUNDWAVE – The Phantom
05. HOUSE SYNDICATE – Jam The Mace
06. THE MCKENZIE – Party People
07. D-SHAKE – Techno Trance
08. LIASONS D – Future FJP
09. GTO – Pure
10. LEFTFIELD – Not Forgotten
11. S.I.L – Windows
12. EON – Spice
13. TOXIC – Original Style
14. ZERO ZERO – The Sanity Clause
15. SUB SUB – Space Face
16. PROJECT ONE – A Great Day
17. NEW SCENE – Out Of Control
18. COLD SENSATION – Return
19. BELTRAM – Energy Flash
20. ECCENTRIC – Its Brutal
21. MODULAR EXPANSION – Cubes
22. SET UP SYSTEM – Fairy Dust
23. LFO – Brainstorm
24. ALTERN 8 – Infiltrate 202
25. ASMO – Jam The Dance
26. RHYTHM SECTION – I Can Take You Higher
27. 808 State – Cubik

*RADIO TUNER INTRO

Includes excerpts from:

1. The Clash – I Fought The Law
2. The Ruts – Jah War
3. Sex Pistols – Interview On Bill Grundy Show
4. The Clash – White Man In Hammersmith Palais
5. Big Audio Dynamite – Sightsee MC
6. Joe Strummer – Unknown Interview
7. Beastie Boys – Fight For Your Right To Party
8. New Order – Blue Monday
9. Moby – Glastonbury Festival 2000

Mix Two

01. EARTH LEAKAGE TRIP – No Idea
02. THE PRODIGY – Android
03. KROMOZONE – The Rush
04. THE PRODIGY – Pandemonium
05. 2 BAD MICE – Waremouse
06. G DOUBLE E – Fire When Ready
07. RAGGA TWINS – Shine Eye
08. GENASIDE 2 – Narra Mine
09. PLASTIC JAM – One Love
10. DSKF – Feel The Power
11. SUB LOVE – Maniac Music
12. ACEN – Close Your Eyes (Remix)
13. HYPER ON EXPERIENCE – Ascention
14. SUB LOVE – One By One
15. SUB LOVE – Always In My Mind
16. NEBULA 2 – X Plore H Core
17. KROME & TIME – Manic Stampede
18. PHUTURE ASSASSIN – Ganja Madness
19. HOUSE CREW – Maniac (Remix)
20. OAYSIS – Incredible Bass
21. DJ MAYHEM – Stormtrooper
22. FAST FLOOR – Plight Of The Innovator
23. DANCE CONSPIRACY – Dub War
24. MAD RAGGA JON – Original Bad Boy
25. PHUTURE ASSASSIN – Unbrake My Hardcore

DOWNLOAD : Vinyl Junkie - Lifetracks Mix 1 (320 Direct Link)
DOWNLOAD : Vinyl Junkie - Lifetracks Mix 2 (320 Direct Link)
DOWNLOAD : Vinyl Junkie - Lifetracks Mix 1 (192 Zip File)
DOWNLOAD : Vinyl Junkie - Lifetracks Mix 2 (192 Zip File)
DOWNLOAD : Vinyl Junkie - Lifetracks (Artwork)

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FFI: Vinyl Junkie Facebook
FFI: Vinyl Junkie Soundcloud
FFI: Warehouse Wax Website
FFI: Warehouse Wax Myspace

FFI on Vinyl Junkie check : YouTube, Discogs, ReverbNation, Mixcloud and Twitter.

Byte presents B-Mix 003 : Vast & Bulbous - Beyond The Seventh Seal

2010-05-27T10:38:00.009+01:00

Byte presents B-Mix 003:
Vast & Bulbous
'Beyond The Seventh Seal'
(Byte, 2010)

It's been a hot second since we last had an update on here (OK, best part of four months but time gets away from you now and then), so we thought it timely before the bank holiday madness hits to return with another installment in the B-Mix series. This time around we have an incredible set from one of the best DJ tag teams to come out of Bristol in some time - Vast & Bulbous. The duo behind interstellar disco wonk extravaganza I Feel Space have been steadily carving out a very intriguing niche in the sometimes anemic Bristol club scene with a raft of guests including Boxcutter, Various Production, Late Of The Pier, Illum Sphere and many more.

Promotions aside, these two young whippersnappers are also amazing DJs and producers in their own right, with a breadth and depth of music knowledge that is quite astounding given they are only just out of short trousers. Expect to see and hear many more great things from this pairing very soon, and to get us on our way there we have a blistering throwdown from them which takes us all the way from wonked-out future garage and crazed rhythms to old skool house and majestic disco licks. To ice this incredible bass-cake we also have an exclusive remix from them of another B365 favourite, Antoni Maiovvi. We caught up with the pair to chat about dystopian futures, Jamie Oliver on PCP, cling-film funk and death metal disco. Sit back and enjoy the ride!

B: Good evening Vast, good evening Bulbous. How the devil are you?

V&B: Good evening. We have both shed our dense winter plumage and are getting ready to revel in the full disappointment of British summertime.

B: Fantastic. Where are you right now?

V&B: Sat in an armchair taking in a bit of Jamie Oliver. We think it's scandalous the amount of
salt the man consistently puts in to his dishes, given his ambitions as some kind of modern day prophet of healthy-eating. But the big question is why is nobody talking about it? The popular press is being stonewalled, and it's lucky that these kind of outlets exist to get the message out there.

B: What do you think Jamie Oliver likes to listen to when he's 'getting on one'?

V&B: We think he probably likes to dip a Sainsbury's Ultimate Chipolata in a bowl of street-grade PCP, roll up his sleeves and get stuck into the lush production sound of Mr. Bobby Orlando.

B: Top of the list of queries has to be: why Vast, why Bulbous?

V&B: Why yin and yang? Why alpha and omega? Why Tango and Cash?

B: Which one in Tango & Cash was vast, which was bulbous? Should girth make a difference in a name anyways?

V&B: There's no question that Cash was both Vast and Bulbous, Tango was always just along for the ride.

B: What's the history of V&B? How did you find your way into DJing?

V&B: V&B started essentially as a shared blame system. When the beer bottles start flying it's nice to have someone to duck behind. We started DJing out of an unhealthy love of vinyl, and a desire to share the combinations we could make out of records. I remember when I first got decks spending days trying to mix a great Vangelis track into my latest drum and bass purchase. We didn't quite realise that wasn't what DJs did, and I'm not sure we've actually learnt that lesson yet.

B: Well thanks for taking the time to do this mix for B365. It's quite an eclectic affair - do you feel this represents your live incarnation well?

V&B: It's definitely an aspect of what we do. This is kind of our take on bass music, though you'd be just as likely to hear us rassing out some old disco or Tom's new genre of the month cling-film funk. I think whatever we're doing it would probably have the same eclectic feel to it - kind of like a musical ADHD. Except not with the connotations that seems to carry these days, where people play about 20 seconds of the most banging bit of each tune like we're all in some kind of horrible dystopian future where everyone walks around with glazed eyes and a fixed grin. We like to play our songs the whole way through, but we don't like playing the same kind of thing for too long.

B: Cling-Film Funk??

V&B: It's a sub-genre that's still awaiting a solid descriptive fence to separate it from the flock. Essentially the sound is like someone has sheathed a raging disco hard on in a four ply johnny and whacked it with a hammer. Or it can be said to be akin to listening to Talking Heads at -8 speed with a fishbowl on your head. It's a dense, creeping and incredibly seductive brand of music.

B: Sounds delightful. This track-listing perhaps reflects a maturity in your tastes that belies your ages. Do you feel you are a little removed from the usual cut and thrust of fad genres, or do you feel younger music fans are becoming more and more refined these days?

V&B: We love fad genres - that intense burst of creativity that accompanies them before they go stale are the source of some incredible music. The important part is being able to take them as just a part of music history as a whole. We like to pick and choose the best bits of each, without getting too caught up in one or the other of them as the only future of music. When we see figures like Prins Thomas playing out weird Spanish psych records or Ben UFO digging up Smith and Mighty tunes, that inspires us to be bolder in our own choices. I suppose the accessibility we have to the entirety of recorded music, via the Internet, makes young people grow up quicker musically. We go from wide-eyed innocents to jaded hacks who've seen it all in the space of a couple of years. It's like growing up in the Bronx. The E-Bronx.

B: Off the back of that, do you think the Interbang has kind of f*cked up people's appreciation for music as an art form? Everything is instantly attainable....we seem to cycle through new 'genres' every three months now...(I'm aware of the irony of saying this on a music blog)...

V&B: I think it has definitely ruined people's attachment to certain music - made it a bit more disposable. People are constantly looking to the next thing rather than cherishing what they have. I suppose its like a hit of blog crack which wears off so quick you need to find the next one ASAP. What people really need is the gentle, slow, loving embrace of quality vinyl skag.

B: What influences do you bring to the table with you? Who or what has inspired you over the years?

V&B: Jack's a less than closet black metal fan - with the obligatory studded wellies and a distaste for human company. This has stealthily lead him to gravitate towards dance music with undertones that are cold, atmospheric and filthy. In an attempt to redress the balance Jack's brain has told him to develop an unbridled passion for camp as tits italo hammers and disco stompers. Tom committed the crime of liking big-beat as a youngster and has since then been obsessed by the concept of sampling which has given way to an unhealthy passion for overly looped house and disco music.

B: Would you consider merging black metal and italo into some kind of satanic amyl-stained glitterball hybrid?

V&B: I had this idea once, and went through all of my cds to try and find something, but it really is a totally ludicrous pairing. It was a sad day when I had to admit that. Probably the closest we'll ever get is a Heartbreak mix on the Allez Allez blog where they start off with one of the ambient tracks off of Burzum's Filosofem album. If I'd still had that CD I could have beaten them to it, but someone stole it after I put it on at a house party back when I was 16 or something. Thinking about it now they probably threw it away rather than actually stealing it.

B: Who do you think is gearing up to be the best pick of the future generation of producers coming through right now?

V&B: There is some incredibly exciting music being made in the UK at the moment, drawing influences from all over the shop, and not just the usual musical ghettos that bass music has relied on in the past. We are lucky enough to have been able to showcase a lot of the new crop of producers we rate the highest via I Feel Space. The dysto-step of Illum Sphere, the moonbeat of Space Dimension Controller, the throbbing musclefunk of Antoni Maiovvi and the fierce live synth-hop of Kelpe alongside the glittering analogue frenzy of Ali Renault and Brassica have all been floating our boat recently for their unique and heartfelt approaches to making music.

B: Do you feel Bristol is an open-minded place for the V&B sound? Or do you feel with the advent in the popularity of Dubstep, commercialisation is starting to blinker the scene here?

V&B: Well we haven't been banished for crimes against music just yet, and we do manage to eke out an existence on the music scene so we couldn't ask for any more really. I definitely wouldn't say the popularity of dubstep is something that is counting against us. We've been fans of the sound since we first heard it coming out of the trombone of Bass Clef at a Toxic Dancehall back in the day. The only disappointing thing is that back then we would have classed Mr Clef as just another spin on the dubstep idea, but now it would be called some kind of radical mutant strain. That's kind of sad. But really if I was going to pick any underground genre to go overground it would be dubstep, because it has such a rich underbelly of experimentation and diverse influences. That's only going to be a good thing for people who get deeper and deeper into the sound.

B: So what's next for V&B?

V&B: We're just going to keep plugging away pushing the music we like. We've got Ali Renault and Brassica coming down for our next party at LAB on June 5th and they're bringing a big stack of vintage synths down to play live for us. Nobody beats those guys and the rest of the Cyberdance / Dissident crew when it comes to UK electronic music that smashes the mould, and puts it back together as a hyper-coloured synth fantasy.

I Feel Space is at Lab, Bristol on June 5th 2010.

Byte presents B-Mix 003:
Vast & Bulbous
'Beyond The Seventh Seal'
(Byte, 2010)

01. Aphrodite's Child - The Four Horsemen [Vertigo]
02. Jamie Vex'd - Radiant Industry [Planet Mu]
03. Space Dimension Controller - Galactic Effector [Acroplane]
04. Dave Da Gato - Carbon [Fluid Oz]
05. Vast&Bulbous - Bless The Apparatus [Dub]
06. Red or Dred - How I Feel (Afterhours Dub) [Locked On]
07. The Hayden Andre Project - Tribal Life (Bang D Drum Remix) [Strobe]
08. Adonis - No Way Back (Greg Wilson Edit) [Global Underground]
09. 2nd II None - Waterfalls (Peverelist Remix) [Heavy Artillery]
10. Rossi B & Luca - Jah No Dead [Soul Motive]
11. Adam Port - Boogie Bass [Souvenir]
12. Of Norway - The Governer's Daughter (Danny J Lewis Remix) [Afro Art]
13. Emperor Machine - You Clapper [DC Recordings]
14. Debbie Malone - Rescue Me (Dub Mix) [Krunch]
15. Floating Points - K&G Beat [Planet Mu]
16. Rhythim is Rhythim - Kao-Tic Harmony [Transmat]
17. Tangerine Dream - No Man's Land (V&B Edit) [Dub]
18. Eskmo - We Have Invisible Friends [Ancestor]
19. Vast&Bulbous - Point Reyes [Dub]
20. Millie and Andrea - Temper Tantrum [Daphne]
21. Boxcutter - Other People [Dub]

DOWNLOAD : B-Mix 003 : Vast & Bulbous - Beyond The Seventh Seal
DOWNLOAD : Antoni Maiovvi - Tessa (Vast & Bulbous Re-Work)

FFI : I Feel Space Myspace
FFI : I Feel Space Facebook
FFI : Vast & Bulbous Soundcloud

Byte presents B-Mix 002 : Dekoy - Rave Machine

2010-01-18T10:38:00.013Z

Byte presents B-Mix 002:
Dekoy
'Rave Machine'
(Byte, 2010)

A new year, a new decade...and to celebrate Byte brings you the second installment in our ongoing B-Mix series, showcasing the most creative and exciting DJs around. Following on from our debut mix courtesy of Weasel, we are very excited to be able to bring to you a mix many months in the making! This time it's the turn of the infamous Dekoy - DJ, producer and promoter extraordinaire - who has laid down a incredible mix for your delectation - Rave Machine. Just like Ronseal this does exactly what it says on the tin - a speaker-shredding odyssey through dubstep, drum & bass, breaks, rave and much more besides. Tweaked to perfection the set includes some huge tunes and loads of little suprises to make it much more than the sum of it's parts.

Kicking things off with a salvo of the best in new wave bass producers we get a healthy dollop of Kanji Kinetic, Bombaman and Zomby alongside more seasoned subheads like Skream and Jakes - all mixed with precision and flair before the set starts to pick up even more pace hurtling into a hyperactive middle section of juicy rave action. Dekoy wheels out two of his own awesome tracks - Lazerface and Isolator - before unleashing Squire Of Gothos, MRK1 and Blackfinger tunes to heap more drama onto the dancefloor. The final quarter rolls on at breackneck speed into some serious D&B pressure with a real sense of this mix taking you through several continents of genres and styles, but without feeling piecemeal or lacking in drive.

An assured mix from an artist finding new confidence in his abilities, Rave Machine marks a new chapter in Dekoy's creative progression - and is an essential download for any fan of the cross-pollination of styles that is occuring in the musical underground at the moment.

Byte caught up with Dekoy ahead of the release of Rave Machine to talk about the birth and death of genres, the rise and fall of Rusty Needle, his triumphant return to the British Bass Capital that is Bristol and the genius of Phil Collins.

B: Evening Mr.Dekoy, how are you?

D: Good evening Mr Basic. I'm very well thanks. Just keeping warm in my house after finally convincing my housemates that we're gonna need the heating on so pretty happy at the moment.

B: Whereabouts are you right now?

D: I'm currently residing in the coastal town of Falmouth in South Cornwall. Some of the more astute members of the Bristol community may have noticed I haven't been about much recently, so this will explain why. I moved down here a couple of years ago for a job I got offered (in fact I had a leaving party at the Byte First Birthday as you may remember).

I wasn't doing much at the time so thought it would be a chance to do something a bit different and I've had an incredible time here. The place is beautiful and really peaceful but also has a nice, friendly buzz about it. Falmouth has a big arts college and university specialising in media related courses, so I've met loads of really cool people who are a lot more switched on than I was expecting. Excellent for the ales too!

The first year I moved down I was back and forth to Bristol the whole time but I made the decision that as I was only going to be here for a short period, I’d devote the time I had left to just absorb myself fully. That coupled with concerns over the old carbon footprint from racing up and down the M5 every other week helped me make the decision to stay put for the while. I’m still up every couple of months or so though. Does this make me an away fixture for the B-Mix series?

B: LOL Maybe it does! Thanks for this amazing mix! A real mash-up of styles and sounds here, would you say this is a good representation of what we could expect from a live Dekoy set?

D: Was a pleasure mate. Sorry it took a while! Yeah, I think in some ways this is a decent representation of what I'm playing at the moment. A lot of the tracklisting was put together a few months back and as things seem to be moving so fast in dance music at present, if I did another mix today it would probably be quite different. In terms of styles and vibes that I like to explore in a set though, I think it covers most bases.

On the flipside I'm playing a lot of the "deeper" side of things at the moment too, which I haven't really included in this mix. I'm really digging the dubstep/techno crossover stuff from the likes of Scuba, Ramadanman, 2562 etc plus all the Instra:mental, DBridge, Non Plus style D&B. This side of things is such a polar opposite to the rave side though, so I thought it best to exclude it and to be honest there just wasn't enough time available anyway. There's a few less frantic tunes towards the beginning of the mix plus a slow building, progressive section in the middle which I hope breaks things up a little before continuing the bass onslaught.

B: So who or what is influencing you right now musically beyond that?

D: Along with the aforementioned, loads of people man. It really changes by the week. When I did the mix I was really into the Kanji Kinetic, Squire of Gothos, Coin Operated sound. This week I've been listening to quite a lot of old grime and garage from Slimzee mixes plus the new Target and Magic mixtapes. For next week I feel a D&B resurgence coming on.

Ultimately though I'm just into people who do things differently, that stand out against other producers and don't try to conform to genres. Two people who instantly spring to mind are Reso and Starkey. The former especially just seems to make this incredibly produced music that just slams it every single time and can’t be placed in a genre. This doesn't necessarily mean I play loads of these guys’ tracks but this approach to things definitely inspires me.

Other than music, the environment around me and living by the sea I guess has some influence on me. Having said that I'm not quite sure how tranquil nature and lapping shores translates into noisy rave music!

B: Originally you came to Byte's attention through the fledgling hardcore breaks / nu-rave scene. Back then HCB had a real hype behind it, but that seems to have died off somewhat. What's your feelings on HCB right now and the direction that's taken?

D: Hmm. Difficult one... My thoughts on it now are that the sound is still about and there's quite a buzzing little community over at www.nu-rave.com. Things have changed quite a lot over the last year or so though. A lot of the original producers have moved on to other things and there seems to be no real events taking place anymore, and somewhere along the way the momentum just seemed to get lost. It's a shame, as there was a period when things were looking really positive and a lot of producers from other scenes were getting involved and making sick tunes and as you say, the sound was on the up.

HCB started out pretty much the same time as dubstep and had a lot in common with it. My vision was always that the two would sit side by side as the new hardcore and jungle and I would have loved to see how a rave could've worked with the two sounds properly merged. For whatever reason this never really happened though. I think one problem was that whilst dubstep was coming straight off the back of the remnants of the garage scene, HCB had it's roots in music that was being made 15 years earlier and as a result of that a lot of the people involved in it were mid-30s with kids etc, so not in a position to be out pushing the music and putting on parties.

Another reason is simply that the production in many cases wasn't good enough to stand up next to 21st century productions. People who’d only been producing a short time were getting tunes released that were just badly rehashed old skool tunes basically. I was guilty of this myself, and having only been producing a few months was sending out tunes and getting them played on radio and at raves. There was the other side too with wicked producers making new and exiting stuff. The politics of the two camps kind of held everything back though. There’s still some wicked tunes coming out though from producers such as Running Man, Simon Holmes and Rob Malfunktion plus a new wave of producers who weren't about a couple of years back. I think finally the scene is trying to merge with other scenes too instead of isolating itself so we'll see how it progresses this year.

In terms of my personal involvement, I support all that I can but I've always felt a bit as though my musical tastes weren't always that in tune with what the majority of people in the scene seemed to be into. I think for this reason, and taking into account the cross genre raves that are happening at the moment, plus the success of people such as Redlight, I have more confidence in just doing my own thing really and hoping people are into it. About 50% of my output could definitely be described as hardcore influenced still and whenever I've had a period of making alternative styles, I always come back to my roots!

B: A lot of your style incorporates the old skool elements of rave music with newer genres like dubstep. Do you feel this is a conscious reflection of your own musical past? Was rave culture a big part of your youth?

D: Yeah definitely man. I grew up on a strict diet of happy hardcore and jungle. I was like 12 or something when I started listening to this stuff. My parents must have thought I was crazy. Around 95/96 a load of us would listen to a London pirate called Dream FM every weekend and this was my first real introduction to music (bar a dodgy phase of being into Genesis - Phil Collins still murks it!). In this way, 90s rave culture was a massive part of my youth. At the time obviously I had no idea what went on a rave and found the adverts for Dreamscapes and Helter Skelters fascinating. I’ve still got bags of tapes I sometimes dig out and get nostalgic with.

This definitely impacts on my productions and can be a good thing. It can really frustrate me though as I'm quite naturally drawn to these massive hands in the air riffs. For this reason, I have to be quite militant with myself and scrap anything I see as too "cheesy". A sick piano line is still something that gets me going more than anything though. The truth is I think this is the same for pretty much everyone as we all love a good bit of happiness. I love trying to fuse the light with the darkness too. I’m really annoyed that guy’s made that Sweet Shop tune as I think I was pretty much put on this planet to write a tune like that! Oh well...

B: You operate best in the blurring of genre boundaries. This mix really takes it everywhere, an all-terrain throwdown!! What's your general feeling on the cross-pollination of genres right now?

D: I think it’s amazing! In quite a short space of time there’s been a complete shift in how line-ups are put together, and it’s so good to see. The idea of going out to one style of music seems incredibly dated now and no doubt this has been directly responsible for the merging and bleeding of genres we’re currently seeing.

The other thing I’ve noticed is the merging of what I call ‘rave’ music (D&B, hardcore etc) with ‘club’ music (house, techno, electro). For me the two were always so far apart. Not just in terms of the actual musical content, but also the whole culture and style they adhered to. Raves would have MCs, rewinds, last ones etc whilst the club stuff was just boom, boom, boom all night long with no interruption to the flow. I have respect for both but the whole dubstep/140/elevator music thing has created this middle ground where suddenly there’s tunes that I’ll be into that friends who like house are also into. This would have never happened for me a couple of years ago. That could just be to do with growing up a bit though and not being able to take 8 hours of 180 bpm anymore.

My main concern is that it’s all just moving so fast and really quite hard to keep up with. There’s sooooo much music that seems to be getting made at the moment with everyone shouting about themselves resulting in this really disposable attitude being found in kids now. I suppose that’s just the times though and a direct consequence of the iPod generation.

B: Nice to see some original Dekoy productions on here too. Catch22 was one of Byte's favourite tracks of the last few years - do you feel you're gaining more confidence as a producer now?

D: Yeah, I’m at the point now where I’m reasonably happy with my standard of technical ability. It’s still got a long way to go but I can translate my ideas into something that sounds alright now so I’m pleased about that.

When I moved down here my PC blew up and as I was still finding my feet in terms of meeting people etc, I didn’t write anything for about 9 months. I then got a Mac and spent a while learning Logic so it’s only really been the last year I’ve been taking it seriously again.

I had to give myself a bit of a kick recently as I suddenly realised I wasn’t as involved in music stuff to the same extent I had been a year or so earlier when I’d being doing tunes like Catch 22. I kind of gave myself an ultimatum around this time that I either had to start putting the time again or just let it slide, and just enjoy going out or whatever I was doing at the time. Luckily the kick worked though and I’m slogging away again!

My main problem is just my frequency of output. Having a 9-5 obviously restricts your time in the studio. It also makes you more appreciative of the time you have though. I have to save any late night sessions for the weekend though so that lack of freedom can by frustrating.

The two tunes in the mix are in a new style I’ve been working on which is just 4/4 bassy stuff at 140 odd bpm. I had another tune I made to use as an intro tune but then I found that Kanji remix and had to abort. Lots more coming in this style though. I have a real love for all the old DJ Narrows type 4/4 dark garage sound, so I’m gonna work on some of that kind of thing next. The Blackfinger tune in the mix is totally on that vibe. Minimal, dark and aggy but rolling at the same time.

B: Your Bristol club night Rusty Needle was a real forerunner for a lot of the mash-up nights that occur now, especially with the harder-edged sounds of dancefloor dubstep. What's your favourite memories from running that night?

D: Umm, I dunno. There’s a few really. The night we did with Malice & Enzyme + Rusko was probably the best, and it felt like a culmination of all the hard work we'd previously put in. For that gig everything just went perfectly and we got the décor, system, lighting, VJs etc bang on and the Croft really was completely transformed into a proper little rave den of madness. Other than that the Dub Child night we did was sick. Having DJ Luna C (of Kniteforce Records) down was also a spesh for me as he’s pretty much my favourite DJ of all time.

The sets we played as the Bashmenteers (Mulder, Ruttler, Spree, Malfunktion, Ram and myself) were also a lot of fun. One of the best bits about doing the nights was the fact that there were so many people involved, so there was always a proper family vibe. That was a big part of the enjoyment for me, putting on these little parties with my mates and just having jokes. Big up Ruttler for always keeping one eye on health and safety operations!

Unfortunately though it wasn’t all good times, and the last two events we did really didn’t go that well which hit me pretty hard. One was the May Day Bank Holiday event at the Blue Mountain. This was mad as it was off the back of several packed nights and I really was expecting it to do well so was genuinely shocked when we were left with a quarter full club. We did one more back at the Croft after that and again, it didn’t do that well. I think this was largely due to the fact I thought I could run a club night whist living 250 miles away, this wasn’t the case and just proves you have to be on the floor putting posters up or whatever everyday to be successful in promoting. It's all just about continuity.

B: Any plans to bring it back??

D: Unfortunately I think it’s unlikely. When we started doing parties, the main objective was just to push hardcore breaks in Bristol. For this reason we had a real niche of our own that no one else was providing. This ethos changed over time and we started incorporating other genres that I thought would fit well with the HCB stuff like the Storming Productions style breakstep (I think we had Caspa to do his last ever set as Quiet Storm coincidently, unfortunately Storming doesn't really seem to be putting stuff out anymore). As hardcore breaks quietened down, we undertook a bit of a rebranding exercise and were booking people like Reso and Baobinga. This wasn’t really doing anything that fresh though, and I think we kind of lost our place within the events market.

For this reason, coupled with the stress of it all (for often very little reward and a slightly lighter back pocket), I think my promoting days are probably behind me unless some little niche pops up that I don’t think is being represented again. The productions where I’ve always wanted to focus my time, so I think this is where it will stay for a while. I’m never one to say never though.

B: What's new for Dekoy in 2010?

D: Well, I’m gonna be moving back to Bristol soon which I’m really excited about. I was only meant to be in Cornwall for two years, so have already outstayed my welcome so am going to have to peel myself away and come back to reality. I should hopefully be back by the early summer. I’m gonna take a gamble and just work on music full time for a bit I think. No idea where this will take me, but I feel I need to give it a proper chance before more serious things come along so expect to see me back on the block soon!

Release wise I’ve got a tune called Freedonia coming out on Sharkfin Records soon. I’m also working on a remix for Simon Holmes which will hopefully accompany this on the release. I’m still running my own little digi label called One Three Recordings. The third release should be out soon which will be the two tunes in this mix. 004 should follow shortly after which is a remix package I think you might be into!

Other than that, I’m gonna start sending tunes out to labels outside of my comfort zone (i.e. not HCB/nu rave related) with a view to hopefully getting some stuff released later in the year. I’ve been holding back recently, as I wanted to wait until I was happy with things before sending tunes out again. Think I’m nearly there now.

Outside of music I’m getting quite into photography at the moment. Falmouth locals will regularly see me trying to be deep taking photos of clouds and paper bags blowing in the wind. My culinary skills are coming along nicely too. My Mum even gave me a badboy apron for Christmas so there’s no holding me back now!

B: DJ, Producer, Promoter and now celebrity chef...there's nothing you can't do! Thanks for taking the time to chat!

Byte presents B-Mix 002:
Dekoy
'Rave Machine'
(Byte, 2010)

01. Egyptrixx – Reconnect (Kanji Kinetic Remix) (Electrostimulation)
02. Skream – What Did He Say? (Rinse)
03. Bombaman – Episode (Electrostimulation)
04. Jakes – Rock the Bells (Hench)
05. Zomby – The Lie (Ramp)
06. Skream – Trapped in a Dark Bubble (Tectonic)
07. TRG – You Know (Berlin Wall Mix) (Immerse)
08. Emalkay – A.G.S (Dub Police)
09. Relocate – Dot Dot Dash (Buraka Som Sistema Remix) (Iberian)
10. Pachecko – Lockdown (6Blocc Remix) (Seclusiasis)
11. Syntonics – Material (Bombaman Remix) (Lo Dubs)
>>> Zinc – 140 Trek (Bingo Bass)
12. Dekoy – Lazerface (One Three Recordings)
13. Dekoy – Isolator (One Three Recordings)
14. Rob Malfunktion – Vibration (Sharkfin)
15. Squire of Gothos – Triple Drop (Coin Operated)
16. MRK1 – Kill Zone (Contagious)
17. Blackfinger – UMF (Trouble & Bass)
18. Luck and Shy Cookie – Troublesome (Remix) (Lush)
19. Deville – Quente Damais (Kanji Kinetic Remix) (Senseless)
20. AC Slater – Hello (Trouble & Bass)
21. The Others – Bazooka (Dub Police)
22. Kyza – Go (Bar 9 MIx) (Dented)
23. Running Man – Living in a Dub (Firewall)
24. Running Man – E.T.A (Nu Basement)
25. Donny – Symptomless Coma (Current Value Mix) (Barcode)
26. Kemal & Rob Data – The Calling (Evol Intent and Ewan Remix)
>>> Logistics – Murderation (Hospital)
27. Ed Rush & Optical – G Force Jesus (Virus)
28. Subfocus – Could This Be Real? (Ram)

DOWNLOAD : B-Mix 002 : Dekoy - Rave Machine
DOWNLOAD : B-Mix 002 : Dekoy - Rave Machine (Mix & Artwork Zip Pack)

FFI : Dekoy Myspace
FFI : Dekoy Soundcloud
FFI : One Three Music

Byte presents B-Mix 001 : Weasel - This Is My House

2009-11-08T11:08:00.017Z

Byte presents B-Mix 001:
Weasel
'This Is My House'
(Byte, 2009)

In a new mix series for Byte, we've asked some of the most creative and exciting local DJs around to craft upfront mixes which will be available for download as well as being in select Bristol shops and clubs as free, fully artworked CDs. First up, long-standing Byte resident Weasel has stepped up to provide an awesome, booty-shaking dancefloor inferno of a mix. Over a short few years, Weasel has evolved from a fresh-faced new DJ on the block to one of the hardest-working selectors around. Her quick, incisive mix style and impeccable taste in selecting the best in house, techno and breaks has seen her in high demand, lighting up club nights across the city and beyond.

This Is My House rips through seventeen tracks of high-octane house, techno and breaks all condensed into Weasel's quickfire mixdown style. Kicking off with some bubbling, wonky house beats before getting stuck into some hypnotic techno rhythms, the mix locks you into a persistent groove from the first bar. It's a testament to Weasel that her precision mixing and intuitive timing adds an extra element to the progression of the mix, complimenting the feel and sound of a selection that doesn't put a foot wrong. Right up to the buzzing crescendo of smash-mouth breaks and noisy rave action, the tempo and pacing is perfect, showing just how far Weasel has come as a DJ to watch in such a short space of time.

We caught up with Weasel recently to chat about the mix as well as cats, stoner rock and everything in between. Enjoy!

B: Evening Weasel, how are you this freezing winter evening?

W: Fine thanks, just scoffed some Ben & Jerry's and am chilling with the moggies. Rock and roll!

B: Moggies presumably is the name of your rock hard street crew?

W: Oh yes, by moggies I mean gangstas (of the four legged variety).

B: Weasels and moggies, who knew? So what's been happening in the world of Weasel recently?

W: Just the usual work, play, eat and sleep really. I've recently taken quite a big step back from the DJing thing for a couple of months, and I'm now enjoying getting back on it!

B: Any reason for the step back?

W: Well...I had a difficult start to the year, and it kind of got a bit much. While all that was going on, I was doing up to three gigs a week and I just got really jaded and apathetic. So I took a break to regain my lacking enthusiasm and get back on track!

B: What's your view on the Bristol scene right now? Up until recently you were one of the busiest DJs on the local circuit...

W: I love Bristol, and I love the fact it's so close-knit! But I get frustrated at how that can occasionally turn into clickyness...I think some really good DJs are possibly being over-looked because they're not with the in-crowd. Having said that, the DJs that are getting booked regularly are absolutely awesome and I am very proud to be part of the Bristol scene.

B: Very diplomatic! Obviously you have a slightly different perspective from a majority of the DJs out there, so do you feel being female in a male-dominated industry has helped or hindered you?

W: The girl DJ thing is always there, I know that those that haven't seen me play already and don't know who 'that girl DJ' is are probably thinking, 'oh, a girl DJ....lets see if she's any good'. But in all honesty I don't get worked up about it. What has helped me is that I've never played on being a girl DJ, I've never pushed the whole girl DJ thing to try and get gigs and I think that my fellow DJs and promoters appreciate that. They respect the fact that my mixing ability and hard work has got me to where I am, without ever playing the gender card. I believe quite firmly that it's only an issue if you make it an issue, and I choose not to.

B: So do you feel female DJs that do rely on their gender are letting the side down as it were?

W: No, because I can understand why they would do that. It is easier to do it that way! Sex sells! Unless they're really shit!! Seriously though, I do get why it's done that way, I just don't feel comfortable doing it. I feel like I'm cheating. I've just had my first promo shoot done and I had to act all serious and pouty because i know that a) it looks nicer, and b) for those bigger promoters out there, outside of Bristol.....the curiosity will make them actually listen to my CD rather than put it at the bottom of the pile of 100s of mix CDs they already have. The difference is now I feel like I'm sort of allowed to do that, I've worked hard to get the amount of gigging experience I have, and that counts for more than one photo shoot.

B: Speaking of which, you are definitely one of the hardest working DJs in Bristol. Do you feel you had to put extra effort in to be taken as seriously as your male counterparts?

W: I'm not so sure you know, there's some seriously hard working DJs out there. Gigs just seem to come at me and I say yeah! I was lucky to be given a chance by Byte, and at the time I remember feeling like I really had to impress you, that if I did well then this was the gig that could lead on to me getting noticed in Bristol, and it did. I'm always grateful for that chance, having Byte next to my name on flyers made me more credible, I'm convinced of that.

After that I think what helps is just being easy going, not having hissy fits, arriving before your set and socialising, hanging about after and watching the other DJs play, putting up posters for the night at my work (Chemical Records)....you know, those little gestures go a long way and I'm convinced people book me because they know I deliver, but also because I'm not twat!!.

B: LOL! You're pretty immersed in the culture - as well as being a DJ, you're also getting into production alongside your work for Chemical Records and LOT49. What's your opinion on the current state of the dance scene?

W: Ooooh, well...I gotta go careful how I word this! There's a lot of regurgitated shit out there. There's some music that seriously does my head in and makes me go: 'what?!?'. Working in a record store whilst DJing a lot AND working for a label makes me uber fussy! So I'm not sure if I'm the best judge on the state of music at the moment. I think dance music has evolved so much that not only are we blessed with some amazing tunes and producers, but we are also cursed with some absolute tripe! It's just the way it goes...I try to avoid what annoys me and embrace what I love. I've been pretty much avoiding dubstep for a year because many people's obsession with it and their reluctance to give anything else a listen is tedious. I love dubstep, I think it's great - but variety is good. I get annoyed when people act like there's only one genre in the world!

Photograph by Odissi

B: So where did the desire to start DJing stem from for you?

W: Well, it was quite a simple thought process really. I'd seen Diss Miss and Annon Lee play out and I thought 'Fair play girls'. I didn't really think much of it, but a week later I was driving in my car listening to one of my compilation cassettes and I clearly remember thinking 'I wish these tunes got played out'...and a split second later, I thought 'I know, I'll make it happen. I'll start DJing' - and a week or so later I had decks. Two weeks later I was playing my first set in The Croft.

B: When was this?

W: This was when I was 21, so about four or so years ago now.

B: So before that you'd been making compilations, you'd always been interested in music?

W: I didn't even own any music until I was about 13 or 14. I grew up in the countryside and made bases or rode my pony for fun! I then got into grunge and rock and started playing guitar. I was in a band and ran a rock night in my home town of Hereford when I was 16 and 17. I then started getting into DJ Shadow and DJ Food, and eventually came across the Plump DJs - my love for dance music started from there really. When I started DJing, I played funk and hip hop and had the odd Finger Lickin' record...but then I came across a LOT49 release by 30HZ and that was it....I'd found my niche!

B: That's a land speed record from deciding to DJ and then playing out though. Weren't you worried about messing it up on your debut performance with only two weeks of owning decks? Or had you been practicing on mate's set-ups beforehand?

W: I literally had about ten records when I bought my decks...and I'd never used turntables before! I hate practising in front of people...so I sort of hid away and went through my tunes and made a set. There was no mixing...but there were fade-ins and outs and some drops! I was bricking it! I practised hard man! It was just a front bar gig entertaining the bar while the band was on...but I was f*cking nervous! Looking back I had no idea what I was doing. But it was well rehearsed and no-one complained!

B: Do you remember what you played?

W: God, it was so long ago I don't know. Without flicking through my records it's hard to say. Definitely a tune by the Propellerheads, maybe a DJ Shadow tune...I really can't think! All hip hop, funk and leftfield downtempo stuff.

B: What do you think it is about the tech-funk sound of labels like LOT49 that appealed to you so much?

W: I think it's just the 4/4 beat and the bass noises and squeaks....I don't know! It just kind of brings out a cocky self-assurance in me, and it makes me do gun fingers and bass gurns lol! I don't quite know what it is about tech-funk that makes me like it so much...it's heavy without being too much, it's rave-tastic without being repetitive. I like the verse-chorus-verse structure to a lot of LOT49 releases, which probably links back to my love of band music.

B: Outside of dance music do you still find time to appreciate the music genres you enjoyed in the past? Are you still a secret rock chick at heart?

W: I will always be a rock chick! I have a KYUSS (epic stoner rock band) tattoo round my ankle and I religiously listen to stoner rock while bombing round the country in my GTI! I even like singing along to KT Tunstell while cooking (even though she's not rock). But you can edit that last bit of info out right?!?

B: LOL, never knew you were into stoner rock! Everyday's a schoolday. Seems to be a genre at odds with your vibrant personality!

W: I used to be a massive massive stoner! Listening to stoner rock is the only thing that makes me miss smoking weed! But it's still awesome even if you're not stoned. I just like that sludgey sound. I also like metal bands like Lamb of God, and I liked emo back in the day when it was all about tight black trousers and white socks! Original emo bands like Planes Mistaken For Stars and Last Days Of April...I sort of gave up on the band scene when being uncool became cool!

B: Ha ha, why you haven't done a metal set I don't know! What other influences do you have?

W: As cliche as it was at the time, I clearly remember being influenced by Courtney Love's attitude when I first got into grunge and rock. I just thought her sluttish style and raw aggression was amazing - and I was quite an angry teenager, so imitating her wasn't hard!

Plump DJs got me into breaks, 30HZ/LOT49 got me into the whole tech-funk sound, whilst early Herve productions influenced me to start playing fidget and jackin' house rather than just breaks alone, but then his music just went all 'epic synth breakdown every four bars' mad, so I no longer even look at his tunes.

My favorite producers include Zodiac Cartel whose sound is unique and amazing! People react really well to his tunes when I play them out, lots of bass faces! Daniel Steinberg too - the happy vibe to his tunes are infectious; his signature vocal snippets define his style and are one of the reasons I like his tunes so much, even if singing along makes me sound a bit demented!

And also 30HZ, I was gutted and gave him a lot of grief when he stopped writing tunes under this name! I still hold a vague hope that he will write another album (for me exclusively of course). I'm currently waiting for my delivery of tranquilizers and rope so I can do a 'Misery'!

B: LOL! So in little over four years you've become one of the best DJs locally, definitely one of the most technically proficient too...what's been some of the highlights so far?

W: Thanks! That's very kind of you to say. I think without a doubt my favourite gigs EVER have been: the Byte Xmas Party. I'd played for Byte once and you'd given me the 12-1 (or 1-2) set and I was bricking it! I enjoyed that set so much, as I hadn't yet played to such a going for it dance floor. DRAMA NYE (2009) was my best gig of 2008 and ended the year on a complete high. And another DRAMA in May 2009 where I had Frilla on the mic and we did a heeeeeavy set! It was sweaty, and I'd never seen the bar room at Timbuk2 so rammed! Also getting booked for Mooch and LOT49s party in London this year was a highlight as I was playing in the big smoke and out of my comfort zone.

B: DRAMA's pretty notorious now for being very very messy...

W: Oh it is! After parties are not for the faint-hearted, I call it the Rave of the Dead!. But we never have any problems down there, everyone is too wasted to get angry!

Photograph by Tula Blyth

B: LOL. You mentioned you recently took a step back from DJing, and you've been dipping a toe into the world of production too. So what's next?

W: Well, I'm not so sure with production! I have so much creativity bottled up inside of me that it could be put on tap! I made a tune with my mate [sic] and I enjoyed learning about Logic. Around him, I felt like I'd cracked it - but then I'd get home and try, then I'd hit a hurdle, and wouldn't be able to solve the problem! I was getting really frustrated! One thing I am not blessed with is patience. I didn't (and still don't) have the time or energy to dedicate my few spare hours to sitting in front of a computer making music.

I work with music and computers, so when I come home I just wanna chill with my moggies (and friends of course!). I guess what I'm saying is, that for now it's on the back burner until I am ready to hide away and slog it out. At the moment I'm happy just playing other peoples tunes, and will probably write one or two more with Dan to gear me up for going solo.

B: Production normally goes hand in hand with DJing these days though, especially if DJs want to get recognition and gigs outside of their home towns. Do you agree?

W: Yeah, it goes without saying that writing tunes is what can propel people towards being the all important BITG! But the ironic thing is, once they're there...they get booked to DJ, and then they play a set that consists of other peoples tunes! Obviously the fact they've released a corker is what makes them draw a crowd, but there are a select few DJs out there who draw a crowd because they are awesome tune selectas! I'd love to start writing music, and I'm sure when I do it will be the definition of awesome (jokes)...but I'm not gonna do it because I have to....I'm gonna do it because I want to.

B: So DJing is the main focus right now?

W: Yeah. During my time out I did a lot of thinking. I was so jaded, fed up and down in the dumps that I'd even considered giving up altogether (that thought lasted about 0.00003 seconds...but it was there!). I was trying to squeeze everything in - work, DJing, promoting DRAMA, training for the half marathon, going out and seeing friends, travelling to see both sets of parents monthly, doing LOT49 work....I'd had a rota written out and I was getting really stressed because my free time was scheduled to be sat in front of a computer trying to learn logic and make tunes.

It was forced creativity and I was starting to get really pissed off about the pressure I'd put on myself to start writing music. I decided that I'm more about enjoying myself and doing what I can, than forcing myself to try and do everything. I've basically decided to go at a slower pace (which is still pretty fast) and enjoy life. I don't react well to pressure.

B: So you're going to be pretty selective with future gigs? I see a lot of local DJs playing virtually every night and you can't help but think over-saturation like that is counter-productive...

W: Yes, I've taken the decision to be more selective because what I can provide is limited. While I do play mixed-up sets of breaks, house and techno, I am still limited to the vibe those genres create. Someone like my other half (Ewan Hoozami) can just about get away with it because he mixes it up with so many different genres, styles, and techniques and plays solo or as part of a collective. I think some DJs need to go careful as eventually people will go 'so and so's playing....but then, they're playing here next week, so shall we just go see them then?'.

The night loses it's appeal if the DJ isn't so exclusive. But it's not just a risk the DJ takes on, it's the promoters too. You can't blame a DJ for saying yes to a gig and money. Many would do the same so you can't really criticise. I've just made the decision to be a weekend-only DJ, my style does not suit school nights. I'm also more cautious of playing nights that I'm concerned aren't gonna be 'avin' it enough! I wanna play to busy bouncin' dancefloors and will have that in mind with every gig I am offered.

B: Speaking of which, the mix you've very kindly done for the new Byte series is pretty much a dancefloor banger all the way...

W: Yeah man, thanks! All those tunes I absolutely love! I wish someone would play that set for me while I'm out at a club! I like the progression...your groovin' to some deep house and before you know it TECHNO!!!!

B: This is a fair representation of your sets now?

W: I try and chop it up as much as possible, but it completely depends on the crowd and what they're feeling. I'm prepared to mix it up or keep it constant....it all depends on how the crowd react. Ideally I like playing progressive sets that cover all the genres I play, and I love quick mixes! No annoying breakdowns! But my number one rule is....no fillers!

B: How much of this mix is upfront dubs? Or is everything out there already to buy?

W: Most of it is available to buy, but there's one dub in there by Dustbowl which is definatly one of my favorite tunes ever! There's also one tune I have edited ever so slightly and definitely some tunes that I've never heard played out before!

B: If people haven't heard you play a set or downloaded one of your mixes before, what would be your encouragement for them to grab this one?

W: That's a difficult question, as I find it quite hard to sell myself when I'm not on a street corner! I'd say that even if someone thought they didn't like house, or breaks, or techno, they'd definitely like some of the tunes on this mix. The boyfriend apparently HATES house...yet I catch him singing along to the openning tunes! I think the last few tunes have quite a heavy metal/rock influence too. I'd say that people who say 'I hate breaks' or 'I hate house' etc would suprise themselves by enjoying at least some of my mix!

B: Sounds good to me! Well I think that wraps up things for now, you and your Moggie crew no doubt need to shake down some OAPs tonight...thanks for chatting! Anything you'd like to add?

W: My cats are awesome!! That is all.

B: Weasel's cats will be playing live @ Ministry Of Meow next Friday....

W: LOL! An exclusive catstep set.

Byte presents B-Mix 001:
Weasel
'This Is My House'
(Byte, 2009)

01 : WEASEL - Intro
02 : MEAT KATIE - Tension
03 : CHRISTIAN BURKHARDT - Doubledub
04 : DANIEL STEINBERG - Cry All Night
05 : DOPAMINE - Spunk
06 : WoNK & AQUILAGANJA - Phat Jack (Nick Supply Remix)
07 : TIM HEALEY & MARC ADAMO - Ghettoblasta
08 : ELITE FORCE - Melodik Hypnotik (Riva Starr Remix)
09 : ZODIAC CARTEL - Vudu
10 : DUSTBOWL - Ain't No Grave Can Hold My Body Down
11 : ERIC ENTRENA & D-UNITY - Drugs & Stuff (D-nox & Beckers Remix)
12 : SPEKTRE - Cheyenne (Uto Karem Remix)
13 : AUTISTIC - Minimal Polizei (Kanio Remix)
14 : 30HZ - Consume Daphne
15 : 30HZ - Dissociate
16 : ELITE FORCE & MEAT KATIE - Believe
17 : THE BODYSNATCHERS - Club Beats International

DOWNLOAD : B-Mix 001 : Weasel - This Is My House
DOWNLOAD : B-Mix 001 : Weasel - This Is My House (Alternate Link)
DOWNLOAD : B-Mix 001 : Weasel - This Is My House (Zip Pack with Mix & CD Artwork)

FFI : Weasel Myspace
FFI : Weasel Soundcloud

Context # 01 : Luke Standing

2009-11-01T17:47:00.018Z

In a new series for B365, we'll be chatting to up and coming artists who are taking design to new heights. First up is Luke Standing, who is perhaps better known as one of the promoters behind Bristol's premier dubstep night SeasonFive, as well as being a incredible producer and DJ. Luke is an emerging talent who has already been responsible for some key work in the Bristol dubstep community, and is quickly developing into one to watch for the future. We caught up with the man himself recently for a chat.

B: Good Evening sir, how are you tonight?

L: Very good thank you, another day done in the office and excited about the weekend!

B: LOL. What's new in the world of Luke Seasonfive at the moment?

L: Well we've just had our Hessle Audio feature at the Tube gone past from Saturday, a nice introduction to the new student clubbing. We had Untold and Pangaea playing for extended sets, it went down very well indeed - lots of people, good vibes, good music! Just finishing the programming for the rest of the year and the start of next year. I'm currently working for a design studio called Halo in Bristol at the mo which is going well, lots of exciting projects which I'm enjoying a lot.

B: Does it leave you much time for personal projects now?

L: Ummm, in some ways yes and no. I'm also working freelance, but I've been quiet picky about what things I will undertake. I still have time to keep on top of things in the design world!

B: Where does your love of design originate from? Is it something that's always intrigued you from growing up, or have you come to it relatively late?

L: I suppose it's been a natural thing in my life from when I was very young. It sounds weird, but I used to love to draw despite my strengths being in other places now. I guess when I first got into stuff like that it was when I won an art competition when I was 7 and won a crayola set lol! I even used to keep a pencil and paper under my bed.

Since then, I undertook on creative subjects like art and graphics (more like packaging design) at secondary school and then photography and art at A-level. That's when I first started to use Photoshop. As well as this, I used to write graffiti pieces in legalised areas in Brighton. The aspect of image manipulation really excited me, and it was very motivating in the progression of learning computer design.

B: So the potential with platforms like Photoshop and Illustrator became a progressive step to where you are now. Without software would you still consider yourself an artist though? I feel there's a lot of people who rely solely on computer design whom lack some of the understanding more traditional artists might bring to a project.

L: I would still consider myself as a designer and artist regardless of what platform or media in which I work. I guess in a way programs like Photoshop, Indesign and Illustrator have allowed me to free my hand of weakness. These tools are often interfaces which I use on a daily basis and are what is often happening right now for me in the majority of projects in which i work with, but it is also a means to an end in a way with design nowadays. It's the most efficient way of producing artwork.

However, I do very much appreciate the different qualities of using tradition ways like type-setting and screen printing. I have used these methods of producing work successfully. Much of my work during my degree was based on screen printing and laser cutting. I believe there is a right method for every project.

Seasonfive Brand Identity, 2009

B: Speaking of which let's chat about some of your own work. Seasonfive has had a very strong visual look from day one, which seems to fit the musical content extremely well. Over the years we've seen a definitive evolution in the pieces you've created for the night. What was your thinking behind the concept for this?

L: I think a strong branding concept behind anything visual is the key to success. I wanted to create a look which people could relate to and would compliment the music of the events. The look and feel of these designs has been a learning progression of myself as a designer as well. I'm always trying to create something better than before. It's like a challenge within myself. It's great to see people recognize and appreciate the artwork for SeasonFive. It's really important to me that SeasonFive has a strong visual aesthetic and continues to do so.

B: You've also been responsible for working with Hyetal both in a musical and visual vein. The branding you created for him feels like an extension of the SeasonFive aesthetic, would you agree?

L: I think Hyetal has his own image as an individual artist, however I can see how people can relate Hyetal and Seasonfive visually. As Seasonfive, we have helped support his own achievements and provided an extra platform for him in the Bristol clubbing scene. I have helped develop designs and ideas in which he had initially, and helped encourage how he presents himself as an artist in someways. We're very proud to see how much he has achieved and he has our full support.

Hyetal Brand Identity, 2009

B: The Hyetal triangular logo has been widely used now in lieu of a press shot. What was your thinking behind that piece as a brand?

L: The abstract triangle shape was actually found by Hyetal. He came to me and asked me to create it. I simply recreated the image digitally and styled it appropriately. I'm glad people like it. I think its very suited to his music and his personality. Good find Hyetal!

B: Geometric shapes, geometric music! Similar in concept to your work on Morality In The 21st Century...

L: Umm...yes! Basically, Morality in the 21st Century was a project which I undertook whilst completing my degree. It's more about statistical information or data being visualized based on opinions of a group of people under subjects which are current world issued.

Morality in the 21st Century, 2009

B: Why did you choose that as a subject to visualise?

L: I think world issues have always interested me. I think I'm very responsive of certain topics in which we live with. Seeing as I had already chosen the subject matter of "conflict" to base my work around, I felt it was the right choice to look wider into world issues. It was very motivating as a project base and I felt it could have a strong relationship in a graphic form.

B: And contrast and conflict are major motivators in your work? Horizons is another piece incorporating contrast...

L: Yes I think conflict generally has a strong image whether it may be working just simply with black and white. For this project, I wrote a piece of music which reflected my current music interests. I tried to express light and dark tones within certain sounds which was really stripped back and represented those two elements alone.

I then graphically visualized the track along a time line using shapes to represent sounds over the space of time. Alongside this piece, I developed the design right through to the end, resulting in a full product which incorporated designs on the sleeves of the record which were cut on vinyl and a supporting poster. The packaging and branding of the product was taken in to consideration with the music, with detailing of laser cutting and screen printing.

Horizons 'A Conflict Of Light & Dark', 2009

B: Was this just created as a mock-up or an actual product?

L: Well this was actually a one off! However the track has now been signed to a label called Project Squared, and should see a release in mid-December if not early next year. There are discussions of replicating a limited amount of copies for sale from the label but this is still in contemplation as the production costs would be very high.

B: Music is an integral part of your creative outlook, both as a designer and a producer. Would you like to design for record labels and so on?

L: Yeah I find music and design both equally inspirational. When I get the chance to combine the two is when i find an equilibrium, Horizons being a perfect example of this. Designing artwork for labels does interest me and I would be happy to undertake the right projects. I even have plans to start my own label in some time in the future.

B: Under the Seasonfive brand?

L: We'll see..it would be interesting to start a new project with a new image also, so we will see!

Accept & Proceed Light Calendar, 2009

B: LOL fair enough! So let's talk about your influences. Accept and Proceed factor quite highly in your inspiration...

L: Yes definitely, they have been an agency I've had my eye on for a while now. I was really inspired by them typographically alongside another agency called Build. But their information graphics have been an initial drive for me to experiment myself.

B: Do you draw influence from less immediate factors? Your work is very reminiscent of Peter Saville's early work...

L: Yep I love Peter Saville, its weird you have picked up on that! In fact I have the Unknown Pleasures cover poster in my room. The monochrome approach and very airy negative space with simple type is very appealing to me. I wouldn't be surprised if Accept & Proceed have been very inspired themselves, as I can see references and similarities in their work. Its easy to pick up on things that are visual which you are exposed to.

Peter Saville, 1979

B: Something that seems a recurrent theme in your work, and the work of others you find inspiring, is product. Does the potential of the art of the commodity, the consumable, fascinate you?

L: It's always possible to re-contextualize existing imagery for your own means. Part of the progression with art in general today is to re-innovate and pioneer new means to design using existing forms and given them a different purpose and meaning. However I don't feel this is solely my design ethic and I'm still interested in developing original pieces which create their own context.

B: But the lines I feel between artistic disciplines are irrevocably blurred now - it seems all aesthetics are bled into the mainstream of commerce. How do you see yourself as standing out as an artist, how do you find your voice in an increasingly over-populated market?

L: I like that art has got many cross references now. Obviously it is difficult to find an individual voice in such an over-populated sea. I think that the best way is to follow your own vision. This is not to say that I'm not influenced by work that's come before me, but i would say that as an artist I will try to create an individual space by representing myself as a person and reflecting my interests and life experiences within my work.

B: So what does the immediate future hold for you? What have you got lined up over the next few months?

L: Obviously continuing the brand development of Seasonfive. Working at Halo in Bristol is allowing me expand my knowledge and understanding of graphic design, and is really benefiting me with commercial experience. The idea of starting a label is a future possibility too. Spending more time in the studio making music. The main thing though is to focus on developing myself as a graphic designer.

B: A development that is going well already! Well that wraps up things for tonight, anything you'd like to add?

L: Just to say thanks very much for your interest in my work and taking the time to interview me. I really enjoyed answering the questions its nice to talk about the concepts to give people a better idea where it comes from!

B: No worries, thank you for agreeing to do it!

FFI : Luke Standing Online Portfolio

Lifetracks 06 : Nick Harris

2009-09-27T00:12:00.012+01:00

After an extended break, the Lifetracks series is back to add a little joie de vivre to your Sunday leisure activities. This time we've only gone and bagged ourselves a bonafide Bristol legend in the form of one Nick Harris. Nick just so happens to run one of the most consistent and downright awesome record labels in the UK, NRK Music. With over a decade of quality releases behind them, this fiercely independent imprint is still going strong, providing the world with timeless electronic music. Nick has very kindly taken time out of his busy schedule to offer up a stunning mix of absolute classics that have influenced and inspired him across the years, as well as a fascinating interview to boot. Enjoy!

B: Good Evening Mr.Harris. How the devil are you?

NH: Very well thanks, and thanks for inviting me onto Lifetracks. I like the concept of this, it was quite challenging putting down an influences mix, because I didn’t want to necessarily do a beat mix, but wanted to get a nice flow of all the differing sounds that have twisted my melons over the years. Hopefully your listeners will enjoy the mix.

B: I'm sure they will! Whereabouts are you right now?

NH: I’m in my office right now, I work in the same building as Optimum Mastering, who cut lacquers and master music for a whole bunch of top labels and artists.

B: So what's new in the world of Nick Harris right now?

NH: Plenty going on at Harris HQ, it’s a very busy time rebuilding the label after a few months out the game, I’ve just signed up a number of single releases from the likes of Scope, Spencer Parker, Kris Wadsworth and David Durango, all of which will see the light of day before the end of this year. Also I’m ready to drop the new Steve Bug The Lab 02 compilation next week, so plenty going on with that, it’s a superb double mix compilation of contemporary deep techno house.

I’m also super busy remixing and producing myself, I’ve got some remixes coming out on NRK, and working on a debut single release. Also always doing my monthly DJ mixes which I post on Soundcloud and the blog, compiling monthly charts, just really getting behind the music and enjoying it. Hopefully club work will pick up for me soon - I used to DJ weekly all over Europe, but took some time out for my family, and I’m eager to get back out there!

B: 2010 will see NRK 14 years deep in the music industry. Did you ever think it would get this far?

NH: To be honest, I have never really thought about it. Obviously looking back, yeah, I would have had no idea that the label would still be running 14 years down the line, but I never had any doubt that I would still be involved with the music industry in some way, shape or form. I’ve been involved with music since a very early age, so even though the label is 14 years, prior to that NRK ran as a promotions and ents agency since around 1993, and prior to that I was running club nights and gigs since about 1988…now that makes me feel old!

B: With such a plethora of quality music released through the label, do you feel excited by the state of dance music as it is today?

NH: I feel excited about the climate in which the music is coming out in, yes. The whole way that digital has flipped to become the main medium in which music is consumed, and the way that the Internet is used to promote and market the music….of course, from a label perspective, it has been disappointing to see a major downturn in physical sales, and hence a major downturn in revenue; digital sales no way replace the kind of incomes artists and labels were achieving a few years back, but hey, these are new times, and you’ve either gotta keep up with it or lag behind.

Musically, dance is still fresh, there’s always a new angle on the sounds, always new producers pushing things, new software and more accessibility for people to get involved with making music. Time will tell whether this current decade will throw out some of the timeless classics that electronic music brought us in the 80s and 90s...but music is music, whatever the times. When the Stones and The Beatles were kicking it back in the 60s, who would have thought that 40 years later there’s a bunch of bands replicating that same sound for their own generation.

B: What's been some of your most cherished memories from the first decade of NRK?

NH: I think the whole learning process, and being so young and involved right at the heart of the dance scene. Getting involved with names like Richie Hawtin, Armand Van Helden, Derrick Carter, Carl Craig, Larry Heard, well early in the game, I’m talking mid-90s.

I’m always asked what my biggest regrets are, and whilst I don’t really have any, I always chuckle when I think about the phone call I had from a friend at Soma label, asking me whether I wanted to do DJ bookings for a new act called Daft Punk, I had no heard of them at the time, and was too busy working with a whole bunch of other artists, I turned them down!

But you’ll always miss opportunities like that, my friend got sent a demo from an act called The Prodigy, and swiftly binned it! I’ve just got good memories of so many great parties and awesome music, the bad experiences quickly pale when remembering the good times.

B: And some of your favourite NRK releases from that time?

NH: I think I could highlight some pivotal releases from the last 14 years, Dimitri from Paris Jazzin The House, Francois K Time & Space, Nick Holder Summer Daze, Peace Division Beatz In Peacez 03, Quentin Harris Let’s Be Young, Kerri Chandler Bar A Thym...

B: NRK is arguably one of the most consistent labels in the UK, and is still going strong. What's the secret?

NH: It’s not been an easy ride. The last 12 months have been extremely hard for the label, and some could say we’ve been a victim of our own success and longevity. But saying that, it’s just been a simple case of keeping heads down and believing in the music that the label promotes, not pandering to where the money is, not trying to be overtly commercial, as trends come and go and take plenty of prisoners with them. NRK has always stuck by quality underground music, and will continue to do so for as long as possible. You need the utmost passion for what you do, and you need to put in stupidly long and unsociable hours, but for me, it’s been worth it.

B: Looking at the mix I want to start off by flipping it completely and taking a look at the last track first, Straight to Hell. You were immersed in the punk scene of the 1980s, so where does this track place you in that era? The Clash were a pivotal band for many, many people...

NH: Yep, for sure…I got into the Clash after they had split, I picked up on Combat Rock around 1986 and then worked my way through the catalogue, at the same time being totally blown away by the sounds and imagery of punk rock. Before this, I just loved music since an early age, but punk brought through a whole agenda and message that you just didn’t find in the pop charts….punk really gave me my cue to go out and “do it yourself” definitely, after getting hooked on the music I formed my own band, put on our own gigs, designed posters, published fanzines, wrote for magazines…

I ended up working on BBC Radio Bristol’s “yoof” programme, which was a Sunday afternoon show split into dance music (Tristan B) and indie/alternative (Caz Ford), and have many cherished memories of my time there, meeting artists as diverse as The Ramones, EPMD, Inner City, and PJ Harvey.

I picked out Straight To Hell from The Clash on my Lifetracks, really as this track sums up what first captured my fascination with this band, and this alternative music and lifestyle…such a haunting, memorable record…it sounds like no other act, it’s one of the quintessential Clash songs

B: Did The Clash's overt utilisation of dub and reggae influences in their work inspire you? Punk and Reggae in the 1980s were completely intrinsic to each other, were you also a fan of soundsystem and roots culture?

NH: Yes, massively, it was the punk bands that turned me onto roots music, bands like The Clash and P.I.L opened up the musical floodgates for me, and turned me onto, not just dub and reggae, but jazz and blues….especially in the case of The Clash. I got seriously into the whole On-u Sound thing in the late 80s, with Adrian Sherwood, Dub Syndicate, African Headcharge, Tackhead etc.

I remember the first time I went to Glastonbury, the On-U crew were hosting a night on the world stage, and that particular year (1990) there were loads of roots soundsystems there, seriously heavy music going through awesome speaker stacks….it’s a shame really, I haven’t seen systems like that at Glastonbury since that year.

B: You've retained control of NRK from day one - is this is a reflection of the DIY culture of the punk ethic, did you feel aligned with the more political and philosophical ethos of the movement - or was it more about the music for you? How does your experience in that scene manifest itself in NRK today?

NH: I wouldn’t say that I run NRK from any particular political standpoint, no. NRK is a business and a lifestyle, but I have certain morals and think I run the label respectfully to the artists and to the scene. Certainly I do pride myself on starting a label from scratch, with nothing, and making a success of it. NRK is a pure independent label, there has never been any cash injections of mergers from major labels, but that said, no offers have ever been made, so it’s great to be staunchly indie, but I would defy anyone to be seduced by big money offers…..but I think that’s a thing of the past, so many dance labels jumped into bed with majors in the 90s, but the major labels now are having an awful time, and in fact it’s never been so good as now to be an indie.

I enjoy working in a cottage industry, whereby you just surround yourself with like minded people, artists, marketing people, designers, promoters etc. and you work with each other to make something greater. It’s hardly big business, this ain't U2, multi-million, global touring shit, but it’s a scene that props each other up and chips away doing its thing, and that’s what U am comfortable with. Anarchic capitalism? Don’t get me started on Thatcher, but really it’s not far off what she was promoting, people getting off their backsides and doing it for themselves….

B: The early dub and house tracks here - Fingers Inc, Speedy J, Dub Syndicate, the remix of Killing Joke - all represent the playful, experimental time of this music's embryonic stage. Where did the entry point for you into house music begin, and where do these tracks sit in that evolution for you?

NH: I got aware of electronic music through the early 90s raves, not that I went to that many as I was still immersed in the punk/indie scene…and it was stuff like Aphex Twin, early Orbital, Warp stuff that hooked me onto machine music. I had moved up to London in 1992 and the techno scene was really kicking off around that time.

I used to go to clubs like Andy Weatherall’s Sabresonic, The Drum Club, Final Frontier at Club UK, Ministry’s Open nights…so that’s where the nod to Sabres Of Paradise, Speedy J, Killing Joke come from. Techno and chill out went hand in hand, and to an extent, Dub reggae would feature in chill out rooms…that’s why the Killing Joke track is on there…Kiss FM was instrumental in the techno scene around that time, with Colin Dale and Colin Favour on the air, Future Sound Of London etc.

B: The majority of the tracks here represent a later period from 1993 to 1996, the latter year being the time NRK came into being. Do you see that time as a golden age for the creativity in house music? Some of these choices are hugely influential tracks - Smokebelch, Alabama Blues, Ezio...

NH: Well, for me, this is the era that opened up all the doors, there weren’t such rigid genre definitions back them, techno, house, experimental, chill, garage, it seemed like most people were just getting off on the influx of all these new sounds and records, and all these fresh new clubs. I do see it as a golden age, but I would like to hope that 18 years old kids think that 2009 is their golden age, I think it can be harmful to decree that music stopped being great after a particular era.

But all these tracks on my Lifetracks mix are there for one reason only, for me, they are stone cold classics…that Alabama Blues record is f*cking brilliant, I met Ludociv a couple of times back then, didn’t speak any English, classically trained musician, very quiet and studious, yet he makes such amazing house and techno music, and then he disappears, don’t know what he’s been doing for the last 10 years…ditto Motorbass, they came along, did one totally groundbreaking album, hip-hop techno house raw jackin shit, then went their separate ways, no need to carry it on or repeat it; I think from that era, there wasn’t the agenda of having a career, out of it , people just made these great records for a few years then went off did something else.

B: Did you consciously choose to omit more recent tracks or does your selection here represent the basic core of styles in house music that have gone on to continually inspire you?

NH: For me, this Lifetracks was about delving into the records that formed the building blocks of my involvement in this scene, so really it wasn’t about picking out anything current. When I do my monthly DJ mixes, I always stick in a couple of oldies in there, just to revive a particular tune, or just to doff a cap to a certain producer or style…I’m not one of these DJs who has to play unreleased upfront promo for the sake of it, as long as a tune is right for me, it doesn’t matter if it was made last week or ten/twenty years ago.

B: Very true! Who is inspiring you now? Any artists that you'd love to feature on the label but that have slipped through the net?

NH: I like a whole bunch of stuff right now, some of which I am lucky enough to get onto the label, some that I don’t feel I need to chase, maybe coz they just don’t fit on the label but certainly fit into my personal tastes. Artists are too long to mention, but I love producers and labels like Radio Slave, DJ Koze, DJ Sneak, Mountain People, Ame, Dixon, Carl Craig, Paul Woolford, Charles Webster, Kerri Chandler, Steve Bug, Loco Dice…just good straight up house/techno, the right amount of deepness, the right amount of jackin groove…

B: What's next for NRK then, what does the future hold?

NH: I just take things in small steps always, just signing up few singles here and there, working on albums (which always seem to take up too much time). There will be another Lab album next year, and another Back In The Box compilation, and just keeps things moving onwards and upwards.

B: Thanks for chatting Nick!

Lifetracks #06 - Nick Harris

01 - Sabres Of Paradise - Smokebelch (Beatless)
02 - Plastikman - Koma
03 - Model 500 - Pick Up the Flow
04 - Saint Germain - Alabama Blues
05 - Stacey Pullen - Forever Mona
06 - Fingers Inc. - Distant Planet
07 - Rhythim Is Rhythim - Icon
08 - Motorbass - Ezio
09 - Speedy J - De-Orbit
10 - Killing Joke - Requiem (A Floating Leaf Always Reaches The Sea Dub)
11 - Dub Syndicate - Hey Ho
12 - The Clash - Straight To Hell

Download : Lifetracks 06 - Nick Harris

Ffi : Nick Harris Website
Ffi : NRK Website

Lifetracks 05 : Placid

2009-08-16T10:18:00.008+01:00

Taking a bit of a break from the cavalcade of producers we've featured in recent weeks, we decided for the fifth installment in the Lifetracks series that it was high time a legendary DJ took us through his dusty crates - and so we asked Acidhouse.net founder Placid to work his magic. For a selector who's knowledge and experience in the rare and forgotten gems of electronic music is second to none, we knew the resulting mix would be a classic in it's own right - full to bursting with early house gold and a smattering of funk, disco and dubstep. Dig in!

B: Salutations Placid, how does this fine evening find you?

P: Life is going pretty good at the mo.

B: Where are you right now?

P: Up in my office, with my window wide open and a nice mix on the 'puter...

B: Oh really? What mix would that be then?

P: A mix by Red D who runs We Play House records.

B: Oh OK very nice indeed! Love their design ethos. Perfect listening for a day like today. What's been happening in Placid's world of late? You just got back from a little european mission recently didn't you?

P: Yeah the European mission was a social affair, as my girlfriend is French. Although I did partake in some vinyl hunting. Unfortunately it wasn't a gig with Laurent Garnier and Ludovic Navarre...

B: I recall an evening spent listening to Monsieur Garnier live back when Man With The Red Face had just dropped. Literally insane skills on the decks. But I digress. Any choice vinyl morsels hoovered up by such a connoisseur as yourself?

P: Europe The Final Countdown on 12"...quite tasty.

B: A bonafide classic! How many euros for this jewel in the crown of 80s poodle rock?

P: It was one whole euro. To be honest I wouldn't have shelled out more of my hard earned for it. It's one of those tracks which constantly seems to be in my head, and I can't get rid of it...I might go and get counselling or hypnotherapy! Also picked up a couple of early DMZ things, early Murk, 808 State Newbuild on Rephlex, Isoleee...not a huge amount but not bad for a flea market.

B: Sounds like a worthwhile trip! Are you keen to get yourself out and about in Europe more?

P: Absolutely, I've played in Holland, France and Spain - I need to get myself to Germany, check the scene there.

B: Is Germany the last box to be ticked on the Fantasy Gig list? Berghain power hour perhaps?

P: Yep, though Chicago still rates as my No.1 of the places I'd love to play at that simply don't exist anymore. I'm quite happy just to play on a big rig though - hearing the records on a sound system they were meant to be played on.

B: Do you feel that acid and early house is slightly maligned or marginalised these days in terms of those that will actually play it out still, champion it?

P: It's quite rare to go out and hear proper old school (well what I consider old school - 87/88/89 stuff) - when i first moved to Bristol, there was a night called Land of Confusion, which didn't play all old stuff but played a fair few bits, and it was incredibly poorly attended. I wouldn't say its maligned, I think a lot of people would like it if they were exposed to it. I've found though, especially here in Bristol, that there's a massive D&B following (and breaks maybe not so much now) - but for a lot of people who got into the scene in the early to mid-90s it's UK Hardcore that people identify with more than the sounds of Chicago 86/87. There's a few of us still championing it though - The Kelly Twins, Sell By Dave, Joe Hart - but I'm not sure how a whole night of it would go down!

B: Ever thought about giving it a go?

P: Putting a night of retro house on, pre-1990? I toyed with the idea, when I was in London - but as for doing one now here, I just can't imagine it would attract that many people. Unless I could somehow get a very big name in the D&B or Dubstep scene to play it! Saying that though, I did play a pure old school set at Glastonbury and it went down a treat.

B: Ha ha! Chase & Status play an all Adonis set...sounds like money in the bank! Let's have a look through the mix, naturally there's a lot of juicy acid classics, and so in context your first choice of T Power seems slightly out of place...what's your relationship with this track?

P: OK, I used to fix Mac computers. One day this guy came in wanting to buy lots of equipment - well a few macs. He said he ran a label, that he just got bought out by a Japanese company and wanted some new laptops.He needed them installed, so I went round there and we got chatting. It transpired that he ran a label called SOUR - this is about 1995 i think - so I told him I heard Mutant Jazz on an LP and liked it. He went round the back and pulled me out a 12" of it, then proceeded to give me a red and blue vinyl record and told me it was T Power's new release.

It was the first D&B track that I had heard which actually blew me away. It was a tough call to between this or an old Photek track I owned, but this edged it - the madness at the end of the track, I just love everything about it! Something about it just resonates in my head whenever I hear it. It's so crisp as well. I did go through a little spurt of buying D&B - I went to the Blue Note a few times, and I can quite happily listen to 94/95 D&B for a while - as long as it has some funk to it.

B: So D&B wasn't something you wholly subscribed to as a musical genre, more something that you flirted round the edge with?

P: Exactly. I used to go to Rage on a Thursday night in Charing Cross. I can remember Fabio & Grooverider playing tracks at 45 and thinking "wtf is this guy doing!", especially when he played Bug In The Bassbin - that's sacrilege! Definitely a flirty thing - I like space in my music; the gaps in between notes are as important as the notes filling them. I find D&B has too much going on, is too fast...I'm sounding proper old now aren't I!

B: LOL! Not at all. Interesting though that you say that regarding space in music, as I always felt acid house - whilst being quite sparse in technical design - is quite "full" in the level of resonance and depth that fantastic acid squelch delivers...

P: True, but the tracks that really do for me have that sparse beat - which allows plenty of room for squelch. The slower the better - the slower the record, the squelchier the acid. This is why I don't like acid teckno.... you just don't get the full bendiness of the acid.

B: True enough - I think that's were the genuine "groove" emerges and really grabs me by the throat! Let's take a look at some of these acid selections...Slam, Kaos, Fantasy Girl..some real classics here. Where does your love affair with acid house spring from, why is it you connect with that style of music so strongly?

P: Phuture Slam started it for me. My brother came into my bedroom one morning and said "listen to this", then proceeded to put on Phuture...it was the end of 1988. I was aware of Acid, and had been to a few nights but I didn't really get it. After hearing that I began to find out more - I used to go round my friend's house, he had the House Hallucinates album. We used to get trashed and listen to it (and stare at it, anyone who has a copy will know what I mean!). After a few months of listening to it, it dawned on us that you could get 12"s of the tracks on the compilation, so we started trying to track them down. At that time in 1989, loads of people had had enough of Acid, so were selling their old 12's which I quite happily picked up for cheap! So my record buying began from trying to get the 12's of that LP, which opened up a whole new can of worms with visits to the various record shops up in Soho at the time.

For some reason though, the sound of the 303 just affects me like no other electronic instrument. When I'm playing it and mixing, all just fits together. Acid House on LSD is quite amazing though. Until you've heard it on LSD then you haven't properly heard it.Not that I think everyone should go out and take acid and listen to acid house! It's where Placid comes from - Acid Paul, Paul Acid, Placid!

Pierres Fantasy Club Fantasy Girl was one of those tracks I heard on a tape by a DJ called Chocci. I used to go to Tonka parties and I remember him playing it and trying to find out what it was. It then transpired it was a £150 record and damn hard to find!

I put Kaos on there just because of the Detroit influence - Derrick May, Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson - going to see Derrick May play at Knowledge at SW1 to about 75 people and him tearing the roof off it...if you haven't checked his latest Radio 6 mix then check it out!

B: Isn't there quite a famous quote about one of the Spiral Tribe crew meeting the acid pioneers for the first time, and being amazed none of them had ever actually tried acid?

P: Oddly enough, I went to see Armando and Mike Dunn at Lost, up in London around 1994 and asked the same thing - nope was their response! Mind-boggling if you think about what their tracks do to you, but to each their own!

B: Before acid house, what was Placid's musical poison? We have some pure A-grade funk here from '76 with Mr. Dexter Wansel and some righteous disco from Martin Circus. Were funk and disco something you were tuned into prior to the acid house explosion?

P: Nope, that came much later as part of the Tonka parties I used to go to. There was a guy called DJ Harvey, he ran numerous nights at the Zap Club in Brighton, on the first Monday of the month - and later on Moist at The Gardening Club - where anything went from deep house, acid house and a lot of disco. It was here, eventually that I started to like some disco, and that there were loads of great tracks - some right dirty disco and a lot of stuff which had been sampled in house records.

So I then started looking back at where the samples for records I was buying had come from, and that lead me into Prelude, Salsoul and a whole other world of disco stuff. With Martin Circus it was just the introduction of druggy disco again by DJ Harvey; Francois Kervorkian on the mix, I didn't realise that it could sound like that! But I am digressing...in answer to the question, I was into hip hop - Big Daddy Kane, JVC Force, Stetsasonic, LL Cool J and that kind of stuff. I still listen to it now and then.

B: But none of those made the cut for the mix? Was your embracing of acid house that powerful an experience for you?

P: Back in 86/87 I was only 15, it was my brother who was into it. I used to just listen to it but I never bought any - well not until i started buying records. Music and going out was a way of life. I was out from Thursday until Monday every weekend. I used to love the whole Sheffield Warp thing, bleeps and basslines, some of the Belgian stuff to come out in 1991 was out of this world. But then hardcore came along, and suddenly everything went to speeded up breakbeats and chipmunked vocals. Luckily Tonka didn't go down that route, so I could go out happily without hearing it!

B: Hardcore wasn't something you could get on with?

P: Nah. I have heard some good tracks, don't get me wrong. But fundamentally I just don't like breakbeats. And don't get me started on the Prodigy!

B: Ha ha! Fair enough! Let's look at the remaining acid tracks here - Armando, Fingers Inc, Lidell Townsell, Virgo. Given your deep knowledge of the genre, why these tracks specifically - and what do they mean to you?

P: The Fingers LP, well where to start... I had a few of the EPs, but someone bought this album for me and it's one of those few LPs where every track is a winner. It encapsulates everything about Chicago house music, and adds Robert Owens' vocals. I didn't realise at the time it would become an absolute classic. Even though I've heard it a million times, it still sounds just as sweet when I put it on now as when it did the first time.

The Virgo LP, now this was always the last thing we'd put on. My friend Robert had a house up in Victoria, London. At the end of the night, morning, weekend, just when everyone (there was always a few of us) were finally crashing out, this LP would take us into the land of nod. There's just something about it - so simple but brilliantly down - and it was an LP which meant you didn't have to exchange it every five minutes!

The Armando was bit of a holy grail. I used to buy records (and still do every now and then) off a guy called Nick the Record - no kidding, his collection is mind boggling. Anyhoo, I found myself up there one afternoon and said can you play me something I don't know. He played me Armando Uhaciied on Missing Dog Records. It literally blew me away. It took me about 15 years and a considerable sum to finally track it down. Never hit these shores as far as I know, and only about 500 were pressed.

B: Is there something in the rarity of a lot of these records that has as much appeal as the music itself?

P: There's a lot of rare stuff out there. It's when you get the combination of very rare, and actually a damn good track on it as well that the prices go through the roof. I won't buy something just because its rare, just to sit in my shelves - I don't have enough room for that. Everything I buy must be playable. I was dragging £100+ records around Glastonbury with me to play...

B: Dangerous times, I hope they were insured! Let's talk about the one dubstep concession here, and an absolute gem too. Where do you come in with regards to the genre's already colourful history?

P: A friend of mine pointed me in the direction of Skream Glamma. I'd just got a nice new Harmon Kardon system for my PC and it sounded amazing. Again, going back to my point about the space in music, Dubstep had lots of space in it as well as big ass bass. I went straight onto Juno and stocked up on a few dubstep bits, one of which was just out that day, which was Digital Mystikz Haunted. I remember going to Venn festival, and it was the first time i met the under_score lot and they had Kode 9, Pinch and Scion at the Blue Mountain. When Kode 9 played the DMZ track, it completely did me in, the sound coming from them speakers...this metallic sound. Everything about it, right down to the fact that it knocked my drink off a table about ten metres away, meant it would always be in my record box. I bought a fair bit of dubstep, and if i had more money I would still be buying it - but alas I just don't like it as much as I do House, Techno, Electro and Acid.. therefore I download mixes and play them instead.

B: Bringing us up to date, what artists are out there right now rocking Placid's world?

P: Now there's a question. I don't tend to stick to just an artist as such, but my recent purchases have been:

Sven Weismann On Wandering. I really dig his stuff...
Anton Zap - on Uzuri Records
Lerosa
Tevo Howard...deep chicago house
Jared Wilson
Lory D
Of course Carl Craig...
Moritz Von Oswald
Patrice Scott
Omar S....

...how long have you got!

B: Ha ha! Not long enough I think! OK, well that just about wraps things up - anything you'd like to add, any pressing plugs that need plugging?

P: Only if you have any influential friends over at the Berghain....

B: Sadly not, if I did I would have had you in leather trousers and whipped cream by now. Thanks for chatting to me sir.

Lifetracks # 05 - Placid

01 - T Power - Police State Part 2
02 - Phuture - Slam
03 - Rhthim Is Rhythim - Kaos
04 - Virgo - Do You Know Who You Are (From the Virgo LP)
05 - Lidell Townsell - The Groove (from the House Hallucinates LP)
06 - Fingers Inc - Mystery Of Love (from the Another Side LP)
07 - Pierres Fantasy Club - Fantasy Girl
08 - Armando - Uhaceeid
09 - Martin Circus - Disco Circus Medley
10 - Digital Mystikz - Haunted
11 - Dexter Wansel - Life On Mars

Download : Lifetracks 05 - Placid

Ffi: AcidHouse.net
Ffi: Placid Website

Lifetracks 04 : Mulder

2009-08-09T10:44:00.010+01:00

For the fourth episode in the Lifetracks series, we tracked down a true survivor of the original rave era and arguably one of the most under-rated producers around, Mulder. Mulder's output during the mid-90s for labels like Aphrodite's Urban Takeover defined the elements of jump-up when that wasn't such a dirty word, producing jungle anthems like Gettin' Blunted, Don't Give A Damn and Stick Up Kid . After an extended break away from music production, Mulder found favour in the fledgling hardcore breaks scene, recording for Malice & Enzyme's 2Fresh imprint with definitive tracks such as Soundclash and Devil Inside. With an encyclopedic knowledge of rave culture and all it's facets, Mulder's selection was always going to be top quality - and we weren't disappointed. Get ready for some stone-cold classics!

B: Hi Mulder, how are you today?

M: I'm fine.

B: Where are you right now?

M: Sat in my room, which is quite warm at the moment, in front of my laptop.

B: A common position for Mulder perhaps...cooking up beats?

M: I was playing around in Ableton earlier, trying to prepare some samples, yep.

B: For an imminent release or just for fun?

M: For a potential release, yeah, just trying to sort out the timings on a sample with really loose rhythm so it doesn't clash and flam with the breaks when I'm writing the tune.

B: So we're talking Hardcore Breaks or something else? Sounds intriguing...

M: Yeah, trying to write a jungly HCB tune with ska samples.

B: Sounds awesome! Are you always consciously trying to adjust the template of Hardcore Breaks with other elements?

M: Well, I think it's best to keep doing different stuff with it, otherwise I get bored.

B: Some people might consider HCB a bit of a creative cul-de-sac, but there seems to be loads of energy and invention in the genre these days...what's your thoughts on that?

M: Well, the idea was thought up by people who loved that original Hardcore / Jungle Tekno sound and wanted new tunes in that style to listen to, but you don't have to limit yourself to just that, you can become influenced by other new music around you and throw some of that in the mix too. I've been one of the people to break off a bit from the B2VOS forum where it started too, and do stuff under the 'nu-rave' banner, which whether it's a good idea or not is our way of sticking a finger up at the NME's attempts to pre-empt the oldskool revival by making Indie the 'new rave'.

B: NME weren't kidding anybody over 18 with that one! HCB has been fairly divisive amongst old skool heads though wouldn't you agree? Those that think of that era as a set time and should be left as it is, and those who want to take that sound further?

M: Yeah, there have been those who've lapped it up and those who just didn't care for it. The divisions within HCB itself were about certain personal differences more than anything else, and a lot of that has blown over now. It took a while for those of us who wanted to use the 'nu-rave' tag for ourselves and join up with the Rave Breaks and J-Tek guys, to get accepted by those who wanted to just stick to promoting HCB on it's own. Hang on, that didn't make any sense ...ah no, it does make sense, just a long-winded way of putting it!

B: No it makes perfect sense ha ha! So you feel the future for HCB is looking good?

M: It could be great, it could just fade into the background. I think there is a little oldskool revival happening within the fidget stuff and certain dubstep records have even tried to go a bit old skool - Skream's La Roux remix for one, even though he's just stuck a full speed amen at the end. Then there are people like Clipz who is doing some great varied stuff under the name Redlight, a lot of which has subtle or even quite obvious old skool influences in it. All this is good, but we need to bring it all together.

B: So where do you feel you fit in all of this? You've been around the block twice so to speak....

M: I'm not really sure! I have had a few problems which got me out of the D&B thing and I wasn't feeling much new music at all for a while until HCB grabbed me and I started doing it for fun. I guess I just want to provide some of the tunes and play a few gigs and see where it gets me.

B: Would you consider returning to D&B or do you feel your time in that genre is done now?

M: I think that I'm pretty much done with it, but if I feel like writing a tune in that style again then I'll just do it and see what happens, but I doubt I'll ever make a proper full-scale return. The genre seems so stuck in it's ways now.

B: Let's take a look at the mix you've very kindly put together, starting with the first brace of tracks which are all bonafide classics - Bang Zoom, Rock It, Close To The Edit - all pivotal in the development of dance music as we know it now. Where do these tracks take you back to, how did you come to experience them?

M: Rock It was one of the earliest things that introduced me to what we now know as turntablism. I have a funny feeling I'd seen somebody scratching and so on before Rock It came along but it's a really hazy memory. I was only 6 or 7 when it came out. I already had a fascination with record players and music as it was, so it kind of reinforced it. It wasn't my first encounter with Hip Hop though, that was a COI Public Information Film known as Don't Step Out or Close To The Edge, which I think was around at the same time as Rock It. It used Grandmaster Flash The Message beats and changed the words to teach the Green Cross Code.

Art Of Noise were the first people I heard using samplers and making records that were just a large collage of sounds. It's easy to see the link between Close To The Edit and early Hardcore records in that way. I think I've included Nu-Shooz I Can't Wait because that's the other big tune I remember with a lot of samples in it, especially the main riff of the Dutch version which I think is played using a sampled moan from a p*rn film or something!

Bang Zoom is similar again, uses a lot of Bugs Bunny samples, but it's the first Hip Hop record I actually bought and it's really a masterpiece. By now it was 1986, so I was 10 and really wanting to discover more Hip Hop which I did via the Beastie Boys a bit later. All this was so new and fascinating for a kid.

B: How were you experiencing music then? Through radio, TV?

M: Largely, yeah. I was really into Shakin' Stevens when I was about 5 or something and that was down to seeing him on Top Of The Pops. There was also my parents record collection which had a few interesting things in it. My gran also used to play me classical music and other stuff, mostly Strauss waltzes. On the telly side though, it wasn't just TOTP and music programmes but also any music used in the background or on the testcard or pages from ceefax, it all just soaked in to me.

B: So was early hip hop your first love musically speaking?

M: I think just music in general was my first love, hip hop became the main focus though by the time I was 12, and a bit of house too.

B: Speaking of which we have Jack Your Body here representing that...so you were just trying to consume as many styles as possible when you were growing up? We're heading into the mid to late 80s here...

M: Yeah, well, Jack Your Body is 1986 and I first heard it on TV-AM! They were talking about the tune and wondering what 'House Music' was, because on the cover of the record it's got The House Sound of Chicago written on it. Both the track and the video in combination I thought were really cool. 1986 was quite a year as I remember it, with Jack Your Body, Bang Zoom, and another Art Of Noise with Max Headroom called Paranoimia. That year I discovered Kid Jenson's chart show which aired on the commercial radio stations, and I thought was much better than Radio 1's show. They would often play 12" versions of records and make their own re-edits of these remixes. That's why I've got Janet Jackson in the mix, it's a tune I remember they chopped up and I always wanted to hear it again but I never will, so I did it myself! Hearing those re-edits got me doing it myself with two little tape decks and the lead from my ZX Spectrum to link them up Earphone to Mic socket.

B: So you were making re-edits from an early age, that's awesome! When did you get involved in DJing for the first time?

M: Well, I first remember trying to scratch on my Dansette using my 7" copy of Bang Zoom as it goes! Later I saw somebody doing something similar in the video to Roxanne Shante's Go On Girl. It was pirate radio that kicked it off properly though. I heard hip hop on Raw Radio in 1988 and it was all mixed. It was really the first time I'd heard beat matching and I wondered how they were doing it, so eventually I discovered how to mix a record on a record player alongside a tape on a tape player and realised there must be a speed control to keep the record at the right speed all the way through the mix. It just went from there and eventually I got some belt drives once I was earning a bit of money in my late teens.

B: So were you beginning to produce around then too?

M: Nah, I didn't really think I'd ever make any music until I started playing with Octamed in 1994. I just didn't think it was possible without loads of gear, until I realised the Amiga had really good sampling abilities.

B: I think you're not alone in cutting your production teeth on the Amiga. What were some of your first attempts back then styled as? Jungle?

M: Yeah, it was a mix of jungle and hardcore I suppose - some of it was as fast as 190bpm! I was just mucking about until I started writing to Aphrodite. I was pretty bad at making rhythms up and structuring tracks at the time.

M: So you pretty much went from bedroom producer to record label fairly easily?

B: Yeah, I was sneaky though. The reason I've included Some Justice is because I loved the bass in that tune when it came out and later on I found out that it was written on the Amiga, and I worked out that Gavin (Aphrodite) now had his own label and his tunes were still all done on the Amiga, and they were much better than mine. Booyaa for example, great bassline for it's time, great drum programming and a really danceable feel which a lot of jungle lacked at that point, because the beats were too chopped up and not rhythmic enough. So, I wrote to him and he told me my tunes were sh*t, but keep going. Eventually I managed to do something that he thought he could work with, and he offered me a release on Urban Takeover which he was about to start with Finn.

B: Seems a world away from the industry as it is today, even if it wasn't that long ago! Let's talk then about the rave/jungle portion of your mix. With your tunes getting around and DJ sets out and about you were starting to really make a name for yourself. You've picked some essential rave classics here, Mr.Kirk's Nightmare, Charly, Bang The Drums...what are your memories of that time, was that a great period for you in the first honeymoon period of rave culture?

M: It was a bit of a weird time for me. Hearing Mr Kirk, Spliffhead, and other tracks of that kind in 1990 moved my attention away from hip hop a bit and I was still only 14 I guess so I wasn't going out raving or buying many records but it was fresh and hip hop was going a bit stale I thought. I liked the bass and the crazy little stab melodies in the tunes. I was also sort of going off on a bit of a religious tangent in my personal life, which kind of conflicted with the idea of going to a rave a lot and came to an end just before I got the call from Aprhodite to do my first single. So, I stuck to just sitting in my room listening and buying records when I could. I've never really been much of a dancer anyway, and drugs are just bad imho. Except beer! It was all about the music for me!

I think that's why for a long time I was more interested in the Bukem etc side of things, because those tunes lend themselves to listening at home a lot more than the jump-up tracks. When the more 2-step period came in and people started calling it D&B rather than jungle, it collided with the basslines in the jump-up stuff becoming more than just sub and the melody of the basslines stood out more, so then I got bang into labels like Dope Dragon instead, but still kept buying the Good Looking 12s too. The early Bukem stuff is really ravey though!

B: Yeah for sure his early stuff is basically proto-hardcore! It's interesting you saying you were into the more "chilled" end of D&B, given your recorded output...

M: Yeah, I just didn't get on trying to write that kind of stuff I guess, because the Amiga was probably a bit better at doing bass than it was at doing lush pads for example, and by the time I'd learned how to write tunes better I'd gone out and realised how it didn't go down on the dancefloor so well compared to the jump-up, which was now more musically interesting to me anyway. The Bukem stuff also ended up going into the realms of jazz drum solos where the beats were concerned, especially when you look at some of Photek's output when he did his album. It's just not funky, it's jazzy, so when people talk about 'Drumfunk' I think they've got the wrong idea.

B: So the era of "liquid" D&B was something that didn't interest you in trying to make tunes for? At that time the scene was pretty much divided between the "jump-up" styles and the deeper styles...

M: Yeah, I really didn't get on with techstep either. The liquid stuff can be really great musically, really danceable, sometimes really rushy and ravey in a way, but often people just don't do enough with it for my liking and it just boils down to a loop of some nice sounds that you tire of really quickly. The best liquid tunes are things like 3am by MIST and High Contrast, really nice horns in that one and really ravey in a way. I wouldn't write either liquid or techstep off completely though, there's always good tunes and bad in all of it, I just guess I prefer party tunes.

B: Speaking of which, given your re-emergence on the scene producing HCB, you haven't selected any of that genre here. How did your transition back into production come about through HCB, and who influences you in that scene?

M: Well, I think all of us in that scene look outside for influences, we look to stuff we used to listen to or new forms of dance music and I don't know if we really look at one another like that. I know what artists and labels I like though. When I was writing D&B my love for oldskool was always pushing me to try and do something oldskooly anyway. I loved that little period in D&B in the early 2000s when the Dubplate remix came out and all of a sudden there were oldskool sounds all over the place in D&B again and remixes of old classics. I'd say hearing Vinyl Junkie and Darkus' Warehouse Wax stuff made me think that I should get into this. I just started listening to the clips of tunes on Hardcore Projecktz record shop and then I dug up a little thing I'd been working on about a year before and posted it on B2VOS. It got some interest but never got finished, I just started writing other tunes instead.

B: And so looking to the future, what's in store for you? Any more releases on the horizon you can tell us about?

M: Nothing solid. I've taken a break for most of the year so far, as my inspiration is a bit like that, it just runs out and I have to recharge until I get that itchy feeling to do something again. It's started to happen, I remixed Ghettozoid's Seeking for the hell of it the other day, and did a tune using the music from Ocean's ZX Spectrum version of Robocop for a laugh. I don't really think they are that spectacular, but something else will happen I hope with these samples I'm trying to sort out at the moment. I originally started the tune with Jamie Enzyme and Alex Fluff from the Nu-Rave forum in January, but we've not managed to get back there and do anything else since, so I thought I'd just work on it myself and see what the others can input.

B: Nice one, well I look forward to hearing what you come up with next! Thanks for chatting to me Mulder, anything else you'd like to add before we wrap this up?

M: Can't think of anything!

B: LOL! Fair play...thanks anyway!!

Lifetracks # 04 - Mulder

01 - COI PIF - Close To The Edge
02 - Real Roxanne and Hitman Howie Tee - Bang Zoom (Let's Go Go)
03 - Herbie Hancock - Rock It
04 - Art Of Noise - Close To The Edit
05 - Nu-Shooz - I Can't Wait
06 - Kraftwerk - It's More Fun To Compute
07 - Janet Jackson - When I Think Of You (Mulder Re-Edit)
08 - Steve 'Silk' Hurley - Jack Your Body
09 - James Brown vs. Coldcut - The Payback Mix Pt.1
10 - Home T, Cocoa Tea and Shabba Ranks - Pirates Anthem
11 - Ragga Twins - Spliffhead
12 - 4Hero - Mr Kirk's Nightmare
13 - The Prodigy - Charly (Alley Cat Mix)
14 - Urban Shakedown - Some Justice (Concrete Jungle Mix)
15 - Tayla - Bang The Drums
16 - Amazon II - Booyaa! (Open Your Mind)

Download : Lifetracks 04 - Mulder
Download : Alternate Download Link

Ffi : Mulder Website

Lifetracks 03 : Antoni Maiovvi

2009-08-02T10:56:00.008+01:00

For the next installment of Lifetracks, we sent the call out to our man in Berlin, the infamous italo maestro Antoni Maoivvi. Maiovvi has been busy spreading the synth l'amour across Europe and beyond, with second album Shadow Of the Bloodstained Kiss due for release on August 3, an imaginary soundtrack to a long-lost 80s giallo. With this in mind, we felt it only fitting to ask him for a selection of his biggest influences in celebration of this fact. What we got back was something truly intriguing that demanded further investigation. Read the full account of Signore Maiovvi's majestic mindwaves below and then download the incredible mix for your aural delectation.

B: Buona Serra Signore Maiovvi, how does this fine evening find you?

AM: I'm well thank you. I've spent the day hooking my Wii remote up to Ableton Live...

B: Sounds intriguing...

AM: It's not as responsive as the Max/MSP patch I was using, but it's interesting...needs adjustment.

B: You've recently got to grips with Ableton in a serious way, haven't you?

AM: Yeah, I don't find it's arrangement layout at all useable, but it's strength lies elsewhere.

B: Such as?

AM: Essentially I'm using it for improvising my performances now, it's looping capabilities are great. I don't think I'll produce anything with it - just use it for concerts.

B: So where are you right now?

AM: Wedding in sunny Berlin. It's kind of like the Bedminster of Berlin.

B: God help us all! How are you finding the transition from the UK to Germany?

AM: Quite strange actually. This is the first time I've actually had an extended period without concerts here. Over the last two months, I've been back and forth between the UK. I'm finally getting settled now, hence the Ableton binge.

B: How have you found the reception to your music over there compared to here?

AM: Ha, it's quite strange. The more experimental things I do have been received very well. Antoni Maiovvi has been received well too, but it's early days for the Italo scene here I think. Not to say that people aren't doing it and haven't been for a while, but I think there is still some fall-out from the style being so widespread in Germany. I think also because the term Italo has become very much a blanket term for this stuff, some people will forget that some of it was of German origin.A lot of the UK fans have only recently discovered this music, so perhaps it carries a different significance. It's growing though.

B: That's intriguing, I think there is a definite groundswell in the UK toward Italo, but I always presumed Europe was a permanent stonghold for it's charms...

AM: Well, for example at the first night of the Space Operator club I've started here, DJ Benetti played a track by Modern Talking. A member of which is on Germany's version of the X-Factor as their Simon Cowell judge character...

B: Ha ha really?

AM: Yeah, the bar staff were laughing about it, I didn't know any of this of course, but they made it clear how amazingly un-cool it was, ha!

B: Awesome, I would have drawn for the Nena myself...let's talk about the one Italo track you've included here, possibly the quintessential italo track, Spacer Woman. How did your love affair with this style of music come about?

AM: Well, it was Goblin, who are my favorite group. Investigating them I came across the disco stuff, and it really seemed like an extension of the horror / sci-fi / action soundtracks I was already listening to. More research turned into obsession...

B: Soundtracks make up a large part of your influence would you say? You've included here Carpenter's Assault On Precinct 13 theme, a personal favourite of mine and given Shadow...'s Giallo stylings, is it a vital component of how you shape music, how you produce?

AM: A huge part, Carpenter's music especially. There was a period before all this identikit orchestra scores you get for the big movies, or the "alternative rock" compilations for the lower budgeted movies where people were being really experimental and doing fantastic work. Morricone is a god, so is Shifrin. I mean look at the score to The Andromeda Strain, you wouldn't get people doing that with that kind of movie these days, "too abstract" they'd say. Music can make or break a film for me, even if the film is terrible, if it's got a great score then I'll love it

B: Absolutely, but that artform of beautifully crafted soundtracks really expired in the late 80s I would say though...

AM: I'm not sure when the cut of point was. Howard Shore has been doing excellent work for years now. Maybe Crash was the last great one he did, and that was over 10 years ago now...

B: Were you drawn to him through Cronenberg's work?

AM: Absolutely - Scanners, Videodrome, Dead Ringers...

B: A lot of the music you've selected emanates from that fertile late 70s to mid 80s period of music, is that a timeframe you feel some real affinity with?

AM: I'm not sure. I came to the conclusion recently that I think I'm just drawn to psychedelic art. Disco and Noise aren't that far apart in terms of effect.

B: How do you mean?

AM: In the sense that they both take you to different intentional places. Euphoric states, emotional places.

B: Noise definitely makes me feel emotional physically, I think it trips a wire in my head somewhere! Do you feel though that it's harder in this day and age the for really experimental artists to shine? Could something like Whitehouse or Swans exist if they started out now? Things seem a lot more regimented and restricted ironically then in the days of No Wave, Industrial...

AM: I think noise has become quite regimented, but I think that happens to anything over time. A particularly cynical way of looking at it, as a friend pointed out recently, is that its easier to be a bigger fish because the noise scene is essentially a small pond. If Whitehouse formed last year and there was nothing like it before, then yes, they would do well. There are plenty of people who've taken influence from them and there are hundreds of Power Electronic groups now. I'm more interested in people who have taken something and then fused it with something else. Burial Hex is a good example of treading ground between Swans and Whitehouse, but he's mixed it with this Lovecraftian despair and does it very well. I've found it very useful to not listen to the kind of music I'm trying to write. I'll listen to Whitehouse or Sutcliffe Jugend when I'm trying to write guitar music and Ennio Morricone when doing disco.

B: Power Electronics seems very much of it's time though...Burial Hex to me signifies as you say an amalgamation of the better elements of that sound. How did you come to get into a sound like that? Have you always been attracted to that type of extreme music? It seems quite polar opposites with noise and italo being your twin outlets...

AM: I think Power Electronics has it's Renaissance periods every so often. Prurient for example seems to be working in that area. Though I've never liked any of the records, his live show was really amazing. I think it comes back to the psychedelic music thing, being that my youth was spent as a grunge kid - I'm drawn to a punk or counter cultural aesthetic. Noise has it, even something like Patrick Cowley's records have it - records made or at least championed by the underground gay scene in america during the early 80s, where a lot of the Italo stuff was played.

B: Some would argue most truly creative music has had some lineage in the underground gay scenes of the US and Europe at some point...

AM: I think good art comes out of marginalized people, look at the Blues and US Hardcore. It's unfortunate that it seems like people have to be oppressed in some way before the ideas start to flow. I'll never truly understand being an oppressed person, but in my life, I spent a lot of time on my own. I wasn't popular at school, didn't have many friends, music was an escape from that, I think it's the same for a lot of people.

B: A kind of enforced solitary state...I think that's a natural thing for a lot of people growing up. Interestingly I found solace in Scott Walker's music throughout my life and was pleased to see him included here...

AM: Scott Walker's music is incredible, and The Drift is a landmark recording. He takes a lot of cues from some of the 20th century classical music I enjoy and twists it up even further. It's a beautiful album - ugly, but beautiful.

B: That's the faultline he always explores though I feel...it's a dichotomy between the two that is truly invigorating in his hands...I can't think of a more unique artist that's had such a bearing on my actual understanding of music and it's power.

AM: Completely. Normally when I get into talking about Scott Walker I'm in conversation with someone who only likes the early stuff, which I do like, but to me there is a superiority to something like Clara, or Farmer In The City from Tilt to anything on the earlier records.

B: Well I'm a massive 4AD fan so I was ecstatic he chose to release The Drift with them, I think it represents a total culmination of his work...the only problem being we might need to wait another 6 or 7 years before another album! Just going back on to your comments about classical music, is that an area you actively listen to a lot?

AM: I used to. I moved onto other areas, but there was a period where I was listening to Ligeti, Penderecki, Bartok, Arvo Part, Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Philip Glass & Berio all the time. I suppose Reich and Glass' influence is more apparent in the disco records than anything else, though Berio and Penderecki are there as well.

B: When you set out to write Shadow... how did the process go? The songs are so rich visually it's remarkable.

AM: I write in big chunks and then wont touch anything for weeks, sometimes months, sometimes things will just be sketches, but I try and let the music just flow out, which is why there are so many changes in the songs. I'll start out in one place, and then when the track comes to its natural conclusion it has been through all these ideas you end somewhere else. It's one of the things that I love about Tangerine Dream that I think because I've been a fan for so many years that I've naturally soaked up. But I'd already started work on Shadow... before Electro Muscle Cult came out. Something James from Cyber Dance pointed out was that I play with perceived tempo a lot, which I hadn't picked up on, because most of the tracks are at 133bpm, I was doing things that made the tracks seem faster or slower than they actually were. This is something I've been trying to perfect, and it'll be more apparent on the next album and singles.

B: It's something that definitely adds to the dynamic of the album, which I think was one of the key reasons why I found it so exhilarating. So have you already begun work on the third album? What ideas are coming together for that?

AM: I think the third one is already done. It depends if I cull anything from it - I've done a 12" for Cyber Dance as well. Last time I checked I've actually done 10 full albums - most of it was shite though! I'm trying to make sure the public only get the good stuff.

B: Ha ha! A strong quality control ethos is a good thing! When's the 12" due for release?

AM: I'm not sure, it's CyberDance008. 005 and 006 are just about to be released I believe.

B: Will the new album be another concept piece like "Shadow.."?

AM: No, it's two very long tracks. If the third album stays the way it is, it'll have a concept.

B: Such as?

AM: The working title is "Trial By Bullet" so some sort of Eurocrime / Dirty Harry style drama I think. I feel it's important when doing something that so obviously comes from pastiche to give it a concept. Where as I think with noise music it's important to leave it abstract.

B: We've already discussed soundtracks and it's something I'd like to draw back on before we close the interview. How important is cinema to you in your work? Giallo is clearly one influence, but what else inspires you in film that translates to your music? And would you be keen to move into soundtracking actual films?

AM: I've already done a bunch of theatre pieces and two films, I've always wanted to do more music for film, it's difficult to get into however. Film is a really important part of my life, it's something I continue to get excited about and get a lot out of. But naturally there are plenty of indirect influences other than Beverly Hills Cop or Italian Horror. I'm a huge David Lynch fan, adore Takeshi Miike, Shinya Tsukamoto, Gaspar Noe, William Friedkin...

B: And of course Uwe Boll...

AM: Ha! It's safe to say I like the man more than his movies. Postal and In The Name Of The King were good, but then Jason Statham is very watchable regardless of the crap he's in. He's a modern Jean Claude Van Damme. Though, that new JCVD film was totally impressive. In terms of trash I think Jerry Bruckheimer is a powerhouse.

B: Not a patch on his old partner Don Simpson...

AM: That partnership was incredible. It was a shame what happened to ol' Don.

B: He went out like he wanted though...on the toilet. From Whitehouse to Don Simpson in one interview, there's a strange harmony there I think! Thanks for chatting to me tonight Signore Maiovvi!

AM: No problem, thank you.

Antoni Maiovvi Shadow Of The Bloodstained Kiss is available to purchase from Aug 3rd.

Read our review of the album with a free track to download here

Buy the album here

Lifetracks # 03 - Antoni Maiovvi

01 - Scott Walker - Jesse
02 - John Carpenter - Assault On Precinct 13
03 - DJ Shadow - What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 4)
04 - Il Reale Impero Britannico (Goblin & Fabio Frizzi) - Kalu
05 - Charlie - Spacer Woman
06 - Tangerine Dream - Midnight In Tula
07 - Theoretical Girls - Lovin' In The Red
08 - The Jesus Lizard - Nub
09 - Einsturzende Neubauten - Headcleaner
10 - Whitehouse - Cruise
11 - Swans - God Damn The Sun
12 - Christoph De Babalon - Brilliance

Download : Lifetracks 03 - Antoni Maoivvi
Alternate Download Link

Ffi: Antoni Maiovvi Website

Lifetracks 02 : Wascal

2009-08-01T17:21:00.006+01:00

For our second installment in the Lifetracks series, we've selected one of the most promising new producers to emerge from Bristol in the last few years, Wascal. With a handful of releases already under his belt on his own Wascal Dubs label and the classic Hollowpoint on Hammer Records still a favourite amongst many discerning dubsteppers, Wascal looks set to capitalise on a busy year spent producing with a slew of releases lined up to take him to the next level. We asked him to pick a range of tracks that have been important to his growth as an artist, and then we sat down to chat to him one fine summer evening.

B: Evening Wascal. How's tricks?

W: The sun is out, work has finished for the day and I'm armed with a cup of tea and a rollie. Life is sweet!

B: LOL liking the positive attitude! Summer seems to be having some difficulty getting going this year...

W: Yes, mainly at evenings and weekends too! At least it was out for St. Pauls carnival though, makes all the difference at things like that. To be honest I've been cooped up indoors finishing tunes through some of the nicer days this year, my studio tan is strong.

B: Those 60w light bulbs really do the the trick huh? What's been getting cooked up in the lab then, anything imminent for release on the horizon?

W: Quite a lot coming up in the next 6 months by the looks of things. Bit of an essay coming up:

Superisk - Eva Takada (Wascal mix) on Time's Audio Banquet label which has been doing the rounds as a 320 for some time. Headhunter played it at FWD a few months back which is good to know. That's going to be MP3 only.

Wascal - Overstep b/w SLT Mob mix on Halo (12" etc): Basically future garage trance step. It's better than it sounds on paper I swear! That hasn't gone out to anyone except SLT & Bunzero so expect to hear it soon.

Buckfunk 3000 - High Volume (Wascal mix) (12" TBA). Si emailed asking if I wanted to remix any of his old Fuel stuff and I jumped at the chance as him and Tipper are heroes of mine. Took 6 weeks and is probably the most complexly edited tune I've made. Si's sorting out the label for that so more info on the way.

Clustered b/w Nephilim rmx on Betamorph (Digi), tech-dubstep that's been doing the rounds for a bit backed with a remix from Hollywood based Nephilim.

Wascal - Don't Forget on Cymbstep (12" etc), my second release on the dubstep sister label of Cymbalism, US Based tech dnb label. Crunchy breaks and string section business.

Finally Wascal - Glisten Up and an un-named one that's gone out to a few people as Junglish. Better name on the way! These should be coming out on Cut La Roc's Rocstar label - details are scarce at the mo, only confirmed it today.

I'm also working on an album but keep getting all the best bits signed so its half done AGAIN lol. Doh!

B: Lot of Bristol producers working on albums right now, sounds like 2010 will be the year of the LP! Do you consider yourself more of an "album" or "single" artist then?

W: Singles to be honest. Doing an album would be good to get more music out to more people, but I very rarely listen to dance albums in one sitting so it's a bit hypocritical really. I'd love to do something like that, but I find myself covering a lot of bases so its tricky! Right now its a collection of 140bpmish dubstep, 2step, techno and jungle and I'm working on making it sound like a cohesive album.

My favourite dance albums are ones that takes you on that (cliched) journey, Exit Planet Dust for instance - most of the tunes on there stand up on their own but the way it progresses keeps you locked in.

B: Chemical Brothers a big influence for you then? You've featured a classic track from them in your mix...

W: They were a huge influence around Exit Planet Dust. I was playing a lot of guitar in my early teens and ended up going to Phoenix Festival in 1996 with the intention of seeing all sorts of bands - I ended up seeing Jilted-era Prodigy on the Thursday, Hardfloor & CJ Bolland, Goldie and co on Saturday then Chemical Bros last thing on the Sunday.

As a 15 year old it was a massive eye opener, people were blatantly having a whale of a time without a guitar in sight. I chose F**k Up Beats for the mix because at the time it was about as far from widdly guitar as I had heard and set me on the path of making sub-par beats on an Amiga with Octamed. That weekend was the beginning of the end for my rock guitarist career lol.

B: Interesting you say that because this mix is strictly electronic, you don't harbour any influences from your past for rock or metal?

W: Not really, as a teenager I listened to quite a bit of Blur, Radiohead, RATM, Senser, Pavement, Ben folds etc - whatever was on the evening session while I pretended to do homework, but none of that really carries through to my music.

I'm no lyricist and I found the wholly instrumental aspect of dance music appealed to me - nothing worse than a great tune being ruined by a miserable lyric imo. Take Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others by The Smiths for example - possibly the best instrumental they did then you've got Morrissey moaning about girls mothers over it, kills it for me.

I've always listened to the music more than the lyrics, even from when I was really young listening to my dads Hendrix LPs. Hendrix is one of the few influences I've taken from rock - the sound sculpting and production blew me away when I first heard the remastered versions on headphones, total pioneer. Nowadays I'd reach for motown or old r&b as something non-dancey to listen to rather than rock, that stuff is gold.

B: So you've cited that Pheonix Festival moment as a bit of an epiphany for you, but you've included some killer old skool tunes here that existed before that time, especially my personal favourite Close Your Eyes. It seems that kind of proto-jungle breakbeat hardcore definitely feeds into your own style of production...

W: Yeah definitely a big influence on me. I love the crunchiness of the breaks and the ADHD approach to arrangement on those era tunes, its like the producer went 'right! bored now! next idea' and changes up all the time. There's really not enough of that around, and I love fidget for bringing that back a bit. I get bored very easily and when it comes to DJing if the tune doesn't switch up after a few minutes I'm not going to play the whole thing.

I came across that Acen tune on an old rave compilation, Rave 2!!!! Hardcore or something like that - after seeing the light at Phoenix Festival, I used to go to this 2nd hand store, Kellys Records in Cardiff Market, and root around for hours looking to educate myself on what I had missed, I had no Internet back then and only pocket money to spend so you really had to root around. I bought that album because it had The Green Man by S.U.A.D on it, but ended up playing the Acen tune far more. That ridiculously loud sub note right at the start sold it for me, and it was the first time I had heard hoovers properly. It's funny that all that mental music came out from when I was 10-13 yrs old and grew up thinking stuff like Out Of Space by the Prodigy was perfectly normal music. Listening back its fucking mental drug music!

B: Ha ha!! Think about kids growing up now with Dubstep and Grime as their regular musical diet! Talking about Cardiff, you were involved with Holodeck, the city's finest techno night - is techno something you have a lot of love for? We have some Beltram in here, some DAVE The Drummer...

W: Yeah definitely. I first got a set of decks when I was 17 with my hard earned money from a dish washing job. I went to Catapult with £30 and must have listened to half their stock! I went in intending to pick up the D&B I had been hearing on tapes that were doing the rounds in school (and swiftly learnt my first lesson about dubplate culture), and ended up leaving with an armful of smitten and routemaster techno. I think I asked for 'something that sounds like Josh Wink but harder'. They definitely sorted me out, heh.

From there I ended up going to ID downstairs in the Hippo club and seeing most of the London techno lot at some time or the other. That club was also responsible for my hard house / trance days, as it was a full on rave upstairs back in those days. I haven't picked tunes from that era for this mix because in retrospect they re cringeworthily bad, or at least haven't aged well at all and don't influence what I do nowadays. That was definitely my clubbing honeymoon though, techno and tech trance, 303s and 909s all over the shop!

I ended up playing a set of acid techno on Glastonbury Radio Avalon 2000 by some master internet blaggage, but apart from that I only ever played it at house parties and free parties. Its a shame that hardtek and k took over that scene because it used to be a wicked laugh.

I didn't end up playing for Holodeck till about 2004, and that was D&B mainly but through the epic afterparties I've talked incessantly at DAVE, Jerome Hill, Chris Liberator, Billy Nasty. Poor guys.

I chose the Joey Beltram and that DAVE the Drummer tunes as they're the two extremes of techno i prefer - The DAVE one for the hypnotic synth that repeats ad infinitum and drum layering, and The Start It Up as there's pretty much no notes at all, which as an A-Level music student at the time impressed the hell out of me. I did my A-Level critical study on Techno and got an E. The Irony.

B: Ha ha that's amazing! So how do you feel those elements feed into your music, which is admittedly on a different end of the sonic spectrum in terms of genre?

W: Well there's not so much of it in the dubstep that I've had released so far, its probably more with my mixing. Seeing all those guys at Holodeck every month smashing their way through so many records an hour with reckless abandon definitely inspired me to get mixing faster.

I've got quite a few techno/dubstep tunes I've been sitting on for a bit, not the Berlin vs Bristol axis that people often mention, more a kind of Bristol vs tracky drumcode/beltram/pounding grooves thing. I've got no idea who to send them to though, might put them out myself at some point when the times right, if it ever is!

B: Do it, I wanna hear those bad boys asap!! Switching it up, we've got some pretty fierce D&B in this mix too, where does your experience with that genre come from? Were you getting into that around the same time as techno?

W: Yeah, around the same time as I was getting old rave LPs and things. In NME and Select I saw the name Metalheadz come up quite a bit, so went and bought Platinum Breakz when it came out. I had only really heard the stuff that made it onto the radio - Incredible/Inner City Life etc (and whatever ridiculousness John Peel was playing ) and couldn't remember much from the D&B at Phoenix so hearing that album on headphones was a revelation. Unofficial Ghost is my favourite from that album but its a hard choice to make - the hoovers and the way it switches up win it in the end. The beat from Hollowpoint was sampled from the end of it by the way, then chopped and layered.

The Tribe of Issachar tune on the mix is from back when a few schoolmates used to pass round One Nation tapes of Hype, Mickey Finn etc and that tune stood out for me. The combination of tinny ragga vocal and ridiculous sub never gets old, I still drop that when I can get away with it. Around the same time tunes like Turbulence and Quadrant 6 were also doing it for me.

From about 1999 to 2002 I didn't pay much attention to D&B really, and I missed a lot of the Techstep thing. When I started listening again and heard Medicine remix, I went straight out and bought it and eventually ended up playing D&B full time for years. The funk in the drums and the sub on that tune do it for me, its pretty sparse but any more elements would be overkill. And it has cowbells! I was playing a lot of breaks back before then, but it all got too ploddy and there was next to nowhere to drop the breakbeat garage I was stockpiling except house parties. D&B got me excited about raving again, and I still follow it now to a certain extent.

I picked the Teebee & Calyx remix of Break - Submerged because it was the last D&B tune that got me really excited before the fateful Byte with Search & Destroy and SLT Mob that got me hooked on Dubstep! I had narrowed my tastes in D&B to such a point that I was playing a small cross-section of a small niche of D&B, so to hear those DJs kill a club differently made me re-think what I was doing, it was time for a change. The Submerged remix is pretty much the pinnacle of what I was into though, top notch neuro D&B.

B: Have you began to explore new sources for production or are you still quite keen on using elements from D&B? I recall a lot of people saying you had a quasi-jungle aspect to your tunes when you started...

W: It was a natural thing using jungle/D&B elements when I first started making dubstep, I was coming from that kind of scene and that's the kind of sounds I had lying around. It was pretty liberating having all that space between beats to play with!

I definitely didn't get the whole 'bass and space' thing at first though! I'm still guilty of overcrowding the mix at times. Having S&D and SLT as my first proper dubstep club experience skewed how I heard it for a bit, they both get breaksteppy and have a jungle element at times I think. That night after Byte I went home and made Daily Grind overnight. I passed it to a few Bristol DJs, Bunzero picked it up on Sub FM and it made the top 10 digital releases of the year on the DSF poll that year (oh the dizzy heights he he!), so it worked out well.

I've been writing dance music in some shape or form since I was 15 and I've had a crack at all sorts of stuff over the years, from techno to D&B - whatever I'm feeling at the time. I've built up a studio with a 24 channel desk and 606s, sh101s, Akai samplers and then sold it all to the point where it's just me and a laptop, it's all you need nowadays. Also I've had hard drives die a few times right on the verge of getting stuff signed which has contributed to my sound a bit i guess, it's hard to pick yourself up and write the same thing again so I've generally moved on to something new and applied the tricks I've learnt to the next thing. When I first heard dubstep there wasn't a template as such, so it was the perfect melting pot for what I had learnt so far.

Saying that, I listen to some stuff I did even last year and grit my teeth at the things I'd change now - I think I'm just hitting my stride this year, especially with the Si Begg remix. I'm using a lot of elements from 2step, rave, techno, jungle and house at the moment for my dubstep at the moment. Anything but what is perceived as pure ''dubstep' sounds hopefully!

B: So would you consider your sound to be even 'dubstep' right now? It's interesting you mention Si Begg, as alongside producers like Tipper who you feature in the mix, they've always operated outside the parameters of perceived genres...is that something you hope to achieve in your own sound?

W: Its a tricky one, the stuff I'm making is definitely not straight dubstep but if it isn't what is it? Its around 140bpm and has a lot of sub-bass. When I got into dubstep the template hadn't been defined like it is now, which is a shame in a way.

As for Si Begg and Tipper, well they stood out like sore thumbs from the rest of the Nu Skool Breaks lot, their tunes were dripping with ideas and the production and details in their tunes were insanely intricate (and still are). Its rare to find that in tunes that can also slay a dancefloor. They're pretty much the only producers from that era of NSB that I still play and listen to. I think operating outside the parameters of a genre frees you up a lot, because no-ones expecting anything of you so you can do what you like, you're not expected to play 90 mins of wobbly bangers when you DJ. But that can be a right laugh too.

B: With dubstep becoming more and more fractured into sub-genres, do you find it harder to gain a lot of inspiration from the genre as it is now? There's only a handful of artists from that sound in your mix...

W: In this mix I kept the dubstep to a bare minimum, I do a mix every month on www.wascal.wordpress.com, so thats the pure dubstep covered. I managed to get in touch with quite a few people before they blew up so I've got a fairly steady supply of quality beats, and its good to get them out there, along with stuff from unheard of producers who hit me up on AIM.

I don't find the genre on the whole as inspiring as it was, but thats always been the case for me with music - find a sound, get obessively into it, tire of it because you listened to it too much. The fracturing is inevitable, the difference between the extremes of minimal vibes and full on wobble are too big to sit in one set for some. I just play what I want and get on with it, I'm liking the wave of funky influenced stuff at the moment, its an unexpected direction which is good.

As for the tunes on the mix, the Vex'd tune was the standout one from their Resonance FM mix that was doing the rounds when I first got into the sound. That entire mix blew me away - theres so much space in this tune, especially that it sounds so huge on a rig, totally stripped down and thunderous.

The Peverelist one really came onto my radar at Bloc Weekend 08. He was playing at 5am in a scummy bar in a Pontins we nicknamed Raveschwitz and totally slayed it - I'd heard him in Bristol but not really listened to a whole set, mainly warm-ups. Either way, when this tune came on and when that melody dropped, the whole bar erupted. Seeing people go off like that to a mournful synth line on a minimal techy tune opened my eyes to what can be done with very few elements. It got a rewind and it happened all over again, good times.

TRG came out with so much quality last year it was hard to pick one. The whole Missed Calls EP is fire, proper future garage yet in the same few months he did Oi Killa!, a ridiculout wobfest which smashed it at Sonar in MAH's set, and Less Music which is basicly dub techno. I've got a lot of time for producers who can master so many different styles and TRG is one of them.

As for the future garage, listening to this stuff got me into writing a fair bit of my own, which got me in touch with Whistla, I wrote a tune called The Lesson specifically for his label (with a Rakim sample 'this is how it should be done') as some kind of future garage manifesto. He picked it up and its coming out on his label L2S in August [forgot to mention that on the releases bit whoops!]. Nice one TRG.

B: Sounds good! Ok man I think we're done here! Thanks for chatting to me! What's the final word from you?

W: Well from the other tunes on that mix Timber was a post club anthem for ages when I was growing up so that had to go on there. Jammin' was the pinnacle of breakbeat garage for me, Zinc owned the genre with that tune. Jack got Jacked remix hasn't left the box since I got it and that stuff is definitely getting me excited at the mo, proper genre mashing club music with blatant rave ethos, finally that Zed Bias dub had to go on there because it keymixes with Jack Got Jacked so sweetly and its an awesome remix of a stone cold classic!

Aside from that, got a load of tunes coming soon and possibly a string of gigs in the US in the pipeline so things are shaping up nicely!!

Finally:

DJ's: buy all my tunes twice & rewind them all the way through your sets
Promoters: book me, go on, you know you want to
Producers: My AIM is 'thewascal' and its on auto accept.

Thanks!

Lifetracks #02 - Wascal

01. Acen - Close Your Eyes (Optikonfusion) [Production House]
02. Chemical Brothers - F**k Up Beats [Freestyle Dust]
03. Doc Scott - Unoffcial Ghost [Metalheadz]
04. Joey Beltram - The Start It Up [Trax]
05. Congo Natty - His Imperial Majesty (Original Dubplate) [Congo Natty]
06. D.A.V.E The Drummer - Hydraulix 2A [Hydraulix]
07. Coldcut & Hexstatic - Timber [Ninja Tune]
08. Tipper - Tug Of War [Fuel]
09. Jammin - Hello [Bingo]
10. Ed Rush & Optical - Medicine (Matrix rmx) [Virus]
11. Break - Submerged (Calyx & Teebee mix) [Subtitles]
12. Vex'd - 3rd Choice [Planet Mu]
13. Peverelist - Roll With The Punches [Punch Drunk]
14. TRG - Missed Calls [Subway]
15. AC Slater - Jack Got Jacked (Jack Beats mix)
16. Zed Bias - Neighbourhood (Roska mix)

DOWNLOAD: Lifetracks 02 - Wascal
ALTERNATE DOWNLOAD LINK

FFI: Wascal Website

Free Download : Canola Tenderfoot - The Light Still Flickers

2009-08-01T17:02:00.005+01:00

Canola Tenderfoot
'The Light Still Flickers'
(Self-Released EP 2009)

A welcome return for one of B365's personal favourites, Canola Tenderfoot follow up their debut album Winning Is For Losers with a free EP available from their website. The ethereal sound they honed on that release is surprisingly toughened up here; it's evident there's been some serious work undertaken in galvanising the beats of producer Owen Canola. On Lock Out this works very well, with the sensual vocals of Viki Canola snaking around frenetic drumwork and buzzing keys, yet still reflecting the sparse, candlelit warmth prevalent on their debut.

Nothing Set In Stone harks back to the Canlola Tenderfoot of old, with breathless shards of vocal and melody intertwined in a looping groove that more acerbic critics might label indicative of the genre that dare not speak its name, t**p h*p. But if you strip away the accumulated baggage that comes with a name like that, what are we left with? Simply put, Canola Tenderfoot reference the finer elements of downtempo electronica and twist it into their own strange shapes, and it sounds all the better for it.

Whilst Nothing Set In Stone and Play On might sit with the more orthodox material from their debut, Lock Out and Vilnius speak of a fresh direction which is maybe thanks in part to Owen's growing confidence as a producer through other remix projects. With a sharper, darker approach to beats and vocals, both these tracks are definitely the stronger of the four presented here. If you haven't picked up their debut album it comes highly recommended, and in the meantime download this EP to get to know the Canola Tenderfoot way.

Canola Tenderfoot - Vilnius (Version)

Canola Tenderfoot - Play On

Canola Tenderfoot - Lock Out

Canola Tenderfoot - Nothing Set In Stone

DOWNLOADS

Canola Tenderfoot - Vilnius (Version)
Canola Tenderfoot - Play On
Canola Tenderfoot - Lock Out
Canola Tenderfoot - Nothing Set In Stone

Full EP Zip file with all four tracks and artwork

FFI: Canola Tenderfoot Website

BUY: Canola Tenderfoot - Winning Is For Losers

Lifetracks 01 : Coleco

2009-07-26T21:13:00.009+01:00

Here's a new feature at B365. We ask an artist to select a handful of tracks that have influenced them across their lifetime and put them in a mix. We then talk about those choices, hopefully incorporating a little insight into the selected artist at the same time. Pretty simple really, and something we hope you'll enjoy.

First up is a rising star of the Dubstep scene, Coleco. After the exhilarating rush of Campfire Funk was released on Soul Motive last year, plenty of people started taking a deeper interest in this young producer who's cinematic scope and ear for melody belies his age and experience. Bristol is not short of dynamic or innovative producers in this genre, but Coleco is operating on the very fringes of the sound in a similar fashion to Soul Motive's label boss Forsaken. Through a prolonged online chat we spoke to him about his chosen tracks and what they mean to him.

B: Hiya Coleco, how are you?

C: Fairly ill to be honest, mad headache all weekend, but luckily it's not swine flu! (yet) So I've got time to laze around and write beats...

B: Perfect activity for a rainy sunday! Where are you now?

C: At home, with my feet up.

B: Where does the name Coleco come from? My extensive internet research has revealed only ColecoVision, the early video game console - or that company's earlier incarnation of a leather goods manufacturer - as the only likely contenders. So is it retro video games or a love for leather that inspired the name?

C: Yes, it came from ColecoVision, but being a bit hypocritical on my part, I never actually owned one! Needless to say I was a bit of a retro computer game fiend, but the MegaDrive was my arena. Ever since I started producing, I dropped the whole gaming thing, but writing little midi files for Sonic fangames when I was younger was where I first came across a sequencer. The name actually comes from when I used to skate (yes, fruitboot!) and someone came up with the crew name "ColecoVision Crew", for comedic reasons. Why I hijacked the name, I have no idea. I suppose it is a bit odd, officially standing for Conneticut Leather Company. But, shh, don't tell anyone that!

B: Ha ha! So given that you're a retro games nut, do you have an affinity with the 8-bit sounds other Bristol producers like Joker and Gemmy feature in their music? It doesn't seem to be an overt influence in your own productions.

C: No you're right, the 8-bit sound doesn't appear as much as I might have thought it did. Joker and Gemmy seem to have a talent for a clean, techy, well produced, 8-bit influenced sound. I tend to make things more rustic and organic. In some of my older stuff it featured more, but I would still say it has influenced me a lot, especially when I create a leadline. The other 'retro' sound that fascinates is the recording processes of the 60's-70's, especially on old funk/soul tracks. So I try a combine the two a little, that digital sound, verses rusty, distorted, analogue warmth.

B: There's a definite 'vintage' quality to your sound - something that links in with your first choice of record here - Boards Of Canada Aquarius. Everybody was mad for Music Has The Right To Children when it came out...there's a strong lineage between that warm, natural analogue sound they created and your own work. Where does this track take you back to?

C: To be honest, I probably jumped on the Boards Of Canada bandwagon later than most. But, it was a quite a few years back when, after being into rock, then subsequently introduced to drum n bass, I discovered the whole electronic leftfield, avant-garde, IDM, (or whatever you wanna call it!) thing. The infamously mysterious Boards of Canada are much more repetitive and hypnotic than other Warp or Warp-esque artists like the usually very progressive Squarepusher. However, it made me appreciate that digital, yet warm analogue sound they produced, and the subtleties that come with it. Of course their transcendental melodies and hypnotic grooves, combined with those other factors, are easily enough to take me, and many others to another place.

B: Is that a key factor in making your own music? That you want the listener to feel like they are transcending? That's quite a psychedelic ambition!

C: Ha ha! Well, I don't claim to be a Buddhist zen master, a DMT taking psychonaut, or anything of that nature. I just write what I write, because that's pretty much all I can do at the moment. I have had comments that some of my tracks are progressive but it's probably due to my short attention span when it comes to producing music. Ironically, I got into the whole dubstep thing through it's initial bass driven minimal sound, and appreciation of subtleties... I love that! But I'm no good at it, sometimes I just wanna go a bit epic, or perhaps try combining the two a little bit.

B: There's definitely an epic feel to your production, I think its the juxtaposition of those beautiful, ethereal melodies and driving, cinematic drumwork. Speaking of which, drums are in abundance on the next track by Imperial Breed - Roberto Kien's band. I recall being blown away by the percussion on Campfire Funk and here we have an equally crazy beat throwdown...

C: Yes! It's all about the snare on this one, and of course the drummers tight funky groove. This track was released in 2006, but along with the rest of these new, retro sounding funk acts, it sounds as if it could be straight from the 60s! I picked this more because it represents a warm, crusty, distorted sound that I love. Admittedly the recording engineers go a bit futher than I would, and bands like Lefties Soul Connection go even futher, but it totally suits the sound. I find there's something, that I can only describe as ghostly, about the instruments on this one. Michael Stavrou tells in his book Mixing With Your Mind about creating "ghosts between the speakers". That hits the nail on the head for me, as disgustingly dirty as it is, it sounds as if the band is, almost unrealistically floating between the speakers.

B: Intricate drumwork seems to be a vital factor in most of your production, for example on Influence, and there's a definite reluctance it seems to generate repetitive beats, but more organic, free-flowing, ever-changing. Is that something you pick up from an artist like Squarepusher? Tetrasync is a track which encapsulates that flow perfectly.

C: Yes, Squarepusher was one of the artists that showed me exactly how far you can push things. In my opinion, someone like Boxcutter (aka Barry Lynn) has been the best in translating that into a more ridged dubstep formula. Let's face it, in terms of my own productions I can only admire Squarepusher as a more or less untouchable genius. However, the real hard edged, crazy as f**k, digital, glitch-core thing is something I haven't wanted to put across entirely. I try at the moment to mostly leave that to the people who are good at it, and go a bit more organic and cinematic myself, whilst at the same time drawing a progressive influence from the aforementioned artists. If we're talking about transcendental, then Squarepusher is a man who can shoot your brain into out of space.

B: Both Boxcutter and Paradox are represented here too, both take the basic formula of their musical genre and pretty much dismantle it. Is that something you aspire to do with your own music? Although you're seen as a 'dubstep' artist, there's much more to your sound than that.

C: It's hard to analyse myself and say whether I write like that, because I'm intending to, or because that's just what comes out naturally. I hope that I can write some stuff that's different, and get attention for that that, but at the same time it's just what I do. Whether or not I'm any good at it is a listeners' personal opinion.

B: Taking a step back let's talk about Shpongle, not an artist I'm familiar with, but the intro to this track sounds suspiciously like something Forsaken would write. Are you subliminally trying to tell us Forsaken is bang into his psy-trance?

C: Haha, well I can't personally vouch for Forsaken's personal influences, but he's been bigging me up from the beginning (thanks Pete!), so there must have been something he liked there. Our music is very different in my opinion, but Forsaken obviously has a strong melodic influences that I share in some places, and a he's brilliant producer all round.

I know Shpongle have been related to psy-trance quite a lot, but it's like Squarepusher relating to D&B. There's definite influences there, but their music is completely something of it's own nature. Shpongle puts more a melodic, world music influenced take on the whole progressive thing. It probably stems back to my Dad playing a lot of random world music around me when I was younger, I've always loved the sound of world music instruments, and their scales, especially eastern ones. Shpongle takes me on a psychedelic journey to the esoteric and mysterious. Recommended listening!

B: So your dad was a big influence on your musical experience growing up?

C: It's hard to say how big, but the world music influenced side of things, he is definitely is at least partially responsible for.

B: And what about your experiences with listening to rock music, was that a formative part of your growing up? The Mars Volta and Deftones are two of the more experimental edge of that spectrum...

C: Rock music was the first music I really got into. I played trumpet from a young age, and did a few grades, that gave me my 'music theory' understanding. I also used to like listening to the music from old computer games (the whole 8-bit thing again). But other than that it took me along time to start buying and listening to commercial music. Dubstep is the first thing I have managed to jump onto closer to when it arrived, everything else I'm a real latecommer.

I liked rock music back then (and still now), probably for the same reasons as all the other kids at school did. It's hard distorted edge, it's aggression, and the huge sonic size that electric guitars give you. But bands like Deftones, The Mars Volta, and Tool are more than that to me. They used melodies and rhythms that were totally new and exciting to me at the time, as you could say yes, experimental. Rock music is probably responsible for the part of me that likes hard, raw, distorted sounds, and bands like these combined that with a whole progressive edge. Of course bands like Pink Floyd had been doing the psychedelic rock thing much earlier, but I wasn't introduced to that until later.

B: Any bands from that realm of music that you're still feeling?

C: I'm still feeling most of them to be honest, I've been out of touch with rock/metal for a while, but I recently saw The Mars Volta in concert. You know it was funny, someone said to me "I would like to see The Mars Volta, but I heard that it just turns into some kind of live jamming session"... live jamming session? That's what's so good about it! Amazing freestyle improvisation, and a drummer that I swear was on steroids.

I couldn't name you any up and coming bands now, as I'm too busy listening to up and coming dubstep artists.

B: It's intriguing that you have influences from the raw edges of sounds like metal and D&B such as Kryptic Minds but your own distillation of those experiences is quite haunting and ethereal in your own music. Is the raw, heavy, metallic sound on the other extreme side of dubstep something that would interest you in making?

C: I have a track called President Tune which is supposedly due for vinyl release soon that will reveal all, it's hard, techy and dirty.

B: Is it a style you hope to explore more or just an experiment to see if you could write in that style? What label is it due out on?

C: Yeah, I want to write more darker, harder tunes in parallel with the more ethereal stuff. I'm hoping it will be out on Destructive soon. You can hear President Tune on my myspace at the moment.

B: Destructive is a big look! Congratulations. Talking about releases, Campfire Funk on Soul Motive got a huge amount of critical praise when it was put out, and was embraced by the dubstep community - even though it sounds nothing like atypical dubstep. Did the response take you by surprise somewhat?

C: To be honest, I didn't know what to expect, Neil Kymatik used to say to me "Don't worry, people WILL play this track" and I just trusted him. My only concern is that some people might think I don't make a style closer to halfstep dubstep until I have a few more releases of that nature. Hopefully more will come in the future, and it'll end up a good thing I started that way.

B: I remember when I was passed an unmastered wav of it a year or so back, it sounded so energising and I knew it would be a big track...I think it sits perfectly with the ethos of a record label like Soul Motive. Are you looking to work with those guys again?

C: If they want to release something else, of course I'd be happy to. On the flipside, I think they want to promote, and put out a wide variety of artists and styles.

B: So what's next for you aside from Destructive? Any more releases lined up beyond that?

C: I have no idea really, there's talking going on here and there but nothing confirmed yet.

B: Ha ha that's how it goes, keep at it...OK, I think that just about does it. Anything you'd like to add?

C: Thanks for Diccon (DJ Thinking) for introducing me to Manchego Cheese and Basil Steak rolls, they're possibly the nicest thing I've ever eaten.

B: LOL! Big ups to Diccon, repping cuisine as well as good music! Nice one Coleco thanks for chatting to me!

C: God that was long, I feel sorry for you for having to listen to me talk about myself for what, 4 hours, so sorry if I rambled on!

Lifetracks #01 : Coleco

Boards of Canada - Aquarius
Imperial Breed - On The Run
Squarepusher - TetraSync
Shpongle - Divine Moments of Truth
Paradox - Play Twice Before Listening
The Mars Volta - Roulette Dares
Boxcutter - Brood VIP
Kryptic Minds - The Truth
Toasty - No Prisoners
Deftones - Pink Maggit

DOWNLOAD: Lifetracks #01 : Coleco

Bonus Download

Coleco: Deepest Dubstep Mix

Coleco - Influence
Burial - Unite
Fanu - You May Fall But Don't Hide Your Face
Eleven Tigers - Prosthesis
Toasty - Reflect
Coleco - Moonlight
Burial - Ghost Hardware
Fanu - Burning The Bridge
Coleco - Breathwork
Toasty - Splash
Eleven Tigers - Shanty
Roqqert - Give It
Kontext - Aeromonarch Attacks
Coleco - Deep Red Sun
Toasty - Angel
Jamie Vex'd - Radient Industry
Coleco - Smokey

DOWNLOAD : Coleco - Deepest Dubstep Mix

Ffi : Coleco Website

Free Download : Plodocus - Chordata

2009-07-20T16:31:00.005+01:00

Plodocus
'Chordata (Live)'
(Self-Released 2009)

Here's a treat for any fans of chilled-out electronica or dubstep. We featured up and coming producer Plodocus on the blog some time ago, and recently he played at Drawn Recordings' Laptop Liberation night - which he was then kind enough to record and upload for your enjoyment. This is a mini-mix of his productions so far, with some incredibly promising content to sink your teeth into. Plodocus has a keen ear for light and shade in his music, and the sense of atmosphere he builds on tracks like opener Chaos Patterns shows an artist really taking huge strides in terms of gaining confidence as a producer. As a bonus, alongside the live recording there's a full studio recording of Eshto for you to download to. Enjoy!

Full Tracklisting:

01 - Chaos Patterns
02 - Hyperskank
03 - Take Me
04 - Plodocustard
05 - Voolamay V1
06 - Voolamay V2
07 - Cut Them All Down
08 - Assembly Line
09 - Eshto
10 - Chordata

Plodocus - Chordata (Live)

Download : Plodocus - Chordata (Live)

Plodocus - Eshto

Free Download : Koast - The Koast Is Clear

2009-07-19T17:44:00.003+01:00

Koast
'The Koast Is Clear'
(Self-Released 2008)

Hot on the heels of our review of Rogue's new mixtape, here's a blast from the past courtesy of Koast. Originally released last year, The Koast Is Clear was the culmination of a labour of love for the MC which saw him pull together beats from local luminaries like Forsaken, Gudio, Joker and more alongside cuts from Snafu, Rogue and Awkward. Lyrical support came from the Central Spillz family as well as Hollie G, Se Fire’s Mistafire, K.Ners, Bubbz, and B’Tol. With a guest-list like that you know this is the real deal. Here's what we wrote up last year on it's release:

"This one has been a long time coming, but well worth the wait...Bristol's Hip Hop heritage is strong and is enjoying a bit of a renaissance at the moment; one of the main MCs pushing things forward is Koast. Simply put this is one of the best Hip Hop releases for a while, forget about local pride or bias...every single track on here in terms of beats and lyrics is pitch perfect - an incredible effort from an artist who has been paying his dues for a long time, surely his time is now."

A year on and Central Spillz are truly dominating the local scene, and Koast himself is so in demand it borders on a monopoly. It's been a genuine pleasure to see them ride out the apathy toward Hip Hop in Bristol over the last few years into a time when the genre has seen a true renaissance, and the community that has stood by the sound through thick and thin are reaping the benefits. Again like Rogue's mixtape, this is a document of the amalgamation of a variety of sounds and styles into something that is uniquely Bristol.

Stand-out tracks Broken and People with B'Tol still astound, but the whole album is a joy - and after many repeated listens across the year one that stands the test of time.

Full Tracklisting:

01. Intro feat Johnston, Rogue & Awkward
02. Put Your Hands Up (beats by Dexter Sosay, cuts by Johnston)
03. Verbally Murderous feat Fusion (beats by JD, cuts by Johnston & Snafu)
04. Closer To Closing
05. Broken feat Mistafire, Mackie Skillz, Fusion & Hollie G (beats by The Mysteries)
06. Do It Right Vip remix feat Con, Fusion, Shadz, C-Strike-Z & Mackie Skillz (beats by Guido)
07. Never Leave Me Alone feat C-Strike-Z & Mackie Skillz (beats by Rockit Productions)
08. People B'tol feat Koast (beats by Jagos)
09. Cold As Me feat Con & Just Jay (beats by Amo)
10. Samuel The Skit (skit)
11. F**k The Industry feat Redskin, Mistafire & Mackie Skillz (beats by Interface)
12. Rum & Ginger (beats & cuts by Lopez)
13. Man or Monster feat Conshus, Bubbz aka Chief, Mackie Skillz, D.Scriptive, Stealth MC, K.Ners, Mistafire, B'Tol & Pike (beats by Pike)
14. So Much More feat Redskin (beats by Amo & Marcovitz)
15. The Koast Is Clear (beats by Forsaken & Joker, cuts by Snafu)
***BONUS TRACKS***
16. Do It Right (beats by Guido)
17. In My Hands feat Balance (beats by The Beat Godz)

Koast - Broken (ft. Mistafire, Mackie Skillz, Fusion & Hollie G)

B'Tol feat. Koast - People

Download : Koast - The Koast Is Clear

FFI: Koast Website
FFI: Central Spillz Website

DJ Derek Documentary

2009-07-19T16:33:00.004+01:00

Here's a lovely documentary about a living legend who is Bristol through and through. DJ Derek is a true veteran of the reggae and dub scene in the city and this is a great insight into the man himself. Enjoy.

Free Download : DJ Rogue - Self Harmony Vol 1

2009-07-18T16:37:00.006+01:00

DJ Rogue
'Self Harmony Volume One'
(Self-Released 2009)

Hip Hop has had a welcome resurgence in Bristol over the last two years, thanks in part to the rise in popularity of Dubstep in the city which has brought the sound back out of the doldrums and into the clubs again. A key factor in this reversal of fortune is the propensity of the city's artists to approximate the best elements of both genres and mould it into something new and distinctly adhered to Bristol. It's this willingness to extrapolate the elements in each sound that is forging new ground here away from the vagaries of fashion or trends in other cities - and will undoubtedly provide longevity for the community as a whole.

A case in point is the latest mixtape from Veterbrae's DJ Rogue. A key player in the local scene for some time now, Rogue is as comfortable perfecting hip hop beats as he is crafting heavy bassweight and dubstep low-end. All beats and cuts here are his own, and it seems fitting that a versatile producer and DJ like Rogue has selected a raft of MC talent that mirrors his own sonic dexterity to guest on the mix. A good chunk of the MCs involved in the project regularly spit over a variety of styles - the Central Spillz full crew who represent here are at the forefront of merging styles into something unique to the Bristol environment - and the confidence of this flexibility shines through on what is an intriguing document of this current state of musical evolution.

Se Fire's Mistafire opens proceedings as host with some cursory bars across the string-led intro and showcase scratching, and it quickly becomes apparent that the invention in the beats and samples threatens to overshadow the MCs. Stand-out bars come from Awkward who connects with the beat and flow perfectly, and Koast who's abilities seem to grow and grow with every recorded performance. Rogue's awareness of utilising samples to flip a beat on it's head is invigorating; suddenly what was a rumbling dubbed-out monster becomes a melancholy refrain thanks to the lilt of strings here or the smattering of keys there.

Thirteen MCs on a thirty minute mixtape might seem unlucky for some, but the overall creativity in the beats and bars will keep you coming back for repeated listens to digest the density of ideas present here; there's a real sense of a scene collectively reaching a new level of skill here - and whilst that level is not quite there yet, the seeds of that future sound are being sown here and now. "Big on the road like bus drivers" indeed.

DJ Rogue - Self Harmony Volume 1

Download: DJ Rogue - Self Harmony Volume 1

Dubbed Out In Bristol - Bristol Dubstep Documentary

2009-07-15T18:45:00.003+01:00

Whilst dubstep in Bristol is hardly short of column inches these days, it's always good to hear from the artists themselves rather than the self-perpetuating mythology that journalists and hipsters conjure up about the "bristol sound". This two-part documentary can be seen as an companion piece to original Dubstep documentary Living Inside The Speaker, catching up with the producers featured in that film and including newer additions to the city's pantheon of stars. Well worth a watch, enjoy!

Free Download : Jackov & Frilla - Eyes To The Floor E.P.

2009-07-13T16:51:00.005+01:00

Jackov & Frilla
'Eyes To The Floor EP'
(Self-Released 2009)

One-time Bagman and DJ extraordinaire Jackov has been steadily improving his production skills of late, most noticeably in his first publicly-released effort The Plan a few months ago. Now he's back with a whole EP of off-kilter goodness, this time joining forces with Statix frontman and MC Frilla to provide four tracks of wonky action.

Opener Hefty has all the hallmarks of a twisted dubstep behemoth but it seems crafted from a different fabric to the usual generic wobblers - there's elements of breakcore and techno floating around in the mix - and the result is strangely hypnotic, the sound of a distressed geriatric Dalek that's fallen over in the shower.

Frilla's first offering Redeye again flips the dubstep template into a highly-compressed video game nasty, full of sinister rolling bassweight and clipped percussion that gives the whole track an imminent sense of suspense and drama.

Jackov's second attempt Lench offers a more restrained response to the first two tracks, with a half-step bubbler that combines minimal, spacious drumwork with an undulating bassline straight out of a low-budget slasher movie.

Final Frilla contribution Who Are You brings the grime scattershot percussion to a breathless vocal sample that owes more to the old school of garage then it does the new wave and is the best track on offer here. It would be disingenuous to say this brace of tracks are perfect - as with much of the up and coming ranks of producers who are still in the embryonic stages of making music, the ideas are all present and correct, but perhaps lack the confidence of experience to push them to that next level. That said, this EP shows a lot of promise in these two young artists, and we're looking forward to what happens next.

Jackov - Hefty

Frilla - Redeye

Jackov - Lench

Frilla - Who Are You

Download the full EP

Album Review : Antoni Maiovvi - Shadow Of The Bloodstained Kiss

2009-07-13T13:19:00.006+01:00

Antoni Maiovvi
'Shadow Of The Bloodstained Kiss'
(Seed Records 2009)

"‘Shadow of the Blood Stained Kiss’ is the Antoni Maiovvi score to a nonexistent 1983 Italian Sci-fi giallo starring Barbara Cupisti and Ian McCulloch. In the distant future "Europa," the 2nd moon of Jupiter has been colonized by man. In the midst of this Utopian era a dangerous struggle for power between organised crime and the highest level of government is underway and when Juliet Hardy (Barbara Cupisti), a stunning discotheque singer, becomes witness to a murder the only person who believes her is tough-nosed cyber-journalist, Jason Scott (Ian McCulloch). Together, they unravel more than they bargained for as a sadistic killer runs loose brutally slaying anyone in connection to the crime. Who does this man in black work for and what is the connection between him and an ancient order that have been controlling the known universe since the dawn of time?"

When the press release for a new album reads as above, you know you have something special about to be shoved in your ears. But then again this is Antoni Maiovvi, the alter ego of Geisha frontman Anton Maiof, and so the acceptable parameters of what's normal were eroded many, many years ago. After the sticky majesty of debut album Electro Muscle Cult gained widespread acclaim, this sophomore release was an important one. The current italo and euro-synth revival is continually operating on a thin line between homage and pastiche, with very few artists that have adopted the genre taking the sound in anything even remotely approaching a new direction. Can an artist like Maiovvi - who wears his influences so well but so prominently - offer us anything new above the nostalgic?

Maiovvi has played a dangerous game in releasing what is considered an imagined soundtrack - not only does the composition have to work within it's concept, it also has to be cohesive as an album in it's own right when that element is removed - as well as offer something intriguing within the genre itself. It's a huge gamble that many artists have tried and failed with - but it's one that Maiovvi wins. This is easily an early contender for our album of the year, regardless of the concept - but made all the more awesome because of it. It's hard to describe the joy you feel when you find an album that perfectly crystallises all that you love about music - but Shadow Of The Bloodstained Kiss is one such album.

The elements of it's influence are all present - that twilight period of the late 70s and early 80s where the synth ruled supreme - but Maiovvi has twisted the original sounds of that time into something brand new and exhilarating. The sense of creeping dread prevalent in Argento or Carpenter's finest work bleeds through into the polished chrome and neon of Moroder, but the style has been reinforced with the sensibilities of the new millennium - whilst the vintage synths and undulating rhythms recall Legowelt or Bangkok Impact, the toughened drums and haunting melodies owe more to the sharper, darker styles of Kavinsky. The overall effect works brilliantly on tracks like Plymouth Fury where the elements combine perfectly to transport you to that dark, distant future of masonic cults and sultry chanteuses.

Maiovvi's obvious mastery of his craft becomes even more apparent on Nightmoves and Velocity Central were he commands a pitch-perfect ability to control the dynamics of atmosphere. Both tracks visualise instantly the world Maiovvi is dragging you into, the former reminiscent of the red rain-streaked car ride in Argento's Suspiria but extrapolated into a distopian nightmare, the latter evoking a tense chase into enemy territory that brings to mind De Vorzon's score for The Warriors. Even without the fragments of memory these pieces conjure up, their integrity as stand-alone compositions remains intact. It's a remarkable feat that Maiovvi continues to achieve throughout the entirety of the album.

Stand out tracks include the haunting piano-led Witchcraft which flips around it's central motif a huge bolt-on hi-NRG riff that takes you straight into the heat of the discotheque before some nameless horror unleashes bloodshed on the patrons. Closing tracks The Chase Pt 1 & Pt 2 are still the quintessential Maiovvi compositions - sinister melodies enveloped in pounding drumwork that continually shifts it's shape to keep your synapses stimulated. It's a rare thing to find an album that encapsulates such invention and spirit, and even rarer for one that is shrouded in the contrivance of a concept such as this. Maiovvi not only revels in this contrivance, but transcends it, taking the listener into a whole new realm of pleasure.

5 out of 5 - Essential!

Antoni Maiovvi - The Chase Part 1

FFI : Antoni Maiovvi Website

BUY: Antoni Maiovvi - Shadow Of The Bloodstained Kiss

Rebel With A Cause : An Interview With Jo Hook

2009-07-13T12:17:00.006+01:00

Byte recently caught up with Jo Hook, the co-founder of charity Temwa, which has provided much-needed aid and support for the country of Malawi. Malawi is a landlocked country south of the equator in sub-Saharan Africa bordering Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia. Life expectancy in Malawi dropped from 45 years in 1990 to 38 years in 2005 (UNDP, 2004) and is expected to drop rapidly in the future due to HIV/AIDS pandemic. Exact figures for the HIV infection rate are difficult to substantiate, but the 2004 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) indicate that 12% of women and men age 15-49 in Malawi are currently infected with HIV. Temwa operates in the Northern district of Nkhata Bay in an isolated rural area called Usisya, and has helped the local community there build a better lives for themselves through a variety of projects.

Bristolians may be more familiar with Temwa through the fundraising events arm of their operation, otherwise known as Monsterpiece. They've been responsible for some memorable parties in recent years around the city, all in the name of a great cause. Jo took the time to take Byte through some of the highlights and good work Temwa has accomplished.

B: Take us through the evolution of Temwa and your involvement in the organisation.

JH: Temwa was started by myself and Sophie Elson, we both lived and worked in Malawi in 1999-2000. Whilst there, we came face to face with the many hardships that the people of Malawi deal with on a daily basis. We saw someone we work with slowly die because of AIDS - Lotti - a member of staff where we worked.

We watched Lotti loose his fight against AIDS: a disease that had already claimed the lives of his wife and many of his close family. His death left his sister to look after and provide for all of his six children, plus her other brother's and sister's offspring, who were all orphaned by either AIDS, cholera, malaria or typhoid. We were so moved by the desperate situation that, on our return to England, we decided to send out the equivalent of Lotti's monthly income to support his family.

It was apparent that this story was not unusual in this part of the world and the we felt empowered to do more. We spent time researching the specific problems Malawian's were facing and how to best tackle them. They began a three-year fundraising programme that would not only raise awareness, but also the targeted amount in order to start their planned projects.

The majority of the money needed to start Temwa was raised by the Monsterpiece nights, in particular by a band called Babyhead. This initial period was truly inspirational; it was amazing to see a dedicated group of people working totally for free, organising events to raise funds for a charity idea that founders Jo Hook and Sophie Elson had on returning from a trip to Africa. The aim was to start a project to help families affected by the HIV and AIDS epidemic in Malawi. Research was undertaken, whilst fundraising, to decide how best to start the project.

Now the organisation has been up & running in Malawi for 5 years and we have achieved an amazing amount of stuff! See below:

* Building & running the first Community Centre in Usisya. The Community Centre was opened in July 2004.
* Organising a variety of HIV & AIDS education programs and reaching over 10,000 members of the community in Usisya with invaluable information relating to HIV & AIDS.
* Building & running the first Library in Usisya. The Library was opened in September 2007.
* Building of 2 x Primary Schools, one in the village of Sangano (opened in February 2008) and one in the village of Nkhutu (opened in May 2009)
* Training of 15 Bricklayers & providing them with starter packs to start their own business.
* Training of 12 Tailors & providing them with starter packs to start their own business.
* Training of 6 community forestry experts.
* Distribution and planting of over 1,300 tree's around Usisya
* Organising 12 community bonding & educational events, which include; 6-a-side football tournaments, netball tournaments, community centre open days.
* Creation & running of an Agricultural Training Centre (Demonstration Garden) opened in February 2006.
* Training of over 250 farmers on sustainable agricultural techniques.
* In-depth study on the communities needs in Usisya (Community Profile Survey)
* In-depth study on food & nutrition in Usisya (Food & Nutrition Survey)
* Twinning of Marlwood, Redcliffe & Chipping Sodbury schools in Bristol with schools in Usisya.
* Providing materials & equipment for schools in Usisya, including books, pens, pencils, calculators, sports equipment & a computer.
* Creating the first ever film in the Tumbuka Language (Tumbuka is spoken by more than 1 million people) the film is called "People Like Us", completed in January 2008. This film documents the lives of 3 people from Usisya who are HIV positive, it records their experience of finding out their status, how they cope with their life HIV positive, they encourage other people to reduce stigma for HIV positive people, to become tested themselves and to do what they can to stop themselves from contracting HIV. This film has so far been shown to over 2,000 people in Usisya, its used nationwide and has been shown on national TV in Malawi.

B: What have been the highlights of your involvement so far?

JH: In the UK or Malawi? In Malawi - Meeting people whose lives we have literally saved, I have meet people who are HIV positive, they wouldn't have been tested if it wasn't for Temwa, they would have died of AIDS by now. But now they are getting ARV's (the drugs to prolong your life) and they have support groups & skills training - and they are doing really well.

In the UK? So much stuff! We had an amazing comedy gig in London on Sunday with Dave Gorman, there was a Full Cycle night in 2003 organised by Becky legs, that raised us £4,000 and we had Marky, XRS, Roni Size, Krust, Die, Bryan G and many many more. We had a breaks night in London with Plump DJ's, Krafty Kuts, Tayo, Evil Nine, Freq Nasty & more! All the amazing nights we did at the Thekla with Babyhead, all the amazing nights at Native with so many talented bands and musicians, the nights we have done with Blowpop, the nights we have done with Run & The Blast, the amazing art exhibitions that we have done! If you go here you will see all the flyers from all the events over the years. Too many good events to pick one out as a highlight!

B: How important is the Bristol community in helping Temwa achieve it's aims?

JH: I don't think the organisation would be where it is today if it were not for all the amazing people in Bristol giving us support. The Bristol community has been amazing, all of the DJ's, bands, promoters, the clubbers, we have a great turn out to all our events. The artists, the people who do the runs & the cycle rides, everyone has been amazing! I was born & brought up in Bristol, I used to go out all the time when I was younger to places like Trinity, Lakota, Thekla, so I met loads of people through the party scene. I worked at The Thekla for 9 years (on & off) and met loads of people through there, thats where I met all the babyhead guys when they first moved to Bristol, they were all instrumental in helping raise the first round of funds needed. We are now firm friends & I don't know where we would be without them!

B: Whats next for Temwa and where can we read more about the organisation's activities?

JH: We run regular Monster Piece nights. We had our last night at Native (as Native is closing) on Friday 10th July. We're working out the next venue for the Monster Piece nights, we'll keep doing nights with people like Blowpop, Run, The Blast, etc, our MP residents play at The Park, Spotted Cow, places like that... You can keep up to date here.

FFI : Temwa Website

An edited version of this interview appeared in Venue Magazine.

Bristol Festival 2009

2009-06-21T16:59:00.006+01:00

A little teaser video for the 2009 Bristol Festival, which will be bigger and better than last year so we hear! The event runs from 18-20th September so something to look forward to when those summer nights leave us for another year.

For more info: Bristol Festival

....and we're back.

2009-06-19T20:22:00.013+01:00

After a bit of a break from the jet-set lifestyle of local blogging, B365 is back on it - and to celebrate, here's a bumper post to get us back on track with some of the astounding music eminating from this fine city right now.

First up we have to say a big WOAH! to the collective mentalism known as MICHAEL J ROCKS for giving up the amazing Symmetry Breaking mix of their own material. We're not going to oversell it - suffice to say it's some of the best music you'll hear all year - and it's free, so what else is there to discuss?

>>DOWNLOAD - MICHAEL J ROCKS : SYMMETRY BREAKING

Next up is a sick little session off of Pollen Radio with three local selectors going places fast - TIME, SICKMAN D & EFA. This throwdown popped off a week or so back and is well worth picking up - the set is hot and heavy!

>>DOWNLOAD - POLLEN RADIO 12.06.09 : TIME, SICKMAN D & EFA

B365 Favourite DAVE BAIN has taken time out from creating awesome illustrations to take to the decks with his alter ego WAXMOUSE. And the results are suitably fantastic! His first podcast with cohort Pupfish is a great mix up of sounds and styles showing Mr.Bain is infuriatingly talented in two disciplines now...

>>DOWNLOAD - PUPFISH & WAXMOUSE : PODCAST 01

Another month and another absolutely essential mix from WASCAL - this man can do no wrong in our eyes and it's a definite that although his star is on the rise now, next year will be his time to break into the big leagues. Grab this astounding mix whilst you can!

>>DOWNLOAD - WASCAL : SUMMER RAVE UP 2009

GYU is another producer and DJ on the tipping point to stardom, and none can be more deserving than this man - one of the nicest, and most talented guys in the business. Recently he dropped this devestating Dubstep mix which overnight banished all our growing boredom with the creative cul-de-sac the genre is heading down. A must have mix.

Tracklist:

Embrace - 2562
Sweat - Untold
Rain - Breakage
Swords - Leftfield
Speakers Corner - Eskmo vs AntiSerum Mix
Fallen - Distance (Vex'd Mix)
The Knowledge - Toasty (Untold remix)
Killing it Dead - Cosmin TRG (Emalkay Remix)
Rut - Joe
Dante - Untold
Forward Youth - RSD
Juice - Gyu
They Know - TRG and Kontext (TRG BerlinWall VIP)
CCTV - LV feat Dandelion)
Unseen - Gyu
Vancouver - Martyn (2562's Pur Natuur Mix)
Over Here - Appleblim and Peverelist
Upset - Gyu
Losing Marbles - Dub U and TRG (2562 Remix)
Bear Witness - Pangaea

>>DOWNLOAD - GYU : DUBSTEP MIX

Man of the moment JAKES has still been dropping the heat with his regular mini-mixes, and this feels like the time to update the blog with the last two - both firing on all cylinders! No tracklists this time, it's just a straight cop!

>>DOWNLOAD - JAKES : APRIL MINI-MIX

>>DOWNLOAD - JAKES : MAY MINI-MIX

That's yer lot for now, more coming up this week!

Rewind! The Tribute To Neil Kymatik

2009-05-24T12:49:00.003+01:00

Nuff Said.

Join the Faceboook page here.

Downtime

2009-05-10T14:10:00.002+01:00

A quick note to apologise to those who check B365, thanks for all the messages asking what's going on! Don't worry we're still here - and we'll be back this coming week with a bumper update for you all. Keep it locked!

B365 Pick Of The Week : 6th - 12th March

2009-04-09T19:01:00.013+01:00

Well it seems like an eternity but the Easter weekend is finally here and there's a hefty load of fun times on the horizon, and here's some juicy morsels fresh from the B365 inbox for your enjoyment.

This rather stern-looking gentleman is none other than Gecko of Kingpin infamy, one of the best and brightest club nights in Bristol for some time now. Gecko has been cultivating a production habit for a hot minute, and has very kindly donated up two tracks for your perusal: Aye Kalimba is a stipped down techno bubbler with flashes of melodic genius, whilst Cape McClear has the wonky vibe in abundance with skittering percussion and oscillating frequencies. Both have the hallmark of a sound rooted in the playful heyday of techno's early years - and all the better for it.

DOWNLOAD : Gecko - Aye Kalimba
DOWNLOAD: Gecko - Cape McClear

Another hotly-tipped producer making waves locally is the remarkably named Pip-Bwoy 3000 whose brand of jacking fidget funk has already been snapped up by record labels, so keep an eye out for release soon. In the meantime, cop some of his quality mixes from his blog, and make sure you stop by to say thanks.

Mix One Tracklist:

MIX ONE

FREAK FU & MUZA YAKUZA - BLOW
CALVERTRON VS BANGA - LIKE DAT (2 BIT THUGS REMIX)
JAMES COCOZZA - GARF (DOPAMINE REMIX)
MIGHTYFOOLS - HEY BABE (ELECTRIC SOULSIDE REMIX)
MARK TROPHY - SHAKE IT
CHRIS JAMES & LEE DEARN - TORCIDA CUMBIA (MIGHTYFOOLS REMIX)
THE PRODIGY - EVERYBODY IN THE PLACE (AC SLATER REMIX)
KYLE WATSON - JACK MY WOBBLE (DEFUNCT REMIX)
UNKLE - RESTLESS (FAKE BLOOD REMIX)
HOSTAGE - SHAKE IT
JELO - AWESOMESAUCE (TWOCKER REMIX)
PIP-BOY 3000 - WHACK-A-MOLE
DJ ZINC & DAVE SPOON - GHOST TRAIN (LEE MORTIMER REMIX)
ESCOBAR & VITO - ON A BADMAN TIP (MICKY SLIM REMIX)
TWOCKER - RUFFNECK
AC SLATER - JACK GOT JACKED (JACK BEATS REMIX)
PIP-BOY 3000 - RUNNING WITH SCISSORS
JAK Z & SCOTT COOPER - MOVE YA (TOM EQ VS HIJACK REMIX)
CHRIS LAKE & MICKY SLIM - SHAKE
BOY 8-BIT - FOGBANK (JACK BEATS REMIX)
BAOBINGA & id - MACHINE (AQUASKY REMIX)
STUPID FRESH - GRIP YOURSELF
DON DIABLO - TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL
PIP-BWOY 3000 - BOBBLEHEAD

Mix Two Tracklist:

Beaudamian - Give Me Jackin
J Caprice - Pass That Jack
Dopamine - Spunk Tom
EQ - Skewer (Kyle Watson Remix)
Beaudamian - Wanna Be With You Everytime
Kayne West - Love Lockdown (Santiago & Bushido Remix)
Jesse Rose - Touch My Horn (Mad Kids Remix)
Twocker - Ruffneck (Riva Star Remix)
Ursula 1000 - Zombies (Hijack Remix)
Loveys & Yusuf - Insects
Burial - Archangel (Boy 8-bit Remix)
Sasha - Xpander (Deadmau5 Remix)
High Noon at Salinas - Celebration (Global Experience Remix)
Elite Force - Peyote Road (AMB Remix)
Gary Jules - Mad World (Stefan's Journey Into Madness Mix)

DOWNLOAD : Pip-Bwoy 3000 Mix One
DOWNLOAD : Pip-Bwoy 3000 Mix Two

B365 favourite Kallendar has been hard at work in the studio again, with another quality production in the guise of Lost Day, a cinematic downtempo joint that is proof again of this artist's growing confidence in his abilities. Don't sleep!

DOWNLOAD : Kallendar - Lost Day

Meanwhile, Kallendar's partner in crime Jackov has made his first move into production with his first track The Plan, and for a debut it is startingly good. It's with a great deal of happiness that B365 sees two of it's favourite DJs take leaps and bounds into new sonic realms and long may it continue.

DOWNLOAD : Jackov - The Plan

Entertainment this weekend is in abundance but for B365 the ever-reliable Triptic will be the place to be this Friday, with an exclusive techno set from the fast-rising superstar Jackmaster.

Saturday is all about the compact and bijou rave-up, and where better to get your freak on then the Tube with the finest in all things bass from Seasonfive?

Then on the Sunday its all aboard the good ship Thekla for some beautiful bassweight courtesy of The Blast and Ruffnek Diskotek. Enjoy the weekend!

B365 Bonus Bytes - Mary Anne Hobbs

2009-04-04T20:29:00.008+01:00

Any Dubstepper worth their chestplate knows Mary Anne Hobbs is worth her bassweight in gold. A tireless champion of the genre for years, she has been pivotal in providing exposure for the Bristol dubstep community. Recently B365 had the opportunity to chat to her and this is what came out of that.

B: At the end of last year you featured the Bristol : Rise Up special which showcased 12 of the city's best artists. How important do you feel Bristol's producers are in the ongoing progress of Dubstep on a global scale?

MAH: I have been deeply inspired by the Bristol scene for the last 2 years.. I feel a real sense of community building.. and the power of people making closer links and working together to push the scene forward is creating real tangible forward momentum... The diversity of sound is really fascinating.. Joker's 'purple' neo-grime 80's influenced beats at one end of the scale - Appleblim's haunting, skeletal, minimal techno inspired soundscapes at the other...

B: You've been pivotal in the promotion of Dubstep for some years now, especially with shows like Dubstep Warz and Generation Bass. The scene is much bigger now - how do you feel about the ongoing growth of the genre? Some feel its increasing commercial worth is dividing the scene.

MAH: Man cannot hang in suspended animation.. If a young scene and sound does not evolve and progress, it will wither on the vine.. I see dubstep flourishing like a beautiful exotic Amazonian rainforest flower.. You can call me romantic if you like, but I'm also a realist.. The core principals on which the scene were founded still hold true, in spite of the great international success of the sound. The scene is completely self sufficient.. and, crucially, artists are the masters of their own destiny.

B: You've worked hard to get to where you are now. As a woman, have you ever felt your gender has been a hindrance in progressing within the music scene? Do you feel your rise in success is all the more rewarding if you have experienced ignorance in the past?

MAH: I've always been judged on my ability to deliver.. I have really valuable support and respect from the males i work closely with.. As far as haters are concerned.. they are powerless, insignificant and exist only in microscopic numbers, in fact most of my male associates suffer more abuse than me.

4. What can we expect from your upcoming sets? Was your recent podcast for XLR8R a good indication?

MAH: Yes i guess so... a great deal of Bristol beats and I'll be working in some of the deeply inspirational music I picked up on my trip to LA and SF for the West Coast Rocks special... you can check the film here:

B: Which moments in your career have been the most memorable?

"Dubstep Warz" in 2006... there was real magic in the studio that night.. I knew that the producers involved Digital Mystikz, Skream, Kode 9, Distance, Loefah, Vex'd and Hatcha would come with phenomenal beats.. but the scale of the response around the globe was completely overwhelming! Three years later, people still tell me every week "Dubstep Warz" changed my life...

I had a similar experience putting together the "West Coast Rocks" special for the show in January 2009.. the energy and passion and sense of invention among the community of LA and SF producers right now is so powerful.. and the response to that show has been incredible internationally!

B: Which new producers do you rate coming up through the ranks now?

MAH: Hyetal, Nosaj Thing, Mono/Poly, Samiyam, Take, Teebs, Exile, The Gaslamp Killer, Blank Blue, Dam-Fun and RasG, Daedelus, Daddy Kev, The Glitch Mob, EPROM, Bookworms, Clubroot, Paul White, Floating Points, Ikonika, Cooly G, Bullion.. the list is endless..

B: What can we expect coming up on the show? Any exciting developments on the horizon? Will there be another Rise Up special on another city?

MAH: I want to do a city focus on Glasgow next... But every week is thrilling... trust me ;)

B: What artists have has the most influence on your life?

MAH: The Sex Pistols who inspired me to run away from home..

John Peel who was like my surrogate father and embodied every principle i hold dear, he taught me how to live this life..

Kode 9, Flying Lotus and DJ Pinch.. they are masters of invention, but i also love them for their grace and the way they continue to nurture so much.

B: Any words of wisdom for those starting out in music or music journalism?

MAH: Charge at your dreams and never look back.

An edited version of this interview appeared in Venue Magazine.

B365 Mix Of The Week : 30th March - 5th April

2009-04-04T10:50:00.005+01:00

Local bassweight badman Wascal just keeps improving in his abilities both as a DJ & Producer, and his monthly mixes have become a real treat. His april mix is no different - a true tour de force through all things bass. Check the tracklist:

1. Wedge - Cabot Circus
2. Gemmy - Bass Transmitter
3. Noah D & Roommate - The Bassman
4. Digital Mystiks - Neverland
5. Submerse - Everything Around Us
6. Sclist - Crude
7. Joker - Psychadelic Runway
8. Ikonika - Please
9. Massive Music - Find My Way (Kode 9 mix)
10. Wascal - Vamp
11. Loefah - Twisup VIP
12. Monsta - Streetfighter
13. Wascal - Clustered
14. Roommate - Conquer
15. Von D - Echolow
16. Slaughter Mob - Dubtripper
17. Kahn - Ward Off
18. J:Kenzo - Cosmo
19. Gatekeeper - Slow Motion Dub
20. Dub U - Space Explorer
21. Zeno - One vs One
22. Twisted - No Mercy
23. Guido - You Do It Right
24. Joker - Do It
25. MRK1 - Realmatize
26. Phaeleh ft Indi Kaur - Rise
27. Jamie Vexd - Saturns Reply
28. DLX - Reset
29. Skream - Love Don't Come Easily
30. Slaughter Mob - D.O.R
31. Wedge & Shadz - Eye On The Prize
32. Jamie Vexd - Radiant Industry
33. Marchmellow - Ouch VIP
34. Twisted - The Superpowers
35. Starkey - Miracles (Jamie Vexd mix)
36. TriFunk - Huntsman
37. Distance - My Demons
38. Intager - Feel No Way
39. DSK - Insulted
40. Level 67 - $100 Block Of Hash VIP
41. Tempa T - Next Hype
42. Whiteboi - Get Lean
43. Benga - Crunked Up
44. EMU & Pawn - Periscope Dub
45. Wascal - Overstep

DOWNLOAD : Wascal - April Mix