INDEPTH010: TMSV [ARTIKAL/COSMIC BRIDGE/RUA SOUND]
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We’re back with our latest InDepth feature showcasing none other than Dutch badman TMSV!
Firmly established in the dubstep scene for several years, Tomas Roels, better known as TMSV, has decided to switch things up. After taking a few steps back from the music scene to experiment and search for a new sound to call his own, his latest output takes inspiration from jungle, grime, juke, dubstep and other bass music. No longer constrained by genre or tempo, TMSV’s sub-powered, percussive dread music is diverse, yet recognisable.
Aside from being a producer, TMSV is a perfectionist behind the decks and has torn up dance floors at renowned club nights in Europe and beyond. Not a fan of single-genre sets, he likes to play the wide range of sounds he’s into.
2016 is set to be a big year for TMSV, with numerous high-profile solo releases as well as remixes on various labels.
Check out TMSV’s exclusive mix for us below!
TRACKLIST
Fracture & Sam Binga & Rider Shafique – Bubble [Astrophonica]
TMSV – Send Them Come [Forthcoming Cosmic Bridge]
Greazus & Sinistarr – Skankface [Diffrent Music]
Om Unit & Sam Binga – FullBones [BUNIT]
Itoa – Clap Tone [Modern Ruin]
Fixate & Hyroglifics – Daft [Unreleased]
Itoa – Top Deck [Bad Taste]
Poirier – Kypoli ft. Machinedrum & Aleisha Lee (Moresounds Remix) [NICE UP!]
Forest Drive West – Jungle Crack [Rupture LDN]
Unknown Artist – Shmurda Inna Dancehall [Dub Championz]
Sully – Hours, Miles & Still… [Astrophonica]
Fixate – Bandicoot [Exit]
TMSV – Guess What [Unreleased]
Chimpo – Stanna Stairlift [Exit]
Danny Scrilla – Riddim [Cosmic Bridge]
Disko Rekah Refix [Unreleased]
Redders – 96 In One (prod. Gorgon Sound) [Critical Systems]
Sam Binga & Om Unit – Reclaim [Critical]
TMSV – Jazz Error [Forthcoming]
Kromestar – Mere Sher (Danny Scrilla Remix) [Lion White]
Kromestar – Mere Sher (VIP) [Lion White]
Sir Spyro – Topper Top [Deep Medi]
Commodo & Lurka – Glue Sniff Riddim [Black Box]
TMSV – Shallow Breath [Unreleased]
TMSV – Prediction [Unreleased]
Roska – 480 BC [Tectonic]
Fujin – Roll Out [Unreleased]
TMSV – Aku [Forthcoming Tumble Audio]
Om Unit – Hidden Dread [Forthcoming Cosmic Bridge]
Kahn & Neek – Backchat [Hotline]
Burial & Four Tet – Moth [Text]
We had a chat to Tomas about where his music is taking him, check it out below!
We’ve asked the crew here at TDEC what they want to know about the one and only TMSV.
1) So Tom, tell us abit about yourself and describe your sound in three words?
Hey! I’m Tomas, AKA TMSV. I’m 27 years old and I live in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Three words: bass, percussion, imperfection.
2) Now let’s get deep and dark at what age were you drawn to electronic music production, and specifically what drew you into bass music production?
I got into production at about 16 or 17 years old. What drew me to it at that time was my enthusiasm for drum & bass, and my ever-present desire to create the
cultural things that I’m passionate about, especially music. I was introduced to dubstep in 2008 or perhaps a bit earlier, and producing that was so much more
fun and so much more natural than drum & bass production was for me at that time, that I finally took it a bit more seriously, and discovered that I was alright
at making beats.
3) Name an artist that has constantly inspired you through your journey as a producer?
I’m usually inspired by movements, genres and individual tunes, rather than producers. There’s been an incredible amount of inspiring music over the years, so I
can’t really answer this question properly.
4) Answered it perfectly, Can you give us a quick insight to your studio? hardware/software etc
I’m mostly software-based. I use Ableton Live 9, a lot of stock plugins, plus some VST(i)’s. I mostly write and mix on BeyerDynamic DT990 pro headphones. I have
a Maschine controller, some other MIDI controllers and keyboards, a Yamaha DX11 FM synth, a couple of Korg Volca boxes, a mic and a huge stack of awful vinyl
records to sample.
5) There’s a fire in your house, which 3 records make it out with you?
I can’t be specific and give my sampling sources away, but let’s say one African percussion record, one with solo flutes and one of those demo records they
gave away when stereo equipment started to become widely available.
6) Now why the recent move into the wide plains of the 160/170 territory? Dangerousssss
After becoming a bit disillusioned with music (mostly the dubstep stuff I’d been focusing on myself), at a certain point I decided to take a step back and
experiment with some other stuff. What came out of it was a lot of 160/170 BPM music, but recently I’ve been making everything from beatless synth tracks to
130 to 140 to 160/170 BPM soundsystem tunes. I’m not focused on one genre or tempo, I’m interested in finding my own sound, and in becoming the best producer
I can be.
7) Any new/up and coming releases/labels the fans should keep their eye on if they want to hear more from TMSV?
Definitely keep an eye on Cosmic Bridge for the next couple of months. I have a release coming out on Tumble Audio very soon too. The release will consist of 3
of my 130 BPM tunes and there’s some stellar remixes in there. Shout out to Rua Sound as well. More exciting news coming soon!
8) We met Welfare from Rua Sound at Outlook this year, top guy. Are there any artists outside of the electronic music scene that you would like to collab with?
I’d love to collab with Joe Dukie / Dallas Tamaira, the Fat Freddy’s Drop vocalist. Other dream collabs would be Deliverance era Opeth and traditional
percussionists from around the world.
9) Do you have a personal way around writers block, if so what might that be?
What works for me is to make tunes using an audio only Ableton Live template (so no piano rolls or synth UIs), with a timer set to one hour. The composition
and some sort of arrangement have to be done before the end of the hour. If I keep that up every day for a week or so, my creativity starts to open up again.
It’s about forcing it, really – For me, being an artist is not about random moments of inspiration.
10) What’s your ideal line-up, if you threw a clubnight with 5 artists, who would they be?
Commodo, Om Unit, Mala, Danny Scrilla (at least 50% beatless/synth set), Sam Binga. No tempo or genre constraints.
11) Without sounding vein, personal favourite TMSV tune?
From the past year: I’d say either Shallow Breath, Over Out or Calavera.
12) Where do you see the bass music scene in 5 years?
I see it becoming a bit more open than it used to be. There’s a lot of advice, video tutorials and blogs going around right now. I’m even working on a blog
myself. Furthermore, I hope the hardcore supporters for soundsystem music like dubstep and halftime/footwork jungle will unify into one strong scene somehow.
13) Amen, unity is what we need. That’s enough grilling, favourite pizza toppings?
This is by far the hardest question of this interview! I don’t really have any favourites, but good buffalo mozzarella and smoked ham are amazing.
14) Beer or Bourbon?
Nothing beats a great beer.
15) Canine or feline studio pals?
Feline, no question. Well, until they start getting hungry.
16) If YOU could be an animal what animal are we thinking?
Probably one of those crows that can use tools. Intelligence AND being able to fly? Sign me up please.
Thankyou Tomas, what an absolute pleasure, safe!
TDEC
INDEPTHOO9: Jonny Dub [LEVELZ/HOYA HOYA]
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BLOG: http://www.deependcollective.wordpress.com/
IG: @deependcollective
We’re back with our latest InDepth feature showcasing none other than Manchester badman and LVLZ crew aficionado Jonny Dub!
1. Jonny mate, how’s it going? Can you tell us a bit about yourself and describe what Jonny Dub’s about in a few words?
I play music for pissed people and get paid to do it. Jonny Dub is all about the hugs
2. Let’s start from the core… you push a very ‘genre less’ agenda when it comes to your djing. You’ve been heavily involved in Manchester’s underground music scene for a minute now. What influences from this culture, drive the music you push?
Manchesters a smallish city but it has always had a lot going on musically, its never just settled on one sound or scene, so growing up here it has obviously influenced the kind of stuff I’m into. The main influences from this culture for me though are the people who are out there doing shit within the scene. Pretty much everyone I work with has been a part of the scene for as long as me (over 10 years now), and its been great to see how people have developed as artists, dj’s, producers, performers etc. Its a real source of inspiration and kinda keeps you on your toes so that you don’t get left behind.
3. Music you grew up with and what drew you to electronic music?
my parents weren’t really into music too much, like a lot of kids with non musical parents my early musical experiences were whatever was played on commercial radio, but it wasn’t until i was about 10 or 11 a neighbour gave me a tone loc album followed shortly by an n.w.a album, and at the time i had never heard anything like it. This kinda kick started my love of hip hop and i was crazy about it for the next 10 years or so. Thing about hip hop is that its a good introduction to so many genres due to the variety of sample sources producers were using. It really helped open my ears to new sounds and i naturally began to dig deeper. I think it was when i was about 18 though and started going to clubs that i began to develop a passion for electronic music tho. Plus the good thing about electronic music is that anyone with a computer can make it and as such its kinda blown the doors wide open in terms of new artists having fun and getting creative. These are great times for music, just pretty shit times for the music industry on a whole but thats another conversation.
4. We’ve noticed that you dabble in production. Given your sets are generally packed with variety, we’re curious to know when we will hear more from you & what to expect?
That’s a good question and one i don’t really know the answer to. I enjoy messing about with music but more then that i think i enjoy the technical side of things, engineering and recording stuff. so whether i will get round to putting stuff of my own out in the near future or whether i will just be working on other peoples music is yet to be seen. First and foremost I am a DJ and thats what i want to be known as though. Theres a lot of producers who are thrown into the DJ’ing world due to demand for their music and also to get paid, however Im the opposite of this really. I started out dj’ing before i ever made any music and for me thats how i see myself. DJ first, producer / engineer second. That said I do have a track coming out on a compilation soon.
5. You’re involved with Manchester’s two bit, up to no good, cheeky Levelz crew. You guys have had a lot of press lately, in the best possible ways. You seem like a good bunch of mates, but is there a story behind how you met?
We have known each other for years and all been doing stuff on the scene for some time, it was just the natural thing to bring it all together under one banner and see what fuckery we could get up too. Rich reason instigated it after coming up with the idea from a conversation with dub phizix and strats, but everyone felt that it was a good thing to do and jumped on board. The only problem is that with so many big characters in the group and so many opinions it can often take a minute for things to get done, but on the whole things are going well and we are having a top buzz in the process.
6. Red Bull just held their 2016 Manchester Culture Clash where Levelz came out on top. What was your feeling after this? It must be a wicked flag to hang high.
all our flags got stolen on the night. so the only thing we can hang high is the trophy which got broken and the letter “u” fell off on the night, which personally I love, we tend to break everything so its fitting we broke that. But it was fun winning the clash, and to be going against loads of our mates made it extra competitive but its all love and it shows what a good clash we can put on between us.
7. Any future plans with the Levelz crew that we can get an inside scoop on?
Got some videos coming soon plus some mixes and shit, and me and chimpo are doing a tour of Japan in May which should be fun. “chimpo” in japanese is a slang term for a penis so I’m gonna have loads of fun shouting chimpo all the time.
8. A couple of us here at TDEC were lucky enough to catch the Levelz parties at Outlook last year. We passed you after the Garden stage takeover and copped a big sweaty hug from a man in a half assed nun’s costume. The thought still makes us chuckle. Can you tell us how your 2015 experience was?
Well as u know it started out pretty wild, too much drinking on the flight over resulted in me running round the festival shirtless dressed in a nuns habit giving sweaty hugs to everyone. I lost my bag with my money, laptop, passport & phone in it that night, but luckily managed to get it back the following evening after a pretty miserable day trying to hunt it down with a stinking hangover. After that tho everything was top. The stage take over was loads of fun and it really felt like a total family affair all night as all our manchester mates were there doing cheeky guest spots and having a disco with us. My highlight was when Tyler Daley & DRS jumped on and did a rendition of the view live. Felt well special.
9. The whole crew seemed to be having a wild one. How taxing on the body is it delivering high energy shows all year round? And how the f*** do you stay on that level?
Smoothies, that and getting pissed always helps
10. On the same tip, what would be your dream venue or festival?
Dream venue for me to play would be anywhere in Perth……….. just gonna throw that out there.
11. Favourite cartoon, superhero and video game?
At the moment its probably rick and morty but i think i gotta wait another year for the next season, which is depressing. Superhero is probably one punch man. Caught the full first series of that and it just cracked me up. And video game is probably either battlefield 4 coz im a don and will put a bullet between your eyes, or mario 64, coz im a don and like eating mushrooms
One Punch Man is the one!
12. Biggest knobhead in the crew?
Me
13. Fire in your house, which 3 records make it out alive?
non of them coz all my records are at my studio. but as long as i make it out alive this all that matters.
14. Beer or cider?
Gin
15. Do you like home & away?
Its a bit shit really, i preferred neighbours when i was a kid, but they both pretty shit to be honest. home and away has the better theme tune tho.
Cheers for putting up with us Jonny, much appreciated. Good luck with what you do best…
Make sure you check out our exclusive InDepth mix with Jonny Dub himself via the link below!
X TDEC X
TRACKLIST:
Azekel – New romance (Om Unit remix)
Illum Sphere – Ritual
Was A Be – Carcosa
Dub Phizix feat. DRS – do one
Sam Binga & Om unit – Windmill kick
Sabre – Yoga (Alix Perez club mix)
J Kenzo – Skatta
Dub Phizix feat. Ward 21 – Doberman
Baine – Benson
J Kenzo – Ruffhouse (Om Unit remix)
DJ Madd – Champion
Biome – Reincite
Sully – Rotton (sam binga remix)
Chimpo – Sneaky cheeky
Vince Staples – Street punks
Flako – Albedo
Addison Groove & Sam Binga – Thr3id
Fracture & Deft – I just
was a be – Switch
Roni Size – Brown paper bag (Photek remix)
Dub Phizix feat. DRS – Break the chain
INDEPTH006: Crypticz [DIFFRENT MUSIC/INFLECT AUDIO]
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IG: @deependcollective
We’re back with our latest INDEPTH mix, featuring none other than 20 year old badman Crypticz! Recently being taken under the Diffrent Music wings, we had a chat to Crypticz about his music, what he gets up to aside music, pizza, and drum and bass heavy weight boxing matches.
So Jordan, tell us about yourself and describe Crypticz with 3 words?
Yo, I’m Crypticz. A producer currently based in a town outside of Bristol, UK. Three words to describe Crypticz? Me doing music?
Let’s start from the core, you push a very unique style of upper BPM music such as drum & bass/footwork. What were/are the influences that drive the music you produce?
Early influences for me when it came to writing electronic music was Dubstep, particularly the deeper, darker stuff. Especially Bristol based artists like RSD and Pinch. I also love what the London lot did, Mala, Coki, Burial (this guy is like in a different league all together though, for me!), etc.
When it comes to what I write now I like to think I’m influenced by everything I hear everyday. I listen to a lot of different styles of music. Been quite into new wave and punk bits and bobs lately. A bit of techno too but more recently I’m quite into kinda funky disco/house stuff.
When it comes to artists working in the same or a similar field as me a massive one was obviously Om Unit. I think that goes for a lot of people. I also draw a lot of inspiration from Moresounds, he is a great artist. Coleco has influenced me greatly and my path as a producer too. He helped me to get where I am currently. He will forever be a bit of a mentor for me with his advice and direction. I owe him a lot!
From your selection or genres did one really stand out therefore making more of an impact on your music or did they all come together at once?
I feel that, currently, the music I play and write is kind of just a coming together of all the different styles I feel represent myself as an artist delivered and presented in a certain way.
You recently turned 20! What age did you begin producing and when did you decide you wanted to put a lot of effort into it?
I did! I’m a real adult now, I have to try my hand at this real life thing… we’ll see how that goes! Yeah, I’ve been into music ever since I can remember and I first got involved with it myself through playing guitar but I didn’t start producing electronic music until I was 16. Hmmm, I mean, I think I’ve always put effort into it but yeah certainly lately I’ve been driven to push harder and further. I put quite a lot of pressure on myself at times I think. These days I am certainly the most dedicated to the craft than I ever have been. I think I have uni to thank for that, I’ve been given all this time and direction to focus on what I love and make what I want out of it.
You bursted into this music scene throughout 2013 what was the reaction when you have had support from artists such as Om Unit, Doc Scott, Chimpo and more!?
I’m still really stoked and surprised man! To have had these people supporting my stuff this year is a real honour and I’m just so pleased these people like my music. I’m super pleased that anyone likes it!
We’ve noticed you’re involved in the brand new label Sweetbox, it’s hard to discover more about it. What’s the direction of Sweetbox?
Yeah, Sweetbox is a mysterious little label running out of Bristol with a few people behind the project. The idea really is to just be a quirky, fun little label pushing out some good, interesting music. The first release is a two track single from my good friend and collaborator Lakeway and myself. It’s got that Bubblegum tune on it that people seem to be quite into so yeah, now you can get your hands on it! It’s also got a new Lakeway track called Guns for Hire thats been going down a treat. Both the tracks are in the mix actually, if you’re yet to hear them.
One of your latest release’s on inflect UK really caught our ears. Inflect are ticking every box in pushing new exciting bass music at the moment! What was it like working with them?
Thank you! I’m glad people enjoyed the release so much. I will pass the kind words onto Alex (Coleco) & Lorna who are the two behind the label, it means a lot to them too. In regards to working with them it was a great experience. Alex & Lorna are people I met around late 2013 through gigging and gradually, as I found myself in Bristol more, I came to know them both quite well. They are really lovely people with a real passion for music, my sort of people. I think working on a release with them went so smoothly as a result of this, it was nice to put something together with the help of two friends and I am still really proud and pleased with the final result.
Now if that didn’t perk up enough ears you have also been signed to London’s favourite giraffe obsessed twisted drum and bass machine Diffrent Music. Did you feel pressure working alongside the pink giraffes and putting out music next to such respected producers?
You know it man! When Chris (Dexta) first picked me up for Diffrent I was in that almost honeymoon like phase where I was just really excited to be working with him and his label and all was great. I worked really hard on the tunes and wrapped them up ready for release and that was that. Then, that was when my mind started fucking with me haha. Especially in the last couple months building up to my EP, I got really spooked about how my music would be received by the Diffrent fan base, I was worried whether they would actually like it or not. As you say the roster is so well respected within the underground scene with people like Arkaik, Fearful, Hyroglifics, etc.
Chris really has things on lockdown with the label though, I beleived in him and he knows whats right for the label and when. I figured he wouldn’t have picked me up if I wasn’t right. As it turned out it seems the EP went down rather well, I’ve heard really kind words from a lot of people which is really cool dude, I’m so pleased. I’m honoured to be part of the Diffrent Music family now!
Dream label to release on?
I really respect what Jim (Om Unit) does with Cosmic Bridge so I think it would be a real honour to be a part of that label. So yeah, thats probably one of the dream ones!
Where do you see Crypticz heading in 2016?
I can’t really give too much away at this moment in time but definitley look out for more music! Fingers crossed there should be a bit of vinyl poking around too if thats your thing. I’m very much looking forward to 2016. I’m sitting on and wrapping up a lot of material this summer and I can’t wait to have the oppurtunity to share it.
Ok, I’ll stop drilling you now.
Dream venue/festival?!
I think Outlook would be super great to play!
Describe the Crypticz creative space, where the magic happens?
I roll things pretty simple for now, one day I dream of having a sexy little set up you know but the money ain’t there for now!
I’ve got my laptop, interface, a little nanokey for playing stuff in and more recently got a launchpad for some fun times! Monitoring I primarily use Sennheiser HD558 Headphones but I’m also lucky enough to live at uni with good friends, one of which is another producer. He lets me use his Yamaha monitors A LOT. I think I’m correct in saying they’re HS80Ms… Maybe. I have a pretty love/hate relationship with them, they’re not the ideal monitor for me. I love the sound of Genelec monitoring. But I’m still super grateful so shouts to Lewis on that one!
Canine or feline studio pals?
Ohhh toughest question! I’ve got a black cat, who is a proper cool cat you know, so I have to be on his side and say feline. But lately I’ve had an almost dangerous love for Pugs, I want one of those some day, thats a cool dog, but perhaps not the most manly! I also recommend Giraffes as a solid studio buddy. Specifically, pink ones!
First choice, producer or Dj?
Producer.
There’s a fire in you’re house which 3 records make it out alive?
What an evil question… I think if this happened right now I would grab:
Om Unit – Threads LP
Skream – The Shinein
Mild High Club – Windowpane
They’re not like super rare records or anything, just personal favourites/important ones to me.
Beer or bourbon?
Bourbon
Ultimate Pizza topping?
You know they do like brunch burgers? Imagine a brunch pizza. I’ve not come across that before, that would be big!
Who would win a 1 on 1 between Goldie and Doc Scott? No weapons.
Hmmm, tough… Going to have to say Scotty on this one I think, he is a bit of a don!
Thank you! Hope people enjoy the mix.
Much appreciated!
X TDEC X
CRYPTICZ SC: http://www.soundcloud.com/crypticz-1
CRYPTICZ FB: http://www.facebook.com/crypticzmusic
DIFFRENT MUSIC FB: http://www.facebook.com/diffrentmusic
DIFFRENT MUSIC SC: http://www.soundcloud.com/diffrent
INFLECT UK FB: http://www.facebook.com/inflectbristol
INFLECT UK SC: http://www.soundcloud.com/inflect-uk
TRACKLIST:
Om Unit – Ether (Intro Edit)
Hidden Turn – Dream of Tron
Heart Drive – Empathy Reeboot
Ital Tek – Shinra
Graphs – I Think About U
Iglew – Sleep Lighter (Crypticz VIP)
Danny Scrilla – Free Flight (ft. Om Unit)
C92 – The Startup
Nu Tone – Lightning (Sideswipe VIP)
Moresounds – Reality Tune
Crypticz & Itoa – MTD
Crypticz – Bubblegum
Danny Scrilla – Jello
Swayz – Rawdred
Red Army – Brevity (Epilleptech Remix)
J:Kenzo – Talisman
Apache – Gobo
Bad Graphics – Inside
Akkord – Back & Forth (Iyer’s 160 Edit)
DJ Manny – Off The Walls
Homesick – Babalon
Sinistarr – h3xx
Lakeway – Guns For Hire
Crypticz – Magnets (Moresounds Remix)
INDEPTH005: Binary [ENCRYPTED AUDIO]
We’re back with our latest INDEPTH mix, featuring none other than 21 year old Denver badman Luke Bullock, better known as Binary. Binary has been producing now for a few years, under different aliases such as VALAC.
Recently being taken under the Encrypted Audio wings, we had a chat to Luke about his music, what he gets up to aside music, pizza, and Encrypted.
Check out our soundcloud, we’ve got a 60 minute mix full of fire from the man himself!
Binary Soundcloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/binary-4
Binary Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BinaryDubstep
Encrypted Audio Soundcloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/encryptedaudio
Encrypted Audio Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EncryptedAudio
TRACKLIST:
TBA
So Binary! Tell us a bit about yourself!
Well, my name is Luke Bullock, I am twenty one years of age, and I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. Been producing for a few years under different aliases, Binary is my first solo project.
So we understand you once produced under the name Valac with Matthew Philpott- Jones (Damnesia Vu), whats it like to be on the solo tip now? Is it much different? Do you find yourself managing everything yourself? Surely you feel the pressure a bit more!
Yeah I did, and to be doing the solo stuff is a bit more stressful, or at least it can be, but it is nice at the same time. Loved doing the collab, but it’s a good feeling to be able to know you have the ability and drive to do things on your own. Also, being on the label helps a lot, we all share each others bits and give constructive criticism or ideas to help finish them. And out to Matt!
What made you choose Encrypted as your home turf?
Lots of reasons. Great group of artists, everyone makes huge tunes and are their own entity so the releases are always different. I also have always had lots of respect for the two boss men Tony and Rich a.k.a. Content and Deafblind, so last year when they asked to sign Matt and myself, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. Big ups to both of them and everyone on Encrypted.
Whats the dubstep scene like in Denver?
Unreal, we are so lucky. Sub.Mission is promoters of promoters. Their CEO Nicole Cacciavillano has brought and continues to bring some of the best artist through that I thought I would never get to see, let alone play alongside. Without her, Denver’s Dubstep scene would be non-existent. We have shows and line ups out here that other people from all over the US travel to just to see. And she has really matured the scene by always bringing good artists her whole career. Big ups Nicole!
Give us an insight into your studio, is there anything you find yourself constantly going back to?
Nothing special at the moment sadly, I use FL 11 and have quite a lot of different vsts and plug ins. A pair of M Audio AV 40,s, a small generic midi keyboard, a Tascam DR-07 field recorder and my girlfriends Lifetime plastic foldout table. Planning to step up my game here soon after I move next month. I have had my eye on the Adam Ax7’s for too long so I plan to cop those soon. Also thinking about buying a nice desk from Ikea at some point. And, something I always find myself going back to is Albino 3. I don’t use it near as much as I used to, but its my favorite vst. Rob Papen should have never discontinued it, it’s brilliant.
Is there any specific workflow you tend to stick to when producing your music?
It’s different every time, I try to render different synths and samples I’ve made before really starting anything just to have something to base the vibe off of.
Are there other mediums that influence your productions?
Flim mainly, there are plenty of other things that help too but a dark movies with good score behind it are defiantly the biggest.
Everyone’s always packing a tune that sets it off every time its played, what do you usually hide up your sleeve?
Content X Mesck X Deafblind – Fire Walker, Mershak – Perceiver VIP, Trisicloplox – Monolith.
If you were offered to go to 5 destinations or festivals around the world, where would they be and why?
Berlin, Brooklyn, UK, Japan, and Outlook. Berlin, for all the techno, art, and because I haven’t been back to Germany since I was a little kid. Brooklyn, because Max And Evan from Subverse are killing it and I have always wanted to play out there. UK, because I have never been and have gotten bummed out on facebook because I see flyers for shows in London and Brixton that are ridiculous. Japan, for those BTC shows. And Outlook because I want to play on a boat in the Adriatic Sea.
What would be your favourite show you’ve attended?
Don’t remember the year but Killawatt and Thelem a few years back and in 2008 or 9 Plastican and Distance. I was fifteen and it was my first show.
On that note, if you were to be booked on a line up and you had the choice to choose, who would you pick and why?
I think it be sick to have all of the artists on Encrypted as a full lineup. It would be a lot of fun to have everyone together at the same time.
Tell us a bit about your influences, where do they lie?
Like I said film a huge thing, I love old horror and sci fi. But a lot my musical influences come from a lot of classical music. I grew up going to musicals and going to see the orchestras in town, and all that music has stayed very relevant. I listen to a lot of different stuff though, and I think you can find inspiration from almost any kind of music or genre, you just have to look around and find stuff that catches your ear.
Do you find yourself being occupied by other hobbies? What are they?
Not really at the moment, all my time is used up these days. Between my job, production, re watching all the Dragonball Z episodes, my lady, and just hanging out with people my days are shot. I wanna get into yo-yoing though.
Describe the perfect pizza!
That’s hard. Recently, I’ve been on the New York styled pepperoni, jalapeño, bacon, but I have yet to have Had a pizza that’s perfect.
Is there anyone you constantly find yourself looking to for inspiration?
Content, not only in his tunes but he has really been pushing me to move forward in my productions and create my own sound. I was in a music rut for months and he really helped pull me out.
If you had to describe your sound in 5 words what would you say?
Techy, dark, bassy, heavy, and minimalish. Haha everything but minimalish sounds like a beatport sample pack.
What should we expect from you in the near future?
Putting together a little EP that should be out in the not to distance future. No bookings currently, at least that I know of, but that could change. And at some point farther down the line, I have always wanted to put out an album, so that’s a possibility.
Thanks for taking the time to have a chat with us Luke, big up on the mix!
TDEC
INDEPTH003: Retraflex [FLEXOUT AUDIO]
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INDEPTH003: Retraflex [FLEXOUT AUDIO]
We’re back with our latest INDEPTH mix, featuring none other than the Flexout Audio mafia, Retraflex. Also known as Tom Bassi, Stephen Dampier, and Joe London, these three are a package that have been incredibly influential over the past few years in the drum and bass scene. With some huge names crowning the scene as of late, eyes generally shift past the layer of underground circles that keep the Drum and Bass scene alive, well these guys are definitely pushing boundaries.
Seeking inspiration from labels like Metalheadz, Critical Music, Exit Records, Diffrent Music, Peer Pressure, IM:LTD, and Demand, Retraflexs’ involvement with drum and bass extends through numerous outlets, they both DJ and produce, they’re responsible for running nights that have gained a reputation as a staple for innovative music and a line-up of the finest of up-coming DJ’s, and a fair few of Retraflex’s releases have been on their own imprint, the highly regarded Flexout Audio.
Retraflex’s label Flexout is renowned for “it’s catalogue of creative genius and technical savagery”. The label pushes music of many varying styles – there is a common misconception where these guys are solid on the deep dark and techy tip, but ‘Logarithmic’ the debut Flexout LP definitely illustrated variety in taste. This is a label that undeniably delves into varying styles to purvey the finest of up-coming beats, we had a chat to Tom, check out the interview below!
1. Yo Tom! Let’s get straight to it what inspired the names Retraflex and Flexout Audio?
7. That would be cool, the growth you guys have taken is big, we hope to see it only grow more! Now comparing Australia to England, would you rather eat a whole onion in the peel with our Prime Minister Tony Abbott, or get punched in the face by Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear?
I had a dream about Jeremy Clarkson last night actually, I was at the job centre with him looking for work…errrrrr raw onion sounds grim and Jeremy Clarkson is probably not very good at punching so I’ll take a smack from Jeremy Clarkson I reckon…
Well we’ll tell you what, we’re glad Jeremy isn’t in our dreams hahaha. Easy Tom big ups to you guys on such a rad mix!
Check out the links below!
Flexout Soundcloud ; @flexoutaudio
Flexout Facebook : www.facebook.com/FlexoutAudio
Flexout Website: www.flexoutaudio.co.uk
TRACKLIST:
1. Conquest – Forever
2. Transparent- I’m Trying
3. Trashbat- Dreaming Of Fiji
4. Geode- Ruh
5. Kaiju- Silverfish
6. Howsons Groove- Say It
7. Everything But The Girl- Before Today (Adam F Remix)
8. Spectrasoul- Melodies
9. Perverse- Terrain
10. Transparent- Amorous
11. Skeptical & MC Fokuz- Structure
12. Quadrant & Iriz & Homemade Weapons- Pembroke
13. Alix Perez- Stray
14. Spectraoul- Tender Doubt
15. Chromatic- Dont Take Too Long
16. Alix Perez- Crooklyn
17. Transparent- Overload
18. Hyroglifics- Chit Chat
19. ??????- ??????
20. Philth & Bredren- Cetacean (Babylon VIP)
21. Friction & KTee- Overtime (Spectrasoul Remix)
22. Calibre- Put That Woman First
23. Breakage- Old Skool Ting
24.MIST ‘Clockwork’
INDEPTH002: Thing [31 RECORDINGS/BLU MAR TEN MUSIC/DUBTHING]
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INDEPTH002: Thing [31 RECORDINGS/BLU MAR TEN MUSIC/DUBTHING]
Hailing from a small town in Estonia called Tartu is our second In Depth feature. Thing’s inspiration comes from deeper, darker sounds of reggae and dub influenced music. He has always been a musical person, but has really turning things up a notch in the last three years.
Thing has seen some releases from some heavy hitters in the industry, for example, 31 Recordings, and Blu Mar Ten Music. Aside from that, he runs two record labels of his own, better known as Dubthing Records and Depthwise music. You’ll find most of Thing’s personal releases are under Dubthing records. His music is recognized and played by well-known names in the field such as Loxy, Doc Scott, dBridge, Gremlinz, Stunna and many others.
Have a listen to his mix and check out the track list as well as an interview below!
What’s up Kristjan! Lets get straight to it, what made you choose the name “Thing”?
K: It’s simple my first girlfriend gave it to me. 🙂
Well that’s pretty easy! Who or whaat inspired you to push your unique and signature sound?
K: I’m a big fan of reggae / dub music, maybe it comes from there, I dont know, but I think I’m just doing my own thing, that’s a really hard question actually. 🙂
We like to stump you guys! We noticed you on the 31 Recordings compilation, whats on the horizon for Thing in 2015?
K: The first vinyl release from my own label ”Dubthing Records” hopefully, some remixes and releases also through my own label, but they are all work in progress at moment so can’t tell anything! 🙂
Please keep us in the loop! On a completely related note, what’s your favourite pizza topping?
K: Bacon!
We condone ALL of the bacon. So when Thing isn’t making music, what things does Thing get up to?
K: When I’m not making music I’m working (LOL), from Monday to Friday , so it’s a pretty busy schedule. I also like photography cause my day job is to repair cameras.
Sounds like your life involves a lot of buttons man, but seriously thank you so much for taking 5 with us and supplying us a tight mix!
THING FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/ThingMusic
THING SOUNDCLOUD: http://www.soundcloud.com/thing_estonia
TRACKLIST:
1. Photek – Infinity
2. Roy Apron – Two Theories (Overlook Remix)
3. Thing – Last Night
4. Digital – Gateman
5. Teebee – Redwind
6. Ruffhouse – Pellet
7. Jaydrop – Frame Scope
8. Skeptical – Imperial
9. Thing – Renew
10. Vromm – Prototype
11. Morphy – Shackles
12. Thing – One Nation Dub
13. Thing – Moments
14. J:Kenzo – Talisman
15. Clarity – Sombre
16. Monic – Habits (Monic Version)
17. Daat – Fridge
18. Instra:mental & Drkstr – Comanche
19. Thing – Minimal Theme
20. Bredren – Infamous
21. Hanover – Never Enough
22. Cern & Overlook – Nevada Ghost
INDEPTH001: Gran Calavera
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We have some exciting things planned for 2015, and we’re so stoked to present you our new series ‘INDEPTH’.
This series intends to delve deeper into the depths of our featured artists musical taste, influences, own productions, secret gems, and dubs, and with no further adieu, we present to you:
INDEPTH001: GRAN CALAVERA
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, there’s no doubt these guys are one of Perth’s finest talents on the rise. With some serious tight mixing, and a distinct deep and atmospheric sound in their production, we thought we’d kick this off in style with our favourite locals!
We took a few minutes to talk to the guys, have a look below!
What’s good Josh/Tony! Let’s get straight to the point, for those who don’t know you, what is ‘Gran Calavera’ ?
Just a couple of blokes from the Southwest coast of WA exploring the boundaries of 170+ bass music. Trying to convey our sense of fun along the way!
Awesome, that puts things in perspective! How did you guys meet? Did you initially meet with the interest of making music together?
J – Well I met Tony when we were both still at home in the south west as a couple youths, but we never considered working together until much later. It was only when we were both studying and living in Perth that we discovered that we both share an interest in both, bass music and in the production of music.
Can you give us a quick walk through your mix?
The start is a bit of a sample of the genres we like to listen to outside of the world of bass music as well as a few of our musical influences. The second half is more 170 based, but each artist included has specifically had a long influence on us whether it’s a current track from them or a classic. A few exclusives in there too!
It’s a strong selection guys! It’s no doubt you guys certainly have a niche taste, which we froth! Has it always been this way or has it developed over the years?
J – Our sound has certainly developed over the years. We dabbled in different genres for a while but I think it safe to say that we feel right at home making D&B.
T – Yeah we kinda came full circle from where I started DJing in my teens. After exploring a lot of different styles and techniques, we were stoked that we ending up back at the place of rugged, groovy 170. I was obsessed with labels like Ninja Tune in my early teens, so the UK influence has always been fundamental.
On the note of groovy 170, if we were to give you $50 and the number to Pizza Hut, what would you get?
J – 15 Hawaiian pizzas. Deep pan.
T – I have an agreement with Josh that I cannot say anything about Hawaiian Pizzas…
Man knows what he wants, maybe we shouldn’t ask! I think it’s pretty agreeable across the boards that you guys are heading in the right direction, has there been anyone special to influence this?
Hugest of shouts to Ekko & Sidetrack for their (love) and guidance over the years. Even though our styles differ quite dramatically at times, it’s exciting to mould elements of our sounds together. They have a huge year coming too.
Also to Tom and the family Flexout Audio. They are open to anything fresh, and a real quality label on the rise!
And the Perth crew and promoters who know who they are!
Its so cool to see the city buzz so hard off your vibe! Moving into your production though, is there any sense of vision you guys are trying to push forth with your sounds?
J – It might not be much of a ‘vision’ but I think just keeping it fresh with our production and sound is what we are always trying to push. I feel proud to be apart of the D&B genre and the people associated with it and I want to do my best to bring different sounds and styles to the genre to help continue its evolution.
T – Josh definitely nailed it. We always tend to look back a bit to get that proper rough drum & bass sound that we love, but at the end of the day, to us, it’s all about groove and weight, and conveying a sense of fun that I believe sometimes the more minimal of bass music genres can lose a bit of.
Speaking of evolution, if you guys were to allocate each other an animal to represent your interpretation of one another what would they be? Why?
J – Tony = Cheezleshark
Get a box of Cheezles and find out…
LOL! Again, not sure if we should ask, but we will definitely put the theory to the test. Do you guys know the feeling when you sit there listening to a song in utter awe, analysing every sound in the production, are there any songs that stick out to you off the top of your head?
J – Synkro – Progression
Just one of those songs for me that I find another detail almost every time I sit down and listen to it.
T – Anything by Lapalux for me. The way he swims in textures and pitched vocals is astounding to me.
So this year is proving to be pretty awesome already for music, do you guys have any movements? Or we keeping it ninja?
Stoked to announce we are kicking off with a 4-track EP on Flexout Audio! Which is phenomenal considering we have yet to have a solo release, and an exciting collab with Ekko & Sidetrack forthcoming!
We have a feeling there will be a lot of cool things to come out of you guys in the near future that is for sure, furthermore, where do you hope to see yourselves heading in the next couple of years?
J – I hope we are able to continue releasing music and spending time in the studio and I plan to enjoy every minute of it!
Hypothetical situation, time in the studio is now time in a cage ring. Who’d win in a cage fight?
T – Easily Josh, have you seen the giant?
J – I wouldn’t be so certain.
It’d be some proper David vs Goliath business for sure! But seriously, again thank you so much for your time guys, what a mix to kick off the series with, you never fail to impress!
TRACKLIST:
Sister Nancy – Bam Bam
Strategy – The Bleep Test
Skittles – Shottin’ (ft. Fox)
Cypress Hill – Illusions
Jehst – Poison
A/T/O/S – Run
Mick Jenkins – Vibe
? – ?
Om Unit – Understand
Chimpo – Bun It (ft. Fixate)
>>>Hyroglifics – Set It
Temple – Knuckle Head (Gran Calavera Remix)
? – ?
Spectrasoul – Glimpse (ft. dbridge)
Survey – Inhale
Dub Phizix – Narrow Eyes (ft. Fox & Chimpo)
Bredren – Source Code
Response – Surveillance
Ivy Lab – Twenty Questions
Alix Perez & Sabre – Solitary Native
Break – Out Of Nowhere
Dub Phizix – Rainy City Music
Lenzman – Open Page (ft. Riya)
Stray – Matchsticks
Lapalux – Forgetting and Learning Again
Rob Dougan – Drinking Song
GRAN CALAVERA FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/ihaveagrancalavera
GRAN CALAVERA SOUNDCLOUD: http://www.soundcloud.com/gran-calavera
THELEM INTERVIEW
FB: www.facebook.com/deependcollective
We’re back with our latest Friday Feature, we have been super excited to put this one out for a while now, hailing from the Hampshire area in London, we present to you Matt Weare, better known as Thelem.
After just touching down in Australia and shaking the dubstep scene back up nationally, Thelem is hands down one of our favourite producers here at The Deep End Collective.
“Through acute attention to detail and with precision bordering on perfectionism when it comes to creating and layering sounds, Thelem‘s tunes are a showcase of balance and a sense of control. Making sub-heavy music, but without overdoing the sub, he may be included in the new breed of producers who are more audibly influenced by the spacious sounds of early-noughties producers such as Cyrus, Loefah and D1.”
Thelem draws a lot of his inspiration from the earlier and more original sounds of dubstep. Sampling old sci-fi films, it is no doubt Matt has a signature dungeon sound.
Thelem has released music on both Artikal Music UK and Innamind Recordings, two of the heaviest hitters in todays dubstep scene, touring all over Europe, very recently North America, and only the other week did we just see him here in Australia.
Thelem has very recently dropped a clip featuring T-Man called “We Ain’t the Same” showcasing the evolution of Matt’s sound, we are super excited to see what 2015 has in store for Thelem!
A massive big ups to Thelem for taking the time to put this mix and interview together for us, seriously, look at that tracklist! We are looking forward to seeing you again here in Perth!
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So Matt, it’s good to speak to you again! You absolutely smashed it here in Perth, but let’s get down to business, we’ve noticed you use to snowboard! What else do you get up to in your spare time?
Yeah I used to be heavily into snowboarding, I actually used to ride for the Endeavor Snowboards UK team, which not many people know. I’m not really too active now in my spare time lol. When I’m not working on beats I’m usually hanging out with mates, watching movies and all the usual kinda stuff.
Woah that’s a bit of an achievement! Well in that case, run us through your studio:
Right now Im using a Adam A8X Monitors, UAD Satellite, Arturia Mini Brute, Dave Smith Pro 2 and a Virus Ti.
What are your favourite gems on wax in your collection?
Probably some of the old Dmz and Hotflush classics I got when I first started buying vinyl.
We can’t argue with that! So to this day, what is the biggest highlight of your career?
I’d have to say the Artikal Music North American tour a couple months back.
One of us was actually arrived in California a couple days after your show in LA, absolutely gutted it was missed! In that case whats the best crowd reception you’ve received?
Tough question, been so lucky to have played some awesome gigs the last couple years, but again some of the gigs on the last North American tour really stood out for me. It’s hard to pinpoint the best crowd reaction but some of those really went off and were mental!
Thats cool man, they have an awesome vibe out there, what about the most important gig to you you’ve played to this date?
I’d have to say getting the opportunity to play FWD at Plastic people in 2012. I was honoured to get the opportunity to play there. I used to go allot and never thought I’d see the day I would get to play there.
Woah, that really is an honour! Howabout the most fucked up thing to happen to you?
First thing that springs to mind is from back in my snowboarding days many years ago. Some snowboard mates and myself drove up to Utah from California to film on some street handrails. One of my mates had a really bad crash on a rail and actually split his liver open, at first we thought he had broken a rib or something, but after the ambulance picked him up they knew it was something more serious. They did cat scans at the hospital and saw he had actually split his liver open, it was only a few mm away from the main artery that runs through it and he ended up intensive care for a while. We had to extend our stay in motels while he recovered in hospital for about 2 weeks, was really messed up as the doctor was saying how lucky he was. A couple of mates in the group had to get the rental car back to California as they were off to Austria while some of us stayed there to look after our friend in hospital. The guys driving back to Cali ended up getting stopped by police for speeding, they were underage for driving the rental car and the car got impounded and they were left stranded. Some friend from Cali ended up driving 10 hours or something to come get them. The whole situation was a nightmare, we ended up all having to spend the reminder of our money on fines and charges to the rental company and impound lot, in turn that cut our winter season short and we had to come back to the UK. That whole situation may sound far-fetched but it really was like something out of a movie, will never forget that lol.
Woah Matt, thats pretty hectic, that almost sounds like a movie script, on a total flip though, what meal does your mum cook best?
Definitely her lasagne.
We can’t knock that whatsoever! So in all honesty, what was your expectations of Australia? Have you heard of dropbears?
To be truthful I’m not actually sure what my expectations were. I was just really excited to see the country in itself and have the chance to play my music over there as I have never been that side of the world. Sadly I haven’t heard of dropbears, what is it?
Lucky you didnt meet any, they’re pretty vicious animals. So what is your favourite collaboration you have worked on?
Most likely “Kaba” with Killawatt.
Sweet! We noticed you dropped a track on the Artikal compilation, how does it feel being part of that, and who majorly influenced your production for that track? It’s pretty out there…which we love!
Yeah I was really happy to be apart of the Artikal compilation, I think it was a sick release and really showed varied styles of underground music from an amazing collection of artists. I’m stoked to be apart of that. I’m not sure who individually influenced me on that track, it more came from inspiration of playing around and making those gritty basslines on this synth, that then lead onto recording parts in and turning it into a full track.
Experimentation, we like that! We’ve seen you produce some killer tacks in the likes of both Dubstep and even some half time Drum and Bass, how do you get in the groove? Who and what are your biggest inspirations?
I usually start with a drum groove and go from there, once I got a beat down I’ll usually make a sound that will spark inspiration for a tune. Other times it can be tough and I will get stuck on a loop. At this current time I’m trying to draw more inspiration from across the board into my dubstep, I’m trying to take influence from other genres such a hip-hop, grime, broken beat stuff and incorporate it into my own music, I think its helping me to carve a more unique sound compared to my older material.
How about the video for ‘Bring Me Down’, what went down, what was your favourite part of being involved and what was with the face paint!?
I’m actually really happy with how that video turned out considering the time it was done in and our budget. Joao the guy who organised and done the video done such a good job, I can’t thank him and the crew enough. To be honest I wasn’t to involved in the actual filming as I’m not a huge fan of cameras, It was fun being there and watching it all take shape, it was also allot of driving and hard work getting everything and everyone to the abandoned place. The hard work from everyone payed off though. As for the face paint that was Joao’s idea to help give off the idea of the “cult” theme, which is what the video was about.
Well you definitely pulled off the cult theme, what a video! Do you have a wider array of genres you appreciate?
To be honest I like a bit of everything at the right time and mood.
As we say, good music is good music! Is there a subliminal meaning to your music? Are you trying to portray anything or help your listeners visualize something specific?
Haha I actually get asked this allot from various people, sadly though there isn’t really any subliminal meaning in my music. I try and build what flows at the time and go off that, I don’t think to deep about meanings I just try and make sounds that sonically work and fit together as a whole. Hope that doesn’t come across to boring lol, maybe deep down there is a subconscious meaning that is yet to be known?
Mate you’re nothing close to boring! We can definitely roll with that 😉 So what can we look forward to come from you in the future? Perhaps another sneaky collaboration or wax release?
Well I’m currently working on this album, which I apologise is taking so long but I want it to be just how I had imagined. However in the meantime there is a new 12” release in the pipeline that I will hopefully announcing soon!
We are definitely looking forward to that for sure, we’ll make sure to keep everyone on our side posted about that too! Thank you for taking the time to speak to us Matt, all the best for the future! 🙂
—————————————————————–
Check out this bad ass mix that Thelem has put together for us!
TRACKLIST
- Boofy – Truncheon
- Soloman – Silo Hoe
- J Kenzo – Expansion
- Skeptical – Talk The Talk
- Thelem – Foul Play
- Piezo – Space Conjectures
- Piezo – Wonka
- Skeptical – Something In The Sound
- Vexd – Thunder
- J:Kenzo ft Juiceman – Urban Gorilla
- Thelem – Latched
- Gantz – Elmo Rehab
- Sleeper – Fuck That Shit
- Gantz – Space Horror
FEARFUL INTERVIEW
My name is Chris Murray aka Fearful. Ive had releases with a host of labels including Diffrent, Flexout & AutomAte.
So what first got you into drum & bass, and when did you start producing?
My first experience with DnB was 8 years ago at a mates house. He was showing me tracks by Calyx & Teebee like ‘Warrior’. Hearing what could be achieved by one person and a computer was a massive inspiration for me to produce my own music. Before that I was playing in a band but being able to make music anytime I wanted without lugging around my bass appealed to me a lot more. Early 2006 my mate Tyson and I started making some 8-bit nintendo tunes mashed up with amen breaks, all on a tiny old windows laptop that would crash at any moment. It was chaotic, amaeture and a hell lot of fun. Fast forward to NYE and I was at my first rave, in my hometown of Brighton. The energy and excitement I got from hearing DnB through a proper sound system and seeing all those people lose themselves to the music was eye opening. I wanted to hear my tunes on those systems.
What will we be hearing in this mix you’ve provided us?
Ive drawn for a lot of tracks that feature strong elements of sound design. The main thing I wanted to achieve was a mix that gets you excited for the rave. Whether your driving to a club, having pre drinks with friends or chasing up people for a last minute ticket to an event, I want it to be a warm up for the weekend as well as showcasing some of my own forthcoming releases.
Can you briefly explain your studio setup to us?
MacBook Pro 15 i7 quad core, Logic Pro9, Ableton edirol FA-66 interface, Sennheiser mkh416 microphone, alesis midi keyboard, and a pair of KRK Rokit 6s. Its a pretty modest set up but it gets the job done. I’m in the process of switching from logic to ableton. I prefer manipulating samples over synthesis which ableton facilitates better than logic in my opinion. I’ve been using the Amoss studio quite a bit recently and really like their yamaha HS80M Monitors.They are ruthlessly accurate with your mix. I like them so much I’m going to grab myself a pair for the new year.
Your biggest influences?
I’m currently studying sound design in London so a lot of my days are spent processing recordings and making soundscapes which inevitably make it into my own music. We generally don’t pay attention to most of the sounds in our every day lives but there are great sources of inspiration everywhere we look.Door creeks, Metal impacts, Wind, CD drives, what ever I think sounds interesting at the time gets recorded chopped up and filed away. Creating my own library of unique samples has got me out of countless creative blocks. I recommend it to anyone making music.
Who would you most like to collab with?
There are so many potential answers to that question… I’ve always wanted to collaborate with Hybris. His productions are incredibly rich in sound design, and his mix downs are super clean. The Emergence LP was the highlight of this years releases for me.
Some tunes your digging at the moment?
Mefjus – Expedition
Amoss & Fre4knc – Vortice
Shiver – Stutter
Kolectiv – Immortalis
Klax – Blackball
Hybris – Night Boss
Bredren – Rotten (Amoss Remix)
All time favourites?
Noisia & Phace – Micro-organism
Fre4knc – Tubular
Stray & Frederic Robinson – Thumbprint
Commix – Underwater Scene
Rockwell – Aria
Mtwn – Tech 9
Alix Perez – 1984
Best and worst gigs you’ve ever played at?
Worst – I don’t like to name particular events but not being able to play a single tune due to clubs or promoters not looking after equipment has only been an issue once for me.
Best would have to be Simply Vinyl Brighton. The most enthusiastic crowd I could have asked for, they gave everything and more. Its a great feeling playing vinyl and it being so appreciated and encouraged. We need more exclusive vinyl nights, especially, now the funniest thing that’s happened at a gig? Getting far too drunk with Taelimb, Amoss and Retraflex, blacking out and waking up in Medika’s house with people raving around me.
I like a good drink.
What about your dream event to play at?
I’d love to play a NYE event in russia or easter europe. something about that setting in the middle of winter just fits perfectly with dark moody DnB for me. I also just want to visit russia.
What do you get up to away from the loud noises?
Moderate noises!? haha. There aren’t many quiet moments living with Andy & James of Amoss and the
mighty Flexout Audio chief Tom. Most of my free time is spent location recording and doing post audio production for short films by fellow students. So I guess audio is my life right now.
Cats or dogs?
Cats. Perfect studio pets. They don’t need loads of attention, but you cant trust them to be loyal.
If you were stranded on a desert island with only 3 albums to listen to, what 3
albums would you take with you?
Another tough one. I think these 3 would take care of all my musical needs.
Bonobo – The North Borders
Akkord – Akkord
Tesseract – Altered State
And finally what do Fearful have planned for the rest of 2014 and into 2015?
I have my first vinyl release on Diffrent Music, ‘So Far vol1.’ A track from 2013
entitled ‘Tongues’.
You can grab a copy from their shop:
http://shop.diffrentmusic.com/product/diff025
My 2nd AutomAte release ‘XIII’ is out on the 1st of December backed up with two awesome remixes by Mtwn & Raiden.hen there’s a remix of Transparent’s track ‘Overload’ coming on Flexout in the not too distant future which Ive included in the mix.
And finally, Im wrapping up my forthcoming EP on Diffrent which will be out sometime early 2015.
Friday Feature Mixtape Vol.47- Vromm (31 RECORDINGS/VARIOUS PRODUCTIONS)
Welcome Vromm, lets get to business! So what first got you into drum & bass, and when did you start producing?
I was living in South Spain close to the Straits of Gibraltar. Living so close to an English colony gave me some English influences. I learnt to play vinyl at nine years old. Then, some friends started copying hardcore-jungle mix-tapes for me. Many people from the UK were living in La Costa del Sol which is very close to Gibraltar. There were many great raves and clubs along Malaga Coast where you could found all kinds of different musical styles evenwithin same place. People used to be really open-mind there during this period. Also I used to listen to and record the Steve Mason Experience radio show for BFBS Radio which I received from my parents’ house. All of these things encouraged me to start making music around 1993with Fast Tracker and Scream Tracker on Ms-dos.
What will we be hearing in this mix you’ve provided us?
Well, this is a mix I have tried to combine new and old music I like. There are some new tracks extracted from Future Beats: The Album (31 Recordings) and some dubs too. This is my way of seeing music right now.
Awesome, that sounds like a pretty cool past! Can you give us a rundown of your studio setup?
Today my studio setup is very simple with regards to equipment. I just use an iMac i7, my Motu 828 sound card which has been working now for over a decade, a few midi controllers, a pair of Dynaudio BM6a and my last acquisition: a pair of Audeze headphones which are really impressive!.
Cool! So what are your biggest influences?
Most of the electronic music from the late 80’s and early 90’s. From Detroit and Chicago Techno to Hardcore and Jungle and breakbeats (from the UK generally). Although I have always liked Jazz/Soul/Funk and Flamenco as well.
IWe can only imagine sitting on the coast in Spain listening to music like that! Who would you most like to collaborate with in the future?
I didn’t ask myself this question until my EP was released by 31 Recordings. This was when some good producers started to ask for collaborations. I come from a country where it was impossible to find people making electronic music when I started, so I am used to making music alone. Anyway there are producers I think I would like to collab with in the future like Jaydrop, Overlook, Cern, Eric Volta, to name a few…
Definetly keep us in the loop if those collaborations happen,! What are some tracks you are digging at the moment?
-Cern & Overlook – Nevada Ghost
-The Untouchables – Septimus
-Gremlinz & No Rules – Water
-Loxy & Resound – Purity
-Eastern District – Eight Days
-Moresounds – Rahstok
And your all time favourites?
A lot!. :). To name a few:
-The House Crew – The Theme
-Manix – Special Request
-The Scientist – The Bee
-Princess of the Posse – Do the Right Ting
-Thursday Club – A Place Called Acid
So we’re sure you’ve played a wide array of gigs, which was the best, and which was the worst??
Best: FIB Benicassim 2000 and 2002 and Nature Club Madrid 97-2000.
Worst: A few, but I think I deleted them from my mind the day after so I can’t remember them anymore.
Hahahahaha howabout the funniest thing that’s happened at a gig?
Someone dropped a drink on the turntable while I was playing but the music didn’t stop!.
What! That’s pretty lucky hahaha!! What about your dream event to play at?
I am sure there are a lot more but I would say, Dimensions, Overlook Festival, Sonar and Burning Man. Also I’d like to go on tour to Australia! 🙂
Aiming big! We’d love to see you here man, so what do you get up to away from the loud noises?
Nothing, just make music! :). Nah, seriously, at the moment I don’t have enough time to do anything else but I’d really like to draw again, I used to do illustrations in my hometown using airbrush.
On a total side note, cats or dogs?
Dogs
If you were stranded on a desert island with only 3 albums to listen to, what 3 albums would you take with you?
-Amon Tobin – Isam
-Miles Davis – Kind of Blues
-Roy Hargrove – Hard Groove
That’s quite the contrast! Finally what does Vromm have planned for the rest of 2014 and into 2015?
Keep making music!. :). I need to finish lots of tunes! For 2015 I have a few releases forthcoming with 31 Recordings and also something else very special but I’m not sure I’m allowed to mention it here at the moment. But I am really excited about them! 🙂
Thanks again Alvaro!
Thanks to youguys too, 🙂
X THE DEEP END COLLECTIVE X 
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