This is the second interview in a series of articles published on dubstep.ro somewhere between 2007-2008. A couple of weeks ago we revived a rather long discussion between Tomasan and Hotflush's A&R at the time - c0p.
This time it's Whistla's turn. Before we (at that time - dubstep.ro and Yazee) got him to play over for the first time in October 2008, we had a quick chat with him about Sub FM, Dubstep, the potential revival of 2-Step and UK Garage (which actually happened!) and...just about records leaning on a desk.
A fun and quite relevant read for those who missed out on some things 4-5 years back, way before L2S Recordings was born and well before the term Future Garage was coined.
Interviewing affairs handled by myself - Antonio Nartea.
1. Ez mate and loads of thanks for spending your time on this interview. How’s stuff in the UK?
Yeh not bad bro. I’ve been obsessed with the Olympics the last couple of weeks, haha! Been busy with lot of bookings this summer getting out of London for gigs and stuff so everything’s been going nice.
2. First of all, tell us something about yourself and especially, besides DJ-ing and producing, who’s Whistla as a listener, what are your main influences and maybe your favourite artists?
Well I’m from the “hardcore continuum” as people seem to call it. I first started getting properly into music in the late 80s / early 90s. I used to be a regular hardcore raver for many years before actually building or DJing tunes (my fav producers from that time were Satin Storm, the way their tracks would barely hold together is amazing). Then along came Garage…lol.
I’m a big big fan of Todd Edwards, I listen to his stuff all the time still and would probably say he is the single biggest influence on me. I am also a massive fan of KMA Productions and recently did a mix of all their released tracks. Something people may not know is I was / am a massive fan of Pavement, the way they carried melodies across instruments, so that no one instrument carries the melody alone, and also their whole approach was really inspiring to me musically.
More recent people I am a big fan of include: Dem 2, Sunship, Steve Gurley, Horsepower, The Avalanches, El-B, Mala, Mr. Pud, Burial, M2J, Sully, Martyn, LHF, The Wideboys…there’s honestly so many people I like! People I’m feeling most at any given time are usually in my top friends on my myspace page: www.myspace.com/djwhistla. I could go on listing names forever! Haha.
Stuff I have laying on the side next to me right now: my record box that has what I played this week on the radio (tracklist on my blog), a CD of Ratty and MC Robbie Dee Live at Dance Planet in ‘92, Pavement - Brighten The Corners, some new Blackmass Plastics tunes, some LHF tunes and some M2J tunes, Todd Edwards - Odyssey, Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works Vol. 1, a Sabrepulse CD, a stack of old mixtapes, a Submerse CD, and a few old Acen and 4 Hero tunes leaning on the desk.
3. Let’s focus a bit on your DJ career. When did the story begin and since when SubFM? What’s the tale of “Warehouse Meditation” after all?
Well I started DJing in about 96/97 and building around the same time. I started playing on Addiction 95.2FM and from that started to get bookings in most of the big raves of the time (Raindance, Dreamscape etc.). After playing the hardcore Breakbeat scene for a few years I decided it was time to go exploring the world and boxed up my tunes and went off travelling over Asia. When I came back I moved up to Sheffield and got involved in a station up there (Rush Radio) and decided that FM and all the OFCOM stuff was getting out of hand and seeing that the net was becoming so prevalent everywhere I thought why not start an online station, no OFCOM to worry about, and be able to make sure the right music was on it. So that I could tune in at anytime and would stay tuned in, rather than keep scanning. And so SubFM was born (May 2004). It was perfect timing really as Dubstep at the time was just getting underway properly and there was no online outlet for it that was reliable and regular. From that the station has grown to what it is now. My path since SubFM is more well known I assume, I moved back to London and have been here 3 years now. Back in my hometown.
Well “Warehouse Meditation” is kind of a an idea of how I go to a night, or how I would want a night to be. People in a “warehouse-type” place, be it a warehouse, cellar, bunker etc. and the “meditation” of just being in a dark room with bass and nothing else, no lasers, no dancers in neon. Like the original raves but with the modern appreciation of sound and quality systems. I guess the whole idea, for me, stems from Garage nights in warehouses were the budgets were tight, and lasers etc. weren’t worth the expenditure, so they would get a system in a place, and let the music fill it out.
4. Your sets are more like a bridge between Dubstep and it’s ancestors. You’re blending in all types of UK Bassline stuff from old Garage tunes, 2-Step to the newest sounds of Dubstep. How did you come up with this style?
I didn’t think “I know I will do this…”. I just sort of got to this point by just building tunes that I like and I’ve kind of evolved to making the stuff I make now. I am one of those people that has to build, it’s my creative outlet and meditation in one. When I’m building I enter into my own space where all i’m thinking about is the music and nothing else. The end result is the tunes, but I don’t set out to make a certain type of tune or anything, it just happens. I get influences from what’s around me and what I hear of course, but I never set out to make something sound a certain way, I just go where the tune starts to take me as I’m building it. 5. Are the “old school sounds” like Garage or 2-Step still catchy for the people out there, in the clubs or on the radio? No one seems to talk that much about these genres nowadays.
I would say that Garage and 2-Step are only as “old school” as House and Techno is. Fair enuff the genre name has been around a while, but the excitement to be found in the sounds and melodies is neverending. It depends where you are I think as well, in my area Garage classics are still played in all the club nights. I think that out of London (in my experience) Garage and 2-Step never really had anywhere near the impact that it had in London. London and Garage, I think, will forever be tied together.
6. As a producer also, you’re actually a bit “old school”, influenced a lot by Garage, Speed Garage and so on. Also you’re running a couple of labels hooked up on this sound too. Tell us more about it.
Yeh, Ox Rider is my vinyl releasing label, we have had 4 releases so far “Heaven / Rollerball” being the latest. I’d been wanting to start a new label for a while and managed to get a deal with ST Holdings to distribute my stuff. I have the ethos of “would I buy this?” and running my own label allows me the freedom to put out what I like without having to tame down my music. A lot of label owners are worried about putting out stuff that doesn’t easily fit into “the mould” whatever that may be for the genre you’re talking about. Running my own labels allows me to just go with my instincts and not have to answer to anyone but myself.
Warehouse Meditation is kind of my little digital project, we have only had one release on that so far (”Sacred As Standard / Weed College”). I have another release lined up for it and will be putting other artists out on that one to give exposure to tracks and artists that people otherwise won’t get the chance to own. In the future there will be a Warehouse Meditation EP on Ox Rider featuring some of the most popular tracks, but that’s once we have put more out on it!
7. Considering the fact that you’re actually a main man at SubFM, and you’re also producing and running two labels almost exactly on this profile, have you ever thought about yourself as one of the DJs that kept / keep the 2-Step sound alive?
Difficult question. I wouldn’t have said I was saving it, at least not on my own! I just play the tunes that I get, and find, that I like. I think there was definitely a point where the popularity of Dubstep and a particular trend in Dubstep had a flash point and you would hear a lot of people building with similar beats and sounds, and that did make me re-evaluate what I want to be making and playing. But as for setting out to “keep 2-Step alive” I don’t think it went anywhere, people just stopped paying attention.
8. Switching to the Dubstep scene, stuff’s been a bit divided lately into techy sounds, dancefloor bits and so on. There are producers out there blending Dubstep with lots and lots of other genres from Minimal Techno to Dancehall. Do you have a favourite sound, from all the styles out in the scene?
I don’t really have a preferred sound as such, I like the fact that the scene has so much freedom for experimentation. It’s a testament to the listeners that they are willing to listen to such different stuff in one night. I will like a diff type of tune for a diff reason at a diff time and I love how Dubstep can cater for all these moments.
9. “Warehouse Meditation” also sounds to me like a great name for an event series. And I’m not talking about 200 people sitting in yoga positions in a warehouse. Haha. I mean, huge Garage, 2-Step, Dubstep raves. Have you ever tried building a promoting brand under this name? It could be the long-awaited revival of Garage.
I would love to put a night on and have been chatting to people about it, so watch this space is all I can say for now.
10. Science fiction: If UK Garage and all the related genres never existed in the first place. Would you have chose not to DJ at all or to start with other genres?
Haha. well do you include Hardcore in that? Cos I played Hardcore many many moons ago (and I’m sure someone who has thought about the “hardcore continuum” more than me would have something to say on it! Haha). I don’t know, I would have been doing something in music that’s for sure!
11. „Heaven” was, is and will be, personally, one of my favourite tunes. A scoop on future releases? Future projects? Will there be any new artists signed at your labels?
Well I have a few tunes signed up at the moment: “Larry” - Clandestine Cultivations, “Riot Squad” - Bankai Recordings, “Rain Hits The Sun” - Ringo Records and “River of Tears / N35″ - Warehouse Meditation Music.
I’ve got a lot of new material I’m working on at the moment and would like to do an album, I’ve still got to find a label that would be interested. Ox Rider will stay as just Whistla productions but yeh Warehouse Meditation will be taking on new artists in the future. Keep checking the sites.
12. A shout out for the Romanian massive?
Yeh I would like to say a massive big up to everyone in Romania, thanks for your support!!! I will hopefully be over to play for you soon!
13. Thanks for your time again bruv, and wishing you the best of luck in whatever’s next to come.
No worries bro, safe. Take it easy. Swivel!
-
More about Whistla on www.whistla.com. Sub FM is still running, just entered its 8th year online and can be found here: www.sub.fm.
Back in 2007 and 2008, way before BASICS popped up, I used to handle editorial affairs for dubstep.ro, as some of you may already know. Around that period of time Toma Soare (Tomasan), Silviu Costinescu (Alien Pimp) and myselfmanaged to sort out a couple of interviews with people that at the time being were deeply involved in the Dubstep / current Bass Music scene.
Late 2007, one specific interview had Hotflush Records' ex-A&R in the spotlight. A certain gentleman that goes by the name of c0p and has laid a solid foundation for the Dubstep, Techno and Bass Music scenes in Hungary and the whole Europe as a DJ on Sub FM, as a promoter, as a talent scout back when Hotflush was just another label on the market and as a graphic designer for most relevant events in Budapest and for a couple of well known labels from the UK.
Since dubstep.ro took a dive and we are in possesion of what we like to call "timeless material" we took the liberty to re-publish a short novel that even 4 years after it first hit the web, still tells an undeniable truth. A great "early day vs. present thoughts" comparison that could easily spark memories for everyone involved with music or the past and current scenes. A great open discourse (or even monologue at times) reaching issues like: Stereotyp, Dubstep's early days in Hungary, the dubplate culture, Basic Channel, minimalism, Drum & Bass, crowds, the launch of Hessle Audio, El-Sid, predicting the future or simply being busy.
Interviewing affairs handled by Toma Soare.
c0p says it all!
c0p? Instead for me to make an introduction to this interview, c0p does it himself…so easy, you can see I didn’t even ask questions, as a rhetorical view, he does it himself again. We could say c0p talks to him with me in the background…so just go through it…Enjoy!
1. Hey c0p, how are you doing?
A bit busy. Okay, lets say freakin’ busy. Luckily I have to execute loads of projects at the moment. Hopefully you will see and hear the issues in 2008. I think I have to learn living without sleeping as looking back in the past years' boredom is an unknown word in my vocabulary. I’m always working on different tasks in different fields which is basically good. So to cut the long story short, I’m fine thanks.
2. Where does c0p come from? We might get scared, are you a policeman?
Well, I have to draw old memories when my life could have been described by 8 bits. I got my first experience by a Hungarian computer named Primo (pure quality at that time with 1kb memory and 2 colors) and a few years later I hooked up with commodore plus4 and c64. My life was permanently determined by computers. Well, not as much as nowadays but it was enough to jump into the demoscene in the late 80s. There I began using “cop” what was easy to remember, unique (who wanna call himself a cop?), cool to draw because of all the rounded letters and at last short enough to put onto classic 3-bit high score tables. And if you hate cops you’d better think of Robocop hahaha. I still use this nick to all of my activities and at the dawn of the h4ck3r typing I began using zero around 1997. Well, I still use both but zero equalize the word better in typography. So I don’t have anything in common with the police, even my father isn’t a cop as a rumor catched my ears back in the days.
3. When did you start Dj-ing and what did you play that time and who are the artists who influenced you over the time?
My most favorite question as I can start a never-ending tale and everyone gets bored before the end. I’m trying to sacrifice my storyteller side and cut the long story short. I’m trying to live open-minded so I hardly can state that there is just a number of influences reached me during the past decades. I should begin with Kraftwerk's “Boing Boom Tschak”, Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit”, Paul Hardcastle's “19″, Hot Streak’s “Bodywork” or Malcom McLaren’s “Buffalo Gals” just to show what were my grounding hits. Alongside these I melted into the Hip-Hop/B-Boy era with all classic stuff. Honestly I think I’m still on the same aesthetic vibe in a disguise, as only the elements changed during the time. On the other hand I can tell that my very first fave was Boney M, hahaha! Risking of ruining the evolved vision of a progressive c0p I can add Pet Shop Boys to my early 80s influences. I always tell that Rock and me are two different stories but I was listening to EMF, RHCP, Nirvana, Bodycount, Faith No More, Pink Floyd, at least one of their albums. But seriously, I realized that I can’t deny my raw and overwhelming desire of crispy, delicious beats, endless flow of wise minimalism or everlasting flow of bassline driven moods. Maybe that's why I’ve never sticked to any styles too long and ended up as a basshead who just wanna join his forces with others to shape the future.
I can continue counting the influences of my musical background after the late 80s but we wouldn’t finish this. So I just mention that I started asking mixtapes from my German, Dutch and Swiss friends I hooked up with on the Commodore64 demoscene (I used to be on the team Faces). That's how I found all the classic UK Hardcore bits, the very first mayday compilation, the Acid House fever, the Ambient space and even the Jungle fever just before 1993. In 1995 I got my first request to play in a freshly opened club and after a few months we started to organize our first monthly club night what went awesome for a year. That's how it all started and since then I played with several of my former icons (Rhythm & Sound, LTJ Bukem, Kevin Saunderson, etc. …) and we also invited a few heroes and upcoming talents to Pecs (Monolake, Jojo Mayer, Seba & Robert Manos, Doc Scott, Lawgiverz, ASC, Aquasky, Search & Destroy, Hotflush gang, etc. …). Looking back to very early 90s I’ll be always thankful for artists like the Basic Channel camp, the Warp stable, Steve Reich, FSOL, Plastikman, Orbital, Speedy J, Burnt Friedman (& Drome), The Orb, SND, Amon Tobin, Alec Empire or Biochip C. Sooo many names worth to mention. I should stop here haha. I think all the musical eras gave me a lot of inspiration and a pack of names but I’m always in search of new elements, fusions and impressions (maybe because I used to compose tunes?) though the aesthetic and philosophy are the same every time. I never cared what style I play until there are connections between them. That’s why I loved playing 8-9 hours sets covering everything from Dub, Minimal, Nu-Jazz, Dubstep to Broken Beat, Breaks, Electro, Drumfunk or Drum & Bass. Nowadays I prefer playing Dubstep (avoiding wobbler overdose and focusing on new directions), quality Minimal (not the well hyped reshaped Prog-House but the stuff influenced by Basic Channel, Profan, Mosaic, etc. …) and top notch Drum & Bass (mostly deep, spaced out vibes with clever drums) but I still play several other styles…
4. For how long Dubstep and what is your opinion about Dubstep's development as a genre over the last 10 years?
I think like several DJs I also started out with Stereotyp’s Yahman and his album on G-Stone besides the first Tempa plates. Stereotyp is more tagged as part of Vienna sound, there is an awesome 2-Step, Dub, Nu-Jazz, Dancehall mash-up style. One of his earliest was Yahman which was an unique dark Dancehall minimalism. But that wasn’t enough to see the whole movement which has a very limited scene. I’m a journalist at the Hungarian mag “FREEE” since 2000 and they asked me to do a 2-Step / Garage article back in 2003. I was digging deep and I hooked up with the “early” Dubstep movement. My guides were the Garage Pressure pages from Australia alongside Kode9's Hyperdub archives that I visited earlier a few times. Then I realized there is something more going underground and I got involved pretty much. Since 1999 Dubstep has gone far further though it’s still underground. From the early new dark swing and sub low (around the millennium) to the forming Dubstep and its angry bro Breakstep (we can even add Grime) (2003-04), the evolving Halfstep (2005) it has become international and much more diverse. Today it’s subtle with inspirations taken from the Basic Channel minimal Techno, influences by Electronica and all other styles (just like originally). Such a colorful spectrum of sound and I’m afraid what would happen if it keeps on evolving because it won’t stop for sure! On one hand I’m scared positively as Dubstep today is awesome and I don’t know how far can we go. It’s already magnetizing Drum & Bass, Electro-Breaks, Breakcore, Dub, Hip-Hop and even Mainstream acts so it could turn up something very big. Or it can blow up just before reaching its age. It is still in an experiencing phase with just a few elements grounded heavy to the compositions and people don’t like experiments. They don’t want to do the math on the floors. In 2006-07 Dubstep have been noticed worldwide and it is divided to popular, more dance compatible and more complex sides. I just hope everyone will be listening to all aspects just like a few years ago when it was smaller. You were able to hear all angles in an hour from deep meditating minimalism to floorfiller breaksbombs or tectonic wobblers. It’s all good to have ammo for the mind and the feet but look what happened with Drum & Bass when they got rid of the complexity and let Clownstep spread. I hardly find sets where you feel grooves and change of moods. Maybe it’s just a selfish need as for me style doesn’t matter and I always wanna make vibrating, diverse and add deeper cuts too. Maybe I’m wrong when I think we have to feed the heads (and not with E) too. I get easily bored with testosterone-filled wobblers all night long. Don’t give the people what they want, give the people what they need. It’s all about education and balance.
There is another, maybe even more important riddle for the future. What will happen with the vinyl plats and how long a dubplate culture can exist? Dubplates are very good for quality control but if the dub players are just a small part of the scene they could control the whole movement only in limited directions excluding several other aspects. How long can we go? Where is the balance? Who is trusted? At the digital age the dubs are sometimes leaking out faster than ever what makes the inner circle even smaller. Several artists or labels don’t send out tunes above 128-192 kbit and a lot of DJs outside have to wait to get a proper version released. But dubs are played sometimes years before street date so common DJs have a massive drawback. What will street date mean when mp3 releases will overwhelm the vinyl sells? We are living in a cataclysm when the society’s customing and listening habits are changing a lot so it’s hard to predict anything for real. I’m sure and I hope dubplate culture will stay alongside vinyls but I’m not sure what will happen next. One thing is sure: we have to keep on pushing the right vibes in the right mixture and make our best adding a bit to the scene. And we should never forget the original open minded approach what drove us into. If we stick to our original purposes it will progress ’till the end.
5. Who are your favorite Dubstep DJs and producers? How’s the Dubstep movement in Hungary?
There are way too many to mention. A lot of peeps just don’t get why the others like Dubstep tunes as these are driven by lazy ass, sleepy Trip Hop beats with lame production and boring build up. As a start I think they either don’t catch the word Dub’s meaning or they haven’t heard too much of Dubstep. There are several styles waving outside waiting to get explored especially in 2007. As a guy devoted to minimalism and feeling passion of thrilling beat cuts, energic and tricky, even offbeat rhythms I found Dubstep the most interesting phenomena in years. I can’t roll any electronic music style today that bridges the gap between 70-150 bpm so easily and consistent. I can’t name any other style that is going to make you freak without pace dictating beats in your face and giving the solution with pure bass. This case is similar to the early 90s era when most of us haven’t understood bogus Jungle grooves. Now we don’t understand the “beatless” freedom of surfing on sinewaves. Hah, sorry I turn off the low end theorist. This year I loved the bass driven deep Bristol cuts (labels like Tectonic, Punch Drunk, Mode, Immerse, Inprint, Compound One) who tend to inject a massive dose of the Berlin-based Basic Channel’s legacy to their soundscape. New breed of producers leaked into the scene from Holland (Martyn, 2562), USA (Intex Systems, Vaccine, Roommate, Djunya) who made a huge impact. TRG also produces better and better tunes without any solid identity which is unique I think. The Z Audio crew does it well, Argon rocks the floors, Skull Disco is on fire, Ranking has one of the best starts this year, Hessle Audio, Subway launched well… I have my all time favs every time like Elemental, Scuba, Boxcutter, Reso, 23Hz & Numaestro, Slaughter Mob, Search & Destroy, Hench Crew, Toasty, L-Wiz, Benga, D1… Okay I’ll stop it. There are a lot of good producers so let’s see the DJs… Thinking and his new partner Kidkut are flawless and guys like Scuba, Ben UFO, Plastician and several others doing the rounds too (how sad El Sid - Hotflush left the scene). Hard to pick just a few names as there are dozens of them.
Pecs had its own musical taste and we represent deeper sound. For example some key players in Budapest states that Pecs could have been the capital of Minimal or we are stronger in atmospheric and tricky Drum & Bass. Perhaps the relatively smaller scene allowed us building it up but that's another story. In Hungary we have an evolving Dubstep scene scene though only Budapest and Pecs have regular nights. Budapest has more of the London style wobble fueled anthems while Pecs is like Bristol a bit in Dubstep too. This is maybe because I play deeper or drumwise stuff besides the wobbling basslines and also some UK DJs had the same impression after visiting our parties and city. The Hungarian scene is still very young though we were between the first countries in Europe in 2005 with inviting UK Dubstep DJs. As far as I remember they were only in Spain and Belgium before Hungary. After the award winning Hotflush Records appearance in Pecs things started slowly. DST had been running his 3 weekly show on Tilos Radio, then Chi Recordings brought Pinch to Budapest, Search & Destroy came back alongside Hotflush, Scuba and Dubstep arrived to the enormous Sziget Festival in 2006. Although we could expect a growing scene in fact it's still an underground movement with small achievements. In 2007 the illustrious Bladerunnaz organized Boxcutter, Pinch and Mike Paradinas (Planet Mu Night) and Caspa (alongside the Dub Phase crew). DST, Gumilap & Kebab launched their first weekly club night (Dub Phase) with a pack of regulars what grew slowly and had an impact at the last period of the year after 2000 people witnessed to Benga, Skream & Crazy D (Tempa) on Sziget Festival'07. They have Izc, BunZero (Sub FM), Chef (Rinse) and Tes La Rok (Argon, Noppa) gigs behind. Also Palotai & Cadik are key supporters since 2006 in their radio shows and on the best'n'oldest Hungarian weekly night “Rewind” (last time they booked Martyn - 3024, Revolve:R). I think 2008 will be massive for the scene but I fear we won’t reach the level of a bigger country. We run dubstep.hu, there are a handful radio shows spraying the sound and more new or experienced DJs join the game but we need to build and grow. University and college gigs are inviting key players like Benga or DMZ in the UK, and in Helsinki there are more Dubstep nights than Drum & Bass so we still have a lot to achieve. Thing is that I’m not sure it’s good earning a big mass at the moment as I mentioned earlier… I hope at least other cities will also have regular nights (maybe Szeged will be the next) what would be far enough. Music wise a guy named Boc launched a net label, DST (Digital Distortions, Crater), Ekaros (Combat, DubKraft) and Sollabong (DubKraft) has releases but you’d better watch Madd, Metro etc.
6. What is your connection to Dubstep?
I’m not sure. I still play several styles besides Dubstep and I can’t imagine myself leaving the others behind to become a pure dubstepper. Some DJs are confused because I play different styles, some even more narrow-minded and play just one specific section of a genre. I like mixing the things up if it is possible. For example it’s fun playing some deep Minimal or Dub in Dubstep sets and I play every course in a Dubstep set. It’s very important not to stick anything but aesthetics or philosophy so we can implant as much diversity into our sets as possible. The whole Dubstep and even electronic music meant to be a playground where everything goes. Stealing elements from here melting them with those… If we stick to a strict sound or composition that would end the story. Keepin’ the sound moving, mutating equals living that's how life works isn’t it? So in every style including Dubstep I go for new impulses and stick to old quality pieces. Strange anyway as Dubstep still divides people. This is just another sound what has something more than the actual trends. We saw the situation several times and we can see where Drum & Bass, Breakbeat, Nu-Jazz or Garage are today. I just hope Dubstep won’t end up in a plain scheme and stays innovative and colorful. I’ll give my tiny knowledge to the movement as DJ on air or in clubs, as a writer in articles and reviews and I still have two more connections… I was asked to help Hotflush as international A&R in 2005 and I still help finding new talents and help talents find their home at other labels. Luckily I have a good relationship with several key figures and lots of artists are sending me their unsigned or unfinished tunes as well. I feel really lucky that I was asked to write in 2000 to a magazine because it helped a lot to build relations with all the scenes. One other thing I’m involved is graphics. I was asked to create designs to several Dubstep labels and clubnights. It’s good I can add my bits to last vinyls a bit longer. With the digital sellings personality disappears, you have a bunch of unsorted files in a folder and you lose all material beauties. I think mind and matter are equally important, maybe that's why I studied architecture and do graphics. I wouldn’t be able to live just in digital and forget books, sleeves, hi-q printed graphics, folding tricks, different papers, the smell of it. There is no flash animation or any digital trick that could replace several thousand years of handwork knowledge. Basically I also try to plant and reproduce manual methods in digital. So I was very glad to accept requests from several labels like Runtime (Elemental - London), Argon (Nick - San Francisco), DubKraft (Alien Pimp - Bucharest), Hotflush (Scuba - Berlin, lately), Immerse (Kidkut - Bristol) or even from Renegade Hardware and Santorin (Germany) and there are much more to come… What shocked me is that all happened just in 2 months. I’m not sure if my nomination on Dubstep Awards in the Artwork of the year category helped in reaching out. I was in the top 5 after posting two event flyers. We’ll see what 2008 holds to all of us…
7. Did you enjoy SummerBreak 07? You played after me and Sinkronize.
Hope you guys liked what you heard. Yeah it was very nice though the whole trip was almost a nightmare. There was a massive traffic so we ended up driving about 11 hours instead of 7-8 and I missed my time around 23:00 as Brains missed theirs too. So the organizers postponed my set 1-2 hours and then another… As a result I haven’t slept a second and jumped (moved slowly) behind the deck around 8 in the morning. I was happy I was still able to mix and concentrate on selection for almost two hours. Then I instantly drove back and hit the bed around 19:00 in Pecs. Wished to stay since we had a nice chat with TRG, Kubiks and several guys. I felt like I’m at home with such hospitality. It’s always good to play out in Romania (props to Dudu, Roli Breaker, Seba, BAU & Timisoara massive!) and many thanks goes to Hazee solving the problems!
8. If it were to give a shout to us… ?
I’ve already written a novel so I just wanna give some strict advices by tracks. “Don’t Believe The Hype”, “Shape The Future” and “Watch Your Bassbins I’m Tellin Ya”! Seriously these are important things. Keep the spirit alive and never stick to any formula, build your own scene that's the most important.
We had our first encounter with Dan Bazix’s take on House and Techno music a couple of years back. It was in a small club in Bucharest, alongside Cosmin TRG, Seb and his long-term mate – Addo. At the time we were quite mindblown by the fact that he was one of the few DJs around that came from a Drum&Bass background and managed to transpose the influences and energy drawn from 170+ bpm music into sounds at a significantly reduced tempo.
We thought – for one of the last two podcasts of this year – it would be a good idea to recreate the soundscape of what proved to be one of the best nights out we ever had, and showcase Dan Bazix’s take on the same genres at another specific point in his evolution as a DJ, regardless of his still-ongoing activity in the Drum&Bass sphere.
Something a bit different (or not really) from himself – curating takes from the geniuses of Maceo Plex, Crazy P, Maya Jane Coles or Waifs & Strays, to name just a few. It should get everyone with a functional pair of ears and a soul, groovin’ out there.
Tracklist:
01. Oni Ayhun - OAR001-A [OAR] 02. Audiofly - Sunrise BCN [All Day I Dream] 03. Love Girls - Black Sand (Original Mix) [Little Mountain] 04. Maceo Plex - Your Style (Maceo Plex Re-Visit) [Crosstown Rebels] 05. Dekay feat. Nunu - Farewell To Planet Earth [Dirt Crew] 06. Elon feat. Maceo Plex - Floating Faces [ReSolute] 07. Marquez Ill & Leigh Myles - Control [Voltage Music] 08. Maya Jane Coles - Perfect Imperfections [Mobilee] 09. Rodriguez Jr. - Bittersweet [Mobilee] 10. Johnwaynes - The Yeah Yeah (Original Mix) [Cecille] 11. Waifs & Strays - Be Patient [Futureboogie] 12. Teva - I Wanna Be (Original Mix) [Off] 13. Nick Curly - Green Baize [Cocoon] 14. Bicks - Mint (Extended Version) [N/A] 15. Terence (Terry) - Time Doesn't Count (Shaun Reeves & Tale Of Us Remix) [Lowpitch] 16. Schatrax - Restless Nights [Schatrax] 17. Midland - Through Motion [Aus Music] 18. Fink - Move On Me (Marcus Worgull Edit) [Philomena] 19. Greg Paulus - Nightime (Crazy P Remix) [Wolf+Lamb Music]
BASICS:First of all, I’ve come to learn it’s quite hard to find much about Dan Bazix on the internet or wherever else. You don’t really talk about yourself too much and that makes me think there might be people out there not knowing some crucial facts from your yet-unwritten biography. Tell us who Dan Bazix is, as succint as possible.
Dan Bazix: Uh, well, I never tried to promote myself too much. Maybe this is the reason why one cannot find too much information about the so-called “Dan Bazix”. Well, the nickname comes from an early Downtempo / Hip-Hop project that I started at the end of the 90s. I was caught by the vibe of electronic music in 2001, I believe, when I first played in a small club in Tg. Mures (my hometown). To give you a hint of what I was playing back then, see one of my favourite tunes at that moment - Soul Providers feat. Michelle Shellers - Rise (M.A.S. Collective Remix). In the meanwhile I found joy in some higher tempos, listening to Calibre & Marky. Then, soon, came a first 12” order to redeyerecords.co.uk. Bought two belt-drive turntables and did the first mix. First records order consisted of four items, two of them were Marky & Stamina on V, Dillinja on TOV. Nowadays I’m going back to “my roots” playing in the “360 philosophy” – no matter the tempo if the vibe is the same. I think this gives a clue about who I am and what brought me here.
B:So...do you remember the night we’ve just mentioned? Cause we’re talking full-on bullshit in the description above. We actually can’t remember much. Refresh our memory please.
D.B.: At that moment, me and Addo, started a new project. Both playing Drum&Bass for a long time, we thought about trying to go in another direction. We did a mix with some tunes around 135 bpm and we received quite good feedback. The Infamous boys (i.e. Seb & TRG), at that moment, invited us to a small club event, somewhere around the old city centre of Bucharest (n.r. The OtherSide). Well, I cannot remember too many things, we had a few drinks, so… You know, that a “DJ” has good days and bad days. That was one of the best, let’s say. I remember that the feedback was good, and even if there were not too many people, they stayed up late. I think we managed to create a cozy, warm, friendly and fuzzy atmosphere.
B:Ok...it’s been quite a while since then and, in the meantime, you’ve been insanely busy in almost every single way there is. What keeps you preoccupied and how does it reflect in your music?
D.B.: Pff, once you grow up, priorities change. And unfortunately the word “job” comes in front of “hobby”. I must say that music was always connected with the second one, never took it really seriously. Well, besides being DJ I’m now a teaching assistant at TUC-N, working as a freelancer in structural design and recently received my PhD (doctorate) in Civil Engineering (which I’m quite proud of). I think this excuses my very sporadic presence on the DJ scene. To equilibrate, I focused a little bit on producing. I am running the “Dan Bazix” project and started a new one - called “Bicks”. I know, tunes that I produced by now sound a little bit rusty. I haven’t found the patience to stay one full day on a tune to finish it, yet. Even If I was a perfectionist before starting my doctorate studies, now after graduating, is even worse. And, unfortunately, this reflects in my DJ-ing & producing activity.
B:There are two areas of sound you feel most at home with as a DJ. There’s Drum&Bass and there’s House music. What’s more likely you’d spin nowadays and why?
D.B: After a few years of DJ-ing, the genre that one plays is probably just a façade for continuing what one has started a long time ago. I am sure that many of the DJs that are well known would try playing some other genres but they are limited because of their already-chosen path. Well, probably just Laurent Garnier has the balls to switch from Deep House to Drum&Bass in the same set. In my case, as a (hobby) DJ, I will continue to play Drum&Bass because I spent many years and it would not be fair to totally lose the connection. Fortunately, in the last month I had two Drum&Bass gigs which went very well. This gave me the strength and energy to continue with 170+ tempos.
On the other side, I will play House, but I think I will use the other nickname, so people can know what to expect. Let’s see what the feedback for this mix will be.
B:There seems to be common ground between your Drum&Bass and House selections. It’s quite obvious you’re looking for the same elements and reactions in both these genres. What’s that something you always hope to find in a track when you’re digging for fresh music, regardless of its tempo? And more important, how often do you manage to find it?
D.B.: I was always driven by positive, warm and cosy vibes. I like my sets to have, not only funk, soul and the proper amount of deepness, but “a little rate of hooliganism” as well. I think I am looking for the same receipt in both genres. Unfortunately, Drum&Bass (and Dubstep), at a large scale, lost a little bit of this vibe, so maybe this is the explanation for why I changed “roads”.
Fortunately, I cannot forget old habits and I am checking online record stores almost on a weekly basis, to see what fresh beats have been released. Of course, as many, I am listening to mixes of the artists that influence me.
B: Personal favourites at the moment? Drum&Bass tracks and their correspondents in House music or vice-versa.
D.B.: Oh, that’s quite hard, to find a connection. Let’s see!
170+ DBridge – Since We’ve Been Apart [Shogun] 120+ Daniel Bortz – Boyz 2 Men [Suol] ___
170+ Lenzman – Broken Dreams [MDZ] 120+ Mano Le Tough – Baby Let’s Love (Midland Remix) [Dirt Crew] ___
170+ Marcus Intalex – Stark [Dispatch] 120+ Todd Terje – Ragysh [Running Back] ___
170+ LSB – Beep [Demand] 120+ Pan-Pot – Captain My Captain (Rodriguez Jr. Remix) [Mobilee] ___
170+ Foreign Concept & Kasra – Show You [Critical] 120+ Jichael Mackson – Gti (Zimbabwe Mix) [Stock 5]
B:Let’s focus on Bicks for a moment here. It’s something new both for yourself and for us. Give us the proper insight.
D.B.: I think Bicks would be Dan Bazix at 110-130 bpm; mainly, at a producing level. I have noticed, it comes much easier for me to put the ideas together at lower bpms. One of the tunes, “Mint”, is on this mix. Thanks to Sergiu Nadasan who actually made an extended / DJ-friendly version of the tune (as I told you before, cannot find the patience to finish tunes). You can take a look on soundcloud.com/danbicks to draw a conclusion – “A tune is worth a thousand words”.
B:I’m sure some releases are foreseeable in the future. Did you come to think about what labels might act as the perfect hosts for your productions? Who would you send a demo out to and why?
D.B.: Firstly, I have to finish some of my 80 sketches that I have started. Secondly, the tunes have to sound perfect. Just, then, we can speak about releases and labels. Anyhow, few of my favourite labels are Exit, Soul:R, Metalheadz (on 170+) and Mobilee, 8-bit and maybe Crosstown Rebels (on 120+). Probably Exit & Mobilee are two of the big labels that I dream to reach. But the road is veeeery long…
B:How’s the future gonna split between Dan Bazix and Bicks? Any specific developments planned for these two characters?
D.B.: Regarding the producing part, I can say that always depends on the mood, what I have seen in the last days, where I have partied last night; just leaving my soul & mind to choose the path. It is true most of the tunes that I have started in the past three months are 120+, but I will go back to the 170+ soon.
B:Share some thoughts on the mixtape you just recorded for us, please.
D.B.: I have selected a series of vibes put together in a positive mix, that hopefully will be appreciated by listeners. I know that I have changed the tracklist entirely for at least 3-4 times. At the end resulted what you have heard. Don’t know if the tunes are fresh or popular, I tried to create a story “readable” by anyone, as I always tried with the any of the mixes done. I have a theory that a mix has to follow a Gaussian trendline, but this is a discussion that has to take part after a couple of beers… haha. Hope you, all, enjoy it.
B:Something you’re most looking forward to in the near future?
D.B.: Concisely: a trip back to Barcelona, where I’ve lived for almost one year. Stamina was right when he said: “all I wanna do is go back, back, back” (i.e Marky & Stamina – Barcelona). Luckily I will catch James Blake, Jamie XX & Jamie Woon in a live concert. Since winter is here: snow, snowboard, Christmas, gigs and all things related with this period of time (as they say: “the small things that bring joy”).
Professionally speaking, hopefully, I will get funding for an 18 months post-doc scholarship in Switzerland.
As for the rest, “go with the flow”.
B: Thanks for taking some of your time to do this. It’s brilliant that we get to share your first mix after a long waiting period. Cheers for that and best thoughts from our corner!
D.B.: Thanks for asking me to record this mix. If it weren’t for you, probably 2011 would have quite dry from the mixes perspective. I never was a good friend to recording mixes and doing them up to the deadlines. Hope you all enjoy it! Peace and #occupyeverything!
As for the next step, keep in touch with Dan's works as Bazix - SoundCloud and Bicks - SoundCloud and keep an eye out there for him on your local Drum&Bass rave or House jam line-up.
There’s a certain gentleman lurking around the local Techno scene, we’ve been taking interest in even before BASICS was born. He’s got quite the interesting performances list so far, alongside the likes of Jeff Mills, Miss Kittin, Chris Liebing, Pantha Du Prince, Lawrence, Alex Under or even the less-conventional Fantastic Mr. Fox & Svetlana Som Sistema and according to himself plays “music for the mind that lives in a dancing body”.
Alexandru Jijian is our 12th guest in the podcast series and believe us, there’s much to learn about what proper deep, dark & deadly 'floor music means from his set. Of course, we’ve also taken the liberty to ask him a couple of questions that aim to sort out some of his views for the wide audience.
Tracklist:
01. Basic Channel - Radiance II [Basic Channel] 02. Fatih Tuter - Untitled [Shoreless Recordings] 03. Guido Schneider - Moesko [Poker Flat] 04. Theorem vs. Swayzak - Devil Of Rotations [M_nus] 05. White Label - White Label [Promo] 06. White Label - White Label [Elektro Music Department] 07. Frozen Border - 4.01 [Frozen Border] 08. Horizontal Ground - Thirteen Step [Horizontal Ground] 09. Szare - Action Five [Idle Hands] 10. Sascha Rydell - SR2 [Fachwerk Records] 11. Traversable Wormhole - Superluminal (Sleeparchive Remix) [CLR] 12. Gonno - ACDise #2 (Skudge Feels It Version) [International Feel]
BASICS:First of all, where did you come from, musicwise? Your sets tend to leave an impression that there’s quite an interesting listener behind your DJ persona. Take us through your history a bit.
Alexandru Jijian: I think I’m a regular guy amongst my friends. I just have a taste for electronic music, I’ve always had. I can’t really say how much or what I’ve listened to in particular because I’ve always been open to hearing new sounds, you know, forever searching for something new and all that bla bla. What I can say is that I’m quite the geek when it comes to music history: I’ve been through most of what should be listened to at least once in a lifetime.
B:I know there is a number of specific sounds you like as a DJ, ranging from experimental bits to quite ambient-ish stuff to synth-driven weird-you-out and serious warehouse Techno. Which one of these are you most at home with?
A.J.: All of the above. The last couple of years I’ve been mainly into Techno but I guess that’s what I’ve always been into without really knowing it. (Autechre, Clark and all the other Warp Artists which I love).
I am, however, taking the liberty to underline a misconception which I don’t like: people or friends have a tendency to tag me with the Techno stamp and, although that’s what I’m most confortable with, I’ve always considered myself more of a Music Lover more than a Techno Head. This is why I will play House or what not if the time is right.
B:A bit of reflective talk. I’m curious about the philosophy behind your sets. Expecially now, at a time when the crowds seem to get moodier and harder to drag in and please each week. Who do you play for and why?
A.J.: I play for whoever comes to hear me play. I do it because I don’t feel at ease until I share the music I love with the other music lovers and party goers such as myself. I like longer sets with slow warm-ups. 3,4 hours up. Gives me the time to get to know the people in front of me better (and vice-versa, of course). To infinity and beyond!
B:I know you have quite an alternative vision on how a healty electronic music scene should look like. I won’t get into what’s good and what’s bad inside the current state of affairs but I’m quite interesed to see how this ideal of yours looks like. If you’re willing to share.
A.J.: I miss The Web Club very much. That’s all I have to say.
B:You’re an avid party-goer as well. You’ve always been. I’m curious, besides Techno and sounds you’re familiar with, what gets you dancing in a club?
A.J.: I’m actually a very big fan of Drum and Bass. I’ve been to Dub Mafia and LTJ Bukem and MC Conrad recently and had a BLAST! Really good, good times man!
B:Small club with an intimate vibe and a „close to the people” feel; warehouse, Funktion One and a massive 2000+ crowd going absolutely mental or studio / radio session for some hundred listeners? Which one suits you the best?
A.J.: The fun I had at the radio definitely has to happen again. I have to choose massive crowd going mental, who wouldn’t want that?
B:From the top of your head: best gig you’ve had so far and a fictional line-up you’d really love to be a part of?
A.J.: Best gigs actually: The Closing Set I did for Jeff Mills and Miss Kittin at Arenele Romane in 2010 / The 6 hours set I did in Raum (Cluj) at an afterhours in December 2010.
Best fictional line-up: Boards Of Canada, Aphex Twin, Plastikman and in the morning a concert with Sebastien Tellier.
B:Are there any „most played tracks” for you this year? Fresh stuff you’ve really been vibing to? Both as a DJ and as a listener.
A.J.: I’ve played a lot the stuff from Horizontal Ground, Frozen Border, Stroboscopic Artefacts and Prologue. Vlad Caia and Cristi Cons have had a pretty good comeback (producing music wise). I love their stuff a lot!!!
B:A couple of words about the mixtape? What is it aiming for?
A.J.: I think it’s a really smooth mixtape going through what I like to listen to when it comes to experimental Techno.
B:As per usual, it’s been a pleasure. Thank you!
A.J.: Thank you! Hope you enjoy it!
Thus being said, get connected with Alexandru Jijian for your regular feed of proper beats via Facebook or SoundCloud.
We used to strongly believe that when it comes to new talents on the so-called UK Bass scene there aren’t that many people actually living outside of the UK worth taking into consideration.
Fortunately, in the past 12 months or so, there have been some names popping up all over Central & Eastern Europe that have shaken those beliefs and managed to make us look like fools. Don’t get us wrong, we’re glad that happened, and we’re absolutely thrilled that one of those guys comes right out of Bucharest. His name is Blacktee and you may have seen him being mentioned on Boomkat or XLR8R – just to mention a couple of trustworthy proper sound pushers – by now.
He’s got a couple of singles out already on Hsuan Records and the newly founded No Stranger To Danger Records, he is quite the badman selecta when it comes to DJ mixes and he’s agreed to sign our 9th podcast in the BASICS series and tell us something about himself, his background and his plans for the future.
Tracklist:
01. Raffertie - Mimetic [Ninja Tune] 02. Motor City Drum Ensemble - There's A Truth [Faces Records] 03. Kangding Ray - Coracoid Process [Rater-Noton] 04. Theo Parrish - Sky Walking [Peacefrog Records] 05. Roman Flugel - Bahia Blues Bootcamp [Dial] 06. Julio Bashmore - Ribble To Amazon [3024] 07. Deadboy - Wish U Were Here [Numbers] 08. SBTRKT - Look At Stars [Young Turks] 09. 2562 - Fever [When In Doubt] 10. SCB - Loss [Aus Music] 11. Spectr - Dance 4 Me [Roska Kicks & Snares] 12. Roska - Holograph [White] 13. Hanuman - Bola (Atki2 Remix) [Idle Hands] 14. Unknown (Main Mix) [N/A] 15. Blacktee - Software [Unreleased] 16. Ben Westbeech - Something For The Weekend (Breach Remix) [Strictly Rhythm] 17. Toddska - Cowboy [Girls Music] 18. Blacktee - Lunar Love [Unreleased]
BASICS:So, what about you? Presumably everyone who’s an addicted digger on the scene has some information about you and your sounds. The average listener might not know that much tho’. Some basics about yourself?
Blacktee: I’m a pale young man, that loves his mother’s cooking and is obsessed with a good bassline.
BS:Let’s talk about production a bit, cause obviously that’s mainly what you’ve been doing so far. The first thing I’m interested in is your influences and what got you into building beats.
BT: I started producing as a way to pass time, and slowly started to be something I can’t go without. I have a large variety of influences, but the main ones are Techno, 808, UK Funky and Jazz.
BS:The classic software / hardware talk. What and why and how do you cope with it?
BT: Software, I use Fruity Loops cuz it’s soothing to my tastes and easy to use, as for the hardware, anything goes as long as you do it properly.
BS:Taking what you’ve released so far into account, it’s easy to notice that UK Funky is one of the main attractions for you, but I feel that somehow there’s more to it than that. Your productions are not quite the classic approach for this style. I wouldn’t compare them with what people like Crazy Cousins, Paleface, MA1 and the lot are building. There’s more of an Ill Blu / Lil’ Silva feel there. Something like „ok, we’ve got the classic soca-ish drum patterns, let’s take it as far as we can into the limits of the genre”. That’s actually something easy to spot in Plasmid (as seen on XLR8R). How would you describe your sound? Is it something you plan ahead or?
BT: I don’t realy plan anything ahead, it just comes to me. I enjoy sitting alone in a room and trying to find sounds that have that jazzy, futuristic kind of vibe to them. My music gravitates around these types of sounds, which further become melted into a track.
BS:Also, you’ve been putting together different stuff lately. 128 bpm Techno bits. There are guys like MMM down at Hardwax thinking out of the box and blending UK Funky riddims with classic Techno elements, getting the bpm higher than the usual 125-126 zone. Is that what you have in mind as well for this switch?
BT: Actually it is, I’m trying out new waters, like Techno and Funky and I think they would go well together. I’ve tried to mix them up in my sets and they come along just fine. Maybe someday this could be a new genre, who knows.
BS:Sticking to your up to date releases. These are definitely a couple of singles that do not lack coherence. While No Stranger To Danger goes for the more agressive, dancefloor-ish Tek Yu Time and the „take it to the next level” Plasmid, Hsuan picked what tends to be more laidback, something you’d groove on both in the club and at home at 5 AM. How was the selection for these two labels made, considering the fact that you / they had and still have a large number of unreleased material to choose from?
BT: Well, Graeme from Hsuan contacted me some time ago via SoundCloud to release an EP - I didn’t really know much about the label back then - and told me he liked the tracks DunKno and Blazin Up, which had that kind of laidback vibe they where looking for. I then listened to the other releases from the label and they kind of matched my style a bit so that was that, we signed up and good things came from that. As for NSTD, it’s the kind of label who can bring you releases with both the clubnight banger vibes and the laidback kick your feet up kind of music.
BS:No Stranger To Danger. You have quite a special relationship with this brand new label on the scene and I’m gonna take advantage of that. Care to share more info or insights than what is already well known? Cause I’ve been checking out some of its connections, potential future releases and it kinda has what it takes to be out there with the good ones! Unless it’s classified information, I’m interested!
BT: Haha, yeah you caught me on that. The special relationship comes from the fact that NSTD belongs to my blud brother and mentor, who I dearly love and hate at the same time, but without him I wouldn’t be here doing this. So you guys should watch out for further releases cuz I had a sneak peak on the next one and all I have to say is „oh my days, keep your ears open!”.
BS:Unreleased stuff. You’ve been busy, there’s loads of it on your SoundCloud and I’ve been through it a lot before writing this set. I know Sweetin’ is getting a release soon on Future Electronic Music’s FEM Picks. Any other plans? I’d personally love to see Romantiques on a 12” along with Spatial Cohabitation. Those two would tell a story together. Also Concrete Jungle is something different and it’s worth checking out. How’s the future settling for you?
BT: I’m always making tunes, finding new ways to hurt my ears with bass music, but right now I’m waiting for that big break, that big record deal.
BS:I’ve been talking with lots and lots of people, both newcomers, veterans and label owners and most of them seemed to be complaining about how hard it is to put music out there and get it noticed nowadays. I wanna ask, do you share the same view? Is it actually that big of a problem or is it a matter of quality and that’s all there is to it? How hard was it for you, getting your first tracks released? This could very well act as a bit of advice for other young producers out there.
BT: I have to say, it’s pretty sh*t, spending hours and hours writing emails to DJs and record labels that don’t reply back, but you just have to keep sending them tunes over, you never know who’s gonna stumble upon your track.
BS:Besides studio work, you’ve been putting together mixes for quite some time as well. Both as promos or for radio shows. You tend to keep it in the 130 bpm / dancefloor lines (sort-of) with what you’re mixing. What’s your DJ-ing philosophy?
BT: I believe they should make you dance in your chair and bob your head, even if it’s home alone whilst your mom is watching and having a laugh or on the streets listening to your iPod.
BS:How about some artists / tunes you’re really into at the moment? Small list? As per usual, no genre borders, no age limit.
BT: The artist I’ve realy been into lately is Blacksmif, a fellow SoundClouder that is absolutely an amazing producer, Machinedrum, Boddika, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Scuba as for tunes, I’m really diggin’ Wiley – Link Up at the moment.
BS:Finally, tell us a couple of words about the mix you’ve just put together for us? Facts worth knowing.
BT: It’s a combination of Techno and UK Funky tracks that I’ve been into lately + some of my own productions.
BS:Thanks for your time mate and I wish you the best of luck, loads of time to spend on building stuff and keep the proper sounds view going! Cheers!
BT: Pleasure doing this. Big up all the BASICS lot! Cheers!
Thus being said, please get in touch with the latest news regarding Blacktee's sounds via his own SoundCloud account or his Facebook page and if you're round Bucharest this weekend catch him spin alongside Son Of Kick & Dubsidia @ Atelierul de Productie on Sat. 17th of September. Pay attention!
For the past four or five years we’ve been given the chance to witness a rather large number of intelligently engineered independent labels spawn all over the world, most of them having the sole purpose of pushing electronic sounds to a whole different level.
One of these labels in particular has caught our attention and it is, alongside its two freshly crafted sisters and their owner, the subject of our 10th edition in the podcast series – cover story and Q&A included.
Well Rounded Records has been around for a couple of years now. It is an open-minded label based in Brighton, UK, focused mainly on putting out state-of-the-art productions on acetate support and has been responsible, among other doings, for Deadboy’s discovery and part of his debut on the world stage, for the heavily anticipated Cash Antics EPs and for housing brilliant, both upcoming & established producers at critical stages in their development process as artists, such as Hackman, Doc Daneeka, C.R.S.T., Submerse, Littlefoot or Kidkut, to name just a few.
Having 10 releases spread across its whole existence so far and a weird-you-out logo, Well Rounded established itself as one of the important experimentalists on the ever-growing UK Bass scene, specializing in House, Techno, Dubstep, R&B and Bass Music fusions and, in almost every single case, packing the results up for the dancefloors. From Deadboy’s heavily rinsed U Cheated, the rare appearance of the House / Funky infused project – Ultrasound and the brilliant Donga & Blake – Grown Ups EP (including a staggering Geiom Remix), to the Future / UK Garage takes of Littlefoot, Submerse or C.R.S.T. and Kidkut’s bangers, this is one label that is not afraid to make a number one priority out of reaching its own maximum potential diversity.
And as if its horizons weren’t broad enough, there are now two more personas of it in the game: Well Rounded Individuals – which has seen two Juke and Post-Dubstep-ish releases from talented young producers like Wheez-ie or Graphics getting pressed – and Well Rounded Housing Project, mainly focused on putting out classic House takes from the likes of James Fox or Outboxx.
To top it all, add up these three labels’ ages, multiply that number by 10 and the result should tell you the approximate amount of time their owner, Donga, has been around for, spinning and building tunes and getting involved with clubnights, record stores, bands and whatever music-related thing you can possibly think of.
We managed to steal some of his time for a smart and personal mix and a rather consistent Q&A that should give you a more in-depth perception of the philosophy behind Well Rounded and its subsidiaries and get you up to date with Donga’s take on music in general, amongst other good-to-know facts.
The mixtape itself is a true masterpiece. A complex journey through what Donga’s influences and current musical preferences look like and through what Well Rounded means from a sound showcase point of view.
It’s a pleasure, it’s very very clever and we highly recommend it!
Tracklist:
01. The Haxan Cloak – Hounfour (Temple) [Aurora Borealis] 02. 2000 and One – Crystal [100% Pure] 03. Deadboy - Heartbreaker (Julio Bashmore 2010 Remix) [forthcoming Well Rounded Housing Project] 04. Alex Jones – Romania Pika [Hypercolour] 05. Dom – Blakelock (Donga & Blake Dub) [877] 06. Donaeo – Party Hard (Instr.) [White] 07. Urfali Babi - Disko Kebap [Nublu] 08. Malik Alston – Dance Jazz [Soiree] 09. Arkist & Kidkut – One Year Later [Hotflush] 10. Hackman – Your Face Pulling My Hair [Greco-Roman] 11. Kris Wadsworth – Mainline [Hypercolour] 12. Dubkasm – There's A Dub (RSD Remix) [Sufferah's Choice] 13. West Norwood Cassette Library – Get Lifted [WNCL] 14. Presk – Mold [4th Wave] 15. Kowton – Show Me [Naked Lunch] 16. Skinnz – Get It On [forthcoming Well Rounded] 17. E-Dancer – World Of Deep [KMS] 18. Ex-Pylon – Hammerfest [Studio Barnhus] 19. Monolake – Melting [Imbalance Computer Music] 20. Graphics – Adjectival E [Well Rounded Individuals]
BASICS:You’ve been in bands, you’re a DJ, you’re a producer, you own three labels, you’re putting nights on, you have a job, a beard and you have a thing for owls?! Anything else we should know about you?
Donga: Yes, I’m utterly mad.
B:Before getting into more current stuff, I’d like to talk about your history as a musician, producer and DJ. I know there is quite a number of projects you’ve been involved with. You’re a veteran. What are your roots? What did you use to build or spin back in the days and more important, what stayed with you after all these years and what faded away with time?
D: Well my father was a mobile DJ. As a child I used to go with him when he played at the more family orientated functions and he would leave me in charge when he needed a break. I learnt to cue and crossfade aged about 5 I’d say. I’ve stayed on vinyl and turntables to this day - to date I haven’t played any MP3s or CDRs in clubs ever.
Production wise I released my first electronic production in 1993. I have released countless records under a large amount of guises. When I started, myself and 2 friends pooled our equipment together and created a basic home studio. We had an Atari computer sequencing our MIDI equipment and a sync-box to keep our analogue sequencers in time. We had a very labour-intensive Casio sampler, guitar FX pedals etc. In fact I made some of my own earliest released material with only a drum machine, one analogue synth and a four track. I think it’s true that if you are keen to express yourself you can do it with very little. The desire, passion and inspiration needs to be there. The equipment is not so important.
Anyway, so this is all hardware gear being fed into a physical mixing board which was the most rewarding stage for me. Doing live takes to digital tape, fading things in and out, muting and un-muting, adding live FX. Sometimes random mistakes would provide the highlight of the version - things you couldn’t design or predict in advance.
B:That brings us up to date with three names you’ve been associated with lately: Donga, Chirm and Ultrasound. I know two of them – Ultrasound and Chirm – are collab projects and the third one is subject to that as well (Donga & Blake). A short background check on each of these? Any other active moniker I’ve missed out on?
D: Ok, Ultrasound is a vehicle for myself, my cousin Chaos and friend Richter. Myself and Chaos have collaborated since the 90s so we have quite an innate understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Richter brings in ideas that are more likely to push us into different creative possibilities beyond our established language.
I think that within collaborations, although the physical input can vary from track to track and person to person, what is invaluable is people’s personalities as catalysts. Everyone approaches an instrument in their own way. And sometimes it needs a person other than yourself to see potential in something you may dismiss.
Chirm is just myself and Richter. We live in the same town so we get a chance to meet more easily and often than Ultrasound which does lead to some tracks being made.
I produce with Blake quite frequently and this has worked well because we met through DJing where we realised we had a lot of musical taste in common. When we got in the studio we discovered we could combine his ear for texture, production and the technological side of the equation with my ‘give me a midi-keyboard and not a mouse’ approach.
B:It’s not easy to narrow your productions down to a certain style, genre or even bpm and I think it’s fair to say your tunes are often quite different from one another. There’s Housey stuff at around 120 bpm, there’s UK Garage / Funky influenced faster stuff, there’s slo-mo, 100 bpm, dubby material – Ultrasound – New Direction on Clandestine Cultivations – and so on. How would you describe what Donga, the producer, actually means in terms of sound?
D: No-one has ever asked me a question like this! Basically, I try to avoid definitions in life. You can’t always tell a book by it’s cover and it’s ignorant of people to think they can. I can’t pinpoint what my aim is with sound - it’s led by instinct and the mood of the moment. I believe it should be reflexive, evolving, open and free. Being over-concerned with style or form as a pre-text to being creative leads me into blind alleys. It’s just electronically realised music.
B: Obviously some of the stuff you’ve been building found a home on your own main label – Well Rounded Records. Tell us a bit about how this label was born and why?
D: Deadboy has been a long-term friend. He was occasionally sending me his tunes just for some thoughts and feedback. I had the tracks that became the ‘U Cheated’ EP for quite some time. I had no intention of starting a label, but these tunes had started playing in my brain. Eventually I realised that I thought they deserved to be pressed on vinyl and might sell. I contacted Martin & Jackmaster at Rubadub to get their advice and opinions. They were very excited and supportive. So the label began….
B: Let’s talk about the material Well Rounded Records has released so far. Diversity seems to be one of the leitmotifs for this label. What are its borders in terms of styles? Where do you think it stands on the scene at the moment?
D: This is tricky. I don’t really like borders but I think there are limits to how diverse you can be with just one label. So I started another 2 haha!
I guess Well Rounded is more for cross-fertilisations and hybrids of House, Funky, Garage, R&B and Broken. I would consider releasing any combination within that range that works for me. I guess the releases are mostly around the 130 bpm area.
As for where we stand, I find this almost impossible to pinpoint as we kind of exist in a bubble. I don’t necessarily feel too much of a kinship with any one scene or label hence the need to start a broad-minded outlet of our own. Although not an influence, Planet Mu is perhaps the best example I can think of a label where I sometimes have no idea what style the release will be until I put the needle on the record, yet I buy and enjoy a high percentage of what they put out. So props to them.
B:When it comes to a varied catalogue, I always believed there’s a thin line between catching people’s attention and alienating them. You’ve managed to keep things well on the bright side so far and gained serious support from both DJs and listeners out there. How are the tracks picked and how is the release calendar put together? Is it a natural progression of things or is it something planned well ahead? Like a matter of putting the right record out at the right time.
D: I discover people in all sorts of ways, sometimes I approach them and sometimes they send things to me. It’s difficult because I now receive so many demos I don’t really have enough spare time to check and respond to them all. I try not to over-think the picking of the material, similar to how I select records to buy in a shop. I pick things based on whether I have a strong emotional or physical reaction to a track. In the best cases I will have both responses. I try not to let the market or current trends taint my outlook on what we should release.
Sadly with the production of vinyl there can be difficulties and delays. This means things can take a long-time to come out. I just have to hope that whatever feeling caused me to select the material endures until it’s released. Once I have committed to a release it joins a queue. We are scheduled quite a long way into the future.
I hope people appreciate the extra effort of us releasing on vinyl and are prepared to wait a while longer to get it on the sexiest format available.
B:Cash Antics. A couple of words on the concept behind this EP series, its name and the artist / track choices so far? Are there plans for a 3rd installment?
D: Right, Deadboy had amassed a few tracks based around R&B acapellas and we picked 3 to put out as a cheeky EP - a really fun project. The vocals were either by Cassie or Ashanti so we combined the names to come up with Cash Antics. It also played into a fantasy of us being playas or high rollers.
For the second one we knew we wanted to put out ‘Fireworks’ and that our friends Gongon & Bad Autopsy had ‘Mag’ that was a big favourite with us both. So we took the concept further and decided to make it Various Artists EP this time around. Skinnz got in touch with ‘Turn U On’ and Doc Daneeka reminded me of his re-edit of Gatto Viola’s ‘Backstabbin’ Angie’. It’s a pretty sick EP I reckon.
We certainly do have plans for a 3rd but we are subverting the formula. We need to extend the concept but take it into a new area. I don’t wanna say too much at this point. It should be out before the end of the year.
B: Well Rounded Individuals is something I’d like to talk about in extent. You started it back in March to provide for even fresher(!) sounds and artists. Why weren’t Wheez-ie’s or Graphics’ sounds suitable for the main label in your opinion? Is the Individuals name something that states the fact that each record / release is self-sustained, unconnected to past or future stuff on the label?
D: You’re correct, as well as saying these producers are talented Individuals who have their own unique sound, I was also hoping people would view each release as a stand-alone statement that may not link to subsequent projects.
I heard Wheez-ie’s Juke material and thought it offered a fresh and exciting take on the style. I fell in love with one track in particular, ‘Leave Her Alone’, which I couldn’t resist asking to release and we started to compile an EP together. I think it’s a quite brilliant selection.
However, I felt that putting out something in such a notably different style might be a step too far on Well Rounded so started to conceptualise another outlet for things that didn’t fit on the parent label.
We are getting Wheez-ie back on the label. I really rate him. We also have an EP from Distal who produces music in all sorts of directions but often with a vibe that’s really unusual. Check his recent Tectonic and Fortified Audio releases for evidence of that. His EP for us, which includes a track produced with Chicago’s DJ Rashad, is an absolute banger I promise. We also have an EP in the pipeline from a young man called Spare based in Notts, UK. I won’t attempt to categorise his music but there’s a quality to it that’s strange and exhilarating.
B:Well Rounded Housing Project is the youngest of the three labels under your protective wing and, quite frankly, it has put out two releases that I personally find as being absolutely brilliant. James Fox – New Jack Swing is an amazing take on extensive R&B samples use, while Outboxx are taking on boogied down House and Jazzy influenced stuff like there’s no tomorrow. This label is more limited in terms of what it releases and it has quite a simple philosophy behind it, right? You give it a properly built House track, with lots of groove and a strong personal input from the producer and it basically puts itself out.
D: I feel very at home with House. I had an epiphany when I was younger. I thought dance music should be hard, aggressive and fucked-up. Then one night as an impressionable teenager, I took some acid and ended up at an illegal party where a bunch of guys that looked like football hooligans (the smartly dressed kind) were freaking out to this slower 4/4 music with soulful vocals and messages. It blew my mind. I suddenly saw all these links back to Soul music and Disco. I realised I could finally openly enjoy this music that my peer group often sneered at. I left them to listen to whatever nosebleed nonsense they were into and started buying US imports. I guess the music on Housing Project reflects all the diverse forms I believe House can take, as people will discover across the releases. I am very excited by all the different approaches we have curated to put out on this label. I believe spreading the word of House music should be like a crusade. When a House track hits the spot it is righteous and will last all time.
B: There’s common ground between Well Rounded and its sublabels. They all are digital labels as well, but they have acetate at their core. The name itself suggests it. Please expand on that a little bit. How does putting stuff out on wax reflect for a label in 2011? How about the three vinyl only releases so far – Cash Antics Vol.1, Vol.2 and WRHP001? Is it a white label thing or?
D: The vinyl-only projects are for when we feel we are unable to do a high-profile or full release of material based around extensive sample use. To sell digitals of these would take the piss whereas we have to sell a certain amount of vinyl to recover our production costs.
The name of the label does have a double-meaning relating to both the physical shape of records as well as when something is said to be ‘well rounded’ which, by my understanding, means having a healthy balance of different qualities. My position is that if we are unable to continue to justify releasing all our material on vinyl then I will close. Digital as the only format does not embody enough achievement for me to bother. I know a lot of my views are unfashionable and our world seems to value convenience over most things but I want something that I can feel - both musically and physically.
B: Separate topic now for future plans and releases you’d like to mention. There must be something in store for each of these installments. How about some Donga material? Is any of your stuff getting a release soon?
D: I’ve mentioned quite a few things above but the next 2 or 3 things are Skinnz’s ‘Put It On’ EP on Well Rounded, I like to think of this as colourful bruk-Garage. You need to hear it perhaps to understand what I’m trying to express there. That will hit the streets in September. This will be followed by an EP by xxxy who I’m a big admirer of. When we last discussed material he was considering a track he made with us in mind that had big hands in the air potential and brought a massive smile to my face. It’s gonna be wonderful.
Next over on the Housing Project we have a 12” of both of Julio Bashmore’s remixes of ’Heartbreaker’ by Deadboy. I’m really proud to have Matt come across to do something with us, I’ve DJed alongside him a couple of times and I’ve been really impressed. I’ve been playing out the white label of this and it’s going down brilliantly! This will also be out in September.
I’m gonna drop at least one EP of productions that I have had a hand in before the end of the year. This will include a Donga & Blake re-edit and an Ultrasound original tune on it for sure and possibly a 3rd from another related project. We’re still tinkering with that.
B:Let’s talk about Donga – the DJ for a bit. What are your favourite sounds at the moment? You play out quite a lot and you’re a DJ that knows how to connect deep / smart sounds and dancefloor material in a set. What does your usual club selection consist of, if you have one?
D: If you start playing out regularly you can’t avoid playing some of the same tunes for periods of time but it’s important to me to always mix things up from past to present. I deliberately drop energy down to build things back up and mix across styles and so on because otherwise I don’t feel challenged and that‘s what brings out the inspired stuff in me.
I think this can have varying results for crowds if I’m honest depending on what they expect from a night out. There are always plenty of people who are gonna step up and play all the bangers you know and love, or impress with a set of completely unreleased dubs by them and their artist friends, so if that’s what you want, don’t bother checking me. I feel in our mad quest to know what the next hype is we are overlooking so much good material in the present. Our culture is too disposable. I think it’s quite healthy to alternate between the familiar and the challenging. Contrast is where it’s at for me.
B:You’re also a huge vinyl enthusiast / vinyl exclusive DJ. How large is your collection and what are some of your most priced possesions?
D: My collection is into the thousands, some at my mother’s home and some at my current flat. People have suggested the floor might collapse which actually made me think! However, I respect people that maintain a tight reign on quality over quantity. Having this many records can make things difficult, I sometimes go through hundreds of records before a gig without finding certain things because I have no filing system in place. I don’t look at market values for records, some things that you can find for pennies are the best records I’ve ever heard. My most prized possessions would probably be records I can imagine I might still want to hear at retirement age, say something like Miles Davis’ ‘In A Silent Way’.
B: In relation to that, tell us a couple of words about the mixtape you put together for BASICS. Selection, how it was recorded, etc. And last but not least, why the Noizy Tables thing?
D: Noizy Tables is a reference to my badly set-up Technics. There’s all sorts of rumble and stuff. I look at records that I’ve been feeling recently and without practising put them in an order that I imagine may work. Then press record. If I end up over-rehearsing or thinking out mixes they become a drag to make. I feel as a DJ I’m in a transition at the moment, I sense something around the corner. Maybe this mix reflects my current somewhat confused and unresolved state. Either way, I did my best to make it an entertaining journey through different moods and atmospheres somewhere between dancing and listening material.
B:It’s been a pleasure and sincere thanks for taking quite a large amount of your time to do this! Highly appreciated! Cheers and best of luck with whatever the future may hold for you and Well Rounded!
D: Thanks very much for asking. The interest means a lot and it’s really great to reveal more of the thinking behind what we do. Peace. :)
Thus being said, make sure you get your news feed from Donga, Well Rounded Records and its sister labels via Donga's SoundCloud, WR SoundCloud or on Facebook.
Also, their eleventh release on the mother-label comes from Skinnz and is now available for pre-order at Redeye Records and all the other good vinyl stores. Cop it!
