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Sub Zero hits us with the incredible Bi-Polar EP this week. We caught up with him to find out more about the new change in direction.
Bass Command : How did you become involved with Playaz ?
Sub Zero : That was quite a while ago now in my G Dub days, me and Original Sin had left Formation Records and were doing our own label Propaganda Recordings. Hype just approached us to come on the label and we jumped at the chance. The rest as they say is history.
BC : You have a number of re-mixes under your belt now. Would you say you prefer writing your own tunes or re-mixing other peoples ?
SZ : Good question. I love remixing other peoples stuff but also at times it can be quite hard work, especially if it’s a big project. There’s a lot of pressure to deliver, but I suppose I also relish the challenge and when u pull it off it’s a great buzz. I however don’t think anything can compare to creating and writing your own music from scratch. It’s a pretty incredible thing to do. You can’t beat having a blank canvas to create whatever u like on. That is the ultimate buzz.
BC : Do you have any strange studio rituals ? (Kissing a lucky egg, or any unusual food combos etc?)
SZ : lol nothing really. I drink lots of tea (earl grey) and I probably tend to go a bit weird spending a lot of time by myself in the studio, talking to myself and often jumping around like a nutter and shouting (if things are going well).
BC : Talk us through the new EP.
SZ : It’s just basically a strange mix of nice and nasty lol. Hopefully everyone can find something they like in there. My Step Mum really loves Protection but I think she probably hates Your Flex and Run And Hide, where as I know clubbers and ravers love those tunes (I hope anyway) so hopefully ticking all the boxes. I love the idea of having tunes that smash a club and tunes u can listen to at home when you’re chilling out etc. I suppose in that sense the EP is kind of a mini album and any great album should have diversity and surprises.
BC : You’ve talked about wanting to change the perception of you as a jump-up producer. There were a number of tracks already showing this last year. What diverse sounds can we expect from you this year & will you continue to make the occasional banger ?
SZ : lol don’t get it twisted, I still make bangers and totally addicted to writing smashers, especially with DJing a lot. Who knows what will happen next, expect the unexpected I always say !!! I don’t want to be pigeon holed or tied down to any style. I will have lots of new bangers for 2012.
We recently chatted to Spearhead boss BCee about his latest release Beat the system & the possibility of a new Spearhead night.
Bass Command : Spearhead is now in its 7th year & it has gone from strength to strength. What do you think has been the key element to the labels success, and looking back what would you have done differently?
Spearhead : I think that the label has grown well for two main reasons. Firstly because I have been super selective about what to sign. I have only taken tracks that really grab me. You have to be quite confident in that as there are always people that will come back and tell you that it doesn’t suit the
label or they don’t like it. Bottom line is I have just always released music that I like, most of the time other people have enjoyed my selection!
The second thing is that I have always tried to treat people well and just generally been a nice bloke to deal with. Simple things like paying your artists what you agree is a good start and also not signing tunes that you have no intention of releasing or just can’t get out.
BC : What was the reason for starting up Spearhead Limited?
S : Spearhead Limited was quite simply started as I wanted to get some more music out and due to way our distribution works it was a lot easier just to branch out a bit. It has developed into being a label for the smaller projects while the main label concentrates on bigger projects.
BC : How much creative input do you have on the labels releases by other artists, or do you give them free reign over what they produce ?
S : I generally give artists free reign to do what they want but offer help if they want it, such as finding vocalists etc. I usually approach an artist and ask for tunes based on that I like what they are doing. I therefore don’t see the point in asking them for tunes and then telling them to make something different.
BC : You’ve mentioned in the past that you would like to set up a Spearhead night. Is there any news on this ?
S : I am in the process of making proposals to venues / promoters. Watch this space.
BC : Your debut LP, Beat The System came out at the end of last year (Nov 21st on Spearhead Recordings). The sampler released back in September featured soulful vocals from Darrison. Tell us about the other collaborations & how they come about.
S : The collaborations came about from me just getting in touch with the artists that I wanted to work with and asking if they were up for it. To my surprise, the majority of people I asked were up for it, so I sent over the instrumentals and what you can hear on the LP are the results of that.
BC : Is there anything else you want to let us know about ?
S : Look out for the ‘Beat The System’ remix LP out mid 2012 on Spearhead
Records with some of my personal favourite producers on the remix tip.
This week we talk to, in our opinion, the first lady of DnB. Her soulful style opened up the scene to a wider audience and since signing to Full Cycle records she has gone from strength to strength!
Having worked with everyone from the top dawgs, right through to the up-coming talent, she consistently brings her emotive style to every track she records.
We discuss what she’s been up to since the release of her excellent album, ‘Dark Days, High Nights’ and her plans to release a book.
Bass Command : We hear you’re writing a book. How’s it coming along ?
Tali : Yes I’m writing a book, it’s about my experiences as a young female woman coming from a farm in New Zealand, and going to England to follow my dreams to become a jungle MC. Pretty different subject matter I think and possibly of interest to someone! I have had so many adventures on the road, some positive and some negative, and met so many characters along the way I want to be able to remember these and I thought writing them down was a start. I am still trying to work out how if I should include people’s real names or not, it’s not that I’m divulging secrets or dissing people (much) but I want to be sensitive to those included in the stories!
BC : You’ve hinted in the past that you might be working with Benga. Is there any news on this ?
T : Benga and I talked about doing some tunes together and he sent me three beats to choose from. I wrote and recorded vocals to one of them and sent them to him, but I have never heard anything back. In the meantime I have written for Xilent, High Maintenance, Artificial Intelligence, and have just been approached by New Zealand producer Trei to write for his new album. So it’s not like I’m short on work!
BC : The album has been out for a couple of months now. How has the response to it been ?
T : I have just relocated to New Zealand and within two days of being here I was off to tour Japan with Xilent. We had a blast! Now even though I officially live here in NZ I am also on tour here with DrumSound, Mutated Forms and Phaelah. Last weekend we played Wellington and Christchurch, this weekend we are in the North playing Whangarei and Auckland. After this I am heading back down to Wellington to play a club night called ‘Trei and Friends’ and then I’m hitting the festivals with Rhythm and Alps in the South Island first, playing alongside Flying Lotus, Benga and Skream, Foreign Beggers and Grandmaster Flash, and for New Years I am MCing and hosting at La De Da in Martinborough with Dodge and Fuski, alongside The Wu Tang and some of New Zealand’s biggest acts. Next year I have more shows lined up and I hope to get over to Australia and back to Japan at some point.
BC : As one of the hardest working people in DnB, we know you’ll have plenty of stuff in the pipeline. Can you give us a hint as to what we can expect from you in the last part of 2011 & 2012 ?
T : Obviously this year my album ‘Dark Days, High Nights’ came out, but I have already started writing material for my new album which I want to release next year. I’m hoping to collaborate with some New Zealand producers and create something with a different vibe. I am also looking into television production and presenting, and am hoping to establish some writing workshops once my husband and I find a house to live in! I have also been in talks with some South American promoters with regards to touring out there early next year, I really hope to make this happen as after ten years in the scene I still haven’t gotten down there!
http://www.audiopornrecords.com/artist/999938/tali
http://download.breakbeat.co.uk/lpsepslabels/audioporn/darkdayshighnights.aspx
Here at Bass Command, we don’t just want to bring you info on the big name artists. We also bring you info on any up-coming talent within the scene. This week we talk to California based drumstep producer Destro.
Bass Command : Tell us about yourself, how did you get into production?
Destro : I got interested with the idea of making sounds around those middle school days when I would listen to my favorite Prodigy, Underworld, or Chemical Brothers CD, then walk into guitar center, and let myself totally be absorbed in all the synthesizers and keyboards. I was really curious about how each worked, and started fooling and tweaking around with synths for an hour, sometimes longer inside the store. Later, my fascinations would evolve into wanting to write my own music, and took a few courses in college to help tune my craft. I can also attribute my knowledge from the endless advice I have received from my fellow music community inside the studio. My father and uncles have always been in musical groups, and my aunt is a broadway musical conductor, so I’ve always felt music has a traditional place in my heart.
BC : Do you DJ as well as produce? If so when & where can we catch you?
D : I actually fell in love with DJing before I started to really make tunes. Producing helped keep djing interesting for me over the years. There is no better feeling than an elated crowd reaction as your freshest tune drops. My next gig is at Organized Grime down in San Diego, and I help organize bass music shows. I mainly play out in the Orange County and LA/Hollywood areas every week. Rumors of an east coast tour also have been arising of late, more info on that as I get more dates confirmed.
BC : Where do you see drumstep a few years from now? Do you think it will explode in much the same way as dubstep?
D : I see drumstep being accepted more and more every week, I go out and hear more DJ’s playing drumstep sections of sets at events. It is amazing how far the genre has gone in 2011, yet it is still hard to convince a die-hard drum and bass fan that it is its own genre at all (The whole” they have been doing it for years,” debate. Truth is, producers haven’t been editing drum syncopations this way for years at all. It undeniably has its own swag to it.) I think there will definitely be more artists will be giving it a try in the producer’s studio in 2012. As far as it exploding the way dubstep has, I can only answer this question once I start hearing drumstep being pushed onto commercials, or through a mass media corporation such as Universal, Sony, Disney, etc. I am not a soothsayer. Therefore, the possibilities are endless at this time.
BC : Do you produce any other styles?
D : I have been also producing drum and bass and jump up for years, and have also gotten a couple dubstep tunes picked up by labels as well. I recently worked out a Paula Abdul 8-bit Chip tune remix. I would really like to start getting into some big beats, even trance in the near future. I am really getting interested in working in the realm of Foley art, and scoring for film and television as well.
BC : Has any of your stuff been released yet? Where can we find it?
D : I have been released by a few labels this year, ranging from US (Heavy Artillery Recordings) to UK (Magma, Lava Recordings) music labels. You can type in my artist name on Beatport and it should pull up my catalog. Also, feel free to download any free music I have on my soundcloud www.soundcloud.com/destrodnb/, I just gave out a free NES drumstep remix, to promote my page, so grab it while you still can.
BC : So what’s in the pipeline for Destro? Is there anything else we should know about?
D : My ‘Moon Men’ EP on DJ-Ekim’s Token Bass Recordings is dropping next week at all .mp3 sites on November 28th. It features 2 original tunes of mine, as well as a big remix from Thorn on a Rose, an awesome production team from San Diego, you guys should definitely peep their sound scapes if you haven’t gotten a chance yet. Peligro from the Token Bass camp also has a killer remix of’ Moon Men’ that we have been giving away to promote the release. Other people have been coining it is as ‘space’ step when they describe it on blogs and facebook posts. There are also many fresh and forward thinking jump up and drumstep anthems I have been working on with my good friend, and fellow Orange County producer Blitz. They will be unleashed soon, and they are really some of our best works to date.
Interview with DJ Psylence of Ingredients Records
Ingredients Records has had a busy couple of years. The label is home to a number of new artists who have certainly left a mark. It releases on both vinyl and digital formats, however as a way of giving the fans a little thankyou the vinyl releases contain a recipe from the artist. A nice touch with a scene that takes itself a little too seriously at times.
June saw the release of INGREDIENTS PRESENTS : RECIPE BOOK VOL.1. We catch up with label boss DJ Psylence to find out what he’s been up to since then.
Bass Command : Firstly, big thankyou for taking the time to talk to us. Give us a bit of an update on what you’ve been up to since the release of Recipe Book Volume One.
Psylence : Well I tried to chill out after that, but the lift it has given the label and all the artists featured on it has been huge, so I’ve kept the momentum going. August saw Sato’s 4th single which featured a monster remix from Phobia of ‘Detroit lies bleeding’ and this was followed by Genotype’s “A few too many”, which featured his recipe for Deep fried chicken & chips with a beer. Then I’ve rounded off a great year for Ingredients with Skeptical’s awesome “Blue Eyes EP“.
BC : What has the response to the compilation been like?
P : I think it’s gone down well, the singles all sold out pretty quick, and there seemed to be a real buzz around the project. Everyone enjoys the recipes and it’s great to have a bit of fun in this industry, while excited about the new crop of talent shining through.
BC : You have quite an impressive rosta of artists on the label now, is there any new blood in particular that we should be keeping an eye on ?
P : Yeah it’s been great seeing them all develop on both Ingredients & similar labels, it was always the plan to nurture new talent with a little help from established artists and it’s a nice balance in the catalogue. We’ve seen how deadly a duo Skeptical & Dub phizix are together or on their own. I really rate Mute & Mako, they are just awesome producers and although they are not strictly Ingredients artists it’s a pleasure to have them on the label.
Keep an eye on Krakota, brilliant DJ & he knows how to write good dance
floor music, also Trex.
BC : Are there any plans to release an Ingredients cookbook featuring all the recipes from your releases ?
P : Yes. I think it will be fantastic to look back on one day, hopefully full of recipes from artists who started out on Ingredients and have gone onto great things, will be great memorabilia.
BC : So what do you have coming up for us ?
P : Ok in January it will be Krakota’s first solo single with ‘Scraper / Tunnel Vision / Be Myself VIP’. Then a debut from two new recruits – Kodo ‘The Jackal’ and ‘Tyrone ‘Behemoth’ – both exciting new artists and very capable in the studio. There will also be singles from Trex, Villem & Dub Phizix before the summer. Well, I say the summer, I actually mean by July if that helps!
BC : Is there anything else you want to let us know about ?
P : There will be news soon of an Ingredients regular club night in London, and a few more around the country in Leeds & Bristol. We’re also going to be designating a page where people can download the recipes, I think it’s time everyone got to see those as they were exclusive to the vinyl originally. Also, look out for my new label Mars Recordings, which has some fantastic music, more for the heads that like things a bit more mellow.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ingredients-Records/140414909333657?ref=ts&sk=wall
Interview with Lam (Part 1)
Lam (formally Oroku) is one of the North East’s hardest working DJs in the UK Bass scene and hasn’t got to where he is overnight. Having successfully run a few different nights in the Middlesbrough area (Bushido/4th Bass) and working for Ten Feet Tall, we catch up with the UK funky, Garage, Dubstep, DnB & Post dub DJ to find out what he thinks about the way the scene is currently and to discuss the night he runs in Middlesbrough’s Empire every Friday night, 4th Bass.
BC : What attracted you to bass music in the first place ?
LAM : I’ve been into UK Garage since a young age and then switched to French house and Electro jackin’ (fidget). A close friend by the name of Robert Percy introduced me to a small nightclub called Plug which was the first bass night i’d been to and saw a mixture of DJs from boy-8bit to James Zebali to Ben Ufo. Ever since then I knew I wanted to be a DJ, work in music, the music business and promotions. If it wasn’t for nights like Urban Gorilla and my mates Ste Jones and Rob Percy, I probably wouldn’t be influenced by the music that I am. 7 months later i saw Rusko and Caspa back to back and I knew that was the musical direction I wanted to go in.
BC : What do you think about the current bass music scene in the North East, particularly DnB ?
LAM: We at 4th Bass wanted to push the DnB music scene, hence we put on more DnB artists than dubstep artists, such as Danny Byrd, Subfocus and Shy Fx. My views on the bass music scene inMiddlesbrough is that it is very hard. It is a drinking town and none of the clubs have Function 1 sound systems, which is the kind of system that amplifies the bass. 4th Bass now is like a family where all of the 4th bass DJs meet up and drink and listen to the music we want to listen to. When it comes to dubstep and DnB , I wanted the dubstep to be minimal and moody and my Dnb to be techy, dark and rollin’ so we have booked Cyrus (Deep Medi, Getdarker TV) for our freshers party, plus we have the Warehouse Project resident joining us in late January/early February, and we are also going to be taking bookings for before January. Because we are DJing that style there is a night starting up by Naza where they will play more jump up, brostep and drumstep music. We believe this will work in our favour because we’ve built up a 3 year crowd of people that want a bass night with music from the likes of Example, Jack Beats, Solo, Girl Unit and finishing the sets with dark rollin’ DnB. Also at the moment, I’m a big fan of S.P.Y. and Rockwell. I think the bass music scene inMiddlesbrough is only going forwards and will improve in time with nights like ours.
Lam official fanpage : http://www.facebook.com/orokudub
4th Bass official fanpage : http://www.facebook.com/fourth.bass.mboro
Bass Command 